My journey with Eminecne skin care

I have always been a skin care junkie.  My skin care obsession started with my mom showing me how to care for my skin in my early teen years.  In my teens I had Grade II acne.  I do admit it is not as severe as some people I see today with high grades, but as a teenager you always feel self-conscious and acne is right there for anyone to see.  Anyway, I started taking antibiotics regularly to clear up my skin.  This was the only option since accutane was not around.  Eventually my acne cleared up, not to say I didn't still have occasional breakouts...I still do to this day.

Now fast forward to my mid-twenties where I had worked and sampled several over the counter department store cosmetic companies.  I will attest to using these products and I enjoyed them all.  I even found a few skin care lines in my early thirties that I liked from a couple of days spas I visited or worked.   As I stated I appreciated a few of the skin care lines, but my biggest love for a skin care line came when I had my first Eminence facial.  This amazing facial was provided by Turtle Cove in  Mt. Harbor Resort.  It was love at first sight.

I didn't started using the Eminence line regularly until I brought it into my spa in 2010.  At the time I was having a hard time with hyperpigmentation, the dreaded dark spots.  As I was now in my mid thirites these pesky spots were making a grand appearance on my forehead  and cheeks.  It was my teens all over again.  I was becoming self-conscious again.  I remember someone asking what was on my forehead, like I had something on there that needed to be rubbed off.  Below you can see the difference Eminence has made on my skin in the last four years! The time sequence is top left 2010 to top right 2012 and bottom left 2012 to bottom right 2014.  I look young as I have gotta older AND the dark spots are barely there.

Hooked for life!


 

Mirrors

It has been some time since I have written on our blog.  I have wanted to share my papers I wrote for teacher training with Shiva Rea, but I have always felt shy about sharing such intimate areas of my life.  Well no more, I am starting today by sharing my first paper that involves mirrors.  My love/hate relationship with mirrors has been a journey and I proud to share with you my story surrounding mirrors since we now have them hanging in the studio.

This is a paper I wrote for our teacher training that was called the embodiment project.  I was asked to take photos of 10 asanas that were listed and at the end of teacher training I was to take the same photos of the same poses and review how I had grown in the asanas.  Enjoy.

Embodiment Project

Long ago when I first started my yoga practice, I practiced in front of mirrors.  There were mirrors at the yoga studio I attended and there were mirrors in my practice room at my home.  Having the mirrors really helped me to “see” and understand the correct alignment.   Then, after teaching in gyms for many years, I noticed that mirrors are helpful, but they can also encourage the ego.  It was then that I began to not use mirrors in my personal practice.

When I attended my first two week training with Shiva at Exhale, we were asked to take photos of ten key asanas.  I felt at the time that my asanas were a great reflection of correct alignment.  This was not the truth.  Since I was no longer using a mirror for my own personal practice, I noticed that “feeling” my way into an asanas did not necessarily get me into the correct alignment.  I needed both.   The embodiment project provided me the knowledge that you can feel prana energy in your body, but it still might not be a true reflection of correct alignment.

Teaching yoga is about finding one’s own individual balance in any given asana or life situation, but without proper technique or form, you will be doing yourself a disservice.  We can look at chaturanga dandasana as a great example.  This pose could be providing a strong foundation for the wrists, arms, chest, and core but if taught incorrectly, it could be damaging to these areas, especially the wrists and shoulders.  Correct technique starts from the instructor.  You are a mirror to the student, so if your asanas are not properly aligned, this will be reflected back by your students. 

Mirrors….I have come full circle with my appreciation for them once again!

                                                    Studio Before                Studio After

Bhakti Sadhana

My last sadhana(practice) was amazing!  It was about strength.  I learned that being strong can sometimes create strong words and emotions, so a strong 30 day sadhana can create an imbalance.  This is why this last month's practice was so great!  I learned that while I am strong others are in a different place and feel things, such as words/emotions, in a totally different way than what was intended. 

These 30 day practices are what I love about my teacher Shiva.  She has designed these programs so we stay connected in our practice that we are nourished in a much deeper way than just on a physical level.  I am not saying that the physical side of yoga should be ignored, the asanas are there to serve us in creating new space in ourselves which in turn allows for a deeper understanding of our emotion/mental selves.  

My 300 hour Prana Flow training with Shiva was completed this past March.  I am now able to share her wonderful gifts to the masses.  I am going to start with a Bhakti Sadhana from July 1-31st.  I hope you will join in with me.  This 31 day practice is about love and devotion and it will embrace the heart space known as anahata.  All you need to do is allow ALL your thoughts and actions to be moved by love.  When they are not just remember to get back on the Love Train as soon as you can!

Love ALL Ways,
Cassandra

30 Day Vira Sadhana

Last night was a full moon and I have decided that I am feeling the pull of strength and power. This vibrational energy is perfect for a Vira Sadhana, a practice of strong asanas.  My 30 day mantra is one to Ganesh, may any obstacles in my path be removed.

The feeling of strength I am experiencing could be coming from my 40th birthday that happen last Friday, May 17th.  What a great weekend!  It started on a Thursday night with my mom and my longest and dearest friend Christine.  We spent the night at Eric's family lakehouse.  Three strong and vivacious women talking about life.  I learned that I want these women at any future childbirth that happens in my future.  It was so supportive to have two women that I love deeply with me on the eve of my 40th.  It filled me with love and strength.  Their stories let me know that everything ahead of me is just a beginning to each new chapter that has yet to be told and they would be there to give me love, support and strength!

This Sadhana is for you Mom and Christine!  I love you both so much.

Side note:  Sorry if you saw this blog already, but I wrote the above on my iphone blog app while at the lakehouse.  It dated it wrong so I wanted to do it again.

Spring Renewal

Wow! It has been a year since I have written anything on The Floating Lotus blog.  It seems that with the expansion of the business I have been super busy.  Then Eric, my fiance, sells his house of 13 years so we may build our own new home together.  He is so giving and loving and I feel blessed to have him in my life!  With the house sold we had to move into his parents home.  We have been living there since August of 2012.  Since living in his parents house there has been a lot of transition for me.  I have been growing a business, living with my soon to be in-laws and working on finishing my 300 hour teacher training with Shiva Rea.  I finished my final test with Shiva Rea and I can check that off my list!  I was certified with her Prana Flow style last month.  It was a three year journey and I have this sense of accomplishment to have finally finished.

Eric and I will be moving into our new home in a few weeks and I couldn't be happier.  I have learned so much about patience and letting go.  It has been an eye opening experience and I am grateful for every new lesson.  I look forward to Spring and the opportunity to Renew.  Living with the in-laws, Eric and I have been eating restaurant food more than I am comfortable with.  As soon as we move into the new house I will be starting a cleanse.  I need to purge my body of unwanted toxic food.  I have found that my stress fall back food is sugar.  Not good for the cells that support my overall health. 

Third Backbend

Today was a really nice day.  The time I spent at the studio was refreshing and I got some paperwork done.  However, sitting in a chair for six hours straight was something I am not use to doing.  My body was screaming for some movement. When Kenley our massage therapist arrived I was ready to do a backbend!  She was the lucky photographer today.  Thank you, Kenley!

 

Day Two

It felt great to groove to a few of my favorite beats today.  It was a hour before the 6:00 o'clock yoga class and I used my time wisely by warming up the shoulders and hips so that I could take my second picture.  Thank you, Hannah!  She took the picture you see below of the standing backbend.  I forgot to thank Theo who took my first backbend picture.  Enjoy!