You Are Beautiful

“You are not your bra-size, nor are you the width of your waist, nor are you the slenderness of your calves. You are not your hair color, your skin color, nor are you a shade of lipstick. Your shoe-size is of no consequence. You are not defined by the amount of attention you get from males, females, or any combination thereof. You are not the number of sit-ups you can do, nor are you the number of calories in a day. You are not your mustache. You are not the hair on your legs. You are not a little red dress.

You are no amalgam of these things.

You are the content of your character. You are the ambitions that drive you. You are the goals that you set. You are the things that you laugh at and the words that you say. You are the thoughts you think and the things you wonder. You are beautiful and desirable not for the clique you attend, but for the spark of life within you that compels you to make your life a full and meaningful one. You are beautiful not for the shape of the vessel, but for the volume of the soul it carries.”

As you look back on the year past and look forward to the new year in all its possiblity - take some time to reflect a bit on these words. I completely copied/pasted this from  La Vie Boston - where she is quoting someone else. Go to her blog to find out who.

Photo Source: Cameron Karsten Photography's Flickr Stream

Creatures of Infinite Possibility

"I love that we are creatures of infinite possibility. I hope that we are living well, living for each other, doing good and going slow." - MamaKs (via Etsy Featured Seller Interview)

I really like this quote. I think I'm going to adopt this one for myself for the coming year. Maybe I'll write it down and stick it on my vision board.

Mindful Practices

As you may know, a lot of practicing yoga comes down to being mindful. Mindful breathing keeps you focused, calms the nervous system, and keeps you in the present moment. Mindful placement of your pieces keeps your bones aligned which opens channels of energy, prevents injury, and just feels good.

Off the mat, this mindful behavior bleeds into the rest of your life and alters your behavior. For instance, you become gradually more mindful of the effect you have on those around you. So you are mindful in what you say, what you do, and how you treat people. You become mindful of how much trash you create, how your clothing choices effect workers in third world countries... and eventually... you become mindful of how your actions truly effect yourself.

Now that we've just finished the two most gluttonous holidays of the year - this may be a great time to bring a focus to mindful eating. You have a fresh memory of what it felt like to eat way too much tofurkey and pie - leaving you feeling dull, bloated, groggy, and full of regret. Or maybe you didn't regret it - maybe that custard dish was "totally worth it". To each his own. However, in the long run, you know that eating that way too often leads to ill feelings and just isn't healthy.

If you trace these behaviors way way back to our ancestors - you could see a reason that we tend to feast so heavily. Our ancestors had to eat as much as they could when they got the chance. They were never sure just how long it would be until their next good meal. Most of us these days live in an age of abundance - so we have to show a little more restraint.

When you eat - JUST eat. Do only that. Don't allow your attention to be stolen by the television, a book, or work. Simply focus all your attention on your food. On each bite... on how you feel in each moment of consuming your food. When you're paying such close attention - you'll appreciate your meal/snack more and you'll actually notice when you've had enough. At that point - stop eating. More food will be available later.

Fun with Gingerbread

I made gingerbread cookies last week and somewhere along the way I was compelled to cut out little hearts with a knife. Sounds like a grisly procedure, but I assure you the ginger people fared well. They were so cute I wanted to share them with you.

I like to think of these as couples - that they gave their hearts to someone else. That kinda thing.

By the way, I think it was a massively under-sold piece of news that last week (Dec 22nd) the President finally signed into law the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal. Yay ♥

 

 

 

This little snowman came across to me as an Anusara Yogi - his heart is open and he is definitely embodying body bright!

Lastly - a little fun with cookies. A photo of my dog looking out the window... and the penguin.

 

Christmas Came and Went

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."  - Dr Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

 Yoga-Related Gift Highlights

Christmas Wishes

Tomorrow is Christmas, so we must have a frivolous picture-filled Christmas post. Anything less would be tragic. Somewhere in there you'll see my first (and last) attempt at decorating a gingerbread house. It was a kit with the house pre-built, and the icing made me want to punch random people in the face. All things considered - it's not terrible, but I don't think I'll be doing that anymore. I just wanted to take today to wish you all endless warm hugs and happy hearts. Have a terrific weekend embodying your best self ♥

Another quick story: This ribbon angel ornament I've had for like 11 years. It was a gift from an ex-boyfriend's mom. When we went out she never liked me (said I was "too wild") but years later (when he and I were just friends) she thought I was so sweet (HA) and made me this ornament. Thanks Mrs. Diaz!

 

An Offering to the Animals

It's only 2 days 'til Christmas and I wanted to share a little something I've done the last couple years. I originally read this idea in Yoga Journal, but it seemed perfect for me so I adopted it for myself. Someone wrote about hanging dried fruit, popcorn garlands, etc... on the trees outside of their home on Christmas for the local wildlife to enjoy. I liked this idea because I'm all about being kind to the locals. Last year I did this once a week for the entire month of December - this year I shortened it a bit.

What I do:
Buy a couple apples and oranges - slice them thin and dry them in the oven. Let them sit overnight. The next day, pop a little hole in them and hang them on strings. Maybe 3 slices per string 'cause I don't want to use a TON of string. Hang them all over the trees, bushes and clothesline outside. Watch the birds and squirrels be merry for the next few days until the squirrels hoarde them all.

Get the most plain rice cakes possible that don't have anything creepy like high fructose corn syrup in them. Pop a nice hole in them - Throw some string in it, so I can hang it later. Coat both sides of it in a thin-ish layer of peanut butter - coat THAT in a mixture of bird seed and oats. Hang all over the trees, bushes, and clothesline. Watch to see if it makes it through a single day before the squirrels cart them away. (I swear they have squirrel wheel barrows they fill with my treats).

I then sprinkle a little birdseed throughout the yard and leave little piles in a couple spots.This year I also added pots of raw peanuts (in shell) and raisins. I do all these things until I'm out of ingredients. Mostly the rice cakes and birdseed - because I certainly don't eat them.

Once the holiday is over and I take down my tree - I put the popcorn garland on the outside tree. It looks adorably festive. (Occasionally throughout this whole thing - go retrieve the strings because really - it's trash).

Stretch Out Your Stress

If you're involved in Christmas then you may be feeling stressed over the way the 25th is looming just days away. Maybe you still haven't found someone a gift, maybe you can't afford gifts and it's causing you grief, maybe you're going to be with the in-laws that hate you for Christmas. The reasons to be stressed today are many. If you really couldn't care less about Christmas and it truly doesn't affect you - you're likely still stressed - because dammit it's Wednesday.

Regardless of the source of your stress - you're probably carrying the bulk of it in your shoulders. Many of us become gradually more and more tense when we are stressed. This creates a magic act of vanishing neck until we don't even have ears - because our shoulders have ridden up so far as to cover them up. Doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know that this causes discomfort. We're really not meant to have shoulders on our head. Alternately, you could have tight shoulders from holding boxes while standing in line at the post office for half an hour.

I've always considered myself to have chronically tight shoulders. Here's a collection of my favorite shoulder openers for you. If you choose to try them - remember to soften into these stretches. Go slowly.

I like this one - you can do it anywhere, anytime. I often use bathroom counters or the wall with my hands pressing flat. Either way, aim for about a 90 degree angle. Lengthen your neck and spine! Hold for 5-10 long deep breaths.

 Do this pair on both sides. Here the right arm is on top, so do it again with the left arm on top. In the tall version it's more a stacking of hands instead of arms, but keep the same side on "top". The idea in this first pic - is to get your arm at approximately a 90 degree angle. Squeeze your arms/hands together while pressing your elbows/hands further away from your torso/face. Hold for 5 long deep breaths. 

This last set of 5 pics is just to show the motion you're doing. You definitely don't need to pause in 5 spots. It's one smooth motion with a yoga strap or other long flexy thing between your hands. Go over the top and back - then back over the other direction. Backwards then forwards. Maybe 3 times is good - anything more is overkill.

I've folded a yoga strap in half, but if your shoulders are tight you'll want to go longer than that. Start slow so you can adjust the length of the strap. Initially I'd suggest starting much longer/wider than you expect. You can always shorten it later - and better safe than injured. Shoulder injuries really hurt.

If you have any questions about these stretches or pictures - please ask.






In general, this sequence is for anyone, but please don't try this sequence without speaking to your Dr. first if you have any medical/physical problems. Seek Peace At Your Own Risk!

Kathryn Budig Beat Me

I've had a post on Vashistasana B planned for like, a while... and I guess I sat on it for too long because Kathryn Budig totally beat me to it.  It's one of my top favorite poses, and I think everyone should learn it. She did a fantastic job of it and all while wearing the LOVE tank I included on my Yogi Gift Guide, so please please please go learn this pose From Her Post over on Nectar at Yoga Journal.

Call it a Christmas present for yourself - learning something new. If you think it's beyond you - work on the prep poses (and your confidence) and by next Christmas you'll be able to fly with us.

P.S. For those of you that had the pleasure of knowing the Late Great Corwin - today would have been his 6th birthday. Take some time today to eat some butter, yell at people you don't like, and be generally adorable in his memory.

top photo source: totally snagged it from the YJ Blog Post.

Illumination and Freedom

"By persistent and sustained practice, anyone and everyone can make the yoga journey and reach the goal of illumination and freedom." — B.K.S. Iyengar

Gardening of the Heart

"If you think you're enlightened, go visit your family."
- Ram Dass

There's a lovely article in the November issue of Yoga Journal based off of this quote. It doesn't appear to be currently available on the website, or I'd give you a link to it. Go buy the November issue - read "Branching Out" by Sally Kempton. By now the December issue of YJ might be the one on Newsstands... but if the November issue is still available - you'll notice it. It's Orange with the lovely KK Ledford on the cover wearing fuchsia clothes and long blonde hair. Actually, I don't care if you buy the magazine - stand in the aisle and read it if you must - just read it.

"On this powerful New Moon plant your prayerful seeds of reconciling with anyone with whom you are in conflict."

- John Friend via Twitter as @anusarafriend

These two quotes go together really well I think. If you have some tension building about visiting family for the holiday - just remember it's never too late to plant your prayerful seeds of reconciling.

Mark Understands Ahimsa

I wrote about Ahimsa a while back... and I've written about my retarded love and protection Of Slugs. Yeah, just some cross-referencing there. No real point.

I like Mark - in this post he seems like a yogi that's worrying quite a bit about ahimsa. I can't really speak on the behalf of the Universe, but I'm pretty sure Mark is in the clear on this one. Must've been accidental - and he clearly feels bad about it. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) law enforcement doesn't count worms as murder victims... so his lapse of attention shall likely be forgiven. Now if only he can forgive himself - he'll be peachy keen.

For more about Mark visit the webcomic Mark Doesn't Understand Animals. I like it.

Shipping Gifts with Ahimsa

You might be asking "What does Ahimsa have to do with shipping gifts?"  Recall that ahimsa means non-violence. As a yogi, I care about doing things in as "green" a manner as possible to avoid undue harm to the Earth. I also want to protect my loved ones' gifts from harm during transit. This can be taken all the way to protecting my friend from the disappointment of receiving a box of broken junk. It's all about taking great care. Get creative and the packing & shipping of gifts doesn't have to be a drag that creates lots of meaningless trash.

Note: Tomorrow is the last day most places can guarantee Christmas delivery with standard shipping.
Baked Goods:
When shipping baked goods things like moist/dry, freshness, and how well it can handle being drop-kicked need to be taken into consideration.

• Pack like cookies together. Cookie bars packed with ginger snaps will soften up your ginger cookies making them lose their snap. I've also had the issue with gingerbread making everything in the package taste like gingerbread. Ugh. 
• Stack and seal small piles of cookies. Flat cookies work well with plastic wrap, round cookies work better with things like jars and tiny loaf pans with lids. Use your imagination - egg cartons, muffin tins, oatmeal containers - all of these can make a fine container for your edible gifts. Just pack it tightly. 
• Fill your container with cookies - now shake it. You should hear nothing. If it actually shakes - things will break. Soft cookies don't care, but brittle or fragile cookies will not make it in one piece if you can hear/feel them move. I like to fill in the spaces between my cookies with tissue paper because it's festive and cushy.

 Cookies & Other Gifts:

• Place your gifts in the smallest box possible. This equals less expensive shipping and less space to fill with packing materials. Again - if you can feel/hear it shake - it's not packed enough. If it seems slightly over-full it's about right. 

• Remember the 3Rs when packing a box. Reduce (see above), Reuse, Recycle. If you have packing peanuts, bubble wrap, and/or a bunch of used paper lying around - use it. I hate packing peanuts and yet they keep showing up, so I try to reuse them to ship gifts. Paper can be shredded and used as packing material. Fabric scraps could work too if you have a ton of them lying about. 
• My Favorite Packing Material - Popcorn. Air popped popcorn is a lightweight, edible, biodegradable, faintly scented, cheap package filler. I use it all the time. Some people love it, some people find it annoying because they don't tend to expect it to come flying out of the box when they open it. *shrug* Sure beats packing peanuts. 
• Pad their gift in something they can wear or use - scarves, towels, gloves, tea towels, small blankets, burp cloths, pajama pants, etc. If your recipient likes to make pillows or small stuffed things you could even use that fluff you can buy in bulk or pull from an old (washed and dried) pillow.

Wrap Your Gifts in Joy

It's Wednesday, so it must be time for another frivolous picture-filled Christmas post! Now that most of the gifts have been purchased... it's time to wrap them. Some people like to wait until all the gifts have been bought and then have a grand wrapping extravaganza all at once. Some people even like to have a "wrapping party" and make a whole social event out of it. I don't do either of these things because I get very excited about each gift and want to wrap it and make a whole presentation out of it as soon as possible - like immediately. Also because I order a lot of stuff online and it shows up when it shows up.

I've always been the person that people would come to if they needed a gift wrapped. Whether because they didn't like wrapping gifts, they had an oddly shaped package to wrap, or they just wanted the biggest perfectionist alive to deal with it. If you need a package wrapped - I am your girl. The last few years, (in the name of my love for trees) I've gone anti-wrapping paper year round. I plan on going all furoshiki and wrapping my gifts in cloth once I'm out of paper, but first I have to use up the paper I already had.  Sometimes I don't even use paper because I like the "rustic" look of just throwing a ribbon on a plain package.

Regardless of how you do things - here are a few creative, sometimes eco-friendly ideas for your recipient's enjoyment and general festive flair. Just remember, wrapped gifts being shipped should be as flat as possible. Pomp and fluff tend to get squashed in transport. As of Saturday, it will be only one week until Christmas, so if your gifts need wrapped or more "Wow" - the time draws nigh.

Treehugger

Scraplog

Bugs & Fishes

Tiny Happy

 
Enviromom

Laikonik

Southern Living

The top two photos are from Jordan Ferney, and Squawkfox - respectively.