When you surrender your expectations, you open yourself to better things.

The idea of "realizing & letting go of expectations" conflicts with a past newsletter quote that we "get what we expect, not what we hope for". After much thought I realize that for me it's actually about letting go of when or how I expect something to happen.

Example: I have certain expectations about my career and I don't want to release them just because it's hard and might take a long time. However, in the past I have set certain goals and said "I will achieve _____ by _____ (certain time)". What I am realizing now is that yes, it is important to have goals, but I also need to be flexible, and not put limits on myself. If I can be OK about things changing, then perhaps it will allow me to be more open, receptive and aware of different opportunities.  

There is no reason why we shouldn't be spending our lives enjoying ourselves, so pursue what makes your heart & soul feel good. Perhaps the problem lies in setting unrealistic goals, so be open to change. Follow your passion to reach your goal but don't put a limit on how you will get there or how it will show itself to you. Dream big, work hard, follow up and Love.

The theme for June came to me in the middle of a yoga class (of course). It was one of those classes I have talked about before where by the end of it I was crying. It is also where the opening quote came from, and therefore my yoga spotlight this month shines on Crunch gym. At first I was skeptical about doing yoga at a gym with locations across the country. However, I have been pleased and impressed with almost every class I have taken. These instructors are legitimate yoga teachers. The gym as a whole really stands up to their "no judgements" motto. I feel comfortable, supported, cared about and I have yet to come across any bad attitudes. 

Here is their philosophy which is plastered on the wall at most of their locations:

There are no judgements here – Not too much or not enough. No glares of disapproval. Here we keep open minds. We are nurturers. We seek only to encourage, empower and entertain. There is no one type. There is no one reason. There is no one way…..

Well done Crunch Gym!

A month ago I had no idea what that meant, but after hearing so much about it, I decided to do some research.

In a nutshell: About 3 times a year for 3 weeks or so, Mercury slows down so much that it appears to be going backward. Mercury rules things like communication and travel, so it is recommended that people pay extra attention during retrogrades as these aspects can get a bit muddied. However, this period isn't only about delayed flights and miscommunication. It is also a valuable opportunity to sit back, take a breather and prepare for the next step. How fitting that Mercury in Retrograde coincides with the June newsletter.

“…The coming retrograde will be an extremely important one showing us how to get past internal arguments between past realities and current necessities, and give us one look back so we can get clear about how to shape our social expression with skill and beauty to reveal to others our internal values. We can see what we need to learn relative to recent critical decisions, and how to take a look back on different methods and possibilities."

My own personal take on it: It is of paramount importance to set goals as well as have dreams & expectations of what you want your life to look like. However, it is important to stay realistic and release expectations when necessary. Work hard at what you have control over by creating opportunities to the best of your ability, then be open to what comes to you. Sit back sometimes and assess the situation. What is working, what is not and what shifts need to be made in order to get on the right track? Giving up because something is difficult is not the answer. If you are truly following your dream and something isn't clicking, then release your expectation of what success is supposed to look like. Don't get caught up on one vision/version and become narrow minded. Be a wide vessel for ideas and opportunities to flow through.

Here is an interesting take on it. This particular article was written for a retrograde in 2013, but is still valid now! And while there is just over a week left of the June 2014 retrograde, there will be many more to come.