Category: From the Blog

BUT NOW I HAVE ACHIEVED PERFECT BALANCE IN MY LIFE.

It’s a bold statement, I know, but it’s true.

See, I almost quit the LoveStrong45 challenge because I didn’t think anyone was that interested.

A few of you were participating and then I lost track of the dates… and also forgot to award the gifts each week.

But then something cool happened.

Now before you feel down about signing up and then letting it go… Let me tell you what actually happened:

I got off to a strong start… as did many of you. And then we lost track of the dots. (Card design malfunction). 🙄
That alone is telling about the way our brains work (see below) and why challenges actually do work.

Challenges kickstart something in us. But the real challenge… is getting the end result. 

Even if you pivot part way through. As all the sages say… Just keep your eye on the prize. Or… Begin with the End in mind.

I actually did keep up with all of my challenges. Still today. I’m still drinking all the water, meditating, getting my steps outside, getting to sleep earlier and limiting my scrolling significantly (I’m only connected to tech during the hours 9am-9pm at most). The only part I didn’t keep up… was the dots.

So how did this create perfect balance in my life? Well the challenge combined with a new puppy inspired me (forced me) to get super organized. And Charlie joined right in!  He sleeps 10 hours a night, lounges while I meditate and LOVES getting his steps outside with me, rain or shine. He naps while I work and again when I teach.

I think this challenge gives us both the structure and attention we thrive in.

So now with a new morning routine plus a puppy to keep me on task and sleeping well…. I feel more balanced and creative today than ever. (for now anyways 😉)

Our brains appreciate lists, targets, focus and rewards. But our minds thrive in creativity, joy and freedom. We need both.  And I’ll refer back to my not-so-secret crush, Dr. Andrew Huberman, for all things dopamine to back me up on this:  A little structure for the brain, gives our minds the freedom to pivot in order to reach our goals.

Bottom line:
Even if you didn’t dot your cards, BUT you walk more, drink more, sleep better, stress less, worry less, enjoy pockets of peace or feel more balanced…. you win! Congrats!

Thank you to those who let me know that it made a difference for you. If you kept up with the challenge, or it helped in some, please let me know!

And if you don’t feel great… start your own challenge right now. Tell me about it, maybe I’ll join you.
The whole point was to feel better throughout the holidays. I’m well on my way, I hope you are too.

p.s. Sunday will be 45 days! ; )

How exactly is that you might ask? 

Well.. if you practice and I’m assuming if you’re reading this you have practiced at least once somewhere, if not with me.
And teaching yoga essentially evolves through this three part journey.

1. Practice Yoga for yourself.
2. Learn the foundational concepts.
3. Share with anyone who asks.

1. Most of us came to this practice for our own practice. A journey of self discovery, healing, fitness, curiosity, relaxation, spirituality, etc.

2. Many of us found that as we learned more, we felt extraordinary results like a deeper sense of calm, a strong physical form, less anxiety, or an overall satisfaction with exploring this life. And others began to notice. Spouses encouraged each other to go to yoga. Coworkers asked to come along. Families saw a new braver side of us.

3. Some of us then felt called to immerse ourselves and create a lifestyle around moving, breathing, stillness, awareness, and energetic flow.  In doing this, it naturally inspires questions from friends like:  Why meditate? Why Plank? How to Relax? What are Chakras? When to skip Savasana? (never). And in sharing those answers… you inevitably sparked a little curiosity. You may have inspired someone to try.

Medical communities are now, not only validating these practices… they’re stealing them! 😉

In her new book ‘Peak Mind’ by Amishi Jha, Phd, she introduces her 12 minute practice designed to help focus your mind so you can make better choices.

Guess what the practice is??? It’s Breathing, Body Scan, Stillness and Metta Meditation, which has been around forever! What??!!  I thought I invented this practice. ; ).

(This is however, where I never miss a chance to remind you that I did invent crouching warrior 3 and warrior 1.5).

So if the ancients and the modern medical world both agree on the powerful effects these practices have on every being… shouldn’t we ALL be practicing, learning and sharing it? Just Imagine having learned cool focus techniques as a child, how to truly LET GO as a teen or how to deeply relax as a young adult? Game changers!

The outline below is a very broad view of the yoga training I’ve created from decades of study and practice, I have surpassed the 10k hour mark in this practice and continually expand so that our training is never outdated or irrelevant. It also exceeds the Yoga Alliance requirements in all areas and has produced some of the best teachers on the planet!

Together, We can change the landscape of how human beings learn to handle stress and build resilience.

And it doesn’t have to be upside down on a mat.

We’ve heard that old adage forever… but rarely do the things we do, have, love, use, give… happen in moderation. Which is why many of us have embraced the yogic lifestyle of
creating balance.

And how we do that is through all the tiny transformations that come from this practice. Hundreds, if not thousands of them… but I boil it down to about 16.

For the first time in my life… I feel the pressure of this constant barrage of imbalances. (It’s making me miss my blissfully unaware 70s).

I mean, Aren’t we all asking ourselves how much more of this we can take??

These Big life transformations have a way of altering our perceptions and leading us to re-evaluate our life choices. (I think it’s called Growth?). Big things like turning 40 or 50, (heck maybe even some of you turning 30 get this), losing a parent, empty nesting, moving, divorcing, marrying, losing or finding a dog, losing Tom Petty, a world wide catastrophe, and small business challenges during said catastrophe, etc.

And I realize this pales in comparison to my grandmother’s big life transformations – being born in the 20s. You know… things like War. Multiple wars, her husband dying of polio, being left with two small children, starting her own business, family fallout, the invention of the TV, the microwave, the internet… she loved playing scrabble on the internet. She went from drawing a line up the back of her leg with eyeliner (to look like she could afford nylons), to having a big screen, her own computer and facebook account.

So… regardless of how frustrating the world is right now, regardless of how many days we have left in this LOVESTRONG45 challenge (26!)… I continually encourage myself to keep going. Because challenging myself to keep going makes me stronger, smarter, braver and… healthier.

Everyone knows that being super healthy right now gives us better odds of feeling great and thriving in the midst of this chaos.
And it doesn’t have to be this LoveStrong challenge that does it.

You could make any of these TinyTransformations  anytime, to feel a huge impact on your health and wellness.

Everything from low energy and your mood to back pain, anxiety or sleep struggles.

I may not get all 7 dots, every single day in this challenge.. but as Michelle said… she ended up sticking with her Top 3 most important goals and to her and that’s been even more successful!  I love that.

So, I’ll keep going – I’ll draw lines on the back of my legs if I have to… because I LOVE this practice and feeling healthy enough to thrive in whatever chaos come our way.

Yoga for Anxiety
Tuesday, 9/14 @ 7:00pm

The only reason I teach this class is because Six years ago in the span of two weeks, 5 people came to the studio and told me they were there because of anxiety. I would have preferred to leave my experience with anxiety firmly in my past.

But since I had spent almost a decade in my 20s struggling with severe anxiety attacks, I knew how this practice could make a difference.  (And by the way, I was told this would be something I’d have to ‘manage’ for the rest of my life).

I haven’t had even an inkling of anxiety in over 23 years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This year, I put everything I’ve learned online in a way that makes sense, is easy to access, simple to practice. And Fun!

Start with The LIVE workshop next Tuesday night!
In studio and/or on Zoom
Click here to Register or to see the Outline
16 spots available

Things you’ll discover for yourself:

If you practice what’s covered in the workshop, that will be enough to feel significant relief. But if, like me, you want to learn more with 4 weekly practice sessions, personal training and more specific techniques, you can join the 4 week Anxiety Relief Training to really make an impact and retrain your system so you don’t have to think about this day to day.

Over 40 million people in the US struggle with severe anxiety. And that’s only counting those over 18. (I don’t know why but that’s the stats). Sadly, Only 30% will ever even seek treatment due to mental health stigmas. Let’s change that.

One breath at a time.

p.s.

I was given the most precious gift. An early birthday gift.

And in honor of National Dog’s Day, I’d like to introduce you to him today…

Meet Charlie Karma. (and a few of his sweet siblings!)

He has a puppy breath message for you. 

He’s going to be at the studio next week when we Re-Open on Wednesday, September 1st.

But you can’t just drop in.

You MUST sign up ahead of time because we only have 10 spots per class. (Click above on WALLA to sign in)

WHY?  State mandates. 

Charlie has a more URGENT message though….

Without you…. we can’t re-open.

Listen, Charlie, here…. I hope I’m not barking up the wrong tree here… but Suzanne’s chasing her tail a bit. I think she might be a little wound up. I suggested deep breathing.

But she offered to take all my siblings! I’ve been cooped up with 9 brothers and sisters and I was really hoping for a place of my own. But if she’s not able to teach yoga… she’s going to build little Air BnB units for dogs in her backyard!!! Do you KNOW how many puppies I’ll have to deal with? I heard her say each unit would have its own skylights? (seriously, I’m concerned).

Look here’s the bare bones: We all know that yoga has been proven to lower stress responses like barking, blood pressure, itching, inflammation and jumping anxiety.

We all also know that Suzanne was a slight germaphobe to begin with and that the studio is one of the cleanest places on the planet. (also why she hasn’t had a dog for 7 years).

Remember there is 2000 sq ft of tail waggin’ space, 3 doors – wide open escape routes, new air filters, air conditioning and fans.

And while I’m fairly small, there will be free PUPPY Therapy for the next few months!

There will also be shorter classes, potty breaks, limited spaces, fancy masks and lots of treats. I can’t wait to show off my savasana! I’ve got that doooowwwwnnn.

Plus they’re filming new classes every week for the online library. I hope I get my own Instagram! #charliekarma #LoveCharlie. Don’t steal that… I chewed up my phone and haven’t got a new one yet.

And please for the Love of God, Please take one of my siblings before she does!

Easy boy… okay, Suzanne here. Charlie’s right. We need you if this is going to work this time. I know we’ve been at this for a while. But it’s not sustainable without you. So please click above and sign into Walla. Sign up for classes and let us know you’re coming back. Or that you’re onboard online.

And if you’re really good, and don’t bitch about the masks I’ll bring treats for you too. ; )

As always, let me know if I can help with anything. Tech? Passes? Purchases?

(Click above on WALLA to sign in or message me for a personal phone tutorial)

LOOOOOOOK at these faces! I can’t even….

If you know me at all, you know I love my acronyms.
PFEs, BFDs, and now PLT. (explained below)

Because of my own PLT, I feel a little unstoppable right now.

The way I see it, for me, I’ve lived through 3 levels of Mental Capacity:
Coping, Surviving & Thriving.

• I spent many years full of anxiety and just coping.

• Then I learned to let go of the past, keep going…
  and getting through things – surviving.

• And in a pinch with the pandemic, I used every bit of training I’ve ever had to switch gears quickly, let go of what was, keep going forward and start thriving.  (Yes, there were low moments of chaos and confusion- but I’ve let those go ; )

Overall, my PLT and my yoga practice helped me thrive when I could have easily folded.

I now have a business that survived 2020. We have a growing community of returning and new yoga enthusiasts that seem genuinely interested in the practice for their own mental toughness, not just their planks.

If you had told me two years ago that I would have to find a way to get through an upcoming global pandemic, lose most of my business, learn completely new skills via midnight, YouTube, crash courses and do all this isolated from others, I would have told you that I was most definitely not prepared for that, nor did I have the mental capacity to survive that.

However…… Fortunately for me, I have had decades of PLT for just such a challenge.

And you probably did too if you’re reading this.

I’m talking about Personal Life Training. (PLT)

PLT is real Life experiences of getting through challenging things. Things like school, divorce, relocation, parenting, job loss, challenging relationships, financial concerns, health challenges and more!

(Notice I never use the words problem, struggle or trouble. Because for me that feels harder). But ‘Challenge’ feels like someone told me No and I’m determined to prove them wrong. Immature? Perhaps. Does it work? I’m still here. (humble shrug) ; )

I have spent decades practicing yoga – and I’m not talking about tree pose. I’m talking about breathing slow, to calm my nerves so I can think clearly and respond well in challenging situations. Like a car accident, a sleepless night, losing family, menopause or a pandemic.

I still have to practice letting some things go, being kind instead of sarcastic and truly going with the flow. But it’s so much easier than it was even just a few years ago. Because I train. I practice. And I hang out with others who do the same.  It helps.

Do you cope, survive or thrive in most cases? Are you prepared for whatever comes your way? My guess is yes – to some degree – because we ALL know that what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger, right?  But you can stack the deck in your favor with a little training.

Come train with us and fine tune your PFE (Pleasant Facial Expression) and your BFD (Big fancy dismount – when you topple out of tree pose).

Our Summer Splash Pass is the absolute best way to jumpstart your Summer and start training with Love. And our Fall Yoga Training is the best way to hang with others who love this practice. (Teaching not required to hang out – check out the 100 hour option)

Here’s a little update on what’s been happening at Love and where we’re headed.
We’ve been figuring things out as we re-open and seeing how it goes.

THIS is WHY we practice.

Because when eveything is changing on a day to day basis, as it has the last few months/year, we know how hard it is to keep our balance.
But we’re back on the mats and we’re balancing . . . and we’re here for you too.