March 2022 week 3

Aham Prema, I am Divine Love: has this intention served you this month? I find the simple Sanskrit manta, Aham Prema to be very calming and it allows me to remember to go back inside and connect with myself, regardless of the “noise” around me or in my head! This month we are also studying the first Yama, Ahimsa - non violence. Both of these gems of yoga invite us to simply connect with and make peace with ourselves. This is truly the whole purpose of the Calm Crew for me. I am trying to share with all of you the tools I use every day so together we can we try, try and try again through the healing practices of meditation and yoga to live our best lives!
I wrote on instagram this week how I often think how can I teach my students when i struggle in so many ways myself, the imposter syndrome at its best! The good news is I do make sure you all know I am simply traveling along side you one day at a time trying, failing and trying some more. Now for the bad news, I am often very very crazy! The imposter syndrome is real! So how can I use these tools this month to help me and my very active brain - the chitta or mitote mind! Well first Aham Prema, the mantra itself as I said allows me to pause and breath during the day and the translation I am Divine love reminds me how important it is for me to truly love and accept myself for who I am - faults and all!!! Last week a friends husband literally gave me the most heartfelt, nicest compliment and I got teary and told him no I am really not that nice. He and my husband both told me to take it in, so I did, well I tried lol. This also leads right into Ahimsa, I need to reel in the negative harmful self talk, I am not perfect and neither is anyone else, can I believe that? This is where the imposter syndrome shines its ugly head - “how can I possibly lead these students? What is wrong with me, I study and work daily and I am still crazy? I should just stop teaching and leading”. SO the flip side of this is I do hope you all find comfort in knowing I am crazy and I am just trying to do the best I can on a daily basis, I stumble and fall and get back on track. The hope is that with all of this work I do so I can lead all of you that I am able to get back on track quicker. Recently I had conversations with a couple of people close to me and they didn’t believe me when I said I have my own internal struggles on a daily basis that I deal with. I do pride myself on being open and honest, so do believe me when I share all of this so that together we can do this thing called life with grace and ease…… alone, not so much!😇. As always, I am so, so grateful for all of you!