I love a weekend birthday!

I love love love a weekend birthday!

Even more so when you are gifted with THE best weather ever.

Or at least this year. ;)

Much happiness was happening over here.  I would give you a rundown of the photos, but the Blogger App on my IPhone just randomly does as it wishes.

Essentially.....

Andy woke me at 6:00 on my birthday singing the traditional Tessandori birthday song, sharing gifts, and bringing my hot tea to bed.  It's good to be treated like a yoga queen. ;)

I spent time in my yoga room Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

There was yoga, reading, journaling, and of course dancing.  See the first photo of my first dance

par-tee of my 35th year. 

We adopted a new puppy!  On my birthday.  Happpyyyy.  She will arrive at the big blue house on Wednesday.  Remy got to meet her and he seems to approve.

We went to Cincinnati and enjoyed Findlay Market (our first time there).  and went couch shopping.  We bought the one Andy is sitting on and it should arrive at the big blue house in early July.  We also went to the bookstore.  As always, I'm a happy camper at any bookstore.  Birthday bookstore browsing is pretty sweet. 

I got  three new books for my birthday.  Vegan Cooking for Carnivores (Andy is happy about this one), The Fire Started Sessions (love Danielle LaPorte), and Writing Down Your Soul (yay for yogish writing books).

I ate all sorts of delicious food.  Took lots of walks.  Talked to people I love. And reveled in getting to spend another glorrrious year living this thing called life.

a mind backed by will

Good Morning Friends,

Who needs an alarm when you have a bat in your bedroom at 4:30 in the morning?

That's the question Andy just posed on Facebook.

That's the experience we had early this morning.  Oh, Big Blue House I love you so much but realllly?

Andy and I awoke to some weird mrrrppp noise (Lauren, I used one of your sounds!)....

He says what is that?  I sleepily respond, "It's the ceiling fan blowing paper around."  Andy responds back, "No, it's like an animal or something."

At that time I opened my eyes and saw a bat whizzing above my head.  So I was wrong. Andy was right.  Andy and I have some unwritten rules in our relationship.  I hate getting gas for my car. I dislike doing laundry (ok, dishes too).  I don't enjoy taking the garbage out.  Therefore Andy does most of those. 

Andy doesn't like to plan meals, grocery shop or cook. He doesn't do flowers and flower beds.  He doesn't like to pack his lunch. He doesn't like things that go "mrrrppp" in the middle of the night. 

Therefore I was up at 4:45, walking, covered with a heavy blanket through our bedroom out into the house, closing all the doors to other rooms, and opening all the doors outside.   

We're really awake by this time.  I make some yogi hot tea. The tag says...

"When the mind is backed by will, miracles happen."

I begin to think about all the awesome miracles swirling around in the Universe.

The miracle of joining on the beach with the most perfect women.  One month later I am hearing about the good they are doing, the dreams they are pursuing, the change they are creating.  Really, these gals are superyogis.  No doubt about it.  Their mind is backed by will.

The miracle of Mama Alice.  Within a span of nine months she has gone from a stage four cancer diagnosis to being cancer free.  If anybody exemplifies what it's like to have a mind backed by will, it is Mama Alice.  Shew. You have no idea Friends.  I'm forever thankful that I've learned this from her.

The miracle of relationships.  I had the good fortune to spend the day yesterday with one of my favorite people, Miss Shelli Carpenter.  "Where do you see yourself in five years?"  That was our juicy topic of discussion over coffee.  We realized that it was just over five years ago when we were so new owning our yoga studios.  And that five years ago at this time we were undoubtedly talking about the upcoming retreat we were leading in Mexico (yes, Maya Tulum).  It was a huge risk for us.  Yet, we had not only one mind, but two minds, backed by will.  I'm preparing to lead my sixth annual yoga retreat at Maya Tulum in July.

This morning as a bat whizzed around me head, I had a mind backed by will. ;)

I can think of so many other stories where this has showed up in my life.   

How about you, what are the times in your life that you moved mountains with a mind backed by will?



this body is perfect... aches, pleasures, pain and all

"It's also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that's sitting right here right now...with its aches and its pleasures...is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive."

~ Pema Chodron

Have you ever held a yoga pose to the point of near exhaustion, where you felt totally alive in your muscles, bones, and body as a whole?

Have you ever pushed your body beyond what your mind thought was capable?

Have you ever laid in the grass on a hot summer day and felt the warmth of the sun on your bare skin?

Have you ever felt the pain, shock, awe, aches and pleasure of birthing a child?

Have you ever suffered an injury, encountered sickness or dis-ease that placed you squarely in your body?

Have you felt the warm embrace of a loved one you've desperately missed?

Have you felt your body take the next step you thought was impossible?

Have you surrendered it all and gave in to physical exhaustion?

Have you ran into water, dove head first, engulfing your body in the liquid flow of the ocean?

Have you felt the pain of your heart literally breaking?

And the questions I'm asking myself and asking you:

What did you learn?

Do you view pleasure as good, pain as bad?  How does it feel to have that belief?

How can you be in and with your body as it is and use it as a tool for growth and transformation?

What are the times you learned the most from your body, it's yes's and no's?

How can you be fully awake, fully human, and fully alive in your yoga practice?

This passage by Pema Chodron served as my inspiration for my yoga classes and practices this week.

Goodness. 



contemplate purpose

Do not weigh pain and misery, contemplate love, contemplate friendship;

Do not mull over tyranny and neglect; think of all those who have their eyes fixed on you.
Surname all grief "grace"; transmute pain and anguish into joy,
And ask from joy all happiness, all security, all peace.
Demand that security, that peace, demand them,
Choose the company of those withdrawn in love.
Listen to those who open a path to you: listen, and don't say a word.

~Rumi

Good Monday Morning Friends.  Please enjoy a lil dose of inspiration from Rumi.

This passage reminds of the yoga sutra (I'm blanking on the actual number) that encourages us not to dwell on the negative, but to cultivate the opposite quality.

I would add that it's important to look at this with some more perspective.  I'm not certain that it's healthy to immediately and automatically shift from the negative to the positive.  I am a believer that those negative, dark spaces offer us valuable opportunity for insight, change, and growth.

When we think the

same stories

same fears

same beliefs

over and over and over....

this doesn't facilitate positive patterns.

For me the work is briefly (five minutes max) making friends with my fears. 

Then giving them a swift kick in the ass and sending them on their way.

Choosing to cultivate happiness and peace in the ways that work for me.

That always comes back to my values, how I want to show up in the world, and the vision I have for my life.

random ramblings

Been spending lots of time with this guy this week. Walks, talks, cuddles, and extra treats for him. 

Sunshine, strawberries, and blooming iris.  I like it.

Students in the 4:00 Community Yoga class.  Two yogi mamas brought their daughters and they were just delightful....smiles, giggles, and all.  At the end of class they asked if they could use "the tools"....the singing bowl and bells.  Too cute.

Friday I spent time cooking, enjoying wine, writing, and staring out my dining room window.

Thursday morning yogis rockin' out the 9:15 class.

Loving all the bright colors outside the studio at Sunshine Grow Shop.

What a great week?!  I'm so appreciating all things hOMe, studio, yoga, Andy & Remy since Sunday.  I kept my schedule light and open.  I taught four classes.  Have stayed connected to the outer banks yoga gals via our private facebook page.  Signed up for a book conference through The Carnegie Center.  Ordered training photos (so much fun).  Reorganized the pantry.  Cooked!  I cooked twice this week.  Missed this while I was gone.  Perusing plane tickets for a trip to California next month and Mexico in July.  Skyped with Babaji.  Enjoyed drinks with Andy at the wine bar.  Took a yoga class (thanks Kate, you are awesome) Spent time at Panera with yogini buds.

Had a moment yesterday of feeling totally and utterly content.  Was certainly feeling sweet santosha (contentment).

Wishing all of you a great weekend.  We've got The Kentucky Derby (I bet on Rousing Sermon and Creative Cause), Cinco De Mayo, and a SuperMoon....how can it not be?

faith, hope and love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the

gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love,

I am nothing....

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror;

then we shall see face to face. 

Now I know in part.

Then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain:

faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians

Passages like these leave me feeling spellbound.

I could sit and ponder....

Ponder and sit some more.

This was the reading I shared at the end of today's class.

We had spent time focusing on the neck, shoulders, and upper back.

The areas of my body I find needing so much attention after the intensely delicious process

known as yoga teacher training.

We also focused on connecting physically and emotionally to the heart space.

Using the breath to let go of tension held in and around this space.

Today I'm reflecting of the ways that yoga helps one to see themselves more clearly, more accurately.

I'm thinking about how the practice is designed to reveal and reflect back our shiny, sparkly, bright, and beautifully radiant light.

I'm thinking about how it has the capacity to instill faith, trust, and a letting go that can be felt when we do indeed have faith.

I'm thinking about my word for the year, wholehearted.

How it inspires me to love bigger than I've ever loved before.

And reminds me that maybe the Beatles were on to something when they said......

All you need is

love

love

love.

Love is all you need.

rainbow connection

It's been 48 hours since I returned from yoga teacher training in the Outer Banks. I've slept 20 hours the past two nights. The first night back in my bed in the big blue house I woke in the middle of the night not knowing where I was. This happens after each return from training.

For two straight weeks I set my alarm to go off at 5:00 a.m. I would find my way out the sliding door and carefully make my way down the steps to our hot tub. I would slide into the hot tub, tilt my head to the sky, and gaze at a sky full of stars. It was magical.

There are few things that would lure me out of a deep slumber daily at this hour. Yoga teacher training is one of the few.

I had my first visit back to the treehouse, the studio today. A smile naturally spreads across my face as I open the giant door. The sun pours onto the floors and I feel the natural warmth this place exudes. It too is magical.

I greet students. They enthusiastically ask how the training went. I try to briefly explain the goodness of yoga teacher training. I know my words will never do it justice. They never have. It goes so far beyond what I imagine.

Each time this happens.
Each time I wonder if I can make more room in my heart for this process, for new people.
Each time I feel silly for even wondering such a thing.

The perfect women presented themselves for this training. The rainbow above magically appeared just before our closing graduation ceremony began. A student throws open the door as I was blow drying my hair for the first time in over two weeks. "I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but you HAVE to come see this!" Her eyes lit up the same way a child's eyes sparkle on Christmas morning.   

I wondered how it could even be possible. Yet, it was.
At our closing one Harley Davidson ridin' yogini with two grown children said that yoga teacher training was the best, most transformative experience she ever had. And her motorcycle's name is Samadhi. Cool? Yea, I know.

Another yogini who recently retired from teaching beautifully stated that she wished something so important, so crucial to the growth and development of children could be integrated into school. Amazing? Yea, I know.

On Sunday as I jammed down Interstate 64, The Rainbow Connection came on. I thought back to the past two weeks and tears spilled down my face.

They were tears of joy.
Tears of gratitude.
Tears of pure yogic bliss.

"Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see. Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me.
Who said that every wish would be heard and answered when wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.
Look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing and what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me.
All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic.
Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors. The voice might be one and the same. I've heard it too many times to ignore it. It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me.

We found it.
The rainbow connection.

The lovers.
The dreamers.
The yogis.
And me.

it is an intensive yoga teacher training!

Hellllooo Dear Friends, We're five days into our yoga teacher training! Yip...happy! All is well here in the Outer Banks.

The yoginis are rocking along. We've covered sun salutations, standing poses, balancing poses and more.

We've dived into the oh so juicy eight limbs of yoga.
And the five koshas....you make my heart go pitter patter.

We're talking Sanskrit, yoga speak, and breath cues. There are toes touching the sand daily. And a few nose dives into the Atlantic Ocean.

We're dancing meditating levitating gravitating to the love y'all.
We've got Shelli on the harmonium...
We've got kirtan, singing, and yoga yelling.

Did I mention daily hot tubbin' and sauna sittin'. These bodies are working hard hard hard.

We're sharing the most delicious meals ever (thank you Miss Jen Lile) prepared with so much intention, attention, focus,and heaps of love.

There are blocks and bolsters and blankets and straps and yoga mats covering this yoga mansion which today we learned Jennifer Lopez and rented and stayed in the yoga mansion. Yep, cool.

As the yoginis practice and I teach, out the window we see dolphins dipping in the ocean. Birds soaring, pelicans diving, even deer frolicking! Yes, deer!

I see them supporting one another. A hug here. A kind word there. Sharing and caring. Becoming a true yoga community in and of themselves.

Different. Yet the same.

It's just THE coolest thing ever.

I thank the sun, moon, and stars daily for this opportunity to be here doing this work with these people.

Blessed.
Blessed.
Blessed

do you feel the possibility?

Do you feel the possibility?
Awakened energy is poised to flow.
Freedom beckons from every direction.
This is a moment to throw caution to the wind and dive right in
or fly high above the rocky terrain of doubt and fear.
You've lived your life anticipating this opportunity.
Rejoice, for it is here.

This brilliant passage is by Danna Faulds. I saw it posted yesterday on Facebook by Barbara, one of the lovely yoginis joining in this yoga teacher training adventure.

I think it speaks so beautifully to what we're all feeling right now.

It may look like this training is beginning and finishing in two short weeks. That couldn't be further from the truth.

I can tell you that this is a long planted seed beginning to take root for these women. Some of these yogis have dreamed for years of doing a yoga teacher training. They have fallen in love with yoga. And likely out of love with it too. Only to fall back in love again.

They have thought of the perfect program in the perfect place. They have made sacrifices to be here. Their families and friends have made sacrifices to support their decision in being here.

To prepare they have read books, practiced with teachers, honed their own practice, started a meditation practice, observed yoga classes, spent hours on the phone with each other, and shared their stories of excitement, fear, joy, and anxiety in a private forum.

Today those dreams begin taking shape.

My dream of sharing this powerful practice of all things Yoga continues to spiral, twist, turn, unravel, and unfold.

Oh.
My.
Goodness.

on the yoga road again - outer banks bound!

Nine strangers....
Picked to live in a house....
And learn what happens when yogis get real.

Andy called me this morning as I was packing for the big trip, the big training in North Carolina.

That was how he greeted me....the opening from The Real World. I was a big fan back in the day. ;)

The house above is the yoga mansion where the nine yoginis joining together from across the US and up to Canada (love that there is always a Canadian!)will live, work, and play. Isn't it amazing?!! It really is perfect.

My boxcar is loaded with my prized possessions.....

Vitamix
Juicer
and yoga mat of course.

I've got lots of yoga clothes, blankets, blocks, straps, and a zafu cushion.
I've got some treats packed (including a HUGE bag o' coffee). You can take away a lot of things from yogis....but for some....well best not to mess with the coffee.

I've got half my weight in books packed. Tests are printed, certificates in folders, handouts and manual. Speakers, pinktop, incense, candles, Ganesha, and more. A framed photo of Andy and myself on the beach.

I have a lot.
Yet I'm sure there will be something I forget.
And that's ok.

I read this poem this morning by Rumi and thought of the gals I'll be with for the next two plus weeks. The work we'll do.

And how so much of it is just as Rumi says...
We're going mining for magnificence.

Whatever you love here in existence
Has been gold-plated by God's qualities;
When that gold goes back to Origin
Only a dull copper will remain,
And you will be disgusted and reject it.
Don’t go on calling counterfeit coin "beautiful"
That beauty you love is only borrowed.
Gold will abandon all surfaces in the end
And return to the Mine of Magnificence.
Why not set out for that Mine?
The light will return from the wall to the sun;
Go now to that Sun that dances always in harmony.
From now on, take your water from heaven directly
Why go on trusting a rusting drainpipe?

Please send awesome thoughts our way. I would greatly appreciate that.

I'll be thinking of the treehouse, the teachers, the students, and all my fam and friends and I journey off to do this work that truly lights my heart afire.

so much love,
sharon

this much I do remember

Then all of the moments of the past
began to line up behind that moment
and all of the moments to come
assembled in front of it in a long row,
giving me reason to believe
that this was a moment I had rescued
from millions that rush out of sight
into a darkness behind the eyes.

Even after I have forgotten what year it is,
my middle name,
and the meaning of money,
I will still carry in my pocket
the small coin of that moment,
minted in the kingdom
that we pace through every day.

~Billy Collins

why I wake early

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety –

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light –
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

Mary Oliver


This is the poem I shared in class this morning. I know I've shared it in class and here on the blog. Yet I never tire of reading it....both silently and aloud.

I want to share the simple beauty, the simple joy of my day. But I don't want to crowd my head with the details.

So instead I'll share Mary Oliver's brilliant words.
Acknowledge nature as the best preacher there ever was.
Express gratitude for the kindness of others.

And end my day in happiness.

mind mapping to-dos + a closer look at time

Happppy Friday Friends!

I snapped the above picture a few moments ago. This time next week I'll be leaving to travel to NC to lead our intensive yoga teacher training (!!!!).

I have a mile long to-do list. I've made a commitment to enjoy this process of "getting ready" as much as I can. I started with my to-do list. Rather than making a list in black ink in my planner I chose to bring my lil jar of color pencils and map it all out....similar to a mind map.

I have to say it was much more enjoyable and having the linking visual helped me to think of things I'm not sure I would have thought of otherwise.

In the past seeing a list of this magnitude or a map with so many branches would have left me feeling all out of sorts.

For a while now I've worked on my relationship with Mr. Time. I consciously eliminated the phrase "I don't have the time to....." from my vocabulary, knowing well that I do indeed have all the time I need to do whatever I choose to do. Mostly it's a matter of how I choose to use my time. The choice and the responsibility falls back on me, which is pretty empowering.

Sometimes I use my time efficiently and effectively. Sometimes not so much (hello internets).

Just like yoga, it's all I practice and as long as I stay present and awake with it....well it's all good.

happiness

"Ever since Happiness heard your name, it's been running through the street trying to find you." ~Hafiz

This was the theme for the class I taught tonight.

Between teaching something new that I'm feeling really inspired by...

The arrival of Spring...

And the Cats big win...that aside from a few couch burnings resulted in thousands of ecstatic fans running happily through the street...

Well it feels like Happiness has found me.

And it feels really good.

**Photo of Andy taken during the end of the BIG game.**

what the heck is yoga nidra?

Do you love the end of a delicious yoga practice? Many students love savasana, the closing pose in all of our practices. It’s a quiet time when you lie still, relax, and integrate your practice.

This is similar to yoga nidra. Known as “yogic sleep”, yoga nidra is a state of deep sleep, however with conscious awareness. To access yoga nidra, yogis use a systematic method of inducing complete mental, emotional, and physical relaxation. Yoga Nidra is a tool for examining, attending to, and eliminating our habitual patterns or samskaras.

Here is what a yoga nidra practice can look like:
• Getting comfortable lying down
• Stating your sankalpa, or your intention for your practice
• Rotation of consciousness through the body (aids physical relaxation)
• Establishing awareness of the breath (also aids physical relaxation)
• Feelings and sensations practice (aids emotional relaxation)
• Visualization practice (aids mental relaxation)
• Reconnecting with your sankapla and slowly coming out of the sleep state

What does this mean for you in your life? It means that when you finish the practice you feel relaxed and refreshed. …calm yet alert and awake. Some students report that they feel more energized after a practice, some sleep better, and some simply state “feeling good.” Feeling good usually means we feel whole, complete, less stressed, and more alive.

We’ve added a monthly hour long yoga nidra to our class schedule. This takes place on Sunday from 5:30 – 6:30 and counts as a regular class.

Join us for a delicious taste of yoga nidra on April 29 and May 20.

I guarantee you'll sleep like Baby Max afterwards. :)

I love being a yogi entrepreneur

I'm at Coffee Times working now and felt the need to take a break and share just a bit of my excitement in leading the daylong workshop The Right Brain Business Plan tomorrow.

I've had a ball getting ready for this workshop.

The books are at the studio.
The goody bags are all complete and ready.
The handouts and worksheets are all stuffed in big envelopes.
The snacks have been purchased.
The magazines have been gathered and ready to be cut up and collaged.
We've got scissors, and glue. and modge podge, and tape, and pretty paper, and so on.

I've relished each part of the process. I've made myself notes. Underlined and highlighted parts of my book. Outlined the day.

I've pondered my own creative, right brain business planning and journey in general.

Just this week I had a lovely conversation with Lisa, a virtual assistant based out of Colorado. We were chatting about our paths in entrepreneurship and she noted that it seems like I've been an entrepreneur for most of my (adult) life.

Then it hit me that I have. Much like my brother Joel who was a huge inspiration for me (and still is) in taking the jump.

The truth is that in my mid twenties I knew on some deep level that this was the road I desperately wanted to take. I have friends at that age who knew wholeheartedly that they wanted a baby.

I felt that way about my work, my passion. Yoga has been the container for all of that.

Several weeks ago I was highlighted on Jenn Lee's, Right Brainers in Business Summit. I watched the replay back and after saw how cheeky, grinny, smiley I was. I had to chuckle at myself.

One thing was very obvious to me. That was how excited, how lit up I got when talking about being in business.

So for these reasons and more I'm just over the moon to be guiding fellow dreamers and friends through a process that I have experienced and believe in. It's gonna be good! I can't wait.....

**I did some spring cleaning around the treehouse yesterday. This included moving the plants around and buying a new plant (cacti +succulent) for our altar. The photo above shows some of that plus the students who really brought their A game to yoga yesterday. They rocked it. I loved it.**

leeann carey yoga

Here is a teeny tiny glimpse into our weekend with Miss Leeann Carey last weekend. I wanted to post a few pictures before it totally gets away from me.

This was Leeann's third visit in the past year. Each time just gets better and better. Our groups have been pretty consistent so Leeann has a good idea of each of us and where we are as teachers and students.

Each time she begins with a check in and I'm surprised by just how much she does recall about each of us. "How's the knee? Ohhh you still don't like backbends (that would be me) etc, etc. Although that supported fish pose in the bottom left corner of the collage pretty much rocked my world. Now I just need to hire someone to hold me in that pose daily for a couple of minutes.

I feel deeply deeply appreciative that Leeann travels all the way from Los Angeles to work with us here at Barefoot Works. I'm continually inspired by her teaching. The skill she has for seeing what's happening in the poses and in the body is simply amazing.

Plus she's accessible, funny and pretty freakin' cute. Just look at her. Agree?

my kentucky hOMe

I just returned home from three pretty perfect days at the beach. BFF and I have been traveling to Indian Rocks Beach for about 15 years, which officially makes me feel not old, not even necessarily mature, but maybe my actual age of almost 35.

We had perfect weather. Sunny, 80 degree temps, and a nice breeze. We took morning walks as the sun was rising to fetch donuts. Dolphins accompanied us up the beach on our first morning. The last day we discovered a great lil French bakery a mile walk down the beach the other direction. A good thing that was discovered on the last day.

We sat at the water's edge and read. We bobbed in the pool. We sat on the balcony that overlooks the Gulf and watched the sea change colors. We saw a breathtaking sunset. Got too much sun, had a lot of laughs, won the trivia match, met some interesting folks, and spoke of upcoming change and transitions.

Yet when our plane descended from the clouds and I saw Central Kentucky and all it's beauty, I felt a wave of joy. A feeling that only can be described as feeling at home, and in awe of this oh so special place.

I stepped outside the airport and smelled the rain, fresh cut grass,the blooming flowers and trees. A smile spread across my face and I realized there was absolutely, positively, no other place I'd rather be.

Spring time in Kentucky. There is nothing else like it.

hOme sweet hOMe....

**All classes are taking place this weekend as scheduled.* Come Friends.*

happy random

Such a treat to live to here in the great bluegrass state! Spring is quickly arriving and it's such a feast for my eyes. I look around and see the grass growing greener before my eyes. Yet it seems like it happens overnight....spring, that is. How does it happen so quickly?

Simply astounding.

This past week offered many other treats. I'm still reveling in the joy of having Wah! at the treehouse on Tuesday. A day a later Sarah, Jeanne, Laura and myself hopped on over to Louisville and had dinner at Zen Garden (an Asian vegetarian restaurant) then participated in a sound workshop taught by Wah! Total treat. Spending good quality time with gals I adore, singing, chanting, bonding, and have delicious conversations.

In the middle of the week I went on a work picnic too! I laid in the grass by the big pond (or is that a man made lake or are the same?), ate my lunch, read, made notes, and did some journaling. Between the beautiful weather, picnics, Wah! and roadtrips it was pretty perfect.

Then we had a great weekend of basketball games. I do love this time of year and am a big fan of college basketball! It' about THE only sport I actually delight in sharing with Andy.

Today I gathered on the phone with the NC yoga teacher trainees from 11:30 - 5:00. We talked about what to expect and getting ready for the training (everything from what to pack/bring, to making lists of "things" that we needed to do/tend do before arriving, getting all the hOMework completed prior to training, etc). My good pal Shelli Carpenter and antaomy guru Jules Mitchell also got to introduce themselves and share for a while on the topics they will be teaching.

It's sure to be an awesome group and I am filled with anticipation.

But first things first. With the week that felt like a total vacation I nearly forgot that I'm actually leaving tomorrow for an actual vacay. I'm taking my annual trip to the beach with my BFF. I take few trips that aren't work/yoga related (and no I'm absolutely not complaining) and this is one of the few.

Yip, yip....it's time for big sunglasses, tank tops, flip flops, beach reads, tasty fruit drinks, key lime pie, swimming,late night talks, and long walks on the beach.

Wah! in lexington

I drove home last night after the Wah! concert feeling so full.

My head was swimming with the happy reality of her being at the treehouse.
My heart was pulsing with a deep sense of gratitude.

Grateful for the opportunity to be a part of hosting Wah! This was a first for Lexington. Big kudos to Cindy at The Massage Center for calling me up to be a part of it. Big kudos to my yoga bud Shelli Carpenter who got this ball rolling. She is the owner of Eternal Health Yoga and is hosting Wah! tonight and tomorrow.

Grateful for being a part of the experience. I mean, really how cool is this? Wah has been a part of my yoga teaching life since the very beginning. She has sang to me and a bunch of yoga students through the years. It felt a bit surreal.

Grateful for the community of sweet yoga souls around me that sang and swayed and stretched and smiled throughout the evening. It was just the loveliest of things. Almost as if you could reach your hand out and touch love itself.

Happy.

At the end of the night someone says, "Wow, this was just amazing. You guys are doing such great work. What's next?"

For now I'm resisting the urge to dive onward to planning the next thing. This doesn't come easily nor naturally to me.

Instead I'll continue to bask in the richness of the experience.

And follow Wah to Louisville tonight for 2.5 hours of a "sound workshop". It's gonna be a fun evening with a few treehouse teachers. I can't wait.

Feels like a vacation week.

coach cal didn't "fix" darius miller

Source: 1finecookie.com via 1 on Pinterest

The yogini in me makes her appearance in the most interesting places.

Yesterday she showed up during the big match, the showdown between UK and Vanderbilt.

First off, I'm a big Darius Miller fan. Maybe because he's a KY boy. Maybe because he's humble. He's got a way in which his fierceness shows up in a cool, calm, and quiet way. I can appreciate that.

So when I saw him play two games during the SEC tournament and not score a single basket, I was a little sad for him.

Yesterday during the Vandy game he got his mojo back. He was making baskets. Fist pumping and unearthing a big hearty smile. Oh wait, was that also the three goggles? Why yes, it was.

So I was slightly annoyed when the sportscaster said, "Coach Cal did what great coaches do. He fixed Darius Miller."
Oh geez. Really?

I immediately said to Andy, who was sitting on the coach (gnawing on his fingernails), "He didn't FIX Miller."

Call me crazy, but Andy wasn't in the mood to go deep into conversation about Coach Cals inability to "fix" people. We put it aside and went back to nail biting and rallying the Cats.

What I really think is that Coach Cal can inspire Darius Miller. He can remind Miller is his goodness, his greatness on the basketball court. Letting his know that it's very much present and there, waiting for him to confidently take back.

He can remind him that he's playing his last of four years (and come on, that's a rarity at UK now and should alone be celebrated) at UK.

He can remind him that he's a leader on this team and people are looking to him to lead the way.

Coach Cal can remind him of a lot of things.

Coach Cal does indeed do a lot of things.

But he can't "fix" Darius Miller.

Miller is much more than a young man (temporarily) playing basketball at UK. He's more than the baskets he does or doesn't make.

You can't fix something that's not broken.

Let the Darius Miller loving commence.

the power of one pose

Source: nuggetsoflove.tumblr.com via Sharon on Pinterest

When newbies come into the studio to have a chat with me or sign up to take classes there are a few questions asked repeatedly.

One such question is, "How often should I practice yoga?"

We then have a discussion about their schedule, their needs, their willingness to make a commitment to the yoga practice, and what they can realistically commit to.

Even with the newbies that don't yet know the power within this simple yet profound practice I tell them, "It's always my hope that students can do a little daily. Practicing one pose, taking five mindful breaths, or spending as little as five minutes can create positive change."

I've been thinking about this and I've got even more clear on it.

Students can come to class once a week or five times a week. They can blow through their practice. Be totally in their head the whole time, more concerned with the person next to them. Not listening inward, but dedicating all their attention outward.

Or a student can wake up in the morning, know they have a busy day ahead, and dedicate five minutes to themselves on the mat. They can set the intention that those five minutes are solely dedicated to loving and nurturing themselves. They are fully present. Feeling the presence of the breath. Noticing the interaction between the body and the breath. They receive the beauty, the energy, and the goodness of the breath.

So yes, while I want people to continue coming to the treehouse and learning yoga, it's equally important to me (and more crucial to their own health and well-being) that they commit to doing a little daily.

Maybe it's more about the quality and less about the quantity. Maybe it's not the number nor the complexity of the poses, but how you personally regard the pose and the practice.

As always, you get to choose.

If you are doing yoga to get stronger yet you find yourself only in restorative yoga classes you may not get the desired result.

If your yoga is a spiritual practice and you are practicing as a way to love, honor and trust yourself yet everything takes precedence over your practice and you rarely make it to your mat then you may not get the desired result.

Getting clear on why you do yoga is certainly fuel for your practice.

What's your one go to yoga pose you can do daily and love it up? I'm a total downward facing dog kinda gal.

every drop fills the bucket

This morning I was listening to a recording my Babaji and of our efforts to walk this path and take care of ourselves and the greater good he says "every drop fills the bucket".

I think often times we tell ourselves it's not a "real" yoga practice unless we spend over an hour on our yoga mat.

It's not really meditation unless we light a candle and sit peacefully for 20-30 minutes.

I can't really write that book unless I carve out two hours to write daily.

I can't do more of what I love unless I quit my day job.

Babaji's words also reminded me of this passage by Danna Faulds that I love:

"As many times as I forget, catch myself charging forward without even knowing where I'm going, that many times I can make the choice to stop, to breathe, and be, and walk slowly into the mystery."

Today I'm getting curious about the little drops, the short and sweet efforts I can make to fill the bucket.

Some thoughts include:

*standing up at random times and stretching my arms up towards the sky and folding down deep towards the earth.
*checking in with my body at each stoplight.
*verbally appreciating the efforts of each person who serve me in any way today (store clerk, barista, etc).
*joining my dog outside in the backyard for a burst of fresh air
*having a one song dance party
*giving and receiving one delicious and affirming hug
*sitting and feeling the sun on my skin for a few minutes
*send a kind text, email, or card to someone
*holding down dog for five breaths or five minutes
*read one poem
*call someone and let them know I've been thinking of them (and if I'm short on time saying, "Hey I've only got 5 minutes but I've been thinking of you......"
*setting my kitchen timer for 15 minutes and pick up around the big blue house.
*randomly doing something nice for someone
*writing five adjectives that describe my day in my journal.
*telling myself and others "you is kind, you is smart, you is important."

And in case you're needing to hear it.....


What are other short and sweet ways you can think of to "fill the bucket"?

looking for answers

Source: blanaid.com via BreAnne on Pinterest

"O Friend, what you're looking for does exist, but not where you're looking." Babaji's teacher

For a long time I've been on a quest for contentment, although I didn't always use that word. It was my desire to feel whole, to feel full and satisfied in life. That was the answer I was seeking.

Yet instead of looking inward, I focused my attention and efforts outward.

I looked for it in getting away from my roots, my home, and going off to college.

Then in moving away after college, getting even farther from home, and finally having money.

I thought my marriage was supposed to make me feel content and whole. Sorry Andy, that's a heavy burden. ;)

I can continue in this way. Going through the list of things, people, places, and experiences I thought would make me feel content and settled.

It was during my first yoga class that I got a delicious taste of pure contentment. Sure there were other times I'd felt content. But at this particular time I was ready to make a full commitment to making change and living differently.

What I've learned is that it's part of my nature to want to learn and seek new experiences. And I'm ok with that. I actually really happy and enjoy this part of Me.

Yet I do have to keep myself in check. It's hard for me to put the brakes on at times. There are soooo many great things in the world!

I know that in order to be most effective in my life and in the world all the experiences I seek must come forward from a grounded and focused place. A place of me feeling nourished and deeply grateful for all that I am and all that I've been a part of.

So as I'm immersing myself in the life coaching realm and preparing to lead my very first Right Brain Business Planning workshop this month, I'm also staying grounded in my day to day self care practices, teaching and business to-dos.

Or attempting to do so. Some days it comes easier.

When I'm feeling unsettled, anxious, or impatient I have to get quiet, dive inward, and ask myself "what's really going on here?" Many times it's something I'm avoiding, something I've skipped over, something I haven't allow myself to feel or express.

Then I take some sort of action. A few deep breaths. Move my body. Do some writing or have a conversation with someone.

Some of this is a new way for me in being in the world and in my relationships and some feels very old and familiar.

Yet when I'm finished I feel connected to my own wholeness and I realize I don't have to be on a quest for answers nor contentment because they are already as much a part of me as my own hopes, dreams, and desires.

All I have to do is bring my attention to it and affirm it.

yoga is a religion, yoga is a sex cult, and yoga kills you

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First off, I want to remind people of the very first time you walked into a yoga studio to take a class.

Do you recall how you felt? I do. I was nervous. And uncertain. I didn't exactly know what happened in a yoga class. Do they sit and meditate the whole class. Stand on their head. Chant words that will make no sense to me? I had little clue. All I knew was that the universe kept pointing me in that direction. Go. Do. Yoga.

Plus I was having my mid-twenties crisis and it just seemed like a good idea. I thought it might be able to help me calm my wild thoughts and help me center and connect to myself. Of course at the time, those were not the words I used.

It was more like, "Oh shit, my life is falling to pieces. I'm too young for my life to fall to pieces. What the hell am I gonna do? I've gotta figure this out."

When I see and read the articles in The New York Times and I hear that people actually think yoga is a religion it gets to me.

Not because it ruffles all my yogi feathers in a purist way. Ok, ok some if it has ruffled my yoga tail feathers, just a bit. I can't lie.

It's mostly upsetting to me because here we are adding to the list of reasons not to do yoga. As if people need more reasons not to do yoga. In general as a society we already feel less than.

Oh I can't do yoga because I'm too old, too young, too skinny, too fat, too tight, too weak, too conservative, too eccentric....on and on and on.

Now we have people reading these articles and perhaps thinking they'll either break their neck doing yoga or get lured into a sex cult.

Geez, really?

Yogs is not (and I repeat not) a religion. We have no place of worship. No god or gods we must pray or bow down to. Yoga does not tell you to pray to any certain thing nor person. Yoga actually encourages you to connect to any source that uplifts you. One of the niyamas is "ishvara pranidhana" which is connecting to a higher source energy. Be that source the sun, Jesus, Allah, your lover, whatever. Yoga does not attempt to define what that higher source is. And I love that. Wars break out, people fight, and do all sorts of crazy things in the name of God and love. We get so attached, so righteous about what we believe to be the ultimate truth. Really seems counter-productive to me.

Yes, yoga has deep spiritual roots that are there should one be interested in exploring that. It is not a prerequisite nor a requirement. You can come do yoga to get a nice yoga ass or you can come to connect to spirit. Whatever. It doesn't matter to me. We all have our individual reasons and that is a beautiful thing in and of itself.

Yoga as a sex cult....yes let's explore that one. Appears all this talk stems from the scandal happening around John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga. If you're curious just Google John Friend Sex Scandal and you'll get more information than you care to read.

First of all, yogis are not super humans free from struggle nor suffering. Yogis are humans. I'm not at all justifying his behavior. Mostly what I'm saying is that when you really think about it, it's not that utterly shocking.

Disappointing? Yes.
Sad? Yes
Shocking? At first yes, upon further inquiry maybe not.

Sex scandals occur all over the place.....business people, family people, politicians, religious leaders, and yes, yogis.

This is a reminder to each of us as a student of yoga. It's not about your teacher. Really, it's not. It's about the wisdom within yoga and You. I get that your yoga teacher can serve as a source of inspiration. Your teacher has been walking the path. Seeking and striving to live a good life and sharing what is true for them. It's not about them. I repeat. If they say it is about them, that's a big red sign. When it starts to feel like your worthiness is based on your teacher and it's more about them then I'd step back and ponder what's truly happening.

Lastly, this idea that "I'd better not do yoga because I might hurt myself."


News flash....I can spill my hot coffee onto my lap and hurt myself. I can slip and fall on the street and hurt myself. I can literally dance my big toenail off and hurt myself (yes still slightly traumatized by that one).

Asanas (the yoga poses) are physical. You can hurt yourself doing anything physical. A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

Both students and teachers have responsibility when it comes to safety in a yoga classroom. We as teachers are looking for signs of students overdoing it and straining. That's why I always say, "If you can't breathe in this pose, don't do it!". I've had conversations with students and essentially said, "I don't think you're ready for this pose."

Students have responsibility. Just because we teach it, doesn't mean you have to do it. Honor your body. Listen deeply. Find your edge in the pose and don't push past it. Be more concerned about your body and pose than your neighbors. How do you know if it's too much?

If you can't breathe you shouldn't be in that pose.
If your mind is freaking out you shouldn't be in that pose.
If it's a pose that requires great strength and you're just not there yet, you shouldn't be in that pose.
If it hurts (and this is more than simply uncomfortable) you shouldn't be in the pose.

Actually when the article by William Broad came out in NYT I felt really good about my method of teaching and the process I lead trainees through in yoga teacher training. I believe it to be wise, safe, and sustainable.

Basically I love yoga. I want everybody to do yoga.

I truly believe that if we all did yoga the world would be a much better place. I do. I believe that deeply, in the core of my being. When I read some things I just want to bang my head against the wall because it seems so unbelievable to me.

Don't believe everything just because you read it or someone told you to believe it. Take it in, try it on, and then choose for yourself. The same thing is true for yoga.

Shew. That was a lot. I shall now step off of the yoga soapbox. Thanks for listening. Or reading.

Have a great day friends.

living in appreciation

Source: imgfave.com via Sharon on Pinterest

Hello Blog.
Hello Friends.
It's been a while....

I'm happy to be here with this soy latte, my manual for my life coach immersion, and my pinktop.

I have so much to say about my time in Santa Cruz. My heart and my head sorta feel like their opening and exploding all over the place. Tha aha's, hmmmmm's, oh shits, and hell yea's are abundantly flowing.

Today what I'm feeling is appreciation.

And just how happens we spent a whole day in my life coach immersion deep in the throes of appreciation.

Each day we have a commitment that we explore. This was commitment #9 and reads like this:

"I commit to living in appreciation, both fully opening to receive and to giving appreciation."

The counter-commitment reads like this:

"I commit to feeling entitled to "what's mine", and to resenting when it's not acknowledged in the way I want. I commit to withholding my appreciation of others. I commit to taking others for granted."

We explored this commitment in the yoga class I taught this morning. During centering we appreciated things in the outer landscape....

The sun and the way the light danced in across the studio floor.
The sounds of the birds chirping.
A bright blue sky.
Plants, flowers, trees.
Spring beginning to burst forth in all Her glory.

We then turned out attention to our inner landscape. An invitation to appreciate our very own magnificent inner landscape.

The feeling of hands resting on legs.
Our legs, belly, back, and chest.
The breath and it's magical ways.
The mind and it's marvelous ways of working.
So much to appreciate.

We began to move and appreciate the marriage of body, movement, and breath.
We appreciated our fingers, wrists, and hands.
They allowed us to drive here, hold a mug of hot tea, hug a dear one.

We appreciated our shoulders in cow face pose.
Our hips in warrior II.
Our hammies in hand to big toe.

We moved into our edge in poses. That place where it feels uncomfortable "to be".
We pondered how appreciation can show up even in these uncomfortable places and feelings....

Could we appreciate our body, our pose, our feelings for what they were now, even in having room to grow in the pose on the mat...
And in our life off the mat?

"I commit to living in appreciation, both fully opening to receive and to giving appreciation."

This is so much of what I strive to bring to my life and my teachings within yoga. Yoga and life...Life and yoga as expression of love and appreciation.

This is the stuff dreams are made of.
This is the stuff my dreams are made of.

I'm feeling deeply, deeply appreciative today.
Too put words to it would take too long.
I'd say too much.

e.e. Cummings says it best with,

"I thank you God
for most this amazing day.
For the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a true blue dream of sky.
For everything which is natural,
which is infinite
which is Yes."

It's good to be home. I've missed You.