box full of dreams

There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, "Yes I've got dreams, of course I've got dreams." Then they put the box away and bring it out once in a while to look at it, and yep, they're still there. These are great dreams, but they never even get out of the box. It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line, to hold them up and say, "How good or how bad am I?" That's where courage comes in. - Erma Louise Bombeck

take me out to the ballgame

Are these guys baseball players or yogis?! I like to imagine that they are both. I was quite impressed with the guys in blue (that would be the Texas Rangers). I looked out in the field and there they were in pigeon, down dog, and wide leg forward folds. Then as the game was starting I turned my eyes over to right field and here was an amazing yogi in red (as in Cincinnati Reds). Check him out in Prasarita Padottanasana (just because it's fun to say) and nearly balancing in bakasana (crane or crow pose). I tried making a paper airplane out of my business card and sailing it through the air to him. ;-)

When I wasn't admiring the prospective yogi's and taking pictures of people sitting in the stands (that's how I spent a fair share of time), I got a few shots of a childhood friend of Andy's that plays

with the Rangers. That's him, Brad Wilkerson. I did get to witness the awesome Ken Griffey Jr. score two homeruns back to back. I bet he was doing yoga before the game.

What a lovely, lovely weekend I had. I hope you all had a wonderful father's day.

maybe

"I rose this morning early as usual, and went to my desk. But it's spring and the thrush is in the woods, somewhere in the twirled branches, and he is singing. And so now I am standing by the open door. And now I am stepping onto the grass, I am touching a few leaves. I am noticing the way the yellow butterflies move together, in a twinkling cloud over the field. And I am thinking: maybe just looking and listening is the real work. Maybe the world, without us, is the real poem." - Mary Oliver

I love this. It speaks to me on a few different levels. I discovered this passage yesterday in a book that I read from often, Meditations on the Mat. I had an hour or so before class so I decided to go outside, sit and work at a table behind Patchen Village. I flipped open my book and my eyes landed on this passage. I have this love affair with nature, with being outside. There are times when it's beauty stops be dead in my tracks. Like last night when I was driving soon from the studio on my pretty little country road...the sun was setting and it was HUGE and a beautiful shade of red-orange. I wanted to pull off on the side of the road and watch it set. Had there been at least two lanes, I would have. But in that moment I gave thanks. Thankful that I had a great home and husband to go home to, thankful for the car I drove, thankful for the job I left, and the people I taught. It's moments like these in which all you have to do is look closely and listen intently. Nature has a way of putting everything into perspective.

this weekend

I was delighted: to take a trip home
I was saddened: to see the mountains blown apart at the lake where I learned to swim
I was ecstatic: when the rain fell from the sky
I was happy: to catch up with my brother and sis-in-law and the other fabulous people of Whitesburg.
I was mesmerized: by the sounds of Charlie Louvin
I was sleepy: and tried to sneak away and get to bed at 1:00 in the morning only to be pulled out of bed to listen to more old time music on the front porch
I was thankful: that there were no "strangers"...but friends to be made
I was reminded: of how good it is to be in eastern KY

teacher training

The website has been updated with some information for teacher training. Click here to view a few more details. I'm so excited about this. I promise to write more when I have more time!

I'm off to the Seedtime Festival! Have a happy, happy weekend.

exciting stuff

I'm going tomorrow to visit my brother (that's him with the big ole glasses) and enjoy the festivities of Seedtime on the Cumberland (also known as the Seedtime Festival). It's a great time with lots of great people. Joel and Amelia host a "hospitality porch" as their home is within walking distance of the festivities. I love the email I got this week inviting people to "slide on over for a cool, refreshing beverage, a snack and a rest in the hammock. And of course, "bring along anyone you acquire on the way." Yes, they are a friendly bunch. Andy and I are packing our camping gear up just in case we have to set up camp up in the yard. That's where we will be in all likelihood.

The other big, exciting, fun news is that we are going to have a 200 hour teacher training at Barefoot Works! I loved my training with my teacher Anna so much, that I'm going to use her program and do my very own. The training is registered with Yoga Alliance and will begin in January of 2008. More details to come soon. Let me know if you are interested in teaching yoga and changing peoples' lives!

swirling

"As long as the world is turning and spinning, we're gonna be dizzy and we're gonna make mistakes." Mel Brooks

Ever had one of those days when you're just so busy that you feel like the world is swirling around you? I found myself making a mental list of all the things I needed to do today while I was brushing my teeth this morning. And at that moment, all I wanted to do was go upstairs to my little yoga room...sit on my big cushion, close my eyes, and breathe. But I didn't have enough time. However, I did get a few things in from Hugger Mugger today and this zafu was one of the things. In just a few minutes, you'll find me sitting on a meditation cushion, with my eyes closed, breathing blissfully.

If you love the zafu as much as I do, you can buy one at the studio.

your job, your life

"The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation." Mark Twain

I find myself thinking often about the things that I choose to do...how I spend my time, how I spend my money, and with whom I share my time.

I had lunch with a great friend this past Friday and we indirectly spoke of this very subject. She asked me about my past job outside of Houston TX. This was a job in my field of study (recreation and park adm.) and I guess I was fairly good at what I was doing. In the four years I was there I was promoted two times. I knew it was time to walk away when I no longer felt challenged, and I found myself getting irritable and impatient far too often. The eight hours that I spent at my job felt like "all work and not play" (and it was even in the field of recreation !) and I found myself daydreaming about quitting my job and doing something totally different.

My job simply was not feeding my spirit. And this is something that is very important to me. I refuse to spend a third of my life doing something that I don't feel passionate about. It's been nearly three years since I walked away from my job and I haven't regretted it one single moment. I get to spend lots of time learning, practicing and teaching the thing that most feeds my spirit most...yoga.

I look at pictures like the one above and I'm happy for the choices I've made. That picture was taken at a workshop that I taught at the hospital in Hazard, KY, which is the area I'm from. I've had the fortunate experience to teach yoga to all different types of people and all ages. Next month I'll travel to Mexico and co-lead a yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico. A fun little story about Tulum...I discovered this magical little place four years ago through the magazine Budget Living. It was their very first issue and they featured Tulum for the travel section. I was so drawn to this place that I clipped the article out and saved it. I told Andy that I couldn't wait to visit this place someday. That someday will be next month, July 14.

yoga for gardeners

If you come into class early at Barefoot Works, many times you'll hear us talking about gardening. I have fond memories of growing up surrounded by beautiful flowers, plants, and vegetables. My mother was always tending to her flower beds and containers. I can recall pulling weeds and feeling completely happy. My uncle always grew a most magnificent garden on the sunny side of the hill just down the road. It was so much fun to watch these vegetables grow and to this day there's nothing like picking a juicy strawberry on a hot summer day.

I think it's only natural that many yogi's feel a deep connection to the earth and have a love of gardening. After all there are many similarities between yoga and gardening. Both yoga and gardening teach us to be patient and nurturing, and each encourage relaxation and creativity.

Below is a sequence that will leave you feeling very refreshed after a long day of gardening. You can do the sequence before or after gardening, or pick a couple poses to do while digging in the dirt.

*Start in downward facing dog, creating a an upside down V shape with your body.

*Inhale and bring the right foot forward in between your palms. Drop your left knee to the ground. Breathe deeply, releasing your hips towards the earth while you lengthen your spine. Hold for 5-8 deep breaths.

*Bring both hands to the inside of the right foot. Press your hands down and bring your right leg back to a tabletop position (shoulders above palms, hips above knees). Take your right arm and thread it underneath the left for a twist. You'll be resting on your right shoulder. Careful not to strain the neck here. Hold for 5-8 deep breaths. Come back into Downward Facing Dog and repeat the previous two poses with the left leg.

*Come to a seated position on your bottom to prepare for bound angle pose. Bend your legs and bring the soles of your feet together allowing your knees to open to the sides. Come into a gentle forward fold here. Hold for 5-8 deep breaths.

*Move back upright, take your hands and press your knees together. Lie down on your back and prepare for bridge pose. Walk your feet in close to the sitz bones. Keep your feet hip distance apart. With an inhale lift your bottom away from the ground. Continue to lift, moving your weight back towards

your shoulders. Hold f

or 5-8 deep breaths.

*Finish by pulling your knees into your chest. Now you can go back to pulling weeds with a fresh and happy back!

Happy gardening to each of you!

your creative dreams

"Make Your Creative Dreams Real" is a favorite book of mine. Click here to see and read a "support sheet for making your creative dreams real." It's quite fun and makes for some inspirational reading.

Have a happy Wednesday. Come out and join me for a yummy yin class tonight. You'll leave feeling very stretched out and chilled out.

i'm back!

It seems like I've been away from the blog for a while! Andy and I left town early Friday morning to go to his hometown of Owensboro. His sister Beth had flown home for the weekend to visit. This was our first and last time to see Beth during her pregnancy. Isn't she cute in tree pose?! Beth is also a certified yoga teacher and teaches yoga (among other things) at Texas A&M.

We had a lovely time exploring small towns in southern Indiana. We discovered some great shops that had some fabulous finds. I was so excited when we walked into a shop called The Peach Plum and the first thing I saw was Storypeople. They had the cards, books, matted pictures and the wall art. I stood there browsing with the biggest smile on my face. I decided that I should move on along and see what else the store had to offer and then I discovered another favorite, Curly Girl Designs. I recently got a print for my birthday that read "I am fairly certain that given a cape and a nice tiara, I could save the world." I love, love, love this stuff. I exclaimed to the gal working.."Two of my favorites, Storypeople and curly girl!" We got to chatting and I learned that she went to school at UK.

We also had time for the girls to go out shopping and pick out things for soon to be little Luke. We found the cutest monkey outfit and these matching shoes for him to wear home from the hospital.

It's always so much fun to hang out with the Tessandori gang. I think it's safe to say that not a whole lof of people really like to spend time with their in-laws, but I actually do. There's always stories to tell, shakes (as in milk) to drink, shopping to do, and sharing of lotsa laughs.

I hope that each of you had a wonderful long weekend. :-) Anything exciting to share?

a yoga photo shoot!

andy takes on the neti pot

Andy has been suffering for weeks from allergies. He's taken Claratin D and tried a few other things with little or no success. Today we were watching Oprah and she had Dr. Oz on her show. One of the gals stated that Dr. Oz advice of using a neti pot completely changed her life and allowed her to take control of the allergies. A neti pot is...well a pot that's used for nasal cleansing. And it's an ancient yogic technique.

Hearing it on Oprah, and a little persuasion from me convinced Andy to give it a go. So we walked down the street to the local CVS (Andy was surprised when I told him they would have one). We were at the checkout counter as the man working says, "They talked of these on Oprah today." Obviously others had been in to purchase their very on neti pot. I bet they're sold out before the week is over.

So Andy has tried. I told him it would take a few days to get the hang of it. That's what I hear anyway. I've never actually tried. We're hoping that it helps. I'll let you know how it goes!

bring on the 30's

I had the most aaamazing birthday weekend. Fun, fun, fun all weekend long. I'm still digesting all of it....the people, the celebrations, the food, the games, the gifts, the dance party. My friend Liz (that's the cute gal with the curly hair) and Andy pulled off the best surprise ever. Andy took me to Berea for the International Festival. Berea is just the greatest little town. We also dined at Boone Tavern and went to the Artisan Center. I thought it was so sweet when Andy suggested that we drive back home through the countryside so I could take some pictures of the horse farms. This alone made me the happiest little gal around. Little did I know what was in store. He was buying time so everyone could make their way to our house to surprise me.

Liz and Tony did the best job of decorating the house with streamers and signs, lighting candles, and just making it festive. The inside, the outside, it was all so pretty. I opened our gate into the backyard and SURPRISE, there they were...my family and friends. It was nothing short of awesome. The best birthday ever! And the weather?! How completely perfect was it?

Yes this will definitely be a birthday to remember. I couldn't have imagined a better way to start such an exciting chapter in my life.

Mexico Yoga Retreat

Imagine this…you wake up in the morning filled with energy and completely relaxed from a good night’s sleep. You stroll out of your cabana and through the sand to your morning yoga session. For an hour and a half, you breathe, you move, you live. You enliven your body, you relax your mind, and you renew your spirit.

After your morning session you enjoy a delicious, fresh, wholesome Mexican style breakfast. You have a tough choice ahead of you: should you spend the afternoon walking on the white sand beach, getting a massage, napping in a hammock, exploring the Mayan Ruins, or swimming with the dolphins?

Do you get the picture (and a glorious picture it is)? A number of adventures await you in Tulum, should you choose.

You’ll spend seven nights at Maya Tulum, located on the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Maya Tulum is a seaside wellness retreat that offers amazing serenity, awe-inspiring scenery, and a true connection with the Mayan past. The climate is ideal and the sun shines all year with cooling sea breezes and glorious clear skies.

A typical day in paradise:
7:30 – 9:00 am Morning Yoga Session
9:30 am Breakfast
1:30 pm Lunch
5:00 – 6:30 pm Evening Yoga Session
7:30 pm Dinner

A couple nights we also have additional yoga opportunities, should you wish to participate. And of course, this isn’t elementary school. We will not be doing a roll call each morning. If you’re there in class, perfect. If we pass you on the beach after class, no judgments, no worries. This is your trip after all.

Your yoga vacation includes:
• Tuition for all yoga and meditation classes

• 7 night’s accommodation in elegantly simple thatched-roof cottages with limestone floors and warm ocean breezes.

• 3 delicious meals daily, freshly prepared and served buffet style

• Taxes, tips, and transfers to and from Cancun International Airport

You return back from your vacation feeling stretched out, worked out, and chilled out. In fact, your family, friends and people at work will be amazed at your transformation. They’ll wonder where you’ve been and what you’ve done. You’ll know the secret. It’s an ancient secret that has relieved stress and promoted a healthy mind, body, and spirit for thousands of years.

It’s yoga.

And a combination of paradise of course. Join us and savor the perfect balance of developing or enhancing a yoga practice while indulging in an unforgettable Caribbean vacation.

Your retreat leaders are Sharon Tessandori and Shelli Carpenter. Both are certified yoga teachers and happy owners of yoga studios.

July 14-21, 2007
50% of payment due at booking, pay the remaining 50% upon arrival.

Retreat Rates*

Double Occupancy Single Occupancy

Garden
$1,290 $1,585
Ocean View
$1,325 $1,655
Beach Front
$1,430 $1,865

phenomenal woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,the palm of my hand,

The need of my care.

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I think all gals should have to memorize this poem my Maya Angelou. Or at least a verse :-)

calling all mama's

Don't forget to come out today and get your yoga groove on...for FREE! You can choose from our 12:00 class or our evening class at 6:00. It's our way of saying thank you for doing the most important job in the whole world, raising our little ones. And we'll even offer you a sweet treat after class :-)

Happy Mother's Day

To Erika, who is so close to giving birth that it's a bit scary for me! This will be Erika's very first bundle of joy. Gabriel Mateo will make his debut next month. I can't wait to meet this little guy.

To Lesley, who is prego with her second baby. Such a young, hip mama that has everything together, much more so than my almost 30 year old self!

To my sister Rhonda. She truly is a supermom. I can only hope to be the mother she is someday.

To my mama, the gal who taught me to be strong, compassionate, independent and the importance of taking risks. Thank you for helping me to be the person I am today.

To Joann, my mom-in-law. Thank you for treating me like one of your own. You're the best. I definitely got lucky with the whole mother-in-law thing :-) No horror stories here!

To my great sis-in-law Beth! Beth is also expecting her first bundle of baby boy joy this September. Yes, Joseph Luke is going to be quite the spoiled little boy. Andy is quite excited about the fact that it's going to be a little boy. We hope to make a trip back to Texas this fall to meet this little fella.

And to my wonderful friend Jennifer who has literally been trying to get pregnant for years and years. I am just over the moon happy for her. If anybody is meant to be a mama, it is her.

So Happy Mother's Day to all of you. The mama's, soon to be mama's, and the mama's that are desperately trying...and to the aunties, grandmothers, godmothers, and such. It really does take a village to raise a child. All of you, you rock. Enjoy your day.

awake

Typically at this time, I'd be in bed curled up with a book or falling asleep on the couch, but I am wide awake. So here I am, surfing the net, reading more blogs ( I could very well be addicted), and downloading pictures taken from the weekend. I had a great yoga practice tonight in my "hot yoga room". The room wasn't heated, but we don't have air conditioning upstairs, so need less to say, it was definitely a heated room. But I like that. I like to get all sweaty during yoga...so I sweated it out for about an hour and a half. I found myself doing lots of backbends, which are energizing. Maybe that's why I'm not tired. Anyway, here are some pics from the weekend.

I did find my way to this, Donna Karan has developed a initiative called Urban Zen. Here is the intention: "Imagine if Eastern philosophy harmonized with Western medical practice, if the cure for disease was born out of human touch...
Whenever you bring opposites together, something beautiful happens, you find each inspires and transforms elements of the other.
When my husband Stephan was sick, so much was missing from his care. He needed the powerful science of Western traditional medicine, but he also needed the healing that can only be accessed from the heart and spirit. Out of my frustration by the treatment at even the best medical facilities, a commitment was born. I am determined to do what I can to help create a new model for approaching wellness and patient care.
My mission is to create a working environment where the worlds of conventional and alternative medical practices unite to invent new ways of healing, health and well-being for all of us. We must treat the patient with the same passion with which we fight the disease."
Pretty cool, right?

thank you

Thank you to each of you that come to class and give it your all. I can see your effort and I can feel your positive energy. Thank you to those that come to class even when you don't want to be there. Even if you've had a terrible day, a busy day, or a lovely day. You still show up, unroll your mat and do the work. Thank you for being such a friendly bunch of yogi's. When newbies show up for the first time, you always greet them with kind words and a friendly smile. Thank you for having the courage, discipline, willpower, and patience that it takes to practice yoga. Thank you for smiling, crying, and laughing during class. I'm so thrilled that you feel like Barefoot Works is a space where you can let your guard down and just be you. Thank you for allowing me to teach you. Thank you all for being the greatest teacher I've ever had. I learn from all of you everyday. Thank you, thank you, thank you.