My arms stay open! I embrace a few things about getting older. Here are three of them: 1. I now understand that destiny delivers what it delivers and we're responsible for how we live our life. - Every Day! 2. Life keeps delivering pain. Just to have been hit hard once doesn't mean you won't be hit again. - Practice your surrender muscle! 3. A daily practice* of self-presence, self-care and self-love are essential to staying in the driver seat. - It's necessary! *Yoga is, of course, my # One! It delivers joy and is the antidote to the pain of all kinds. It's a transformational practice of body, mind, soul, and spirit. It's not tight to flexibility or shape or size or anything else for that matter. The only thing you need to ask yourself is: "Are you willing to be 100% present to who you are and what is happening in your life?" And if it's a yes, step on your mat!** My today's whisper embraces this learning. "No matter what", I keep saying to myself, "my arms stay open!" **🎊Stay tuned! I'm working on bringing Yoga to your living room. On Line! 💗Always with love, Manuela PS: The picture was taken by my friend Louisa🌷 at Lake Ilsanjo, Annadel Park Santa Rosa. I'm telling you, sometimes I'm close to paradise! Come join me at SoulTreat in Sedona: https://www.thewellnessuniverse.com/events/soultreat-2019-guests/ It's a retreat for your soul, grab a spot now! AuthorManuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions. Connect with her here: www.yogawithmanuela.com
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 These words hold a truth we all can agree upon. For the following week, I chose to take them to heart. What it takes is the willingness to practice self-reflection and self-care. 🏝TINY ISLANDS are the times in my day I pause to practice self-reflection and self-care. There are endless possibilities you can do this:
1. How well did I love? Breathe and ask: Did you include yourself? Go love up on yourself if you forgot. 2. How well did you live? Breathe and ask: Did you have joy in your day? if not - go out look up at the sky and be in awe. 3. How deeply did I let go? Breathe and ask: Where did I get stuck in forgiving myself or others? Go and let it go. What we practice takes root. Join me! 🌷Always with love, Manuela Come join me at SoulTreat in Sedona: https://www.thewellnessuniverse.com/events/soultreat-2019-guests/ Manuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions.
Today I have two whispers for you. I feel they are holding hands complementing each other: Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past. and If your compassion does not include yourself it is incomplete. both by Jack Kornfield.  "Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past." I have this quote on my wall, and it caught my eyes today. I find it to be the most important practice to do if we want not to be hunted by past events or fall prey to stirring old stuff up when we are triggered. I took a breath. The past? The thought often makes me move back in time to past events. But yesterday or even the moment before I sat down to write this belongs to the past too I thought. As I sat down as I do every day to do my Self Presence Exercise* before I start a project (I need to share with you - I promise I will!) the most immediate past kept popping up, and I used Jack Kornfields words to forgive myself. *Self Presence Exercise is part of my collection of 365 Tiny Islands, each island offering a moment to pause and refresh. Stay tuned, it's in the works. What happened? I had a very rough morning with my girl. She pushes boundaries, doesn't understand them and triggers me out of my favorite state of being - which is to be relaxed and joyful. But, I snapped at her. I lost it with her. I was unnecessarily loud and unfair. It was painful and ugly. And of course, I'm just a mother having enough. So I forgave myself and moved on. And I remembered these important words: If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete. again by Jack Kornfield Without compassion for ourselves, how can we have compassion for others, right?  I hope you find one or both of these quotes to inspire you to forgive everything- yourself first then others and even the ones you can't stand right now!☺️ 🌷Always with love, Manuela Come join me for an amazing retreat of joy and healing at SoulTreat in Sedona: https://www.thewellnessuniverse.com/events/soultreat-2019-guests/ AuthorManuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops for special needs moms like her and private sessions. Hello fellow friends and yogis,
I have some great news to share. Want to go on a retreat with me? Come to 💗 Soul-TREAT in Sedona in April! The single best decision I made in 2018 was to join The Wellness Universe. Why? The Wellness Universe is a community of open-minded people, healers and World-Changers who are full of wisdom and courage, who love deeply, are fearless and show up to lives calling. I take my goal seriously! For this year its: EMBRACE WHATS POSSIBLE! 2019 I’m ready! And believe me it takes my full commitment and love for live, myself included, to step up and do this. I will join The Wellness Universe retreat for Mind Body and Spirit in Sedona! 💗Soul-TREAT will be a magical + transformational treat for your Soul! When? April 5-6 2019! Check it out her: https://youtu.be/yKvQcasaiFc PLEASE KEEP READING. It’s going to get even better! Have you missed coming to my workshops? Would you like to practice with me at this fabulous location? And enjoy two days of more amazing teachers, healers and workshops to take care of you. The Whole of you? Dear Friends, ⭐️I am one of the presenters ⭐️ I will be offering my transformational mindfulness-based yoga workshop: Witness without Judgment Can you join me? Registration is open and you have first priority, because you belong to my tribe💚! It will go public next week! Check your calendars! Register here: https://www.thewellnessuniverse.com/events/soultreat-2019-guests/ I’d so love to give you a hug! Be with someone who makes you happy! Always with love, Manuela https://www.thewellnessuniverse.com/world-changers/manuelarohr/ Be (with) someone who makes you happy. I have embraced these words for many years. It's how I live my life. Happiness grows from the inside out. There is no other way. There are no shortcuts. It's my Birthday. Happy Birthday to me💗  💗With love! Manuela PS: I'm creating mini retreats on the spot. I call them Tiny Islands. I invite you to join me. Hop on, stay connected, it's going to be an epic ride this year! AuthorManuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions. Every year I'm choosing a word or two to expresses what I want to cultivate in my life. For 2019 I choose: EMBRACE what's possible.  It resonates deeply with me this time of my life where my dream for an empty nest has not happened as planned. At the same time, I have not given up on what I know is my destiny: to share my gifts by teaching transformational yoga workshops and my story by writing my book. I love what Cheryl Strayed speaks so wisely off in her book Brave Enough: After destiny has delivered what it delivers, we are responsible for our lives. For me this has everything to do with what it means to embrace what's possible. For the coming months, we're prepared to hire live-in help. No, that wasn't the plan but it's what we need. For Sarina to get the guidance she needs and a companion to do things without us. For me to free up the much deserved space to do what I burn for and a chance to be the master of my own time again. And last but equally important for the health of my marriage. In a reflection of what it means to me to embrace what's possible I found it important to take an honest look at those questions:
So, the challenge is on. And before I end my inquiry let's hop on one of my Tiny Islands for a 20-second break and observe without judgment: 1. Pause 2. Notice your breath, relax your body with an exhale. Relax especially your lips and the back of your mouth. 3. Notice your feelings and your thoughts - what's happening right now? With an aha let it go with your next exhaling breath. 4. Accept what you noticed and choose an intention for the next step. My intention is to make my next step slowly. I have too much speed in my step 😎. I want to celebrate what I have. I don't want to rush and not notice it. I will set my steps with intention, feel the earth underneath my feet, open my heart and lift my crown to the sky and embrace what's possible. If you feel called write a note back to me. I love to hear from you. Either way find a few moments to reflect: Are you celebrating what you have? Do you embrace what's possible? With love, 💗Manuela  This picture was taken just a second before the one I used above for my message. Our visiting friend from Germany Nadja took them at Bodega Bay and captured the magic moment of Sarina holding the wishing tree in the palm of her hand! AuthorManuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions. Remember no matter where you are or how you're feeling, the next step, the next breath is always possible. The future is open - right? Find a TINY ISLAND below...they her best friends and life savers!  My path is rocky, more so the last few days. I know it will pass. It always does. So here I am. I'd love to master it all, telling myself: "come on, just finally get this. You know of her challenges like no other. You got the tools, the awareness, the knowledge, the wisdom." With that, I mean the ability to keep a distance to my daughter's limitations, her triggers or chains if you will all to quickly can become mine. They are strong, they are mirroring everything I'm still learning. Yet, she doesn't function like us. Her brain understands the world differently. She takes me by surprise with all; her brilliance and limitations. Like on the spot, she withdraws and time doesn't exist. Something that worked a minute ago is gone now. I feel like I'm never prepared what comes next. And, don't we all have a craving for security, knowing it doesn't exist? I never know will she show up or not. I'm always the space holder, walking behind her, next to her and in front of her. All at the same time while keeping my own rhythm, my own sacred space in tact. That's the tough job of a special mom with a high-functioning autism daughter. "I should master this," I hear the voice say. "Be centered. Don't react. Stay calm. Keep a distance. Don't bite the hook." I do. I fail. I try again. I do better. And try again. There is a pain in the failing. A heavy cloud darkens our life. There is disharmony in my family when the dark escalates into black. Insecurity and fear find easy entry. They are suckers who want to win. I go to my Tiny Islands for help. Many times a day I choose to p a u s e to find clarity in my humanness. Nature is one island. It heals. So I went to my hill. Stood in silence and let the sounds of nature soften my grip, my fear of not being able to handle what was given to me. I opened my eyes to be in awe. I didn't look or search. I relaxed my eyes; I let my eyes receive and speak to me. The sky, the moss underneath my feet, the trees, the fresh and moist air on my skin. Life, life is breathing everywhere and filled my tired heart with trust, forgiveness and understanding. No feeling is final. I got this. Will I never be triggered again? Or course. It's how life is meant to be lived. But I can use my awareness to be present, honest and raw. Not filtered - not covered up - not diluted. TINY ISLAND Pause. 20 seconds. Breathe in and breathe out with a sigh. Notice
Breathe in and breathe out with a sigh. Remember: we can always do the next breath, the next step. The future is open. With love, 🌳Manuela PS: Joy is the antidote to defeat... AuthorManuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions. THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS! I took this picture today of our daughter Sarina on her morning walk. She has struggled lately with a lot of things, not getting up and in turn not having time to walk is a big one for her. This was her first walk for a few weeks. Everyone benefits from walking. In Sarina’s life attention and present moment awareness go hand in hand with the rhythm of walking. And the deeper breath. One cannot walk up a hill with the head in the clouds. She has to pay attention to her steps. Easy? Not when you have severe attention deficit. But – and that’s a hard truth, if she’s not self-motivated, it’s not happening. Her life becomes an obstacle course against time. I have seen this truth but have to surrender to the fact that she is now 28 and I can’t win every battle. Believe me I try! I have no choice but to let go. It’s a difficult ride for me. I keep failing every day and I keep going. And keep learning. “Acceptance is a small, quiet room,” says Cheryl Strayed. So, this was heaven for me! One moment that has the power to erase a chain of frustrations in my life as a special needs parent.  As I watched her hike up the hill, the sky and the trees were hugging her and I thought: There are no ordinary moments. * It's easy to agree in a situation like this. Not so when beauty is absent, and we are hitting a wall. Many people live with limitations. Some visible some not. The path of a special parent is humbling like for all care takers. Decline of health or depression to name a few also put the breaks on. Special needs parenting is a life sentence. It’s not going to go away. We can fall into victim mode or learn to ride our horse instead. This week I’ll pin this photo on my desk. Relax the grip, breathe, accept and honor the present moment. Want to join? Print the photo or write yourself a note. It works. 👣 No time for a walk? Here is a Tiny Island** about a one-minute practice you can do on the spot including sitting down. If you can’t move, visualize yourself doing it. CONNECTING BREATH WITH MOVEMENT
NO ORDINARY MOMENTS! You can do this also in gentle running. The key is… do it! Enjoy it! Be grateful to your body moving and breathing. 👣Love always, Manuela PS: *Dan Millmann wrote a book called "No Ordinary Moments". It's a peaceful warrior's guide to daily life. I love this book like all of the books he wrote. It teaches us to live a life that puts you in the driver's seat. PPS: **Tiny Islands is a project I’m working on. To create more breaks, or even micro breaks in my day to fill up my cup. Using the tools from my yoga practice and life with my special daughter I’m collecting THREE-HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE, yes 365 of them! And share them in a book with you. 2019 hear me roar😇. PPPS: Remember... forgive yourself and everyone... Manuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions.
December 3rd was an important day for my family. It was the International Day of Persons with Disability. I wrote a blog for this day titled: Different - Not less. http://bit.ly/2L10cfG People who have "hiccups" like my daughter Sarina says, need us to support them to reach a life of BELONGING not ISOLATION. Or like Helen Keller said... together we can do so much....  The blog was published by The Wellness Universe, a fabulous platform you have heard me mention offering everything we can learn about MInd-Body-Spirit-Planet. Through them, my message is available to over 100k visitors each month. I have been invited to be a core blogger for them and will do so starting in January with at least one blog or blog series published every months. Can you imagine how happy I am to have a platform like this sharing my writing and my story? Writing has become my second passion besides yoga and mindfulness on and off the mat. Both of them work hand in hand. Both of them fuel my wish to be well and resilient despite the challenges I face with raising and living with our special daughter Sarina. They both support my passion as a teacher as they let me share my tools with you... one breath, one word at a time! I'd be thrilled if you have a moment to read my blog for two reasons:
Thank you! And while you are there, check out what The Wellness Universe has to offer. I know you will be inspired! Manuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions.
Gratitude. Hope. Trust. Rooted in the Now!  Happy Thanksgiving,
🍁Always with love, Manuela PS: I'm very happy. My new blog was featured by THE WELLNESS UNIVERSE for Prematurity Awareness Day, November 17, 2018: SARINA - BORN A MICRO PREEMIE - HERE TO BELONG http://bit.ly/2A8wYGp |
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