Day 9: Express Love

40 Days of Transformation and a Change of Heart

Day 9: Express Love

Saying goodbye to the earthy remains of a loved one is always a strange and sacred moment.
When you've loved with no regrets that moment can be a "beautiful heartbreak" knowing you've always treated that person with love, respect and served with acts of kindness. I realize that there's no perfect relationship even the best have ugly moments. I'm talking about making the most of our "today's" while we have them.
Those moments of saying goodbye after death when you never said the,"I'm sorry's" or the "I love you's" is a "bitter heartbreak" and wish you could call back those yesterdays lost to pettiness or anger.
Today I witnessed both with the saying farewell to Seth.
How grateful I was that there was no regrets. I know he loved me and I know I always treated him with love and kindness and enjoyed the today's we had.
I witnessed what it means when they say, "Chariy Never Faileth" 1 Corinthians 13:8

Moroni 7:45-46
And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail-

Yoga Today
Warrior Pose
Warrior 1 is a dynamic pose. It creates a powerful integration of leg strength and flexibility of the hips. Alignment is where the power comes from. You should be able to balance an orange on the top of your front thigh in this pose, if not  dip down lower to get your front thigh parallel to the floor. 

Remember breath is strength- stay in alignment

Enjoy Today- it's my favorite day!

Day 8: GRACE

40 days Transformation and Change of Heart

Day 8:Grace

Yesterday on my Mother's 87th birthday her best friend and husband; Seth Larsen passed away at their home. He was a gentle soul so full of love, generous and so good to my mother. She said, "He treated me like a precious jewel" He was like a dad to us girls and would even say he considered us his daughters. He will be greatly missed!  We knew this day would come but it always seemed so far away because Seth had defied death many times and just kept on going- getting up early and walking to McDonalds for his coffee with his buddies. So, today I'm relying upon His Grace to sustain us all. This is part of the great plan and purpose of life but that doesn't make it any easier. 

When you love greatly you morn greatly.

I love you Seth- happy trails to you dear soul.

GRACE

The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to the divine help and strength we receive through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Receiving Grace throughout Your Life

In addition to needing grace for your ultimate salvation, you need this enabling power every day of your life. As you draw near to your Heavenly Father in diligence, humility, and meekness, He will uplift and strengthen you through His grace (see Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5; D&C 88:78; 106:7–8). Reliance upon His grace enables you to progress and grow in righteousness. Jesus Himself “received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness” (D&C 93:13). Grace enables you to help build God’s kingdom, a service you cannot give through your strength or means alone (see John 15:5; Philippians 4:13; Hebrews 12:28; Jacob 4:6–7).

If you ever become discouraged or feel too weak to continue living the gospel, remember the strength you can receive through the enabling power of grace. You can find comfort and assurance in these words of the Lord: “My grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).

PLEASE VIEW AND ENJOY- FROM MY HEART TO YOURS! NAMASTE

                      Jesus Christ A Savior Is Born Let us remember our reason to rejoice.       

Day 7: Surrender

40 days of Transformation and Change of Heart

Day 7:Surrender

My Lesson from a Power Struggle with a Dog. 

I walk a beautiful field or the mountains each morning with the dogs; Jack my old friend a little Maltese poodle and my daughters dog Cedar who is a BIG 1 yr. old unruly Golden-Doodle. 

This is my time to enjoy the quiet solitude, time to meditate and memorize scripture, pray and ponder- a time of peace.

This morning Cedar decided to chase horses, and bark at fences at other dogs, he was completely deaf and defying to my calls and commands. I finally had to take him by the collar- and then the wrestle and struggle with a very strong big 85-100 pound dog began. The harder I pulled and yelled the stronger and more determined Cedar became. My fingers soon became so twisted and wrapped tight in his collar a voice came into my head- you are going to loose your fingers if you don't do something now! I surrendered my grip and nothing- Cedar pulled away even harder. I had to as hard as I could kick him for him to surrender the struggle also. My Temper and Anger where now a storm- as was Cedars- we continued on the way back home with this struggle. Then some advice came to mind, "Dogs hate to be ignored." So I surrendered again, walked home without another word to Cedar and hoped he would surrender too and follow. He did. I am not a dog whisper that's for sure! But what this power struggle taught me; Anger, resistance and struggle get you no where- in fact they can be damaging and hurtful. Surrender & calm equanimity calm the storms.

"For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." 3 Nephi 11;29

"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."  Mark 4:39

Yoga Today

Surrender with Childs pose or Pigeon pose

Remember, if you are not relaxing, you are reacting. 

Can you relax with what is, even if it is hard?

Can you meet the stress of a challenging pose 

(or a disobedient dog)

with Grace rather than Resistance and Struggle?

Day 6: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

40 DAYS OF TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE OF HEART

Day 6: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

The question for us on this journey is not 

"Will I survive if I step out of my comfort zone?" 

The real question is "Will I survive my Comfort Zone?" 

I tell my yoga classes the Comfort Zone is Death.

Growth is outside the Comfort Zone- 

Life is never static- we either grow or die.

Buddha taught his students to walk towards their fears with an open heart rather than away form them, to face them head-on so that we can dissolve their hold over us.

Jesus Christ ask his disciples how long were they going to be fisherman? Day in and day out just catching fish? To them He said, "Come follow me, I will teach you how to be fishers of men" capturing hearts, the beauty of humanity and Eternal Truths rather than just catching fish. 

YOGA TODAY

Sun Salutation A

a continuous string of poses repeated linked with breath to warm up your Yoga Practice.

Begins with Samasthiti which means "standing at attention" 

• Mountain Pose- reach your fingertips to the sky and root your feet down into the earth, creating length in your entire body.
• Standing Forward Bend- folding at hip crease, swan dive down bend knees lightly focus on drawing the crown of your head toward the mat.
• Halfway Lift- inhale as you lift your torso halfway up to a flat back.
• High Push Up- hands on floor step feet back and just like it sounds hands under shoulder ready to begin a push up- also called plank.
• Low push-up or Chaturanga- begin a tricep push up with elbows 90-degree angle touch down knees tip chin scoop up chest.
• Cobra- hands under shoulders waist and legs resting on ground open heart.
• Downward Facing Dog- push back to an inverted V adjust your hands and feet for proper alignment. 
• Step forward to the top of your mat and repeat the Sun Salutaion again.

Your Breath is key for maintaing your fluidity. It is like the lubrication motor oil for the engine of a car. 

•  REMEMBER STEP OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE!

Day 5: Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving

• "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."   

  Ephesians 5:20

  
  
  One of my favorite stories of this scripture is about Cory Tenboon and her sister as prisoners in a concentration camp- and reading this scripture and praying and giving thanks for all things- what food they had, each other and the bible and of course the horrible fleas they were infested with. Later they find out it was because of the fleas they were left alone and their bible not confiscated.  
  
  
  What fleas are in your life you an give thanks for?

Day 4: See the Blessings

40 days Transformation and Change of Heart

Day 4: See the Blessings

When you hike to Mountain peaks usually at the summit there is a U.S Geological Survey Marker- and you know you have arrived to the highest peak of the mountain. Here's where you usually take the photo from the top and kiss the mark- ahh great feeling- 

You made it! 

But, what about those "Mountains" we climb in life? 

The "financial hardship mountain", the "Relationship Mountain" or the "Illness, stress, depressed, or lose your faith mountains"?

What Bench Markers tell us we've arrived? 

The uphill climb has ended we are at the top of this mountain!

Take the photo and enjoy the view. 

Soak in that 'Yippee we've made it' great feeling!

Those markers are not so noticeable, tangible or anchored down like the geological survey marker. 

They come in whispers "You're not alone" 

or the courage to pick yourself up for another day of uphill climb. 

They may be the support of a love one,

God speaking though scripture and prayer.

Or even an unexpected big hug or smile

I promise they are there!

We need our gratitude eyes, and open heart to see them.

He marked the path and led the way,

And ev'ry point defines

To light and life and endless day

Where God's full presence shines.

                                  - Eliza R. Snow 

 "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth"  Isaiah 52:7

Day 3: Embracing Change

"The World is round and the place which may 

seem like the end may also be the Beginning."

40 DAYS TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE OF HEART

Day 3: Embracing Change

There are 31,530,000 seconds in a year, a thousand milliseconds in a second, a million microseconds, a billion nanoseconds. And the one constant connecting nanoseconds to years is change. The universe, from atom to galaxy, is in a perpetual state of flux. But we humans don't like change; we fight it, it scares us. So we create the illusion of stasis. We want to believe in a world at rest, the world of right now yet our great paradox remains the same. The moment we grasp the now that now is gone. We cling to snapshots, but life is moving pictures, each nanosecond different from the last. Time forces us to grow, to adapt because every time we blink our eyes the world shifts beneath our feet. Every day, every moment, every nanosecond the world changes. Electrons bump into each other and react; people collide and alter each other's paths. Change isn't easy, more often it's wrenching and difficult, but maybe that's a good thing, because it's change that makes us strong, keeps us resilient, and teaches us to evolve.

There's a small sign in my room that helps me shut down my pity parties,

 it reads:

"TIME TO PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES!"

A change of Heart is more then just changing our behavior and habits, it is a change in our very nature. It is such a significant change that God refers to is as a rebirth, a change of heart, and a baptism of fire.

"Marvel not that all mankind...all nations, kindreds, tongues and people must be born again; yea born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming His sons and daughters." 

YOGA TODAY

Walking Mediation... Just get outside and feel the earth move beneath your feet and breath deep. Yoga doesn't always have to be on the mat.

Day 2: Be Willing to Come Apart

40 Day TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE OF HEART CHALLENGE

Day 2: Be Willing to Come Apart

There is this saying by my family photo

"Remember as far as anyone knows; 

We're a NICE NORMAL FAMILY!"

As much as I love everyone in that family photo- I know all too well that we are each broken in someway or another. And that snapshot with beautiful smiles is just a captured moment- not the whole story. We all know all too well there is no 'perfect' family or 'Perfect' person- only Jesus Christ.

 There is a lot of value in giving up the Performance of Perfectionism and the worrying about what other people think and being willing to completely come apart. We can give up the illusion that everything is okay and that we can control anything, and begin our true spiritual work. 

Paradoxically, in order to have a change of heart and a transformation we first must allow our hearts to break before the Lord. 

I have discovered that fighting to have things "MY WAY" or appear it be "Perfect" is not a struggle I desire anymore. I desire to learn to surrender. I've realized that 'my way' is oh so lacking, limited and inferior to 'God's Way'

His way is the path that leads to Happiness & Wholeness in this Life and Eternal Life in the world to come. Like the Japanese 'Kintsukuroi" pottery- I too can be repaired with the refiners gold or silver and be whole again and even more beautiful for having been broken. 

"Ye shall offer for a Sacrifice unto me a Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit." -3 Nephi 9:20

"He health the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." -Psalms 147:3

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

 -Ether 12:27

Today I'm asking myself, "Am I humble enough to allow myself to come apart - to be broken? What Weakness can I give unto Christ to be made whole?" 

Yoga Today

Downward Facing Dog engages your whole being; it calms your nervous system, engages an overall flexible strength, decompresses your spine, tones and strengthens your arms,  opens the arches of your feet, sculpts and lengthens your thighs, and is an amazing shoulder opener. 

It is both dynamic and restful at the same time. 

If you don't have time for a Yoga Class today- take a few minutes in Downward Facing Dog. 

This pose is about checking in with your body. Where are you as you begin your practice? Where is your mind? Drop your day and come into the NOW. Remember it doesn't have to be Perfect.

Day 1: Seek Truth

40 DAY TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE OF HEART CHALLENGE 

Day 1 : SEEK TRUTH

In order to map out where we are headed we need to know where we are. 

If you've ever programed a GPS you know you need to put in the beginning coordinates as well as the finish. 

So, a moment of truth, Where are you? 

Have you wondered off the path? Taken a wrong turn? Or have you sat down discouraged in front of an obstacle that blocks your path? I feel I have you been distracted and lost sight of "why" the journey.

There is a Turkish proverb that says, 

"No matter how far you have gone down a wrong road, turn back."

"Repentance"

that word might be confusing when talking about seeking Truth. Repentance is correcting a wrong, it is remapping our journey in the right direction. Remapping and Repenting take Courage of Heart to face the pure, unsweetened truth of ourselves so that we can move on and grow in more honest and authentic ways rebuilding and seeking truth.

"As he spake these words, many believed on him.

 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."                                                                                - John 8:31-33 

"...as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth... and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them."  Helaman 15:7

So the question I'm asking today in prayer and in my studies,

"What do I need to do to get back on the right path?" 

Where am I standing?

"TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN FAITH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE THE WHOLE STAIRCASE  JUST TAKE THE FIRST STEP."  -DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

YOGA TODAY

Your Breath- the Key to Your Body's Potential.

I remember beginning yoga and the greatest challenge for me was going from a aerobic running breath to a slow deep yoga breath in and out of the nose.

A master key of yoga practice is maintaining steady, rhythmic breath. Your breath is pure life force that regenerates you with every inhalation and cleanses you on every exhalation. Your breath links your mind to your body, and you to the present moment. It can and should carry you through your entire practice. By staying calm and breathing through your poses, the layers of resistance and tension dissolve and you can break through to new ground. The breath we use in yoga is called Ujjayi. It is audible, with a soothing, rhythmic quality. I have my class imagine fogging up a glass window only with their mouth closed. The inhale and exhale should be equal in length and volume. in general, you inhale as you reach up and open in poses, and exhale as you fold down or close. 

What would it feel like and look like in my Life to Seek Truth and Repent and get back on course?

My 40 Days of Transformation and Change of Heart

40 days to "My New Heart"
Starting on November 22nd it is 40 days to the New Year. 
I'm embarking on a personal transformation to a New Heart.
I've invited my yoga students to join me on this journey. 
Why a personal transformation and new heart? 
Many of us are searching for a better self- We try diets, self-improvement programs to make ourselves feel better, sometimes we numb ourselves with food, drugs, social media or even shopping. Perhaps we throw ourselves into our work and seek wealth or "busy-ness" to fill the void, but underneath, an emotional emptiness remains. 
We won't find true lasting health, happiness, peace, relationships or change in temporary fixes. The eternal laws of transformation whispers the truth: what we need isn't another quick fix, but rather a rebirth and change of heart.
In the words of an old hymn:
"Have Thine own way, Lord!
Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter;
I am the clay.
Mound me and make me
After Thy will, While I am waiting,
Yielded and Still."

So, how do we in this holiday season and rush become "Yielded and Still"? How do we do God's Will?
What can you do for the next 40 days to be transformed and have a change of heart for the new year?
When we are "Yielded and Still" our minds can be directed to something more we may need to change- something that is limiting our capacity to receive this transformation, spiritual guidance or even physical healing. Seek in prayer to know what do? Some ideas may be: add prayer and scripture study to your daily routine, engage in yoga and mediation daily, write in a gratitude journal, daily acts of service, whatever it is for your 40 day Journey to a change of heart and transformation?
According to Gandhi, "Health must be sought primarily in the realm of the Spirit."  And we know the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The first step of this 40 journey begins with the end goal in mind- what change of heart do you seek?
I will be sharing with you a daily scripture and mediations along with some yoga knowledge.
Namaste

The Twelve Laws of Transformation
1. Seek the Truth
2. Be willing to come apart
3. Step outside of your comfort zone
4. Commit to growth
5. See through God's eyes
6. Take what you know from the head to the heart 
7. Surrender to what is 
8. Remove the clutter
9. Have patience and long suffering
10. Courage in Vulnerability  
11. Be Still and Know
12. Charity never fails 








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Sent from my iPad


Sent from my iPad