but if you must label me,

Label me human,

because I was born human!

I was born human,

not Indian or American,

not rich or poor,

not Christian or Buddhist,

not smart or stupid,

not pretty or ugly,

not a scientist or a yogi,

not perfect or imperfect,

So please, don’t label me.

With labels comes hatred,

Hatred stirs up dissension.

Labels are not for me

but if you must label me,

Above all, label me Love!

Because I see you in me and myself in you.

Labels are not for me

but if you must label me,

Label me love!

Because Love covers all wrongs.

The post Label Me Love appeared first on Third Eye Fitness.

“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.

Most of us want to give our best in this world, yet many of us are not living lives to our highest potential.  We stop ourselves from loving and being loved fully and deeply because we fear getting hurt.  We do not pursue our dreams because we fear failure.  We never try public speaking because we fear embarrassment.   And the list continues!

So how do we overcome these fears?

There is a concept in eastern spirituality known as “non-attachment”. In this concept, one trains the mind in overcoming the desires of this world. This concept is misunderstood by many as living passively where we stop caring about the world, do not have any dreams and become one of those monks or nuns who live in a cave. This is not the practice of non-attachment.

Non-attached living comes from the understanding of the true nature of existence and we live from our highest-selves in the present moment. It does not mean living a passive life. It means while one is responsible and active, one does not worry about the past or future. What we detach from is the results of our actions. If our minds are not attached to a certain result, there is nothing left to fear because we have already chosen to embrace reality as it is.

The secret of human freedom is to act well without attachment to the results. — Bhagavad Gita

It is not the world, it’s people or the actions that is at the root of our fears, it is our expectation of a certain outcome from someone or something. We fear reality may not be the same as our expectations. When we fear, we stop trying and continue to stay in our mind-made cages. When we embrace reality as it is and let go of expectations or fears of a certain outcome, in an instant we begin to soar and live life fully and deeply.

Practice living with non-attachment:

Do one loving act towards someone you love everyday or one action towards your dream everyday. Now let go of all expectations. After completing this act, do not expect anything in return including love, validation, gratitude, fame or affection. Continue this practice for a month. Now try it with strangers and several other situations. Notice how over time you become less and less concerned with the fruits of the labor and begin to enjoy the sweetness of a non-attached living.

The post How to live like a free bird 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.