This is what I've been thinking about

Sorry I've been absent from here as of late. Life has been rather busy. Last weekend I spent my days at my yoga studio attending a Les Leventhal workshop. 12 hours of yoga. Crazy wonderful. But my house (you've heard about my house, right? please tell me you already knew) is never far from my mind. We go to look at it again this weekend. Seeing it has become routine because giddy and exciting magic seems to be taking place everyday. This week: counter tops and bathroom vinyl.

In the meantime, I've been looking at some fabulous things I imagine in my home. I'm not buying yet just because I need to be in the space some time before I decide what's going to be a good fit. A trip to Chicago so I can shop Ikea might be in order. And Young House Love turned me on to Lamps Plus that has some fun drum pendant lighting. It's so easy to go overboard with dreams. Good thing they're just dreams.

Teaching yoga, week 3

If anyone asked me why I wanted to bring yoga to the workplace my answer wouldn't have anything to do with exercise and lengthening muscles. Those are just nice side benefits. My answer would be: Yoga reawakens the spirit to the breath so that we may fully appreciate and accept life as it happens. Too often we spend our time wielding swords and shields as life comes at us in one chaotic mess. Bills, work, time, errands, homework, etc. The list is endless. And I mean endless. Because long after we are gone, those things will continue to happen. But yoga allows us to put aside those things barreling toward us, either in the next minute, hour, day, week, month, year. We battle this crazy schedule. And in yoga, only the present moment counts. The breath that keeps us in this moment and moves us into the next. We don't think beyond this breath. Doing the splits, touching our toes, powering up our core can happen in any exercise routine. And if that's only what is important, then you truly lose sight of that present moment.

I've witnessed what stress (that time battle) has done to my body and my breath. And I've witnessed it in the workplace. By bringing yoga (free yoga!) to the workplace, I hope that I can allow my students a reprieve from all that. They don't have to worry about paying anything, the class being too long (it's only 45 minutes), or being too difficult (we practice a hatha flow/restorative class). They can just focus on the present moment and breathing deeply.

Chanting consciousness

One of the more rich traditions that I love is chanting. From modest Om (pronounced "Aum") at the beginning of class to the more hearty Om Shanti (Peace) to close class or my favorite, Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu, I find myself grounded and bringing my mental state inward for reflection. That every mantra brings me to the present moment.

But for anyone new to yoga, chanting can create an outward, self-conscious state—the complete opposite of the tone you're trying to set for class. Or you leave class feeling as if you missed out or nervous. But this is all part of a beginner's mind set. That beautiful mindset of extreme awareness where you discover your body and its abilities on all levels. So even if your Om is whisper quiet, that's where your body (and mind) are at right now. Respect that. Love that. Honor that. Ever so slowly you'll feel your mind's eye turning to gaze inward and the outer world fall softly to the background.

Teaching yoga, week 2

I'm a little behind in my posts. A move to live temporarily at home with the in laws had to happen. As did the cleaning of our apartment we had had for the past five years. All that spells no time, one tired yogi teacher, and nasty SOS film under the fingernails. Eww.

Week two went really well. I felt more calm. More "I can do this" attitude. And my yogis, I'm falling in love with my yogis. We actually don't converse much. But it's the spirit they bring with them. Their understanding that their bodies need this. That they need to get away from their desks and relax those shoulders.

If only I could bring free yoga to the masses...

Belly buddha shirt

Last week I treated myself to this cute Om Girl tank top in purple. Buddha has a little bling bling belly jewel. Can't help but smile wearing this shirt for yoga.

Teaching yoga, class 2

Second class, group B today. The class was so full that I had to give up my spot and just walk around and do poses where ever as I said them. I think at one point, each of my hands and feet were on different mats. Thank goodness for flexible yogis who are comfortable enough for me to do that. I wasn't as nervous this class. In fact, it was such a rush to spread what is such a joyful experience for me. I even had it together enough to play Krishna Das on my iPhone from my Pandora app during savasana. What conference room? It's now a bona fide yoga studio. Okay, maybe not, but I did convince building operations to move out a unused bookshelf and filing cabinet so I could fit in some more yogis. Hoping I can fit in 6 more. Never knew that I would start out teaching 15 students in a class.

Now if only I could convince my company to give me a budget to buy props for restorative poses. How lovely would be to relax back into supta baddha konasana in the middle of your work day? Like chocolate.

Teaching yoga, class 1

You wouldn't believe how nervous I was to teach yoga. (Even had to do a headstand to ground myself before class.) It put the fear of yoga in my heart, which happened to probably be a good thing as most of my work yogis are beginners and as limber as a plank of wood. I even got the question "How long does it take 'til I get limber? And it made me recall my "beginner mindset," where I didn't know what the hell the teacher was saying to do or how to breathe. As a beginner yogi, you're lost. Your mind is chaotic and screaming, "Why Am I Doing This?!" Or: "How the hell do I: breathe in this pose or do what the teacher is doing, or I can't keep up."

It doesn't sound like it, but that chaos is a beautiful thing. A beautiful journey with an unknown destination. I'm hoping each of my yogis can appreciate the journey and find a love, peace, joy, and compassion like I've found. I don't except all of them will, and many will have Great Expectations to master poses in no time at all. If only we could get rid of the time element, then we would cease to worry about how long something takes to "master." We'd be there to experience the present moment as it comes in us in whatever package.

But as a teacher, I was just as lost as a new student. Internally I was trying to recall the lesson plan I had put together. I had hoped to deliver words of wisdom that have helped guide me to a deeper meaning in my practice. If I delivered any words of wisdom, I can't remember because amazingly enough, my nervous, chaotic brain was in the present moment just as much as my new yogis. We're new yogis together where we're learning from each other. They're practicing poses, and I'm practicing teaching. Both students.

Is it my calling? Too soon to tell, but I walked away just as uplifted. Can't wait for Friday's class.

Getting in the flow (of yoga)

I started off yoga in a very anatomy/alignment based, no-flow Iyengar class. I was hooked. My teacher was...not as understanding of anatomical obstacles as I found out she should have been or could have been. With my tight shoulders and lats, she'd put a belt around my arms in Down Dog and a blanket under my arms when we were lying in Corpse pose with our hands stretched overhead. Her advice for my upper body limitations: a flatter pillow at night and practicing Down Dog for 5 minutes at a time. I loved her because she taught me the basics of alignment that I really haven't gotten as in-depth since. I loved her because she is who ultimately made me go looking for more yoga (the class was only once a week) and closer to work (I had to travel 45 minutes to get there).

Enter Darling Yoga. Initially I got a two week pass. Went about everyday until the pass was up. And then nothing. I decided I couldn't afford it or thought, how I could possibly fit yoga into my schedule like that. And all the bad things that yoga was "curing" in me—sciatica, muscle spasticity (thanks MS! you're the best!), and just general aches and pains from sitting at the computer all day—came back. Not to mention I was weaker and felt unhealthy.

So I made the decision. It was do or die—or rather kill this body that's a ticking time bomb. I bought a yearly unlimited pass. It was the best thing I ever did in my life, next to marrying my husband.

Flow was new to me. And forget about breathing. I didn't understand "on an inhale, look up, exhale fold." I was huffing and puffing like a train, until one day, something happened. I started focusing on my breath instead of the pose. (One of my favorite teachers always says: Hold the pose, not your breath.)

For me yoga is happening in phases: 1. Alignment, 2. Learning the asanas and flowing, and 3. Breathing. I would say the phase I'm in right now is Going Outside My Comfort Zone and Practicing Crazy Beautiful Poses Incorporated with Flow.

Yoga takes time. Until then, go with the flow. (Pun intended. Wink.)

Legal holdup

My yoga classes that I'm teaching were supposed to begin this week, but it got held up by legal. Seems so unyogi like. Legal and yoga. I finally got the much-needed and very complicated waiver (not!), so classes will begin next week. In the meantime, I'm hosting instructional meetings to tell my new yogis (I have around 50 now) just exactly we'll be doing: whatever I plan and think of. I'll be working from a class plan for now that I've prepared in advanced. (No wonder my sister always complains about lesson plans. They take forever. Good thing I didn't become a school teacher.) Eventually, I'd like to just go with whatever I feel like doing in class. But just like practice takes, um, practice, teaching takes planning and practice. Until then, just going to enjoy this new journey and hope it leads me down a great path of fulfillment.

I have a new job

as a yoga instructor. It's not a paying gig, but sometimes the best jobs are those you don't get paid for. No expectations and no limits. And I heart yoga. I'm not kidding about loving it. I daydream yoga poses and sequences.

How? Where, you ask?

The publishing company I work for is pretty lame when it comes to activities. We have an activities committee, but it's ambitions lie in volunteer opportunities. It's a great ambition, but when your company has undergone a pay cut and suspended raises, the last thing you want to do is be constantly reminded to volunteer or donate—unless you can raise morale in some other way. My solution: let me teach yoga to co-workers. The idea was well-received with me heading up the effort.

With the start of the new year, it was the perfect time to align resolutions with opportunity. I designed a sign-up flyer and sent the email. I hoped to get 10 or 12 people. Try 45. On the first day!

What was one class over lunch on Mondays became two classes over lunch on Mondays and Fridays, and I'm thinking about adding a third class in case I can't fit 20 people in the conference room and to accommodate those signees who want to take it twice a week. (I might have to petition the company with a dedicated yoga room.)

In one day, I went from magazine editor to magazine editor and yoga instructor with 45 students. Most of my students are new, so I'll get to witness that beautiful beginners mentality. Now, to piece together my first sequence...

Almost famous

I was quoted on Yoga Maendy's blog. I'll try not to let it go to my head. That would be very unyogi of me.

A whole new level of obsessed

Many of you know my OCD, super talented sister. One of the best things about being her sister is you get the fruit of her super talents. Yesterday, she sent me pictures of her lastest creation she was making for Christmas presents while I was laboring away at work. I fell in love. Sick crazy mad kind of love. Because it's a word pillow. Me: editor. Editor=words. Me: yoga obsessed. Put the two together and what do you have? That's right folks! My bestest friend whipped me up a pillow that combines my loves, including her. So not only do I own belts and bags from her collections, I'm a proud owner of my own pillow with just a little bit of, "Oh, I want one." That's all it took. Did I mention how much I love my sister?

I'll do handstand for you

Well, with a little help. Just a little leg up?

Today's class included a full handstand with a little help! I held it for like 5 seconds. I never realized how hard a job my legs have holding me up and getting me where I need to go. I'm very grateful for my two strong trunks.

Here's my theme song for practicing handstands. May your handstand find encouragement in Chairlift's Bruises too. Afterall, it's the journey that eventually gets us there. You just might have to take a road less traveled.

My inner ganster

Darling Yoga got a shipment of Spiritual Gangster wear, and I just had to have one of the shirts. This is Ganesha, Hindu God of Success.

Listening to: Damien Rice's Dogs

I was listening to Pandora Radio on my iPhone when this song came on. It was the line, "The girl that does yoga," that caught my attention. Perhaps this is my theme song?

I feel old

Went in for a check up with the ol' neurologist. Explained how the new shots were the most painful shots I've ever had. It's not the needle that hurts, but rather the reaction afterward. I get a lovely red irritated patch with a nice, hard lump that hurts like hell. If I have to do the thigh or the hip, sometimes it's all I can do to hold back the tears. So my neurologist gave me some lidocain patches to help. Which made me feel really old for some reason. I'm not sure the patches are helping, but are just another part of the time consuming process of giving my shot. I can totally see why people give up on this therapy. Once a day is a pain in the ass (quite literally).

On positive note, yoga is giving me girl guns!

Well, no one died on my birthday

Yesterday, on Friday the 13th, I celebrated my 27th birthday. Yes, that's right. On Friday the 13th. I took the day off to limit any catastrophes. I knocked on wood. Threw salt over my shoulder. Anything I could think of to keep all my loved ones and myself safe. And just as a precaution, Jonathan also took the day off.

My birthdays are usually really big letdowns. Maybe it's my high expectations. This year, I had no expectations and tons of fun. Maybe at 27, I've learned to let go.

I went to two yoga classes in the morning, wearing my poser shirt. At my yoga studio, I bought myself a $60 Jade yoga mat as a birthday present to myself. If you're serious about yoga like I am, you need this mat. I got my in orange and, should I ever need it anymore, it matches my yoga towel. I also got myself a birthday chai latte from Starbucks. Mmmmm. The perfect birthday morning.

When I got home, there was a FedEx box waiting for me from my sister Capricious. A while back she had a 100th blog-post giveaway for a really fun and funky tote. She had given me one of her very first tote creations, and I love it. It's a sophisticated, yet fun, black and white tote. I use it primarily to carry my knitting or magazines. So when she posted about her 100th blog-post giveaway being a tote made out of fun and funky pink and green material, I had to have it. So try as I might, I didn't win. Apparently, my excitement and want for the tote resonated with my sister, because I got my very own for my birthday. She spoils me so.

Jonathan gave me an auxilirary cord so I can listen to my iPhone in my car. Yay! I can even listen to Pandora radio too. He also made me my favorite chocolate cupcakes with rainbow chip frosting , which basically meant I had to be in the kitchen directing traffic.

To cap the evening, we ate dinner at The Bristol. I had the salmon and Jonathan had the trout. We both had the lobster mac 'n' cheese, which was heavenly. I decided that since it was my b-day, a drink was in order. So wished my early and mid twenties adieu with a berry caipiroska.

All in all, a good birthday. Hello 27. Nice to meet you.

A noodle kind of weekend

Les Leventhal came to Darling Yoga this weekend. And I was lucky enough to take three of his workshop sessions, starting with Friday night candlelight vinyasa class where I sweated like I didn't know I could. It was amazing, hard, and so much fun. Today, I went to two session: hips and twists, and yoga and recovery. There was more sweating in the first class with pretzel poses that look like fun, and maybe someday I'll get to do, but instead, I just savored what I could do and kept up with my breathing. In the second class, I decided I needed some restoration after such intensity that I'm not quite used to. Although I've made much inroads into my daily practice (yes, I go to yoga daily) in the 7 months that I've been practicing at Darling, I still have miles to go in my strength.

This evening I went to dinner at Blue Koi with some yogis who also went to the workshop, Les, and owners Emily and Victor. I think the highlight was seeing people you've only seen in one environment, and in a certain kind of clothes, in a relaxed, yoga-free atmosphere and street clothes. I was lucky enough to sit by the star, Les, and chat with him throughout dinner about his life and his yoga path.

I'm still really new and young to the yoga crowd, so it was interesting to hear the yogis around the table talk, find out what they eat, and hear insight into their daily lives beyond the mat. I ordered tofu (when in Rome) with a black bean sauce and brown rice. Although I've had tofu before, it's not something that's part of my daily diet. It might be after this. It was so yummy!

If you're ever in San Francisco and want to go to a yoga class taught by a teacher who knows how to embrace the power of yoga while still infusing it with a sense of humor and lightness, look up Les. Or better yet, come take his workshop when he's in town again.

Now I need to get some hand yoga done. My knitting seriously needs some attention.

A poser in the best way

Yesterday I got quite the surprise upon arriving to yoga. I had the case of the Mondays. It had been a rough and long day in my mind, and I wasn't sure yoga was even going to do the trick. When I entered the studio, not too much crossed my mind when Emily (one of the owners of Darling Yoga) popped up from behind the counter with a big grin on her face. I didn't think too much about it, except: She's in a very good mood for a Monday. This is why I need to be a yoga teacher! Instant bliss! So grinned back. I didn't catch on that she was hiding something: "I have a present for you!"

At first I was taken back and confused. "Your sister called, and I know it's going to be your birthday soon. So I have present from your sister and one from me and Victor."

Suddenly, Monday was looking a lot better. Presents! From some of the most amazing and inspiring people in my little circle of life. And then it got better. Check it out:


That's the poster t-shirt I've been eyeing, oh, I'd say half a year. Capricious kept trying to talk me into buying it, but [gulp] it was too pricey for my fugal mindedness—$45! Now it's mine, thanks to her! Now I have something to wear to my yoga workshop on Friday night. I hope "poser" really sets the mood for a candlelight vinyasa class.

Oh, and should you want to pop on by to my apartment, you'll be greeted with some beautiful-smelling incense that Emily and Victor gave me along with a incense holder. Ode to inspiration.

I just hope Jonathan likes it. It's already going to be a great 27th birthday, and it's still more than a week away.

A three-day weekend means

A three-day weekend means that my Saturday is actually my Friday. It means three-hour long naps. It means a nice soak in the tub before climbing into bed all exhausted. But what it really means: a third day to do all those things you said you would do over the weekend.

On my third day I have accomplished: a yoga class (morning yoga is the best. I even spent some time after class getting to know my lovely yoga instructor Emily, who's pregnant and even more lovelier.); gone to Hobby Lobby to find the knitting needles I need, only to not find them and took Capricious' advice to look at Jo-Ann's; gone grocery shopping (without a list, drat); the liquor store to buy champagne for mimosas for my knitting get-together on Thursday; and made the blog rounds. I still need to: put away the dishes in the dishwasher, wash dishes, pick up the kitchen table, clean the bathroom, and oh yeah, knit. I might even try to get in a couple more yoga classes this evening. It all depends if I can tear myself away from my friendly M&Ms hanging out with me and get busy.

Three-day weekends mean I feel more accomplished.