yoga in the park, quiet time and pumpkin spice lattes.

hello, my lovelies! how are you?

yesterday i taught my first yoga class as a certified teacher and i was so nervous. we practiced in a shady little spot in the park, and my two students were encouraging and supportive. but honestly, i still struggled. i guess it will take some time to find my groove.

in other news, this week i am taking a wee break from our never-ending wedding to-do list. i am determined not to fret over the little things. instead, i am planning to write thank you notes, watch a silly romantic comedy and start brainstorming a yoga business name.

i'm also on a mission to enjoy my inaugural pumpkin spice latte of the season. hurray! have you had yours yet? :)

xo,



p.p.s. thank you, thank you, thank you, to those of you who sent us mixed cds for our honeymoon. you are so kind. i can't wait to listen to them!

(photo credit: flora douville)

three weeks from today...

(hilariously awful tourism posters from flight of the conchords)

...we leave for our new zealand honeymoon! (i can't wait to have a "cuppa" in the "arvo".)

xo,


p.s. yes, this means we're getting married in less than three weeks. holy matrimony!

what really goes on at yoga school, part 2

i want freedom for the full expression of my personality. -gandhi

one of my favorite aspects of being at kripalu was meeting complete strangers and slowly getting to know them, and then growing to love them. the process was particularly rewarding because our teachers were always reminding us to be ourselves and embrace the notion that we're all human beings just doing the best we can.

we were encouraged to talk to new people daily, listen to each others' struggles without trying to "fix" them, and work through challenging moments together... like teaching for the first time!

a great lesson for me was noticing how i am drawn to people who are unapologetic about who they are, confident in themselves despite being imperfect, and honest about how they feel. it's a quality i am striving to embody, particularly as i develop as a teacher.

i am also infinitely grateful to my new friends, who embraced me despite my insecurities, my daily need for time alone, my silliness, my occasional complaining, and my sensitivity to well... everything.

and wow, we had a blast. seriously, if you want to meet like-minded souls, who are as "real" as they come... go to yoga school. :)

xo,

what really goes on at yoga school, part 1

(our yoga teacher manual a.k.a. the bible.)

what am i doing here?
when we first arrived and were seated in a large circle, i think every single one of us had a moment of panic. "all these other people are going to be better yogis than me. this is going to be nuts. i want to go home!" luckily, it turned out we were all terrified. and we made it.


(my kripalu mug)

fifteen hour days:
i woke up at 6 a.m. every day and usually fell asleep around 10 p.m. it wasn't nearly as hard as i thought it would be... i got tired, yes, but the constant yoga and healthy food was very energizing. (and i still had my daily cup of coffee. of course!)


(a little nook in my room)

speaking of...
the food was local, organic, mostly vegetarian, fresh, and made with love... what more could a girl ask for? i became addicted to the fresh avocados, the kripalu house dressing, the chai tea, the kale (i know!) and the morning granola. yum. i really miss having all of my meals prepared for me... :)


(hilary and me)

the silliness:
we all bonded immediately, laughing about the fact that one our teachers resembles a ninja, sharing our life stories, and taking walks around the campus. i am so proud of all my friends who blossomed into yoga teachers over the course of the month.


(my friend athena doing some yoga in the grass)

and i'm even more appreciative that they let me talk about my bowels. :) yes, there was constant talk of bodily functions. maybe that's what happens when 57 people eat more fiber than ever before!


(ding! time to stop meditating.)

camel pose:
my favorite new pose is ustrasana. i used to avoid it like the plague, but several other yogis encouraged me, helped me, and supported me... and now i love it. funny how that happens.

om shanti! until tomorrow,

my dilemma.

(simon giving a kiss to our beautiful newborn niece)

something crazy happens when you practice yoga twice a day for a month; come home to your fiance and your beautiful life; realize you're getting married in less than a month; and then on top of that, meet your one-week old niece and play in the sunshine with your other niece.

it's called becoming a complete sap.

i have been fighting back the tears for the past few days. tears of happiness, contentment and awe. this is my life. this is my life. how the hell did i get here? :)

but ugh, i don't want to be one of those people. the kind who are always crying and saying: "i love you, man. i love you guys." etc. the kind who are so annoyingly happy, it makes you want to smack them.

so, guys, don't let that happen to me. it would just be plain embarrassing. in the meantime, i'm going to try to find something to complain about. :)



p.s. more on yoga school very soon!

home sweet home (and lots to share!)

(me in downward dog by the lake)

hello sweet readers! so guess what? i'm officially a yoga teacher. woot woot!

i graduated on friday and am now settling back into life in boston. it feels a little surreal but i'm so happy...

this week i will be sharing lots about the past month, and i hope to be back to my regular posting schedule. thank you so much for sticking around and being so supportive.

i love you guys!
xo,

a mini photo-safari (guest post)

to slow things down for a moment, i revisit favorite places. camera in hand. a mini photo-safari. today's exotic location? my backyard. a distant blur of green visible from my kitchen, it was time to get up close. 20 minutes does the trick. enough time to breathe deeply, relax and lose yourself in the artistic process. new buds, colors and wildlife are just waiting to be discovered.

have a free 20 minutes? explore your own backyard, i promise a few unexpected sights await!

- michelle from thymely-thoughts

yoga teacher training (guest post)

(a scene from my first week of teacher training)

hi everyone! i am jayne of bonjour j, and i am so honored to be guest-posting for nina while she is immersed in her yoga teacher training.

nina asked me to share a bit about my own experience doing yoga teacher training here in san francisco. in one word: amazing. my own teacher training is focused on vinyasa, a flowing style yoga.

my yoga practice has changed so much through the training: i am more aware of my own body and my breath in every posture. i work harder in the postures, both physically and mentally (staying present). and i am learning to sequence classes, which has been challenging, and so much fun.

for many of us in the training, yoga has become a spiritual practice, as well. we read works like the bhagavad gita and the yoga sutras. i love the openness of yoga philosophy - it is about selflessness, and seeing the good in everyone you encounter.

so, i warmly encourage you to try yoga! if you don't enjoy your first class, try a different style or studio. and if you practice already, i would love to hear about your experiences and what styles you enjoy.

with love, jayne

overcoming fears (guest post)

we've all had fears. some are rational and some are completely irrational (ask me about my fear of balloons, later). doing anything for the first time can be overwhelming and scary - whether it's going to your first yoga class or saying hi to your crush for the very first time. we've all had major and minor life changes that have been completely scary and terrifying and exciting.

i got laid off a few weeks ago. and i sobbed. and freaked out. which is funny because i didn't particularly like my job. so, collecting unemployment and getting to start over is completely thrilling and totally horrifying. i've cried a lot. and smiled a lot. overcoming fears is always a little adventure, isn't it? i think that overcoming the things that scare us the most become the best things in our lives. what fears have you overcome?

- kirsten from a karma project

(photo credit: srh vee)

my yoga mantra (a guest post)

i have practiced yoga for more than ten years, and it has become a part of my everyday life (whether i’m on or off the mat).

there are many chants, mantras and prayers used throughout the yoga community, but the one i cherish most is the anusara opening invocation:

om namah shivaya gurave

(i offer myself to lord shiva, the auspicious one, who is the true teacher within and without)

saccidananda murtaye

(who assumes the forms of reality, consciousness, and bliss)

nischprapanchaya shantaya

(who is never absent and is full of peace)

niralambya tejase

(independent in existence, the vital essence of illumination)

om

not only do i begin all my practices with this mantra, but i also have chosen to sing these words {in sanskrit} to my little crumb as a lullaby. she has heard this harmonic flow of goodness since she was only hours old, and whenever these words are sang, she immediately calms down and drifts off to sleep.

my hope is that she will always be able to find peace and comfort in these words just as her mama does daily.

- melissa from reverie daydream

(photo credit: reverie daydream)