#practiceofpeace

[kinoyoga]

There was a knot at the center of my being, one so deeply held and tightly wound that it had defined nearly every moment of my life, except I didn’t even realize it was there. Sure, there were signs and I can look back now and see how they all pointed to the existence of this central tension at the core of my sense of self. I’m not saying I’m enlightened after ten days of silence, but I am saying that this knot as been untied, and what’s left is the free space of an open heart, which, yes, is love. _ Maybe you too have a deeply held knot in your soul that governs many aspects of your life from the hidden layers of the subconscious mind. The thing is, you can be free of it if you are willing to dive down within to a previously unknown depth. There, at the center of yourself, you will meet every broke shard of your heart and get the chance to pick up those pieces and glue them back together with unbreakable, pure golden light. _ I’ll be talking about my experience and answering questions about my experience in Vipassana today LIVE here on IG at 3 pm EST. Tune in if you like. I’ll also be cutting mangos bc I came home to an abundant mango season in full force. _ And please join my meditation challenge on @omstarsofficial This is Day 1 and each meditation is only 5 minutes long and freely accessible for everyone. _ #practiceofpeace _ Outfit @liquidoactive Photo @ifilmyoga 🙏 https://www.instagram.com/p/ByiQYUWHj5i/?igshid=jlaq47detawc

[kinoyoga]

The majority of thinking happens in the subconscious mind. The conscious mind represents only 5% of all thought. Try to take that in. This means that a staggering 95% of thinking is automated and happening at a largely unconscious level. Right now, as you read thus, you are thinking thoughts and reacting based on those thoughts without your awareness. To a large degree the framework of the subconscious mind hold the deepest thoughts we carry, the ones that form the framework for what we think reality and life really is. And since these thoughts are so deeply programmed and happening non-stop the danger is that we assume our view of reality to be “the truth” when in fact it’s just a bunch of deeply programmed unquestioned unconscious thoughts, many of which were laid down during trauma or received without consent through socialization. _ To make any substantive life change you will need to reprogram and reprogram your subconscious mind. If all your affirmations and identifications circulate in the realm of the conscious mind alone you cannot break free from the past. Only by diving deeply into the innermost caverns of the mind, body and soul will you be able to bring out the most powerful part of the mind. I don’t mean to say that subconscious mind is bad. It’s not bad. It’s powerful. And anything that is so powerful it controls 95% of your thoughts needs to be respected. The spiritual path is about gaining volition over the direction of your subconscious mind, choosing to actively participate in the work of worship and creation. _ Meditation is more than the next trend. Meditation is an age-old tool to start a revolution in your mind, one that has the power to fully liberate you. The path is there for all who are called, so if you feel you’re ready to do the work, all you need to do is start sitting... in a chair, on the floor, however it’s comfortable for you, just start with as little as five minutes a day. You will light the spark of true change and your life will never be the same again. _ #practiceofpeace Join me on @omstarsofficial for this free 18-day meditation and practice challenge 🙏 (at Miami Beach, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/BylL7kUnHiD/?igshid=1dm8010k88zxh

[kinoyoga]

Thinking is a habit. Repetitive thoughts get programmed so deeply that they run on automatic. Whether your thoughts are your own or if they’re a program you got from society, family or culture, you have the power to direct your thoughts. _ Gratitude is a practice. If it doesn’t come naturally to you to be grateful, then you may find it tedious or even unrealistic to practice thankful thinking. You may use cynicism as a kind of armor that protects you from working on appreciation. But my advice to you is to try it anyway. What’s the worst thing that could happen if you practice being grateful for a few minutes every day? _ Or, you might not be someone who is necessarily negative, you might just gloss over the good. Imagine if instead of just coasting by the good times you allowed yourself to steep in them. When you relish something and savor it, the feeling tends to grow. If you take the goodness for granted it tends to evaporate. _ You can use gratitude as an anchor for your meditation. You can also practice gratitude in the off moments of your life, like in traffic or waiting in line. It makes for a miraculous change in perspective. _ What are you grateful for today? _ I’m #grateful for my father. It’s #fathersday and I miss him, but I am so grateful for how much he loved me and for the amazing blessing to have a man like him as my father. I love you Dad and I give thanks that you loved me until the end of your life. _ #practiceofpeace @omstarsofficial @liforme @yogagivesback Photo @lyanlex1 🧘‍♀️ https://www.instagram.com/p/ByyYpQyHInA/?igshid=1ppukmws1s39h

[kinoyoga]

Peace is a state of being like a big open field that contains joy, love, hope, kindness, compassion and wisdom. Meditation and yoga are the two best tools that I’ve found for keeping the mind and heart in a peaceful place. It’s so easy to get caught up in the frequency of the thinking, worrying, planning mind. We get addicted to our thoughts and emotions. But underneath all that is a place of timelessness that is more true than anything else. Once you experience that spark of the spirit within, everything changes. _ #practiceyogachangeyourworld #onebreathatatime Photo @b.lvvk @freexmoney Wearing @liquidoactive _ Thanks everyone for joining the #practiceofpeace challenge with me on @omstarsofficial I am so overwhelmed with how many people have told me that these short five meditations have been so helpful. That makes me so happy to hear! Comment below if you’ve joined the challenge every day. 🙏 (at Miami Beach, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzTswrpH-OZ/?igshid=1sxq1sy5hh1j1

[kinoyoga]

There is a promise kept in every dawn, a whisper from eternity about the chance for a fresh start, a feeling that no matter how long the night may seem, there will always be a new day, a system reset where you get the opportunity to begin again. And you, my dear, you hold that promise within you. You are the dawn, and at every breath you can start again, press restart on the mind and heart, see the world from the miracle of the present, drop the old stories of the past. You are the magic, it’s in you. The whole spiritual path—every yoga pose, every meditation technique, every moment spent on your knees in prayer, every sincere question in your heart—its all about the opening of mind and heart to the freshness of Now, the is-ness or your being, the place beyond the material that your very soul is a bridge towards. Waking up is both a journey and a surrender, a way to dream a better dream, consciously, clearly, with kindness and generosity, a path of self-realization so that you can finally be yourself and be in love with who you are. _ Asana has been a big part of my journey, but I feel it shifting. My intention going forward is to spend an equal amount of time in sitting meditation as I do on the yoga mat. What do you think about that? _ #practiceofpeace Join the challenge with me on @omstarsofficial to help raise money for @yogagivesback with help from @Liforme 🧘‍♀️ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bys5YTxHQ1N/?igshid=wwxs5xrh1jz9

[kinoyoga]

Forgiveness is easier said than done. While you may think you’ve truly forgiven someone, just wait until they repeat the same action that hurt you all over again. Then the cycle begins again. One thing I’ve learned is that emotion can’t be rushed. If you want to forgive someone the first step is actually acknowledging that you’re mad at them. Unfelt anger is repressed and never leaves. Once you admit your angry about something, keep it short and simple, depersonalize it and try to avoid making value judgements. Saying, when you did X, I got triggered and was angry is a simple truth. Saying, you’re an ignorant, inconsiderate jerk turns your feeling into an attack that only leads to war. You can’t help when you get triggered, but you do get to choose what comes after the trigger. That’s the point of freedom, the space between stimulus and response, where you have the power to break old habit patterns and craft a constructive path forward. _ Try this— _ 1. Forgive Yourself— You’re only doing the best you can and that’s the truth. Even when you’re not at your best or when you’re messing it all up, that’s what you’ve got. If it could be better it would be. Recognize any anger you have towards yourself and state it simply, refraining from judgements. Then forgive yourself. 2. Forgive God— Because there is no wrathful deity waiting to punish you, there really only is a stream of love you can step into, forgive God because there is a depth and meaning to all your suffering and the suffering of the world. Most of what’s done in the name of God is actually just human B.S. and has nothing to do with the true power and glory of the Divine. 3. Forgive your enemies— Feel your anger if you’ve been hurt, and also be willing to let it go. It doesn’t mean you need to allow people that hurt you back into your life or pretend that what is wrong was right, but forgiveness does mean you can put the burden of hurt down and be free yourself. _ #practiceofpeace #yogiassignment @omstarsofficial #yogachallenge Photo @astrudaaa_photography 🙏 (at Miami Beach, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByvnpMnHHUj/?igshid=jdz20cwd7ycy