Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Freeing Your Inner Swan Part 2


"Zen is Clarification..." Author & Mystic, Manly P. Hall (The Secret Teaching of All Ages)

How to Detach From Negativity

This blog will deal with taking a complex subject like "Facing the Music" or dealing with the harsh realities of life and provide a simple Zen Solution called Detachment. Here's a concrete example. The other night, hearing the rain pounding down hard brought both delight and dread. The sheer joy of splashing in puddles and dancing in the rain always makes my heart sing. Yet, on the other hand, grabbing buckets and bailing rainwater from our flooded garage and patio was devastating. In exercising detachment from the outcome, I saw that everything that was destroyed is gone. Yet the peace of mind that the rain storm subsided brought immense gratitude. In this contrast lies the acceptance of what is, is.

In Yoga, the Sanskrit word, Swadhisthana is the second chakra. In Zen and the Martial Arts, it is called the Hara. Located about 2 inch below your navel, your second chakra is responsible for centered control, balance and bubbling energy. It houses all your feelings. Water is the element associated with emotion (energy in motion). Consider, Bruce Lee's wisdom "Be like water..." water takes the shape of whatever vessel it is in. It adapts to any situation.

The previous blog goes into more depth regarding the Black Swan (our shadow) and White Swan (virtuous side) and living in harmony between both sides. In Sanskrit, priya is the word for freedom which means being in a state of love. Freedom is possible through holding your intention to choose being a non judgmental (friendly) observer and completely accepting whatever you are feeling. You detach from negativity by allowing fearful thoughts and emotions to flow through your mind and body without letting them throw you off center. In western culture, processing our negative emotions as an inner compass to feel=heal and return to our true self has not been popular until the last century. With groundbreaking research on East meets West Teachings, Energy Medicine, and Positive Psychology, the future looks promising.

Inspirational Recipe Quote; "A confused mind cannot understand simplicity." Inspired from A Course in Miracles, Best-selling Author, Gerald G. Jampolsky MD of "Love is letting Go of Fear"

Take a moment to visualize a stressful situation; perhaps a relationship issue, or turbulence at home or work. As I like to say, DGMS (don't get me started). The ego (Edging Goodness Out) part of our minds can become a toxic critic, inviting the monsters in the cupboard (my new favorite expression) to keep our minds spinning with distraction and doubt into depression. When we listen to this constant monkey mind chatter, we get disconnected from our Loving Source or Divine Love and find ourselves out of Integrity. Surely a sign that we are off center is when we find it difficult to keep our word to ourselves and to others.

My intent is to give you the support you've been asking for and show you how to activate your own self supporting power. These zen tools will help you directly experience for yourself being Centered in the moment. In the present moment, your breath anchor has a chance to ground you to taste Serenity Now. You will be gently guided to remind yourself to re-focus on your purpose with presence and passion. Spinning, with anxiety into the future with an attachment to outcome, can keep us stuck. When we have past regrets our minds get polluted with blame, shame and guilt. Right nowness, is where comfort and joy is patiently waiting to welcome you Home Sweet Shalom to a clear mind peaceful heart.

Zen Pointer: Let's connect the dots between your spiritual being having a physical experience of doing the right steps with the right know how.

In the spirit of FunZen: "Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun."
Mikhail Baryshnikov (in photo Mikhail and Gelsey Kirkland)

Inner Swan Lake, 2nd Heart Step: Emotional Detachment from Negativity

In this moment, smile. Close your eyes (when you can). Soften and center up between your eyebrows. Simply visualize yourself becoming Water. Now, emotional baggage and stress can pass right through you from top to toe.

Remember to remember your self supporting power and roots
of "love and trust thyself" are found in your Hara (2nd chakra). Serene strength lies in the power to go with the flow, moment to moment, allowing negativity or difficulties to pass through us harmlessly.

Inspirational Recipe: In One Bite,~ Swan Lake Cake Pops (repeat one breath at a time as often as you wish)

Here we go. In One Breath, let's glow with the flow: Exhale, Whooosh (pressing your zen button) to relax and reset diaphragm~with comfortable upright posture. (Mental Fitness gives you the right know how to be upright in total command of your body soul instrument)



Inhale: Deep blue ocean breath, Catching the wave. Let it rise gradually from your core cradle (hara) to your heart center ❤.

(Pixie Pause for Peace)
Exhale: Long Breath Out~ Soften your chest and start to feel the core tightening up (roots of self support) as you lighten up (wings) with the deep cleansing action of exhaling impurities, stress, and unwanted tension.

After you Exhale completely, rest in the thought free space between the notes.

Ahhhhh ♪ Musical ♫ Pause ♬ Let it Be


Zenjoy finding balance (do be do be do) in the dance of life. With your bite-size sweetsalt taste, you can take One Healing ♡Heart Step ♥ at a time to transform and reach wholeness.❧

Grace says "Kid Friendly FunZen is Awesome to Celebrate Daily." Please Join us in the Soiree (celebration) of spreading these ideas that I hope are worth sharing on your part.

Mental Fitness (Foreword by Leonard Cohen) is available: Amazon, Bodhi Tree Books , or contact me for Complimentary autographed copy and free gift (up to 22 minutes) telecoaching session by mentioning you read this blog "Free your Inner Swan"

In Gratitude w/Love ❤

FunZen Girls OX
Michiko (lil mama) and Grace
:

Twitter: @Zenmommie Email: mjrolek@aol.com

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Free Your Inner Swan


The
Sanskrit word for swan is hamsa or hansa, and it is the vehicle of many deities like the goddess Saraswati. In Hinduism, Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती sarasvatī) is the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts. The swan is not just found in beloved fairy tales and ballet. For thousands of years, the swan has been a symbol of enlightenment and an elegant example of serenity, spiritual strength, and transformation.

The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr

"God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference."


I had an idea a few days ago to mention Reinhold Niebuhr's Serenity Prayer and after spontaneously seeing the psychological thriller
Black Swan, I was inspired to share the zen-like connection between the two.

Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet has both the innocent White Swan and the sensual Black Swan. In the film, one dancer, Nina (Oscar winner, Natalie Portman), is a perfect fit for the White Swan. While Lily (Mila Kunis) has a soulful personality that matches the Black Swan. When both ladies compete for the parts, Nina not only finds a dark side to herself, she was succumbed by it.


There are many issues that surfaced after watching this film with it's beautiful backdrop and scenery of the ballet world, especially my longing to wear pointe slippers again yet I don't miss the aching toes. One issue to insight though, that I'd like to address here, is the delicate balance of beauty, self image, and confidence. It is beyond the scope of this blog to go into depth regarding these issues. But I will glance at how a zen perspective gives us the confidence to see clearly and establish a beginner's mindset that changes how we look at things.

My book, Mental Fitness, provides the tools to train your instrument into the beautiful swan of transformation. Freeing your Inner Swan is accepting the people we cannot change and the self compassion and courage to change the one we can and the wisdom to know it's ourselves.


My Zen approach honors the brilliant simplicity of being part of the solution, not the problem. The solution is awakening our Inner Swan by making peace with our shadow or dark side. Acknowledging that we have a shadow or an inner monster is the beginning of taming it. Groundbreaking, bestselling author of "The Shadow Effect..." Debbie Ford, provides awesome tools that teach us to Be Authentic by embracing and eventually loving and healing the parts of us (self-punishing patterns) that we've wished to hide.

Seeing
Black Swan made me appreciate my work with Tyra Bank's T-Zone, which helps to build a sisterhood movement and raises awareness about issues girls are faced with today, for example, self esteem, body image and social pressures. The FunZen perspective tool that I shared with the girls, parents, and professional counselors, and look forward to presenting to you, worked like a magic wand; restoring order from emotional chaos to inner calm.

Inspirational Recipe: Black & White Swan Cupcake:

1st Step: Zen Perspective: Close your eyes (center-up between your eyebrows) to Open your heart, by choosing to step back for a mindful moment...You will see the world in a whole new light as a non judgmental observer... I promise this will empower you to be a positive change agent. I will be adding 3 more heart steps to this blog "Free you Inner Swan."

Make the Connection: Press your zen button by Exhaling, whooosh, to mentally start over anytime, anyplace you need to free your mind from the past and future and get back on Pointe in the present moment.

Bake= Concentration Power: Sitting or Standing upright instead of uptight, Let's Inhale clear blue zenergy. Feel your tummy rising. Exhale, riding the breath wave. Tummy falling, flattening and firming up towards your spine:
Catch 3 Breath Cycles to relax from top to toe, releasing anxiety to experience serenity and spiritual strength.

Now, Breathe, at your pace of grace, with each centering long breath out. (see page 26 in
Mental Fitness)

Decorate Your Way: Congratulations. Without baking your cupcake, by staying focused with the previous ❤ steps, you cannot put the sprinkles on and zenjoy your treat. Likewise, by using your magic mood tool, Zen Perspective, you are building quiet strength to weather any dark storm.

Stay Tuned In for the next Inner Swan Lake heart step ❤: How to Detach yourself from negativity.

I must say, after seeing Black Swan, I felt immense Gratitude for my book Mental Fitness. Being a dancer in ballerina pointe slippers myself, I struggled with some beauty & self image issues. Today, I treasure cultivating a clear mind, peaceful heart & the soul of a warrriorette. What is sweeter, is sharing these Resilience Skills for life with my daughter and other kids, to help them find their center in the cyclone.

Grace says "Kid Friendly FunZen is Awesome to Celebrate Daily." Please Join us in the Soiree (celebration) of spreading these ideas that I hope are worth sharing on your part.

Mental Fitness (Foreword by Leonard Cohen) is available: Amazon, Bodhi Tree Books , or contact me for Complimentary autographed copy and free gift (up to 22 minutes) telecoaching session by mentioning you read this blog "Free your Inner Swan"

In Gratitude w/Love ❤

FunZen Girls OX
Michiko (lil mama) and Grace

r: @Zenmommi

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.