Self-Denial = Over-Indulgence

Oftentimes in denying yourself pleasure you do but store the desire in the recesses of your being.
Who knows but that which seems omitted today, waits for tomorrow?
Even your body knows its heritage and its rightful need and will not be deceived.
And your body is the harp of your soul,
And it is yours to bring forth sweet music from it or confused sounds.


~Kahlil Gibran



I love the words of Kahlil Gibran, he was a wise spiritual mystic, who understood the human psyche very well. Have you ever denied yourself something that you wanted so desperately and although you were able to suppress the urges and temptation to give in, eventually you succumbed and did something you regret? This could apply to just about anything in life from overeating to sex and everything in between. We human beings are not very balanced by nature and we are by nature creatures of habit, and unfortunately those habits are oftentimes the absolute worst for our well-being.

I am a firm believer that self-deprivation is not such a good thing. More times than not by complete denial of desires when we do give in we over-compensate and then out of guilt, we give in completely causing even more damage. We can be taught how to enjoy pleasures without becoming consumed by them. Something as simple as chocolate, there was a time when I could eat an entire bag of Reese's Cups in one sitting and boy did I suffer for it later...It was usually after I had denied myself any sweets at all due to dieting. I have learned how work with my ego, so to speak. Think of it like this, if you take something away from a child they will generally throw a temper tantrum. We are much the same way as adults. So the logical thing to do would be to replace the thing taken away with something else more appropriate. My husband's grandmother made a practice of this when he was a child and the grandchildren would come to her house. She never had a problem with the little ones touching things because she always made available to them things that they could play with and when a child did touch something off limits, she never yelled, but was patient and treated that child with gentleness.

We need to treat ourselves much the same way my husband's grandmother treated him. Self-nurturing is essential to real lasting change. Our desires must be met and dealt with with care if we are to overcome the compulsions to over-indulge, thus throwing us out of balance. So now when I want a piece of chocolate, instead of having a bag of Reese's Cups lying around tempting me, I allow myself to indulge in a piece of the most decadent Godiva dark chocolate, and as silly as it may sound, while eating it I sit quietly with my eyes closed and consciously suck until every bit of it is absorbed into my senses. Yes, I call it the mouthgasm...hahaha. The point is that desires are there for a reason, they cannot be ignored. No matter how hard we try to, they come around eventually again and again. The secret, always have something available to appease that desire and never completely deny it. By doing this, over time the desperation diminishes and we gain control over the desire instead of the urges controlling us.

May you enjoy the pleasures in all of life. We are sensual creatures by nature, but like all good things, there will always be the opposite effect. The balance will never be realized in complete deprivation. So stop depriving yourselves and you will learn to master your life.


Love&Light,
Nirvani

Nirvani's Chia Seed Protein Green Shake

Nirvani's Chia Seed Protein Green Shake

Ingredients:

1 cup                Plain Coconut Milk
1/2 cup             Plain Yogurt
1 scoop             Whey Protein
1 cup                 Whole Oatmeal
3/4 cup              Frozen Blueberries
1 cup                 Organic Baby Spinach
1/2                     Organic Banana
1 Tbsp               Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp               Raw Organic Honey
                         Crushed ice

Blend all ingredients in blender. 2 Servings. Freeze remaining shake.

Approx. 325 calories per serving. Approx. 17g of protein per serving.

Sidenote: If you wish to cut down on calories, use skim milk and low cal yogurt.

Motivation

“People always ask me
"Son what does it take
To reach out and touch your dreams?"
To them I always say

Are you hungry?
Are you thirsty?
Is it a fire that burns you up inside?
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
Are you eating, sleeping, dreaming
With that one thing on your mind?
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
Cause if you want it all
You've got to lay it all out on the line”

~Tim McGraw

Crock Pot Vegetarian Potato Soup

Crock Pot Vegetarian Potato Soup

Ingredients: 

6 medium potatoes, chopped
1 lg. onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 dashes salt
4 dashes pepper
4 tbsp. Light Smart Balance
1 qt. Light soy milk
2 cloves garlic

Cut up potatoes (with skins), onion and celery. Put all ingredients into crockpot.

Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Serves 6

This soup is delish! 

Approx: 350 calories per serving

Weekly Challenge for Creating Good Habits

      Most of us are creatures of habit, unfortunately habits that stick the most are ones that do not necessarily benefit us healthwise. I have found that making small doable goals to create positive change are bound to stick rather than grandiose goals that last a week or two and then peter out.

For this weeks challenge I would like you to create a morning ritual. The reason I use the word ritual, is because it connotes something that is sacred or reverent. What you do everyday for your well being is of utmost importance. Exercising, cleaning, walking, driving...all of these activities should be approached with a mindful attitude. It helps us to become more aware of our daily actions, such as how much food we are stuffing our faces with:)

       So, create a morning ritual that can be done every morning without fail. Mine is to make my bed first, get ready to work out, and then I do 15 minutes of Kundalini Spinal Warmups (mentioned in an earlier post) I have been doing this now for well over a month and it is finally beginning to stick, although I am ever vigilant in my efforts. It can be something as simple as reading a quote from the Bible or Bhagavad Gita or a positive mantra. Whatever you choose to do, do it WITHOUT fail. Remember we are on a journey of self-transformation, we start by taking one step at a time, preferably baby steps!

Love&Light,

Nirvani

Weightloss vs. Hateloss

I was thinking about a blog post I read on a weightloss forum a few days ago...the young woman was talking about loving being fat and that she had no desire to be thinner, but did want to be healthy. She received both encouragement and negative response. I've been thinking about this for the last few days and how I feel about it and thought I would share my thoughts on being fat.

I can't say I am happy to be fat, as having excess body weight has added a slew of health issues for me. Such as high blood pressure, tiredness, pain on my joints and back, a thyroid issue, more fibromyalgia flare-ups...and these are to name just a few.

I've asked myself if I would be happier in a thinner body. From the health perspective probably yes, but it really is a matter of how you define happiness. Personally I think of happiness as a fleeting thing and no matter who fat or skinny I am I can never be happy all the time. There is always going to be times of sadness and discouragement in life. So if I base how I feel about myself on what the scale says it will always come up short.

I am not here to get skinny. I am here to transform my life. It does not matter how much weight I lose, if I am not happy with who I am on the inside I will never be quite satisfied with the outside. Unhappiness will follow me in a skinny body as well as a fat one. So I have decided to not be concerned with weightloss, or at least not gauge my success by how many pounds I lose each week, because frankly there are going to be times when no matter what I do the scale will not budge.

What I am concerned with is what am I doing to love myself more. I see eating healthy and exercising as a way of showing love to myself. You see, I can love myself no matter what size I am. I set goals not only for weighloss, but also for hateloss. That means letting go of all the crap in life that keeps me in a state of emotional unhappiness. Letting go of guilt, shame and self-loathing. Now don't get me wrong, it is much harder to loss self-hate than it is to lose weight. That is why you see so many unhappy thin people as well as fat.

My goals are based on what they can do for me not just in body, but in mind and spirit as well. Am I spending enough time alone by myself? Am I spending enough time with others? Am I spending enough time in Nature? Am I filling my days with uplifting and inspiring words and images? What am I filling my mind with, garbage and negativity (that includes what I tell myself on a daily basis) or am I filling my mind with things that will enhance my thoughts? Good books, music, art, culture...these are all things that add value to my life..am I serving others regularly? Am I taking time to pamper myself? Am I replacing negative self-analysis with positive mantras. Am I overindulging in things that can be harmful to me in mind, body and spirit. Hateloss as well as weightloss takes vigilance. We have to work at it every day, but we must always remember to be gentle with ourselves. Being gentle is part of loving ourselves. When I am gentle with me, I can allow myself to make mistakes and not just throw in the towel each time I do. Accepting that I will make mistakes makes not giving up much easier....this transformation is not a race...it is a journey...a long one at that. The key is finding happiness and joy in all the little successes along the way and forgetting about the end result. Losing weight is just a nice little perk. But losing self-hate is priceless.



Love&Light,

Nirvani

Happy Mother's Day!

   I am thoroughly enjoying my Mother's Day. Aside from my dear husband having to work, my children prepared a lovely breakfast for me, with lots of great perks...flowers, chocolate of course, a cute stuffed animal, silly cards and I should have expected the perpetual gag gifts I receive every year. I just have to share!

Yum! Poop and toilet bowl coffee...

My goofball children in cognito...

    I am very proud of myself today, almost lunchtime and I have not had one piece of chocolate yet! The best gift I could have received today is the one I gave myself. A 50-minute Goddess Belly Dance workout! I am going on Day 16 of my Goddess Workouts and am feeling fabulous! 

     I hope all of you beautiful Goddesses out there are pampering yourselves today. If you look at 

fitness and eating healthy as a gift to yourself it puts a whole new perspective on working out:)

Love&Light

Nirvani

Weekly Challenge for Creating Good Habits

 
    Change is never simple, especially when we have created habits over time that have become like barriers that take every bit of will power we have to break them down. When we think about them overall they seem insurmountable. The secret of success with creating change, in my opinion, is baby steps...nothing worthwhile was ever built overnight. I'm going to suggest one challenge every week that will help break down some of these barriers. These are things that have or are currently working for me in overcoming unproductive habits. I don't want to say bad habits, because frankly I believe everything in our lives, whether good or bad are there for the benefit of our overall spiritual growth.
      For this weeks Challenge: Get up every morning and the first thing you do is make your bed. If you do nothing else productive, make your bed, every single morning. Make it a habit! There is something very depressing about walking into a bedroom with an unmade bed. When my bed is made I always feel a bit uplifted when I walk in my bedroom. It makes me feel more positive. This may seem like a silly challenge to some, but I say try it for a week and see if it does not make a difference.
     
Love&Light
Nirvani

Let's Squat!

Good Morning Goddesses,

    I am on Week 2 of the Goddess Belly Dance workout and it is going incredibly well. I have more energy and feel great, aside from the regular muscle pain. I have decided to take on a 28 Day Squat Challenge....Today was Day 1...I will be checking in here regularly with my progress. I also did my weekly weigh-in and I am down another pound! I am upping the anti to two pounds a week, so it is time to really get on it. I track all my progress at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ and http://www.sparkpeople.com/, so if you would like to friend me on either site under Nirvani Teasley I would love some company. We can motivate and inspire each other! It seems as if everyone is on a fitness and health kick at my house right now...what a way to get ready for summer! Below is the Squat Challenge. I have decided to half the squats as my knees are having some pain. Feel free to jump in and take the challenge...You won't regret it!

   

Goddess Workout

Hello Fellow Goddesses!

    I have just started week three of my spinal kundalini yoga warms ups. The video is posted on my last post. As of today I am now performing each asana (yoga position) for two minutes. This is a great way to start each morning. I have also started a new workout that I am very excited about! It is Dolphina's Goddess Belly Dance Workout. I just finished up day three. It is a blast! I've always wanted to learn to belly dance and this is a great way to learn the moves and get a fantastic cardio workout. Below is the  warm up video I am using and you can find other videos on her youtube channel...She has quite a few so please feel free to try any of them. They are available for sale at her website Goddess Life or you can view them on Hulu, although with Hulu you will have commercial breaks throughout the routine.
   

   The spinal warm ups have been quite effective in strengthening my spinal region and my core, not to mention my digestive tract. A problem I have had in the past with exercise is overdoing myself and not listening more closely to what my body was telling me. I am working on listening to what my body needs and slowing down my pace. Some may feel that pushing your body to the brink is a good thing. I disagree with this, many people who workout out to extremes end up with injuries that put them down for weeks or even years. There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself past your comfort zone, but is is equally important to nurture yourself. Treat your body gently. It is the only one you have and is not indestructible.
    During a workout, if you are experiencing pain other than distinct muscle discomfort, this is a message your body is giving you to slow down. The hardest thing for me is patience. I want results now! It does not work like that. For optimum results it is best to start slow, taking baby steps and gradually increasing will ensure that you are making lifestyle changes, rather than taking on too much too soon and then throwing in the towel later on. We all know that feeling! Taking on too much and then giving up.

   

      To all of you Goddesses out there who are fighting the bulge like I am, it's time to take control. If you feel that you have made no progress at all, just getting up off the couch is half the battle. Remember, baby steps! If I can do it so can you! 

Love&Light,

Nirvani 

Starting Fresh....

Good Morning!

   It's been a while since I last posted and I must say a lot has happened since then. Not very much in the way of weight loss I am afraid, due to unforeseen sickness and health issues. But I am back and ready to start fresh. Today starts Day One to a New Me. I say a New Me because this is not just about weight loss, this is about transformation. Working from the inside out is really the only way to make lasting changes in our lives. I have begun to look at weight loss from a spiritual perspective, as I believe even my very mundane life is a sort of spiritual practice in itself.
   A dear friend of mine, well actually I see her more as a Soul sister, has graciously taken on the job of being my personal trainer. She is a woman who has beat the odds. With major health issues of her own and a weight problem, she turned her own life around with good nutrition and exercise (mainly yoga), and a healthy dose of meditation and spiritual practice, and now is at her ideal weight and healthier than she's ever been. She is a real inspiration to me and someone I know will hold me completely accountable.
     Having just recently begun to get over a terrible bout of the flu, which did quite a number on my health, she has me starting very slow. I will be menu planning and recording calories through My Fitness Pal. The only thing she wants me to focus on this week is creating order in my home, light housework. An uncluttered house equals an uncluttered mind! This might be a challenge in itself when living in a household with five other adults and a three-year-old:) Also I am to do a set of five kundalini yoga poses for back strengthening every day this week. Here is the video for the poses, in which I am spending only one minute per pose on each equaling 10 minutes of yoga time only. This is a great start for anyone who has back issues and beginning yoga.

   AnmolMehta.com is the link with additional information on each of the five poses and their benefits. If you would like to take on this challenge with me please do! This would be great for anyone who is just starting out like I am. Creating lasting change in our lives is never an easy thing to do...but it can be done with enough motivation and will power and most important is to take baby steps and be gentle with ourselves.

Namaste,
Nirvani

Some Monday Motivation....

     Need some inspiration...here ya go! The words that stand out the most to me are WILL POWER! It may be an uphill battle but eventually it will level out and become easier and easier....so stop making excuses and just get out there...take a few steps if that is all you can muster, but do something...anything...I promise you will never regret it:) If you are tired of fat cramping your style it's time to take some control. Remember it did not take you a day or a week or even a month to gain that weight....it will take time and determination and consistency to get rid of it....and for those skinny minis out there who may feel no need to exercise....remember skinny does not automatically equal healthy...you need to get your patoodies out there too;) So lets get get it on because this fat is seriously cramping my style!

Love & Light,

Nirvani

Ayurvedic Cooking....

     Over the last year I have been studying Ayurveda off and on and ordered this fabulous Ayurvedic cookbook a while back. I have tried several of the recipes and love them! I highly recommend this book as it is not just a recipe book, but a guidebook as well on Ayurvedic principles for modern living. For those of you who are not familiar with Ayurveda:


Ayurvedic medicine is a system of healing that originated in ancient India. In Sanskrit, ayur means life or living, and veda means knowledge, so Ayurveda has been defined as the "knowledge of living" or the "science of longevity." Ayurvedic medicine utilizes diet, detoxification and purification techniques, herbal and mineral remedies, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, and massage therapy as holistic healing methods. Ayurvedic medicine is widely practiced in modern India and has been steadily gaining followers in the West.


According to the original texts, the goal of Ayurveda is prevention as well as promotion of the body's own capacity for maintenance and balance. Ayurvedic treatment is non-invasive and non-toxic, so it can be used safely as an alternative therapy or along-side conventional therapies. Ayurvedic physicians claim that their methods can also help stress-related, metabolic, and chronic conditions. Ayurveda has been used to treat acne, allergies, asthma, anxiety, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, colds, colitis, constipation, depression, diabetes, flu, heart disease, hypertension, immune problems, inflammation, insomnia, nervous disorders, obesity, skin problems, and ulcers.
Ayurvedic physicians seek to discover the roots of a disease before it gets so advanced that more radical treatments are necessary. Thus, Ayurveda seems to be limited in treating severely advanced conditions, traumatic injuries, acute pain, and conditions and injuries requiring invasive surgery. Ayurvedic techniques have also been used alongside chemotherapy and surgery to assist patients in recovery and healing.

(Read more at http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/ayurvedic+medicine)

I will be sharing various recipes each week that I have tried and will rate them for you. I will be starting an actual Ayurvedic study program to become a certified Ayurvedic specialist.  I hope that you will gain as much from this incredible 'Science of Life'  medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years in India and is now making its way into Western Medicine. 

Love & Light,

Nirvani

I'm back!!

Hello Friends!

      Sorry I have been absent for a while... I have been enjoying some badly needed solitude and it has been wonderful! I have discovered that I actually do have a life outside of the internet...hehehe...In the near future I will be sharing more videos and posts of my adventures of this crazy journey of transformation I am travelling. I have no intention of  making this blog only about physical fitness. I intend to share my thoughts and feelings and experiences in all avenues from the physical to the spiritual. One thing I have learned on this journey thus far is that if you hope to lose weight and get fit you must address all of the issues that brought you to this place. Gaining weight is more times than not the side effect of much deeper issues than just the lack of exercise and poor nutrition. Yes, those are two very important issues to address, but if one hopes to transform one's life for the better, it is essential to fix the whole person in mind, body, and spirit. That is when you see real change. The kind that lasts a lifetime!
    I have been deeply engaged in a daily meditational and spiritual practice over the last month and will be sharing my experiences here with you all. So stay tuned because if you are anything like me this fat is seriously cramping my style!

Love & Light,
Nirvani

Distorted Thinking....

       I found this while browsing Tumblr this morning and thought it well worth sharing. I can definitely see myself falling into at least half of these patterns. Distorted thinking creates more havoc in a person's life than just about anything. Frankly, we are what we think. I believe I will print this out and post in on my bathroom mirror and on my refrigerator. 
       Learning to control our thought patterns is not as hard as you might think. The key is in the consistency in which you use to change or rid yourself of negative and potentially harmful thoughts. Learning how to look at these thought patterns without bias and then,(this is very important) replacing them with positive thoughts is absolutely essential to real change. Just as it can be a habit of always thinking negatively, it is a learned behavior to overcome distorted thinking. As my spiritual teacher has conveyed to me time and time again, it is about getting 'real' with yourself. We often believe we are wearing masks for other people to protect ourselves, when in reality we are wearing a mask even for our own self. 
      I began removing some of those masks when I started this blog and admitted to myself and the world, for that matter, that I was in dire need of a transformation of sorts, in mind, body, and spirit. It feels good when you get 'real' with yourself. Initially it can be quite uncomfortable, but when you have, at least for me, you get this incredible feeling of empowerment. So, let's get on with the transformation, because this fat is seriously cramping my style! 

 Love and Light,
 Nirvani

Full Body Glory Baby!

Hey there friends! This is NOT an easy video to share, seeing how uncomfortable I am with my self image at the moment. So if I seem a little nervous or reluctant you might understand why. I had some blood work done the other day and come to find out my thyroid levels are high. This might explain why I am not losing the weight that I would normally be losing at the level of exercise I have been engaging in. I will most likely be starting medication for that this week. Hopefully we will see some results within a few weeks with weight loss and energy levels. Nothing's gonna get this girl down because this fat is seriously cramping my style! Love & Light, Nirvani

Benefits of Walking...

Good Morning Friends,

      I want to share a little bit with you about the benefits of walking. Not running, just brisk walking. If I am tired or sleepy and feeling lethargic in my mind and body, I just throw on my walking shoes and head out the door for a quick brisk walk around the block. I always come back feeling energized and upbeat. Walking is so gentle on your body and there is much less chance of injury, as opposed to running. Walking saves tons of money in gym fees. You can walk virtually anywhere, and if you feel you do not have the time to workout, statistics have proven that three 10 minute brisk walks is equivalent to a full 30 minute workout. Many studies have shown that walking regularly improves sexual stamina, especially in women between the ages of 45-55, with improved sexual satisfaction reported.
      Walking can get you off medications, as studies have shown that those who walk regularly are less likely to take drugs for pain. Many studies have shown that sufferers of fibromyalgia reported much less pain after walking for several weeks. I can attest to this one, as I suffer from fibro. It is amazing how much walking as improved my quality of life. The key is to walk consistently. It is very beneficial to walk longer distances at least once a week. Walking will help you to feel less tired and is a natural high for those suffering from depression. It raises the level of serotonin in the brain.
         Many studies have shown that walking helps women beat breast cancer and have a higher survival rate than those women who are sedentary. Walking reduces chance of stroke in both men and women, so studies have shown.  Many statistics have shown that walking actually reduces chance of dementia. So you can see that walking has many benefits toward good mental and physical health. If you are like me, I prefer walking to running, and the more you walk the more calories you burn. I suggest you find several different walking routes, to keep you motivated and less likely to become bored of routine. I not only listen to music during my walks, but I also listen to favorite talks and Indian sanskirt mantras I like. You can listen to an audio book or you may prefer to walk in silence and just listen to the sounds of nature. Mindfulness walking is a wonderful way to meditate and exercise, by just focusing your attention on your feet and the path directly in front of you, although I suggest you only do this in an area that is completely safe to do so.
      So let's put on our walking shoes and get our big fat glorious bodies out there and get to walking! If you are anything like me , this fat is seriously cramping my style!

Love and Light,
Nirvani

Introduction Video...

I was going to wait to post this video and actually redo it as it was my very first record, but something told me to post it:) Maybe it was to show my viewers that this is the real me...just like any other struggling (cough cough) middle-aged woman. I have a feeling one day I will look back on this video and compare it to some future video where I am amazingly transformed and will say "Wow, that was me in the very beginning of my journey of transformation, look how far I've come!" So here you go....I hope you will stick around for the final take...off to my dressing room now, I've got work to do...it's not easy becoming a star you know;) Love and Light, Nirvani