mindful monday

image from page 16 of mindful

welcome to a new week. i got up at 6:45, meditated for 20 minutes, and have been on a roll ever since. this early bird is catching a worm i tell you. ommmm.

delighted in a weekend filled with yoga, chez moi organization, and a deep falling in love with the great gatsby. the movie. the fashion. the soundtrack. look for inspiration flowing into TranquiliT's fall collection. i'm a big fan of 20s style. so feminine, flowy, and flair-filled.

i also began doing a bit of packing for paris as i leave next monday evening {eek!}. above is a shot of the artist toolkit i'll be hauling for the art and yoga retreats plus my own artist dates while living in the city of light.

after teaching and taking yoga last night, i biked to the kennedy center for a solo artist date with the hemingway ballet. i was absolutely blown away. truly mesmerizing. well done, washington ballet.

as i prepare for my final seven days in town, i'm using my yoga and meditation practice to stay grounded. it's a true savior. so is mindful breathing and it's a tool we always have with us.

when i came across the above piece in mindful magazine, i knew it would be perfect to share in this column. if you read the article, you'll find that there are actually a top five list of regrets shared by those dying: 

- had the courage to live a life true to myself

- hadn't worked so hard

- been brave enough to express my feelings 

- stayed in touch with my friends

- let myself be happier

do any of these resonate with you right now? 

the palliative nurse who collected this data states, "my biggest lesson was learning to be gentle with myself and not get caught up in judgments, as we're all conditioned to do." hmmmm. 

doesn't that feel like a good reminder? be gentle with yourself. mindfulness at its core is paying attention sans judgment. let's make that a mantra this week, shall we? bisous. x