www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2iKqVn0PeA

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

www.simplyserenityyoga.com

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Detachment, also expressed as non-attachment, is a state in which a person overcomes his or her attachment to desire for things, people or concepts of the world and thus attains a heightened perspective.

Detachment doesn’t mean that you close your heart to a situation, instead you open your heart to yourself and all involved. Detachment doesn’t mean that you tune out, it means that you refuse to attach yourself to emotional drama that distorts your thinking and throws you off balance. Detachment doesn’t mean that you stop caring, it means that you care without expectation or the need to control. This is a higher state of being that could result in less suffering and more feelings of peaceful well-being. I’ll give you an example.

Last weekend, I was feeling particularly sensitive. Maybe it was the result of too much work and not enough rest. Maybe it was because I was feeling challenged by the military life I’m currently experiencing. Maybe my body was experiencing hormonal shifts. Whatever the reason, I was walking a path with my partner and I began to feel a prickliness in my body as he spoke.  Then I became aware of my thoughts. I realized that I was taking everything he was saying personally, even though in truth he wasn’t taking any jabs at me. And yet every time he said something, my brain was translating it to mean something else aimed directly at me. I started my own dialogue in my head:

“You’re making it all about you. Give him space to talk and share what’s on his mind. Detach from analyzing or translating it. You’re not in his head. Just give him space to share how he feels without making it about you. It’s not about you.”

How often do we truly listen to what someone has to say without somehow making it about us? It’s a skill to “hold space” for someone to talk and share freely. When someone shares, it’s coming from their experience. The only way we could experience hurt or guilt is if we take on their experience as our own. It’s an act of love to allow someone to have the floor and share from the heart and for you to witness their feelings while avoiding attaching your own emotions to them. Is this a challenge? Absolutely. Is it possible? Absolutely.

But like any skill, it takes practice. It begins with noticing your physical and emotional reactions to things around you. If you feel a change in your body and find your mind offering a translation that is creating stress for you, stop. Wake yourself up for a moment and become the observer of yourself. You can change your thoughts, which will change your experience and the reality of the situation. Try to connect with how you’re really feeling in the defensive moment. Are you feeling tired? Overwhelmed? Stressed? Give yourself some compassion and find ways to meet your needs or share your needs with others so you can shift out of that state of being. Is there a history of stress with this person? If so remind your brain that you’re in the present moment, let go of the past. Taking a step back, holding space for others and depersonalizing things are healthy ways to detach from drama and maintain steady, grounded and even keel with your presence in the world. This soulful practice can enhance the quality of your relationships by allowing you to experience love in it’s highest form.

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

www.simplyserenityyoga.com

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Yoga encourages everyone's inner soldier to overcome challenges in life.

The daughter of an Army Captain and Vietnam war hero (my father received a Bronze Star for his active duty service), I was raised with military philosophy. My boyfriend is an Army Captain and I teach yoga to the troops at Fort Bragg, so I’ve been even more immersed in military life. In my practice and teaching of yoga and my experience with the Army, one thing has become clear: many of the philosophies are similar. It may just be why soldiers and yoga make such a good fit. Yoga enhances that part of the soldier’s innate personality that strives to master, and offers empowering mind/body exercises that nurture inner strength and discipline. The added perk of yoga is it helps soldiers release the mental, emotional and physical stress that comes with one of the most stressful jobs there is.

1. Strength. Both Army and yoga beliefs encourage you to be the best you could be. Yoga also encourages one to learn how to just be. It takes just as much strength if not more to stop doing and let go as it does to engage your energy with force. It also takes strength to find peace with where you’re at, who you are and what you’ve been called to do in this life. Most of us will have regrets at some point in our lives. Yoga helps us learn how to let go of regret when we accept the wisdom we’ve gained from the experience. It can also inspire us with understanding  how we can a turn negative into a positive, usually by way of making a difference.

2. Resilience. The Army calls it “sucking it up.” Yoga calls it “non-attachment.” Both beliefs strive toward avoiding excuses to get caught up in the drama of suffering. Yoga’s non-attachment practice asks you to be the observer of your emotions as opposed to allowing your feelings to overwhelm you and throw you off balance. Holding asanas for long periods can sometimes feel challenging, but the yogi is asked not to give up. Instead, work through the mental, emotional and physical challenge and it can result in feeling more strength and confidence on deeper levels.

3. Discipline. Physical discipline: “Move with purpose” is a military saying, meaning make yourself useful. Don’t get idle, lazy or stagnant. Soldiers are routinely given physical fitness tests they must pass as part of their military contract, so you will often see soldiers working out. Physical fitness is an important part of military life, regardless of which unit you’re in.

Yoga is moving with purpose. The body, emotions and thoughts are monitored with self-awareness to help guide you and foster meaning in your life. Yoga encourages you to avoid stagnancy. The physical yoga exercises are only one part of the yoga discipline, and an important one not just for physical health, but mental and emotional as well. Each asana has an effect on the body, mind and spirit. Some days the yogi may not feel up to practicing an asana, but with discipline, yogi’s know that practicing this “movement with purpose” instills them with a sense of inner strength, health, ease and balance that will serve them throughout the day.

Mental/emotional discipline is practiced in boot camp. Drill Instructors will test a solder’s mental strength by temping him or her to fly off the handle and react to their verbal taunts. Yoga encourages the student to use self-awareness, breath and non-attachment to refrain from over-reacting to outer challenges and relying on inner resources to help you stay calm, cool and collected.

Self-discipline is a huge factor in the practice of yoga. One must have discipline to practice the asanas, the breath and to use the philosophy to better themselves in daily life. Many of us will fall out of our routine in moments of stress or busyness and return to our practice once things have settled down. The challenge is always to remain faithfully committed to our practice no matter what’s happening around us. This commitment to self-discipline is what helps yogi’s take their practice deeper and receive long-term benefits. Yogi’s believe in using your energy wisely, in productive ways.

4. Bravery. You have to be brave to be a soldier. To get through boot camp, away from loved ones, being tested to your mental, emotional and physical limits, sacrificing your freedom of where you’d like to live, when you could get away and how you could run your schedule takes courage. Soldiers give up a lot of freedoms to serve, and some give up their lives. Every soldier knows once they join, there is always the possibility that they may be sent to war and not come home.

Yoga asks us to be willing to let go of things that no longer serve us. And to push past self-imposing limits so we can be all that we can be. There are yoga poses that you may feel scared of trying. Sometimes trying those poses can liberate you from deeper fears. Meditation can be scary to some. Sitting alone with your feelings takes courage. Admitting you’re not perfect takes courage. Committing to the higher ideals of a yoga lifestyle that include taking responsibility for yourself and honoring the divine in others, not over-reacting to life, being kind, compassionate and respectful – these ideals take bravery in a world that often worships violence, hatred and drama. A soldier must act in defense of his life and to protect others, but that doesn’t mean that he subscribes to a violent state of mind. I’ve met many kind, giving, bighearted soldiers who are struggling with the fact that they had to commit acts of violence because it doesn’t feel right to them. Their act of bravery now is to forgive themselves, to feel liberated from the past and accept the wisdom gained, which is freedom. Acceptance leads to peace.

Yoga is a holistic approach to life which takes courage. It’s a brave act to change one’s diet, to sacrifice things that bring you instant pleasure but are unhealthy. Both the Army and yoga ask us to sacrifice something for freedom. Yoga asks us if we’re brave and willing enough to sacrifice an attachment to material illusions for emotional freedom?

5. Focus. “Boot Camp is 80% mental, and 20% physical. Don’t get discouraged or give in to the temptation to give up (namely because quitting is not an option.) Don’t look too far ahead and stay focused on the task at hand.” -military.com. The military life asks soldiers to be very focused and mindful in every aspect of their life. On the job, focus is critical for many soldiers who are placed in life or death situations. Mindfulness is also important in their personal life. If a soldier acts unbecoming and less than is expected of his character, he or she can face a demotion or even dishonorable discharge.

Many yoga asanas such as Tree Pose can also be considered 80% mental and 20% physical. That’s what draws people to yoga – it’s an exercise that requires focus in the present moment. When you’re holding a yoga pose, you’re not thinking about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. You’re focusing on your breath and maintaining the integrity of the pose: lengthening, grounding, extending, exhaling. There’s a lot happening during a yoga pose that focuses you to be present and to free your mind and body of the stress that tightens, constricts and restricts. Yogi’s who are interested in cultivating spiritual values will practice yoga on and off the mat, striving to judge less, and to be more patient, kind and compassionate human beings.

Are you up for the challenge?

It takes a lot of focus and self-awareness to raise the bar on your standard of living and aim to be the best person that you can be. Both the Army and yoga ask us how strong are we, just how much we can persevere and what level of integrity are we willing to reach. Yoga helps us find peace among the answers.

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

www.simplyserenityyoga.com

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No reprint without permission for both written and photographic content in this blog.

Lauralyn is a yoga therapist specializing in holistic healing. She is currently providing yoga to the wounded warriors at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

2. Inspire yourself. Creating a little nook to meditate is fun and inspiring. You can roll up a blanket, use a pillow or meditation chair to sit on. Light some incense. Place an inspirational image in front of you, like of a saint, angel, spiritual teacher or nature image. You can even put on some relaxing nature or instrumental music in the background.

3. Release expectations. If you approach meditation with a bunch of expectations, like your mind should be instantly clear or you should meditate like this or that, you may find yourself getting stressed or disappointed. Meditating isn’t about attaining a goal, although it certainly can help with your goals. The idea of meditation is self-soothing, self-nurturing, growth, time out. Sometimes meditating for even one minute will feel like a challenge. Other times, it will bring a delicious sense of peace and well-being. Allow your meditation to be what it is today. You can learn a lot about yourself and your needs this way.

4. Use your busy mind. When your mind is really busy with thoughts, instead of feeling frustrated that you can’t clear it while meditating, begin to direct the mind. You can visualize a goal you’re reaching for and imagine what it feels like to already have reached that goal. You can focus on a mantra – a word or prayer – that you silently repeat on your inhale and exhale. You can imagine an Archangel healing you with colored light. You can use counting to focus the mind: count from 1 to 5 on the inhale and 1-8 on the exhale. Maybe sitting in silence fighting off distracting thoughts isn’t the way for you today. Maybe the practice of disciplining your mind is where it’s at. There are many paths to reach that state of simply being.

5. Be unconventional. Do you think you need a quiet space to meditate? Maybe you won’t have many opportunities to be in a quiet space today. That doesn’t mean you can’t meditate. Your meditation for today may just be sitting in your car for an extra few minutes and breathing deeply with your eyes closed. It may be stopping your cart at the grocery store and taking a few breaths while tuning out the noise around you. It may be closing your eyes for a moment and feeling the breath flow in and out of your nose while you’re in the shower, at the dinner table, or your desk. Anytime you focus on your breath, notice it, and bring your attention inward you bring a gentle awareness to your state of being. Viola – you’re meditating!

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

www.simplyserenityyoga.com

Sweltering Hot and I Can’t Breathe: is this yoga right for me?

I first tried hot yoga about ten years ago at a small studio in New York. I remember feeling thankful I made it through the class without passing out. I’ve always been sensitive to heat, ever since I was a child. A warm yoga studio, I can tolerate. Heat can help loosen tight muscles, so a warm yoga room is better than a chilly one to support flexibility and prevent injuries. But 105 degree heat will send me into the unwell zone fast.

Love Your Body: just say no to yoga that doesn’t help you feel well

The next time I remember trying hot yoga was in my yoga teacher training. We were being exposed to different styles of yoga we could teach. The room got so hot, the air so thick, and there were so many people packed in, I started feeling like I couldn’t breathe. I felt very lightheaded. Then sick to my stomach. A layer of sweat made it challenging to maintain my balance on the mat as I slipped and slid. I began to feel shaky and weak. I was the only student who physically left the room, but my body left me no choice. I loved my body too much, and had been through too much with health challenges in the past, to allow myself to feel so unwell. Yoga, even when detoxing me, had never felt so sickening. I was all for a yoga challenge, I wanted to explore the different styles to validate which one was my calling. But hot yoga -- definitely wasn’t it. I can still feel the cool Spring breeze hitting my steaming body as I left the room. The teacher checked on me to make sure I was okay, and I told him my body couldn’t tolerate hot yoga. There are so many different styles of yoga, hot yoga is far from the only one that works effectively and productively for your personal goals.

Yoga for Healing

My goal has always been to learn how I could lower cortisol levels since chronic stress had affected my nervous and endocrine systems. I already knew I could use yoga for strength training and flexibility. I had been practicing Hatha for many years and was proven it could give you flat abs and a tighter butt and help you touch your head to your knees. I wanted to know yoga on deeper levels. I was curious about it’s healing ability. How could yoga help me decrease stress hormones? How could it help me manage stress better in practical ways for mind, body and spirit? Aerobic exercises like hot yoga and Ashtanga could actually raise cortisol levels and increase stress levels in an already stressed body. I found what I was looking for in the works of Desikachar. His father, Krishnamacharya, is my yogi hero. He was a healer, teacher and scholar who began teaching yoga in the 1920’s. His holistic yoga philosophy stressed restoring health and well-being. He emphasized the use of breath with movements. His teaching style was to “teach what is appropriate for the individual.” He viewed every student as “absolutely unique” who are best “taught according to his or her individual capacity at any given time.”

Developing Your Yoga Practice Through The Years

Krishnamacharya’s story demonstrates how different kinds of yoga can be used at different stages of our life. When he was a kid, he practiced Ashtanga, a very vigorous, athletic kind of yoga. As he grew older (he lived to 100), his interest in yoga shifted to it’s healing aspects. This is the beauty of yoga: it grows with us. Yoga will present a different challenge to us when we’re eighteen as it will when we’re eighty. A wise yogi listens to their body, mind and spirit and explores which yoga is best for them at any given time.

I created the satirical video below to bring some laughter to the yoga community when it comes to it’s differing opinions on which is the “best yoga.” Hot yoga missionaries have tried to convert me over the years, trying to convince me it’s the best kind of yoga for my body. But only I know what is truly best for my body. The beauty of life, as Krishnamacharya taught, is that we’re all different and so no one yoga will fit all.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxyYlapb2jg

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILYcNMKiGJs

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

Lauralyn is a yoga therapist specializing in holistic healing. She is currently providing healing yoga instruction to the wounded warriors at Fort Bragg.

The law of attraction isn’t a magical thing and it’s not a simplistic theory. It’s a law of energy or physics. “Like attracts like” meaning what vibrates at similar rates (including one’s destiny) may be brought together through the time space continuum  like how magnets feel that draw to connect. But what if something that doesn’t appear to be vibrating at your rate is sent your way? Does it mean you’ve dropped the ball and have done something wrong? Or is it part of your calling to teach, heal or learn from what’s sent your way? What if just because something doesn’t feel good or appear to make sense, it’s still vibrating at your rate because it’s connecting to a part of you that can teach or heal or that needs to learn or be healed? Consider the law of attraction like this: we are brought together with people and situations for a divine purpose. It’s not just about what your ego wants, it’s about the ripple effect of life and your soul’s purpose in this world. Sometimes our brain will interpret these interactions as wonderful, like when we’re brought together with people who are just like us. Other times our brain will interpret a situation as awful because it’s not making us happy. Either way, take a step back and learn from the situation. You’re being called to a higher purpose with it.

A helpful prayer to heal from any negative associations with the law of attraction is the Serenity Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

2. Your vision board is a magical universal shopping cart for your every desire. It’s my experience that vision boards are best used as a divine inspiration for your soul’s purpose and passion. Just because you place a photo of a supermodel on your vision board doesn’t mean you’ll ever look like or marry one. If you go deeper into your soul and ask yourself what would bring you peace, you may find the images on your vision board change. You may have photos of smiling faces representing happiness. Or strong bodies representing health. Or a yoga pose to inspire your practice. Or an image of water or mountains that you’d like a view of someday from where you live. You may place photos of things you’d like to give, as well as receive. When I was in high school it was about material things or life experiences that I wanted. As I grew up, I added ways I would love to serve others and help this planet. It’s been most fulfilling to experience these service goals coming true – the board serving as inspiration of what’s possible and to help keep me motivated and focused. When my efforts and passion meet with divine timing, the vision on the board becomes my reality.

So don’t lack faith if you never live in that 10-bedroom mansion overlooking the ocean that you placed on your board. Just think about all the taxes and copious amounts of cleaning you’re being spared. Use your board as a focal point to inspire your soul and motivate you to accomplish your goals and continue to dream about what’s possible.

3. If something isn’t perfect, it’s not meant to be. Sometimes things are going to be super easy and feel “meant to be” and other times you may feel like you’re fighting tooth and nail for what you want. Just because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean you should quickly walk away. God ultimately shows us what’s not meant to be, we must trust in that higher wisdom always present in our lives. When you’re headed in the wrong direction, you can often feel it in your heart. Or you end up being strongly re-directed. It’s hard to deny when something isn’t meant to be, you’re usually not given much of a choice. This divine wisdom asks us to eventually accept when life doesn’t go our way. There’s always a reason why something works out and why something doesn’t. We just have to trust. Trust helps the soul feel at peace and helps you hear your intuition clearer. Consider making a commitment to something you feel strongly about and working through it, even when it’s challenging, because it’s those hard times that can build trust and a loving relationship for a lifetime. Or a career that you become really good at, enjoying success from your efforts and helping many people. Avoid the ego trap of striving for and expecting perfection. Practice acceptance for what is, and strive to be the healthiest you. Change what’s in your power and commit to a positive outlook. Life may not be perfect in your perception, but from the higher view, it’s always perfect on that deeper level.

4. A spiritual person doesn’t ever do anything that would upset anyone. Gentle, sensitive souls who are striving to be the most loving, kind and compassionate people may find themselves feeling stepped on in life. It’s the sensitive souls who end up becoming doormats for stronger personalities who mistake their gentleness for weakness. Sensitive people often focus so much on the idea of being viewed as “good” that they behave in ways that are actually bad for them. A friend of mine once said “us sensitive people have a higher tolerance for BS.” It’s true that a deeply compassionate heart is often open to everyone and will tolerate a lot others wouldn’t. We just have to be aware of the fine line between caring for others and caring for ourselves. If your own dignity, self-respect and health suffer as the result of you being a spiritual person, it may be that you’re using compassion as an excuse to avoid healing your self-esteem. Where is the strength of our compassion if we’re lacking it for ourselves? It’s a sure way to burn out.

Consider spiritual street smarts. You can do good and feel good, but you need to be discerning. There are people out there who won’t see your loving heart and just don’t care. They’ll use, abuse, take you for granted and take advantage of your goodness. There are people out there who would prefer you be meek and suppress your own feelings so they could feel in control. There are times you may unintentionally offend someone by sharing your personal belief about something. You can’t be a yes man to everyone without sacrificing your own health and well-being. It’s not healthy to be consistently kind and giving and then start feeling resentful when certain people aren’t kind or giving back to you.

You can shine your light in the world without leaking it out in a way that undermines your strength and power. Even the angels practice tough love. Angels are created of pure love but they’re far from doormats. They just say no to fear and actively clear it with a very strong, very powerful, very focused divine love. It’s not a romantic or friendly love. There is no personal agenda, and there’s none of that sentimental kind of love we humans feel. It’s divine love – something that’s hard to explain in human terms. Divine love feels synonymous with respect for all living things. This love doesn’t fall prey to guilt or rationalizing. This love is clear between the boundary of love and fear. It’s mission is maintaining a strong divine love and practicing zero tolerance for fear.

We can do the same by not being afraid to express ourselves, forgiving ourselves when we act out of fear, and by practicing our loving kindness in a way that feels comfortable to us. When you stop worrying what others will think of you, you will begin to live the kind of spiritual life that feels right for you. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa and other spiritual leaders in our time have served as examples of standing your ground and speaking your truth without allowing the fear of others opinions sway you from your life’s purpose.

5. If you haven’t met your soul mate, you’re doing something wrong. This is another one I’ve heard from clients over the years and it always saddens me because these are kind, smart, beautiful people who feel they’re somehow blocking the love of their life from crossing their path. As an intuitive, I’ll tell you from years of providing hundreds of readings, I’ve seen enough proof to believe that we have little external control over our love destiny. We can’t control when our soul mate will be ready for us, or when that timing will be best for both of us. Does that mean you should sit home in your pajamas every weekend and not bother putting any effort into your dating life? No! You’ve got to put the vibe out there that you’re ready for love. You can do this by joining an online dating site, letting friends and family know you’re looking, being bold and taking risks. The love of your life is out there somewhere and you’re destined to meet.

The universe can use your help. Your psyche was erased of the date you’ll meet, so your love life is now an adventure. You play the game by searching and wondering and pining, and chances are your soul mate is doing the same thing. Then one day, exactly when it’s meant to happen, you’ll meet. It could be online. It could be at a support group or yoga class. It could be in a coffee shop. It could be at the gym, or maybe through a friend. The greatest challenge of love is waiting for it. The wait will challenge your mind with all sorts of depressing thoughts, like you’ll always be alone or you’re doing something wrong. The best thing you could do while waiting is continue to focus on your own personal development and opening your heart so when that destined encounter happens, you’ll be receptive with a grateful heart.

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

www.simplyserenityyoga.com

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But yoga props aren’t only for times of stress. Using props regularly in your relaxation practice provides on-going support in your daily life. A soldier in my class remarked that he couldn’t comfortably get into a spinal twist without the support of a blanket. I said to him, “who doesn’t need a little support now and then?”

Really, who can’t use a little extra support along with feelings of peace and comfort? Try yoga props for deeper relaxation and healing. It’s a worthwhile investment for your self-care. I love my yoga props and look forward to using them routinely.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1UFm5MHPDQ

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

Lauralyn is a yoga teacher specializing in holistic healing. She is currently providing yoga therapy to the wounded warriors at Fort Bragg.

www.simplyserenityyoga.com

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Make time for YOU, the investment pays off in joy and abundance

1. Be honest with yourself. What’s most important to you during your day? What are you presently making more of a priority than what you’re really being called to do? What are your fears?

2. Break the spell of thoughts. Over-thinking is a great way to block yourself from taking action. The more you think, the more thoughts will come. You could find yourself, an hour later, still not doing anything. Avoid getting lost in your thoughts by making them work for you. Grab your laptop or a notebook and start writing down inspiring thoughts that support your goals. Other “to-do” thoughts, write in a planner or separate piece of paper so you can relax, knowing you won’t forget those little things. Then bring your attention back to your goal. Try a quiet meditation to clear and re-direct your mind to what’s important.

3. Do something different. Sometimes a routine can block inspiration. Doing the same thing, day in and day out, can make you feel stuck. Break the cycle by doing things differently. Get out of the house and drive someplace new. Try a new adventure, go someplace you normally wouldn’t. Do something you normally wouldn’t. Move around your furniture. Clean your car out. Try a new exercise. Read a new book. Throw out or donate clothes you haven’t worn in ages. Buy some flowers or a new candle in a scent you’ve never tried before. Buy or make an inspirational sign to hang in your home where you can see it every day. Fresh new experiences bring in fresh inspiration!

4. Make it a habit. Whatever it is you’re wanting to do, you’ve got to make it a habit just like brushing your teeth. You don’t give yourself an option when it comes to brushing your teeth or showering, right? Hopefully it’s been groomed into you since childhood! View your goal as good hygiene for your well-being. It keeps you clean of the frustration and guilt you feel when you’re not doing what you know is good for you, and washes off any fear since you’re taking action and doing it. Once your goal becomes a daily habit, you won’t think twice about doing it. It will no longer feel stressful like something you’re trying to squeeze into your day. Once you make your goal a natural inclusion in your day, you’ll find you have enough time every day to devote to yourself. You’ll allot whatever time you can – 5, 10, 15 minutes, an hour, to whatever makes you feel happy and more at peace, and helps you accomplish your goal.

5. Visualize the results. Use your imagination to visualize what you look like and what it feels like when you’re doing what you love to do, and when you fulfill that promise to yourself. This is a calling you have – what does it feel like to be living it? Notice the effects it may have in your life – both personally and professionally. Anytime you feel distracted or discouraged, come back to this visualization and feel as if you’ve already been engaged in what you desire. Then follow through by physically doing it.

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

www.simplyserenityyoga.com

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One of the many beautiful peacocks that roam the Aloha Zoo in North Carolina

“We Bought A Zoo” is a movie based on a true story about a widowed father who buys a shanty zoo with the hope of a fresh start. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I have seen another real life story of a man who bought a zoo. And it’s in Cameron, North Carolina.

Just two years ago, Lee Crutchfield opened Aloha Zoo on 60 acres of Southern land, tucked off a highway, behind a row of mobile homes, on a quiet country road. He has adopted 300 exotic animals who were discarded by their owners. His zoo is a sanctuary for the unwanted, the lost, the sick, the elderly and the homeless. He provides them with their specialized diet, freedom to roam, a clean and protective environment and most importantly, love. Lee shared with us just a few of the stories that brought some of the animals in. Like the 100-year old parrot who survived two generations of family owners before being handed over to the zoo because the last owner, in his late 80’s, was too old to care for it any longer. The parrot, who from age, has lost a good amount of his feathers and had a slight tremble despite the heat lamps, looked content. Lee said he had bonded with the parrot he was perched next to, after his parrot “wife” had recently passed away.

He also explained how the lion’s bloody paws were due to dermatitis and an autoimmune condition most likely brought on by in-breeding by some circus owners and heartless profit mongers. The lion is under the care of a veternanarian. Lee is also open to holistic medicine, desperate to heal the regal cat. We witnessed the African lioness and her Siberian tiger companions purr and enjoy a head rub from two of the volunteers. It was heartwarming to see these gigantic cats acting like little house cats with the joy of their caretakers attention.

And then there was the bear who I’m sure is certified to teach yoga in the wild. I watched him do stretches that you’d see in a yoga or pilates studio. Lee said like Winnie the Pooh, this bear has a sweet tooth and loves Twinkies.

We took a Safari ride. A John Deere tractor took a bunch of us animal admirers on a loop around the vast property where cattle, camels, pigs, zebras and a very humorous ostrich roam the pasture, greeting the tour with the hopes of getting fed. Our tour guide shared funny stories and interesting facts about the animals while we snapped photos and oohed and ahhed. She mentioned that you could tell by an animal’s eyes whether they’re kind or not. I thought, the same goes for people.

I witnessed so much playfulness from the bear and the tigers, and the camels and the horses. As tough as these animals are, they know how to have fun. They recognize the importance of preserving energy and enjoying it. They would rest, exercise, practice awareness then want to play. Multiple species co-existed peacefully on the same land. What a great vision for life.

Activists Gone Wild

I was saddened to hear at the end of our visit that undercover PETA employees had falsely reported the Aloha Zoo to authorities. And though owner, Lee, is in the clear with his integrity, he admits it’s stressful to now be “on the radar” and harassed by PETA representatives who don’t support his mission. And they haven’t even taken the time to get to know the guy.

Without people like Lee, these exotic animals, who weren’t taken out of their natural habitat, but have been rescued, may not survive very long if left to fend on their own. Like the 50 birds that Lee took in from a widow who said she was just going to “let them loose” if he didn’t show up in 30 minutes to take them. Those exotic birds would have never survived a winter here. But I was blessed to see them, happily chirping away in the company of each other, well-fed and warmed in their tidy cages. And the humongous boa constrictor that a woman dropped off after her mother threatened to call child protective services on her because she had the carnivorous snake slithering around her floor along with her newborn baby. That decision may have saved a child’s life. If it weren’t for the Aloha Zoo, where in this desolate country would that snake have gone? Perhaps let loose in the wild to wreck havoc on the neighbors or kill someone’s pet cat. This man is not taking a life away from these animals, he is giving them a life, and love, they may not have had otherwise.

I believe in the role of activists and that we need people to take charge and speak up against corruption. But in cases like these, I begin to wonder if activists like those from PETA have become less about the highest good for all and more about their own ego attached to the mission which, it appears to me, has been founded on hate and distrust of humanity. Without compassion, activism loses it’s purity and can turn dark. Though I’m sure PETA has contributed lots of good to the world, some of their acts of activism have come across more like terrorism to me. Like just recently, I was in NYC and had to endure being yelled at in the face by PETA activists who were screaming at ladies entering department stores not to wear fur coats. I’ve never owned a fur coat. I don’t get why, with the myriad of warm fabrics we have today, anyone would want to wear a dead animal on their back. Not to mention the cruelty in the process, it is awful. You’re wearing the vibration/imprint of trauma, pain and suffering on your body when you choose fur. Did my sensitive ears need to be ringing with the activists rage that day? No. And although I agree with them that the making of fur coats is a vile business that should be stopped, attacking people about it is stooping down to the abusers level. I bet women who do like fur coats are certainly not going to stop wearing them just because a pack of wild humans are screeching at them like lunatics. If anything, she’ll write them off as crazies and buy the coat without her heart ever knowing what their anger was really all about. Graphic photos, red paint splashes – these kind of acts of guerrilla warfare only scare people. You can’t reach, and open, people’s hearts if you’re approaching them with fear and hate.

I vote for a more tame approach to shift the public’s perception of animal cruelty. Education, not manic harassment, is the answer. It starts with an education in how to be a more compassionate, empathetic person through recognizing your suffering in an animal’s suffering. It’s all the same, and we each have an opportunity through our deeds to add to the suffering in superfluous ways or to add to the healing in whatever small way we can. In the case of family and volunteer-run Aloha Zoo, I think Lee is an inspiration to us all for compassionate action. He is providing an education in compassion at his zoo, and living the example.

To volunteer or make a donation, please visit the Aloha Zoo website.

©2012 Lauralyn Harter

Lauralyn is a yoga and angel therapist® and Reiki Master specializing in holistic healing and intuitive spiritual mentoring. A transplant from Los Angeles, she is currently providing yoga therapy to the wounded warriors at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.