inspired action on & off the yoga mat

Sitting here now, in this moment, the sky is a gorgeous, crystal clear, shade of blue. The wind is blowing and I see large and small trees dancing back and forth. Leaves are beginning to fall to the earth. The once vibrant green grass is slowly making it's transition to fall.

And so it is....

The fall season is a beautiful time for both letting go and also taking inspired action. We only have to look to nature to see this. The trees are shedding what isn't necessary for the winter season. Animals are making preparations for hibernating during the winter months.

The yoga practice teaches us how to take inspired action both on and off the yoga mat. Before we go into hibernation mode I want to invite you to think of a project that you identified as important this year. Something you wanted to learn, or get back to. Some inspired change you wanted to make or a new habit you wanted to cultivate. Somewhere along the way, you forgot about this, got off track, or didn't carve out the time (or all the above!).

Grab a piece of paper or your journal and write down a list of action steps you need to take for one project. We explored this exercise at my recent retreat at Shaker Village, using a mind map for the project. 

Speaking of Shaker Village, look at what a beautiful weekend we shared::

I just adore my retreat at Shaker Village and if you missed this one, good news......I've got one scheduled for January. Hello New Year! Details will be coming soon.

Other ways you can connect to the energy and rhythm of the fall season::

• Focus your attention more on your exhalations.
• Spend some time decluttering around your house or office space.
• Make a list of "things" you want to let go of. This can include people, habits and experiences.
• Do a yoga practice that is grounded with a slow and steady flow.
• Spend five minutes in a seated forward fold.
• Drink lots of hot liquids.
• Attend our deep peace restorative yoga workshop on Friday!

Sending a big smile and refreshing breaths to you. May your day unfold with beauty and ease.

instructing from within

Good Tuesday to you. I hope you are feeling good in your body and breath this morning. I just returned from an epic road trip to Oklahoma City for a wedding. With a nine month old babe and all! Shew. Glad to be home. I am attempting to get back in the groove with both family and work, with ease and joy. So far so good!

 

This morning I'm gathering my notes, resources, thoughts, and books as I refine my teachings for a retreat I'm co-leading next weekend in Asheville (pssst, there is still one or two spots open, details here. )

I wanted to share with you this poem by Mark Nepo that I'll be sharing::

The Appointment

What if, on the first sunny day,

on your way to work, a colorful bird

sweeps in front of you down a

street you've never heard of.

You might pause and smile,

a sweet beginning to your day.

Or you might step into that street

and realize there are many ways to work.

You might sense the bird knows something

you don't and wander after.

You might hesitate when the bird

turns down an alley. For now

there is tension: Is what the

bird knows worth being late?

You might go another block or two,

thinking you can have it both ways.

But soon you arrive at the edge

of all your plans.

The bird circles back for you 

and you must decide which 

appointment you were

born to keep.

The poem illustrates the beauty of listening, the power in following our intuition, and the possibilities that exist when we allows ourselves to follow those possibilities.

Yoga is a beautiful tool that helps us grow our capacity to listen. We listen to the teacher and ultimately we listen to our instructions coming from within. Free of right and wrong, good and bad, we move forward in each pose, listening within, following our breath, until we choose when and where to stop in each pose.

Isn't that amazing?

Speaking of amazing. I'm so happy those two yoginis are teaming up to lead our very first Yoga + Wine event this Friday from 6:00 - 8:00. Pre-regisration is required. You're coming, right? Register here!

women's yoga & meditation retreat

Women’s Yoga and Meditation Retreat
Led by Sarah Bowker

Join me this fall in beautiful Kentucky for a weekend of yoga, relaxation and meditation.

It’s hardly a secret at the studio that Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. It is a yin time of year.

It’s cooler, crisper temperatures.

It’s leaves turning colors and falling into crunchy piles.

It’s all things pumpkin, squash, apples, and cinnamon.

It’s football on TV and earlier sunsets.

It’s building fires, and snuggling into soft sweaters.

It’s the beautiful transformation Mother Nature makes as she prepares for winter.

And it’s the perfect time of year to retreat.

I have found the coziest old house where I would love for you to join me and Misty Pittman, fellow Barefoot Works teacher, for a weekend of yoga, relaxation and meditation.

It’s just outside the small community of New Haven, at Bethany Spring, just a mile down the road from the Abbey of Gethsemani.  

It’s a quick 90 minute drive west on the Bluegrass Parkway from Lexington.

The rooms are clean and comfortable.  The grounds are beautiful with plenty of trees and a lakeside view.

It’s a perfect space to spend a weekend away from Lexington, celebrating the shift in season, and deepening your yoga and meditation practice.

We’ll practice restorative, yin, and vinyasa yoga.

We’ll take time for ourselves – to nap, to journal, to dream, to just be.

We’ll breathe.

And we’ll meditate, together with other women.

Won’t you join us? Sign up here: 

Space is limited to only 8 women, so register early to claim your spot.

Dates: October 11-13, 2013 (begin at 6pm Friday and end at noon on Sunday)
Cost: $300 if registered by 9/13 and includes room, yoga and meditation instruction and meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch.

mega self love retreat

I'm feeling ready to start a radical self love revolution.

That's right. And I'm calling all women to join me. Yes, you, you, and especially you.

It doesn't matter your age, the size of your thighs, what you do for a living, if you're currently happy or miserable. It doesn't matter if you're feeling lost and confused, or totally on track. I don't care if you can stand on your head or sit in lotus for meditation. I don't care if you single, happily married, or fighting your way through fertility.

What I want to know is this....

Are you willing to start loving yourself right here, right now? 

Mary Oliver tells us this (and she's brilliant so I'm all ears, heart too),
"You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves."

I'm about to suggest something radically different. There is a way for you to summon self acceptance, compassion, kindness, and love for wherever you are in your life right now.

There is in fact a way for you to hold a higher vision for yourself and your future AND give yourself some mega love for where you are now. Yes, at the same time.

We postpone our joy (and love) for a later date and time. We think....

When I finish school,
When I have the baby,
When I get a new job,
When life settles down,
When I lose 10 more pounds,
When I master such and such yoga pose,
When I have more money,
When I have more time,
Etc, etc, etc.
THEN I will be worthy to love myself.

Frankly, it's time for it to stop.


Consider joining me and a small group of awesome lovely ladies for the day to explore all things major loooovvve.

We'll revel in our bodies awesome ways to move through yoga.
We'll let someone else love our body up and down with an hour massage at The Massage Center.
We'll eat an awesome organic lunch provided by Good Foods Co-Op.
We'll share stories from the heart.
We'll explore ways to embrace, celebrate, and demonstrate how you can start loving yourself today.

And because it's a day of mega loooovvvve, there will be moments of moving to your own rhythm. That may look like a walk to Starbucks for a latte, swinging outside near the flowers, busting out a spontaneous sphinx pose, or sipping hot tea and doing absolutely nothing.

Decide that this IS the day you stop waiting for love. It's yours to claim. Go for it.....The world is waiting.

Saturday May 18, 8:30 - 4:30
$160 if you pay before May 4
$185 afterwards
Price includes all yoga sessions, massage, tea, treats and other random awesomeness.

Register early as space is limited ladies!

Register Here!

**Sorry men, this one is only for the women out there.**

6th annual maya tulum yoga retreat

Happy Friday Friends,

I've been back from Tulum for a few days. I feel like I'm just now getting back in the swing of things. I wanted to share a few photos with you and recap a few highlights from my recent yoga time in Tulum.

As always, the group was simply fantastic. This retreat was different than others I've led in the past in that there were five couple (including Andy and myself). We also had a mom/daughter duo and more than a hand full of awesome women traveling alone to treat themselves to a week of yoga and retreat. Five of the participants retreated with me last summer in Tulum so being reunited on the beach, in this sweet and sacred land brings me such happiness.

The group in general just meshed so well. Certainly a highlight for me. The week in general felt very light, airy, low-key, and fun.

I love walking around on the property of Maya Tulum and seeing lil pockets of yogis enjoying themselves. Swimming in the sea, laughing together while lounging on the beach, sipping a delicious drink. And I equally delight when I see people taking time for themselves. A quiet walk on the beach, walking around reveling in the beauty around, reading in the restaurant, writing in a lounge chair, napping in a hammock. Delicious.

A couple of my personal highlights include sharing 10 days with Andy in Mexico, and specifically having him as a part of the group yoga retreat experience. That was pretty special for me. He was pretty awesome and took all the yoga classes except for one (he even made it to class after a night of a few....or five too many drinks ;).  I loved introducing him to fellow students who I consider part of my yoga family. And I loved the lil ways he took care of me during the week. Pretty great.

We also treated ourselves and upgraded to an amazing villa. The views from this room are simply unbelievable. I felt like I was even retreating by having this space!

As with most things, there were a couple of rocky moments. The biggest being Andy and I getting sick on the day the retreat ended. We had booked two extra days to vacation and I was pretty excited to decompress, do some yoga, and spend quality time on the beach and in the water.

Not so much. But really, who can complain?

I know I'm 100% blessed to get to travel to such a place, to meet such amazing people, to be a part of such a thing, and consider it my work.

Craziness.

A big hearty thank you to everyone who traveled to Tulum to explore yoga, meet new people, create new experiences, and have some good ol' fashion fun. I admire all of you. And I adore you too.

As you might imagine, you'll find me (and Andy) back in the magical land of Tulum yet again next summer.

yoga at maya tulum

My bags were barely unpacked.

Still a smile on my face.
Still a twinkle in my eye.
My original plan (pre Maya Tulum)was to schedule a retreat to Costa Rica for next summer.
Ha! I knew as our van pulled out of Maya Tulum that I'd be back next summer.
It only took me four days to arrange the retreat for next summer. I've led this retreat at Maya Tulum for two summers now and it keeps getting better. I figure there's no reason to mess a perfect thing up.
A week after being back, Tracy and I talked for two hours about the magic of Maya Tulum.
It does not get any better than this place.

Forture Magazine has ranked Maya Tulum as the #1 barefoot resort. Very fitting for the gal who owns a yoga studio called Barefoot Works.

Spa Magazine says, "Maya Tulum Resort is a seaside Mexican Caribbean retreat center that offers: tranquil times, awe-inspiring scenery, and an opportunity to reconnect with yourself. Prepare to go barefoot, sleep under a thatch roof cabana, and leave fully renewed! Maya Tulum Resort was voted by USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and New York Times as one the top ten places to balance the body and soul. The resort was also recognized by Fortune Magazine as the #1 barefoot resort."

Seane Corn (my yogini crush) says that Maya Tulum is one of her fave places to teach. "The yoga room alone makes the hour and a half shuttle from Cancun worthwhile. It’s round, with a roof that goes straight up to the sky,” she says.

If you want to go along on this transformative trip next summer, please set an intention and start stashing some extra cash in your sock drawer. :-)

You'll practice yoga and pranayama.
You'll explore meditations that will open your heart and your mind.
You'll salute the sun as it rises. And walk on the beach as the sun sets.
You'll enjoy fresh, healthy and delicious foods.
You'll forge new friendships.
You'll frolick in the turquoise water.
You'll go barefoot for a week. And walk on the softest sand.
You'll enjoy massage sessions that will leave you feeling like putty and quite likely, change your life.
You'll see the most beautiful sights and hear the sweetest sounds.
You'll be free. Free from daily stresses. Free to do as you please.
You'll do more yoga. :-)
You'll be in paradise.
Your heart will be happy.

Paradise awaits you next summer..... July 11 - 18, 2009.
And the prices are actually cheaper than this year's trip. Imagine that! An ocean view room for only $1395!
Call today and put down your $300 deposit. That's all it takes! To register call 1-888-515-4580. And of course call me at 859.433.7787 or email barefootworks@hotmail.com with any questions.

maya tulum - paradise at the edge of the sea

"There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled.
There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled.
You feel it, don't you?"
-Rumi

It's been less than twenty four hours since I've returned from Maya Tulum. I'm not completely sure that my feet are grounded here in Kentucky just yet. That's a work in progress at the moment! My beach walks have returned to cemetery walks and my morning yoga practices were in my yoga room and the studio, not the sandy beach of Tulum. Yet I feel so happy and so very fortunate that for two years in a row I've gotten to experience paradise at the edge of the sea at a cozy little resort called Maya Tulum.

Maya Tulum is so magical in so many different ways. It's easy there. It's simple. You get up, watch the sun rise, enjoy a cup of coffee, teach/practice yoga, have breakfast, enjoy the beach, read, have a spa treatment, eat lunch, teach/practice yoga, take a walk, eat dinner, journal, go to bed. Get up the next morning and repeat. I thought it was pretty miraculous that in the nine days there, I only left the resort once to walk five minutes up the road. That was it. I had no desire to leave again. I met another yoga teacher who was at Maya Tulum for the fourth time and she said she's NEVER left the resort any of the times she has been there. And she was there for two and a half weeks this time. People walk around blissed out at this place.

The people at Maya Tulum make this resort the special place that it is. This is the single best thing about the resort. Yes the beach is heavenly, the food is divine, and the cabanas are so sweet. But they don't hold a candle to the people that work here day in and day out. They know your name, your cabana, your preferred spa treatment, and your drink of choice. Everyone greets you with a smile and kind words. They go the extra mile to take care of you. They make you laugh. They touch your heart with their kind ways.

Nicole and Ileana took care of all of our yoga needs and made sure that our group was well taken care of. America helped us make some of the most important decisions, which spa services to partake in. Lisbeth rallied up more people for the temazcal (mayan sweat lodge) when we feared it might be canceled. Eduardo, Cecelio and Eli saw to it that we were well fed, well hydrated and happy with our food. Like last year Fabian (therapist/shaman healer) amazed me by his ways of knowing my story, just by looking into my eyes. He has taught me about what it means to live the life of yogi without making any effort on his part. His kind and compassionate ways are truly inspiring. And he has new fans in Jeanne and Tracy. Yes our little group kept him busy with holistic massages!

Our group of yoga gals was perfect. A small, but very mighty group. Together we laughed, cried, sweated, mediated, reflected, rallied, visualized, crafted, walked, sun bathed, floated, and flipped. We learned each others strengths and weaknesses. We confirmed intentions and encouraged one another to do better to be better. To live with an open heart and a free mind. To operate from a place of joy and bliss. To focus on abundance and gratitude. To nurture our mind, body and spirit. Yes,it was an amazing week, with amazing people of all sorts.

In short, everyone needs to experience this place called Maya Tulum. I promise you'll walk away with a renewed sense of joy, bliss and peace. This place and these people will light a candle in your heart. This place and these people will fill a void in your soul. I'm sure of it.

earth to sharon

Hola Amigas!

We're back from our heavenly retreat to Maya Tulum. The words are not coming to me just yet, so I'm gonna sit on this just a bit longer. Drink it all in. Savor it. I always say to myself "yoga is abiding in our own true nature which is joy." Never before have the words rang so true to me.

In the meantime enjoy a couple pics and I'll be back soon with words....and a fabulous slideshow highlighting our trip.

I've missed you all and hope to see you this week. :-)

off on a yoga adventure

The flip flops and flowy dresses
The suncreen and sunglasses
The yoga pants and yoga books
The candles and crafty supplies
The sequences, schedule, sutras, and bathing suits...

It's all there neatly packed in my suitcase.

This time tomorrow night I'll be under a blanket of stars outside my cabana listening to the waves wash upon the shore. Pen in hand, journal in lap, smile on my face writing about the lucky gal that gets to spend ten days in a little slice of heavan known as Maya Tulum

I'm off on a yoga adventure and I couldn't be more excited.

*Check back here to get the scoop while we're away in Mexico.