Why I Yoga...

Feeling completely annoyed.
Accepting circumstances that are out of my hands is one of the hardest challenges to my peace of mind.
The ability to let go, release control, and move on;
It’s why I yoga.
I need to hit the mat!

I Need Meditation

My mind is too tired for words.
Struggling to silence the noise;
Ready for my yoga mat.

Wake Up!

The deeply implanted linen line marking my cheek is a quick giveaway;
I slept in this morning.
I skipped my daily rituals and I’m rushing to yoga;
Where I’ll probably go back to sleep on my mat.

Finding Me...

A subtle shift in my outlook has me feeling hopeful and revived today.
I smiled a simple, unforced smile at myself in the mirror while I was shaving and I remembered how positive and full of light I can be.
It’s a choice to be present and positive;
Darkness, doubt, fear, and anger are all readily accessible; seeking a target who is willing to spend more living in the past––I refuse to give in without a vicious fight––and find my way to the present.
I have no concern for how many times I will re-learn this lesson (as often as it takes to find balance and a brighter outlook), it’s my mission to live in the present with unconditional love, fearlessness, and Faith.

Room For Health...

Push-ups on my hotel room floor are no substitute for my down-ward dog;
But it does the trick when you cannot get to a room that has been adequately heated and saturated with the perfect blend of humidity and hot bodies (literally and figuratively).

Clearing Back Debris

I just walk our property with a new landscape team;
You never realize how overgrown and ugly your property is, until you have a specialist open your eyes to the weeds, overgrowth, and dead weight.
It was a metaphor for the internal emotional and mental struggles I’m dealing with.
I accepted that it was time to give my heart, mind, and soul and good pruning today; which will be my focus in yoga––clearing back the overgrown fears, doubts, and weeds.

Work Through It...

Fighting off the demons in my mind with drowning love and acceptance;
Escaping the reflection in the mirror through breath and inner peace;
Batteling the temptation to give into darkness––I seek light in the present.

Yoga

Stretching the mind;
While expanding the body.
Inner peace on a mat;
I grow like a tree, deeply rooted in calm, strong, presence.

Enlightened Thought

While meditating in yoga class yesterday, it occurred to me that people spend a lot of energy and money on “aging gracefully”––in a moment of clarity I realized that the focus should be on “living gracefully.”
That simple, yet powerful switch in my focus allows me the space to evolve into the most enlightened person I can be, as long as I walk (or wheel) the earth.
“I’m not aging––I’m living.”

Surrender

The holiday season ushers in the end of the year;
A time of gratitude, reflection, resolution, and faith.
I always start each year off with a theme or word to visualize and meditate on.
As I gather my thoughts for 2017 the word “surrender” continues to present itself; in conversation, while I’m reading, and during yoga.
Why is it so much easier to absorb ideas while lying in shavasana?
When the mind is still and the heart is content––when all that remains is breath,
I find my surrender.
Now, if only I could figure out how to incorporate the energy into my daily life––without obsessing over checklists, resolutions, and overachieving.
I need to surrender to my OCD, and just be.

Sunday

S

U

N

D

A

Yoga

The other letters don't matter after yoga.

Welcome Back, to Life.

Nothing like the sound of leaf blowers and dump trucks to remind you that you’re no longer on vacation.
Back in Los Angeles and back to the grind––of my teeth from all of the noise I’ve returned to.
Vacation can be a distraction from life, but the truth is, I’m happy to be home.
Creativity calls––and so does the yoga studio; time to work off the five pounds (okay ten...) I gained in Hawaii.
Life is back in session.

Yoga Sculpt

I can get in touch with my Zen;
While toning my gut,
Now that’s enLIGHTENment.

Random Thoughts.

It’s midday and I’ve done very little;
Searching for creativity or motivation can be challenging on a Friday.

Programmed childhood patterns remind us that the weekend is near.
I want to be successful––at letting go.

Balance comes naturally; sometimes.
And then there are those moments when you have to force a hand.

Now, I’m going to force myself downward;
Dog––in yoga.
Maybe then I’ll have a clear mind and return to what I love.

Back on the Mat

After traveling for five weeks straight––with very little time for meditation or exercise; I’m looking forward to getting back into yoga.
It’s time to get downward-dog and get upward with my spirits.
The calming, peaceful, grounded experience that transcends work, ambition, and stress;
When I’m back on the mat––my life makes sense.

Truth on Tour: Day 4

Our show finished early yesterday; I stepped outside the theater door and I thought I was going to evaporate True Blood style.
It was a rare and precious opportunity to get outside while it was still light; not willing to waste a moment––I gathered with an intimate group of friends and we walked along the River Walk.
When I write “walk”, what I should mention is that dancers never walk, we choreographed an impromptu show––yoga video shoot included––while Plus-sized tourists gathered in curiosity; less like a zoo, more like a car accident.
After our spectacular spectacle we decided to enjoy a fancy dinner at an upscale (and delicious) American bistro.
I gorged on a steak that was prepared to perfection: with a ton of butter and salt; as passer-byes would stop and ask, “Are you those yoga people?”
Yes, I’d mumble with salty carcass falling from my mouth; it was a great night!

Zen Accountability

In an effort to stay present on tour, while also finding time to exercise my body and my mind, I'm going to start a new social media experiment; which will encourage me to meditate and simultaneously maintain my mental and physical strength.
#TenMinuteYogaOnTour
The idea is simple: Whether I’m in an airport waiting for a connecting flight or in the Green Room waiting to go on stage; there is no reason why I cannot find ten minutes in every day to be mindful.  The bonus is that I can stay connected socially and encourage others to take positive steps in their mental, physical, and spiritual health, too.
I haven’t worked out all of the details, and I’m not entirely certain how to incorporate an interactive social presence––but like every new adventure, the path will become clear once I start the journey.
Regardless of the success of this new yoga based social experiment; I know that I will stay accountable and aware of my overall health––and that is a Zensation!

Proof I'm No Longer In My Twenties

Watching Saturday's episode of SNL at 6:30 AM & then heading to yoga. 

Yoga Is Life

Yoga is the breath;
Body, soul and universe––
My life is balanced.

Yoga

Body and mind at peace;
Or at least breathing through the fact that I stuffed my face yesterday and I want to feel good about myself today.