by Connie Habash | Sep 26, 2023 | Articles, Autumn, Presence, Seasons, Transitions
Autumn is a time of change and slowing down. As we move into this season, let it teach you about the gifts of transitions.
We’ve just passed one of the four cardinal points of the year – pivotal points that transition from one energy to another. The Autumn Equinox is one of those great shifts, where we move from the outward energy of summer and the longer daylight, to the inward energy of fall and the lengthening nighttime. This is a potent time to explore all transitions.
by Connie Habash | Oct 13, 2022 | Attention, Awareness, Mindfulness, Presence, Yoga Philosophy
This post, on Pramada (Carelessness), is the fourth of a 9-part series on the obstacles to spiritual practice, from verse 1:30 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: vyādhistyānasanśaya pramādālasyāvirati bhrāntidarśanālabdha bhūmikatvānavasthitatvāni cittavikṣēpāstē̕ntarāyāḥ | ...
by Connie Habash | Jul 9, 2022 | Mindfulness, Presence
Everything in life is enriched by Presence. We may not always make the time for being fully Present; we might prefer to multitask, believing it will be more efficient. But when we sit down, fully Present, with one thing at a time, we enjoy life more and time, as a result, actually expands.
by Connie Habash | Apr 13, 2022 | Aliveness, Attention, Awareness, Connection, Presence
So many of us drive, even for short distances. Is it a way of avoiding the world? What are the gifts of walking? Here is my short reverie on a walk across town.
My chiropractor’s office is a very short drive from my home – about 3-5 minutes or so. Since I wouldn’t have time for my usual routine of weights and yoga (or a morning hike), I decide, what the heck – why don’t I walk there?
by Connie Habash | Jan 31, 2021 | awakening, Awareness, Consciousness, Enlightenment, Higher Self, Spirituality
You may have heard the term “awakening” used before you found this blog, in reference to personal or spiritual transformation. But what exactly does awakening mean?
Of course, that’s really a subjective answer, but I’ll share with you my perspective on awakening and why I use that word for the name of this website and my book, Awakening from Anxiety. It’s a word that speaks deeply to me. Yes, it is a spiritual process, but also a psychological one as well.
by Connie Habash | Jun 6, 2019 | Anxiety, Awareness, Challenges, Consciousness, Depression, Listening
A bit of Marie Kondo-style decluttering – in my home, and in my soul – was what I needed to shift out of a bad mood and back into enthusiasm and joy. Here’s how I did it. Today, I woke up in an unmotivated, depressed, dour funk. A complete surprise. I dragged myself...
by Connie Habash | Apr 17, 2014 | Awareness, Choices, Consciousness, Delight, New, Perspective
I remember back in college my Sociology teacher gave us an interesting assignment. For the next week, he told us, we needed to drive to and from our home by different routes each day. We were then to reflect on how the experience affected us.
Recently, I revisited this practice at my office, when my husband had taken my car for the day. This forced me to walk to lunch, rather than driving to one of my favorite spots.
Walking down a street that I usually drive down was a very different experience. Waiting at the crosswalk, ambling over to the other side of the street, and strolling along the roses growing next to the sidewalk was refreshing. It slowed me down and allowed me to actually see and appreciate what was around me.
by Connie Habash | Jun 11, 2013 | Awareness, Challenges, Choices, Contentment, Emotions, Fear, Presence
We all have times when we’re faced with fears or challenges. It’s part of life.
But sometimes those challenges seem overwhelming. Our minds blow them up into crises, replaying the many terrifying, possible scenarios over and over again in our minds, until we become agitated, anxious, or immobilized.
Are any of those scenarios actually happening? Chances are pretty good that they aren’t. But our bodies do not know the difference. When the mind creates images and thoughts that are fearful, our bodies react with the same chemicals that are produced when we are faced with a true threat to our life.
Which means that we are creating unnecessary stress and trauma in our minds, with little or no basis in reality. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
