day 4 intensive yoga teacher training - tulum mexico

Day four was a more relaxed pace as it was a day of integration from the previous days of sun salutations, standing poses, and standing postures. Nothing new to add to the asana mix and we got to refine our knowledge, teaching, and understanding of the poses. Students taught in groups of three instead of two for the first time today.

I'm simply astounded by how quickly everyone is progressing. I know I keep saying that but it's realllly true! I'm certainly finding that this intense immersion into yoga is helping that process. We eat. drink. study. practice. teach. sleep yoga. It's a beautiful unfolding. Not one without challenges, but yes beautiful.

We added the essential breath and ujjayi breath to the mix. Had time for one on one mentoring with me to chat about any questions pertaining to the material thus far or discussion of any problems, issues, challenges or concerns.

Tracy taught her last three hour anatomy session today. It was about the upper extremeites and asana lab. And time to answer questions students had about anatomy as it pertained to postures.

At 6:30 when the day was over Tracy and I took a walk on the beach. This was so very nice and so very needed. Walks on the beach here do not get any better. We finished our day with a shared dinner of guacamole, mayan sikilpac, and veggies. Oh and a glass of wine. We deserved it. We've been working hard. ;)

Love to all of you.
Peace and sunshine too.

xoxo.

day 3 intensive yoga teacher training - tulum mexico

I've been getting up at 5:00 in the morning to study ayurveda(the studying part hasn't been so succesful). Today I wake at 4:00 feeling good and ready to get up. So happy I did, as I had time for a yoga practice. Made a huge difference. I'm now trying to re-work, re-figure my day. I thought I'd be able to find time for a practice later in the day. Not so much. Now thinking of practicing in the morning and studying later in the day. Sometime.

We start our practice at 6:30, but instead of starting with asana be begin with a walking meditation on the beach. We use a light ujjayi breath throughout the walk and use our mantra we've been working with prior to our arrival and during meditation. We also pick items up from the beach and begin to make an altar on a table in a sitting area for use for lecture/discussion. The walking meditation starts a beautiful tone for the day. It was needed.

Today our focus is on standing balancing postures. We have 7 of them. So our group practice focused on sun salutes, standing poses, now we have balancing postures we've added to the mix. I love this prcoess that we use. I'm seeing that in this intensive format it's realllllly great. We keep building on and going back to what we've learned.

We do the usual...exlore cueing, teaching, assisting, and adjusting these poses individually. The group is getting to continue to build on their practice teaching as they are now doing sun salutes, standing poses, and balancing poses.

At lunch Jacob (the manager here) tells us that a Category One hurricane will be hitting Cancun tomorrow. We should feel the affects tonight. Okey. Dokey.

We talk about the importance of a home practice. Why we practice yoga, how it makes it feel, how important it is for our teaching and all come to the conclusion that it should be an important component of our day. 15 mintues daily is better than an hour once a week. Everyone commits to practicing 21 days straight for at least 15 minutes. I will be that annoying person that emails them to see how it's going. I do love plans. And I do love when we get into new healthy habits and patterns. A sucker for that.

Everyone in the group plans to teach when they go home. We brainstorm for about five minutes possible places to teach. There are so many options. If one wants to teach, there are places to teach. Each person shares the capacity in which they plan to teach. It's inspiring to hear. Yoga changes lives. These students will change lives. It give me goosebumps thinking about it now.

Tracy come in to teach more anatomy goodness. Three more hours on the lower extremities. Students are really connecting the anatomy with the postures. Learning so much! It's good.

The category one hurricane is now a category two. I'm feeling a little concerned about our third story treehouse only a stones throw (actually a toss) from the sea.

And I leave to go have a massage!!! Yes, a massage! At Maya Tulum. With Antonia for the first time. I love her. Truly. Madly. Deeply. :) I'm seeing the importance of Self care. And I must make time for it. Drifting back up the beach after my massage I feel such peace. And also see and feel like the calm before the storm. Amazing how quickly the water rises. Mother Nature, mmmmm mmmmmm.

Ten more hours of intense work today. These yogi's are warriors. Literally.

Tracy and I have dinner. She had already talked to our folks at Zulum and we were going to sleep in another cabana. Turns out we didn't have to . Hurricane Paula has already passed up. She spared Tulum and the yogis. Thankfully so.

day 2 of intensive yoga teacher training - tulum, mexico

The hip bones connected to the knee bone, the knee bones connected to the ankle bone...

That could have been a big part of day two of intensive yoga teacher training here in Tulum, Mexico. The theme for asana (poses) today was standing postures.

We started at 6:30 in the morning just as the sun was rising. Did a practice focusing on sun salutes from previous day and added in 8 standing postures. We did a group meditation from 8:00 - 9:00.

We spend another 2.5 hours breaking down, and reconstructing these poses from the ground up. Discussing how to cue them, observe them, assist them, sequence them (in terms of internal and external hip rotation).

There was much talk of alignment of the feet, especially for the ever controversial warrior I and II. We talked of the uber importance of lining the foot up first, then lining the knee up with the foot for these poses with the leg bent.

Students continue to amaze me with how quickly they are picking this up. How quickly they are taking to the teaching role. It's not easy coming to a place, leaving your family for two weeks, practicing with a new teacher (who does things a little or a lot differently then what they are used to), learning how to be a teacher, and dealing with our fears, doubts, insecurities all at the same time.

We explored linking the breath with asana. We explored the breathing patterns for various postures. We analyzed the breathing cues for sun salutations and discussed how using the breath is really important for stabilizing some poses and how the breath can go either was for other postures or flows.

We explored different types of assisting. And the intention behind assisting. We talked about how we are to enter mindfully into any students yoga space. All believing that the yoga mat becomes a sacred space for most students. We as teachers need to honor and respect that. We talked about getting permission before assisting (if we need to do this everytime or not). Giving assists that are relative to the amount of trust we have built with the student (thank you Michael Porter for giving this bit of biz info that has translated this way).

Questions we can ask ourselves before assiting: is the student in danger of hurting themselves, do I feel confident giving the assist, is there a verbal cue I can use for the whole group, and so on.

We spent time discussing the four major forms of yoga, karma, bhakti, jnana, and raja yoga. Here we are focusing on raja yoga, the path outlined by the great sage Patanjali. We started on the 8 limbs of yoga and only made it to the yama's before we had to move on. Time goes so very quickly! But of course, we'll be back the the juiciness of the 8 limbs. So much wisdom here. Amazing.

Miss Antamony Goddess hereself, Tracy spent anothe three hours with the group lecturing about the spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum), and doing lab with the students in asana. This is so brilliant. And so very helpful for students.

As always I'm learning thorughout this process from my students. Jewels for the day:
**A student loving the assisting part because you get to help which is cool, but even better is celebrating them in their pose. Love. That.

**Touch is all relative. What is a light touch to me could be a very physical touch for another. As always, communication is key.

**Was super inspired by a students deep love and connection to her husband, who she refers to as her soulmate. Her story was so sweet and endearing. It immediately made me miss Andy. And appreciate him too.

We conclude at 6:30 as the sun is setting. It's been a long and rewarding day. More to come!

PS - Clearly I'm off on days. I'm trying to stay committed to blogging daily, but finding the time is hard! So I may be off on days but fully intend to present it.

first day at intensive yoga teacher training

Hola friends!

It's 8:00 right now here in Tulum, Mexico. I just returned to my treehouse over the carribean sea. See the picture above? When I'm lying in my bed and look out, all I see is the most amazing sea. :)

It was quite the day. My alarm went off and 5:00 for me to study ayurveda, as my midterm is perfectly timed for me to take as soon as I return home. Talk about being able to relate to the students here about test anxiety! I didn't actually study ayurveda though. I spent about an hour prepping/reviewing materials for the day.

At 6:10 I walked next door to Cabanas La Luna where almost all the students are staying. Arrived at our operation asana space. Turned on music (i brought ipod and ihome speakers), lit incense (was super impressed that i was able to strike these baby Mexico matches, certainly a first), rolled my mat out, set my props and books up, just as students were filing in for us to begin at 6:30.

We did a class together focusing on sun salutations (classical version, and A & B) and a 20 minute meditation. This took us to 8:30 which was breakfast time. yay! Delicious and beautiful food to feed the hungry and hard working yogi's. It's not a leisure breakfast though. We're back at 9:00 diving into more training.

9:00 - 12:30 we spend discussing sun salutes, breaking down each of the poses in the sun salutations. Looking at ways to approach, ways to modify, what to consider, and sooo much more. We do group work where the 3 groups break down one of the sun alutes and write 3 cues for each pose. And everybdoy teaches for 10 minutes! Yes, we just dive in. It is a yoga teacher training. It's good. Really good. I continue to be amazed at each training about how quickly the time goes.

We break for lunch & siesta 12:30 - 2:30. I eat, take a 20 minute dip in the sea, shower, get dressed, and return for the yoga party. We spend the next hour (2:30 - 3:30) discussing the framework of a yoga class and qualites of yoga teachers. It's inspiring for me to hear the things/qualities these students love in their teachers from all around. In discussing teachers we also let ourselves be open to pondering wonderfulness of all teachers that we've encountered.

Tracy is here and she finished the day by teaching anatomy from 3:30-6:30. Half was lecture and half was lab. Of course everyone thinks Tracy is just the cutest person. And she quite possibly is. I think that all students should sign up for yoga teacher training just to be around Tracy's bubbly, cute self in presenting this material. Cute as a button she is. :) yes I said that.

We clap. We high five. We've just made it through the first day of yoga teacher training!

So satisfying to see these students intrigued by their body, the poses, and this whole process. I'm pretty impressed by the group. Such a great, diverse group from all over. And they're sooo cool! Such rich lives. AND they love yoga. And they're open to doing things differently. And they really want to get it.

I'm a very happy camper right now perched up in my treehouse. I'm pretty darn tired. But happy. Looking forward to tomorrow. Which gets started at 5:00. Which means bunenas noches mi amigas.

Love to all of you.

back in paradise

Are you guys sick of hearing that yet? :) Poor Andy is already being tortured by beautiful pics like the one above. He liked it here pretty good too.

After a long day of travel, starting with a 3:50 am departure from the Big Blue House, I arrived in Cancun at about 12:30. Customs was pretty quick. The only iffy part was when I hit the magic button (you know the one that if you press and land on red you get your bags searched?) and I got a red button.

I take my backpack and suitcase over, lugging all 50 pounds of the suitcase (most of which are books) onto the rack. The nice gentleman searches my bag and pulls out a banana. Appears you're not supposed to bring fruit into the country. Duh. I tell him to be prepared to find an apple. Which he did. Both were taken away. Boo, there goes my snack/possible lunch. He then pulls out my essential oils and asks what they are. I tell. He sniffs and seems content with what I told him, which was armoatherapy oils. For yoga, kind sir.

Roberto is waiting outside in the midst/madness of people standing with signs. People asking to take your bags. And wanting to know where you're going. And with whom. I just avoid making eye contact and act like I know what I'm doing.

Roberto is a lovely man. He moved to Tulum 5 years ago from Mexico City. Always meet the nicest people here. As we enter Tulum he says, "Welcome to Tulum Sharrron." I get goosebumps. I see the turquoise water a few moments later and I clap. Roberto thinks this is funny.

I give hugs to the folks I've come to know at Maya Tulum. Have a delicious late lunch. Go schedule a treatment for tomorrow afternoon. Then I go have a reunite with the big blue open sea. I swim. Float. Paddle. Side kick. Dive into the waves. And let them crash into me. I welcome it all. A wonderful bonus....the sea was the prettiest I've ever seen it today.

I shower then go spend nearly 90 minutes in a restorative yoga class which was absolutely perfect for my long day of travels. The teacher was new to me. Her voice, it was so perfect for the class. So relaxing. And sweet.

After class I lie in a hammock (the hammocks are back, the hammocks are back!) with the yoga bible (yoga sutras) and a blanket. Yes a blanket! I was cool.

Here I am back in the restaurant. I'm not hungry for dinner so I'm drinking hot ginger tea. Sending emails and catching up here.

I gotta say that getting here today has been such a great affirmation for the training that's coming up. I really can't wait. I just know it's gonna be great.

Love to all of you at home! Am thinking of you....

soon it begins

This could be my last post before we embark on the intensive yoga teacher training in Mexico. I'll get to spend a short time at Maya Tulum. Just enough time to eat my fave foods, get a treatment or two, hang out on the beach, and gift myself with some yoga.

Saturday I'll be checking in at Zulum (15 minute walk down the beach from Maya Tulum) and getting ready to greet the trainees as they roll in. We'll have dinner together, do an opening, and get ready to roll. We start bright and early Sunday at 6:30 and will conclude our day at 6:30 pm. We'll do this every day that we are there.

We will be eating, drinking, doing, living, breathing and being yoga. For two weeks these students from America, Canada, Peru, and Chile will immerse themselves in all things yoga. It's gonna be beautiful. And confusing. Fulfilling. Frustrating. Deeply satisfying and so much more.

They will study yoga.
And what it means to be a teacher.
They will study themselves.
They will connect with the teachings, each other, the sun, sand, and sea.

Right now I'm feeling a little nervous.
But mostly excited. And hopeful. Very full.
Wondering what I'll forget as far as logistics.
Praying that I'll be reminded daily of why I'm there. Which is to share the yoga that I love so much. That I believe in so much.
A yoga that helps heal our old wounds and scars.
A yoga that helps heal the world.

Hoping that I'll rest in the place of my most authentic self. Imperfections and all. Feeling comfortable and human. And knowing that this is the teacher that I'm meant to be.

a letter to monday

Dear Monday,

Today you are cold. And dreary. And gray. I'm trying really hard to not hold that against you, for I know that you can't always be sunny, warm, and clear.

I am noticing that I'm not feeling terribly motivated today. I'm barely feeling motivated at all. At first I wanted to blame all of it on you. But I'm trying not to make such quick assumptions.

The lack on motivation may be just a tiny bit due to you. But most of it's all mine. I'm trying to think of where the lack of motivation is coming from. I think I've come up with a few possibilities:

1. I spent three quick days in Philly. Two of which were realllly intense mentally, and just reallly intense emotionally. Working of my biz also meant I was working on my stuff. Not so easy.

2. Schedule is off. Sleep. Work. Workout. Yoga. Meditation. All of it.

3. I've been super busy getting all the details for Mexico in place and now it's here. It's a new thing. It's a really big thing. I think part of me knows I need to be conserving myself this week in order to be what I want and hope to be in Mexico.

4. Eating habits. I've been doing so super great with eating foods that are helping me to feel great. Some of that got thrown off while traveling and since being back. Not to the degree that it has in the past. But a little.

5. Not using time appropriately. I did spend about 4 hours yesterday with Andy and our BFF couple friend. But I spent the majority of the day working. I should have rested. And renewed. I didn't.

6. Driving. Monday is usally my day not to drive. Since I'm leaving town again I had no other choice. I'm at the studio now doing things. Phooey.

So this is what I'm needing from you Monday.

I need for you to help me to get the things done that need to be done. And I need to get them done sooner rather than later. I don't wait to enter Mexico feeling rushed.

I need to spend time with Andy. Maybe we can go to the library this evening. Maybe I can cook us a nice meal. Then we can work on the puzzle that's scattered all over our kitchen table.

I need to do something nice for me today that doesn't involve work or taking care of anybody else. Time to journal. A nice hot bath. A nice yoga practice. Going to bed early and reading for pleasure.

There, I think that's it. Just help me get a few work things done. Help me spend time with Andy. And time with myself.

If I can do these things I'll surely start Tuesday (your friend) off feeling much better then today. I promise to appreciate you today. And not be upset about your gray sky. And cool air. You are still beautiful.

day 2 of buisness retreat

My second and last day of the business retreat went really well. I did want to backup to the first day for just a moment. Clearly Thursday was a full day. By the time I left at 5:30 my head was literally swimming with thoughts, ideas, aha's, and frustrations (like most good learning opportunities).

When I left Michael Port's house I went directly and got a massage. Walked in at 5:45 and was on the massage table at 6:00. It was probably the best decision I could have made for myself. I knew that I needed to get out of my head. What better way than grounding myself back into my body?

It was still a challenge to let the thinking go. Actually the biggest challenge ever in this area for me. Usually I can be so very present in a massage. Not so much this day. But nonetheless it did the trick. My body and my mind thanked me immensely. They told me so. :)

I left here and went across the street and got a new 2011 planner to map out the next 12 months. I wanted to get started on this plus I wanted to be prepped and ready for day 2.

Day 2 was spent on marketing of products and services. We discussed the most important places to focus time and effort. This is a very specific process that Michael has. Which again wasn't so easy for me.

Process = Rules = Constraints
All of which mean less freedom for me.
Ick.

Holes in his system? Not so much.
Holes in my mind? Perhaps. :)

Clearly I'll need to approach this system in a much different mindset. And I will. I'll find a way that it will work for me and that I can feel good about. Cause I know it's something I need to do.

A powerful yoga analogy for the day (in speaking about all the marketing/networking stuff) was practice and nonattachment. I have in my notes:

"Be attached to the process. Be attached to creating discipline.
Be unattached to the outcome."
So very yogic.

Practice and nonattachment, that's the way the ancient yogis told us to approach life on and off that mat.

We worked on specific projects for our business. In creating tables, time lines, lists, and so on. We explored steps for implementation.

Finishing time actually came a little early. Again, full minds were had by all. We decided to put the notes away. Open a bottle of wine. Hang out. Chill out. Enjoy each other's company. And eat the most amazing meal prepared right there at Michael's house by a really amazing chef.

Two super intense days.
Super happy I went.
Feeling so excited about the future of Barefoot Works.
Which is a big reminder of how very blessed I am.
And I thank you.
Always.

why building a business is like practicing warrior I

Greetings Friends!

Wow, what a day?! A day that started at 5:45 this morning. Not sure what is going on on the sleeping front....thinkin' it might be the excitement and anticipation of all that's going on. Or my kapha body is getting really happy and balanced and doesn't feel the need to lounge in bed so long. Combined with the fact that I've been going to bed earlier, all making for an early rising (and shining sometimes too :)

I did work for about in hour, part of which was an email I sent announcing the 500 hour yoga teacher training we'll begin hosting in January! Yay for the yoga love....
Retta literally got the info posted last night. We were emailing back and forth, back and forth some more. It wasn't even officially linked up to the site but I just couldn't wait! Not the most brilliant of marketing plans, but hey....The excitement definitely won out on that one.

I also spent time on the floor of my BIG spacious room doing sun salutations, standing flow, a seated forward fold, then finishing with chanting and meditation to prepare my body and mind for the day.

And the actual day o' business. Shewwww it was pretty intense. Our two days are broken into three core areas:
1. Business Models
2. Operations, Projects, Systems
3. Marketing

It's a small, lovely, diverse group of biz owners. I feel totally at home and at ease. We actually met around Michael's (leader) dining room table the whole day. Very informal. Just the way I like it.

I have so many notes. I'm looking down at them now and see things like:

1. What's the BIGGER picture? What are the offerings to provide to get you there?
2. Business is like a house. You start with a foundation then you continue to add and expand as time goes on.
3. What great entrepreneurs do: articulate what they offer, reconfigure what they have, and cross appropriate (which I had no idea what this meant and he followed up with take good ideas from other industries, ethically of course).
4. Good entrepreneurs must be willing and able to re-configure, change, and improve with the times.
5. Three reasons to have a target market: so you know where to find your people, when you show up they know you're dedicated to them, they have a network to help you share your thing, your gift.

And. So. Much. More. Michael at one point was a yoga teacher. He still has a yoga and meditation practice (it was upon seeing this in his bio that convinced me sign up for the program). All throughout the day he referenced yoga analogies (four of us six entrepreneurs teach and/or practice yoga).

He says building a business is much like practicing Warrior I. Hmmmm, ok. "Sharon, where do you begin Warrior I?" At the feet I respond. "Of course. Then what?" The ankles and knees, again I respond. "Yep, we keep building the business much like we build Warrior I. It's not about how pretty the hands are overhead in Warrior I." Yes, you're right Michael. I couldn't have said it better.

In talking about projects and how some will be successful and some will fail he referenced the deities of creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu), and destruction (Shiva). I totally got and loved this.

Perhaps my personal most useful yoga analogy came at the end of the day when he asked us two things we were taking from the day:
1. Greatest challenge
2. Something exciting

Most exciting = Working on planning my next 12 - 24 months! Yes, just the stuff I love.

My challenge = constraints. Nooooo! Isn't that why I own a business...not having to endure constraints?! Michael spoke about how we need to be disciplined and take time each day and do the work...creating the protocol, the systems, the blah blah blah. He says (hear that tone) that constraints will create more business freedom. But this was tough for me. Not my happy place.

His yoga analogy was practicing a yoga pose. We come into, align our bones and muscles. We consciously create stability (and yes this is exactly what I say when I teach). Then we use the breath to access space. And freedom. And the general juiciness.

So again, my aversion to being constrained comes up. The one final thing Michael stated that pretty much gave me goose bumps....

"Most times business problems are personal problems in disguise."

And I'll leave it at that friends. Have a sweet night....

5 reasons why today was pretty perfect

1. Easy travels! Today most things were in my favor which was pretty awesome. A stunning drive from Lexington to Louisville airport. Sunny and I saw my first real hint of fall passing over the river and seeing the turning of leaves. Had a healthy breakfast at the airport, flight on time, good work done on the flight (planned two series/themes of blog posts), navigated Philly airport easily, got my rental car, drive about 45 minutes north to my destination....without getting lost! YES. Navigating cities for a gal from the holler is tough. The only "thing" was I sorta went through the easy pass thing without getting a ticket, which meant I had to hold up traffic and pay a bit more at a later point. Ooops.

2. Sweet peeps. I've met the nicest people so far. The guy that picked me up to shuttle me over to the rental car place thought I'd be upset for having to wait a few extra minutes longer. I was just happy to be there. He says to me, "Sweet gal from the Bluegrass State. Are you married?" I respond, 'Yep" and he asks how long..."Nearly ten years." He says, "And you're this relaxed?!" Must be the yoga. :)

Super friendly gal at the hotel who went above and beyond the call of duty when I inquired about a good vegetarian restaurant to eat at. Colleen is my new best friend cause the place she sent me to was heaven. And where I met the next super delightful person at Blue Sage. A veggies gal's dream come true.

3. Blue Sage. If I weren't married to Andy I'd want to marry this place. The black bean soup, the salad, even the tea tasted better here! I'm gonna try my best to make it back!

4. Surprises! When I checked into the hotel I was surprised to hear that I had a jacuzzi room. My room is pretty fab. Big and spacious with king bed, sitting area, kitchen area, AND a jacuzzi. All of it was a bonus as I didn't know.

Also the restaurant I was going to didn't open till 4:30. I arrived at 4:00 starving cause I hadn't had lunch. I decided it was worth the wait. I drove down the street to see what I could find. After driving for a few minutes I didn't see anything appealing. I pull onto a street to turn around when I see "Bunn's Natural Foods". Yay, the perfect place to get a few snacks (dried cherries and a couple Lara Bars) and goodies for me. I got two packages of aromatherapy bath powders and foot lotion.

5. And lastly I LOVE that there is a bookstore close by. Even more so I love that every single time I go into a bookstore the very first place I go to are the yoga books. I love that I still love yoga this much. Sorry, that's a lot of loves. And of course, I bought a book. It was one I've been wanting. How can a gal resist?

soul care

Helllllooooo Friends, I do hope you are well. :)

Life has been full the past few days. Yoga classes, private sessions, meetings with teachers, teaching ayurveda workshop, private sessions, paying yoga bills, coordinating subs for travels, working on newsletter, website updates/ mini re-vamp, uber BIG news for future yoga happening, working with designer, ayurveda studies/homework/quiz/phone meetings with teacher, arranging hotel & rental car for trip to Philly (leaving tomorrow!), staying connected to Mexico trainees, working out menu for Mexico food, ordering good for Mexico, and printing stuff, and gathering what I need, finalizing the schedule, and coordinating with guest teachers, and......whewwwww. I'll stop.

But what I did do was carve out time on Sunday to take care of my soul. Cause I knew that life was gonna get reallly full beginning this week.

On Sunday Andy and I took the dogs for a hike at Tom Dorman Nature Preserve. Love getting out and walking on the dirt and feeling the trees around me. Is there anything like being out in the woods on a new fall day?

Came home and made a healthy mango smoothie for lunch. Then I spent three whole hours in my yoga room. Yes, three! It was so great. I've been struggling with the idea of transitioning from summer to fall. My intention was to use the time to officially make the leap. I did yin yoga followed by vinyasa yoga (focusing on slow mindful movements), Meditation and journaling too. Right now I'm thinking of ways to celebrate the dreams that are coming true for me now (Mexico training and Ayurveda!) All too often I skip over the celebrating part and go right onto the next thing. But I so clearly see the value of pausing between.

I also spent some time also pondering the best ways to take care of mySelf in Mexico for what is sure to be an intense time.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Philadelphia to go join sever other entrepreneurs for business mentoring. Yay for my very first business retreat. I'll be back Saturday. I'm taking the pinktop along so hopefully I'll have time to post about what I'm learning.

What about you? Any dreams coming true that you're celebrating/acknowledging? Have you make the transition to fall?

peace and a cleanse, days 4 and 5

I got up early this morning, 6:00. My initial plan was to get up at 7:00 and review notes for the intro to ayurveda workshop I'm teaching today (you can still come!). However I woke up at 6:00 and pretty happily got up outta bed. Bella, mine and Andy's dog of 12 years follows me sleepily out of our bedroom.y

I gather my notes, notebook, planner, and pinktop to put on the chaise lounge. I make a cuppa healthy fasting tea from Yogi Tea. It's sits for five minutes then I add a splash of soy milk.

I return to the chaise lounge and begin reviewing my notes and timeline for today's workshop. All of a sudden I'm struck by a deep sense of peace. It was one of those moments you wish you could bottle up and savor again on a rainy day. I think it was a combination of the quiet, still dark, yet growing lighter by the minute time of day. Right now I begin to hear birds chirping. People are awaking. And driving as cars begin moving up and down the busy street I live on. It's the moments like these that remind me that peace can be tapped into at any time, if we so choose.

I also feel like the cleanse this week has created a clearing of some sort to allow this peace to be felt. To be known and appreciated.

The last two days have gone even better than I have expected. Thursday for breakfast (after teaching my 9:15 class) I had a pear. I went to Coffee Times to work for a few hours and had a cider chai. I imagine there was some sugar in this (and not just the natural sugar from the cider). It was actually waayyyyy too sweet for me. I didn't even drink half of it. That's a (big) change for me.

I met a friend for lunch at the co-op and had a cuppa red pepper soup, greens (I love em' here), and a small amount of a veggie casseroley dish. I did check all the labels to make sure there was no dairy in the ingredients.

Dinner was another cup of tomato soup.

I was a lil nervous about yesterday because I invited some friends over to our house for dinner. It was a Mexican theme AND I still ate the right foods for my kapha cleanse. I made black bean tacos, bought mushroom quesadillas from Whole Foods, and made a salad. For the tacos I mixed ginger and curry powder in with the beans to spice em' up. Also had loads of cooked onions, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, and guacamole to top them with. I took all the veggies. And left the guacamole, as it's not a food I should be having this week. We also had chips...that I didn't eat. I didn't eat the quesadillas. And my friend brought a dessert....that I didn't eat. I couldn't believe that it was so easy to say no to the dessert. So I stuck with the black bean tacos and salad and felt reallllly good about it.

Last night we were hanging out in the kitchen and talking about cleanses/fasts. Of course Andy chimes in because I have somehow managed him to do some cleansing with me, most recently in the spring. And my sister who did about half a day of the master cleanse last fall when I did that one.

The difference to me is this is the first time I've done a cleanse and it hasn't really felt like a cleanse in the sense that I feel like I'm depriving myself. So that's a really new (and cool) thing too.

When I started this cleanse I wasn't sure how long I was gonna do it. I'm into day 6and it really just sorta feels like this is simply how I should be eating. I'll have to see what this means for me. Will keep ya posted with the eats!

cleanse, days 2 & 3

At the end of day three for my cleanse and all is well! I had a moment yesterday. I was having a busy day, doing tasks that aren't my fave....not my happy places. I was feeling a little irritable and I thought, "I want a latte." So I stayed with that thought. Noticed how my body was feeling in the moment. And while my mind was saying to me, "Yes a latte will make all this better!", my intellect, the place of wisdom within me knew that I didn't reallllly need a latte. The latte craving was simply a way that I couldn't "sweeten up" my crappy mood. It was out of habit. Out of pattern.

Happy to report that I am still latte free. :) And eating wholesome foods. No dairy, no sugar, no bread. Here is what I've had the last two days:

Yesterday:
Breakfast was a strawberry smoothie (handful of strawberries bleneded with a cup of soymilk. Lovvvve this smoothie. Not too thick and not too cold for me. That's it in the pic above.
Lunch was leftovers from the night before which was parsnip and apple soup, veggies, and a made a serving of barley.
Dinner was a cup of black bean soup.

Today:
Breakfast was another strawberry smoothie.
Had lunch with sis and nieces at Mr. Kabab. I had the lentil soup and grape leaves. The grape leaves were probably a little too heavy, but I made the best decision I could. I was gonna have the greek salad but they have them already made up and they were topped with feta cheese.
On the way home from the studio I had a peach and dinner was a cup of tomato soup. Yep, lots of soup. Good thing we're into fall. :)

As I sit here writing Andy and I are watching some show on TLC and this gal is addicted to soda. She has 30 a day! Yes, 30 a day!!

And I just realized I've posted three whole times on my blog today. Pretty certain that's a record. Adios mi amigas!

standing in awe

Just a while ago I stepped onto my mat. I kneeled down on my knees. And read a poem by Hafiz. His crazy, ecstatic, beautiful words have a tendency to stop me dead in my tracks. And they did.

What stopped me even more in my tracks was coming to stand on my mat in mountain pose. Bringing hands in front of my heart in a reverent way. Stopping. Eyes closed. Breathing.

Feeling such sense of gratitude and awe for this practice of yoga. For all of it. The ethics, the poses, the breath, the concentration, the meditation. Feeling so very lucky that these ancient yogi's were such brilliant souls. That they took the time to ask the BIG questions in life, to work, study, and experience how the body, mind, and soul could be affected. By poses, food, thoughts, nature and so much more.

That's what I'm thinking and feeling right now in this moment. Am so excited to get to teach two classes and a private session today and share a bit of that wisdom, elegance, and beauty too.

**photo of Sarah and Delia at our old studio. Sweet lil' place it was.**

yoga and ayurveda

I am always reminding you during class that you shouldn't base your yoga practice on those around you. Why is this? From the very beginning of my teaching I've wanted yoga class to be a time that you can focus on yourself, and not those around you. I've wanted class to be a time that you could honor your own body and your process with the understanding that this varies from the person next to you.

It wasn't until this year when I started studying Ayurveda (the sister science of yoga) that I realized why this system approaches the practice of the postures from an understanding of individuality, meaning the doshas. Asanas are categorized for their effect on vata, pitta, and kapha. Ayurveda takes into consideration the type of asana (pose), as well as the flow and speed in which it is practiced.

Vata types are generally slight in build, with small bones and thin frames. They usually have a great deal of flexibility and agility when young, but lack energy and stamina. Of all the doshas, vata types can benefit most from yoga, as they can be somewhat frail and prone to excessive movement. Asana is also helpful for vata types as it can help access stillness for meditation.

Pitta types have medium or average builds. They usually possess a good musculature and flexibility. When they dedicate themselves to asana, they can become quite good. They can also be so very dedicated that they can make their joints too loose from excessive practice thus creating problems just as significant as too much stiffness in the joints. Psychologically pitas are aggressive and like to excel at what they do. This high achievement is not something recommended for asana. They can be good at the physical/technical part of the practice but lose the spiritual side of the practice.

Kapha types are usually stocky and hold weight easily. They are generally shorter than average, but sometimes taller. They usually have short bones and generally poor flexibility. Kapha types should not try to force themselves into poses that are not appropriate for the joints that they have. Kapha types tend to be sedentary and need to be motivated to be physically active. They need more active exercise stimulating their metabolism and increasing circulation. Sweating, even profusely is good! Being pushed and made to do stronger exercises than they like is good.

I think it's so very fascinating, helpful, and freeing when we can learn how to live in harmony with our body!

If you're interested in learning more about ayurveda, determining your dosha, and the types of foods you should favor, and the recommended way to practice asana please join me this Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00.

**photo taken this summer at our retreat in tulum, mexico! see how similar it is to our studio here in lex? love it.**

day one of kapha cleanse

Yay, all was well with the first day of the kapha reducing cleanse!

*At about 10:00 I had breakfast which was strawberries and a pear.
*Had plain coffee....no cream, no sugar.
*Just after 1:00 I juiced two carrots, two celery stalks, two apples, and half a lemon. Would have thrown in some spinach but it had gone bad. This ended up being my lunch. I had planned to have something else but this did the trick.
*I cooked and Andy and I ate around 5:30 (we love to eat dinner early). I made a parsnip and apple soup and baked veggies (the ones in the pic above). I liked both of them ok, but I have to be honest and say they weren't my fave. I however, was a much bigger fan than Andy. Let's just say that he started the cleanse with me, but has now oficially broken the cleanse. ;)
*At about 8:00 I made a cuppa warm soymilk with ginger, pumpkin, and cinnamom spices. It was de-lish.

I felt really good all day long. I was never really hungry, maybe my tummy growled a wee bit before dinner. And it was Monday! I do love Monday. I do think ideally it's great to be able to take a staycation (and be at home) when doing a cleanse. Although I was super surprised when I did the 10 day Master Cleanse at how easy it way. Actually it was most likely cause there was really no food prep. You just drank the concoction!

Alright loads to do on this end! Wishing you a healthy and happy day.

happy, grand, conscious monday

Ahhh Monday I do love you. The start of the week. And the beginnings of a fall kapha cleanse for me. First off some of y'all know of my love affair with Monday. It's my designated no driving anywhere day and my designated day to do whatever I please.

The days usually starts about 6:30, when Andy is leaving for school (which is his work since he's a teacher :). I wake, make a cuppa hot tea,and cozy up in bed with all things ayurveda around me....books, laptop (for homework/quizzes), notecards, notebook, binder, pens, etc. It looks like the photo above.

I study for at least an hour and a half. Then go for a run, sometimes with ipod, sometimes without. This morning I took along and listened to yogi/kirtan extraordinaire David Newman. It was such a crazy beautiful morning. I was running along, listening/singing along to some of my new found fave chants all with a big smile plastered on my face. Don't get me wrong, there isn't always a smile plastered there. And get this...people responded to my happiness. There was an abundance of waves, smiles, good mornings, and hellos sprinkled throughout my run.

I got back to my house and went upstairs to another happy place, my yoga room. I open the door, step in, and immediately feel relaxed. The smell of sattvic incense lingers. My plant is green, long, flowing and happy. I scan around the small room filled only with things that makes me feel happy, healthy, and hope-full.

My purple yoga mat sits in the center of the room, a few feet from the window in front of me and the wall behind me. I spend another 30 minutes practicing sun salutations and mantra meditation. I leave this space feeling even better then when I came in. I even wonder now how that was possible.

I shower then make breakfast, my first meal for the day. I chose foods that (I thought) would make feel happy and feel healthy... strawberries and a pear. I have to say that this is the cleanse that I'm probably least prepared for. Yesterday morning I pulled out my fabulous ayurveda cookbook (that has so much more than recipes). I went through it and got an idea of what I'd eat for the week, mostly fruits, veggies, and light(er) grains. I'm choosing to eliminate dairy, sugar, and bread this week. And of course pay careful attention to how I'm feeling.

Now I find myself at Main and Maple sitting in a sweet spot next to a window. I ordered a coffee (chose not to eliminate caffeine this week). I usually get it with some soymilk. They are out of soymilk. Mindlessly I turn to the counter behind me to get a splash of cream before realizing that I'm not having dairy. Oh yeah....

So that's what I'm doing this week for my cleanse. In the past I've done juice fasts, the master cleanse, fruits and veggies. This fall for my cleanse I'm going to eat foods recommended for my dosha and make more conscious decisions about what I eat.

Happy Monday my friends. May it be a grand one. And a conscious one too. :)

why i adore yoga

A couple days ago I blogged about how I can't really tell how advanced you are as a yogi simply by looking at you. Also I didn't put a whole lot of emphasis on the asana (yoga poses) part. So if it's not about perfecting the pose what's it all about?

First off let me say that I love love love the asana practice. I love partaking in it, I love teaching it, I love being a witness to it.

In fact sometimes while I'm teaching I get totally blown away by just how beautiful the vinyasa practice is. Really, to witness a room of people moving with their breath, engaging in this dancelike yoga practice is ahhhmazing. For yoga teacher training students are required to observe classes. Over and over I hear, "Wow, I never realized how beautiful a yoga class is." **side note, we are taking applications for 2011 training in Lexington.**

I celebrate myself when I finalllly feel like I get a pose.
I celebrate you when I see you finalllly getting a pose you've been working diligently on. It feels pretty cool to feel stronger in a pose. And to feel more open and flexible in my body.

I know how fantastic the yoga practice is for our physical body. With this part alone you have the equivalent of the most amazing cake (most recently Sarah's wedding cake). I also know how utterly amazing it is for the mind and the heart (I use spirit and heart interchangeably, depending on the day and mood :) too.

You add the mind part....it's the equivalent of adding sprinkles.
You add the heart/spirit....it's the equivalent of adding ice cream.
Yes, it is good!

Why settle for a portion when you can have it all?

I'd love to share with you why I love and adore to practice yoga asana. I dedicate this time for self exploration, a time to practice self acceptance, and as a tool for self transformation.

Self Exploration - during any given practice I might notice:
*the current state of my body. Where do I feel tight and where do I feel? Can I use my breath to enliven, awaken parts of my body? How did I use my body yesterday or today and how might that affect what I'm feeling? Where am i directing my thoughts? Why do I want to come out of this particular pose? Is there a way I can let go of tension right now? Can I breathe more deeply? Where am I holding? What emotions am I experiencing? What am I having for dinner? Oh wait...

Self Acceptance - I really make a strong effort to let my practice be a time that I get to appreciate my body for all that it does and all that it allows me to be. Typically those thoughts of ,"Why can't I do more? Why is this so hard? I wish I could get my leg higher? can and do creep into practice. As soon as those thoughts creep in, I shoo em' on out. Why do I not stress or give myself a hard time about getting better? Because I think that life tells us this far too often...that we're not good enough. And it's really important to me that the time I spend on the yoga mat doesn't become another thing to suck at. The media already tells us we're not _______(insert word of your choice) enough. It doesn't serve me. Or you. Or you.

Self Transformation - Yeah that's a pretty big word, but I hold true to this being a big reason for my practice. To me transformation is a marked change. It's one for the better. It could be radical, it doesn't have to. And the thing is, I always finish a yoga practice feeling like a different person than when I started. And I've witnessed too many people coming into the studio feeling tired, confused, hurt, overwhelmed, etc. Andt they leave feeling like a different person. Somewhere in that 75 minutes a marked change has occurred. A transformation on some level.

It's so not just about the poses.
It's so not just about your body.
It's about your breath.
It's about your mind.
It's about your own wisdom.
It's about accessing a rich juicy place inside you that basks in joy.

Wishing you a rich and juicy sorta day.
And as always, would love to hear your thoughts.

six (or seven) spots left for fall yoga retreat!

Yogini's join me for a weekend of yoga, meditation, inquiry, rest, AND play. We'll kick the weekend off with a delicious vegetarian dinner. It is the first of several healthy and wholesome meals. We will have one session Friday night. Saturday we'll have three sessions together and one on Sunday. All of our sessions together will be about feeding the soul. Women are leading busier lives than ever. We're doing wonderful, fantastic, great things, but we're unsure of how to find stillness in the midst of the activities. Or perhaps we know what we do, but we don't give ourselves permission. We're still searching for "something".

Together we'll consciously contemplate, discuss, and explore those things that bring us back to center. By the end of the weekend it is my hope that you will have reconnected to one activity, one thing (big or small) that you can do that nurtures your soul.

That's the plan for the weekend. The cost is $300 and this includes everything for the weekend. One of the reasons it's so affordable is that rooms are dormitory style. There will be four women sharing a room. Bathrooms and showers are plentiful. There are plenty of spaces for quiet and solitude, and opportunities to be part of a group. This is another great thing about retreating.

There is no deadline for registration. We have 6 (or 7) spaces available. I expect to fill up as we did last year.

If you'd like to register, you can do so here.... http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=2996&stype=-8
Or you can call me at 859-433-7787.

are you an advanced yogi? psst, it means more than just twisting yourself into a pretzel

Both yoga and ayurveda are highly refined practices. On the outside the yoga postures appear to be gross, exaggerated and BIG. We can see arms, legs, and torsos forming triangles, squares, side angles, trees, lions, and even warriors.

But I think, practice, and teach that there is soooo much more to yoga than meets the eye. The real juice to the practice is much more subtle, it's so refined that it cant be seen with my eyes as I'm leading you through a class.

To me this is where the pose (asana) meets the mind and the heart. And we might use the breath to access both. Matters of the breath, mind, and heart are much more subtle than the actually pose on the mat.

This is one of the reasons why I always say that one can never tell how "advanced" a yoga student is during an asana practice. Sure you may be able to pull off amazing feats with your physical body, but what amazing feats can you perform when it comes to matters of the mind and heart?

You may be standing in a forward fold so deeply that the crown of your head is on the floor. You could be thinking....

"When are we even gonna move onto another pose. Clearly I've already mastered this one. Why the heck are we even doing this pose,I mean this is a Level 2 class after all. I wonder what I'll have for dinner tonight. Mmmm, hummus sounds good. But I had that yesterday. Oh good, we're finally moving onto another pose. I thought that was never gonna end. Inhale....

You could be in the same class, same pose (even standing next to this person above) folding forward, fingertips no where near the floor so no chance the crown is going down (unless you fall over of course) and thinking....

"Alright this is where I am for today. Even though my head is no where near the floor I can be in the moment in this pose and feel a sense of gratitude for my body. I can practice patience right now. Oh wait, I'm thinking....inhale, exhale. Repeat.

You tell me which is the more advanced student? Especially when it comes to matters of the body, mind, and heart. Luckily for us, practicing the full scope of yoga (not just the poses) brings better balance to all. Yipsters!

I present these two angles not to show how different we are (cause ultimately I really do believe that we are one and want us to act this way).

I present these so that we start to open our minds about the yoga practice and our experiences with our body is only a lil' part of the overall yoga picture. :)

Happy body, mind, and heart to you today my friends!

weekend ramblings of wishes, teachings, webinars, collages, and the blog post that set my soul afire...

Happy Monday!! This day is off to a beautiful start. Woke at 6:30 and studied ayurveda for 1.5 hours. Laced up my shoes and went out for 30 minute run/walk, enjoyed 30 more minutes of yoga, solo chanting/singing/yoga yelling, brief meditation, then journaled about a fabulous idea for a future retreat that came to me while running (yippy!!). I had quite a bit of honeydew left from the par-tee on Friday night so I made a green smoothie with it (honeydew, spinach, and water) and had a nutritious breakfast. I made it more dosha friendly for me by making it more thin and soupy and used water that was room temperature.

I had a really great weekend. We had our fourth anniversary celebration Saturday with white balloons, pretty flowers, yummy food (and cupcakes too!) and made complete with great acoustic music by Harmony Gullette, henna by Jamie, and a sweet lil wishing well. It was an invitation for students to write what they were grateful for as far as BW's and make a wish of their own.

I loved that Andy wrote "family" for the studio. Even though he doesn't take class very often, he knows that's what it feels like, what it is. Community was also written, and I think that's the same as family. Other words included healing, love, peace, abundance, magic, tranquility, and so on. It's so sweet. If you didn't get to attend the party, please write on your rock this week at the studio. That will make me a happy happy gal. :)

Jamie also worked her henna magic. The yogis always crown around her, look at designs, and patiently wait their turn. This time I asked Jamie to paint "wish words" and she obliged and went along with the theme love. We have a Sanskrit book at the studio and Anne Dean was brilliant (she was also dazzling when she taught her first class at the studio on Saturday) when she suggested Jamie use it to paint the Sanskrit words.

Yoginis had lovely words such as anjali mudra, vishudda, anahata, om, and so on painted on. I had Kali painted on me (the word, not the image although Jamie suggested we some day paint her on and I think that's a fabulous idea), cause I want to own my power and kick some yoga ass as needed. And stick my tongue while doing so.
**this is the equivalent as two other yoginis (names with held) who wrote "balls" and "joan" on their rocks for themselves**

We've added another awesome teacher to our roster too. Anne Dean will be rotating with me every other Saturday. She taught a great class Saturday morning with a heart centered (anahata) them. She finished and we applauded. Yep, she rocked it. Students said to me after class, "Wow she is a grrreat teacher." And she is. Do come see for yourself.

Yesterday I spent seven hours (yep seven) on a marketing webinar. And guess what? I totally loved it! Loved the approach, the information, and the collaboration. People from all over joining together. Ahhh technology you can really rock it. I'll be back in webinar heaven for sever more hours next Sunday.

I did however take time last night to make the collage you see above of amazingly powerful, beautiful, and inspiring women. You cant see but on the opposite page is a printout of this blog post by Danielle Laporte titled the initiated woman that totally set my soul afire.

This Saturday and next Saturday I'll be teaching an Introduction to Ayurveda workshop. This Saturday at Om Place in Winchester. Sorry folks it's all sold out at 30 students. I think it has more to do with Erin being a yoga rock star than me (Erin if you are reading, I will someday get you a shirt).

Next Saturday (Sept 25) I'm teaching at the studio from 1:00-4:00. Apparently I put October 25 in the newsletter. Oops, I was a month off.

the bride, yoginis, and a wish party

Sarah had her own version of a wish party this past Sunday when she became Mrs. Bowker! I am completely in love with this photo of BW's teachers taken by the amazing photographer/yoga extraordinaire Crystal Heis.

So if you haven't heard, we're having a party tonight celebrating four years of yoga love! Please come out for music, henna, wishing, lite food, drinks, and Babycake Cupcakes! 6:30 - 8:30!

the art of balance and a computer cleanse

Hola Amigas!

I hope you've had an awesome week. I've been taking a little computer cleanse this week. When I took stock of just how much time I was spending online I felt pretty shocked. I saw the signs.....
I wasn't just reading the several blogs I check in with daily.
Wasn't just checking email a few times.
Wasn't just visiting facebook a couple times a day.

Nooooo it was much more. On Saturday evening, what started with me doing some "research" online (isn't that what we all call it) ended several hours later with me feeling dizzy, dull, and in a general stuper. Foggy is putting it lightly.

If you have read or hear about the gunas (both yoga and ayurveda lingo), I was certainly in a tamasic state. The three gunas exist pretty much everywhere, being a part of primal nature. According to Ayurveda we're all made of the same elements that exist in nature....space, air, fire, water, and wind. What makes us different is how much we have of each. That's also how we identify our dosha. Haven't taken your dosha quiz yet? C'mon...go here (not now, after you finish reading).

Anyway, back to the gunas. There are three:
1. Rajas (realllly active qualities)
2. Tamas (realllly inactive qualities)
3. Sattva (ahhh perfect balance)

Sorta like Goldilocks sampling the soup. One was too hot (rajas) one was too cold (tamas) and one was just right (sattva).

My computer overload time left me feeling pretty darn dull (tamas). And I realized that I was getting in a pretty bad habit with just how much time was being spent on the computer. Truth is, that's not what I want to spend my mind time. Here and there it's fun. Sleeping with your laptop. Not so much.

To move back to a place of balance (sattva) I knew I had to limit myself. On Sunday absolutely no computer time. Monday just a few minutes on facebook (I wanted to see the pretty bride Sarah in pics). The rest of this week I've only been on the computer if it's a must for work. Guess what?! All the computer info and love in the world is still there! Ahhh life is good.

I started thinking more about the gunas this week when I read a passage in the Bhagavad Gita. Essentially it said that one's consciousness is elevated when one experiences inaction in action and action in inaction.

Which got me to thinking about the gunas. I think that ultimately we each live lives in which we are falling in and out of balance. Sometimes the arms are even flailing around. And again and again (as many times as needed) moving back in the direction of balance (which is of course all relative, right...balance for me is totally different for the next person).

So that's my reason for being absent from the blog. And ponderings of the past couple days. And I gotta be honest and ask.....

Do you find this interesting? Surely I'm not the only one so very intrigued by all of this. Or maybe I am. ;)

insight + experience = wisdom

I've been studying ayurveda since the spring with California College of Ayurveda. It's going well. This is the first time I'm taking a course that is primarily distance learning. Being here in Kentucky, it's pretty much the only option. I Will be taking some time out in California next year for my studies.

When I attended Journey Into Healing in February with the Chopra Center, Deepak said something that stuck with me...

insight + experience = wisdom

To have an understanding of something is one thing.
To have an understanding and to experience is a totally different thing.

We've all been told what we should do.
What we shouldn't do.
The right way, and the wrong way.

And while in makes sense mentally, we're still missing....
something.

I had a direct experience with this today, on my morning run actually.

For two months in my ayurveda course I've been studying anatomy and physiology. I've studied the twenty attributes, the five elements, the five doshas, the five subdoshas, the seven dhatus, the four states of agni, the thirteen (basic, cause there are really too many in the body to count)agnis, the three stages of digestion, the sixteen major srotas.....well you get the point.

I'm totally immersed as a student of ayurveda. Reading, writing, processing, memorizing, doing all that I can to retain and understand the information.

And today I took a step in the direction of truly getting it when insight collided with experience. Insert booming, crashing and clanging noises.

In my ayurveda studies I'm learning more about my dosha (learn about yours here) what I should and shouldn't eat, lifestyle practices to balance my dosha, proper use of my senses, and so on.

While I'm getting it on a mental level, I wasn't really "getting it." Somethings been missing, it's the direct experience part.

Yesterday I had cereal for breakfast, lunch was a falafel sandwich, and dinner was avocado mixed with salsa served up on crackers. And the best part, a scoop of ice cream.

Mind you the week before I had a whole session with my ayurveda teacher about what I need to eat to reduce kapha. Let's just say that it wasn't what I had yesterday. Any of it.

This morning I set off on my run. I'm feeling good. It's Friday. It's a nice day. Gonna be a great run.

Ummm no. I've been doing intervals for 30 minutes. Walk 2 minutes, run 4 minutes. Repeat. Really early in my run my legs felt like lead. I felt heavy. Not very motivated. My disciplined self pushed through. I recall what I ate yesterday. All heavy, cold, oily foods. Everything I shouldn't have had.

While I'm running I think back to my run on Wednesday. It was great. I told Andy as soon as I talked to him "I had such a great run today. It felt awesome!". I think back to what I ate Tuesday. Much ligther (except the scone. I'm not perfect :), warmer fare, and I skipped dinner cause I was at the studio till 9:30.

Now I'm starting to get it. Becoming a bit more wise in the ways of ayurveda. It is exciting to start putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

insight + experience = wisdom

I like it....


**photo of Sarah in Tulum this summer. AND she's getting married on Sunday!**

a love letter to my business... barefoot works

Dearest Barefoot Works,

In September of 2004 I gave birth to you. It was official and the state said so. At this time you were not a physical space. You were a way that I could begin to fulfill a dream. A dream of having a job that I truly, truly loved. A way that I could support people and help them connect mind, body, and spirit. Even without a space, you were real to me. You were my baby business and together we were going to change lives.

I researched every possible place that I could teach yoga. I drove near and far. As far away as Whitesburg where I taught two private sessions and a group class once a week. As close as the gym down the street from the house I rented. We taught in a gymnastics facility (those bouncy floors were fun), a clubhouse, gyms, schools in Frankfort and Nicholasville, and corporate settings downtown. We were never picky. We left no stone unturned. We turned no opportunities down.

I think back to this time with such fondness. The drive that we had is even surprising to me now. Together we kept going and going. We showed up for classes with no students, one student, or ten students all the same, with knowingness that what we were had to share had the potential to change a life, even if only for a moment, even if only for a breath.

We were on a mission. It all felt so right and I knew that it would all somehow work out. But we couldn’t continue on this way forever, with the mats, books, cd’s, and stereo in the backseat of the car. Together we decided to take another leap of faith. Your physical presence made its way into the world in September 06.

The very first class I taught at Patchen Village, two people showed up….my BFF Liz and Teresa (yes the same wonderful Teresa that teaches at the studio). Again it didn’t matter. On that day it felt like 100 students were celebrating you.

In January 2009 we moved across the street into a space that makes me melt every time I walk through the doors. It fits you. It’s filled with light and love too. It’s spacious and supportive enough to hold all that enters. It’s special. Really, really special. Yes, I would say it’s quite magical indeed.

Because of you the world is brighter and sweeter too. Last week I received an email from a student that only had three private sessions with us. He said that if he had paid ten times as much for the lessons it would have been worth it. Can you believe that? And he sent a picture of himself rockin’ crow pose. Crazy cool, huh?

Another student said that you will hold a sacred space in her memory forever. That you were a haven for her during the most difficult time in her life.

Another student said her life shifted fundamentally, to the core, from the first day she opened your door.

What is all this worth? Can you even put a price on it? Because of you we’ve helped a lot of people. You’ve provided a place for people to receive love. And patience. Strength and balance too. People feel welcome and accepted. They feel like who they are is enough, more than enough.

You’ve provided a place for healing of hamstrings, hips, and hearts. Tears have been shed on your floor and the sound of joy has echoed through your walls. You’ve been stood on, walked on, danced on, flipped upside down, and twisted around on. If your walks could talk, I’d sit all day and listen. Yes, you are so very important to me.

Because of you I get to fully explore my purpose.

Because of you I get to spend my time with students that inspire me to continue on the path of living, learning, and sharing.

Because of you I get to travel to Tulum, my favorite place of all and do what I love most of all…share yoga.

Because of you I know that dreams come true.

on joyful work

A Hard Decree
Last
Night
God
Posted
on the Tavern wall
A hard decree for all of love's inmates
Which read:
If your heart cannot find a joyful work
The jaws of this world
Will probably
Grab hold of your
Sweet
Ass.


This morning I woke and went to my yoga room to spend some time practicing yoga, getting quiet, and preparing for important calls for today. I took with me a book of poetry of Hafiz.

I sat down and opened up the book (it has 333 pages)and landed on this poem. It was the first time I ran across it. It speaks of joyful work, so of course I immediately loved it.

At noon I'll be gathering on the phone with yoga students across the US, in Cananda, Chile and Peru. These ten students will be joining me in Tulum for a 200 hour yoga teacher training. Needless to say, I'm so very excited and a bit nervous about meeting them on the phone for the first time today.

Our day will unfold as follows:
12:00-1:30 Call led by me and includes intros, travel details, general schedule, rooms, and preparing physically, energetically, mentally, and emotionally for our training. A yoga teacher training requires loads of inner and outer work. A lot assume it's mostly outer work, but boy....are they wrong.

2:00 - 4:00 Introduction to Sanskrit, led by Teresa. This will be a good start so that they can begin to familiarize themselves with Sanskrit before arriving in Tulum.

4:30 - 6:30 Meditation led by Lisa. When we arrive in Tulum we will begin with a daily 30 minute meditation. Lisa will give them all the juicy details about how wonderful a meditation practice can be, explain mantra meditation, and give the students a mantra that will be used throughout the training.

If you're reading this perhaps you could send a loving thought to me, the teachers, and the students embarking on sweet journey. It's much appreciated.

Have a wonder-full day my friends.

PS - Curious to know, what's the most joyful part of your work?

**Photo of me teaching and students practicing in Tulum from this year's retreat....certainly some of my most joyful work.**

on blowing off my yoga practice and goodbyes

I re-learned Friday that I love to TAKE yoga at the studio. I've always said on here that doing my yoga practice at the studio is not that easy for me. There are plenty of distractions of both the internal and external variety. On Thursday I was doing my practice and most of the interruptions were of the external kind. Within a span of 45 minutes my phone rang three times and two people came into the studio. This was more than usual.

It was enough to make my blow off my practice and walk to Starbucks for an iced latte. Ahhh, decisions decisions. I was a lil' cranky. I called Andy on my way over to Starbucks, filled him in on my less than satisfying practice, and as I walked past Sunshine Grow Shop, I continue the whining part..."And the mums are here. And that means summer is almost over (insert sad whiny faced Sharon). I get the iced goodness and walk back to the studio and sit in the swing for about 20 minutes, which totally uncranked myself, thus leaving me ready and rearing to welcome the yogis to class.

So yes I'm happy when people call me on the phone. And I'm happy when people come in to learn more about our classes, not so happy when I'm doing a private session such as yesterday when someone comes in carrying a bag of Jimmy John sammies and says, "Excuse me, can I bother you for a minute..." And which I respond, "No thank you, we're not interested" as said student is trying to learn how to do chaturanga. Clearly this Jimmy John's gal doesn't do yoga or she would have known better to ask such a question, during such a pose.

Why I need to TAKE more yoga at the studio

I got the good fortune of taking Lisa's noon class yesterday which was soooo very good! Loved it. We have such gifted yoga teachers at the studio. Lisa always teaches "chanting asana" in this class during sun salutations. For each of the postures there is a chant (that's been chanted for thousands of years) that corresponds. With my new found love of chanting/singing/kirtan/yoga yelling it made me very happy. As did the yin yoga poses. Lisa has a very elegeant and accessible way of teaching. I so enjoyed being a student. I so enjoyed being a student at the studio.

One might ask, well then why not take more yoga at the studio. Pretty simple, eh? Well not so much. Being that I live in Nicholasville, the studio isn't just a hop, skip, or jump away. I drive a lot. Mondays are my "I refuse to drive anywhere day and you can't make me" day. Or else I'd come to Teresa's class and experience here loveliness. I'm at the studio Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The only classes I could take are the latest classes. I taught late for two years, not getting home till after 9:00 on weekdays. I've made the decision that coming home and seeing Andy is more important than spending more time at the studio. And I'm very happy with this decision.

I see at least two solutions:
1. Add a daytime class that I can take.
2. Give one of the classes I teach during the day to another teacher so I can be the student.

Hmmmm more pondering needed for this one. But leaning towards option 2.

On other teaching note fronts....today Emily is teaching her last class at the studio. :( But it's hard to be sad about our loss when it's such an exciting time for her! She and Adam are expecting their very first baby boy this December. And she'll be leaving to spend time in Alaska with Adam in less than two weeks. If you've ever taken Emily's class then you know what a true joy she is. She's free and fun and flowy, gliding around the studio offering support to her students. She was in my very first training group and was one of the first teachers at Barefoot Works. You will be missed Emily by all of us.

Beth too will be departing as a teacher, but you'll likely see her practicing on the mat next to you. Luckily for all of us she's not going to Alaska. :)

I'll keep you posted as we navigate the changes and continue to bring you great teachers to inspire you you on and off the mat. As always I value your feedback so if you have suggestions or requests then send me an email!

moved by this....

I was just on my sweet friend Mia's blog and discovered this. It grabbed ahold of me. Maybe it will do the same for you in some sorta way.

Every I-Thou encounter is destined to come to an end; every person who was present in full self-creation and freedom is destined to slip back into the world of It—the world where we recognize one another as bodies and personalities, where we experience and interpret one another through concepts of mind.

But the rich experiences of being present with other persons of spirit are not canceled by their termination. And we can always be open to new encounters on the level of spirit.

It is a gift to recognize spirit in other persons. When an I-Thou encounter happens, we may wish to 'freeze' the moment, to make that being present with each other last forever.

Such flashes of encounter might be like noticing a butterfly: If we grasp the butterfly, we destroy it. We can only rejoice that we are present to appreciate the butterfly for as long as it wants to stay. In memory we can treasure moments of I-Thou encounter. And if we remember where we saw the butterfly before, we can attempt to return to that 'place', hoping for another moment of spiritual encounter.
- Martin Buber

bhakti yoga that resulted in general giddiness

When humans participate in ceremony, they enter a sacred space. Everything outside of that space shrivels in importance. Time takes on a different dimension. Emotions flow more freely. The bodies of participants become filled with the energy of life, and this energy reaches out and blesses the creation around them. All is made new; everything becomes sacred...
~ Sun Bear


This weekend was pure joy. Loved. All. Of. It.

Friday night we hosted a session at the studio on mantra meditation and kirtan. Pankaj, who is living in Louisville joined us again with a monk. This was Pankaj's second visit at Barefoot Works. We had a small intimate group of 10. We sat in a circle. We sang. And Mandhu chatted about the Bhagavad Gita. It is so very interesting to me. All. Of. It. Again.

Loved it so much that I knew I wanted to hear and experience more. Lucky for me they were going to Shelli's studio the next night. I decided to change my schedule around a wee bit to go. The plus side was seeing Shelli, participating in her monthly sadhana practice (from 5:00 till 7:30...in the morning folks!), having a slumber party, and helping her with the graduation of her new training class.

Pankaj and Mandhu presented the Bhagavad Gita in a way that was new to me (their teacher and teachings here). Some of what they shared I've been pondering a lot...wheels have been spinning in my mind. The great thing is, I don't have to share their views, I don't have to have all the answers. You know why? Because I get to choose! Yay...it's good to be human.

What I choose is to be in the juicy flow of life. To go in the direction of feeling peace-full and expansive (yoga speak for feelings of general giddiness). And when I experience that deep inner joy, that inner giddiness(even if only for a few moments) my whole life opens up and everything seems possible.

My experiences over the weekend left me feeling so full of life, so full of light, so very good. That's what I'm consciously working with today. To continue doing things, thinking thoughts, and taking actions in ways that lend themselves to staying connected to love, staying in the light. Enjoyin' all of it and not taking a single second of it for granted.

Wishing the same for you. Happy Monday. :)

could we all be genius?

A couple days ago I wrote about how I'm exploring the words that describe me when I'm at my very best. When I'm on my A game. In June I had a session with Grace about exploring a concept she touched on when she was here for yoga teacher training in early June....your unique genius. She expressed that each of us possess qualities that make us genius. And if we can operate/dwell/live from this place more often (dare I say daily) then we'd all be doing ourselves and the world justice. It's a concept she learned from her teacher Gay Hendricks. Before I traveled to Mexico I bought the book that delves into this...The Big Leap. And highly recommend if you're into this idea....of your genius. :)

Grace explained to me that sometimes our unique genius comes so easily to us that we often overlook it. She suggested (among other inquiry work)that I send an email out to friends/family/students and ask for their input. Which I did. Which wasn't easy. Something about asking other people to reveal my strengths, my gifts, that wasn't easy for me.

But this is something I was (and am) committed to...identifying, operating, and living from a place of joy. So I compiled the email, asked the following questions, and nervously hit the send button. Here are the questions:

1. What am I doing or talking about when you experience me most energized and happy?
2. When you experience me at my best, the exact thing I am doing is....
3. What do you see as a special skill I am gifted with?
4. How have I most contributed to your life (this was the hardest one for me to ask)?

Minutes later I started getting answers back. I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe how kind, how giving people were of their words. It totally broke open my heart, in a way I could have never expected.

This week I compiled all the answers emailed back to me. I have over five pages (and these will be creatively placed in my yoga room and read when I'm doubting myself). I've reviewed them, underlined, and re-wrote the words that came up again and again. In random order, here they are:

Mexico (surprise, right?)
Planning
Leading
Project
Retreat
Teaching
Writing
Learning
Training
Sharing
Dreaming
Talking
Thinking
Reflecting
Growing
Exploring
Manifesting
Motivating
Inspiring
Expressing

And the qualities noted most:
Compassion
Supportive
Curious
Warm
Authentic

So that's where I am right now. Will be my wordsmith self and probe deeper into them this week. And I'm having another session with Grace this week, so that will be great as always (soooo highly recommend her).

In the meantime, may be all be open to pondering, embracing, and owning our genius. It's not so easy, but I see the beauty in it.

To you and your genius Self.....have a sweet day. :)

he dreams of tv's, she dreams of nyc

Happpppy Friday!

I have a few things swirling in my mind that I want to write about. So rather than making an eight mile long blog post, I figure I'll spew em' out and hopefully come back to some them. Here goes:

1. Mantra meditation tonight at 7:00!! It's a great way to spend your evening (and a free one at that!). We get few of these opps so puhhhlease come out and support. We'll sit, meditate, sing, and enjoy general merriment.

2. I love our studio space! And know what I love equally? When other people love our studio space! I literally just got off the phone with a guy bringing his 11 year old daughter to the studio. I'm workin' from Main and Maple (yay happy Friday). He's trying to find the studio. I explain to him the way I do to everyone, "We're in the two story FUNky wood building in front of Lowe's and behind Sunshine Grow Shop." He sees it and he says, "Ahhh I see it. And wow I already love it!' Which of course makes me happy and excited. I tell him he aint seen nothing yet, just wait till you step inside. He can't wait. I ask if he's gonna take class. He's not sure, maybe after seeing the building, maybe yes. I say, "When you walk in you're not gonna want to leave." He's happy. I'm happy. General happiness. I love all of it.

3. A fall cleanse. Yep it's coming up. I had a whole session with my ayurveda teacher yesterday about a seven day kapha reducing cleanse for me. Will be looking at the planner to find a good time and typing of the recipes and planning it all. However after leaving the studio I promptly had baked spaghetti and a piece of derby pie. Ooops, hoping she doesn't read the blog. Shhhhhh.

4. The wordsmith. That's what the new groom has labeled for Andy and myself. Andy was given the title after we presented he and Liz with a poem for their wedding, penned by Andy. I was awarded the title after my toast when the best man says, "Wow, she smoked me." And Tony responds, "Cause she's a wordsmith." I am a lover the word. And now I'm working with the words that explain me when I'm at my best, most energized Self. Which is realllly fun for me! Being a wordsmith and all.

5. Dreams. Andy had a dream a couple Saturdays about getting a flat screen tv. We go and buy one. See dreams do come true. He's been wanting one forever and all big purchases have been on a hiatus. But we've been very good and with his birthday and all we went for it. I had a dream last night about Michael Franti in concert and going to NYC. Wondering what that might mean for me? Hmmmmm....

Alright, hope to see y'all soon! Come out tonight...to the studio...cause it's a reallllly special place you know. ;)

happy birthday to mr. works

A super sweet shout out to the man behind the scenes at Barefoot Works. His humor and stability certainly bring a much needed balance to my life. Cheers to you baby... here's to another year filled with surprise and delight, fun and chaos too!

what keeps you awake at night?

I could have posed this question another way....
"What scares you the most?"

Because truth be told....there isn't much of anything that keeps me awake at night. I'm a kapha kinda gal in that way.

But what scares the heck out of me?
The idea of wasting my life.

Yep, that's it. If anything kept me awake at night, that would be it.
Not making my life... this life count for something.

Mary Oliver is my favorite poet and there are a few lines in a few poems that when I hear or read, they pierce straight to my heart. They are:

"One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began."
"Are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?"
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Yep these three phrases sum it up for me.
Because this is it. Life isn't a dress rehearsal. And it's reeeealllly important to me to get it as right as I can this time around.

So every single day I think about what it means to make my life count. What does that look like and feel like fore me? And it's always the same thing.

It's about making a difference. That's what I want to do. It's about reading, writing, practicing, exploring, seeking, dreaming, and wondering about all the ways that I can make my heart whole, happy, and healthy. Then sharing with others with the hope that they can heal in the ways they need to.

The things that I write
The things that I says
The things that I think
The things that I teach
The things that I do....

It all comes down to that....
making a difference
making an impact.

That's what I plan to do with my one wild and precious life.
What about you?