This morning my dear friend and I woke up early and went to the beach to do yoga and watch the sunrise. The sunrise was incredible. We could feel the energy of the Mother Goddess..
Yogini Tiff at 17 weeks pregnant, Breathing in Magic…
LOVE
Viparita Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior) Second Trimester Pregnancy
Be open to magic~Yogini Tiff
I have a group of yoga students who have been studying and practicing with me for a few years now. We are all friends, and before class starts, we all laugh and ‘bitch’ a little, we help each other process stuff, we keep it real. Then class starts, we quiet our worries and thoughts, and focus on the breath. Then we begin to flow, linking the body and the breath in movement.
Anyways, after several years practicing together, everyone is able to do their asanas, listen to their bodies, honor their bodies, and comfortably meditiate. Everyone is becoming more sensitive. Last week, I felt intense amounts of energy,while teaching. I opened my eyes during our final seated meditation, looked at my students (friends) and I saw that everyone was really in a deep meditation. Blissed out, connected, and healing. After class ended, nobody moved. For about 20 minutes after class, no one spoke, no one moved. I decided then and there that it was time, to week by week, teach in depth, about the chakras. So starting today, with this particular class, I am going to add a new element to our practice -Yoga and Chakra Therapy..
My Lake Worth Yoga crew….I Love you!! (I am the one standing under the orb)
Focusing on the Chakras while practicing yoga helps activate, cleanse, and heal the Chakras and it helps encourage the energy to flow , upwards and towards the crown of the head. This is often referred to as awakening the Kundalini. Kundalini is often described as a coiled energy that lies dormant at the root chakra, and as people ‘awaken’ the energy activates and starts to move.. I have experienced major surges of energy and felt the power. It is intense. When you are able to truly feel the energy, there is no turning back, it is undeniable, it is life changing. It opens the door to a new path. A path of healing, connection, wisdom, and magic.
Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means spinning wheel or vortex. There are seven major chakras in the human body and over 72,000 nadis, smaller energy centers. The study of chakras and the human energy system is over 5,000 year old and various religions, ethnicities, and cultures in the past and present share the core belief of chakras.
Chakras are usually invisible to the human eye but practicing yoga and other healing arts and sciences helps bring the bring the practitioner into awareness of the subtle (or not so subtle) energies of the chakras, the nadis and the entire energetic system.
The seven major chakras in the human body run parallel from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Chakras are centers of prana (life force energy).
The chakras basically act as pumps or valves and they regulate the flow of energy. Each chakra resonates with a certain color, sound, or frequency. Tuning into the chakras helps bring us closer our true nature.Each chakra gives off one of the seven colors of the rainbow. When all the chakras are open and balanced the person is vibrant, healthy, and all of the colors of the rainbow surround the persons body, which is known as the person’s aura.
There are specific issues, emotions, and energies that correspond with each chakra :
The Root Chakra, the Muladhara represents survival, relationship security, and inner safety. The element is earth.
A little farther up and orange in color is the Sacral or Svadhisthana Chakra. This Chakra represents water and the emotional connections are blame and guilt,money and sex, power and control and relationships.
The next chakra,the solar plexus, or Manipura represents the element of fire. The color is yellow and it said to be the core of our will power. The emotional connections are will power, self-esteem , sensitivity to criticism and care for oneself and for others.
The fourth Chakra, the heart Chakra, also known as Anahata is a vibrant green Chakra located at the heart center. The element is air and the emotions associated with this Chakra are, love and compassion, forgiveness and acceptance,but also hatred, loneliness, grief and anger. These emotions are all connected to the functioning of the heart Chakra.
The fifth Chakra is the Vissuddha, the throat Chakra. The element is ether or space and the emotions are personal expression, judgment, criticism, addiction.The key function of this Chakra is communication.
The sixth Chakra is commonly known as the third eye Chakra. The color is purple, or indigo and it is located near the center of the forehead. The Chakra is associated with truth and intuition. It is said that psychic abilities center around the third eye. The element is light.
The seventh Chakra the crown Chakra is located at the top of the head and is commonly thought to be white, violet, or gold in color. The element for this Chakra is ‘not of this world’ and awakening this Chakra is believed to lead one towards enlightenment.
If one finds they have unbalanced energy they can set their intention for their yoga practice to be on healing and balancing the chakras.
Practicing breathing exercises encourages the energy to balance. Finding time for self-care can have enormous healing effects on an unbalanced Chakra system. Sometimes people have excessive Chakra energy usually one or two Chakras. This can be seen in people with addiction to sex, drugs, alcohol, relationships, food, etc. or it can be seen on someone with a large ego or a “I am better than you” type of personality.
Sometimes a person is so ‘closed off’ that they are deficient in Chakra energy. This sometimes happens after a traumatic events, broken hearts, or health issues. Use of color therapy along with chanting, yoga and meditation will help balance the Chakras.
I have found that Gemstones that correspond to specific Chakras are very useful as well.
The goal is a strong clear and balanced energy system. Consciously and unconsciously yoga works to purify, re-balance and awaken the Chakras, individually and also as a whole. Through the practice of yoga we can awaken and cleanse the Chakras and heal our spirits. Once the Chakras are functioning in a healthy manner we are able to safely raise the Kundalini energy up the spine to the crown of the head. What a ‘trip.’ 
I know this post is a very basic introduction, but I hope you found it helpful..if you have any questions, or wish to add something.. please contact me..
Growing and Healing…retreat with my teacher
To our healing, and with love. ~T
Let me start by saying, I screw up all the time, I get moody, insecure, depressed, just like everyone else. I get annoyed with people, I judge people, i judge myself, just like everyone else. Of course I try to be a good person, but sometimes I am not as good as I should be, again, just like everyone else.. Blame it on food, the moon, the planets, hormones, other people, or negative energy. But whatever the cause, it doesn’t feel good to be angry or sad. It certainly doesn’t feel good to suffer.
Despite my flaws, or perhaps because of them, I have developed a very close relationship with a Tibetan Buddhist Lama. Geshe Tenzin Tamding. I have written about him before. He is my friend, and my spiritual guide. (His main temple is in Spain, but he has over 25 Temples throughout the world.)
My son and I with my teacher and friend,Geshela
Anyways, through destiny, we met about a year and a half ago. My time with him, was life changing. He is the most loving person I have ever met. He radiates with kindness, wisdom, and love. He honestly glows with bright light.
Radiating love
When I have questions, I ask him.Even across the world, he always knows when I am hitting a low point, because it is during those times when he sends me a message out of the blue, either in an email- like when i got back from the Azores“I am always sending you and Marlin love”, or sometimes when I meditate, I see him or feel him. When I am scared, I recite mantras he taught me. I guess in a way, we have the typical “Master-student” relationship. He has a special relationship with my son too. In fact, my son made him a painting about a year ago, and it is now hanging up in one of Geshe-la’s temples in Spain.
Great Souls..
Lecture in Delray Beach, The process of dying, bardo, and rebirth
Well, luckily, Geshe-la is back in South Florida for a few days ( he must have known I needed some guidance-ha!). He gave a lecture in Delray Beach about the process of death, bardo, and rebirth. I was nervous about the topic, but it was surprisingly comforting. And something I needed to learn about. Something we all need to learn about and come to terms with.
After the lecture, my son and I had the extra honor of joining a small group of his students, for retreat. We stayed in a beautiful house that belongs to a dear friend of mine, in Wellington Florida. The house is surrounded by woods, and near a beautiful pond. Our time was spent with meditations, chanting, studying, good food, slow walks, a short fast, and deep laughter. We slept on the floor. No internet, no cell phones, no tv, no music. No make up, no jewelry, no perfume. It was calm, quiet, and very peaceful.
The experience was amazing. And it was also overwhelming (a lot to process). I had never done anything like it before. I am still kind of floating in a daze. That could be from our fast. We just finished this morning. I was so hungry last night.
Yesterday, during retreat, Geshe-la and I went for a walk. Just the two of us. We walked slowly. We talked. I told him about my problems, my questions, and my fears. I told him about my Portuguese sweetheart. And I told him how much wine I drank in the Azores. He laughed. He loves me unconditionally. He LOVES unconditionally.
The pond that will forever stay in my heart
We stood quietly together at a small pond. He gently put his hand on my shoulder and said “You have a very big heart, and you help many people.” and suddenly, I knew (regardless of struggles) that I am on the path that I am meant to travel. It was such a beautiful moment.
In these few days I have learned and grown so much. I know I still have so much to learn. But the seeds have been planted.
I feel honored to have such a wise teacher and friend to help guide me. Thank you so much Geshe-la. And thank you so much to my dear friend Jian.
Now I am going to go eat a huge meal! HA!
Have a beautiful day. Namaste~Tiff
“As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.”~Dalai Lama
This is a a guided relaxation I made with the musician Vaisnava. The photos are all from my 6 months living in Atlantis (Santa Maria).
I hope you enjoy. Relax and be well.
~Yogini Tiff
I can’t believe it has been a month since I have posted. I think about writing a lot, and I have so many stories I want write about.. But I have had some sort of writers block…hmm..
Anyways, I am going to try to give it a shot, and share our latest adventures here in Atlantis…
Sunset, Santa Maria, Azores
Living in the Azores is like a dream. Winter is here. It is very different from summer. It rains a lot. The wind is strong. The ocean is raw, alive and roaring. .
Ocean Energy
I spend so much time at the ocean. Sometimes I take my ukulele.. sometimes I meditate. Sometimes I just walk.I breathe. So healing.
In the mornings, I wake up, drink coffee, and eat bread (The Portuguese make the best bread in the world)..I laugh with my cousin. I look out at the ocean and up into the hills. Valverde (the green valley) is a beautiful place to live.The energy is so different here. I move slowly. I clean up puppy poop. My son does his school online through Florida Virtual School.. But we all know his real schooling is through life. This experience. We are living in a new country, learning a new language, a new culture. New and old family. Our Roots.We speak using a combination of Portuguese and English. We learn. We grow.
Hiking
Santa Maria is a small island. 5000 people. From the highest point on the island, called Pico Alto, one can see the entire island. All the way around. And it is beautiful. The ocean seems to go on forever.
paradise
The only real traffic here is from cows. Very different from life in South Florida.
Afterschool Traffic…
This island doesn’t have an operating movie theater. It also doesn’t have a McDonald’s. No Wal-Mart. No freeways. No crime.. (well, very little). People work hard and help each other. We celebrate. We hang a lot of clothes and we eat a lot of potatoes. Our family always makes sure we are stocked with crates of them….onions too.. People really depend on their gardens.
Dinner in Valverde
With winter here, It gets dark earlier. Earlier hikes. More layers of clothes. More time indoors. Dinner parties. Baptisms. Birthdays. Festivals. Fado music. Beekeeping. Herbs. We go dancing at a little dance club in Sao Pedro called Chamine.. We play guitar and sing. We drink wine. A lot. We eat a lot of chestnuts. We indulge and laugh. We do meditation and Reiki.. We all feel change. I attuned two powerful women into Reiki practitioners.. They were already healers.. BUT NOW…
Three Reiki Practitioners connected by Azores Roots..
This journey has also brought me the magic of romance. Heart Chakra is open..Romance is alive in the Azores…Love comes to us in many forms…
Portuguese love song
Winter is here. The water is cold. We hike. We sing. We live. This is yoga .. Being in the present moment.
Love is Love
Enjoy the sunstreaks..~tiff
This is a short post dedicated to following your dreams and dedicated to my cousin, who I love more than words can ever say…..
After a long, heartbreaking, and confusing period of my life, I had a dream, and in the dream, My Portuguese grandmother (who died several years ago), came to me and told me very clearly, that i needed to go to the Azores… more specifically to the Island of Santa Maria, the island my mother grew up on.
Santa Maria.. view from Terra Velha..
I called my mom and told her about the dream. I told her I had to figure out a way to come to the Azores. Everyone thought I was a bit crazy and no one (myself included) seemed to think I could pull it off…But, as if by magic, everything fell into place. The money for the plane tickets magically appeared, a friend offered to watch my dog and rent out my house. It all just fell into place. No effort! Seriously, the universe wanted me to take this trip…. but I had no idea why. I got on the plane with no real expectations…
I arrived to the island and felt like I entered a different world. So many amazing places. So many relatives. So many stories. So many feelings of Deja vu…whoa.
The Haunted Woods.On the trail near Barreiro da Faneca
And then one day, I met my cousin. A cousin I didn’t even know I had. The first time we hung out, we laughed, danced, and cried (we drank a lot too. I don’t think I had ever been so drunk)… it was like long-lost sisters finally reunited!
Cousins, Enjoying the Magic of love and Sao Lorenco Bay….
Hiking in Valverde…
Now we spend almost all of our time together..Yoga, Reiki, meditation, dance parties, swimming, hiking, cooking, crying, drinking, and lots of laughing…I think we might be the talk of the island right now. Hahaha. We are both learning, healing, and growing so much. We see the magic in our connection. And the timing really is a miracle! (When a door closes, somewhere a window opens.)
And our kids love each other too!!!
My grandmother was the sister of my cousin’s grandfather
I know why I am here. It was destiny that brought me here. Destiny and a strong connection to this place through blood, love, and magic.
I am hoping to extend our stay. I love it here. We will see what will be.
And Grandma Rosa, thanks for the message. 
Lots of love~Tiff
This morning I woke up, drank a big infusion of lemongrass, and walked to yoga. It was a peaceful walk. And a strong class.
We always turn off the lights and close the curtains. It is dark and cozy. We call our space ”The cave”. Today the class was full of beautiful, powerful, amazing women. Together with breath and movement in sync,we generated so much energy. Eyes closed. Healing. Floating. Flowing. Being. There were Spirit Guides with us. Bright and vibrant.
Yoga helps us connect to wisdom, beauty, truth, and magic. We help aid our spiritual growth by practicing regularly, positive thinking (which is sometimes very hard), eating a healthy diet, and drinking herbal teas, or infusions. And today’s herb is lemongrass!
Lemongrass-Green Magic
Lemongrass is an herb that grows very well in subtropical to tropical locations.Lemongrass has many medicinal and magical properties. And it tastes good (it is often used in Thai dishes). I planted lemongrass about a year ago in my backyard, and it is now as tall as I am. Plants are magical. Yesterday, my son told me he was craving lemonade,but having no lemons, I offered to make him lemongrass iced tea. He was happy. We harvested about three stalks of lemongrass. I used scissors to cut the lemongrass into small pieces. We placed the lemongrass in two large glass jars. One for iced tea. And one for an infusion. We added boiling water and allowed to steep. For the iced tea, we steeped for about an hour. Then we added agave nectar. Lemony sweet.Ahhhh. Delicious. For the infusion, I left it covered overnight.
Lemongrass is said to help clear the skin, aid digestion and calm the nerves. It has major anti-fungal properties, helps lower cholesterol, and the big one, Lemongrass repels mosquitos! Gotta love a natural insect repellent. (Especially if you live in the swamp!) There are many other healing properties to lemongrass.
Lemongrass attracts honey bees, and repels snakes.
Lemongrass is one of those wonder herbs with many magical properties. Lemongrass is known to enhance psychic vision, divination, and can be used in purification rituals. Lemongrass and yoga go well together.. Just don’t drink too much before class. Yoga with a full bladder is not fun. Seriously. Ha!
I sometimes braid the grass and allow it to dry, then burn it to purify and cleanse any negativity in the house, or my aura. Lemongrass is a nice herb to add to a bath, and helps aid in dream-work when placed under the pillow.
Celebrate the magic of the green world.
Yoga and Lemongrass. A lovely combination.
~T
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been in love with stones and fossils. As a kid, Every chance I got, I would search for stones. I combed the wild beaches of the Northwest in search of agate, moonstone, jasper, petrified wood, and other magical stones. Something about stones called to me. I would find a stone, hold it in my hand, close my eyes, and breathe. Sometimes I put the stone in my mouth. Just to feel it. My family thought I was weird (Some things never change! Ha!).
I remember being a 10 year old kid and our family was about to make our big move from Texas, back to Washington. I had a huge rock and fossil collection from all my exploring in the nearby woods. My dad told me there wasn’t room in our (giant, ugly) light blue station wagon, to take my box of treasures. I cried. And Cried. And cried. TOTALLY DEVASTATED. Those stones were magic. Those stones were important. Those stones gave me comfort.
We moved to Olympia Washington. I really hit the jackpot with healing stones. There are lots of places to find incredible stones. Along the Northwest Coast is Westport, Ruby Beach, Agate Beach, and many others. Puget Sound has beautiful stones too, as do the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. Constantly drawn to stones; It wasn’t long before I had another rock collection. Bigger than ever.
MAGICAL STONES I USE FOR HEALING
I actually went to Westport last summer, on my birthday. Still fascinated with stones, I spent hours looking at hundreds of beautiful stones… but I only allowed myself to take three. Well, Plus the good-sized agate my Dad found and gave me. So I actually brought back four. Thanks Dad.
Stones are powerful, and sometimes they really call to us. I have a huge collection of healing stones that I have acquired over the years. Some were gifts from friends and family, and others were gifts straight from Mother Earth, gifts I found. I have purchased a few stones, but only when they really call to me, And usually in the form of jewelry. But it is better to make your own. And Fun too. Create healing art.
Magical (Jewelry Making) Friends
I often use stones in my Energy Healing work. I instinctively seem to know what stones will work, and where to place them, both while working on myself and while working on others.
Some important things about stones:
Stones carry different vibrational energies with different healing qualities…..
Use the stones that call to you. Those are the stones you need.
Honor the stones that you find…. those are special gifts meant to guide you.
Stones need to be cleansed. And some more than others. Water, in the form of a stream or ocean is a good way to cleanse the stones. You can always put stones into a bowl of water overnight. Some stones need saltwater, others need fresh water. Listen to your intuition. You can also safely cleanse stones with a sage smudge stick. Sage is known to have the power to burn away negativity.
After cleansing , stones need to be recharged. Some by moonlight, some by the sun.
Crystals can be placed over the Chakras during rest to promote deep healing. Using stones that correspond to the chakras will bring about an even deeper more powerful healing session.
There are many amazing books and websites about the healing properties of crystals and stones. Please read and learn. But I really suggest tuning in and listening to your wisdom, and the wisdom of the stone.
Some stones can be very intense and cause strong emotions, so do some research, be open and aware, and proceed with at least a little bit of caution. If the feelings are too intense, listen to your instincts and understand that it may not be the right time to use that particular stone.
In general, Raw stones hold more power, although it is said that certain stones, carry more energy when cut and polished. Again do your research. Or learn to listen. Listen to the stone, and to your own wisdom.
Try sleeping with a small stone under your pillow. Record any dreams you may recall.
I could talk and write about this forever, so if you have any questions or wisdom to share, please do so.
Thanks for reading. Happy Healing.
Rock on.~tiff
I was introduced to Reiki about 9 years ago. I was living in Hawaii studying everything both in school and out. I had just finished a dance class and felt a massive migraine coming on. My good friend Radha and I walked across the University of Hawaii campus to get some food and drinks hoping it would help. But no. Ugh. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and cry. Seriously, it was the pounding, blinding, make you want to die kind of migraine.
My friend Radha, sat me down, offered to give me Reiki and before I even responded, she used her pointer fingers to trace symbols into her palms. She told me to close my eyes and breathe slowly through my nose. I did as I was instructed and felt her hands softly cover my eyes. Within a few minutes her hands became extremely hot and I felt this amazing soft pulsing sensation moving throughout my body. With my eyes closed, I began to see spirals of colors in my mind’s eye and felt a wave of total relaxation wash over me. My body was humming. I was fully present and at total peace as I experinced the wonderful healing power of Reiki. The migraine was miraculously gone, and I enjoyed the rest of my afternoon with my magical friend. That healing experience opened a door for me and showed me the path of energy healing.
A drawing I made, while thinking of my Reiki Master and friend, Dori Spondike..
Since that initial introdution I have learned so much about energy healing. I met and recieved my Reiki attunements with Dori Spondike in Hawaii, several years ago. Dori was an amazing healer. I cannot even begin to express the gratitude I feel for Dori , her teaching, and her kindness. My attunements were very intense and very powerful. I felt and heard my crown chakra crack open. There were rainbows of light and feelings of bliss unlike anything I had ever known. I floated for months.
Reiki is very powerful on many levels. I have now been a Reiki practitioner for several years. I have shared Reiki with people suffering from cancer, heartbreak, depression, body pain, broken bones, headaches, migranes, and anxiety. Reiki truly does soothe and heal. I give Reiki sessions often. I give myself Reiki often too. . Reiki is pure light and love. ~tiff
