the ripple effect.

tonight my intention in yoga was empowerment. and, to give into the experience of letting love in.

then i came home and watched this.




talk about feeling empowered.

i would say yoga will save your life. it will change your life. it will make you so much more accepting of yourself.

i think we all just want to feel connected. simply connected to ourselves. yoga connects. it brings contentment and understanding amidst all the noise.

it has, in fact, changed my life. and, given me access to my heart as the trailer describes. i can finally feel every cell of my being.

may you move your body and be happy and free. may you find that inner peace.

namaste.

dear life, i love you, be mine!

so, i finished clean!

{warning, this post gets slightly up close and personal}.

twenty one days of nothing but clean foods. it's been glorious, and i highly recommend the program to anyone who is feeling like they have what i like to call a life hangover. just a fancy term for not enough rest and recovery from the stress in our lives.

for me, i push myself at work, unwind with yoga and running, but still incorporate the fun to the point of excess {sometimes around food and drink}. needless to say, i got tired. it was time to really listen to my body.

so, after three weeks of smoothie, meal, smoothie and following the elimination diet, i feel fantastic!



i'd love to share a few learnings with you, dolls.

one. have you ever had an epsom salt bath? try it! oh, please do. the key is to soak for twenty minutes with the water as hot as you can take it. once out, hydrate with an ice cold glass of water. it's life changing!

two. body brushing is my new favorite skin-care regimen. out with the dead skin cells and in with the new. my skin has never felt softer! go pick yours up at whole foods today, you won't regret it.

three. i'm a creature of routine and i'm naturally drawn to healthy foods so it truly wasn't that difficult to maintain {especially if you are okay with allotting extra prep time for meals}. the two things i missed most - apparently my vices - were coffee and wine. not so much for the buzz that both give you, but just the comfort of a warm cup of coffee on these chilly sf summer mornings and a glass of vino after a long week.

i can't help but think of this book as i'm finishing up the cleanse. women, food, and god by geneen roth. which, i happened to read last august. she speaks so eloquently and spiritually about compulsive eating.

i think the most crucial take-away for me is the importance of not using food as a way to cope, to fill a void or suppress an emotion. we must get to the core of any fears, anxieties, or stressors that exist in our lives without numbing with unhealthy habits. understanding our bodies is oh-so-important.

may we take a vow to forever be mindful eaters and always get real with our emotions. live rawly.

*gosh, loves, i really could chit chat your ear off. if you have any questions, i'd love to chat! thank you dearly for all of the notes of inspiration and congratulations. it means so much. photo taken on a glorious sunday, day twenty one. a gift from a dear friend.

chant your heart out.

the conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. choose a positive thought.

this has always been my favorite quote on the lululemon manifesto. every time i read the poster, it's the one that resonates with me the most.

do you ever think about how much power our minds hold?

we hold the power. the power to choose. to pick how we want to approach this life. we each carry the keys to our own happiness.

there's a traditional chant in yoga that goes like this...

guru brahma, guru vishnu, guru devo maheshvara
guru sakshat, param brahma, tasmai shri guruvey namaha

it's a dedication to the teachers or gurus in our lives, and i think it holds an important message on each of our own journeys toward enlightenment as we learn that every experience is a teacher in and of itself.



first we must recognize our creator and our birth. we appreciate and acknowledge the gift of life, guru brahma.

next, we notice the preserver, guru vishnu. the duration of our lives and all of the experiences we accumulate while we live. honor those. when we chant guru vishnu with sincerity, the way we view our everyday lives will start to change. we learn that all beings and things in our present lives can be our teachers, our gifts.

as we observe the good, we also have to look at the other side of the scale, the destroyer, guru devo maheshvara. we must search for appreciation in all of life's difficulties. face them head on, and with an open heart.

futhermore, let's search for the guru that is nearby, guru sakshat, and find that quality in another person that we wish to locate within ourselves. having someone act as a mirror so that we can let our inner light shine through is crucial.

param brahma is the guru that is indescribable and beyond all form.

tasmai shri guruvey namaha. i offer all of my efforts away. i surrender to this process and my teachers.



this chant asks us to notice the people and situations in our own lives and appreciate them for giving us the opportunities for self-realization. there is no need to go anywhere, it's all right here inside of us, in our own lives.

...ah, the power of our minds!

sometimes when i chant this, and believe in it, and i really get it, my heart gets lighter. it's all going to be okay. the answers are revealed to us post-chant. let them come to you, and move you.

*all concepts and descriptions read in this book here, juvamukti yoga. it's currently on loan.

stay hungry. stay foolish.

a note from a soul friend appeared in my inbox this morning {she knows just when to send words of inspiration, it's a true talent, i tell you}. enclosed, was the steve jobs commencement speech at stanford circa two thousand five.

i've already watched it twice today. you may find yourself doing so as well, darlings.

there's some great wisdom in these fifteen minutes.





i hear two themes.

one. everything happens for a reason. let's trust in that for ultimate happiness.

you can't connect the dots looking forward. you can only connect them looking backwards. so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. you have to trust in something. your gut. destiny. life. karma. whatever. because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart. even when it leads you off the well worn path. and that will make all the difference.

two. follow your heart. no matter what.

you've got to find what you love. and that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. if you haven't found it yet, keep looking. and don't settle. as with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. and like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.

enjoy! and, trust yourself. xo.

look up.

sometimes we overhear innocent conversations that can bring us back to reality.

on my oh-so-important, quick walk from one place to the next yesterday, i overheard a very simple observation.

look at the clouds surrounding the top of the pyramid.

i was reminded to stop. stop and look up. slow down. there is beauty in the ordinary among the chaos of the city.

two strangers re-taught me a valuable lesson. and now i'm paying it forward.

may you notice a tiny detail today that is utterly beautiful if you take a second look.

*as the quote reads, let's make life our canvas.

on love.

since we love love here at it's all happening, i did a little quiz and wanted to share it with you.

what is your love language?


you can take the assessment here.

the best part is that i did the old-school-circle-your-answer-with-a-pencil-in-the-back-of-the-paperback-book-i-swiped-off-my-parents'-bookshelf quiz.

each question reads from the wife's point of view about her husband. i just subbed ryan gosling for the word husband. seemed to work just fine.

i'm exactly what you'd expect.

an honest tie between words of affirmation and physical touch.

{seems about right to me}.

words of affirmation.
actions don’t always speak louder than words. if this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. hearing the words, “i love you,” are important - hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

{hello, childhood}.


physical touch.
this language isn’t all about the bedroom. a person whose primary language is physical touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive.

{touch equals caring in my book. it's sacred}.


the love languages are a dead ringer! try it. learn a little something new about yourself today, friends. the other three languages are quality time, receiving gifts, and acts of service.

cheers to love. and relationships. and the importance of knowing how you need to be loved. we're all different.

but it always comes down to one word: love.

*"pinteresting" love in my free time here, here, and here.

say anything.

sometimes people are right on the money.

this song isn't out yet, but it's simply amazing.

TP does it again.



it's about always letting the one you love say anything. i believe in that.

i finally feel myself starting to peel open again. let a little fresh air in.

kiss kiss.

i was made for sunny days.

my "beloveds." i've missed you so much.

actually, so much doesn't even begin to describe it.

i've been thinking of you all week. except see here the thing is, i haven't been in the state to write to you {and i call myself a creative writer sheeeesh}. i'd rather not bug you with my blues. i guess we all have them. to tell you the truth, i much prefer my moods to be a constant bright pink and fiery red. oh, that would be fun.

a good friend once said to me. it's not rainbows and sunshine all the time, gean.

in my dream world it is.




i'm often reminded of a quote by my most favorite writing icon.

“...it was the dividing line between seeing the world in black and white, and in technicolor. the lights came on for the darkest possible reason... i learned something enduring, in a very short period of time, about life. that it was glorious, and that you had no business taking it for granted.”

i vow to always see things colorfully. and to remember that we will forever have our gratitude. sweet gratitude.

this week, i saw the weepies. what absolute dollfaces they are. a husband and wife singer-songwriter duo who fell in love over music. i love their story.



they hold such a special place in my heart. if i was a song lyric i'd wish with all my wishes to be written by the weepies. their words are perfection.

in fact, it dawned on me that they inspired me to start blogging again. after my hiatus, my first post was about them. something about the song that day made me write. just another cold winter day in january. and ever since, it's been pouring out of me.

a little song of theirs i'm loving...

be my youth
my kissing booth
my little sweet tooth
my beauty and truth
be my thrill
my little white pill
my wait up until
the one who will
and we tumble down like jack and jill
and i miss all of the joy you kill
but i love you still
be my thrill

tonight, i am grateful for sisters.

we're snuggled in bed. her, reading. me, writing. it's the sweet silent sisterly bond that is unlike any feeling in the entire world.

i'm glad to see you again, my sweets. off to watch my latest tv obsession. friday night lights {i can't believe it's taken me this long to get started}.

sending love, always.

namaste.

next to you.

i just want to do yoga so i can be on my mat next to you.



keep your compliments close and your tribe closer.

*found here.

someone like you.

i got to see adele tonight {so spur of the moment}!

i love the name adele. something about the way it rolls off your tongue is just so gracious and loving.

i wasn't the one who originally said this, but her voice is like butter.

someone like you is my all time fave.





there is so much pain and heartache wrapped up in this one song. it makes me deathly afraid to fall in love but all the while makes me want nothing more than to completely let go and fall so hard. no matter what, love is beautiful and undeniably worth it. that's her message underneath it all.

sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.

we all take the risk for love to last.

tonight was a perfect one at the greek. the kind where you watch the sky slowly fade from light to dark just so it can hold the stars.




how lucky we are to live here.

voice.

i think we're all trying to find our voice and our power. i know i am. we are in a constant energy cycle of owning our own lives.

voice.
power.
own.

three very important words in my vocabulary at the moment. part of our evolvement in this universe, if you will.

so, speak up. voice what you need. find your inner power. and own your self. put it out there in the universe.

i'm working on it.


i had a bit of an out of body experience this evening.

the story is long so i'll spare you the details. i was present, but i was also somewhere else.

i guess meditation can change your life.

things are shifting in my world, i can feel it. i have these moments of complete connection. i get it. they may be fleeting, but i think that's the beauty of it.

thank you for always letting me have a voice here. i don't know what i'd do without you. 'tis true. you've changed my life.

i've been a bit cryptic this week, haven't i? all big idea talk and no substance or detail. forgive me, will you? the girl you know will return again soon.

or will she?

xoxo.

it's all new.

do you ever find yourself rushing? rushing here rushing there rushing everywhere.

tonight i was reminded of an important lesson.

we are all beginners.




no matter how routine our lives become, no moment is identical to the next one. it's all new. every second and the way we face it is fresh and new.

every new person that comes into our lives can teach us something about beginnings.

let's not ever let the days get stale and instead maintain the mindset that this day is a new beginning with no exact moment having ever occurred.

cheers to that!

sleep.

in the spirit of listening to my body, i have to confess something.

i lose a lot of sleep over you.

i'm not complaining, because oh how i love you so. it brings me the utmost joy to stay up and write you little love notes.




but, time to take a step back and really listen.

may you be alive and rested and awake and well this week. treat yourself to some major zzzzzzz's.

night, dolls.

clean.

so i'm embarking on a little adventure.

and, like always, i know you'll be supportive along this particular journey.

it's a little experiment that i've been wanting to try and can finally set aside the time.

the clean program. i received the book last winter after reading an article about it and then i had a friend try it for himself finishing with nothing but positive things to say.



what i want most out of this detox is to be able to really listen to my body. what does it need? sleep. rest. energy. water. love. i wish to get back to basics and simplify my life. to rid any weight, negative energy, and stress that does not serve me. clear skin. bright eyes.

mental clarity is my goal.

i thrive when i am treating my body well.

so, here goes nothin'...

xoxo.

precious.

i think sunday morning yoga is the best invention ever.

simply put, it's church for me.

except better. because you chant and om and let your body flow. you also pray. so it all works out.

i discovered my favorite yoga pose.

supta baddha konasana (SOUP-tah BAH-dah cone-NAHS-anna). it feels so good to put one hand on your heart and one on your belly. connecting your life force and the love in your heart.


he said the best thing today.

think of someone in your life you're really grateful for. wrap your heart around them. give them love and let them know you're glad they're here.
because it's all only temporary. this life is temporary. makes everything that much more precious, doesn't it? approach your life this way, from a place where every thing is a little more precious.

this resonates with me. it's what i'm constantly striving to do. live life from a heartfelt precious point of view. and, supta baddha konasana reminds me to do so.

the more we channel preciousness, the less we take it for granted. because it's all only temporary.

hope your weekends were nothing but sweet, my dears.

*found here.

dance.

i had a little realization about weekends.

they deserve to be filled with exactly what makes you happy. no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

the best part is, the choice is yours. and, you know what they say, to each his own.

we should set our intentions each friday of what we need out of this tiny snippet of forty eight hours. what we'd like to give and in turn, receive. because every moment is a blessing. weekends are sacred. let's not take them for granted.




i intend to relax and re-coup. to soak up the time and get back in old routines with one of my bests who is in town for the weekend. lucky me!


*may you find your weekend dance, whatever that may be for you. we've all got one.

i left my heart, with you.

so i have this thing with cards.

especially the lovey dovey ones. {who would have thought, right? wrong.} i can't help but buy them. even if there's no one to give them to now. like, in this exact moment. that's okay. eventually there will be.

i collect the ones that are too precious to pass up. because someday... you never know...

{always best to be prepared}

i think in the meantime here at it's all happening, i'll just share with you. because you're my someone special.




this one is still in the wrapper. the original that started my love affair with the art of collecting. there's a sticker on it that reads...

i left my heart
inside: with you
99¢
greeting card/trolley

ninety nine cents has brought me more joy than you could possibly know.





years ago, before i knew of cable cars and fog horns and hills - oh my! - i had no idea of the true meaning of the saying i left my heart in san francisco.

now, i do. and, i am so thankful.

i love when things come full circle. may you find your circular love.

one foot in front of the other.

there's nothing like a good run.

but, even more so, there's nothing like a good running buddy.

in my lululemon days, a running coach once told me, just remember... one foot in front of the other.

i know it's not always easy, but i think of this often. in life, if we are constantly putting one foot in front of the other - pushing our energy forward to persevere - we'll get through it.

andrea is a living example of this mantra.




her strength over the past few years is unlike anything i've ever witnessed. for what she was unprepared for, she's dug deep inside herself to overcome her sorrow.

we all manifest our grief in different ways, but there's something special about andrea. she grasps every ounce of love in her life because she knows that will get her through. she is rational, and stares the pain right in the face. she allows herself to feel weak, but more importantly be filled up with love and gratitude and happy memories.

we can all learn a thing or two from this dear girl.

i love her with all of my heart and soul. and i hope she knows how much i admire her courage.

we meet on the corner at six a.m. one morning a week. i would be lying if i said this early morning wake up call was easy. it's not. but i'm comforted every time i see dre on that corner.

she takes care of me. there's one water bottle on each hip.

one for me. one for her.

and, when it's dark out, she provides the head lamp.

it's the little things that are most important, don't you think? dre taught me this.

in honor of the lessons learned from my beautiful friend, let's not sweat the small stuff.

{big hugs}

be brave.

sometimes even the smallest acts help us find our own bravery.




may you find yours, always.

sorry to be brief, loves. so many thoughts, yet so little time. be back soon. xoxo.

*words to live by.

acceptance.

i want you to know...

you can always tell me anything.

i won't judge you.

i'd like to always put this comforting energy out into the universe. i want to be known for it. for forever.

{it must be the psychology major in me}.

i have open arms and an open heart. i will listen.



leaving you with a little confession...daydreaming of a tattoo...

heart on her lips
soul within her eyes

left ribs. light color. perfect font.

someday i might have the courage, but that's not anytime soon.

a girl can dream, right?