gratitude practice: day 18

today i woke up earlier than i have in a very long time. i was subbing a class at 6:30am and was so anxious about oversleeping that i set my alarm crazy early (like pre-5am early). the morning went along quickly but by the time i finished teaching my second class of the day (around 1pm), i was feeling pretty spent. 

tub toes // my monday evening

one of my favorite things to do at the end of a long day is take a bath. the steam, the warm water, the bubbles - pure bliss and tranquility and they help my mind settle. add in yummy smelling products (hello, LUSH bath bombs and bubble bars!) and i could soak for hours (ok, usually it's around an hour). and so tonight, i ran some hot water, poured in an aura cacia mineral bath from my tranquility tour goody bag and grabbed my book that i can't put down. 

now i feel relaxed, full of gratitude for the simple luxury of taking a bath and oh-so-ready for some quality shut-eye.

gratitude practice: day 17

there are times when i prepare for a class and inspiration is flowing and ideas are pouring out - sequences come together seamlessly, the perfect songs line up on my playlist, the ideal quote pops off the page. of course that is not always the case. it feels like i've spent my entire weekend laboring over my plan for a sixty minute class.

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when my brain seemed to have come to a complete halt, i moved the couch, rolled out my mat and started moving around - not thru a specific sequence or with any end in mind. just movement for the sake of movement. eventually an idea or two popped into my head and little by little, my class came together. 

it's easy to get stuck and to stay stuck (in class planning and in life). today i am thankful for my mat and the movement it supports. it's always there for me when i need it the most.

gratitude practice: day 16

since i chose to pursue my dreams of teaching yoga back in 2009, i've had a less than traditional schedule. no more 8-5 monday thru friday in an office with two back to back days off that i could use however i pleased. in fact, appreciation for the weekend all but disappeared because i was usually working on saturday and/or sunday. 

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even though i taught a class this morning, today felt like the perfect leisurely saturday. breakfast and kitty cuddles in bed. an easy lunch out with jesse. a cup of tea before diving into a home project and some laundry. a homemade dinner while catching up on parks & rec. nothing felt rushed. nothing felt required. it was pure and simple bliss. saturday - i am ohsothankful for you.

gratitude practice: day 15

as i write this, i hear the wind blowing around outside and the rain falling on the ground. i couldn't be happier. since august, i've enjoyed sunny days with temperatures in the 90s as well as overcast days with temperatures in the 40s. i've seen cloudless blue sky with mountains in the distance, leaves that turned from green to vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red, and lightning dancing among the clouds. 

mt. hood in the distance // my hiking buddy // rainy bridge

i've been warned that i'll tire of the darker days where the sun will stay hidden from sight. but honestly, i couldn't be more thankful for this weather. when it's sunny, i seize the opportunity to take a hike with jesse in the woods. when it's rainy, i relish being able to stay inside with my kitties and craft projects. so today i want to send out a big shout of gratitude to the weather here in the gorgeous pacific northwest.

gratitude practice: day 13

anyone who knows me knows how much i love cats. and not just my two darlings, vincent and theo. i love *all* cats - big, little, tabby, grey, male, female - if it's feline, it's already won my heart. take me to a party where there's a cat and i will spend most of my time with the cat guaranteed. cats get me and i get cats. most aren't as quickly or easily won over as dogs and i respect that i have to earn their affection.

cute little grey kitty who lives down the street // joey the tail-less kitty cat!

one of my favorite things to do is to go out on a "cat walk" - aka a walk around the neighborhood to see the kitties that might be hanging around. lucky for me, there are plenty of cats in my neighborhood here in portland. today i got to meet a super sweet black and white kitty with no tail named joey. he was lounging in the sun on his porch and as we walked by i said hi to him and he trotted down the steps looking for some pets. moments like this brighten my day so much and so today i am thankful for all the kitties in my neighborhood.

gratitude practice: day 8

i've been going to a 9:30am yoga class every Friday for the past few weeks, trying to add some structure to my very unstructured life. this morning in practice, the teacher had us grab a couple of tennis balls and a block toward the end to use for some myofascial work. we laid back with the tennis balls right beneath our shoulder blades and it was like my body let go of a huge breath it was holding onto. after a few minutes on the tennis balls, we placed the base of the skull on the edge of a block and s.l.o.w.l.y moved the head side to side. i could feel tension melting away from neck and shoulders.

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if you've never done this kind of work before, it's like a cross between blissful relief and self-torture and i highly recommend it. you can target pretty much anywhere on your body (hamstrings, calves, IT band, forearm, shoulders - the list goes on) and there are numerous benefits, including improved joint range of motion and muscle soreness relief.

adding these pieces to my practice this morning reminded me of how thankful i am for props in yoga and how they offer me support and the opportunity to deepen the work i do on the mat. 

not sure how to start incorporating props into your practice? check out this article from yoga journal and this awesome infographic from fitblogger! questions? leave me a comment!

gratitude practice: day 5

loves of my life - vincent + theo // sweetest pup around - momo (kristi's dog)

some days are harder than others and today was challenging for me. i can always count on some "fur therapy" to get me through a rough spot. lucky for me, i had numerous opportunities to get some lovin' from the animals in my life (in fact, as i type this, vincent is curled up behind me). 

and for that i am thankful.