This weekend our favorite Yogi, Eoin Finn, is coming to DC and we are maxing out on yoga-time with a session tonight, two tomorrow, and one on Sunday. If that doesn’t have someone feeling the bliss, I don’t really know what will.
I am really excited to have the weekend to unwind, to connect, and flow.
In honor of our yoga weekend, and with a bit of a sense of humor, I share with you this funny video about yoga culture from Lululemon.
Because, really, who hasn’t had yoga hair?
Posted in Her Inspiration, Personal
Tagged Eoin Finn, eoin finn in dc, lululemon, shit yogis say, yoga, yoga in dc
Marilyn Monroe
Do you make resolutions? I know some people really do, and, of course, others recycle resolutions year after year. I think either way is fine, practice makes perfect after all.
On New Year’s Day we went to yoga and our instructor started the practice by talking about resolutions, and she framed it a bit differently. She said in the yoga tradition, instead of saying “I will be healthier in 2012” you might say, “I am healthier now.” This is called a San Culpa and it is an intention, and positive affirmation. It is suggested that you repeat the san culpa often so that it becomes absorbed into your being and your way of life.
Heavy, right? Well, what I thought was most interesting about this idea is that it is really tied to what you’re doing in the moment. Notice you don’t say, “I will be” but “I am.” So, if you’ve set a resolution for yourself and perhaps fallen off the wagon already, you can start over right now.
Every year we set new resolutions. But, no one says we can’t resolve to do better, and better every day, every hour, every moment. It’s your resolution, your rules.
Posted in Her Inspiration, Personal
Tagged new years, New Years resolutions, resolutions, san culpa, yoga, yoga philosophy
Prior to planning our trip to California I decided we had to visit San Luis Obispo (SLO) – it had been featured on an Oprah episode as the Happiest Place on Earth. I expected a small town with a farmer’s market, local food, organic food and genuinely nice people. We found all of those things and more.
The week before we left for California I learned that our favorite yogi and blissologist*, Eoin Finn, would be offering a workshop in San Luis Obispo. Knowing that this was a road trip, we signed up for the Friday evening class with the plan to roll out on Saturday morning. By the end of Friday’s class we were hooked and also signed up for the two classes on Saturday.
Me, Eoin and Mark - ready for blissology
This past year we, but Mark especially, really moved forward in the practice of yoga. At a time when our lives were experiencing a lot of transition; new work, new house, new challenges and triumphs it became abundantly important to find a center ground. We found that in the practice of yoga. We typically practice in our living room and always with a Blissology disc led by Eoin and featuring his wife, Insiya.
The workshop took place at m.Body a yoga studio in SLO. The studio was fantastic, free of mirrors, filled with light and energized by the positive intention of their owners Peter and Tawny Sterios. If you’re able to “zen-out” you can do it just about anywhere, but doing it in this space with their garden in view and with some very genuinely awesome people elevated the experience to something really special.
Studio at m.Body in SLO
It is very difficult to explain, even for me, the magnitude of those two days of yoga. It is very much a you had to have been there to understand it. But I will try…
Yoga started with a hug.
In a room of mostly strangers we hugged each other. I will admit it was sort of that half-hearted, one armed hug, where you’re not totally comfortable but you do it anyway.
Then for the next two days we bent forward and back, leaned on each other, stumbled, fell, helped each other back up, literally practiced the idea of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”.
We talked about philosophy and diet, our physical, mental and emotional limitations. We talked about family, and love and priorities. And then it ended.
And then we hugged again. But this time, with real warmth, two arms wrapped tightly around friends who were strangers. With wishes of support, for their progress, their ability to accomplish their goals.
Namaste.
* Blissology (TM) (blis-ol-uh-jee) – noun; the art of consciously finding the balance between one’s personal desires and our impact on the web of life. It is not just a brand but a way of being. It is a path of interconnectedness and love.
[Origin: 1990 a.d. ; Various conversations with Eoin and his good friends over tasty merlot]
Many, many thanks to Peter and Tawny and Eoin, Insiya and Ananda for being so welcoming and illustrating why even tourists find SLO to be the happiest place on Earth.
Posted in Her Inspiration, Life Lessons, Mark, Personal, travel
Tagged blissologist, blissology, Eoin Finn, lululemon, m.body, manduka, Oprah's happiest place on Earth, san luis obispo, San Luis Obispo Yoga, SLO, yoga, yoga practice
A few weeks ago Mark and I headed out west to California; the land of movie stars and swimming pools. We went to escape the allergies of the Mid-Atlantic, to get some sun on our faces and really good food in our bellies.
Travel has a funny way of revitalizing of every sense. This trip sharpened our sense of smell as we drove along the Pacific Coast Highway, delighted our sense of taste as we enjoyed food and drink along our journey, brightened our sense of sight as we stopped to take mental photographs of the idyllic and strengthened our sense of touch during a two-day yoga workshop.
In a week we visited: Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Ojai, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Carmel/Monterey, Santa Cruz, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Oakland.
Over the next few posts I’ll share the hotel, food and activity highlights from an amazing vacation! This trip was truly a California dream come true.
The Daily Batch 