Where The Lotus Grows

Have you ever slipped up and having it cost you everything? It is humbling to remember that we are human beings after all. A conversation about hard lessons goes with any life story. The essence of yoga  is connectedness to the self and others. When you live yoga you feel loved, supported and fell a sense of purpose. Having a yoga community and friends that have stumbled onto a similar path can be incredibly helpful in maintaining resilience through difficult times.  Perhaps the practice of yoga’s precepts, a greater willingness to share in vulnerability and a desire understand the nature of human suffering, makes many yogi’s tremendous friends and allies. 
 Join Kim and Tonya in today's discussion about yoga friendships, community and being a perfectly flawed human in a field where some people want to put you on the guru pedestal. 

Support the show

Commitment is defined as the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, relationship to be loyal to someone or something, a promise to do or give something

In order to accomplish anything in life it requires that you make a commitment whether that is to yourself, someone else, a business, a project etc. The only way to build a strong social network is your ability to make a commitment. You can look at it in three areas Relationships : who you spend your time with; Places : where you spend your time; and Activity : What you do with your time. It is a struggle to manage all three of these areas well. Why is making a commitment easier for some and harder for others? If you are struggling in one area or perhaps all areas how do you start to affect change and move forward with commitment? 

Join Tonya and Kim in their discussion on all forms of commitment, the relationship between commitment and fear and how commitment can drive your goals as well as your relationships. 

Support the show

Are you tripping or stripping? Do you strive to be a life-long-learner? Mastery is a fluid and consistent practice. Listen to this honest account on how Tonya and Kim came face to face with their ego while creating this podcast.

Bonus material - this episode is extra long because it's actually TWO episodes in one.  

Stick around because the whole second half is audio from a session this summer when Tonya and Kim discovered they didn’t have as much information as they thought. Sharing both episodes provides a little behind the scenes footage and illustrates the process of “getting dirty” through growth.  Additionally, it's been a meditation on their own ego work to release  both recordings. Turns out, it wasn't terrible.  

Support the show

How is your neck feeling right now?

Are you plagued by neck pains that you would like to alleviate?

Would you like to discover their root?

A quick google search shows that the masses are suffering from neck pain, neck strain, neck and upper back, neck alignment, neck pain and headache. Neck pain is a common grievance. Aside from local pain, it can be responsible for nausea, migraine, and headaches. Most neck pain can be alleviated with the help of learning improved posture, improved flexibility and become aware of relevant psychological factors. Fear, mental inflexibility, stubbornness, anger and discontent reside in the neck.

Today the ladies discuss the anatomy and physiology of the neck, physical and emotional components to neck pain and a few tips to find relief.

Please visit our blog for references and resources mentioned on this episode. 

Support the show

Hippocrates, Ancient Greek physician and the “Father of Medicine,” is often quoted as stating, “let thy food be thy medicine.” However, changes to our way of eating over the last 60+ years  has contributed more to the cause of many diseases and health conditions than prevention. Today Tonya and Kim look at diet related conditions and discuss how even small changes in diet and nutrition could contribute to overall improved health. For some, food/diet is a hot button issue. For the ladies, making whole food choices and striving for balance is the primary goal. 

Check out the show notes at wherethelotusgrows.com for more information and references discussed in this episode. 

Support the show

Kim and Tonya journey through the senses through the bounties of Mother Earth. Discussion ranges from aromatherapy to getting out into nature. 

Aromatherapy is a concentrated energy in the shape of a scent. Essential or ethereal oils consist of the concentrate of hundreds of petals, plant parts or tree resins obtained by steam distillation or a pressed then bottled. The olfactory nerve is in direct contact with the brain. The mucus membrane in our noses can discern tens of thousands of different scent molecules.  Our emotional memory is particularly sensitive to scent.

Breathing in the mildness of nature and breathe out stress. 

The word natural calls up visions of green for Kim. But as an acquaintance once said to her plants, mushrooms and animals come in all colors of the rainbow let children paint and draw in all colors. The earliest proof of the use of natural colors are cave paintings in ochre and charcoal from 40,000 years ago. 

Unadulterated nature is the best provider, herbs, mood enhancers, scents, colors, healing, warming and comfort all of these resources are treasures.

Support the show

History of Mudra: Hand gestures have been in every culture and can be seen with a quick trip to the DIA. Civilizations such as Ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Persians, Aborigines in Australia, Ancient Indians and Chinese, Africans, Turks, Fijians, Mayan Cultures, Inuit, Native American all used hand gestures.

Today, the handshake, the peace sign, applause, the index finger shake, a raised flat hand to single to stop and so it goes are highly common ways in which the hands are used to communicate. There are many takes on hand gestures, for example: reflexology points in the hand, communication such as sign language, many gestures are universal and date back thousands of years. In the yoga realm we call them mudras.

Today Kim and Tonya discuss the philosophy and science behind mudra and the may ways in which they can be used. 

It is important to remember that when using holistic tools and a means to support your physical and emotional being that it takes consistent practice over a bombers of weeks, months and years.

Support the show

Common conditions knee pain, knees, knee arthritis, replacement, bursitis, injury, deformity, and lack of blood flow.  Additionally hyper-extension, tight muscles, and pronation/supination in the feet. 

Anatomy of the knee and surrounding muscle groups.

Emotional and spiritual components related to knees and knee pain.  The knees enable movement and allow us to stand tall in the world. Knees align with pride self righteous, arrogance, ego but also associated with grace and  surrender. Bended knees represent humility, or released and expresses emotions. 

Yoga and other movement based therapies help by stretching and strengthening the tissue around the joint and help support, as injury prevention, preparation for surgery, etc. 

Support the show

What have you dragged into your life? Objections, collections, boxes, regret, impeding thoughts, fabrication......

Today the ladies discuss letting go and starting again! Life is a winding road we are human beings, we have bodies, thoughts, habitual thought patterns, worries and letting go and moving on is part of a road that takes two steps forward and sometimes a step back. Life isn’t a straight line and once you accept this life become simpler.

-How do you define clutter? Clutter isn’t Powell’s of objects alone. When you do a creative project you need clutter for the mind to work freely, to play in like a kid plays in a sandbox. Clutter is more than objects, it is your thoughts and emotions that keep you from living your best self.

-When you have a pile of stuff and it is limiting your view then you need to do something about it whether it is a pile of limiting beliefs or a pile of objects.

Clutter is not your enemy it is your teacher! 

Support the show