a-shiftin'

i used to be completely and utterly obsessed with yoga. key word here: used to. and it breaks my heart to write that. it really does. i would skip engagements to make it to class. i would force myself to wake up in the early morning hours to hear my favorite quote from cara. i would plan my vacation schedule around retreats. i would rush home from work to make it to anna. i would dabble in other studios to get in more and more and more yoga and yoga and yoga. all.the.time.

and you know what? i don't regret one single second of it. because it made me who i am today, and it allowed me to know some of the most amazingly inspiring people i have ever met. extensive hours practicing was what i needed at the time as it fulfilled some sort of deep hunger i so badly needed to satiate. yoga helped me to create space for me to exist and for others to exist with me. lately, though, i'm realizing what is so perfectly beautiful about yoga, is that it's always there. no matter how you want to connect with it, no matter how much or how little you need it, it's there.

i had a plan to get certified as a teacher in twenty thirteen. it was the natural next step and seemed obvious in my eyes. i had already mentally forked over the money and i was prepared to make ends meet.

then i got injured. and i cracked the root of my body. and i decided to uproot myself to new york {oddly enough, none of which would have happened without the other}.

and now, {sigh}. now is this whole other yoga experience that is oh so very different and oh so very new. i find myself barely making it through class. maybe stopping in once a week. maybe not. i still love it just the same, but it does not resonate with my body the way that it used to. i don't desperately need it as i once did. for now.

things are a-shiftin' in this big 'ol universe, friends. my yoga practice tells me so. the lesson here is moderation. just like all things in life we need balance. funny how i learned to find balance through the actual physical act of balancing itself.

oh yoga, there will be everchanging forms of you. new practices. new studios. new teachers. new commitments. i am grateful for our continually evolving relationship. namaste.

ps. so tell me, what is your yoga practice telling you?

*photo credit: lbophotos

my story.

we all know my thing with telling our stories, and that each of us has our own one to share. well today, when one of my favorite teachers hosted a workshop about rewriting our own stories, my yoga and writing worlds pretty much collided.

i learned that the stories we've lived in all along... the ones of our past... don't necessarily have to be the ones we choose to live with in our present. dreams can become reality, and it is possible to let go of preconceived notions that do not serve us in order to step into new territory and embrace what is.

i left with a little more courage than i had when i walked through the door. and, doing yoga while blindfolded channeled a deep trust in myself that i didn't know existed... as if no matter what happens throughout life i can tap into my inner strength and find balance.

i also brought home two lovely drawings, which may remind you of this one. i love a good crayon session. in summary, my visualizations consist of breaking out of my comfort zone, being the free-spirit i know that i am, and floating on a river of joy that consistently flows through my open heart.

wherever you go, go with all your heart.

~confucius

as i'm in the thick of understanding what my next chapter is, this will be my mantra.

on god.

you know, i'm not as religious as i thought i once would be. i realize, that's kind of a peculiar sentence, but it's the truth.

yoga has become my religion. and, it's not because i don't believe in god or catholicism {heck, i still have that catholic guilt!}, it's just that i found something that made me feel more connected to the divine... the higher power... god... the universe... {whichever term you prefer} than sitting in church on sunday mornings. and that's not to ever ever discount those who do. my grandmother is the best catholic i know. she taught me to count the beads on a rosary, whispering the our fathers and the hail mary's before bed, she never holds back a "jesus, mary and joseph" when things get tense, and she's worn st. christopher - the patron saint of travel - pinned to the inside of her shirt every single day since her first communion. and guys, she's eighty nine! now, that's true faith.

anyhow, i believe god wants us to pick the way to connect to the higher power in the way that is the best for us as individuals. so every time i get on my mat i dedicate every ounce of energy to someone who needs it most. i offer up all of the goodness i cultivate and say a prayer. it's what comes easiest to me. i receive my own benefits as well... keeping the revelations for myself and sharing them... well, right here.

yoga has taught me that i can take pieces from all religions - whether it be buddhism, hinduism, christianity - gathering ideas and stories from each to create my own positive belief system. i think we must choose wisely, seeking out that which resonates best, and in turn, allows us to be our most giving and moral selves.

something dawned on me the other day during a much anticipated, new yoga class. she said, we have the same suffering. we have the same happiness. we are all one. the good... the bad... it's all god. 

then i had this thought that maybe that's where the word god came from. good... bad... god. combine the two to get one. if you think about it, god accepts both good and bad. the universe is made up of both good and bad. and, that's what makes us all one universal whole.

...and with that, i leave with none other than a namaste. thank you for stopping in to read what it's all happening has become... my own little medley of religion.

*did you notice the hummingbird found here? prayer beads found here.

thank you.

i heard this quote a while back during class willing myself to remember it so i could jot it down afterwards. 

if the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.

~meister eckhart

of course, it escaped me until today when i was reminded of it while watching some lessons in gratitude. a great refresher of why i started this blog in the first place and the power of physically writing down five things each day we are thankful for.

may we continue to offer up the prayer of thank you. because it is enough.

*humbly bowing forward found here.

off the mat.

so i went on my very first yoga retreat this past weekend and let me go on the record in saying that it was one of the most blissful weekends of my life. period.

retreat {n.} the act of withdrawing as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion; a place of refuge.

and that, my friends, was exactly what it was.

a weekend filled with laughter, good company, breath, sunshine, and peace of mind. a group of people brought together for nothing but the pure common interest of discovering yoga. because, like i've mentioned a time or two, it's life changing.

i may have learned a few things. like that friendliness is not dead. in fact, it's come to life more than ever. engaging in those moments of vulnerability are some of the most sacred when we make initial connections with others. there is so much love to go around, we just have to tap into it. open ourselves to it. 

forming friendships in the most unique of places - mat to mat - is one of my most favorite phenomenons. there is a yogi saying... may we take what we learn on our mat and practice it in our everyday lives. i am always striving to do so. i am blessed to have made so many dear friends from on, to off the mat.

i left filled to the brim with emotion. open hearts have a tendency to do that... to help you honor your tears and your joy. can't wait to go back for more.

honey.

i'm in a transition phase, i said. it's all a transition phase, she responded.

that's when i realized, we're constantly in transit, aren't we? moving and changing and growing and passing from one state to the next.

often times i think of the yoga philosophy that nothing is permanent. that's so very true.

we must embrace each phase as it comes. with open arms and an open heart. accept it and adjust while channeling that fluidity and grace.

this sounds a lot like flowing through a vinyasa, which i now see as a symbol for moving through our ever-changing lives with ease.  sometimes anna calls it moving through honey.

our transitional life is our honey. now let's move through it in a nimble fashion, whatdoyasay?

meet me.

divine.

i really love to chant, it's a well-known fact.

my favorite yoga teacher ever-so-kindly sent over the meaning to one of my most cherished chants. on several occasions i attempted googling what i thought was the correct spelling, but it turns out i couldn't have been more incorrect. sanskrit and i, we're not super acquainted yet. someday...

saturday morning i was secretly hoping the entire practice that anna would sing in that angelic voice of hers. sure enough, i was pleasantly surprised.

sachara chara para purna

shivoham shivoham

nityananda svaroopa

shivoham shivoham

anandoham, anandoham

anandoham, anandoham

 and here is an interpretation.

"this sutra is a powerful declaration of our own oneness with the divine.  we sing to the ultimate connection with god and the experience of truly being joyous in this moment of coming home. we are no longer isolated or alone. ever."

literal word translations.

sachara - belong to, be united to
para - another, other/ greatest, highest, supreme
purna - complete, full, fulfilled, filled with
nitya - constant, eternal, everlasting
ananda - delight, happiness, joy, pleasure, bliss
svaroopa -  consistency, kind, nature, quality
ham - i am that, i myself

this chant is so comforting, isn't it? it makes you feel as if you are never alone. and in a world where many people's greatest fear is that they will be alone {me sometimes included} this chant wipes that all away. there is something bigger. may you discover that unity.

*pinning like a mad woman here and here.

spirit.

i decided this week that a positive spirit is one of the most redeeming qualities a human being can have. i think i've known this all along, but lessons learned as of late have brought me to this new found conclusion.

and, that's why i'm thinking twice about your spirit. and mine.

this quote comes to mind. spotted on one of my quotable calendars from years ago.

it occurred to me mid yoga pose {of course} on saturday morning {my absolute favorite time of the week}. it was likely during high lunge, arms up, pinky fingers in, palms facing the back wall. something about this gesture really makes you want to reach for something more.

to dig a little deeper.

to offer it all away.

i think at that moment anna reminded me of the word spirit.  

don't just do it, do it with a positive spirit, she said.

because no one likes holding a pose that long. legs burning, heart pounding. but, in that moment if we make a conscious effort to change our attitudes and find our inner spirit, things just might calm down a little bit.

this applies to life, too {are you seeing the parallel?}. we will cross many-a-difficult situation in our lifetimes {just like a burning high lunge} and if we learn to consciously shift our minds to look on the bright side, to channel our deepest and sincerest good spirits, we'll get through it. life becomes a little bit sweeter.

rusty said something similar today. it was about embodying a beginner's spirit. it is wise to approach every new situation, every new relationship with an open heart, as a beginner because this ensures that we don't set ourselves up to fail. every relationship is new. we don't know what works for us and what doesn't work for us until we cross that bridge. figure it out as you go along... that's the beauty of beginnings. open hearts, my sweethearts, to let the potential for something really really good to enter our lives.

in essence, we control our outlooks on life. may we approach it with a positive spirit, always.

i will if you will. let's do it together. ready, go. namaste.

{found here and here}.

yoga envy.

yup, i just used the "p" word on it's all happening. how racy of me! it's that good, though, i promise! remember when i gasped at this photo?

well, this video i'm about to show you left me jaw-dropped and wanting more...



if you are able to pull your eyes away from this perfect specimen of a yogi, you'll notice what makes this video even sexier is the certain male in bed and the stunning apartment with a view.

here's to hoping i can achieve every bit of grace, delicacy, and lightness that she has in her practice. add it to the goals, my friends. and, add it to the moments to recreate. kisses!

be mindful.

sweethearts, how are your twenty twelves? i miss you.

you know, i've never been one to make resolutions (goal setting, yes). however, i suppose in two thousand nine this blog was born as a promise to write down five things a day i was thankful for. and, well, it worked.

resolution - derived from resolve - implies to convert or transform. i hope that we are always moving in the direction of becoming the best versions of ourselves. january seems to symbolize fresh starts and rebirth, so now is as good a time as any.

may we be approach this year with fluidity.

thus far, i've received some great advice. both from wise yogis, no less.

this one told me to be mindful. i love that word, don't you? let's be aware of it all.

and this one constantly reminds me that you are exactly where you should be and everything that's happened in your life has built and prepared you for this moment. this phenomenon is one of the most grounding in all the world and makes you grateful for the good and the bad because inevitably in that moment you are okay. and happy.

this year, i vow to remember these two pieces of advice. i hope you do too!

{tree me and glitter me}.

candlelight.

so it's getting to be that time of year. you know, where it gets darker earlier and we change the clocks back.

{here comes the hibernating winter feel. bring it on}.

as a result, one of the things i'm grateful for is candlelight at the end of yoga. and, you know me, there's nothing like a good chant in this setting. with the early evening darkness comes the romantic, peaceful, and soft glow of fire light. i guess we can call it wintertime yoga. loving it.

*build a fort with me soon, will you?

reverse gravity. go on, do it.

so i practiced for just short of five hours today. yup, you heard me. five. three of them were specifically dedicated to arm balances and inversions. you know, where your feet are over your head. many little epiphanies and moments of sheer joy and laughter, but also moments of fear and fatigue happened along the way.

symbolic for life, i guess.

and it's really just that, isn't it? inversions are a representation of how we face life. and, just as we rely on our arms in these poses, we constantly strive for balance.

when we reverse gravity, our bodies must adjust to this intense change in energy. practicing head stands, hand stands, and arm balances - oh my! - forces us to get out of our comfort zone and see things a bit differently, and with a fresh perspective.

they help us face our fears.

there is this moment that occurs when we are able to balance upside down for just an extra split second. it makes the whole process worth it. when that feeling clicks internally, you know you've learned something. 

in my opinion, inversions are just practice for real life. keep trying. put forth your best effort so that those seconds of really getting it extend to minutes, hours, days, and years. 

if we frequently and voluntarily reverse gravity, and maybe one day something in our lives catches us completely off guard - you know the saying ...turns our world upside down - we'll be much better prepared for that moment. no sweat off our backs. 

i take that back, there's lots of sweat.

sorry to be all preachy on you, loves. i hope you had the bestest of best weekends.

drishti.

gazing is not the same as looking. have you ever thought about that?

in looking, there's a looker and a tangible object being looked at.

gazing, in contrast, is a method for looking beyond mundane objects. this is drishti, the technique of gazing toward the hazy realm of perception beyond the clearly focused. 

i had a thought about drishti and how it can be compared to our life journey. first off, we must look inward to discover who we really are on this voyage. instead of seeking external approval, the answers are all inside of us.

this is the basis of drishti. looking inward.

second, finding drishti can help us detach from our efforts, or life hardships. this helps us develop the ability to be generous and not attach importance to anger, fear, or any emotions that would prevent us from becoming sweeter and sweeter.  

i find it to be much better if we gaze at life on this journey. interpret it, appreciate it, and realize it's bigger than us. allow things to flow in and out of our vision, but not get caught up in one tiny object, the unnecessary details that can bring us down.

**oh, i sure do hope that makes sense. sometimes it fits perfectly in this brain 'o mine and then, well, it gets late and what seemed like such a good story this morning when i was all bright eyed and bushy tailed kind of falls by the wayside {please note, i originally wrote 'goes off the way side' which doesn't even fit here, as it insinuates the road ending. what road, gina?}. the fact that i'm attempting these idioms - is that what they're called? - when i'm too tired to even google. inexcusable! but, just one last thing, don't you just want to be sitting in a circle chanting and praying with these gals? i sure do. there's always tomorrow. do me a favor, will you? start your day with a little sun salutation, surya namaskara. honor this day. namaste.

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.

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.

expand.

i sure have talked you ear off this week, haven't i?

i mean, look at all of these - nothing but - words words words.

one more thing {for now, that is}.


i find that when i am constantly asking myself the question: does this serve me? i can release what i do not need.

is this working for me? if not, let it go. thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, relationships. it applies to all. and, i believe it really can be that simple.

this week in an early morning yoga class, cara was spot on...

maybe there's something in your life that's really annoying you right now.

locate it.
pin point it.
hone in on it.

breathe there.
breathe right into it.
expand the space around this problem.

let the breathe allow you to make this issue a teaspoon among a vast ocean. an ocean of breathe.

i love this metaphor.




i sure hope you do some breathing and expanding and letting go this weekend, my dears.

release what does not serve you.

sometimes i find this the most grounding thought in all the world. i have the power to choose what works, and what doesn't. and, inevitably own my life. because that's what we're all trying to do anyways.

*pure goodness found here and here.

grace.

spiritually, yoga makes me come alive. especially when i am spoiled with such a great teacher. {i'm sure you've heard me mention her many-a-time}.

set your intention. offer it away. give it all away. touch someone else's life and dedicate your practice to them so that they are happy, safe, and free.

this is when i pray.




i pray for my bests, that they overcome their struggles. i pray for the happiness and health of my family. i pray for peaceful and healed relationships and for the future one i'm going to love.

i pray for whatever needs praying for that day, really. the message is usually the same...that we all may lay our burdens down.

oh, the power of prayer. we have the power to touch so many lives.




one of the best things about yoga is that it's also about the well-being of others. it's finding the perfect balance between the giving and the receiving.

i think this act transcends into our everyday lives. give your good thoughts and kindness away, and allow yourself to receive it back.

to me, this pure give-and-take act is the essence of grace.

i've always had a thing for grace. growing up, being a graceful dancer came easy to me. it's when i felt most empowered. the flow and movement of the body is one of the most beautiful things in all the world. hence, why i'm on the constant quest to be a graceful yogi.

may your weekend be filled with nothing but grace, in the exact form you need it. thanks for hanging with me this week!

love and peace.

*prayer found here and here.

leave a little room.

at the end of my practice on this orange-sky-painted-fog-rolling-in-ever-so-tenderly-ready-to-protect-us-tonight-kind-of summer evening, i had a thought.

in shavasana, the fresh air from the {finally} opened windows crawled over my skin. it glided up the left side of my body like a whisper cooling me down.

leave a little room.

let your practice leave a little room.

for the gratitude.

for the kindness.

for the stillness.

this is why yoga has changed my life.

i have a little more room now.

*does reading this give you chills too?

posture.

in yoga, a teacher once told me, good posture is sexy.

this saying continues to resonate.




always striving for sexy. i'm a work in progress.

sunday.

how blessed we are.
~rusty wells

what a treat.

*everything is as it should be found here.