Sonia Roberts's Blog, page 2

Letting Go As a Self Care Practice

The Universe is urging everyone to slow down, rest, and reflect. Getting through the corona virus is a practice of letting go. So much of our day-to-day lives have shifted and changed dramatically. We are being forced to let go of so many things. As painful and uncertain as it might be, it is also a great opportunity to create a new way of living and being in the world. 

Remember, letting go is not loss. It is a release that will liberate you. It's important to let go of what's toxic and unnecessary to make room for growth. It is how you make space for the abundance you want in your life. What would you like to make space for in your life?

In yoga, a daily disciplined practice is called sadhana. It is a tool used to work on yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is a daily practice to achieve the ultimate goal of union with the Divine or alignment with the Source. Be unattached to the end goal and dive into the wonder of your practice. Fall in love with your practice. Motivation and inspiration will come and go, but your practice will always be there for you. Practice is instrumental in continuing your growth and improvement.
Try these 5 practices to slow down, be present, boost your mood and allow positivity to flow to you: 
1. Get Some Sunshine
Sunshine heals the mind, body and soul and can awaken the sunshine within you. If you can, go outside and get some sunlight, take a walk, ride a bike, enjoy your garden and move your body. Small amounts of sunlight, particularly early in the day before it's at its brightest, can improve your emotional well being. Sunlight helps boost a chemical in your brain called serotonin, giving you more energy, helping to keep you calm, positive and focused. Sunlight is also an important source of vitamin D. Practice your version of sun salutations daily.
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2. READ sip REST
Create a cozy space to rest, read a good book, and sip a warm beverage. Now is the perfect time to slow down and rest. Rest is not about being lazy or avoiding work. It is necessary for our health and well being. Reading sharpens our minds, enhances our imagination, lowers stress levels and can help you sleep better. Put down your phone and read a good book.
3. Journal
Keep a gratitude journal or write down your thoughts, feelings, and dreams. Use your writing to identify your future goals and aims. Writing can help you identify past mistakes so you are able to make better choices in the future. Writing can also help you think beyond the obvious and help you be more intentional in any pursuit. Your journal is your story and you have the power to re-write your story everyday. Remember, your story can inspire others.
4. Gift Yourself
Make yourself a priority and treat yourself to something that brings you joy. The foundation of all relationships is the relationship we have with ourselves. The ability to give to ourselves is a reflection of our self love. Gift yourself something that is nourishing and makes you feel joyful, so that you can continue to shine your light and spread joy.

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5. Meditate
Aim to start your day with a sense of calm and a balanced state of mind. Meditation can help us eliminate negative thoughts, worries, and anxiety. There's a lot of negativity swirling around our heart and minds at this time. Meditation can help you feel more at peace and connected to positive emotions. To begin, keep your sessions short. If possible, be consistent in your practice, practice daily at the same time.
You can listen to my guided meditations here.

Peace and blessings to all.
Please feel free to share your self-care practices in the comment section below.

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Spring Awakening: Restoring Sacred Balance

Photo: Gratitude Mudra

Spring breathes new life into the world around us, it is the perfect time for awakening. No winter lasts forever, blossom by blossom, spring begins.
The yogic principle, brahmacharya or non-excess, reminds us to let go of distractions and excess, and instead to rest and recharge. The avoidance of excess and extremes, especially in our behavior, will lead to a more joyful life.
Soul Healing Meditation: Restoring Sacred Balance
(*Click  here  to listen to this guided meditation and more.)
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Draw a deep cleansing breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Now breathe easy gentle breaths through the nose.
Drop into awareness of your body. Draw a full breath in to your heart center, pause, relax, breathe out.
Notice the sensations in your body. More and more arrive fully and completely in the now. Ground and center yourself. Drop into the earth feeling embraced and supported, silently say, “I feel balanced and aligned.”
Rub your hands together briskly. Place your hands on your thighs. Grounding your body. Take several full and complete breaths.
Rub your hands together briskly. Now place your hands one on top of the other and gently press them against your heart center. Breathe full and complete breaths.
Rub your hands together briskly. Place your hands one on top of the other and gently press them against your solar plexus or upper abdomen. Inhale, expand your abdomen, pause, exhale, gently contract your abdomen, pause. Inhale, expand your abdomen, pause, exhale, gently contract your abdomen, pause.
Breathe easy breaths through the nose.
Silently say, “I am directing my energy inward. My heart is open and loving. My daily actions are for the collective good of all people.
I look for joy.
I look for peace.
I look for simplicity.
I am open and loving.
My energy flows freely.”
Draw a deep cleansing breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Relax your arms and hands, relax your whole body, breathe easy. Take your time, when you are ready, slowly open your eyes.
Namaste, and so it is.

 

**As always, we would love to hear from you. Share with us how you are practicing brahmacharya or sacred balance.

 

The Power of Surrender Meditation: The Rhythm of Surrender

Photo: Spinning Meditation Ring Available Now.

The yoga principle Ishvara Pranidhana encourages you to surrender and live in the moment, to understand rhythm and ritual, to cultivate a deep and trusting relationship with the universe, and to devote yourself to a Higher Purpose.
Right now, more than ever, the universe is asking us to slow down and surrender to what is...
The Power of Surrender Meditation: The Rhythm of Surrender
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Soften your gaze or close your eyes.
Become aware of your breathing. The rise and fall of your chest.
Connect to your breath. Connect to your heart center.
Feel the pulse of your heart. Breathe into your heart.
Let love in. Let God in. Let go and surrender to the rhythm, to the flow of life.
Imagine a sunrise or sunset. Climbing a mountain. Enjoying the ocean. Practicing yoga and ending with a deep and restful savasana.
Arrive fully in this moment. This is the rhythm of surrender.
Expand and contract your abdomen. Create spaciousness at the heart center and throughout your entire body.
Pay close attention to the moment. Pay attention to your inner world. Pay attention to the world around you.
Ride the wave of the breath. Move with what the moment gives you. What is life asking of you? Flow with the current of life.
This is the rhythm of surrender.
Breathe gentle easy breaths through your nose. Fully relaxed, fully awake, in the moment.
When you are ready, slowly open your eyes.
Namaste, and so it is
*Click here to listen to this guided meditation and more.

**As always, we would love to hear from you. Share with us how you are practicing Ishvara Pranidhana or surrender.

 

Top 3 Books about Race, Racism, and How To Be An Antiracist

There's a few more days of Black History Month and while I believe we should be learning, reading and celebrating Black History all year long, I wanted to share my 3 favorite books about race, racism and how to be an antiracist.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo offers a clear and honest conversation about race. It's a great starting point for those waking up to racism and affirming for those of us who experience it daily.

How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is essential for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism and begin taking action toward a just and equitable society.

White Ally: A Guide to Cultivating a Deeply Spiritual AntiRacism Practice, written by me, Sonia Roberts. This book will help you develop an antiracism practice through a spiritual lens. Using the 10 yogic principles as a framework, you learn how to take compassionate action and begin practicing antiracism. 

Awareness is not enough, compassionate action is necessary to disrupt, dismantle and end racism. 

And now it's time to move Black culture into the popular consciousness. Reimagining the past and envisioning what can be...

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As always, we would love to hear from you. Feel free to comment below. 

 

5 Fun Facts About THE BAY

Born and raised in The Bay.

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THE BAY Sweatshirt, Awakened Love Warrior

 

Redwood City, Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward, Mountain View, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Pleasanton, Concord and Pleasant Hill. After turning 18 years old, these are all the Bay Area cities I have lived. I have also lived in Culver City, Long Beach and almost moved to New York City, but that's for a different story.
I put together 5 fun facts about some of the Bay Area cities where I once lived:
1. Sequoia High School in Redwood City was established on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula (way back in 1895), just four years after Stanford University. It’s even on the National Register of Historic Places.
I graduated from Sequoia High School and met a teacher, Morgan Marchbanks, who changed the trajectory of my life.

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Sequoia High School, Source: Wikipedia

 

2. Events in Berkeley during the 1960s set off what we now call the Free Speech Movement, but a 1969 clash between President Ronald Reagan and Berkeley activists is considered to be the pinnacle of the Vietnam War protest. Leading up to the clash, President Reagan had called Berkeley a breeding grounds for “sexual deviants, communist sympathizers, and protesters,” so he ordered California Highway Patrol and Berkeley Police officers to fence off People’s Park, an abandoned lot that anti-war protesters had turned into a volunteers grounds.
When those in Berkeley saw People’s Park blocked off, a riot broke out, with protesters chanting, “We want the park!” The People's Park Riots became known as Bloody Thursday.
I attended UC Berkeley and lived in the African American Theme House directly across from People's Park my freshman year.

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Sather Gate at UC Berkeley, Souce: Wikipedia

 

3. There are many fun facts about the city of Oakland. I have lived near Lake Merritt twice and it is by far, my favorite Bay Area city that I have resided. 
Lake Merritt is the only natural saltwater lake within city boundaries in the entire world. It is also home to the oldest U.S. wildlife refuge, which was designated in 1870. This lake has its very own monster called the Oak-ness Monster, that has been appearing there since the 1940s. The best spot to catch a glimpse of this creature is from the docks at the Lake Chalet Restaurant.

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Gondola on Lake Merritt, Source: Wikipedia

 

4. One of my favorite book stores is in Mountain View, East West Bookshop. It's the largest metaphysical book and gift shop in the US. A center for wisdom, consciousness and community.
While in college, I lived in Mountain View for about a year and had a long commute to Cal.

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 Castro Street sidewalk in Mountain View, Source: Wikipedia

 

5. Tom Hanks was born in Concord, California. Other things to know about Concord... the Concord Pavilion is located here. I enjoy the Todos Santos area for the Farmers Market and live music in the park. My favorite vegan restaurant is here, The Lettuce Inn. And my son's favorite can be found in Concord, Popeye's Chicken. Lol.

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Concord Square, Source: Wikipedia

 

Let me know if there's a Bay Area fun fact that you want me to check out, or a fascinating fact about life in Northern California.

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California Love Hoodie, Awakened Love Warrior

 

As always, we would love to hear from you.

 

Handmade in Africa

Crafting handmade products provides a particularly vital employment option for rural African women. The backbone of the family, rural women cook, clean, garden, care for the extended family and often shoulder the burden of paying school fees. Creating products from home around daily responsibilities empowers rural women as earners.

Celebrate the cultural diversity of communities, while seeking to create positive and equitable change. These products were developed sustainably to benefit African communities.

The beautiful luxe wraps are handmade by artisans in Africa. The artisans of Sammy Ethiopia weave Ethiopian cotton into two wide panels, then add a hand-stitched center seam to create an expansive gabi body shawl. A gabi can be used as a shawl. throw, tablecloth or baby carrier.

Choose from 3 colors: seaglass, tangerine, and lemon.

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The Natural Cotton Ethiopian Wrap Shawl, is handmade from Ethiopian cotton by the skilled artisans of Trio Craft in Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia. A traditional wrap worn commonly in Ethiopia, each shawl is gently adorned with a simple banded edge and braided fringe.

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The stylish Mudcloth & Leather Wallet is handcrafted from durable leather and mudcloth by a wonderful group of textile artisans in Bamako, Mali, who shine at incorporating contemporary mudcloth into their designs. 

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The women of F.R.E.E. (Foundation for the Realization of Economic Empowerment) are using copper recycled from used water heaters and wire, as well as silver mined up-country to create eye-catching wearable art. Young, self-taught Zambian women are defying gender norms as metalsmiths. 

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Tell us: Do you have a favorite from this list? As always, we would love to hear from you.

 

Returning To Ritual

Black people have forever used their artistry to transform suffering into beauty. We can look at that many works of Black writers, singers, dancers, painters, inventors, and more. Author Ruth King writes about using artistry as cultural medicine. This goes beyond self-care, using artistry as a mindfulness practice to express and heal ourselves and the world. Art is like therapy, healing our broken hearts.

Inside of you is something you need to express; for Black people it is a way of being heard and seen in a world that has forgotten and ignored us and our gifts. When you transform suffering into a gift for the collective good, you inspire hope and harmony. It is a simple act of consciously and joyfully returning to ritual. 

Rituals are tools that give us freedom, direction and purpose. Cultivate new rituals or daily habits that help you to transform from the inside out.

Wake up. Smile. Take a deep cleansing breath. Allow your heart to expand. Pause and listen. Breathe gently. Allow yourself to connect to the Universe, Nature, Higher Power, or God. Allow love into your heart. Allow magic into your life.

Are you living true to yourself? What practices can you use to deepen the connection to your inner being?

Do you have a ritual or creative daily habit? If so, what is your ritual? As always, we’d love to hear from you!

 

3 Ways to Practice Love In Action

Love in action begins with how you treat yourself. Self-love or becoming inwardly loving to all parts of yourself is critical in expressing love, kindness, and compassion toward others. The ability to see all of yourself, both the divinity and the imperfections, with complete acceptance leads to a loving, forgiving, open heart and mind.
Here a few ways to practice love in action...

 

[image error] 1. Learn to accept your full self and let go of harsh judgments, comparison to others and self-hatred. There is often so much focus on changing, judging, or fixing yourself, rather than on loving yourself. Take the time to explore the things you do not love about yourself. Examine how you speak to yourself, it matters.

 

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2. Update your values, beliefs and views in order to become the best version of yourself. The truth of who you are is beyond a box and a label. There are no limits. See no limits in your life. There is great power in expressing your uniqueness and authenticity, and allowing others to do the same.

 

3. Focus on your abundance and how you would like to authentically impact the world. Look for opportunities to lift people up. See the good in yourself and be willing to celebrate it in others.
Love in action invites you to become more fully yourself, as you allow other to do the same. 
Tell us: What do you do to practice Love In Action?
Whatever you do… we’d love to hear about it!

 

Holiday Shopping Gift Guide

Shop small and support small, amazing businesses.

Here are a list of some of the amazing businesses I love and support.

BEAUTY

Damone Roberts, The Brow King has shaped the brows of icons like Madonna, Oprah, and Beyonce. His projects now also include his salon, speaking engagements, his Starplucker podcast, and much more. Check out his on-line store to beautify your brows.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Bethanie Hines invites you to be seen. Bethanie Hines is a self-taught portrait photographer based in Oakland, California. She is the official photographer for the annual Life is Living Festival, curator and sole artist of the Intimacy with Strangers exhibit (Impact Hub: Oakland,CA), and contributing artist in the Wearing Spirit exhibit (Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, NY). She has captured some of the Bay Area’s leading artists, change-makers and culture keepers, and has been featured in magazines across the country and Latin America. A committed yogi, Hines is also a devoted wife and proud mother of three children who drive her to find joy in both the exceptional and the ordinary. 

HANDMADE JEWELRY

Andy Drew II A global aesthetic combining mixed media arts ideas and jewelry concepts into wearable art. Andy's art and jewelry is unique, elegant, fashion forward and sometimes whimsical.

Lumenrose Hand crafted jewelry made with thoughtfully sourced metals and stones. Erika's work is graceful, elegant and empowering. She cares deeply about social and racial justice. Erika will periodically create special designs, the sales of which she donates to organizations doing important work.

CLOTHING & MORE

Big Chop & Accessories A fun and fashionable store for women. 

Awakened Love Warrior: See Difference and Appreciate It. Awakened Love Warrior (ALW) is a lifestyle brand and online store based in the Bay Area, California. Awakened Love Warrior was sparked by a movement within the yoga and spiritual community, to first awaken to your true self and the truth of the world and then connect to a higher purpose or compassionate action. A deepened yoga practice urges you to create a world where people of all races, religions, socioeconomic classes, sexual orientations, gender identities and abilities are seen as human beings and treated equally. Awakened Love Warrior is led by its founder, Sonia Roberts, who formed the company in 2018, with the aim of creating yoga inspired products, workshops and events that celebrate our difference and promote compassionate action. 

WELLNESS & LIFE FULFILLMENT

Elevate Your Now Kysha Mitchell, a Success Coach & Speaker, guides women to recognize, make time for and take ACTION on what life is calling them to be. Check out her 10 Days of Self Love E-book for only $5 or sign up for a private Vision Board Party.

 

Happy shopping and making a impact in some way...

Leave a comment with your business or a business you love and support.

Share this article with a friend to spread love in action.

Loc Livin'

Loc-ing 

 

was my journey 

of self acceptance,

self love,

of resistance.

 

See me. 

See Africa.

See Black American.

See beauty.

 

I didn’t think she would 

follow me,

with her own loc journey 

to navigate,

 

of

see

difference 

and

appreciate 

it.