music's good for the soul

I am still totally and completely in love with pandora.com. For all you music lovers out there, here is my updated station list:

Michael Manring (not sure how to describe this, but you should definitely check it out)
On Ensemble (same as above)
Baby Got Back (a little embarrassed about this one, but I do enjoy the beat and memories of
these songs!)
Diana Krall (jazzy)
Feist (alternative female)
Michael Buble (oldies)
Natalie Walker (alternative female)
Brian Eno (ambient--so relaxing)
Dido (alternative female)
Thievery Corporation (electronica/chill)

Enjoy the music.
Namaste'
Leslie

my weekend in photos

Namaste'

Leslie

my first internet interview!!!

The wise and wonderful Ananda Leeke, of anandaleeke.com, recently asked me if I would be a guest on her radio show Go Green Sangha Radio to talk about Yoga and Creativity!!! My two favorite subjects!!!

I am so humbled and thankful for the opportunity to share my thoughts on two of my favorite topics. If you have an extra half hour and would like to here the discussion, click on the play button to the right of this post!

Namaste'
Leslie

kreativ blogger award

Thanks so much to Mandy for the Kreative Blogger Award!

Now, I'm supposed to list 7 things about me that you may not know or may suprise you:

1. As a child, I spent much of my time playing school (I was the teacher, teaching imaginary students). I also spent loads of my time writing books and poems on a typewriter.

2. I performed in a show-choir my first two years of college.

3. As a Jr. High student, I gave the sermon one Sunday morning at my church.

4. I want to get a coaching certification, so I can do life coaching.

5. I dream of creating a yoga dvd and growing my yoga business into a full time gig.

6. I had big aspirations to design and sew my own clothes; however, the sewing machine and I just don't seem to get along.

7. I so appreciate all of you out there who read my blog!

Now to pass on the Kreative blogger award to 7 blogs I read regularly:

http://taza-and-husband.blogspot.com/

http://bohophotography.blogspot.com/

http://www.naturallynina.com/

http://www.dirtyfootprints-studio.com/

http://www.yogademia.com/

http://joyyoga.blogspot.com/

http://inthewishstudio.blogspot.com/

Namaste'

Leslie

yogathought

"When others attempt to seduce you into feeling guilty, fearful, or anything that isn't of Spirit, practice stepping outside of yourself, and repeat sentiments such as 'This isn't mine,' 'I refuse to own it.'" --Wayne Dyer

5 women who inspire

I believe it is very important to have role-models & mentors in life to help us continuously move in the direction of living our most fulfilled lives. I sometimes worry with the poparazzi, media in general, and reality tv that many of today's teens aren't necessarily seeing as many positive female role-models, or perhaps the positive ones are being drowned out by those who aren't living their best and most authentic lives. I do hope that I might be a positive role-model to many of my students. Here are 5 women who inspire me because of their creativity, passion, service, and energy:

*my mother
*Oprah
*Ashley Judd
*Seane Corn
*Kimberly Wilson

What women inspire you and why?

Namaste'
Leslie

first day of fall

Happy first day of fall! Here's just a few of the reasons I am completely in love with the autumn season:

*carmel apple cider from Starbucks
*leaves turning beautiful colors of orange, yellows, and reds
*layering clothes
*wearing cute hats, arm warmers, and scarves
*opening the windows and letting in the fresh fall air
*planting mums

Namaste'
Leslie

my weekend in photos

Namaste'

Leslie

a bit on rest

Here is your yogathought for the day from Jennifer Louden's book, The Life Organizer:

"The more we truly live from our hearts, the more rest and self-nurturing and relaxation become a way of life--a satisfying texture of action and calm, expansion and contraction, giving and replenishing. Genuine rest becomes a part of our lives not because we have to make time for it but because we are willing to be needy and ask for what we need from Spirit, becaue we are offering our gifts to the world with verve and integrity. Life, in other words, is no longer clutched in our tight fists. And that is truly restful."

Namaste'
Leslie

trust the wisdom of flow

I will admit: I've been having difficulty going with the flow lately. I've been resisting what is and trying to control situations that are somewhat out of my control. This resistance creates negativity and takes up way too much energy. So, my mantra for this week, will be: "I surrender and trust the wisdom of flow in my life."

Here is a great quote from the book, Positive Energy, by Judith Orlff, M.D. about trusting the wisdom of flow:

"Flow is perfect attunement with a larger-than-self energy that carries us through our lives. I veiw this energy as Spirit, compassionate and wise. Trusting the wisdom of flow means going with what's presented to us as gracefully as possible, rather than flailing around in opposition. Our life's flow propels us in certain directions. Of course, we do everything possible to create optimal outcomes, but we also must know when to ease off. The art is learning to go where the current takes you rather than maniacally micromanaging every detail of your existence. If you've ever swum against a powerful ocean current, you know how your energy can be futilely depleted. The same thing happens when you fight the flow of life.

Going with the flow safeguards your life force. Thus, to keep flowing, you have to know when something is in your power to control or not. The Serenity Prayer helps clarify this, as do the deep-listening practices of meditation, silence, and prayer....please appreciate: Letting go doesn't mean giving up. It's having the sense to know when it's optimal to explore new possibilities. This frees energy, whereas forcing breeds negativity. If you can't directly influence external events, you can always influence your attitude."

Namaste'
Leslie

yoga love

10 Reasons For My Yoga Love:

1. It keeps me grounded.

2. It relieves mental and physical tension and stress.

3. It makes my body feel juicy and oh so yummy.

4. It reminds me I am alive.

5. It makes me strong, balanced, and aware.

6. It challenges me every time I step on the mat.

7. It's not just a physical practice but a way of life.

8. It reminds me of my connection to others.

9. It has been a huge catalyst in self-exploration, self-love, and self-acceptance.

10. It helps me consciously create my life.

Do you have yoga love? If so, why?

Namaste'

Leslie

p.s. This photo was taken last fall. I can't wait for the weather to cool off enough to get my arm warmers and scarves out again!

raw

I've decided I'm going to go raw the next 3 days. I've been eating a lot of junk lately, and I can really feel it slowing me down. Wish me luck, and if anyone wants to join me, I'd love to have you along for the challenge.

Namaste'
Leslie

energy

When I think about energy and how it operates in life, I am excited, amazed and in awe. I don't often talk about this subject, as I don't want anyone to think I'm living in my own little "woo-woo" world. Even though I don't discuss my strong belief in the importance of tuning in to the energy in our lives, I know I radiate a certain energy that others can probably pick up on, and so they might just believe I'm in my own little "woo-woo" world anyway.

I recently began reading a fabulous book, Positive Energy by Judith Orloff, M.D., and although I realize I'm risking the "woo-woo" title here, I felt compelled to write about this subject today. First, as I was reading, I realized that I fit the description for an intuitive empath in many ways. Essentially, this means I pick up on and easily absorb the energy of those around me. Orloff describes intuitive empaths as people who are highly sensive and often don't like to be in big crowds because of the energy they absorb. For me, I am fine in crowded situations, (although I do crave alone time), in that I don't feel like I absorb the energy of others unless I am interacting directly with them. I now know this is one reason my first year counseling was so very difficult for me: I would take in all the negative energy of the people I was counseling. As a result, I felt drained, depressed, fatigued and at some points, hopeless. To this day, I am still working on not losing my energy by absorbing that of others.

Here are some questions Orloff provides to help you figure out if you, too, are an intuitive empath:

"Ask yourself:

• Have I been labeled as overly sensitive?


• If a friend is distraught or in physical pain, do I start feeling it too?


• Am I drained in crowds, going out of my way to avoid them?


• Do I get anxious in packed elevators, airplanes, or subways?


• Am I hypersensitive to noise, scents, or excessive talking?


• When I see gruesome newscasts, does my energy plummet?


• Do I get burned out by groups, require lots of time alone to revive?

Discovering you're an empath can be a revelation. Putting a name to a very real intuitive experience legitimizes your perceptions. It also pinpoints where you're losing energy so you can regain it."

Orloff goes on to explore the importance of getting in touch with our intuition, our wise inner voice. Today it is all too easy for our intuitions to get drowned out by the busy, multi-tasking, workaholic world:

"Do everything you can to find intuition. Whether you're following your gut, scoping out someone's vibes, or grounding yourself in the midst of turmoil, be fierce about your inner listening. From that center point, feel your life's rhythm. Synchronize with it and watch your positive energy grow. Resist the rhythm and see how your energy dwindels. The art of living is to listen to signals. There's an ease to letting your insticts guide. Intuition isn't a luxury; it's mandatory for a joyous life. Risk trusting it. I guarantee: your energy will flourish."

"Intuition isn't a luxury; it's mandatory for a joyous life." When was the last time your listened to it?

Namaste'
Leslie

loves

(in no particular order)
*this pup
*all my animals

*my sweet husband

*my family

*teaching yoga

*reading great books

*browsing bookstores

*long weekends

*tyler candles (especially High Maintenance & Diva scents)

*late afternoon matinees

Namaste'

Leslie

sushi night

J and I love, love, love going out for sushi. So, Saturday night I called two of my aunts and mymom to see if they and their husbands would like to join us. It was a great night. I realize I am so blessed to have a wonderful, fun, loving family!

This week at work has been tough. I've had a lot of crisis and trauma in my office. It has made me even more thankful for my life and all my blessings.

Namaste'

Leslie

never too late

to begin a yoga practice...

"In the past five years, I have seen some wonderful changes in my body and mind. My daughter calls me 'buff.' My golf game has improved dramatically. I romp freely with my grandchildren. My mental attitude has transformed, from hard-nosed and militaristic to what I think of as a more accepting kind of perfectionism. I find that my zest for life has been renewed.

Five years after I retired from the Air Force and four months before my 60th birthday, I joined a group of collegues at a yoga studio after work. It was a Bikram Yoga class, and my first thought was, 'Vietnam was hot. This is hell.' But I returned the next day, as much because I hated the idea of quitting as because I was intrigued by the ideas expressed by the teacher. I stayed with it and never sweated so much while learning so deeply about myself.

Bikram Yoga was a good start, but I wanted a more inclusive approach. Thus began a search. Vinyasa proved to be interesting and challenging, becaues the flow was like dancing. Power yoga almost killed me, so I left that to the 20-somethings. In Forrest Yoga classes, I discovered a fear of flying (in Handstand, of course). Finally, in Anusara Yoga I found a home. In July, I celebrated my 65th birthday, and I practice with a Level II-III Anusara class, filling in with an almost daily personal practice and classes at a recreation center near my home. I plan to start my teacher training later this year. Today, better aligned and speaking a soft, new language, I tell my friends and collegues that one is never too old to begin a yoga practice." --Len Brady from Oct. issue of Yoga Journal

Namaste'
Leslie

p.s. Love this story--although I must say Power yoga isn't just for 20 somethings! :)