HABITS – established patterns that are either wise or foolish

The habits you form result from repeated actions you initiate over lifetimes of experience, whether wise or foolish. They are repetitive thoughts, patterns, or habits that deepen over time. If negative impressions get ingrained, the mental and emotional self cannot integrate with the other layers of self—the physical, energetic, higher wisdom, and, ultimately, bliss. Once you establish a pattern, it takes conscious work to dissolve it or constant work to maintain it in the case of a positive pattern. According to karma, ignorance is the source of all suffering, resulting from the four patterns of karma that obscure or conceal the truth. Once the truth is revealed, we can begin the work to transcend our karma. Through the practice of yoga, you are not just exercising your body but also shaping your mind and soul. The repetitive nature of yoga, focusing on balance, strength, and flexibility, helps us establish a life of healthy habits. As our body becomes stronger and more flexible, so do our thoughts and words, aligning with a positive way of interacting with others and ourselves. Over the next four weeks, we will work on the four patterns that hinder us from experiencing physical, mental, and soulful bliss. This journey holds the promise of personal growth and transformation, as we learn to dissolve negative habits and enhance positive ones through the power of yoga. Let’s get started END: As you navigate through your week, the key is to be mindful of your habits, whether wise or foolish. Remember, self-awareness is the catalyst for change, enabling us to transform negative behavior into positive and cultivate positive and worthy habits. Stay conscious of your thoughts, words, and actions. In doing so, you will be the architect of your transformation. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend your index finger—feel the ego pull you from your center. It’s important to note that the ego is not inherently good or bad—it simply exists as part of the human experience. The key to controlling the ego lies in finding balance and harmony between our identities and the interconnectedness of all beings. Pull your finger in and place the thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. Through yoga, we become more aware of our wise or foolish habits. Soulful awareness empowers us to dissolve negative habits while diligently enhancing positive habits. It takes work. That’s karma. Be aware of what you think, say, and do. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For classes, courses, books, consultations, and more http://www.doctorlynn.com

How to soften or lighten your karma

Our work here on Earth is to transcend the four great passions, deceit, greed, anger, and pride, which are the root cause of all our so-called problems. All four play a part in our lives. One will be stronger than the others, and it will be our lesson to learn in this lifetime. As we lessen the intensity of a passion through awareness, our aura softens, and we take on a new, softer coloration as we change. The practice of karma yoga is one way to soften the coloration. Karma teaches that with the proper work, the coloration of your aura will improve about every twelve years, with significant coloration changes happening between the ages of twenty-nine and a half to thirty-two, fifty to fifty-two and a half, or eighty-eight and a half to ninety-one. These cycles can begin one and a half years earlier and thus end one and a half years sooner. Although the soul has an infinite ability for creativity, it only has three central activities: thinking, speaking, and doing. These three activities create our karma, and all karma seeks expression through our thoughts, words, and deeds. So, to soften your karma, pay attention to what you think, say, and do. It's important to remember that it takes awareness, and awareness requires balance, flexibility, and strength. This emphasis on awareness empowers you and puts you in control of your life. Let's get started. END: To lighten or soften your karma (aura), you must manifest specific actions and inhibit others. Practicing yoga (physical) helps us learn to become motionless and balanced without losing consciousness. Practicing yoga is how we eradicate karma, being balanced and still body, mind, and soul while holding onto awareness. Awareness is our "witnessing consciousness," the observing principle of life. EGO: Flip your palm up and extend your index finger. Feel the ego pull you from your center. Desiring satisfaction for the sensory self, we are driven by the ego, where we fall prey to the four great passions: deceit, greed, anger, and pride. Our human cravings and desires bring about discontent and suffering. As long as we are caught in the cycle of discontentment, we can never find balance and peace. Cravings and desires cloud our awareness; thus, we become what in karma is known as the "ignorant, unaware self." Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to your soul. Sit still and be aware of the calmness and peace within the body, the mind, and the soul. This is your witnessing consciousness—the observing principle of life. It reminds us to stay balanced, flexible, strong, and peaceful with our thoughts, words, and deeds. This emphasis on balance and peace in your soulful growth should make you feel calm and reassured, bringing a sense of tranquility to your life. In this, you work your karma. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultation, and more, http://www.doctorlynn.com

The Impact of Pride on the Ego: A Yoga Perspective on Self-Perception and Growth

While pride is often associated with self-respect and confidence, it can become destructive when excessive and misplaced. This is because excessive pride can lead to resistance to constructive feedback, hindering self-development. It can also foster arrogance and an inflated sense of superiority, essentially insecurity and fear projected outward in defiance. Moreover, excessive pride can lead to a constant comparison with others, resulting in resentment and envy. Comparison can make it challenging to genuinely celebrate others' successes, as they may be perceived as threats rather than achievements to be appreciated. In its most extreme form, pride can drive individuals to engage in self-destructive behavior as they strive to uphold their self-image. Self-destructive behavior can manifest in various ways, such as taking unnecessary risks, overworking, or even participating in harmful activities, all in an attempt to prove one's worth or superiority. Recognizing the potentially destructive effects of pride is crucial in maintaining a balanced and healthy self-perspective. By actively cultivating humility and openness, individuals can harness the positive aspects of pride while effectively mitigating its negative impacts. This process requires a delicate balance of adaptability and inner strength. Let's get started. END: pride is crucial for maintaining a balanced and healthy perspective on oneself. By fostering humility and openness, individuals can harness the positive aspects of pride. It is good to be proud of yourself and your accomplishments, but it is also good to appreciate others. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend out the index fingers. Feel the ego pull you from your center. • Pride can be positive and negative, depending on how the ego processes and expresses it. When the ego becomes overly inflated, leading to excessive pride (hubris), it can result in arrogance, narcissism, and interpersonal conflict. This form of pride often involves an unrealistic self-image and a lack of empathy for others. • Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. On the other hand, when the ego experiences pride in a balanced way, acknowledging achievements while maintaining humility, it can enhance motivation, resilience, and interpersonal relationships. Be humbly proud, and you will prosper. • Namaste~ may you walk your life's path with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, consultation, and classes http://www.doctorlynn.com

How to Find Calmness in the Storm: Harnessing Anger Through Yoga

Anger, a passion that resonates universally, is an emotion we have all encountered. It's a complex emotion to navigate, even though it's easier to acknowledge than others. This could be because Anger can be perceived as a justifiable response to an injustice. However, it's a challenge to wield Anger in the right measure, at the right time, and for the right reason. Feel the grip of Anger after an argument with someone, and you can feel the body tense, and the mind becomes scattered and irrational. Basic instincts such as violence kick in as the adrenaline runs through our bodies. Often, we say and do things we later regret. But Anger, like everything else in life, is transient; it comes and goes, and sometimes, we can't even remember what angered us. Anger destroys self-awareness. Anger rushes through the body, causing it to go off balance while enslaving the mind. In yoga, we embrace a positive approach to Anger. We strive to maintain our composure, and instead of reacting aggressively, we aim to respond with actions that elevate our sensibility and rationality. This practice holds the potential for profound personal growth and transformation, offering a beacon of hope in the face of Anger. Managing our emotional balance and regaining our inner equilibrium is a journey, not a quick fix. It requires us to recognize our emotional imbalances and find the strength and flexibility to bring ourselves back to a state of balance. Balance is a challenging task, but it becomes more attainable with practice. Let's get started on this journey together. END: Savasana ~ In savasana, your mind is now flooded with strong, vibrant thoughts. You have exercised the body with the asanas. Now relax and let go. At this moment, your mind is like a battery fully charged. What you let into your mind will have a hundred times the force it usually has—think kindness and peace. END: Anger, like all emotions, is transient. It comes and it goes. When it gets its grip on you, try to stop and ask yourself if it is worth letting the tension and irrational thoughts take away your balance, your inner peace, and your opportunity to inspire rather than take the path of hatred and violence. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend out the index finger. Feel the ego pull you from your center. Like all the great passions, the ego gets attached to Anger, for it is the ego that seeks self-preservation. It is a basic instinct to lash out when someone or something angers you. Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. Feel the rationality and the calmness in your body, mind, and soul. Remember, when Anger arises, and it will, return to this state of peacefulness; it is only a breath away. Step back, find your balance, take a breath, be kind, and inspire. Namaste ~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations, and more http://www.doctorlynn.com

THE PASSION THAT DESTROYS WEALTH

Greed is a passion from which we recoil. No one likes to think of themselves as being greedy, and yet each of us, on some level, has been consumed by Greed. When we think of Greed, we usually think of avarice or excessive hoarding of money and material things. Greed is a fixation upon objects of sensory pleasure and gratification—for example, alcohol, food, or material possessions. Greed causes us to commit violence against others and ourselves. In yoga, we practice Greed if we push ourselves beyond our limit while doing a particular asana (pose). We may risk injuring ourselves because we desire to keep up with the teacher or go beyond the other students. When injuries happen, we contract and must stop our practice and heal our injuries. We, therefore, stop the flow of evolution and growth. Greed imprisons our time, emotions, and energy. If we removed Greed from our human physical, verbal, and intellectual selves, we would remove violence, dishonesty, and theft. Greed is a mighty force; the best way to combat it is with awareness, balance, strength, flexibility, and humility. END: Unselfishness, the polar opposite of Greed, is a force of transformation. When we give without any expectation of receiving, we rise above Greed. This is not about the destruction of wealth but the freedom from the clutches of Greed. It's a liberating experience that can reshape our perspective and bring us closer to our true selves. EGO: Turn your palm up and extend your index finger. Feel the ego tugging you away from your center. The ego, a significant player in Greed, is not about accumulating things or money. It's about our fear of inadequacy, our resistance to seeing others surpass us. This sense of disempowerment compels us to greedily cling to what we perceive as the most significant aspect of our identity: the ego. Recognizing and overcoming this ego-driven Greed is crucial in our journey toward unselfishness and contentment. Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. One key concept of non-greed is to be content with what comes into and goes out of your life. In doing so, your mind becomes quiet, and more positive energy flows through your body, mind, and soul. In this, you are working your karma. Namaste ~ May you walk the path of life with health, happiness and peace. Doctor Lynn For Books, classes, consultations, and more http://www.doctorlynn.com

Deceit – a destructive passion

The root of all karma is seeded in the four great passions. One of these passions is more intense in your life than the others, but they all appear simultaneously. The four great passions which are the major causes of all of life's problems are: Deceit Greed Anger Pride Deceit means lying or not telling the truth to most of us. If someone deceives you, that person may deliberately make you believe something false for the person's advantage. But we also deceive ourselves into false beliefs by telling ourselves we are less than or superior to others. Blaming others for the nature of our present and past existence is also a form of deceit. Here's an example of deceit: In one of my workshops, a woman named Julie discovered her central karma as deceit. At first, she was distraught, believing she was a good, caring, and honest person. As we worked on her karma, she began to see that she had always been a caregiver to others. She had done it because she wanted others to love her so that she would give so much of herself to others with little in return. She resented the selfishness of others. Now, Julie could see that she had been deceiving herself into believing she would be loved and considered a good person if she gave. She gave of herself to gain a feeling of self-worth. She discovered that she was deceiving herself by looking to others for approval. END: Deceit affects all of us. It is a false belief in something, whether about something outside of ourselves or something deep within ourselves that we fear. Karma reminds us to be aware of deceit when it arrives and then consciously turn it into honesty; in this, you are working your karma. EGO: Flip your palm up and extend out the index finger. Feel the ego pull you away from your center. Fear is at the root of all our problems. Deceit is a form of fear wrapped in a lack of self-worth. Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. Honesty in your outward actions and how you see yourself taps into the soul's quest for truth and honesty. Be honest and truthful with others; you will work on your karma. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations, and more http://www.doctorlynn.com

How to Master the FOUR GREAT PASSIONS of Life

Understanding karma, we realize our ultimate goal is to restore balance, love, happiness, and abundance by resolving our negative karma. This process involves multiple reincarnations, where we consciously choose our body, parents, and life situations to address our karma. The key to this journey is self-awareness, which serves as our compass for mastering karma. The root of all karma is seeded in the four great passions. One of these passions is more intense in your life than the others, but they all appear simultaneously. The four great passions which are the major causes of all of life’s problems are: Deceit Greed Anger Pride Mastering the four great passions is not an easy task, but it's one that can empower us. It necessitates a sense of inner balance and stillness, immense strength to resist impulsive actions and reactions, the adaptability to remain open, and a peaceful connection with the soul. This is the work ahead of us, and by undertaking it, we can gain control over our karma. Let’s get started. END: Deceit, greed, anger, and pride lack honesty, tolerance, unselfishness, and humility, which are the triggering mechanisms for all karma. They also lack sincerity, fairness, joy, admiration, detachment, and courage. These give rise to prejudice, sorrow, disloyalty, fear, disgust, and cruel joking, which will activate karma and get us into trouble. However, we can overcome these passions with awareness and illuminate our path to soulful growth and self-improvement. EGO: Flip your palm up and extend out the index finger, the symbol of the ego. It is the ego that gets triggered by passion. Without conscious awareness, it seeks to protect itself, often resorting to deceit, greed, anger, and pride. Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top, the symbol of the soul. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. The soul reminds us that practicing honesty, generosity, compassion, and humility would be wise to combat the four great passions. Be aware, and you will begin to master your karma. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, classes, and consultations http://www.doctorlynn.com