Personal Practice with Julia Marie

Meditation : Detach from Worry & Negative Thoughts

This meditation technique is one of my own personal practices that is a technique to create space from swirling thoughts and drop a secure anchor in our body. This meditation offers three areas of focus. First we acknowledge what we're feeling. Why? Well a healthy brain doesn't have a delete button. We can't simply forget what we're feeling. But we can acknowledge it for what it is - a thought, a feeling - not our entire being. Then we can even say thank you to our overactive mind for working so hard to keep us safe. Next, we come back to our body and notice our real selves in this real moment with a little bit of space from the swirling thought. Then we engaged with the anchor of our body noticing what we're sitting on, the gravity that holds us to the Earth. We end the meditation with affirmations to introduce a new dynamic. Finally as we exit the meditation we will engage with our surroundings from a new space of regulation and relaxation observing what we see when we open our eyes, what we smell, what we hear, and even what we taste. Would you like more free breathwork and meditation practice, or low-cost Yoga & fitness classes? Visit juliamarielopez.com to learn more. While meditation and movement practices are a wonderful tools to support mental wellbeing and can be therapeutic in nature those techniques and this audio recording are not a substitute for psychotherapy, clinical support, or crisis intervention. If you feel you need more support or professional, one-to-one guidance, know that help is always available. If you are in crisis please dial #988 or call #911. If you are looking for resources and professional support in your area visit NAMI.org. You are not alone.

Meditation : Sense and Hear

Sometimes the peace and quiet that we’re searching for can actually be found when we listen to what’s really going on outside of our heads and take a break from listening to what’s going on inside of our heads. This meditation is designed to help you pause, step out of the domain of your mind and re-embody yourself via the sense of hearing.

Relieve Tension: Upper Body Stretch + Peace Meditation

I call them the usual suspects. Those places in my body that get very tight when I'm thinking too hard, worried, working long hours, or just letting my brain spin.   For me it's the chest, neck, and jaw. This area of our body is ultra complex.  The shoulder and neck joints are incredibly mobile and play ball with the upper back and the chest. It is easy to understand why we cramp up in our face, jaw, and chest especially if we are locked into a very cerebral experiences. In this personal practice we do very, very simple shoulder motions, neck stretches, and breathwork to zap tension in the shoulders, chest, neck, and face. What's great about these complex and integrated parts of the body is that one or two simple moves can positively impact the whole system. After light movement we head into intentional pranyama practice drawing from Lion's breath. Lion's breath is a pranayama practice in which we breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. During the exhale the mouth is stretched out and the tongue sticks all the way out.  It can also be helpful to focus attention to the third eye.  Once the Lion's breath has soothed your system, and discharged stress we head into a meditation practice that is all about peace. Brining softness, comfort, and a steady rhythm back into the system. Replace stress, worry, and tension, with peace, softness, and clarity Want to take this practice further? This breath is also used in a Kriya practice inspired by the Goddess Kali the goddess of destruction, and thank goodness for her. How can we ever rebuild if we are still clinging to what's broken and no longer working? In that Kriya practice you take Goddess pose and make either the shape of a sword with arms overhead, or goal post with chest open wide. Then, engage with lion's breath, or I suppose we could consider it lioness breath too.  I hope you enjoy this practice as much as I enjoyed recording it for you. XO, Julia

Practice of Connection: Q&A Session 1

A huge gift and blessing I've received throughout teaching are the stories and questions I receive from people around the world.  Over the years a lot of common questions come up.   In today's session I answer two questions that speak to common experiences many of us share - sore wrists, and time-guilt. Big love to Lissy and Moira who sent me their questions. Both of you are incredible humans. If you have a question that you'd like to ask you can write in via Spotify using the Q&A section. If you would like to leave a voicemail head to Anchor.fm/personalpractice on your mobile browser and click "Message". XO, Julia

Meditation for Source & Protection: Mantra Practice

We all seek the desire to tap into something greater than ourselves. We we are feeling small or defeated it can be tough to take a step forward - especially if we're dancing solo.  This meditation is a variation of the mantra practice I use on a daily basis (sometimes multiple times per day). It's part prayer, part mantra, part movement. It all comes together to remind me that I'm never alone. You're never alone either. Connect with your inner power or your higher power today with this mantra meditation. Let me know how it goes in the comments or on my blog at juliamarielopez.com XO, Julia