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.

Back in school, we were taught math, science, language, history and health, but I cannot recall ever being taught how to deal with life’s challenges.  Isn’t that the most important lesson we all should be learning? Unless our major in college was psychology, we sort of picked up behaviors along the way to navigate through the challenges in our lives.

Just like a flower needs several conditions to blossom, so does a person to blossom on the inside.  

Following are some powerful habits that have helped me get through the challenges in my life.   Regardless of whether you face challenges at this moment or not, cultivating these habits will help you become powerful and strong on the inside.

• Gratitude – It’s easy to feel grateful when things are going our way, but how about those days they don’t. It can be challenging to feel grateful when we are going through pain or hurt. But here is the truth. There is always, “always”, something to be grateful for. The challenge lies in focusing on what we have as opposed to what we do not have. If you got laid off or fired from work, do you still have your health? If you are going through a divorce or a heart break, do you still have wonderful family, friends or kids? Finding gratitude in every moment shifts our energy and brings abundance into our lives.

“Gratitude is a powerful process for shifting your energy and bringing more of what you want into your life. Be grateful for what you already have and you will attract more good things.” The Secret

• Connection –  As humans, we all need connection.  Most of us have a choice in deciding who to surround ourselves with.  Find and surround yourselves with people who love you unconditionally and uplift you. Some may already be blessed with family members who love them unconditionally. If so, cherish them and love them hard. If you don’t have a family that provides this support, actively seek for those friendships that will give you the same. There is nothing you will not find if you actively seek for it.

“Find people that will love you at your worst and arms that will hold you and uplift you at your weakest.” – Author Unknown

• Volunteering/Giving – We all have something to give, whether it is time, money, or attention. If we notice, the world is giving to us constantly. Give back to those outside of the four walls of your house. It could be tutoring a child in need, volunteering at a non profit organization or donating to a cause close to your heart. Over time as we give more, we begin to see that when we help others, we are helping and transforming ourselves.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Gandhi

• Focusing on the Now – Living in the moment and focusing on just the task at hand have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety.  Often our minds are tied up with thoughts of the past or future. While reflecting on past and planning for future have its place in life, 99% of the time, unconsciously getting lost in thoughts of the past or future prevents us from living our lives fully and deeply.  Being truly present with life as it is happening can be difficult for many of us. How many of us begin a task already thinking of the next task on our to-do list?  This makes the task at hand unpleasant because our mind is already anxious to complete the next task. What if we took time to perform each task at hand with a purpose? For ex., when we are folding laundry, rather than thinking of it as a chore and all the other chores to get done, we see it as an honor to be folding clean clothes and putting them away for ourselves or our family members. A simple task of folding laundry thus turns into unconditional love unfolding.  As we continue to practice living in the now, we begin to live each moment with a purpose.

“There is only one time that is important – NOW! It is the most important time because it is the only time that we have any power.” – Leo Tolstoy

• Faith in your Purpose – The purpose mentioned here is not in reference to our jobs, our passion or our responsibilities as a partner or a parent. This is a purpose that stems from having faith in something bigger than ourselves. We are all here to fulfill a purpose and that purpose is to continuously evolve into the best version of ourselves. When we have that faith, we begin to meet life’s challenges as part of fulfilling that purpose. With faith, we believe in our journey and trust that those challenges are exactly what we need for our transformation and evolution.

“Purpose drives the process by which we become what we are capable of being” – Lolly Daskal

The post Finding your inner strength through life’s challenges… 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.

Let go of the events of the past.  Practice entering the Now.

Let go of the need to be right.  Practice love and compassion.

Let go of the need to be perfect.  Practice self-love.

Let go of the need to control.  Practice acceptance.

Let go of self-cherishing.  Practice the joy of serving others.

Let go of comparing the self to others.  Practice becoming the best version of the self.

Let go of judgments.  Practice extending love.

Let go of extremes.  Practice moderation and maintain balance.

Let go of trying hard to let go.  Just Breathe.  

Meditate.

The post The Art of Letting Go appeared first on Third Eye Fitness.