Benefits all

 

Visvamitrasana - Sage Visvamitra’s Pose

Visva (all) Mitra (Friend)  - Benefits all.

Visvamitra embodies steadiness and spiritual focus, qualities I aspire to with the children back in school. Is powerful, nimble, light and capable around the corner?🤞 A stark contrast from the colorful, confusing, (a bit chubbier), mishmash mess (me) approaching the impending classroom comeback. Funny how we make it happen every year - la rentrée scolaire : back-to-school  - but it doesn’t seem to get any more facile. 

There is also the matter of this maman’s rentrée to the yoga studio after a few months intermission … but that is forthcoming and thus a prospective post. 

Course of inaction

 

Wake-up-got-nowhere-to-be-but-here is my 💛 preferred vibe. & what I am ⚡️ currently choosing. 

Bolognese with 🍰 & photos

Marjaryasana - Cat pose / Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog Pose

 “I KNOW we didn’t have dinner! Because I DON’T remember sitting down together !”  

The family sit-down dinner is steadily back in fashion as baby gets increasingly older. And the children very much rely on this ritual. 

You can find us at home cooking (and eating). Alfresco. 

Schweet

Sukhasana - Easy Pose, Sirsasana II - Tripod Headstand 

Homemaking is love - giving the gift of beauty, comfort, fun, happiness, health, hope, joy, magic, safety, security, success to those in your home. And this life-styling is modeling a concrete methodology for your kith and kin to recreate inner peace and outer beauty for themselves and others anywhere, anytime. 

Home schweet home. 

Housedressy

 

I ❤️💛💜 Housedress 

Not sheer, past the knees, poitrine concealed. 

Natural in fiber, of course.

The best Housedress is the one you can answer the door, grab the mail, chat with neighbor, and maybe even walk the dog in (if you live in the sticks like me). 

Peppy steppy

Walk about the neighborhood. 

Clothing as KOSHA - SHEATH 

More PEP in my STEP this AM thanks to the husband who scooped up and brought back with him a small assemblage of attire from my main closet at home whilst there on a work day (I am on a month-long uninterrupted ‘reclusive’ vaycay). I didn’t realize how fatigued I was of my pathetic selection of duds (it is ASPEN, after all,) until I donned a neon swimsuit, gingham dress, silky cardi, pink suede sneakers and got a NEW LEASE ON LIFE!

Unfortunately? But powerfully! Clothing acts as a sheath - energetic layer - which can be used to our advantage (or disadvantage). 

P.S. The procuring of such items was made possible by strategic, color-coded closet organization (and periodic paring down,) allowing myself to plainly explain and my husband to effortlessly locate the 10 or so sought-after items in mere minutes via FaceTime. 🛍️ 

Purchase less, create more ✌️

Beacon

 

Light bright beacon of artistic imagination. 

I have leaned heavily into the Mother role - which has physically manifested family-friendly, practical, durable, colorful, grounding and compounding clothes, foods and shelters. But there is a lighter, brighter, ASCETIC aspect of myself I’m turning more and more towards (without eschewing my foremost family-first ethos).

My Armoire

 

As a former clothing COLLECTOR (hoarder-squirrel 🐿️!) this is a new frontier for me —

Wear your SEASONAL (shop once quarterly max) wardrobe so much that there is no question as to whether you love and keep the clothing longer OR, NO QUALMS, they’ve fulfilled their destiny and you don’t! 

Mountain Mama Summer Wardrobe, as of Late July:

💚keep 💛this is its last season ❤️already out the door  💙hmmm🧐

💛Silver espadrilles - wearing through

❤️Black river shoes (pictured above) - stretched from last Summer, already said See Ya (poubelle)

💛Flip-flops - maintaining

💛Crazy Crocs - worse for wear, as used for all hikes and most bikes

💛Purple bandana bikini - hanging on for dear life

💛White & Blue One piece - yellowing at edges 

💙Tomato soup cashmere sweater - soft as ever, maybe showing age?

💛Skull Sweater - last hurrah 

💚Prairie skirt (pictured) - good to go 😅 

💚2x Shorts - just fine 

💚Taupe linen pants - surprisingly great

💚Flowered cross-body bag (pictured) - still fresh 

💛Rose tote - wilting

💙2x Camisoles and 2x T’s - washing well

💚Sweats - new this trip :)

💚PJ’s - beddable 

💚Silk Dress - unfortunately unworn since childcare disappeared into thin air 🌬️ 

💚Shiny amethyst long cardigan - keeper

💚💜Jewels - lovely and sentimental as ever.💕 

The forced Capsule Collection that comes inherently with travel is blissful. My dear friend says all of her belongings (ALL!?) would “fit into an armoire”. What a beautiful image and, sigh, dare I say, Holy Grail, in these excessive times. 

Summer Elixer

 

CLEAN with bar soap 🧼 

SCRUB with sugar/salt + lemon, honey, vanilla, olive oil 🧂🫒 

MOISTEN with coconut oil, castor oil, beef tallow 🧉🐮

SOOTHE with aloe, lavender essential oil, ice 💜🧊

Close and Click

Aparigraha - Yama of non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-attachment 

It’s finally here. Mommy’s ‘off’-season. No birthdays or holidays in this home until October and I’m giddy. I sat at the coffee shop this morning practically levitating; Easter was my final hoorah and it’s behind me. 

Of course, there will still be endless playdates, gatherings and pool parties in our near future, but those parlous (albeit winnowed* and well organized!) DECORATION BINS are now clicked shut and closed up in the cupboards — for nary half the year !!!!! 🥂 

*Some sizable, substantial decorations have only lived with me through 2 years, 2 rounds of celebrating, but were a mistake that must be acknowledged and their donation pick-up is scheduled. I hope it’s not too inconvenient to pass along life-size trick-or-treating statues, giant glowing snowflakes, glitter encrusted cranberry wreaths, golden light-up nutcrackers, and stoic German Santa Clauses in May…

SUPERficial

The Material World is frivolous and should delight. If it’s weighing us down, we must rethink our approach. 

Horizon

 

Prasarita Virasana — Wide Hero Pose

Keeping my eyes on the distant horizon of order and tidiness. Pink skies far ahead.

Family Last

Upavistha Konasana - Seated Wide Legged Forward Fold - Straddle

Hang out at home with your people pose. 

Evenings are sacred. Pick a time. Completely shut off all work (and electronics). Focus on family. Repeat daily. 

Legally pertinent

Is it RELEVANT ?? The new 2025 Spring Cleaning Mantra Q. 

As time passes it is only logical that objects increase in nostalgia. Therefore, RELEVANCE - appropriateness to the current time, period, or circumstances; of contemporary interest - is the requirement. Every article of clothing, dish, toy and doodad must pass the ‘significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand’ test - obligation to be appurtenant to life RIGHT NOW!

in Apple-Pie order

Ardha Kurmasana — Half Tortoise Pose

Allays decision fatigue. 

Choice upon choice upon choice when clearing out the family closets. Husband’s is looking immaculate. Wife’s (yours truly the author) is underway. Goldie (age 12) on deck.

Why do I manage my husband’s wardrobe? It’s a 🚢 ship-shape passion and prowess - it’s kind and intimate (sexy?) to take such a task on for your beloved. 

HOT TO GO pile.

Day 1. Annual Closet Clean Out. Konmari style. 

Ashton is (dumpster?) “diving”, hence the disarray.

Day 2. Give-away pile is growing. 

Not quite so disheveled.

Axis

Parivrtta Ardha Chandra Chapasana - Revolved Half Moon Bow Pose or Revolved Sugarcane

See legs 🪢

Revolve • move in a circle on a central axis. 

Requires both sun 🌝 and moon 🌚 energy 

If you commit your focus to THE ONE thing (and follow it with passion), most else must fall by the wayside. The sacrifice is monumental and, hence, why few walk this path. My family duties pull me back to the center HUB like a magnet, to which I have given sanction. My ONE thing has been my brood for a decade now, but this girl’s wheels are turning with all of the beauty she has to offer outside the nucleus. Rounding out of this era; rotating focus.

Greetings NINE year - Completion and Closure. 💍

2025 : 2+2+5=9 

Rosy Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - Combat depression and apathy. Improve posture. Also true for the color Pink☺️

Pink is a neutral, right? Besides all pink shades (and now even reds,) MY ordinary dailies include blue from ice to navy, army greens, and metallics. One look at my closet and it is obvious what I love. Are YOUR favorites represented? Does your wardrobe MIRROR back to you your tastes? (Are you even acquainted with what you fancy? Have you granted your preferences permission to evolve?) This is cohesion. Yoga - to yolk.

Rose Quartz

🫧

 

Naturally handsome neutral baskets and jute, canvas or felt sacks. 

Nothing to wear? Launder (nearly) daily. Cast away allegiance to ‘laundry day’ and throw in a load forthright.

🐾🐾🐶 Mucky Puppies 🐶 🐾🐾

Retro rainbows, silver hoops, and agate crystals.

✨WORDS AS WANDS*✨ for MOM & DAD 

🪶Animal Edition🪶

Creature Style your Turns of Phrases for a Supernatural Offspring Following:

• Time to go ! - “Hop it to the Kangaroo.” “Quick like a Bunny.” 🦘🐇🦘🐇🦘🐇🦘🐇
• Wash your hands !  - “Mucky Puppies” - Slippy Fishies, Frozen Penguin etc. - “to the sink.” 🐾
• Settle down ! - “Curl into the cave baby Bear.” (Lap) “Where’s your den little Fox?” (Bed) 🪺
• Speak clearly ! - “Sing to me again, sweet Goldfinch?” 🕊️
• Dress warmly ! - “ABRACADABRA transform these children into their favorite fuzzy Animal.” (Layers on) “What’s your name, little Critter?”🧣🧤

Augment the clever and SILLY; reduce the rude and mundane. SOUND OUT what you mean (‘curl’ invites contracted coziness, ‘Mucky Puppy’ is sticky-icky). SING aloud, but not loud. Edicts are most efficacious delivered in varying spirited and melodious tones🎵. Like GOD’s animal kingdom, our vocal artistry is limitlessly puissant. 

*Borrowed terms : Words as wands, Ciara Burton. Mucky Puppies, Ms. Gussie Gertge Boulder Valley Waldorf School.

Palm Beach frond

Palm Frond as broom 🧹

Each balmy midmorning outside a prestigious estate in in lavish Palm Beach, I witnessed an unerring monk deep in meditation: a tranquil caretaker sweeping the street with a palm frond. 

Palm fronds symbolize victory, triumph and INTEGRITY.