Keep a Contented Heart

happiness-projectA couple years ago my husband and I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  I recently revisited this book because I’ve begun to find myself needing a few reminders about what happiness means and how to find happiness in our life, especially when things become difficult for us.  

So I decided to pull the book back out and revisit the chapter, November. Keep a Contented Heart is the heading for this chapter.  I started reading and thinking about this idea. What does “keep a contented heart” mean? Well literally, according to the dictionary, “contented” refers to happy and at ease, and “heart” is the organ that pumps our blood and is also the central or innermost part of something.  So having a contented heart means to be happy at your core.  Would you say that you have a contented heart right now? My immediate answer is no, but after some more thought, I would answer yes and I am sure you might too.  At first, keeping a contented heart can feel like a giant task, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact I think it can be easily attainable.

I think one of the most important things that leads to happiness is attitude; which Gretchen writes about in the chapter.  I believe attitude speaks volumes about how to achieve a contented heart.  If you can master a good attitude about whatever comes your way, good or bad, it can go a very long way to building your happiness level. I work daily on keeping and maintaining a positive attitude about life, even when I feel derailed or when life gets hard.  I awake each day with the mantra, “It’s a great day to be alive” and work hard to live up to that mantra by trying to achieve greatness each day.

And when I refer to greatness, I do not mean having power or wealth.  To me, having greatness can mean something a little different every day. It can include setting small, attainable goals that I set for myself.

For example:

attempting a new arm balance

running a faster mile

PRing my deadlift

complimenting someone

acknowledging someone’s hard work

It can also mean having the courage to stand up to injustice and the ability to help and be kind to all (i.e. people, animals, the environment).

For example:

being a vegan or vegetarian

not polluting our environment

offering support to someone who needs it

being a voice to the voiceless

As a former learning consultant and now yoga teacher and studio owner, I have spent my career caring for and teaching others. I believe in the importance of helping, supporting, and being kind to all beings and share that belief with my students through my words and actions.  I try to not take anything for granted and appreciate the small gifts in life.  This positive attitude, will, and desire to live a good, strong, and kind life has helped me to work towards achieving a contented heart.  I believe that it is important to be grateful for the things we have, tell the people in our lives that we care about them, and do something each day that will challenge us and help to make us better, because we never know if this day will be our last. Live it up!

November after all is the month that contains Thanksgiving, and it is a great time to work on having a contented heart. It’s a month that focuses on gratitude, thankfulness, and counting blessings both big and small. What better time to work on this?  There is no time like the present!

What can you do today to help you have more of a contented heart tomorrow?

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Benefits of Yoga!

Yoga is for everyone!

In my opinion, every person, including athletes have the ability to enhance their lives as well as their sport or discipline by adopting a consistent yoga practice. I have experienced yoga’s healing power in a very real way.

For me, yoga is not only about working out, it’s also about a healthy lifestyle. For starters, the practice of yoga allows us all to find stillness in a world consumed with chaos. I love the feeling and effects of yoga. When stepping on your mat you begin to feel immediate changes to your physical body as well as your mental capacity. These changes in turn will lead to long term health and transformation.

Incorporating yoga into your daily routine can be beneficial and healing. Check out some of the awesome benefits of yoga.

Some physical as well as mental benefits of yoga include:

  • Increased flexibility
  • Increased muscle strength and tone
  • Increased energy
  • Better breathing
  • Maintaining a balanced metabolism
  • Boosts immunity
  • Weight reduction
  • Cardiovascular and circulatory health
  • Improved athletic performance
  • Injury prevention
  • Develop more awareness
  • Decreasing stress by creating mental clarity and calmness
  • Promotes positive body image and self esteem
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Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it.

openMy yoga journey started about 10 years ago. I have to admit, I was kind of in a dark place at the time and a friend of mine dragged me to my first class. I wasn’t sure what to expect or if it would even help me feel better.  While I liked the class, I was still a little skeptical about yoga, but I decided to give it another try.  After a handful of  times, I started to see and feel the benefits of yoga. I began to recognize ways that yoga was beginning to change my life. It helped me feel better in my body, feel better about myself, be in the moment more, see the world in a brighter light, and appreciate the people and things around me more. Yoga has opened my eyes to so much and ever since then, yoga has been a huge part of my life and a huge part of my daily routine. I am not sure where I would be without it.

I knew I always wanted to teach. I always played school when I was a kid, which eventually led me to going to college and grad school for education. I received my degree in Elementary and Special Education, a masters in Special Education, and a CAGS in Administration.  Becoming a yoga teacher seemed like a natural progression. First, I started to incorporate it into my classroom and was amazed by the results.  I saw first hand the benefits it not only had on me, but on my students as well. I knew yoga was pretty special.  So when I moved to NJ with my husband almost 5 years ago, I finally decided to get my yoga certification so I could share the joys of yoga with others. I wanted to give back to a community that had given me so much. I fell in love with teaching yoga and decided that I’d one day have a studio of my own.

While most people talk about their dreams, I try to go out and grab mine. I have always been a goal setter and a slight over achiever.  I sometimes don’t know when to stop. Once I achieve a goal, I quickly move on to the next one. I try to enjoy every second of this amazing life and never want to miss an opportunity to truly live. I am always trying to push the boundaries and see what I am truly capable of.  I’m not afraid of a little hard work and when people tell me I can’t do something, I will work even harder to prove them wrong.  Now I know that there are cards stacked against me in regards to opening my own business, but I firmly believe that I can and will be successful.  At the end of the day, if I can help people and help better their lives in even the smallest of ways, than I have already succeeded. I look to the future filled with excitement and optimisms for being able to help people and allow them to learn and grow so they too can be and do their best.  I can’t wait for the studio to open come January!

I coming-soonchose the name emPOWER Yoga because I  want people to leave the studio feeling empowered and strong, ready to take on the day with enthusiasm and strength, knowing that they can tackle any obstacle that may get in their way.  We are capable of so much more than what we give ourselves credit for. I hope that when my students step on their mat, they begin to see and understand that. I hope they can cultivate strength and awareness on their mat’s that will transcend off their mats and into their daily lives.   

The studio will offer a variety of vinyasa based classes that are appropriate for all levels.  I am dedicated to spreading the love of yoga to all in a safe, fun, and encouraging way. I will work hard to help my students learn and grow so they can be and do their best.  I hope to get them ready for new experiences that will help them push past their boundaries and open them up to new ideas and challenges, both physically and spiritually. I hope to inspire people to be the best version of themselves and live their best life.

epy-campus-towmTo learn more about the studio and classes, follow us on FB or IG @empoweryoganj or visit our website: empoweryoganj.com.  Stayed tuned for studio updates and special promotions.

Namaste

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Breakout of Your Fitness Rut!

Did you used to be a regular at the gym, on the road or on the trails until injuries, work, kids, time or just normal life got in the way? Whatever the reason, we have all been there at one point or another.  When your exercise routine is derailed for a chunk of time, it can be hard to start again, but here are some ways to help get you started again. Continue reading Breakout of Your Fitness Rut!

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