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this is where i have been lately. no,not doing a backbend on a letter p, but working hard to get things in order for the studio.
the website is in the works. check back next week for more than just a pretty picture.
this maidenhair fern is the latest addition to my home. the lush greenery at the sloat garden center pulled me across the street yesterday and also provided an escape from the rain (?!). i am hoping it survives in what little sunshine pours in from the alley way into my kitchen window.
today is the first 'official' day of my new gig...director of the newest yoga studio in berkeley! harmony yoga pilates, hyp, is located in the Elmwood neighborhood.
i moved to the bay area over 7 years ago....and ended up in a cube, behind a computer screen, designing datasheets, info graphics, logos and websites. (when i wasn't playing ping-pong or eating free lunches with the rest of the dot-commers). along with the economy, the job didn't last, but several great friends did. i was lucky to work for someone who trusted me enough to find my strengths, and even luckier to remain friends with him. however, i never thought i'd be working with Neil again... this many years later... opening a yoga studio. another opportunity to spread my wings, and this time without the bright yellow business cards.
i never finish books. well maybe not 'never'... but i can say without exaggeration that i don't need all of my fingers to count the number of books i have read cover to cover. at some point most every story - fact or fiction, theory or science - falls to the bottom of the pile under its more appealing competition, which probably just has a prettier cover. for this reason, though somewhat ironically, bookstores are my weakness. i never fail to find 7 new books, on topics i feel a need to master, of which i will purchase one and return home to put the rest in my amazon 'save for later' shopping cart.
for two weeks i have been mindfully procrastinating on reading the last few chapters of eat pray love. i started reading this true story the day before the summer solstice, also the day before i was waking up at 4 am to practice 108 sun salutations. (deciding that this would be a good way to honor my father's birthday annually) to commemorate my intention, i made myself a mala - a string of 108 beads used to pray or chant a mantra. naturally i started with the intro of my new favorite book, which explained the reason that it was written in 108 chapters. the author, liz gilbert, taught the spiritual meaning behind the number, and it's relevance to the spiritual journey her book poetically details.
at the beginning of the book i was frequently caught laughing out loud on the 30x, reading on my way to work. the connection i felt to the story was almost erie, yet comforting. a story of a woman who was trying to resolve her somewhat random love for italian culture, the unexplained desire to learn the language and live out the decadent yet simple life of an italian...balanced with the search for a deeper understanding of self, a spiritual practice, the ability to let go and sit still, and an openness to profound unconditional love.
i found too many coincidences and similarities to list here, i may as well just read it again. hopefully i'll remember them for my own entertainment later. but for posterity, i'll mention one. just before finishing the book tonight i was looking at elizabeth gilbert's website, and found this quote
“To change your life, the important thing is not necessarily to travel; the important thing is to SHIFT.”
as hokey as it sounds, tonight it was like saying goodbye to a friend when i reached 108. i not only read this one cover to cover, most of the words i read twice. thanks to my best friend jenn, in atlanta, for having this one on her night stand.
with many new opportunities swirling around me, i am finding myself constantly on the go to see people and places. walking through berkeley yesterday i was stopped by the sight of a perfectly shaped rose, flopping in the breeze, in and out of a ray of sun. my 6 year love affair with the practice of yoga has gradually helped me realize a more authentic way of being in the world. this perfectly content pink rose reminded me of the essence of my practice. the importance of noticing precisely what is happening in this moment, without leaving my mind behind me, reeling through what just happened. and without tossing my mind into the future, too caught up with what's next. but instead, pausing to inhale deeply, and absorp what is right there. a brilliant smell of a flower, beaming in the sun, put me in touch with my gratitude for the constant moments of grace on my journey. whoever coined the phrase to 'stop and smell the roses' was definitely a yogi.
things are always shifting around us. this movement and continual shaking is necessary for the millions of little pieces to keep falling into place. sometimes we need a shift in our careers, at times a shift in our relationships, and always we need to shift our perspective to keep growing. sometimes we create the movement, other times the movement creates us.
and every now and then, the earth beneath our feet moves us. if you live near a fault and haven't already done so, pick a safe meeting spot for all your loved ones in the event of no cell phone usage.
like little building blocks, this bowl of good eats stacks up to create some fuel for my body. no chemicals, no preservatives. just plain old fashioned calories and nutrients to help me jump around my yoga mat, feed my brain creative thoughts and give my belly a reason to stop growling and start smiling.mixt greens gets two thumbs up for their strive to provide local and organic ingredients. and their outdoor seating in the financial district is the perfect destination on a surprisingly warm summer day in SF. in my continued quest to put only natural ingredients in my body, be certain i am avoiding the dreaded high fructose corn syrup (which i have successfully removed from my plate for about 3 years now...), i am 'cheerfully' breaking the bank on the ingredients my body deserves.to make it easier on the rest of us, passionate and creative folks like heidi swanson are providing beautiful recipes and photos to inspire 'super natural' eating. check out her new cookbook - her recipes, and amazing photos.buon appetito!
i live a colorful life. i share it with interesting and talented people in inspiring places. i have amazing friends and family, thousands of blessings, constant opportunity, and a few good ideas.
almost 8 years in San Francisco has provided me invaluable experiences, the matching photos, a pocket full of new talents and some entertaining stories. if things keep up at this momentum, i may find my way to center after all. this record of my day to day may be completely boring to some, but at least it will help me keep the stories in order...and remember how i ended up right here.
This past weekend was spent in unusually sunny weather in Pebble Beach. On Sunday we were treated to the final day at the Pebble Beach Concourse by one of Mr. Shope's clients. All in all, the classic Aston Martin's were my favorite. If I had to choose one (a dilemna I will never face) this shiny red Ferrari will do. While the rich and famous gawked at the cars, I turned my attention to the array of hats being worn by the spectators, something I can actually afford.
