The Body Window Newsletter

Hello to all my readers and subscribers of the Body Window Newsletter. This is Elle Bieling, Registered Nurse, Registered Yoga Teacher, Holistic Health Coach and webmaster at the BodyWindow.com.

In January, I was able to take a much needed reprieve, with my husband, and spent three weeks in an apartment in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The break from elder care was a blessing, and as a result, I was able to take lovely photos on the beach, for this and upcoming newsletters.

I am also diligently working on more Yin Yoga pages, with new poses, that I will bring to you shortly. Stay subscribed and stay tuned, because, once my new pages are created, I will consolidate them all, once again into an ebook.

How Are You Doing with Your New Year's Resolution(s)?

I am not fond of New Year's Resolutions, as it implies that we need to be fixed. It is true that we are never, ever satisfied with ourselves. We believe that we are never enough. Trust me, if you believe this in your heart, you will never be "fixed."

How would it look if you didn't feel you needed to fix yourself, but you were able to love and accept yourself, just as you are, with all your scars, wounds, addictions, extra pounds and any other human characteristic that you deemed undesirable? A powerful shift in your thinking would ensue, wouldn't it?

Of course, I am not condoning a life without self-examination. Quite the opposite! However, if we learn to love ourselves and accept ourselves fully, we give ourselves permission to be a work-in-progress. We are more fully able to notice our failings, breathe deeply into them, accept them as mistakes, and deeply intend in our hearts to notice them more quickly the next time.

Instead of judging and self-castigation, if we love ourselves, and our humanness, we can lovingly inquire as to why it is we eat too much, why we can't stop smoking, why do we hurt those we love with harsh words, and so on.

I find that when I am more loving towards myself, I am happier, as the pressure is off, and things tend to fall into place without effort! It is the pushing and striving and self-reproach that gives the very things we are trying to rid ourselves of, more power over our lives!!

If instead of believing we need to fix ourselves, but give ourselves permission to be human, then we can see more clearly our patterns of behavior, with an open and self-loving heart. Our mistakes then lose their power over our lives. How freeing is this??

A Healing Meditation

Come to a comfortable, sitting position. It can be as I picture below, the half-lotus, or crossed-legged, or even sitting comfortably upright in a chair with your feet firmly on the ground.

Half Lotus Pose

Below is another yoga pose, that in Yin Yoga we call the Half Dragonfly. It has become my most comfortable meditation pose. With one leg extended, it is very opening for the groin and puts less pressure on your ankles and knees.

If you use this pose, try to sit with the other leg extended for an equal length of time, even if it is after your meditation.

Half Dragonfly Pose

While you hold the pose, bring yourself to your center by beginning to focus on your breath. Consciously lengthen and deepen your breath. My preferred method for breathing, is belly breathing (Click on the link to refresh your memory of this intensely therapeutic practice).

As you draw the life-giving energy down and into your belly, after the inhale, take a second to hold the energy there, as you lovingly affirm:

I kindly approve of myself.

Slowly exhale out, imagining a release of all tension and efforting.

Slowly inhale a second breath, imagining the energy from above, from the heavens, pulling the energy of heavenly Love down and deep into your belly.

Again, hold the life-giving energy here a moment as you lovingly affirm:

I release my need to fix myself.

Slowly exhale the release, once again.

Do these deeply affirming breaths over and again, until you feel it in your very soul.

Other affirmations that you may say include the following (or feel free to create your own self-loving ones):

I am perfect just the way I am.
I accept abundant Love for me and me alone.
I am a wonderful and beautiful Child of God.
I love and approve of myself, despite my humanness.
I am whole and complete.
I am forgiven.

I suggest that you do this exercise on a daily basis, for at least a week, until you get the concept and start noticing a shift in your heart and life. It may take several weeks to notice an improvement in your outlook towards yourself.

I do promise you that if you master this self-loving technique and use it on the fly - whenever you start self-castigation - that your life will change!

May you always seek to find those moments with your body and your breath, that bring healing into your life! Namaste!

Featured Healing Video

Just for my newsletter subscribers, I offer this healing meditation for $4.99 USD, a two dollar discount on the normal price of $6.99! Just click on the Buy Now button and the discount is automatically included. You can pay with PayPal or a credit card.

You will receive a digital product to download (no hard copy DVD) that is a 15-minute meditation, plus an instructional PDF file to explain the proper way to practice the poses.