Yoga – Master Teacher

​Step back, be still, breathe, notice, intend, focus, execute. What a nice little package of words that looks so simple and earnest in print. The truth is, it really IS simple, but easy?? Nah. Each of those words requires mindfulness of yourself, and  THAT is a completely different story. As with anything else practice makes better. (there is no such thing as perfection)

In any posture I do, I mindfully follow those steps to increase my chances of success. Can you tell I’m not just talking about yoga yet? Oh ok, well I’m not. I’m talking about life too. I’m talking about traffic jams, I’m talking about co-workers, I’m talking about the news, I’m talking the thoughts and words we choose, I’m talking about relationships , I’m talking about everything!

Approaching life with steps and strategies is crucial to evolution and progress. The one constant is change so we know we can expect that. The only thing we have control and governance over is our own self, so it makes sense to start there and begin to get involved with how I am responding to the changes.

With So Much Love,

 

Simply Megan

 

Yes!

Words carry a lot of energy. They convey our thoughts and clearly state our intention for thereality we are creating (constantly) for ourselves. There are a lot of cliche statements that reference and highlight this theme.
​“As above, so below” and “you are what you think” are few that although they may sound very unconventional, generic and lofty, however there is real and true value in being mindful of just how much words can work to determine your life’s experience(s). As I have observed myself and my experiences within the span of my life, I begin to correlate what a strong tie there is between the thoughts I’m having, and subsequently the words that I choose while expressing myself.

At this current point in my life, my personal charge and opportunity for growth is found in using LESS words. I know not everyone has this challenge, but I definitely did! So, I have evolved my
language to incorporate words/motto’s/responses that say a lot without saying much. Maximizing the minimum, getting the most bang for my buck (proverbially speaking….well,actually…literally too!)

I am extremely mindful of my responses with myself and others. There are a few select, choice responses I am finding to be practical for most circumstances. Also, these same responses help me to identify and process the most beneficial, peaceful vantage point to choose.

Yes is definitely my favorite, the top pick, the number one chosen response that I have to most situations. Why? For me, it stems from overwhelming sense of gratitude for all of the things that
I am fortunate enough to have and experience. This is a crucial part of being able to receive abundance and “more” of anything.

By saying “yes” I am acknowledging the great gift that is before me. I am passionately exclaiming that I am thankful for whatever “good” is happening. Being an extremist, I take it to the thought process of, “if I’m not saying yes about it, then it really doesn’t matter.” Not that it literally doesn’t matter, but it’s not a matter I am going go choose to focus on or put much energy into at all.

If there is a situation/scenario when yes isn’t the response, I’m looking for the next actions I need to take to put myself in a situation where it is. I only choose to be involved in dynamics that consistently warrant the need for that response. Yes, there are plenty of situations where “Yes” would not be the initial appropriate response, however even in those, I search, dig and hunt for the “yes”. You know why? Because It’s always there. Even in the midst of catastrophic pain and loss, there is always something to be grateful for, and to say yes about.

This has proved a great asset to me, along with those who come into contact with me and are exposed to this relatively radical line of thinking and way of being. I am humbled and honored to
be able to share this blog post in a clear and succinct way. Yeeesss!!!

I have come into contact with people who I meet one time that walk away exclaiming “yes!!!”. One man I met invested in my business and calls me to have our weekly “yes” recap. I have client’s who leave the Honey Pot saying “yes”. My friends and family say it much more often. Even if folks aren’t as extreme as I am with implementing yes into their daily vernacular, it’s a
nugget that can assist to help guide you back to what the focal priorities should be. 

Passion To Purpose

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted here, but the wait has been worth it ( I promise). I am thrilled to say that my life has come together in a way that I would have never imagined last year. I definitely am no stranger to hardship or challenge, but 2016 revealed so much to me that I honestly was denying to my own self.

It’s a cold cold world out here folks. That’s the bottom line. People will hurt you. You will hurt you. Compassion and kindness don’t always equate to submission and/or compromise. Longevity doesn’t equal loyalty. When people are consistent in their actions (whatever they may be) you take them at face value.

Last year, I was struggling with many self-worth beliefs instilled from childhood experience and perception. There was a subconscious longing to be approved of, to be loved… and get this, it wasn’t enough for just anyone to approve and love me, it HAD to be unavailable/incapable people. Pretty silly right? Logically it makes no sense…but subconciously, it was my truth. It was my weak spot, Achilles heal. A place that I had made a home without even realizing it.

There were so many painful “aha” moments. Boundaries became my best friend. I FINALLY implemented the cliche modality us “conscious hotep folks” swear by. If it wasn’t good for me, didn’t motivate me towards progress, wasn’t dependable, went cold…I released it. I’m not talking temporarily “letting go” until it circled back around, I’m talking about chopping, slicing, dicing and mitigating relationships. Some young some old..and can I be honest? That shit HURT!!! It was scary to be “on my own”but even beyong that it was the fact that I hadn’t been kind to myself. I wasn’t making loving decisions towards myself. I was fearful of all this newfound free time I had with my own self. Who am I? This was the pressing question that continued to rear it’s head the more time I spent isolated from toxicity.

Since it’s 1:30 am right now I won’t elaborate too much (right now) but let me just state that I got to know Megan…and you know what else. She’s really DOPE!!! I’m not talking about the egotistical frame of being dope, I’m talking about the authentic way. I am vulnerable yet strong, carefree yet controlled, hard yet soft and throughout the journey I learned how to TRULY honor and love myself. Guess what else? Once I truly got the hang of it (cause it’s just like riding a bike you know), I became so much better at plainly spotting folks who DIDN’T honor and love me. It was/is quite the eye opening experience!

So, here I am in 2017, the last year of Saturn’s return ( I LOVE SATURN by the way!!!) and life is really coming together for me. This newfound love, awareness and mindfulness of myself has permeated out into every area of my life. I am experiencing so much alignment and consistency. The more I let go the more I receive. Crazy right? I’ve started my own business(s) full time and there’s no looking back. My life is being lived on purpose (yep, that’s an entendre) and I’m ecstatic!!! This is truly the year of yes.

Anywho, Bikram and that 105 degree room first thing in the morning will be here soon and I must rest my eyes. Thank you for reading and if you’re interested please check out my website for updates on what my Passion to Purpose looks like. Ciao!

 

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I curse out my hot yoga instructor

… in my mind that is.

Let’s just be honest and say hot yoga is pretty challenging. Standing in a steamy, hot (105 degrees to be exact) sweaty room on a yoga mat, twisting and contorting your body into positions that used to seem so simple in childhood. I can quickly come up with a list of the things I DON’T like about yoga, the things that get on my nerves and that aggravate my spirit.

Here’s a very abbreviated version:

Poses are supposed to be a certain number of seconds, I’m not always sure what they are or when the teacher started counting but it feels like and I can almost guarantee they go over!!! Ouch!!!

When I’m in the hot corner of the room I perceive that I’ve worked harder than other students NOT in the hot corner.

“I should get my cool washdrenched in freezing water and essential oils FIRST ! It’s only fair!”

“You know good and (insert expletive here) well it’s time to turn on that (another expletive) fan now!!!”

“That was NOT 10 seconds you (more expletives here)!!!”

 

Whooo saaa. Ok. Rant Over.

 

But alas, just as paradoxical as life is, those are the very things that cause and help me to grow and expand my capacity. I expand mentally, my compassion grows, my patience is exercised and I learn above all else, how to breath.

 

Breath is life. It sustains us through our hardest perceptions of reality.

 

With So Much Love,

 

Simply Megan

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am a Healer

Bracelets

 

I am a healer.

 

I know how to bend myself in any dynamic to result in peace.

Sometimes that means apologizing, even if I don’t feel I was wrong.

It means saying I love you first, even if means feeling vulnerable.

It means being open, even when I’d rather retreat.

 

I heal with my:

Laughter

Love

Sense of Humor

Experience

Astrology

Friendship

Forgiveness

Philosophy

Honesty

Knowledge

Humility

 

How do you heal?

With So Much Love,

Simply Megan

Find Out More…

Simply Megan Official Website

 

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He Called Me a Control Freak

It’s definitely not something I’ve never heard before. I am a self admitted control freak. I like being in control (but I mean, who doesn’t). I think the manner in which we maintain control sets us apart from one another. Some people are direct and blunt about their preferences and what they will and won’t do or accept (that’s me). Then, there are those who perhaps allow things to happen that they may not like, but they do cannot find the voice to express their preference so they do passive/aggressive things to regain control over a particular situation.

Next, we have the person who controls the situation by withdrawing from it. They would prefer to avoid the perceived conflict or confrontation that may arise from their wants and needs not being in alignment with someone else’s. Some folks use emotional manipulation as a form of control. They make a person feel a certain way in order to get what it is they want from the dynamic. These are all human behaviors and normal…to an extent. We probably exhibit one if not all of these methods. As I stated before, I’m definitely from the direct, bold and specific variety.

An observation that I’ve made is that people who tend not to have very much control over their own life tend to like to toss that term around. When you allow other people to dictate your movements, you lose control. When you don’t have control, you have a sensitivity to people who do. You may feel they are overbearing or demanding, and while this may very well be the case, is that such a bad thing? I’m sure many people whom we consider successful would be perceived as being extremely controlling, besides, how could they have achieved success had they not been? An extreme athlete has to take control over every aspect of his life. The food, the exercise regime, the mental discipline…all these things require immense amounts of control. We have demonized this word as if it’s wrong to want to be in control. If more folks would take control over their life, their issues, their responses, their communication, they may find that life changes, for the better. Being in control is amazing!

 

With So Much Love,

 

Simply Megan

 

 

The “Loc” Revelation

I was changing yoga positions in a Hot Fusion 90 class while visiting one of my best friends out in the Midwest during Holiday in November 2015.  I had a strong notion to cut all my hair off. Now I will be the first to admit that the massive almost 7 pound weave twists I had installed about two weeks prior were irritating the zhit out of me. They were big and bulky in order to cover up the locs I had begun about 7 months prior to that point.

I had been viciously moving the double-scarf wrapped pile atop my head around all morning. As I attempted to pull my head up to a proper position in reverse warrior , the synthetic bundle I affectionately named “Dolly” felt like it weighed twenty pounds, I had enough. It was my breaking point.

Immediately my internal dialogue began. “But you already started locs, you’ll be a quitter”, “What if you don’t look cute with short hair” , “It’s winter, it’s cold outside”. Being that I am a very diplomatic person, I had responses for each of these ego-based questions. It didn’t matter if I looked cute, It doesn’t matter if other people view me as a quitter, I have many scarves and hats for chilly weather!!!

The most resounding call to me was that the energy that was in and currently was being “locked” into my head was an energy I wanted and desperately needed to release and let go of. The past several years have been challenging for me as I’ve been transparent about in my open letter to everyone . Anyone who knows me knows that when I make an executive decision, I move on. There is no second guessing it. If there is a regret (which there rarely is) I am willing to pay the cost and stand behind my decision and examine my regret in retrospect.

The peace I felt with the decision I made before the hair actually came off my head was amazing. It began to open up all types of Buddhist revelations about the metaphors for this decision and where I am in my life. I will share the recap now:

  1. I am completely comfortable with making my own decisions and living with my own consequences.
  2. I would rather live with consequences based on decisions I make about my own view of myself versus others views of me.
  3. I have the right to change my mind about any decision I’ve previously made at my whim. Life changes, so do decisions.
  4. Purging is an AMAZING tool! It should not just be limited to physical things external.
  5. My hair does not define me or the value I offer to the world.
  6. If there is anyone in my life that is attracted to me for shallow reasons (such as hair), I’d like to eradicate them by default anyway.
  7. My peace and happiness is more important that holding up an appearance for anyone else.
  8. Somtimes when zhit becomes to painful or heavy, we’ve got to cut it off, for our (and our scalps) own good!

With So Much Love,

Simply Megan

 

35 in Review

So! I will have been on this earth 35 years as of November 23, 1980 at 4:00pm. 35 is the age that I officially considered “old” when I was younger, however now I see it as “still young”. Young enough to start over, young enough to change for the better, young enough to experience life in all its fullness and glory. But, let’s be honest, no age is “too old” to do that now is it?

I have already spilled my guts in previous posts such as my Open Letter To Everyone . So, I won’t do that here. What I will do. It reflect on this past year and express where I am currently. Gratitude is the first word that pops into mind. I have been surrounded by such beautiful, amazing, rich and hilarious tribe members. Men and women who love me for who I am at my core, who show up and who provide me an honest reflection of myself so I can either build on or tweak the parts of myself I see. I’ve made a bunch of huge decisions over this past year (and the few before that also) and I as I embark on living in a new place, launching a new business and creating a new physical “norm” for myself I have learned resounding lesson that perspective is everything and I must be very mindful of the things I manifest for myself in my life because my mind is EXTREMELY powerful!!!

I have faced challenges, loss, betrayal, heartbreak and disappointment. We all have. These things happen in life, we must expect it. We must be ready to continue to persevere and learn the lessons that said challenges are here to teach us, for if we don’t, they’ll continue to manifest. I have also faced unconditional love, support, guidance and amazing blessings. As I close old chapters and open new ones, I can see that in between the lines lies the old adage of self-love. Nothing is permanent, except the way I treat myself and others. And through that treatment I can create or tear down. I choose to be a creator. The last 35 years have prepared me to step into my greatness and I am ready, willing and able to do so.

I am in a period of healing. I must heal so that I do not perpetuate pain. Thank you for reading and thank you for being an integral part of who I am today.

 

With So Much Love,

 

Simply Megan

I’m in Love with the CoCo!

And by Coco I mean….Coconut Oil. Yes ya’ll, coconut oil is one of my very favorite things and I use it daily for maintaining my health and beauty. Besides containing all types of super AMAZING beneficial properties, coconut oil actually tastes great and when used in cooking gives food a rich flavor.

My personal favorite use of coconut oil is oil pulling. Oil pulling consists of putting about a tablespoon of oil (you can use several kinds but coconut is my preference) in your mouth and “pulling” it (swishing, swirling, pushing) the oil around your mouth like you would a mouthwash. You do this for about 10-15 minutes. I usually put it in my mouth before my shower and then spit it out a few minutes after I get out (in the trash only you don’t want it clogging up drains). The oil mixes with your saliva and creates a thin liquid that is actively detoxifying you mouth, teeth and entire body! This method is an ancient practice that has been proven to reduce (and even heal) cavities. I personally have reversed cavities and reduced/rid myself of pain associated with them as well. Besides killing harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi, coconut oil can be consumed to help reduce appetite and helping to burn fat. This stuff is ridiculously versatile!!

Of course it works great to moisturize skin and hair. I promise, if I was stranded on an island, a bottle of coconut oil would probably be my second wish! The first would be water. Don’t just take my word for it. Consult Madame Google! See how you can incorporate coconut oil into your life and watch the benefits take over! I even have my children doing this, watch my 2 year old give a tutorial on how to oil pull along with some things you can do while you oil pull!

With So Much Love,

Simply Megan

Knowing When To Fold

Sometimes we can get so caught up in to-do lists, workout routines, schedules and life events that it seems we never have any down time. A lot of times, it’s very true that our schedules and priorities do require us to be at full capacity for the majority of time some days. It sounds great that say that we need to “schedule some me time” for ourselves, but realistically that isn’t always feasible.

I’ve recently realized that it is extremely challenging to actually take “down time”. Even when I attempt to relax I find my mind racing and analyzing what should or could be getting done instead of actually remaining present and resting. One of the tools that can be utilized to combat this is to actually have gratitude for the place you are, right now this very second, not in an hour once you complete x,y,z. Not in a month when your body looks like this or that. But right now, looking at what we’ve accomplished and what we’ve overcome and how we’ve excelled and appreciating that, instead of beating ourselves up for what hasn’t occurred yet.

I implore you (and myself) to take actually focus on silencing your inner voice that attempts to keep you busy (versus productive) all the time. Let’s schedule in “me time” and “know when to fold” on our current routines. The world will not end. This, just like any change will take practice, diligence and consistency. Let’s be gentle with ourselves and fold when the time calls for it. We can focus and zero in on the things that genuinely need to be addressed when we allow ourselves to just simply be and presently fold into our magnificence, even if only for a moment.

With So Much Love,

Simply Megan