The Yoga & Meditation Lounge: Recent Episodes
Ashleigh Stewart
There is a natural influence of the seasons and how they affect us. In winter there is a pull to stay in, go within, warm up, and rest more. Consider the natural characteristics of this season, shorter days, less light, longer darker nights, and colder air. Nature is almost forcing us to retreat inward under these circumstances.
I have created a winter release mini-meditation that is as relaxing, as it is impactful in your life. Engaging in small meditations like this one helps you to prepare your subconscious landscape to let go of the old, ready to embrace new experiences into your life, all through the creative power of your imagination.
The mind does not differentiate between what is real and what is not real, it just sees what is focused there. So when you hold a vision in your mind, along with a feeling in your heart the subconscious mind registers this as the new reality.
As long as you do not come back and start focusing again on what is old, and being let go of, the integration of the new experience in your mind can begin and it will soon begin to manifest into your actual life experience. This is how you can harness and use your creative power of your mind to its greatest potential.
I hope you enjoy this imaginative, yet relaxing winter's release meditation I have created, just for you!
Ashleigh xo
Yoga nidra means psychic sleep, or in other words ‘sleep with full awareness’. During yoga nidra the body sleeps, but the mind remains awake listening to the guided instructions.
Yoga nidra is a powerful, ancient form of guided meditation from the school of tantric yoga. The practice of yoga nidra induces deep restful relaxation and healing of the body, mind and spirit. Unlike regular yoga practice where you move your body through a series of postures, yoga nidra is done lying down on the floor, or sitting in a chair and keeping the body still.
Yoga nidra is one of the yogic practices of 'Pratyahara', which means withdrawal of the mind from the sensory experience. It is a profound experience where conscious awareness is internalized, and your body becomes completely relaxed. It is a practice that is not commonly taught in mainstream yoga classes, it is mainly reserved for specialized classes or workshops.
The benefits of yoga nidra are immense, and students of all levels can enjoy it. Even as a beginner, you will soon develop the mental discipline required to keep your mind engaged and focused in the exercise without feeling too restless.
The yogic goal of both paths, yoga nidra and meditation are the same, to reach a state we yogi's call 'samadhi'. Samadhi is a state of oneness, the perfect union of the soul with the infinite divine spirit. It is the complete absorption of self with the divine, and a turning away from the illusions of the physical world. Samadhi is the ultimate goal of the yogi.
Yoga Nidra is hands down, one of my favorite yoga practices. It is a deeply restful exercise, of which its effect is a state of being of which, can help you cultivate feel a deep sense of calm relaxation.
Maintaining a feeling of calm amidst of the hustle and bustle the day can be challenging, considering the amount of stress people are subjected to these days. It's become a normal, albeit 'unhealthy' part of the daily grind. A practice like yoga nidra would be deeply beneficial for both body and mind alike, when it comes to curbing the negative effects of stress upon the body, mind and emotions.
Cultivating your daily mental and physical wellness is worth a shot, no matter how busy you are, and getting feelings of stress and anxiety under control and is definitely attainable. However, you have to commit small daily actions that will steer you toward your wellbeing. Yoga nidra can help you, and it really doesn't take much effort! All you have to do is rest.
I know how challenging it can be to allow yourself to rest in this action oriented world, and developing a practice of letting go, and allowing in periods of deep rest in body and mind really is an art. It's a practice. It is necessary, to allow yourself periods of stillness and quietude. I have learnt over the years, that action that I made from a place of alignment, from restful stillness first, produces more inspired and desirable results. This way of being/doing is quite the opposite of what we have been taught. To hustle and grind.
If you are interested in knowing more about yoga nidra, and want to try it for yourself, then stay tuned for my meditation program due to be released soon. It will definitely feature a guided yoga nidra meditation for you to try. Don't miss it!
Until next time....
Be Realistic, Daydream often.
Ashleigh XO
Nothing speaks to self love like a goal does. I mean, having a goal and actually investing your time, energy and commitment into working on it means you love yourself enough to care about nurturing things you are passionate about, while feeling good about your personal sense of accomplishment.
I was so inspired to created this broadcast for you, as there has never been a greater time for setting new personal goals as now. I am opening up and been brutally honest about my own experience of having my own goals taken from me this year, how the perfection syndrome has affected me from completing many of my own goals, and how I turned it around with a change of perspective to use my fear to drive me instead of holding me back. For example, I was once judged by a well known yoga establishment for teaching 'too advanced and too philosophical' yoga classes. Because I cared so much about being the most perfect, and the best yoga teacher, I allowed that judgement to shut me down. As a result I was afraid to teach yoga classes for several years, and only taught kids classes, fertility yoga, and privately as a result. It was a tragic in my eyes, but that was the past and this is now.
This year has exposed us all to a new reality. One that is teeming with uncertainty and confusion. We have been moved out of our comfort zones into unfamiliar territory. We have witnessed familiar routines, plans, even day to day life unravel in front of our eyes beyond our control. As a result many of us are now living in a chronic state of fear, anxiety and even depression. In spite of the heaviness of the last few months, I am remain an optimist, and feel that this time can be an asset, even a gift to those who are ready to shift their perspective and look at life from a new and broader view.
I am interested in astronomy and my partner and I walk on clear nights by the ocean, tracking star constellations with a star tracker app on my phone. I was always able to see the star formations with my app, yet with my naked eye could not seem to make out the patterns and identify which constellation was what, until last night. I looked up into the sky and kept the whole sky in my gaze, instead of trying to hard to single out one aspect of it and there it was, clear as the night sky itself, the obvious constellations staring back at me. If only I had widened my perspective to a wider view I would have seen them all along! This reminded me of how many of us miss out on bigger picture perspectives that lead to opportunity when we insist on viewing life from one limited perspective.
We are in a time now where we really have no choice but to widen our view of our life, who we are and our potential. It is more empowering to look to the possibility that a new perspective can bring, instead of allowing yourself to be crippled by fear and feelings of helplessness while everything else seems out of control. You can take charge of your life and your direction by establishing new goals for yourself, even if they are small ones. Having a goal of your own helps you to root back into feelings of perspective, focus, purpose, passion, fulfillment and ultimately success in your life. You are certainly entitled to enjoy feeling this way.
As a human being we thrive on ritualist behavior, and we feel secure in familiar situations. Establishing a daily routine can be done when you have goals. As you work toward accomplishing those goals each day, it establishes that ritual we so often depend upon to instill feelings of familiarity, safety, being grounded, and just that something we need to root our attention and intention rooted into.
If what I am saying resonates with you and you are not ready to give up on yourself in 2020. If you are feeling hopeful about the possibility of setting some new goals for yourself today, right now then make sure you check out 'Goal Setter, Go Getter'.
This are the eleven main components of what is covered:
-
Our brain wires itself from in routine. This is one of the ways that working toward a goal helps us grow and develop.
-
A goal creates a point of focus that we can root into. It creates a sense of being grounded when everything else feels out of control.
-
I am honest about how being a perfectionist sadly prevented me from fulfilling many my goals, and how it can affect you too.
4, How society, the entertainment industry, and social media set an unrealistic, often unattainable standard of perfection which leads to feelings of failure before you even start to embark on your goals.
-
How to create a goal when you have none, or even any idea where to begin.
-
The simplicity of everyday goals.
-
Goal setting from fashion to finance, fitness to water consumption, diet to appearance, and love to parenting and relationships.
8.Goal setting from a Soul perspective. The Soul needs a goal as it is in our spiritual nature to seek growth and personal expansion.
-
Mistakes as the foundation of growth. They are essential and a fundamental part of it.
-
The perfection syndrome. Identifying it as resistance and fear disguise, and how to redefine that fear to drive you in the attainment of your goals.
-
Finally, how to set goals, stay accountable, remain committed and consistent in their completion.
Are you ready to shift gears, and set a goal for your life today? You deserve it and are totally worth the effort! if you don't know where to begin or what to aim for don't worry, I've got your back! Sign up now to listen in to the free training and trust me, you will feel revived and pumped to get started working on investing YOU all over again! I'll see you inside!
Love,
Ashleigh xo
I have been taught, and also experienced that healing crisis is where when you are embarking on a journey of healing, transformation and growth and you are reestablishing new beliefs, thoughts patterns and actions to support that change, yet the natural inclination of the subconscious mind is to keep holding you in that old familiar pattern because change, is well scary at times.
That being said, I have come to recognize that the true healing crisis is not in the power of the mind to keep you back, but when you keep yourself back. This is the true healing crisis.
To me the true healing crisis is where we willingly disregard our own ability to look for and choose positive focus, appreciation and what is good in a new direction, while blaming everything, everyone else for what's wrong in their world. I know this to be true because I have been there and done it all myself.
We have the power to choose, to think, feel and to focus differently in new and more powerful directions that could be centered in love, good feeling, appreciation and unity with others, and this is the true catalyst for healing to take place in any situation.
We may be facing dark times at the moment, but never has there been a greater time to put this into practice and see just how powerful you can be for yourself.
Give it a try for a week, then let me know how it goes!
Love,
Ashleigh
In this episode I am discussing the inspiration behind my podcast, and of how such times of global uncertainty, heightened anxiety, fear and depression that many people are experiencing as a result of it, have created a great opportunity turn inward and connect our true source of sustenance and stability, our own Soul consciousness.
This meditation is suitable for all levels, and will guide you to an experience of deep relaxation that is centered in feelings of ease and peace.
If you are ready to turn away from the world awhile, and are tired of feeling frazzled, and out of control with everything that is going on, then it is time to take charge of your vibe right now and listen to this beautiful meditation lesson RIGHT NOW!
I hope you enjoy it! Let me know in the comments!
Ashleigh
I felt inspired to talk about freedom as an inside job as I explored my own feelings of fear and confusion as we witness the world, society, and ultimately the system as we know it dismantling before us.
Freedom is an inside job is a discussion about how we can begin to understand that freedom is a state of being that can be independent of physical situations or conditions, depending on how we look at it, and how I fully trust and believe that stripping down of the system as we know it is just in time for the evolution of conscious from one that is physically focused (3D) into one that is more mentally focused (5D) as we explore the power of perception and how the mind can create a different experience of feeling and reality when we focus and think differently.
This podcast episode is not for or against any of the movement we are seeing with the current events we are facing, but more of an encouragement to embrace change from a perspective of love instead of fear, and how struggle can be a great opportunity for growth. I am not fighting against anything, anyone or any system, quite the opposite in fact and you will hear about how I learnt that the hard way when I was writing my doctorate dissertation on the subject of 'Society's Attention Deficit Disorder' my pushing against the ADHD diagnosis, and drugging of children.
I hope you enjoy The Mind Trip #5 Freedom is an Inside Job.
The Dark Side is an continuation of episode #3's discussion on the function of the subconscious mind, how it influences your reality, and how it is programmed and reprogrammed. We also looked at how meditation is the superpower when it comes to consciously harnessing the mind's creative power. No conversation about the subconscious mind, and positive focus of the mind is complete without exploring the dark side of the mind.
In episode #4 I am talking about resistance, how it shows up, it's purpose in our expansion, and how we can shift our perspective of it to empower us and help propel us in the direction of conscious growth, transformation, change and evolution.
We've all felt resistance. It has grabbed us, choked us, slowed us down, crippled us mentally, emotionally, sometimes even physically, and in most cases it has prevented us from moving forward toward the things we truly desire.
Join me in in #4 The Dark Side in an honest look at the dark side of the mind, and at how I have experienced it both personally in my own life, and witnessed it professionally with my students from the viewpoint of being an observer, and a guiding light though it. Check it out!
Meditation to Mastery is a discussion about how you can access, harness and program the creative power of your mind through meditation.
In this episode I discuss some of the common misconceptions about meditation, what it is and what the goal of meditation is. I also look at common challenges with cultivating an effective meditation practice, and how understanding the nature of the mind, and how we as human beings habitual in nature can overcome them.
Here I talk about how you can develop a simple, yet disciplined practice that will help you be more intentional and deliberate in your thinking. This is a power way to help you establish new energetic momentum in terms you creating, and living a life that is truly aligned with who you truly want to be, how you feel inspired to live, and the things you want to accomplish, in a life that is anchored in feelings of happiness and true appreciation.
This episode was inspired by a look at how my broken laptop triggered an unplanned for discussion on the subconscious mind. This incident had me thinking about the nature of the subconscious mind, and how our unconscious resistance can influence reality in ways we cannot measure, other than by witnessing the results that show up in our life, through our experiences and what happens in our environment.
The Mind is Everything is the first discussion of a new series of conversations I plan to have with you about the power of the subconscious mind, how we can dissect how it works, how it is programed, and how we can reprogram it to affect and influence the way we create our own reality in a deliberate and intentional way.
What does it mean to surrender? Anyone with their five cents worth of knowledge from their spiritual reads, yoga classes, meditation classes and new age practices and will have heard the word 'surrender' over and over again, but what does it really mean? At a glance, it would appear that surrendering would be a contradiction of sorts if I have to give in to something while going after something I really want. This episode is a discussion on the essence of what it really means to surrender in light of wanting change, and how you can do so without giving over your power by giving in, giving up or giving out.