Here I Sit...

It's 7:40 and normally I would be teaching my level 1 class. We, or should I say you, would be all warm from flowing through some sun salutations...we've covered the basics, moved from warrior 1 to warrior 2 and maybe even warrior 3, done our fair share of downward facing dog, and you're breathing your way toward bliss like all good yogi's do ;-) However, the snow came in earlier in the afternoon and we were expecting anywhere from 3 to 8 inches. I decided to play it safe and cancel the evening yoga classes. I hope that you all are warm and cozy and sipping some hot cocoa (with marshmallows), getting in some down time.

I'm sitting here in a snow covered "big blue" house continuing to do work, even if I'm not teaching. But I'm not complaining, really I'm not. I have lots of exciting things that I'm planning. One of them involving yoga and a tropical beach. I'll keep you posted! I think I'll make myself a toasty drink of some sort. Be safe and keep warm!

The Perfect Valentines Gift

We're having a couple massage workshop at Barefoot Works on Saturday, March 3 from 2:00 till 6:00 pm. Join us to soothe away the stresses and pressures of everyday life by learning simple massage techniques. We'll begin by discussing the benefits of massage and basic massage terminology and techniques. The remainder of the workshop will be spent learning how to give a massage using effective techniques and strokes. You'll also learn ways to do massage in a chair, table and on a bed.

We'll even give you the cutest gift certificate ever to give to your loved one on Valentines Day. Sign up and treat yourself and your partner to this wonderful gift that will keep on giving!

Sign up soon as space is limited!

A Winter Walk

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." John Ruskin

I braved the cold this morning (think cold like 15 degrees) to go out and take some shots of the snow. I'm not a fan of cold, 15 is just not an appropriate number for the temperature. My original plan was to hop into my little box car and drive over to the park and take some pictures. I had keys in hand and everything, but then I started to feel a bit (or a lot) lazy. I mean, the park is probably one a third of a mile away from my house. I convinced myself that the cold would be "exhilarating", just as the above quote states. So off I went, trudging down the sidewalk with my furry boots on. Quite quickly I came across this beautiful bird perched in a tree. Luckily I had my super lens on and what able to get a good close shot of him. I was immediately happy that I'd decided to walk instead of drive, as I would have missed this darling little gal. Makes me wonder how many more things I've missed out on, just because I've taken the easy or most convenient route....hmmm, something to ponder.

On another note, I'm going to make these chili cheese fries and macho nachos for a super bowl gathering today. Wishing you all a super, super bowl Sunday :-)

Yoga for Football Players

Click here to read an article about the West Jessamine Colts, the team that I'm visiting once a week to do yoga with. It's a great group of 50 football players and about 10 teachers. All of them are doing such an awesome job...nothing like looking out and seeing 50 strong boys standing in Warrior. I plan to take some pictures of the class at some point and I'll share some of those. For now, this cute little shot of Zack (future football player) and Jonah will have to do.

Work & Play

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which he is doing. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he's always doing both." unknown

As a gal who received her bachelors and masters degree in recreation and park administration, I love this concept. What a wonderful way to live your life... letting the lines of work and play cross over one another.

Doug Swenson Workshop

I attended a workshop at Eternal Health Yoga Studio yesterday with the very down to earth Doug Swenson. Doug is such a great, funny, low key, laid back kind of guy. You immediately feel comfortable in pushing into a handstand and twisting yourself into other odd like pretzel positions with his assistance and support.

The workshop was on partner yoga and also covered adjustments and assists for students. My friend and owner of Eternal Health Yoga, Shelli and I ended up partnering up for most of the poses, which in hindsight, was probably a bad idea. We get together and we're like two kids misbehaving in the fifth grade. Whispering to one another when the teacher (Doug) turns his head and then ultimately getting busted. I think, actually I'm sure, at one point she bit my toe (which Doug actually witnessed) and and I made her look a bit foolish when I was in the wrong twisting pose and Doug had to come over and correct her adjustment (sorry Shelli, I know you'll love this post ;-). I like to think that we would have behaved better if we hadn't done this workshop with Doug once this past summer. But who am I kidding... Enjoy some pics from the workshop.

Pottery & Photography

I had a near perfect day today. I started a pottery class with the very talented Wyman Rice at his studio downtown. For two hours I got my hands all dirty molding and shaping clay, drinking green tea, listening to great music, and having wonderful conversation with Wyman about pottery and yoga. I've always been interested in pottery. I'm drawn to pottery when I go to galleries and shops, so this was the perfect opportunity to roll up my sleeves and dig in. I was so excited, poor Wyman probably tired of my questions quickly. But he was the perfect teacher and never led me to believe that. I still can't believe that I made this beautiful pot! All within two hours. I'm not sure how long I expected this to take, but the process moved much more quickly that I anticipated. We're gonna fire this pot next week and start another piece. If you check the handle on the pot, the texture came from rubbing a fluorescent light cover on the clay. I love that Wyman recycles everyday items and finds ways to incorporate them into his art. It's all very fascinating to me. I can't wait for next weeks lesson.


Then I spent a couple hours this evening photographing Leigh Ann and David

at Keeneland....very Kentucky-ish with the barns, stables and beautiful scenery in general. Plus it was a picture perfect day with the bluest of skies, but brrrr, was it cold? I keep reminding myself that it is January after all. I got a few good shots before my battery died on us. I'm gonna have to replace it. Time for a new one. I'm lovin' this shadow shot!

It's a snow day!

No school in the area today. Doesn't mean quite as much to me as it did 20 years ago, but it's still a nice feeling. Growing up in eastern KY, we had LOTS of snow days. People that move here from other areas wonder if we ever have school in eastern KY. It seems that on any given day you can turn the tv on in the morning and across the bottom of the screen you'll see "No school is Breathitt, Perry, Knott, Harlan, Pike, etc...And Andy is still tucked away sleeping in bed. I suppose it still means a lot to teachers (but not yoga teachers).

Check this website and take a 3 minute quiz to find out what kind of ecological footprint you're leaving. It'll calculate and let you know how many planets we would need if everyone lived like you.

Brrr, it's cold outside

"Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while."

Kin Hubbard

Isn't that so true?! I guess I don't have a whole lot to report today, so I've resorted to talking about the weather. Oh well....I wanted so badly to brave the cold and go outside and take pictures yesterday. But I didn't want to take my precious camera out in the drizzling rain. The ice frozen on the tree branches was just so pretty. I did escape to my front porch and the upstairs balcony to get a couple shots with my super lens. Then I was hanging out in my craft room (yes I now have a craft room and a yoga room...isn't life great) and noticed the baby ice frozen on my pretty old windows.

I did get an entertaining email from the YogaDawg today. It seems he wants to be on my mailing list, says he may drop in for workshop sometime. His writing is very clever and quite funny. I think it's actually quite refreshing, as yoga can be such a serious topic. Here's a section that I've copied from his YOGA Q & A section..

Q: Will Yoga turn me into a hippie? - From John S.
YogaDawg: As there haven’t been any hippies around for at least 30 years, that is not possible. On the other hand, you might find yourself wandering your neighborhood naked, looking like a sadhu covered with the ashes of the dead. This might disturb the neighbors as much as the hippies did.

Q: Will I become possessed by demons or serpents if I do Yoga? - From Ana B.
YogaDawg: Only if you are a member of a Fundamentalist religious cult, a Zombie or a member of a right-wing political group such as the Republicans.

Q: I have found myself buying great amounts of Yoga mats when I am at the GreatTranscendentalYoga Superstore. I have had to get rid of most of my husband’s clothes to make room for all of them. He is starting to notice his stuff is missing as I make more room in his closet for my mats. How can I continue to buy more mats and not piss off my husband? - From Cindy L.
YogaDawg: Buying mats from the GreatTranscendentalYoga Superstore is not a problem. On the other hand, we suggest that you convince your husband to install the Yoga Supercloset, available at the GreatTranscendentalYoga Superstore to make room for more of your mats. This might still piss him off, but not as bad as finding his clothes in boxes on the curb.

Too funny....

The Secret

So, you just have the see this film. If you even remotely believe in the power of your thoughts and the power of intention, you must see this documentary. I finally watched it last night (thanks Robert and Heather) after at least five different people had asked me "So have you see The Secret?" I hadn't, but I was just dying to know that the "secret" was and why it was coming into my life on many different occasions. One of my students had asked before class one night if I had seen it which I of course responded "No, not yet." She then went on to say that she thought we should watch the film at the studio or form a reading group for the book. She said she couldn't think of a better place to do it than at the yoga studio, as I had obviously set an intention and created something wonderful at Barefoot Works. So I took this as a great compliment and we began class.

I finally watched last night and I'm so glad I did. It was inspiring and motivating. One of the things that stuck out in my mind was the three steps in getting what you want:

1. Ask

2. Receive

3. Believe

And since I can think of two times within the last couple of days in which I said to someone "Ask and you shall to receive"....I was fully on board with this notion. Except I learned that I was leaving an important part of the puzzle out, the whole part about believing, and really feeling what if would feel like if you did receive. Or I thought I was, but I hadn't fully.

I came back to the comment from a student about the studio and making it a reality. I realized that I had followed these same three steps in dreaming, planning, and actually opening the yoga studio. My step 3 part of the process, believing...came in the form of a spiral bound journal which I appropriately titled "Journey to the Opening of a Yoga Studio". I purchased this lovely journal from Joseph Beth and carried it with me everywhere beginning the day I bought it, January 1 of 2006. In this journal, I visualized and recorded what my studio would look like. As I visited different coffee shops I would make notes of the colors on the wall, the decor, the details and the music they played. I also wrote of ways to create community at my studio, as it was important that people not just come in, unroll their mat, take a class, roll their mat up and leave (last week before a class many people were chatting in small groups, several conversations going on at once and I heard a student say to her neighbor "listen to everybody talking, the energy is great in here today"). I wrote about how the growing up in the mountains helped mold me into the person I am today and how I wanted to somehow give thanks for this (many months later I would learn of Green Yoga Association and Barefoot Works is now the only studio in KY considered a green yoga studio. I wrote of great classes full of people (I love it when students mention the need of expanding the yoga studio) and workshops taught by great yoga teachers (I got an email from Doug Swenson last Thursday offering to do a workshop on the 29th of this month). As I flip through my journal, which is completely full, a see many other ideas, hopes and dreams that have become a reality. My new journal is titled "Running a Yoga Studio". Not so exciting and not so creative. I'm thinking of a new title for my journal after seeing "The Secret". One that can come close to the grand and exciting dreams I'm full of. I'll keep you posted!

Wild Geese

I love this poem by Mary Oliver. She's one of my favorites. I love how she uses elements of nature and relates them to human life. I also had the perfect picture in mind that I wanted to use. It is a great shot of several geese lined up at the edge of water at Lake Tahoe. Luckily the computer doctor rescued it for me (see previous post) but apparently, I did not have it categorized appropriately and can't seem to find it for now. So this shot of my nieces will have to do. They're not geese, but they're certainly wild...in a fun way of course (I know my sister will be reading this) ;-) Enjoy, and have a happy Friday.

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--

over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

Love the computer doctor!

My photos from a computer that crashed months ago have been rescued! I was so scared that I'd lost so many important photos (like the one above with my sister taken at my brother's wedding). Last Friday I walked my big old laptop downtown Nicholasville to the Computer Doctors and was so relieved when the computer doctor assured me that he would retrieve all my photos. As you can see from my blog, I love photos...old ones, new ones, my photos, friends photos and even strangers photos. They're all great! Makes me happy that there are those computer geniuses out there, as I am quite clueless about the whole process.

And on a yoga note, there is a big lovely article titled "Yoga without the mat" that is in the Herald Leader today. Teresa Thompson (you know the one in class with the great forward fold) was interviewed for this article about her chair yoga classes that she teaches at the senior citizens center and Latitude Artist Community. It's a wonderful, wonderful article with three great pictures. Teresa listed Barefoot Works as a contact and I've gotten so many phone calls from people interested in chair yoga. Makes me think that there is more of a need for this type of yoga.

If I Had My Life to Live Over

I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier that I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments and if I had it to do again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had it to do all over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry go rounds. I would pick more daisies.

-Nadine Stair

I found this great book "If I had to live my life over" this weekend at an antique store in Owensboro. It was a true bargain at only $2.95. It's a great collection of stories and poems written by women. Reflections of the choices they've made, childhood through old age. The poem from above was penned by an 85 year old gal from Louisville. And I love the dedication at the beginning of the book "To the women who inspired me to make wiser choices and the women who comforted me when I made foolish ones." Love that!

Faith

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I always share a reading at the end of my yoga classes. I think it's another great way to add the whole yoga experience. Yesterday's reading was about faith and courage from Living Your Yoga. Eric (you may remember him being yogi of the month) just entered the job market and is traveling to and from Michigan submitting his resume at many places. I know that this is such a process and many times it can get you down. As I shared the reading, I had him in mind and told him so after class. So let's all send some well wises to Eric and hope that he lands a job soon! And hopefully it's in KY so he can continue to grace us with his beautiful crow pose!

A road less traveled

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

~Robert Frost

Yes, I think I took a road that is a little less traveled. I've always enjoyed the scenic byways more so than the interstate, and to a certain degree I've always marched to the beat of my very own drum. Life's more fun that way.

I choose to spend my days in barefeet teaching people how relax by breathing deeply, how to get their heart rate up by flowing from pose to pose, how to create a mind-body connection by really listening to their body, and how to stand on their head even when they're a bit scared. Really, other than gymnasts, how many people literally turn their world upside down on a regular basis by standing on their head? This gal does. Maybe it goes with that less traveled road.

I've created a flickr page to display my photos. Click here to see a few other photos taken the same morning as the above.

Yoga

Yoga stretches

Yoga flexes

Yoga bends

Yoga folds

Yoga flows

Yoga breathes

Yoga strengthens

Yoga twists

Yoga transforms

Yoga awakens

Yoga unwinds

Yoga rejuvenates

Yoga relaxes

Yoga destresses

Yoga decompresses

Yoga balances

Yoga believes

Yoga works

Barefoot Works

What an exciting day!

"Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on."

Samuel Butler

My day began at 3:30 this morning. The alarm goes off and I'm ready to go, really excited to greet the day. Normally at this time I'm just pulling my quilt and flannel sheets up to my chin and sinking a bit farther into my pillow and into a deep sleep. But today was an exciting day for me and Barefoot Works. I arrived at the studio at 5:00 lit some scented candles, turned the lamps and twinkle lights, and rolled out my yoga mat and spent a few minutes doing some gentle stretching and deep breathing. It wasn't long after I had arrived that several dedicated yogi's began to stream into the studio. Now I had to be there bright and early for Lee Cruse and the camera's of WLEX 18, but these guys didn't. I was truly honored and so thankful that these people came to practice yoga and support the studio.

Lee Cruse made his way into the studio around 5:45. I excitedly greeted him and thanked him for sharing his morning with Barefoot Works, then I ask "So what's the plan?" You see, I'm a planner, a big planner and when his response was "No plan, we'll just see how it goes", for one brief moment I got a bit nervous. Then I realized that he was at my studio talking about yoga. If there is one topic that I feel completely competent and comfortable in discussing, it would be yoga. I mean right now I'm living, breathing and dreaming yoga. It's my world. So when the camera started rolling and we were live on television is was easy and it felt natural. I didn't trip over my words, get tongue tied,or repeat "ummm" (which I was most scared of). I was actually surprised at how easy this whole thing of being live on tv was. It was a great time!

The next exciting thing for the day was teaching yoga to a group of high school football players, their coaches and several teachers. It was a large group of almost 60 people clustered in the school cafeteria. It was lacking the serene and soothing vibe of the studio, but the energy and the curiosity among the group made up for the less than desirable space. I think the boys were surprised to find out how challenging yoga could be. I heard an occasional "I'm sweatin'" and "This is hard" as I worked my way around the large group encouraging them to relax their shoulders and continue with deep breaths. By the end of class they gladly came to corpse pose for final relaxation and more deep breathing. They've signed up for a ten week session so I'm really hoping to teach them how yoga can benefit them both on the field and in the classroom. It will be a fun challenge. I'll keep you posted!

Things I'm lovin'

So I'm not really a jewelry person, aside from big pretty dangly earrings. But here lately I've found some of the sweetest jewelry. I love these superhero necklaces! They're so bright and colorful. And I love the thought of wearing one and being transformed into a superhero. These vintage charms are just the cutest things ever. There's a charm of a gal doing headstand and it's titled "Look What I can do"....so cute.

These are a couple of my favorite photo blogs. Their pictures blow me away. Durham Township and Kuberblog. Their images amaze me and inspire me to take more time to photograph.

This morning I was watching the Today show and Five For Fighting was live playing a couple of songs. His new tune "What Kind of World Do you Want" is great. What's even better is this website that allows you to "Tell the world what kind of world you want and raise money for charity by making a video of yourself, your friends, your kids, your online buddies answering the question, "What Kind of World Do You Want?" and upload it to whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com. Tell everyone you know to watch it and each time they do, it raises .49 cents for charity. You will be able to select the charity from a list that John Ondrasik from Five For Fighting personally selected." You can use videos or photos for your very own video. How cool is that?!

Salute-the-Sunathon with Lee Cruse

Monday January 8, 5:45 am. - 7:00 am.

Yes it's early but is there any better way to start your new year?! It will be a great way to start your week, plus it will be lots of fun. We would love for you to join us in greeting the new year, greeting Lee Cruse, and greeting the sun at Barefoot Works.

The sun salutations can be an entire yoga practice by themselves. This series of poses includes back bends, forward bends, and plenty of flexibility and strength building poses. Come flow into the new year! This is not instructor led, you will be free to flow as you please! We'll mingle and enjoy hot tea and pastries following the flow. Please let us know if you plan to attend.

Happy New Year!

"It's time to start living the life you've imagined." Henry James

Here's to the best, most abundant and inspiring year that we can all dream of and envision. I feel like this is going to be a really big year. Great things are in store, I just know it, and I'm ready! I'm keeping my eyes, ears, and heart open to all possibilities. I don't make resolutions. I can't even remember the last one I made. What I do however, is make lists. Lists of things I want to do and experience. A few items on this year's list includes participating in a Buff Betty adventure race, growing a veggie garden, attend a yoga conference, completing the upstairs bathroom (with assistance of course), and continue to build a yoga community at Barefoot Works.

Wishing you a year full of surprise, delight, and love. Cheers!

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!

Ahh, to be young

When I grow up, I want to remember that I always wanted to be about a thousand different things & one lifetime didn't seem nearly enough. When I grow up, I hope it's at the very end when it doesn't matter anymore anyway. Brian Andreas of Storypeople

I'm going to Richmond tomorrow to teach yoga to a group of fifth and first graders....at separate times of course. I'll be teaching to both of my nieces classes, should be fun!

Also going to Louisville tomorrow night for an open house at Eternal Health Yoga. That's sure to lots of fun. Great music, wine, food, cool clothes and cool yogis!

Saturday we're having a yin yoga workshop at the studio with Anna Ferguson. The workshop is from 1:00 till 4:00. If you don't have plans, then plan to join us! Anna is an amazing teacher.

Phenomenal Women

A dear friend sent these words of wisdom to me:

Maya Angelou said this: "I've learned that no matter what happens,or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow." "I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights." "I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life." "I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life." "I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance." "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back." "I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision." "I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one." I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone."

"People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.""I've learned that I still have a lot to learn." "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Heres to all the phenomenal women out there!

The Flexible

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. ~Author Unknown

It is often said in the yoga world that the areas in which you struggle with on the mat are the areas in which you struggle in your everyday life. For me personally, this is very true. As you can see from the photo, that would be flexibility. Poses that require strength and balance come much easier to me than poses that require flexibility. And I'll admit that at times I'm not the most "flexible" person to deal with. I'm a true Taurus and I can be as stubborn as a bull. I like to do things my way and on my own terms (I knew this small business thing would be perfect for me). However, there are times when this lack of flexibility, both on and off the yoga mat, is inconvenient and annoying. There are times when compromise is necessary. So slowly, one day at a time, I'm stretching my body and my mind. Who knows, maybe someday I'll be able to rest my head on my legs in a seated forward fold. I may not be the most flexible, but I am quiet patient.

Sacred Sunday

I, like every other working person, love Sundays. It's the last day of the weekend and our last effort to get quality "me" time in before the week sets in. Here are a few of my favorite ways to indulge on Sunday:

1. Drive to a nearby town such as Berea or Midway and explore. Both are wonderful towns full of eclectic shops and yummy restaurants.
2. While I'm in Midway, dine at Holly Hill Inn, my fave place to eat! Fine dining in a historic home out in the country.
3. getting off the beaten path with my camera taking shots of trees, cows, clouds, flowers, barns and anything else that interests me at the time. Gotta love digital cameras!
4. Read a book or magazine in the bear claw tub. Bubbles, candles and a glass of wine make it extra special. It is Sunday afterall ;-)
5. Take the dogs to the nearby field. Lay and watch the clouds.
6. Cook a good dinner. Sunday is one of the few days that I have enough time to make a full meal.
7. Meditate and do a restorative yoga practice. Again, it's Sunday. They'll be plenty enough time to "sweat my asana off" during the week.
8. Go to the bookstore and roam around.
9. Take a nap on the couch.
10. Go for a run then stretch underneath a great big tree in the cemetery.
11. Go to the coffee shop, get a yummy drink and read the Sunday paper with Andy.
12. Go to bed with warm sheets and quilt fresh from the dryer.
13. Write in my journal.

The Greening of Yoga

Everyone says that want to do their part to make the world a better place. At Barefoot Works we're working to to just that. You see, we're optimists and we really, really believe that the small changes we make today will indeed one day equal grand results. Working with the Green Yoga Association we are working to raise ecological awareness within the yoga community. In fact Barefoot Works is one of about 50 yoga studios across the nation to be considered a green yoga studio. Click here to see the other yoga studios across the nation that are committed to earth friendly business practices.

Speaking of earth friendly practices....click here to greatly reduce the amount of junk mail that you get daily. Admit it, you hate flipping through all that unwanted mail. Do yourself and the environment a favor and cut the clutter.

Adventurous little gal

"How much of the world had I missed while living in my head?
If each cell in our bodies is an outpost of our brains, what might I have learned?
I'll never know who that adventurous little girl might have become.
But at least I know that she's still there-
Waiting to enter the present." Gloria Steinem

I am still very childlike in many ways and I love that I embody the spirit of "that adventurous little girl" at times. Whether it's pulling off the side of the road or trespassing on someone's property (very harmless ;-) to get the perfect photo, attempting to hurl myself forward from downward facing dog to headstand, jammin' down the street with my windows down singing to Fergie's latest tunes, or dancing up a storm with my nieces (in the photo) in the entryway of my house, also known as the "dancefloor". I definitely have the ability to put adult responsibilities aside and live freely.

*I just looove this picture. I took it this past Saturday at my house. I asked the girls to pucker up and show some love for the camera. Their expressions crack me up everytime I look at it. And I love the pretty tree in the background.