#maxstrom

[soulawakeningblog]

I think the uniqueness of the conscience is that it is an innate sense of knowing; it's not taught, or influenced by others. It is a wisdom that we are born with, and that we all possess. The degree that one follows it may have more to do with one's ability to hear this quiet voice above the roar of one's own tumultuous mind. Our own inner noise often drowns out the inner voice of the conscience. I believe that through the consistent practices of opening the heart center and quieting the mind, we can begin the natural liberation of one of our highest functions, the conscience. Once the conscience is awakened, ethical issues seem to become clearer as a new compassion for our fellow men and women leads us to actions which are kind and just.

Max Strom, A Life Worth Breathing

[soulawakeningblog]

All great teachers of morality share a similar message, even though it may appear different because it was altered for a particular time, place, and culture. The message is simply this: Our battles are not fought by challenging others to change their beliefs or behaviour; rather, our own personal behaviour is all we really have power over in the end. The presence of a person's ethics, or lack of them is extremely potent; it has been said that virtue alone is the most meaningful standard by which to distinguish one person from another.

Max Strom, A Life Worth Breathing

[soulawakeningblog]

Showing care, consideration, and effort in your actions - these are symbols of love and respect. Regardless of your good intentions, regardless of your good heart, no one cares what you meant to say or meant to do. Ultimately, it is only by your actions that others determine your love and respect for them. And if your actions are sloppy and selfish, then people will feel disrespected and unloved, and will not trust you. It is that simple. We must never forget this, for it is the principle that shapes all of our relationships, at all times, in all places.

Max Strom, A Life Worth Breathing

[soulawakeningblog]

“In a way...

the more self-centered (not arrogant) you become in your practice, the more selfless you become in the world. The more you work on healing yourself, the kinder and more considerate you are to others. So, you’re doing everybody a favor by focusing on yourself for the ninety minutes that you practice. There’s no better gift you could give your family than to take this time out of your day to practice yoga with intention, breath, and movement. When you walk out the door from your yoga practice, the internal practice stays with you, and you cultivate it simply by remembering to do so - by remembering who you are and what you aim for, and what you stand for, always and everywhere.”

- Max Strom, A Life Worth Breathing

[soulawakeningblog]

By soothing the body, the emotions and the mind are also soothed. I think massage is one of the most interesting and overlooked miracles in life. We live in our bodies and we store our emotions in them.We call it stress, but that's inaccurate; it's not just stress, we actually store our emotions in different parts of our body. The fact that another human being can put their hands on us and take the pain away is truly a miracle.

Max Strom, A Life Worth Breathing

[soulawakeningblog]

“When we breathe deeply...

and consciously, the ego dissipates, uncovering the heart center. Then, like the sunrise, what was dark becomes illuminated with the light from our own heart, and this light shines brightly in all areas of our life.

The ramifications of this are profound. Show me a student with a powerful and refined breathing practice, and I’ll show you a person undergoing rapid transformation. Your very life changes quickly as your breath melts the ego, almost as fire melts ice. Your heart center opens wider, and so do your eyes, and then you see differently and make new choices based on this new vision. When this happens you will begin to sense your purpose and veer toward your true path. Others will also begin to sense your purpose as well, so you will have guides to point the way toward your destiny. These guides may be friends or strangers, and by grace you will find them as your living signposts.”

- Max Strom, A Life Worth Breathing

[soulawakeningblog]

When we are in pain, we become self-centred and myopic. When we heal, we become more empathetic, selfless, and sympathetic to the pain and welfare of others. We also become more sensitive to subtle energies and are able to hear the inner voice of our intuition, previously drowned out by the noise within.

Max Strom, A Life Worth Breathing

[soulawakeningblog]

Some doors only open from the inside. Breath is a way of accessing that door.

Max Strom