1. Ok ok, so I didn’t talk to Deepak Chopra, a man who many consider a worldwide spiritual leader, in person about this….but I did read his book, Reinventing the Body Resurrecting the Soul, and a lot of what he says closely ties into what I teach are the 7 character traits required to create a ridiculously happy, healthy, and successful life of purpose that the SEMPER philosophy and Just Roll With It method encompasses.  If you haven’t read his book yet, though, I highly recommend it as it will likely change your view on a lot of things.  He basically explains how we can change our DNA.  Ya, check it out.

To review: Faith is our foundation, and SEMPER stands for always being Sincere, Empathetic, Motivated, Perseverant, Engaged and Excited, and Resilient.  Then Just Roll With It is the method for embodying these traits, characteristics, and mindsets.  We’re going to barely skim the surface on “Sincere” today.

2. Deepak – ya, we’re on a first name basis – says that in order to know that you are “tuned-in” (aka: connected and aware, and well, I believe self-awareness is a prerequisite for sincerity) you must associate with at least one of the following statements:
a. I feel inspired
b. I see the truth of spiritual teaching
c. I sense that I have a higher self
d. A deeper reality is dawning
e. My inner life brings satisfaction
f. I understand things in a new way
g. I greet each day with fresh energy
h. My life feels more whole

Ruminate over these for a minute.

Seriously, breathe.  Give it a sec. 🙂

I’ve found that these statements are a pretty good guideline for helping me “check-in” with me when I start to feel off kilter.  Asking myself “Am I any of “a” through “h”?” helps me identify where I’ve lost touch with the meaningful areas of my life.  I like that he puts “I feel inspired” first, because I believe you cannot feel inspired, or likewise be inspiring, if you are not living sincerely.  Time and time again, I see examples that prove to me that most of the time, you don’t have to “do” anything; simply living an authentic, genuine life is inspiring in and of itself.  From a place of sincerity, so much of the rest of all the important, good stuff about life flows.  You’ll be energized, you’ll greet the day with joy, your life will feel more whole, you’ll sense your higher self, and you’ll have quality relationships.  People around you pick up on that genuine enthusiasm and zest for life, and end up being inspired by it, too.  So, if nothing else, check-in with yourself and try to stay “in-tune” so that you may live a sincere life as well as have a positive impact on others.

3.  “Chopra” kind of sounds like “chakra.”  Remember when I wrote about faith, yoga, and the physical and mental strengths and weakness of the first chakra two weeks ago in this newsletter: September is National Yoga Month but What’s In It For You?  Well, I wanted to expand on the first chakra insofar as how it relates to being sincere.  Keep in mind, we’re still only skimming the surface here…

The muladhara or root chakra represents our “tribal culture.”  We can also think about this as our family or societal beliefs and norms, “group think,” or peer pressure.  As mature adults, we should have progressed past the very basics aspects of the first chakra — where you accept tribal culture as the end-all be-all — and begin thinking for ourselves.  Although it’s challenging to evaluate our personal beliefs when they are ones that effectively separate us from our “tribe,” it’s something we simply must do to move onto another stage in life; however, many people stay rooted in the group-think mindset because the responsibility of owning your individual thoughts, belief, and honor is just too daunting.  If we are still in tribal group-think mode, then we deflect personal accountability to the group.  I hope you realize, though, that “without honor, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for an individual to stand up for himself with pride and dignity, because he lacks a frame of reference for his behavior and choices and thus cannot trust himself or others.” (Dr. Myss).  Knowing who you are is paramount because even if what you believe goes against what your tribe or family believes, you have to cultivate a sense of honor about it and be willing to stand up for yourself. And when the first chakra is stable, balanced, and rooted to a deep sense of who we really are, we are – in essence – more in tune with our sincerity.

If you’d like to do some yoga to help build strength in your first chakra, I recommend a few easy poses:
·         Tadasana – mountain pose – connected and rooted through our feet
·         Lunges – strength and stability in our legs
·         baddha konasana – bound angle or Butterfly pose – a very grounded position

The root chakra is a guide and a doorway to all of our other chakras, so if it is not grounded and well-adjusted, it is impossible for us to have good relationships with ourselves, our families, and a connection to the earth, to the people that we love, and to positive energy.

Watch this short video I made for you if you’d like to practice working on your first chakra: Yogic Slow Stretch for Strength and Stability in the First Chakra.  Ideally, you will feel calm, connected, safe, steady, and secure after this short series.

Not related to Chopra, chakras, or chopsticks (huh?) but CHOCOLATE

4. Bonus goodie blog for today—> Super busy but want a healthy, nutrient-packed, ridiculously tasty, chocolate-strawberry spirulina smoothie pick-me-up? Try THIS! 🙂

5. If you missed last week’s newsletter about some sweet, sweet yoga moves you can bust out in the airport – or anywhere- check it out HERE.  As an ESPN correspondent who travels more than half the year, Kim Tessean speaks with authority when she says, “I loved the airport tips!!!   Flying over 100k a year I see fair share of airport misery… Gonna do all these things Monday when there for my flight to my next college football game.”

6. UPDATES – Because of the awesome feedback I’ve been getting, my training seminar, the Just Roll With It Bootcamp is now going to be delivered to you in one incredible, energized, inspiring day on December 1st in SAN DIEGO. Registration for this live event is not open yet, but will be soon. In the meantime, please feel free to spread the word to people who could benefit from some inspired instruction.  Holy Crap Cereal, Nutrex Hawaii Spirulina, Papa Steves No Junk Protein Bars, YOR Health supplements, and Jade Yoga Mats are just a handful of the awesome sponsors already on board for the sunny San Diego Semper Sarah event! 🙂  Plus, we are blessed to have the incredibly inspirational, former Army Green Beret, and award-winning serial entrepreneur and best-selling author, Larry Broughton, as a guest speaker, as well.   This class will be deeply discounted for VETERANS and is geared toward helping trauma victims or anyone who’s experienced difficulty ranging from combat to heartbreak get unstuck and moving forward in their life again.  After attending, you will have learned how to create a ridiculously happy, healthy, successful life of purpose.  Believe me, you can do it! 🙂