New Year. New You. New Possibilites.

HAPPY 2014!

 

There really is something refreshing about the beginning of a new year.  The possibilities seem endless.  My goal for 2014 is to maintain that optimism throughout all 365 days, and not just one month of the year.

 

I found a list of things that Ben and I wanted to accomplish in 2013.  To be honest, some of those items did not make it to February, but one item in particular caught my attention:

 

Don't give up on yoga - be consistent.

 

Holy namaste. That bullet point literally meant for me to have a more consistent/daily practice. Little did I know at this time last year that 2013 would be the year that my long-term dream of becoming certified in yoga would happen. I had to laugh at myself because I had totally forgotten that I wrote it. You never know when your seemingly small New Year's resolution will become a life-changing chapter in your life.

I think it's important not to overlook the joy of the journey due to an excess of goal orientation.
-Lama Surya Das

 

What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?  What are you afraid of?  I'm usually afraid of failing.  I will withhold from goals simply because I don't want to give myself the opportunity to crash and burn. It's stupid, really. Yeah, I won't 'fail', but the goal is purposeless because I've already allowed myself to give up. It's a lose-lose situation! (Palm to forehead...duh!)  Well, guess what? So what if I fail?  That means I actually went for something. I would rather look back and say I tried, rather than look back and wonder "what if?". Nothing ever happens with no purpose behind it. Even if you "fail", I have no doubt that you will learn something extremely valuable in the process. It's funny how looking back, your vision is 20/20 as to why things happen the way they did.
 

One of the many obstacles I am going to face in 2014 is learning to fall.  Now, this might sound silly without being prefaced. Back in the day, this girl was a back-flipping, flexible as Gumby, sparkly, competitive cheerleader.  I could sleep in a split and tumble on command.  I think that's why yoga landed with me so quickly. I feel like I'm back in my flyer days!
 

With age has come the unwanted awareness of common sense, and what could happen if I messed up and got hurt.  Slowly but surely, this fear has taken over my confidence, and has left me holding back in poses. Through my years of yoga, I have been trying to get back to that place of control and trust in myself.
 

That is exactly what I am going to do. I am holding myself accountable by making it public that I will face my fears this year! Why wait?  The time is now for new dreams, new possibilities and new adventures. Also time for new face-plants, new laughter at myself for falling (hopefully not on a cat--see picture), and new realizations that learning to overcome fears is one of the greatest parts of life.

You know what? In the picture above, I wasn't trying to turn my inversion practice into a backbending/heart-opening one.  So many times when I'm inverted, my junk in the trunk likes to be the boss and I plummet over. (Not gracefully, either). This fall used to scare me because it was a blind fall. I had lost trust in the playfulness of my own practice. I decided, if I'm going to fall, carpet wouldn't hurt as much.  I kept working on my inversion practice, and if i fell, I would make something out of it!

 

Right on schedule, I fell. :)  I realized that I could either get frustrated or I could fall into Viparita Dandasana (Inverted Staff Pose-with straight legs one day) which could lead into Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana  (One-legged inverted staff pose), which could lead into forearm wheel preps, ending in Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel/Inverted Bow pose).

 

Huh...who knew a "fall" could be so productive and fun.

Don't give up! It's a new year with limitless possibilities! Common sense, although important, is not always a the best thing.  Be smart, and don't be too afraid to live. If you fall, get up and try again! I can guarantee you that I will be falling right there with you! We can laugh together as we grow and prepare to go for it again!

 

Like life, yoga is a process; a journey. A never-ending one at that. It is not just about a posture, but the perseverance of learning your way into a posture that is half the fun.

 

Life is a journey, not a destination.

 -Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Namaste & God Bless!

Kristen

 

 

The Present of Presence



If change means moving toward what's right, you have no other option. Move.
-Chuck Swindoll

 How many things can you get done in one day?  Many of us can get a whole lot done in twenty-four hours.  It's pretty impressive with technology (that is supposed to bring us more free time), that we can still find time to be the busiest people on the planet...filling every moment of every day with something!  I've been convicted during this Christmas season on how I am spending my hours.  With a full time job, yoga, running, relationships, a house, pets, the holidays, etc., time has become even more precious than ever. Even when I do have a second to spare, I spend it thinking about what I "should" be doing to be more productive. How in the heck does one person make time for it all?!

 

Here's a thought: Maybe we're not supposed to!

Whoa. What a concept. Maybe it's okay if we don't do everything that just has to be done.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying skip work because you need to focus on being lazy.  What I am suggesting is to be fruitful at work, and be fruitful about not working when you are not at the office. Be present wherever you are at any given moment, not looking at your watch while contemplating everything else that needs to be done.  When you are with your family/loved ones, be with them fully. That means all eyes, ears and mind. When you are taking time to take care of your temple, be there fully and loving the body you were created with instead of beating yourself over what you ate (and enjoyed) earlier. When you actually have time to do nothing (I know...these times a few, but they do exist), be there in mind and spirit, and enjoy it.

Pause, Reflect, Refresh & Refuel.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
-Psalm 32:8

Everything that truly needs to be done, can still be done...in it's own time. Once you begin to take care of yourself with quiet times of reflection and stillness, you might actually be more productive in the list of things that you need to get done during the day, whether it be at the office, running errands, doing laundry, or walking the dog...you get my drift.





When you relinquish then you expand. -Zen master Dennis Genpo Merzel

 

What do you need to relinquish to be present?  Not just present in a "yoga class" kind of way, but present in life?  I used to think this was a simple task.  Just focus, right? Wrong.  I might be focused on a million and one things throughout my day...is that really being present?  Nope.
Usually, running and yoga are my escapes from over-thinking, but the older I get, the more that sacred time is spent fretting about work, errands, did I pay that bill?  I know I need to start relinquishing "things" that give me a badge of honor in the business category, and stop to smell the roses of relationships, quiet time with God, and simply quiet moments to refresh the mind and refuel the spirit. It's time to go against the American grain. Instead of seeing how much I can fit into 24 hours, I am going to make time to expand my life by relinquishing things that do not serve me.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! Take time to truly be with those you love. If you can take time away from work, enjoy it. Don't stress about things that are out of your control.  My goal is to take my own advice this year as well. :)
 

Namaste & God Bless!

Kristen

"Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy"

 

Hang in there!

We are tied to what we hate or fear.

-Swami Prabhavananda 

As many of you know, I also have a love of running.  There is a good chance I would be consistently injured if it weren't for yoga.  I've been an athlete my entire life, and a consistent yoga practice has certainly protected my body from further injuries. That being said, there are still postures in yoga that I avoid or sneak out of (quick fix of the hair or water break...) all the time because I am a runner, with awesomely awkward hips!

 

Seriously, I have a common issue (that most people aren't even aware that they have) called Piriformis Syndrome. In normal people terms, that basically means my hips easily come out of alignment. For example, I've had a leg almost 2 inches longer than the other.  It sounds a lot cooler than it is...it's mostly just an awful lower back ache. Nothing a quick adjustment at the chiropractor can't fix!

 

Okay, so why am I telling you all of this? Because, I could be really proactive about protecting my hips a lot more if I just stayed in certain poses for a longer period of time. It's always the most "difficult" poses that bring out the greatest breakthroughs. Man, it never gets old how many similarities there are on my mat and in life. One of the best postures for this specific hip quirk is Half Pigeon Pose.
(Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

 -From downward facing dog, bring one leg in between your hands, bending your knee at a 90 degree angle (or as bent as works for your body).

-Be sure to keep your foot flexed to protect your knee. -Take a slight backbend before hinging from your hips to fold forward over your front leg.

-Stay here for at least 10-15 deep inhales and exhales. (The more the better)

-Vinyasa to do the other side.

Sound easy?  For some people, they can sleep in this posture.  For me, my mind likes to yell profanities at me about 3 deep breaths in. My hips start shaking, especially if I forget to breathe, and my bent leg falls asleep. Recently, a much-needed light bulb turned on when it comes to this wonderful Half Pigeon Pose. It's just like running...When you run, you have to go a few miles before you hit your sweet spot. The sweet spot is when you forget you're running, you feel invincible, blissfully powerful and unstoppable all at the same time. Sometimes, the miles leading up to that sweet spot suck.  Really suck.  And, they are totally worth the end result.  The same goes with this pose (or any posture for that matter).  Once your body relaxes through your breath (Ujjayi really helps me), you can relax and literally fall deeper into the pose.  Working on this consistently can lead to hip strength, flexibility and protection from injury. 

 

Never did I think my hips would allow me to do Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana Prep – One-Legged King Pigeon Pose Preparation. But lo and behold, after lots of breathing through Half Pigeons, I was able to land in this gem without any pain.  Still work to be done, but it's an awesome step in the right direction.   

  

One of the great things about yoga is that as soon as you reach what you think is your biggest expression, there is always a new and bigger challenge to try for.  There is never time to be bored; Only time to explore, try new things, make mistakes, grow, laugh, be silly, be humble and love yourself and others. Ah..namaste : )

 

Happy Holidays from these crazy Christmas kitties,
Sir Cooper von Fluffernutter & Sir Sullivan von Nodule!!

  
Namaste & God Bless! (and WAR EAGLE again!)
Kristen

Kickstand

Sometimes, you just need to take a step back...

 

Mountain Pose (variation)

Talk about your slice of Thanksgiving humble pie! This pose never made any sense to me until recently.  Honestly, it never made sense to my body what I was trying to make it do. I would consistently attempt it with little success...unless you consider a good ole face plant a success. ;) The level of frustration has been pretty ridiculous.  So much for leaving my ego at the door. 

The way the pose is supposed to work is:

-From downward facing dog, bend your right knee and place the inside of your leg/knee on your right tricep.

-Bend your arms until they are at a 90 degree angle (elbows over wrists). This creates a tabletop for you.

-Using your core, lift your left leg off the ground.  You can add on by lifting both feet into the sky.

-All while keeping your chin off the ground.

-Slowly bring your feet back to the mat and vinyasa to downward facing dog and do the other leg!

It turns out that "Mountain Pose" is a more local term for this gem of a pose.  It wasn't until I stumbled across an awesome variation of it on Instagram that I realized that you could use your chin as a kickstand to create a building block variation...which would lead to the name of this pose being Chinstand. Go figure. Turns out that using your chin as a helper is just as fun as attempting to not face plant without it.

All is took was one small adjustment to realize that this goal is possible.  I just need to take the correct steps in learning how to get there.

What a great segway into utilizing kickstands in our lives...

This year has been an amazing one. Not because it was full of blessings, which it has been overflowing with, but because it was full of trials and obstacles that had to be faced head on in order to overcome.  It's pretty easy to say with confidence that looking back, it was all worth it.  Funny how those obstacles weren't funny at all during the midst of them...

I had all but given up on the dream of ever becoming certified in yoga.  My insecurities, finances and lack of hours in a day prevented me from seeing what was possible if I just gave up my worries. What do you know? As soon as I stopped fretting, BOOM, everything fell into place (see previous post).  The crazy part is...once I was able to do teacher training, I was still afraid of failing.  I had held on to this dream so tightly that I had convinced myself it wasn't possible. I just knew I wouldn't be good enough (whatever that means) and that I would be a disappointment.  Something was going to happen and I wouldn't be able to finish my training. Like I said, looking back it seems silly, and at the time, it felt terrifying.  All this money, all these dreams, all this time and effort...what if I fail? Maybe if I quit, I won't be able to disappoint myself.  Boy, am I glad I was surrounded by awesome people and leaders who would not let me give up on myself!

So what if there is an obstacle in your path?  That means someone thinks you're strong enough to handle it, and maybe, you're supposed to learn life lessons through taking a few kickstands while waiting for the full expression. For me, one day I will be able to reach my toes to my head (possibly a multiple year plan) and I will be able to do "Mountain Climber" without using my chin.  Bring it.

Don't weigh yourself down with responsibilities that are not  your own. Instead, make your relationship with Me your primary concern. Talk with Me about whatever is on your mind, seeking My perspective on the situation.  Rather than trying to fix everything that comes to your attention, ask Me to show you what is truly important. Jesus Calling

Namaste, God Bless & War Eagle!
Kristen

Chinstand in action!

Yoga is just a fad...

Oh my gosh, if I hear this one more time, I'm going to pull my hair out. I know, I know, the "yogi" response should be to breathe deep inhales and exhales repeating "Namaste" in my head, but lets be real. Yoga has been around for thousands of years. That sure is quite a fad. It is, in fact, a practice that transforms your life on the mat and is reflected in your every day life off of it. From relationships, work environments, financial decisions, diet choices, and how you treat yourself in general are all upgraded with a consistent yoga practice.

We all have our "stuff", whether heavy or petty, that we deal with on a daily basis.  Wouldn't it be nice to channel that energy into good, rather than hurtful to ourselves or others?

For me, a silly struggle is looking in the mirror and only seeing "man-arms" and "linebacker" thighs. I  see something so far from femininity that I avoid mirrors altogether when I can in studios. It's something petty that I've dealt with the majority of my life, and with the help of yoga, I now see strong arms and legs that are simply and wonderfully a part of who I am. I could choose to look in the mirror, pick myself apart and gain nothing from it. Or, I could choose to not let my insecurities define me. It's all about perspective, and finding a healthy one at that. Being beautifully strong is my new vision.  I am choosing to see the way that I was created as perfectly imperfect. What do you let your brain tell you about yourself that doesn't serve you? Why should we beat ourselves up?  The world does that enough already. We should be on our own side for crying out loud! Another bonus of truly loving ourselves is that once we do that, we can truly love other people, which will help them love and accept their true self. It really is a win, win!

Now, this didn't just happen for me the first time I rolled out my mat.  I've been practicing yoga for almost 6 years, and I'm still learning new things about myself all the time.  It has been a fruitful journey learning bits and pieces of the real Kristen.  It is even more exciting to know that more breakthroughs are coming. The wonderful thing about yoga, is that it's a never-ending process.  There is always a deeper expression of a pose, and another part of your life to enhance.

Yoga was introduced to me in a time of my life that had no direction. It was as if I was in a constant downward spiral that I couldn't escape.  I was making terrible relationship decisions, not focusing on school, neglecting my family, definitely NOT taking care of my temple...basically wasting my life on temporary satisfactions that continually brought disappointment. One day, the light bulb turned on, and BAM, my life changed forever.  I was literally on my knees, begging God to take over my life (because obviously, I was terrible at making personal decisions for myself).  Just like that, things started to change for the better.  One day I was flipping through T.V. channels and came across this show called Namaste Yoga, by Kate Potter on FIT TV. I decided, why not?  There, in my parent's living room, over 5 years ago, I was instantly hooked on this "fad" called Yoga.

After a few months of getting the hang of postures and breath work, I decided to face my fear and get my hiney into a studio.  It was the happiest I'd been in months.  I finally found direction and discipline that I needed, along with a community of wonderful people that were on journeys of their own as well.  It turns out that the discipline I developed on the mat followed me into my life.  I knew, then and there, that someday, I would teach this practice to other people and share what it was doing for me. 

Take a moment and ask yourself if the decisions you are making on a daily basis are serving you or hurting you. Let today be the day you stop being your worst critic, and become your biggest fan! As the fabulous Brett Dennen says, "Blessed is this life, and I'm going to celebrate being alive!"  It's never too late to start something new!

This girl is fearfully and wonderfully made by a God who doesn't make mistakes. You are too.

Namaste & God bless!
Kristen

It's Official!

Have you ever had a dream that was always "on the five year plan"? Well, becoming a certified yoga instructor has been that dream for exactly five years.  And as of Sunday, November 17, 2013, this girl is 200 hours certified in Power Vinyasa! Can I get a Whoop Whoop?!

For years, I've attempted to make time, be finacially stable "enough" and mentally be ready for teacher training, and something always prevented me from taking on the challenge. Honestly, I had given up on this dream for a while. It was when I finally gave up trying to force it, and instead give it up to God, that everything began to fall into place. Not only was Charleston Power Yoga's fall teacher training on the weekends, but my amazing co-workers had my back and supported me throughout the entire process! Of course, I had the support of my friends and family, but their support was so much more than just the norm of family and friends. I have to give a special shout out to the most amazing boyfriend for dealing with a girlfriend working 40+ hours a week, with 30 hours of teacher training on the weekends, looking a hot mess and still claiming her in public. ;) All of a sudden,finances seemed to come into place and provide just what was needed. I can take no credit for how this opportunity came to fruition, and I give it all to Him for providing everything I needed (and more). I feel blessed far beyond what I deserve, and I want to take the knowledge I've been given and change the world.

I can hardly belive that just 14 weeks ago, I was walking into a studio, that I wasn't a member of, to start a journey with eight strangers, who are now a part of my life-long family. My life is forever changed for the better because of them. I am so proud to stand beside them as we finish this chapter of our journey together. I can't wait to see how everyone blossoms into their practice of teaching. Y'all be sure to look out for treehouse yoga studios, amazing meditation classes, yin classes, kick-butt power vinyasa classes, corporate yoga, military yoga, and so much more! The sky is the limit for this group! Each one of them is going to have such a beautiful impact on the world! My heart is full of thanks for the laughter, tears, anxieties, doubts and achievements that these wonderful individuals experienced with me.  This adventure would not be the same without them!

This dream was so much more than just becoming a "yoga instructor". It's about using a dream to make a difference; To make it bigger than myself. My hope in creating this blog is to reach out and share what yoga has done for me, and in turn, bring about love, inspiration, hope, thankfulness and possibility to those who read it.  Whether it's a pose, a chakra, a sequence, Scripture or a Sutra, please let me know what about yoga you'd like to know more about! The possibilites are endless! I thought my journey began 14 weeks ago, but that was just the beginning of many, and I can't wait to kick off this next chapter with you!

Namaste & God bless!
Kristen