Posts In: listen to your heart

by Laura McCorry

What’s weighing you down? That idea pushed to the back of your mind that hasn’t left. Maybe it’s been days or months. Maybe you’ve been thinking about this thing you’d like to change for years.

Sometimes we let ourselves be defined by conditions and labels that have grown up over the years like weeds. They come from family, co-workers or friends – sometimes they have even been planted by our own hand in the night. The weeds grow up around the bloom of your true self and cut off the light.

You are the gardener of your soul. Approach your inner landscape fearlessly and take stock of everything growing there.

Keep the healthy growth: the relationships still in bloom that bring you joy, those habits and ideas that feed your passions with their abundant produce.

Prune back anything that doesn’t fit your true self, the person you’d like to be. Clear away doubt, anger, resentment and guilt. Let go of old sorrows that have ripened and fallen to the ground. Dig down into the earth of your being and rake away the last remnants of any bad seed.

These things weigh on your heart because they are not rightfully a part of you. A gardener’s work is never done. Each day you must go out and pull up small intrusions. Each day you must show up and begin again.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Olivia Cecchettini

“The Alchemist”

by Paulo Coelho

Summary: Slow down and be present while reading this book. Just like the cover, there are signs, messages, and hidden treasures throughout.

This is the story of a shepherd boy named Santiago who leaves his home in search of buried treasure in a far away land. Along the way, he encounters signs and clues that help him in his search. An old king tells Santiago, “when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.”

In the end, he realizes that playing it safe is often more threatening to his freedom than taking a risk. This book is a reminder that we as human beings want the same things and no matter where we are on this planet, we are more alike than we are different.

Why I LOVE It: Six months after graduating college I had planned on taking a big trip. This was something I had always dreamed of and I was in the process of making it a reality. During this time, I ran into an old friend who mentioned she was attending the University of Santa Monica studying for a Masters in Spiritual Psychology. Hearing about her studies, I felt a spark ignite. I knew I was meant to be there. The only problem was classes started the same month I had planned to leave on my trip. I decided to enroll in the program.

During my two years there, I longed for that trip and sometimes resented my school for it. But the patience and insight I learned throughout that time is priceless. I learned to let go of control and attachment to my plan. Huge for me!! I also realized that when we surrender to the greater plan of the universe and trust our intuition, magic begins to unfold.

The Alchemist teaches us that life is about the journey, not the destination. Whether that journey is inward or outward it is all the same. We are all One. We each have our own inner calling which is always transforming and growing.

Recommended For: Everyone!!! This is a book you can read over and over again. It will speak to you in different ways and spark new insights at different times in your life. My hope is that if there’s something your heart has been whispering for you to do, DO IT! Don’t wait for the perfect time, or when you have more training, or after you pay off a credit card. Find a way to do it now – even if it’s just the baby step of writing your goal down on paper. There is so much power in bringing your dreams out of your head and into the physical world. Be BOLD with your heart! We are all in this together.

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.