Flowing Into Fall

It is the 1st official day of fall, instead of mourning the sun filled evenings & random beach days, I am respecting the change of seasons and doing my best to flow with it. Not of thinking of it as the end of things, rather I am excited for what lies ahead as the the weather will inevitably cool, leaves will fall, and we will settle in to a new routine. 

Changing the Channel

The fall season brings fall shows, while I have never been a huge TV watcher, the temptation to curl up with a glass of wine and veg out has been more appealing since the evenings have become dark earlier and earlier. As a challenge to myself, I decided to plan a new activity for a few evenings this week to aid in the transition.

Sunday -  attended a fellow yogis class out of the blue to surprise her =)

Monday - went flying on the trapeze at Belmont Harbor - great adrenaline boost!

Tuesday - walked for an hour with a neighbor on a new trail in our 'hood

Wednesday - took my nephew out for a spin on his tricycle

Thursday - cooked dinner for a girlfriend 

Overall a pretty solid week! As someone who is very tuned into the shift of the seasons, I have to really make a conscious effort to keep myself active and engaged in new projects when fall comes around. Maybe it is 'programming' from all those years of school, but it seems I am always seeking a change as the leaves fall and the days get shorter. 

Finding Your Fall Flow

Of course teaching and practicing yoga will continue to be a key element in making all the pieces of my life work as we flow into fall. I'm excited to be ramping up the types of classes I will be teaching, and my new home studio is ready for practice as well. If you are reading this and new to yoga or looking for some 1 on 1 time to get into your Fall Flow - send me a message - I'd love to hear from you!

Also, feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what you're up to this fall.

You can always reset & recharge on your mat

Top 20 Things I Love About Yoga

It's Friday and I am feeling ever so grateful for all of the abundance the universe is throwing my way in the form of work, time with friends and family, and love.

As a yoga teacher and student, I find out a little more about myself every time I'm on the mat. Here are 20 reasons why I love yoga - in no particular order.

1. Yoga gives me space and time to think
2. Yoga gives me space and time to stretch, move & breathe
3. Yoga keeps my body toned and my mind clear
4. Yoga provides a shared interest to meet and practice with other like minded individuals
5. Yoga serves as a creative outlet
6. Yoga serves as a spiritual outlet
7. Yoga clothes - they are comfy and cute
8. Yoga does not judge
9. Yoga provides a challenge every time
10. Yoga practice makes me strong physically, mentally & emotionally
11. Yoga keeps me grounded and humble
12. Yoga has brought me to new places 
13. Yoga has connected me to a global community
14. Yoga helps me focus 
15. Yoga keeps me accountable to myself and my commitment(s) to others
16. Yoga taught me how to really breathe
17. Yoga teaches us how to use what learn on the mat and apply it to daily life off the mat
18. Yoga serves as a tool to tune into intuition
19. Yoga helps me navigate life
20. Yoga allows me to be the best version of myself I can be

What do you love most about Yoga? Leave a comment below...Namaste =)

Playing in the ocean with my fellow yogis in Playa Maderas

How Yoga (continues) to Heal Me

Heart/break.

Two little words that mean something so big it’s hard to put into words. Feeling like your entire being has been smashed into so many tiny little pieces, you don’t know if there is any way to get put back together. And if so, what will that new version of you will look like?

In the past 5 years there have been many losses, and unexpected changes in my life that have left me feeling turned inside out and upside down, but somehow I have managed to push forward, and once again have begun to bloom.

I get choked up regularly just thinking about it all, and then I wonder – how the f*ck did I get through everything?! The answer always comes to me through the form of Yoga. Even on my saddest days when all I could do was drag (or be dragged) into a class, and barely move through the asanas, somehow just being in a room with yogis stretching and breathing seemed to help. Flash forward a few years and I’m on my mat almost every day, and wish I could be more and more.

How does Yoga heal?

It allows you to just be. I enjoy moving my body, and yoga forces me to concentrate on my breath and movement, which in turn, allows me to quiet my mind… even if only for a minute. There are so many messages we see throughout the day and thoughts that pop up, all the noise in my head can be overwhelming! I have learned that no amount of any substance will quiet it, so yoga has taught me how to observe and acknowledge the thoughts, process, and move on. 

It is definitely not all rainbows and sunshine however. As strong as I feel physically these days, my practice reminds me there is still much to be dealt with. Sadness lurks in the corners of my being, and I need to work through them to GET THEM OUT! 

Why Yoga?

I practice and teach yoga to share with others the knowledge I have gained about the trans-formative powers of yoga. At its most basic level, yoga is about noticing the mind/body connection, and using it to better understand yourself and realize you have everything within you that you need to navigate life. Yoga to me is tuning into yourself, a moving meditation that links breath and movement to challenge the body while quieting the mind and allowing your spirit to shine. 

Yoga helps mange daily stress, anxiety, depression even sadness and pain. Recognizing these things live in our bodies, empowers us to work through and release them.

How does Yoga help you in your daily life? What brings you to your mat? Leave a comment below, and thanks for reading.