Do You Believe The Lies You Tell Yourself?

Do you believe the lies you tell yourself?

I recently ended a four week immersion with a group of lovely ladies and we studied soft, lush yoga, breathing techniques, and yoga philosophy. Yoga has eight limbs and one of the limbs is called 'Yamas' which are ethical considerations.

The first yama is ahimsa (non-harming, non-violence) which you could really spend a lifetime discussing. In this video, though, I talk about Satya, the second yama, which means truthfulness.

When we are children we believe whatever we're told; we don't know the difference between truth and lies. So if someone tells a child they're stupid, they're fat, they're ugly, they're annoying (or whatever else), the child begins to believe this and it becomes their truth.

Of course, we know these are not truths at all, but someone's opinion about you. However, they BECOME our truth when we believe them.

What are you lying to yourself about? Do you believe that nasty voice in your head that tells you you're not worthy, you're not smart, you're not deserving of happiness or love?

Or do you choose to ignore those voices and re-frame them with the TRUTH, which is you are beautiful, you are worthy, you are smart, you are more than enough. How do you know the difference between the truth and lies of your thoughts?? Easy. The true thoughts are the ones that make you feel juicy, good and sweet. The truth is you are a divine being with more gifts than you realize. The lies are the ones that make you feel like shit.

So what voice will you choose to listen to today? How would you rather feel? You do have a choice.

Click here (www.kristinakerele.com/lush) to receive a FREE GIFT from me about the 3 Secrets to Unleashing your Lush Feminine Power!

Sending so much love!

I Hit Rock Bottom

I hit rock bottom.

Years of pushing, overgiving, overworking and overdoing- always feeling like I had to 'take care' of everything and everyone had me living in a constant state of panic, anxiety and exhaustion.

I was living out of alignment, pushing too hard, and not enjoying the little things in life.

I was depleted; giving all I had in my job, and to everyone BUT myself- putting everyone else's needs before mine.

I thought this was the only way to live. I didn't value myself enough to understand that I was destroying myself physically, mentally and emotionally.

Despite trying to control everything around me, I felt out of control.

I felt like I was going crazy and losing my mind. 😱

I felt like I wasn't even connected to my body at all.

I was afraid if I stopped, even for a minute to tune in with myself that everything would fall apart.

Aren't we supposed to push and work hard all the time?

Isn't that what we're taught?

I finally had enough of living this way! I was missing out on precious moments with my kids and husband. I was miserable and exhausted.

⭐️ I desperately wanted to feel connected to my body again.

⭐️ I desperately wanted to enjoy my relationships with my family.

⭐️ I desperately wanted to learn how to LET GO, SURRENDER and RECEIVE.

See, I was living in a mis-guided belief that I HAD to do it all.

When I learned how to LET GO and TRUST my own feminine intuition and power, everything changed.

To my surprise the world didn't fall apart when I stopped trying to control every little thing! 😁

I LET GO OF:

🔥 My need to control everything around me all the time.

🔥My need to be busy every single second of the day.

🔥My habit of overgiving, overdoing, and overworking.

🔥Putting everyone else first and myself last.

What I GAINED:

🌹My sanity!

🌹My relationships with my family deepened and were more fulling and joyful!

🌹I felt alive and connected to my body again!

🌹I got my energy back and enjoyed the little things again!

I learned out to trust in the universe and my own intuition that EVERYTHING IS OK!

You deserve that too!

You are a Divine Woman - you don't realize how powerful you are.

You don't realize that once you surrender and let go and TUNE IN to your spirit, your breath, your body that you can do and be anything.

Life is meant to be enjoyed!

It's your f***ing birthright to BE HAPPY!

I know it's scary to think there's another way, when you've been conditioned for so long. But life is too short to keep going like this.

This is a sacred invitation to say YES to yourself and ditch the stress, the drama, the grind, the pushing....

🔥 The time is NOW!! PM me below to find out about my divine 30 day immersion starting January 28th!

🔥10 spots for 10 divine women who are ready to learn how to RISE into their feminine power & intuition by letting go and surrendering. Learn how to ignite your own flame, gorgeous one!

Hurry! These spots will fill up fast!

Why work with me? Who am I & what do I stand for?

Why work with me? Who am I & what do I stand for?

✔ I am a Mom of two kids (14 & 12), a professional, a wife, a yoga teacher, an entrepreuner, a friend, a supporter, a mentor and much more who deeply understands the struggles we working moms face.

✔ I stand for women standing in their true power, rising out of the pain of their stress, anxiety, and exhaustion and tap into their divinity!

I know that stumbling through life on your own is tough, and it's so much easier with support. Just hearing what you 'should' do isn't enough.
You know what I mean - when you talk to other people about being stressed or anxious, exhausted, and overwhelmed, the advice is often
do yoga, meditate, and exercise, etc. Well, easier said than done, right? Maybe you don't have time, or you know you need much more help than a class here and there.

Having one on one support is HUGE! We all need that - someone to guide us, to cheer us on, to celebrate our success! Sometimes it's too much to do on your own.

I'm looking for 10 amazingly divine women to join my 30 day immersion program later this month! It will be epic!!

💜 Imagine learning the juiciest, yummiest kind of gentle, soft yoga (this is NOT your typical yoga class) that leaves you loving your body again as dissolving all that built up tension and tightness!

💜 Imagine exploring your breath on a deep level and increasing your energy level soars and you ignite your mojo again!

💜Imagine learning how to manage those negative thoughts and changing your mindset so your outlook on life is optimistic and joyful again!

And so much more... Email me at doyogawithkristin@gmail.com  to schedule a heart to heart to see if we're a match made in heaven! (no hard core sales pitch, I promise!)

Here is a testimonial from one of my long-time clients!

I first met Kristin when I walked into her yoga class after not taking a yoga class in a couple of years. I was stressed out and my body felt way older than it actually was — I was a mess. I had taken yoga classes at the Y and other places around town because it was easy to drop the kids and go, but none of the instructors in those classes seemed to understand my needs — the mom who had given birth to two kids, put on a little weight, and who definitely wasn’t a spring chicken anymore. They were all about pushing and taking things just a little bit further and every time I would end up injured, frustrated, and lost in this world of exercise and fitness.

Out of desperation, I signed up for a “gentle” yoga class at a studio I had never been to before. From the first second I stepped into Kristin’s class, I knew it was different — I knew SHE was different. She was kind, funny, and so very real. She started her class by making a connection with each student, asking about where each student was not only with their body but also with their mind.

That one class turned into a weekly thing and then suddenly I had been taking her class for months and that turned into years. When life gets hard — the kids are out of control, the spouse is driving me nuts, my mind is in turmoil, I go to Kristin. She helps me remember to breathe, she guides me through meditation (her tree of life meditation is the absolute best!), she teaches me how to take care of my body so I can take care of those around me. To say that taking Kristin’s teachings are life-changing is not an exaggeration; not only did I learn tools to help me navigate this crazy, busy life but also I gained a life-long friend. I cannot recommend Kristin’s mentorship highly enough. - Ila Brook Markely

It's taken a while to get here. To a place where I feel comfortable sharing my love of yoga with the world. I'll never forget the first class I taught about five years ago to my fellow yoga teacher trainees. I was so nervous I thought I might be sick, but once I started teaching most of those fears went away.

I am not a typical yoga teacher- I'm not a super bendy person naturally. I've always been physically active, but not particularly flexible. I did know that yoga made me feel good and I enjoyed it and felt pulled to teach it. My first yoga teacher training was great an I learned and grew so much, but I was made quite aware of my tightness and was sometimes used as an example to the other teacher trainees. I was also one of the older students- already in my 40's with mostly 20 somethings. I somehow knew I had something valuable to share, though and pursued my dream of teaching.

Flash forward five years later, I've found my home at A Gentle Way Yoga! Here I have found a special way of teaching that encourages students to tune into their own experience of their body and their breath. I seem to have fallen into a style, taken from Lanita Varshell's signature MIMSY (Meditation in Movement Style Yoga) that resonates with my students and keeps them coming back week after week. It is the most gentle style of yoga I have every experienced and done very slowly to allow a deep connection with body and breath. By slowing down, you have the chance to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system, which is where to body can begin the healing process. Healing can mean many different things- it's not just physical healing, it's also emotional and spiritual healing. We all carry some kind of trauma whether it be from carrying around stress, dealing with disappointment, dragging around negative beliefs about ourselves, financial problems, relationship and family problems, etc. My students have found the way that I teach them allows them to let go and release so they can move forward with a happier mindset.

I have become more and more comfortable with teaching and letting my intuition guide me. My students tell me I have a gift that needs to be shared with a broader audience which led me to create on-line videos.

The Importance of Pranayama

Just Breathe!

We breathe all the time without even realizing it. It's an involuntary function of our body that is essential for survival. Our diaphragms contact and expand to push air in and out of our lungs thousands of times each day. When we learn to voluntarily breathe, or in other words control the depth and rhythm of our breath, profound changes happen in our mind and body.

So what does Pranayama mean? The word prana means life force and ayama means to extend. By controlling our breath, we therefore move prana/life force throughout our body. I have used various pranayama techniques to deal with anxiety and stress and it has helped me immensely. I view the breath as a powerful tool we have with us all the time that be accessed to bring us into the present moment and allow us to live a happier, fuller life.

There are many, many different Pranayama techniques. One of my very favorites if called Nadi Shodhana, or Alternate Nostril Breathing. I teach this often in my classes and use it regularly. Just like the pictures above illustrate, the ring finger and thumb close one nostril as you inhale through the other one nostril and exhaling through the other one.

Here are instructions for Alternate Nostril Breathing: Use the thumb of the right hand to close the right nostril, and inhale through the left nostril. Use the ring finger of the right hand to close the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril. Inhale through the right nostril, close the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril and keep going. Breathe slowly and fully. Try it for three minutes, then take a few deep breaths through your nose to notice the effects.

Three reasons why everyone should practice it:
1) It taps into a relaxation response in our nervous system
2) It balances the right and left hemispheres of our brain and improves attention
3) It improves respiratory function.

Happy Breathing!

For more information about Pranayama for Beginners, visit the link below:

https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/pranayama

Gentle Yoga can help Back Pain!

I was thrilled to see a recent article on the NPR website about a study showing yoga can help with back pain. Most people who are new to yoga have heard that it's good for your back. However, the danger is that if it's not the right kind of yoga for your body, it can actually do more harm than good.

We see many students at the studio where I teach, A Gentle Way Yoga (www.agentleway.com), walk in with numerous things going on with their body. Some examples are arthritis, injuries such as herniated discs, spinal fusions, people healing from knee and hip replacements, etc. Not to mention just basic wear and tear that we all experience with age. We also see students who have taken yoga classes in the past and gotten injured.

It's very important to find the right type of yoga class when a student is experiencing challenges or recovering from an injury or surgery. A class that is too fast or strenuous will not be beneficial to someone with back pain, and may cause further damage. It's so important to learn to listen to your body, to breathe and to slow down.

I love how the NPR article talks about gentle yoga being as effective as Physical Therapy. Maybe one day yoga will be covered in our health insurance??

Namaste!




http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/06/20/533505211/study-finds-yoga-can-help-back-pain-but-keep-it-gentle-with-these-poses

The Problem with New Year's Resolutions (and the solution!)

The problem with New Year's Resolutions (and the solution!)

Happy 2017! I realize I am a little late with this blog about New Year's Resolutions, but that's okay!

I am not a big resolution person - I don't like the pressure of committing to making big changes for an entire year. Not to mention, that I know resolutions almost never work. I do like to think about my wishes and hopes for the new year, and the idea of a fresh start is exciting. One thing I love about the new year is buying a new planner, looking through it and filling it up with appointments and plans. There's something exciting about looking to the year ahead!

Given my aversion to resolutions, however, there are things in my life I would like to improve upon. As a yoga teacher, one of my goals is a daily yoga and meditation practice (right now, it's almost every day). I would like to eat more vegetables too and just take more time for myself. As a working mom, I don't put myself at the top of my list as much as I should.

I stumbled upon an article (posted below) about why resolutions don't work and how to fix them, and it really aligns with my own philosophy. The article talks about 'being' the person that makes good choices. Rather than saying, "I want to eat better" or "I want to be more organized" change your identity into the person who eats better or is more organized. How do you change your identify? It starts with visualizing yourself as that person. The change needs to come from the inside out. See yourself doing it and then do it! Here's a quote from the article:

"Your current behaviors are simply a reflection of your current identity. What you do now is a mirror image of the type of person you believe that you are (either consciously or subconsciously).

To change your behavior for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself."

https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/how-to-fix-new-years-resolutions/

This makes me think of one of my favorite quotes from Mahatma Gandhi, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Don't make resolutions - resolve to be the person you want to be!