The Four Desires Discussion Group/Book Study

Tonight is the first meet up night for the book study group I formed for The Four Desires, by Rod Stryker. I am so excited to share this wonderful book! Go to The Four Desires Blog Site to keep up with us if you like.

Tomorrow I will be holding a movie viewing party at my house for "Forks Over Knives"!

"Forks Over Knives" examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled or even reversed by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.

Yummy vegan hors d'oeuvres 

served 6:30-7:00 pm

Movie starts at 7:00 pm

Check out this link for more info 

and to see the trailer:

Forks Over Knives

AND I am VERY EXCITED to announce I will be taking a week long trip to Honesdale, PA next week. I will be attending a 5 day immersion workshop on Marma with Rod Stryker at the Himalayan Institute! And treating myself to an Ayurvedic massage package while there as well!! So excited.  I will post updates on that trip shortly after my return on Nov. 3rd I hope.  Stay tuned!

My body is my temple. Asanas are my prayers.

2.5 hours of hot yoga at Sunstone today...yep...crazy!

But if you think that is amazing and impressive, wait till you here this...

So I'm about 1.5 hours into this crazy 2.5 hour adventure, laying stretched out on my tummy, right ear to the floor, and taking a nice deep breath to calm the heart rate...when I happen to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror.  And suddenly I say to myself, gazing directly into my own eyes, "you are so beautiful and so strong; so beautiful; so strong.  I really love you." Now it wasn't that I was doing some awesomely difficult pose, nor was I actually admiring my physical looks or strength.  I bet you're thinking, "whew! I thought she just turned into the Narcissist Pixie."  No, it was my inner beauty and my inner strength that was suddenly staring right back at me.

Don't get me wrong, I've been raised to have a pretty strong belief in myself and my abilities, and to like and love myself for the most part, so this was not that sort of break through.  And I thought I was already pretty strong mentally and emotionally, especially these past couple of years... with all of the wonderful discoveries I had been making through my Yoga Pixie Adventures.  I knew my sense of gratitude for all of the unbelievable blessings in my life was quite strong as well.  But suddenly, lying there, 1.5 hours into some intense yoga in a 100 degrees, knowing I still had another hour to go, I felt calm, at peace, in control, yet not in control, and ok with all of that; accepting my glowing  presence in the present moment.

I realized that with all I have been through in the past few months, my true self was finally beginning to emerge once again.  And surprisingly, it was even a new and improved me!  After months of feeling trapped in a "cocoon" of sorts, spending every ounce of energy and strength of my soul to remain calm, patient and steadfast in the task at hand (repairing my health); and after months of feeling I had been standing still and stagnant, unable to breathe...finally I was starting to poke through a tiny hole at the top of that cocoon, and I could breathe again! And what I was breathing in was clean, fresh, brisk, beautiful air.  I realized in that moment, that that silly old cliche saying "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger", was true!  It didn't kill me, and the fight was one of my greatest life  lessons. 

I used to think I appreciated every single beautiful day of health that I had been blessed with.  I knew that one of my most favorite yoga quotes ever was a motto I lived by: "my body is a temple. Asanas are my prayers."  I used exercise, yoga, and eating well as my way of showing thanks for the beautiful, healthy body I had been so blessed with.  I wanted to take care of this precious gift.  But in that profound moment today, with salty sweat flowing out of my every pore, looking directly into my eyes, at the brink of tears, I saw my new and improved heart and soul for the first time.  And I whispered sweetly to it, "you are so beautiful and so strong; so beautiful; so strong. Thank you for taking such good care of me, protecting me, and nourishing me, these very trying past few months.  I really love you."

And then, I looked at myself once more and said, "dude!Snap out of it! It's time for floor bow!" :o)

Gratitude:  Thank you beautiful, strong, new and improved heart for all that you do for me each day.  I look forward to getting to know you much better!

Yoga Pixie is back!

Hello my fellow yogi-ites! I'm back! Sorry to have left you high and dry for so long. My yoga adventures slowed down a little the past few weeks (although I did get a lot of reading in as promised...finished Heart of Yoga, and started on the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali).  But it looks and feels as though I am getting back into the swing of things again finally :0) 


This week started off great, and is continuing to bring me back to my old chipper yogi self.


Sunday:  Core Transformations yoga workshop with Ricky Tran.  We had taken a month break since Ricky was pretty busy with other commitments.  It was great to see all of my yogi workshop mates again.


Monday: Happy to accomplish the "Simply Doggies" in the afternoon, and followed it up later in the day with a "Works with my Schedule" at APY.  Thanks, Julie, for a great class!  It felt amazing to get the blood and prana pumping strong in me again!!


Tuesday:  Monday made me feel soooo good, I just had to do it again.  "Simply Doggies" in the morning, and followed up with another "Works with my Schedule" at APY...this time with Stevan.  Thanks, Stevan!


Wednesday(today):  Legs were feeling a bit tired this morning, so I decided to take a rest, and not walk the doggies.  Instead, I spent a lovely hour cooking up some healthy stuff for lunch and afternoon snack today. Lots of yummy fruits, veggies, and whole grains in my future today!  I've got a hair appt this afternoon, but am hoping the universe will conspire with me to get out of there in time to make it to Julie's 6:30pm class at APY again tonight.  Wish me luck!!


Gratitude:  Thanks to all of you that continue to show interest in my yoga pixie adventures.  I'll continue on my way, and be sure to share with you what I can.  And again, please, please feel free to share all of your yogi adventures with all of us as well!  Namaste!

Made my day!!

Here is a message I received from a friend today...made my day!! 

"Started yoga last week - you inspired me! The instructor was great, although he asked me if I was ok about 40 times (might be because I was purple). Forgot to breathe. Anyway he said I need to practice quieting my mind. I am not too good at that. I think I might need remedial yoga - do they have such a thing? I thought Beginners was as low as you could go. oh well."

My response went something like this:

"That is sooooooooo awesome! You made my day!! Sounds like you got a good teacher if he is telling you to concentrate on your breath and trying to quiet your mind. That is REALLY what the yoga is about...not really the poses and getting into shape. The physical stuff is a good side effect though :0) Keep it up! Be compassionate with yourself! That is a big one for me...the perfectionist...to try to remember all of the time. Remember to take little baby yoga steps. TAKE BREAKS when you need them. Do not be concerned with how much "better" others around you are. Progress not perfection! It will CHANGE your life if you are patient and stick with it. Try to commit to at least 3 days per week for at least one month. I guarantee the progress will sneak up on you without you even knowing it's happening. You don't have to go full blown right out of the gate...might get burnt out or discouraged if you do. You need to post comments on my blog for me so others can see how your journey is going!! Did you join as a follower yet? Please, please keep me posted on your yoga. I am so excited for you! :0)"

Now...on another note...I actually have to take a little break from my own physical yoga practice this next week or so :0( But for good reason: medical...instructed to take bed rest for a few days after a procedure I'm having done...breast augmentation...hahaha...just kidding ;0) So why am I telling the whole world this (well, all my faithful yogi/yogini followers anyway)?  Because I am committed to this blog, and to sharing my entire journey with all of you...and this is part of my journey thus far.  Anyway, Just letting you know so you can focus and send some of your good yoga energy my way. But don't worry, the little twists and turns that life throws my way won't slow me down...I have BIG plans to catch up on A LOT of my reading and search of true knowledge during these upcoming bed rest days.  

This brings me to the subject of one of my favorite forms of motivation in my yoga practice: setting your intentions at the beginning of class/practice on someone other than yourself (ie. doing your yoga for the good of someone else).  It's a GREAT way to stay motivated and strong during the tough parts of class. Every time you get frustrated or feel like quitting, you just remind yourself that you are doing this for that certain someone, or some certain cause you believe in. It's amazing how much more you can do when you are doing it in honor of someone else. Granted, hopefully you can get to a place where you remember to care for yourself enough to be able to do your yoga for YOU at times as well...but I think most people find this "doing your yoga for someone else" style a little easier when they first start out.  I know I sure did.

Good luck with your yoga adventures this week! I will check in with my thoughts on whatever I get read this next week (finishing The Heart of Yoga and then will start on the Bhagavad Gita probably).

Gratitude:  thank you to all who have taken an interest in my yoga journey.  Thank you for continuing on your own yoga journey with vigor and enthusiasm. And thank you for my wonderfully good health...I do not take you for granted. Namaste to you all.

New "Practices" Page Added!

Hi all,  

I've got my new page added.  I named it:  "Practices...because each day is different." I'll be referring to these different practices when I blog, to save time not having to type it all out every time, and to save your nerves...not having to read through all of that to get to the other good stuff!! Click on the link to the left to check it out.

Since I last blogged, I've had a pretty good hatha (physical) practice going.  

Wednesday:  I did the "Superyogi!" practice.  ALWAYS a great start to the day when I get one of these in!! 

Thursday:  I did the "Works with my Schedule" practice.  Went to Kurt's 12 pm class. Wonderful as usual.  

Friday:  I did the "I Need a Fix" practice.  Went to see sweet Allie for Metal class at Sunstone, Rockwall.  I felt really strong and calm that day in class...probably because I was really craving some Allie Metal!!

Saturday:  I did the "Works with my Schedule" practice again.  Went to Kurt's 10 am class.  The practice was good but not as strong as the last few days...body was probably getting a little tired.  But still great, none the less.  

Sunday:  I did the "Off the Mat" practice.  Played golf.  Lost my cool a little more than I like to, so felt my practice was a bit weak today.  Nothing horrible, but would like to do better. Duly noted.

I got some reading in everyday as well (except today, Sunday...but working on blog, so that's cool). Been very focused on finishing up The Kind Diet, because I really feel the urge to hone in on the nutrition aspects of my practice.  Almost done with that book, and looking forward to picking back up with The Heart of Yoga sometime this week.

And THAT is where I'm AT! Where are you? Please do share :0)

Gratitude:  Thank you Kurt and Allie, for your smiling faces and motivation this week.  Thank you Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, that I knew I should not be drinking, but did anyway...those stinky farts you gave me ALL DAY LONG really helped me remember why I am supposed to stay away from coffee, dairy, and sugar!! Yikes!! And thank you beautiful husband for calling me "hot" several times this week :0) Namaste to you all.

Busy, busy, busy...

Had a busy weekend.  Friday started off great with another 3 mile walk with the dogs (in a BEAUTIFUL 80 something degrees if you can believe it).  Followed up the walk with another go at my up and coming personal practice...done outside this time in honor of the amazing morning that mother nature so kindly blessed us with.   I'm still learning/memorizing the sequence to the Ashtanga Primary Series, so it's a bit choppy with the flow still, and that tries to frustrate me at times...wanting to not interrupt the flow, as well as get as much practice in as possible for the time allotted.  But, I am staying patient and compassionate with myself, remembering it is all new, just layering one good foundational block on top of another...one yoga step at a time ;0)  

I did manage to do a REALLY long headstand unassisted by the wall again that day...a whole 7-10 seconds I think!! I have found (made up) a good little sudo-mantra, if you will, to help me with this pose...and well, probably any pose...especially the balance poses..."find your center".  Repeating this over and over is helping me actually find my center both physically and mentally, so yea for that discovery! 

And of course I am sure I got at least a little reading in...oh yes, I remember now, I enjoyed a cup of tea outside in the wonderful cool morning breeze we were blessed with, and read more about pranayama in chapter 6 of The Heart of Yoga.  I am trying to read a little something every day as best as I can.  Reading right now mostly from The Heart of Yoga and The Kind Diet.

Saturday:  made it over to APY for an awesome, energizing class with Kurt in the morning.  Boy did I need that little fix.  Always amazing!  Oh! And my Champion juicer arrived!  Woohoo!  Getting organized to start juicing very soon now!

Sunday:  A day off from my physical practice, and headed out for a round of golf.  If you have never played golf, then you may not understand, but golf is a really great place to practice your yoga!  So many challenges, so many tests of patience and character...and soooooo many chances to BREATHE! 

Monday:  FDOY!!! in DFW! Free Day of Yoga! I started out thinking I'd find lots of cool classes and studios to go check out...a "yoga studio crawl" of sorts, but as I perused the long and wonderful list of opportunities being offered at over 85 studios in the DFW area, I suddenly found myself enthralled with a few offerings that really stood out, all offered in one place:  The Alive & Healthy Institute.  They offered lectures and practice throughout the day in:  meditation, relaxation, prana dharana, yogic psychotherapy, and tantric yoga.  "Whoa! I gotta check that out," I thought.  So I enlisted my lil sis to join me, and she in turn enlisted another friend to join us.  We had a regular yoga posse formed now! So we decided to make it a day long dedication to all of these lectures...like one great big, day long FREE workshop! We attended lectures and practice from 7am-7 pm, making new friends and connections along the way.  We did manage to also squeeze in a 40 minute walk, so I'd say the day was a great success.  If you are interested in learning more about the science of breath, and the science of yoga (more than just the physical asanas of the practice), I would highly recommend checking out the Alive & Healthy Institute, in Dallas, TX.  They are a non-profit, mostly donation funded organization, that is truly committed to sharing all they have learned and experienced along their own personal yogic journeys with all who are seeking.  To find out more about the institute, the presenters, and classes/lectures offered, go to:  www.aliveandhealthy.com.

Today, Tuesday:  Had a doctor's appt, but timed it just right to have a good hour break afterward before attending class at APY again.  Shot over to Starbucks for a lovely Refresh tea, and got some good reading in from The Kind Diet.  Then it was off to class.  I took Stevan's class for the first time.  He was great! He teaches a really great flow! Left feeling good and in the om zone for the rest of the day. You know it's a good class when it lasts the rest of the day!

One last note:  I'm finding that starting each day with some good reading/seeking of true knowledge really sets a wonderful tone and motivation for the rest of my day.  Whatever I read I can take with me and contemplate, and perhaps even practice throughout the day.  Try it out...see if it doesn't help your days seem more meaningful and focused.

Gratitude:  Thank you mother nature for the amazing cooler weather last Thursday and Friday...it really energizes and refreshes my soul.  Thank you Kurt and Stevan for leading me through my practice. Thank you Alicia Silverstone, for your book, The Kind Diet.  You are helping me feel more confident in my nutrition decisions. Thank you Blair, Dr. Terri, Dr. Anne, Judy and Rob @ The Alive & Healthy Institute for donating your entire Labor Day to some hungry yogis.  And thank you Paul for listening to your instincts, not getting hurt when the heavy rain today made that wall fall down at work!  Namaste to you all.

A day off is ok...

A strange start to the day today:  the plan was to head out to Ft. Worth for a round of golf.  Up at 6am and out the door about 7:15.  It was raining a little, but no biggie, we golfers like to think, "it won't last. No problem."  About 20 minutes into my drive, I decided, well, this looks like it is going to last. Time to throw in the towel.  Golf is just not going to be the plan today.  And I was ok with that, because through my yoga experiences I have learned that things do not always turn out the way we plan.  As a matter of fact, most of the time they do not turn out the way we plan, right?  And one of my favorite quotes says: "the only thing constant is change."  How true is that??

Which brings me to the subject of rainy days.  I honor the occasional rainy day that pops up in the middle of a long stint of dryer days.  The rain always seems to know when to show up...to slow me down so I can refresh, reset, reconnect.  The universe, it always knows what you need.  You can trust it.  When you learn this, and learn to truly believe in it, your life becomes so much more peaceful.  The way you see the world becomes completely up to you.  In a way, when you finally realize that you are not in control, that is when you are finally in control.  I try to always keep an open heart and an open mind, working on my mindfulness, so as to miss as few hints being given to me by the world around me as possible.  Today I heard the universe saying that I should skip driving almost 2 hours in the rain to play golf, and stay home to catch up on some me time instead.  So that's what I did.

Once I was home, I took some time to catch up on chores around the house.  When things stack up, and I start feeling overwhelmed, I like to take a deep breath or two, prioritize what needs to be done first, and then begin my attack with "yoga steps" (a yoga pixie's version of baby steps).  Yoga, when practiced in the way it was meant to be practiced, is a series of small, gradual, subtle steps.  So to approach any challenges in your life this way, is to approach them with yoga steps.   Slowly but surely, with patience, focus, determination, and perseverance, progress is eminent. So this is how my day went...slower, more deliberate, more mindful in every chore to be done, enjoying it all.  As Bryan Kest once stated at a workshop I attended, "be gentle with everything in your life."

This leads me to an important lesson I have learned through my yoga thus far: Compassion for Self.  Being an innately type A perfectionist, this was a big one for me.  I have spent most of my life pushing, pushing, pushing, always knowing I could be better, and at times...many times...this pushing has led me to deep feelings of frustration and disappointment in myself.  Yoga has taught me that life is about the here and now, and that everything unfolds as it should...in its own appropriate and very perfect time line.   

So to link this back to my day today, it's about learning that the hatha yoga doesn't have to happen every day, nor does it have to happen at the same intensity every day. As a matter of fact, I think it's probably more beneficial if it does not always happen the same way every day.  Our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our emotions, our moods, are all very different from day to day.  The greatest gift we can give ourselves is to learn how to listen to these "indicators" and allow them to direct what we subject ourselves to each day.   

This thought of the day has inspired me to create another reference page on this site that lists my different practices...some more intense than others, and some not involving asanas at all, but still practices nonetheless.  I'll work on getting that up over the next week, so if you are interested to see what I come up with, be sure to check back!

A few additional thoughts I had today:  I emailed a friend today that I had heard was sick...just checking in to let him know he was thought of and missed, and wished a speedy recovery.  This reminded me of one thing I have been trying to do more of lately...never let a kind thought go unexpressed.  If I think of someone, no matter how simple the thought, I try to always act on that thought.  You never know what effect expressing kind words can have on a person's day.  So, if I see a pretty dress on someone, I tell her.  If I appreciate someone's efforts, I tell him/her.  I have not yet mastered this skill, and still catch myself occasionally letting kind thoughts come and then go, never being expressed.  And the feeling is always one of a missed opportunity.  I suppose this could be considered karma yoga.  It is a selfless act done with no expectations of the result.  I consider it part of my practice of mindfulness and awareness.  It's a really fun practice.

Gratitude:   Thank you rain for always knowing when to come and slow me down.  Thank you yoga for teaching me that taking a day off is ok.  Thank you Paul for still wanting to make play dates with me after 12+ years.  Namaste.