end with a bang

this past wednesday was the perfect day off.

one of my good friends lela & i started the day with breakfast at one of my favorite local cafes, the blue moose cafe. we then headed to pittsburgh to do a yin yoga workshop with richard gartner.


we then headed back to motown and met up with ryan at our favorite place to eat, mother india before dashing off to watch true grit.

while i'm not a western loving girl i have to admit this was a pretty good movie. good enough in fact that i asked ryan to watch the original this evening. i definitely enjoyed the newer edition. no offense to "duke." :)

i'm enjoying my new year's eve at home with ryan & the pets. i wish you a safe and happy new year!

if you are local (and not too hung over) consider joining me tomorrow for a new year's day yoga practice. details here.

hugs & namaste

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monday moment of zen

"it's surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time."
~barbara kingsolver

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what if...

what if...
today you look at the world from another person's point of view?

what if...
today you say thank you and really mean it?

what if...
today you give someone a compliment?

what if...
today you say hello to a complete stranger?

what if...
today you give your seat on the metro to someone else?

what if...
today you give a stray dog some food or a home?

all of these are small ways you can show someone you care. so why not use today to make a difference in someone else's life?

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monday moment of zen

"it is you that pervades this universe, and this universe exists in you. your true nature is pure consciousness."

--ashtavakra gita (800-400bce), india

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laying low

i know you're probably wondering where i've been lately. during my 40 day yoga challenge i was posting pretty frequently and while i enjoyed that i've decided to take a wee brake. a bit of breathing room perhaps.

i just recently finished "168 hours: you have more time than you think" by laura vanderkam. fabulous book! this week i am keeping a time log. i started it on sunday and will wrap it up tomorrow night. i'm not exactly the best at doing "billable hours" or keeping excellent track of my time but i'm trying to stay ahead of it. or at least the best i can. this will give me a decent idea as to where exactly my time is going.

interested in where your time is going or seeing how you can create a little more time here and there? check out laura's website and print or download a copy of her time management spreadsheet. if you've read this book or kept track of where your time is going i'd love to hear from you.

have a lovely weekend!

hugs & namaste

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monday moment of zen

“when you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all. we all need some form of deeply rooted, powerful motivation — it empowers us to overcome obstacles so we can live our dreams.”
~ les brown

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40 days of yoga - day 40

i must say 40 days went by rather quickly! i enjoyed my 40 day yoga challenge immensely.

on my last day, i did a 30 minute practice in our beautiful 'shanti' yoga room at blissblissbliss. it was very apropos that i totally rocked a headstand on my 40th day!! this headstand was better than any of my previous ones. i was able to go up without using the wall and stay up for about 10 breaths. i was super psyched! i also rocked my wheel pose for about 5 breaths and stayed in crow for about 1... still working on that one ;)

what i've learned during my 40 days:

~ i'm a lot stronger than i give myself credit for
~ it takes time & persistence to achieve harder poses
~ it's good to challenge myself - keeps my pitta happy :)
~ having you cheering me on has helped tremendously!! seriously, more than you know!!
~ finding even a 15 minute window of time can sometimes be hard so just do what you can, when you can.
~ your body starts craving yoga the more you do it!
~ it's good for my body, mind & spirit
~ even a few minutes of yoga per day can make a huge difference on your mood & outlook

if you would like to participate in a yoga challenge but haven't the slightest idea where to start, consider joining yoga journal's 21 day yoga challenge that starts january 10th. i'll be joining the challenge as well, we can do it together!

thank you SO much for following along with my yoga challenge & for cheering me on!!

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 39

hips is where it's happenin' today! my hips need opening, lengthening and strengthening so today's yoga practice focus is on the hips.

only one more day to go before i complete my 40 day challenge!!

hugs & namaste

article and photograph copyright of Melita at http://gussyingupthetuttle.blogspot.com/

40 days of yoga - day 37 & 38

day 37 was a long day. i didn't exactly get in a personal practice but i definitely got it a LOT of movement. i taught 2 yoga classes and did 4 massages. i also treated myself to my favorite place to eat in morgantown - mother india for their fabulous lunch buffet & some masala chai! yum!! i also indulged in a mid-day nap since my day was split up nicely.


day 38 - i got in my practice this morning shortly after waking. i did a baron baptiste inspired practice. very inspiring!!

if you are inspired by this challenge and would like to start your own yoga challenge, yoga journal is doing a 21 day challenge starting jan 10th. i signed up, i figured why not, right?! :)

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 36

i took advantage of our beautiful yoga studio and did about a 20-25 minute practice. it was lovely to look out of the french door and see the little bit of snow on the ground as i'm saluting the sun. i practiced my 3 asanas that i've been working diligently on and was able to rock all three... at least for a few breaths. :)

headstand

wheel

and crow

i had a dream the other night that i was able to rock my crow pose! i am hoping that dream becomes a reality (hopefully soon lol).

only 4 more days before i hit 40!!

hugs & namaste

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monday moment of zen

at times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

~albert schweitzer

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40 days of yoga - day 35

today's practice was a pleasant surprise. i hosted a holiday detox workshop today and only had one person show up who just happens to be in the teacher training program that i went through. so instead of doing the workshop & charging her, we took turns teaching each other things and bouncing ideas off of each other. it was a really lovely time. she then came over to my house and we enjoyed some tea & some girl time.

i'm currently curled up on the couch with my laptop, my pup cadyn, december's yoga journal magazine and a hot cup of cinnamon, cardamom & ginger tea all while the fire burns. ahhh i love this time of year! i am hoping that it keeps snowing enough that i can make a snowman tomorrow. :)

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - days 32, 33 & 34

thursday - day 32 - in keeping with satya, i didn't get in a physical asana practice this day.

friday - day 33 - some lovely yin & restorative yoga by the fireplace

saturday - day 34 - wasn't a full 15 minutes in a row but a few minutes in a pose here and there throughout my day was all i could manage.

i'm off to teach a holiday detox workshop and then get in my own practice.

hugs & namaste!

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fireplace s'mores

last night ryan and i used the fireplace to our advantage...

we made s'mores!

here is the beginning of some gourmet s'mores
cadbury royal dark & cadbury dairy milk toffee bar pieces w/ chocolate graham crackers

toast up the marshmallow

admire fabulous s'more before devouring

have any of you ever used your fireplace to make s'mores? if no, i highly recommend it! :)

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40 days of yoga - day 31

happy december!!

today is my day off and earlier i tweeted that i was contemplating on what to do: read, nap or do yoga by the fireplace. aaannnddd yoga wins!


i've been working hard to be able to do a headstand in the middle of the room. while i'm not quite there yet, i am well on my way. headstand is one of the three asanas that i've been working on the hardest followed by crow & wheel.

it has been really a special treat to do yoga by my fireplace

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga day 30

today was my lucky day! a co-worker at blissblissbliss teaches a meditation class right after my tuesday morning vinyasa class. i haven't been able to take her class because i usually have massage clients right after my yoga class. but today was different. today i didn't have a massage scheduled right after my yoga & i got to take her class and it was amazing!! she is such a wonderful teacher! i got in my 15 minutes of yoga + about 40 minutes of a guided chakra meditation. it was exactly what i needed. i have felt so grounded and present in all of my actions today. if you are local, i can't recommend amy's meditation class enough.

now off to enjoy some homemade chai!!

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 29

wow, 29 days already. crazy how in some ways it seems like i just started this challenge and others seems like i've been doing it for years. :)

tonight's yoga is a slower paced yoga with some gentle stretches to my hamstrings. i'm not sure how i've done it but i've pulled either a hamstring or adductor muscle. as a massage therapist you'd think i would know which muscle i've pulled but i only started noticing it a few hours ago and i haven't done an investigation to figure out which one just yet. i only know that it's sore!

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monday moment of zen

"everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
~ elizabeth lawrence

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40 days of yoga - days 26, 27 & 28

i'm falling behind as of recent, in blogging and my yoga practice. :(

friday the 26th i did a bit of yoga at home after attending one of my best friend's wedding.

saturday the 27th i got up at 6am to travel to charleston, wv to do some wedding dress shopping for my other best friend (HER wedding is next september just in case you were getting any ideas!!) after traveling 2.5 hrs there, dress shopping for some odd number of hours, visiting my parents for about an hour or hour & half and spending another 2.5 hours back home i was exhausted! i'm not gonna lie, so instead of doing my yoga practice, i laid in front of the fireplace and read for a while before i crawled in bed and passed out!!

today the 28th i had a cleaning mood hit me pretty hard today. so i organized some things that i haven't organized since we moved into this little house. in between cleaning spurts, i took a break and did some restorative yoga on the floor (didn't even roll out my mat). this evening ryan & i went over to the new blissblissbliss h(OM)e and helped put a few finishing touches on the place. it. is. amazing!!

i also got a sweet surprise in the mail this weekend too! i got a fabulous little package from the sweet elisse from fur elisse. (thank you SO much elisse!!) here is what my package included:

a sweet, hand made bag that is reversible. both sides are gorgeous!!

a cute hand made owl card & adorable hair pins!!

all photos by me

40 days of yoga - days 23, 24 & 25

i am writing this from in front of my fireplace. i had my first fire yesterday and i sat in front of the fire in meditation for about 45 minutes. it was mesmerizing.

although i got behind on blogging, i did not get behind on my 40 day yoga challenge. tuesday, day 23, i was able to squeeze in about 15 minutes before i taught yoga to the local bank employees. it was a blessing in disguise because i just assumed that i would be doing yoga at home once i finished my long day but i had a last minute client and didn't get home until around 9:30pm. i was thankful that i got my practice in when i did so i wasn't completely exhausted when i did my practice.

day 24 was a practice of yin yoga. if i haven't mentioned this before, i've been experiencing some pain in my hips, especially my right hip. so i did held some poses that helped open my hips.

day 25 - ryan and i (ok, mostly ryan) made thanksgiving dinner for my parents. this was our first thanksgiving in the this little house that heals and we were grateful that my parents were willing to drive up here to celebrate. today's yoga practice is a healing, heart opening practice by the fireplace.

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40 days of yoga - day 22

good morning lovies! i did something today that i haven't done in a while - do yoga first thing in the morning before i check my email. maybe it truly is a habit now. i sure hope so! i've enjoyed this journey immensely so far and look forward to the road ahead. i can see my own body getting stronger & more flexible so that my own practice is growing. and hopefully it will make me a better teacher as well.

my 25ish minutes of yoga this morning included the 6 movements of the spine (forward & back, side to side, and twists). it also included seated postures, forward bends, lateral bends, back bends, arm balances, twists and inversions. it was a condensed practice but i feel great afterword.

i'm off to work soon to give 5 massages before calling it a day. sure glad i got my yoga in first thing.

have a mindful monday everyone!

hugs & namaste

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monday moment of zen

“give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention." ~ jim rohn

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40 days of yoga - day 21

today makes a habit. or so it is said. there is plenty of information on the intertubes talking about taking 21 days to make a habit.

today my yoga included doing what my body needed starting with a moment of silence to set an intention to listen to my inner wisdom, my inner teacher. we all have this inner teacher and it's the best yoga teacher you can have!

i came across another article for those who say "i don't have time for a daily yoga practice." this one is particularly informative as to how to squeeze a short practice in which still counts.

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 20

restoratives

just can't seem to get enough these days :)

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morgantown photo op

reminiscing about the colors of fall. this photo was taken just down the street from where i live in the first ward of morgantown.

40 days of yoga - day 19

today i was fortunate enough to have a massage cancellation just in time to join in happy hour yoga at blissblissbliss. we support a local charity with our happy hour yoga classes so they are totally donation based. for the last quarter of 2010 we are supporting scott's run settlement house. today was a 12 hr day so i was wondering when i was going to be able to fit at least 15 mins in there. i love these kinds of opportunities, it worked out perfectly!! it felt great getting in a whole hour of yoga today.

until tomorrow, hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 18

i had a hell of a day planned out: up at 7am, to take a yoga class by 8, take pics of another yoga teacher at blissblissbliss for our upcoming newsletter, two clients in the morning, nice lunch break for 2 1/2 hrs then back to bliss for 2 more clients and 2 yoga classes.

but then sometimes life throws you a curve ball.

i woke up queasy as anything and feeling very under the weather. so i text yoga teacher and tell her i can't make it & go back to bed. an hour and half pass by at the blink of an eye because i pass out that hard!

wake back up - still feeling rough so decide to cancel my two clients this morning rather than push myself through it like i normally do.

back to bed only to wake up at 1pm, yes, 1pm only to realize i don't feel much better. so i cancel my other 2 clients and both yoga classes. i really hate canceling clients & classes like that. i feel like i've let so many people down. :( everyone is so understanding though, and thank god for that!

it's almost 4pm and the only thing i've had to eat is 2 pieces of toast and some homemade chai.

i don't know if it has anything to do with the cleanse or not. maybe the cleanse is really working something out of me. i took the day off from taking any of the gaia herbs supreme cleanse products. as long as i am better tomorrow i will resume the cleanse. as far as yoga for day 18 goes. it's restorative all. the. way. baby!!

after a bit of playing around on the intertubes, i found this lovely article about how to create and maintain a daily yoga practice. very good advice, be sure to check it out!

be well, hugs & namaste

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a house that heals

the auburn and rust colored leaves fall to the ground as the wind picks up. the sun slowly peaks it's beautiful yellow rays out from behind the gray clouds to remind us that it's still there. but we know, winter is coming.

we moved into this little house in a hurry. the creaky, distressed, old oak floor and fireplace lured us in. but, will we be able to make this house a home? right away i saw us in this little house but it took some convincing on ryan's behalf. eventually he gave in and we never looked back.

deceptively misleading from the large front yard outside, this hobbit-looking house opens up nicely on the inside. two bedrooms, one bath, a vast living room that opens into a dining area, a much smaller kitchen than we'd prefer, but we'll manage. lots of space for the pets to run and play. not to mention, spending ample time on the back deck and small fenced in back yard. a real treasure, tucked away between two other houses.

the 92 year old sweetheart living next door tells me that it's the oldest house on the street. but exactly how old i wonder? doing a little detective work, i find out that the house was built in 1935. that explains why when you stand in one corner of the living room you are taller than when you stand in another corner. with a little love, some paint and a lot of elbow grease this house was made into a home in 2 weeks flat.

** this was written in my journal. i will share with you more adventures of this little house again.**

image credit me - photo taken shortly after we moved in

40 days of yoga - day 17

today i did a 20 minute home practice dvd with natasha rizopoulos. she's the beauty you see in a lot of the beautiful yoga journal pictures and videos. what a beautiful lady inside and out. truly inspiring. i would be honored to take one of her classes/workshops one day.

a bloggy friend is doing a month of yoga for november. be sure to check liz out over at simply by the sea.

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 16

the cleanse is going well. as part of my cleanse i wanted to make sure to book an ayurvedic massage session at blissblissbliss. just like the one i had on day 10.

anytime you are doing a cleansing you should try to find a massage therapist who does ayurvedic treatments as they really help the body shed it's toxins. not to mention, being slathered in warm oil is divine!! i am also certified to do ayurvedic massage and i really love doing these treatments. in fact, i am giving one to a client later in the week.

as far as my yoga challenge, i was able to get in some yoga before i gave a massage this evening. i made sure that after being holed up all day catching up on weeds (love this show!!). i love mary louise-parker and saw her play the leading role of hedda in hedda gabler last year.

i taught shoulder and heart openers in my morning vinyasa class today so i made sure to do a few of the asanas that i taught before and after giving a massage so that my shoulders were ready to do the job.

if you are still doing the yoga challenge, how is it going for you?

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 15

wow, today is day 15 already. i have to say that the more i do yoga, the more i crave it. it's becoming easier & easier to get my 15 minutes in each day. today included some surya namaskar and some balancing poses... aka, melita's still working on her headstand ;)

hugs & namaste

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monday moment of zen

“how you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself. so always think positively.”
~ norman vincent peale

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40 days of yoga - day 14

oh glorious day off!! i am so stoked to just be chilling in my house & staying in my pjs all day!! i haven't had a day off in a long while i'm afraid, so i'm not taking this one for granted.

i had a leisurely breakfast and have been snuggling on the couch with my pets and reading 168 hours. it's really amazing to see where all of our precious time goes. before reading this book, i've stopped using the excuse of "i don't have the time for (insert activity of choice here)" now i just say "i haven't made time for (insert whatever here)."

my yoga practice today included the 3 poses that i've been working very hard at recently - headstand, crow, and wheel. all of which i am slow achieving. i'm such a pitta when it comes to um, lots of things and i'll challenge myself to achieve certain postures. for example, 2009 was the year of chaturanga dandasana and i was hell bent on accomplishing it. so i would practice it until my arms burned and were sore for days. yes, you could say i'm a pitta for sure. ;)

now it's time to make my self a little lunch and resume my chill time some more. i hope you are having a wonderful sunday loves!!

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 13

today my hour of yoga was spent with my friend lela at blissblissbliss. she lead a yoga & meditation class. while it was mostly meditation there was some wonderful movement at the beginning followed by a few of her favorite guided meditations. fantastic class!!

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40 days of yoga - day 12

after a long day of teaching two yoga classes and giving 3 massages i'm pretty pooped today. it's been a long week and i still have to force my way through tomorrow before i can rest. looking forward to sunday when i don't plan on coming out of my pjs let alone coming out of my house. :)

today's yoga included 15 minutes of legs up the couch. yes, legs up the couch. :) that's leg's up the wall's sister... or distant cousin. i also played around with my crow/crane pose and malasana. saving all of the harder poses for when i have a bit more stamina.

hope you all are well. happy yoga-ing ;)

hugs & namaste

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40 days of yoga - day 11

today yoga session was just what i needed. i was able to attend heidi's morning vinyasa class at 8am at blissblissbliss. check out heidi doing the asana of the month for november. :) today we focused on heart opening with some gentle back bends. it was perfect!

being that today is an auspicious day (11/11) i am starting a 14 day cleanse. the cleanse i am using was suggested to me by my ayurvedic practitioner. i am doing supreme cleanse by gaia herbs. i will keep you updated as to how the cleanse is going as well as my progress on my daily yoga challenge.

enjoy the beautiful sunshine.

hugs & namaste

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