om monday: find your yoga

the other day, when i was talking with my mom, i told her that i think she needs to take the time to "find her yoga".  by that, i meant finding the thing that is (mildly) self-indulgent, grounds you, centers you and leaves you feeling healthier, stronger and overall better.  for me, it's yoga.  for others it's walking, meditating or taking a spin class.  but whatever it is, the most essential element is finding it and allowing yourself the time to enjoy it.

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when we take time for ourselves, we replenish our enthusiasm and energy for life.  and we ultimately become better friends, wives, sisters, daughters and mothers.  when we take care of ourselves, we are better able to take care of others and tackle all that life throws our way.

so, i encourage all of you to "find your yoga".  and if you've already found it, gift yourself the time to enjoy it as often as possible.  it's not selfish...it's essential.

what's your "yoga"?.

om monday: yoga pants

hello mavens!  i hope you all had a terrific weekend and are enjoying the 1st day of august.  (can you believe it's august already?!)  as i mentioned in friday's post about blogging your way to the front row, i'm loving the new ideas the book has regarding building your blog/brand.  that said, i'm going to make a subtle change to lifestyle maven.  every week, i'll have recurring post themes:

om monday - covering yoga and healthy living inspiration
foodie wednesday - recipe or similar food-related post
happy hour friday - cocktail recipes & weekend fun

tuesday & thursday will remain open for posts on a whim.  so, without further ado, om monday commences : )

as you know, i <3 yoga and practice several times a week.  (i actually just got back from vinyasa yoga class as i write this.)  this love affair did not bloom overnight, but has taken time to develop and grow.  but, no matter how seasoned you are, novice or full-out yogi, there is one must.  yoga pants.  (they will instantly make you feel more zen.)

with all the inverted poses one finds oneself in during a typical class, it's much more comfortable to wear fitted yoga pants rather than shorts or looser fitting pants.  even if you're just beginning your yoga practice, i highly recommend investing in a pair (or two).  they're inexpensive, and you'll feel much more comfortable in class.  and, even if you never attend another yoga class again in your life, i guarantee you'll get good use out of them.  i often find myself sporting mine on days when class is not on the schedule...

so, where to buy them?  the latest pairs i purchased were from victoria's secret.  they often have sales or deals if you buy more than one pair.  plus, they have lots of cute colors and patterns, so you can select which ones best reflect your yoga style : )  you can also find (more serious) options at gaiam as well as a lot of other yoga products - like mats, blocks, etc.  and, of course, you can usually locate yoga-style pants at kohl's, target and marshalls.  (so now you have no excuse not to get yourself some asap!)

namaste.

do you <3 yoga (pants) too?.

yoga styles

yoga has become an integral part of my life.  it grounds me, centers me and calms my nerves.  it also strengthens (and lengthens) my muscles and increases my flexibility.  quite simply, it's been good for my mind, body and soul. 

it took me a while to feel this way.  initially i was a bit intimidated by it and felt you could only get a "real" workout doing P90X or tae bo.  that said, yoga has been the absolute best thing i've done for myself and my body, and now i found myself encouraging people to give it a try.  it's not for everyone...nothing is.  but if you're curious, check it out.  you might just fall in love.

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to help you select what class you might be interested in checking out, i've listed some of the most popular styles below.  (my personal favorites are vinyasa, anusara and hot yoga.)

vinyasa yoga - the poses flow from one to the next and are synchronized with the breath.  also called "flow yoga"

hatha yoga - poses are held (i.e. no flow)

anusara yoga - this type of yoga focuses on alignment and also emphasizes a connection with the inner self. 

hot yoga - a.k.a. bikram yoga.  a set of 26 poses done in a hot room (100+ degrees).  the heat allows the muscles to release and sweating releases toxins from the body.

svaroopa - this type of yoga is meant to be solely restorative.  when you practice you use a lot of props - blankets, blocks, etc. - to assist in the release of the spine.  (when you're done, you feel like you've had a massage.)

me in tree pose outside philly art museum

so, mavens, are you inspired to do some yoga?  what's your favorite style?

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wild fires

when craig and i went down to north carolina last week, we flew over wild fires.  at 10:30pm at night, as we were beginning our descent into wilmington, we gazed out the window and were confused by what we saw.  patches of fiery orange amongst the trees.  we speculated about what it might be.  craig suggested wild fires.

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when we landed, we found out that a few hours north, there were indeed wild fires, and the smoke was being blown down the coast to where we were staying on oak island.

while meditating at the end of yoga class today, i remembered the wild fires and a thought struck me.  from that great distance above, they were not threatening or ferocious or hot.  they were mystifying...almost beautiful.

had we been on the ground anywhere near them, it would have been all-consuming.  heat and fear.  terrifying.  yet, from above, they looked rather small, contained & manageable.  not that scary at all.

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it made me consider other "wild fires" in my life.  problems, events or thoughts that appear all-consuming and terrifying, yet, given a new perspective, diminish into a small patch of glowing orange. 

what wild fires can you rise above today?.