Leap of Faith Life

Leaps of Faith in Life, Travel, Yoga, and Happiness

Author: Azahar (page 3 of 4)

Chakra Series: Fourth – Heart Chakra (Part 4 of 7)

Your Fourth Chakra – The Heart Chakra:

Your Fourth Chakra, the Anahata Chakra, lives in the heart space, associates with the color green, the air element, and the mantra ‘Yam.’

Fourth Chakra Cheat Sheet:
Sanskrit: ANAHATA
Color: GREEN (secondary PINK)
Lotus:  TWELVE PETALS
Mantra: I LOVE
Word: LOVE
Chant: YAM
Asanas: OPEN HEART CENTER – BACK BENDS, CAMEL, SPHINX
Mudra: RIGHT HAND, TOUCH INDEX FINGER TO THUMB, PLACE IN CENTER OF CHEST WITH FINGER TIPS POINTING TOWARDS THE CHEST, LEFT HAND TO LEFT KNEE
Scents: ROSEWOOD, EUCALYPTUS, JASMINE
Teas: ROSEMARY AND RED ROSE PETALS
Stones: JADE, ROSE QUARTZ, EMERALD

Green Fourth Chakra

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” -Dalai Lama

Pure, unconditional love lives here.  We feel compassion, kindness, love, acceptance, and at peace in this chakra. You will feel love from everyone you come across, and therefore not strain or stress over how the love flows from one certain person.  You also have compassion and forgiveness for yourself. 

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Chakra Series: Third – The Solar Plexus Chakra (Part 3 of 7)

Your Third Chakra – The Solar Plexus Chakra:

Solar Plexus Chakra

The Solar Plexus Chakra, or the Third Chakra, is located in between the rib cage and the belly button, associated with the color warm yellow and the element of Fire.  This chakra says “I DO or I CAN.”

Yellow Chakra

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” -Henry Stanley Haskins

Third Chakra Cheat Sheet: 

Sanskrit: MANIPURA
Color: YELLOW
Lotus: TEN PETALS
Element: FIRE
Mantra: I CAN
Word: POWER
Chant: RAM
Asanas: OPEN STERNUM – BACK BENDS, CAMEL, FLOOR BOW
Mudra: HANDS IN FRONT OF NAVAL, FINGERS OUTSTRETCHED AND ALL TIPS TOUCHING, RIGHT THUMB OVER LEFT THUMB
Scents: GRAPEFRUIT, LEMONGRASS, LEMON, PEPPERMINT
Tea: LEMON GRASS, CINNAMON, GINGER, LEMON PEEL (Lemon-Ginger anyone? Yum!)
Stones: TIGERS EYE AND AMBER (think of that beautiful warm yellow color).

This is the seat of ego identity and your power center.  Located here is your potential for transformation and soul integrity.  Your courage, self-esteem and willpower all reside here.  Any beliefs you have about yourself and your abilities, your “gut feelings,” so much is effected by this chakra because it is linked to what we BELIEVE we can do.

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Chakra Series: Second – Sacral Chakra (Part 2 of 7)

Your Second Chakra – The Sacral Chakra:

Sacral Chakra

Your Sacral Chakra lives in your hip space, your lower abdominal area, associates with the color orange, the water element, and the mantra ‘I FEEL.’

Second Chakra Quick Reference:
Sanskrit: SVADHISTHANA
Color: ORANGE
Lotus: SIX PETALS
Element: WATER
Mantra: I FEEL
Chant: VANG
Asanas: HIP OPENERS & TWISTS
Mudras: LEFT HAND UNDER RIGHT, THUMB TIPS TOUCHING
Scents: ORANGE, ROSE, JASMINE, GARDENIA
Tea: GREEN TEA, MANGO, ORANGE OR ROSEHIPS
Stones: CITRINE, TANGERINE QUARTS, MOONSTONE

Orange Second Chakra

“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.” -Carol Welch

Sacral Chakra: Where the body holds energy from relationships with other people, our passion for life, creativity, sexuality and money issues.

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Chakra Series: First – Root Chakra (Part 1 of 7)

Your First Chakra – The Root Chakra:

Your Root Chakra lives at the base of the spine (tail bone), associates with the color red, the earth element, and the mantra ‘I AM.’

"There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it." ~Elizabeth A. Behnke

“There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it.” ~Elizabeth A. Behnke

First Chakra Cheat Sheet:
Sanskrit: Muladhara
Color: Red
Lotus: Four Petals
Element: Earth
Mantra: I AM
Chant: LAM
Asanas: Anything that connects the base of your spine to the earth
Mudra: Touch your index finger and thumb together to touch. Extend the rest of your fingers out.
Scents: Cedar, Geranium, and Patchouli
Tea: Green tea, Raspberry, Hibiscus
Stones: Ruby, Garnet, Fire Opal

This very first chakra is the base and beginning for the entire seven chakras located along the spine.  Therefore, if this chakra is out of balance, all seven power centers will feel off and out of alignment.

Root: Intuition, confidence and survival.  The root chakra releases frustration, blockages, and allows healing and manifestation of physical pleasure. Continue reading

The Amazingness of Fresh Food in the Dutch City Center Market

The markets in Groningen are the best.  THE BEST.  
 
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Pieces of Home When Adjusting to Life Abroad

I created a bucket list of things to do in my new Dutch city of Groningen (with a German boyfriend), but after I created it, I felt a bit like I’ve wasted my time thus far – two months into my journey.

 So I decided to do the opposite both, and write out all the things I originally wanted to find abroad before I left the States and have since found in my daily living and wanderings. Things that make me feel a bit closer to home and make my new surroundings that much more friendly.

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The Power of Your First Yoga Class

“Yoga is not about being bendy … it is about breathing and moving and smiling on the inside.  It is the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the best.” – Author Unknown

We all had to start somewhere in yoga (or perhaps you have wanted to start).  That day took courage and unquenchable curiosity to drive or walk to the pre-chosen studio, ask for the paperwork to sign up, and roll out a mat in a little space in a foreign studio.

Yoga Studio

Add not speaking the same language as the instructor and those in class, and that was my first yoga experience: South Korea in 2007.

I wanted to try yoga for so long, but thought I lost the opportunity when I went to South Korea for my graduate degree in 2007.  I couldn’t speak the language, and I had never tried yoga – that sealed the deal to never allow myself inside a studio, right?

Well, it was for me, until my American friend told me he tried out the class and loved it.  So, I sheepishly went with him to the next session, and loved it too. I attended regularly for the full two years I lived in Seoul, and it saved my sanity during my MBA program.

I followed along well for the most part by simply watching the teacher and the other students around me.  My teacher spoke little English, but made us feel connected to the practice by simply stating two words in English – inhale and exhale.  She whispered these words whenever she walked near us – she knew what all yogis eventually learn: breath is the most important part.

Behind of course, simply showing up to the practice.

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Top 15 Reasons Why I love Germany and Germans

I made a list of my ‘favorite things’ a la Julie Andrews and the Sound of Music as I’ve lived with my German almost one year now (half a year in the US, a few weeks in Latin America, and two months here in Europe so far). In that time period, I’ve picked up a few of my favorite qualities of Germans.  Add that to my observation of life in Europe and his amazing family and friends – this list was born:
 
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Over the river and through the woods – to Germany we go!

 The first things I did in Deutschland –

1) My first real German meal… and it was delicious.

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Then I ate this cuteness for breakfast.  What a proper breakfast!

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2) I had a lovely bike ride through the North German countryside (26 k in total) with H’s parents while he studied for finals.

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3) I went to a farm house cafe, where they sell hand made soaps, organic meat and eggs, and other fun stuff.

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They sold the handmade items in this new building – well new for European standards (since everything is amazing and more than 400 years old it seems like…)

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4) I went to a tropical beach – believe it or not this is part of the North Sea!  They import the white sand and put planter stands of palm trees and tiki huts everywhere, and it totally looks hot and tropical.  In the summer, it is the place to be with a shoreline bar, floating restaurant, wakeboard jumps, and beach volleyball courts. Crazy.

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5) I got excited for summer with the blond Germans…

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More adventures to come!

Lost Abroad

Lost

I’ve been lost many times abroad –
Tips and Tricks to Make the Inevitable More Enjoyable

Getting lost while abroad just happens.  Accept it now, and try to appreciate it for what it is, an adventure and a sightseeing tour.  Just keep your head up – you were meant to see something along the way! Soak in the opportunity to view the local fauna and structures around you.

My ultimate ‘got lost’ adventure was in Spain, and was the first time I was ever lost abroad (and a four hour ordeal!). Luckily, avoided a major incident while in South Korea, which is funny, since Seoul has 10 million people, and Sevilla has under a million.

My adventure in Groningen
Here in the Netherlands, three weeks in, I tried to attend a meditation group I found from Couchsurfing.com, directly after my first yoga class in Dutch, I had 45 minutes to walk a 20 minute distance at the most, plenty of buffer.   I even planned ahead and snacked on a peanut butter sandwich and a tangerine during the easy part of the walk.

Groningen, Netherlands

Groningen, The Netherlands

Trying to find the meditation class: Fail 
After my first yoga class in Dutch, I felt like I could take on the world.  Upbeat and energized, I held my head high as I walked back in my familiar neighborhood along the canal.   I ate my food on the way, birds chirping, blue sky and breeze flowing. Ten minutes later my familiar surroundings faded into an unfamiliar neighborhood; unfazed, I pulled out my crumpled direction street names and my iPhone to look at the picture I took of the map. Despite having 30% battery, I had a black screen with the sad looking empty battery picture staring back at me.  Only slightly exasperated at this point, I trooped on, to rely only on the street name  scrap of paper.

Europe Navigation Secret, Quirk #1
Now, let me tell you a little secret about European streets (gained from my first escapade in Spain – learned 2 hours into that adventure).  The street names are not displayed on posts (like in the US), they are displayed on the sides of the buildings at the intersections.  Sometimes they are placed further in on the building than one can appropriately see from the street, in my opinion, but I digress.  A bit of hunting is necessary.  I gave up trying to not look like a tourist and was full on gawking once in the unfamiliar neighborhood.

Lost in Europe

Lost – street signs in Europe

Quirk #2: Harry Potter Staircase Moving Streets
The odds were in my favor though, because while I looked for the next street name, I realized I ended up on the exact streets I looked for, before needing to turn.  I attribute this on the streets changing name at every intersection (this is a bit dramatic of me, but often true, so watch out for it).  Pleased with myself, I was right on schedule 15 minutes in as I stumbled on every street name I needed, right up until the until the second to last one.  In my excitement of the street names appearing, I missed looking at ONE street corner.  This caused me a 45 minute escapade down the road to another canal, another neighborhood, and more frustration.

I finally was forced to admit my conceit, after hearing a bell tower somewhere in the distance (there is always a bell tower close by in Europe) I realized the meeting had started, and I would have to come next week.  At least I figured out the location, even if it was in the 9th hour.  I walked home defeated, tired and cold, only to realize I was locked out when I got home (which is a story for another time), but boyfriend to the rescue 40 minutes later. He thoroughly enjoyed my detailed recount!

But, what did I see and learn you ask? Well, I learned the meditation class was much closer than I thought, I found an extra close grocery store, and learned the area behind our apartment neighborhood and how it all connected together.

The Things to Carry on an Adventure
It’s always advisable to make sure you are well prepared your first few times out:

  • Backpack or large purse to keep a snack
  • A layer you can add if it gets cold (or dark!)
  • Tissue (my nose tends to run when I walk around a lot, especially if there is a breeze!)
  • Camera or camera-phone
  • Book to rage-quit at a local café somewhere
  • Of course a bit of money and ID.
    *I usually try to wear my most comfortable shoes when venturing out, but I don’t always remember.

It’s always advisable to write down your address, phone number (if you have one), a local large street or landmark near you, and a few key phrases in the local language if you are still learning it – all  on a piece of paper you carry with you the first few weeks as well.  It makes asking directions much easier and less scary.  More reliable than an iPhone dying mid-adventure!

Language!
Getting lost creates a wonderful opportunity to practice the local language. It forces you into the scary place of needing to walk up to a stranger and look a bit ridiculous using just a few key phrases and large hand signals, but most people are extremely willing to help out.  I usually go into a shop that looks cheerful and friendly with a couple customers inside, or to a family on the street.  I also often follow the kid stranger-danger rule if all else fails, and walk up to a woman rather than a man to ask for directions.

Stranger Danger
Always pay attention to your next steps – if you are lost at night, notice how lit up the area is that you are headed into.  Ideally, you would like to be able to see at least two different sets of people around you.  If you notice the area you are entering into is really dark or really isolated, just turn around and retrace your steps to another area to head back in the direction you want.  There is no need to get into a weird situation.

Colombia at Night

Colombia at Night

I did this with my boyfriend in Colombia, we were coming back from a street concert, fighting a little,  a bit lost and not paying attention as we headed to the bus stop. It was only 6 pm or 7 pm, but the sun goes down really quickly in that part of the hemisphere, so it was pitch black out.  We suddenly stopped talking and noticed it was a way darker street, with some questionable looking characters coming up ahead of us – quite a bit of them.  We both whispered at the same time without looking at each other, “we should turn around,” so we did, and headed back to the main street with lots of light and way more people.  We just found a different route to the bus stop we needed. We decided the longer route was way better than risking it, and it quickly quashed whatever we were squabbling about.

So enjoy, going out to explore your new neighborhood, especially if you will be there for more than a few days is ideal for gathering your essential kit, and trying out your navigation skills!

Do you have any similar adventures?

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