Om shanti, shanti, shanti...

Om, peace, peace, peace...

This mantra is an invocation of peace, often repeated at the end of a session or practice of yoga or meditation. It has two purposes. First, it affirms that peace is available to us at any moment that we choose to tune in to it. Second, repeating this mantra helps to create more peace in the world. According to yoga philosophy, when we call something into being with a pure heart and a focused mind, we are using our consciuosness to shape reality. This is the primary purpose of all mantras: They are tools to manifest intention.

To extract the full power of this beautiful mantra, visualize each word's impact as you recite it.

For example, when reciting the first shanti, you can think of it as asking for peace for yourself; with the second shanti, peace for your family and friends; and with the third , peace for the entire planet.

When you do this with full faith, full devotion and focused intention, you will create greater opportunities to call peace into all aspects of your life.

Namaste~Andrea

The End of Water Module...

Today, December 6 th, 2009 and was the last day of the Water Module (one four month module out of four total) in my Advanced Teacher Training studies at Inner Vision Yoga.
This weekends focus was Inversions. The benefits of inversions, the practice of inversions, the teaching of inversions. The knowledge of what glands we are stimulating by practicing inversions (going upside down). Most importantly, that inversions (such as headstand, handstand, plow and shoulderstand) are meant to bring a sense of calm, rather than a sense of panic and fear.

The most important part of this last weekend of training in water module - and of today, this last day of this module, is that we graduate and send three more beautiful master yoga teachers from the program and send them out into the world~to make the world a better place with their teachings. Congratualtions to Kathy, Terese and Colleen!!

I find myself being grateful that I am only in my first module and that I am not finished with this journey of learning just yet. I have taken so much from my first module and am already applying it in my teaching and my everyday life off the mat.

Beautiful call & response from Jeff Martens:
Om so hum
So hum sa-ha

Om so hum
So hum sa-ha

I am that... I am
I am...that I am
I am that...I am
I am that I ....am.


Namaste. Peace, love & light~Andrea