Book Excerpt: Motivational Yoga
On any given day, the choices you make can be significantly altered when you live in an active state of energy. Your energy state is your current identity, what you’re feeling right now is who you are. If you feel tired, your identity at this moment may be lethargic. If you feel sad, your identity may be withdrawn. Recognizing that fact, you can improve your mindset simply by changing your physiology.
Check in with yourself. How do you feel? Get very clear about how it. Can you put a name to the feeling? A low, fearful, or angry mood can ruin your day and turn people off, just as your bright, high-energy positive self will turn people on. When you have the ability to improve your mood and shift the direction of your energy and emotional state, your entire physiology—even the expression on your face and the light in your eyes changes. Researchers who study life experiences and the effects on body chemistry know this: When you feel different, you are different.
Today’s practice is dedicated to cultivating your exquisite field of energy. Changing
your mood will change your destiny.
Asanas for Deepening
These practices increase blood flow, move you out of your comfort zone, and get the blood pumping to give you the power to transform your consciousness.
Mountain. Notice how your feet face forward to symbolize taking one step at a time in a progressive direction.
Lunge switch. Focus on your strong legs as you strengthen your lunge by switching legs with a single jump.
Downward dog–upward dog. Begin in downward dog (photo a), and inhale to upward dog (photo b). Repeat the sequence 5 times.
Crescent lunge twist. Extend the arms out to the side, and move the front thigh bone parallel to the ground.
High lunge twist. Bring the opposite elbow to the outside of the knee for a twist.
Universal temple. As you exhale, round the upper back, pull the chin to the chest, and wrap the arms in a self-love hug (photo a). As you inhale, lift the torso, arch the spine, and reach up through the heart center while opening the arms to send your loving energy to all that need it (photo b).
Motivation Off the Mat
Be mindful of the emotional changes triggered by other people’s actions or words. Visualize a shield of light energy protecting you from unfavorable influences; don’t let negative people ruin your day. To stimulate positive lifeforce around you, embody the kind of energy you want to attract.
If a word or phrase is meaningful to you, acronyms such as the following can help you remember the mindfulness of motivation.
AMF:
Always
Moving
Forward
NOW:
No
Opportunity
Wasted
IM DEEP (I’m deep):
Inspiration
Motivation
Dedication
Education
Exploration
Perspiration
Wise words
If you don’t like where you are, move; the choice to change is yours. Don’t be the reason you don’t succeed.
Yoga is like power fuel for life.
Keep it simple, do the practice, and applaud your daily transformations.
Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.
—Confucius