Welcome to The Majickal Garden. A mystical cyber garden for anyone traveling the path, who is interested in enhancing their spiritual growth. There is an acceptance here to new ideas as well as others beliefs. We are all students in the light of life. The Universal ways have gifted us wonderful tools for our soul’s evolvement and discovering them is a pleasure found in The Majickal Garden.
Thank you for taking the time to spend some of your precious time here. We hope you can find something of interest to take with you on your own path of spiritual journey.
Peace and Light…Jasmine – Webmistress
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
Chief Seattle
Have You Considered Yoga?
Written By Jasmine
I first experienced hatha yoga about 31 years ago. I took a course at my local college and continued practicing well into my first pregnancy. I am not athletic at all (alright, I am a bowler!) and I loved it. I know I reaped many benefits from it for the time I did it. Then, after baby came along, life happened, another baby then a car accident in 1986 messed me up royally for a good 15 years and left me feeling certain degrees of fragility after that.
I did not pick it up again until 8 months ago. I know now that had I realized at the time of my physical damage due to the accident, yoga would have shaved years off my suffering not to mention helped me in so many other ways I have experienced in my advancing middle age.
Over the years, weight has continued to creep up on my tall frame and even though I make dotted efforts to stay on top of it, I was losing ground more than gaining. Also, a new job has required extra physical effort on my part which all brought me back to yoga.
I entered into it carefully with respect to my weakened back and neck. I poured over many video’s to find routines that would not send me back to traction. I really should have sought out another class but stubbornness for personal reasons ruled that one out. My physical problems over the years have allowed me a heightened consciousness of any activity that might threaten my condition. (I would highly recommend anyone else do just that, especially if physically “handicapped” at all, to learn the poses under the watchful eye of a trained yoga practitioner! If done wrong, you can really hurt yourself.) I entered yoga practice carefully and with conscious respect to what my body was telling me with each pose I tried. In the beginning I added another pose one at a time so I could feel how I felt the next morning.
I am now structurally stronger, feeling more graceful and toned as well as finding myself more enabled to drop these pesky pounds. I have added Pilates for a more intense workout. I have more energy and my insomnia problems are all but gone. I am more aware of my body as I move through my days in that my posture awareness in standing, sitting and moving about has become a conscious effort to maintain in my shoulders, stomach tightness and lower back.
I incorporate meditation into my workouts and the result is a calmness afterwards that I carry with me all the time and can call up at any time, when stress creeps in, by simply breathing deep and slow with a clearing of the mind that refreshes. Or, if time and place allows, by doing one or two poses to take me back to calmness. Five minutes can work wonders on the mind, body and soul.
My first choice of videos was “Healing Yoga: For Aches and Pains”. This program uses yoga to address and correct chronic injuries and illness. It is gentle yoga designed for all fitness levels helping to increase the range of motion to one’s spine and joints while promoting flexibility and fluid body movement. It was a wonderful place for me to start.
My second choice of videos was “Just My Size: Yoga with Megan Garcia”. She is a plus-size model with a “real” body and presents an easy-to-follow, viewer friendly approach no matter what body size they carry. It’s also a great starting point for beginning yoga practitioners. I started out slow and carefully. I felt positive results almost immediately. She also has a book called “MegaYoga by Megan Garcia” that I found helpful for more in depth instruction.
The third video I recommend is a dvd called “Basic Yoga Workout for Dummies”. Don’t let the “dummies” part put you off! It’s great for beginners and I found the instructor pleasant and real. Also there are extra instructions helpful for first timers.
I used other sources but these three were the most helpful in starting out. After weeks of regular practice and feeling a need to add a more intense workout, I added “Crunch: Super SlimDown” which is a combination of Pilates and yoga. Rather than doing individual poses of yoga, this offers a flow of poses for a more intense workout. I find for myself, when I am finished, its the perfect time to go into meditation.
The most important thing to know about yoga is it is not about knocking yourself out as much as going into each pose with body awareness and grace. Yoga combines body, mind and spirit. Slow even breathing, in and out thru the nose, at all times during the workout. If you feel pain at all at any time then you either stop or back off of intensity of that pose. I suggested yoga to a friend once who was very athletic. She tried it on her own and reported back to me that she was very sore the next day. She thought she had done a good workout. The problem was she had approached it as she had any other activity she had done in the past as in “no pain no gain”. When I explained to her about clearing the mind when doing the poses and becoming aware of what each and every muscle is doing and how it feels as well as how far to go she realized that her approach to yoga was wrong. Remember, yoga is as much a spiritual effort as a physical one; they intertwine when done correctly. The goal is not to do and look just like the yoga instructor. It is to learn the pose correctly and work at your own level and pace.
When beginning yoga and looking for a good dvd, look for one that has modifications in it. They will show the instructor and also one or two others doing the same poses only modified for different levels of ability. (I have found some good ones thru my county library system.) I have found it good practice to view the whole dvd before doing them. A quiet place to practice with a good yoga mat is important. Check your stray thoughts outside the room and focus on listening to your body as you begin to work on the poses. Enjoy the feeling of awareness as individual muscles respond to them and blood flows thru your whole body.
After sitting at my keyboard and typing this, I am feeling a bit tight in my shoulders and neck. I think I will go do some yoga now! I hope you will consider this brilliant activity and wish you well on your journey.
( Should an item appear on this website that should not be posted, please let us know and we will be happy to remove it or add credit to its authenticated origin.)
Disclaimer: before picking any plants you are considering using medicinally ,Never acquire them near any heavy mining areas or near road ways. Plants absorb toxins easily as well as heavy metals .. Just be aware & get confirmation of the plant you are ingesting. Never take heroic amounts. Hope you enjoy .. Much Love All Latin Names
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Used as an alternative medicine for centuries, the self heal is both edible and medicinal. Used internally and externally as an antibiotic and for hard to heal wounds and diseases. Common Selfheal – Wild Medicine Herb – Prunella vulgaris
Meical abAwen – Earth & Magick
from Earth & Magick
Price: USD 0
View Details about Meical abAwen
Getting in the mood with Lisa Rinna
So there you have some of my favorite “out of the bedroom” tips. I have loads of in the bedroom ones too, but to have a healthy sex life, you have to be in the sort of relationship that supports having a healthy sex life. Start there and the rest will …
Read more on Fox News
Divorce News Section is Now Ready on Alltopics.com
What tips are useful when one wants to fix the relationship? What happens after cheating? And what could be the reason for divorce among so many couples? All the answers are at Alltopics, the number one news source that’s constantly updated, …
Read more on San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Yoga music =)
Video Rating: 4 / 5
April Beyer – Dating Coach | Dating Advice for Women | Relationship Coach | Dating Expert
from Dating Coach | Dating Advice for Women | Relationship Coach | Dating Expert
Price: USD 0
View Details about April Beyer
Question by A. D.: Native American / Indian Bear Symbol?
I am very interested in the Native American history and culture. I have read up alot on it. I am saddened by what happened to the Native Americans when the white settlers came to America.
I am most fascinated with Spirit Guides and Totems. I understand (correct me if I am wrong) that Native Americans believe that their Spirit Guides and Totems are animals.
I have bought alot of Vintage Native American Jewlery because I believe it holds a certain “spirituality” within it. While wearing the jewlery I have asked that my Spirit Guide be made known to me. A week later, I found a small silver dream catcher charm with a clear yellow stone bear in the center, and a single silver feather hanging down.
I left the charm in the lost and found where I work, and in two months no one had claimed it, so I have taken it. Could this “my answer”? Could the Bear be my Spirit Guide? or my Totem? Does the single feather mean anything?
Best answer:
Answer by Kallan
To which N/A nation do you refer?
Not all of them believe the same things.
Bear could be one of your totems. Only you can answer that, though.
If you need more assistance, feel free to contact me through my profile.
Many blessings on your path,
Kallan
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
