Compassion for all

 🌎“If you develop a strong sense of concern for the well-being of all sentient beings or in particular all human beings, this will make you happy in the morning, even before coffee. This is the value of compassion, of having compassionate feelings for others. Even 10 minutes you see, or 30 minutes of meditating on compassion, on kindness for others, and you will see it’s effects all day. That’s the way to maintain a calm and joyous mind.” -Dalai Lama

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We may be temporarily under the weather but life is great. It’s been wonderful to slow down and experience the beauty of time, meditation, spiritual texts, and prayer.

I have made it a point through out my journey to meditate over the past few years. I used to sit still and meditate daily and felt numerous physical and emotional benefits, but then life happens. It becomes a practice done only in spare time.

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I have to work 5-7 days in a week, fit in a cardio routine with day light savings, walk my fur baby, teach on the weekends, get groceries, do laundry, make lunch, be on time to work, be available for my family, loved ones, and my community, and on and on. The internal dialogue cues...am I doing enough, am I the best clinician, family member, friend, student, community member, yoga teacher, and lover that I can be.

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I’m beyond blessed that I get to practice compassion as a function of my career providing community mental health, but it is easy to fall out of balance when you confront human suffering. There are significant problems within our systemic and societal fabric and the only way we can solve it is compassion for ourselves and others.  I have heaps of time and energy and compassion for others, but self compassion falls by the wayside when shit hits the fan.

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And then I remind myself that it’s the human condition to have all of these thoughts and worries. When it finally becomes a problem that I can no longer ignore I sit still and tune in, peeling away layer after layer of mind chatter.

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It’s too often I’ve set this reflective time as optional and not a priority, but this time is EVERYTHING! It’s the road to; self peace, a clear mind, less stress, gratitude and deeper compassion and joy. Feel free to join as I continue to bring consistency to my meditation practice.🌻  

Helpful apps I have use in my meditation journey have been Insight Timer and Headspace. Feel free to reach out if you would like support on how to start your own practice.

-Quote taken from The Book of Joy by Douglas Carlton Abrams, Desmond Tutu, and Dalai Lama

Happy New Year

 🌈Heart is wide open to all of the possibilities in 2018. I am so happy to have kicked it off doing one of the things I love most, teaching SUP yoga and meditating. Flowing, tuning in, and and experiencing universal love on and off of the water. Sending you all the highest love vibes today, and I hope our hearts can meet on or off the water in the near future💖

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My intention for the new year is to be present and in the now more often. I have kickstarted this journey by meditating in the morning and will be sharing #meditationmondays with you lovely people in hopes that you can join. I heard a quote last week that I have been crushing on and reflecting on...🦋

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“Time never exists in itself, it’s what happens in it. You have to give it meaning, you have to shape it.” -Esther Perel 🥀

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Let’s shape our time and honor ourselves by being here for every moment, present and in tune with our truth. Living to our highest potentials, practicing gratitude, being mindful of the beauty surrounding us, and opening our hearts to the possibilities of the present.

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Where the land meets the sea

I’ve been yearning for an adventure, to be wild, and this weekends journey didn’t disappoint. Paddling through the Oxnard waterways away from civilization into some of the last undeveloped space in our area where the sea meets the land. I observed a blue Herron gazing from the shore nestled away from development and humans. I used to see many more fishing in the harbor but it’s a rarity lately.

The water line was littered with styrofoam cups and trash but the baby ducks sauntered along following their elders unaware of any other existence free from human danger for now. They live among the waste in their last refuge, it pains me to know this area will likely be developed soon. I will continue to do whatever I can to stop those man made boundaries from expanding further and further past their welcome, to protect our magnificent marine environment and wildlife.

I’ve made it my goal to bring people closer to the wild to foster a deeper relationship with the local ecology, and through that a deeper awareness and respect for life. Mother Nature will take back her coast line eventually and we will have to accommodate her relentless plan. For now I flow with them, thank my lucky stars that I get to be in such a beautiful place in good company, and pray for all living beings and things. Who is interested in a kharma yoga trash clean up and adventure?💙

Christmas feels

What a fun and renewing night, there’s nothing that dinner and drinks with my girls can’t cure! And Castro family VCMC childrens oncology toy drive before with my sissy gave me all the feels. It’s been a week of ups and downs feeling drained energetically with work and life, but this evening helped me beyond words. Love you all so much🤗💕 I’m glad I have been able to be patient and loving with myself, even though some moments it’s a struggle. It’s okay that I have only ran two nights after work instead of three and have a hard time doing as much as usual in the evenings or getting out of bed early. I give myself permission to be loved, nurtured, and valued equally the same at my high points and my low points. ✨Being loving towards ourselves, our loved ones, our community, and all human beings on and off the mat through thick and thin is the yoga guys! 🙏🏼 #hands #christmastime #venturastrong #friendsarefamily #rumfishyvino #mantrajourneys

Hope during the Thomas Fire

Sending all of the love and prayers to our friends, fellow business owners, fire fighters, first responders, local community groups providing tireless support, and the entire Ventura community this week during the #thomasfireThe damage done to our beautiful town and county is heartbreaking and unimaginable and the wreckage is palatable to many. Please reach out if you or your family or friends are in need of shelter, clothing, or food and/or if I haven’t connected with you, please don’t hesitate to ask. This goes for LA and a Santa Clarita friends as well, please be safe out there. This natural disaster has lent heaps of gratitude since learning that friends and families in the community have been displaced and lost nearly everything. This tragedy leaves my heart heavy but your collective strength has inspired me deeply ❤️ It was an absolute pleasure to get to provide mental health support at the Ventura fairgrounds, my prayers and loving kindness extends to everyone affected. #venturastrong 

SUP yoga makes a splash in Oxnards' Channel Islands Harbor

Stand up paddle boarding is a popular low impact and fun way to exercise that promotes overall fitness and enables a mindful approach while being immersed in nature. Paddling and sup yoga have become increasingly popular in Oxnard as we live in an ideal place for paddling with miles of clean waterways in a safe environment.

SUP yoga, also know as stand up paddle board yoga, is a rejuvenating form of yoga and exercise that challenges us to be mindful and present while doing modified yoga poses on the paddle board in the water. Anyone can benefit from beginning a sup yoga practice, and all that is required is that you can swim and have an open and willing attitude to trying new experiences

The experience of doing yoga while on the water is a challenging and gratifying practice that brings us closer to nature, tests our inner focus, and allows us to access a deep peace that lies within. Paddle board yoga is an excellent exercise that requires the paddler to use stabilizing core muscles to maintain balance while doing modified yoga poses on the board.

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years but the physical asana practice has gained increasing popularity in the US over the last 30 years and has many health benefits. Some of these benefits include increased flexibility, increased muscle tone, an improvement in respiratory and digestive health, increase of blood flow and decrease of high blood pressure, lowers blood sugar, improves posture, and eases back, neck, and joint pain and inflammation to name just a few. Yoga is a natural stress reliever as a result of focusing on becoming more self aware of our bodies, thoughts, and internal sensations and improves focus. (If you want more information on the benefits of yoga, you can visit yogajournal.com.)

At Sea Dog Yoga we are all about having fun in a safe and supportive environment while bringing people out on the water to mindfully experience and the scenic views that Channel Islands Harbor has to offer.

Classes are catered to skill level for first time paddlers and yogis or more experienced yogis. Beginning paddlers can also start their journey with private paddle board instruction to gain confidence on the board with the support and guidance of a trained professional.

There is an incredible feeling of contentment and happiness that we are able to absorb after dedicating time and nourishment to ourselves, while leaving our land dwelling problems behind and practicing yoga in the natural marine environment.

Elizabeth is the founder of Sea Dog Yoga and is a 200 hour registered yoga teacher. She was specially trained with Stoked Yogi in San Diego to instruct sup yoga with a knowledge of water safety techniques. Elizabeth is a mental health clinician by trade and works for the county of Ventura and enjoys bringing her passion of promoting community wellness, spending time on the ocean, and bringing mindfulness techniques and the benefits of yoga to clients and students in weekend classes.

You can sign up for class at seadogyoga.com or call Elizabeth at (805)622-9642 or email seadogyoga@gmail.com for inquiries.

Feel your Flow

Music and sound can inspire and enliven our practice environment. We have all been in that class in which the teacher artfully picks just the right song for the mood and tempo of the asana practice, and you are moving and in sync with the rhythm, deeply present for the full yoga experience. Conversely, music can also distract from connecting with our inner chi and be obtrusive to finding that centered head space. I'm sure you have experienced a class in which you couldn't help but be distracted by the music that seemed to keep you from emerging deeper into your practice. Music has the capability to add so much to yoga or completely change the climate of our practice. 

Music has played a deeply important role in my personal life, and I have found it to be a refuge at times and symbolic of situations that I am experiencing in my life. I have also found it to be extremely telling and reported as therapeutic for many of my clients at my day job working as a behavioral health clinician. There are times when I gratefully saturate the sounds of nature, my breath, or my environment without the addition of music, and times when I am looking to be fired up for my practice or surrender to some hardly noticeable ambient music.

Whatever your relationship is with music, there is no doubt that there is infinite amounts of music available for our listening pleasure. I have narrowed down a 50 minute feel good playlist for those days when you want your yoga practice to be intensified yet equally chilled out. I have used this playlist in my vinyasa home practice routine based off of songs that have inspired me, my practice, and surrender. Flow on beauties!

1.    Ends of the Earth by Lord Huron: Lonesome Dreams

2.    Clair de Lune (ft. Christine Hoberg) by Flight Facilities: Down to Earth

3.    Sleepless feat. Jezzabell Doran by Flume: Flume

4.    1998 by Chet Faker: Built on Glass

5.    Breezeblocks by Alt-J: An Awesome Wave

6.    Coffee by Sylvan Esso: Sylvan Esso

7.    Trials of The Past by SBTRKT: SBTRKT

8.    Go With It by TOKiMONSTA: Half Shadows

9.    Here’s to Now by Ugly Casanova: 180 degrees south soundtrack

10.    Breathe by Telepopmusik: Genetic World

11.    Farewell to Earnest by Jyotirinda Moitra & Ustad Ali Akbar Khan: The Darjeeling Limited (Original Soundtrack)

by Elizabeth White