March 26, 2012

How I Overcame My Fear of Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)

When I began a regular vinyasa yoga practice last year I was instantly burdened with an immense fear of handstand pose. Every time the teacher announced that it was time to go to the wall for handstand I would tense up. At some point I just decided since I wasn’t ever going to do handstand that I would just do downward dog at the wall instead until we moved on to the next thing. Eventually though (after several months), I thought I could at least benefit from practicing setting up a good foundation for handstand. I mean, why not? I watched carefully each time my teacher demonstrated handstand and there was a lot of alignment to consider and work on. At first the alignment itself felt intense and totally awkward. But with each passing week I melted right into a very comfortable & focused foundation. I felt strong. I was pleased with myself. I didn’t realize how much there was to accomplish even before one should begin to kick up into handstand. I worked on just the foundation for more than 2 months. read more »

Posted in Health, Yoga Quest | 5 Comments »

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March 16, 2012

11 Ways To Be Unremarkably Average

This list is from the book The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau.  Superb read.  Love this list.

1. Accept what people tell you at face value.

2. Don’t question authority.

3. Go to college because you’re supposed to, not because you want to learn something.

4. Go overseas once or twice in your life, to somewhere safe like England.

5. Don’t try to learn another language; everyone else will eventually learn English.

6. Think about starting your own business, but never do it.

7. Think about writing a book, but never do it.

8. Get the largest mortgage you qualify for and spend 30 years paying for it.

9. Sit at a desk 40 hours a week for an average of 10 hours of productive work.

10. Don’t stand out or draw attention to yourself.

Be yourself and enjoy it!

Posted in Habits, Purpose | 6 Comments »

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March 7, 2012

Music for relaxing the mind and firing up the soul

One thing that I am always grateful for is music.  It is a constant & masterful hero.  If I am overtaken by irritability or sadness, a single piece of music will bring me back to where I want to be; peaceful & smiling.  I have been very committed to my yoga practice for some time now.  Doing it more frequently and going much deeper with it is resulting in some stuff “coming up” as they say.  I’m purging and refining myself physically, mentally, & emotionally.  I find myself relying on music as much as ever to keep me centered, grounded, and calm as I open myself up and release old stuck emotions, blockages, fears, resentments & other such things.  If you want to become better acquainted with yourself, do yoga.  It has brought me face to face with myself.  It can be a very deep experience if that is what to choose to make of it. After sharing my goals & desires with her, my teacher added some meditation for me to include in my practice.  For someone who has trouble focusing on one thing and is constantly fighting with racing thoughts, the yoga meditation duo is intense!  I have done it before, and I’m happy to bring the effects back into my life again.  It seems about this time every year I get reconnected to my love and desire for the yoga and meditation combination.  To help keep the effects of my yoga and meditation alive and well I have to choose the appropriate music.  I love world music and whenever I am deep into my yoga practice I become more strongly connected to it since it flows right along with with the deeper purposes & meaning of yoga.  It’s music that brings peace to me, that makes me feel grateful, and that instantly reconnects me with my deeper beliefs, goals, and values.  It helps me remember who I am.  I thought I would share a few of my favorites.  Enjoy! read more »

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February 29, 2012

What lies within

I believe in all that has never yet been spoken.
I want to free what waits within me
so that which no one has dared to wish for
may for once spring clear
with out my contriving.
If this is arrogant, God, forgive me,
but this is what I need to say.
May what I do flow from me like a river,
no forcing and no holding back,
the way it is with children.
Then in these swelling and ebbing currents,
these deepening tides moving out, returning,
I will sing you as no one ever has,
streaming through widening channels
into the open sea.

by Rainer Maria Rilke

Posted in Beauty, Purpose | 2 Comments »

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February 17, 2012

The Path to Peace in a Troubled World

More than once, life has thrown me into a tizzy.  But recently, it’s been harder than usual to find clarity.  I feel like maybe I have focused too long and too hard on all the things that are wrong with the world, that now I find it painfully difficult to see what I used to see; the beauty, the goodness, the peace, and the joy in it.  I realize that sounds rather depressing.  It’s actually just a completely frustrating state to be in.  The last 2 years of my life have changed me.  I used to live in a bit of a bubble.  I used to have all kinds of beliefs about life and why things are the way they are.  All mystical beliefs that served no real purpose but to offer me an excuse for the turmoil, darkness, and sadness in the world. They made it easy to just go about my own life because everything was just as it was “meant to be”.  In recent years though, I have begun to see the world through more rational eyes, and I struggle because I can no longer tell myself that there is some greater purpose to all the messes, some mysterious reason out there for all the suffering.  And the problems won’t fix themselves.  Suddenly I feel a sense of responsibility.  And so, these days I can perfectly relate to this quote by E.B. White: read more »

Posted in Habits, Purpose | 6 Comments »

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January 23, 2012

Simple super-salad recipe

I’m several months strong on my super healthy path and it is great!  Better than great.  What can be better than feeling energized, strong, clear, & healthy?  It’s amazing what food can do for us.  I am no longer underestimating the power of diet, as well as exercise.  Obviously salads are a part of my healthy diet.  Here is a very simple but super nutrient-charged salad you can throw together for lunch or dinner anytime!

I always use all organic ingredients.

Salad:

baby spinach leaf base

grape tomatoes

half an avocado chopped

almond slices or seeds of your choice

crumbled feta cheese

garbanzo beans

Dressing:

apple cider vinegar & olive oil

Seasonings:

sea salt

pepper

nutritional yeast

salad booster

That’s it!

For dinner add some sardines or a piece of grilled salmon for added protein and omegas!

Be you and enjoy it.

Posted in Health, Recipes | 1 Comment »

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January 20, 2012

Strange, disturbing, & interesting things uttered on the streets & busses of San Francisco

So it’s been just over a year since my move to SF.  As I reflect on the experience so far I thought it would be fun to share some of the gems of statements and requests made by strangers that I have overheard, or was on the receiving end of, during my aimless wanders and bus rides through the city. Enjoy! read more »

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January 3, 2012

How to stay focused on goals

“I’m finally staying on top of my most important goals”

How I did it: I’ve had the same primary goals for a long time, but for the last two months I have managed to finally stay focused and push myself to follow through on my promises to myself.  In all honesty, the main thing that helped me was just finally getting to a point of being so upset with myself for stopping and starting so many times that I couldn’t stand to keep going that way.  I want to be healthy above all other things.  Running, yoga, and eating healthy are the things that make me feel best about myself.  I’m happy to say that this month is my 3rd month of consistency with my chosen healthy lifestyle habits.  I signed up for Nike+ to keep me motivated with my runs and I joined a yoga studio and found a teacher that I can relate to & feel comfortable with.  I feel so good, my skin looks fabulous, my energy is sky high, my body is toner and leaner, and I am not letting anything get in my way again! This is what it’s all about.

Lessons & tips: Be realistic.  Start small.  Have a plan, don’t wing anything.  Reward yourself, but not in counterproductive ways. Have faith in yourself, know you deserve it. Commit to things you actually want, not things you think you should want.  Have fun!

Resources: Using Evernote has helped me stay connected with the articles, tips, and educational materials that have inspired and motivated me.

It took me 2 months.

It made me feel awesome!

See more progress on: Stay focused on my goals

Posted in Habits, Health | 2 Comments »

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January 1, 2012

Obama Declares January 2012 National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, and in cooperation with our partners around the world, we can work to end this terrible injustice and protect the rights to life and liberty entrusted to us by our forebears and owed to our children.

The above is an excerpt from President Obama’s proclamation of January as Human Trafficking Prevention month.  As many of you know, the issue of modern day slavery is one I very passionately care about.  Many of us actually believe that slavery has been abolished, when in fact more slaves exist in the world today than ever before in history.  What is worse is that most of them are children.  It is estimated that  100,000 children are trafficked in the sex trade in the US each year. Labor trafficking (forced labor) is also being identified in various places throughout the US, where men, women and children of all ages are forced to work for little or no pay.  This is not just a foreign problem.  It is happening right in our own backyards. read more »

Posted in Purpose, World | 8 Comments »

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December 28, 2011

I am a Better World Shopper

One of the best gifts I got for the holiday this year was a small book entitled The Better World Shopping Guide.  First of all, I am so grateful to Dr. Ellis Jones for putting this nifty book together.  I feel so completely empowered as a consumer and totally committed to adjusting my shopping habits so that they reflect my desire for a better, healthier world.  Ok, so the book rates companies, large and small, by giving them a grade between A+ and F.  The grades are determined by how a company performs in 5 categories: Human Rights, Environmental Responsibility, Animal Protection, Community Involvement, & Social Justice.  The meaning of each grade is reflected in this box:

read more »

Posted in Habits, World | 3 Comments »

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