I Promise Myself...

This is intimate stuff here but I believe that when you make a promise public you commit yourself to it with even more energy.

I'm not perfect, I love myself enough to accept that. Everyday I am a work in progress and this self-love stuff comes easy most of the time, while some days it's a bit of a challenge. I understand now that the reason why every relationship I've ever been in was doomed to fail. It was because I didn't love myself; therefore I attracted situations and men that would continue to support this. I in turn pushed away all the men that actually wanted to love me. Grateful to learn this now rather than many, many years later. It's time to do something radical (for me anyway). And so I open my heart, all my old wounds that need a little Love Light, and declare the following to myself with you as my witness:

I promise to not judge myself any longer, be it bad choices I made in the past, criticizing my body, or comparing myself to another woman.

I promise to give myself permission to take risks in love, my career, and with my abilities.

I promise to listen to my heart and 'feel' what is right.

In turn, I promise to be okay with me being wrong.

I promise to learn from my mistakes and use them as opportunities to grow.

I promise to let down my guard a little more everyday.

I promise to open myself to the natural flow of love and abundance that makes up this magical universe.

I promise to let the right one in.

I promise to open my eyes and my heart so I can see this man.

I promise to breathe in, feel invigorated, and inspired by love.

I promise to let myself be known, to let others know the real me, to let a man be both physically and mentally close to me.

I promise to let my heart, not my head, tell who is worthy of my love.

I promise to be my own best friend and nurture this relationship at every opportunity.

I promise to love myself first so I can love another.

I promise to get to know aspects of myself that I forgot about.

I promise to be open minded and try out new things--maybe I will like it, maybe I won't. No big deal!

I promise to take more time for my own self improvement because I am my biggest and best investment.

I promise to put the oxygen mask on myself first before assisting another should I be in a plane that is going to crash--literally and metaphorically.

I promise to be patient, loving, and kind to myself and others.

I promise to start living my life right now and not wait for things to be 'perfect.'

To be continued...

Live Now

"We are always getting ready to live, but never living." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote speaks to me directly--especially to the old me that thought "someday" I will have the life I've always wanted. The Law of Attraction tells us we must live as though we already are in possession of our desires in order to manifest them. So what does that mean exactly? Fake it until you make it? Not necessarily, though there is a bit of truth to that old saying. Really what you must do is find ways to live your passions right now.

Maybe you're like me and love to travel but for whatever reason you aren't able to at the moment, be it financial, commitments, health, etc. Just find a way to incorporate the notion of travel into your life. For example, my bedroom I created a nest of manifestation. It is decorated for two things I want more of in my life: love and travel. I have maps on the walls, photos of beautiful destinations, my passport in plain sight, and an article wonderfully titled "Ten Getaways for Love, Lust & Life." Awesome!!! My room is like a little beach house nestled inside a loft in Brooklyn! Hahaha! I wake up to these images and symbols every morning and feel one step closer to traveling there with my soul mate.

I'm also exploring new languages and food to open my awareness of possibilities and opportunities to make these desires come to fruition. I give permission to be adventurous and try new things--exploring my neighborhood, daily walks by the Williamsburg Waterfront, and escaping to that beautiful beachside bungalow in my imagination--which is where I imagine myself in my daily meditation. It's lovely there! When you start exercising your imagination muscles you actually begin to feel as though you are really there!!! Trust me and try it--just open yourself up to receiving it. Send your limiting ego on some errands while you give your mind permission to have fun with this.

In closing I want you to take a moment and imagine how you can live your dreams right now--just a tiny step or one big-ole leap. LIVE NOW!!! It's all we really have.

Big kisses and lots of love!
xxooxxc

To Tsedey...

Thank you for your friendship and smile! You ARE my sister. No matter if you're in San Francisco or Addis Ababa, we will always be close because we live in each other's hearts.

I found this poem on a page torn out from a magazine, hanging by a magnet on your refrigerator.

This poem could have been written for you.

When she walks into the room,

everybody turns:

some kind of light is coming from her head.

Even the geraniums looks curious...

We're all attracted to her perfume

of fermenting joy,

we've all tried to start a fire,

and one day maybe it will blaze upon its own.

In the meantime, she is the one today among us

most able to bear the idea of her own beauty,

and when we see it, what we do is natural:

we take out our burned hands

out of our pockets,

and clap.

---Tony Hoagland, from "Grammar"

I am lucky to know you and I feel in my heart you will do amazing things. Maybe this library with no books???

See you soon my sister and friend.

With love,

Christina

A Gift From Me! Downloads: Meditations & Mantras

Hey everyone! I've been getting many requests to do some recordings of the meditations and mantras I use to assist in the healing, release, and growth process. So I spent some time yesterday recording a few of my favorites. These are not professional recordings by any means but the love intention is definitely there! More are sure to come.

Just click on the following links. Please enjoy and I look forward to hearing your feedback.

Healing Heart Meditation
This is a perfect practice meditation to release any negative energy blocks or walls built around our heart. This meditation can be done every morning, night, or as needed. This is an excellent meditation exercise for opening the heart chakra, releasing that which does not serve you, and allowing more love to flow into your life. We have all have hurtful memories. This meditation will help you to begin to release those memories, heart scars, or belief systems that no longer support you.

Everyday Mantras
Ah this is great! I created this set of mantras as a reminder that one's perception and intention is the structure of manifestation. When you listen to these mantas take a moment to recite them out loud or internally, allowing the words to resinate with you. If in the beginning the affirmations are not true, then keep going with it! Eventually in your practice you will notice that the statements are starting to take shape in your life and become your reality. It's a daily practice, remember that. You are simply working to change your current belief patterns into new patterns that fully support your healing, release, and growth.

Morning Mantra
Not only do I use this mantra with my client's regularly but I was actually the first to try this one out. In all honesty I practice all of my mantas and meditations on myself first before recommending them. The Morning Mantra was a part of my morning ritual for 90 days. I placed this mantra on the back of my apartment door and recited it out loud each morning while sipping on warm tea. Since I am comforted by warm liquids like teas and soups, I thought to make the most supportive, nurturing scenario for generating love energy as I recite my mantras. Cozy and comforted for 90 days I read aloud my Morning Mantras and interesting changes started happening along the way. Of course there were the more obvious things like improved posture and an increased amount of the dessert rose color in my wardrobe (yeah it's my new favorite color--in the past I never wore pink!). However I started realizing as I went through the Morning Mantra that the affirmations I was reciting were now true! Such as, "My life IS precious to me and therefore I am selective as to how I spend my time, who I spend my time with, and WHERE I place my energy." I began to make important those people that were doing the same for me. I also became super selective of the food in my diet and eventually became 95% raw vegan, I still save a little spot for some Indian food now and then! Delicious! More importantly, I began to greet everyday with optimism for new opportunities, meeting new people, and learning about myself. Ahhhhh yeah---that's one of the affirmations in the Morning Mantras!

So enjoy these modest gifts from my heart. I send you April showers of LOVE, that will soon blossom into to May and the beautiful flowers of possibility.

Much love, c

Everything Has Beauty...

Found this image on the Stone Fox Bride blog. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change."

Yes. Absolutely. 100% satisfaction. Lifetime guarantee.

Your assignment for today is to open your heart and your eyes to beauty. Happy friday loves!

xoxoxc

Beautiful Food!!!

Baked falafel wrapped in romaine leaves

As some of you may know I have a passion for making raw vegan and just straight up vegan food at home. I find it an incredibly rewarding act of creative expression as well as a chance to make something bursting with love energy. Yes it's true that the simple act of making a a meal for you or your loved ones carries with it your intention, in the form of vibrational energy.

Sound a little over the top? Well think about it like this, everything we do or create is an extension of our beings, our soul, or our aura. Each thought, word, or movement projects our intention.

Power salad! I luves me some avocados!

An example unrelated to food is emailing or texting. Ever sent a text when you're upset or disappointed and word it so perfectly as not to express your irritation but somehow the person on the receiving end could just sense and then respond in a way that let's you know your actual intention was received? That's what I'm talking about! I often tell my clients before beginning any project just get your intention in check. Don't rush through important things because that energy goes right into whatever you're working on and the result in never as good. You're just not in-synch with the flow--you're too busy rushing through things. So take a minute to yourself to breathe and then begin.

Pretty groceries and I LOVE this floor!
Taken in the St. Mark's Market in the East Village, NYC

Now back to pretty food. So hopefully at this point the whole "made with love" thing is clicking with you. Ahhhh okay grandmas house, family dinners, yummy treats--get the idea? So when I'm at home making a meal I get super nerdy about it. I love trying new ingredients, the latest super food, or some exotic spice or legume. I seriously get giddy knowing that each bite is packed full of nutrients and my body is enjoying every bit of it! Last night it was mung beans that resulted in a beautiful Indian Dal. Surprisingly I didn't take a picture of that! Yes, I'm shocked because I almost always document my meals. Instead I will share with you a few of my favorites from the last year.

So enjoy the pics! Please email me at info@christinamedina.com if you would like some recipes or find out more on changing to a vegan/raw vegan diet. Lastly, make your food with lots, and lots, and lots of love. info@christinamedina.com

All in due time. Breathe in. All in due time. Breathe out. Now smile :)

So as some of you may know I'm doing a hot yoga 30 day challenge at Yoga to the People here in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I'm learning so many great things about myself and being faced with life changing revelations in my daily practice. "Practice" that's an awesome word and we are reminded everyday by our gracious teacher that this is indeed a practice not a perfect. Each day our bodies and our minds function differently. Leave the judgement behind and open up to compassion for ourselves. I love this--it really resonates with me.

Learning to love myself--even my crazy hair!

It's an hour and half in a 105 degree room. I started off the first few days in a t-shirt and shorts and soon got over that--now small bike shorts and bra top. Seeing my body in front of a mirror wearing as little as possible everyday has connected me with my physical self. To be honest I never really looked at my body for more that a few minutes a day after my shower and then clothes were on as soon as possible. In the first few days of my practice I was critical of my physical self. I seemed to notice my belly fat or that my thighs we too thick. Me! I thought I had such a good body image! Compared to a few years ago well yes, but life has this fantastic way of presenting you with the changes and growth you need to move you along your path. So as the days went by and the more classes I attended I started to recite this mantra, "All in due time." I felt that my body and mind would improve as I desired if I only opened myself up to release all those things blocking me, things I thought were there to protect me. Judgement toward myself was a tool I used to be perfect. Well try anyway. If I had perfect skin, perfect hair, the perfect wardrobe, etc. then I would be loved. This is rooted back in my childhood fears of abandonment and feeling as if I wasn't good enough. Wow!!! All those old programs I shoved deep down in the basement were showing their face in this daily practice! Rather than push it away I kept telling myself to bring it on, show me the changes I must make in my life to bring me further down my path, to heal, and open my heart.

Today I celebrated my 22nd day of hot yoga in a row and I think I'm going to keep going! No alcohol, eating only raw foods, and spending time making loving choices just for Me--this was my plan for the 30 day challenge. How am I feeling? Well at first I admit, I was very tired as it was a lot of work for me and I never made that sort of commitment to myself but after the first 2 weeks I really noticed my strength had increased and my emotions were totally under control. I didn't even get PMS--awesome! I love myself, my time, my energy, and my body.

All in due time. Breathe in. All in due time. Breathe out. Now smile. I am walking down a lovely path full of blooming opportunities and so much self love.

I leave you with a quote I heard in yoga class a couple days ago. This was just what I needed:

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

Thank you Rumi.

xoxoxc