12 September, 2019  |  Ulrike Manhart

“Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.”—Pema Chödrön

Definition, Mantras, Meditation, Koshas, Pranidhanat, Gayatri and Lakshmi and how „Let go-let be-creating space“ can affect our physical Yoga Practice and Life.

In my last blog I have teased to this topic: How to let go of toxic habits and realtionships?

The emotional Layer – Manomaya Kosha (mental-emotional Layer) of your Astral Body

Define What You Need to Let Go Of.

This is very important. What is it that you need to let go of to move on? You may be ready to let go of a man that you know isn’t the one for you, but you still struggle with your decision because of the love you feel. What you should do is to look at it like an onion — feelings are layers that must be removed to get to the core. What was the top layer?

The first layer might be anger. Perhaps anger at your man and how he treated you. Or maybe anger with yourself for wasting time on him. You have to deal with your issues and let them go, separating them out one by one. By examining each layer of the onion, you’ll be able to peel back and discard one layer of emotion at a time which leaves you with the one piece that you want to hold on to; one that won’t hold you back from moving on. It’s the final piece you can carry in your heart going forward.

Sit and feel everything what needs to be felt.

What´s left when the onion is peeled?

Who is peeling the onion?

We all have our very personal reasons why we can’t let go.  How are you feeling when you transcend letting go/getting rid of something into LET IT BE?

1,2,3,4 „Sing“ When I find myself in times of troubles Mother Mary comes to me……speaking words of wisdom….LET IT BE…..Can you feel a shift when you switch your inner tension from let go to let be mode?

Acceptance….is that the entry to your paradise where lightness is your natural conscious state of mind?

LIGHTNESS. You feel light or you can also see the light. Connect with light on all levels to raise your vibration. The Gayatri Mantra was my first mantra I have learnt to chant and it´s still one of my favorite ones. My personal Highway to Divinity and Connection to Light.

„The Seven Chakra Gayatri Mantra is a prayer for the enlightenment of all beings that illuminates the seven chakras and blesses the seven realms, from the earth plane to the abode of supreme truth.

Om bhu (first chakra/ earth plane)
Om bhuvaha (second chakra/ atmospheric plane)
Om swaha (third chakra/ solar region)
Om maha (fourth chakra/ first spiritual region beyond the sun: heart vibration)
Om janaha (fifth chakra/ second spiritual region beyond the sun: power of the divine spiritual word)
Om tapaha (sixth chakra/ third spiritual region beyond the sun: sphere of the progenitors/ realm of the highest spiritual understanding while still identified with individual existence)
Om satyam (seventh chakra/ the abode of supreme truth: absorption into the supreme)
Om tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yonah prachodayat

“Meditating upon the adorable, enchanting and radiant source of all things (spheres of consciousness), we awaken to the divine light of pure consciousness.“ -Gayatri Mantra description from Deva Premal

Try This Practice for Making Space

“Take a moment to gather yourself here. Let your body land on the ground. Let your breath arrive in your body. Let your mind rest on your breath in your body. Here, now. Welcome the breath with a receptive belly. Your breath will gently unravel the tension it meets. Your breath will tenderly expand you inside. Allow your breath to unwind you, unfurl you. Let yourself be opened by your breath. Allow your breath to rise and fall. Let it flow in and out of you, on its own, softening everything in its path. Expanding you. You’re bigger than you think you are.“-Adapted from the book, Deep Listening, by Jillian Pransky. Reprinted with permission from Rodale.

Let Go – Let be in our Yoga Practice – Annamaya Kosha – forming Sthula Sharira (physical Body)

The power of letting go plays an important role in the Yoga practice. The hamstrings and forward folds are poses that especially need lots of surrender and letting go. First we use Tapas. We use it to get up and practice. And by disciplining the mind to focus on the balance and the healthy alignment. Then we apply Svadhyaya, by reflecting and observing the experiences in the muscles and the body. And last we apply Ishvara Pranidhanat, by using the breath. The exhaling breath is the breath of surrender and letting go. In the end of each exhalation we pause (Kumbhaka) for a few seconds. In that pause the mind becomes quiet and fully present. It’s in that space of silence that we can truly release and let go of tensions from deep inside. I like connecting with my exhale when I encounter any resistance in a pose. I also find while in a Yoga pose at the end of each exhalation, during a brief pause, when my mind is totally quiet and present, I can connect with a deeper source within that knows pure balance, pure harmony, pure peace and pure love. So the more we give with each exhalation the more flexibility we receive. “Give and you shall receive.”

The Sanskrit word Pranidhanat means surrender, letting go, devotion. The complete Yoga Sutra, chapter II, verse 45 reads: „Samadhi Siddhir Ishvara Pranidhanat“; by total surrender to the Supreme Soul, Samadhi is attained.

Ishvara Pranidhanat adds a spiritual dimension to our yoga practice, reminding us that there is more to us than our bodies, but through our Bodies we can reach other dimensions within us.

Lakshmi Powers

Goddess Lakshmi is supporting you in letting go of the past and creating a new life. Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune and wealth. This chant is for abundance, so if you’re needing to let go or release any money blocks this would be the perfect mantra for you.

Om shreem maha Lakshmiyei namaha (chant it with your MALA 108 Times or free in your meditation as long as you feel to)

“Don’t worry about anything at all. You are not here by accident. This form is just a costume for a while. But the one who is behind the costume, this one is eternal. You must know this. If you know this and trust this, you don’t have to worry about anything. This world is so full of love. And your heart, your being, is so full of love, so full of peace. You don’t have to go to some place else to find peace. It is right where you are.”― Mooji

Om Namah Shivaya,

Ulli

02 May, 2019  |  Ulrike Manhart

The moment you choose to be happy with nothing, you will attract everything

Decisions

You are for sure familiar with Situations in your life when you are arriving on a cross section and you have to choose one way and the selection which path to take is an endless weigh of possibilities. Sometimes ago a friend asked me whether I believe if it does not matter which way we choose and still arrive at the same destination.

And at the same time another friend was telling me that it doesn‘t matter which decision you make (you will never know if there is a right or wrong decision). And then a third friend came and just told me: you know that you can always CHANGE and adjust your decision if that doesn’t feel right for you.  Take a leap and unfold. Trust that the universe providing you with everything you need to survive, grow and bloom in all directions of your life. I do not want to have questions about what if…. Never try – never know. My Libra moon is sometimes unable to make decisions. I find it also more difficult to decide when others are included – like my son. It shines light of areas inside that can need some development in my indecision behavior.

Or simply ask yourself. Is that true? Is that necessary? Is it kind? Trust your intuition. Close your eyes and meditate before you decide. Center yourself and listen to your heart´s answer to move braveful forward on your unique path of life. No Decision is also a decision but life will lead you to a decision when you decide even not to decide. Hopefully I can take out some pressure and stress when you are in a moment you feel unable to decide. Whatever you decide to do make sure it makes you happy.

You are enough

As a Master in Media Technology and as a Yoga Teacher I try to close the gap between the Tools of Media & the Tools of Yoga. Or better said I connect my wisdom of both.

Media is telling you with every word, picture, advertisement you take in: You have not enough and you are not enough.

Why? To buy the products of course. Everything must be faster and the product quality is consciously with a short lifespan. Why? To sell more products. As a Yoga Teacher I can tell you that you are enough. You are a perfect wonderful creation of the Universe. What does it mean exactly? You don’t have to do more, or buy more or be more to be who you are meant to be. That is what I mean when I am saying you are enough. It doesn´t mean that you are a final product. You grow, change, transform, learn, love, fall down, stand up and surf the waves of life. You don´t have to stop following your dreams or souls purpose. It means that you understand your part in this bigger picture called universe.

It also means that you can ask for help, to embrace your imperfections, mistakes and weakness. You are enough as you are with all your love and fear, joy and sadness and all other emotions and feelings. “You are enough” gives space to grow and change and continue to show up for your life daily. It means that you must not hunt to be more worthy, valid, acceptable and loved. You are already all of these things. You are from your very Beginning on a perfect creature.

Growth gives room to whatever you want to cultivate more. More open, honest, true, authentic, free, independent, connected, international, purposeful, joyful, creative and so on. These are all expressions of “Being Enough” ready to grow. All these expressions are already in yourself. The things you are attracted to outside or in other persons (good & bad) are all already established in yourself. That´s the reason you go in resonance with it.

To close the Media-Yoga-Decision–be enough circle here.

Be honest to yourself and reflect for a moment…Are you making decisions to refill your lacks from outside? Are you fill up the lack of not feeling enough with relationships and things? How long is the lack satisfied through a new pair of shoes? How fast can you can let go of persons, things, dreams and so on? Here I can weave into the Sanskrit word Aparigraha – the fifth und last Yama on the 8 folded path of Patañjali. non-possessiveness, non-attachment or non-greediness. It teaches one should take only what one needs. Or in the context of a yoga class it means to acceptance of what the body is capable of doing while in your practice. Parigraha is the opposite and means “the focus on material gain”. Parigraha uses the Media.

अपरिग्रहस्थैर्ये जन्मकथंतासंबोधः ॥३९॥ With constancy of aparigraha, a spiritual illumination of the how and why of motives and birth emerges. — Patanjali, Yoga Sutra 2.39

“Vairāgya (वैराग्य) is a Sanskrit term translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the temporary material world. True vairāgya refers to an internal state of mind rather than to external lifestyle and can be practiced equally well by one engaged in family life and career as it can be by a renunciate. Vairāgya does not mean suppression of or developing repulsion for material objects. By the application of vivek (spiritual discrimination or discernment) to life experience, the aspirant gradually develops a strong attraction for the inner spiritual source of fulfillment and happiness and limited attachments fall away naturally. Balance is maintained between the inner spiritual state and one’s external life through the practice of seeing all limited entities as expressions of the one Cosmic Consciousness or Brahman. “ (Yoga Wiki)

What does it mean? Some questions you can ask yourself to reflect. Who was telling you the fairytale that you can fulfill all your needs with outside objects? Is it wise to step into a relationship out of a lack? Are you in such a relationship or have you been? How are you cultivating the Balance between your inner & external life? Could it be when you start to developing more your internal work that your outside world become more abundant as well? How does it feel when you are closing your eyes and you say to yourself ten times: I AM ENOUGH?

Next time I will follow up of how to let go of toxic things and relationships in your life, what costs your inner peace and happiness …..as well of how you can cultivate more inner happiness and fulfilment. And strengthen your connection to your own inner spiritual source.

One of my most favorite Quotes from Swami Satchidananda resonates deeply with me:“A wise person will never expect joy from the outside world or by contact with outside objects. The truth is, joy can never come from outside. Even if it seems to be coming from outside, it’s only a reflection of your own inner happiness.”

Namasté,

Ulli

29 March, 2019  |  Ulrike Manhart

“Be mindful of intention, Intention is the seed that creates our future.”
-Jack Kornfield

Springtime is Seedtime

Sankalpa time – it is time to set intentions. We get rid of all the Kapha (Water) in our Bodies – Create new room and we can start to nourish our dreams and visions for the year. The seasonal energy supports us. Have u already planted a seed that are you nourishing daily? Seeds need a good soil, water and light to grow. Your dreams too. So everyday ask yourself which steps did I took to nourish my seed today? And why are you wishing that your dream will come true what you crave to be manifested? What´s the intention behind? One of my teachers said: When you can have it in your mind – you can hold it in your hands. Good luck for your own inner and outer garden.

Happy Gardening & Growth,

Ulli

31 January, 2019  |  Ulrike Manhart

Ein halbes Jahr habe ich hunderte von Kilos aus meiner Kindheit, Schulzeit und aus den letzten Jahren entsorgt, verschenkt, verkauft. Es war so unglaublich befreiend. Wenn ich an meine erste Rucksack Reise zurückdenke hatte ich soviel Gepäck dabei, aus Gedanken, das es vielleicht gewisse Dinge dort nicht geben konnte. Auf meiner letzten längeren Rucksackreise die über ein halbes Jahr dauerte, reiste ich mit leichtem Gepäck und ich war total überfordert als ich zu Hause wieder vor meinem vollen Kleiderschrank stand. Luxusproblem. YES.

Im Yoga heißt es das Agni Sara, das Verdauungsfeuer für das verbrennen der nicht verdauten Emotionen, Gedanken & des Essens zuständig ist. Wie kurbeln wir dieses Feuer im Winter am Besten an? Durch warme Nahrung und Bewegung. Viele Drehungen im Yoga, Rückbeugen und dynamische Flows regen unser Verdauungsfeuer gut an.

Es stellen sich somit immer wieder die Fragen: Was sammelst du dir an?  Reist du generell mit schwerem Gepäck durchs Leben? Was verschafft dir mehr Leichtigkeit? Wie gehst du mit dem neuen Raum wenn du Platz schaffst im Innen und im Außen schaffst um?

Let go & make Space,

Ulli

12 February, 2020  |  Ulrike Manhart

Lone fighter or herd?
Unique or herd animal – Lone fighter or team player – Black sheep or is it the flock?

Mimamsa in Sanskrit means among other things “discussion” or “reflection”. Here are some thoughts that came up when I filmed some sheep and going trough challenging times.

You can change and control your genes! Yes you can.

Our feelings and our consciousness also control our genes. So we often see ourselves as the victims of our genes and cannot believe that we can control them. How is that possible?

Bruce Lipton is a cell biologist and founder of epigenetics. He has studied cells in detail for decades and his years of research have astonishing results. Our cells respond to signals. Genes do not control themselves, they are just the blueprints for our proteins. They are like filing cabinets containing blueprints. The cells respond to signals they receive from the environment and thereby control their behaviour.

So what does the environment of a cell include?

Our body is a community of 50 trillion cells, all of which are interconnected. Every single cell consists of a cell membrane, the proteins and the DNA, i.e. our genes. The cell membrane has switches that respond to signals. Genes change according to the signals they receive. This can happen within 8 hours. The environment of a cell includes our nutrition, blood chemistry, but also our thoughts and feelings – in other words our consciousness. Through our thoughts, beliefs and feelings and through our language and our inner images, our hormones and thus also our cells are controlled.

Our experiences and beliefs therefore also control our biology. If our cells have a good environment with positive signals, they react with growth. Under stress they take on a protective function and growth is stopped.

Cut – I take a deep breath and swing back to yoga basics

On the one hand Yoga stands for “Unity, Harmony, Being Whole”, in Indian philosophy Yoga refers to the Yoga system of Patanjali, respectively to what was collected by him and written down in the Yoga Sutras around 600 B.C. – 200 A.D. A core statement from Patanjali’s collected work is: “Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah” = “Yoga is the resting of thoughts in the mind”. “Tada drashtuh svarupe vasthanam” = “Then the perceiver rests in his true being”. There are some different Indian philosophical systems. One of them is Samkhya.

Samkhya means “classification”, “enumeration”. Samkhya philosophy has an atheistic starting point because God is not mentioned. Instead of God it is about the concept of Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is the pure consciousness or soul. Prakriti is the primordial nature, which consists of the three Gunas (the basic qualities of nature: sattva (clarity, goodness, harmony), rajas (restlessness, movement, energy) and tamas (inertia, darkness, chaos)) in their unmanifested state. Originally it is in balance. The concept of Purusha and Prakriti implies a dualistic worldview, since Purusha and Prakriti have been separate from the beginning and remain separate.
This philosophy provides a theory about the origin of the world: Purusha has the desire to experience the world. Then the prakriti moves and first manifests as Spandana, the Cosmic Primordial Vibration. This goes further and further into the world and becomes a manifestation. Sattva corresponds to the causal world, rajas, the astral world and tamas to the physical world. They are subject to parinama, constant change. Purusha manifests in countless chittas, individual souls or minds through which he sees and experiences the world.

There are three distinctions in Samkhya philosophy.

Number One: Not only discrimination, detachment and observation lead to liberation. Instead, there are a variety of techniques and methods in yoga. Everything that serves the purpose of calming the mind and returning to the “true essence”, to come to the knowledge of the Self, is yoga. So there is a broad practice of practice, and the constant effort to practice, the latter is also called Abhyasa.

Two: There is the concept of Ishwara, a personal god. He is to be regarded as a special manifestation of Purusha, free from attachments, karma kleshas (suffering), ignorance and desires.

Three: There is only one consciousness, a Purusha, which manifests in all beings.

And with three, I resonate very strongly deep within myself. When the ONE consciousness is manifested in all of us, we all have a constant natural desire to change between being unique and wanting to belong to the group. This reflects two basic needs. To be loved and to stand out from the crowd (being unique, seen and so on.) How do I get attention if I am no different? I tell you YOU ARE UNIQUE. Your 50 trillion cells are unique in this combination. WOW. Magical.

Here are a few more facts:

The groups in which we move are often very differently structured and no group can replace another. There are many research approaches from a sociological point of view. One thing is certain . We need groups to learn and to fulfil our roles. And we have two different needs self expression/ authenticity and belonging. When they are in conflict belonging wins. That´s the reclamation of the self.

How does your cells feel right now?

How can you create a field around you that supports your healing and recovery?

In order to go into depth, it is precisely about having a good field around you, to be safe in good groups. To supply our cells with positive signals to maintain our growth and health. I want to make you aware of how deep your chosen environment can affect you.

And Yoga strengthens your Svata, in Sanskrit it means belonging to the Self; ownership and possession.Because only if you strengthen yourself you can be a good contribution in your groups which in turn strengthen and support you.

Feed your cells and thus your field where you can grow, prosper and heal with good thoughts.

Your body listens to everything your mind says. Create a mindset your cells will love you for.

“A genuine smile distributes the cosmic current, Prana to every body cell. The happy man is less subject to disease, for happiness actually attracts into the body a greater supply of the Universal life energy. ” -Paramahansa Yogananda

Om Om Om – ALL IS ONE

Love, Ulli

19 November, 2018  |  Ulrike Manhart

…ist das Gefühl wenn sich das Herz erinnert.
…… EIN DANKBARES HERZ IST EIN MAGNET FÜR WUNDER!

In meiner letzten Aussendung habe ich mich schon bedankt, aber man kann nicht oft genug dankbar sein für das was war, ist und sein wird. Herzensdank an alle – ihr habt es mir ermöglicht das meine Arbeit zur Heilung und zum Frieden auf der Erde beitragen.

MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS – THANK YOU – RIESENHERZENSDANK…..<3

Im Herzen sind wir verbunden

“Möge die Liebe, die sich im Geist der Weihnacht zeigt, der Leitstern für deine Wünsche sein. “-Edgar Cayce

Schönes Fest der Liebe an dich und deine Herzallerliebsten!

7 Februar, 2018  |  Ulrike Manhart

JA zu dem, was dir gut tut und andere nicht verletzt. JA zu freudvollen Momenten und denen, aus denen du lernen kannst. JA zu Wünschen die sich erfüllen und zu denen, die sich nicht erfüllen, wenn es besser für dich ist. JA zu Freudentränen und Tränen, die versöhnt Abschied nehmen. JA zu Aufgaben, die du mit Leichtigkeit löst und Lektionen, die du durch schwierige Aufgaben lernst. JA vor allem zu einem liebevollen Umgang – mit dir selbst und den Menschen, die dich umgeben.
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Jetzt

“In dem Augenblick, in dem man sich endgültig einer Aufgabe verschreibt, bewegt sich die Vorsehung auch. Alle möglichen Dinge, die sonst nie geschehen wären, geschehen um einem zu helfen. Ein ganzer Strom von Ereignissen wird in Gang gesetzt durch diese Entscheidung und sie sorgt zu den eigenen Gunsten für zahlreiche unvorhergesehene Zufälle, Begegnungen und materielle Hilfen, die sich kein Mensch vorher je erträumt haben könnte. Was immer du kannst oder Dir vorstellst, dass Du es kannst, beginne es. Kühnheit trägt Genie, Macht und Magie in sich. Beginne jetzt!” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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YES to what is good for you and not others injured. YES to joyful moments and those from whom you can learn. YES fulfill the wishes and to those who do not meet if it is better for you. YES to tears of joy and tears, take the reconciled farewell. YES to tasks that you solve with ease, and the lessons you learn through difficult tasks. YES especially a loving handling – with yourself and the people who surround you.
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Begin It Now
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness, concerning all acts of initiative (and creation). There is one elementary truth in ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Love, Joy and Happiness is your essence! The thoughts are free, choose wisely.

Boom Boom,

Ulli