playlist: short and sweet

"spiritual growth involves giving up the stories of your past so the universe can write a new one."

- marianne williamson -

do you know those days where you get the phone call you don't want to answer, the email that you weren't expecting, the text message that makes your stomach drop to the ground? yeah? me too. 

today may or may not be one of those days. maybe it's the shifting seasons. maybe it's karma. maybe it's the mercury retrograde that just kicked in. and maybe it's just life - ebb and flow, gain and loss, birth and death. change is the only constant, the thing we can absolutely count on. 

i definitely have a love/hate relationship with change (as i'm sure many of you can relate). when it's something i've planned or that i want, i'm all about it. but if it's something unexpected, i'm resistant, stubborn, and full of doubt. so what to do when i'm faced with the latter?

there's a lot of ways to work with these not-so-pretty feelings. i start with intention (of course) and my intention is to transform my uncertainty and fear into something greater, that serves, that uplifts. typically this transformation takes the shape of yoga, music, and journaling. i put together this short & sweet playlist to inspire you (and to remind myself) to embrace change with grace - so unroll your mat, grab your journal and a pen, take a deep breath and let go!

the in-between state

i had an audition today at a local yoga studio. typically, auditions go something like this - you walk in, teach a little demo, chat for a few minutes, and then wait to hear back about if they want to bring onto the team.


that was not today. 


today the studio owner simply wanted me to teach a few postures - a standing pose, a seated pose, a twist, a backbend, an inversion. easy enough, right?


wrong! after i taught, we spent a good chunk of time discussing why i said certain things, made certain adjustments, could've done things differently. i kept a calm demeanor on the outside but on the inside my mind was raging, creating story after story.

"he is so much smarter than me. he's totally not going to hire me."

"i wouldn't want to teach here anyway if he's going to be so nit-picky."

"i really love teaching though and he is making some good points."

"i'll never be as good a teacher. maybe i should get a real job."

and on and on and on. 


then, in the middle of all that story, i chose to take a breath and be present. 
to simply listen. really listen.
to open up to his questions. 
to respond rather than react.
to let go of the need to be perfect. 
to walk the middle path.


honestly, it was probably the most challenging audition i've experienced. but i am so thankful for the challenge because it provided me with a beautiful reminder about what pema chödrön calls the in-between state. 


"when we find ourselves in a place of discomfort and fear...we'll find that we want to blame, to take sides, to stand our ground...for the warrior, 'right' is as extreme a view as 'wrong.' they both block our innate wisdom...the in-between state - where moment by moment the warrior finds himself learning to let go - is the perfect training ground...to know that we are always in transition, that the only time is now." 
- the places that scare you


after i stepped back from the drama in my mind and rested in my in-between state, i was able to have a genuine connection with the person right in front of me. it wasn't about right or wrong, better or worse, good or bad. it's as simple (but definitely not easy) as that.