bitten by the bug!

ick! i've finally managed to catch myself a little cold that has left me hacking and sneezing all over town. luckily i was able to cancel my classes tonight so it's nothing but hot water with lemon and bed rest for me. i'd like to kick this bug before ringing in the new year.





on an exciting note, my germy little hands are typing out this blog on my brand new laptop! my old one was coming close to celebrating its 7th birthday and caused more frustration than fun when trying to do anything like use the internet, load a page, answer emails, work, you know - basically anything. hubby felt bad because i pretty much relied completely on my phone for internet and work so when i came home from a client sesh yesterday a beautiful, new, black, shiny laptop was awaiting me! and because electronics don't like me very much, i also found another late christmas surprise in my stocking .... a new (functioning!) ipod nano! now i can make all my running and yoga playlists which makes me a very happy girl.





how were your holidays? i hope wonderful and RELAXING!





have you set your 2010 intentions yet? i've been doing this in all my classes this week. i have a mile long list of intentions, but the ones i'd like to focus on the most this upcoming year are creating more space in my life, practicing non-reaction as opposed to over-reaction, mastering (or at least stepping within the vicinity of) the art of forgiveness and ego-checking.





in the meantime, i plan to spend some time journaling the highlights of 2009, writing out game plans for 2010 and figuring out ways to incorporate these intentions into my life.





i would love to hear some of your intentions!






image: madammoisellenon

baby's first christmas

after a crazy couple of days i have finally been able to sit down at my computer and catch my breath! the days leading up to christmas were a blur of teaching yoga, taking yoga, running around for last minute gifts, snow storm prepping and gym time. i was definitely looking forward to some holiday down time, but my soon-to-be-born nephew wasn't! we got the "i'm going into labor" text early christmas eve AM and by 5pm my very first nephew was here to say hello! my husband and i raced eagerly to visit baby and family at the hospital where i was a mess of emotions. crying, laughing, excited... mom and baby looked fabulous!

the rest of the days were a mixture of relaxing, visiting family, excited phone calls and nephew cuddling - i'm so in love with that kid!

i hope everyone had wonderful holidays! i get back to teaching tomorrow and i am very much looking forward to it. i was only able to fit in one run since christmas eve but it was 3.5 miles in rain and frigid wind so i feel that i've earned my quality couch time. NY's been giving me some rough weather and my legs were aching so i just had to get out there.

on a fun note, some things i got to do this weekend:
* snuggle my nephew
* spend quality time with my parents
* make raw choc coconut crinkle cookies (and my husband totally digs them!)
* a crazy run in the pouring rain where my hubby and i got lost half way through
* have cocktails by the fireplace
* watch a marathon of A Christmas Story
* go out to dinner at one of my fave restaurants

i hope your week brings you many more days of fun (and relaxing!!)

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

I'm officially snowed in. There's over a foot out there and I spent all night watching it fall and coat my block in white. Hubby and I took a walk with puggle at one point and it was coming down so hard I could barely see in front of me. Puggle was thoroughly confused as he watched it pile higher than him! Its been great being snowed in. Nowhere to go, nothing to do. Sometimes we all need a little something to slow us down. I've gotten my apartment cleaned, gifts wrapped and all loose ends tied up. I'm topping off my snowy sunday with ordered in pizza, a margarita and some quality time spent curled up on the couch. I'm starting to get excited for all the holiday festivities coming up around the corner...especially spending christmas eve with my parents and their home cooking and christmas day spent with my new nephew (considering he'll be arriving any day now!).

If you're with me on the snowy east coast, stay warm! If not, send some of your warmth and sunshine our way!

And in honor of the winter wonderland outside, I've been indulging in Snow Angel Savasana... Take you savasana with arms outstretched to the sides and legs wide apart. Rest here and sit with your breath for 10 mins (at least!). When bringing movement back to your body, slowly draw arms down to your sides and back out to the sides while sliding your legs together and back out. Ta-da! Snow Angel Savasana.

in a holi-DAZE

i've been running around like crazy lately. i have an almost full-time class load, am volunteering weekly at a rescue animal shelter, fitting in private clients, holiday shopping/decorating/card writing and tree trimming and trying to keep up with my race training and yoga classes. i feel like these last few weeks have just flown by.





i'm very excited about a new 'ask the experts' piece which i'm hoping to get up in january to kick off the new year. my sister-in-law is about to give me the best present ever... my nephew is due any day now! hubby has some upcoming time off and my classes will be easing up a bit soon so i'll be able to get some much needed rest right in time for new year's eve!





in between all of the chaos, i'm trying to take time to still take care of and appreciate my myself. last year the holidays were even more chaotic as i was working full-time in PR and wrapping up my yoga teacher training along with all the other holiday responsibilities. so i am reminding myself that even though my schedule is a little nutty, i'm still loving every class, every client and every day. i also make time to spoil myself with little yoga treats now and then... can anyone say "legs up the wall pose."





here are some of my 'stay sane' secrets for this year:





*practice yoga - right now i'm doing restorative asana at home and bikram 2x a week to sweat out toxins and stress





*keep moving - even though chilly 30 degree days make me want to hide under the covers all day, i make sure to get a spin class in or a run. got to keep my energy flowing smoothly and not bottle up - sure fire way to feel anxious





*invest in food - i'm still trying to make time to prep healthy, light meals that keep me full and energized and feeling good. it's so tempting lately to just grab something on the go, but i know it'll make me feel worse in the end





*take it one day at a time - there are numerous times i want to just sub out a class or skip a run because i feel a cold coming on or am just physically exhausted, but i push through because once my classes slow down due to the holidays i'll miss them and regret it





i leave you with this... when you get caught up in the holiday crazies, grab your mat, shimmy into legs up the wall pose and throw a blanket over yourself for a 10 minute time out.

photo: active

giving thanks

yesterday was really terrific. usually i tend to dread the holiday bustle as it used to cause me immense stress and anxiety, but this year the holidays have been so different. i spent time yesterday morning putting finishing touches on my raw pecan pie, sipping coffee and watching the parade. time seemed to move at a snail's pace because neither hubby P nor I had anything to do or rush to. it was a nice treat. i had intentions to get to an early AM thanksgiving yoga class, but lounging on the couch seemed to suit me better since i had spent the past couple of weeks running around like a crazy woman.

the day unfolded with time spent hanging out with family, catching parts of all the football games, snacking on hors devours and sipping wine. it was laid back and much needed. and the best part? half my raw pie was eaten! not everyone was diggin' the whole raw thing, but they tried it nonetheless and my dad and aunt actually really enjoyed it! and i, of course, had a huge slice myself.

this entire week has been spent on my mat reflecting and giving thanks and i thought i'd take some time to share what i'm thankful for this year:

* having the strength and dedication to work through my anxiety
*support and love from friends and family
*the courage to run my first 5k
*reconnecting with good friends and putting effort into old friendships
*officially becoming a full- time yoga instructor
*my students and clients that have joined me on my journey
*my teachers that believe in me
*lessons learned - both good and bad because each had an important place in my life
*my little family (hubby P and all the 4-legged loves)
*the opportunity to volunteer doing something i really love
*and every one of you!

so whether you've been up since 3am and hitting up the sales or (like me) still rockin' your PJs, enjoy your time this weekend. savor the moment. appreciate everything.

so much to do, so little time

i just finished making the biggest pot of veggie soup and am totally loving the smell that's invading my apartment. it makes me feel like i whipped up a five course meal and not just some soup. i've been super busy working on discover and recover's big january kick off event and baby shower planning. i'm cutting, gluing, writing, designing and compiling more than ever! and because of all the craziness i've been craving more and more yoga and comfort food.. hence my channeling martha stewart in the kitchen this afternoon. i've also started my training again for my next run the first weekend in december. hubby is amazing and giving me an early holiday gift - a running watch! i never really know how far i go, or my average pace, so this will help my training immensely and i can't wait!

i've been feeling a bit anxious as the holidays fast approach and i'm cramming my weekends full of things to do so i'm always running about somewhere and doing something. i'm going to spend the next few weeks paying very close attention to what i'm eating and putting in my body because for me my number one issue causing me stress/anxiety is eating bad food which makes me feel sick and then i get anxious about it.

might be hard to do with all the activities and festivities going on, but i'm going to stay determined. i feel the best when my diet is mostly raw foods, so i see lots of green smoothies and salads in my future! i definitely don't want anxiety to rear its ugly head when i have so much amazing stuff going on. stress better get ready to take a back seat!