What Are You Waiting For?

I ask myself this every day.  When I wake up, I check my email, eat breakfast and wait for the miracle to arrive.  Here's the short answer to a seemingly long story, it doesn't happen.  You can't search for your dream job because you have to create it!  And if you find your dream job, it usually comes with required certifications that you don't have and so you are left with searching again...even if you know what you want!

I know what I want in some ways.  I am 29 years old.  I want a family.  I want to live in a house, away from the city.  I want to have kids.  I want to travel. I want to be my own boss and make my own $$.  I want help but I don't know who to ask.  I want to get more education, but I don't want to be in debt for the next 30 years.  I want to have enough $$ in the bank that I feel comfortable going on vacations.

But I refuse to work for the man.  I don't want a strict schedule. I don't want to wish I was somewhere else.  I've done that already. I want to work with a purpose. I want to do work that feels good.  Work that changes someones life.

As a Certified Health Coach + Yoga Instructor I am living my passion, but not making the $$ I need to sustain a balanced life.  But I am not wishing I was somewhere else. Fitness, wellness and changing peoples lives is my passion.  At least I got that part figured out.

What are you waiting for?  Someone to appear and tell you what exactly you're supposed to be doing?  When is the right time to get married?  Should you take that job?  Should you date that person?  Should you speak up when you feel like something is wrong?  Or do you let things and words pass you by?  You don't need permission to get what you want out of this life, you just have to go for it!  I write for you, but I write for me.  It's just like my clients.  I work hard for them to help get them the results, but their results help me push harder, work more and learn more.  It's a beautiful cycle.

Sample Day of my life as an Entrepeneur!

6AM Wake up
Eat breakfast
7-8AM
Private gym session with personal trainer, Angie Garner + treat to bring my Dad with me!
8:15-9:15AM
EMAIL, WEBSITE UPDATES, ETC.
9:30-10:45AM
Hot Yoga with the sweet n' talented Emily Kasman
EAT.
11:30-4PM WORK.
DESIGN NEW WORKSHOPS. CREATE EVENTS. READ ARTICLES & NEW BOOK.
PLAN FOR 3 YOGA CLASSES TOMORROW.
EAT/DRINK.
5:15-6:15PM
Meet with client to discuss body, mind & soul progress over 4 months of dedication to a healthier life!
7-10P
Dinner with friends!
10-11P
Respond to emails.

Teaching Yoga with a Fractured Rib/2/3

I approach this week with fear.  Fear that I'll accidentally slip into a pose and I'll hear the same "CRACK CRACK CRACK" as last week.  The kind of cracks you don't want to hear when you are teaching a class.  Let alone the kind of cracks you don't want to hear EVER.

Last week when I was demonstrating a plank pose where you move one knee to your elbow, the cracks exploded in my body.  I was like, "oh shit, ouch, ouch, ouch, I can't breathe..." but remained calm on the outside and did my best to finish teaching the last 30 minutes.  I left class barely able to walk home because every time I took a breath I thought I'd collapse.

I got home and iced for 30 minutes, hoping I'd feel better.  Sleeping on my left side was actually comical because it hurt so bad.  It felt like my rib fell off and was floating in my stomach and every deep breath was like, "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?"

I went to the doctor, got some x-rays and showed the doctor my rib that now poked out farther than the other side.  Every twist, my breath got sucked out and every side bend stopped before it started.  Hairline fractures/fractures in between the ribcage was the diagnosis.  RX: Basically, don't move for at least 2-4 weeks...INSERT SHOCKED FACE.

How does one even go about not moving for upwards of a month, let alone if they are a yoga/fitness/health instructor who uses their body as a tool & voice?  One week has passed, with cancelled classes last week.  It sucks.  Bottom line.  But, it's a challenge.  And I accept.  Using my voice, instead of my body to guide a 60 minute class is not natural for me, but I'll learn something, so might as well dive in the deep waters to save my rib from getting any worse.

If you know of any remedies besides taking it easy, please forward this way!

Looking Forward, Instead of Looking Back!

Doesn't this motto apply to everything in life?  Whether you are working on weight loss, getting over a past lova or trying something new...it's important to keep on truckin'!

Don't let the past get in the way of something extremely beautiful.  If you're in a stage of self-discovery, where you have entered this life, at this time, on your own, appreciate how deep you can go to realize your greatness.  The loneliness lasts for a short time until you come to terms with how awesome it can be to eat what you want, take a class or plan a trip with no one to consider, but yourself.  Independent freedom.

I tend to look back by the way I dress.  Let me explain.  2 years ago I was at the highest I had ever weighed.  I dressed in tent-sized pants, tried to hide my body by eating more and covering up.  I realize now that is was my way of saying, "don't look at me, I don't want to be seen."  After 8 months of having a "who the f cares and I'll eat whatever the hell I want" attitude, I was ready to live again.  I came out of hibernation and dropped 22 pounds.  I didn't even know I had that much weight to lose.  I just kept moving & eating healthy, until my body said, "thank you, I can stay at this weight without you killing yourself to maintain it."

A year and a half later, my boyfriend still asks me, "why are you wearing clothes that are so big on you?"  I still pick up the same size when I'm shopping and when I see pictures of myself, I can't believe it.  I still see the thicky thick girl whose thighs rub together when she walks.  It's hard for me to accept that I am smaller, that I have changed.  I still think after a night of eating at a restaurant and indulging, I'll wake up and be the weight I was 2 years ago.  NOT GONNA HAPPEN.  Because I like who I am.  I like the energy I have and the feeling that if I decide to wear jeans, they will slip on, not get stuck halfway up my thighs.

Bottom line: change is hard.  Change is real and it is inevitable.  Stop trying to hold onto something that no longer exists.  No excuses.  You don't have to explain yourself, but the sooner you accept reality and start moving forward is the moment you stop living in the past.

Getting Clear on What Intention Means

Make sure to send an intention for each category, to ensure optimal overall wellness:

self, work, friendships, love life, family & lifestyle.

What intention are you setting for yourself every day?  Is it to be happy & healthy?  Or is your intention to self sabotage until you start believing in the lies your mind tells you?

The intention I set for my day is how can I be better?  How can I remain a student of life?  How can I learn more about what fascinates me and not be swayed by something that fascinates someone else?  How do I keep going in my personal education of what interests me?

What intention are you setting for your work?

You know the saying, "Do something you love and it won't feel like work."  Are you making your dreams come true by building a brand you love?  It could be your own or someone else's, as long as you believe in the mission, you are fulfilling your purpose.

Do you have the "I'm too busy" syndrome with friends?

Leave free time on your calendar for a close friend and intend to see them during the week.  Do something extra to make it happen.  Switch things around, unless you INTEND to be busy.

Do you intend to "fall in love or have the perfect relationship?"

It doesn't happen.  The perfect relationship doesn't exist.  A healthy, happy, flirty relationship is possible long-term, as long as your intention isn't anything but living in the moment.  If you are always living in the next step, you will never enjoy the simple, beautiful side of love.

Do you have a way of referring to your family or the role you play?

How about trying to understand your parents as individuals and what they want out of life, rather than knock them down for their shortcomings.  Or try building a new relationship with a sibling.  It's never too late to try something new.  Or are you wanting to change the way your family looks at you?  Start acting differently or communicate how you are feeling.

How do you talk to yourself?  Are you eating food for energy (protein, veggies, fruits, nuts, etc.) or for short spurts of happiness (sugar, caffeine, white flours)?

"I'm getting old and fat and that's just the way the cookie crumbles."  WRONG!  If you are tired and always wishing for a new body/way to eat, there are people out there WANTING to help.  If you can do it on your own, than start now.  Or if you love the body you're in, help someone appreciate theirs!

Year 3 As A Yoga Instructor.

WHAT A RIDE!  I can't even explain the way I'm feeling now, compared to how I felt when I received my certification.

First thought upon graduating, "what next?"  Just like in college, it's hard to get that first job.  Even the first audition!  And few are willing to give you the chance to shine.  You will remember those few and thank them forever.  Studios, gyms and clubs will say, "you'll need more experience or change this/that and try out again," and sometimes you will.  And it still won't be good enough.  Don't take it personal.  They are looking for a certain brand/personality for their studio.  If it's not a good match for them, it's probably not a good match for you either.

I taught my first class at Cornerstone Studio in Bellevue, a dance center owned by Lea Lo.  She allowed me to teach an evening Restorative class and even let me rent the space for a private class.  I added the YMCA to my weekly teaching schedule, that was fun because I could sub at different Y's all over Seattle & the Eastside.  The classes were big and I was intimidated, choosing music I thought people wanted to hear.

I moved onto a few studios on the Eastside and never really felt like I could be myself.  I thought I wasn't good enough and because I couldn't remember the Sanskrit names, that I'd never be the teacher I wanted to be.  When really, the teacher I wanted to be was the hip hop yogi gal named J, who infused her classes with fun, good music and a workout.

I've taught at a lot of places over the last few years, traveled to San Francisco for the Yoga Journal Conference, attended different workshops and am LEADING my first workshop on Saturday, June 14th from 7-9PM at Fruition Yoga & Wellness.

The title: HIP HOP YOGA & HEALTH WORKSHOP.  How could I be anything but excited, knowing I'm attracting my tribe of music, fitness and health lovers to this heart pumping class?

I'm always available for newly certified instructors and want to share the ins & outs of teaching.

I am VERY MUCH a student.  I'm in my baby years of teaching, haven't even made it to elementary school yet, so it's new, but I feel more confident than when I was a newborn in this industry.

Just yesterday, I accidentally ended the class 15 minutes early, in my mind, class started @ 5...until a student called me over to ask why we were ending 15 minutes early.  Whoops!  Long Savasana!  And then I knocked over my bottle of water...people were kind enough to help me mop it up!  After class I walked to my car...but forgot where I parked, so I wandered aimlessly until I spotted the ol' rig.

If yoga has taught me anything, it's to laugh at yourself, don't take the little things so seriously and move on.

3 Tips to Find Inner Peace!

Do you regret anything?

I believe that at some point, we all go through guilt and shame and possibly, regret.  And until you forgive yourself, you cannot and will not find true inner peace. The place where you feel happy and light.  It's a place where your first reaction is not exposed, instead thought about.

3 Tips to Find Inner Peace:

1. Forgive yourself, your mistakes and things out of your control.  Make peace with the past.

2. Develop an outlet.  Walks, meditations, reading and sweating it out work for some people.  For me, it's yoga, walking and connecting with people... and dance parties.

3. Talk about it.  If something feels wrong, it probably is and that's a lot to hold onto.  Once you figure out what is bothering you, don't let it sit there, do something to fix it.