I’ve got a confession to make: I was pretty bummed out in the week leading up to my birthday. Not so much about my birthday itself (I like birthdays!), but rather the fact that it called attention to other aspects of my life that are not 100% how I’d like them to be. Relationships that […]
So, today’s my birthday! (I know, it kind of snuck up on me too.) Lately I’ve been doing a lot of pensive thinking about life — where I came from, what I’ve learned, where I’m headed — big heady subjects, right? And between it being my birthday, the impending end of yoga teacher training, changes […]
Yoga classes are ripe for awkward moments. I mean, picture this: A group of spandex-clad mostly-female strangers gather together in a room to have someone instruct them about how to gyrate around on rectangular rubber mats and make unusual shapes with their bodies. What could possibly go wrong? Some of the many things that could […]
Two words: Online. Dating. (I know, probably not what you thought I was going to say.) I’m fairly certain that nothing on earth could possibly inspire someone to want to embellish or exaggerate more than online dating. It is simply impossible not to feel compelled to try to convey that “yes, of course, I most certainly […]
About two weeks ago I had a conversation with Michelle about my concerns regarding the teacher training program, which can be summed up as follows: I’m scared that our time together will end and I still won’t feel as though I have found my voice. I told Michelle: I feel like I might not getting […]
So, I’ve been feeling a lot this week, which is honestly uncomfortable for me. And I’ve had a whole bunch of emotion-provoking material to work with (read: there is some tough life stuff happening). Work-related stressors are plentiful, a good friend moved away, my grandmother’s health took a turn for the worse, there is an abundance […]
Tight. Gripping. Always right (or completely silent). In control. In balance. Wanting things to look a certain way. Striving. Succeeding. Intimidating. Feeling superior. Wanting to manage people, situations, everything. Doing what I am supposed to do. Getting it right. I am these things, though I do not relish admitting this to you (or to myself). […]
In honor of studying Saucha (the first of five Niyamas/observances, commonly translated to mean purity or cleanliness), Michelle asked us to complete a one-day fast on the topic and day of our choosing. We were to: Consider what you need to fast on…where do you proliferate, clutter, confuse your life unnecessarily. Chose one aspect of your life […]
Turns out my “day job” (higher ed administrator) is more helpful with teaching yoga than I originally thought. “Huh, what is she talking about?…” you’re probably asking right about now. I know, I didn’t see it at first either. Imagine these two scenarios: Scenario #1 — You work at a law school in student affairs […]
Touch is powerful. Through touch we can communicate without words. It has a unique way of bringing us immediately into the present moment — it can instantly transport us from a thinking space into a feeling space. Touch is important. Studies have found that touch provides various health benefits — everything from reducing stress, anxiety, pain, fatigue, and […]
Recently I went out to dinner with a good friend who knows me well enough to read between the lines of what I am saying, and is forthright enough to directly call me out on my stuff. It’s a great combination. As we caught each other up about everything that had happened (or not happened) […]
Sometimes I get so caught up in thinking about all of the things that I am lacking, that I completely forget to pause and appreciate all that I do have. It’s part of the human condition, I think: we’re trained to want more. More money, more time, more food, more things, more appreciation, more connection — just […]
Every once in a while something happens — you hear something, you read something, you think something — and boom your perspective irrevocably shifts. I had one of those moments last weekend during teacher training when we listened to Ajahn Amaro’s (a Buddhist monk) Dharma Talk about relationships and sexuality. For the two weeks prior, we had been studying […]
I love practicing yoga. I love writing in my journal. I love cooking. I love reading. I love writing on this blog. I love walking. I love sleeping. I love lazy Saturday mornings spent lounging in bed. I love sitting in my favorite chair with a steaming hot cup of tea. I love going to work in […]
In Chapter 1 of Start Where You Are, Pema Chödrön writes: We already have everything we need. There is no need for self-improvement. The heavy-duty fearing that we’re bad and hoping that we’re good, the identities that we so dearly cling to, the rage, the jealousy and the addictions of all kinds never touch our […]
Have you ever tried to sit and be present for 10 minutes? For that matter, have you ever tried to take 10 consecutive deep breathes, without getting distracted? Well, if not, let me tell you: it’s hard. No, like REALLY. HARD. Meditation 101 During yoga teacher training this past weekend, we discussed meditation with Alicia (one of […]
Last Tuesday I attended an event where I saw a bunch of people I had not seen for six months or more. And during the event I received compliment after compliment about how I looked, compared to the last time they had seen me. {I should probably disclose a few relevant things at this point: […]
They say patience is a virtue, but I suppose they never said it would be easy. Ever since teacher training started, I have been finding myself consumed with impatience: (Foot taping) Alright, am I someone different yet? Ok, I’m ready for my perfect home yoga practice to magically appear! (Fidgeting) This sitting thing… can’t it […]
A few months ago the lovely Michelle taught a yoga class where she talked about “the sticky space in between.” The idea was something along these lines: You’re not quite where you started, but you’re not yet to the next destination. Things are changing, it’s uncomfortable, and and you will likely feel inclined to rush through as […]
While in a recent restorative yoga class with the wonderful Tami Hackbarth I realized something: restorative yoga is kind of like boot camp training for my brain to help prepare me to successfully spend time with my family (or to do other potentially temper tantrum-inducing activities). Whhhhat? Restorative yoga … boot camp … has she lost her marbles? Well, […]
