Tag Archives: Young Women

“Young Women Striving To Keep Their Lives And Thoughts Present” At The Recovery House

Posted on January 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

By Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller 2012Monday morning with “the girls” at the recovery home is a time where I arrive with a sense of total love, acceptance and peace. To stand in judgment is to bring negative energy, which these young, recovering addicts do not need more of. I stay present within myself, and strive to be an instrument of healing.

At the end of this week’s session, one of the doors suddenly opened and parole officers came storming in. It was clearly their intent to demonstrate an aggressive show of authority. I tried to remain centered to reassure the girls, but the look of fear in their faces shook me to my core. Young children watched as the women, and their mothers, were searched for drugs. All were clean but the negative effects would be felt long after the officers left. These women are constantly being haunted by their past, which prevents them from stabilizing in the present moment. As long as they can keep their thoughts present, they can change their thinking and not act on “a lower level”.

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Click to Purchase

“By aligning yourself with thoughts of infinite love for yourself and others, you gain dominion over the lower thought forms of the world.”  From “The Law of  Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles” by Marianne Williamson

I left them with a lesson of love, where if we can unite and live as one, the world will be a great place where separation no longer exists.

Namaste

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Posted in Addiction, Asanas, Awareness, Darkness, Heart-Based Healing, Hope, Life, Recovery, Spirituality, Wisdom, Women, Yoga

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A Time When The Future Can Be “Hope In The Moment” For Women At The Recovery House

Posted on December 11, 2012 | Leave a comment
By Jennifer Miller
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Hope in the moment Jennifer Miller 2012Greeted with open arms and
Taken into their tribe.
Trust, yet so many new young
Women at the Recovery House.
I am here to give hope.
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One girl with a love for yoga is low;
I give her a gentle kiss on the cheek.
Inner thoughts: “we are one”.
Hard life of addiction.
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Glancing around at all the growing
Bellies with babies inside.
Talk of jail, probation, and the
Reality of where they have been.
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They must climb a mountain to
Gain their lives back.
Finding something special
In each girl’s practice.
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Connecting Mind, Body, and Spirit
Will be transformational.
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One girl can’t practice so
She sits in lotus, like a yogi.
Arms not moving as they hang
Alongside a stomach holding a new life.
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Kneeling down to bring my face near
Her face, so that we are heart to heart.
No words,  just open hearts.
Click on book to purchase and benefit the Heart Based Healing Foundation.

Click on book to purchase and benefit the Heart Based Healing Foundation.

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Our class and time together end as
Young children rush into mother’s arms.
I see the future.
Today they are clean.
HOPE in the moment.
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“Your primary purpose is now to enable
consciousness to flow into what you do.”
Eckhart Tolle, from “A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose”
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Namaste, Jennifer
Contact Jennifer Miller at yogagoddesslaguna@yahoo.com

Contact Jennifer Miller at yogagoddesslaguna@yahoo.com

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Posted in Addiction, Asanas, Child, Daughters, Heart-Based Healing, Hope, Knowledge, Life, Mothers, Pain, Quotes, Trust, Wisdom, Women, Yoga

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“Yoga Tones The Bodies And Nourishes The Souls Of The Women At The Recovery House”

Posted on June 21, 2012 | Leave a comment
By Jennifer Miller
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Walking through the doors at the Recovery House, the ladies came up to me with a request: they wanted to see a picture of me before I started yoga. “I bet you always looked like this” said one. The group’s interest turned into a discussion of one of the big benefits of yoga: getting in shape after having a baby. These questions and others are all very honest and touching, reflecting how concerned they are with their appearance and bodies.
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A question then came up about whether my yoga practice excited my husband when I was married, again showing the physical and sexual interest the poses had in their minds. I then told them about very painful parts of my life, where yoga helped me to process my grief, to the point where I am now able to laugh at many of these traumatic times.
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I could feel, and see in their eyes, that my words were very comforting to these women, all of whom were dealing with trauma and change in their lives. One of the young ladies asked me why I volunteered here.
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 I told her that presenting the gift of yoga allowed my soul to give back some of the beautiful calm and peace I felt during times of great pain…

They were all very moved and I knew some were true believers. I felt my heart sing with joy that they could understand. I began to work on some individual asanas with a few of the girls. At first they are scared in trying something new, but three of the girls all nail the “crow” pose. I was cheering and clapping and didn’t know who was more excited.
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A girl in the back of the room asked me what poses would help her tighten her stomach and lose weight. I told her that yoga connects our minds and bodies, and that by maintaining the connection while eating, she could learn to eat only until feeling full. This honors the body as it is the temple for our soul.
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Nearing the end of our time together, I hear that one of the girls is cleaning a yoga mat to take to her room to practice, while another one is listening to a yoga tape. I can see the slow progress we are making, and know in my heart that if you can touch one life you’ve made a difference in the world. On my way out they bring their babies over…the beauty of connecting with the human spirit.
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Namaste, Jennifer Miller

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Posted in Asanas, Life, Mind, Recovery, Soul, Wisdom, Women, Yoga

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“Working Through Failure To Achieve Success At The Recovery House” By Jennifer Miller

Posted on May 31, 2012 | Leave a comment

“…the crow pose (“Bakasana”) connected her body with the vision of success she had in her mind…”

It is always a challenge in life to “start from the beginning”, but it is essential in re-connecting to our mind, body and spirit. The women greeting me in the Recovery Home included many new faces, but this week’s group seemed to connect naturally to asanas.

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Yoga has allowed many of these recovering addicts to experience important, “positive”  breakthroughs that have not been a part of their recent lives. One woman that I had observed “sitting” on her mat for the past few months, refusing to participate, was now the first one in the room setting everything up. She came up to me just after I arrived and asked how far I had to drive here, and wanted to know how she could continue learning yoga from me once she left the recovery home.

My heart filled with joy as this young mother had “connected” her mind, body and spirit through the gift of yoga…truly a sense of peace and stability had come into her heart.

In another breakthrough, a woman who had remained very aloof and “hardened” in her demeanor, which signaled her “alpha” status in the room, was continuing to struggle through new asanas. I knew she was capable and had encouraged her last week to attempt the ”crow”, an important ”arm balance” posture in yoga.
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After many failed attempts, with much encouragement, and moving through the feelings of  ”vulnerability” we all confront during a challenge in life, she completed the “crow” pose and connected her body with the vision of success she had in her mind…

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It is only through “failure” that we experience our greatest successes in life. Yoga presents us with many challenging asanas, or positions, that challenge our mind as much as our bodies. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and as the saying goes, “nothing breeds success like success”. A wave of excitement moved through the group as they attempted various “challenging” poses. The women all asked me to demonstrate difficult postures, which allowed me to share that it was only with many years of practice, and many failures, that I was able to progress with my yoga practice.
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Addictions bring women and girls so much darkness, and I was able to connect with them through the beautiful “light” that is yoga. In keeping with tradition, we ended our time together with mediation.
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One of the women approached me and said: “This is my first yoga class and for some odd reason I don’t feel like smoking. I have wanted to quit for my young child. I’ve been smoking since I was 15 and now I’m 42″.

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I smiled, grateful for the feeling of joy that I felt in the woman’s words, truly a “wow” moment. That one yoga class had connected this woman’s mind with what her body and soul knew at a spiritual level: that smoking was dangerous to her and her child. I look forward to more stories of hope and strength of the human spirit.
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Namaste, Jennifer Miller

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Posted in Asanas, Freedom, Gratitude, Life, Mind, Recovery, Soul, Wisdom, Women, Yoga

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“Confronting Fear And Uncertainty At The Recovery House” By Jennifer Miller

Posted on May 17, 2012 | 1 Comment

“…yoga allows us to push forward through fear and uncertainty, bringing new experiences into our lives…”

I walked into the recovery house and noticed right away that we had a smaller group of women. This would be an ideal time to have a more individual focus; I would give each one of them an Asana that they had not tried before.

It is in this way yoga allows us to push forward through fear and uncertainty, bringing new experiences into our lives.

 Through each small success, it is possible to conquer our inner fears.

It is magnified with these women, who will need to go back out into the world one day. They need to know that they can achieve whatever they put their hearts and minds to. Through my personal yoga practice I know that overcoming a hard asana makes you stronger as a person.

By encouraging each of them to try something new, I was trying to break their dependency on the sameness that felt comfortable.

Hardened by life at such a young age, each of the women resisted pushing physical and mental limits. It was necessary to bring them back to movements and sequences they could master. Ultimately, only one of the girls was gave a serious effort to the exercise.

Even as I cheered her on she shut down, unable to give herself credit for the achievement.

The women relaxed as we closed with a meditation, comfortable with “being” and no longer “doing”. They could easily connect and were able to let go. I hold one of the newborn children so that the mother can have a momentary break with her responsibilities, and rejoice with the others.

I resolve that next week we will build on today’s small successes, moving the group to confront their fears and challenging them to experience the rewards that life can bring.

Namaste, Jennifer Miller

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Posted in Asanas, Hope, Life, Recovery, Reflections, Women, Yoga

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Reflections On Healthy Eating: “Feed Your Soul”

Posted on April 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

"What do I need to feed my soul?" Jennifer Miller

Instead of starving youself or overeating, ask questions:

What do I need to feed my soul?

What is empty inside me that needs to be taken care of?

Wrap your arms around your body:
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What needs to be Mothered in my inner child?

What is your heart telling you?

What is your tummy really craving?

We have to nourish our souls or we will look to food to do it for us.
We have to be able to say to ourselves:
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I love you.

I am here for you.

What do I really need?

What needs to be fed in your soul?

Namaste, Jennifer Miller 

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Posted in Eating Disorders, Life, Reflections, Wisdom, Women

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Reflections: “My Day Teaching Yoga At The Recovery Home”

Posted on April 26, 2012 | 1 Comment

"I am here to rejoice with these girls who are in recovery; to see that their young babies and children have a chance."

Each time I walk into the Recovery Home I think: “Here we go”.  I never know what I will encounter.  As class starts, a small girl (in my eyes) walks in. She was not feeling well and because she was pregnant, I thought she had morning sickness. I comfort her . After she walked back out of the room, the other girls inform me: “She is dope sick”. My heart sinks and I feel my stomach getting queasy.

But I must move forward and continue teaching yoga to the other girls, all in different states of recovery. But my mind streaks back to ”how could she do that to the growing baby inside?” I feel a “state of judgment” overwhelming me .
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“I am not here to judge…I am here to spread the light and the beauty of yoga….”

“I am here to rejoice with these girls who are in recovery; to see that their young babies and children have a chance.”

That they have hope: isn’t that what recovery is all about? Spreading hope? I have been there with my son. I have seen the depths that addiction can take a young man or woman..

“We must  support and not judge.”

To rely on the rational mind, there is seldom any understanding. So I go to my heart and find everything I need: Hope and Belief in these young women’s lives.

“But am I reaching them?”

When I left yesterday one of the girls said: “You are the highlight of my week. I look forward to you being here all week. Thank you”. Those words meant everything to me.
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At the end, the women brought their young children and babies to meet me. The love that mother’s have for their children is universal; no matter how far apart our worlds may seem, we are all connected by the love felt for these babies.
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The older children walked up to me with huge grins on their faces; they felt connected. These little angels are gifts put here on earth. No words were spoken as we stood there smiling, connected in our hearts.
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Namaster, Jennifer Miller

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Posted in Child, Knowledge, Life, Light, Praise, Prayers, Recovery, Reflections, Women, Yoga

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Thoughts On My Day With Young Women In A Recovery Home….

Posted on April 23, 2012 | 1 Comment

I walked into the substance abuse recovery home, filled with young women in various stages of recovery.  Some were pregnant and some were with young children. Many had tattoos and were smoking.  The “younger” me might have stood there “in judgement”; the older, and wiser woman walked in with open arms of love and support,  knowing that I could make a difference in their lives.  I want to teach them yoga and connect them with their body, mind and spirit.

I had to first prove myself to them to be accepted into their tribe.  I showed them two asanas that were quite difficult. There was a hush in the room and I felt that I had mad a good start. I shared with them that I almost lost my son to drug addiction. I could tell they were pretty “shut down” emotionally and not ready to go there. I would not judge them and so I moved forward.
 
 
I had noticed immediately that the girls wanted to sexualize every posture. This told me that they were very detached from their bodies. I went along with their humor. I knew that they began to see that their bodies could work for them rather than against them.
 
 
Some of the girls were laughing which was another distraction, but eventually they were able to come back to the present moment. I feel that having hope for the future is incredibly important. Though some were mothers, or soon to be mothers, the girls were still young and immature.  I gave them all a candle and a stone and shared a story about manifestation and intention.  I asked the girls to put a wish into the Universe. I led them through a meditation which they all seemed to enjoy and they began to relax, until one of the girl’s pants caught on fire.
 
 
We gathered in a circle and I shared what Namaste meant. We all put our hands in prayer and bowed. I thanked them and as I looked around, they thanked me from their hearts. I could feel sincere gratitude. I had given a little bit of my heart and made a difference in a few of the young girl’s lives.
 
 
My prayer for these girls is, first, that they can connect with their body, mind and spirit . Second, to have hope for the future. Third, that they will be able to mother these babies and pass on the gift of unconditional love. Finally, that they can forgive themselves and love the beautiful woman that they are.
 
I thank yoga for all that it has given me and give thanks for the gift of my practice.
Namaste, Jennifer
 

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Posted in Recovery, Women, Yoga

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