LOSING LAINIE

Self-love is an inside job...⁠ ⁠ Now you’re ready. You have all the tools, you’ve done all the work.⁠ ⁠ This is where the deep rewiring and access to higher wisdom is attained. These last three limbs are all internally focused.⁠ ⁠ Dharana, translated, means concentration. It’s the first sutra in the third chapter, titled “Extraordinary Powers”, just to give you an idea of where you’re headed.⁠ ⁠ I find it easy to focus on a candle, or space exploration, or ideas like love, compassion, peace. Personally, through my steps along this path,  taking the focus internally meant reconnecting to my body.⁠ ⁠ As a child, I learned how to disconnect from my feelings as a way to protect myself. Through embodiment practices, not only through asana, but through therapeutic dance, tantric rituals, and energy bodywork, I able to tap into ancient traumas and ancestral patterning to be healed.⁠ ⁠ But first,  it was through yoga training I was able to refine my awareness enough to pick up on it. Fair warning, this work will heighten your sensitivity to the world. Actually, it brings it back online, thus where the extraordinary powers kick in.⁠ ⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #yogaeveryday #yogateacher #patanjaliyogasutras #loveyourself #selflove #dharana #relaxation #meditation #yogaphilosophy #concentration #yogaheals #yogatransforms (at Littlerock, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CC1NVmeBrp5/?igshid=9o8vgynafxo1

Slow motion... That’s what it feels like to me, like waves pulling me gently out to sea. Pratyahara is one of my favorite limbs because it neutralizes the nervous system.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Today is the last day we spend on this, withdrawing the last three senses; smell, taste and touch.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Smell and taste are pretty easy to manage, but touch is a bit more tricky. This is why slowing down is so important, refining the awareness of ourselves at the physical touch experience, inside and out.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ You will enjoy a deep, deep relaxing meditation, dropping in as deep as you can go… no time limit, take as long as you need.⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ #yogaeveryday #yogateacher #patanjaliyogasutras #loveyourself #selflove #pratyahara #relaxation #pratyahara #meditation #yogaphilosophy #withdrawalofsenses (at Littlerock, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCy2x4IBOJY/?igshid=lxu6njum54aj

Slowly, we take away the senses. Starting with sight. The visual data streaming into your brain. You aren’t actually seeing through your eyes. Your eyes are cameras taking in light, then flipping the picture upside down so your brain can interpret the information to tell your mind what you are seeing. So in today’s practice you will get the profound pleasure of experiencing the “shutting off” of this data source, your sense of sight. For some, the mind automatically begins to project other images, or color patterns. Then for you, the work is to turn this off as well. I personally recorded the meditation for today, I hope you enjoy it! . . . #yogaeveryday #yogateacher #patanjaliyogasutras #loveyourself #selflove #pratyahara #relaxation #meditation #yogaphilosophy #withdrawalofsenses (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtQ8dyhteU/?igshid=2duva6mrztk6

Just a reminder, these are limbs on a path, like limbs on a tree. They are not linear, they are all connected, and often are working in tandem, each affecting the other ones.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ This linear format is for training purposes only. In old school yoga, the teacher would assess and receive transmissions regarding the area of work for each student, individually.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Ultimately, as a yoga teacher, my job is to awaken the teacher within yourself, where you know your own work, through this deep intimate relationship with yourSELF.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ So, here we are at the fifth limb, pratyahara. Often overlooked, because it’s a process rather than an object to focus on, or a state of awareness...it’s awareness in motion.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It’s like talking about time itself. It’s easier to talk about time as units, rather than the actuality of time passing.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ You can’t describe the experience either, because once you bring focus to it you’re no longer in it.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It is simply drawing away from the outside world. This is what you’ve been doing by sitting in meditation, residing in your true nature.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ The longer you do this, the longer you are in this process of withdrawing your senses, the deeper you go.⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ #yogaeveryday #yogateacher #patanjaliyogasutras #loveyourself #selflove #pratyahara #relaxation #meditation #yogaphilosophy (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqgFZPhNFY/?igshid=1rxcucvf1zasu

You know how in yoga class there is that pause, that moment to regroup, reset, feel where your energy is at, connect to yourself? This is that moment. Take a breath and notice how far you’ve come with your practice. Notice the difference it's making in your life, whether good or bad, by your standards. Something is shifting. It’s YOU! This pause is the beginning of a transition. In your asana practice, how are you in the transition? Do you anticipate what’s coming? The transition is a process which is just as important as the next pose. It actually sets you up, it prepares your mind and your body for what comes next, without anticipation but as a lift of energy, a harnessing of it, a drawing in and building up. So instead of “taking a break”, feel the experience of transition. Like a caterpillar to a butterfly, or a snake shedding it’s skin, or the moon shifting from void to full, feel your transition process. . . . #yogaeveryday #yogalifestyle #transitions #highvibejuly #yogateacher #selflove #loveyourself #patanjaliyogasutras #transformation (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCoj8HHhE2V/?igshid=1a12q56uhhu4k

You’re amazing, you know that? It’s hard to believe it’s been eleven days since we started and we’ve covered sooooo much. Give yourself some serious props! Way to go! Let’s review how the niyama’s work together. Through the practice of purification, you let go of all the “stuff” filling your inner space so you could experience the expansiveness of everything. In contentment, you found a way to release the weight of who you are, which gets trapped in your body and can only be released in deep relaxation. These steps prepared you for the hardest work of all, tapas, the discomfort of seeing yourself as a body, and subsequently letting go of who you are completely. Burning away your identity as a body, and a mind. You became the observer, separate from your identity. Then you dropped into the true nature of yourself. In svadhyaya, studying who you are at your core, without the labels, judgements, thoughts and ideas, you experienced profound stillness. And ultimately surrendering yourself to that ultimate awareness, isvara pranidhana, honoring this space, merging into the great unknown. These are the outer layers of your existence you will constantly have your eye on, you must be vigilant. The path will continue to open up, it will continue to show you what’s next. When you stop practicing you will know, and begin anew. Each time, a little easier, a little less dramatic, a little more graceful. Take these next couple days to integrate the work. Review what you’ve learned, keep it simple, and use creative ways to remind yourself of areas you want to bring in more focus. . . . #yogaeverday #patanjaliyogasutras #niyamas #loveyourself #selflove #highvibejuly #relaxation (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCl0FpJhlwA/?igshid=1k5onkdavpecm

So now you’ve touched upon the reality that your true nature is not your body, or your mind, but something else altogether. The final niyama, isvara pranidhana, is where your point of concentration is no longer on you. You cease to exist as you completely merge with pure awareness. It is often translated as surrendering to something greater, like God or ultimate consciousness. Let’s talk about the word surrender. Regardless of whatever the thing is you’re surrendering to, the act of surrender, no matter what to, is an incredibly vulnerable experience. Many times in your normal life this takes place. It can happen during sex. It can happen during traumatic events. It can happen in a kiss. It can happen watching a sunset or a good movie. It can happen in yoga class. You surrender to the moment you’re in. It doesn’t last forever, but for those few moments it’s as if you’re not even there. These moments happen haphazardly, with little appreciation for this innate ability of surrendering to something else. By practicing evoking this experience within yourself, by meditating on your true nature and then surrendering to it, the closer to realization you get. Deep meditation also brings up past karmas where you can see clearly and burn through them, rather than have to play them out in your life. It’s why this practice is considered more important than the physical Asana practice... Soooo... . . . . #yogaeveryday #yogateacher #isvarapranidhana #yogasutrasofpatanjali #loveyourself #selflove #surrendering (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjnjAkBkuh/?igshid=18vkw583mnv

Did you do the practice yesterday? Whatever your experience was, you did it! Keep showing up, that's all you need to do. If there was any suffering involved it was due to one or more of 5 things. These are known as the Kleshas - the obstacles, or causes of suffering, along the path. The root cause, which the others arise from, is avidyâ, ignorance - or refusing to see things the way they are. Asmita is egoism - relating to yourself like there is a static YOU in the world. Raga is desires, passion, insatiable hedonism. Dvesa is aversion or dislike, the other side of Raga. And then finally the fear of death or endings, Abinivesa. These are like poisons to your progress, but also teachers. The old saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” sort of thing. Svadhyaya, is the fourth niyama, from an external perspective, it’s what you've been doing for the past two weeks, studying yourself. You’ve been doing really intense work, watching your thoughts, behaviors, yoga practice. Slowly you’ve been chiseling away at those outer layers. But now I’m going to ask you to switch from the observer, to the one being observed. This is who you are in your purest form, not your ego/personality. This is the internal work of Svadhyaya. This way of self-study is dwelling in your true nature to experience and embody the divine within you. Beyond the suffering, beyond the distractions, deep within your consciousness - uncharted territory for most of us. So earlier this week, you started by experiencing the expansive quality of your consciousness. Then you zoomed into the compressed density of your humanity. And now zooming in even deeper to study, at the core of your being, that still, quiet, vast, yet singular, awareness. How you do this is through daily practice of meditation and pranayama. Each of these yama's and niyama's is developing your awareness to prepare you for the next layers. This process is not perfectly linear, and it can feel like you move forward and then get pulled back, like waves in an ocean, just enjoy the ride… the less resistance the greater the progress. NOW WE GO DEEP... Ready... http://phlux.yoga . #yogaeveryday #yogateacher (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCg5Tf-BmU5/?igshid=1os8rig61rf8n

Another way to think of Tapas, the third niyama, is the more fluid your life becomes, the less intense it is. The more attuned you are to the moment, the less reactivity, less longing for, less “neediness”, less expectations. To get here takes, Tapas -- discipline. This is exactly what we’re doing in the physical practice. The more you do the pose, the more it gets refined, the better it gets, the easier it gets. Here’s what Tapas looks like in your daily life; if you feel stuck, or confused, or everything seems to get thrown off, or is blocking you, or you’re having intense discussions, fighting, feeling hurt, you feel imbalanced, wiped out, pushed to the edge... Life is showing you where there are impurities in the flow. So you practice not reacting, you practice less expectations, you practice no agenda, you practice letting go of control. As you do, the reward is more fluidity and ease in your life. You are diving into the deeper, more subtle layers of your existence. This is why we start with the outer world, the thick, dense layers of our body and our life, bringing awareness and consciousness there… then you develop yourself into this super sensory human, able to tune into these subtler experiences, bringing yourself into balance. I swear, it seems like magic. We’re on a roll now! Http://phlux.yoga . . . . #tapas #discipline #loveyourselfmore #yogasutrasofpatanjali #yogateacher #yogalifestyle #yogaeveryday #selflove #highvibejuly (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCd9AU4BxEv/?igshid=oa67px1jrazm

Ask yourself, “What do you need?” Listen for the answer. Santosha, is the second niyama, the discipline of contentment. Contentment comes when you pay attention to your needs and take good care of yourself. It’s not an objective. It’s being thoughtful towards yourself. Get on the ride! LINK IN BIO . . . . #santosha #yamasandniyamas #yogasutrasofpatanjali #selflove #yogaeveryday #yogateacher #yogalifestyle #letgo (at West Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbiuWKBR6C/?igshid=dl2e0x43ayu3

Let’s start by imagining your life as a container. When a container is filled up, nothing else can fit inside it. Notice how full your life is. Nothing wrong with that, as we get older, it’s normal to accumulate stuff. These could be items, people, beliefs, perceptions, values, toxins, inflammation, disease, afflictions, anything that you now think of as “This is mine” or “I have this…” The practice of Saucha, or purification, is to keep your energy channels flowing in the current of the moment. It is a practice that requires vigilance. The natural state of energy is expansive and limitless. And so is your container… well not yet, but you’ll get there. Join us. LINK IN BIO . . . . . #saucha #patanjaliyogasutras #niyamas #yogaeveryday #yogateacher #yogalifestyle #selflove #highvibejuly (at West Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCY27qyBeM5/?igshid=1hnj7jpn73tw9

Breath in deeply... If the Yama’s set you up to reinvent yourself, the Niyama’s are going to make it happen. Words mean nothing without action behind them. Now you walk-the-talk. The NIYAMA’s are up next. They are the second limb of the eight-limbed path. They are the blueprint we use to create the container of YOUR life. Find out more... LINK IN BIO . . . . #yamasandniyamas #patanjali #yogaeverday #yogateacher #yogalifestyle #loveyourself #selflove (at West Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCXHQLoB8jJ/?igshid=9r1nnmr2zl33

Hello Gorgeous Being! Today I’m going to put it all together for you so you can see how these 5 simple (not easy) practices are building blocks, each one naturally opens you to the next layer of work. AHIMSA - Before you can open up, you need to feel safe and secure. If you aren’t being kind to yourself, you’re not safe to be with. You had to establish this level of safety with yourself first. SATYA - Now that you know you’re not going to beat yourself up, you start to dismantle your false identity. You begin to tell the truth to yourself, creating a new relationship based on the truth. ASTEYA - This new relationship means you start doing new things, you stop treating yourself badly, stealing your own joy, neglecting your happiness. You can trust yourself again, it’s been awhile so your heart is a little broken as you realize how long you’ve been disconnected. The body, mind and spirit share apologies and healing begins. BRAHMACHARYA - Trusting yourself allows you to authentically connect to your sacred sexual energy (which is your basic energy, you wouldn’t exist without it), to work with it in a way that is nurturing instead of shameful. Instead of suppressed, you can now harness it with your breath, and move it where you want it to go. APARIGRAHA - And now you’re ready to train your mind. It’s had the driver’s seat for far too long. You being the process of rewiring your identity. An identity you inherited, for the most part, from your parents and upbringing. You can now clearly see the distinction between YOU and your mind. Can you see now why the path starts here? It’s never to late to start! Http://phlux.yoga . . . . #yamasandniyamas #yogaeveryday #yogateacher #yogalifestyle #patanjaliyogasutras #thrive #loveyourselfmore #selflove (at West Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCT1slzBn4f/?igshid=jeulcfitwki5

Overthinking is the greed of the mind. It wants your full attention at all times, and now you're so exhausted by it's nagging, you caved... it's got you 24/7. You can free yourself... Train your mind with these tools. Http://phlux.com . . #aparigraha #yogaeverday #yogateacher #highvibejuly #loveyourself #bekind (at West Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCRKpxnhaZz/?igshid=ckr28qp93p1z

Ok, are you ready to talk about your sexual energy? Mmmmm... this is gonna be good! Oofta. You've spent the last few days breaking down those heavy, thick, sticky outer layers. Or... avoiding it. Either way, you are here to observe yourself, building an incredibly intimate relationship to the most important person in your life... YOU!! Are you up for the journey yet? Http://phlux.yoga . . . . #brahmacharya #eightlimbpath #energywork #allenergyisexual #yogaeveryday #loveyourself #belove #yogicpath #yogateacher #highvibejuly (at West Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCOwnJ_h9Ml/?igshid=157h343wuh806

I bet you didn’t know you were a thief! Are you on the path with us?  http://phlux.yoga . . . . . . #asteya #eightlimbs #yogaphilosophy #yogalifstyle #yogaeveryday #yogasutras (at West Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCL3rcFBv_F/?igshid=15h1zgf7uw99a

Hello beautiful. Are you ready to face the truth! Haven’t signed up yet? >> http://phlux.yoga (at West Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJiS5NhOjo/?igshid=abpn4lnfhple