a good day indeed

I had so much fun teaching yoga on Thanksgiving day! I could never have imagined that I would be so happy to work on my favorite holiday. We had 33 people come get their yoga groove on. Barefoot Works regulars, their family members and friends. It was truly exciting for me. And luckily for me, Sarah assisted the whole class so we could take care of the thanksgiving day yogi's. We also raised $250 for the gals at the Florence Crittenton Home. I'm super excited about going out and shopping for them. Thanksgiving Day class will certainly become a tradition at BW.

"Coach T" even came out for the practice! That's what his kids at school call him. Pretty darn cute....
"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.” ~John Ed Pierce

Then Andy and I went home to Vicco to celebrate with the family. As always, my mom really out does herself. Such good fun. And she always so sweet to go a lil bit more out of her way to make sure that their are plenty of vegetarian options for me.

We took the traditional hike up the hill after the feast. This time we lost Andy due to asthma...or was it that Cowboys game? ;)


As my brother Joel says, "The rock that changed it all."

thanksgiving

Come into my lap and sit in the center of your soul.
Drink the living waters of memory and give birth to yourself.
What you unearth will stun you. You will paint the walls
of this cave in thanksgiving.
~Meinrad Craighead

My Thankfuls:

*The biggies...health, a home, a family, friends, clothing, a job I love, a car to get me where I need to go, my doggies
*Blue sunny skies
*The baristas that know my name and take great care in making my lattes.
*Leaves to rake
*Babycakes cupcakes (raspberry white chocolate)
*Books to inspire me
*Jessica, her patience and enthusiasm in teaching me spanish
*This training/workshop
*Bon Jovi's new cd (and the many appearances they've made this week)
*A husband that surprises me with said new cd
*Yogi's supporting the gals at Flo Crit
*Happy, thriving plants at the studio
*My little camera that goes everywhere with me
*Sun salutations in my yoga room
*Mala beads from India
*That such a place like Tulum exists
*Fresh linens
*Retta, her amazing design skills, and her ability to create something wonderful for yoga teacher training
*The smell of the ocean
*Vision boards
*The yoga treehouse
*Copal incense
*Meditation
*Candles and twinkle lights
*Hills to hike
*Cemeteries to walk
*My ipod and Stephen Cope who talks Andy and I to sleep at night
*Mary Oliver poems
*Artichoke and olive pizza
*Blogs
*Strangers that smile at me
*Dance parties with Andy
*Stones and seashells on my altar
*My vessel, my body that contains my spirit
*The exchange of ideas
*Any and all travel that I'm lucky enough to partake in
*Old trees and short lived flowers
*Happy family moments
*Quiet mornings at the coffee shop
*Yoga Journal
*Sweet nieces and potty trained nephews
*Earrings made by Lisa
*The growth of yoga in Lexington
*Pretty journals and pretty pens
*The ability to dream
*And the bravery to move towards those dreams
*Talented, loving, and compassionate yoga teachers
*Words like unravel, revel, and deliberate
*That places like this exist
*The students that I've trained, that have now become teachers.
*Seane Corn's hair, and this even more so
*The growth of compassionate communication (aka, nonviolent communication)*
*The strong, real, raw and beautiful women in my life

What's on your list?

Have a happy happy thanksgiving. Wishing each of you a day filled with joy and gratitude.

sweet darkness

When your eyes are tired
the world is also tired.

When your vision has gone
no part of the world can find you.

Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.

There you can be sure
you are not beyond love.

The dark will be your womb
tonight.

The night will give you a horizon
further that you can see.

You must learn one thing.
The world was made to be free in.

Give up all the other worlds
except he one to which you belong.

Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn

anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive

is too small for you.

~David Whyte

**Wow. Goosebumps.**

mindfulness

With stammering lips and insufficient sounds,
I strive and struggle to deliver right
the music of my nature....
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Yesterday evening I had an interview with a gal with Health and Wellness, a local magazine. The article was about mindfulness. I thought I had my thoughts and ideas in order, but I hung up the phone and said to Andy, "Wow, I hope that makes at least a tiny bit of sense."

We chatted about what mindfulness is....being aware of what you're doing saying, and thinking without judgement AND my fave way of thinking about it....living deliberately.

How being mindful impacts people's lives...aside from the many many benefits that research has now proven, being mindful allows us to choose our attitude, break free of bad habits, see things more clearly, take a few steps away from the drama, and live moment to moment...amidst the joys and the challenges in a more calm and peace-full manner.

What activities help a person be more mindful....ummmm yoga and meditation. That's an easy one, right? ;) Certainly, starting with the body is the first place to go.

Ways to think about the new year as it approaches...not to overload it with expectations, lose the resolution and work with an intention, reflect on areas of growth and challenge, then let go and step brightly into the new year.

So yes with "stammering lips" I tried to convey the beauty, the simplicity and the power of mindfulness. We'll see how it turns out in the January edition. :)

not all roses and rainbows

Because it's really important to me to be as real, as honest, and as authentic as I can I want to share the "other" end of the spectrum in returning home from retreat:

1. It's not easy for me. Never. Ever. When I return from Tulum I need time. And space. And more quiet then I normally need. Andy knows this by now. While he does kid me about it, he respects my need for it. He doesn't quiet understand it, but he supports it. Leaving Maya Tulum and then stepping into the Cancun airport is a toughie for me. For a week you live as close to nature as you can, then it's bright fluoresecent lights, loads of people (are they always this loud), lots of noise, and really bad food. Really bad food. Too. Much. Stimulation.

2. Sometimes getting clear isn't easy. Every single time I leave Tulum, I'm at least a little different than before I went. I can't explain it. That's just how it is. Getting clear usually means that some sort of change is in order. Sometimes change is hard. Even for a lover of change like myself.

3. Who took the beach away? I grew up in the hills of eastern Kentucky. I love the mountains. I love how you get a sense of being held and enveloped within the hills. But the beach....ahhhh the beach. The sand, the sun, the sea. It's so very healing to me. I love everything about it and it's hard for me to leave it behind. Hence all the beach pics....tired of em' yet? ;)

4. Balance. Easing back into work, tending to homelife, nurturing relationships, and nurturing yourself as you re-emerge. Finding the happy place within each might be even a greater challenge post retreat.

So there you have it. My thoughts about removing the rose colored glasses when looking at retreats. What I do is really plan for re-entry (Andy thinks this word is hysterical) by:

1. Spending more time in meditation. This time I brought back copal incense from Tulum. This is what they burn during treatments (and Temalzcal). It's my new fave. My replacement for nag champa. I've been meditating each morning for at least 20 minutes and using this incense has been so great.

2. Watch even less television.

3. Read more books that inspire and elevate me, my mood, and my thoughts.

4. Get creative. Debra and I did some great creative exercises in Tulum. On Saturday I spent some time updating my vision board with the words I identified as meaning the most of me right now....spirit, service, abundance, personal growth, freedom, wisdom, and creativity. I also used images to go along with the words.

5. Bring a bit of your special place back. I picked up a couple of rocks and tiny seashells from my walk at Tulum. These now have a special place on my altar. I also brought over 3 lbs of homemade granola back from Maya Tulum. I gave some to each gal that attended the retreat this past summer and I've been enjoying some too. It's de-lish and reminds me of my happy place. :)

reflections from maya tulum

Monday Nov. 9, 2009
I took an hour long walk on the beach this morning and passed only four people. It feels as if the beach and I belong together. I wonder if everyone that steps onto the land feels the same. Are they as moved, as connected as I? The gentle breeze on my back ever so sweetly nudges me onward, encouraging me to move forward. Embracing myself. Embracing life.

Tuesday Nov. 10, 2009
Mother nature is truly inspiring. I constantly stand in aw of her. Especially here in Tulum where I feel so connected. Being here I'm reminded "there is no God, when there is nothing but God".

Wednesday Nov. 11, 2009
Several years ago, when I first came to Tulum I thought I had it together pretty well. It only took that first session with Fabian to clearly show me that I didn't have it together quite as much as I thought.

Thursday Nov. 12, 2009
Floating in the water, listening to the waves as they make their way towards me...relaxing, breathing, knowing that if I can give to to them, I wont go under.

Friday Nov. 13, 2009
*You are living juicy! Ride into your life on a creative cycle, full of juice, abundance and ecstatic wonderment. You are a star. ~Sark
*Life is a bridge. Cross over it, but build no house on it. ~Indian proverb

Saturday Nov. 14, 2009
It's the drive back to the airport. I woke the usual time, 5:30...wrapped myself in a Mexican blanket and watched the most beautiful sunrise of the week.

Appears that what I was needing most from my week here at Maya Tulum was the time, the space and the resources to connect with my spirit and the spirit of the universe which I've come to know and feel as one.

Being surrounded by the people at Maya Tulum make it easy to connect with spirit, to see the good in the universe, and bow down with deep and great gratitude for life.

Leaving this time doesn't feel as sad for me as times in the past. I'm taking away an even closer, greater friend, a slight tan, a smile that feels permanently plastered to my face, and a renewed spirit.

Now I've come enough times to know that I'll be back. So it never feels like goodbye. It feels so much more like....until next time.

**This was my cabana. See how very close to the water?! How could I not wait to get back? ;)

why retreat?

A retreat is the restorative by which you walk away from being a woman who exists only in a relationship to others and walk toward a self that relishes and enjoys her relationships because she has a strong center from which to relate. Creating your own retreat allows you to encounter your deepest needs, feelings, and impulses away from the voices and needs of others.
~Jennifer Louden

rituals at maya tulum

"Women who create such ritual retreats together, listening thoughtfully to each other's voices, have the transformative potential to change the world."
~Virginia Beane Rutter

This is a picture of myself and Debra during our two hour work session. I use the word "work" not loosely (because it was some of the best, most important work I've done in a while) but instead with a smile on my face. Anytime you can work in a restaurant in one such as Maya Tulum's with a Corona on hand, a great friend nearby, and a view of the Carribean Sea....it's truly a magnificent day.

Debra and I had a loose plan in place for our retreat. We each took a couple of things to work on and some creative exercises to explore. We had a little bit of a plan, but no so much so that it felt like we were controlling the whole week.

Which was a good thing because it appeared that the universe really wanted the week to mostly be about relaxing, reconnecting, and letting go of those important work things so that we could create some room for new ideas and dreams.

There were other amazing women that we met on this week of retreat. Most all of them were at Maya Tulum alone. Some were using the trip to transition to a new stage in life, some came because it seemed to be the only thing left to do, some came because they've been to Maya Tulum (and once you go you can't not go back), some came to vacation.

My days at Maya Tulum were so simple, yet so utterly profound. Here is how the days mostly unfolded:

5:30 - Wake up. Sun is beginning to rise. Sit on our little couch with a blanket wrapped around me listening to the waves crash and watching as the dawn appears.

6:00 - 7:00 Take a walk on the beach. Everyday is different and beautiful in it's own right. So much sky to see. So much water to be in awe of.
7:00 - 8:00 Drink coffee and journal

8:00 - 9:30 Yoga class or yoga on my own. I was so super excited to get away and take yoga classes, but I found myself being drawn to practicing on my own some days. Funny how that happens. :)

9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast. Some days I had breakfast with Debra, some days with the gals I'd met, and some days alone. The great thing about being at Maya Tulum is that you can have as much group time or alone time as you need. I believe it's an unwritten rule....but if you are sitting with a book or journal in hand people know that you are needing some space.

10:30 - 1:00 Lay on the beach, float in the water, exfoliate at the edge of the water, yin yoga on the beach, and my fave (ala Jeanne)...laying on my back (think savasana) just close enough to the water that it gently washed up on me.

1:00 - 2:00 Lunch. Always delicious. Sweet people working ready to greet you with smiles and kind words. The people that work at Maya Tulum are just one of the many reasons I continue to go back. I learn much from them.

2:00 - 4:00 Work session. We always took a different table to transition to work time. One further away from the views of the water and one further away from people. We each had some sort of delicious Mexican beer with each work session.

4:00 - 5:30 More. Yoga. Yes.....

6:00 - 7:30 Spa treatment. I had a couple treatments during the day. But I love this time. I had five (yes 5!) treatments during my stay. Three holistic massages, one thai yoga massage, and one Mayan Clay massage. Yep, heavenly. For you gals that know the therapists/healers, I had two with our fave Shaman Fabian, two with the Chandree, and one with Adrian.

7:30 - 9:00 Dinner. More deliciousness

9:00 - Back to the cabana for reading and usually falling asleep around 9:30. 5:30 comes pretty early in the morning. I find that when I'm at Maya Tulum, my body is reset and I find myself living in unison much more with nature.

It was pretty much like the retreat I always lead. But this time I wasn't a group leader, or a teacher. I was just Me and I had no roles to play. I love love love leading my annual retreat at Maya Tulum. But I gotta say that this was much different. Oh, and I usually had to make time for a shower in the day. ;)

We left the property one time to walk up the road to the tiny little market area. Other than that, it was a week of what you see above.

And it was needed.
And unbelievable.
And now I completely, 100% know why people return here each year to retreat for themselves.

Maya Tulum has a way. A very good way....

to be connected

"To be connected with and to nurture others is a precious, delightful, integral part of our lives. We are constantly giving in a personal and emotional way. We want to do so, some of us must do so, but we also must take time in solitude, to find and tend our selves, or we risk becoming ensnared in a tyranny of relationships, unable to locate our authentic core. When this happens, we risk losing not only the meaning in our lives but ourselves, the deep rooted, innermost knowledge of who we are and why we are here. "
~Elinor Dickson

perfecting love

"You are love yearning for the perfectly lovable, and you, yourself, are the perfectly lovable that you long to experience.

Give to yourself with unlimited abandon and you will discover that what you once considered selfish is, in fact, the epitome of selflessness, for when you know yourself as love, you love everyone, unconditionally, unboundedly, eternally.

You will discover that there never was anyone more deserving of love than you, no one more perfect than you, and no one to love other than yourself.

For within you resides everyone. Perfect your love of yourself and you will love everyone perfectly."
~Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj