Wendy Hassenpflug, owner of Vayu Yoga®, shares how mind-body practices can help us regain our health

By Wendy Hassenpflug, MS, E-RYT

We have all found moments, sometimes even longer periods of our lives, that we have felt stuck in the same routine and going through life on ‘auto-pilot’. We follow the same routine, drive the same routes, cook and eat the same meals, wear the same clothes, and the list goes on. 

Sometimes routine is good for us, but what if by stepping outside our comfort zone and our ‘stuck-state’, we could find more clarity and power in our lives? What if you could tap into your life purpose and know the reason behind everything you did throughout your day? What if everything we did had a purpose, and was helping us get closer to our life’s dreams?

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“If you think you can, or can’t, you’re right” (Henry Ford).  Our thoughts really do determine our (own) reality. If this is the case, and we are stuck in an ‘auto-pilot’ life, simply existing, then we need to change our thinking before we can change anything else. 

This is no easy challenge, we have been taught that anything that is truly of any worth takes effort and determination. Here’s a great tip, surround yourself with people that have ‘like-minded’ goals and that will help you stay on track. Better yet, surround yourself with people that you aspire to be like and that inspire you.  Every action that you take or don’t take affects you exponentially in determining your future. 

It’s all about making the better choices, learning from the setbacks, and continuing to change your mindset. Imagine if you can learn just one thing today that gets you so excited that it changes your life.  We call this ‘A-HA moments’, it’s like this light deep inside us grows brighter and we crave the need to change something.  One of the best ways to start this path of exploration and discovery is by bringing yoga into your life. 

Santa Clarita’s Aerial Yoga Studio

Not just on the yoga mat, but in your everyday life. What does that mean? That means learning to truly listen to your body in your yoga practice, without opinion or judgment, just listen.  We let our body be our guide, we let our own intuition lead us towards what is best for us.

We constantly remind ourselves of what excites us most in life and we think about that everyday. Whether it is spending quality time with your spouse or family, being able to take vacations more often, or just simply having the ability to do an activity extremely well. You have to dive deep and ask yourself the question: ‘What excites me most?’ everyday and then remind yourself of it.

It doesn’t matter if you’re able to do it today, this week, or even this year, time is irrelevant, the point is your mindset. Excite your mindset, light up your life, create the right attitude, believe in yourself, and you will have the power to commit to improving your life.  It doesn’t end there, that is just the beginning.

Now you have just finished your yoga practice, all of that happened just by letting your body be your guide and shifting your mindset. Now the next step is to let the vision of your life pull you through your day. Keep listening to your intuition, this isn’t just a lesson for your yoga practice on your mat, it’s a lesson to take off the mat and into life.  We have been programmed to ignore our bodies and push through life and circumstances.

Instead, imagine letting your gut instinct lead you through your day, and finding inner peace, even among the greatest amount of chaos. This doesn’t mean ignore what’s going on around you. It means be aware of it, but not judgmental about it, and not let it steer you off your path of purpose and excitement.

Observe life without assumptions, judgments or opinions and notice what happens. Do it right now, ask yourself: ‘what excites most?’, and by that I mean really excites you.  Now visualize yourself doing what excites you most, the more vivid you are in your thoughts, the more details you can add to that picture in your mind, the better. 

Then just watch your thoughts after you have taken your mind to what excites you most. Do this each day as often as possible and then really enjoy the day that you actually do what excites you most. Then start the whole process again and again and again.

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About  Santa Clarita Vayu Yoga® Owner Wendy Hassenpflug

Wendy Hassenpflug is an E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher), through Yoga Alliance, Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Pilates Teacher (Pilates Method Alliance), Certified Personal Trainer (National College of Exercise Professionals). She holds a Master of Science in Kinesiology and a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science, and has over 26 years of experience as an educator in secondary and higher education.

Wendy teaches private, duet, and small group trainings at her studio Vayu Yoga®, located at 24353 Main Street Newhall, CA 91321.  Visit http://www.vayuyoga.com for more information or to schedule an appointment or book a training.

Wendy hosts “Vibrant Living with Vayu Yoga®” on AM 1220 KHTS radio in Santa Clarita, CA, Tuesdays from 11:00am till Noon.  Click here to listen to podcasts.

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