hot

so hot right now.  perhaps we have started indian summer. it's funny though, because last week it was foggier and colder than it's ever been in summer here since we moved here.  Ava was refusing to wear short sleeved shirts to school and because of course all her new birthday clothes had short sleeves because everywhere else in the world it is short sleeved weather in august.... so matt and i went to h&m and bought her a whole slew of long sleeves that she can wear under her short sleeve stuff, tank tops, etc.  And then, promptly it became HOT.  So now she needs sunblock under her shirts instead.

isn't that always the way?

this morning i did the level I DMY sequence, including savasana and pranayama.  Didn't have time for meditation.  am going to try to do the level one early morning each day with meditation and pranayama, then do a more challenging asana practice later in the day.  want to really know the level one like the back of my hand so I can start to teach...

woohoo thirtyTWO!

yes indeed.  twas my birthday last thursday... I had a nice day.  taught in the morning, wandered and window shopped in the afternoon while Matt prepped for my party... went to a yoga class while matt and Ava made cupcakes... came home and had a vegetarian pizza party with nice friends.  

Sadly, 2 glasses of wine had me rocked and sick as a dog the next day.  or maybe it was the cheese.  either way, my new clean vegan lifestyle seems to demand total adherence or else I feel yucky.  I wonder if this means I am more sensitive now or that I felt yucky all the time before and didn't notice??

Have been pretty consistent about practicing.  It has been two weeks since my training wrapped up and I think both weeks I have missed one or two days.  Last week it was because I was super sick friday with a sinus cold and acheese/wine  hangover.  But mostly have been doing asana every day and pranayama/meditation every few days.  Probably would be better to be doing pranayama & meditation more, even if it meant skipping asana.  I am missing the lightness that I felt, so today I am eating only raw food and practicing asana, pranayama and meditation.  In a few minutes...

I woke up a half hour early this morning though, and did my neti pot.  Then some khapalabati, and was just starting to do some nadi shodhana pranayama when Ava came out, so instead I sat with her on my lap and wrapped my shawl around us both and sat quietly for a few minutes.  Wouldn't necessarily call it meditation, but it was nice and it was a start.  Seems like the best way to introduce her is just by welcoming her into my practice...

Ava recieved her very own Yoga mat in the mail yesterday from her so super loving and considerate Auntie Michelle.  She is super stoked.  I put the DVD and the poster away until her birthday, but she was already using her mat yesterday.  Thanks Gurley !!

ok, back soon...

ok, I'm back

Thought I'd post that last one even though I never finished it.  Life of a Yogi Training was wonderful, brutal, soul searching, gut wrenching and ultimately life transforming.  As all things really worth doing are.  I had no idea what I was in for.  It's funny, really.  I fell down the rabbit whole of self realization for sure....

Now I am home and so is bunny.  She hung in there like a champ in Chitown.  I am so proud of how grown up she is to be away on her own for almost two weeks without us.  We missed each other loads and it took a couple days to settle back in.  We were kind of awkward for the first day or so. It was strange.  

I love her so and am so unbelievably proud and honored to know her.  She is so beautiful and smart and funny and cool.

Got my period so our initial cycle of welcoming a new addition was not accepted by said new addition.  Probably for the best given my intense yoga initiation and all.  Feeling excited to try a lot this month :)

over and out.

day 3... life of a yogi training

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

feeling much restored today.  day one was just totally wild, all new.  day two was achy, my neck spazzed out in headstand during maha sadhana with Dharma and put my whole right neck and shoulder into a spasm for the rest of the day.  today it released with the helpful hands of a marvelous teacher, Howard, during a spinal twist in Dharma's class.

my energy is great today as well. considering the whole yogi diet i am on for this training (all vegan, 60 percent raw, very little food in general)