I was crippled thinking about it. It made me physically nauseous and I started feeling so many physical symptoms just from the emotional stress that came from the mere idea of confronting this fear. I was afraid of being open and honest about how I felt. I was afraid of the outcome maybe not being in my favour. I was afraid of having others think of me in a way that didn’t reflect who I truly was. These and a few other fears prevented me from facilitating a conversation that could bring me closer to someone I loved. Fear was standing in my way. I felt it in my body, in my heart and I couldn’t shake it.
Until something hit me…I’m totally scared of having this conversation and making matters worse. BUT, what would happen if I wasn’t scared? What would happen if fear didn’t consume all of me?
Well, simply, I’d have the opportunity to shift my experience. I would have new possibilities. I could be the honest person who speaks their truth instead of someone who hides behind the guise of fear. Without the fear I might actually be excited about getting to know someone a little more deeply and starting that process by letting them get to know me a little more deeply. I might be so overjoyed at the possibility of being closer with someone I feel separate from. Those are just a few possibilities of what might take place if fear hadn’t caught and trapped me.
There’s one thing I know about fear for sure. I see it in myself and in talking to all my clients every single day. When fear comes we try to push it away. We try to find a solution to overcome it or ignore it or replace it with other things that feel good. We RESIST fear. In our resistance our fear not only persists, but it literally gets in the way of possibility, freedom and being our most empowered selves. I preach empowerment a lot on this platform and the most important thing to remember about living an empowered life is not the absence of fear, or getting OVER our fears. Living an empowered life means befriending our fears. Taking them along on the ride. Honouring their rightful place within us. Fear is so natural for us to feel but we don’t need to let it run our lives. Our goal is not to get over our fears, our goal is to get GOOD at our fears. When fear greets us, we can use it as a tool to get to know ourselves better and to be the best versions of ourselves.
Here’s a quick and simple exercise to help you feel good about your fears. Next time anxiety, overwhelm or fear strikes, ask yourself these questions and jot what comes in your journal:
1. Who would I be without this fear?
2. What is this fear revealing to me about me?
3. Is my comfort zone of hiding behind/moving away from this fear, greater than my calling to confront it?
4. What are some positive possibilities that I can create when I act bravely with fear present?
May you always remember that bravery and courage cannot exist without a presence of fear. We need it to be the strongest versions of ourselves, so bow to it! It’s giving you an opportunity to be brave.
If these journal prompts served you and you’re craving more tools just like this in addition to video workshops, EFT sequences, audio meditations, breath work practices, downloadable journal prompt PDF’s, and live monthly coaching sessions with me, I welcome you to try out Club Bliss. Club Bliss is a membership based platform with all of the listed tools and services above, and if you’re a first timer you get the first two weeks free to explore and dive deep into all the available resources designed to have you feeling peace and empowerment! https://parisaliving.com/pages/club-bliss
The purpose of these tasks is to get you really HONEST about how you feel. The more honest you are the better your chances are at resolving what’s actually up for you. Follow these two simple steps and just see how miraculous you feel afterward. I trust you, you’ve got this!
If you loved this exercise and want more, check out Club Bliss! A membership based platform where you have access to audio meditations, journal prompts, workshops, EFT sequences, and monthly coaching sessions with me!
All my love,
P
]]>Read that again, except now apply it to any area of your life that makes you nervous/anxious/worried. I choose FAITH over THIS!
Today I was absolutely freaking out over an area in my life that I feel is crazy outside of my control. I felt anxious and nervous and blocked! I was talking to my friend and she encouraged me out of my limiting mindset of fear and into the warm, glorious space of trust! She told me to make a list of all the ways I thrive in the area I was nervous about and it inspired this very blog!
We’ve all got areas in our lives where we might feel unsupported, or we may feel like we need to keep control over everything so that our world doesn’t crumble. Who feels that? I know I do! But I also know that the moment that I feel like I need to control the outcome of something is exactly the moment that it needs to be surrendered to a power greater than my own.
So without further ado, I’m going to let you in on an easy way to transform any anxiety into a feeling of trust and certainty. When we feel trust we can actually allow the universe to do its thing and take care of us. When we control, we begin to look for everything wrong and just focus and manifest more and more of that energy into our lives. So let’s try this together. Trust and faith are key ingredients that help us FEEL better, and when we FEEL better, we attract better!
Answer these prompts in your journal:
1. What area in your life currently feels BLOCKED? Aka, what are you feeling anxious about?
2. Can you write down a list of at least 5 (or more more) areas in which you are proud of yourself?
3. Now write out a list of 10 qualities you absolutely LOVE about yourself and are totally grateful for!
4. Write a list of all the ways you have succeeded in the grey area you’re anxious about. E.g. if you feel anxious about your finances, write out a list of all the ways you’ve been granted abundance. If you’re feeling anxious about relationships, write out a list of all the ways you feel like you thrive as a partner!
5. Last prompt to tie it all in! Write a letter to the universe/God/Love/Light or whomever your higher power is thanking them for your awesomeness and all those amazing qualities. Write to them that you are willing to trust them with this dilemma, so you can focus on being your badass self!
Try these prompts and then at the very end, take a deep breath in and say to yourself:
I CHOOSE FAITH OVER THIS!
For some reason, we think when we are in control we can actually create better outcomes for ourselves but the truth is, there is no better outcomes than the ones the universe has in store for us!
]]>It is almost TOO easy sometimes to lose the sound of our own inner voice, and for this reason I am offering you three easy steps to clear the noise and hear your intuition.
You know why we lose our intuitive voice? It's because we make habits out of listening to others and valuing what they say over what we naturally FEEL!
Now I'm not at all suggesting that you don't take advice if it's offered to you, we love to talk to our friends to get insights that we might have missed, and that's a gift! But as long as we make our decisions from a place that feels aligned for us, that is how we know we are listening to our intuition.
So, here you have it...three journal prompts that will get you SO honest about the ways you may be blocking your intuition and how to get back on track!
Is there an area in your life today where you feel like you need to shut out the noise and listen?
Perhaps free write the answer to this question in your journal today just to see what comes up for you. After your free write, close your eyes, take a breath and be still. Be silent & listen.
What did you hear, what came to you in your stillness?
Write down what you’ve heard after you've dumped the noise. This is divine guidance, and this is the compass guiding you.
What is your truth in this situation?
Whatever intuitively comes to you here IS your intuitive voice communicating with you!
Know that you can always drop in to your inner voice after a big noise dump followed by some stillness. You will know that the answer to question number two is your heart calling you with an answer.
Listening to your own wisdom is truly your superpower!
Ilysm,
P
P.S. Check out my CLUB BLISS Membership for on demand access to tools and so much new monthly content to start living your most empowered life!!!
]]>100 days in a consistent practice later, I realize that it is not the sitting down and breathing that has left me feeling good, it is the willingness to surrender.
Let me tell you a little secret about myself. I am a recovering CONTROL addict. I love to control everything around me. If I feel in control, I feel safe. Let me demonstrate to you just how loud my sense of control was...
In the first few weeks of my meditation practice when I would be guided to sit up straight with my palms facing up, the feeling of palms up MESSED with me. It was challenging and uncomfortable because I knew what it meant to have your palms face up in meditation. It meant a promise to be open for the period of the practice. Often between 5-15 minutes. I refused. For the first little bit, I would put heavy crystals in my hand to hold them in that position because I was just NOT willing to surrender myself to the practice. I couldn’t surrender. Through all my trainings not limited to yoga, life coaching, psychotherapy, and EFT, I knew intellectually the impact and significance of surrender. We don’t even need to say surrendering to a higher power. Let’s just say surrendering to life. I always subconsciously equated surrender to complacency. Like if I let life take the wheel, I was lazy or careless or complaisant. This practice has taught me that I was telling myself that story to grip on to the addiction of control I had developed over my entire life.
Meditation has instead offered me something else. Meditation won’t take your anxiety away. It won’t rid you of depression or sadness or worry. What meditation will give you though is a time for yourself. An opportunity to show up for yourself fully in WHATEVER it is you're feeling. If you follow my work, you know that one of my main pillars is that in order to move through the crap in your life you’ve got to feel it first. That’s what meditation is. It’s the time I give myself to feel everything that’s there for me. And offering myself that time has become a small but greatly impactful miracle in my life that I’m so happy I now get to share with all of you. On day eighty something I noticed that my hands would just naturally flip up on my meditation cushion. I naturally wanted to find that position. Not just because I trained my body to do so, but more because every single day I had offered myself just 10 minutes to release control and see how that felt. And that surrender of just letting go became what I craved every single day. That feeling of surrender became a feeling of home to me rather than resistance. I became so proud of my ability to surrender to meditation because it had offered me peace. I became more mindful in my communications in my daily life, and my actions were more in line with the love and peace I practiced on my cushion.
There was not and has not yet been anything drastic in my life that changed. But I have experienced a million and one small subtle shifts that help me live a peaceful and balanced life every day. I spared the life of a few spiders in my home, because violence didn’t seem appropriate any longer. I stopped obsessing over my relationships (all of them) and instead let myself each day glory in the present moment and just enjoy the people and places I was with. This is what became of surrender. Releasing my controlling grips got me present in my life. Surrender had me finally LIVE my life and let go of the idea that the present moment should be any different. Meditation did not change my life. But understanding that I am not just the meditator. I am just the being letting guidance find me. That is living a life of wonder. So, yes, meditation has helped me remember and return to my wonder-ful life. Because letting life guide me, while being the responsible loving person I am, FEELS better that controlling my surroundings all on my own. But who knows? I’ll see you on day 365 to tell you what a year feels like.
]]>
Hi sweet ones,
I know we’re living in the scariest of times and I have been praying for the words that might befall me to offer some grace and comfort for all of you. Before I start sharing the tips that have worked for me, I just want to share first what I stand for being to you.
To you, wherever you are reading this, my goal is to be a place of comfort for you. I want to help you lean into faith as much as you possibly can so that you can feel love and care in all areas of your life. I want you to live the most extraordinary life! I thrive on watching my clients, students and friends grow from lessons I have learned from my coaches and life experiences. I want this world to be a more compassionate place, so if I can be that for you, know that it is my deepest honour and mission.
I came on here again because of the virus frenzy that has been circulating all over the world now. I feel as though this virus and the way communities have reacted to it is a total reflection of human habits that I want to draw our attention to. It sometimes seems to me as though we get a situation in front of us and find a negative possibility in it and ride that negative possibility. We create frenzies out of our fears. Some of us even live our whole lives in our fears. Some of us don’t even know that’s what we’re doing! I’ll give you an example. Your boss had a grumpy start to her day and forgot to greet you as warmly as she normally does. Does your mind ever turn to the possibility that of all things that might have taken place the possibility that you turn to is that your boss is mad at you? And now you might get fired? This is SUPER common; the case might be that she simply has a headache or is preoccupied! We’ve habituated negative thought patterns. And when you throw a virus into the mix, can you imagine the energy of EVERYONE turning to their negative possibility habit? It’s a total frenzy!
And just to be very clear, I am not encouraging anyone out of their homes or anything of the sort. I think it is the most important now more than ever to be conscious and vigilant. But let’s at least try to feel good while we’re cozied up at home rather than living in an energy of fear. Let me get straight to the tips!
1. Tap Tap Tap: I am an emotional freedom technique (EFT) coach as most of you know so EFT is a tool I turn to in my spiritual practice almost DAILY. And this one tapping technique is HIGHLY effective and has been recommended also by my teacher Gabby Bernstein during this turbulent time.
With a mantra tap on your gamut point.
Here are some mantras you may use
(Inhale) I am
(Exhale) Safe
(Inhale) I am
(Exhale) Well
(Inhale) I am
(Exhale) Healing
(Inhale) I am
(Exhale) Protected
(Inhale) I am
(Exhale) Calm
(Inhale) I am
(Exhale) Peace
You can use any of the mantras or any of your own variations that resonate with you the most.
Below is a picture of the gamut point you will tap on!
2.Waterfall Meditation: Sit or lay in your meditation. Take some grounding breaths. Feel your body in space. With your eyes closed and your body relaxed, picture yourself in a warm pool of water underneath a very soft waterfall of light energy. Watch yourself sit or lay underneath this pouring light and witness yourself fill up with light energy. This light energy is healing, calming and provides you only with a presence of trust. Trusting that here in your meditation you are safe, you are loved and you are deeply protected. Visualize this light pouring onto you until you feel calm and soft.
3. Gratitude: The best way to feel good fast is to focus on all that you have in your life! After all, when you love what you have, you have EVERYTHING you need. This virus has made an impact on the way we understand lack and it’s time we disbunk that. No more feeling like we’re running low or out of anything. We live in an abundant universe that ALWAYS has our backs! You are enough and you have enough. All is well. Grab a piece of paper and a pen and send gratitude for all that you have. What’s really helped me over the last few days is writing down all the parts of my BODY that I’m most grateful for. Keeping health as my primary focus, knowing that when my mind positively recognizes my body, my body will thrive and help keep me safe and healthy. For example: “I’m so grateful for my eyes and all they allow me to see,” or “I’m so grateful for my liver that works to keep my body healthy from disease,” or “I’m so grateful for my body that can move me around and keep me active.” I wrote a blog about noting your gratitude just a few weeks ago. If you’re looking for a more activities or insights on gratitude here’s the blog link below:
Here you have it folks! I know if you implement even one of these methods you will feel better fast! Sometimes being in fear of the unknown is being a part of the problem rather than the solution. Let’s focus on being a part of the solution here rather than the problem! Let’s never take spending time with each other for granted again. Let’s keep each other safe and stay home and fill up our spiritual cups! Now is the best time to turn to faith and love.
With you,
P
]]>Three.
Weeks.
Out of my routines for a month – no exercise, no yoga, no hot room, no pilates, no teaching, no coaching, no tapping NOTHING! When I was prepping for my procedure I was super excited for this time off for doing nothing. Being a restorative teacher and teacher trainer I thought the time off would be just what I needed to reset and restore after a very busy start to the year. By day two I felt really finished with resting, and was starting to lose it a little.
It somehow JUST dawned on me that I’m the person who is just GO, GO, GO, all the time. I fill up every day and every hour weeks in advance, and chalk it up to a good planner and organizational skills. I knew this feeling was not one I wanted to live in for the next three weeks. I knew there had to be a change. I decided to say a silent prayer and ask the universe for help. A few moments later I was drawn to a deck of intention cards by my teacher Gabrielle Bernstein. The card wrote a quote about how your energy directs your reality, what you focus on MANIFESTS. I knew this was the sign I had asked for. For the entire two days I had off I was focusing on illness and stagnant energy, and those two days were the absolute LONGEST DAYS EVER! Like Abraham Hicks explains, when you focus on illness all you have is illness, but when you focus on wellness you can bring about wellness.
Immediately, I was moved by this message my energy shifted like rapid fire!
My body, this sacred put together functioning machine that allows me to teach all the time and move in a healthy way and socialize and be in the world requires a favour of me. My precious body wants me to chill out and just be for a bit. My body wants to recover from a trauma of removing a foreign friend from it. It just needs some compassion and time. My body is healing right now. My body is regenerating and restoring as we speak. All hours of the day and night my body is working hard for me heal. My body attacks viruses for me, and it restores skin, muscles, tissues, alleviates inflammation, moves, breathes, grows, and cleanses for me ALWAYS, so I can keep going.
As soon as this realization dawned on me I immediately felt a deep sense of gratitude wash over me. I became so deeply grateful for this body and everything it’s been doing for me and my recovery sped up! I’m on day 6 now and I feel better than ever! As it turned out, Abraham Hicks was right – focussing on wellness brought about more wellness.
So wherever you are in your journey with your body – whether you're injured, coming back from surgery, or even a common cold, my prayer is that you remember that focussing on how WELL your body is doing will bring about more wellness. Your body is healing for you, always! Focussing on the truth that your body is naturally working in your favour to heal you will leave you feeling more grateful for the body that you might be punishing for not performing for you when you want it. Being a body worker has lead me to realize that every injury or physical trauma I’ve ever had has worked as a gift that brought me closer to the truth of who I am. I have learned patience and how to slow down. I have learned compassion and deep self-love. I have learned strength and perseverance – all through the ways in which my body has communicated to me through illness. It’s all really just a matter of perspective. Begin to take your negative feeling thoughts and shift them to the opposite. Take a bad moment and find some light in it. At first you may not be so convinced by it but the more energy you feed your good feeling thoughts the more they grow. It’s not about faking it till you make it but more about saying it till you believe it!
Take some time today to honour your body however you normally do. Whether it’s through a kind prayer, eating something yum, or moving in your favourite way. May you love on this body of yours, deeply and remember how much it loves you back, literally ALWAYS!
]]>My mind has been racked in thoughts of impact and what that means to all of our lives. For context, I’ll tell you a bit about my grandfather. He was an incredible man, who dedicated his whole life to service. He worked as a doctor to heal the world as much as he could, to the best of his ability. He served as a physician throughout many cities in clinics and hospitals all through his life and well beyond his retirement. Much of his medical service was provided voluntarily to those who could not afford healthcare. And much of his earnings were spent buying medicine and treatments for those who could not afford it. He raised all of us with a deep sense of responsibility to the world. His impact through generosity rippled into the lives of everyone he helped in his life. He is remembered in the most loving way and people are better for it.
He taught us to look at our lives and our skills and see how we can use the precious time we have on earth to serve others and make the world a more loving place. He taught us that in sharing service with the world, we save the world piece by piece. I want to have you consider the impact of every kindness. When you think of kindness, do you think of anyone in particular? That person shaped the way you express your kindness. That person is now you. Kindness is learned and generated and infectious. Kindness holds incredible impact. For every grace, we offer to the world, the world gets a bit softer and more loving. More love, more love, more love. When we are treated with kindness we are one hundred times more likely to pass it on, because that is the nature of who we are! Kindness wins always.
These were just some principles he stood for. He made every single moment of his life count. He never raised his voice ONCE, and we never saw him get mad and I always thought it kind of strange until now. Now I realize that we all have SUCH impact. I had strangers approach me after his passing telling me of his generosity, service, and kindness and I realize that his impact is lasting. I will teach who he was to my children someday, and they’ll never meet him directly. Every single action and interaction we have ripples widely and has profound effects on the world. So take this message to heart when I promise you that your life is valuable and deeply important. Your life is significant and meaningful and filled with potential. Every interaction you have, from what you do for a living to how you treat someone serving you your morning coffee makes a WORLD of a difference. The world has been given to you through the form of your life. It is your choice to use it to fulfill a purpose. And may your purpose be loving and kind.
Truly, my prayer is that we all remember that Baba (my grandfather) has woven himself so beautifully in the fabric of all of us here and the world he interacted with. May we take his memory and choose to live by his example of grace. May we choose love more often. May we forgive each other and hold each other close. May we remember that we are all the same love and treat each other as such. May we be graceful and kind. May we give generously. May we all love each other more. And most importantly, may we remember that all that we are is important, meaningful and deeply impactful. Who you are is making an incredible difference in the world you interact with; and for this reason alone, it is so important to choose love, ALWAYS.
]]>I understand. I mean, I really get it. The year started off rocky for me too. Especially when I flipped on the news and heard about all the tragedy inflicted upon our fellow people.
To be honest I myself lost it. And by “it” I mean my feeling of safety and love. I felt off kilter, I felt overwhelmed and in immense pain and fear. But what I realized, even after watching the news and consoling those affected by tragedy, is that now more than ever is the time to lean into love. Now more than ever we must stand for faith and connection rather than opposition and violence.
What I mean by this is tragic events happen and finding the light in them does not make them any less sad or heart breaking. But finding light in them helps us feel closer to ease and ultimately more love. The only way to combat chaos is not through anger or misery, but it’s love. And choosing love, especially in trying times can be THE HARDEST CHOICE EVER. But I am certain it is the right choice. Because when we choose love, we create more love in the world around us. We create a ripple effect of our own. A loving one, that’s pure and content and warm. One that does not perpetuate more fear, violence, and chaos. That’s all we all want anyways right? We all want to live in a more loving world where we don’t need to hear about tragedy. And the way is to choose love. Always. No matter what. Forever. Period.
May we show up lovingly rather than fearfully. May we lean in and choose better feeling thoughts as often as we can so we can SHOW UP in the world as love instead of fear. Can we illuminate the world with love, so that we can all feel and live safely, sweetly, and graciously? Every single ripple makes a difference. When tragedy strikes it is so easy for fear to fill our conversations and our interactions and surroundings. Can we shift together? Can we create a loving vibration, not just for our own greater good but for the greater good of the world around us?
The answer is yes. The work might be hard but the impact is profound. I want to offer you an opportunity to choose love through a light bath meditation. I tried this on myself several times last week and this meditation immediately took me from a fearful place to a loving one. A place in which I felt supported, safe, and able to pour love into the world around me.
Light Bath Meditation
You can begin this meditation seated in a comfortable position on the ground or laying down if you prefer.
Begin to notice your breath. Notice its depth and texture, or where it might stop, or when you might hold it.
Just notice your breath and try gently lengthening it, allowing your breath to occupy more of your body.
Then begin drawing your awareness inward. Visualize a light forming in the center of your heart. With the lengthened breaths visualize the light within your heart growing. Keep visualizing this growing light until eventually it encompasses your body.
Visualize yourself living in this bubble of light. Notice the light feeling that you physically manifest through this visualization and remember that this light is born of you and your heart.
This light is your ever growing, infinite love.
Bring yourself out of this meditation whenever you’re ready, softly, and remind yourself through your day of the ball of light that you live within.
Here, you are living in a safe and loving space.
My prayer is that this meditation is used to help you on your path to healing.
My prayer is that you return to love as often as fear knocks on your door.
My prayer is that you fill your cup with so much love that it naturally pours out into the world.
And my promise is to keep providing you with stories, tools and tips to always return to love.
With you,
P
]]>Today I wanted to share all the ways my life has significantly shifted and changed in the last year. The year 2019 will forever go down in history as the most impactful year of my life; a year that fostered so much of my growth and change as a woman and a teacher.
I lost people I love.
I met people I fell deeply in love with.
I restored integrity in lost relationships.
I strengthened existing relationships.
I cried the most.
I yelled the most.
I laughed the most.
I hugged the most.
I wrestled with who I knew myself to be.
I decided to stand for who I wanted to be and began living as and for that woman.
I cleaned up loose ends.
I started to really understand what it meant when my coach and all my self-help books would describe SELF-LOVE.
I felt pride in myself.
I felt joy and fun.
I JUST FELT GOOD.
I feel like 2019 gave me A LOT to work with and I finally feel like I have a good enough grip on the lessons I’ve learned. At least enough to share principles that worked as magic tools to feeling good. I promise to give you principles every week that will help you live your BEST life! Today, I’m going to share with you my favourite principle for living your best life and how you can apply this to wrap up your 2019.
Gratitude: “When you love everything you have, you have everything you need!” This principle has become the MOST significant of my life. I imagine you have read that a grateful life is the best life, but I remember starting to exercise these principles with lots of resistance. I felt like sitting in my bed in the morning thinking on what I feel grateful for didn’t change much in my waking day to day life. However, I began writing a gratitude journal every single morning, before checking my phone or starting my day. I reached for my journal first and expressed gratitude for everything that was taking place in my favour. At first it felt a little forced and tedious, but once I made a habit of it, my daily lists grew longer and longer and it became the highlight of my whole day. This practice became my personal daily prayer, and helped me in so many ways! I saw gratitude everywhere in the world around me. Setting the tone for every beautiful moment I would experience through the day. The ordinary moments in my life, suddenly became extraordinary.
Here’s an exercise I practiced last year before 2019 started and it really helped set an incredible tone for the year. I’ll be doing this one every year and I hope you join me!
Take some time with a pen and paper to recognize and remember every circumstance that took place all year that made you who you are today. I mean EVERYTHING! Every up and every down. For instance, I found myself in a situation this year where I was pushed around, and I felt so low about it. At the time, I tried to blame others for what happened to me, but I quickly remembered that I am responsible for my life and my circumstances. I wrote this situation down on my list and thanked the universe for gifting me this occurrence (that made me cry for days) because it served as a lesson to begin standing up for what I believe in. I made a commitment to stand up for myself thereafter, and I get better and better at it with every opportunity the universe gives me. Remember, everything is an opportunity for growth and love! Be grateful for all of it. Maybe, since we’re entering a new decade you can write out moments in the last ten years that contributed to who you are!
Whichever version you choose, finish your list and reflect on it. Take every point you wrote out and next to it, write out how these situations made you a better person, more of the person you love! Or how these situations can make you a person you will now practice loving every day henceforth! No matter what, engaging in forgiveness becomes easy when we’re grateful for everything. Trust that every situation that was given to you was given to make you the person that you are today. And then write down all the reasons why you LOVE person you are today. And my prayer is that you endeavour to make this list long. Even if it’s challenging. Keep writing. Keep loving. Keep adoring yourself for exactly who you are.
One thing I stand for is helping others live out their most fulfilling, joyous lives and that is why this blog exists. I’ll be talking about life prospering principles in greater depth throughout this coming year, to help you live out your best life. Everything I have learned has lead me to a blissful life and when I am faced with challenges I have a tool belt of techniques that I can use to help me navigate my way to joy again. I honestly don’t think the purpose of life is for all of us to become perfectly peaceful beings who move to the mountains of Tibet and live life like nothing is wrong. I believe the purpose of life is to live meaningfully, practicing loving principles again and again till they become second nature and till the intervals of our stressful, fearful moments get shorter and shorter. With the one chance we have at life, my prayer is for all of us to live as lovingly as possible. May your transition into the new year, the new decade, be easeful, full of gratitude, joy, and love. May you reflect on every situation gifted to you as circumstances that made you the incredible human being that you are today. And without all of these circumstances you would not be perfectly where you are and as you are. Remember always, when you love what you have you have everything you need.
In love and in support,
P
Let’s talk nervous system! Your parasympathetic nervous system is the one in charge of your rest and digest functions. Your sympathetic nervous system is your awake, moving, and energized function. When we live in a society with constant stimuli and tech attached to our every move we work to overstimulate our sympathetic nervous system, which puts us at risk of imbalance. With an overstimulated sympathetic nervous system, it’s possible to experience a slower metabolism, risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, insomnia, anxiety and various other health detours. When your parasympathetic nervous system is balanced with your sympathetic you are able to metabolize your food and drink effectively and efficiently. You’re also able to sleep deeply and restfully! Since I’ve adopted yoga nidra in my life, not only have I been able to sleep so effectively, I’ve also been able to kick caffeine! No more tea or coffee to wake me up; I instead have opened up to the possibility of effective rest.
Here are three of my easy steps to balance out your nervous system by stimulating that parasympathetic function!
These three steps will help you stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system so that you can find better digestion and rest! Your body will thank you, trust me! You can also try lavender spray on your pillow or the raw lavender flower in your pillow case. Incorporating the use of healing crystals can also nudge you into a better night's rest.
Try staying away from your phone before bed and if that’s too challenging make sure you apply night light setting in your smart phone so colours adjust to avoid blue light exposure. Try not to drink or eat before bed so your digestive system can rest too, keeping you less stimulated and readier for sleep! Goodnight and good luck!
Love,
P
P.S. My NEW Sleep Hygiene Course includes videos from doctors and professionals to cover everything on how to help you sleep better starting TONIGHT!
]]>I have been spending most of the month in deep reflection of who I am, and who I have become not just through this decade but in the past year especially. I have created miracles, and watched my life become a true haven for love, just as a result of setting intentions and LIVING by them.
See that’s the thing about intentions; simply setting them and letting them be out in the world might not create long lasting miracle moments in your life. Standing for yourself and your intentions, will help you in creating a life beyond your wildest dreams!
So, as we transition into the coming year and as we approach winter solstice I wanted to provide you guys with some tips and tricks as to how you might be able to make this coming year your best year yet, and have 2020 kick off the best decade of your life!
Take this week to spend time with yourself in deep gratitude of who you are and all the situations that got you there, and then make a strong commitment and a stand for yourself to live a joyful and meaningful life. May this solstice greet you warmly, lovingly and kindly, and may you always deeply love who you are and where you are in your life.
Thinking of you,
P
P.S. Check out my CLUB BLISS Membership for on demand access to tools and so much new monthly content to start living your most empowered life!!!
Not long ago, I watched the incredible movie “Forrest Gump” for the first time, and I wanted to break down lessons we could all learn from Forrest himself. I thought Forrest’s most admirable quality was his undeniable acceptance of reality.
Let me explain…
In her book, “Loving What Is”, Byron Katie addresses the habit we have as humans to ‘negotiate’ with reality. What this means is that when something does not take place in our favour, we spend a lot of time and energy revising the occurred event in our mind and changing outcomes in our imagination. What that is, is a major negotiation with reality that takes us away from the present moment. Forrest NEVER did that. In every moment of the film from childhood to adulthood, he never negotiated with reality or wished it any different, he simply moved forward with an acceptance of reality. Even when he didn’t want to, he just did. Instead of sitting sadly on his porch and reliving his sorrows, he literally ran across the country. He never got angry at life, in turn never negotiating with the situation at hand. He accepted it, because life is like a box of chocolates and he trusted that in never knowing what you’re going to get, you’ll always get what you are meant to. You know?
For example, when Jenny told Forrest that she had his child and had already spent years raising him without Forrest’s knowing, he did not negotiate with reality by getting mad at her for keeping his son from him. He merely accepted the truth that just was. Even watching Jenny in pain and sorrow and in dangerous situations throughout the years, Forrest never ever tried to negotiate with the reality that was HER life. He endeavoured to help her, but even when she would refuse his help, he showed up with love. All he had was love. No negotiation, no wishing life could be any different than it was and had appeared. All his character would ever exhibit was just plain and simple, pure LOVE.
Even when he embarked on his Bubba Gump Shrimp business, all he had was love. He did not pursue that goal for greed or wealth’s sake, he did it in the name of friendship. And he thrived and succeeded naturally because every motivation he had for any endeavour was simply pure love. When the world would look at him with pity or sympathy, I saw him as empowered and living a life more abundantly than most of us do. Simply because he knew only how to live in the present moment. Sometimes I feel like our points of focus are often what isn’t working in our lives, or what we don’t have…and if that is our point of focus, I wonder, how could we think we could ever have what we want or crave from life? Instead, what if we shifted our focus to living in a space of appreciation of the present moment? See, Forrest would show up for his life. He would show up for what was good and right, principled and integrous in each moment, and doing so gave him an incredible life. Comfortable, with love and abundance. Isn’t that what all of us want anyway?
]]>A few months ago, I went out of town for a funeral. I stuffed a backpack and was gone for exactly 19 hours. I flew into Calgary, partook in the service and was straight on my way back to the airport only to run into a problem. The WestJet employee told me my flight wasn’t scheduled until the next day and the travel agent must have made a mistake during booking.
And then I started crying. I’m not usually one to cry but I am also never one to hold back my tears. Through my tears and broken voice, I asked him if there were any chance he could get me on a flight that same night because:
I had to be home for work the next morning
and I just came from a funeral
and the afternoon I had just broke my heart
and I was really tired
He turned to me and said no miss, I’m so sorry I can’t get you home before tomorrow afternoon. It’s just not possible.
I said okay and that I understood, but I could not stop crying.
He handed me a tissue, which for some reason made me cry even more.
He apologized and said how sorry he was for the loss. And I said thank you sir and I’m sorry I’m crying so much,
I just want to go home.
I just really want to go home.
We both stood there in silence. In sadness. He turned around and made some phone call. I thought he was getting me a food voucher or something and instead he quickly hung up, typed something into his computer, printed what looked like a boarding pass and grabbed my hand.
All he said was come with me, keep up, and run.
He got me through some back door and I literally had this out of body experience watching myself run through security and then with him into this little airport golf cart. He told me to hold on to my seat as he literally Tokyo drifted me to the furthest possible gate in the airport. He said, "...your flight to Toronto is leaving in less than five minutes. I’m so sorry for your loss, and I hope you get home safe."
Literally shaking in disbelief, I started crying…AGAIN. He put me in line and turned to leave and I asked him if I could hug him. And I thanked him…so so much…and he said, "it’s okay, don’t worry it’s okay, it will all be okay." And just like that, this superhero stranger had left and I was boarding my flight.
I realized I didn’t get his name so I asked the lady scanning my boarding pass who that man was so I could write an amazing review to WestJet about their angel employee. She told me that she was the lady he called a few minutes before and didn’t want to give me his name because he could lose his job for breaking a ton of rules to get me to that gate. I thanked her too and got on my way home.
Since that day, every single time I feel saddened by humanity, I remember him. Every time I turn on CNN and hear about a shooting or a presidential scandal of some sort, I remember this WestJet guy who got me home. And yes, there are people like Donald Trump. There are people who load up guns and shoot children in schools, there are rapists and killers and people who think shooting animals in the woods is a “fun sport”. I cannot relate or will not excuse these behaviors but I do not think that these people are in essence much different than I am. I think the difference between (what we like to judge people with labels) good or bad, is a difference in connection. I think the menaces of society are disconnected from their truth, their nature, that of love. They are disconnected. They are lost, and they just lost the truth.
I was nobody to him. A complete stranger. He almost lost his job to make a complete stranger feel better. And if that isn’t a miracle I don’t know what is.
I have noticed one pretty special thing about human nature in that it is always in our instincts to help others. When you see someone trip, your first instinct is to reach out a hand and help catch them. When you see a tiny human walking in a mall by themselves you more than likely won’t walk by without making sure they have someone watching them nearby. You honk your horn when you see two cars merging into one lane. Does your heart melt a little when you see a dog sitting in a car by itself in the summer with the windows barely open? This is your human heart pulling you to help.
It is deeply embedded in our nature to be loving, kind and compassionate towards each other. It is in our nature to love and care for one another. It just is. And let’s be clear about something. To anyone reading this right now, I am willing to wager that if someone sitting next to you on the subway or in a coffee shop or even someone you know from your past asked you for help; you would help. I bet if I said that I needed you, you would show up for me – as I know I would for you. Because this is who we are, truly. And it doesn’t have to be some grand gesture like someone risking their job to get me on a flight home. It’s offering directions to someone who doesn’t know where they are going. Holding a door open for anyone and telling them to take their time when they start their little run. It can be a smile to someone walking towards you. These are miracle moments we need to watch out for because the more we are conscious of them, the more they take place. I swear.
Now, can we take a moment to celebrate the fact that if you look around, there’s going to be someone nearby with a shoulder and a tissue for you to cry on? Can we smile about the fact that really, truly, we are one in the same, in the most important way.
Smiling,
P
]]>I believe that there is no earthly force stronger than the human will.
It is resilient.
It is divine.
I have been reminded over and over again of this force and it has drawn me to one conclusion.
You are never given anything that you cannot overcome.
On the mat:
Whether you're sweating your mat apart in a vinyasa class or squirming in a three-minute dragon lunge during yin, you have taught me something very important about the human will. I have put you in a physical pose (an asana) that is uncomfortable and that requires your one hundred percent focus and attention.
You are now in a place where you cannot be distracted by a phone, or a friend, or anything else.
You are here on your mat, in a position where you have no other choice but to show up for yourself.
I see the way you look at me when I tell you that you still have three more push-ups to go.
I see you when you feel like you want to cry in a stretch that you have only just arrived in.
But you stay, you breathe and you show up.
I see the strength of your will.
I see the power behind your eyes when you tell yourself to keep going. Even when a very loud part of your mind is wishing I would tell you to stop.
But you stay.
And you show up.
And I hope you understand the depth of this showing up.
I hope you see this showing up as your most important pursuit.
This showing up for yourself; this telling yourself that you can when you so badly want OUT, is truly a miracle.
We live in a world that pulls us away from ourselves every second of our waking lives. We zone out in front of screens, and engage in habits and behaviours that are not filling our cups.
Sometimes we spend time in places or with people that do not absolutely nourish our souls. We often find ourselves out of alignment or far away from our truth. Watching you not only show up for yourself, but choose yourself in a moment where you are truly challenged is such a miracle. You follow me to the uncomfortable place and you show up, fiercely, even though there's an open door waiting for you to leave and return to your world of distractions.
I see you when you want to throw in the towel and say that you have had it and you're finished. I have seen you in that vulnerability, and in that tiring. I witness your internal battle of whether you should stay or go, and then the moment I tell you that you can, and that you are able; I witness another miracle.
Suddenly you are back and willing once again.
You have awoken.
You breathe louder and you come into this knowing that you are not merely this mind or this body.
You are something rare and unique and much greater than the boundaries you live within.
Once again you have returned to show up for yourself.
This is the magic of the human will. And I know how strong it is because when I tell you that you can, you take my word for it. My word - the word of the least important breathing thing in the room - the word of (to most of you) a stranger.
We have the power to choose ourselves and to be strong and show up; but sometimes we need a whisper. A voice to reinforce what is true. A voice to tell you that you can when you are ready to throw in the towel. A voice that says what you already know you have deep down is still in there.
You can say yes. You can choose how you show up in a challenging moment. You have that power. Take my word for it, I watch people say yes to themselves for a living. I know it’s in there, and I know you can find it.
Your beautiful strength is within you, I promise. My dream for you is to hear yourself saying "I can" by cranking up the volume to your inner voice. I will help you practice making your inner voice stronger and louder on your mat so that when you are off your mat, you can show up for yourself just the same. I want you to witness the miracle that is you, and bask in your glory the way that I do when you show up in my room.
I want you to know the magnificence of the human will.
I want you to see it the way that I do.
I want you to understand that when you say you cannot, you are accepting a story.
I want you to know that the story you have accepted can be one where you say yes.
You can do hard things.
Use your trials as invitations.
Face your discomfort and overcome it.
Show yourself that you can in fact show up for yourself.
You are unstoppable.
The light in you is all I see.
In service,
P
]]>One thing that shocked me about being a yoga instructor is the monumental life lessons I learn from my students on a minute by minute basis. My own practice as a student is ALL about me! But teaching is not about me at all. In fact, as the guide to your practice I'm truly the least important breathing thing in the room. And as the least important breathing thing in the room, ironically, I feel so beyond privileged to be there because YOU all teach me so very much about the human condition. I was always the kid who asked the why question. I studied philosophy professionally for six years because I had so many "why's". I asked the questions that called upon people to really dig deep and look in and get uncomfortable. And the cool thing about my job now is observing how you navigate that ocean of discomfort. You are answering all my why questions one breath at a time.
Here's what I do in my class. Whether you're sweating your mat apart in a vinyasa class or you're cursing and squirming in a 3 minute dragon lunge during yin you have taught me something very important about the human will. I have put you in a physical pose (an asana) that is uncomfortable and that requires you're one hundred percent focus and attention. You are now in a place where you cannot be distracted by a phone, or a friend, or an errand. You are here on your mat in a position where you have no other choice but to show up for yourself. And hell do I ever understand how hard this is. I see the way you look at me when I tell you that you still have three more push-ups to go. I see you when you feel like you want to cry in a stretch that you have only just arrived in. But you stay, and you show up. Or you leave because you know it's just not for you. Whatever it is, I get to see the strength of your will. I get the see the power behind your eyes when you tell yourself to keep going. Even when a very loud part of your mind is wishing I would tell you to stop.
But you stay.
And you show up.
And I hope you understand the depth of this showing up.
I hope you see this showing up for yourself as your most important pursuit.
This showing up for yourself; this telling yourself that you can when you so badly want OUT, is truly a miracle in this world. We live in a world that pulls us away from ourselves every second of our waking lives. We zone out in front of screens, and engage in habits and behaviours that are not filling our cups. Sometimes we spend time in places or with people that do not absolutely nourish our souls. We are literally always being tempted and pulled away from ourselves! So watching you not only show up for yourself, but choose yourself in a moment where you are truly challenged is such a miracle. You follow me to the uncomfortable place and you show up, fiercely, even though there's an open door waiting for you to leave and back out.
And I have also noticed one other extraordinary miracle in this happening. I see you when you want to throw in the towel and say that you have had it and you're finished. I have seen you in that vulnerability, and in that tiring. I witness your internal battle of whether you should stay or go and then the moment I tell you that you can, and that you are able, I witness another miracle. Suddenly an energy zaps through you and you are alive and there and willing once again! You breathe louder and you are literally a bunch of Supermen and Wonder Women. Once again you have returned to show up for yourself. This is the magic of the human will. And I know how strong it is because when I tell you that you can, you take my word for it. My word - the word of the least important breathing thing in the room - the word of (to most of you) a stranger. This tells me one thing. We have the power to choose ourselves and to be strong and show up; but sometimes we need a whisper. Whether it's your yoga teacher or your barista at Starbucks who spells your name right on your morning latte. Someone to reinforce what is true. Someone to tell you that you can when you want to throw in the towel. Someone to tell you what you already know you have deep down is still in there.
Your beautiful strength is within you, I promise. My dream for you is to hear yourself saying "I can" by cranking up the volume on your inner voice. I will help you practice making your inner voice stronger and louder so that when you are not on your mat, you can show up for yourself just the same. So you can witness the miracle that is you, and bask in it's glory the way that I do when you show up in my room.
The light in you is all I see.
In service,
P
]]>Hello student,
I felt called to write you a love note because I want you to know that I will never take for granted the gift of being present for you and your practice. I am in awe of you. I am captured by the way you surrender to the mat after your first sigh. I am inspired by all the ways your body shapes itself to express the inner workings of your heart's desires. I am honoured to guide you into positions that physically challenge you enough to stare ego in the eye and release him. I have watched you tell him that you are strong and that you do not need him. I love the way you move to the beat of the song. I love the way you trust the rhythm of your breath when the music goes out. I love how in a room full of warriors you feel and flirt with the impact of soft, still, and quiet strength. I am humbled by the ways you surrender to touch and the way your body melts at the graze of my hand. I imagine this happens not because you trust me, but because when you are at home on your mat you trust the human connection; the touch of love and compassion. I am moved by your willingness to deepen and all the ways you tell yourself that you can, when you live in a world that tells you otherwise. I am proud of the times you step out. I love you for leaving a pose that does not serve you, your body, and your desires. In a world full of sheep, you are a lion. I am awakened by your unfolding.
Thank you for letting me bear witness to the impact of being brave and taking up your own space. Thank you for your prana; not only does it move you, it moves me as well. Thank you for your breath; your sound ignites fires within me and I could just listen forever. I love the way you so fluidly choose yourself when you step into the room.
Thank you for your journey home. Whomever you may be you are perfect, and I am honoured to share this space with you. Your practice is my teacher. Thank you for your laughter, your hugs and your tears. Thank you for honouring yourself and all of those around you. Thank you for your light. Thank you for allowing me to serve you.
Forever yours,
Parisa
In doing so I have embarked on a spiritual journey that helped me find this inner voice through modalities like yoga, life coaching, emotional freedom technique, meditations and mindful writing. Finding this inner voice and cranking up its volume has lead me to live my most empowered life, feeling connected, healthy, joyful and deeply loved.
My mission is to share with you all that I have learned throughout the years about what it means to live an EMPOWERED and MEANINGFUL life.
I am deeply committed to healing traumas, old wounds, and anything standing in the way of living an abundantly empowered, loving, and easeful life. With the time that we have in this life, let’s spend it together, finding and experiencing bliss.
Sign up at the bottom of the page to get weekly access to my blog and events, where I will share the latest workshops, courses, services and wellness tips that will lead you to your most blissful life.
Love,
P
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