more work

I haven't had much time to post this week on my blog. Andy and I have taken on the project of updating our bedroom. We cleared nearly everything out of the bedroom to paint the walls, sand down the trim, fill in some areas, paint the trim and paint the ceiling. We also plan to wax and buff the hardwood floors. So we've moved into a guest bedroom for the time being. I keep saying that "we" are doing this, but truthfully it's been mostly Andy. I have however, taken on the job of painting and distressing our dresser.

We also had a contractor come to the house today to give us a bid for a master bathroom remodeling job. It seems that we've had some water damage at the big blue house and now it must be dealt with. This should all be very interesting as this will be our first major work at our precious old house. It's all exciting, but a bit scary at the same time.

We're leaving within the hour to go down to Dale Hollow with some friends. Spend some time out on the lake taking in the sun and having fun!

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend.

a sad goodbye

I said goodbye to a sweet, sweet yogi today. I scoured my yoga pictures looking for a shot of Hiromi and this is the only one I had. That's her in the middle. I wish you could see her bright brown eyes are and the big smile that she always had on her face.

Hiromi was one of of my most faithful students. She came to class four days a week, always. She would come to the early classes while her children were at school. She brought her teenage daughter to class several times, and introduced other Japanese friends to Barefoot Works. She even brought a friend that was visiting from Japan, saying that she wanted to experience "American yoga." She was such an advocate for yoga and for the studio. I'm still amazed to this day at how quickly she progressed with her yoga practice.

After not seeing Hiromi in class for a few weeks I sent her an email to see how she was doing and let her know that I missed not seeing her in class. She emailed me back and said that her husband had been transferred back to Japan for work. She had been busy selling things, packing and preparing for the big move.

After teaching today's class I was so happy to see Hiromi coming up the stairs to say goodbye. Not happy to see her go, but happy to give her a hug and let her know how much she would be missed and thought of. And she was, as sincere and sweet as ever. Thanking me profusely and telling me that she would miss the studio and all the people that were so nice to her. And she said the five words that makes this yoga teacher's heart flutter...."I've been practicing at home." She also told me that I needed to come to Japan and teach yoga sometime. I told her that I would love to, should I ever be in that "neck of the woods".

Hiromi was such a small, petite gal, but she packed a lot of power in addition to grace and charm. I'm sad to see her go, but so happy that I had the privilege of getting to know her...all through the practice of yoga.

more manifestation

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.
-Henry David Thoreau

3 is the magic number

This seems to be popping up on some blogs I browse. Feel free to play and send along. :-)

3 jobs that i've held:

1. outdoor education/recreation gal at Raven Run


2. recreation director for a teeny tiny town in SC


3. recreation supervisor in TX (hmmm, I see a pattern here). Yoga is recreation, among many other things ;-)

3 movies I can watch over and over:

1. Dirty Dancing


2. Cutting Edge


3. Breakfast Club (another pattern...I seem to be stuck in the 80's)

3 place I've lived:

1. Richmond, KY


2. Pearland, TX


3. Nicholasville, KY

3 favorite foods:

1. PB & J


2. Pad Thai w/ tofu


3. Veggie Burrito

3 websites I visit daily:

1. Superhero Journal


2. Jen Gray


3. Wish Studio

3 places I'd rather be now:

1. St. George Island with Andy


2. Asheville with the yogi's


3. London, England with Liz

abundance or scarcity?

I got to be a part of a really wonderful tele-conference call yesterday, sponsored by the folks at Green Yoga. This call was part of the green yoga pilot program and the topic was operating your studio from a feeling of ABUNDANCE or scarcity. It was so great and applicable for all people. Toi Lynn the facilitator, was kind enough to send some notes on the call and agreed to let me share them here. Enjoy!

Abundance - The concept that there is enough - time, resources, support, energy …..Really connected to the underlying subconscious beliefs "I am enough." and "The world is enough". This versus Scarcity - There is not enough. "I am not enough." "The world is not enough"Example - we all know there is enough food for everyone - but politics, the practice of "who gets the cookies", is a scarcity model. I have to grab it all because there is not enough. Why talk about this in terms of greening? If we approach the running of the studios from the perspective of abundance, that there is enough if we access it all ethically and hold the belief that we are ALL worthy of an abundant life, then decisions come from a very different place.

Think about this globally - think in terms of all the political conflict out there- regional, religious, ethnic … all this conflict is about the belief there is not enough supply. Another example pertaining to the environment - the destruction of our planet comes from this belief "there is not enough." The companies who do the big polluting do so from the belief that if we line our pockets with money, then life is good, and a lack of money is bad. You know these oil and chemical companies that pollute and dump do so because they are scared of giving up control and resources and Power that they have collected. There are not enough cookies, so I need to grab all I can get. Fear based, short term perspective.

What we think manifests around us -

You can think in terms of simple common sense that when we think a certain way, we then consciously or unconsciously take actions from those thoughts. I.E: : I don't' have enough time - period - and as a result we don't have enough time. Isn't that interesting how that works? Turn that around - I myself don't have the time but others have it and can share it with me.

Sentence Completion - So, from that belief - how we think impacts everything, let's look at our own personal beliefs. Complete the following sentences:

Something I learned about abundance from my family is:
A fear that I had about abundance was:
A belief that I held that sabotaged me having an abundant life was:
A belief that I held that sabotaged me having an abundant business was:
I now choose to have the belief:

Now, visualize an abundant life. See it rich and full.

Some helpful ideas:
Approach each day with gratitude. Before you set your feet on the floor from your bed, think of a few things for which you are grateful. If you need more juice for your day, sit down and journal it out. And then vision it! See the different parts of your life abundant. If you need to write it down, do it. There is an abundance of time to vision. :)
Incorporate gratitude into all you do. Your interactions, your job, your philosophy, your life.

Some wonderful affirmations folks have come up with over the years:
There is an abundance of time for me to live my life fully.
I am completely worthy of an abundant life.
There is an abundance of love out there accessible to me at all times.
I am completely worthy of that love out there.
I release the thought that I am alone or have to do it by myself. I am surrounded by support wanting to support me.
I forgive myself completely for thinking I am not enough. The truth is I am divine enough, right now.
My abundance helps others become abundant.
My happiness helps others become happy.
My self care helps others care for themselves.
I release the thought that life has to be hard to be worth it, or that I have to struggle to make things happen. The truth I can choose ease. I can let it be easy.
My having money or financial security provides me the resources to help others.

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