I will be co-faciliating another Pathways Institute 4-day workshop this week, called the The Advanced Course: True Self Experience. The Advanced Course is a powerful next step for the Personal Mastery Intensive graduates. Advanced is a powerful healing journey to reconnecting and living from that which is deep, true, and essential. Scroll down to read "Reflections from Pathways," a personal journal entry of mine from my experience at The Advanced Course in June 2016, accompanied by some artwork from the workshop. I will also be co-facilitating the next round of the Personal Mastery Intensive(PMI). Contact me if you are interested in beginning this journey with a powerful introductory workshop.
Join me for a Winter Warrior Workshop, taking place on Sunday, December 18 at Healing Tree Yoga in Quincy, MA! Full description is below. Additional classes can be found on the online calendar.
Scroll down to read the final segment of "Touching Your Toes Has Nothing To Do With It" for some yoga philosophy.
'Tis the season to create a 2017 vision board. I've included photos of my 2014, 2015, and 2016 vision boards below. The January newsletter will feature my 2017 vision board!
I was interviewed and briefly quoted in an article for Gaia, an online media site that provides conscious living resources. Read the article here.
With love,
Joanna
Reflections from Pathways
The Advanced Course: True Self Experience
Journal Entry, June 30, 2016
I returned last night from the Pathways Institute's "The Advanced Course: True Self Experience."
I connected with a group people in more meaningful ways than I have in the last 30 years of my life. I finally understand what it means to be in in relationship with myself and others. I feel the power of Tribe – a group of people who are intrinsically pulled together for a common purpose.
One of the most meaningful parts of the four-day workshop was when I explored the mask I wear – the persona of perfection and "having it all together." The mask, though beautiful, is a part of me that served a very good purpose, and one that has its place – and the mask no longer serves me. I danced to music from different cultures and moved authentically from my body. I created art from my heart and tapped into creativity from my essence. I laughed and I cried; I felt an array of emotions, and I experienced presence and grounding like never before.
Throughout the four days, I felt gratitude and love for the people who have hurt me in the past, and whom I have hurt. I discovered the compassion that lies within me, towards me and towards others. I experienced my inner emotional pain, my longing for connection with others, and my freedom from my wounding. I felt love in a deeper way than I ever imagined.
Pathways is a path I want to continue on since I am learning so much about myself. I am learning how to live a full life, and how to be fully alive. This is complementary to all the work I am already doing in my life with my master’s in counseling psychology, yoga and meditation, and other therapeutic modalities. The Pathways modules have encouraged me to understand myself and others in deeper ways.
I commit to living a whole-hearted life: with courage, vulnerability, connection, and compassion. The way I live, the way I love, and the way I lead – those are places within me that I plan to develop in more meaningful ways throughout my life. I am tapping into parts of myself that haven't been fully explored before. I am curious and open to what lies ahead. And all I have is this present moment, moment-by-moment. There are no guarantees, and I want to live my life in a different way.
If you want to have an extraordinary experience of breaking through limiting life patterns, unleashing the potential of the heart and the awakening of consciousness and a rich authentic experience of being fully alive, check out this link, and contact me to enroll in the Personal Mastery Intensive (March 30 - April 2, 2017)!
Top left: Artwork of my mask; Top right: Inner child of Little Joanna, 18 months old
Bottom left: Multi-faceted heart prism; Bottom right: I am love floating on a cloud
Touching Your Toes Has Nothing To Do With It
Introduction
In the West, we consider “yoga” to be a physical practice where we move our body, stretch, strengthen, and balance. However, this is only a fraction of the full practice of yoga. One eighth, actually. The Yoga Sutras, written by a man named Patanjali over 2,000 years ago, is considered to be one of yoga’s most sacred texts. Patanjali lays out an eightfold path to attaining a higher state of consciousness, one in which the practitioner learns to still the craziness of the mind. This path is yoga.
The Eighth Limb of Yoga: "Samadhi"
Patanjali describes this eighth and final stage of ashtanga, samadhi, as a state of ecstasy. At this stage, the meditator merges with his or her point of focus and transcends the Self altogether. The meditator comes to realize a profound connection to the Divine, an interconnectedness with all living things.
If we pause to examine what we really want to get out of life, would not joy, fulfillment, and freedom somehow find their way onto our list of hopes, wishes, and desires? What Patanjali has described as the completion of the yogic path is what, deep down, all human beings aspire to: peace.
How do I create a 2017 vision board?
I have been creating vision boards on New Year's Day for the last six years. This annual ritual is a great way to transition into a new year. Getting clear on your intentions is key to seeing and feeling what is important to you. I meditate on what I want to bring into my life for the new year, and focus on the the energy behind those intentions.
My favorite way to create a vision board is to cut out magazine pictures, words, and phrases of things, places, and people who inspire me. I then spend time pasting them onto a big, colorful poster board and place it somewhere I can see it each day. I have created vision boards as an inspiration for the whole year, but you can also create vision boards monthly or for one specific aspect of your life (relationships, yoga, education, family, etc).
Private Sessions with Joanna
Personalized instruction is a valuable tool for students of all levels. Yoga practice provide the perfect opportunity to address goals and work on areas of interest. Sessions can take place in your home or at a studio. I am available for private sessions in the styles of therapeutic yoga for emotional well-being, vinyasa flow, yin, restorative, and prenatal yoga.
Are you a student of mine? I would love to hear from you!
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