Giving Grief Meaning: A Method for Transforming Deep Suffering into Healing and Positive Change

Giving Grief Meaning: A Method for Transforming Deep Suffering into Healing and Positive Change is a gem of a book. Lily Dulan’s debut book is part memoir, part self-help. She starts by telling the heart-wrenching of losing her two-month-old daughter, Kara, after a complicated pregnancy, after a long fertility journey. Dulan’s voice is raw and honest. She doesn’t gloss over the excruciating pain that comes with such a profound loss, the disorientation, or the lingering sadness. Dulan walks us through her specific circumstance in a way that make her experience universal. She touches on relatable themes like sobriety, marriage, bonding, friendship, and spirituality, to name a few.

Dulan comes to make sense of her loss initially by capturing Kara’s spirit through assigning concepts to each of the letters in her name. It’s a unique tool for enriching her daughter’s memory, but also discovering meaning her existence. Applied to suffering of any kind, The Name Method is a powerful way to process our pain and bring our darkness into the light. Dulan’s model can even be applied to our own self-realization.

She says, “The beautiful and challenging part of The Name Work is that exploring the qualities in the letters of your chosen name gives you the opportunity to discover parts of yourself that you normally don’t hold under a microscope. Working with the qualities you unearth is a good way to map out what you want for your life.”

The Name Work

I’ll show you how this works by applying The Name Method to the author’s name.

D—Deep.

Dulan doesn’t skim the surface. She goes to the depth of her existence, mining for meaning and nuggets of wisdom, which she then offers up to her readers.

U—Understanding.

She has a grasp on her subject matter. She’s well read, knowledgeable, and speaks with insight on the nature of her own humanity.

L—Loving.

Open-hearted and compassionate, she writes from a desire to be helpful and affirming to her readers.

A—Action.

She walks her talk. This isn’t a book of conceptual theories that go in one ear and out the other. Dulan offers actionable steps to lead you down your own personal healing road.

N—Normal.

Dulan is just like us. Rather than instructing from the front of the room, she sits alongside of us, wiping our noses, holding our hands, and holding space for finding our own meaning.

In addition to The Name Method, Dulan shares a curated list of specific healers, leaders, and teachers, to modalities, companies, and institutions. With this, Giving Grief Meaning is a treasure trove of supportive resources for your healing journey. Thoughtful, thorough, and inspiring, Dulan peppers her chapters with questions and prompts for reflection and exploration, perfect for journaling or meditation. Whether you receive her book as a compelling memoir, a way to recover from grief, or a method of self-discovery, Dulan delivers beautifully. The generosity with which she shares her inner world results in a level of intimacy not always found in the kind of book that offers a practical methodology for healing and transformation. In this way, and so many others, Lily Dulan and her book are quite special.

Zoe Kors

Zoë Kors is a writer, speaker, and coach. She is the founder of The Big Libido, Pussy Project, and other programs which cultivate a women’s rights, empowerment, and self-expression. Zoë is the former Senior Editor and Creative Director of LA Yoga Magazine and Origin Magazine. She is a certified Co-Active Coach and has a thriving private practice. Zoë’s work reflects her extensive study of Tantra, Zen Buddhism, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and other Eastern disciplines, which she blends with more process-oriented modalities of Western psychotherapy and Co-Active Coaching. http://www.zoekors.com

www.zoekors.com

The post Giving Grief Meaning appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

On the recommendation of a friend, Chani Nicholas read my astrological chart many years ago before she was famous. There was something in the way Chani spoke to me that had a big impact. It wasn’t the planets and stars she was teaching me about. She was teaching me about me.

I’ve been following her ever since, drinking up every drop of wisdom she offers through her multiple platforms online and now in the form of her first book, You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance.

Nicholas writes, “Radical self-acceptance means understanding that we were made exactly as we were meant to be.”

In tandem with her book release, she launched a module on her website where you can pull your birth chart. As she puts it, your birth chart is a snapshot of the sky the moment you took your first breath. Focusing on three key aspects—your sun, your moon, and your ascendant—Nicholas serves each reader the wisdom of their own personal blueprint with affirmations, reflective questions, and journal prompts for further exploration.

Chani Nicholas is such a phenomenal thinker, feeler, and writer that I would read her shopping list if she published it. But make no mistake, this book is a treasure in its life-affirming ability to inspire self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and self-love.

As she says in big letters on the back cover, “Astrology is a relentless reminder that we are the way we are on purpose. And that who we are has purpose. Has Value. Has within it a blessing. The setbacks, difficulties, and challenges we face are all a part of what make us unique.”

Zoe Kors

Zoë Kors is a writer, speaker, and coach. She is the founder of The Big Libido, Pussy Project, and other programs which cultivate a women’s rights, empowerment, and self-expression. Zoë is the former Senior Editor and Creative Director of LA Yoga Magazine and Origin Magazine. She is a certified Co-Active Coach and has a thriving private practice. Zoë’s work reflects her extensive study of Tantra, Zen Buddhism, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and other Eastern disciplines, which she blends with more process-oriented modalities of Western psychotherapy and Co-Active Coaching. http://www.zoekors.com

www.zoekors.com

The post You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Photo by Jeff Skeirik

Soccer is called, “The Beautiful Game.” The origin of the term is disputed, but when the legendary Brazilian soccer player, Pelé, titled his autobiography, My Life and the Beautiful Game, the phrase became a ubiquitous description for soccer.

Part of what makes soccer beautiful is the certain kind of magic that takes place in the open structure of the game. Unlike other sports such as football and hockey, soccer’s clock never stops. It runs for two 45-minute halves. Even when there is a player down, there are no time-outs. Then at the end of each half, the referee declares additional “stoppage time” on the clock to compensate for any interruptions in play due to injuries or disputes.

In addition to this freedom of time, there are few physical restrictions. With the exception of minimal shin guards and cleats (and gloves for the goalkeeper), the players (two teams of 11 each) are unencumbered by bulky equipment. They wear no protective gear, and there are no bats, no mitts, no sticks—just 44 feet and a ball. With such simplicity built in, both physically and philosophically, there is room for the kind of spontaneity and synchronicity that feels magical.

Soccer is a game of opportunity rather than being a fast-paced, high-scoring game. The pros might argue with me, but as a spectator, the pace is more meditative than driving, more fluid than strategic. The vast majority of advancements across the field don’t result in a goal. But when the opportunity presents itself, the players better be ready. It takes a combination of skill and focus to place the ball in the back of the net. The conditioning and training individual players and the team participate in is intense. I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes and spend the day with members of the LA Galaxy soccer team to learn more about what it takes to play this game well and even become a soccer legend.

LA Galaxy and the Beautiful Game

LA Galaxy was one of the original eight teams that started Major League Soccer in the US in 1996. To this day, LA Galaxy is one of the league’s most-decorated, with five MLS Cups, four Supporters’ Shields, and two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups. The club has appeared in a record nine MLS Cups, and won the Western Conference regular season title eight times. In 2007, they signed English soccer legend, David Beckham, changing the face of U.S. Soccer with the most high-profile transaction in MLS at that time. LA Galaxy was also home to legend Landon Donovan, who remains the most-scoring player in the league.

In 2017, LA Galaxy faced one challenge after another. By the end of the season, they had failed to advance to the MLS Playoffs for the first time since 2008, the year Bruce Arena arrived in the position of head coach. The 2017 season started without Arena, who had moved on to coach the U.S. team in their run for a spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Curt Onalfo, the head coach of LA Galaxy II (the minor league team) was promoted to Arena’s vacated spot, but departed halfway through the season as the team was visibly struggling. It didn’t help that seven key players suffered injuries that affected their ability to play.

After Onalfo departed, he was immediately replaced by accomplished and respected coach, Sigi Schmid, who happens to be the team’s original head coach. In the off-season, Schmid rolled up his sleeves and rebuilt the team as devoted fans stood by and watched, saying goodbye to some of their favorite players in the name of rebirth and recovery. The 2018 season opens with a reconfigured team and a fresh start at StubHub Center in Carson on Sunday March 4 against Portland Timbers. The team has been training intensely in preparation.

Soccer as a Meditative Game

One of the things I have always loved about The Beautiful Game is its meditative nature. Patience and stamina are required skills. Emerson’s famous words, “The journey is the destination,” applies here. A trip down the pitch is often most inspiring in the artistry of a perfect pass, exemplary footwork, the confluence of circumstances that may or may not conclude in a point on the scoreboard. But when it happens, the physical and mental endurance pay off.

Pierre Barrieu, Director of LA Galaxy Sports Performance, feels confident heading into the 2018 season. He says, “We have a hard cardiovascular conditioning regimen. From my experience, the players who complete this kind of intense training eventually benefit not only from the fitness standpoint, but from a mental standpoint as well. It gives them confidence and they feel that they have an edge over players who haven’t trained so hard.” He went on to say, “I never dissociate the mental and physical because they go hand in hand. The higher the level of play, the more focus is required.”

The Frequency of Peak Performance

Player Sebastian Lletget has a lot to say about the importance of mental acuity and the role it plays in his own recovery. One of the sport’s rising stars, Lletget was called up to the U.S. National Team against Honduras in March 2017 and ended up with a Lisfranc fracture of his left foot, in which the metatarsal bones are displaced from the tarsus. The injury and subsequent surgery kept him off the field for the rest of the season. “This game is 95% mental. Five percent is physical and that’s important, but 95% of this game is between the ears,” he explained. “This is why we have psychologists and things that we have to do prior to games in order to get attuned to that frequency of peak performance.”

I asked him about the nature of the mentality. Is it confidence, focus, presence? He said, “You gain all of those things before you even hit the field. The game starts long before you step on the field. It starts when you get in your car to drive to the stadium, not just when the whistle blows.”

Photo by Jeff Skeirik

Mindset Beyond the Game

What Sebastian is telling me is that there is a mindset that extends way beyond the actual game. Baggio Husidic, who happens to be the team’s sole vegan, concurs. He says, “Soccer is such a small part of my life if you look over the whole picture. My compassionate way of living and eating and thinking is for the longevity of my life, the environment, and to leave a good picture for my son and future generations. From the outside in, it might look like I live a vegan lifestyle for peak performance, but it just happens that my lifestyle and mindset benefit my game.”

My own 21-year-old daughter conquered some chronic health issues by adopting a 100% plant-based diet. One of the myths of veganism is that it’s hard to get enough protein. Baggio explains, “I think the protein question is just something people are used to asking. My breakfast alone has 20 grams of protein. My main sources are lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds. That alone provides more than enough protein. The thing I do have to watch with a plant-based diet is my Vitamin B12 level. I have zero deficiencies, and I have one of the lowest cholesterol levels on the team.”

I asked him about endurance as if it would be more of a challenge for him. It’s actually just the opposite. “The biggest difference for me is endurance. A big part of that is recovery. I eat so many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods, and that’s pretty much the key to recovering the muscles. I recover very well. Without the dairy and meat in my diet, when I go to sleep, instead of digesting it’s actually detoxing and recovering my body. I get plenty of sleep and deep sleep.”

Photo by Jeff Skeirik

Recovery and Diet

Brooke Ellison, the team’s Sports Performance Dietician, shared with me how complex it is to feed the team. “My approach is very personalized. Soccer is a demanding and dynamic sport. I do have to take into consideration the different positions and the demands of each positions. I’ll talk to a midfielder differently than I talk to a goalkeeper, for instance. Right now we are in preseason and the load is pretty heavy for every single player. Our daily approach right now is the same. As the season starts we switch to a more targeted approach in which I consider recovery days, game days, pre-game days. I can craft their personal nutrition based on the data I see in the GPS or the heart-rate monitor. I work with the Sports Scientist to custom make their pre-game drinks or post-game shakes. It gets very specific and highly scientific.”

The GPS she is referring to is system that is widely used in professional sports to map an athlete’s performance: speed, distance, acceleration, deceleration, and body load. This kind of data has become an integral part of training for peak performance. It helps Brooke help individual players reach their fitness and performance goals. She says, “I am able to work with our sports scientist to develop a personal plan specific to what they want to achieve, for instance, body composition, or to be more explosive, the list goes on…”

Photo by Jeff Skeirik

Hydration and Performance

Hydration is an obvious question for a soccer team’s nutritionist. Much has been written about the negative effects of dehydration, not only on physical health, but also cognitive performance. In order to reach peak mental and physical performance, it is crucial that both the body and brain be hydrated. Ellison says, “Every single day, I have them weigh in when they arrive at the stadium and then when they come back after practice, so I can monitor their fluid loss. I know my heavy sweaters, right off the bat. And then I can focus with them about electrolytes and foods that will help them hold on to water. I use a refractometer and test their urine the day before a game to test their hydration level. Then I have them adjust to make sure they are ready for the game the next day.” I asked her to identify the minimum amount of water these athletes should be drinking daily during a season. Her answer was easy, “Six 16 ounce bottles.” That’s 96 ounces a day, or the equivalent of three Big Gulps.

Photo by Jeff Skeirik

Mindset and Success

In a 2014 article published in Psychology Today, writer Jim Taylor, Ph.D., talks about Mindset as an essential contributor to athletic success. He found that the elite athletes he worked with— both professional and Olympic—consistently used different mindsets to perform at their highest level consistently. I see this this in the LA Galaxy players that I interviewed.

Venezuelan defender, Rolf Feltscher, says, “The most important part of the sport is the mind. You have to train the body, and that’s true, but you have to be more in shape with your mind.” When I ask him how he trains his mind, he says, “I am happy when I stand up, when I am grateful. You have to be grateful all the time. And you have to give back.”

French footballer, Romain Alessandrini, joined the team last year. One of the brightest lights in an otherwise dim season, he earned the club’s MVP status. When I asked him if he meditates, he said, “No but I try to figure out how to be better. I try to give everything at every training and every game. For myself, the mental attitude is 80% of my performance.”

Sebastian Lletget summed up the importance of mindset and the power of presence for a soccer player. “The moment and the opportunity opens. For the duration of 90 minutes, even during halftime, you have to be super present. You have to be so in frequency with the game. Time and time again, nothing happens in the game. You build up for so long, and then finally it opens up and there’s an opportunity: you are right in front of the goal and if you are a split second short, you miss it. You have to be perfectly there in the moment. It’s all about being focused and present.” Now he’s sounding like a good yogi.

More about the LA Galaxy

Learn more about LA Galaxy at: lagalaxy.com

Photos

All photos by Jeff Skeirik/Rawtographer 

Zoe Kors

Zoë Kors is a writer, speaker, and coach. She is the founder of The Big Libido, Pussy Project, and other programs which cultivate a women’s rights, empowerment, and self-expression. Zoë is the former Senior Editor and Creative Director of LA Yoga Magazine and Origin Magazine. She is a certified Co-Active Coach and has a thriving private practice. Zoë’s work reflects her extensive study of Tantra, Zen Buddhism, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and other Eastern disciplines, which she blends with more process-oriented modalities of Western psychotherapy and Co-Active Coaching. http://www.zoekors.com

www.zoekors.com

The post Behind the Scenes with the Soccer Team LA Galaxy appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Surf Pro Laird Hamilton is a badass. You might know him as the biggest big wave surfer. Or as one of the innovators of such crossover sports as stand-up paddle boarding and tow-in surfing. Maybe he’s on your radar as the creator of a line of revolutionary superfood products.

And then there’s the performance apparel that bears his name. To some, he is Gabby Reece’s husband. If you are a member of a small subculture in Malibu or Kauai, you know him as Izabella, Reece, and Brody Jo’s dad.

There are certain people throughout history who can claim the title “iconoclast.” These are individualists who care little for how tradition or status quo dictate the way things should be done; out-of-the-box thinkers who look at every situation as an opportunity to innovate, and radicals who are compelled to find a better way to do something…or a better something to do.

Branson, Jobs, Warhol, Gandhi…you know the type. Laird Hamilton is one of those. So much so that he is the subject of a new documentary by filmmaker Rory Kennedy called, Take Every Wave.

I’ve watched the film twice now in its entirety and I’ve even gone back over some passages repeatedly, each time, savoring the spectacular footage as well as the riveting testimonials of a bunch of the world’s best surfers and an assortment of related characters.

About Laird Hamilton

His unconventional upbringing laid the foundation for an attitude Laird calls, “part coping mechanism, part strategy.” By the time Laird was born in San Francisco in 1964, his father had split.

As part of a research study, his mother, Joanne, gave birth at UCSF in an experimental sphere filled with saltwater designed to ease labor. It was a proper birth for a future waterman. When Laird was still an infant, Joanne fled the big city and moved to the North Shore of Oahu where they could connect with nature and live more freely. It was the height of the Gidget era and surf culture was in full bloom.

When Laird was a young child, he was playing on the beach and happened to meet Bill Hamilton, a legendary pro-surfer and bachelor (at the time). They had an instant chemistry and became unlikely companions. Laird took Bill home to meet his mother, and the two ended up marrying.

Bill adopted Laird. The family moved to Kauai and had another baby, a little brother for Laird named Lyon. For the boys, who were much taller and blonder than their predominantly native classmates, school was not easy. They were ostracized as “haoles”—a derogatory term for non-natives. Laird became rebellious.

We Got to Chat with Laird Hamilton. Here’s What He Has to Say:

“Hey listen,” Laird says to me over the phone as he is driving down the coast in his black Land Rover, “if there are people that don’t like me for the way I was born, which is something I had no control over (at least that I know of right now), then why would it bother me if I do something that upsets them?

I became almost devoid of peer pressure at that point and I had a tendency to be a contrary—to want to go the exact opposite direction of what is considered the direction that everybody is or should go. I often cite Thoreau, ‘Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty and the obedient shall be slaves.’ “

“Thoreau, nice one Laird.” I’m actually not sure if I said that aloud or in my own head. I’m still trying to keep my fangirl crush in check at this point. There is so much that impresses me about this man, the most obvious is the way he handles the ocean.

“Tell me about this defining moment in Take Every Wave when you guys are finally successfully getting towed into Jaws and it’s a game changer. You’re surfing Pe’ahi and the distinction is made between riding the giants and surfing them. Is that something that you were aware of in that moment, sort of a distinction you made, were you able to actually navigate those waves and have some sovereignty as you surfed them?” This one I know I am asking aloud, and he responds.

“Up until that point we had been at the mercy of the power of the conditions of the wave. All of a sudden we were able to match power with power. It put us in a position that we could actually perform beyond strictly survival mode, which up until that point had been the only way that we could ever be in those extreme situations. I avoid the concept of ‘conquering’ the wave, because you don’t conquer something that powerful, that majestic, something that superior; you don’t conquer it but you gently exist in harmony with it. That’s something that can’t happen when you are simply surviving.”

“That’s a metaphor for life,” I offer.

“Amen,” he laughs.

“So Laird, do you feel that you’re at a point at 53…” I’ve already confessed that he is exactly eight weeks older than me, “Do you feel like you’re at a point where you’re able to dance with life in a way that feels more harmonious, less survival?”

“Living is a dangerous game and dying is easy. It’s surviving that’s difficult. The ocean teaches you as soon as you get a little bit proud, that’s when you get hammered. But the truth is, yes, at 53, when unforeseen situations arise they don’t have the tendency to derail me like they would when I was 20 or 30. The use of stillness helps. I think it’s easy to overreact to things and as you get more time at this game of living, you start to realize that maybe you don’t need to overreact. It doesn’t mean you don’t feel it but you can wait to act. In the military they say, “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” I like that. That’s a metaphor for life.”

“You sound like a yogi, Laird. What role does yoga play in your life?”

“The relationship with yoga is an intimate relationship with oneself. It’s about being consciously connected to yourself, to your body, to your breath. I hear people say, ‘I do yoga to be more flexible.’ Actually no, you should do yoga to be more connected to your body, to be able to say, ‘Hey, this is my quad and my hamstring and my Achilles, and this position is what makes me aware of the connection of all parts.

“Yoga is a discipline that really isolates those relationships and connects you to your body on an important level. I’ve spent time doing different types of yoga over the years. Right now I give a substantial amount of my time to my breathwork. It’s all about the underwater training, the ice, the heat, and the breath.”

The relationship with yoga is an intimate relationship with oneself. It’s about being consciously connected to yourself, to your body, to your breath.

He is talking about his personal practice as well as the XPTlife fitness program he runs with Gabby.

Intense underwater workouts on the floor of the pool with weights, followed by extreme sauna and ice training. To my non-athletic self, it looks like some sort of Navy Seal torture training. But no one makes more out of the experience of living in a human body than Laird. No one stretches the limits of what a human body is capable of like Laird. It’s that thing he has about him. I am suddenly aware of how little I know about my own body by comparison.

So I say to him, “It’s amazing how little we know about the way our body works. Maybe because you are a lifelong athlete you have more knowledge than most of us, but if you ask a hundred people where their liver is located in their body, I’m not sure that even 25% would know.”

There’s something about self-awareness that makes you desire less, that makes you less interested in searching for things outside of yourself. You begin to find that most of what you need is right inside.

“Yes, that’s true,” he says, “Ultimately I just ask people to breathe. I’ll say, ‘Hey, breathe for me.’ I’m so often amazed by how people breathe—or don’t. I’ll say, ‘Have you breathed?! Breathe like you need it, like it’s the most important thing you’re going to do. Breathe like it means something.’ Then I watch them and think, Wow that doesn’t have a lot of meaning. I use breath to bring people back into themselves. There’s something about self-awareness that makes you desire less, that makes you less interested in searching for things outside of yourself. You begin to find that most of what you need is right inside.”

Breathe like you need it, like it’s the most important thing you’re going to do. Breathe like it means something.

“What are your three top fitness tips for regular folk?” To be honest, I am not sure Laird has ever seen the likes of regular folk. He’s been surrounded by athletes his entire life.

“The most obvious to me that many people have an issue with is hydration. It is essential to be properly hydrated. Drink as good a water as you can, with minerals. Next is breathwork. You can get a lot of benefits quickly, it’s readily available, there’s a thousand ways you can do it. Then, I would say, go out and learn something new. Go out and try new things you’ve never done, and tell me if you don’t benefit from that.”

He’s talking about the Buddhist concept of Beginner’s Mind. As long as we’re comfortable, we’re not going to grow. At this point, I’m not sure if I am talking to a surfer, a fitness guru, or a spiritual teacher. There is a human side to this man, I saw it in the film. He’s a husband and a father to three daughters. He’s got a big heart and I want to connect with it. I take the obvious way in.

“Laird, it’s hard to talk to you without mentioning Gabby. There’s a beautiful moment in the film where Gabby is speaking over some very sweet footage of your wedding. She says that she has a tremendous amount of respect for you and for your dedication to the ocean. That she knows you love her as much as the ocean, and that there is an unspoken understanding that she will never ask you to choose.”

He jumps right in and I can hear the love in his voice. “Gabby is just incredible. Because my mother was such an amazing woman, such a hardworking, intelligent woman, it was the beginning of my training to be able to first of all be with a woman like Gabby, because I have such respect, you know. Her strength gives me stability. I get power from knowing that she is there for me. It gives me great strength knowing that she’s behind me and I rely on her, her intuition, and all of her other skills. I think ultimately a man is not complete without a woman. It’s not always the same way with women. I think they don’t need us the way we need them.”

Swoon. Heart connection achieved. I ask him what else is important to him.

“To have a positive effect on people. Whether we just go paddling, have an experience in the ocean, develop a relationship with the ocean, or through XPTlife, by giving them an experience that changes their lives, or my superfood coffee creamer that improves the quality of everyday life and makes them healthier. I enjoy being able to help if someone is sick, or hurt, or searching for some sort of life change. I get joy from inspiring someone to believe in themselves, to follow their dreams. My film, the superfood, the clothing line…everything I do is authentic to me, and my beliefs, and meant to be something that improves your experience of life.”

“Speaking of clothing, Laird…boxers, briefs, or commando?” Yes, I asked that aloud.

“I like briefs. I used to sleep in my surf shorts. Gabby said I wasn’t allowed to anymore. I would literally sleep in surf shorts so I could just get up in the morning and go. Commando’s a little rough for a surfer—a little vulnerable. Definitely not boxers, I like the long brief, it’s like shorts.”

I can hear through the ambient noise on the phone that he has reached his destination. My time is almost up. I say, “Close your eyes and take a deep breath for a minute. As a person, as a man, what lights you up?” I hear the breath he’s been talking about. And then…

“Which side of me? I mean as a man, as a purely mortal, physical creature—Gabby. As a dad, my daughters…the way they put their hand on my hair. The giant waves. I’m not that complex. Things that light me up you can’t buy. I can’t buy Gabby, I can’t buy my children, I can’t buy my friends. I can’t buy hard work, and I can’t buy a giant wave. Maybe in the future, I might be able to buy a giant wave,” he laughs, “At that point I’d probably spend everything I had almost.”

For More about Laird Hamilton:

The documentary Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 and will be opening in select theaters starting September 29.

For more information about Laird Hamilton including his XPTlife program, visit his website.

Check out his line of coffee, superfood creamer, superfood hydrators, and more here and see his clothing online.

Laird Hamilton’s wife Gabrielle (Gabby) Reece is a professional volleyball player, sports announcer, model, and actress.

Zoe Kors

Zoë Kors is a writer, speaker, and coach. She is the founder of The Big Libido, Pussy Project, and other programs which cultivate a women’s rights, empowerment, and self-expression. Zoë is the former Senior Editor and Creative Director of LA Yoga Magazine and Origin Magazine. She is a certified Co-Active Coach and has a thriving private practice. Zoë’s work reflects her extensive study of Tantra, Zen Buddhism, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and other Eastern disciplines, which she blends with more process-oriented modalities of Western psychotherapy and Co-Active Coaching. http://www.zoekors.com

www.zoekors.com

The post Surf Pro Laird Hamilton on The Power of Big Waves and the Power of Stillness appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Most women, if they are honest, will tell you they have had a moment or two when a little extra moisture during intimacy is a good thing.

Why Use Organic Personal Lubrication

It’s not a popular topic of conversation, either at the watercooler or over tea, but a woman’s… er…private parts are tender and sensitive. Many factors effect the level of moisture a woman produces on her own, including hormonal cycles, age, dehydration, diet, mood, medication, or plain old individuality. Whether it’s out of necessity or a sense of adventure, there are many options for healthful organic personal lubrication.

There has been an array of clever advertisements recently for personal lubricants, and I noticed a giant display at my local pharmacy where I pick up my prescriptions. It seems that lube has become de rigueur. In 2012, the World Health Organization issued an advisory note regarding the safety of commercial personal lubricants for both vaginal and anal intercourse. Their research found that the chemicals (including preserveratives) can cause damage to these delicate tissues, increase risk of bacterial infection, and growth of yeast.

Furthermore, the very thing that is commonly being used as humectants—glycerol and propylene glycol—actually have an overall drying effect. The science is compelling and supports my general philosphy that if I wouldn’t put it in my mouth, I shouldn’t put in any other orifice. And since I eat mindfully, opting for organic foods and avoiding chemicals whenever possible, I decided to explore alternatives to what’s on the big display at Walgreens. I started looking for organic personal lubrication.

Finding Organic Personal Lubrication

My favorite two products are Aloe Cadabra and Foria. Aloe Cadabra is 95% organic aloe vera. What makes more sense than that?! I put aloe on burns, cuts, and rashes for immediate soothing, using it as a lubricant is a no-brainer. The folks at Aloe Cadabra, located just up the coast in Ventura, are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their product. It comes in a variety of scents and flavors and actually feels quite like the real thing (if you catch my drift), which is lovely and natural feeling.

Foria comes straight from Topanga and it is magical. It’s more than a lubricant; it is an adventure. To a base of organic coconut oil, the geniuses at Foria have added cannabis oil. The results has been call “Viagra for women.” It’s exciting, intense, and is becoming wildly popular. Available throughout California, they are now launching in Colorado.

Organic Expeller-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil

I use coconut oil for everything. Basically I moisturize my entire body, inside and out, with coconut oil. I use it for oil pulling, massage, removing my eye makeup, and moisturizing my skin and nails. I use it to heal my digestive track by cooking with it. So it stands to reason that it is my all-time favorite personal lubricant. It’s water soluble and absorbs beautifully into the skin. It smells and tastes divine. It’s alkalinity is good for vaginal tissue and reduces bacteria and yeast. In fact, I use it for general maintenance of such areas even outside moments of intimacy. There are many brands to choose from. I prefer the cold-pressed variety because it maintains it’s coconut flavor and scent.

Foria

Foria is a revolutionary, all-natural, sensual enhancement oil, design thoughtfully for women of all ages. The visionary creators have blended a combination of liquid coconut oil and lab-tested cannabis oil from local California-grown marijuana. The prorietary formula draws on the historical use of cannabis as an aphrodisiac.

Foria 10ML $44. Foria 30ML $88.
foriapleasure.com

Aloe Cadabra 

Simply the first personal lubricant that’s all natural and contains 95% organic aloe vera. Aloe Cadabra also contains Vitamin E to soothe and nourish while lubricating. It’s pH balanced for a woman’s body, certified organic, and completely edible. Aloe Cadabra absorbs into the vaginal tissue, so there is no gooey, sticky mess. It supports the body’s natural healing process by carrying vitamins and nutrients to the skin, and helps restore vaginal moisture.

Available in Tahitian Vanilla, PiñA Colada, and peppermint tingle flavors, Lavender Scented, and Unscented. 2.5oz. $9.95
Aloecadabra.com

Homemade Essential Oil Love Serum

6 Tablespoons of your favorite Organic Oil as a base
(Coconut, Almond, Apricot, or even Olive Oil)

3-4 drops each of:
Lavender Essential Oil
Geranium Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Peppermint Essential Oil

Lavendar calms and relaxes the nervous system. Ylang Ylang is a natural aphrodisiac. Geranium supports healthy hormone function. Add the peppermint if you are looking for a tingly sensation. This oil not only makes an aromatic personal lubricant, but doubles as a massage oil.

Homemade Cornstarch and Water Lube

8 oz. cold water
4 tsp. cornstarch

Whisk cornstarch into water in a saucepan. Gradually bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Once the cornstarch has reached a certain temperature, the starch molecules will burst and mixture will become thick and viscous. At this point, it’s done. Pour into wide-mouth glass jars for future use. Make sure to cool thoroughly before use. Refrigeration not necessary nor recommended.

Zoe Kors

Zoë Kors is a writer, speaker, and coach. She is the founder of The Big Libido, Pussy Project, and other programs which cultivate a women’s rights, empowerment, and self-expression. Zoë is the former Senior Editor and Creative Director of LA Yoga Magazine and Origin Magazine. She is a certified Co-Active Coach and has a thriving private practice. Zoë’s work reflects her extensive study of Tantra, Zen Buddhism, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and other Eastern disciplines, which she blends with more process-oriented modalities of Western psychotherapy and Co-Active Coaching. http://www.zoekors.com

www.zoekors.com

The post Keep it juicy…naturally. Exploring Organic Personal Lubrication. appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” —Hermann Hesse

Life can often feel like an act of survival. It’s a hyper-connected, multi-tasking, texting-tweeting-downdogging-180-degree-latte kind of world, and it’s easy to get so caught up in the juggle that we forget we can simply put down the balls and breathe. Simply stopping the motion periodically provides us with an opportunity to redirect our attention inward, shifting the focus back to ourselves. Developing a stillness practice helps us tune in to our inner voice, so that we may remember who we are and reconnect with our own personal power.

Here are five practices to cultivate stillness in your busy life:

1. 7-in-Heaven

Begin each day by sitting in silence for seven minutes. Take advantage of the moments in the morning when outside stimulation is at a minimum and your mind is clearest. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed and slow your breath. Pause at the top of each inhalation and at the bottom of each exhalation, creating a moment of stillness. This sets a baseline for inner peace and connectedness, which we can return to throughout the day.

 2. Alarming Presence

Set an alarm to go off four times during the day (for example: 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm). Whenever the alarm sounds, bring your focus to what you are doing. Take a mental inventory of your physical presence and articulate it something like this: Feet on the floor. Feet on the floor. Thighs on chair. Thighs on chair. Hands on keyboard. Hands on keyboard. Repeating each item twice gives your mind a moment to really become present to the simple mechanics of what you are doing and encourages the transfer of energy from the mind to the body.

3. Quiet on the Set

Sometimes I feel like my life is like a huge movie production with many people hustling around. It is noisy—figuratively and literally. Take steps to reduce the noise level in your day. Turn down the music, turn off text and email alerts, and stop talking! Silence is not the same as stillness; lowering the overall volume of your life will keep you from getting so over-stimulated that you spend the better part of your stillness practice recovering from auditory overload.

4. Dirty Feet

Chaos in our lives is almost always reflected in our physical energy. We get caught in our heads as we try to manage many things at once and regain some sort of order and control. Even at moments of critical stress, stepping outside and putting our feet in the dirt (grass or sand will do) has a calming effect by drawing the energy down through the chakra system. When someone we know is level-headed, we say they are “grounded.” Feeling connected to and supported by the Earth is a path to instant stillness.

5. Time-Out from Technology

Take one hour each day to be completely off-grid. Schedule this time at a regular hour, just like “Happy Hour.” This works not only to foster stillness in the moment, but also to counterbalance and recalibrate your participation in the chaos that can result from perpetual accessibility through multiple technology-enabled information streams.

As Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Author of The Distraction Addiction, says, “It’s not about forsaking the digital life for “real life”; it’s a way to discover a richer life where your devices, your social world, and your rediscovered, unburdened self can coexist. Like any practice, you need to do it regularly, work past the hurdles and uncertainties, to see the benefits flower. And while you’re cultivating them, don’t worry about your phone or Facebook. They’ll be there when you get back.”

Zoe Kors

Zoë Kors is a writer, speaker, and coach. She is the founder of The Big Libido, Pussy Project, and other programs which cultivate a women’s rights, empowerment, and self-expression. Zoë is the former Senior Editor and Creative Director of LA Yoga Magazine and Origin Magazine. She is a certified Co-Active Coach and has a thriving private practice. Zoë’s work reflects her extensive study of Tantra, Zen Buddhism, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and other Eastern disciplines, which she blends with more process-oriented modalities of Western psychotherapy and Co-Active Coaching. http://www.zoekors.com

www.zoekors.com

The post Shut Up and Listen: 5 Ways to Find Stillness In Chaos appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.