beading gone wild

i'm hooked! after a hot bath i set out my beads and put together this turquoise chocker and online book shopping. then out for kung pao tofu with a girlfriend and back home for more fun. then beau returns . . .

a fellow beader told me about this site as a good resource for finding more beads. since i love the big, chunky stuff, it makes the whole process much easier. such fun.

when the cat's away . . .

the mouse will play. when beau told me he made plans to watch some silly game where people chase around a ball, i was elated. oh my, a girl's night in! i've got madeleine peyroux playing in the background, candles lit, incense burning, my journal out, and the bath tub filled. i can't wait to take a few hours to indulge in self-care. in the meantime, i hope you all are enjoying your weekend and taking good care of yourselves. watch for a fun, inspiring podcast coming tomorrow - an interview with stacy sims who owns pilates studios in ohio, has a non-profit, and wrote a novel. an all around hip chick!

fancy nancy rocks!

ok, don't look at the time of this post. i promise i'm TRYING to go to bed earlier but didn't get home until midnight (doing some pilot pieces of streaming video yoga classes . . . stay tuned) and have a 9am camera crew coming to the "pink palace" to shoot a podcast piece for HGTV. but i couldn't resist a quick book buy before dashing off to sleep.

so, are you familiar with fancy nancy? well, she's my little girl hero. a friend got me the book for christmas and we continue to laugh over the similarities (she has a thing for french and making the ordinary more fancy). she's got a new adventure coming out - with a posh puppy!! nope, it's not a pug (sorry louis), but a papillon! i broached this subject with beau after seeing one in a boutique a few years ago and he immediately put his foot down. guess they are a little girly - so fancy nancy. i can only imagine how fabulous this book will be and i highly encourage you to pick up the original fancy nancy during your next bookstore browsing adventure. i promise you won't be disappointed! au revoir.

uh oh

last night i was introduced to rainbow twizzlers. i was craving gummy bears (shocker) while at the 3-hour workshop and julia, who writes a fabulous make-up blog, whips these lovely colored beings out of her bag. it was like magic. voila, i wanted gummy and i got it in numerous shades. ahhhh, if you are a gummy addict, look no further, girls. sure i had a bit of a belly ache, but the chewing was divine!

values

i recently rewrote the studio's philosophy page to update our raison d'etre (see below). in doing so, i took a moment to rereflect on my own values (options on p. 61 of hip tranquil chick). ever taken some time to explore what really makes you tick? it's satisfying and insightful. here's a sample of my latest: social responsibility, creativity, inspiration, personal growth, flair, independence, community, loyalty. what are yours?

here is a sampling on the 5 values of tranquil space:

initiative: tranquil space began in kimberly's one-bedroom apartment in 1999. with visions of strangers huddled around her fireplace, drinking tea, doing yoga and connecting, she began hanging fliers around dupont. years later, we continue to be innovators in our offerings of tranquility: local and international retreats, trunk shows to highlight local female designers, karma yoga program complete with volunteer days, yoga concierge service, newbie offerings, pre and postnatal teacher training and classes, our very own book and cds, voluptuous vinyasa flow for curvy bodies, and tranquilit, kimberly’s eco-friendly luxe lifestyle clothing line.

passion: in kimberly's living room, there was a focus on special details: ribbons wrapped around inspirational quotes which greeted students on their mat, aromatic scents, the blazing fire that welcomed students, and the chai served in porcelain tea cups. these special touches continue to welcome students through vibrant studio decor, lavender aromatherapy scents throughout the studio, an abundance of tranquiliTea and treats available at all times, and inspiring music to accompany one's practice.

community: over the years, moving from a living room to a parlor in a beautiful old church on 16th street to the opening of our doors on p street in 2003, tranquil space has attracted hundreds of like-minded yogis to its nurturing fold -- encouraging them to mingle over tea and cookies after class, and carry the lessons they've learned in class off the yoga mat into their daily lives. giving back to the community has been important at tranquil space since its humble beginnings. through donations to numerous charities, volunteer days, picnics in the park, doga, and studio celebrations, tranquil space has made mingling off the mat mindfully with one’s comunity an intricate part of its mission.

creativity: teaching from the vinyasa yoga tradition, tranquil space teachers have all completed the studio's comprehensive 200-hour teacher training – dc’s first yoga alliance certified training -- and lead flowing creative classes with a strong emphasis on the relationship between the breath, body, and spirit. with a focus on helping students become fully aware of the present moment, leaving to-do lists at the door, tranquil space teachers also offer numerous enlightening events to assist students in finding a tranquil space on and off the yoga mat.

compassion: during practice, teachers encourage students to honor exactly where they are while also challenging their edge. this nurturing voice encourages students to stay mindful of and recognize continual growth. recognizing the importance of yoga as a catalyst for living a fuller life, tranquil space launched its own non-profit in 2006, the tranquil space foundation. its signature program, tranquilteens: stretch yourself, is focused on assisting girls with finding their inner voice through yoga, creativity, and leadership.

writing for the glossies

fresh home from a 3-hour media bistro workshop on writing for glossy magazines. learning always gets me so jazzed. ran into two fabulous girls from the studio who were also there to learn the tricks of the trade. if you're at all curious on getting published in magazines, check out their courses as they also have an upcoming online one that sounds most tempting - stiletto boot camp. the name alone is enticing!

having recently become a memoir whore (in a positive way), i'm contemplating this memoir writing online course. doesn't this one sound like fun? i've never done an online course in this way - only live teleclasses - but the topics offered by media bistro are terribly sexy. any memoir writers out there? i know we've got a lot of readers considering your awesome suggestions a few weeks ago!

since i've been in meetings and classes since 9am, i'm off to soak in the tub for awhile and ponder some magazine pitches. au revoir!

we're looking for a fab new gal . . .

our little beana/studio director, gina davis kelly, is galivanting off to charlottesville to indulge in small town living soon. she'll still be telecommuting on some bigger operational pieces so we're looking for anewly created position of lead studio manager. if you, or any pals, think you'd be a great fit, please let us know!

here's the scoop: this position requires experience with overseeing service and/or retail operations. retail, customer service, merchandising/organizing and management experience is preferred.

start date: early april.

benefits include: unlimited complimentary yoga, complimentary monthly pedi, discount on workshops/events, boutique merchandise, and retreats.

hours: monday nights 4:30-9:45pm, tuesday-friday 10am-3pm; plus 5-10 ‘floating hours’ per month (weekends and nights) to meet with your team and to meet bi-weekly with moi. email resume and cover letter to employment@tranquilspace.com.

tranquil space foundation look

check out our new logo and website! we settled on a name for our signature program - tranquilTeens: stretch yourself. our goal is to assist girls in uncovering their inner voice through yoga, creativity, and leadership. my dream is to create a program that can be offered in cities around the country (ok, why not go global?) as a tool to help girls in this formative age build healthy bodies and strong self-esteem through a combination of beginner-level yoga, creative activities, and leadership development.

the site is a placeholder with more fun to come once we get our pilot programs off the ground. curently we're looking for:

• a group of 10-20 girls 9-12 grade who we can work with for a 2-hour slot to pilot the program and get feedback (schools, churches, synagogues, organizations, etc). they get a fabulous tranquility toolkit complete with a yoga mat, journal, and newbie CD!
  
• volunteers with experience in yoga, creativity or leadership to follow our curriculum and help bring the program to life
• volunteers with a passion for strategic planning and experience with taking an organization in the infancy stage to toddlerdom
• introductions to other organization leaders who have been down this path of program creation and expansion

we're sooo excited to share the work with others and i promise to keep you in the loop on all the exciting happenings with the tranquil space foundation. please pass along ideas, suggestions, and any e-introductions you may have to leaders in this field.

creativity finale

sunday was the conclusion of our 4-week creativity excursion. note the girls showing off their decorated tees with louis posing proudly in the front. such creative souls filled with such joy. i loved working with you girls!

today i returned to my running. it felt divine running through rock creek's trails. although i'm sure i'll be terribly sore in the morning for my private yoga session. oops. running is such an empowering sport (especially for someone like myself who couldn't run around a block just a few years ago).

hip tranquil chick #76: tranquiliTea

click play to hear this episode... or click here to listen to older shows!

Welcome to the 76th edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat. Produced at the Pink Palace.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Cindy Pace on TranquiliTea, topped of with a look and pose of the podcast, and fun tunes! View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Cindy Pace, founder of Petals & Leaves: aromatic infusions (launching March 2007), is a clinical research scientist, teaist, aromatherapist and self-care advocate who has pursued a lifelong passion for fragrant aromas and tea. Working in a stressful research environment pushed Cindy to seek peace of mind and serenity. She found her calm and solace from her unique tea blends. The concept for Petals & Leaves bloomed from her extensive research on botanicals, tea, and essential oils. She also studied Chado (the Japanese art of tea), aromatherapy and sensory evaluation. Using the ancient art of tea blending as a foundation, Cindy formulated aromatic tea blends that provided aromatherapy & wellness benefits such as rejuvenation, renewal and restoration. Her research & discovery led to the development of petals & leaves aromatic tea infusions and aromatic bath tea infusions. Soon the word got out to Cindy’s friends and co-workers often asked her to make a pot of tea and purchase her teas.
From her years of study, Cindy received several professional level tea certifications from the Specialty Tea Institute, STI. She has a BS degree in Biology, Medical Laboratory Technology certification, and certificates from her study of aromatherapy and botanicals. When Cindy is not blending teas or enjoying a cuppa, she is playing dj on her internet chill out station, nu:jazz lounge. A serious community philanthropist, she is involved in the charities such as United Way of New York and Dress for Success. Her favorite pastimes are talking on the phone to friends, eating delicious food, laughing, traveling, reading books and listening to good music.

Resources

1. Overview of tea

“Tea is naught but this
First you heat the water
Then you make the tea
Drink it properly
That is all you need to know”
Sen No Rikyu – Japanese Tea Master

“Tea tempers the spirits, calms and harmonizes the mind, it arouses thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens and refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties.”
Lu Yu

Tea is the second most popular drink next to water in the world. It is also considered the drink of hospitality.

The acutal tea plant, Camellis sinensis origins began in the Yunnan region of China. The plant also encompasses eastern and southern China. However wild growth has been observed in Assam, India which is Camellia sinensis varietal assamica also known as Camellia assamica. The variant sinensis grows naturally in eastern and southeastern regions of China. Origins of human use of tea are described in several myths, but it is unknown as to where tea was first created as a drink.

2. Different types of tea
Camellia sinensis is the tea plant, the plant species whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. White tea, green tea, oolong and black tea are all harvested from this species, but are processed differently to attain different levels of oxidation.
White tea, specialty of the Chinese province Fujian, is made from new growth buds and young leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. The leaves are steamed inactivate oxidation, and then dried. White tea therefore retains the high concentrations of catechins which are present in fresh tea leaves. White tea is made from less mature leaves than green tea, and has undergone less processing, resulting in different catechin profiles and yielding greater medicinal qualities in some trials. For white tea, the little buds that form on the plant are covered with silver hairs that give the young leaves a white appearance.

Green
The oxidation process is stopped after a minimal amount of oxidation by application of heat, either with steam, a traditional Japanese method, or by dry cooking in hot pans, the traditional Chinese method. Tea leaves may be left to dry as separate leaves or they may be rolled into small pellets to make gun-powder tea. This process is time consuming and is typically done with pekoes of higher quality. The tea is processed within one to two days of harvesting.

Oolong
Oxidation is stopped somewhere between the standards for green tea and black tea. The oxidation process takes two to three days. In Chinese, semi-oxidized teas are collectively grouped as blue tea (ê¬íÉ, literally: blue-green tea), while the term "oolong" is used specifically as names for certain semi-oxidized teas. This is what give Oolongs on one the most unique flavor profiles in tea

Black
The tea leaves are allowed to completely oxidize. Black tea is the most common form of tea in southern Asia (Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.) and in the last century many African countries including Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi and Zimbabwe. The literal translation of the Chinese word is red tea, which is used by some tea lovers. The Chinese call it red tea because the actual tea liquid is red. Westerners call it black tea because the tea leaves used to brew it are usually black.

Phytonutrients in Tea
In addition to valuable antioxidant properties tea contains antioxidant (anti-aging) vitamins C, A, B12, B6, E, K & traces of minerals like potassium & calcium, essential oils and amino acid, theanine.

Essential oils contribute to the flavor, fragrance & digestive qualities of tea.

Tea contains varying amounts of caffeine; white tea is the lowest in caffeine. Caffeine accounts for tea's energizing/uplifting qualities, and among caffeine's health benefits, it stimulates the central nervous system, promotes circulation & digestion. These phytonutrients may contribute substantially to the promotion of health and prevention of chronic disease. Heart Disease, Cancer, Anit-Aging, Oral Health, etc.

Herbals
A tisane, or herbal "tea" is any herbal infusion other than from the leaves of the tea bush (Camellia sinensis). Tisanes can be made with fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds or roots, generally by pouring boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a few minutes. Seeds and roots can also be boiled on a stove. The tisane is then strained, sweetened if so desired, and served.

Herbal teas are often consumed for their physical or medicinal effects, especially for their stimulant, relaxant or sedative properties. The medicinal effects of certain herbs is discussed under herbalism. The medicinal benefits of specific herbs are often anecdotal or controversial, and in the United States and elsewhere, makers of herbal teas are not allowed to make unsubstantiated claims about the medicinal effects of their products.

3. Teas for various things (sleeping, colds, etc)

Regardless, if tea infusion is from the tea plant or an herbal tisane, aromatic oils, vitamins, minerals, antioxidant and curative properties will be released into the water and steam. The steam you can actually inhale the aromatics. The compounds release is what make the infusion aromatic as well as therapeutic.

All around Health (Antioxidant Rich, Balance):

• Silver Needle White and White Peony
• Green Tea (Chinese Tea, Japanese Sencha, Matcha)
• Puerh – headache, energy and digestion
• Black Tea (Yunnan and Keemum) – alertness, mental acuity
• Oolongs – slimming, digestion, mood enhancers (Jade Pouchong and Bai Hao Oolong (silver tippy)
• Jasmine Green Tea – afternoon calm down ( aromatherapeutic)

Cold
Hibiscus with Rose Hip and echinacea try infused with citron honey, Hyssop, Catnip

Sore Throat
Licorice, Anise, Slippery Elm

Women’s Health
Raspberry Leaf, Nettle

Headaches
Lavender and Mint

Digestion
Fennel, Ginger, Mint, Cardamom, Chamomile

Refreshing
Lemon Verbena, mixed balck tea with mint & ginger
Sleep
Lavender, Chamomile, Valerian, Lemon Balm, linden & elderflower

How to Brew

Tea - Water Temperature - Steep Time
Green Tea - 160 degrees F - 1 - 3 minutes
White Tea - 180 degrees F - 4 - 8 minutes
Oolong Tea - 190-200 degrees F - 1 - 8 minutes
Black Tea - Rolling Boil (210) - 3 - 5 minutes
Herbal (tisanes) - Rolling Boil (210) - 5 - 8 minutes

4. Tea paraphernalia: your basic tea toolkit (sweeteners that you recommend, tea pots, diffusers, etc)

Use Great Water – Water Filter System (like Pur), Always boil fresh water
Tea Kettle – Electric with Temperature Gage is Ideal. Try Bodum for moderately priced www.bodumusa.com

High End – Zarafina and Zojirushi ( great electric water boilers & dispenser with temperature gage) www.zarafina.com & Zojirushi CV -DSC40VE Hybrid Water Boiler and Warmer www.zojirushi.com
Also on amazon.com

Teapots – Glass for herbals & blooming teas (bodum & jaener), Ceramic Brown Betty Teapot
French Press is one of the best inventions Eva Solo, www.fitzu.com & Bodum
Cast iron best for retaining heat & flavoring (if you have a favorite tea) – good for green tea
Yixing tea pots – clay pots great for oolongs, www.yixing.com
Mediation – Gaiwan, Korean teacup, or Matcha Bowl (set comes with wisk & ceramic bowl & matcha)
Porcelain (Ceramics) for style – Villeroy & Boch
For English tea – Spode, Royal Albert & Dalton (country roses), Flea Markets & Antique Shops

Best tag bags – Try T- Sac (see amazon.com) Biodegradable Tea Filters (various sizes even sizes for teapots, Asian Market
Diffusers for teapot
Sweetners – Raw Sugar preferably Demarara, Splenda, Stevia, Korean Infused Light Honeys
(Quali Quali, available at amazon.com)

Simple Syrup - 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Boil water in pot. add sugar until it has dissolved. Allow to cool. Transfer to container for storage. (add lemon, lime, ginger, basil or mint)
For Ready Made Botanical Infused Syrups try Sonoma Syrup in flavors like White Ginger & pomegranate - sonomasyrup.com.

5. Making your own blends – when two or more herbs or teas mixed it is considered a blend. Once you become familiar with what type of teas you like you enhance flavors by adding like taste or different taste. For example you could enjoy green tea and enhance the flavor by adding a citrus fruit (lime or lemon), flavor or spice of mint. Adding herbs (ginger, anise licorice, lemon balm, mint, rosemary) basic tea leaves make blends with nectars, fruit juices (Ceres Organic Nectars, POM), simple syrups

6. Courses, conferences, books, etc for us to learn more.

Affordable Way to learn about tea is from books and tastings. If there is a tea shop or bookstore in your area, buy teas, taste them, take notes. Join tea group.

Online tea forums: Tea Chat, www.teachat.com, www.tching.com

Tea Room Lisitngs: Teamap, www.teamap.com

Magazines –
Tea Experience Digest, www.teaexperience.com
Tea: A Magazine, www.teamag.com
Fresh Cup publishes the Tea Journal, www.freshcup.com

Books:
Tea Companion by Jane Pettigrew and Bruce Richardson
New Tea Lovers Treasury by James Norwood Pratt
The Book of Tea
New Book of Tea by Sara Perry
Green Tea by Diana Rosen
Chai by Diana Rosen

Contemplative practice/meditation:
Tea Here & Now by Donna Fellman & Lhasa Tizer (teaherenow.com)
Mediations with Tea by Diana Rosen

Herbals:
Herbal Tea Remedies by Jessica Houdret
The Book of Herbal Tea by Sara Perry

For a professional interest in tea contact STI, www.teausa.org

Urasenke Chanoyu Center, the study of the Japanese art of tea, branches in the US.
www.urasenke.org

Rituals:
Gongfu – Oolongs
Chado - Japanese Art of Tea, www.teahyakka.com

Great On-line Tea Companies:
www.adagio.com
www.serendipitea.com

Pose of the Podcast: Bridge

Look of the Podcast: tube

Community Corner: e-cards, forum, and desktop are online! Check out our new forum, desktop and ecards on our connect page!

Haute Stuff Shoppe: Shop online for the book, CD, leopard print scarf, or crystal tee.

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats:
Bloom Into Spring Le Chic Teleclass Chat. Join us to learn:
o My fave tranquility-invokers
o Creative steps for blossoming this spring
o How to create an action plan to move forward
o Ways to ensure self-care along the way
o Chic and comfy spring trends (including a TranquiliT discount code)
o Yoga poses to assist your journey

We’ll focus on small steps to begin moving in the direction of your hip and tranquil dreams. The fun will be held on Wednesday, April 11 at 8:30pm EST (7:30 CST, 6:30 MST, 5:30 PST). The fee for this class is $29. You can add on a “boost” for a 1-hour 1:1 mentoring session for a total of $150. To reserve your spot, sign up online.

Host a Hip Tranquil Chick Signature ChariTea Soiree! The downloadable PDF has is a toolkit for leading a hip and tranquil book club! All hip tranquil chicks who agree to host a soiree in 2007 will be sent a lovely leopard-print headband and scarf as a host gift. Check out the one hosted in Culver City, CA.

Denver gals - workshops and book signing at Omtime in April.

All gals - Escape with me and like-minded women at our first HTC retreat in upstate NY in June and our first international excursion in Costa Rica in September. Details for all special events at hiptranquilchick.com.

Au Revoir: Share your hip tranquil chickness with me, request show ideas, or pass along feedback by e-mailing me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com. A reminder that we’re on MySpace and Frappr, so please connect with the community virtually there, too!

Have a burning question that you’d like hip and tranquil feedback on? E-mail me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com to have it featured and answered in our dear hip tranquil chick segment found on the blog.

To close out the show, we’re playing podsafe music by new and independent artists from Promonet. Today’s selection is Political Sun by Mod X. You can learn more this week's featured artist, including how to get more of Mod X's music here.

Thanks for joining me for the 76th edition of the HTC podcast.

You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!

New to podcasting? Get more info at Yahoo Podcasts.

Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.

Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.

tea illustration, by Becky Heavner - check out beckyheavner.com to see more of her work!

louis' baby shower

we had some friends over last night, including a couple who are "with child." apparently, louis thought the celebration was for him and sat in her seat of honor (note the loot at her plate).

the soiree was an intimate gathering for a dear girlfriend (who you've heard in a former podcast on hip tranquil business) who is due in june. the blue packages were "baby boy" melt in your mouth mints, and the yummy carnation hearts had all sorts of fun baby sayings. we filled up on these before our salads hit the table. yum!

decorating the table in this way was such fun and added a lovely touch to the evening.

creativity cravings

last sunday's creative play with beading was such fun. i've worn the rose quartz necklace with a carved flower pendant made from shell almost every day since i made it. creating something like this is so empowering. learning to do something that we admire removes a bit of mystery and allows us to partake in creating our own play on what's currently out there. that is why i find it empowering - be it beading, sewing, cooking, teaching yoga, decorating, designing, etc. i've decided to add beading to my repertoire: big, chunky, playful necklaces in stones, shapes, and lengths that i love. this new craft will be sure to fulfill my creativity cravings for awhile to come. anyone else a beader? if so, please share your favorite online resources for locating beads, design inspiration, and more. happy beading!

bloom into spring teleclass

Hi girls! Happy, happy Friday. I wanted to share an exciting new offering just added to the happenings page:

Join Kimberly and a group of fellow fabulous femmes for a 90-minute le chic teleclass focused on blooming into spring with your journal, cup of tea, and pen in hand. Don your most comfy clothes with your favorite furry companion nearby and explore your transformation this spring. Are you excited about blooming this season? Do you long for more tranquility in your oh-so-full calender? Are you ready to make some changes to ensure you shine as brightly and boldly as possible?

During this le chic teleclass chat you will learn:

- Kimberly’s fave tranquility-invokers
- Creative steps for blossoming this spring
- How to create an action plan to move forward
- Ways to ensure self-care along the way
- Chic and comfy spring trends (including a TranquiliT discount code)
- Yoga poses to assist your journey

We’ll focus on small steps to begin moving in the direction of your hip and tranquil dreams. The fun will be held on Wednesday, April 11 at 8:30pm EST (7:30 CST, 6:30 MST, 5:30 PST). The fee for this class is $29. You can add on a “boost” for a 1-hour 1:1 mentoring session for a total of $150. To reserve your spot, sign up here.

Le Chic Teleclass Chat Kudos:

I absolutely loved the teleclass. I found it a very helpful companion to your book. It was a pleasure being surrounded by women wanting the same things I do and to hear how they go about obtaining their goals. I have been all over the place for the past two years, especially emotionally and dealing with what I want. I look forward to the next teleclass you'll be offering! I will definitely be taking it! It's a great way to stay connected to the hip tranquil chic values!

our new sticker & musings on the hatha yoga pradipika

thought you would enjoy seeing our newly designed sticker that encompasses three things tres important to the hip tranquil chick: yoga, do-gooding, and creativity!

also, i must confess that i LOVED the hatha yoga pradipika! i had to write 5 pages about one sutra and i chose chapter 1, verse 16: i & ii. below are pieces of the report for you to peruse:

Enthusiasm, perseverance, discrimination, unshakeable faith, courage, avoiding the company of common people, are the (six causes) which bring success in yoga. Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, continence (being absorbed in a pure state of consciousness), forgiveness, endurance, compassion, humility, moderate diet and cleanliness are the ten rules of conduct (yama).

I was elated to see that enthusiasm was touted as an important part of one’s practice. The book reminds us that “every day should seem like the first day of practice.” I love the application of the beginner’s mind to each practice.

Enthusiasm only goes so far, we must also have a regular practice – hence the focus on perseverance. The book emphasizes that no matter what is going on in our lives, we must practice and with an optimistic spirit.

The explanation of discrimination takes me into my favorite topic – yoga off the mat. The book explains that “everything you do and every aspect of your life, including your diet, clothing, company, material necessities, conversations, etc. should be conducive to your sadhana.” This is how we take our practice of yoga off the mat – by being mindful of our talk, shopping habits, mind habits, food consumption, etc. If we have a beautiful triangle pose but are not able to hold our tongue in challenging situations or treat others with respect, our practice is not being true to its purpose.

The book describes unshakeable faith as the way to stand strong in our practice and shares a story of a hermit and religious man who showed the hermit how to do his practice “the right way.” The hermit then panicked as he couldn’t remember which way was the right way. I loved this. With so many styles of yoga out there and so many ways to do practice hatha yoga, many yogis get confused on what is truly the right way. By having faith and the right attitude, it’s not so much what you practice but how you practice.

Next is courage and we must have courage to face all that comes up for us during our practice. I often hear that our yoga mat is a mirror for our life. The way we force ourselves into poses that are beyond our level or don’t push ourselves into poses that we should be trying is an interesting juxtaposition of how we react in daily life. We must have the courage to face our demons and make appropriate changes.

The notion of “avoiding the company of common people” sounds so hoity-toity or pretentious but it is much better explained in the book as avoiding mingling with people who have lower aspirations. I totally agree with this because as we are trying to find our way while growing on and off the mat, if we spend a lot of energy and/or time with people who do not value our practice, our growth will be hindered. The book reminds us that “a sadhaka should not consider the others to be inferior, but until his physical, mental, emotional, and psychic resistance are developed, it is better to stay away from social interactions and negative influences.”

Finally, the last of the yamas is “cleanliness in your whole lifestyle, keeping the body and mind in a pure state” and is the perfect way to wrap up this report (which was most enjoyable to write). We’re all searching for tools on how best to grow and live our practice as yogis and I feel as if this sutra offered numerous insights. By keeping our body, surroundings, thoughts, food, and actions clean, we are able to live in a more conscious and fruitful way. Keeping ourselves and our world orderly allows for an ease of flow in our sadhana. We’ve all experienced the joy that opens when we clear off a desk, let a reoccurring thought go, or remove a toxic component from our diet. By practicing this elimination of negative to make room for more positive, our lifestyle and world will experience a tranquil and pure shift.

fruit leather addict

i've had nose to the computer for the past 48 hours working on finalizing these book reports for my upcoming month-long teacher training. they are due today and i have one to go - woo hoo! however, these haven't been easy texts. today's to conquer is the hatha yoga pradipika.

anyway, i'm not here to complain, only confess. i'm secretly addicted to those phenomenal fruit leathers that you find at whole foods. yum! it's like a fruit roll-up but for adults. ok, maybe these are still created for kids but they ARE in the adult section of the grocery store. i buy them because they are a healthy alternative to gummy bears, but then i eat 8-10 in one day (2 per sitting). is that a problem?

i somehow feel lighter for sharing and am delighted that i only have a few left to conquer. considering i can only buy so many during my occasional excursion to the grocery store (the cashiers look at me funny and say "oh, you must really like these.") don't comment, just give me my fruit leathers!

alrightie, back to the hatha yoga pradipika. stay tuned for a mini museletter coming your way today. if you haven't signed up, be sure to do so at hiptranquilchick.com (note the sign up at the bottom of the page). happy, happy spring!

favorite blogs?

dahlings,

i'm sitting at the kitchen table (aka - my home office) staring at the 5 books i need to be reading and writing book reports on but decided a quick post never hurt anyone. soooo, i'm curious - what are your favorite blogs out there? during my recent blog class, the teacher asked us our favorite blogs and i realized that i'm clueless about all the fabulous ones out there and knew that you all were probably much more in the know. so, girls, share with us - what are your favorite blogs and why? inquiring and tranquil minds want to know! happy monday!

hip tranquil chick #75: making changes

Bonjour! Welcome to the 75th edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat. Produced from the Pink Palace.

Today’s podcast is an interview on making changes with Dr. Leigh Ann Simmons, topped of a pose of the podcast, a look of the podcast, insights on upcoming events, and groovy podsafe music! View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Dr. Leigh Ann Simmons is a professor, writer, yogini, advocate, and mentor living in Lexington, KY. She holds a Ph.D. in child and family development, a master's degree in family therapy, and a B.A. in literature/writing. She is an assistant professor of family studies and health services management at the University of Kentucky, where she studies women's health. She has published and presented nationally and internationally in the areas of behavioral health and health decision-making, the psychological well-being of women, the effects of poverty on health status, and mental health care policy. Leigh Ann has earned national recognition for her research and serves in a number of leadership positions in national organizations, including the American Public Health Association and the American Association for Family & Consumer Sciences. A former Congressional fellow in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions, Leigh Ann is actively engaged in promoting policies that improve the health and well-being of women and their families.

In her spare time, Leigh Ann serves as a mentor for Girls in Science/Girls in Research, a program designed for underserved girls who want to pursue careers in science and medicine. She teaches yoga at Barefoot Works, the only green yoga studio in Kentucky. Leigh Ann is co-host with her husband, David Wescott, of Smart Blog Talk, a weekly talk radio show that examines culture, new media, current events, and more, which premiers next month. She is also currently at work on her first novel. Leigh Ann's remaining passions include her chocolate labs Hershey and Baci, 70% dark chocolate, tennis, fine red wine, and curling up with a good book.

Pose of the Podcast: Baddha konasana

Look of the Podcast: Jumpsuit

Haute Stuff Shoppe: Shop online for the book, CD, leopard print scarf, or crystal tee.

Community Corner: Let me know what fun hip and tranquil events around the book and/or philosophy you have going on and I’ll share them here. Check out our new forum, desktop and ecards on our connect page!

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats:


Bloom Into Spring Le Chic Teleclass Chat - Join us to learn:

• My fave tranquility-invokers
• Creative steps for blossoming this spring
• How to create an action plan to move forward
• Ways to ensure self-care along the way
• Chic and comfy spring trends (including a TranquiliT discount code)
• Yoga poses to assist your journey

We’ll focus on small steps to begin moving in the direction of your hip and tranquil dreams. The fun will be held on Wednesday, April 11 at 8:30pm EST (7:30 CST, 6:30 MST, 5:30 PST). The fee for this class is $29. You can add on a “boost” for a 1-hour 1:1 mentoring session for a total of $150. To reserve your spot, sign up online.

Denver gals - workshops and book signing at Omtime in April.

All gals - Escape with me and like-minded women at our first HTC retreat in upstate NY in June and our first international excursion in Costa Rica in September. Details for all special events at hiptranquilchick.com.

Au Revoir: Share your hip tranquil chickness with me, request show ideas, or pass along feedback by e-mailing me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com. A reminder that we’re on MySpace and Frappr, so please connect with the community virtually there, too!

Have a burning question that you’d like hip and tranquil feedback on? E-mail me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com to have it featured and answered in our dear hip tranquil chick segment found on the blog.

To close out the show, we’re playing podsafe music by new and independent artists from Podsafe Music Network. Today’s selection is Hypno by Artemis. You can learn more this week's featured artist, including how to get more of their music at artemis.fm.

Thanks for joining me for the 75th edition of the HTC podcast.

You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!

New to podcasting? Get more info at Yahoo Podcasts.

Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.

Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.

creative play

bonjour from the pink palace! i'm excited to share that i went to beadazzled today to get my gear for tomorrow's 9am intro to beading class. after taking an hour of a delightful yin practice focused on hips (yum!), i galavanted over to pick up my tools for class and enjoyed every minute of it. finally chose big, chunky oval rose quartz beads for my necklace and big shells carved into a rose motif for my earrings and pendant on the rose quartz necklace. i skipped home with my new goodies and beau pretended to be enthused while prepping for a podcast (an interview with 3 mamas who teach yoga at tranquil space - stay tuned for this insightful podcast on motherhood to air around mother's day!).

i began the day with a podcast interview of gail mcmeekin who wrote one of my favorite books, 12 secrets of highly creative women. she shared great tips on creative living (podcast coming soon) and mentioned her passion for watercolor. ahhhh, that is also on my creativity to-do list. do you ever feel like there are so many creative excursions out there and it's hard to make them all happen? i just love dabbling in as many as possible.

take a moment this weekend to indulge your creative spirit: make a new sauce, try a new recipe, listen to a crafty podcast, visit a crafty blog, color, draw, knit, dance, sing, crochet, write in your journal, repot a plant, bake some cookies, add aromatherapy oil to your bath.

continuing educationed out

girls, i *finally* got to sleep in (a fave pasttime) and can tell today will be a good day despite the rain outside. last week i was in nyc for the yoga journal continuing education conference and got in 12 hours of yoga in 2 days. i took one day off from offical learning and had a 6-hour workshop the following day on entrepreneurship. i took 2 days off from playing student and then hit the getting things done all day conference in dc. i took 1 day off from absorbing new data and then hit an advanced blogging workshop last night at glenn echo park (oh my gosh - my new favorite place!).

anyway, when i scheduled all this i had no idea how much learning would take place in a one-week period. amazingly fun and exhausting. i have so many notes to compile and digest. promise to share them once i have time to get them down on paper and computer. was recently reminded that i have 5 book reports due (and, thus, 5 books to read) by next wednesday for my upcoming month-long teacher training. ahhhhhh! gotta get my reading on. not that that is really a dreaded task.

overscheduled anyone?

it's an absolutely gorgeous day here in dc and it's getting me so excited about what lies ahead. the past week has been a whirlwind from sun up to sun down and it will continue through sunday. if i can just make it through the next few days, i see open space in my planner next week and it makes me feel lighter. why do i schedule such an insane day? i'm the only one in control of my schedule so i'm trying to figure out why tomorrow's first meeting is at 7am and the last obligation ends at 10pm plus a 30-minute return home. hmmmm. this is a question to ponder. in addition, i feel guilty when people ask for a meeting and i respond, "oh, wednesday night is best? ok, my next wednesday night available is may 30 or july 11. preference?." ridiculous.

last night i had dinner with a friend who i hadn't sat down with for a solid year. she's recently married and mentioned how often she goes out and spends time with friends despite her partnership at a law firm and consistent yoga practice. i balked as i'd just spent an entire day at a getting things done seminar and i still can't seem to juggle all the exciting projects AND have see some friends without a year flying by. interestingly enough, at yesterday's seminar i realized that i was pretty darn organized and great at writing lists to get things out of my head and onto paper, but i gotta find that magic place between productive and tranquil.

over the weekend i led some of our new teachers-in-training through a discussion and practice of mindfulness and ethics. we discussed the challenges of being a teacher and how the saying that we teach what we most need to learn holds some truth. as i rushed into an acupuncture appointment a couple of years ago, i mentioned how i felt badly that i was a yoga teacher yet so stressed at times. she gracefully responded, "thank goodness you teach yoga. imagine what you'd be like if you didn't." genius! anyone else feeling overscheduled?

hip tranquil chick podcast #74: life organizing

The Pickle Player's temporarily down... click here to listen to this episode directly in your browser!

Welcome to the 74th edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat. Produced at the Pink Palace.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Jennifer Louden on life organization & more, along with a pose of the podcast, look of the podcast, added community corner, and more festive podsafe music! View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Jennifer Louden is a bestselling author of The Woman's Comfort Book, The Couple's Comfort Book, The Pregnant Woman’s Comfort Book, The Woman's Retreat Book, and Comfort Secrets for Busy Women with over 765,000 copies in print worldwide. Her newest book is the innovative process for creating a life you love entitled The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to A Mindful Year.

She's a certified coach, monthly columnist for Body+Soul magazine, a regular guest on Martha Stewart’s Living Sirius channel, and creator of learning events and retreats around the country. She's devoted to nurturing women to express their true creative power so they can help change the world.

Her work has been featured in dozens of magazines, including USA Today, O Magazine, Yoga Journal and her media appearances include Oprah, Later Today, FIT TV, and most major TV markets. Her blog, free e-zine, and podcast draw thousands of readers each month.

She's married to cinematographer Christopher Mosio and the mother of Lillian, soon to to be 13. They live on an island in the Pacific Northwest. Share a cup of virtual tea with Jen at jenniferlouden.com, comfortqueen.com and thelifeorganizer.com.

Pose of the Podcast: Reverse Warrior

Look of the Podcast: Skirt pant

Haute Stuff Shoppe: Shop online for the book, CD, leopard print scarf, or crystal tee.

Community Corner: Let me know what fun hip and tranquil events around the book and/or philosophy you have going on and I’ll share them here. Check out our new forum, desktop and ecards on our connect page!

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats:

Denver gals - workshops and book signing at Omtime in April.

All gals - Escape with me and like-minded women at our first HTC retreat in upstate NY in June and our first international excursion in Costa Rica in September. Details for all special events at hiptranquilchick.com.

Au Revoir: Share your hip tranquil chickness with me, request show ideas, or pass along feedback by e-mailing me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com. A reminder that we’re on MySpace and Frappr, so please connect with the community virtually there, too!

Have a burning question that you’d like hip and tranquil feedback on? E-mail me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com to have it featured and answered in our dear hip tranquil chick segment found on the blog.

To close out the show, we’re playing podsafe music by new and independent artists from Podsafe Music Network. Today’s selection is I’ve Been Told by Scanlan. You can learn more this week's featured artist, including how to get more of her music at Scanlan's MySpace page.

Thanks for joining me for the 74th edition of the HTC podcast.

You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!

New to podcasting? Get more info at Yahoo Podcasts.

Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.

Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.

west coast girls

before i dash off to bed i'm trying to clean up my insane inbox (amazing how backlogged things get due to a couple travel days combined with all-day meetings and workshops) and am hoping to determine the best time of the year to hit the west coast for a mini-tour. i've heard from a lot of you craving a little hip tranquil chickness and hope to hit: vancouver, seattle, portland, san francisco, la, and san diego (and any recommendations in between) over a 2-3 week period.

my possibilites are june 15-july 1, july 13-july 27, august 4-august 25, OR november 2 - november 17. i'd love to hit yoga studios to offer workshops and do book signings or even hip tranquil chick signature chariTea soirees/bookclubs during the weekdays in more intimate settings such as hip tranquil chick's homes, cafes, etc. if you live in or near these cities, i'd LOVE to hear the following:

1. recommended dates based on weather, vibe, etc. in your city for the available dates noted above
2. studios, bookstores, cafes that you recommend i contact regarding offering a workshop or hosting a signing
3. interest in helping to coordinate the mini tour in your city or surrounding city
4. interest in hosting a hip tranquil chick signature chariTea soiree in your home or business
5. any other words of wisdom you may have regarding the noted cities and this west coast adventure

**please send all the scoop to me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com

thank you in advance for all your input and for your enthusiasm in bringing hip tranquil chickness out west! xoxo

new york soiree

My New York excursion was all things hip and tranquil. As written by Lauren Cerand (who coordinated this soiree):

We had nearly forty people mingling over well-mixed drinks and sparkling conversation in Lolita's cozy downstairs lounge despite the appalling cold outside, and Mallory from New York's favorite independent feminist bookstore, Bluestockings, was on-site to sell copies of Hip Tranquil Chick (her magenta-hued hair, I am assured, was unintentionally complementary). Author Kimberly Wilson read a short section from the introduction and spoke briefly about how growing up in the Midwest with an author father, obtaining her master's degree in women's studies and starting her own thriving yoga studio in Washington, D.C. (plus related clothing line and foundation to support worthy local and national causes) inspired her to put pen to paper and write a conscientiously chic "yoga lifestyle" book for women like herself and her students and friends. Her agent, ZSH Literary's Jennifer Gates (who also represents heavy hitters such as feminine power guru Regena Thomashauer aka "Mama Gena" and Chris Gardner, author of the memoir The Pursuit of Happyness, which was recently made into a film starring Will Smith) was on hand to join the fun as well. All in all, a terrific evening--

After the festivities, I had 45 minutes to spare and, not one to waste a minute in New York, I headed to teany - Moby's tea house that I've read so much about. What a gem! Considering my fantasy of having a tea house someday, I was in awe. I nibbled on a blackcurrent scone and sipped rosebud tea that tasted like rosewater. I was in heaven and ready for my oh-so-interesting bus ride home. (If you've taken the Chinatown bus, you know what I mean).

There is SO much to share from my 12-hours of yoga. At the moment my body is pooped and in need of some TLC so I promise to formulate my thoughts and pass along the scoop shortly. Until then, a HUGE thanks to the NY crew who showed up in last night's chilly weather to celebrate all things hip and tranquil. Merci beacoup!

brighten your girlfriend's day

greetings from fabulous new york. sooooo excited about tonight's party and can't wait to meet some of you. my poor body is cooked from another 3-hour yoga adventure with rusty wells. back for another 3 hours in a few minutes. he's such an inspiring gem. i've taken lots of notes and will share them over the next few days. just listened to a 1-hour chat with 3 yoga teachers discussing the teaching of yoga. more to come.

in the meantime, i wanted to let you know about the additional feature we JUST added to the hip tranquil chick website: e-cards! send one to someone you know in need of a little dose of inspiration (who doesn't want that?). enjoy and have a delightful rest of your day. i'm loving seeing the connections made on the forums page, please let me know if you have any other suggestions or requests on items to add to our connect page as i am honored to see our community growing. keep shining, girls!

pearls of wisdom

my alarm went off at 4am, hopped in a cab at 4:25, and the excitement began. quick train ride up, arrived to my first session with rusty wells only 10 minutes late considering a minor train delay. not bad for a snowy morning during rush hour in nyc. the class was amazing - turns out he's from alabama, not arkansas - and he had us sing my fave govinda chant while he tapped his tambourine. a perfect way to start a thursday - 3 hours of yoga! then i listened to a discussion on yoga and took notes. rusty described vinyasa yoga as a blend of dance and prayer. what a PERFECT description.

forever a dance lover, i took my extra 30 minutes to run across the street to the a chorus line box office and got a ticket for tonight's show. i'm soooooo excited. when i was taking dance lessons in grade school and junior high, i used to love watching the movie to get motivated before my saturday morning classes. now i get to see it live and guarantee i'll be singing along. i'm like a proud mama in the audience. get tears in my eyes, the whole nine yards. even though i don't know a soul on broadway, i'm secretly very proud of them all!

it's crazy to do such a whirlwind trip in my favorite city. 6 more hours of yoga tomorrow, the book party in the lower east side, and then a bus ride that drops me back in dc at 3am. being here makes me feel electrified and paralyzed at the same time. so many options is stimulating and overwhelming at the same time. know what i mean? or is it just because i'm a girl from oklahoma?

i'm gaining numerous pearls of wisdom to bring back to the studio. hand placement - one teacher said middle finger forward in down dog and my second teacher of the day said index finger forward in down dog. it can be tricky to determine the best path for oneself with so many conflicting ideas. however, as noted in personalized practice (chapter 1 of htc), we're always changing and growing and just because the middle finger forward once worked for me, doesn't mean that i can't spice it up with the index finger.

isn't life like that? always playing with what we're told to determine what works best for us as we grow, get to know our bodies better, and gain more wisdom. gotta dash upstairs and get cleaned up so that i don't show up to tonight's production in the same yoga clothes i've been wearing since 4am! au revoir.

thursday book event in nyc!

dahlins, if you live in or around nyc, please join us for some fun THIS thursday night from 7-9pm at lolita bar - 266 broome street. (click on the image to enlarge and forward to friends)

i'll be up in new york for yoga journal's 2-day continuing education conference so this seemed the perfect time to connect with new york hip tranquil chicks. the event will feature a reading, gratis tasty vegetarian treats, happy hour drink specials, and a raffle. i can't wait to meet you. please feel free to bring friends. dress: your signature style, of course!

i can't wait to share with you my experience at the yoga conference as i have three classes with one of my fave teachers - rusty wells. he is an absolute gem with such a sweet spirit (i understand he's originally from arkansas - how can you not be nice??)

hip tranquil chick forum launched!

dearest hip tranquil chicks,

you asked for it and we created it. check out your very own forum at hiptranquilchick.com's connect page. i hope you love it and let me know if you'd like additional forum topics added. i am absolutely honored and delighted to have so many fabulous femmes connecting with this message of yoga, creativity, social consciousness, and flair as a lifestyle. enjoy!

hip tranquil chick podcast #73: beading 101

click play to hear this episode... or click here to listen to older shows!

Welcome to the 73rd edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat. Back in DC at the Pink Palace.

Today’s podcast is on beading 101, along with a pose of the podcast, look of the podcast, added community corner, and more festive podsafe music! View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Amy Bertha is the artist behind the TranquiliT jewelry line. The jewelry line was launched at the Tranquil Space boutique in August of 2006 and has been extremely popular with boutique shoppers. Jewelry making is a creative outlet for Amy, who studied Chemistry and German in college. In her "day job" she works for the Food and Drug Administration as a Project Manager in the part of the FDA that grants approvals to new pharmaceutical drugs. Before moving to Washington DC 2 years ago, Amy lived in Germany, Switzerland and Connecticut, where she worked for large pharmaceutical companies, practiced her German and met her husband while racing sailboats.

Pose of the Podcast: Warrior 2

Look of the Podcast: Tie top, leggings, cami, capelet – check out our new homepage – celebrating women’s history month!

Community Corner: Check out our new forum and desktop. E-cards coming this week! Watch for it under the “connect” page of HTC.

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Host a Hip Tranquil Chick Signature ChariTea Soiree! The downloadable PDF has is a toolkit for leading a hip and tranquil book club! All hip tranquil chicks who agree to host a soiree in 2007 will be sent a lovely leopard-print headband and scarf as a host gift.

NY gals - New York Book Launch Party on Thursday, March 8 at Lolita.

Denver gals - workshops and book signing at Omtime in April.

All gals - Escape with me and like-minded women at our first HTC retreat in upstate NY in June and our first international excursion in Costa Rica in September. Details for all special events at hiptranquilchick.com.

Au Revoir: Share your hip tranquil chickness with me, request show ideas, or pass along feedback by e-mailing me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com. A reminder that we’re on MySpace and Frappr, so please connect with the community virtually there, too!

Have a burning question that you’d like hip and tranquil feedback on? E-mail me at kimberly@hiptranquilchick.com to have it featured and answered in our dear hip tranquil chick segment found on the blog.

To close out the show, we’re playing podsafe music by new and independent artists from Podsafe Music Network. Today’s selection is That's the Dro by Anthems of a Bygone Era. You can learn more this week's featured artist, including how to get more of their music at myspace.com/abe.

Thanks for joining me for the 73rd edition of the HTC podcast. Namaste.

You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!

New to podcasting? Get more info at Yahoo Podcasts.

Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.

Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.

happy march - retreat bound

uh oh, with all this excitement on getting to bed early and rising earlier, i'm already overdue. not by much but "date night" (occasional movie and/or nights with beau) set me back. however, i'm determined to jump back on the bandwagon in the morning with an early rise as i have to get prepared for dashing off to central virginia to lead a yoga retreat (and be unavailable via cell or Internet alllll weekend).

this evening i spoke at the women's entrepreneurial leadership program at george washington university and had such an engaging group of undergrad and graduate students. such a treat. i always feel so blessed to connect with other women passionate about creating communities, making a difference, and serving others. then i rushed off to teach my fabulous yoga 3ers.

last night i took a yoga class that i'd been trying to get to for months and during the practice i decided that i needed a personal trainer. you know, someone to make me do that one more chaturanga or try that variation on eagle legs in headstand. left to my own devices, my home practice isn't over the top challenging and i take a quick express class at the studio to fit everything into my day. so, in order to get conditioned for my upcoming 1-month teacher training, i contacted a local fabulous teacher to do weekly private sessions followed by a massage.

since i made my teleclass participants set aside two hours to do something good for themselves this week, i decided that i, too, should take the challenge. and i've got it scheduled until i leave april 22. can i encourage you, too, to jump on the self-care bandwagon? i hope you have a delightful weekend. stay tuned for a fabulously fun podcast coming on sunday!