Author: Gloria

In what way are your fears holding you back? Even talking about your fears can feel scary so you might be expending a lot of energy avoiding what you need to face.

Awareness is the key to change and total transformation.

How do you face your fears? Start by engaging in the things you love to do.

The things you love put you in a state of flow and that is when the answers you need come to you.

What have you been avoiding doing for far too long?

What fear are you ready to face?

Practices like yoga and meditation, and any activity that puts you in a state of flow where your sense of time disappears, strengthens you and brings you clarity. The fastest way to change your emotional state and clear your mind is to move your body. These practices bring you home to your true self. That part of you that is fearless and ready to take the next step on your journey back to your authentic self.

Don’t let another precious day go by without answering the call of your heart.

In those states of flow, ask your mind to be quiet and let your heart guide you.

What have you been avoiding for far too long?

What fear do you need to face?

You already know that your greatest life lays on the other side of your fears.

I challenge you to breakthrough your blocks and all your self-imposed limitations. Come back home to your authentic self.

The Breakthrough Your Blocks course that starts in Vancouver, March 27th is a deep mental, physical and emotional cleanse. Message me at info@semperviva.com if you’re ready to join us!

I’ve just wrapped up teaching at the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh.

It’s a long journey and every year I question why I need to keep travelling so far.

The questioning doesn’t last long. It’s the diversity of students and fellow teachers that keeps me coming back. Continuous learning is one of the things I value most and I also enjoy putting myself outside my comfort zone to stretch my limits.
You’ll often hear travellers draw comparisons to home, but If you want things to be just like home, you can always stay home. Travelling allows you to soak up a new experience, a different opinion, a new perspective.

Can you let go of your need for things to be a certain way?
I love to hear how other students practice and experience yoga in their countries and there were over 100 countries represented at the festival.
This year was particularly gratifying for me as I got into some interesting conversations with teachers far senior to myself. We talked, we laughed and finally we danced, understanding that no matter how we approach the practice, regardless of style, and technique, we all ultimately want to be experience peace and joy.
P.S. I’ll be back in Vancouver on March 26th and launching right into my Breakthrough Your Blocks program, 6:00am–9:00am at Semperviva City Studio for one full week. Find out more here or personal message me at info@semperviva.com

This statement made by Kundalini Yogi, Siri Atma S. Khalsa, M.D., moved me from the first time I read it and has stuck with me:

“The distance between who you are supposed to be and who you’ve become is the amount of disease, suffering and depression you manifest in your life to compel you to close this gap.”

You don’t create change when you’re comfortable. You create change when things become uncomfortable, or worse, when they become unbearable.

 If you’re lucky you start making changes when things are only at the slightly uncomfortable stage and still have the energy to deal with the situation.

For instance, you know it’s important to rest when you feel run down. Don’t wait until it turns into bronchitis or pneumonia.

Similar parallels run in every aspect of your life.



You’re supposed to look for new work when you’re ready for a greater challenge, not when you’re burnt out from doing something you’ve hated for so long it’s become normal to dread every weekday of your life and live for only the weekends.

I believe in the strength of group energy. This is one of the reasons I love teaching big classes, and also why I’ve created online communities of support in my online courses. When you practice yoga alone, you’ll never challenge yourself to the same degree as when you’re carried along by the energy of the collective.

Kundalini Yoga has a multitude of nervous system exercises that involve keeping your arms up for a LONG time. I often tell students that if they put their arms down, their neighbours will too, and it will be their fault the neighbour didn’t see the exercise through.

When you stay strong, you encourage others to do the same.
When you take good care of yourself, you encourage others to do the same.
And most importantly when you live life authentically in full alignment with your True Self you begin to live your purpose and this encourages others to do the same too.

Who is your True Self? 



The only way to answer that question is through connecting with the stillness within you in meditative states, free from constant distraction.  And, it’s an online journey I will be taking with students very soon.

As you’re at the beginning of a fresh new year, it’s a great time to ride the collective energy of change that’s in the air.

What area of your life has become uncomfortable?
 What do you need to address before it becomes a crisis?
 What have you been neglecting? 

Is it your health, your relationship, your career, your spiritual life?

You could choose to set an intention for each aspect of your life (health, relationship, spiritual life, career), or something I like to do is just ask…what’s important to you now?

I’ve gotten in the habit of asking this question daily and I use it as a guiding principle for what needs my attention.

If you’re ready to go on a journey of self- exploration with an incredible community of support, have a look at my new online course, Meditate to Master Your Mind, and fire questions my way, info@semperviva.com


Sat Nam,
Gloria Latham

Happy New Year!

Have you set an intention for 2017?

It’s important to declare what’s important to you NOW, at this point in your life.

Your life goals need constant re-evaluation and should be inclusive of every aspect of yourself…your health, spiritual life, relationship, and career.

Each New Year brings with it renewed hope and a chance for a new beginning. 

But it’s important to set your intentions not just at the start of the year but at the start of each day.

Pre-decide what your day will look like, feel like and be for you. This is a big theme in my upcoming Online Kundalini Mastery Series.

For instance, if one of your goals is to improve your relationships then before you spend time with others decide to be more caring and compassionate and less reactive.

Change is difficult especially once you’ve fallen into habitual patterns of relating to one another. You need to reset your intentions and remind yourself of them daily.

Practices of yoga and meditation are incredible tools for self-reflection, and their benefits should be seeping their way into your life.

 If this hasn’t happened yet, renew your commitments.

It’s only through small, daily self-corrections that you can lead yourself to the life you’ve been intending to live. 

Also, let’s be clear… goals and intentions aren’t just about having more.

This New Year set goals for yourself that lead you to wake up every day with more energy, and enthusiasm for your life, and more peace and love in your heart.

All through the holiday season, I’ve been working on my new online course, Meditate to Master Your Mind. The daily principle of self-reflection is life changing and I can’t wait to share this course with you very soon.
Sat Nam,


Gloria Latham

Are you crystal clear on what you want to manifest in 2017?

The first few weeks of the year are the perfect time to get clear on how you want your life to look in one year from now.

Are you tired of setting goals or intentions?

If you’re resistant to setting an intention or goal for 2017 it could be because you keep letting yourself down.

To start living the life you want, start directing your energy towards what has the deepest meaning for you. Learn to focus your attention and your energy. This is becoming increasingly important at a time when unprecedented volumes of information and notifications are coming at you.

Take control! Master your mind!

Remind yourself that all your gadgets have an “off” button. And learn how to use your own “off” button.

What do I mean by your “off” button?

Talk/text/message less and listen/meditate more.
Get so quiet inside that you find the wisdom and guidance that is there for you.

When you’re so wrapped up in everyone else’s stories you forget that you have your own story to live. That story is your life purpose and it will eat away at you until it is expressed.

To accomplish more this year, power off, be still and create the focused attention yoga and meditation can give you.

Yoga is an energy management system. How are you using your precious energy?

It’s time to take control of your minutes that create your days that create your life.
Don’t let another year slip by without expressing your authentic self and your life purpose. Yoga will lead you to deep states of meditation to master your mind, overcome your fears and live your dreams.

What are three things that happened in 2016 that you’re most grateful for?

1._____________________________

2._____________________________

3._____________________________

In one year from now, I will be grateful that:
_____________________________
(I did, I spent time with, I said, experienced, loved, travelled to, studied, ………fill in the blank)

If you want to learn more about how you can access that place of wisdom and peace within you, please sign up to get updates on my upcoming online Self Mastery Program.

Sat Nam,
Gloria Latham

I’m working very hard to change my relationship with time.

I’d like to feel that I own time and it no longer owns me.

One of the things that helps me the most is when I slow down. It’s ironic because you’d think that going slower would just create more stress. If I sit in complete stillness for even as little as five minutes, I gain clarity that saves a lot of wasted time running around in panic mode.

Meditation keeps me from being reactive.

There will always feel like there are hundreds of fires to put out…so many things that urgently need my attention but in truth, I can only do one thing at a time.

I’ve learned that trying to do too much just means I do a lot of things poorly.

If I’m having a conversation with you, then I want to be fully absorbed in you in this moment.

If I’m in class, I want to give my full attention to class.

If I’m sipping a coffee, I want to savour every drop.

As best as I can, I’m going to start taking life one thing at a time.

Sat Nam
Gloria

To find out more about how to take control of your dreams and desires, get updates on my 2017 online Self Mastery Program here.

Does it always take some sort of life crisis to instigate change? For some of us procrastinators this is often the case. If you’re lucky though, after a few shake ups, you’ll start looking for the part you’re playing in creating your dramas and take back control of your life.

The long dark days you’re currently experiencing create the perfect conditions for this introspective work that will instigate profound life change.

This is where your yoga practice comes in.

Your practice creates time and space for self-reflection. It takes the focus off of others so you start to see your behaviours more clearly than ever before.

As this is can be the busiest time of year, you really need your practice more than ever. How you move New Year, sets the tone for what this next year can be about for you.

Get clear now on your deepest desire for yourself in 2017, and start directing your energy towards that.

Take the focus off of all the external influences you think are holding you back.

It’s only YOU that holds you back. It’s time to recommit and deepen your yoga practice, spend a few extra moments in meditation daily, and release who and what you thought has been standing in your way.

Set your intention now.

What I want for myself in 2017 is____________________

What is it you want? Is it more love, greater peace, more fun….go ahead and fill in the blank.

Sat Nam
Gloria

PS: If you are at a point where you are ready to live your dream life, find out more about my upcoming Self Mastery Program.

I was describing my schedule to a group of students last week, expressing how grateful I am that for over twenty years teaching has been a part of my daily life. My classes are scheduled into my calendar before anything else, and everything is adapted to fit that schedule.

Teaching daily also necessitates that I study daily.

As a result, two important aspects of self-care are always in my schedule: daily practice and svadhyaya (self-study).

Slowly over the years, you’ve all become my “accountability” partners. To deliver a class or an online course that meets your needs, I can’t let my daily routine slip. In fact, I’m afraid to. I owe my commitment to you.

Can you find someone to hold you accountable?

Sometimes promising a friend you’ll meet them in class makes it easier to get there. For whatever reason, you find it easier to honour commitments you’ve made to others than ones you’ve made to yourself.

Try it for a few weeks, and see if you don’t become more consistent with your class attendance.

Why is this important?

Yoga practiced once a week is a lovely stretching exercise; yoga practiced at least three times weekly (better yet, daily), is life changing.

At the same time, watch out for the little ways in which you tend to let yourself down.

Do you do what you say? How often do you lie to yourself?

This is important! Letting yourself down erodes your faith. How are you going to get your big dreams done if you don’t keep even the small promises you’ve made with yourself?

Do what you say you will.

It’s okay to change your mind and renegotiate your commitments to yourself, but no more lying.

If you’ve promised yourself you will do X, Y or Z… get to it!
Today is a new beginning.

Sat Nam,
Gloria

To find out more about my online courses, click here.

We began a 40 Day Challenge at Semperviva just recently.

The Challenge is to complete forty classes in forty consecutive days.

That is quite a challenge considering that most students average five classes per month.

Students usually take part in the Challenge to get back into shape and end up surprised at the depth and diversity of the benefits of a consistent yoga practice.

What does your yoga practice give you?
 
Has it changed you in some way?

I was reading about a teacher this morning who said that her yoga practice made her “kinder.”

I love that and relate to it.

Yoga takes away some of the angst you feel that makes you push yourself and others too hard.

This teacher also said she practiced because it made her feel less frightened, and quotes her grandfather’s lament, “it’s really hard to be a person.”

Yes, it’s hard and it’s beautiful.

The problem is that when we don’t have a consistent mind-body practice, life feels hard not beautiful. With a mindfulness practice like yoga, you learn how to reign in your fearful thoughts and see beauty again.

A consistence practice helps you master your mind so it doesn’t run wild spinning fearful stories. It keeps your focus off your fears.

Here’s something for you to reflect on:

What is possible for you this year?

___________________________

What is possible for you this life?

___________________________

What is possible for you now?

___________________________

If you didn’t join the Challenge, it’s not too late to start or create your own.
I’d love to hear what you experience after forty days of consistent practice.
 
Sat Nam, Gloria Latham

Find out more about my upcoming online courses, starting in November here.

I taught a number of students this week that were doing breath of fire for the very first time. It reminded me how confusing this breath technique can be when you’re first introduced to it. It’s a technique well worth learning as it has so many positive effects.

Here are just some of the benefits of Breath of Fire:
• Energizing
• Cleansing
• Reduces addictive tendencies
• Increases your ability to focus
• Strengthens your third chakra and abdominals
• Strengthens your nervous system

I’ve attached a short video above as a reminder of how to do Breath of Fire.

Practicing Breath of Fire shows how quickly you can change how you feel through practices from this ancient tradition. When you change how you feel, you start to change your actions, and before you know it, your life just got better. Kundalini Yoga can change how you feel instantly.
Try it!

Contraindications:
• Although a light breath of fire is ok for the first 120 days of pregnancy I usually recommend students switch to long deep breathing instead.
• A light breath of fire is recommended during the first few days of your menstrual cycle.
What your body can or can’t do during class is really not that
important. What’s important is to keep focused on the breath and keeping using it to move stagnant energy.

What your body can or can’t do during class is really not that important. What’s important is to keep focused on the breath and keeping using it to move stagnant energy.

Inhale deeply and find your strength.
Exhale fully and find freedom.

For more info on my online and live programs please click here.

Sat Nam.
Gloria Latham