gratitude and recharge-athon

This evening as I was taking a little time to reflect and complete my launchwork (homework for the book Ladies Who Launch), I had a bit of an ah-hah moment. The launchwork assignment was to come up with a list of 100 things/ways in which I recharge. To use the words of Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt, the authors of the book: 100 things that make me feel giddy, punchy, and almost drunk with pleasure--things that make me smile, make me more creative, and give me more energy.

About half-way through creating my recharge-athon list, I realized I haven't really taken the time to be grateful lately. In fact, this past week, I have been feeling rather down and not like my usual self. Because of this, I have totally ignored or been too wrapped up in feeling bad to recognize all the good around me all the time. It's a vicious cycle: you neglect to notice good and be grateful, and you feel down...you feel down, so you neglect to see all the good around you and express gratitude...and on and on and on. So, I made the conscious decision to stop the cycle before it got the best of me and start focusing on the good and expressing gratitude.

Now, don't get me wrong. I realize we all go through periods of our lives when we feel down--some more than others. However, the best way I've found to deal with these times is to recognize it's a down time in my life, surrender to and accept it, while acknowledging this too shall pass.

It's just interesting to me how simply taking the time to start thinking about and creating a list of things and activities that made me happy kind of snapped me out of feeling sad. So, I would invite you to create your own recharge-athon list--whether you are feeling happy, sad, depleted, or filled up.

Feel free to share some of your favorite things on your list. I always enjoy finding out how others recharge!

Here are some of the items from my list:

1. spending time with my husband and family
2. teaching yoga
3. browsing bookstores
4. reading
5. having yummy smelling candles burning in my home
6. sitting at starbucks reading and drinking a decaf, non-fat, no whip, mocha
7. getting massages
8. manicures
9. pedicures
10.laying out at the pool on a sunny day
11.decorating
12.watching HGTV for creative inspiration
13.bargain shopping
14.writing on my blog and reading blogs
15.watching chick flicks

So, what are the activities/things that make you happy and help you recharge?

Namaste'
Leslie

photo by One Tree Hill from Flickr

karma yoga

Tonight I will teach my first ever Karma Yoga class. This will be a donations only class, (people can donate any amount they would like) and I will be giving all the proceeds to the local women's shelter. I am looking forward to teaching many more Karma Yoga classes for different non profit organizations in the community in the future!

Here is your yogathought for the day:

"No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted." --Aesop

Namaste'
Leslie

inspiration

One of my biggest sources of creative inspiration is browsing through books and magazines at Barnes & Noble. This afternoon, I spent some time looking through home decor magazines. I took pictures of the rooms that most inspired me for later reference and possible use. Here are some of the rooms I fell in love with:

What inspires you?

Namaste'

Leslie

nurturing creativity

If you haven't heard Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, talk about nurturing creativity on TED, you should definitely check her out here.


Namaste'
Leslie

home and yoga month 09.2009

We are back from KC. It was a good trip (The Q Hotel & Spa was great), but as always, it's nice to be home again. Here are some photos of all the places we explored:

Vinyasa Flow Yoga at Maya Yoga was incredible. We took the noon class with Kathleen, and we definitely got our money's worth! It was a very rigorous class (to say the least). Half way through, I was wishing I had a towel because I was drenched in sweat, and it was running down my face and in my eyes. But, it felt oh so good to be challenged!

Speaking of yoga, Yoga month 2009 is quickly approaching! Creative Space Yoga will definitely be participating. Encourage your family and friends to receive the gift of yoga! Check out http://www.yogamonth.org/ to see if a studio near you will be a part of the wonderful event!

Namaste'

Leslie

mini vacation 2

Tomorrow we will be going here for a noon yoga class: http://www.mayayoga.com/classes.html

Then, we will be checking in here: http://www.theqhotel.com/index.php

Then, we will be hanging out here for the rest of the day and evening: http://plazabuzz.blogspot.com/

Friday, we will be heading here: http://www.thecitymarket.org/

Then, back home again.

Namaste'

Leslie

decluttering and p.s. question

After watching a rerun of an Oprah episode yesterday on decluttering, I was inspired to spend the morning cleaning out the storage space under our stairs. Overall, we do not tend to have a lot of clutter in our home. In fact, when I've had people over, I've more than once had them say:

"Where is all your stuff?"
To which I respond, "What stuff?"
"You know, your stuff."

I really try not to accumulate too much "stuff." As I've posted about before, I try only to buy things, both for my home and my wardrobe, I truly love. I also try to use the one in-one out rule--especially for clothing. This definitely helps with not accumulating too much clutter. We do live in a two story house on a slab, so we don't have a lot of storage space; hence, our closets often become quite full and the need to declutter and organize is about once a year. I always put this on my summer list of things to do.

It's always interesting to me how once I clean out a closet or storage space, I immediately feel a little lighter. It's like the space I create in my home translates to more space in my body and mind.

Creating space is a wonderfully freeing feeling! If you have a closet, room, or space that needs to be decluttered, light some candles, turn on some upbeat chill tunes, and enjoy the space you're creating!

Namaste'
Leslie

p.s. On a side note, I've got my yoga studio blog, creativespaceyoga.blogspot.com, up and running. I'm not incredibly techno savy, and I can't figure out how to get side bars on both side of my blog posts. I looked through the different layouts and don't see that as an option, yet I know it must be because some of the blogs I read regularly have side bar text on both sides. I would be oh so grateful if any of you lovely ladies or gents can help me out here! gracias in advance.

celebrations, freedom, and yoga

Last night my hubby and I went out for a celebration dinner in honor of the opening of my yoga studio. We went to a local Asian restaurant, Jina Yoo's, that I've been wanting to try out for months now. We had loads of sushi, and it was fabulous! We will definitely be going back!

We will be doing more celebrating today as we are having our father's day make-up celebration for my Mom's side of the family. And then, of course, celebrating the 4th tomorrow.

It really is such a blessing, that I find is sometimes easy to take for granted, to live in a free country. As I've written about before, part of my life motto is that we create our lives--through our intentions, thoughts, and actions. And, while I fully believe this to be true, I do recognize we create our lives within the circumstances/situtaions that we've been given. I am so thankful that the life I'm creating is here in the U.S.

And, as long as I'm on the subject of freedom, I also want to put a plug in for yoga (I'm sure you're not surprised). One of the many great aspects of yoga is how it literally creates space in your body. All the places that become tight, and tense, and contracted from daily activities and stress are opened up and released. With this release, comes a feeling of lightness, a feeling of freedom, a feeling of expansion and possibility. Now that yoga is a regular part of my life, I literally cannot imagine living a life where I don't make the choice to open my body (and mind) in this way. I cannot imagine living a life where I'm constantly feeling tightness, contraction, and closing in--both mentally and physically.

So, in honor of freedom, the 4th of July, and creating an authentic life you truly desire, try out a yoga class or just do something new that gets you a little bit out of your comfort zone. And, be thankful you have the freedom and choice to try.

Namaste'

Leslie

why

I am completely and totally in love with our back yard...

I know I have a small (ok maybe a bit large) flower addiction!

Namaste'

Leslie

first class at creative space

My first class in my new space is in just an hour!

Namaste'

Leslie

july 1

Yoga myth:

"Yoga is just about sitting cross-legged and saying 'om' while feeling at one with yourself and the universe."

This is actually something a little boy said to me a few years ago when I told him I taught yoga. At the time, I thought it was cute, but I also sometimes wonder how many other people have this mythical view. There is definitely a lot more to yoga! Those who participated in the Sun Salutation and Meditation Challenge could speak to that!

Overall, I felt the challenge went well. It improved my home yoga practice and meditation which was what I was hoping. As the number of sun salutations rose in the upper teens and twenties, I had to take some rest times in between the salutations, and I did find myself doing Sun Salutation A much more than B. Thank you to all who participated with me! I hope you found your home practice enhanced and learned a little more about yourself, too.

Today is my first class at Creative Space Yoga! We spent the day there yesterday finishing up getting the studio ready. (Thanks sweet husband, mom, & Tim). I am very excited to start teaching in the new space.

Here is a little yogathought on centering for the day:

"Here. Right here, right now,
bring your mind to this place
and time. Invite it, even if it
resists, to sit and witness
what it is to be alive. Let
there be no ulterior motive
in this moment but to be.

Rest on the waves of breath
and choose to experience
all of it. Let thoughts float through and leave again, as
the mind slowly settles like snow inside a shaken paperweight.

This is all there is. Here.
Right here and now."
--from Kripalu Yoga: A guide to Practice On and Off the Mat by Richard Faulds

Namaste'
Leslie

home again

We have returned home from our weekend get-a-way. I think a good time was had by all!

Namaste'

Leslie

mini vacations

For a variety of reasons, we don't go on vacations very often. We married in Jamaica, and we took a trip to Mexica two summers ago to celebrate finishing my graduate degree. Those are really the only two big trips we have taken together (besides going to Colorado, but we drove and didn't fly, so I'm not counting it as a "big" trip). I would definitely like to travel more in the future. This summer we've decided to do a little in-state, budget friendly traveling.

This weekend we are off for a little retreat in the woods with my mom, step-dad, and one of our favorite couple friends. We will be staying in cabins that were specifically built in order to create jobs during the depression. Our cabin is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath cabin overlooking the river. It has a screened in porch and air-conditioning (thankgoodness!), but no computer access, so I will be taking a small blogging break. We will spend our time relaxing and floating down the river in rafts before heading back home. I always enjoy a short retreat into nature (especially when we stay in cabins rather than a tent!) to connect with the simple, yet grand, beauty of the earth.

Another mini vacation we have planned for the month of July is going to Kansas City. We will be hanging out all day at the Plaza, staying in The Q Hotel & Spa (it's a green hotel located on the Plaza, you can see it here: http://www.theqhotel.com/index.php) and then going to the Market the following day.

In Aug., we will be doing another mini-vacation to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. We haven't decided where we want to go or what we want to do just yet! Any suggestions? (Think mini-weekend getaway on a budget!)

Here is your yogathought for the day from one of my all time favorite transcendentalists, Henry David Thoreau:

"Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves,dispel the clouds which hang over our brows,and take up a little life into our pores. Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor,but endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world."

"...let us first be as simple and well as Nature...take up a little life into our pores... and endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world" Love that!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

Here is your yogathought for the day from the book Ladies Who Launch by Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt:

"More choices mean more responsibility, but making a choice can happen when you're twenty-five, thirty-five, or sixty. Choosing one path over another is truly not a question of age but an answer to the question of how do you want your life to look, feel, taste, and be?"

Namaste'
Leslie

gratitude list

Today I'm thankful for:

*doors opening
*my morning cup of decaf brew
*sugar and soy milk
*air conditioning
*my sweet husband and all his help
*my yoga studio opening next week
*an upcoming float trip with family and good friends

...did I mention air conditioning? It's supposed to be 96 degrees today with over 60% humidity. I almost feel like I'm back in Jamaica!

I can't believe our four year anniversary is in less than 2 short months!

Namaste'
Leslie