gratitude practice: day 28

it's thanksgiving! today was overflowing with love and gratitude so i'm feeling thankful for all the little things that made my day so wonderful...

toasting some walnuts // prepping the stuffing // ta-da! // vincent wanting to sit at the table

a jam-packed yoga practice, led by alex at yoyoyogi. nothing better than starting the day with breath (and maybe a little bit of sweat)...my post-class soy green tea latte from starbucks and the baristas with the big smiles on their faces even though they were working on the holiday...wearing my new top from free people...seeing catching fire at the bagdad theater (i may have been rockin' a katniss-inspired side braid)...spending a couple hours in the kitchen, cooking up (and then eating) a thanksgiving feast for two with jesse...skyping/face-timing/texting with people that i love and letting them know that i'm thankful for them. i seriously cannot wait to visit the bay area in december and east coast in january so i can connect with some of them face to face. 

overall, it was a perfect day (maybe one of the best thanksgivings yet!) and i can't wait to spend the weekend teaching so if you're in portland/lake oswego, come take class with me!

how was your thanksgiving?

gratitude practice: day 24

one of my priorities when i was moving to a new city was to find a yoga studio that i loved. truthfully, i like most yoga studios that i visit but it really takes something extra special to make me want to call a studio hOMe (what can i say? i was spoiled by my time at tranquil space! i still tell anyone who visits DC that they absolutely *must* take a class there). during previous trips to portland, i had the opportunity to practice at yoyoyogi but it wasn't until i lived here that i really got to experience this amazing community. 

i had such a good time, i forgot to take pictures!

tonight was the feast of gratitude at the studio and i couldn't think of a better way to head into the week of thanksgiving. students and teachers gathered together for an unbelievable potluck meal that included everything from stuffing to kale salad to cupcakes to pumpkin pie! jesse and i made some winter sangria to share because what party isn't complete without a sangria. live music was provided by the talented ryan vandordrecht (he can play guitar and harmonica at the same time!) and the room was full of conversation, laughs, and hugs. 

i couldn't be more thankful to be a part of such a community and so happy to have a place that i can call my yoga hOMe!

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 4

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my alarm went off this morning at 5:30am. it was monday. it was chilly. it was rainy. but i was so thankful my phone beeped this morning because it woke me up in time to attend a blissful morning practice at the studio led by the beautiful terri cole. 

she shared a story about having lunch at a friend's house recently. her friend asked her to go and pick out a mug for tea. terri replied (as most of us would i'm sure) that any mug would be fine. yet her friend insisted that terri should pick out a mug because only she would know if it was the right color, weight, etc. and in that moment, terri realized that this mug, this cup of tea, this time with her friend was a reminder to s.l.o.w.d.o.w.n and appreciate the moment. 

when i made my cup of tea this afternoon, i took my time. i let the tea steep for a few minutes while i watched the steam rise off the water. and i savored every sip. that class, that story was the ideal start to my week and it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for that alarm clock. that alarm clock that i may curse many other mornings. that alarm clock that i've chosen today to appreciate.