Mindfulness is often defined as “one’s mental state that is accomplished by focusing their awareness on the present moment.” Although, you may have missed the point if you find yourself immediately scrolling through social media pages on your smartphone after yoga practice. With the quickening pace of the modern world and the use of technology, it is becoming increasingly more challenging to pause and be mindful. We are many times thinking about the past or the future instead of focusing our attention on the present moment.

Why is it so easy to lose the mindfulness that I had cultivated during my yoga class, as soon as I step outside the studio? I was first introduced to mindfulness through the practice of yoga and meditation, and it was a major awakening. However, I started recognizing that I associated mindfulness with yoga and that it never left the classroom. Mindfulness required and steamed from the peacefulness and serenity of my studio, my mat, and time that I took out of my daily schedule. But as I only practiced mindfulness in my classroom, I began longing for a mindful practice that I could carry with me from my mat and into my life.

I then began to realize that sensuality was at the core of staying grounded within the present moment. To live in the present moment, we need to get out of our heads and into our bodies. Our bodies are not stuck in the past or the future, it is in the here and now. So now the next question is how to connect our bodies through grounding sensuality? The answer is by delighting our senses!

Below are various ideas to help you tune into your senses as a form of mindfulness that you can carry with you:

1. Taste
When you are eating or drinking, start focusing more on the taste of the item. Is it bitter or sweet? Is it salty or spicy? It is very important to be mindful when you are eating and this can also help you slow down and aid your digestion.

2. Sight
Electronics often keep us out of the present moment and make us unaware of our surroundings. Try leaving your phone at home and taking a walk. At times we walk with our head down, buried in our phones and consumed in our thoughts. Look up and admire God’s creation and be a friendly stranger to those you pass.

3. Sound
Do we truly pay attention to everything we hear? Instead of focusing on one sound, take moments to close your eyes and open your ears. Allow yourself to absorb the various sounds around you. Enjoy the sounds that surround you each day.

4. Touch
We are constantly touching things, but many times we are unaware unless it is unpleasant such as a painful or burning sensation. Take time to practice becoming aware of what touches your body. From the warmth of the sun, the texture of grass under your feet, to the fabric of your clothing.

5. Smell
Our ability to smell is a gift, so allow yourself to stop and smell the roses! Appreciate the smell of coffee brewing, or the sweet smell of your flowers.

Grounding yourself to these sensual experiences and truly appreciating them will allow you to be present in the moment. You don’t always need a yoga mat and a classroom to practice mindfulness. Just allow yourself to receive and delight in all the glorious gifts that God has given us. In doing so, you will tune into your senses and surround yourself in each moment.

Blessings,

Caroline

Authenticity means, “the quality of being authentic; genuineness.” While our culture is one of “cookie cutter” ideals, and would rather that everyone looks and acts within certain parameters, our God is the God of originals. He never intended for any one of us to look or act the same as another. He’s far more creative than that.

Doing this takes faith. If this were easy, there would be a lot more authenticity in the world, but the truth is, we are surrounded by people who are just trying to find their place. They believe that doing so means they must change to fit a certain mold. As Christ’s ambassadors and the adopted children of the King, our “place” is right smack in the middle of His will, and the only way we can get there is by saying “yes” to the man or woman He designed us to be and by living out our day to day with acceptance and gratitude for His originality.

Take a look at Romans 5:1-5 in the Message:
“By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.”

When we are us–just us–living in the fullness of our salvation in Jesus Christ, we are living an authentic and full life, the kind of life He has always wanted for us. It’s a spacious life, friends. One that cannot help but inspire others to do the same. So where are you today? Do you find your eyes ever-fixed on the life, body, ministry or talents of someone else? Do you accept who you are, not passively and with an heir of defeat, but with joy and gladness for exactly where you are in your life, your body, your ministry or your practice? Do you believe that He is more interested in who you are today than who you hope to one day become?

It is when we can say “yes” to God, when we can open our doors to His truth, that we can live in the spacious freedom of our original design. Just imagine your community cloaked in the beauty of authenticity. All it takes is one to spark the flame. That “one” is you.

Blessings,

Caroline

You CAN afford it!
Someone recently told me my choice of eating was preferred by them but they simply could not afford to eat organic fruits and vegetables and buy grass-fed meat and organic antibiotic free chicken. I’m sure there are many people out there that feel the same way as my friend. This is why I am led to write this today!
When I first decided to change my way of eating, to take charge of what I was putting into my mouth and to know where and how it came into being, I was skeptical of how we would be able to afford this lifestyle change as well. My husband Scott was not going to move our family out to a farm and let me garden and raise our meat myself! Secretly though I have always been a Little House on the Prairie girl at heart.
Due to acid reflux and a grouchy stomach I sought out relief naturally. I eliminated gluten and dairy from my diet and started to feel better. On Jan 1 2014 I decided to go all in to a major lifestyle change. For me this looked like no processed foods and defiantly no refined sugar! Just eating grass-fed and or antibiotic free meats, pasteurized organic eggs, organic fruits, veggies, healthy oils, nuts and seeds. Using sweeteners that are natural like stevia, maple syrup and local honey. After this change, most people know as a Paleo lifestyle (primal foods) I began to feel healed. I was able to go off of my acid reflux medicine & no irritable bowel symptoms persisted. Bloating and excess stomach fat began to go away as well.
I noticed as I began to shop that I now only shop on the perimeters of the grocery store and during the spring, summer and fall I can almost avoid the grocery store completely and just shop at my local farmers market! By eliminating all the processed breads, cookies, soups, mac n cheese, dressings, ect. I can afford to eat this way! Btw–just because I eat this way does not mean that I cannot enjoy a sweet treat, bread or crackers, I just make them homemade using ingredients like, almond flour, coconut flour, stevia, honey, maple syrup ect. You can also make your own dressings, mayo and ketchup way easier than you would think! This saves your body from unknown “food” and saves you money! If this interests you as a lifestyle change I can recommend a few of my favorite first motivating cookbooks/information books:
Wellfed I & II
Whole30
Sugar Detox
Against the Grain
Practical Paleo
Don’t just accept cultural change and adapt! Take charge of your health and listen to your body

Blessing to you and yours!
~Caroline

HOLY YOGA ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP
For anyone who wants to experience Christian yoga

Gastonia, NC – March 21, 2015 – Holy Yoga, the leader in Christ-Centered Yoga classes and teacher education programs, is pleased to announce an introductory Holy Yoga workshop in Gastonia, NC on March 21, 2015 at 10-11:45am at Vision Church, 1124 East Hudson Blvd. Gastonia, NC.

The Holy Yoga workshop is ideal for you if:

• You are brand new to yoga
• Want an introduction to Christian yoga
• Desire an in depth instruction of primary yoga poses
• Long to experience God in an intimate and unexpected way

The Holy Yoga introductory workshop consists of 4- 1 hr 45 min Saturday Classes. There will be a 30min time of detailed instructions followed by a 1hr 15min slow flow class. The workshop is designed to provide students an opportunity to connect with God, information on the benefits of yoga and yoga terminology, Holy Yoga philosophy, breath work, scripture meditation, in depth instruction of the primary poses, and experiential worship through a Slow Flow Holy Yoga class.

The workshop will be led by Caroline Moon. Caroline is a 225 hr. R-HYI (Registered Holy Yoga Instructor) and is currently working on obtaining her masters in Holy Yoga. She has a passion for leading the practice of yoga with Christian​ spirituality. “I love being surrendered to the spirit allowing myself to be used by God to minister to the needs of my students. My classes feature Christian music, scripture and the raw freedom to move your body in each pose. My class focus is not about the yoga it is about connecting with Christ.”  Caroline currently resides in Gastonia with her husband, Scott, and their 2 children, Abbey & Alex. Along with her passion for Holy Yoga she peruses an interest in nutrition and natural healing. “I want to help myself and others feel the best they can, so their bodies have the freedom to serve Jesus!”

Advance registration is required and a $10 per class donation is suggested. For more information or to register in advance, contact [email protected] or www.holyyogagastonia.com