despicable_me_2

“Lightbulb!”…Recognizing The Importance of Honoring Your Self!

despicable_me_2Have you ever felt not worthy?  Maybe you lacked Self-love or maybe you didn’t surround yourself with goodness at the time.  Who we surround ourselves with is who we become.  If we surround ourselves with downers we begin to feel down.  If we surround ourselves with happy, joyous, and delightful people we become more happy and joyful.  If we were to eat junk food every single day we would begin to feel down and ucky.  When we eat healthier we experience delight and Self-love.  Honor Your Self!  Surround yourself with goodness.   “The first step toward awareness is being willing to look at yourself and your life without judgment or self-criticism.” (Iyanla Vanzant)  Awareness opens the heart to new possibilities.

In “Despicable Me”, Gru was surrounded by downers. In the beginning, his only friends who seemed to laugh were the adorably playful Minions. His entire life he dishonored himself. As a young child, Gru was criticized, judged, and believed he wasn’t good enough. He was smart, bright and wanted to be accepted. Since Gru was constantly searching for acceptance from others he gravitated toward evil because he lacked Self Honor. Self- Awareness is key to peace! It opens the mind and the heart. When Gru met sisters, Margo, Edith, and Agnus his heart became brighter. He said, “Light bulb!” not knowing at that very moment his heart opened to new possibilities. His life was about to change in more ways than one….and for the good.

Gru – the main character was not grounded and did not surround himself with goodness. Let’s celebrate and help Gru honor himself while recognizing the importance of honoring ourselves as well.

The Minions – little guys full of laughter, huggable, and playful. They reminded Gru to smile.

Victor (a.k.a. “Vector) – The villan. He put all his energy into being evil and trying to make his daddy happy. Not himself! He too, lacked Self-love and Self-Awareness. In the end, he found himself alone.

The 3 Girls… Margo, the oldest was wise, Edith, the middle sister was curious, and Agnus, the youngest was cute, playful, full of imagination, and always happy.

Let’s hug into ourselves and honor who we are while shining bright and celebrating life. Let’s connect with our “Light bulb!” (Energy Circuit) Surround yourself with friends and lets celebrate the beauty of who we are. Connect with your breath while inhaling and exhaling. Deepen your breath in order to stimulate the energy created. Make a wish for yourself! Celebrate who you are. You are worthy! (Wake Up Mountain) Let’s wake up and smell the joy of life. Life is GOOOD! Stand tall, proud, and feel the earth below you, solid and feeling heavy. Pulling in positive energy. (Down Dog) Melt Your Heart! (Dolphin) Open yourself up and SMILE. Honor your strength and playfulness. (Lighten Up) despicable_meGround yourself into the truth of who you are. Become aware of who you are. (Fish) Lie on your back. Go with the flow…inhale, then exhale, softening your skin and opening your heart becoming more aware of the connection with all others surrounding you. Are you surrounded with goodness? (Take Out the Trash) This is a very powerful cleanser that makes you shine from the inside out. Inhaling and exhaling rapidly will help you take out the trash. Feel present! Honor Your Self in this breath cleansing pose. (Serious Crow Playful) In Serious Crow Playful let’s hug into ourselves, into our center, melting our hearts, squeezing together, shining BRIGHT! (Baby Got Back) Suddenly we all feel giddy, full of laughter and full of love. We are surrounded by Grace, by the love of our friends, our family. Spread your toes and pull in all that yummy, good for ya kind of energy, allowing it to flow through you. Make an imprint on the earth. (Mountain Range Laughter) Root your feet into the earth and rise up into your breath. Bring your hands to your mouth and smile with your imaginary harmonica. Bit by bit begin to laugh, slowly at first, but then go ahead and let loose. Allow yourself to let go. Lift your smile up to the great big sky and tilt your head back giving gratitude to all the joys which surround you. (Twist and Target) Gru said, “Light bulb!” when he first saw the 3 sisters, Margo, Edith, and Agnus outside of Vector’s home. They were selling cookies. What Gru did not know is when he had his “light bulb” moment he also opened his heart to new possibilities. Choose the color of your light bulb and let it SHINE. (I Am What I Am) That’s right! You are who you are and be proud of who you are. (Savasana) Take this time to tune in to your Self. Take this moment to honor your Self and be with your Self….breathing and resting peacefully….each time you breath allowing your light to shine more and more with each breath.

More to Explore

  • Inspired by the Velveteen Rabbit…How Teachers Become Real.

    horse

    The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.

    “What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

    “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

    “Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

    “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

    “Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

    “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

    “I suppose you are real?” said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive.

    But the Skin Horse only smiled

    –  From the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams  –

  • Going Grounded (not postal) at the Post Office

    bigstock_Local_Post_Office_61490We teach kids and teens how to find humor in every day life and how awareness leads to amusement in even the most mundane places. This event took place this morning and it’s what I taught in my Grounded class this afternoon. I shared the story, taught the poses and we had an awesome, authentic experience. The kids were inspired to write down their own personal stories and the poses that prepared them to handle real life with ease. They loved using the pose stickers to illustrate their writing. Find all the details about these poses and more in our box of 84 Grounded Elevator Series Pose Cards. Enjoy! 

  • The Book of Marlie

    Thank you Eight year old Marlie for presenting me with this yoga book you wrote and taught to classes in your school. I appreciate your interesting chapters~  Yoga that keeps me calm Yoga that keeps me Grounded Yoga with more than two people Yoga with two people Yoga that keeps me happy  and your very helpful notes~ Remember you will not get it the first time Breathe slowly Remember to lean  your beautifully detailed art~ and your permission to share your work on our blog~  I am grateful that you have been a grounded student for three years and you continue to serve your school with yoga.  With love, Cheryl Crawford