Lisa Askem

Good yoga/bad yoga

2012-03-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

When is yoga bad for you? When your not doing it right? When is life bad for you? When your not living it right. How do we know the difference. Well the debate goes in the yoga world that there are a lot of bad teachers out there who aren't qualified. But who taught us to live? Yes ok I can hear you all going "that's such a stupid thing to say" and all the rest. Surely yoga is a tool for living, not just standing on our heads. It's my observation that (and I am a qualified, insured and experienced yoga teacher) everyone learns in different ways and as much as we as teachers and students can work within safe boundaries but we also need to be challenged. It's my thinking and that of the way of karma, that by repeating good actions with self awareness we become established in something good. That could also translate into safe and steady. So let's put this into a practice for living. If we don't know how to get out of something safely should we do it? By By repeating the same good action again and again we become established in something good. The reverse of course is true. If we are going to cause potential harm to ourselves and others by being bloody minded and to do it regardless we will never evolve or become established. We tend to learn from experience and yoga helps us to be aware of our sensitivity to tension, pain and discomfort. As for me as a teacher in reaction to all the bad press about yoga been dangerous, that's another debate. But some people you just can't tell. But I am always learning.

YOGA SPEAKS FOR IT'S SELF

2012-02-20T04:33:00.000-08:00

I have to credit my friend and yoga teacher Carolyn Berry for this. Whilst we were enjoying half term and dog walking sharing our love of yoga. She said "I think that yoga speaks for it's self". Words don't always express what we gain from this practice so why not today just sit quietly and let your yoga practice speak for it's self.

WHERE IS YOUR LOVE?

2012-02-13T00:30:00.001-08:00

SHARINGThe heart centre - a meditation for the heart.From osho Ordinary people around the world know that love comes from the heart. To them this is hearsay. Hearts are the images of love in all cultures. We have seven sensory centres in the body, some call these centres chakras, let's just call them centres for now. These are parts of out body that can't be mapped but can be felt. When we really listen and understand our true being, these centres can be stimulated and we feel the benefit in ourselves, again not necessarily the physical body but just how we feel total, as a whole. Like all benefits of meditation and yoga, once understood in ourself they are for sharing. The heart is in our centre, there are three chakras / centres above and below. All these other centres are activated from this one. The third centre, just below the heart creates abundance and by reaching into this third centre (think about your navel) you have begun to overflow with love. This happens in the fourth centre, our heart.The meditator reaches into the heart. As you reach this centre of your being suddenly an explosion of love and compassion and joy and blissfulness arises with such force that it hits the heart and opens it.When you feel this energy your potential to share this love is abundant. You are limitlessin all that you can give, overflowing. You have the opportunity to share your love and your joy and your laughter. In sharing, you find that you feel even more full. There is no need to go anywhere or to make any effort. You can enjoy sensuality without possessiveness or attachment, you can give birth to child or a project with an equal sense of creatively fulfilled. Everything around you seems to be coming together now.Enjoy it, ground yourself in it and let the abundance in you overflow.http://iwww.goddessgift.com/images/goddess-Lakshmi.jpg

Feeling the need to connect?

2012-02-03T00:18:00.001-08:00

What are you connected to? A time, a person, a place. Sometimes we have a need or a desire to connect with a view to find some sort of stability or assurance.Sometimes we might feel disconcerted especially during times of change, thats because we are doing just that, changing. When our ground is shifting it feels unstable. However if you think about the universal force or energy that is always moving forwards and outwards and we as humans are a life force on this planet within the universe and to be sure we do not fall off this in reality. We are still here, aren't we? It's how we think about change that creates the instability. Instead of being change itself. Therefore we have to reinforce our beliefs that we are steady, we can move and be flexible and should always explore our range of emotional reactions as well as our physical reactions. What are we holding on to? Can you hold the space that your right now and create clam and steadiness within with a view to sustainable energy to support you being you? Meditation for the dayI connect with my heart to the universal spirit of energy and dimension.I am connected and in the right place now doing what is right.I am open to new opportunity, I have created this here and now through my own thoughts.I give thanks for all that have in my life and don't stress about what I haven't got. I enjoy all I that I have in my life.

What's new with you?

2012-02-02T09:13:00.001-08:00

What's new with you?February is the last haul of winter, our days are getting longer and we can begin wake up to the potential of spring. Coming out of hibernation and with shoots of inspiration let's start the process of potential personal expansion. Instead of the usual greeting of, "hi, how are you"? How about asking "what's new with you"?Ask yourself the same question today. We have had two new year celebrations and a new moon and the start of a new Luna cycle, have you tapped into the possibility of change yet?Change is going on all around us all the time. It is often unsettling even when we know it's good for us. We can feel vulnerable and anxious or elated and excited. Positive change though brings freedom from past doubt, liberation and empowerment. Are you sailing round the same pond or sailing uncharted waters?Don't bring fear or doubt into your heart or mind. Breath deeply, smile, and stretch yourself. Have a look at this link, a very inspiring take on this new year of the dragon. It will give you hope. http://www.westernschooloffengshui.com/blog/inspiration/delving-into-2012-the-year-of-Visions you’ve been holding deep within your heart, such as experiencing loving community, lasting peace, spiritual illumination, and restoration of Mother Earth become potently activated and, like magic, could manifest ‘right before your eyes.’the-water-dragon/

IS YOUR NOW RIGHT?

2012-01-15T07:09:00.001-08:00

Is your right now right?We are told to live in the here and now. Past events create our future experiences. But what about right now? Are you doing your best at doing what is right for you. To be the friend, lover, parent, employee, employer? More importantly are you being yourself? Because if you can't be yourself who can you be?Keep this question at the front of your mind. Is your right now, right?Yoga Workshop for setting new year intentions 28th January 2-5.00 at south Wimbledon community association. £20 booking essential www.benditlikelisa.co.uk

There is no such thing as 'back to Normal'

2012-01-05T11:29:00.001-08:00

After wishing everyone a happy new year and making resolutions and welcoming the new year in why do we so want to be back to normal?Haven't we just resolved to change something? Why go back? And what is normal? Who wants same old, same old? We can't change overnight but we can try to be better. To look ahead and know where your going helps. Some people only use google maps, some of us navigate through intuition. Some people have a guide, some of us just trust.Why not just try harder to reach further. Be the best that you can be then just push your boundaries a little bit more. Don't let doubt or fear cloud your judgement. Be clear and honest with yourself. Observe your journey, the clues to where your going are there.

Another day, another soaking!

2012-01-04T00:01:00.001-08:00

Another day, another soaking!It's kind of hard to be all hung ho about the new year when your first foot into this year is soaking wet after been blown and battered and dripping wet into your first appointment of the year. Oh joy soggy feet for the day. Where have those good intentions gone? Nothing grows in dampness, we need to cultivate the right atmosphere within ourselves in order to grow and develop.Don't give up on new year resolutions just practice patience. As it is with our yoga practice, repetition is part of the process. Learn to become this new self. Practice being your new self.The results of your good work start to show when the snow drops beginning to shoot into the first times of spring, towards the end of January. It's a time to remind ourselves of our new year intentions and then cultivate these thoughts up to Easter time when we have a new season and nature helps us to sustain our new year resolutions.

A VERY MESSY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-16T00:20:00.001-08:00

A very messy Christmas The Arch Bishop of Canterbury in his thought for the day on radio 2 said that with all the best laid plans christmas usually ends up been a mess. Nothing is perfect and we always have to cope with the unexpected. After all the nativity was not the most perfect situation. An un planned pregnancy, no room at the inn and the the three wise men were late! Rowan Williams message was though that despite the chaos and the unpredictable Gods presence is always there. The party has started whatever the situation.My take in this as a yogi with a spiritual leaning rather than a christian tradition is that LOVE is always there, even those who aggravate have a place in our hearts the scene wouldn't be complete without them. Loose the desire for control, and welcome the unpredictable. Remember that the love for our friends and family is what the time of getting together is all about.

HOLD YOUR SPACE

2011-12-07T00:49:00.001-08:00

What's happening in your cosmic window. It's almost two weeks since my first blog where I mentioned that between the new moon and full moon this month we have a kind of cosmic portal between eclipses that offers us an opportunity for change. Just now (7th dec) we are in the pause, this time will end on Saturday 10th December I am asking you whats the space that your holding?Be very conscious now of what your creating, giving and receiving. What's coming your way, whats leaving. We are always in a pause of sorts. So come on then, what's yours. What'd you want, these wishes are not just for christmas these are for life. We need to hold this space now, be very clear and honest with yourself. Hold this beautiful peaceful space with your heart and your soul and nurture it. As we approach this full moon, ask yourself what are you full of?Say no to tension and stress, say yes to love and peace. World peace please, always add that to your personal mission statement.

Are you been financially strangled by forces beyond your control

2011-11-29T04:43:00.001-08:00

All we hear on the news is fear and doubt. We are being financially restrained by government and so called global forces beyond our control. Sounds like something out of star wars. We have to look at what is our own reality. Don't let someone else tell you what to think and what to do, we are being bullied into a place where we are being financially strangled. It's limiting and damaging. Most of us are responsible beings. We don't waste what we haven't got and don't seek to take what is not ours. We are been sold austerity and limiting concepts that are damaging our soul. We are gripped on to this overwhelming concept of loss and in doing so are losing our sense of self. Time to stand up for ourselves. You can choose what you want to do, spend, be. You are responsible and limitless in your own ideas of living the life that you want to live. As they say in yoga, move away from the tension and work towards the ease. The more of us doing this the better. Switch off from the global debate and be your own mind.

MIND THE GAP

2011-11-28T00:12:00.000-08:00

The best way to start our day is with meditation. To start the day as we mean to go on. Create the right intentions in order to create the right energy that we need for our day. So on a dark wet November Monday morning it might be hard to find the right inspiration. If your struggling with this today then start by counting your blessings and giving thanks for all that is good in your world. It's usually the little details that bring the most joy rather than the big events. Focus on the gap between each breath, the gentle pause as we move from one direction to the other. What's in the gap? Nothing. No things, nothing to worry about, no clutter. Just some space and time which is what most of us crave. Don't seek to fill this space, be mindful of the gap. Hold the gap before your pulled and pushed from one direction to the other. Try living in the gap. It's just a practice. The more we do it the better we get.

NEW MOON, NEW START.

2011-11-25T00:11:00.002-08:00

New moon, new start. Todays new moon (25th November) is an eclipsing new moon. It's extra special as eclipses are all about change. New moons when the sky is dark. A time for reflection and meditation. You might not be able to take the whole day off but try and make some time today to think about what you want from your life. New moons are new starts, you don't have to wait until 1st January to resolve to be better. The partial solar eclipse today will be followed by a luna eclipse on December 10th.What this means for us down on earth is that there is a gap. As one door closes another opens. Like the pause between each breath, if we can take time to observe the subtleness of this change we can enter into higher realm of living. Life is in the detail, however most us are not seeing, listening, to ourselves and what is happening around us. Opportunity for change is always there, new starts are always available. We have a cosmic window (so to speak) for an opportunity for change.What are you going to do with yours.

How hard do we work at been better than we are?

2011-11-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

How hard do you work to be the person that you should be? What is your effort? At what percentage are you working at?

Most of the time we are not even conscious of any effort been required until we have to do something extra. Finding inspiration or motivation or just raising our game requires a certain amount of effort on our part.

How about raising our game for the day to day stuff. Why do we do the things that we do in the way that we them? What are we thinking whilst we are doing? What's your inspiration? You should be your own inspiration.

As a living being it's important to be present and in the moment, whatever the moment. Life is rarely exciting all of the time but we can be inspired and engaged all of the time.

Think about the foucs of a karate black belt. Effortlessly moving thorough life, a true yogi with every movement you are present. So are you a recreational yogi only participating when you feel like it during a class, even only part of that class or are you living life as a whole. A whole person.