Fav Posts from 2014

Fav Posts from 2014
December 31, 2014 Jess

Well it seems like everywhere I turn today I’m seeing Best Of articles.  Best times of 2014 and the worst. Things to do in 2015 and things not to do.  After taking time to read many of these posts and lists I figure I’ll jump on the Year in Review wagon.

Thank you for tuning in! I look forward to sharing more in 2015. Namaste.

Self Care:

What 5 months out from Ironman looks like:

First time leading a race and actually got 3rd place overall:

Fetch A Dream In 2014
I mentioned this idea of fetching a dream in my last post because truly, this is the perfect time of year to leap into something you’ve always dreamed of doing. Regardless of what you think about New Year’s resolutions, we cannot deny that there is an abundance of change and renewal in the air. As with the holidays of the last several weeks there is also great momentum towards celebration and joy. And just in case you needed another reason, remember we’re still in that major awakening cycle that started in 2012. Read On

Love Transcends Time & Space.
The alarm rang strong early Saturday morning alerting us to get up and shake a leg.  Our 1st race of the season, a local half iron distance triathlon was in the not so distant future.  I sat for meditation. First I looked outward to take in the sounds of the day.  I heard the trees gently wrestle in the breeze and noticed that the birds had yet to begin their morning symphony.  The Goat Island fog horn faded in and out with bouts of complete silence in between.  The morning felt calm and so did I but as I turned my focus inward I felt great loss hanging heavy in my heart.  It had been just four days since Harrison, our 12 year old golden retriever, completed his journey in this life and the wounds were still fresh. I settled in and watched as more sadness left my body. Read On

Be A Beginner & Set Yourself Free
It was the first day of yoga teacher training when my egoic dismantling commenced and my truth began to shine. For me, it all boils down to a combination of words that are etched deeply into the first page of my yoga notebook. “I don’t know” is the highest state of intelligence. Read On

The Importance Of Community
When Beej and I decided to move back to Newport after nine years in Boulder, we knew we were coming home.  It’s hard to believe that it’s been just shy of four years since we turned the key to start our journey east and the Subie didn’t start.  Determined to stay on task, we got a jump and off we moved, kids in tow.  Lhasa with a torn ACL and a $1,000 custom brace ‘to get her back home safely’, Weke our domestic sized panther and Harry, the sweetest boy ever.  The journey was smooth for the most part despite a disturbing night in a handicap room at a Motel 6. We landed in Newport nevertheless and settled into our changes. Read On

Health, Happiness & Feeling Worthy Of It All
We have a sign in our training area that says BELIEVE, it is perched on the shelf above our bikes. I don’t notice it often but when I do I always seem to fall into a few moments of contemplation. During my ride this morning, I happened to glance up at it and experienced the same.  Trite as this piece of decor may be, I love the reminder it gives me.  Believe in myself, at all times, without reservation.  Go all in when it comes to living my life to the fullest, no matter how scared it makes me sometimes.  We must believe that we are worthy, perfect beings just the way we are right now.  Believing that we have the right to reap the benefits of a joyful, healthful and vibrant life is key. Beliefs such as these help us get closer to our center and our truth. Read On

The Skill That Changed My Life
I remember the first yoga class I ever took with vivid memories.  It was a Hatha class and one of the most challenging experiences of my life.  Actually, I hated it.  I remember glaring at the instructor with a gaze hot enough to burn holes into her skull while being overtaken by an unrelenting want to get out of the pose we were holding.  It was Warrior II and I was in a full-on battle.  My mind was hurling into the future in an incessant stream of thought, my body was a burning inferno of intolerable sensation and my ego was getting bitched slapped with the reality of my strength or lack thereof.  Nevertheless, I refused to be defeated by simple stagnate holds. I was more powerful than yoga, I was in control or so I thought. I stayed the course and completed the class including savasana, which felt like a huge waste of time. I left in a huff and despite the sheer anger that I was feeling I couldn’t deny that I felt better.  This only deepened my anger.  I fought that experience with every cell in my being but afterwards something told me to go back and try again. Read On

Ironman Lake Placid – Yoga Skills In Action
With a pang of hunger in my belly and unattached time goals in my head, I turned out the lights at 7:45pm and fell into the best sleep I’ve ever had the night before a race.  At 3:15am my alarm rang, I moved unsteadily in the dark towards the kitchen, working to open my eyes and focus my vision.  My body needed to catch up to my spirit which had already sprung into full inspiration for my impending adventure.  I fumbled around as I prepared a calculated mixture of applesauce, banana and protein powder. A meal the continues to prove unchallenged in digestibility and ease in my belly.  Making sure that I get it all down 3.5 hours before the race start is key to its success.  Along with this, 24oz of sport drink and quiet moments of stillness. Read On

Getting Onto Yourself
I am 2 weeks post surrender and I’m finally feeling back to normal.  With that, I’m experiencing a renewed hope and excitement for what’s to come in the next few months.  And with that, I’m hearing a constant reminder to stay present and not jump too far into the future.  Thanks to the best jobs in the world, I am constantly teaching presence to others and most importantly listening to myself as I teach.  I tend to be the type of person that doesn’t just talk the talk, I have to also walk the walk. People, especially my massage clients, often say to me, something to the effect of, ‘I want your life for a week, you’re so relaxed and calm’.  My response, ‘Right. That’s because I work everyday to be more relaxed and calm. My job is to be present’. Read on.

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