Dream...Actually Make IT Happen!

Photography Print from Etsy...Recently Purchased

This year has brought a lot of change...extremely POSITIVE change. I feel extremely grateful that so much positivity has come my way, but one thing that continues to make itself present is the idea that I can make my dreams and goals a reality through my thought and intention. It all started with a leadership training that included a small snippet on life planning. As a yoga teacher and practitioner I am aware of how much your thoughts can affect your everyday interactions.. And as an advocate and constant striver {is that even a word?} for growth, I surprisingly have never formally written down my goals.  

So...the day after my leadership training, the message continued in my favorite Saturday morning yoga indulgence through a passage read by the teacher. And then...my sister and I happened to book a yoga retreat with wine, yoga, hiking, and duh goal planning. Since all signs are pointing to putting thought to the things that I dream to achieve within this amazing life, I wanted to share what I'm doing. Maybe it's a message that speaks to you as well:

1. Create a MISSION STATEMENT for yourself... 

Your mission statement should be how you want to be remembered when you're no longer here. It sounds kind of morbid, but if you know what you stand for, this mission statement will guide you each day.

2. Set the TIMEFRAME that you want to achieve your goals...

3 years, 10 years, 20 years. Mine are set for 3 years, and after 3 years I will reassess what my next goals will be.

3. WRITE down your goals...

Whether they're personal, professional, monetary, anything! Don't doubt yourself for wanting the things that you want, it is possible!

4. REFERENCE them often, daily if possible... 

The more you visualize each step needed to reach that dream, the more you will find yourself taking steps to manifest them into your reality. 

5. Find OPPORTUNITY in the challenges...

And speed bumps along the way. Stay positive when you get off track, and surround yourself with people that drive you to continue moving forward.

{In case you're interested in the passage that was read in class, see below, I have been referring to it often}

Infinite Spirit is within me and flows through me now and in every moment. This loving power is everywhere present and is mine by right of consciousness. What I give my attention to is created in my world. As I expand my thought, believing, I know the loving Presence of Spirit within does the work.

As I turn my attention to the spirit of my being, I realize I am allowing myself more as I resolve to evolve. I decide to be more because this is Spirits gift to me. I accept this gift knowing it is the Universes intention to give me all that I am willing to accept. As I open myself to the blessings surrounding me, Infinite Spirit supplies me with all I envision. It truly is done to me as I believe.

Life is good and I celebrate every day with joy and gratitude, knowing I am given the gifts of increasing goodness. I now use these extraordinary gifts to create a life of clarity, joy, love, and wisdom through the clarity of my thoughts.  I let this be. And so it is.

The JOY is in the Journey

Photo Via

Well friends, I have decided to start a new journey and am in my second week of Yoga Teacher Training! Remember last year when I talked about 'Finishing What You Start' and said this was one thing I would love to accomplish...well, I'm doing it! I'm a bit terrified, but overall I feel that this is exactly what I need to be doing right at this moment.

For the next 8 weeks, I will be consumed with reading, practice teaching, trainings, lectures, and improving my own practice. I am excited to see where the journey takes me, and can't wait to be able to share yoga with others.

Our first homework assignment was to write an essay on what yoga is to ME, and I decided to share a few highlights of the reasons why I am drawn to this practice, and hopefully you'll be inspired to go take a yoga class this week and feel it for yourself!

The moment I reach my mat, I begin the process of uniting or re-uniting with myself. The world behind and ahead of me disappears, and I suddenly feel comforted, calm, and quiet. The insecurities, the worries, my relationships, and many other thoughts that cloud my mind suddenly begin to fade away, and my focus moves toward my breath and the strength of my body on that day. With each practice, I am amazed and grateful of what the body is capable of, which nourishes and pushes my mind to continue further in my practice. And sometimes, it is not my body that needs the extra attention and love, but my mind, and yoga is the silence.

My regular practice has truly made me more accepting of myself and my body, and if you can love and respect yourself to the fullest, then the love and respect you bring to others will only be greater. If you can't love yourself, then it's very difficult to truly love others in an unconditional and nonjudgmental way. No one is perfect, and yoga is forgiving, and teaches you to be forgiving. Each time I practice is a new chance to start over, to recreate, and decide the path I want my life to take that day. Yoga creates a calm strength, not only in my body, but throughout my life and interactions when I leave my mat. My yoga practice has encouraged me to crave and seek positive experiences and positive relationships.

I am truly grateful for the community of yoga that is always there to comfort me during both the hardest, and the best times of my life.

An At-Home Yoga Practice

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Finding an at-home yoga practice may be a great option for those with crazy schedules, as a cost- saving option, or if you want to supplement your regular studio practice. There are a few online resources where you can pay a small monthly subscription, and have access to hundreds of classes, and lots of different styles of yoga. I am currently using YogaGlo and am loving it!

YogaGlo is $18/month for unlimited classes, and they have many different styles of yoga, including pre/post natal, restorative, vinyasa, and even meditation. Classes run from 5-120 minutes, and are offered at different levels. You can choose a class based on endless criteria, such as a class for energizing, detox, cross training, or yoga at work.

To Create a Successful and Fulfilling At-Home Yoga Practice:

1.  Find a quiet space where you have enough room to spread your mat, and are free from clutter and distractions. You may need to move furniture aside...I learned my lesson with this one, and had a nice run-in with the couch while trying to manage a headstand.

2. Light candles and dim the lights so you can focus, and get the feeling of a studio.

3.  Don't allow yourself to stop your practice to answer your texts or finish the laundry, this is time for YOU!

4.  Try different classes and types of yoga that fit your mood, and your body's needs. If you don't want to pay for a service, there are YouTube videos you can find for no cost. 

5.  Take your practice to a level you are comfortable with. In a studio class, our ego often comes out in the form of competitiveness that causes us to push ourselves farther than is comfortable for our body.

An at-home practice may not be ideal for everyone, but may also be the only way to get in your practice. For a new mom, this could be a great option during the baby's nap time. It is a time to focus on YOU and get a re-charge so you can be more focused and present for your child throughout the day. For students, an at-home practice would be a productive study break, and yoga has been shown to increase attention and alertness.

I still enjoy the social aspects of a studio class with a live teacher, but for a few days out of the week, I have also found challenge and satisfaction in an at-home practice.

For the LOVE of Tea Tree Oil!

I love a good green product with multiple uses, and am constantly searching for natural, do-it-yourself remedies!

 When I recently needed a cleaner for my yoga mat to rid off all the yuckiness that gathers from dripping sweat and being transported back and forth, I found my remedy in

TEA TREE OIL!

Here are a few fun facts about my new FAV oil:

1.  Tea tree oil fights off bacteria, fungi, and viruses...hence, my use for a yoga mat cleaner!

2.  It can be applied to your skin and used to treat acne, eczema, and Athlete's Foot. Word to the wise... avoid eyes when applying to your face!

3.  The scent of tea tree oil is energizing and can lift your mood. I use tea tree oil as a morning toner, making me feel more awake, energized, and fresh!

4.  When used as a spray, tea tree oil can control mold and mustiness, preventing germs from lingering. I spray the mat cleaner on my pillow in the morning to keep germs off, and it smells like a spa when I jump in bed at night.

To Make Your Own Tea Tree Oil Disinfectant Spray, you will need:

Small spray bottle

Tea Tree Oil

Water

Essential Oil of your choice

**I used a Rosemary Lavender for an energizing, but calming scent.

Combine in spray bottle: 1 cup of water, 12-15 drops of tea tree oil, and 12-15 drops of essential oil.

If there is something that I can create or use in my own home that doesn't contain chemicals and lots of additives, then I am hooked!

Green Product I Love: My S'well Bottle

This little green bottle packs a lot of punch, and has been by my side since I bought it a few weeks back!

When you purchase a bottle, you are supporting WaterAid, which provides safe, hygienic, and sanitized water to the world's poorest communities, as well as cutting down on the waste of plastic bottles that are disposed of each day.

Aside from the green benefits of this bottle, it looks super sleek...I get asked about it often in work meetings, and it is made of double stainless steel, so liquids stay cold for 24 hours, and hot for 12 hours!

I put it to the test, and brought my S'well with cold water to my 100 degree hot yoga class, which is pretty much always impossible to maintain a cold water bottle throughout the whole class, and SUCCESS!

Not only that...Every Sunday I take my dog for a long walk and play session down at the beach, and my coffee is usually cold by the time we're done, but the S'well passed that test too!

To snag one up for yourself, you can find them here. I know I'll be buying a few more for holiday gifts this year, and I have to say the wine bottle size could come in pretty handy for some outdoor strolls through Christmas lights!

Balance and My Mat

Photo Via 

This past week has been so jam-packed with work and social priorities, I have had little time to focus on ME. I made it a priority to make it to my hot yoga studio this afternoon, despite feeling extremely s l u g g i s h. I should know that exercise is the one thing that can cure my fatigue and racing mind, but it still was not easy to make my way to the mat.

Once I walked into the studio, the s l u g g i s h immediately turned to p e a c e, and my mind was clear and ready to take on the challenge that awaited me on my mat. The mat is my safe place, and I finally felt the energy I had been lacking all week. This was a good reminder for me of how easily stress can take over us, and how the power of a good sweat can calm all the racing thoughts and to-do lists in our mind. 

So take a minute for YOU today, and find your own batch of balance and peace.