August 22, 2021 is the date of the Full Moon, Blue Moon, Sturgeon Moon. May you release what no longer serves you.
Full moon, Sturgeon Moon, Blue Moon
You will need:
2 bowls, one suitable to hold water, one suitable to burn paper in
1 candle
A paper and pen
Step 1. Clear Your Energy.
Imagine standing under a silver waterfall and allow all negative energies to be washed away.
Step 2. Create a Sacred Space.
Find a quiet place to sit, declutter and clean, you might like to place crystals or other special items around you, or cleanse the room with some incense.
Step 3. Set Your Space.
Light a candle – I have 2″ candles for this purpose,
Fill a small bowl with water, and have another bowl suitable to burn a piece of paper in.
Place both bowls in front of you.
Step 4. Centre Yourself.
Take a few deep breaths, centre yourself.
Step 5. Release.
Write on the piece of paper all that you wish to release from your life, what limiting beliefs do you want to be free from, what no longer serves you or what you want to let go of?
When you have finished your list, sign and date the page.
Breathe deep into your heart and declare “I now let this go. And it is so.”
Step 6. Let go.
Place a corner of the piece of paper over the candle allowing the flame to light your page – place the page into the empty bowl as it burns, watching the flames consume what you are releasing, the smoke taking your intention to the Universe.
**if your piece of paper struggles to light or burn, consider if you are really ready to let this go! Only when you are willing to let go will the page burn – the faster the flames, the more willing you are to let it go…
Step 7. Cleanse.
Then place your hands in the bowl of water. Signifying cleansing of the old and opening to the new.
Remove your hands from the water and take a deep breath.
Step 8. Assimilate.
Sit in silence for a while and see if any inspiration comes. You may even want to journal around your thoughts.
“That was her magic – she could still see the sunset, even on the darkest of dates.” – Atticus
Determination to see the sunset is my magic. Trusting in Spirit keeps hope afloat. ✨✨✨
How to stay positive and keep the faith when life seems like a shit-show? Seeing the atrocities in Afghanistan or clashes over Covid or feeling overwhelmed by daily everyday challenges, could tempt me to escape reality, and just say f*ck it!
Here’s where yoga is your super power:
Take a breath.
Activate your inner warrior.
Set your gaze on one spot, literally look at one spot.
Keep breathing until the pissed-off, “seeing red” state of mind shifts from heat-hot to neutral-cool…until your vision becomes clear.
Harness that passionate energy, fueled by your reaction to injustices and disappointments, and channel it towards making a difference, to propel an action which serves a purpose.
Spiritual Activist Ideas?
Raise awareness.
Educate yourself and others.
Peacefully Protest.
Petition.
Write.
Express.
Sit.
Pray.
What is your authentic way of speaking your truth and letting your spiritual warrior shine the light on what you feel needs to be noticed and awakened?
At the very least, this intentional pause can prevent regretful words or behaviors. Practice #ahimsa . Do no harm. 🙏🏽
Yoga to Calm the Nervous System and Relax the Body.
Tune into my Spiritually Fit Yoga podcast for Season 6: Intro to Yoga series. Today’s episode is part one of five, introducing the five master elements of nature combined with a gentle yoga sequence. The five master elements are Space, Air, Fire, Water, Earth. Over the next five weeks I will offer you a class based on the featured element of nature. I recommend repeating the 30 minute class daily to observe and integrate into your awareness. This Intro to Yoga series is designed for beginners and for anyone wanting a slow, gentle practice following a basic introduction of yoga techniques and yoga philosophy.
As I prepared the theme for today’s yoga classes the word “energy” kept popping into my mind. When I reflect on who is showing up to yoga, meditation, or reading posts like this you might be feeling:
Exhausted
Depressed
Imbalanced
Sleep-deprived
Or simply curious about what I have to say 🙂
I arrived to two simple questions and a call to action: START or STOP
SELF-INQUIRY: START or STOP?
Close your eyes, take 5 breaths and ask yourself two questions:
Right now, what do I need to STOP today?
Right now, what do I want to START today?
CALL TO ACTION
Commit to STOP what is draining your energy.
Commit to START what gives you energy.
Write and recite positive affirmations to STOP and START.
I could have written an article suggesting you eliminate gluten or sugar, or get to your yoga mat and meditation cushion every day, or do what lights you up like going to the beach, dancing, book a ticket to a sporting event, or call a friend to play Scrabble. There are plenty of articles and books telling you what to do. Instead, I invite you to discover for yourself the answers by experiencing Svādhyāya, the yoga practice of self-study, self-inquiry, and discovery.
My offer to you is to look within, to trust your intuition, listen to your inner guide, who always has your back, and trust that you have the answers. Weed out what’s sucking the energy out of you and bring in what will allow you to thrive and feel alive! It’s a practice my friends, to know which thoughts to pay attention to and which ones to dismiss and ignore.
In my personal experience, when I feel low-energy I also tend to feel sad, depressed, brain fog, physically weak, unmotivated, anti-social, tendency towards negative thinking. As opposed to feeling high-energy I am enthusiastic, smiling, laughing, physically strong, awake, alert, alive, vibing high with positive thoughts, willing to connect with others. Observe your energy levels, they are an important barometer to signal what is requesting your attention and self-care.
As someone who was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), adrenal fatigue, gluten sensitivity, iron deficiency, and menopausal mood swings, I have first hand experience of low energy and all of the other symptoms which emerged from my physical challenges. I 100% am NOT saying that low energy is all in your head, that it can be simply solved by asking two questions and writing in a journal AND I am also 100% saying, for me, discerning between what thoughts and actions drained me vs. energized me has been a huge part of my healing process and discovering what it takes for me to gain my energy back and experience life with vitality. I practice what I teach.
Of course, a situation can be complicated, I know mine was, and yet, the power of paying attention to my symptoms and choosing STOP or START every day is a simple, powerful framework to prioritize what is needed for your particular circumstance. Shift your mindset from impossible to possible and you will experience an increase of energy.
I was diagnosed with CFS almost 20 years ago and I am no longer trapped in an experience of chronic low-energy. I manage my symptoms with those two questions, “What do I need to STOP and what do I need to START?” Yes, for me that means, I cut out gluten, sugar, coffee, toxic relationships; I add whole foods, yoga, meditation, extra sleep, alone time, gardening, etc. All informed by reflecting on my STOPs and STARTs, my YESes and my Nos.
There is hope on the other side of doubt. There is joy on the other side of fear. I believe in you. Keep the faith. Stay spiritually fit. I am grateful you are here. I’d love to hear from you! Comment below, DM me on instagram, email me. I care.
Blessings,
Amelia Andaleon
p.s. As others have supported me in my journey, I am here to support you. Please reach out if you are interested in a free initial consult if you’d like to work with me as your Wellness and Energy Healing Coach!
School’s out and it’s time for the summertime 3 R’s: Rest, Reset, Recharge!
In California, life is opening up again and for my family that means beach days, vacationing, and all the logistics to make getaways happen. One thing I’m learning is to avoid feeling like I need a vacation to recover from my vacation!!
Remember why you needed that vacation? Because you needed a break from the hustle and bustle? Make time for fun, play time, a beach read, naps, extra sleep; make time to feed your soul, make time to do nothing. 🙏🏽☺️
Do yourself a favor and SLOOOOW DOWN. During your getaways, make sure to REALLY get away from feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
See video in Instagram about the challenge with my sweet pup, Kobe! 💚🐶 If you’re on instagram and want to share your participation, please tag me at @spirituallyfityoga and use #LYchallenge2021 so I can repost in my stories. I will mention the challenge on IG but, the full content is only available by signing up to receive the daily emails.
It’s absolutely 💯 OPTIONAL to participate on social media which is why I’m sharing my offerings via email. Sometimes loving yourself looks like unplugging from social media!! I do that myself!
“One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” ~ Brené Brown
My stories of being ridiculed for the color of my skin and the shape of my eyes as a young child and into adulthood equip me with empathy, resilience, and an inner fire to advocate for those unjustly treated and underserved.
My health struggles with chronic fatigue starting almost 20 years ago set me on a path to amass an abundance of knowledge, tools, and personal experience to overcome, thrive, and hone my deep listening for self-care. This path led me to yoga and eventually becoming the impactful yoga & meditation teacher and, wellness coach I am today.
You can choose to let your past define you and be the end of your story or it can be the beginning of what propels you towards your purpose, and bear witness to your unique human experience of transformation and triumph. Let your pain become your purpose. Allow your story, intuition, and insight to be your signature inspiration.
What is your story? Your story is packed with energy. Check in. Listen. There’s a power in your story. Let it move you towards your sacred purpose.
It feels like the morning struggles again, with life on daylight savings time requesting I wake up before my natural time clock. I thought I was loving my mornings then just that one hour earlier reminded me how I used to resist waking up and wanting to press snooze. Raise your hand if you can relate! 🙋🏽♀️
So what did I do?I woke up!! To break a habit it starts with noticing, catching yourself in the familiar thoughts and physical reactions. Then choose…go down that same road or switch it up, change the channel, do something different!
My Spiritually Fit Yoga circle on the Insight Timer app hosts weekday meditations and yoga, Monday-Friday 730am PST and 930pm PST. I queued up I AM Affirmations for Vibrant Health by Kenneth Soares and kept my commitment to meditate at 730am PST.
Stick to new morning meditation habit: 1
Snooze and grumble OLD habit: 0
I confess, the temptation was strong, to press that snooze button, and right now I really need my daily routine. It means a lot to me to commit to my self-care, to my mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Setting the tone of my day with affirmations, and ending my evenings with gratitude, are my medicine. Especially with the isolation of this last year, my mind has had too much time to indulge in doubts and fears.
Mindfulness, yoga, remembering to serve a highest good…they keep me going, in equanimity, and are my preventative measures against self-sabotage.
Meditation can lead you into the light of awareness.
I AM AWAKE. I AM AWARE. I CHOOSE TODAY.
Life is the great teacher. What lesson are you being asked to learn today? What is trying to get your attention right now?
Monday 4-530pm PST FREE 90 min. Master class with my teacher, Baron Baptiste!! Journey into Power, led by the founder of Baptiste Yoga. Book your spot here!
Are you or someone you know curious about yoga but, you don’t even know where to start, you might not even have a yoga mat or feel intimidated or lost? This series is for you!
Why am I offering this course? Years ago I heard my papa say “I should try that yoga thing sometime, not what YOU do, Amelia, but, yoga for people like me.” I laughed and suggested he look for a class at his local community center. I never thought to teach him myself, especially since we live far away. Fast-forward to “Covid-times” and, after about a year of connecting via facetime or family zoom calls, a light bulb went off “Why not teach to my parents, a custom class just for them, via zoom?” My cousin asked me to teach her dad, my uncle, beginner yoga then a friend asked if I would offer an introductory virtual class to take with her mother. So, I decided it was time to create this course for any and all of YOU!
The more the merrier! If you are reading this and have a family member or friend in mind, I recommend you join this beginner series WITH them! The gift of yoga is truly life-affirming and life-changing. Those of you who practice yoga, you know the benefits of yoga. Here’s an opportunity to share what you love with anyone, anywhere!
Book for yourself or a loved one for $40. Purchase it for two of you to participate together for $75!
Weekly Sessions: These 30 minute sessions will be offered Thursdays 6-630pm in an accessible, non-intimidating format:
Welcome and Check-ins
Weekly themes: Yoga as a life-skill
Breathwork
Mindfulness
Link Movement with Breath
Relaxation (while laying down in savasana)
How to Participate? Join this class in the comfort of your own home! Every week you’ll receive a zoom link via email (FYI same link every week.) Join the zoom class 5 minutes before class starts. Watch, listen, participate, and relax!
What equipment do I need? First class, just show up! I will briefly talk about yoga supplies (mat, block, strap.) If you have a yoga mat, great, have it ready. If not, no worries! Here is my request to set up before your first class:
Optional Chair: If you experience difficulty sitting on the floor or standing up from the floor, I recommend having a chair close by and for the final pose laying down on a bed or in a recliner.
That’s all you need! I will be available for questions and answers during the class and via email. When you book the class I will email you. Feel free to reach out with your yoga questions!
Pay what you can: currently for all of my classes you can book my classes online for free. I request you pay the specified cost of the course via Venmo or PayPal as listed above. AND, I don’t want cost or financial hardship to prevent you from receiving the benefits of yoga. No judgment. Pay what you can.
Are you interested but, these times don’t work for you? I create custom private individual and group classes. Email me: amelia@spirituallyfityoga.com
I am on an amazing team of teachers leading this 40 Days program through Baptiste Power Yoga San Francisco and am offering support and commitment to the daily yoga and meditation practice by publishing weekly episodes aligned with the weekly theme and focus points.
Week One theme: PRESENCE.
And, the first two laws are:
Law One: Seek the Truth
Law Two: Be Willing to Come Apart
Here are the iTunes podcast links to a meditation and yoga class you can use during Week One of your 40 days program, or even if you’re not following the 40 days book! First preference is to get yourself to a class AND for times when that’s not possible, these episodes are for you! Creating a “no excuses!” option to support your commitment to a daily practice! Of course, remember one day of rest every week from yoga! Meditation every day, asana practice 6 days/week.
If you’re new to my podcast, there are other yoga, meditations, and guest interviews on my Spiritually Fit Yoga too! (My podcast is also on Spotify, Google podcast, Anchor, and more.)
Have you listened to my episodes? I’d appreciate a review an iTunes with your feedback (5 star ratings always appreciated) or comment below. My. intention is to offer you podcast episodes to empower you using the tools of yoga and meditation, and from the insight and wisdom offered by my guest interviews! Thank you for being here.
