You will have what you say!

This is my meditation and mantra that really has hit home for me. I hope it speaks to you.

You will notice that those who speak most of prosperity, have it. Those who speak most of health, have it. Those who speak most of sickness, have it. Those who speak most of poverty, have it. It is Law. It can be no other way... The way you feel is your point of attraction, and so, the Law of Attraction is most understood when you see yourself as a magnet getting more and more of the way you feel. When you feel lonely, you attract more loneliness. When you feel poor, you attract more poverty. When you feel sick, you attract more sickness. When you feel unhappy, you attract more unhappiness. When you feel healthy and vital and alive and prosperous—you attract more of all of those things.

--- Abraham

Excerpted from "The Law of Attraction, The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham" # 334

Do you try and remain aware of the things you speak and believe daily?

meditation all around.

Many people hear the word meditation and automatically imagine burning incense, candles, dark room and soft music. While, all those things can help to create a sense of calm, what is truly needed to meditate is just commitment and focus. I remember as a young girl watching my grandma sit on the couch in her living room with her eyes closed. She did this while all her grandkids ran around screaming and playing. Her house, like most grandma's of past was the meeting place and beehive for the entire family. There was always someone there, always someone cooking and lots of family activities.

My granny would sit for hours with her eyes closed silently. I remember sneaking around her to grab something I wanted on a side table. I told my cousin, "Granny is sleeping, I will sneak over and get it." My grandma opened her eyes instantly and said "Every shut eye ain't sleep." We all ran off laughing, not really comprehending what she meant. I was probably ten years old, and that moment has stayed with me all these years. I now understand that my granny was meditating. She was quietly sitting in her center and basically "getting her mind right." I love meditation for the calm it provides and for the peace it can bring.

Meditation and yoga are closely connected. If you take a yoga class, you will participate in meditation. Breathing and listening to my body are two main reasons why I love yoga. Recently,I have been experimenting with walking meditation and have enjoyed how clear my mind feels after.

Please check out this video of one of my imaginary BFF's, Malika Chopra, the daughter of the amazing Deepak Chopra. Try doing it every morning or whenever the feeling hits you. Do it on the couch, like my grandma with noise all around you. Settle your mind.

Do you meditate? What is your process?

Child's Pose and the Art of chillin.

Child's Pose is one of my favorite poses. It is super easy and I enjoy doing it right before bed for relaxation. Chilling and relaxation is super important. Many times, it can be hard to turn it off and really get into a deep level of relaxation. This pose always helps me and is a beginner pose that everyone can do. I prefer to do the variation where my arms are stretched out on front. Always listen to your body and do what feels right. Yoga is no time to be a touch chick and the poses are not about being super flexible. Go as far as your body tells you. The most important thing is to inhale and exhale slowly throughout. Breathing is the goal.

Tribe Building begins!

I have been dreaming of being certified as a yoga teacher since I was in college. I have taken yoga classes on and off for 10 years and everytime I do it I wonder to myself: "Why don't I do this ALL the time?" After my daddy died suddenly in 2006, yoga became my refuge. I was off work for over a month while I grieved with my family. During this time, I literally spent 5 hours a day everyday doing yoga DVD's in my parents basement. The breathing, focus and de-stressing it provided truly helped me avert a mental breakdown. It was as if I was in a yoga trance. When all the guests left for the evening, I would dart to the basement, unroll my yoga mat and do poses for hours. I never started doing yoga with any goal of weight loss or flexibility in mind. It was simply a place to breath, meditate and center myself and as a result I did lose weight, stand taller and lowered my blood pressure.

About all the classes I have taken: I am usually the only black woman in the room. When I was living in Chicago, I would sometimes see a sister here or there but it was very rare. In my South Side neighborhood there were NO yoga studios so I usually had to hike 30 minutes away to the North side of town to find a good class. I always thought that yoga could really, really help the residents of my all black hood because of all the high rates of violence and unemployment. We could really use the de-stressing benefits of it BIG TIME! If anyone should be doing yoga in large numbers it should be us. Check out this cool article on the "Top Ten Reasons Black Women Need to Practice Yoga.

Tribe Building:
I moved to Atlanta a year and a half ago from my life long home of Chicago and while I have mostly enjoyed Atlanta I miss my friends and family back home. I had such a tight knit crew of friends that I could call up at a moment's notice to go grab coffee, a cocktail, theater and to just roam the city streets going to thrift stores. I miss it so much and my BFF suggested that I build my own tribe here after complaining about it to her on the phone. I have meet some friends thru a horrible call center job that I no longer work at, some from the theater work I did and two of my friends from Chicago actually also relocated here so that has been nice. I will admit that I have yet to find a full tribe and crew. I am hoping that by organizing a group around something I love to do will help to build it and also give me the fitness benefits that I need.

Faith Hunter, Photo from Yoga Journal Magazine

So, thats my story. I am very excited to connect with sistas in Atlanta that want to explore and experiment with the benefits that yoga can bring.
While, I am not a certified instructor yet I hope to:

1. lead you through simple breathing and yoga poses
2. share resources like conferences and free or low cost classes I have researched in the Atlanta area
3. organize group outings to yoga studios and connect us with black yoga teachers who could come out as a guest teacher
4. facilitate conversation and discussion around yoga and healthy living
5. meet some cool sistas for socializing

This blog will serve as a way to connect and share resources. As the group grows I may start a Meetup group and explore other ways to connect. Please share your ideas and jump right in with us.

Me bringing yoga to the South Side of Chicago. Tree Pose.

Have you ever tried yoga? If so, what is your favorite pose?

Peace! Our first activity is being planned now! This is a great time to de-stress and regroup with the holidays and the end of the year. We should be up and ready for it all.