Often times we wake up and go through the same motions each day like robots. We are so programmed and conditioned that we forget to fully wake up to the sensations of our bodies, to take conscious control over our thoughts and to truly LIVE our lives. Repeating the same things each day is not the same as living. To truly live means to take chances, to feel the ups and downs, to laugh and to cry. Because to live means to be vulnerable. To be vulnerable means to open your heart, and to do that we have to risk being hurt. But the alternative is to shrivel up and emotionally die and that is no way to live. Without growing, changing and continuing forward, stagnancy takes over and a numbness consumes us.

We are born to love. We are born to seek joy. So make time time for the ones you love. Everything else is just an excuse. Dig deep... what is it that you are really hiding from? Are you using work, alcohol, drugs, extreme workouts, seclusion, social media or sex to numb yourself? There are many ways that we mask our pain, but it's important to really live. Not to live comfortably numb. We only get so many days. Grab the ones you love. Find the passion in your heart. Take some time and do the things that set your soul aflame! THAT is what life is really about!

It's not about the money that you make or the things that you possess when you die. All of that is actually a burden in the end. So, cherish today. Live fully in this moment and make sure that you build the blocks and lay the proper foundation for where it is that you want to go. The key is to strike a healthy balance between being HERE NOW and taking steps in the direction of your biggest dreams and aspirations. Please, I am begging you to wake up and stop feeling comfortably numb. Life is a fantastic song so let's sing it and let the music wake us up and keep us moving along in life!

I hope this leaves you inspired to do something that you love, or say the things you have wanted to say to someone you love. It takes a lot of strength and courage to live authentically, but I promise you that it is the only TRUE way to live and feel your BEST. Not everyday will be great, but there is something wonderful in every day if you are open to the miracles that are happening around you. Go for your dreams! Feel your fire or tapas (from the Yoga Sutra) within! You are a burning beautiful person with a mission to live life to the fullest. What are you waiting for?

Wishing you an inspiring week,

Libby

We all face challenges at different points in our lives. It is how we manage the stress of these challenges that matters. The truth is what doesn't challenge us won't change us. And we ultimately grow stronger with each challenge that we conquer. But... As a whole, we are resistant to change. We resist change for two main reasons, in my humble opinion, and please feel free to comment below on how you feel! I feel we resist change because of fear and attachment to the outcome. The truth is without change there is no growth and without growth we remain stagnant.

We are taught as a society that quitting is giving up and that is a sign of failure. But many times it takes the most successful person to recognize that it is time to move on. I would rather call it surrender. Surrendering is far different from quitting. It means acceptance of what is without battling against what you thought it should be. It is the full release of the ego centered mind. It is a full letting go...

Anytime you feel stress, be it from a relationship, work, school, traffic, financial pressure, just surrender to what is and let it be. Breathe, release, let go. Sometimes this requires big life changes and breaking through major barriers of fear, but please believe me when I tell you it is so worth it! I have lived through this so many times in the past six months.

Most recently I closed my yoga studio. This was heartbreaking! At first I saw it as failure. Then I took some deep breaths and practiced everything that I truly believe from my years of yoga practice, spiritual studies and business lessons. I realized it was not at all a failure, but the beginning of the best journey of my life. My friends and family stepped up so beautifully, moving me out of the studio, showing up with meals and pies, hugs, notes... And this week a HUGE limb mysteriously crashed down in my backyard. It was not raining. There was no wind. Miraculously my dogs, who were playing in my yard, were not seriously injured or worse. It was a really close call for Luna, but she fortunately escaped unharmed. Anyway, my daughter's friend showed up without being asked, cut up the wood and hauled it away. He even cut my grass. These acts of kindness are the light at the end of the tunnel. Accept the kind acts of others, surrender pride and practice gratitude.

So you see, I never needed the studio. That was just the physical space that allowed me to bloom for a short period into who I am today. I can do my work anywhere, which is a liberating feeling. I am unbound and so aware of the miracles around me. I have let go of almost all fear (I am still human so...). I practice complete and full acceptance of myself and others and I welcome change. Surrendering to what is and what will be is my new motto because the truth is we are in control of very little. We can control our breath, our thoughts, our behavior toward others and our reactions and that's about it my friends!

Truly, I have been touched by the outpouring of support. Once I surrendered, I realized the difference between surrendering and quitting. I felt tremendous relief. Quitting implies failure. There was no failure in closing my studio. There is no failure in divorce. There is no failure in changing careers... Sometimes making a decision for change is the most courageous thing you can do to propell yourself toward upward growth. Surround yourself with like minded, positive, supportive people and everything will be ok. Listen to your intuition. Trust, trust, trust...

Faith & Hope,

Libby

PS, I hope you will watch the video below for many reasons. Music touches our souls and affects our emotions in many ways. The message is to simplify, which is so beautiful and is one part of the 8 limbs of yoga, which is non needing and non hoarding, which goes in line with the Yama of Aparigraha, and also in line with the Niyama of Santosa, which means contentment or being happy with what you have. Ultimately, once you realize you have all that you need, you will be a much happier person. Yoga is far more than a practice on the mat ;)

Do you Find Yourself Comfortably Numb in Daily Life?

Learning the Art of Surrender when Faced with Life's Challenges

Journey to the life you love is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA