Michelle Margaret Fajkus

28 amazing pieces of wisdom

Let it go

Having a strong core enables us to stand tall, sit up straight, be centered and walk our talk with purpose. Often, when we think of “core strength”, we think exclusively of abs. Yet core strengthening is about much more than attaining a toned six-pack. We must also pay attention to the back of the core, as well as the oblique abdominals — the muscles on the sides of the lower torso. With sustained practice, these poses will increase the strength and stability of your whole core — front, sides...

Our bodies are a marvel. Our brain’s innate stress response system is there to help us recognize when a situation is dangerous and needs to be dealt with. The term “stress” originated from physics and related to physical pressure, or stress, being placed on an object and causing it to change. In our fast-paced modern times, the majority of the stress we generally feel is more psychological than physiological. It’s also relative rather than absolute, meaning that the same stressors can affect ...

May you be you. May I be me. May we be us.

“Nobody lives, nobody dies. Nothingness lives, nothingness dies. You are not. Have a good laugh at this situation. You are not and you exist. You are not and you are. This is the cosmic joke.” ~ Osho

The genius Albert Einstein said, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

How vocal is your inner critic? How much can you recognize his or her voice?

In the morning
Or anytime,
Wake up
Stretch!
And then—
Just sit
Or stand,
But be still and quiet.
Notice the now,
Notice how the mind wanders, and where.
All the time. All over the place. Everywhere and nowhere.
Empty and full at once.
A silly monkey, a bumbling puppy, a mirror, the ocean.
This is the mind.
To the back then or the what if.
The past and the future. Any time but the present. Memories, plans. Nostalgia, aspirations. Regrets, expectations.
Judgment.
Sit and notice your mind...

Inhale. Exhale. Pause.
Notice where on Earth you are.
Feel where your body connects to the planet. Feel how gravity is grounding you to Mother Earth. Breathe in a sense of belonging and of being completely right where you are.
Our chakras, according to Swami Saradananda‘s wonderful guidebook, Chakra Meditation, are “seven focal points of radiant power, or vital energy, within the subtle body.” Translated from Sanskrit as “wheel,” these seven energy centers can be visualized as gears, constant...

Prebiotics are a category of dietary fibers in certain foods which cannot be digested. These fibers move through the small intestine undigested and are fermented by the time they reach the colon, or large intestine. Prebiotics feed the beneficial bacteria colonies in the gut, including probiotic bacteria. Scientific studies have indicated that increasing prebiotic fiber supports our digestive and immune systems, bone density, weight management and brain health.

On the other hand, probiotics...

Depression, despondency, and despair—they can be difficult to avoid for a breathing, thinking, feeling human being on the planet these days.

By raising our consciousness, we rise above partisan disagreements and the need to perpetuate drama. We rise above our little selves watching or reading the news and seeing the endless, outrageous narrative for what it is: lies. By expanding our consciousness, we can lift up own vibration—and maybe, just maybe, inspire others to do the same.

As a yoga teacher for the past 17 years, I am earthy as opposed to “airy fairy.”
I use my normal tone of voice when teaching, although I can don the granola hippie role with authenticity too.

Chanting with mala beads, using essential oils for homemade deodorant, and brewing kombucha in a tiny house in the woods have become my reality.

I currently live, write, and teach yoga on one of the most beautiful lakes on earth: Lago de Atitlán, in the highlands of Guatemala. The majority of my classes ...

108 Ways to Heal Your Chakras. | elephant journal

“We need to change our way of thinking and seeing things. We need to realise that the Earth is not just our environment. The Earth is not something outside of us. Breathing with mindfulness and contemplating your body, you realise that you are the Earth. You realise that your consciousness is also the consciousness of the Earth. Look around you–what you see is not your environment, it is you.” ~ Thích Nhât Hanh
I became a vegetarian in college, inspired by my studies of yogic philosophy.
To b...

“There is a form of narcissism that seems to affect men more than women…it stems from a very close and unhealthy mother-son attachment relationship.” ~ Berit Brogaard
~
As with anything, there are varying degrees of narcissism.
There is a spectrum from healthy (with a balanced dose of self-love and esteem) to pathological, all-encompassing narcissistic tendencies.
Narcissism is troublesome for society as a whole, as well as for each individual narcissist who is plagued by incessant and rampan...