namaste.

my friends and cousins are obsessed with bikram yoga. i've been "practicing" bikram for about 3 years, but i use the term practicing very loosely. i probably would go once every 6 months. i recently quit my job and have been going through a lot of changes in my personal life, and i figured that this would be the best time to try and heal myself.

i am trying to do the 30 day bikram challenge, but unfortunately i am traveling to the west coast at the end of this week, interrupting my days. doing bikram every day in california is not realistic for me, so even though i have some time in venice beach scheduled, i needed a way around it. today, while at lunch with my cousin i figured out the solution...DOUBLES!

obviously the idea of taking two bikram classes in one day scared the crap out of me. i like to do the accelerated 60 minute yoga. this is high intensity with no breaks. you are just going pose into pose into pose. i love this because it doesn't give your mind time to wander and you really are strong and focused. however, one is rough enough. as i stepped into the 105 degree room at 430 this afternoon my initial reaction was to run to the door. once the door is shut at my studio though, it's shut. so i had this internal conversation of, "you can either lay here in the front row the entire time or you can get your butt up and do it." i did it. and it was a lot easier than i thought. and i feel amazing.

what worked for me: 

       not going right after my first class.
              my first class was at 930 am and my second at 430 pm. this gave my body enough time to rest, hydrate and refuel

       WATER
              just do it. a lot of it. a lot of people say to not drink water right before the next class. i drank it until i had to put it down to begin. i used the bathroom right before the class began and i was completely fine. your mind is really in an alternate state so you're not focused on bodily discomforts as much. you're also sweating. a lot.
 
      switch up the studio/instructor
              i decided to go to two different studios today. mainly just because i wanted to go with my cousin to the second one and she goes to a different one than i do. switching locations makes you feel like you are doing something new and exciting, even if it's the same poses and heat. plus, each teacher brings something different to the table. today i learned a move that would help me deepen my stretch and make me more aligned that was completely missed in my first class. 

    go with a friend to the second class
               it just makes it easier. you're really motivated and someone is helping you through the initial anxiety. my cousin was a huge support system for me today!





i'm by no means very experienced at yoga, but it is something that takes complete body and mind control and really can heal your body and your soul. i finally felt that i was in the right place in my life to take the challenge. it shifts how you spend your day, how you think, what you put into your body...basically how you're living your life. you cannot expect to do bikram for 30 days without altering your lifestyle, you just have to be in the right mindset to do it.
             

tips for a better life.

found this in surf magazine this morning.

written by a homeless man. 

let it roll off

we've all experienced pain and heartbreak. emotions can cause us to feel extremes, whether they be positive or negative. we tend to relish in the negative emotions though, instead of fully feeling the good. i am not immune to being consumed by negative emotions. it can be all that you think about. it can attack you mentally and physically so that the only thing you can do is shut down or spew out something equally as vile. but how is this anyway to live? what if there was a way to acknowledge these emotions, feel them, process them and then let them go? it's not an easy task, but it is something i am actively working towards in my life to create more peace and tranquility. everything can be stressful if we let it, so why not try and just recognize it and deal with it in the moment? this quote from the book i am currently reading, "the buddah walks into a bar..." explains exactly this. it is so, so, so true. 

instead of getting angry at the pain or turning our back to it, all we have to do is be present with what we are feeing. our pain may deliver several jabs to our gut. we may feel like throwing up. however, if we can be present with our pain, it exhausts itself. it sags and alters and ultimately collapses. if we do not indulge our pain but instead just allow ourselves to feel it, we go through an intimate healing process. the pain washes over us like a wave, and we come out the other end unscathed and feeling better for it. 

soul lovin

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.”

--bob marley

swoop on in

via: bldg25

a laundry list of problems doesn't make you interesting

and never getting help doesn't make you brave 

not listening to reason doesn't mean that you have faith 

you're just cutting off your nose to spite your face