Àse Yoga Studio & Tea Room

Have you ever been triggered? What are your triggers? Triggers are real. When someone pulls the trigger on a gun, it activates the lever that releases the internal mechanism, specifically the hammer or striker. This then strikes the firing pin, discharging the bullet. Similarly, people can use certain words or body language that trigger the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol, like a bullet. Often, the person who triggers you is unaware or indifferent; they simply want to express their point. It doesn't matter how it sounds or the potential harm it may cause.

So, in the midst of the firing, they call you names, insult your intelligence, psychoanalyze you, and use words that may be triggering. They criticize you. When you know who you are, none of that matters.

This isn't really about them; it's about you. How do you stop getting triggered by what other people do? How do we reach a place where we aren't the ones getting hit by someone's baggage? Where things don't blow up on us?

A lot of folks are dealing with their own emotional baggage and mental health struggles, and it can be heavy. Don't get caught up in their drama. Not everyone needs to be understood, so just focus on respecting yourself.

We’ve all gotten caught in a back-and-forth with someone. Your heart races. You get mad. But what if you could never be triggered again? Begin by asking yourself, "Will this inspire me or drain me?"

Connect with a healing practice. Protecting our energy is crucial. First, understand that not every battle is worth fighting. Second, safeguard our life force. Stop wasting your time on things that don’t matter. Lastly, know that what truly matters is our healing, peace, and purpose.

Experience Àse Yoga, where every breath counts

Be happy!

Are you happy? Did you know happiness is your birthright? That’s right, with all the stuff that goes on in our life, we deserve to be happy. But first, we need to find out what happiness is. Is it having a lot of money, power, prestige, a 401K, a financial planner, a spouse, a car, a house? Is happiness how we look? Is happiness being successful? Not at all. Some of us think we’re happy because of these things, but we’re not. Like artificial intelligence, it's artificial happiness. Many people confuse happiness with external stuff.

Happiness is being in the present moment, not in the past or the future. It's an awakening to the fact that our misery is created by the way we act, our habits, jealousy, and inner conflicts. No job, no person, no vacation can make us happy. Amazon does not sell happiness. Sure, people will hurt us, disappoint us, and even confuse us. It's not that we won't be tested, but we can learn to stop being affected.

Happiness is our natural state. So, are you happy? If so, congratulations. If not, claim your happiness. It's not what someone is doing to us, saying to us or our situation; it's what we’re doing to yourself. Our unhappiness is coming from our choices. We’re free to choose happiness or unhappiness.

Happiness is a part of our cells just like water, inorganic ions, and organic molecules. In this moment, choose happiness. It's right there---within us. When you do, you're no longer a slave, but a master. Practice truth, love, and self-awareness, and be happy.

Experience Àse Yoga, where every breath counts.

Embrace the present moment.

Life seldom gives us exactly what we want, but there’s a reason behind it. Life is often preparing us for something greater. Besides, if we got everything we wanted, we would not do anything to pursue what we need or our purpose. We‘d lose motivation to pursue what truly matters.

Still, we’re determined to get what we want even if it means our death. Think about something you wanted, you got it, and now regret it. We get depressed, worried, and angry when we don’t get a job, or an engagement is broken off, or even when a package is late. A lot of us are basically stuck at age five or as teenagers—we just haven’t really grown up. We lack wisdom and insight about life. So, we waste our time suffering over not getting what we want.

Rather than pouting, we should realize that not getting what we want is a gift. If we think a little deeper, we might find out that we’re being saved from something, that the relationship was toxic, or that we’re beyond working at a job to finding our purpose. A flight delay could be saving your life. Life is protecting us from our own ignorance.

Think about this: none of the magnificent creative works we see would exist if people got what they wanted. Discontent moves us to open up to our greatness. We limit ourselves. Not getting what we want is an opportunity to let go of our ego, unhealthy situations, and to grow. When we don't get what we want, it often clears the path for us to discover what we genuinely need.

Experience Àse Yoga, where every breath counts.

Life is a Gift...

Every year, countless gifts are given; over $592.5 billion goes to charity. We even give to people we don't even know. Michael Jackson donated more than $500 million during his lifetime, with some estimates reaching $1 billion. But why do we give? Do we do it just because? Do we think we’re better than the person we’re giving to? Do we give conditionally? Growing up, people would always share that my mother would give her last penny to someone in need. She gave from the heart, not the head… She gave even though she did not have…

When was the last time you received a gift? Did you get something on your birthday? We often receive gifts we don't want—at least seven per year, to be exact. More than likely, these gifts are coming from the head, not the heart. Still, the universe is constantly sending us gifts.

True gifts and charity come out of love, freely and without expectation. We seek no recognition or talk about our giving. All of that is self-serving- not generosity. When we share ourselves unconditionally, that's true giving. We enrich ourselves when we give without conditions; otherwise, it's merely a business transaction. And that’s okay, but we must be aware of what it is.

Next time you give a gift or make a donation to charity, do so with no strings attached. Give or help just because it feels good, not because you want thanks or something back. Just enjoy giving for its own sake. Respect who's getting it: Stay low-key—showing off takes away from both you and the person receiving the gift. And remember, not all gifts are monetary or material. A great gift is when we give of ourselves.

Experience Àse Yoga, where every breath counts.

Have you ever been hurt by a family member, friend, or co-worker? Of course you have. We're not going to get through this life without being hurt. That hurt feels like a knife has been stuck in your heart. Sadly, usually, the person who delivered the hurt is unaware of its sometimes fatal effect.

Interestingly, this hurt wasn't a physical one but was caused by words. Words do hurt, and they ultimately affect us physically. Usually, when we call ourselves telling it like it is…or getting something off our chest at the moment, we don’t care if we’re hurting someone else. We say to ourselves, "I know." As such, our actions come from our head with words that hurt. Not from a place of kindness, or from our heart.

Word hurting a person are an unconscious act. But harsh words rebound; angry words hurt, and the hurt rebounds. Whatever we do rebounds. Ask yourself, if words hurt, what purpose do they serve? Kicking someone when they are down will not lift them up.

As humans, we're not just on a physical or mental journey, but a spiritual one. It's then that we move past impulse to lash out. Nor do we take things personally. We strive to become aware. In that awareness, we realize that situations are rarely the way we see them on the surface. Usually, we're hurting others based on assumptions that are illusions. Love heals. Embrace life with joy. Learn to meditate...

Experience Àse Yoga, where every breath counts.

Be calm...

Stress is messing up our lives. It's a major culprit in our mental and psychological health. That's right, our chronic physical illnesses, like high blood pressure and mental disorders such as anxiety, are stress-related. Even accidents we have connect to stress. Sometimes we can be stressed and not even know it. Often, we don’t talk about stress; we mask it. We act like it doesn’t exist or self-medicate. It’s a stigma to being stressed. Yet, even babies begin experiencing stress as early as 6 months old. Usually, no one notices, and so it never gets handled.

But what is stress? Stress is a natural psychological and physical response to life's challenges. When our brain detects a stressor, our body releases a surge of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline throughout the body.to activate the fight, flight, or freeze response. These days, our brains have a hard time distinguishing between different types of stressors. So it reacts like all stressors are threatening our lives. We are constantly on high alert, harming ourselves.

What's the antidote? Learn to relax. Practice the 4-7—8 breathing to lower your stress. Start being aware of your day-to-day routine actions. Remain relaxed. Use stress as creative energy. Take a break from your cell phones, your gadgets, and technology. Give someone a stress break today. Take a walk, work in the garden, and connect with nature. Become mindful of the triggers in your life. Practice being calm. Accept yourself. Value your well-being.

Experience Àse Yoga, where every breath counts.