Hawaiian Healing Yoga

11/27/2025

May your hearts be filled with ALOHA and gratitude, today & everyday! Namaste, everyone!🧡🌴

11/26/2025

Whatever Arises in Your Mind, Be Present🤍

There is a famous story about a monk named Shrona, who asked the Buddha about the best way to meditate. The Buddha asked Shrona, who had been a musician before he was a monk, what was the best method to get sound out of his instrument: “Was it when the strings were very tight or when they were very loose?” Shrona answered, “Neither, the best sound came when the strings were neither too loose nor too tight.” Buddha rejoined, “It’s the same for your mind in meditation; it should neither be too concentrated nor too relaxed.”

Meditation is a process of getting to know how our mind works and training our attention to rest where we place it. In Tibetan, the word for meditation is gom. Gom literally means “getting familiar with” or “getting used to.” By practicing meditation, you can get used to remaining present, undisturbed by whatever thoughts or emotions arise in your mind.

However, our mind normally behaves like an excited monkey, jumping from place to place. Our mind thinks about this and then it thinks about that. We sit down to meditate and at first we are present, watching our breath, but after a few moments we are lost in a daydream. We may have started out by watching the breath, but soon we are on an island enjoying a piña colada at the beach and next we are thinking about all the money we have to save to get there. Before long, several minutes have passed and we realize we forgot all about the breath. The monkey mind jumps here and there almost without stopping.

Our monkey mind is constantly talking to us and telling us what to do. We don’t know how to guide it. Our mind is under our control to some degree, but a few minutes on the meditation cushion should convince us of how little control we actually have over it. When the monkey mind tells us something, we react in one of two ways: we follow it, or we fight with it. If our mind tells us something is good, we follow it. If our mind is telling us how funny our partner looks in that outfit, we struggle with ourselves not to mention it and try push the thought away.

Meditation is neither about cultivating nor rejecting, but rather about learning how to be present in the face of whatever arises in our mind.

Some people think meditation is about siting there, clearing the mind by blocking thoughts and emotions. They struggle with their mind, thinking “I must meditate, I must keep a quiet mind, no emotions, and CONCENTRATE!” Other people try to meditate by blissing out, thinking meditation is all about peace, openness, and reaching a special level of consciousness.

Meditation is neither about cultivating nor rejecting, but rather about learning how to be present in the face of whatever arises in our mind. In the beginning, we may need to calm our mind in order to not become overwhelmed and distracted by our thoughts. Eventually, as we gain experience, we will actually be able to use turbulent thoughts as a support for our meditation. Until then, we need to be able to settle our mind. Once our mind settles, we don’t have to remain in a tightly focused state of concentration, nor do we have to create a blissful experience.

PHAKCHOK RINPOCHE

11/22/2025

Everyday is a chance to recalibrate! How wonderful that all things natural are like healing companions.☺️🌴🧘🏻‍♀️

True self-care doesn’t always come from a spa day or a retreat. Some of the most powerful ways to restore your body, mind, and spirit are simple — and completely free.

Morning Sun — Begin your day grounded in light and gratitude.
Mindfulness — Slow down and notice the beauty in small moments.
Gratitude — Shifts your focus from what’s missing to what’s already abundant.
Yoga — Connect breath, body, and awareness.
Walking — Clears your mind and energizes your spirit.
Breath Work — Brings calm and balance from within.
Meditation — Anchors you in peace and presence.

When you recalibrate with these natural healers, you remind yourself that wellness is not about adding more — it’s about returning to what’s already within you.

11/04/2025

We did it! Ten wonderful months of yoga teacher training. We combined our graduation with a beach day outing to celebrate our time together this year. Mahalo nui loa to each of you for supporting each other, and making each weekend a lot of fun. I'm excited to hear how your practice and teaching unfold.
Aloha & Namaste!!🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏻🌟

10/20/2025

🌟Meditate🌟
This is the best feeling in the world, when our meditation experience becomes a sanctuary. Being in contemplative meditation or prayer is a gift we can give ourselves, by quieting the mind and listening to the heart.💚

10/19/2025

So excited for our yoga sister, and friend, Nadine, who has opened her own studio in Waimea! Nadine graduated with us in 2021, and inspite of a very busy home life & career in nursing, she found teaching opportunities to share her love of the practice, while caring for others. We know that this next step in her healing work will bring community together, one deep breath at a time. Congrats & blessings to you, Nadine. Namaste🌟🙏🏽

PS: in support of my own next adventure in art therapy, Nadine was happy to let me paint the blue lotus mural you see in the pics!💙

10/06/2025

Wow!🌟 These weekend warriors knew the task! We are one month away from graduation and have started our final one hour practicums. They did amazing!

Music, mindfulness, strength, flexibility, encouragement and support; everything that makes up a great class. We even learned a little chair yoga, too! Awesome job, everyone. We look forward to celebrating with you in November!
Namaste🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️

10/03/2025

Aloha Friday, everyone!🌈🌴
Remember, you’ll know your people when your heart feels seen, and your nervous system is calm. Namaste

10/02/2025

Thursday funny!💙🌴🧘🏻‍♀️

09/29/2025

🧡💛🩵

09/26/2025

Wishing you a beautiful weekend, everyone! Stretch your body, relax your mind, and keep your heart open!🧘🏻‍♀️🩷🌴Namaste

09/18/2025

You’ve always been enough. There isn’t anything you could do, say, or acquire to change the fundamental wholeness that God placed in your spirit. You are loved.🌴💙