Wednesday, September 18, 2013

"May the best outcome happen in this situation"

So I tried out the meditation timer app on my phone today and I was very happy with it.  I've been trying to get back into mediation but stop myself and think I can't fit it into my schedule.  I also will stop meditating because I haven't set a timer and will worry that too much time has passed and I need to get to work etc.  Well...the timer was a success.  I had some extra time this morning so I set it for 10 minutes got myself comfy and started the timer.
My aunt recently was recently talking to me about a situation and we were thinking of how to help and she suggested that I pray or meditate "May the best outcome happen in this situation"  So during my mediation I chose that as my mantra and as I refocused my thoughts it turned into "faith"   Sometimes we need to have faith that the best outcome will happen in a given situation.  Maybe we don't always know the reason why or what the meaning is but we need to have faith and pray that the best outcome happens in any situation.

As gong chimed after 10 minutes I thought, ahh that was nice and wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be

Overall I would recommend the app as a simple easy way to time meditations and keep a daily journal. 

Peace, love and happiness,
Ruby

Sunday, September 8, 2013

September Schedule


Happy National Yoga Month! Celebrate the ancient healing practice of yoga with Yoganic Flow. Currently, YF offers Private Yoga Lessons and Hip-Hop Yoga Workshops. Outside of our growing Detroit-based yoga initiative I am teaching public group classes Wednesday-Friday in 3 Metro Detroit locations. 

Wednesday:

Transform your body. Transform your life.
 
Location: 249 Cass Mt.Clemens, MI 48043
Time:       8:00-9:00 pm
Format:   Vinyasa Yoga

Thursday:

Detroit donation-based yoga classes

Location: Fisher Building, Suite 216, 3011 W.Grand Blvd Detroit, MI 48202
Time:       12:00-1:00 pm
Format:   Hatha Yoga

Friday:

The Healthy Way of Life Company

Location: 1700 Haggerty Canton, MI 48187
Time:        5:30-6:30 am
Format:    Slow Burn Yoga

*You must be a member or have a guest pass to attend a class at Lifetime Fitness. For a free trial pass or for membership information please call (313)655-YOGA (9642) or email: KerrieTrahan@yoganicflow.com or contact the Lifetime Canton Club directly at: (734) 394-2800*

* B-fit Detroit, Pop-Up 313 Yoga and Lifetime Fitness are not Yoganic Flow affiliates*

A Detroit-based Yoga Initiative
Private Lessons & Hip-Hop Yoga Workshops

Location: Your office or your home, your choice
Time:        Call (313)655-YOGA for availability
Format:    Vinyasa, Yin, Meditation, and Ashtanga classes offered

Light & Love,

Kerrie



Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Exploring Religion, Yoga & World Peace

While researching meditation facilities and programs in India I ran across an article written by S.N. Goenka.
When I read: "Peace in the world cannot be achieved unless there is peace within individuals" in Goenkas article I  began to think about the current state of World Peace. I recalled a caption I read in the New York Times this morning: "100 dead and millions displaced in Syria." Then, another news piece that I read last week from USA Today flashed in my mind: "Africa's deadliest war enters new phase in Congo." Murder and war are the antithesis of peace. So, what can be done to bring peace within individuals? How can peaceful communities be built? How can peaceful communities be maintained or grow in the light of ethnic, religious, sexual and racial differences? You won't find the answers to those question here but you can read S.N. Goenka's article and comment below. ~Namaste~ 

Light & Love, 

Kerrie


Peace of Mind For World Peace

Every religion worthy of the name calls on its followers to live a moral and ethical way of life, to attain mastery over the mind and to cultivate purity of heart. One tradition tells us, "Love thy neighbor"; another says, Salaam walekum - "May peace be with you"; still another says, Bhavatu sabbamangalam or Sarve bhavantu sukhinah - "May all beings be happy." Whether it is the Bible, the Koran or the Gita, the scriptures call for peace and amity. From Mahavir to Jesus, all great founders of religions have been ideals of tolerance and peace. Yet our world is often driven by religious and sectarian strife, or even war - because we give importance only to the outer shell of religion and neglect its essence. The result is a lack oflove and compassion in the mind.
Peace in the world cannot be achieved unless there is peace within individuals. Agitation and peace cannot co-exist. One way to achieve inner peace is Vipassana or insight meditation - a non-sectarian, scientific, results-oriented technique of self-observation and truth realization. Practice of this technique brings experiential understanding of how mind and body interact. Everytime negativity arises in the mind, such as hatred, it triggers unpleasant sensations within the body. Every time the mind generates selfless love, compassion and good will, the entire body is flooded with pleasant sensations. Practice of Vipassana also reveals that mental action precedes every physical and vocal action, determining whether that action will be wholesome or unwholesome. Mind matters most. That is why we must find practical methods to make the mind peaceful and pure. Such methods will amplify the effectiveness of the joint declaration emerging from this World Peace Summit.
Ancient India gave two practices to the world. One is the physical exercise of yoga postures (Asanas) and breath control (Pranayama) for keeping the body healthy. The other is the mental exercise of Vipassana for keeping the mind healthy. People of any faith can and do practice both these methods. At the same time, they may follow their own religions in peace and harmony; there is no necessity for conversion, a common source of tension and conflict.
For society to be peaceful, more and more members of society must be peaceful. As leaders, we have a responsibility to set an example, to be an inspiration. A sage once said, "A balanced mind is necessary to balance the unbalanced mind of others."
More broadly, a peaceful society will find a way to live in peace with its natural setting. We all understand the need to protect the environment, to stop polluting it. What prevents us from acting on this understanding is the stock of mental pollutants, such as ignorance, cruelty or greed. Removing such pollutants will promote peace among human beings, as well as a balanced, healthy relationship between human society and its natural environment. This is how religion can foster environmental protection.