Blue Skies Smiling at Me ;)

15 Feb 2012

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday.
I am being alone and more focused everyday. My mind is evolving and I'm thinknig and dreaming BIG and bright! I will not underestimate myself or my mind or any of my capabilities. End of story. My mind is becoming sharper and clear. XO
-Jenna

18 Feb 2012 Saturday
Theosophical Society

Oh what beauty that is all around me. I sit here on a rocky bench-surrounded by sunshine--palm trees--butterflies--blue skies smiling at me...nothin' but blue skies do I see! It's fun to ponder beauty in the day with the sun shining so bright and everything is going so right. I pick up a flower off the ground and place it behind my ear and already feel so giddy and purely just enjoying myself...India...and all of this serenity all around me. Life is so good.

Traveling alone is something to experience....I have learned so much more about myself when I travel alone. So much education lies within traveling... I am a sponge...I adapt, learn and grow. Simple? Not always...but the more challenges as I spoke about before in the obstacles in life always leave space for new opportunities to be embraced.

 “The world exists to be seen and discovered.” -T.K.V. Desikachar

....And so I shall see and I shall discover. ;)

I did, however, experience night life in India...it was quite the luxurious night life if I do say so myself. Definitely in not in low class this night. boom boom.
In the past I always found it so difficult to truly have a proper, healthy balance in my life...with all of the things I enjoy doing...I typically was a "do or die" kinda girl...an 'extremist' perhaps (without getting political)? Health kick...or...drinking binge...la la la, etc.

Anyhow...it was so wonderful to shut my mind off of all of the yoga bliss going on in my head and all around me...and just silence it and JUST DANCE! And so I did...and so we did. Wow...what a lively amazing night it was. The music...the energy...the company...so many great positive people all around me, much like this entire experience in India. Boy did we dance the night away...it was a successful, sweaty, swanky evening I will remember, always!

Slight Discomfort?

My power is out again.
This is a frequent occurance at my home in India.
It's 83 degrees fahrenheit in my room...I can feel the beads of sweat dripping down my back and sweat is forming above my lip.
There are two ants playing footsy with me as I must be a road block in their travels to toss some crumbs up on their backs and scurry up the wire that leads outside.
There is constant noise banging outside: cars/rickshaws/bikes honking horns, pounding/banging/yelling as there is houses being built, crows cawking loudly, a dog barking consistently and oh so frequently...

Here, I have been forced to be in slight discomfort wherever I am...this is only if I allow these distractions to upset me, infect me...affect me and my world.
Did you read that clearly?
Only if I allow it to affect me.

I have walked to and from class multiple times a day for the two weeks I have been here and it's incredible the amount of activities/potential disruptions my eyes have witnessed. I will share a couple examples with you...
I walk across a certain bridge every single day and sometimes see multiple people lying on the sidewalk (hoping they're only sleeping) and then on the other side I will see a man urinating against the wall included with a potent stench and then I must dodge traffic coming my way then there is a cow ahead digging in the heating foul-smelling piles of garbage on the side of the road and every person I walk past is not speaking an ounce of english...but then this morning there was a sweet boy with the happiest smile with his little squirt gun trying to get me wet and I just laugh and pretend he's getting me all wet!

This all occurs within 10 feet of each other.

My message I would like to share with you is there are so many distractions we could be affected by in our every day lives...whether it is small miniture occurances with traffic on your way to work, with a colleague, friend, partner...whatever it may be you have the power to choose what comes in and what you keep out of your life. Yes, I'm telling you...this is your choice...you're the one who has to deal with it and move forward with your day...so do you want to let the person who cut you off in traffic, or the person who is taking too long in the drive-thru, or the weather, or somebody who interrupted you, etc...are you going to let any of these things affect your entire day?!

....Or will you just choose to breathe, be patient, compassionate and just let it go...and move on with your day and your life positively?

For me...I could let everything that's happening here disctract me, infect me, poison me, discourage me...but I don't and I won't because that's exhausting and I choose not to use my energy on those sort of things I prefer to live my life so joyfully, positively and not sweat the small stuff.
I promise you your life will be so much more fulfilling if you apply these small qualities to everyday happenings. I wish you all my best and keep shining on.

By the way....my power is still off and I'm still sweating as well as still smiling...It ain't no thang! ;)

Jenna Margaret

Climb to the top.

Have you ever climbed a mountain?

Figuratively speaking as well as realistically speaking.

Have a think about this question...

If and when you have climbed a mountain of your own...has anything ever tried to stop you from doing so or anything ever taken you away from a path to get to this mountain?

Obstacles...perhaps?



Oh the amount of obstacles that you will be faced with during this journey in your life.
Obstacles will always be there...hiccups, bumps in the road, hurdles, scrapes, bruises and maybe some broken bones or even broken hearts will occur and likely will impact your life.

This is a part of life, and the beauty of the journey.

I am currently in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India participating and experiencing 'The Heart of Yoga' and everything about Yoga and the tradition of the guru Sri Krishnamacharya...a yoga legend...Five years ago I would never have imagined my life would be the way it is....not even two years ago.

Two years ago, 1 January 2010....I was faced with the most impacting hurdle in my life.

I hit rock bottom. The most potentially-devastating event I had ever been faced with.

I granted myself into a situation where I truly didn't know what was going to happen with me and my life.

I made choices in my life prior to this date that lead up to this event...within our lives...everything is a choice and we have to always be ready and willing to face the consequences for our actions.

Waking up in the middle of the night on a dark road in a muddy ditch, broken, bloody and busted up and completely disoriented...this was my wake-up call. To this day I still don't know what really happened that night but all of the events leading up to it...excessive alcohol, and truly just living carelessly and curiously...all I know is I am so grateful every single day for my life and I try to live each and every day the the fullest.

As frightening as this accident was...I am thankful it happened to me...I would never wish the pain I went through upon anybody, but I am glad it happened.

Life lessons. Obstacles.

Since my wake-up call...I knew something needed to occur...and needed to occur now. 

I started thinking of where I wanted my life to be and the mountain I needed to climb.

I was dreaming big and dreaming powerfully beautiful...in the state I was in this was very difficult to keep a positive attitude...but I had so much love and support around me, then I learned to be alone with my thoughts and trained my brain day in and day out to keep positive and to move forward.

I have definitely worked hard and have been determined to be successful and gracious throughout my life now. I have trained myself over and over to be positive...to be faithful...to have compassion and patience...and so many other important atributes to lead a healthy, joyful, full life.

I have promised myself to love and forgive myself...deeply and completely.

My true authentic self manifests vibrant health within my mind, body and spirit.



I manifested my dream and position to be a fitness professional on board an amazing luxury cruise ship.

I have been blessed to travel to over thirty countries meeting so many amazing, delightful people from all around the world.

My manifesting is not complete...it is never ending and there will be an infinite amount of obstacles to get to the top of the mountains.

I want my light to shine...and I want to shine my light upon you and give you strength, faith and the wisdom to BELIEVE in your dreams.

I guess the message I am trying to get across is if you are dealing with something in your life that you don't think you can go on....or perhaps you just feel stuck....whatever it may be you can get through this.
I know you may not be able to see the light from this hurdle in your life, but you can...and you will.
Think happy thoughts...keep focus on your goal...don't give up. You can be anybody and do anything in this life...the only thing that is stopping you from doing so is yourself.

Determination will get you far...and conviction, faith, and clarity will help you succeed and reach the top of that mountain you're climbing. Śrāddha श्राद्ध: faith and conviction...once you have these two particular traits...you will reach your goal and you shall be fearless.

This I promise you.    

Shine on, baby...dream big and choose to be wonderful.

Namaste. 

Jenna Margaret Hughes

"We lift ourselves by our thought. We climb upon our vision of ourselves. If you want to enlarge your life, you must first enlarge your thought of it and of yourself. Hold the ideal of yourself as you long to be, always everywhere."
-Orison Swett Marden

Powerful Bliss.

3 Feb 2012
Good evening India.

Day 5 on this divine journey and it just keeps getting better.
So a typical day for me is I wake up around 0600, take my bucket bath and get dressed and ready for the day, brush my chops from bottle water...then I sit out on my porch and listen to the morning routines of the birds singing, the woman across the street chanting and then the dogs trying to immitate the birds
and beautiful voice of the woman. Tuk-Tuks roaring down the street, bicyclists riding around and people just doing their morning walk around the block. There is so much happening from minute by minute it truly
blows me away..there is constant stimulation. Ahh...yes from listening to all of this I write in my journal and just reflect on however I'm feeling or how I slept or from the previous days activities.
By 0715 I am out the door and walking to the Yoga Mandiram to be to Asana (postures/poses) and Pranayama(breathing) practice by 0730. We then have amazing breakfast always consisting of some sort of Indian spiced up breakfast with fresh, flavorful fruit (pomegranate, banana, papaya, pineapple) and a date (a favorite of mine....Right, Brianna?!) ;) also with some chai ginger tea. All 50 minute courses We then have theory of asana and pranayama, yoga philosophy, vedic chanting...Lunch break which then I mosey home to Kala and Govendama...two very beautiful angels who were placed in my life so gracefully. They are such giving, wonderful souls who always have a bright infectious smile on their faces while Kala prepares my food and Govendama, the cleaning. So so wonderful. I feel so blessed to share this time with them.
After lunch I have Pranayama practice and application of Yoga...a short tea break follows and then class is wrapped up so perfectly with meditative practice.

Today was so powerful.

Geetha, our instructor for meditation...she truly has such a special way about her; her presence
is so very divine and her energy is glowing and so bright. We are to practice some pranayama (breathing) techniques in a sitting position where you are to connect yourself and completely be in touch with yourself and the nature around you and be present. Today we focused on water. The balance of water within us and all around us. Sitting in complete silence breathing deep...eyes closed...imagining I was sitting near a lake
and so I did. I imagined I was sitting near a stunning lake in California...the water was so still and the only thing I was surrounded by were trees in complete peace. I was sitting on a large rock just with myself...this made me very happy, thinking of very happy thoughts of while I was last in California this summer with some very special family and then everything that lead up to it.

I then changed my location to the ship I was on traveling the ocean...this was so touching for me and brought so many special, powerful memories back to me. While I was on the ship I would always go outside in my little hiding spot and just be alone to get away from all of the chaos happening on the ship and just to breathe for a few seconds. And for those moments I completely immerced myself into this...I became one with the ocean and the peaceful waves crashing so delicately against the ship. I then pictured myself with some very special people in my life who bring me so much joy...and we were all there together just living in the moment and enjoying each others presence.
Sometimes when I would go out on the ship by myself in my hiding spot...during the daylight especially very early in the morning when not a soul was to be heard around me and the sun was barely coming up...I would just stand outside and truly count my blessings. I feel so grateful and blessed to be where I am and to have gone where I have traveled. I sometimes would witness dolphins so peacefully swimming with the ship as well as flying fish...I swear they came out just so I could see them dancing with the tune of the waves. The way they just glided across the water always amazed me . Having this so near to my heart just makes me smile imagining it all over again. I felt this power completely overcome me and just burst into my heart and soul...it nearly knocked me off of my pillows.
Once Geetha was finished, I gently opened my eyes and tears completely poured out of my eyes.
I was so full of joy and it was such a beautiful thing to be completely in touch with everything around me
and to pour myself into this experience as a whole...I can't imagine what is in store for me next.
Today was such a special, powerful ground-breaking day....and as I was thinking of water...
there were waterfalls coming from my eyes.

Life is so beautiful.

I am in complete and utter bliss.

Namaste.

Jenna Margaret