Thursday, August 29, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Yogi Problems
I thought it would be fun to start a regular post called Yogi Problems. Kind of like first world problems but of course pertaining to the yoga world. Sometimes people get so serious in their practice and the light heartedness of it all is lost. Yoga isn't that serious people! It can be fun! You have got to smile about it all sometimes and laughing at yourself is a necessary skill.
This afternoon I headed to my normal hot yoga class to enjoy a sweaty session. In my quest to become a complete California sun goddess, I frequently use self tanner. Yes it's faking it but it's saving my skin from cancer and that is no faux paus. So as I was sweating it out, I noticed that my sweat was also bronzed! Pools of sweat is hardly ever pretty but with a golden hue it's even more disguisting. I had to laugh at the whole predicament and of course try not to let my fellow yogis see the tan melt off my body. Below are the products I use to achieve this sun kissed yogi glow.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Rejection
In my younger days, I used to have a faux phone number that was intended to be given to creeps that were hitting on me. In my phone it was listed under Rejection. In fact, I just checked my phone and it's still there. Good to know that's in my back pocket.
Last week, I got handed that number a few times. Not literally from guys I was hitting on (I am a lady after all) but various sources that I have come in contact with trying to start anew here. I won't divulge my sources to protect the innocent (or to save my ego just a little bit). It was a week of rejection it sucked. It's easy to be at peace with your journey until you are served a giant helping of things aren't going your way.
As I was wallowing in my mellow drama of whoa is me, an article from MindBodyGreen entitled, "25 Habits of People Who are Happy, Healthy, and Successful" showed up in my feed. I love a good list and this website serves them up yogi style so I am frequently checking out their posts. This particular article came at the exact right moment. All of the bullet points are good but check out this one...
8. They consider handling rejection a skill and are resilient.
Really? You don't say? I am trying. This Monday I scrubbed the hell out of my apartment to start fresh and told myself I rocked, let's do this again! But as a widow there is an additional pain in all this rejection. I don't have that person who would never reject me by my side. I remember telling Matt various work, friend, etc. stories and he would get downright mad if someone was upsetting me. You know that look guys get when they want to beat someone up because they made their woman cry. It's so stone age but it's hot and I miss it. He had such a unique confidence that never seemed to people please yet was so pleasing. He would have gotten agitated at me being upset but would have reminded me what an idiot they were and if they didn't see how wonderful I am, well then f*#k them! I miss his confidence in me. I think I even mentioned this in a post a few days back when I started my new position (that may or may not have something to do with this rejection).
Although I miss him so much especially in a time like this, I am picking myself back up and staying positive. I mean really, if you don't know how awesome I am, then I have no time for you. I am not perfect but I do kind of rock. Behold the power of positive thinking.
namaste
melissa
Last week, I got handed that number a few times. Not literally from guys I was hitting on (I am a lady after all) but various sources that I have come in contact with trying to start anew here. I won't divulge my sources to protect the innocent (or to save my ego just a little bit). It was a week of rejection it sucked. It's easy to be at peace with your journey until you are served a giant helping of things aren't going your way.
As I was wallowing in my mellow drama of whoa is me, an article from MindBodyGreen entitled, "25 Habits of People Who are Happy, Healthy, and Successful" showed up in my feed. I love a good list and this website serves them up yogi style so I am frequently checking out their posts. This particular article came at the exact right moment. All of the bullet points are good but check out this one...
8. They consider handling rejection a skill and are resilient.
Really? You don't say? I am trying. This Monday I scrubbed the hell out of my apartment to start fresh and told myself I rocked, let's do this again! But as a widow there is an additional pain in all this rejection. I don't have that person who would never reject me by my side. I remember telling Matt various work, friend, etc. stories and he would get downright mad if someone was upsetting me. You know that look guys get when they want to beat someone up because they made their woman cry. It's so stone age but it's hot and I miss it. He had such a unique confidence that never seemed to people please yet was so pleasing. He would have gotten agitated at me being upset but would have reminded me what an idiot they were and if they didn't see how wonderful I am, well then f*#k them! I miss his confidence in me. I think I even mentioned this in a post a few days back when I started my new position (that may or may not have something to do with this rejection).
Although I miss him so much especially in a time like this, I am picking myself back up and staying positive. I mean really, if you don't know how awesome I am, then I have no time for you. I am not perfect but I do kind of rock. Behold the power of positive thinking.
namaste
melissa
Monday, August 26, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
The Widow Pad
You have certainly heard me moaning and groaning about getting settled in my place the past couple of months. The whole moving out of my condo and creating a new home for myself was kind of a big deal. Being true to my Cancer sign, I am very into my shell. Some people might call it anal retentive but I call it very susceptible to the energies of my home.
I loved our condo in Chicago. It was nice and pleasantly decorated although there were certainly some manlier decorations but that's what marriage is about, compromise. I took my time in getting rid of things before moving although doing it before the one year mark. Every widow has to find the right time to do this horrific chore. It was hard to decide what to bring and what to get rid of. I wanted to keep a lot but when thinking about moving across the country, it became a whole other question. I did the best that I could and in the end brought way more memorabilia then I would ever need. But that's a task for another day at this point and thankfully I have a storage closets. Things don't make the memories.
Moving on to travel the world, I realized just how much stuff I really needed to survive, not much. Still, I a nice place to call home. I had sold most of our furniture which was a good plan for me. I think if all of our stuff would have been in my new place, I might have felt a little stuck between my old and new life. I am the creative genius behind this decor and it feels like this crab's home for now! I have had lots of requests to see pics of my place (and by lots I mean one) so I thought I would dedicate some posts to showing you what I have done. I kept waiting till everything was completely put together but then I realized that could take awhile! Just like life it's a work in progress!
I loved our condo in Chicago. It was nice and pleasantly decorated although there were certainly some manlier decorations but that's what marriage is about, compromise. I took my time in getting rid of things before moving although doing it before the one year mark. Every widow has to find the right time to do this horrific chore. It was hard to decide what to bring and what to get rid of. I wanted to keep a lot but when thinking about moving across the country, it became a whole other question. I did the best that I could and in the end brought way more memorabilia then I would ever need. But that's a task for another day at this point and thankfully I have a storage closets. Things don't make the memories.
Moving on to travel the world, I realized just how much stuff I really needed to survive, not much. Still, I a nice place to call home. I had sold most of our furniture which was a good plan for me. I think if all of our stuff would have been in my new place, I might have felt a little stuck between my old and new life. I am the creative genius behind this decor and it feels like this crab's home for now! I have had lots of requests to see pics of my place (and by lots I mean one) so I thought I would dedicate some posts to showing you what I have done. I kept waiting till everything was completely put together but then I realized that could take awhile! Just like life it's a work in progress!
come on in! lila is loving her new pad too! this has always been one of her favorite places to lay. i have had this shagtastic rug since college and i still love it!
my newly built bed (yep finally roped a man into helping me!) from overstock and a new nightstand from pier1 duvet cover from west elm
one of the hippie neighborhoods around here has a great street of antiques found this shabby chic piece there! i used a french memo board (another gem from the college days) to hang my cosmetic jewels, still want a mirror to hang on the other side of the wall but haven't found the right one yet...
still undecided with what to hang on this wall at the foot of my bed. check out lila's dog bed... i got this from Molly Mutt... you pick the cover and then buy stuff sacks to recycle old clothes and make a doggie bed. i was able to use some of Matt's old clothes to make a bed for her!
walk in closets are life changing. think this is my first one ever and its so much easier to dress yourself and keep the closet clean when everything is right in front of you!
namaste
Melissa
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Back to the Mat
The past few weeks, I have been busy teaching Zumba classes and training to teach a Sculpt class at a local yoga studio. Between all this action, there hasn't been a ton of time to just take a regular old yoga class. Last night, all though it was still part of my training for this local studio, I got back to my favorite type of yoga class, an Advanced Vinyasa Flow class. The teacher was one of the studio's Lead Trainers and she gave a fierce class. This style of class allows for a good workout as there are lots of chatarungas (yogi push-ups) and all of the poses prepare the class for a peak posture. This is basically an advanced pose that all the prior classwork opens your muscles and works towards. Last night's peak posture was Bird of Paradise. Balance is a challenge for me in bird of paradise but it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. I am easily able to get out of my mind in this type of class and stay present in the moment. After class I felt renewed and remembered what inspired me to get to this place and how important it is to continue my practice even though I am staying active in other ways.
bird of paradise
back to the mat tomorrow!
melissa
Monday, August 12, 2013
Where have all the real men gone?
Furnishing my new place has been a chore for many reasons. One of those being that most furniture these days requires assembly (even from the expensive stores not just Ikea!). Most men that I have asked quickly change the subject after noting their inability to operate a power drill. What happened to all the manly men coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress!
where is this guy when you need him?
namaste
Melissa
Sunday, August 11, 2013
WeekEND Slump
I had what I don't think could be described in any other way besides a perfect San Diego weekend. I went lots of places, hung with a bunch of new friends, and drank a few drinks. Coming home I was feeling satisfied with it all but then in crept that familiar feeling, loneliness. I remembered having a perfect Chicago weekend with Matt and just snuggling on the couch being grateful for it all. The feeling of summer as a kid, being so exhausted but perfectly content. I am really trying to get back into the swing of things and have been dedicating my weeks to grown up tasks so perhaps it's just the Sunday slump. Perhaps its just the feeling of happiness and loneliness all at once.
goodnight moon
Melissa
goodnight moon
Melissa
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Winning!
I woke up this morning to an email that I had won a blogger's (Walking in Memphis) giveaway that I had entered a couple of weeks ago. To be honest, I forgot about it! And it's just a pair of socks by KushyFoot but they look like cool socks and will be great to try out for Zumba! Who knows, these socks could change my life! It always amazes me how winning something small like socks or having a free meal (this one always gets my spirits soaring) can really change the course of your day! It truly is the small things in life! The socks still need to be shipped, once I receive them and do a couple of salsas in them, I will let you know how they fare!
namaste
Melissa
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Friday, August 2, 2013
Yogi Luv
I am going to repeat the sentiments of many and say, "I can't believe it's August!" Time never ceases to amaze me and how it continues to pass us by. Robert Frost says it best, "In three words I can sum up up everything I have learned about life; it goes on."
namaste
Melissa
Melissa
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Shark Bait Hoo Ha Ha
I had my first dream about sharks since moving to the Ocean. Which I guess could typically be interpreted as a nightmare. Not sure if this is a rite of passage but makes me feel like a real beach bum. Luckily the shark in my dream looked like Bruce from Finding Nemo.
According to The Dreamer's Dictionary by Lady Stearn Robinson and Tom Corbett this is an omen of danger from dishonest friends or associates. I should also be cautious in all financial matters fro the time being.
I like thinking that it means I am an official Californian more!
namaste
Shark Bait Hoo Ha Ha
Yogi Luv
I love hiking and was lucky enough to get to hike to the top of Cowles Mountain with my Mom today. It is the highest point in San Diego and offers a beautiful view of the city although the marine layer never burned off today so we didn't see the ocean from the top. It was a good workout too! There were even some yoga poses on the top of the mountain! The morning started off a little shaky. I wanted to try a certain studio to hopefully teach there someday soon. Unfortunately, I had the wrong address and missed the class. I threw a few angry punches at my steering wheel but then looked around, I was by the ocean! I decided to leave my anger and went for a walk on the beach. If you end up getting lost, might as well enjoy the scenery!
namaste
Melissa
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