If you’ve been following me, you know that I have been teaching for many years but only recently choose to branch into the online world. I am learning a ton as I go. I make many mistakes, and I have to continuously practice being alright with my imperfections. This is one way I practice compassion, however this is a very recent story I’d like to share with you today.

I finally have my camera, my microphone and time to record content. I set up my space, I set up my camera and I pull a Goddess Oracle Card to inspire my teachings. (Kwan Yin, Goddess of Compassion). Immediately I am inspired to teach heart openers and provide visualizations to harness compassion within ones self.

My first challenge is getting my head in frame (while standing) with limited space for my camera. I cannot do it, so I go with the flow and tell my viewers I’m working out the kinks and to bare with me. I continue to teach a Yoga Flow even when my head isn’t seen, after all, the intention is compassion. I have compassion for the situation and just allow the the practice to flow through me. Twenty five minutes in, my camera shuts off. I could continue to start where I left off but I wanted it to flow freely and not have to cut and paste during editing. I took a break and recollected. Then I thought, I could teach a Yin class instead, that way I wouldn’t have to worry about not having my head in the frame. I started again but this time I plugged my camera in to avoid any battery fail. I re-centered myself and applied Kuan Yin’s intention of Compassion to a new practice.

It went beautifully! I let the lesson flow through me. I talked about getting present with how you treat yourself when making a mistake and too embrace yourself as you would a child, along with how you treat others when making mistakes and embracing them as you would a child. I guided the viewer to wrap themselves up with love and compassion and how to soften in the body and energy space to let go of tension and bring in love. When it was over, I felt really good about it and I felt good within my self because I had practiced. I turned off the camera and loaded the video onto my computer and low and behold…. There was NO SOUND. I forgot to turn on the microphone!

My immediate response what F$%#*! Then I started to laugh hysterically. “How perfect”, I thought. I just got done with leading a practice about compassion for oneself and the mistakes we make and here I am after three hours of work to record one lesson that I can’t even use because I forgot to turn on the mic. The universe works in mysterious ways.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because, the practice never ends. Yoga is a real life practice. It was as if the Universe was saying, “Love, you are very ambitious but you still have some learning to do. I’m going to give you some challenges that teach you but it’s through your practice you will hear them”. I mean how can I teach for an hour about compassion and embracing your mistakes as you would a child and then be hard on myself for not turning on a mic?! LOL

So, in all due time, but for now I laugh at the irony and allow myself to slow down, or at least be gentle with myself when things aren’t going according to plan. We are guided with the lessons on our mat, but they aren’t integrated until we apply them to real life situations.

When was the last time you were challenged off your mat and used your yoga practice to help you through it? Share your story with us in the comments below!

This is the time of year the Sun is at its highest and strongest point of the year as well as the longest day of the year. Plants and flowers are in full bloom and summer family/friend gatherings are in plenty. This is the time we naturally submerge ourselves into nature enjoying the earths blessings. Energetically speaking, this a a great time to manifest as the energy is strong and high it’s also likely you are reaping the benefits of seeds you planted during winter manifestations, making a perfect time to practice gratitude for all that has blossomed into your life thus far.

Many people celebrate the season unknowingly by just spending time outdoors, others celebrate consciously and spiritually. As you may have guessed I prefer to consciously celebrate and I like to bring my family and friends along for the ride.

Here are some ways I like to celebrate the Summer Solstice:

• Have a BBQ

• Go to the Beach

• Play outside

• Give thanks for all that has blossomed in your life thus far and share it with others and ask them what blessings are they experiencing right now.

• Plant Seeds (actual seeds) along with what you would like to manifest. Then every time you care for your precious seedling you will remember your intention, setting it in motion and watch it bloom.

• Salute the Sun with Sun Salutations

• Create a Summer Solstice Altar with fresh flowers, bright colors, candles and anything else that inspires you as you channel the season.

On this day I will greet the sun with a round of Sun Salutations and proceed to spend time with my family outside playing in a beautiful river, eating panini and gelato and drinking sweet tea in the sun. We will have friends and family over to grill out in our garden and plant seeds of intention (as mentioned above). We will toast to our blessings and this beautiful season and I will end the day with another round of Sun Salutations and gratitude.

Do you celebrate the Summer Solstice? If so, how do you like to celebrate? I would love to hear from you in the comments below!!

Happy Summer Solstice Blessings to you!!

My primary focus aside from registering all the proper paperwork to live here was to set up our home. For me, having a sacred space I can retreat to is necessary, especially when I’m dealing with so much. I’m sure many of you feel the same way. So, that’s what I did until it was done to my liking. Once that was done, I retreated and that’s when my complex feeling started to settle in.

There are no feelings of regret or “shit, what did I do?” rather a somber/anxious feeling. I was realizing just how much work I have to do to integrate myself and speak the language and how aside from my home there is no more being comfortable. I could easily see how if I didn’t have a three year old pushing me outside my comfort zone everyday, I may have stayed in the house much longer. To be honest I was surprised by this reaction. I thought I would feel more excited to practice my Italian and walk around and explore. Then I did some research and even asked friends that have already done this and it seems pretty normal.

I could hear my inner wisdom telling me to not get in my own way and embrace it, jump all in. Then, my friend who did this same move seven years ago, told me the same thing.

Many people have told me I’m brave because I make bold choices in life but honestly it’s the fear of not living boldly and dying with regret that scared me more. I don’t feel brave. Honestly, I feel scared and anxious more that you know, I just force myself to step through it. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are times I do a lot of kicking a screaming along the way. I am human after all. I’m also a very sensitive being and get overwhelmed by my feelings at times but in the end I’d rather do the thing that sparks me even if it scares me.

Helen Keller once said, “Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run that outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.”

What big “thing” is calling your name that you have been putting off in the name of fear? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

The paradox is that in which encompasses all, as both the dark and the light, existing in one current state. Although these conflicting feelings can feel overwhelming and exhausting there is a special kind of magic that lives in the in between spaces as well as a whole,if only you take a moment to observe and acknowledge it. For me, its a reminder on how full life truly is. Although the dark spaces in life like sadness, may feel like they are “bad” it’s these moments that help to bring light in where its needed. Rumi once said, “The wound is where the light enters.”

When the time came to help transition my dear cat companion my heart broke and yet I was still equally happy for our upcoming move. I was reminded multiple times that it was alright for me to feel both. And isn’t that the truth?! My first feeling when feeling these contrasting emotions was guilt and I needed that reminder that it was ok to feel it all. When we allow ourselves to feel all of it simultaneously we can feel our connection to the universe. We are the light, dark, the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky, the good, the bad. None of it is separate rather, we are all of it.

Next time you find yourself living strongly in the paradox of life remind yourself life and death are interconnected. When one thing dies off another is being born. That is the alchemy of life. Feel your power and connect to the magic of the paradox of life.

I’d love to hear from you. Please comment below!

What paradoxes have you experienced lately and what lessons did you become present to?

My husband and I have resided in the states for the last 6 years and we have had many full adventures but just as the seasons change, so do the seasons of our life. Our journey here is coming to an end and beginning a new season in Italy. It’s time and it feels right.

This new chapter is exciting and scary at the same time. It’s going to bring forth challenges I have never met before as I learn a new language and culture and navigate my life’s path in family, in friends, in work and all that life presents in it's beautiful balancing act. I’m prepared to grow… A LOT. However, along with these challenges amazing, magical life experiences with amplify joy and love in my life and I truly look forward to it all.

I look forward to new experiences and growth for myself as a human being on this earth as well as look forward to creating a lifestyle filled with love, family and travel for my little one. I look forward to new family traditions like harvesting grapes in the fall along with olive picking and mushroom hunting. I look forward to watching my son play with his cousins and unwrap presents given to him my our abundant family in the winter. I look forward to traveling Europe as a family and as a couple.

As far as my business goes, I look forward to creating new, fun and exciting ways to share yoga and feminine spirituality across the globe online and in person for glorious women’s retreats in the beautiful hills of Tuscany.

I’m not gonna lie, when season’s end it’s always bitter sweet for me. Tears will be shed as I say goodbye to my family, friends and students here but I try to remind myself that I am merely expanding my circle.

I’m so grateful for all the opportunities I have had to learn, grow and create from here in Florida. I’m grateful for my seasons of work, seasons of friends, seasons of new motherhood and everything else I have experienced here.

Here’s to new adventures, new endeavors and so much LOVE.

Seasonally speaking, the rain nourishes the land as the sun warms and produces the growth we see flourishing during spring. It is necessary and so it is. Although some relate to rainy days as bad, I think about it as nurturing as it clears the unsettled dust away bringing fresh perspective.

When it comes to the rain (metaphorically speaking) in our lives, we too can often view it as uncomfortable or “bad” when in reality it’s necessary and so it is. It’s our challenges that help us grow. If we wait and breathe through it you will see it too is clearing the unsettled dust away and bringing forth fresh perspective.

So, next time it’s raining in your life, breathe and trust as these showers wash over you, flowers will bloom.

This doesn’t mean there will be no pain or suffering (no matter what form it comes as all human beings are united by our suffering) rather it means we understand the impermanence of every situation. We can then train ourselves to bend in the breeze so to speak, allowing ourselves to breathe through the challenging times, sit through the mundane times and embrace the high energy times.

When we have an understanding of our environment’s cyclical nature as well as our own, we can harness the potential of each phase.

An example of this would be, if you follow the seasonal changes you can learn from each phase of this cycle and adapt yourself to natures rhythms. Winter teaches us to go within and self-reflect. It encourages us to rest and cultivate coming creations. Spring awakens our energy with new life, it’s a time to start moving and refreshing our energy. It’s a time to nurture and water your seeds of intention as they start to bloom. Then comes the Summer Solstice, that teaches us to harness this very energetic season of life. It’s a time when our energy peaks and our fruition is in full bloom. The Autumn Equinox is the harvest season. The energy starts to dwindle gradually and we start to journey inward once again, finding gratitude for what we have created and reap the benefits of our harvest and the lessons it has brought us. Here can start to reflect on what we can let go of just as the tress let go of their leaves. This prepares us to meet the darkest part of the seasons in nature but also within ourselves as we quiet down, rest and reflect and the process starts again.

This cycle also resides within our bodies. For women our Moon Cycle or Menstruation Cycle coincides with all of these exact elements but rather month to month instead of a whole year. So the cycle of the moon teaches us these same lessons each month.

Menstruation would be closest to the season of winter as it’s a restful time and a perfect time to journey inward and reflect and let go. The Follicular phase would be related to spring as the energy starts to renew itself, progressively increasing to produce an egg. This is the best time to start new projects and get physical. The ovulation phase would be like Summer as it’s the peak of energy and the egg is ripe and ready for fertilization. This is the best time to ask for what you want, be bold and get into action. Last but not least the Luteal phase would be related to the Autumn season as the energy starts dwindle as the body starts to prepare to shed the uterine lining (if the women is not pregnant). Thinking of this as the harvest season, this is the best time to get organized or tackle at home projects as the body starts to slow down and prepare for menstruation. The miracle of all this, is this is the natural progression of our hormonal season. Whether you are aware of it or not, it’s happening just as the seasons happen in nature.

As you can see the cyclical nature is applied in the same way no matter which subject you look at. Birth, Life, Death, Rebirth. With this, I encourage you to take a look at your own cyclical nature. What cycles in your life are you aware of? What form do they come and how can you apply the seasons of nature to help you ebb and flow through them?

Days will in increasingly become longer now. So marks the time to plant the seeds of the intentions we cultivated in the dark. We don’t just set New Years Resolutions because it marks a new calendar year. We naturally gravitate toward this change because that’s the natural progression of the seasons.

Today I want to talk with you about the difference between setting resolutions/goals and intention…

Resolutions and goals are action based, meaning you put them into action physically. Intentions are the umbrella in which your resolutions and goals live under. So, lets say I have goals to practice yoga 5 times a week, take daily vitamins, eat healthy and meditate daily. This all sounds great, but the likely hood that one will stay committed to such big changes over night are slim. However if you set intention for Self Love, now everything you do falls under that umbrella. So, that means you now create action based goals from the space of Self Love. This also includes being kind to your self when you don’t meet all your goals. It now means really listening to your mind, body and soul in what it really needs and catering to it in the moment. It means instead of losing weight just to look good. You take care of your body because you truly love it. The dynamic shifts drastically when we create intention.

When we create intention, we then see through the eyes of that intention. We feel the feelings of that intention and we act out in our being with that intention. In return, we get what we put out. This doesn’t mean everything will come up roses when we set intention. It actually calls forth the perfect challenges for you to grow inside that intention. If you set the intention for patience. You will likely be tested in your patience. The great thing about this is, when you are challenged you have the opportunity to grow each and every time. This is where the power of intention really takes place. If we practice reminding ourselves what our intention is we can face the challenge with our intention in the forefront, leading the way on how to handle it. If its patience, you can ask yourself how would a patient person handle this? And when one fails at being patient with this intention, you can learn to be patient with yourself as you learn and grow. Whatever the intention is that you set there are limitless opportunities in which to apply it.

To get in touch with what your intentions you must first go inward. Allow yourself to visualize (without limits) what you would like to create in your life, what experiences you would like to have and what people you want to be around, what do you want to contribute?. Once you can visualize it, let yourself experience it like it were happening right now. Then, tune in and recognize how you feel. Repeat this process as many times as it takes until you start to recognize a pattern in the way you feel. It’s that feeling that will lead you to your intention and allow the magic of manifestation to happen.

This year I am setting the intention for love and beauty, meaning I will not only challenge myself to act of love and create beauty but also share it with others as well as find the love and beauty in the people, places and situations around me.

Now that you know more about intentions, what intentions are you setting for yourself this year?

This amazing group of Yogis spent time creating intention New Years Eve with me. What a magical group of humans!

Every season provides a guide map for living. The last few months I have talked about letting go of what doesn’t serve you, finding gratitude for your blessing as well as provided yoga sequences that help to calm the mind and lead to surrender in preparation for the coming winter. As Autumn is a season to harvest life’s blessings, winter is a season to internalize them as well as create and cultivate for the coming spring.

Winter is a season to rest, relax and restore. In nature you will find animals hibernating, the trees bare and the ground cold. On the outside it doesn’t look like much is happening in this seemingly sleepy season. However, it’s in this restful state animals preserve their energy, the trees cultivate new growth and seeds are rooting beneath the surface of that cold ground. New life is preparing to be born in the coming spring. Once again, we have to remind ourselves we are not separate from this universal connection. We too feast before the winter, we go to be earlier and often spend more time indoors where we are forced to relax or be creative.

If we are conscious of this natural progression we can then reap the benefits in a more abundant way. This is a season to nurture yourself. Rest, read, write, drink tea and eat warm foods and spend time with those you love to nourish the body, mind and spirit.

I know what you’re thinking… “Winter a restful season? This is the busiest time of year!” Yes, the end of the year often bodes of holiday festivities, shopping, wrapping, people pleasing, family stress, lots of drinking and then once it’s all over, everyone bogs themselves down with New Years Resolutions. However, it’s only that way if we choose. If we practice bringing mindful attention to this time of year we can say yes to what is absolutely necessary and let go of the rest. Also, no matter how many parties or feasts or “to do’s” you have on your list, making arrangements to nourish and restore yourself is a necessity. Self love and care is not selfish, it’s what helps us cultivate our best selves. Without that, we aren’t much good to anyone else.

In yoga we have a term, Aparigraha, that translates to non-attachment/possessiveness. In other words, it refers to keeping the desire for possessions to what is necessary or important, depending on one's life stage and context. I’ve always felt this is a perfect life lesson for this time of year, when we are so focused on the giving of things, or looking good for others. Not that these things aren’t fun or that I don’t participate but again bringing the mindful awareness to that in which is happening created by mankind and participate only to which that is healthy for you and your family will be more a service in the long run.

You may be wondering why I bring Aparigraha up when this article is supposed to be about winter. Exactly! This is a season of rest. So, enjoy your festivities, gift giving and love of family and friends. Let it nourish you and restore you. If it isn’t doing that, take a moment to observe and find where you can bring mindful attention for more peaceful resolutions. It’s in this space you will be further empowered to create and cultivate what you will be bringing forth in the coming spring.

Would love to hear from you in the comments below!

How do you relate to the season of winter? Do the holidays bring you stress, if so, how do you think mindful attention can help you? And, what ways to you nourish and restore yourself?

Happy Winter!

Watercolor Painting - Winter Tree by Brenda Owen

I had just finished my personal practice in my favorite park next to my favorite pond. I had no intention other than to be present. Rather than meditating with my eyes closed, for an inward experience, I chose to keep my eyes open and be where life was happening. Here is where I found myself…

Everything around me is filled with life, the grass I’m sitting on green, vibrant and firm yet flexible. Little critters crawl on blades of grass as if they were tall trees reaching for the sky. The branches and leaves of the trees dance gracefully to the gentle breeze. They cast a cool shadow for me to sit in as the sun blazes bright and warm on my skin and the earth. I find myself surrounded by winged creatures. Colorful dragonflies hover above me and the water, giant fuzzy bumble bees buzz from purple flower to purple flower retrieving their sweet pollen. Hawks glide on the wind currents above me without a single flap of their wide wing span. Birds unseen sing from the trees bringing beautiful music to the atmosphere. The water is alive as it ripples far and wide each time another piece of life touches it. It reminds me, we are all connected. Four white Ibis hunt together in these waters for their breakfast and gracefully walk through the shallow depth. They are busy and playful. Another beautiful white heron swoops down for a landing to catch a small fish then sit upon a rock watching life around her just as I am in this moment. I hear a splash from the water but only ripples are to be seen now. Again it reminds me we are all affected by these ripples even if we don’t know their origin. A beautiful blue heron is now flying by on the other side of the water alerting something in the wild of his presence. I see you blue heron. I look up, the sky is bright blue with a few fluffy white clouds travelling by. The environment in warm but the breeze is cool. Everything is as it’s supposed to be. It’s all working together beautifully and I am a part of it. I am sitting within life itself. I am life and in this moment it is peaceful, lovely and content.

I’m not sure how long I was there, it didn’t matter. I allowed my intuition to guide me when it was time to leave but in these precious moments it was getting present to the moment that allowed not only a memorable experience but helped as a tool to provide contentment.

Life isn’t always this effortless as you know. It all depends on where your mind is. To be this present in a world of upset would be that much more challenging but still possible. It just takes practice. Prior to my physical practice my mind was quite busy with an emotional week I had prior but getting to my mat helped to release that and bring me to a more present state. I understand people don’t always have time for an hour practice on their mats but wherever we are, we take the tools we learn on our mat into our lives. This could come in the form of a few light stretches, breath work, mantra, creating intention and/or letting go of our thoughts and getting present to the moment in front of us.

In what ways have you found contentment or been touched by the present moment or nature? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

There are four aspects of woman. The Maiden, the Mother, the Queen and the Crone. Each one of these phases takes place in the seasons of our life as well as embedded into our psyche and DNA, no matter where we are our the path of life. The profound wisdom of the crone can be found a young maiden and pure innocence of the Maiden can be found in the Crone. Each of these archetypes serve us on our life’s journey. The autumn season represents the Queen as she looks over the last year, harvesting all that has been manifested until this point, just as a Queen looks over her realm. The Queen is graceful, powerful, assertive and the protector of her realm. She does what she needs to do without the consent of others for the highest good.

In relation to the autumn season, the leaves transition from vibrant green to the abundant colors of red, orange, brown and gold. They then fall elegantly off the branches to cover the earth. This is a lovely reminder that letting go can be beautiful. Here we can apply letting go of that which does not serve us to bring us back to a space of clarity, just as the trees do, to create from for the upcoming seasons. The Queen does this exquisitely. She is the master of letting go of that which isn’t of service to her highest good or those of her realm. She understands tolerating only brings worry but to let go gracefully brings beauty.

Last, but not least, we harvest the remaining crops to feast in celebration and store for the coming winter. When we apply this to our lives we harvest the blessings that bestow upon us due to the creations that we have manifested over the spring and summer. This is a delightful time to revel in all your glory as you count your blessings. Here too, the Queen is a master. She unapoligetically manifests for the highest good of herself and of her realm. In this season she stands tall and graciously accepts all that comes to her whether it comes in the form of a life lesson or remarkable moments.

So, as we embark this sacred season of transformation, contemplation and abundance, stand tall and allow yourself to receive like a Queen.

How do you relate to the Queen and how the the autumn season touch you? Would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Autumn Blessings.

Image: Autumn Queen By Tiredandtrue https://www.deviantart.com/tiredandtrue

28 weeks into my pregnancy I felt called to advance my yoga training through prenatal yoga. I felt this was an opportune time to learn the practice of prenatal yoga while being pregnant myself so I could really connect to what was being taught. My teacher, Amani was a beautiful woman several years older than me with lovely tattoos and deep connection and passion for prenatal teachings. She intertwined Ayurveda, Bhakti and Hatha principles and practices together beautifully. She also focused on connection and intimacy during this time. Through this training I deepened my knowledge around the physiology and spirituality around natural birth, and how to navigate an ever growing body through pregnancy. Amani’s stories of natural birth, postpartum, yoga and loss sparked something within me but I wouldn’t know what it was until after I delivered. I didn’t know it then, but this would become my dharma (calling) in the world, the universe just needed me to experience birth and postpartum first. Thank you Amani for being the first to educate me prenatally, light a passion I didn’t know I had and being a part of the journey that’s led me to being the teacher I am today.

Yoga is a lifelong practice, ever growing and transforming the way we view and experience life. As we grow and change, as does our practice, our passions and our gifts. Yoga teaches us how to navigate this flow of life, making our practice on the mat as well as off. I’m humbled by my challenges. Yoga has taught me every uncomfortable experience is an opportunity for transformation. It doesn’t mean it will be easy but it will be worth it. Although I feel I’ve found my dharma and will continue on this path of empowering and healing women through yoga, I keep myself open to new lessons and callings as I continue to grow. I now trust Yoga will always find me, right where I am time and again.  

I’m grateful all the amazing teachers I have come across during my 11 years of practice and all that they have taught me. Because this was a four section blog post I wasn’t able to fit a story for each yoga teacher but I have left a list below to acknowledge and thank those that have had an impact on my life. Of course, there are many more than this as everyone is a teacher but here are a few I’d like to name that I’ve had personal experience with Namaste.

Claire – Thank you for your guidance in assisting and collaboration

Jo – Thank you for your adjustments and yoga business sense

Chaz – Thank you for teaching me that by being true to yourself the right tribe will follow

Michelle – Thank you for always being vulnerable and reminding me teachers are human beings too

Carrie – Thank you for being an example of living your creation

Holli – Thank you for being an inspiration of how to make it from the ground up as a yoga teacher while having fun

Tain – Thank you for combining and sharing your other gifts of reflexology and music inside of yoga. It’s a beautiful example of yoking your passions and being of service.

Dawn – Thank you for always making yoga accessible and affordable and for everyone & the integrity in which you teach.

Teaching within this community of an older population was a great learning experience for me as teacher. I really got to know the challenges they faced, particularly with balance. Although it was an older community than I was used to I was grateful to learn from them. It helped me slow down my practice and get further in tune with my own body.

I started practicing Yin yoga with Dawn. It was so much different than what I was used to because it was practicing holding stillness. The first time I practiced this style, I HATED it!! Yup there are those words again. But from my previous experience of hating yoga for the first time I knew and trusted there was something on the other side of this and I was right. Because of my high energy, fast paced mind and passionate temperate, this cool and still practice is exactly what I needed. It’s probably what I’ve always needed but I wasn’t open to receiving it until now. So, I continued on and was proved to be right. On the other side of this struggle to be still was serenity. I was able to slow down enough to get fully in tuned to the present and what it was teaching me.  Each day was something new and I had the awareness to listen. This not only complimented my more athletic practice but it also helped me feel subtle energies more effectively.  Dawn asked me if I would like to start teaching Yin yoga after I had fallen in love with it. I graciously accepted and she took me under her wing. Today practicing and teaching Yin yoga is one of my greatest passions.

During my time in Myrtle Beach singing was my main occupation while I taught several times a week during the day. I think because singing was such an active part of my life at this time I was more confident in trying to sing/chant during my yoga classes. Slowly, I started to dip my toe in the water (so to speak) adding a chant here and there. I didn’t know it then, but this was the beginning of my signature Savasana (final relaxation) and most requested quality.

I began leading Kirtans (sacred music/call and response) within this community which eventually led me to my next chapter. I was starting to feel the tug of the universe once again. I knew in my heart and soul this is what I needed to be doing full time. I was able to combine my love for yoga and singing. They “yoked” (definition of yoga) together effortlessly. I felt more fulfilled teaching yoga and singing kirtan than I ever did performing on stage.

The moment I connected to this, the universe conspired and my contract ended at the theater. It was then I dedicated myself to teaching full time and trust in the process.

I’m grateful for all the teachings Dawn passed down to me. She has made me a more effective teacher, a better business woman, and helped nurture qualities that helped me evolve into my own style of teaching.

What lessons in yoga been the most impactful for you? Please leave your comments below!

I studied under Elinore for three years, while working at Lululemon (a yoga athletic store) in which she helped me get the job. With this combination I was able to practice unlimited yoga classes around Los Angeles, experiencing various types of yoga and teachers but Elinore was my mentor. Her classes were Iyengar based with the element of vinyasa flow. She focused on the integrity of alignment and well sequenced classes. My physical practice grew strong with Elinore and had more integrity than ever before. Because of this new found strength and alignment I was now able to practice headstands, binds and arm balance poses I had never done before but even more so the yoga philosophy was starting to weave its way into my life. She had an amazing way with words to connect the postures to spiritual growth. She always pushed me past the limits I didn’t know I had.

During the duration of time I studied under Elinore and practiced as a karma yogi for her studio, I was offered a two week modeling gig in Thailand. While I was there, I was inspired to practice every day outside amongst Thailand’s beauty. It was then I was approached by the production team. They complimented my practice and asked if I taught yoga. In which I responded with laughter. I didn’t know it then but the seed was planted.

When I came back to LA, I was invited to a dinner amongst several yoga instructors in the community (including Elinore) to work on an upcoming yoga event. It felt so good to be a part of such an amazing community, once again I felt at home with yoga. After the dinner, Elinore pulled me aside to share with me she was going to be leading her first yoga teacher training program and that she felt I was ready to deepen my practice, become a teacher and she wanted to help with my education. She didn’t know that the seed had recently been planted a week before. I couldn’t believe it! Yoga had found me once again with a new calling.

Teacher training started that fall. I was one of five amazing women in the program to which we all became very close and have remained friends over the years. Two of which are like family. It was during this training, yoga philosophy really started to call to me. I was also doing a lot of self-development outside of yoga that complimented my yoga practice and my practice became much deeper and more meaningful. I definitely didn’t walk out the same person I was when I went in.

Immediately after training Elinore offered me a full teaching schedule at the studio and other offers fled into my life as well. I started teaching children’s yoga for a non-profit organization in charter schools and rehabilitation centers throughout LA. I didn’t seem to have to try very hard it just flowed as if it were meant to be.

Elinore used to always say, “Abundance is flowing freely from everywhere and everything”. Anytime I feel stuck, or scared there may not be enough, I remember these words and I remember how yoga kept flowing into my life effortlessly. When I connect to this, I know I can trust in the process. There is always enough for everyone.

Elinore was my teacher, my mentor and my friend. She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself in yoga, in music and in life. She always encouraged me and helped to create opportunities for me to showcase my talents, to deepen my practice and to teach. I accredit her for the teacher that I am today and I am continuously inspired by her. Thank you Elinore for everything you are, everything you do and everything you have given me.  

What teacher has made the biggest impact on your life and why? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

Like a lot of people, yoga found me in a difficult time in my life. I was in the process of picking up the pieces of my broken spirit after much loss, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. I had cleaned out my bad habits that I leaned on as a crutch, cleaned out friends that didn’t support a healthy lifestyle (which was all of them) and was making great efforts in creating a new life. After a slow and painful transition, a new friend in my life recommended that I try yoga.

I attended my first yoga class at my gym and let me tell you what happened… I HATED IT! Yes you read that correctly. It was slow, the teacher couldn’t wait to leave and my anxiety was running high. I couldn’t help but feel like I should be doing something else. It wasn’t relaxing or healing in any way. However, before I wrote it off completely I was encouraged to try a different class with a different teacher. This is where I met Kamila. She was funny, she was kind and you could tell yoga was really important to her. She came from the Ashtanga lineage which is a very athletic form of yoga. She challenged me, so much so, that I didn’t have time to think of other things I could be doing. She made us sweat. This was exactly what I needed at the time. I needed this athletic practice to get me out of my head. I started practicing 3-5 times a week. Within 3 months I was practicing my first arm balance pose. This was a turning point for me because I could see and feel a physical change in my body. It gave me a new found confidence and inner strength. It was this growth that made me think, what else I could do if I kept practicing and how would it effect my life in consequence? Kamila always said “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. This has always stuck with me and I continue to pass this teaching on in her honor. She helped me fall in love with yoga, forever changing my life although I didn’t know it at the time.

 Because of this experience, I understand that exploring different practices for new students is important. They need to find what connects them to the practice. Some need to sweat and work hard before connecting to the spiritual practice of yoga and some need to take it slower. Different personalities and bodies connect in different ways. For someone dealing with high anxiety, they may need to relax but something too slow could trigger anxiety. I also learned the importance of trying different teachers for many of the same reasons I listed above. I know I’m not the perfect teacher for every student and that’s ok. I’m grateful for these early lessons in my practice as they have helped me to connect to others who may be experiencing a lot of the same things I did when I first started. It’s also helped me guide them to the right practice and teacher before writing it off completely.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

What was your first yoga experience like? Please share in the comments below.

When I became a mother, like many, I was left to my own devices. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, anxiety ridden and terribly sad. There were days I would beg my husband to stay home from work because I didn’t know how I was going to survive the day. The thoughts in my head scared me. Feelings of not being good enough for my baby, feelings of defeat and despair and every which way I turned the people closest to me were telling me to go against my instincts and when I didn’t comply it was as if I shouldn’t ever share my struggles again. I tried to reach out for help, sharing how tired I was, sharing how much anxiety I had about everything but I was always met with wide eyes and confusion. I felt there was something deeply wrong with me. I was functioning, and my baby was taken care of but I doubted how long I could actually continue. I questioned what I had gotten myself into. There was no escape but I couldn’t share these feelings. Everyone expected me to be glowing of motherhood living in a blissed out state nursing my baby. Of course I did have moments of that but they often left me feeling extraordinarily guilty that I wasn’t that way all the time. I knew I couldn’t continue on this way. I needed help and those within my household were of no service to me. I attempted to call a hotline for postpartum depression but after they asked me my name, my child’s name and address I hung up the phone out of fear they might try and take my baby away if they knew how I was feeling and see me as an unfit mother.

I went on for months this way, bottling up my emotions of inadequacy, rage and guilt until I finally reached out for help in a weekly breastfeeding group I was attending. I ended up breaking down in front of strangers, sharing my struggles. It was then the group leader handed me a card of a postpartum therapist and several women of the group said they struggled with some of the same feelings and had gotten help. For the first time, I felt safe, understood and not alone.

After getting help, I came to realize how common these feelings are in women after having a baby. I also came to realize how broad the spectrum of postpartum mood disorders are and how often they go undetected. Even when our Dr’s and midwives are trained to ask all the right questions, a woman protecting her baby from being taken away will lie convincingly. Maybe some of this fear comes from the history of women being locked up in insane asylums, or their children being taken away. Maybe some of this fear comes from the “super woman” complex most women have now trying to prove they can do it all. No matter where it comes from, we as women need to be the tribe for one another and shine some light on the challenges of motherhood and how common postpartum mood disorders are. Be that extending hand to offer help or a reference to someone that can help without judgment. For some women, talk therapy is all that’s needed, for others its medication. I believe the more we allow ourselves to be vulnerable with one another the more light will be shined upon the dark spaces that keep flying under the radar.

Although my postpartum transition was challenging, it is this experience that inspired me to help the transition for new mothers. For this I am grateful. I believe if I had had the proper support for my healing and very vulnerable state I may not have spiraled the way I did. It was in the nurturing and understanding of those I reached out to for help that helped to normalize, stabilize and empower me. Although postpartum mood disorders cannot always be prevented, I know that by properly nurturing and empowering our mothers after birth can transform the way we approach motherhood and in consequence our children. All mothers need this love and respect to empower them for the most challenging job there is, raising human beings. We cannot do it alone. I really does take a village. 

Over the years I have connected to it in various ways, each time thinking I had it figured out. At one point I took it literally, as to stay put. This was a challenge for me because "staying put" has never been my strong suit. So, I tried it on. Attempting to settle down, and grow in one spot, through all the challenges and fight or flight moments. There was a lot to learn as I stood still rather than uprooting again and again. Having to remember, it's in the challenges that we grow. 

Just as I thought I had figured it out, the definition of this magnificent quote changed on me again. This time, I came to the conclusion that the grounded part that it speaks of doesn't necessarily mean to stay in one place but rather to blossom where ever you are. Whether you are at work, at home or with friends. To blossom in the moment that you are. By approaching it this way it gives us the opportunity to really embrace the present and truly make the best of it. 

But, yet again here I am as this quote rushes toward me redefining itself like the marvelous magician that it is. As I contemplate it now, "blossom where you're grounded", I have this sense that, although it can mean blossom within each space one finds themselves but in addition, blossoming from within ones self. As I've approached some pretty heavy topics in my personal life lately I've had to remind myself that I can only be accountable for myself. Accountable in how I approach a situation (comfortable or not), how I use my words to express myself, how I navigate my own energy while living in an abundance others and how I translate my life experiences. It's from this centered grounded place inside of me that I can grow, blossom and thrive! 

At this point I trust that I still don't have it figured out and I probably never will. However, I find the journey of exploration within myself and  life's adventures is enough. It doesn't have to be figured out. So, for now I trust to blossom where I'm grounded, where ever that may be and for now it's within myself.  

HOW DOES THIS QUOTE RESONATE WITH YOU? WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW YOU DEFINE "BLOSSOM WHERE YOU'RE GROUNDED". PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW! 

NAMASTE 

Another BIG THANKS to the City of North Port/Parks and Recreation for teaming up with North Port Yoga + Wellness and having me teach Yoga in the park in light of National ParkRX Day for the second year in a row!! It was wonderful to share yoga in nature. It was a beautiful turn out on a beautiful day. Thank you to all those that came and practiced!! 

When approaching balance in our Asana practice we must be present. When our minds are too busy, balance tends to waiver. We make small adjustments in our bodies, breath and mind to find that steadiness we are trying to achieve (not grand ones) balance in a posture. Also, notice the constant subtle movements your body is making to maintain balance. Moving forward, backward and side to side even if just slightly. There isn't such thing as perfect balance. It's the subtle yet constant movement that keeps us balancing. Attaining balance in ones life in no different off that mat than it is on the mat.

Let go of the idea there is perfect balance to attain. Just be present. Be flexible and trust there is opportunity in every moment that doesn't go your way. Pause and ask yourself, "what do I need right now to create balance?" 

I would love to hear from you! What are some ways you create balance in your day to day life? Do you prefer routine and if so are you present while performing your daily rituals? Are you attached to your routine, if so why?

xoxo