instead of wishing for something else, how can I embrace what I have?

I fully admit that this is a tough one for me. I’ve spent a good deal of my 31 years wishing I had something different that what I currently had. First it was the clothes, then the body, then a job, a home, a pose, and well you probably get the picture. What I’ve realized is that I’m tired of feeling “not enough”. It’s not worth my time or energy. I’ve realized that each of us have a limited amount of time on this beautiful earth and we should use this time wisely. Let’s all spend more time playing, laughing, loving, moving and connecting.

Pose: Standing Forward Bend – If there ever was a pose I see people reaching and struggling in, it’s this one. Please, quit pushing yourself to get your fingers to the floor. Let your hands rest on your knees, shins, ankles, or whatever. Just embrace your pose (and your hamstrings) for what it is.

Challenge: Write down ten things you have in your life right now that you can fully appreciate and maybe even embrace.

*Photo from Yoga Journal

how can I live more deliberately?

This is the first inquiry as we think of yoga as a means of self discovery
It’s easy to drift in and out of our days. Before we know it, they all look and feel the same. Are you spending your days operating on autopilot or are you making a clear and conscious effort to come alive and live deliberately? What would it mean for you to live more deliberately? I imagine it would vary for each of us. Allow yourself some time to ponder the question and write down what comes to mind.

Pose: Dancer Pose - It’s impossible to practice this pose and be on autopilot for it requires you to be open, available and truly present. How alive can you feel in your pose? Practice with a wall if you feel this pose is a little out of your league for today.

Challenge: Go public with how you’ll live more deliberately. Tell a friend, tell your mom, or tell us here on the blog. Maybe it's one small step, or maybe it's a big leap that you've been scared to take. Why state it out loud? Because you’re more likely to make changes when others are holding you accountable. And you're putting it out there for the universe to hear. ;-)

Let me know if you discover anything!

yoga as a means for self discovery

This weekend I spent a good amount of time reflecting on some things to clarify what's really important to me. Sitting on the couch with pretty pens, paper and important questions allowed me to ponder what it is about yoga that keeps me coming back to the mat,as a teacher and a student. Spending time hiking in Berea with a dear yoga friend also allowed me to put some things in perspective. Nature is good for the soul. Always.

What I've realized is that yoga has always allowed me to go within and observe what's going on. When I started yoga it was about observing the breath and sensations I was feeling in the postures. As time and my yoga practice have progressed, I've allowed myself to move deeper (literally and figuratively) into my yoga practice. I have no doubt that yoga (for me) is an ongoing process that helps me to align body, mind, and spirit. If my body is feeling all out of whack, there is probably an area of my life that is out of whack. This could range from my relationships, to food, physical environment, exercise, lack of "me" time, etc. Yoga helps me to balance my inner and outer life.

So this brings me to my very first series here on the Barefoot Works blog. Beginning Monday I'll present a question for you to ponder and a yoga pose that can help you to explore the question. Let's see if your yoga pose and inquiry can lead you to discover something intersting about your life. If nothing else, it will be a great chance to fit a little yoga into your day. :-)

Sound fun? I hope that you'll play along this week!

soar baby soar

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."
- Helen Keller

it's not about the money

That's the title of the book that I plan to purchase soon. I've been eyeing this book and with all the money talk thought it might be nice to "Unlock My Money Type to Achieve Spiritual and Financial Abundance." Brent Kessel is the author of this book and he has written for Yoga Journal. Check out his site here and take the quiz here to learn more about your money type.

It seems that I'm "The Innocent" type which means that "you avoid putting significant attention on money and believe or hope that life will work out for the best. The risk of this is that you can be avoidant or even helpless when it comes to money. But on the positive side, you're often hopeful and adaptable."

Yep, that's me. My quiz also told me that KIVA is a place to invest. Must be on, since I already do this.

Happy sweet dreams of abundance. ;-)

the economy and yoga

Within five minutes today I had two yogi's mention to me their anxiety over our nation's finances. I had already planned to lead a guided "ocean of abundance" meditation in the yin yoga class. This could do us all good considering the dark clouded thought of an economic meltdown. Shall we look at this with a yogic perspective?Let's first look at an attitude of scarcity vs. abundance.

Definitions of scarce include....Insufficient to meet a demand or requirement; short in supply
2. Hard to find; absent or rare

Definitions of abundance include..Occurring in or marked by abundance; plentiful.
2. Abounding with; rich

Just close your eyes, says the words to yourself and notice how each one makes you feel. It's my guess that "scarce" makes you a bit more tense. You might be able to feel yourself contracting and curling up. It conjures up feeling and thoughts that are not pleasant nor comfortable. Abundant on the other hand might make you feel more spacious and light. More happy and free. It conjures of feelings of joy, wellness and airiness.

Given the choice (and luckily you have that) which do you choose? Even now during potential times of trouble and change?

Here's how to take care of your "whole" self when you feel an economic meltdown coming on. Let's imagine that you're paying all your biggest bills and you see that your fave show is interrupted to inform you of the latest financial disaster, which of course throws you over the edge.

1. Stop what you're doing. Close your eyes and simply breathe. Pay attention to what's going on with your body. Allow your face to relax, soften through your shoulders. Focus on softness and space in your body. You might use your inhalation to lift and lengthen through your spine. With the exhalation feel your feet rooted to the earth.
2. Bring your hands together in a prayer position. Open your palms, pressing the outer edge of the hands and pinkie fingers together. Stretch your arms a little forward. It's almost as if you are offering a gift to someone. Visualize yourself standing at the edge of the ocean. This is literally an ocean of abundance. There is enough for you. And for me. There is enough for all of us. You see that this great big ocean can support all of us. Feel the unlimited supply.
*The idea is to engage your mind in some way. If this is "too out there" for you then write in a journal, recite an affirmation, or make a list of all you have in your life.
3. Close your ideas and allow your awareness just to rest in your heart center. Be quiet and still. Breathe. Read something that inspires and lifts you up. Do something that reminds you that you are more than money, more than worries and stress. Find a way to connect to your spirit and your purpose.

The truth is that we can do very little about the stock market, the housing crisis, and our nation's debt. What we can change are our habits and thoughts. Will this work make a difference or not? I don't' know. I do know that I choose to remain positive and optimistic. No I will not dig my head deep into the sand and refuse to believe what "could" happen. I will reevaluate how I'm spending my money. Should I be terribly wrong and things go straight down the drain at least I've had a few more months of happiness and health.

How about you....what are your thoughts? Are you being affected by the financial woes?

an apple a day

Andy and I went to Boyds Orchard yesterday to pick some apples. Visiting the orchard is one of our fun things we do every year around this time. We picked apples, bought cider and pumpkin butter. Later on we pulled the fall decorations from the attic and bought straw for outdoor decorating But we didn't even buy pumpkins....and they were everywhere at the orchard! Very poor planning on our part. We were so excited about the apples. Yesterday we had apples with peanut butter, blended apple slush, and baked apples. Lots of apples at the Tessandori household. That's why I'll be sharing some at the studio today. So come out for class and take away a yummy apple after class.

Sadly the workshop with Kimberly Wilson has been cancelled for this Saturday. Enrollment was too low for me to justify Kimberly making the trek all the way from DC.

study nature

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.

It will never fail you.

~Frank Lloyd Wright

a proud yogi

Many of you know about my brother's coffee shop in Whitesburg, Summit City. I was ecstatic for he and his wife Amelia when they made the front page of the Herald Leader. This morning I learned that they've one upped themselves by landing in an article in The New York Times. The article is about hiking the Pine Mountain Trail. Here's a sliver of the article...

Whitesburg is a good place to meet people who have an unbreakable relationship with this landscape.

“The mountains are so close on, they’re almost hugging you,” said Joel Beverly, 34, who co-owns Summit City Lounge, a cafe, bourbon-tasting-bar and Americana music spot downtown. “When I go to areas that aren’t so crammed in, I almost feel lost.”

The next day, I took a “Goodbye, Whitesburg” hike with Mr. Beverly’s wife and co-owner of Summit City, Amelia Kirby, 30. She’s also a documentary and radio producer based at Appalshop, an arts and culture organization that operates out of a rambling barnlike building in Whitesburg. Appalshop celebrates the land and people of Appalachia without ignoring economic problems, environmental issues and social concerns.

We walked up a road toward a reclaimed former strip mine, accompanied by Ms. Kirby’s dog, Maysie. On a hilltop, a ladybug alighted on a coal lump. When viewed from above, through the fog, the stretch of Pine Mountain that I’d hiked looked like a green archipelago.

Ms. Kirby compared our vista to her view from the plane when descending into the Virgin Islands.

“Joel and I left as young people,” she said, “and didn’t want to stay away. You get back into the mountains, and you have an ‘ahhhh’ feeling — like you’re nestled into it.”

Click here to read the article

My maiden name is Beverly and many times growing up we were referred to as "The Beverly Hillbillies". For a little hillbilly fam, I imagine we're not doing too shabby these day. ;-)

Big Happy Days. I'll be traveling with Andy to Whitesburg tomorrow after teaching. There's some celebrating to do.

yogobama

Some of you noticed me wearing my choice for presidency on my sleeve today....or rather my chest. A group of Cincinnati yogi's have designed these cute and clever shirts and I couldn't resist. Mine is pink, of course. Many of you wanted me to share the link. You can order yours here.

Enjoy the debate tonight. It is exciting regardless of your particular affiliation with either party! I will be donning my pink Obama shirt, sipping some tea, and soaking it all in!

I had such fun teaching class tonight. Many thanks to all of you present! Very wonderful. :-)

wonder woman

"Go in peace, my daughter, and remember that,
in a world of ordnary mortals,
you are a wonder woman."
Hippolyte, Queen of the Amazons

I just picked up the new issue of skirt magazine and I gotta say that I love this (free) publication.

Love the odd shape.
Love the artwork on the cover.
Love the words.
And the rallying of women.
Love how it encourages us to be real.
And embrace our truth.

It's witty and funny.
Reminds us to unleash our inner rebel
and honor our wishes, hopes and dreams.

Yes let's all rally together and be fabulous women of wonder.
Me.
You.
And You.

barefoot works fall yoga retreat at prama institute

fall yoga retreat

I'm all set for our weekend in the mountains of NC. The theme for the weekend is "Learning to Balance the Inner & Outer World". The weekend will look like this:

Friday:

~Dinner 7:30 pm
~Discussion on what it means to balance the inner and outer world, yin yoga, intention setting for the weekend 8:30 pm

Saturday:

~Breakfast 8:00 am
~Vinyasa Yoga 10:00 am
~Lunch 12:00 pm
~Free Time 1:00 – 4:00 pm
~Balancing the Inner World- Exploring the chakras, chakra balancing, chakra meditation 4:00 – 6:00 pm
~Dinner 6:30 pm
~Self Care Tips & Techniques 7:30 pm
~Yoga Nidra 8:15 pm

Sunday:
~Salute the Sun 7:00 am
~Breakfast 8:30 am
~Balancing the Outer World- The ecology of Yoga 10:00 am
~Lunch 12:00 pm
~Closing 1:00 pm

The weekend will be sprinkled with all sorts of meditation, inspiring readings, and lots of opportunity to nurture among nature. I'm sure that I'll take plenty of photos to share if you can't be with us!

Classes will be held as scheduled at the studio. You'll find Liz teaching Saturday morning at 9:15 and Teresa Sunday morning at 10:30.

Wishing you could come along for a yoga retreat? Need some time to nurture yourself among fun and free spirited yogi's? Is sun, sand, sea, sweet folks, and loads of great yoga your idea of a good time? Consider coming along to our annual retreat to Maya Tulum.....a big slice of heaven.

sunrise

You can
die for it--
an idea,
or the world. People

have done so,
brilliantly,
letting
their small bodies be bound

to the stake,
creating
an unforgettable
fury of light. But

this morning,
climbing the familiar hills
in the familiar
fabric of dawn, I thought

of China,
and India
and Europe, and I thought
how the sun

blazes
for everyone just
so joyfully
as it rises

under the lashes
of my own eyes, and I thought
I am so many!
What is my name?

What is the name
of the deep breath I would take
over and over
for all of us? Call it

whatever you want, it is
happiness, it is another one
of the ways to enter
fire.

~ Mary Oliver ~

Last night I was speaking to my friend as we were both driving home, in opposite directions. All of a sudden the biggest, brightest sun came into view. I stopped mid sentence and said rather excitedly, "Do you see the sun!?" And of course she did. It was amazing and mesmerizing. And for just a moment I exclaimed how crazy, wonderful, and beautiful it was that it was "there" for all of us to see and. For all of us to enjoy.

That moment reminded me again how connected we all really are. And how when we see the sun, the moon and the stars, we should express thanks and gratitude for getting to be a part of this magnificent world.

seane corn on npr

I was so happy when a yogini emailed me last week and asked if I listened to Seane Corn on NPR the night before. Well I hadn't, but I did a search and found it. If you're interested in listening and learning about yoga (and life)from my yoga crush, click here to check it out. It's well worth the time. I promise.

professional yoga therapy

"Very often, understanding and practice do not go together. One student may be better able to understand, while another may have better skill in practice. In each case, he had to develop uniformity in skill and intelligence and use them harmoniously." ~B.K.S. Iyengar

I spend three full days at the studio soaking up loads of new yoga information, most specifically yoga as a form of therapy. Of course those of us that know and love yoga realize that it's so much more than "exercise". Irene wears a shirt to the studio that says somethings along the lines of, "Yoga is cheaper than going to therapy." Yoga is therapy for your mind, body, and spirit. It's good stuff.

This particular training is geared towards health care professionals. It's at the top of my list of "best trainings" that I've done. Ginger, our teacher was pretty fabulous...a kind and compassionate soul, very smart, and a wonderful yoga teacher.

One of the objectives is to develop a deeper understanding for applying yoga to general and clinical populations. There were lots of pyhsical therapists and nurses. A dentist and a couple people like myself with no health care credentials. My MS in Recreation and Park Adm. didn't quite make the cut! Luckily I had Tracy next to me the whole training and when I didn't get something, she quietly filled me in. And when she didn't understand the fifth chakra being deficient or excessive, I could quietly fill her in. With her physical anatomy knowledge and my energetic body knowledge, we might make the perfect yoga teacher. ;-)

Actually I was a little intimidated going into the training because I wasn't sure if I would feel lost. I realized that I know more about the body than I give myself credit for most of the time. So that was good!

Here's a little rundown of things covered and learned:
*We did case studies for developing a yoga class for special and general populations.
*Potential contraindications and precautions for patient and student populations.
*Learned biomechanics of yoga asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises).
*Mudra and chakra therapy (a fave)
*Studies of Bhagavad Gita (another fave)
*Studies of koshas and kleshas, how to identify, apply and how to treat "the whole person" (and one last fave).
*Much more. In fact, too much to write!

Here are a few notes sprinkled about my manual and notebook....open for interpretation as you see fit. :-)

*You can't judge the good from the bad. What seems like bad (at the time) could end up being the best thing that's ever happened to you.
*Have mercy on your body. Love it, don't judge it.
*Adversity is good. Suffering is good. It's these places, these dark times that allow for growth, hopefully making us more wise, which we can then share and teach others.
*It's not the "person" that hurts us. It's their own struggle, the war they are waging within themselves that hurt us.
*We never fully perfect ourselves. Trying to do so is a waste of time and causes unnecessary pain and suffering.
*Yoga invites you to go beyond the five senses

A second yin yoga class begins tonight with none other than the wonderfully talented, Sarah Frank (I feel like I should be opening a curtain and she should walk on through)! It's tonight, 7:30 - 8:30 and will be a great class! Please join in!

Lastly, a happy birthday shout out to my little Lexie!!! That's her with me pictured above, crossing the KY River on the ferry.

Happy, Happy Fall!!

i believe in all that has never yet been spoken

I believe in all that has never yet been spoken.
I want to free what waits within me
so that what no one has dared to wish for

may for once spring clear
without my contriving.

If this is arrogant, God, forgive me,
but this is what I need to say.
May what I do flow from me like a river,
no forcing and no holding back,
the way it is with children.

Then in these swelling and ebbing currents,
these deepening tides moving out, returning,
I will sing you as no one ever has,

streaming through widening channels
into the open sea.

Rainer Maria Rilke

I've read these words over and over today. Before I taught class, shared them at the end of class, before I typed this, and even as I type them I am moved by the sheer power and beauty of it.

May what you choose to do today
flow from you like a river,
no forcing and no holding back,
the way it is with children.

*A reminder that we will not be having yoga class this Saturday or Sunday as we'll be hosting a Professional Yoga Therapy training all weekend long.

barefoot works voted best yoga class in lexington!

This past Saturday my friend and I are leaving Kroger and out of the corner of my eye I see the "Best of Lexington" issue by Ace Weekly sitting on a wire shelf. I had to pick up some almonds for the health fair and we were on our way to see "The Women" at the Movie Tavern.

I flipped through the pages and under the Health and Fitness section, for Best Yoga Class.....was my baby, Barefoot Works!! Rated as #1!!

So of course I was a thrilled yogini. All sorts of hootin' and hollerin'. Big smiles. Happy Day.

Thank you for voting for Barefoot Works. I know that we have the absolute best, most loyal, most appreciative, most happy, most wonderful yogis and yoginis that frequent Barefoot Works. I'm always so happy to see you walk through the door and consider it a honor to share yoga with you.

May your day be filled with joy and abundance!

this weekend

My box has gotten some TLC this morning....oil changed, tires rotated, wipers exchanged, and gassed up, ready to go to Cincinnati today for a yoga workshop and time spent with yoga friends.

I'll make my way back down to Lexington in the morning and have a fun meeting with the teachers of BW. We'll review a first draft of the teacher handbook, flyers for each to promote their classes, record a couple short clips of them teaching for our youtube page, and chat about classes and studio offerings over brunch at Panera.

I've got some things to finish up in preparation for a health fair I'll be at Sunday. So I'll be spending some time at my computer and at kinkos tomorrow also. Dinner with our fave couple friend will be a treat.

Sunday I'll be representing BW at a holistic health fair here in town. Come out and visit. I'll be there from noon to 5:00 and you get loads on good info, mingle with others, eat free Indian food, and learn about yoga, herbology, meditation, acupuncture and more. Hope to see you there!

Maybe you can find some time to sit under a tree and do some coloring like my cute nieces! Have a bright and shiny weekend sweet ones!

fall wear

Could there have been a better day to be gifted with a PINK hat and scarf?!