United We Must Stand to Understand

 

There’s a lot of that going on in the world, and it seems like there are many more who “listen to reply” these days.

I am certainly guilty as charged on many accounts. I am a natural born “know it all” and “fixer”. 

Actually, I’ll cut through the bullsh#%. My name is Pam, and I’m a recovering control freak. 

“Letting go” is something I have to make a conscious effort towards every day with my partner, my children, my co-workers, clients, strangers, etc. 

I became increasingly aware of this shortcoming as I was becoming certified as a life coach, coupled with this election year, and impacted even more with the effects of a pandemic. 

Our egos can exhaust us. 

They can make too much noise. 

Usually so much noise, preventing us from realizing that the answers are within each and every one of us. 

So every day, I consciously kick my ego to the curb, embrace my divine feminine, and simultaneously let go of the things I can’t control. I don’t always have to be right. And I can agree to disagree with others. But I must be respectful and kind. 

As I have been exercising all that I’ve learned from Certified Life Coach Institute Alumni & Staff Group, Ray Carmen and Daniel Olexa CTht-Pcc, I consciously force my ego to dissipate so I can effectively hold space for others in their time of need.  

Instead of listening to reply,

Listen to understand,

And surround yourself with a special group of people who do the same.

This can be accomplished regardless of who you vote for on November 3rd. 

I can assure you,

If we listen to understand, 

We will feel peace. 

If we all listen to understand,

We will feel unity. 

If we all listen to respectfully understand,

We will be one again. 

God Bless America!

Self-Care Amber Alert

 

The self-care struggle is real. Pre-pandemic it was legit, but now more than ever. 

Self-care is not just about nutrition and exercise. It’s about human connection. 

Research actually shows that loneliness is on the rise, and that a lack of human connection can be more harmful to your health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. 

I was doing my daily walk and I ran into my friend Cima. 

Cima is the owner of Persis Biryani Indian Grill.  She too has suffered the effects of the pandemic as a small business owner. 

She tells me often how she needs to take time for herself but she’s just too busy. 

The story is familiar because I live it and struggle with every day distractions. 

So today,  I executed a SELF-CARE KIDNAPPING and got Cima to walk with me. 

As I left Cima’s house, I hoped that I was able to give her a jump start of self-care for resilience or what I like to call “bounce back ability”.

I thought about the secret of my own self-care and regimen consists of and if this helps just one person, here are a few...

Secret #1 

A bit cliche, but

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”  

So take bite size actions for bite sized progress on a consistent basis. 

Key words being “bite sized” and “consistent”

Secret #2

Recognize and credit yourself for the progress you make. 

Secret #3

“Chickens don’t soar with eagles.”

Set backs are imminent. 

So surround yourself with likeminded humans who are on a quest for personal growth, and who  will cheer you on as you seek yours. 

Our stories are different,

yet the ones of recovery and success are all woven with common threads. 

The common denominator is human connection. There’s power in numbers.  

So find your people to help you achieve your own “bounce back ability” so we all can give 2020 a good, swift kick in the a#% !

Mention this blog and get 10% off at Persis Biryani Indian Grill with a $7 class pass to @thehavenyoga

Reclaim Your Power!

 For many years, I carried around synthetic energy..

...Trying to be something I wasn’t.  

Those years served as the catalyst for waking my a#% up!  

In fact, it’s what I refer to as “the journey to achieving my very own spiritual badassery”. 

This personal journey had been ignited by the impact of the pandemic, 

Along with my desire for a strong faith in God and my search for divine spirituality, 

Working with my spiritual mentor @iamraycarmen 

And interacting with new people each day,

My awareness is activated more than ever before. 

I recently hung up any mental visitation to traumatic life experiences. 

Instead of using them as an excuse to surrender my internal power, 

I now embrace the golden nuggets of wisdom hidden in the hell of them. 

Breath work, yoga, meditation and chakra balancing awakened me into my power. 

And I can’t unsee what I  see now. 

I trust and claim my power. 

I am no longer anyone’s buffet,  because I create healthy boundaries.

I challenge myself to move into the next level of empowerment.

And I trust my intuition. 

My story is mine and mine only. I’ll never deny it, but I won’t relive it. 

I will use it to fuel my the fire to be in my own personal power,

So I can be the conduit of light, change and impact for others to their awareness.  

I’ll never stop learning.

I won’t retraumatize myself by reliving my story, but I won’t ever discount how it impacted my personal growth. 

Each day I choose to step into my very own brilliance and show up in my authentic mightiness. 

You can too!  No matter where you are in your life, you can still recreate and take back your power.   There’s no better time than the present. 

If you’ve read this far, you may be curious about a LIVE mind shift or awakening workshop with @iamraycarmen on October 24th from 3-6 pm @thehavenyoga. 

If so, feel free to DM @thehavenyoga and we’ll be happy to tell you more about our own personal journey or click on the link in the bio for more info and to reserve your space.

Steppingstone Haven Yoga & Wellness

Come on in.

The door is wide open. 

As I checked people in tonight for our Hot Celestial Evolution class, I bathed in my gratitude for the people I attract, and for those who walk through that door.

You see, prior to my self discovery journey,  I was pretending to be something I wasn’t. 

I was exhausted from stifling my words and thoughts. 

I was so guarded.

I conformed to what others expected of me.  

Unable to be my true self. 

I had a few boxing matches, and cat fights with my ego.  

I put the work in. 

It wasn’t easy, but it has surely been worth it. 

My awareness brought me perspective.  

Perspective brought upon change. 

And the change brought me the people and experience I needed to in my life. 

I’m empowered. 

I’m inspired. 

And with that,

I empower and I inspire. 

And with that,

I hold that space  for others.   

I am healed and I continue to heal. 

Self discovery is a pretty powerful drug. 

What's Your Medicine?

I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis and fibromyalgia about three years ago. The pain was unbearable.   The amount of medication I put in my body was ridiculous for the small bit of relief I got. 

I became depressed as  my mental health deteriorated simultaneously with my physical health. 

In the words of Desmond Tutu, “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in.” 

Out of desperation, I turned to yoga and meditation, and I can’t begin to describe how my life shifted. 

It was not easy. But I was opened to trying it out.  I went to my first class (Hot Series 26) and I immediately felt relief both physically and mentally.  

I made a commitment to practicing at least once a week which eventually turned into almost every day. 

  

My symptoms eventually disappeared. 

I weaned myself off of Humira shots, gabapentin and Celebrex because I didn’t get the relief I needed from them as I did from practicing yoga and meditation.

My health quickly improved - beyond my expectations.   I am only pain free when I practice regularly.   

I’ve been distracted and stressed lately and not as committed to my practices. Pain inched it’s way back into my life as a result.  

This morning I committed to showing up, and between the style of class (Hot 26), the instructor, June and the amazing people I shared the practice with, The energy was intense.

It set my day in an intention of extreme gratitude and hope. 

Grateful for my resources...
Grateful  for my health...
Grateful for new friends...
and hopeful for the peace and unity that is desperately needed right now in this world.

Not a bad way to start the day!

Yoga and Meditation are my medicine.

What’s yours?

Repeat Or Wake Up And Evolve?

After the year we’ve had, and with a new year upon us (insert gratitude and sigh of relief), Where are you on a scale of 1 to 10 in regards to where you want to be in your personal growth?  

Has Covid-19 and quarantine even got you thinking about that? 

If so, are you ready to evolve into achieving your personal best in 2021? 

Or...

Are you feeling stuck, not knowing which way to turn? 

You see, thinking patterns are a choice. How you do anything is how you do everything. 

So ask yourself a few questions...

Are you willing to do a repeat of 2020?  

Or are you willing to change your thinking so you evolve into a life of abundance? 

Over the past year and a half, I’ve experienced my own personal transformation. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I made a conscious decision to move out of my “limbo like” state. 

The most important lesson I learned was that my experience was personal. 

It was mine and mine alone, which allowed me to move past the judgement of others. 

I dove in deep to some serious self reflection about the state of my faith and spirituality, my relationships with family members and friends, health, work, finances, and much more. 

I was tired of being on auto pilot, and doing what was “expected of me” which didn’t always align with my true self. 

I turned to yoga, meditation, and breath work which afforded me the opportunity to wake up and uncover my authentic self.

I was in desperate need of an awakening and a shift in my thinking.  It was time for me to shed some skin to get to the next level of awareness. 

I lost friends along the way yet simultaneously, I formed some incredible alliances, and made new friends.  Friends who were on a similar path as I, and who encouraged my transformation.

And now, I am awake, ready for more, and I couldn’t be more excited as I enter the new year!

So again, where are you on a scale of 1-10 in regards to personal growth?  Are you willing to do a "repeat" of 2020 or are you ready to evolve?

Wherever you are, if you’ve read this far, you may be curious about a mind shift and awakening workshop at Steppingstone Haven Yoga & Wellness. 

If so, feel free to DM @thehavenyoga on Instagram and I'll be happy to tell you more about my own personal journey and how you can start yours.

 

When The Chips Fall...

As I was driving to CrossFit Simpsonville...I was fighting the urge to turn around and crawl back into bed. The truth is that the chips haven’t been falling where I have been wanting them to fall lately.  Between the monotony and the stagnant state of affairs caused by this pandemic, the division of our country, and the recent and tragic impact of the loss of four beautiful souls in a car accident, I have been feeling derailed and drained with nothing left in the tank.  

Although it feels impossible, I keep telling myself to “just show up”. So that’s exactly what I’m doing. For me showing up is the only thing that can help me out of the funk I rapidly spiraled into. 

I mustered up the energy, and made a conscious decision to be present in every moment, and show up in the “now”. I consciously decided to stay committed to my vision of achieving personal growth through community, collaboration and self-discovery.  

I forced myself to get back into my daily ritual of waking up each morning at 5 am in prayer and meditation, and I use my CrossFit workout as a metaphor of strength to carry me through the day. 

The number “7” has been prominent since Haskel died.  The 7 of spades was his. He claimed it. So every time I was faced with 7 reps of something, I would say “Okay Haskel, Carry me through this”, and strangely enough I found myself not just showing up, but showing out!  For every round completed, I’d drop a chip and as each chip fell, I felt stronger. I felt less defeated. 

Although these past weeks have been challenging, I’ve seen the support of my kids’ friends, and the love they have for one another.  As a result, I have had reflected on the meaning of true friendships, the importance of family. It has served as a reminder that I have many incredible blessings in my life. 

This week’s workouts were the most difficult workouts I’ve done since starting CrossFit, but I did it! 

I played my chips differently. 

I didn’t just show up.

I rose above!  

The chips don’t lie. 

Go ahead. Count the chips in the picture and divide them by two. 

#itakeitasasign