Piece of Mind

Want to know an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint on this planet?  Reduce the amount of waste that you produce.  And as easy way to do that is by making your own snacks.

Think about how many granola wrappers or to-go packages you have gone through in your life.  It's a bit alarming, even if you are an eco-conscious individual.  We are all guilty of it at some point in our lives.  

In my mind, one that sticks out that I was guilty of for a long while was buying a little sweet treat called "Sesame Snaps".  Sesame snaps are these little bites of sesame and honey that are the perfect combination of not too sweet, crunchy, and INDIVIDUALLY wrapped in plastic!  Ugh!

I vowed to never buy them again just for the mere fact that they are overly packaged.  

This one day I stumbled upon a recipe by Rebecca Katz for her Triple Triple Brittle Bars.  It was pretty darn close to what I was craving and then some.  Click here to see...

Listen to your breath. I have given that cue countless times over the years. It's a beautiful statement to help us not push ourselves too much that we are panting for breath. It's a wonderful cue to help us focus and re-focus the mind when it starts to drift. The cue reminds us to maintain a certain level of integrity within our practice.

I often find myself listening to my breath when I go for runs. And I'd love to say I do it to create s meditative connection to the natural cadence of breath. Yes, that too. But it's mostly because my headphones aren't working and I cant be bothered to buy another set. So yes, I listen to my breath as the soundtrack to my running, and it surely is the best pace setter I know of.

Recently, I've been really letting that cue sink in within my own practice. I've become somewhat fixated on literally, listening to my breath. Perhaps, the obsession, if you will, came a few months back when I was having odd breathing issues. Getting out of breath and winded...

We have all had those days where we feel like we are getting swept away by stress and anxiety.  Where it seems like all of the external noise of the world echoes in our head and it’s hard to have a clear thought.  Having a toolbox of self-care techniques to tap into helps you stay grounded and more capable of weathering the storms of life.  There are many ways to feel grounded and in alignment with that place of calm that lies within.  These are my top favorite ways to stay grounded.

Yoga - Ok, I am sure you saw that coming, but it is my go-to when I am feeling out of touch with myself.  Taking time (and it doesn’t even need to be a lot of time) to move your body in connection with your breath can liberate the mind of excess noise.  Whether you seek an active practice or something a bit more restorative, is up to you in that moment, but regardless, you are sure to feel a bit more whole and connected to your inner peace.

Guided Meditation -...

Behind the scenes.  So many components at play to make up the image, the video, the content that is put out into the world.  

This also applies to ourselves.  Behind the scenes, there is a lot at play to make up who we are, how we interact with the world, and how the world perceives us.  The ten thousand things that happened upstream in our lives to slightly adjust our course as we flow through life.  How we view the world around us and how we interact within our communities has been shaped by so many factors.  

Then what happens when we pause and sit and reflect upon those things.  What happens when we give ourselves permission to accept that behind the scenes might look a bit messy.  That behind the scenes tells a greater story than what the world sees.  
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If you are like me, you can find yourself in a bit of a funk.  Maybe you are feeling a bit unmotivated or that you should be doing something, but can't just get up and do it.  
When I feel that way, often all I need to do is just move my body.  It doesn't take much to just move a little and feel a whole lot better. 
Before you make yourself that additional cup of coffee, roll out your mat.  Step on it and just move your body.  Take less than 15 minutes to move and see how you feel.  Take some time to get out of your headspace and into your body-space.  Try it and see how you feel.  Follow the link below!

Deep within us all lies a place of peace and calm.  Our true nature can be hidden by stress, anxiety, and fear, but it still exists within.  This 10 minute seated flow will help you connect to your breath and gently shed layers of residual tension in our upper body.  Unearth your inner peace and feel that it is there all along.

Times are tough right now.  We are social creatures and yet, we are living in a time where being in physical connection with each other isn't a possibility.  

Our yoga practice looks a bit different these days, whether it is practicing outdoors, or spaced apart within the studio, or practicing virtually.  We are beginning to get used to these different ways to maintain our practice.  No matter what your practice looks like these day, and no matter where you find yourself unrolling your mat, please remember that you are doing great work for yourself. 

We must remember to not be so harsh on ourselves and each other.  In these uncertain times, be kind to yourself and be thankful that you are still unrolling your mat and working with yourself to be the best version of yourself.  Thank yourself for just showing up.

At the core of all of us, there exists calm and peace.   Our true nature can be momentarily hidden by anxiety, anger, stress,...