I have a "7 year itch" kind of life - it seems I change jobs, relationships, homes every 7 years.  Recently - my yoga studio ran for 7 years (1997-2003), my infection control job in Boston was 7 years (2004-2010) and my home in Abington was 7 years (2004-2010).   I moved to a condo this past week and next year starts year 1 in my numerology.  There are 7 chakras - and 7 days of the week - and life seems to move in these 7 year cycles.  Every 5 years all cells in the body are completely replaced so we feel different.  As we move through the energy system of the 7 chakras we change each year.  I am in the first year of my new infection control job - feeling rooted, stable, grounded - next year will be the year of developing community and stronger relationships.  I am also in the second year of a personal relationship and next next year - the 3rd - we will develop our power as a couple and confidence.  The first two years can be rocky as you try to feel safe, rooted - and then integrate into famillies and friends in the second year.  Notice your life and whether you have these 7 years cycles!!

I have been going to the Vedanta Centre in Cohasset, MA recently and went to the Bhakti Sutra study group last Thursday night.  The temple is warm and dark rich wood - nice fire ablaze in the fireplace and people sitting in silence when we arrive.  The first 15 min is meditation and then a discourse by the "mother" guru on the sutras. This week was on the 8 fold path of Raja Yoga.  It was a beautiful review and explanation of the significance of having a spiritual path in your life - while others don't.  Once you awaken to the concept of spirituality and magnificense of your own spirit (whole breath) you get it - why you keep searching, growing, become more disciplined, less reckless and less addicted to things and people.  Her words were simple - yet profound. I reflected on the journey of "finding inner peace" I have been on the past 20 years.  It started at an al-anon meeting that my sister dragged me to so I could learn about my codependency and reason for behaving the way I was in a marriage with someone addicted.  I was just addicted to the rescue and control of life.  Been a long but rewarding journey to be able to sit in a place like the Vedanta Centre and "get it". 

Yesterday I was all set to travel to the corporate office in King of Prussia, PA for my travel nursing job.  I had important meetings all set and was happy it was only an 1.5 hr flight.  My boyfriend was taking me to the airport for my 2:30pm flight and just as we were getting ready to leave I get a call from my boss.  "I need you to change your flight and head to Las Vegas - we have a survey with the Dept of Health in one of the hospitals and they need you there".  So I call the travel office and thank goodness I live in Boston and can get flights.  So I book myself on an 8pm flight to arrive in Las Vegas at 11pm.  I do some errands in the afternoon and as we are heading to the airport I receive a call from Las Vegas saying they didn't need me after all - the inspection went so well with no infection control issues that the inspectors left. I was so relieved - but it made me realize how life these days has to be lived in the moment.  Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.  So my boyfriend and I stopped in our favorite chinese restaurant and had dinner and enjoyed the unexpected time together.  Living in the moment is what yoga teaches you!  The joined - yoked - yogic lifestyle.

The practice of yoga asana (postures) on a daily basis is vital to one's health of mind and body.  In the branch of yoga called Raja Yoga ("yoga of the royalty") there is an eight fold path to enlightenment.  By practicing yoga in alignment with these eight steps - we cultivate a pure temple of light and energy. Many start yoga with the postures and
YAMAS: The five directives of Yama lay down behavioral norms as prerequisites for elimination of fear, and contribute to a tranquil mind.
1.    Ahimsa (non-violence - to self and others)
2.    Satya (truthfulness, non-lying)
3.    Asteya (non-stealing)
4.    Brahmacharya (sexual abstinence when not in relationship and monogamy when in relationship)
5.    Aparigraha (non-covetousness). Ahimsa is perfect harmlessness, as well as positive love.

NIYAMAS:The five directives of Niyama result in a clean mind, body and spirit

1. Shaucha: cleanliness of body and mind. in the traditional codification, this item is listed under Yamas; this word means purity.
2. Santosha: satisfaction; satisfied with what one has; contentment.
3. Tapas: austerity, living simply, discipline to your yoga practice
   
4. Svādhyāya: study of scriptures to know more about God and the soul, which leads to introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and God within.
5. Ishvarapranidhana: surrender to or worship of God, a higher power
   

ASANA:  the posturing of the body - our temple of light - in sacred geometric forms (square, rectangle, triangle, pentagon, circle) to align our body with the daily planetary alignment of the sun, moon, earth, planets and galaxies. The postures are a unique communication system to God and Higher Power.  That is why we feel so balance, serene, powerful and full of life-force after a yoga asana practice.

PRANAYAMA:
Pranayama is made out of two Sanskrit words (prana = life energy; yama = control or modification). Breathing is the medium used to achieve this goal. The mind and life force are correlated to the breath. Through regulating the breathing and practicing awareness on it, one learns to control prana.

PRATYAHARA:  Withdrawal of our 5 senses within - closing the eyes, quieting the thought, transcending into deeper slow brain ways to remove ourselves from the third dimensional reality where illusions are experienced. In the quiet silence is the true essence of who we are.

DHARANA:
By concentrating and merging our consciousness into meditation we experience a focused, clear mind.

DHYANA:
By the continued practice of meditation we get the ability to quiet the wave flucuations of the mind. Never miss a day in meditation and do it regularly - before starting your car, in an elevator, at your desk, on a public transit, before sleep, upon awakening. The mind has three qualities called the GUNAS:  Sattva - high thought, illumination, racing mind, uncontrolled thoughts and feelings, Rajas - action on the thoughts of the mind and Tamas - inaction or inertia on the thoughts of the mind. By continued meditation practice you can regulate and control the gunas and have a balanced mind and body.

SAMADHI:
Bliss state, deep deep meditation into delta waves - very slow thought waves and an experience of peacefulness.  This is why we do yoga - to experience Samadhi. 

Today there are numerous systems of Eastern healing techniques available in the United States.  Just going through the alphabet listing I can quickly think of acupuncture, alkalinization, ayurvedic medicine, biofeedback, buddhism, chanting, chinese medicine, chiropractics, colon detoxification, colon hydrotherapy, crystal healing, dna activation, dranial sacral, dowsing, drumming, fasting, flower essences, feldenkrais, guided meditation, herbal therapy, hypnotherapy, integrated energy therapy, jin shin jyutsu, magnified healing, massage, meditation, molecular resonance effect technology water treatment, myofascial release, nutriceuticals, pilates, prayer, qi gong, quantum touch, raw food diets, reflexology, reiki, rolfing, singing bowls, sound healing, tantra, therapeutic touch, tong ren, toning, water floatation therapy, yoga, zen....and many more. 
These services are used by more Americans paying out of pocket than all of inpatient admission charges paid by insurance companies.  It is a HUGE industry and one that is not going away and will be integrated into the future healthcare system.
I always remind the thousands of reiki practitioners, yoga teachers and sound therapists I have trained that when the "awakening" happens in healthcare you will be at the right place at the right time with the right experience and just to keep practicing and offering services.  
We are providing healing services - while healthcare is focused on curing. That is not a bad thing - thank God we have the surgical techniques, pharmaceuticals, diagnostic treatments and rehabilitation services to cure some conditions. But all illness requires a healing phase and that is where we come in - to complement the care and provide hands on touch. love and intentional healing energy.
To heal is defined as to make sound, well or healthy again, to get rid of a disease, to restore a healthy state, to free one from grief, fear, anger, pain.  The healing techniques listed above are not "new age" but a form of ancient healing practices when they did not have sophisticated hospitals, surgical procedures and medications.  The integration of these healing techniques alongside allopathic medicine are crucial to the future control of healthcare finances. The costs are crippling our nation as more and more people get sick with arthritis, fibromyalgia, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and imbalanced mood disorders (anxiety, depression, panic, OCD, anger, fear, guilt
Selecting which work for you is the key - you have to try them and see.  Everyone heals in their own schedule - some very quickly and aggressively - others slow and methodical.  If you are suffering from health problems then find a place to heal.  Go to a yoga studio, a free reiki clinic, try a massage or chiropractic.  Just try something and allow yourself to be nurtured and brought back to your true self. Most suffering is when we separate from who we really are!  Yoga as one science of health is brilliant because it brings you back - to "yoke" - the mind, body and spirit!
 

Finding Inner Peace was established in 1994 a year after I was introduced it Reiki.  I started doing yoga when I was 15 years old and started teaching in nursing school and at every hospital where I worked as a nurse.  However, even though I did yoga everyday and taught it - I didn't have any peace inside.  In 1993 my younger sister was diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma and my emotional world was turned upside down.  I was also going through a divorce, had four small children and worked in at Mass General Hospital as the Director of a busy infection control unit.  I needed inner peace for sure.  It was the introduction to the world of Reiki that started my inner peace journey.  My sister passed away in 1995 - two year after the physicians predicted her death.  They were astounded that she lived as long as she did and contributed it to the Reiki and acupuncture. 
In 1997 I opened the Finding Inner Peace Stress Reduction Center in Abington, MA and the magic happened. I worked full time as a yoga teacher and energy healer and accrued over 10,000 healings, trained thousands of Reiki practitioners and yoga teachers.  We had great yoga classes, Reiki training, sound healings, famous teachers, teacher certification and many other exciting workshops and courses. 
After 7 years,  in 2003 I closed the studio and went back into infection prevention nursing with the intent of bringing complementary therapies into healthcare.  I went to New England Baptist Hospital and by 2005 I was teaching Reiki and yoga to healthcare workers.  It is so needed in healthcare - so much stress and lack of self care amongst healthcare providers. 
After 7 years, in 2010 I left and took a corporate position at Universal Health Services and travel to 25 hospitals consulting on infection prevention.  My goal is to introduce Reiki and Yoga to the hospitals slowly and be a resource for education on the power of complementary therapies in healthcare.
To free myself for this position I transitioned my yoga school and reiki training to educational turn key business kits so I could pass the teachings on to others.  I now sell a Yoga School Business Kit for yoga teachers wanting to start their own teacher certification and a Reiki Master/Teacher kit. 
Welcome to Finding Inner Peace!