Àse Yoga Studio & Tea Room

Happy Winter, Solstice. Don't ignore this day. It's rare; it is auspicious. It's a time to plant some seeds, its a time for stillness. It's a time for balance. Claim the life you want. Our ancestors know how to do it by observing the Solstice. Participate in this sacred time-break through your limitations. Engage the Ksepana Mudra:: Place your index fingers flat against each other.... Clasp the rest of your fingers. Let the fingers rest on the back of your hands. Cross your thumb. There is a small hollow space between your hands, In a seated position, point your fingers to the ground. Affirmation: "Spent energy in my body, mind and soul flows away from me,and I thankfully accept all things that refresh me." Happy Solstice. .

Àse Yoga is celebrating the Winter solstice this Monday, December 21, 2020. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol ("sun") and sistere ("to stand still"). While the earth rotates on its axis, it tilts so that the sun appears to be sitting still. Something phenomenal is happening: And it's not only the first day of winter but the longest night of the year, with the nights shorter as spring approaches. Darkness is ending, and light begins. Admittedly, this year has bee...n challenging. From the moment it started, occurrences not visible to the human eye woke us up. Our lives were inundated with words like "shut down," "quartentine," "ventilators," "zoom," "mask," "stimulus checks," and "mitgation" For some of us, we're still here, while others are not. Reportedly, more than 97,966 businesses have permanently shut down during the pandemic, with over 300,000 deaths. But there were other non-covid related casualties such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart attacks, unemployment, foreclosure... Personal tragedies happened in our life. Now we are approaching the winter solstice. But what have we learned? Have we learned to slow down, be grateful, seek purpose, mature, and transform...Unfortunately, in this technologically focused world, we've become distracted. Instead, we celebrate the advent of the new iPhone, new television series, or sports team. Like an ostrich, we bury our head into the sand, thinking our enemies can't see us. Yet, ignoring the solstice doesn't mean we're unaffected by it. So why not celebrate this rare solstice, which is allowing us to commune with the light, change our lives, and spiritually grow as the days grow longer. Restore and Rebalance; Rebirth and Refocus. The winter solstice is a time for us to get ourselves together, to reflect on our health, family and friends, occupations, and life. At this time, we spiritually nourish our bodies; we tune inward, reflect on the past year, and prepare for the coming yearsÀse yoga winter solstice celebration at 5 pm. Join us as we take the journey of our ancestors of rebirth and rebalance. Celebrate the winter solstice.

Change your habits..

There is a Biblical saying, " To whom much is given, much will be required or expected. What does it mean? Often, we think we have nothing to give because we're not mindful of what we have been given. We all have something to give. Even an ant gives by keeping the environment clean. Ants aerate the soil, allowing water and oxygen to reach plant roots. Still, some of us become so blinded with selfishness, self-righteousness that we don't give. Giving is not just about money, b...ut time, talents, wisdom, listening compassion, and even opportunity. Forgetfulness, egoism, and arrogance keep us from giving to others. Somewhere in our lives, someone has given to us, but we saw it as compulsory. A person helps you through a difficult period in your life. We get better and succeed but fail to pass it forward by helping someone else. It is a sin when you've been blessed to hoard those blessings. Or to be so arrogant only to help kin or those that you expect to get something back. Life is always offering us the opportunity to pay back our karmic debt through our interactions with one another. And of course, we can't give what we don't have. However, know when you help others, you help yourself. As you go through your day, reflect, and write down all the beings that made it possible for you. Remember...much will be required. -experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

In yoga, often our mind is referred to as a monkey. The monkey mind is a Buddhist term meaning "unsettled; restless; whimsical; inconstant; confused; indecisive; uncontrollable." With a monkey mind, we also parrot or repeat what we hear. We jump from one idea to the next, like a monkey leaping from one tree to the next. We put our happiness on layaway and talk about what we wish to do. So we use a word like "bucket list" to denote what we have not done but want to do before... we die. We have life insurance for when we die, and now we have a list of wants before we die. Ditch the bucket and list; live a fulfilling life. A list presumes a certainty that doesn't exist. Life is too precious to contain it into a bucket or confine it to a list. Start living fully. Don't hold anything back. Make every moment a fulfilling moment. When we do, we argue, complain, and worry less; we do not waste time wanting and wishing because we're living. If there is something you want to do- do it. Don't postpone happiness or be a wishlist--be totally in this moment-experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. Happy New Moon. See more

All of us act with a modi operandi. It's merely a way that we do things. Crimes are solved by identifying the person's Modi operandi. If, for example, someone steals your Amazon packages at noon every Tuesday, they will, in all probability, continue doing it on this day for as long as it works. Some people become excited about starting a yoga practice, a fitness routine, eating healthy, and stopping doing it after a few months. Their M.O. is to start an activity but not commi...t to it. Where does this modi operandi come from? It comes from what we see and hear, as well as what we experience. How often do children pick up an instrument only to move on to something else? Usually, we're unaware of our way of doing activities in life. So we keep doing it even though it might be unhealthy, self-destructive, regressive and even immobilizing. What's your modus operandi or way of living? Do you know? Often, we don't know because we're not personally conscious of it. That means we exist in a state of unawareness. We do it, but we're not aware that we're doing it. For example, we may get sick when we don't want to do something rather than say it. With this unawareness, we fail to deal with our underlying issues. As well, our M.O.sustains us in a cycle of sameness. Yoga teaches us not to breakdown but breakthrough our M.O. of unhealthiness. To tune inward by concentrating on an object so that we steady the mind and become aware. Before we can even meditate, we must learn to concentrate. Change your M.O. to one healing. Take a good look inside yourself. Give the gift of transformation-experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

Discernment is a good word. It's not about judgment but consciousness. It comes from the Latin word discernere, meaning "separate." How do we decide between two things? How do we make choices in life? Most of us overthink, overanalyze, or choose from the head. Others discern by deciding from the heart. In doing so, we experience no regrets. Why? Because in being discerning, we separate what's essential or true from what's not. Discernment is an awareness where we don't ha...ve to think we begin to see. Our eyes are wide open, and our perception is so thorough we see only that which is right. We don't have to think, we know. We should be discerning about what we put into our bodies, even the juice we drink. Know which is right. Whether it's cold-pressed or hot-pressed juice, organic or non-organic, with or without additives...Learn the art of discernment. Remember our third eye is not "I think" but "I see." Choose consciously. Be discerning -experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

Are you communicating what you want or expecting it to happen? Or are you talking smack? We communicate truth and love. With talking, we argue, demoralize, humiliate, and insult. We even cast doubt on our and other people's abilities. Our divine engineering is not for smack-talking; that's learned. We're here to communicate or communion. Yet from the news to late-night comediennes, shared memes, politicians, entertainers, and even inside our households and educational cente...rs, we smack talk. In doing this, we hurt others and ourselvesour inability to communicate ranks as one of the main reasons for turmoil in our life. With the words we throw at one another in relationships or work, we're not saying what we mean. Smack talk is also a mental disorder; it's a defense mechanism to avoid communicating. If we continue to smack talk rather than communicate, we will remain lost, delayed, and dis-ease. We'll also suffer from sore throats, asthma, neckaches, and thyroid problems. We become unreliable, hold conflicting views, and even arrogant. Communicating is a powerful instrument-everything we do begins with a word. With it, we relate, create, seduce, and love. As you go through your day, practice communicating. Be aware of smack-talking like a lotus is of the mud. Understand that communication is verbal and non-verbal. Remember that when we communicate, we're communing with the divine within each of us. Communication is our fifth energy center. Open with Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana), flowing energy on the neck and upper spine. Retune your throat energy by reciting the sound "Ham." Wear blue. Carry Turquoise or Lapis Lazuli crystal. Give the gift of transformation -experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

When Buddha was born, a sage predicted two different paths: he would become a king or a great spiritual master. Every birth has a path. Sadly though, we ignore our path. We think we're born to play around, to recycle our lower desires and cravings, watch television, consume stuff only to end up with a mental or physical diagnosis. Too few of us realize in our birth, we bring a message to the world. Because of distractions and ignorance, we fail to realize our purpose. For Bud...dha, to fulfill his purpose, he had to step outside of the palace. Likewise, to know why we are here, we need to step outside of our prisons, including the minds' limitations and worldly distractions. These limitations stunt our growth and hide from us our real purpose. As tempting as it may be to do what others are doing, follow our parents' or society's' script and ignore our path-- before it's too late, live consciously. When we do, we enter a way of sustained peace, happiness, and healthiness. Remove the shackles of mediocrity, and embrace the wisdom of greatness. Be a seeker-experience Àse Yoga, #whereeverybreathcounts. Join our growing membership. See more

Often, we receive gifts on designated days such as anniversaries, Christmas, or birthdays. We focus more on the occasion rather than the person receiving the gift. Likewise, the way we give gifts is scripted and somewhat mindless. We give stuff to people without knowing them to fulfill our obligation. Did you know $15.2 billion is spent on unwanted Christmas gifts? And 154 million reported that they receive gifts they didn't want? Whether we're receiving or giving a gift, it'...s time to think about what we're doing. What is a gift? Bhagavad Gita teaches us that "a gift is pure when it's from the heart..." When is the last time you gave something from the heart? A gift from the heart is love. It goes on to say..."to the right person, at the right time and the right place..." So gift-giving requires consciousness, awareness, and mindfulness, not this routine of giving something to get something. All gifts are not material or things. Love, life, time and experiences are gifts. A car, fur coat, flat screen tv, or diamond ring is not more valuable than the gift of life or even a teacup. And finally, the Gita says, " and when we expect nothing in return." At certain times of the year, we expect a gift. If we've given a gift on occasion, we expect one back. Are we giving gifts or expectations? Every day, we wake up is a gift. Our whole life is a gift. Gift giving is a conscious action. Give the gift of transformation -experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

Celebrate the partial lunar eclipse, the Full Moon of November 30. We've been celebrating the full Moon for thousands of years. With words like "power," "energy," "wisdom," and "intuition, " and "communing with the divine," the Full Moon appears. When the Earth is located between the Moon and the Sun, and the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned to give us the Full Moon- along with maximum illumination comes a message. A message that the energy is increasing. According to ancient... teaching, "As above, so Below." One level of reality also happens on every other level. So we too can achieve illumination. As the Moon grows full, are we too growing full? What are we feeling? Are you living in fear? Have you given way our power? Perhaps, we are feeling stuck or in a crisis? Something is going on unconsciously, and like malware, it's causing extreme damage to accessing our divine power. This Full Moon is a time to get back on the path. As an illuminating force for the truth and an emotional retooling.-it's an opportunity to declutter the mind of beliefs and thoughts that no longer serve us. Like a computer that never stops working, we deal with a lot of emotional data that needs to be unsaved and put in the trash bin. At Àse yoga, we will celebrate the Light of the Full Moon by meditating on our inner experiences and encouraging change from within to open up our passions and creative energies.-experienced Àse Yoga. https://www.amazon.com/Art-Feeling-Good-Power//ref=sr_1_3 https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Where-Every-Breat//ref=sr_1_2

Ninety percent of what we ask for in life-we receive it. Whether it's relationships, stuff, jobs, or experiences, we getting more of what we want than we realize. We should be abundantly happy. So what's the problem? Why are we so dissatisfied? Because our thoughts are stuck in the past or the future. And we refuse to get them unstuck. We live in the past, never the present. The past is our memory. And the future is something that is not yet there-- the mind dreams about it.... How much energy are you putting into what happened or what might happen? At this moment, our minds are doing these two things. Either moving into the past or moving into the future. Rarely are we opening the beautiful, delicious, wonderful present? Whats is this present? It's a dividing line of the past and the future, that we rarely experience. Unlike the past and future, where our thoughts lie, there are no thoughts in the present. Thoughts occupy a massive amount of space. Our chatter is filled with past-future conservations, and we rarely, if ever, clean up this space. That's why we become our worries, fears, sorrows, griefs, mistakes. We become what we think about and ultimately crash. So it's not that we're not getting what we want in life. It's that we are not opening our present. We're remembering the past, and dreaming about the future, to the extent that we're neglecting the present. Meditation keeps bringing us back, bringing us back to the present. In this present, there is no thoughts, space, or material, merely spirit. Open your eyes to the present. Tune inward. Transcend your wanting into consciousness: experience Àse Yoga, #whereeverybreathcounts.

How do we decide what's real or false? We can tell fake fur, pleather, zirconia, but some things are difficult to discern. Quacks, witch doctors, charlatans exist in every field, including the spiritual world. After a few hours of training, or not they claim to tell us how to live our lives. Often times, these people sell us magic. Once a man went to a person claiming to be a spiritual teacher. He had a history of kidney failure and was on dialysis. She claimed that she coul...d cure him and told him to drink a lot of water. He expressed that he had to limit his intake of water. She boldly disagreed with it and insisted that more water would cure his diabetes. Needless to say, consuming too much fluid may cause a buildup and be detrimental. So what brings us to a certain doctor, massage therapist, energy worker, or spiritual environment? Is it popularity or the hope for magic? Whatever it is, healing is not magical; it's mental, it's spiritual. Anyone who has not reflected on their own inner issues or has no experience addressing their own emotional clutter is giving us a sugar pill at best, a distortion at worst. Be discerning with your life, with your practice. Discernment is the work of our third eye, the energy of insight, intuition, and wisdom. We deserve the real deal. Transform your life-experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. https://www.amazon.com/Art-Feeling-Good-Power-//1475958773 https://www.amazon.com/s

We've all heard the truth will set us free. And so as long as we live a lie, half-lie, or an illusion, we're not free. Perhaps all our struggles lie in our denial of the truth. Unfortunately, truth-seeking is not easy, popular, and can be painful. Imagine we're in a relationship, and we believe our partner is cheating on us. Two choices we face to either live our belief or seek the truth. Once we find out the truth, either we can do something or nothing. It's not easy, it's r...isky, and we might not feel good. Our entire life may change. We may not be the same. Accepting deception, beliefs, and opinions as truth is a grave mistake. Living a lie handcuffs us to darkness. Too many of us have closed ourselves off from the truth by acting on beliefs. We argue over lies. Let go of the utter nonsense in our mind. Turn off the television. Don't believe -know. We can only know when we seek the truth. Jesus says, "Truth liberates." How do we know the truth? Meditation. Learn to meditate. Experience the truthexperience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

We are living a stereotype. A stereotype is an image that others create of us. From the age of 5 onward, we begin this process of being what others call us, not who we are. Unfortunately, some of these stereotypes net a large sum of money for ourselves, definitely for others. We know them well, such as Mandingo, Jezebel, Coon, Big Mama, Madea, and Baby's Mama. Others less known, but alive stereotypes, include the Victim, Sufferer, Absentee Dad, Revolutionary, Rioter, Hustler..., Enabler, Drug Dealer, Blingwearer, Sickly, Star, Talker, Fake, Bulter, Groupie, Sperm Donor, Hater, Clown, Liar, Intellectual, Attitude, and Addict. Even our derriere, skin tone, and hair carry a belief and expectation about us. Being a stereotype is a way to seek acceptance by someone else's standard. Our drive for acceptance becomes a shadow that hides our true selves. Far too often, we exist being the shadow rather than the light. Until we do the spiritual work of discovering our true selves, understanding our experiences, and ultimately becoming ourselves, we survive as a stereotype. It's unhealthy because it not divine. Only the truth will set us free from a stereotypical existence. If we continue to do nothing, the stereotypes morph into archetypes. That means these stereotypes become a prototype, an ingrained pattern, an acceptable way of being. Only through a spiritual process, a lifelong journey towards wholeness, a rebirth, and healing, do we become our True Selves. That's yoga. Accept nothing less-experienced Àse Yoga. Share the experience. https://www.amazon.com/Art-Feeling-Good-Power//ref=sr_1_3 https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Where-Every-Breat//ref=sr_1_2

Retool yourself. Sometimes, we can get stuck into thinking we've lost everything, our career, job, or livelihood. When the fact of the matter is that we have to retool ourselves. Every loss is a gain when we look at it in a different way. Just look at life, where we've gone from the horses to the machine, industrial to the technology age, from unemployed to entrepreneur. Even nature retools herself for winter. Retooling is going to happen with or without us. Because necessit...y is the mother of invention. If the universe didn't send us obstacles and challenges, then nothing would be invented or created. We got to stop thinking that the universe will accommodate us. No, we have to accommodate the universe. With retooling ourselves, a new consciousness emerges. From that consciousness, we muster up the courage to break out of the limitations placed on us. Only when our consciousness changes can we retool ourselves. We feel the free flow of spiritual energy rising and beckoning us to get out of the slump of a negative situation, thoughts, and become co-creators with the universe. With every breath, the key to retooling is not believing in yourself-but knowing yourself. Retool yourself-experience Àse Yoga#whereeverybreathcounts. www.aseyogastudiotearoom.com See more

What are you going to eat today? This will be one of the most important decisions you will make. In deciding, think about giving your body the essential macronutrients and micronutrients: Good Carbohydrates, protein, good fats, vitamin-enriched foods, and minerals. Don't forget to drink from 2 to 3.7 liters of water. Enjoy a nice bowl of Ethiopian Red Lentils over organic brown rice. Lentils are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. They're also a great source of plant-based protein, fiber, and heart-healthy ingredients. Lentils are rich in polyphenols, which were able to stop cancer cell growth, especially on cancerous skin cells. Eat the right foods, and revitalize your body experience Àse Yoga#whereeverybreathcounts. Check out the recipe. www.aseyogastudiotearoom.com

No one owes us anything-even if we think they do. Should we go through life feeling that people owe us, we will suffer a thousand times. Owing is when we feel we're entitled to be angry, nasty, destructive, dysfunctional, disabled, mad, and deceptive. Years ago, a mother shared that her son was in prison, but she had stopped visiting him. She said it was harder on her more to hear him blame her for his situation than seeing him in prison. Some time passed, and so she went to ...see him. He told her that he's been thinking and that he is in prison because of his choices. His words lifted a huge burden of guilt off of her and transformed their relationship. From our homes to society, we carry this self-defeating idea that because something was lacking in our lives, a specific type of mother or father, a situation, materialism, education, and abundance of stuff---the world owes us. No, the world does not owe us--- every experience is an opportunity for us to transcend and transform your life. Living the illusion that the world owes us is an indulgence we can not afford. And yet, too many of us have fallen into the entitlement game. Seek what you want in lifeand everything you want will be found. Nothing is just given-not even the leaves falling from the trees. It's our choice to watch five hours of television or work towards our purpose. Be responsible-commit to a practice of illuminationexperience Àse Yoga#whereeverybreathcounts. See more

Stop Struggling

Every day is an opportunity,,,

One of the greatest tragedies in being human is inflexibility. Inflexibility is stubbornness or refusal to change directions. What does it mean to be inflexible? It's clinging to a fixed attitude, an immutable habit or mindset. Sadly, we go through an entire life with the same beliefs begetting the same outcomes. In yoga, we often become frustrated when our spine, joints, or muscles are tight, stiff, and inflexible. And yet, somehow, mental flexibility is acceptable. Just as ...with physical inflexibility, there is an increased risk of injury; we stunt our growth and block our potential with mental inflexibility. With a fixed attitude, we stop inquiring, seeking, and growing. Some days, we might not make our bed-and that's fine. Even the coronavirus is calling for us to be flexible- not rigid. Be alive-not dead. Don't let your fixed mindsets block the light from your life. Let go and let in the flow of energy. Àse Yoga awakens our vital energy and consciousness to enable us to live a full, flexible life. Experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

Are you hustling? Some people go through life with several hustles, while others live their purpose. Hustling is time-consuming and energy-draining, while committing to our purpose is restorative. Hustling the world stays the same; with purpose we make a difference. In hustling, we're scattered, running from this job to the next, and fraught with anxiety, anger, and fear. Anything that we're doing that is not our purpose is a hustle. Some of us have medical, educational, sp...iritual, religious, driving, Amazon, zoom, selling dinners, sewing clothes, housekeeping hustles, just to name a few. We do it solely to make money. We give little thought to purpose because hustling dominates our life. Although "hustle" has several meanings, one that sticks out is "to prostitute." Are we prostituting ourselves when we lack purpose? As humans, we're designed for a unique purpose. And so, what looks like a hustle or profession, just might be our purpose. It all depends on how we feel inside. Get out of the hustling game. Cultivate a yogic way of life: live with purpose. To know if it's hustling, we have to know ourselves by going on a journey of self-discovery. Finding our purpose is finding ourselves. Our Kemetic ancestors affirm this powerful adage: Know Thyself. They knew the sweetness in life is not in the hustle and bustle but in finding out what brings us peace, a sense of gratitude, a smile on our face, fulfillment, and enlightenmentall of which we attain through meditation. Reserve your space at Àse Yoga for meditation of purpose. Experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

Everyone wants to be a teacher, but no one wants to be enlightened. We live in a society where we can call ourselves anything and find someone to follow us. Certification, degrees, and titles like motivational speaker, healer, life coach, yogi, are dispensed like "M and M's" from a machine. Quick to fix other people's lives when we haven't fixed our own. Often we fast-track ourselves with social media certifying us like the second coming of Christ. We want to be discovered...; we want to be a celebrity. So we pick up bits and pieces of borrowed information from others. But something stops us from seeking a teacherour ego. Even Lao Tzu, Jesus, Horus, and Gautam Buddha had teachers. After experiencing suffering, Buddha obtained enlightenment without moving from his seat for seven weeks (49 days) under the Bodi Tree. What makes us think that all we need is google and handouts. In Vrindavan, India, my stay at the ashram revealed that yoga is a transformative process, a renewal. Yoga is an awakening of our divine consciousness, not a compilation of movement. To awaken that consciousness, we must seek a teacher to realize that we may be a living ego, rather than pure spirit. Understand that we can't give what we don't have. If we're not enlightened, we can't inspire others. Ego is not enlightenment. It's an illusion. Reflect. Ask yourself, who is your guru? It is written, we learn two ways: through an enlightened teacher or karma. Be transformed. Be healedexperience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcounts. See more

Faith and fear cannot coexist. We're either living in faith or in fear. Fear is an obstacle to all that we want to do in life; faith is the antidote. With confidence, we reveal our brilliance. Fear keeps us looking back, regretting, and nurturing a state of mental inertia or doing nothing. We stay in unhealthy relationships, clinging to the same way of thinking, and fuel ourselves off of why something won't work, rather than making it happen. With fear, we blindly choose the ...beliefs of others, rather than rely on our own experience. Any time someone can predict how we will act, fear is the active ingredient. A fearful person is consumed with beliefs that nullify their personal experiences. Fear is real. Moses was afraid. In the bible, Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent... I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue. And yet, he was divinely chosen because of faith. Opportunities stand right in front of us; however, we ignore them because of fear. Fear is an obstacle to us becoming superhuman. Trust your experiences. Have faith in yourself. Let go of past mistakes or regrets and wake-up. With faith, we cease to be sheep, but masters of our own destiny. With faith, we know in every setback, an opportunity waits for us. Practice faith, and rid yourself of confusion, anger, jealousy, and hatred. Embrace faith by letting go of fear -experience Àse Yoga #whereeverybreathcount See more

Food is sacred, at least it should be. And eating is a sacred experience. When we eat it is worthy of respect. If we reflect on all of the steps taken to get food to us, and the divine source that makes it possible, we see it. But that sacredness gets lost if we wolf down our food, waste it, and choose junk food over real food. Like sex, food should be respected. It is sacred. If food is not sacred, then we're not sacred; if food is sacred, we're sacred. Everything we aspire ...to be or do, rest on the quality of the food we put into our bodies. If we put junk in, we become junkies. When you eat today, witness what you're eating. Appreciate your presence in front of the food. Eat slowly. Depending on who cooked the food, gradually, you will feel this warm glow of love. Our meals should not be trivialized but ritualized. As you eat today, embrace the moment as a spiritual experience. And remember that the 1 hour and 17 minutes we spend consuming food is an opportunity for us to be inspired, energized, and actualized-experience Àse Yoga, #whereeverybreathcounts. See more