”Change is the only constant”

I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not, I worked hard enough to be who I’m today, imperfectly perfect. I strongly believe that people won’t walk into my funeral saying I had really nice shoes and expensive bags so I don’t make life about stuff.  I carry on my days crossing paths with different people that make life all about others and its makes me forget about how important it is to stay true to what I believe and it keeps me far from what I practice every day. So, I prefer to stay inverted on my mat to stay grounded because everything looks better from up.

I spend a lot of my time inverted with hip openers because the hips are the emotional storage-house of the body. We harbor a lot of feelings and emotions such as fear, sadness, anxiety, trauma, and other negative energy in our hips. It is when we open our hips and release some of the tension that we are also able to release a lot of harbored negativity.

Given my past I focus on releasing as much negativity from my body as possible, but do it invert because it reminds me that there is always a different lens. We spend most, if not all, of our life viewing the world from one upright lens, inverting while releasing negative memories or emotions reminds me that there is always another viewpoint or way to look at the given situation.

Sometimes when given time to reflect on my daily life I realize how insane life is… With so much going on constantly, I forget pictures that document my story. In the past few weeks I have driven to New York to have dinner solely because I missed solo time. Since I got married, I forgot about my solo time, my me time in quiet meditations within a calm mind so I Hopped on a plane by myself to London to visit Sarah my cousin, who seems just fine, waking up every day to beat cancer. she’s happy and nothing would stop her from living her life with her beautiful daughter. I guess her life revolves around Maissa and nothing else. she is wild and happy and nothing would stop her from living fully and deeply. Then flew Boston to hug my mom & sister and then realized how crazy life is. Last time I was with my sister, she was fierce and independent, now she is tightened up to her cute baby Jay. now she is a MOM. and I look at her to see how different she feels now that she has a little someone to look after 21/7, she looks just OKAY. who is not okay is me thinking through her future wondering how different would her life be like now that she has is a Mother and here I’m not living in the present moment and worrying about the future, and then I remind myself that the only change is constant, I remind myself that acceptance is key and that it’s all right to let life happen without plan…

I should accept what arises in life although having a baby is actually a blessing and I shouldn’t worry about that  because for me having a baby scares the S*** out of me. I should be well prepared and I plan everything before it happens. I’m someone who plans for every single thing on a daily basis. I’m a pretty boring person who knows ahead of time what I’m having for breakfast lunch and dinner, I know where I will exactly be at 18:45 every day (in my CrossFit box if you are curious), but yes, I’m the type of person who doesn’t allow any spare time for surprises. I just can’t let go of my days and let them be, I need to be in control…I know maybe I’m a freak.

I can’t imagine myself waking up one day to the news of being pregnant without an actual plan including meditating the idea and digesting the fact that my body would probably never be the same (I know I’m Selfish)

Then I thought of my life and how I felt when I moved out of Boston. I drove down my street and everything has washed off, I felt like I never lived there but what happened to my souvenirs there… maybe my non- attachment practice has finally sunk in.

I drove to Worcester to see my friend Houda I used to spend every week end with and now we are completely strangers and I hate to say it but we will never have brunches together on Sundays, we will never look for an outdoor yoga class to go to, we will probably never see each other as much as we used to…Life is crazy that way, and it has manifested to a life I always imagined for myself. I am a strong believer in faith, but also in the power we hold in ourselves to make our visions true. But most of all, I realized the most priceless part of my life that has filled the sand spaces of my heart, my hip attachment my husband Anass. I strongly believe every woman needs a man, yes men, like him. And we as women deserve nothing less. You go along with my wild ideas, you push me to be better always but most importantly to be myself around you and you are totally okay with that. And these amazing life’s moments would be nothing without you to share it with. just a reflection on how much I love you 🙂

Happiness lies in gratitude…

The past few years have been all about diving inward. Recognizing that external / material objects did not fill the void that I felt. Remembering that I have all of the answers inside of my being. Learning about and embracing my intuition. Becoming more conscious of my thoughts, feelings, actions. Deepening my awareness of the oneness between myself, all living beings, and earth itself. •Surrendering • Believing • Creating • Loving • Evolving •
On the other side of fear… there is love. Open up and allow yourself to live in this indescribable space of love. Align with your true self. External appearance matches what is taking place within. 

Learning to love myself more is the key. It doesn’t matter how much weight you lose, how ripped your abs are or how pumped your glutes are – if you don’t work on what’s inside, you will never be happy with what you see on the outside.

Happiness lies in gratitude. Be grateful, count your blessings not your worries. be yourself and be happy.

life is a journey

Me too…

Women can turn the whole internet into a list of ”Me toos,” but it won’t make a difference until men-ALL MEN acknowledge how they perpetuate misogyny and commit to make a change… but as of now I will sadly write ”Me too’ ‘too. I have never been brutally raped, nothing bad ever happened to me personally because I avoid walking in the street by myself. Not that I hate walking but I don’t have that much privilege. I remember the couple of times I heard or read stories about this innocent girl who was publicly raped in a bus by 3 different juveniles’ dogs, I totally refuse to call them humans. What I remember is those little girls in the suburbs whom parent decide to force them marry an older guy because he owns a piece of land or a cow while they are only 16. I remember seeing those girls who are not being heard, I remember seeing silent screams of those girls through their eyes.   They can only scream and suffer in silence.  I remember the girl who was videotaped while a band of animals were trying to rip her clothes off in public and she was blamed for it because of her short skirt. I do not remember anything done or any sexual harassment or assaults laws put into place but I do remember this disgusting guy hiding behind his computer screen writing naughty comments about the way the girl was dressed and how she deserved everything that happened to her because she was just a GIRL. I remember myself getting sick in my stomach thinking that there are people that justifies these animals acts and don’t feel bad about it. So, I remember seeing lots of girls out there being harassed or assaulted and it’s becoming normal. We live it, see it and experience it every day tbut that’s NOT OKAY.

I remember something happened. On Twitter this past weekend, and later on Facebook, women (and some men) around the world responded with two words: “Me too.” They hashtagged posts #MeToo to share their own experiences of sexual harassment and assault, and to de-stigmatize speaking out. Some told their personal stories, some didn’t.

My social media feeds have been awash with a heartbreaking flood of “#MeToo” tags, along with stories that will haunt me forever.

But, yeah, #MeToo.

 

Photo credit: Page Bradeley Scultpture called (Expansion) it is a woman meditating in the lotus position with light bleeding out of her cracked body. #Womenpower

 

Love yourself

I’m not afraid to say that I have been struggling with food lately. I try to stick with my meal prepping for the entire week to avoid snacking on fatty food. Bad habits are hard to break and I knew that if I didn’t make a strong effort to get back on track then I would continue to eat junk, feel like a zombie and have low self esteem.

Here are few tips to be healthy and  to love yourself:

1: Drink green coffee first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed it is easy, Cheap and effective. This will improve your digestion and will help remove toxins in the gut.

2. Take a yoga class you will no regret it

Yoga helps you feel better about everything.  Take a deep breath, it will clear your mind and sends oxygen throughout your entire body including to your gut.  oxygen is the number 1 nutrient that most people are missing from their diet. Oxygen helps breaking down our food so when we’re not breathing properly we’re not digesting properly. Yoga also involves lots of twisting which twist our organs for a better digestion.

3. Partner Massage

My husband and I have a weekly routine of exchanging massages. We will set the clock for a good 10 Min and we indulge in a nice back and feet massage. Massages help releasing toxins from our muscles into our blood stream. It helps your nerves to relax and soften. Always hydrate after massages, drink up that H2O that you can actually release all toxins from your body.

4. Do a traditional Hammam

The perk of being in Morocco is that I can afford a great relaxing hammam for less than 15$. Hammam safely penetrates deep into your muscles and joints with the same rays that come from the sun without the UV radiation. Hammam is a great skin detox. It is also a ”me time”. I usually go and give my body the time it needs to relax and feel at ease with myself. I like to do it at the end of the week to detox all weekly toxins. Make sure you hydrate after Hamams (I like to sip in virgin coconut water after hammams).

4. Meditate

Cleansing is also clearing our minds too. if you know me enough, you would know how much I love and believe in meditation. for me, it is an internal transformation, it keeps me focused more onme  more than my surroundings. The exterior world can be very energy dragging. Meditation is time I dedicate to myself. I sit with my body and thoughts and make peace with my feelings so meditate as much as you can., sit with yourself as much as you can and accept whatever arrises when you meditate. Meditation is magic.

5.Avoid Gluten, wheat and dairy:

These are things that typically disrupt our digestive system and create unhealthy bacteria in our gut. Giving our bodies a break from these things will keep the unhealthy bacteria in your gut from feeding on all this artifical sugar and it will slowly start to leave.

loving yourself this ways is the best thing you can do to yourself. You do so much everyday so take time to thank yourself and appreciate who you are.

 

Don’t get fooled by Instagram perfections

Have you ever looked at someone on Facebook or
Instagram and immediately felt badly about yourself?

You see how perfectly toned they are, flashing their
dazzling white smile, looking like they are over the
moon with amazing accomplishments. Then, you look at yourself sitting on your couch in your lounge-around underwear, contemplating if you even have the energy to stand up after a long day, let alone get in a workout.

Sometimes those types of photos are motivating to
get moving, but sometimes they can feel like a little
blow to self-confidence. Here’s the thing… I’ve heard it said that “You can’t
compare your ‘behind the scenes’ with  someone
else’s ‘highlight reel.'”  To me, this rings true. Comparison is the thief of joy.

Whether it’s the way you look, your fitness level,
success, money, possessions, travel, experiences…Comparison can be deceiving.

You don’t need to feel bad about yourself for where
you’re at and you don’t need to feel jealous or upset
that someone else is happy and healthy.

What’s important is identifying your goal, making a
plan, and then executing that plan.

When you are just starting to make progress toward
your goal(s), comparing your level 1 with someone
else’s level 20 doesn’t even make sense, nor is it
helpful!

When it comes to working out, the “best workout” is a
workout that will challenge YOU...

It’s a workout that gets you winded, makes you push
yourself to get stronger, and helps you improve even
just a little bit from yesterday.

If you are just starting to workout or if you have been
super active for years, finding workouts that challenge
YOU are what’s most important. So, when you have a goal, be realistic about where
you are at and where you want to go.

Having a set plan helps alleviate stress from comparison
because you can be confident that you are working hard
and are on the right track and that’s what really matters.

 

(Photo taken in Bali, Indonesia)

It’s Okay not to be Okay

I feel empty and small. I feel sunk in a huge jar where my voice isn’t heard.I’m screaming loud but no one can hear me. It’s almost like being in a nightmare shouting for serious help but my voice is not been heard. My heart is dislocated and couldn’t get back to its place or shape. My mind is so blurry and I can’t distinguish between clouds and thoughts. I feel betrayed, misplaced and sometimes lost. Lost between thoughts, dreams and hopes. Hopes are all I had before. They got wiped off with the wind that blew my heart away. Somewhere but I can’t figure out where.

I feel small, so small,in a big world. A world where I know no one, so I tried to find someone i know. I tried to fall in love again with this world. I tried to fall in love again with myself. I promised myself not to look back into yesterday . It’s so ugly that I don’t want to think about it. It hurts, it breaks me down. I’m not looking into it ever.I’m moving forward.Im breathing. I’m alive and all is good.

It’s time  to listen to my breath, every sigh tells me something new about this world. I like to watch the stars flowing smoothly in the sky. I like to watch the sky changing its color. Each color adds flavors to my life. I like to listen to my bones and to that breath circling around my veins; each breath sends me strength to carry for the next day and I remind myself that all is good, universe is there to support us with all the rurrounding energies, the ongoing moon cycle that remind us that everything we go through in life is temporary, everything is moving forward just like the moon does, and I know that I will be Okay and everything will take its place sooner or later. I breathe in life ,joy and breathe out unnecessary negative thoughts that pull my chest down . I remind myself that Im OK , alive, breathing, hoping and it’s okay not to be Okay.

 

( Photo taken in Xcaret Mexico)

 

 

 

Grow, Heal and Thrive

“I am not what happened to me.  I am what I choose to become.”

Emotions are the language of our Soul and feed our intuition. Emotions offer feedback and guidance about where our focus has been. When I first started my meditation, I had hard times sitting through the emotions that arise and the pain that emerges. I was in a denial of what’s happening inside me. I was feeling pain in my upper back, tightness in my hips, achiness in my knees and confusion in my mind. I wanted to urge and open my eyes to stretch everything out. It was one very painful . I wondered where the pain came from. Has it been there longer than I knew? how did I never feel anything before? I wanted to learn more about my inner body, so I tried it over and over, I breathed to my tight hips and to my pain. I felt resistance and wanted to step back but I stayed. I stayed with myself because who else will stay for me. I didnt want to give up on myself. I sat through the emotions and pain, I allowed my breath to travel along my body and started to feel numbness and then a slow ease emerged in my body.

Meditation helped me connect my mind to my body and my body to my mind. I learned how to sit in stillness with my body and listen to my emotions and pains. I shed light into the most painful areas to acknowledge and accept the existence of the pain. I realized how I never sat with my body to check how it feels. I used to naturally breath without any consciousness or awareness. I would never allow myself to check in with myself and see how I’m feeling. Through meditation, I healed, grew and nourished myself with deep conscious breathes. I acknowledge things I denied in the past, I accepted the things I ignored and I got the wisdom to live within me for few minutes. the pain was always there sleeping; I never gave my body a single chance to manifest or to be heard. I was moving through my days keeping myself busy between work, chaturangas and running.

I never felt the need to thank my body to allowing me to do things I do every day. The pain is diminished and I’m now more aware of my inside. I accepted , I acknowledged , I healed. Breathe breathe and breathe.

what’s on my blog

Hello, my name is Miriam and I am a yoga addict who is also a  blogaholic.

The first step to recovery is admitting it, so I’m glad I got that off my chest.

Ok, so I may have just made up the word ‘blogaholic’, and come to think of it – I don’t actually think my blog addiction has been particularly harmful to me, quite the opposite in fact! it’s very therapeutic in a way it allows me to lay everything out off my chest.

Apart from the odd beauty and fashion blog, I spend most of my time perusing the many beautiful yoga, food and wellbeing blogs out there in the blogesphere. There seems to be an endless amount of blogs emerging these days, so I thought I’d share with you my journey, my blog will be full of revelations, yoga, meditation and nutrition.

Happy browsing

(PS: I love to be upside down photo taken in Taghazout, Agadir Morocco)

who is spiritual gangster

M❤️M❤️

World Traveler, moon lover, yogi passionate, meditation practicioner, book reader, kindness spreader! I’m a simple human of the World 🌎

Breathe. Move. Feel. Better.

 

 

Join me for:

• laughter, absurdity, raw authenticity
• real-life yoga philosophy
• letting go
• revelling in your whole self
• tons of unconditionnal love

(Photo taken in Ubud Indonesia)

Power of the present Moment

 

We never realized how many big great experiences we miss over worrying about littles details. We miss being in the present moment! While worrying about what’s going to happen next! We stop living it deeply and fully because of a minor detail distracting us from the wholeness and fullness of the moment! I practiced with a bunch of passionate yogis yesterday!! We flowed together with purpose and intentions! Around paint messiness and an overwhelming blend of beautiful colors! I realized how much worrying about paint getting into my nails was such a big deal! In fact, the whole first 10 min of class was more worry than anything else! I worried about my hair and clothes getting painted and my manicure/pedicure getting ruined! This threw me off the present moment and drifted me away from my breath! But then I reminded myself the purpose of me being there! Getting to practice in the midst of disorder and messiness without getting too busy thinking about those little things that makes you miss out the moment!! Miss out your whole purpose whether you are on or off your matt the it’s okay to get messy! It’s okay to ruin a stupid Manicure over a great moment of free flow! Long deep breath and overall great sensations! It’s okay to get out of your comfort zone to reach greater things!! Paint your practice was put together to declare interdependence as a nation! a yoga class that brought people Together to breathe, unite and move but for me it was more than union, it was more about Learning how to stay in my body when things are messy, complete disorder and Learning how to accept whatever it is at that moment. Moments are not permanent and every part of the moment counts and makes the whole experience more interesting.

live in the present moment because there is only that one moment, that one chance to live it fully and deeply, accept it as it is without judging or expecting any outcome out of it. we tend to focus more on what we would like to get out of the moment and we miss out the experience itself. Living in the present moment is breathing through hard times the same way we breathe through the good times. breathe and all is well. NAMASTE

(Photo Taken somewhere in New Hampshire)