Delight & Surprise

I came across this great star necklace the day after Thanksgiving. It was a perfect day....brisk air and the brightest blue sky. I grabbed my camera opting to head downtown into Nicholasville instead of my usual journey into the countryside. I happily snapped pictures of old buildings, revitalized buildings, Victorian homes and more. I made my way to a beautiful old Catholic Church built with stone. And it's small and quaint, which I love.

I was taking pictures of a small garden and some pretty statues when something caught my eye. There was the faintest of a flicker, something hanging in one of the bushes. That's when I discovered this gold necklace of stars hanging there. It just tickled me pink to find this in such an unexpected place. And of course, I stood there thinking of all these fabulous stories about how it got there, how long it had been there, and whom the necklace belonged to at one time. It occurred to me that at any given time, on any given day, we can all find something within our day to surprise and delight. We just have to keep our eyes and our hearts open to it. I'm setting my intention to discover delight and surprise throughout the days and months of 2007. What's your intention?

Om Sweet Om

Today was my first day of being home after spending nearly a week in Vermont. Spending Christmas in Stowe was absolutely amazing. We arrived in Burlington and met Andy's sister, Beth and her husband Clint. Andy's parents rented a Dodge Dakota for the week so we could all travel around together. It was quite amusing stuffing seven people (all grown-ups) and our luggage into that SUV, as anyone that has been skiing knows that packing for a ski trip is no small feat. Scarves, hats, goggles, mittens and gloves, ski pants and coat, wool socks, not to mention all the layers underneath the pants and coat. Skiing requires a lot of "stuff", there is no way around that. Luckily we squeezed ourselves and our gear in and made our way towards Stowe.

The area was gorgeous. Mountains covered with pine trees, charming New England homes along the hillside, rushing creeks, "moose crossing" signs along the highway, no billboards, no fast food or big box stores anywhere in sight. It was a nature lovers paradise. However, there was no snow. In fact, much of New England was without snow. I read that this was only the second time in nearly 100 years. But we had heard that Stowe made the best "fake" snow, so we didn't let that get our spirits down. We checked into our condo that was nestled in the hillside, unpacked our luggage then made our way back to town for dinner.

We had the best food throughout the week. Our first night we ate at PieCasso, the most yummy pizza I've had in a long time. Fittingly enough, I had the "treehugger" pizza which was topped with veggies and spices and Andy had the "carcass" pizza which was loaded with meat. We also ate Dutch pancakes, had dinner at a local pub (where the photo above was taken), enjoyed ice cream at the Malt Shop, had a beer sampling of Vermont beers, enjoyed more ice cream at Ben and Jerrys, had dinner at the Trapp Family Lodge. The Lodge continues to be owned and operated by the Trapp family, the inspiration for the classic musical and movie "The Sound of Music." As you can see, lots of good eatin'!

We had much time to burn our calories on the ski slopes, skiing three and four days while we were in Stowe. I was excited to work on my skiing skills. I'm no expert by any means and spent most of my time on the green slopes. I made my way over to the blue slopes the second day we went out, although Andy warned me that he didn't think I was ready, informing me that he thought these were as challenging as the black slopes in Breckenridge, Colorado that we skiied several years ago. I however, did not listen. I got a tab bit nervous as we boarded the lift and read the sign, "advanced and expert skiers only". So up, up, and up even farther we went on the ski lift to the top of the mountain. The view from up there was amazing. Well worth the 45 minutes it took me to get down the mountain...skiing, sliding, skooting, doing whatever it took to make it down. From there, I happily made my way back over to the "baby greens". Guess we can't excel at everything ;-)

We also shopped at quaint and whimsical stores in historic Stowe. My favorite was Stowe Gallery. They had the most fabulous stuff. All unique and handmade by artisans from around the world. I was so excited to see that they had a big selection of Storypeople artwork and I was even more excited on Christmas day when Santa left me a box of Storypeople cards!

The morning we left Stowe, we awoke to a blanket of snow. Everything was covered in white and was truly breathtaking. We made it to the airport and the trip home was a story in itself. Our flight to JFK was cancelled due to fog. Our only hope of making it home on that day was to rent a car, drive three hours to Manchester, NH, hop a flight to Atlanta with 30 minutes to connect (we barely made it) to Cincinnati, then drive home to Nicholasville where we were greeted by two very excited dogs. Wow, what an exhausting day! But here I am now, happy to be home trying to return to my normal schedule.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all peace, joy and happiness this Christmas Day!

A Stowe White Christmas

After class tomorrow night Andy and I are driving to spend the night in Cincinnati then getting up early Wednesday morning to fly to Stowe, Vermont. Instead of giving gifts this year on Andy's side of the family, we decided to take a family ski trip instead. I just love, love, love to travel, so this of course, made me very happy. We'll have six days to ski, sip hot cocoa, sample local restaurants, and watch holiday movies. Andy and I are so excited to go to Ben & Jerry's! I've also found a small yoga studio that offers classes a couple days during the week. I'm hoping to make it to a class. I'm planning to take lots of pictures of this beautiful old village and do lots of reading. I bought the book "Living Artfully" and I can't wait to flip through the pages and get some ideas about jump starting my imagination in time for the new year. This time of year is so much fun!

An Inconvenient Truth

Al Gore was on the Oprah Winfrey show about a week ago speaking about global warming. As we all know "anything Oprah touches turns to gold." I didn't get to see the show but I'm sure that billions of people from around the world tuned in and learned about small changes they can do to make a big difference. Click here to see and read about Al Gore being on Oprah.

Barefoot Works and GreenLex have teamed up to show this fascinating documentary! An Inconvenient Truth is a compelling documentary about global warming. Larry King called it "One of the most important films ever" and Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com wrote, "It doesn't matter whether you're a Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative...your mind will be changed in a nanosecond." Following the documentary we will join Al Gore for a nationwide conference call. Oh, I'm so excited about this night!

We'll be sitting on the floor, it is a yoga studio after all! If you wish, feel free to bring a fold up chair to sit in. We hope to see you there!

Barefoot Works Yoga Studio
153 Patchen Drive, Suite 35
Lexington, KY 40517
859.433.7787
Saturday, Dec. 16 7:00 pm
$Free

Team Aniston

As in Jennifer, of course. This months Self magazine has a lovely article about Jennifer Aniston in which she speaks about "her source of strength"...yoga. It's really a great article and the photos are so pretty and peaceful looking. This cute little gal Mandy Ingber is her yoga teacher. Click here to take a look at the yoga moves Mandy and Jen do together. It even a has a list of Jen's favorite yoga tunes. I love this stuff....yes it's a guilty pleasure ;-)

Lovin' This!

Love, love, love this! This is on the back cover of the January edition of Yoga Journal. It's actually an ad for lululemon athletics:

Yoga is a fad. We give it another, say, 6000 years, tops. The pundits are right. It's something that has recently picked up steam. Why, it was only in 1500 BC that is became codified in an ancient text called the Rig Veda. Hardly a real track record. Sure, it's been around for some 7000 years. But will it last? Aside from the fact that it's a form of activity that increases flexibility, strength, concentration, reflexes, balance, mental clarity, stress control, and self awareness. But does it really have anything substantial to offer? So, it you're like one of the tens of millions of people who've hopped on the yoga bandwagon over the past 70 centuries, don't be surprised when you may find yourself in the year 8007 putting your yoga mat in a garage sale. In the meantime, if you want to ride out this seven millennium-long dad, come and visit us.

The above picture is of artwork by the oh-so-talented Teresa Thompson.

Recap

We hosted our very first holiday open house at the studio this past Friday! Highlights of the evening included acupuncture consultations with Robert Fueston, the most beautiful yoga sculptures by the very talented Teresa Thompson, yummy vegetarian treats including this beautiful cake (check the little barefeet out), "the best cookies ever", and perfect pumpkin muffins all made by the most gracious of yoga students. We sipped McManis wine, mingled with guests which included newcomers and seasoned yogis, listened to joyous holiday tunes, and browsed the Bare Wear Boutique. Julie of Chakra T's joined in our celebration and brought all of her wonderful chakra yoga apparel. Twenty guests were sent home with "Stress Less Holiday Kits" which included a bath fizzy, mug and organic tea, tea light candles tied with tulle and ribbon and a postcard which included a "Recipe for a Relaxing Evening" on one side and a "Stress Less Yoga Sequence" on the opposite side.

The party was a perfect chance for students to get to know each other better off the yoga mat and welcome those new to yoga or the studio. A fun night with fabulous people. I'm already looking forward to our next gathering!

Open House Tonight!

Come eat, drink and make merry at the studio tonight! Holiday Open House from 6:30 till 8:30 pm. Everyone is invited.... newcomers, past and current yoga students. And of course feel free to bring family and friends to celebrate the season. Visit us online at www.barefootworks.com or call 859.433.7787 for studio directions. Hope to see you there!

A bit of bliss

Sunday was such a perfect day for me. It involved all things that I truly enjoy...good food, good friends, good coffee and of course yoga. I led a restorative workshop at Eternal Health Yoga in Lousiville for 11 perfect students. It's so wonderful seeing people from all walks of life take the time to attend a workshop. Those in attendance included yoga teacher trainees, a yoga teacher from way back, and a darling guy taking his very first yoga class/workshop...with his fiancee sitting alongside him. I just love the fact that you never really know who could walk through the door for a yoga class. It creates a feeling of community, everyone is welcome. Speaking of community...

After the workshop people sat around and sipped tea, speaking of their experiences with yoga and life in general. Very nice,very quaint, it all just felt really good. Then a group of us went to Cafe Lou Lous for a yummy dinner, followed by coffee at the Java Brewing Company. I've been to this coffee shop with Shelli a couple of times and I just love it. This is what I call a real coffee shop. A welcoming bar, floor to ceiling bookshelves, a stone fireplace, great coffee, and lots of people hanging around doing their thing. It was the perfect ending to a a really great day. Just perfect... just a bit of bliss ;-)

Yogi of the Month - Eric Simon

I think it was an event in seventh grade that eventually let me to yoga. During a music class at school my music instructor decided that my class was not relaxing enough and had us all lie on the ground. She began by instructing us, “Breathe in and tighten your legs. As you exhale relax any tension in your legs and feel the stress in your body leaving.” As I continued to scan though my body I was amazed at how relaxed and peaceful I felt. Repeating this relaxation became a common occurrence for me over the next few years, especially after tough days. Some of my happiest moments in life occurred during these periods of relaxation and I soon began to wonder if there was more to this than my music teacher had taught

My senior year of high school one of my classmates gave a presentation on yoga and I found myself thinking that this is something I need to try. I asked my classmate how she had started practicing yoga and she gave me several videos and books to start with. I instantly loved yoga. Yoga was a challenge physically and most importantly expanded upon the relaxation exercise I had learned from my music instructor years before. I continued a home practice of yoga for about a year and then found an Iyengar studio near me where I practiced for a short time. However, my practice gradually diminished as an undergrad at college mostly due to a lack of personal space and not having the money to attend a studio.

Upon moving to Lexington for graduate school at UK I decided I wanted to revive my practice and started looked around for a studio. After looking around for a bit I eventually arrived at Barefoot Works and I have loved it here. Barefoot Works has quickly became like a home away from home to me and I would like to give thanks to everyone involved in it: Sharon, your courage in finding what you want to do in life and doing it is an inspiration. Leigh Ann, you are wonderful at explaining poses and their niceties (although I am not always flexible enough to do them!). I appreciate all of the guidance you both (and Teresa!) give me. To all my fellow students: you make Barefoot Works a warm and inviting place that I look forward to visiting as often as I can.

Tis The Season

Did you know that Americans spend more the 400 billion, yes billion, each holiday season. We have gifts to buy, trees to trim, parties to attend and cards to send. All the gift giving can take a toll on your wallet and the environment, and not to mention your sanity. Here are some ways that you can stress less this holiday season.

This year get creative with your gift giving. Does the thought of buying another tie send a shiver down your spine? If so, think about giving the gift of experience. This year my in-laws bought the family a ski trip to Vermont for Christmas. It's still an expensive gift, but we're saving lots of gift wrap :-) And the memories we'll make will last a lifetime.

Get creative...think of season tickets to a sporting event, a charitable donation in someones honor, theater tickets, a massage, yoga gift card, create a family recipe book, plant a tree or a garden. You get the picture. Many times these gifts are much more creative, personalized, and fun. Plus you'll save time, energy, and priceless resources.

If you simply can't imagine not buying gifts for your loved ones, then give the gift of green. No, not "green" as in money. Green as in supporting the environment. Support your local artists by purchasing original art from local galleries and shops. Shop ten thousand villages for fair trade handicrafts from around the world. Candles also make the perfect gift. This year purchase a soy candle and it wont be harmful to your health or the planet. Soy candeles don't produce toxins and they're nearly soot free. Soap Werks candles are made locally in Midway and all the ingredients come from nature: vegetable oils, dried herbs, honey, beeswax and essential oils. They have a darling shop and carry other items that are locally handcrafted. Check out way out wax, the wax is even edible (just in case you wanted to taste). The glass containers are made from recycled glass, the wicks are 100% cotton, they use 100% medicinal essential oils, and they smell heavenly.

If you want to give a gift that's unique and Eco-friendly shop online at vintage trends. You'll give a gift that's very hip, plus you'll help the environment by purchasing used clothing that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. You can also give the gift of wellness by purchasing a loved one a yoga gift certificate or make a purchase from the Bare Wear Boutique. All the clothes are manufactured in America in a sweatshop free environment.

Remind yourself to take a break from the chaos to nurture yourself with activities that soothe your soul. Take time to drink some hot chocolate, listen to your favorite holiday tunes, take a bubble bath, walk around your neighborhood to view the decorations and lights, do yoga, write in a journal, and give back to those less fortunate.

Wishing you all much joy, peace and happiness throughout the holiday season.

Relax & Renew

"Most of us need to be given permission to switch from the doing to the being mode, mostly because we have been conditioned since we were little to value doing over being."

Jon Kabat-Zinn

How true is that statement? I think it's especially true in our society today. We're taught from an early age that to succeed you must work yourself to the brink of exhaustion. Which is what many of us do. Only taking a break when our body and mind literally break down and we're forced to rest. I encounter so many people that are stressed out....jobs, marriages, family, traffic, issues, just life in general. Aren't we all stressed at times? These daily stresses, big or small, create tension, anger, and tightness in our bodies. All of this "stuff" manifests in our body and eventually results in sickness. This is where yoga can really help. The poses combined with breathing help to release tension, tightness, and toxins from the body.

Restorative yoga can be very beneficial, assisting in easing stress and achieving deep relaxation with the use of supportive props. You can join me this Sunday at Eternal Health Yoga for a restorative workshop or Saturday the 9th at Barefoot Works for the same workshop. It's the perfect time to nurture your mind, body and spirit - just what you need during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Day Delights

The past few days have been spent: catching up, cooking, baking, laughing, playing, watching basketball and football, jumping, meditating, balancing, singing, pitching, drinking, decorating, climbing, breathing, stretching, shopping, photographing, anticipating, walking, eating, planning, and dreaming.

Ah, I love Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday of all.

Giving Thanks

Here are a few things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving season:
*That Andy is finally feeling better after his gallbladder surgery. Now I just need to fatten him up with pumpkin pie.
*Getting wonderful emails from yoga students telling me how much they enjoy coming to the studio.
*Family coming together for Thanksgiving.
*Dogs that excitedly greet me every single day at the door with a waggin' tail. They always act like they haven't seen me in weeks, even if it's only been a few hours.
*Having the desire and discipline to practice yoga.
*Having the desire and determination to open a yoga studio
*Not having to fight a crowd in the baking aisle at Kroger's tonight.
*Getting Thanksgiving cards in the mail.
*Giving cards, for any reason. These are my new faves.
*Pictures - they have a way of taking me back to a particular place and time.
*Laughing so hard on the phone with family and friends that I can't even speak.
*Spending my day in my barefeet, with candles, listening to relaxing tunes and sharing yoga.
*Browsing the bookstore.
*Having my Friday morning "me" date here. Sipping yummy coffee and writing in my journal, it's great.
*Friends and family that inspire me, bring me joy, and make me a better person.
*Warm flannel sheets

Thanksgiving for Veg-Heads

Feel a little left out at Thanksgiving? Check out a tasty turkey alternative.

These potatoes looked delicious. I'm thinking of making them for thanksgiving.

If you're tired of the same old green bean casserole, check this one recipe for green beans and apple cider.

One of my favorite ways to spend Sunday morning is watching The Food Network. Rachael Ray and Paula Dean are my faves. Check out the recipe for the apple butter pumpkin pie that Paula made for her Southern Thanksgiving.

I've made this pumpkin dip for a few years now. It only takes about five minutes to make it and it's very tasty. I always serve it with ginger snap cookies.

Whatever you choose to make, have fun doing it!

How Time Flies

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” Dr. Seuss

My brother Joel (the kickin' one in the white tee) and I were having this conversation a couple days ago. As we get older it seems like time just flies by. I remember being younger and time would literally drag by, or so it seemed at the time. I thought I'd never be an adult, never reach the grown-up stage. Now that I'm an adult (most days) and almost 30, I make a true effort to appreciate every day because time does go by so quickly. Filling my days with a bit of joy, peace, excitement, contentment and gratitude.

Wanna hear the voice of an angel, then listen to "New Place" by my friend Harmony. It's sooo great!

This picture was taken by Shawn Poynter. Check his site for fabulous photos and amusing blog entries.

The Sweetest Words

I got this email from a yoga student this week. I finished reading it and was just blown away. It brought happy tears to my eyes. I'm saving the email for those days, you know the ones when you question everything in your life. I'll open this email and be reminded of the reasons I do what I do, teach and share yoga. I think it could quite possibly be the best "job" ever.

Here's a portion on the email. I did get her permission in sharing.

"When I came to my first class I was ready for a change in my life. I am a caregiver at my job, home and distant family. I was loosing myself. I became uncomfortable with my weight and was not spending enough time on myself. I want to Thank you for re-connecting me to me. I long for the hour I can spend at Bare foot Works because of the atmosphere, the soothing, the piece and quiet plus the hot tea. I have been telling all my friends about it."

Yoga for the Busy Professional

Visit Lane Report and check out the article that I was interviewed for and the sequence I came up with!

A bit of yin

"Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our heart, and we are never, ever the same."

We had a wonderful time at the yin yoga workshop yesterday. For three hours we took our time to relax into poses that were for the most part, done on the floor. We started and finished the workshop with a short meditation. I was amazed at how easy is was to sit up straight in a very comfortable position as the end of the workshop. Yin yoga is known as the bridge between a hatha yoga and seated meditation practice. Taking a few minutes to hold various poses that really stretch the hips and back make a world of difference when you sit down to meditate.

Anna gave us all a very useful tip for sneaking a bit of yin into your day. As soon as you wake up, sit up in your bed and take a few minutes just to fold forward and stretch. You can keep the legs straight or bend them if your hamstrings are tight. You could bend the legs and bring the heels into a butterfly position. Use a pillow for extra comfort and rest your head on for support. Stay here for three to five minutes, just breathing and relaxing....nothing to it :-)

Join us at the studio on Wednesdays at 6:00 for a full yin class. Your body will feel the difference!