On a recent trip to attend my daughter’s graduation from the Yoga Shanti yoga teacher training, I had the privilege of taking a three-hour yoga intensive with the inimitable Rodney Yee. The theme of the session was the importance of keeping your groins soft and relaxed. (The groin is the part of the body where the leg meets the trunk.) He began the class by having us sit on a cushion or bolster with our fingers in our groins to see how soft and relaxed we could make them. Yee then gave a most practical discourse on the fact that we all have a great deal of tension in our lives these days and that we need a way to release that tension, a way to drain it out of the body. The groins are the drain. Take a moment right now. Whatever you are doing, just soften your groins and then notice what happens. Your whole body will relax. I was astounded by how effective this is.

Rodney talked about changing the water in the vase of flowers on the altar behind him in the studio, noting how stagnant and contaminated it gets within four days. Given that our bodies are 75 percent water, it’s the same with us. We too need to keep the water in our bodies circulating and draining—and soft groins are the way to do this. For the rest of the class, regardless of the yoga pose we were getting into, Yee reminded us to move in such a way that the groins stayed soft, without tension. This is not easy, but it is an amazing meditation. When you are able to move with soft groins—which I have since practice in Pilates and even taking a walk—your ease of movement is astounding. 

Rodney also reiterated something that has helped me embrace the essence of yoga. It’s NOT about forcing your body into perfect yoga poses. It’s about easefully and mindfully allowing your body to go toward the pose. Yee quotes the famous Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh who says, “We will always be going, but never arriving,” meaning that yoga (and life) is about continual movement toward perfection but not getting stuck there. Always fluid; always moving.  Simple. Not easy, but, oh so effective. 

I’ve added “soft groins” to my list of affirmations, in the margins of my journal, and on some sticky notes placed strategically to help me remember. Try it. Your body will breathe a sigh of relief.

For many, many years, I have said affirmations every day. They work along with the Law of Attraction and help to change your vibrational output. Because of the Law of Attraction, this vibrational output draws the people and circumstances into your life based on your thoughts and beliefs. They can be used for every area of your life. So if you are about to embark on a new career, if you want to begin to live a healthier lifestyle, or if you want to update or upgrade your relationships, and so forth, I suggest saying affirmations. It’s a subtle but powerful way to receive support from the universe—plus it feels good. And that is the beginning of all positive changes! When you can hold the feeling that an affirmation brings, it will change your point of attraction for the better.

Here are some of my favorite affirmations to encourage new beginnings, happiness, joy, and prosperity.

I am health, strength, peace, happiness, and prosperity.

Divine love, expressing through me, now draws to me all that is needed to make me happy and my life complete.

My life is unfolding perfectly, in ways that are enchanting, exciting, and uplifting.

I love taking care of my body. My body responds so beautifully to this care.

I am magnetic to wealth and health.

When I say YES to myself and my needs, my energy always increases and I feel wonderful.

I awaken each morning feeling the promise of a new day and a new beginning.

I love moving my body. I love getting stronger and more flexible every day.

I have been inspired by the words of Catherine Ponder for years, in part because she connects the Law of Attraction with spirituality. In her books, Ponder, a Unitarian Minister, teaches how to use that connection to create health, happiness, satisfying work, meaningful relationships, financial prosperity, and so forth. This has been my life’s work as well!

This summer, I decided to reread one of my favorite books written by Catherine Ponder called The Dynamic Laws of Healing. I’m glad I did—her work is both simple and profound. Ponder reminded me that there is an infinite amount of healing energy available to us at all times through the Creator. Although I know this at the core of my being, it reassures me to read these words and be reminded of this truth.

The Creator goes by many names: Jesus, Allah, Adonai, the Great Goddess, Source Energy—it really doesn’t matter which name you use. The point is that, regardless of your religion or spiritual practices, you can tap into this healing source at any time. Although some religious practices disagree, I believe you can connect directly to the creator without an intermediary. And I suggest you experiment with this.

Knowing there is a Higher Power, one that is greater than I am, calms my spirit when I’m troubled. Because Ponder is a Christian minister, she believes that Jesus will share or even “lift your burdens” entirely. While it isn’t necessary for you to agree with this precept (since it is a Christian ideology), I can assure you there is something wonderful about knowing when to “surrender” to a situation. You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase, “Let Go and Let God.”

Believing that the universe will rise up to support you when you can’t figure out the answer is incredibly reassuring—plus it works!

Welcoming the Divine

People have called on the name of the Creator for thousands and thousands of years to bring the Divine into their presence. This is one of the reasons we pray, and also why prayer is so powerful. The sound of prayer, either spoken or sung, as it resonates in our bodies is also healing. According to the Kabbalah, an ancient Jewish text, the Hebrew letters have specific healing properties when spoken aloud. At a minimum, speaking words or prayers out loud can change the vibrational patterns around you, which just might help you manifest your dream or desire with the help of the Law of Attraction.

Catherine Ponder’s books are filled with beautiful affirmations, much like Louise Hay’s inspiring affirmations. However, Ponder’s are more like a prayer that invokes God’s presence. She believes that merely repeating God’s name (in her case, Jesus) is all that’s needed to connect with this healing energy. Talk about simple.

The ancients believed that the phrase “I AM” was a synonym for “the God within you.” Catherine Ponder says to meditate regularly on the phrase “I am the light of the world” can flood your whole being with light and drive out darkness.

Think about how many times you say “I am” in a day. Are you affirming what you want to bring into your life? Is it possible that your words are unknowingly cutting off your connection to healing energy?

Here are some I AM affirmations to experiment with:

I AM health, strength, and prosperity.

I AM calm in times of stress. I AM inspired to find solutions to my problems.

I AM flourishing in my body, spirit, and mind. I AM a shining example of health and happiness for my friends, coworkers, and family.

Healing With Divine Love

My friend Robert G. Fritchie of the World Service Institute teaches the practice of healing with Divine Love. “Divine Love” is Fritchie’s term for the healing energy from the Creator, which is available to us 24/7. When you work with Fritchie, you can feel yourself connecting to this Infinite Source. It’s really quite remarkable.

Fritchie holds weekly teleconferences to help individuals connect with Divine Love. He also conducts teleconferences to help heal the earth and address other environmental disasters. For example he organized a group of people from all over the world to send Divine Love to the people living in Japan (and to the precarious nuclear reactors) after the Tsunami in 2010.

For more information, read Fritchie’s guest author article “Healing With Divine Love: An overview and tips for successful self-healing” or his book Surviving Chaos: Healing with Divine Love. You can sign up to participate in a Divine Love Healing Group at www.worldserviceinstitute.org.

Restoring Equilibrium

No matter who you are, there are times when you will feel stress, ill health, or low energy. All of us argue with our boss or partner every now and then. Imbalance of any kind, Ponder teaches, often arises when you lose your connection to the Divine—when you cut off the circulation of healing energy. What’s important is you can regain your health, prosperity, and equilibrium by connecting to the Creator.

I encourage you to practice connecting to this infinite source of healing, either by reading Catherine Ponder’s books, by working with Bob Fritchie, or through personal prayer and affirmations. Although any time is a good time to start, if you have some leisure time before the summer ends and the fall rush begins, experiment a little. Having this foundation in place when imbalances do occur will literally be a Godsend!