Intention

What we think is what we see.

What we see is what 

becomes.

-Jennifer-

The power of intention is one of my favorite things to talk and write about because it is such a prominent daily tool for me.  Every day when I wake up I set an intention.  That intention is always of service to others. I pray that I may be of help to as many people as possible throughout my day.  My nursing career as I've talked about many times, is an absolute expression of service.  How can I help? and how can I serve?, are my two favorite questions to send out to the Universe before my day even begins.

The subject of intention came up the other night in my yoga teacher training.  I thought this was so interesting. I've been feeling major pings of anxiety every time I go to speak about my experiences in class. Last week the anxiety came to a head.  I know what I want to say, but what comes out, sometimes I'm not sure if it even makes any sense.  But as we came to the last alter for discussion, I forced myself through the fear and just spoke. I didn't focus so much on what I was saying, I just needed to get back to the basics and just speak in front of my class mates. I needed to push myself through that discomfort in order to get to the other side of it. As I finished talking, a release came over my body.  Shortly after, we did an awareness meditation and I literally felt energy rushing from the top of my head. The anxiety was gone.  It was a really crazy amazing experience.

As I was driving to this week's class I thought to myself, I am letting go of all that doesn't serve me.  I felt a calm come over me.  As we stepped to the foot of our mats at the beginning of our practice our instructor asked us to set an intention.  This intention was big for me.  I stood in silence and "finding strength through letting go" came to my mind.  That was my intention for my practice.  Not only mentally did I feel strong, but physically I was doing postures and movements I didn't realize I was capable of doing.  There was such a grace to my practice I was in awe of the transformation.  And all from setting and focusing on that intention. My instructor continued to bring us back to that intention throughout the practice.  

Later during the lecture she began to talk about the importance of intention in our practice and as teachers to introduce the power of intention to our students.  She then asked us to share our intention by using one word.  I was a little thrown off by just being able to use one word.  Because I was letting go in order to find strength. So I quietly mumbled strength, not really sure if I should have said letting go instead.  We continued the class and then ended with a restorative yoga session.  At the end of the practice my instructor again went around the room and asked us to share our intention. I again stated strength. But this time it was with unwavering confidence.

Through all of my teachings and practice I have always been taught that we have everything we need inside of us.  It is a matter of unveiling those things in order to bring them to the surface.  This was a perfect example of doing just that.  Not only am I feeling physically stronger, I feel mentally and emotionally stronger in everything that I do.  I don't beat myself up if I'm struggling over something.  I release it to the Universe in order to see the lesson, work towards that lesson and await the answer and the solution.

I don't need to know, be and see everything right now.  I can faithfully await for life to be revealed to me.  I am not just practicing yoga.  I am practicing and fully participating in life.  No matter what comes my way, I am learning.  Intention creates a focus.  It gives a reminder of what is going on in the now.  What we are to see, experience and contribute now and how that will effect the world around us. What we intend to contribute to the world will come back to us in waves of infinite new possibilities.

How do you use intention throughout your day?  How does it help you see the presents in your present? Share with us, we would love to hear from you!

As always with love,

Jennifer

Email me at jfremionfw@gmail.com

©2013 Jennifer Fremion. All rights reserved.

Meditation of Intention

Happy Wednesday Spirit Launchers!  Today's Meditation is such a vital aspect of our daily lives and daily practice.  I would like to explore more in depth, intention.  Setting intentions for our day and throughout our day, gives a clear extension of energy sourcing from our hearts and going straight into the Universe.  Intention helps us to stay focused.  Intention is also the art of manifesting. It is clearly stating what exactly it is that we need. What do we bring into our own lives everyday?  How does that compare to what it is we want and need to be bringing into our lives?  Practicing intention helps us to see how interconnected we truly are to everyone and everything.

So let us join together today in community and set our own intention.  It can be anything.  It can be asking to be more patient, kind, compassionate, vocal, present...the list could go on and on.  Just pick one intention and focus on it throughout the day.  Notice how the flow of your day changes from if you hadn't set an intention at all.

Setting an intention gives us focus.  It also helps us align with our spirit and surrender to the will of the Universe.  A quote from Kris Carr that I love from this past Super Soul Sunday episode is, "When we truly embrace acceptance, that is when our body exhales and can begin healing."  Let's all join together and let our bodies exhale to whatever it is we may need in this moment and throughout our day.

Sit in a comfortable cross legged position.  You may want to light a single candle before you.  Let that represent the light that is within you.  Close your eyes and take long deep breaths in and out.  Focus on any tension that may be present in your body at that moment and breathe into that space.  Focus in this moment on letting go of anything that no longer serves you.

Choose a firm intention, do not waiver.  That intention is your mantra throughout today's meditation. As you breathe, continue to repeat that intention.  If your mind strays just bring your focus back to your intention. Find your power of purpose for the day through this meditation.  Carry this meditation with you.  Live within this meditation.  Let the day unfold before you.  Sit in this space as long as you need.

May your day be filled with love and peace.

Namaste

As always with love,

Jennifer

Email me at jfremionfw@gmail.com

©2013 Jennifer Fremion. All rights reserved.

Loud And Clear

How loud is the voice 

of silence?

-Jennifer-

I talked in my last article about the practice of non-attachment.  It's been showing up in my life quite frequently.  And yesterday was no exception.  I was asked by a friend to teach her how to begin a yoga practice.  We talked over dinner the other night about how unhappy she is not only with her body, but in the way she handles certain situations in life.  She is wanting to not be so high strung and more open to everything.  

I prepared over the weekend a practice of meditation and postures primarily focusing on hip and heart openers.  Knowing my friend carries unresolved emotional pain daily from her childhood, I wanted to design a practice that would benefit her the most.  So she could see the release not only physically, but also emotionally that the practice of yoga could offer her. 

As I was preparing a playlist for the session, my friend contacted me and said she wasn't feeling well and wanted to know if we could meet later in the day.  I knew that probably wouldn't work with my schedule. Even though I had spent quite a bit of time preparing, I didn't think anything of the change in plans.  That in itself created a funny reaction in my body. That funny reaction was silence. I didn't have disappointment over the cancellation.  It was the silence of accepting the outcome of the situation.  I knew that another time would be more appropriate for either her or me or both of us for this practice.  It is the newness of no reaction as things change that continues to arise for me multiple times within the same day anymore.  I can plan all I want.  But as I always say, the Universe's plan is just what I need.

I looked at the time and it was almost time for Super Soul Sunday to begin.  I turned on the television not knowing the author Mark Nepo that was being featured.  As soon as the interview began, I realized why my plans had been changed. I needed to hear and receive the messages in this episode.  Nepo talked about his own awakening that stemmed from his cancer diagnoses over twenty years ago. How his life changed in an instant and the blessing that diagnosis was to his life. Now his books are on my must read wish list.  

He said many quotes that brought me to tears. He is a poet as well, so it was no surprise he could word things so beautifully.  He stated at one point that it isn't the thing that breaks us open, it is what that thing breaks us open to.  That resonated so deeply with me.  My marriage was the very thing that broke me down. Yet it was the very thing that led to my divorce that broke me open and has allowed me to live a new and better life.  

This got me to reflect on the last three years but also my conscious shift in perceptions that I began over one year ago.  To think of my past and the constant chatter in my mind.  In the beginning of this journey of how desperately I wanted to be somewhere and someone else.  The evolution of my own Self that has taken place has been an incredible blessing.  And an unbreakable one at that.  

I no longer look at hardships and challenges as punishments.  I hear the lessons loud and clear in everything I do.  I look at all experiences as victories.  And I see victories as celebrations of faithfulness. It is in silence that I found my voice again.  It is in peace that I found my own love that I so desperately searched for. It is in grace that I found the hand of my Divine that holds me eternally.  

I am so grateful for the pain that broke me because it sent me on the great search for my Self.  I didn't know the person I was in my marriage.  I had to break my life down in order to figure out how I became that person and also to figure out how to not go down that same road ever again.  

I feel the shifts in my life as they are happening.  They appear to be happening at greater magnitude and with greater force.  I wonder if it is the shifts that are greater or if it is me that is awakening more in the presence of them?  I feel a connection with everyone and everything that strengthens moment to moment. I see miracles happening at the speed of light, yet by my being present, they seem to be in slow motion.  There is a stillness that follows me everywhere I go.  That stillness allows me to see the big picture and to heed the call of my own purpose.  It is in stillness that I receive direction and feel the guided hands of direction in everything that I do.  My mantra through life is, "I am present, so I will receive".  

So how loud is the voice of silence in your own life?  Share with us, we would love to hear from you!

As always with love,

Jennifer

Email me at jfremionfw@gmail.com

 ©2013 Jennifer Fremion. All rights reserved.

The Practice

It is with practice that we see the old

transition to the new.

The old, becomes a distant memory.

The new, cultivates a freshly blossomed companion.

-Jennifer-

The last few weeks for me have been extraordinary.  I have been recovering from an upper respiratory infection that has still not completely left.  That being said, I've never been so grateful to be out of commission.  As you may already be aware from reading my articles, I am a firm believer that we are being led by a force greater than ourselves and that everything happens with purpose.  We may not understand that purpose from the get go, but eventually if we are wide awake enough to see it, it will show itself.

We were assigned in my yoga course to choose a yama.  Yamas are disciplines concerning our dealings with society and the world.  Examples are: non-violence, non-stealing, chastity, non-attachment, and truthfulness.  After reading through the examples our instructor wanted us to share the yama we would focus on for two weeks.  I thought and thought but none of them were speaking to me at the time.  So as I've learned over the last while, to just sit in silence and let it show itself to me.  And did it ever!

The very next morning on Wednesday, I woke up with a sore throat and felt terrible.  I knew I was getting sick.  I had an incredibly busy week loaded with clients.  I feared for only a second about the loss of money in having to cancel so many appointments and trying to reschedule those cancelled appointments to an already overly booked schedule.  Then I said to myself, "I am sick and need to take care of myself.  The Universe has my back and will sort all of this out. I am letting go and letting the Universe do her thing!" By Saturday I was feeling well enough to keep those appointments.  I worked a full day and felt on the mend. Sunday morning however, was a different story.

Sunday morning I knew I was getting really sick and that I would be down for awhile.  My birthday was coming up and I had people traveling out of town for planned dinners and celebrations.  Again, I just let it all go. I knew no matter how much I had planned, the Universe always has a better plan.  So I just went with it.  Later in the week I was starting to get my pep back.  Friday morning was when the entire experience began to sum itself up for me.  I asked if I could observe a Tibetan Yoga class.  That was when I had the most incredible conversation with the instructor.  Being so moved and inspired from that conversation, I was able to go home and reflect on the last couple of weeks.

For as far back as I can remember, I have clung to outcomes of situations.  In order for me to put my heart on the line, I wanted a guaranteed outcome.  And if that didn't happen, I would think I was being punished. I would feel sorry for myself and become angry and bitter.  When I first moved out on my own three years ago, finances were my obsession.  I was always feeling like I was lacking and that what "little" money I had would be pulled out from under my feet and my life would come crashing down.  Time and time again I would worry. But in the end, it always ended up being just fine.  I worked very hard only to keep my head barely above water, but I always had exactly what I needed.

The above example has happened so many times in the last few years that when I started delving into my spiritual practice I felt an abundance of strength because I knew I was being held up and taken care of.  As one of my favorite yogis says, "Keep up and you will be kept up".  This is the truth.  I never doubt this for a second now because I have lived it enough to know.

So the yama that revealed itself to me was non-attachment.  I realized that I have practiced this enough and have converted faithfully within the practice of just knowing.  I don't have crazy expectations anymore.  I don't need to try to force outcomes.  I don't need to barter with the Universe for what "should" be.  I accept what is.  And what I need I already have. For two weeks  I was not attached to any of the outcomes, loss of finances, and possible cancellation of plans.  And what I got in return was abundance.  Abundance of well being, gratitude, appreciation, love and yes, financial security. I've learned in faithfully letting go, I see the true abundance that is always in front of me.

The article from Monday, One Year Later, was a letter of gratitude to the Universe.  It was an acknowledgment of my practice. No matter what has fallen apart, the cracks in all that is broken are simply a separation of parts and pieces to create room to grow within the new space between.  It is taking what we have learned and using it to create something better.  I have had a lot of breakage, but from that I have practiced a new way of being.  Our past, until we learn a more expansive way of being, will always be in our present.  When our intention is to breathe through the dust and rubble, when all settles, we see the new view that is before us.

How have you learned to let go and just accept what is?  What yama is calling to you?  How do you see it show up in your life?  Share with us, we would love to hear from you!

As always with love,

Jennifer

Email me at jfremionfw@gmail.com

©2013 Jennifer Fremion. All rights reserved.

Meditation For Stillness

Happy Meditation Wednesday Spirit Launchers! We all have such busy lives these days don't we?!? At the end of the day, how do we really keep the hamster wheel turning without completely falling off from the fast pace of it all?

I had a recent conversation with a friend who was explaining to me how her anxiety has gotten the best of her. When I asked her what could be causing it, she paused and looked at me responding, "I really have no idea why it's gotten so bad." She has been taking medication to attempt to ease the discomfort, but it isn't working.  I've talked to her many times about the benefits of yoga and meditation.  Although she is open to the idea of the practice, she instead decided to make an appointment with her doctor to adjust her medications. What do we do and what do we turn to when life becomes too much?

For me, when I am overwhelmed, the answer always is to be still. To be still, listen and know everything will be okay.  Nothing is too big to handle.  So I wanted to dedicate today's meditation to our busy daily lives. This is such a simple tool that we can interject into any part of our day.  When the tightness in our chest, shoulders and neck starts to rise.  When our breath becomes quick and uneasy.  When life seems to be piling up on us and within us, this is a tool we can all go to.

So let's sit in a comfortable cross legged position.  Relax our hands, palms facing up on our legs. Close our eyes. Take a series of long deep breaths in and out.  Feel what exactly it is our bodies are telling us at this very moment.  Do we feel tightness, pain, discomfort anywhere? Focus on that feeling and then breathe it out of your body.  Continue to breathe deeply.

The mantra for this meditation is simple.  You will repeat the words "So Hum", meaning "I am that".  Mantra helps us maintain focus, but also helps us to call in from the deepest part of ourselves the connective line of the Universe for help.  As you inhale, say in your mind, "So".  As you exhale, say in your mind, "Hum".   Repeat this mantra over and over for as long as you wish.  The longer you sit within the meditation the more beneficial it becomes.

When you finish, take note of the changes you feel in your physical body as well as your emotional body. What changes do you notice?  How can you use this mantra as a back pocket reminder throughout your day to find your own stillness no matter how big the challenge you are facing?

May your day be filled with love and peace.

Namaste

As always with love,

Jennifer

Email me at jfremionfw@gmail.com

©2013 Jennifer Fremion. All rights reserved.

One Year Later

Time has its patterns

Undoing and rethreading.

Learning and living.

Reshaping and remaking.

Letting go and moving forward.

The steps to our very own masterpiece.

-Jennifer-

I just celebrated my 35th birthday one week ago and what a difference one year makes.  Although I was fighting through an upper respiratory infection and extreme exhaustion for two weeks leading up to my birthday, it was still the best celebration I have ever had.  Now there was no big party per say, just separate gatherings with family and friends. Besides the gatherings, there were celebrations and surprises along the way. The first of which being the day before my actual birthday.  A rather large gift came to me early.

I signed up to observe a Tibetan yoga class.  Instead of observing the class, I was blessed with the opportunity to have an hour and a half long conversation with the instructor Lea.  She shared not only her own practice, but the story within her practice and how she was led to do what it is she is doing today. Teaching and leading a life focused on love, service and compassion.  The very life I've been consciously practicing for the last year and a half.  The similarities of her story and mine touched the deepest part of my soul. It was as if the Universe was speaking to me through her and letting me know I was heading in the right direction in life.  As supportive as my family and friends are of my spiritual practice, none of them are practicing to the degree of my own commitment. I get smiles and comments like, "Oh that's great!" and then a quick change of subject within the conversation.  And I understand it and accept it for what it is. But I've been longing to have people to share my own story and experiences with, that understand my goals and intentions.  People who I can share and learn more about the philosophies that have led me to where I am today.  People who truly get what it is that I'm doing.  

We talked about the philosophies behind the Tibetan practice.  One by one Lea listed what the practice focuses on and entails and it lined up with the spiritual journey I've been setting out on for over a year now.  I became rather overwhelmed as she continued to unravel the focus of this particular practice.  It resonated so deeply with my daily life's practice I was almost speechless.  My heart was so full by the end of the conversation I was brought to tears.  I thanked her for all that she had taught me but quickly left the studio because I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.  I cried all the way home and for awhile once I reached home. It was the first time I was able to share space with someone who I felt really understood what I'm trying to do with my life.  The constant gratitude and the constant need to stand in my truth and be who it is that I am intending to be.  To live to be in service of myself and my own gifts and to bring those gifts to be of service to others. Again, what a difference one year can make.

Last October I was just edging into my spiritual practice.  It was the following month that a meditation from Deepak Chopra broke my heart open and changed me forever.  The quest through this meditation was to see God in everyone for one day.  I've talked in other articles about this experience. As a nurse, this was the perfect assignment.  And that night's shift I was presented with that perfect assignment.  It was my last night on the oncology unit and I was given an impossible assignment.  I had six patients, no assistant on the floor to help, all of my patients had uncontrolled pain, nausea and vomiting.  It was complete chaos.  Yet, through all of it, I felt I was the calm in this perfect storm. All of the chaos, however, wasn't my real assignment. I had a patient that was a little elderly man and I was told by the nurse I was taking over for, that he was a grumpy little old man at that.  He had been yelling at the staff incessantly all day.  I knew at that moment that HE, was my assignment for the night. I dedicated the large majority of my time to him that entire shift.  And by the end of the shift I knew that all he really wanted was to know that he wasn't just another patient. He wanted to know that he meant something.  That he was seen and heard and that he was treated like a person, not just a room number.  

By the end of my shift he looked at me, pointed at me shaking his finger and said, "Whether I live or whether I die, I will always remember you.  I will never forget you.  You are one of the good ones." Our eyes locked and nothing could take me away from that moment.  My heart was so full.  I said in return, "I will never forget you either."  This experience forever changed me.  For the next few days I couldn't stop thinking about the moment when our eyes locked.  I realized I saw God in him.  And that wasn't just a human to human conversation. That was a spirit to spirit conversation. One year later, that experience is just as prevalent in my life as it was the very day it happened.

I can't quite explain fully how incredibly different I feel today compared to just one year ago.  But what I can explain is that I've chiseled away at my heart blocks. The weight of the world I no longer carry on my shoulders.  I take one day at a time, one lesson at a time, one moment at a time, and I continue to be wide awake enough to see it all as it is happening.  A few years ago, I had completely lost myself.  I forgot how to love, how to have fun and how to live life.  I had to rewire my head to my heart.  I had to reconnect to a power greater than myself.  And I had to learn to believe again that life was to be lived in a manner of greatness. Not a second is to be wasted on worry, judgement, or doubt.

Yoga came into my life for a reason.  First, it was a physical practice that brought mental relaxation.  Then something happened and it became a directional way of life.  Now that I am fully studying yogic texts, I am finding within them, messages that I have previously received in meditations.  Nudges of guidance I've been receiving all along the way.  My faith has grown so much stronger than anyone else's doubt.  That subtle voice inside has been with me always.  I've released the shadows that deafened me to that voice.  I've shed light on my own pathway to this incredible life that is set out before me and within me.  And I am so grateful for it all.

Where are you one year later in your own life?  Share with us, we would love to hear from you!

As always with love,

Jennifer

Email me at jfremionfw@gmail.com

©2013 Jennifer Fremion. All rights reserved.