Gratitude has been a common theme that I have been weaving in and out of my yoga classes as of late.  I’ve realized that it’s so easy to dwell and focus on all that is wrong.  Perhaps not necessarily wrong, but we tend to focus on how hectic life is, barely breathing as we try to fit everything into our days.  It’s easy to dwell on the things that need to get done, the things that aren’t going right…in the same matter, it’s easy to forget how fortunate we really are.

Each day, I have been trying to add a little more gratitude into my life.  There are days when I’m frustrated or feeling a bit blue, but it has honestly helped me to take a step back and think about all that I am thankful for.  I am incredibly happy in both my work and home life and really have nothing to complain about.  Still, for some reason certain days are tougher than others, but by thinking about my wonderfully supportive husband, or how lucky I am to have a job that I truly enjoy going to each and every day.  I have the support of amazing friends and yogis, I have 3 adorable dogs, amazing parents and live in a quaint little home all our own. 

Yes, I have much to be thankful for.  And, having a daily mantra to remind myself of my many blessings has made me even more aware of that fact.  We are all so very lucky.  So, I encourage you to all find gratitude not only in others, but within yourself as well.  Find gratitude within and find happiness throughout.

But, what if we all made an effort to gossip less and talk more?  The yamas and niyams, which are part of Patanjali’s 8 Limbed Yoga Path, constitute inward and outward moral principles.  They provide a basic foundation for which individuals should live their lives.  They’re simple, really, and don’t encompass anything more difficult than what our own mothers and fathers have taught us: don’t cause harm to others, don’t steal, be content…one in particular addresses the idea of gossip and truthfulness. Satya is a yama, an inner discipline, that asks us to be truthful in our words.  Don’t tell lies, be honest in your words.  This yama can be as simple or complex as you make it: don’t cheat on your homework, don’t say one thing, then do another and don’t gossip or state that which is not yours to tell. 

That which is not yours to tell, wrap your head around that one, aye?  It’s a big concept, and can apply to almost everything one discusses with another.  In reality, we all have to be the ones to decide whether or not the words we speak fall under this category.  What I’m asking is that we all take a little more time to figure out the reasoning behind our sharing.  Are we sharing because the information is pertinent to something?  Or are we sharing simply to stir the pot?  What if we talked more, and gossiped less, what would our conversations look like?  How would this affect our home lives and work lives?  Perhaps we would all actually get to know one another, rather than focusing our thoughts on things that really don’t concern us. 

Satya.  Truthfulness. Practice it and see where it takes you.  Who knows, pretty soon we all just might enjoy one another’s company and conversation.

Because playing your edge means going where you probably don’t want to go.

It means pushing yourself to the limit, the point before you can’t do it anymore.  It’s that point in utkatasana, chair pose, when you don’t want to bend your knees any further because if you do, you know for sure that your thighs are going to explode.  But, you go there anyway, and then you survive.  That sweet spot, that moment in class when you don’t want want to be doing something anymore because your mind it telling you no, that is when the yoga happens.  That is when openness occurs.  That is when you find new spaces and move into new experiences.  Those are the moments that define your practice.

It sounds simple, “Go a little bit harder, just a little bit further,” but in reality, there are many times in life where we are scared to step up to the plate.  Scared of the challenge.  Scared of failing.  It’s hard enough to fall out of a posture during a class filled with 50 people, let alone go out on a limb when it’s something even more significant on the line.  Deciding to move out of state, switch jobs, go on a diet, commit to reading one book per month…these things, no matter how major or minor, are all things that can have road blocks or obstacles.  Rather than tackle the obstruction or attack it face on, it is almost always easier to remain in the comfort zone.  I, personally,  highly enjoy my comfort zone.  It’s safe, familiar and steady.  The only problem is the fact that staying in my comfort zone means missing out on new experiences and new opportunities.

I’ve come to find that in my yoga practice, and in life, I need to push myself to that edge.  I need to continue to challenge myself, or I’ll forever be stuck inside my Kraft Mac n’ Cheese eating box.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love my Mac n’ Cheese, but I’ve also come to find that I highly enjoy sushi, even the non-rolled kind, washing laundry (not folding it) and baking.  I realize these are simple examples, but the point is I tried something new, I stepped outside of my box, and I liked it. You just might, too.

Step up your practice, step up your life.  Be inspired.  Try something new.  Look to fill the space outside of the box.

I’ve finally come to the realization that I was looking in all the wrong places.

I joined the yoga community about 4 years ago.  I was instantly hooked.  Initially, I just liked the workout, but day by day, it became much more than that.  I started to attend classes 5-6 days a week, and it wasn’t necessarily because I wanted to go to class.  Mostly, I just wanted to be immersed in the positive environment.  The instructors knew my name, and I was greeted with a smile every time I walked through the door.  The instructors didn’t know me very well, actually, they probably didn’t know anything about me at all.  But the fact that they welcomed me into the studio every single day, for every single class, made me feel special.  It made me feel as if I was part of something grand.  For the first time, I felt accepted.

This sense of community has continued to grow and grow, and now I’m not only lucky enough to practice in such a community, but work in one as well.  I am so blessed to be surrounded by incredible individuals all day, every day.  The smiles and the attitudes are unsurpassed.  Of course, like any work place, there are days when not everything is sunshine and roses, but overall, I have never been part of a happier, more positive environment and I cannot stress how good that feels.

One of the biggest parts of the community is the students.  They are the reasons that people like myself do what they do, teach yoga.  The students bring it to each and every class and provide an unexplainable energy.  Many times, I find myself more energized following a class that I taught in comparison to a class I took.  Watching people and guiding them through class is simply inspiring.  You watch the triumphs and hardships of their practice, and you watch as students come back day after day.  The gratitude students have for their instructors is unexplainable.  The connection a teacher makes with the student includes an incredible amount of trust, and watching the relationships blossom is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

You see, the thing about working at a yoga studio is the fact that most of the other students and teachers are there for the same reason you are.  Everyone shares a common passion.  Everyone is there because they want to be and because it is a path they have specifically chosen to be a part of.  Life is too short to be doing things you’re not 100% in love with.  I’m not suggesting that everyone get involved in yoga because it will lead to internal bliss, but what I am suggesting is that everyone take a look at where they are right here, right now.  Are you happy?  Do you feel satisfied?  Can you honestly say you love what you do?  I don’t care if it’s a job, outside activity, sport or group, but be involved and be present because you love it.  The world has so much to offer, and none of us have any excuse to be unhappy in what we do.  You make your life and you have the power to find that one thing that can make you utterly and completely content.  Go out and find it, and if you’ve got yours, take a moment to reflect and be gracious.  We are so lucky to live this life and we owe it to ourselves to make the very best of the time we have.

Go ahead and chase your dreams because no one else is going to chase them for you.

Quite blunt, to say the least.  As an avid Lululemon fan, I hardly notice the vulgarity or potential offensiveness of the ad.  I would purchase Lulu camel toe or no camel toe, it’s just that good.  But, how is this ad received by those not quite so loyal as I?  Lulu has an incredible market share when it comes to outfitting individuals in yoga clothes.  Their pants, my personal fav is the Groove Pant, are incredibly wicking and comfortable, not to mention they make your ass look fabulous.  The quality is unsurpassed, and once you buy Lulu, you never go back.

Now that ya’ll know where I stand, how do we think this ad will affect other potential Lulu loyals?  I highly doubt sales will suffer due to it, though Yoga Dork mentions that there is a slight anti-Lulu revolt on the rise, which I have to admit, would be quite interesting to watch play out.  I’m more or less wondering if Lulu is severely limiting their reach by creating what I think are quite liberal ads.  Many yogis that wear Lulu are older, wealthy individuals, and I find it hard to imagine they think it appropriate to talk camel toes in public.   But, what do I know, maybe it’ll be a hit (I not so secretly hope so!).

Regardless of what you or I think, Lulu will more than likely continue to gain market share and steal away my paychecks (sigh…).   Perhaps they have a new tagline in their future, “Lululemon, calming camel toes one crotch at a time!”  I’m sure someone could write a creative jingle for that and make it quite, let’s say, catchy?

In closing, at least you can all now rest assured knowing that I wear Lulu daily and thus I luckily do not suffer from the dreaded camel toe.  Phew!

Sweet, camel toe-less dreams!

One summer college day, out of pretty much nowhere, I decided to get into the yoga studio.  I had dabbled in yoga for a bit in high school, but hadn’t really given it much thought beyond that.  I entered the studio quite naive, but ready to go.  My mindset?  “I’m fit, I can do yoga it can’t be that hard.”  Needless to say, my first class kicked my ass, and left me sore for a week.  But I was completely hooked.  The challenge of the practice, the heat, the postures…it was all incredibly interesting.  I wanted to be able to stand on my head just like the other students, I wanted to do the core workout for 3 minutes straight, I didn’t want to have to be the one to take child’s pose halfway through class because my head was swirling and I couldn’t see straight.  So, just like anything else I had done in my life, I made yoga competitive.

It took months, perhaps a year or more, before I realized that there was something more to yoga than the physical postures.  After I really began to take my practice seriously, going 5-6 times a week, I started to feel a shift in my attitude.  I wasn’t comparing my practice to those around me .  I wasn’t basing the success of my class on whether or not I had achieved bakasana, crow pose and I didn’t feel defeated if I had to take child’s pose or modify a posture.  Yes, I was finally practicing yoga. Non-judgment, compassion for myself and others, gratitude, awareness in my body and my mind.  I was feeling great both inside and out.

Then, I invited a friend to come practice with me.  I wanted to share the wonderful practice of yoga with someone, so what better way than to invite one of my roomies.  Instantly, my competitive nature returned.  I was more focused on what my friend was accomplishing in class, rather than focusing on my own posture and breath.  My girlfriend popped right into crow pose, even head stand, a posture that I was utterly terrified of.  But, she couldn’t twist as deeply as I could, and she was doing her Warrior II wrong, both of which made me feel like I was still ahead of her, winning, if you will. Not exactly what you call “yogic.”

For the next month or so, I occasionally talked my roommates into coming to yoga with me, and each time my competitiveness flared up.  Eventually, I realized that I had to stop practicing with my friends.  I wanted so badly to share the wonderful practice of yoga with others, but I couldn’t figure out how to practice with others while at the same time, remaining diligent and aware of my own practice.

Eventually, after a year or so more, I began to practice with my close friends again.  It has taken a lot of effort and concentration, but I’m finally to the point where I can focus on my own practice while being mat to mat with my dearest friends.  It amazes me that such a non-competitive practice can become so intense.  And believe me, you can feel the competition in the room when those types of individuals are present.  I think it’s a process that all yogis eventually find themselves moving through.  This idea of letting go, of non-attachment.  We’re taught our whole lives that we should want and be the best.  Always shooting for first place, but never taking the time to actually take in the beauty of competition.  There is so much more than just winning.  As I now tell my students, yoga, and life,  is all about the journey, not the final destination.  We get so focused on the end goals, that we forget to pay attention to the here and now.  All the tiny details going on around us that turn us into who we are.  Those are the moments that matter.  What doesn’t matter, is who can score the most points, or who can perform tripod  .  The joy should be found in the journey, and the recognition of the fact that everyone is exactly where they should be.

Competition doesn’t unite us.  Competitive natures, while entirely natural and healthy, can also get in the way of our own personal growth.  It pits us against one another, rather than bringing us together.  So, I encourage you to let go.  Find peace, find stillness.  Let yourself open up to the idea of non-attachment so that you may continue to harbor positive relationships in your life and allow yourself to soak up all the smallest moments in life.  After all, these small moments turn into hours, days, weeks, years, and eventually…our lifetimes.

Yoga practitioners come in many shapes and forms (both literally and figuratively).  You get your soccer mom, you get the vegans, you get marathoners, you get hungover college students, dieters, flexi Lexi’s, trophy wives, injured athletes, meat eaters, dog lovers, republicans and democrats, jerks, mutes, closet yoga-ers, mother-daugher duos, dancers, theatricals, grocery baggers, hunters, CEOs, bike commuters, Pride supporters, pesco ovo vegetarians, Manolo Blahnik wearers, flee market shoppers, Target shoppers, Walmart shoppers, computer geeks, bug collectors, diamond collectors, creative ad folks, bargain shoppers, deal makers and breakers, dairy eating lactose intoleranters, three piece suit wearers, Christians, atheists, grandmas and grandpas, suburbians, river boat owners, rappers…the list goes on and on.  So trust me when I say that even YOU, would fit in.

What I’m trying to say is “Yogis aren’t a people!”  (Well, so maybe we kind of are, since many of us refer to each other as “yogi friends,” rather than simply “friends.”)  Everyone can be a yogi, and everyone instills yoga into their lives in their own ways.  You don’t have to meditate, in fact, you don’t have to be peaceful and nice all the time either.  You can swear when you fall out of a posture (not too loudly in class, of course), you can eat a triple cheeseburger with extra bacon, you can drive a big ass SUV, you don’t have to shop at co-ops or eat all organic food AND you can still call yourself a yogi (even if you only attend class once).

You see, yoga is what you make it as an individual, just like anything else.  It’s how you incorporate it into your life.  You don’t have to be able to touch your toes (though it’s pretty awesome when you realize you finally can!) and you can take or leave the philosophical jargon.  If you choose to practice, make it your own.  Be there for your own reasons and your own beliefs.  And know that as long as everything we do in life is for the right reasons on our own accounts, that’s all that really matters.

Ohh! That felt so good to get out in the open, I’ll just say it again:

I HAVE A NEW JOB!

I’ve been pondering for awhile now on how I would approach such a blog.  You see, these types of transitions can be very delicate, and while I have a few things I want to express, it needs to be done in such a way that doesn’t burn any bridges.  (Eek!  Is the bridge smoking already?  I’ve hardly sunk my teeth in yet!)

I believe there are times in life where things simply fall into place the way they should.  Yes, it’s a total cliche, but me taking this new job is one such situation.  Let me first just say I truly enjoyed working in the advertising industry and I am by no means leaving advertising because of lack of interest.  My clients were great, my cubicle mate @Fontalia will be greatly missed and I enjoyed the company of many lovely co-workers.  My decision to leave comes from a variety of circumstances and it just so happens that my next job will not only be a job, but it also involves something I am truly passionate about–yoga.

Beginning today,  April 19th, I will be joining the management team at a local yoga studio.  I’m very much looking forward to some new challenges and added responsibilities, and the fact that I will now be employed by a yoga studio is just an added perk.  I couldn’t be more excited to be part of an amazing management team that works together for the benefit and growth of both the studios and the yogis.  Even as a student, it was easy to recognize the partnership and sense of community amongst the employees.  They seem to sincerely enjoy their jobs and the company of one another.

I know for certain that much will be learned on my new endeavor.  While I am grateful for the knowledge and skills my advertising job has equipped me with  (I am definitely smarter than when I first walked through the doors), I am leaving with a light and open heart.  I am ready for something new and exciting, and look forward to all I can learn from my new counterparts.  If there is one thing my mother taught me, it is the fact you spend thousands of hours of your life working and that you should at least be somewhat satisfied with what you do 40 hours out of the week.  Now, I certainly wasn’t dissatisfied working at an advertising agency, as I said earlier, I truly did enjoy my work.  This new experience is not me turning my back on advertising and the surrounding community, but rather a chance for me to do something for myself.  I owe  it to myself to delve into a world that allows me to work in and amongst something that is dear to my heart.  How many people get to say their job is also their passion?  It’s a rare opportunity that I simply cannot pass up and situations at my current job helped to make that decision easier.

This opportunity found me and happened by chance, and yes, I am jumping at it because I don’t want be that person with a nagging “What if?” ten years down the road.  This is my moment to grab the bull by the horns and do something not many are lucky to do: live and work my passion.