“It will pass,” the teacher said matter-of-factly.

A week later, the student came back to his teacher. “My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It’s just wonderful!’

“It will pass,” the teacher replied matter-of-factly.

“Thanks to Impermanence, everything is possible.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Everything in life is temporary.  So if things are going good, let’s enjoy the moment, with the awareness of impermanence, because it won’t last forever! And if things are going bad, let’s not worry, with the awareness of impermanence, because it can’t last forever either!

The reason we suffer is because we experience a gap in our minds between what life is and what we wish life would be.

The only certainty in this life is CHANGE!  With an awareness of this truth, we stop longing and clinging to permanence in a world that is impermanent!

The post Change is the only certainty in life, So this too shall pass…. appeared first on Third Eye Fitness.

Daily random acts of kindness are something we all can do.  A smile, a hug, a warm welcome takes very little effort and we can all participate in this act.  Being a part of a cause that involves our time and dedication, on the other hand, takes some effort.

“If you can influence the outcome, do the work. If you can’t influence the outcome, ignore the possibility. It’s merely a distraction.” – Seth Godin

To solve any problem, it takes focus.

Finding a cause close to our hearts and doing the work to make a difference in this world takes fierce discipline, dedication, and determination.

A few famous examples of those who followed these principles are Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Steve Jobs, Simon Sinek, Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela. The choices they made to stay true to the cause close to their hearts teaches us we all have a calling, a purpose we feel drawn to.

Most of us don’t have the resources to be participating in multiple causes without sacrificing focus and constant learning it requires to make changes in this world.  But I can take up one cause and so can you… and you…

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life — think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” – Swami Vivekananda.

The post Which cause is it today? appeared first on Third Eye Fitness.

As we hold a pose in a yoga class, we hear yoga teachers giving cues such as “listen to your body” or “be kind to your body”. These are cues now I use as a yoga teacher. I use them because I realized this skill of tuning in and listening to our bodies is extremely useful.

Listening to my body has become my new habit even when I’m off the mat.  My personal experiences have been teaching me that my cravings frequently arise when I’m experiencing emotions such as anger, frustration, fear, sadness, fatigue, boredom, loneliness (or a lack of connection) and these emotions are connected to parts of my body.

Mind-Body Connection

A team of scientists in Finland did a study known as the “Bodily Map of Emotions” which included over 700 participants from different cultures and languages. The purpose of this study was to map out where people felt different emotions on their bodies. Each participant reported different emotions sparking activity in different parts of their bodies, but the results were surprisingly consistent.

Several studies have also shown that when we are in an angry (or even frustrated) state of mind, one of the bodily responses is the release of certain chemicals. As long as these chemicals are in our bodies, we will continue to feel this emotion and vice-versa. There are times we feel helpless not being able to stop the situation or the person that we believe is causing our frustration and we start to look for other options in the hope of releasing these emotions trapped in our bodies.

Practice

Next time you have a craving, try the following:

• Pause for a moment.
• Start focusing on your breath.
• Check in and pay attention to what your body is telling you. (I recommend keeping your eyes closed for this).

As you listen, you may find some helpful answers, but do not try to analyze them. The important thing is to slow down, quiet the mind and check in. The answers are simply there to remind us that what we are craving for is not a sugary treat. Our bodies might be asking us to find positive ways to release a trapped emotion.

Once we connect with our bodies, we become more aware of its true needs. As humans, there will still be moments where we choose that sugary treat, however, it will be less frequent if we continue this powerful practice.  Our bodies speak to us all the time. All it takes to listen is a quiet mind.

The post Listen to your body, not your mind! appeared first on Third Eye Fitness.