The world moves through cycles of change, unpredictability, and intensity. When we depend on external order to feel calm, our inner state rises and falls with every circumstance. The deeper path of yoga invites us to discover a peace that is not dependent on what happens around us.

The attempt to change the outer world in order to feel peaceful is ultimately exhausting because the outer world is governed by countless forces beyond our control. Situations shift, people react in unexpected ways, and events unfold that no individual can fully manage.

When we believe our peace depends on fixing these conditions, we become trapped in a cycle of tension and disappointment. I AM Yoga teaches that the true source of peace is not found by rearranging the world but by awakening to the stillness that already exists within the heart of our own awareness.

This insight becomes clearer when we understand how we actually perceive life. According to these teachings, we do not experience reality directly and objectively. Instead, we perceive through the subjective perceiver, a lens shaped by accumulated emotional impressions stored in the nervous system and the energy body.

Gurudev Shri Amritji often describes this as living through emotional memory stress, where past experiences unconsciously color present perception. When the mind encounters situations that resemble past pain, fear, or conflict, it reacts as though the past is happening again. The reaction feels immediate and real, yet it is often the echo of stored memory rather than the truth of the present moment.

When strong emotions arise, the first step is not to suppress them or act them out but to witness them with awareness. Simple grounding practices help stabilize the nervous system so the reaction can be observed rather than amplified.

Slow diaphragmatic breathing calms the body and signals safety to the brain. Placing attention on physical sensations, such as the feeling of the feet on the ground or the rhythm of the breath, brings awareness back into the present moment. When awareness is anchored in the body, the emotional surge begins to soften, allowing clarity to return.

Another powerful technique taught in I AM Yoga is the practice of pausing before responding. Instead of immediately reacting to a trigger, you allow a moment of conscious stillness. During this pause you silently acknowledge the emotion without identifying with it. Ask yourself, “Who is angry or upset? My past memories.”

You might inwardly recognize, anger is arising, or fear is present, rather than saying I am angry or I am afraid. Witness what is happening as if you are the sky and the thoughts, sensations and emotions are the clouds passing by. The sky does not cling to the weather. It is the space in which it all arises. This subtle shift separates the witnessing awareness from the emotional pattern. Over time the nervous system learns that it is safe to experience emotion without becoming controlled by it.

Gurudev Shri Amritji expresses this teaching simply and directly when he says, “Peace is not found by changing the world around you, but by awakening the stillness that already exists within you.”

When we begin to practice in this way, chaos in the outer world loses its power to dictate our inner state. For instance, imagine a stressful situation at work where tensions rise and others react emotionally. In the past, such an environment might immediately trigger anxiety or frustration.

Through practice, however, you pause, breathe slowly, and bring attention inward. Instead of reacting automatically, you observe the sensations in the body and allow them to pass. The situation around you may still be intense, but within that moment a quiet center emerges. From that center, your response becomes thoughtful rather than reactive, and the peace you experience is no longer dependent on circumstances.

You can begin exploring these practices by watching our Monday evening meditation recordings, where you will find simple yet powerful techniques to help you navigate stress, emotional reactions, and the challenges of daily life with greater awareness and inner stability. Visit this page to access the free meditation episodes and begin practicing today: https://wouldyouyoga.com/peace-within-monday-evening-i-am-meditation/#episodes

Through consistent practice, these meditations can support you in transforming moments of tension into opportunities for presence, helping you rediscover the quiet center within that remains steady even when the world around you feels uncertain. Join us live on Monday evenings!

The post Finding Peace Within When the World Feels Uncertain: Yogic Guidance for Living Beyond Global Fear and Tension appeared first on Would you yoga.

The post Rooted in Stability: A Guide to Balancing Your Root Chakra appeared first on Would you yoga.

How do we release blocks and balance energy?

In our Journey through the Chakras sound bath and yoga experience we use sound healing, breath work and Amrit Yoga postures to open and release energy blocks.

Integral Breath Therapy is an experiential process that uses breathing techniques to clear physical, mental and emotional blocks or stress, bringing the chakras into balance.. 

Take time to relax, rejuvenate and release your inner healer join us for one of our upcoming sound bath experiences.

Upcoming Events

The post An Introduction to the Chakras appeared first on Would you yoga.

By Deanna Gray

I remember those nights laying in bed,
a thousand thoughts running through my head.

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
Filled with frights.

Day after day not wanting to leave my bed.
Can I? Will I? Maybe, but why?
I feel so dead.

The stories in my mind creating illusions of who I think I am.
Who should I be?
Should I have said that?
Now what do they think of me?
If I could do it again…just maybe.

Lost in fantasies of how my life should be.
These distorted perceptions of what was never even real – a false sense of me.
Distortions that threaten my perceptions I held so near.

STRESS
Stress in my mind rushing like a never ending river.
This should not be.
Why me?
Lost in the darkness deep inside of me.

How can I escape?
I’m never really here anyway.
My mind’s over there.
Then over here.

But never in the NOW, the only place I can be.

FRAGMENTED
My mind so far away from my body.
This I can see.

Giving away my peace for the desire to please.
To be loved and accepted is what we all need.
Looking for this outside, I’ll never be free.

Demanding unconditional acceptance from everyone I meet.
When I can’t give this to myself.
I feel so beat.

MINDFULNESS
Present moment awareness feels so out of reach.

This tiger inside of me wants to devour me.
And yet it wants to be free.
How do I tame this tiger I see?

I searched for the answer far and wide.
Then grace feel upon me and I met my beloved Guru, Yogi Amrit Desai.
This kind, gentle soul told me to…
BREATHE.

His yogic teachings have shown me the truth.
Now I witness the stories with joy in my heart for I know now the darkness can hold me no more.

The light that’s within me shines so bright.
Abundance and blessings fill my life.
And when I can’t see the light I look within you and it shines just right.
It shines like the brightest star on a clear dark night.

GRATITUDE
It fills my heart to share with you these teachings of light and love.
And it gently reminds me I AM THAT I AM.

Stress Today

Our bodies were built to withstand only 60-90 seconds of acute stress. If there’s a true threat, like a tiger in the room, we either survive or die. Either way it’s over quickly. Today we don’t have many real tigers in the room, but we do have “mental tigers”, and this type of stress will stay as long as we keep it around.

Find out how to tame these tigers and find peace even in the midst of chaos. Join me for this special two-part workshop.

“If it doesn’t change your life, it’s not yoga.” – Yogi Amrit Desai

The post Mental Tigers appeared first on Would you yoga.

1. Replace EXPECTATIONS with INTENTION
Yogi Amrit Desai says “Expectations are disappointments waiting to happen.” Instead of wasting your energy on expectations, create an intention that is your mission statement. This will help you stay grounded during challenging times and give your mind something positive to focus in on. Write it down and put it somewhere you can see it daily; like on your mirror, in your car, or on your computer.An effective Intention:

• It resonates with you.
• It is in the present.
• It is positive.
• It is concise
• It is about you.

Example intentions:

• I remain calm and peaceful in the midst of chaos and change.
• I am at peace with myself as I am, and the world as it is.
• I am presence. I see, feel and experience all things as they are. 
• I love and nurture myself.

2. Become the WITNESS
When you notice you’re being consumed by stress, maybe you notice; you’re holding your breath, experiencing tightness in shoulders and neck, or your mind is racing, see if you can disengage from the mind by observing the sensations in your body. See if you can create distance between you and thoughts and emotions, and stay in your feeling heart center. You are not your thoughts, or your emotions, you are the witness to the thoughts, emotions and sensations. Practicing witness consciousness will help you stay balanced, strong, and unaffected by all that’s in perpetual change.

3. Focus on what you can control. 
One of the biggest stressors we experience is when we try to control circumstances that are not within our circle of influence.
“Do what you can, and then let go.”

4. Utilize stress-reduction techniques daily
Make time in your schedule for Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Walks in Nature, breath work, exercise, dancing, listening to music, hot bath, massage, you get the picture! Put it on your calendar.

5. Make a firm commitment to your health and wellbeing.

The post Ways to cope with uncertainty appeared first on Would you yoga.

January has flown by and if you’re like most of us, your new year’s resolutions have flown with it.

Why don’t new year’s resolutions last long?

It might be because they are goal-oriented, driven by the end results. When we focus on an exact out come, we set our expectations. And when we don’t reach it within the time frame we’ve set, we become discouraged, self judgmental, and even give up.

For example, if my new year’s resolution is to lose 10 pounds by January 31. What happens when January 31 comes and I’ve only lost 4? I may feel discouraged, like I’m not able to do it and I might as well give up.

Don’t give up! You can become free of bad habits, habitual patterns of thinking, and live your best life.

Try this instead…I encourage you to take your old resolution, dust it off, and morph it into an intention.

What is an intention?
An intention is a guiding force without attachment to an end result. A goal is about the destination, versus an intention is about the journey. Setting an intention is a way to stay focused in a direction you would like to go in. It doesn’t mean you have to practice it perfectly. We can learn from it, and when we ver off the path, we can resume our course without judgement or conflict.

The ancient yogis in India found that intention can consciously determine the course of our life rather than the one our unconscious has chosen for us. Yoga Nidra, a unique mindfulness meditation practice that originated in India, uses intention as a powerful tool to create new grooves at the subtlest state of being and physically transform the brain’s chemistry.

Yogi Amrit Desai explains intention, “Unless we know where we are going, our life will be driven by our unconscious tendencies. If we are not conscious, our life will be left to the devices of a haphazard, rudderless guidance system at the effect of whomever takes control; our highest potential one day, and our weakest samskaras (unresolved issue or memory from the past) on another. What is needed is clarity and stability of focus. Most of us have never considered what we truly want from life. We have a plan, direction and vision to actualize our business, but not one for the actualization of our life.”

Here’s a list of intentions to get you started.
Overeating: “I love my body by feeding it nourishing foods.”
Not enough money: “I never need money. I always have an over abundance.”
Less stress: “I resolve to remain present and calm in the midst of chaos and change.”

If you would like to learn more about setting intentions or practice working with your intention through Yoga Nidra meditation join Curt Gibson and Deanna Gray every Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:00 pm at the Dunedin Community Center, 1920 Pinehurst Rd.

The post Why near year resolutions don’t last long. Try this instead. appeared first on Would you yoga.

Join us for this special opportunity on Saturday, September 14th, 2019.

Gurudev Shri Amritji, an original yoga master who brought the ancient teaching of yoga to the US, is coming to Unity Church in Palm Harbor. He will share with us the authentic teachings of yoga and focus on how to alleviate stress in our modern world. This experiential event is for every body, all ages, shapes and levels of experience. We hope you will join us and learn more on how to unlock your body’s own healing potential. Be sure to register early, this event may sell out! 

Saturday, September 14, 2019
9:00 am – 5:00 pm (Registration opens at 8:30am)
Unity Church Palm Harbor
1960 Tampa Rd, Palm Harbor, 34683 FL
$55 per person – Save $10 if you register before August 30th.

Lecture and experiential topics include:

• Interrupt the disease process that occurs on mental and emotional levels.
• Reduce stress and improve overall health & sleep.
• Discover modern applications of the Ancient teachings of Patanjali’s Yoga.
• Heal emotional and traumatic wounds carried in the painful memories of the past.
• Guided experience empowers you to access the healer within.

Register Here

The post Zero Stress Zone Workshop appeared first on Would you yoga.

Join certified I AM Yoga Nidra facilitators Deanna Gray and Curt Gibson for this stress-relieving workshop.

When: Saturday, May 11 ∙ 9:30 – 11:00 am
Where: Unity Church of Palm Harbor
1960 Tampa Rd, Palm Harbor, FL 34683
Price: $20
Bring: blanket, pillow and yoga mat.

Meditation has been scientifically proven to reduce the negative effects of stress.

Learn breath and body awareness techniques to help alleviate stress and stressful thoughts, as well as quiet the mind and help you fall asleep faster.

This is a great meditation for beginners. Flexibility is not required, there are no yoga postures involved. This meditation is for every BODY all shapes and sizes, this practice only requires you to sit or lay down.

Join us – no registration required – just show up! This is a great way to kickoff Mother’s Day weekend, bring mom!

Questions? Please call Curt at 727-459-8010.

The post Meditation Workshop on Health and Wellbeing appeared first on Would you yoga.

Experience the deepest levels of meditation where the consequences of stress are reversed, where blood pressure and cortisol levels drop, the heart rate slows, and the body unlocks its own healing potential.

Save the dates!

Sunday, March 31 Creating balance in a stressful world
Sunday, April 7 Managing thoughts that cause stress
Sunday, April 14 Unhelpful habits and the effects of stress on health
Sunday, April 21 Breath and body awareness techniques to relax and rejuvenate

Sunday Series 2:00 – 3:30 pm

You can attend all four sessions or just one or two.

$75 for All 4 Sessions (Pre-Paid) or $20 per Individual Session

Bring: Yoga Mat, Water, Pillow/Eye Pillow (optional) ~ Mats rentals and water available
Location: Yoga 365 ~ 2416 Gulf to Bay Blvd Clearwater, Florida

Yoga Nidra is for Every Body

This meditation workshop is great for beginners or individuals who believe they are incapable of meditating, or sitting still. Yoga Nidra is easy because it’s based on something the body already knows how to do: sleep. Anyone can do Yoga Nidra. All you need to do is lay down, or sit in a chair.

This ancient sleep-based meditation technique that has the power to release excess tension in the body, preventing stress-related disease at the root. It takes you to the innermost, deepest levels of relaxation where your whole body and being is permeated by peace of mind and profound stillness.

Space is limited. Reserve your spot today!

The post Alleviate Stress with I AM Yoga Nidra™ appeared first on Would you yoga.

Working with our energy center known as the Root Chakra, Muladhara can help us stay grounded during this chaotic time of year. When we think of the root chakra, the first chakra located at the base of our spine, we can ask ourselves, what keeps me grounded? What makes me feel secure? What nourishes me? The answers to these questions are where we can focus our energy to stay grounded and revitalize our energy.

Here are a few ideas on how to stay grounded and present during this holiday season.

1. Meditate – There are some great root chakra videos on you tube. Do a search and find one you like. The next time you’re stressed, take a few minutes to meditate with one of these videos. Here’s a good one I found. Root chakra meditation
2. Yoga – Here are a few postures that help activate and clear energy in the root chakra… Balancing poses like dancing shiva, standing forehead to knee, tree, and eagle. Poses that ground your feet and legs to the earth like standing squat, triangle, mountain, and half moon. If your new to yoga take a yoga class to become familiar with these postures. Check out our class schedule here.
3. Treat yourself – get a massage, pedicure, walk in nature. Schedule time to do more of what you love!
4. Get out – the holidays can stir up emotions related to loss and abandonment leaving us feeling lonely. Find your tribe, people who nourish your soul. Go to church (Unity of Palm Harbor is my fav), find a club on meetup.com. You can check out this online site that helps match people with their interests, GambolLife.com.
   And if you’re not up to actually getting off the sofa – phone a friend and let them know you’re thinking of them. (They might be feeling lonely too!)

Being present is the greatest gift you can give yourself and everyone else.

Happy Holidays – Remember to Breathe!

The post Staying Grounded Over the Holidays appeared first on Would you yoga.