Sleek

Part Uttitha Parsvakonasana- Extended Side Angle Pose, Part Skandasana - Side Lunge

Touch the Earth, Cradle your head, Flow freely

How to become aerodynamic (for a SMOOTH efficient life)? Reduce drag and streamline your shape. As in - goodbye more and more things and hello more and more yoga; litheness and health :) 

The weather is quite bleak this week in Colorado, so I’m brainstorming Autumn’s sleek trim-down clean-up schematic. To excavate a layer deeper into the household’s gazillion items, I will ask “would I bring this in a move?” Not moving, but act as if. Aerodynamic. 

Twisted bow

 

Dhanurasana - Twisted Bow Pose

The real twisted bow is described below 🎀 

The children are not at school. And somehow I have to get them ready for the school year. But surely they must be out of the house for this to be possible. But they are all home. And there are so many of them 🐵🐵🐵🐵… 

It is absolute chaos-insanity-frenzy pressure-cooker-crazy and then POOF they are off.

Fuel gauge

My heart is still in no-business mode.

40 days away from a home, schedule and phone full of trappings — it’s not easy returning to all that I must SUPERINTEND. The separation will fuel me in ejecting more, mas, encore !!! And sooner not later. 

Tried and True

 

Utkata Konasana - Goddess with side stretch

LOST ?? Well, it’s no doubt when the outside influences are more rampant than ever and now inside our homes (phones). FIND yourself by returning to PERSONAL CLASSICS - YOUR tried and trues. Similar to the influencers you are compelled towards, who present their own (one or two) areas of mastery. 

Less zealous

Taking NOTES from the MEN (who have fewer options and less zealous marketing). 

1. Pockets! - Perhaps even forgo a purse. 😱

2. Dresses and skirts (while they so contentedly stick with pants and shorts). 

3. Fewer colors. 

4. SMALLER CLOSETS. 

5. Denim.

 

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 ✌️

Rad

You know you’re having a pretty RAD summer when you’d rather PLAY in that lame purple bikini AGAIN (and be seen in it!) than stop to go SHOPPING.  

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. 

🌲 Tada !! 🌳

 

Paschimottanasana Namaskarasana- Reverse Prayer Pose, Reverse Namaste 

Wear what YOU like for your yoga or hike. 

Up the mountain a few 1000 feet 

💙 Swimsuit 💚 Linen 🧡 Crocs. 

Etiquette

 

Vakrasana - Twisted Pose

I have a custom of informing the yoga teacher if I will be missing a class.

Currently, I also :

- Make use of the ladies locker room, both pre and après asana.

 - Bring and use a gaudy, very not-yogi, plastic water cup. 💦

- Twist hair into a standing-bun or plait tresses into a lying-down-braid  (clips at the ready). 

- Gravitate to any location in the room, but always roll my yoga RUG out TENDERLY.

 - Borrow blocks. 💙💙

AND, most imperatively,  happy to change my ways ;) 🙃🧺🧿 

What are your yogic ticks ?? 🐜 

Nirvana

 

Salamba Bhujangasana -  YIN Sphinx Pose

A LIGHTER TOUCH when parenting, house-working, e-mailing, dressing… does in reality yield astonishing results. I am, for the very first time, sympathizing with this 80/20 rule that I was never before able to appreciate (or even mildly apprehend). 

Summer Routine ; it’s not an oxymoron

Pincha Mayurasana- Feathered Peacock Pose 🪶 

Forearm Balance 

It’s not yet summer!! - as we are reminded habitually here in Colorado with erratic temps and afternoon storms. ⛈️ But, it is after Labor Day and, for many of us, Summer Break. GRANT yourself at least week or two of consideration before anchoring your (and your family’s) Daily Summer Routine. 🎏

After you

Phalakasana, Kumbhakasana, Utthita Chaturanga Dandasana - High Plank Pose

Couples are yoga 💙

Kumbhakasana - breath retention. Hold your breath BRIEFLY before lowering into push-up position, Chaturanga Dandasana. Outside the studio, pause only temporarily before committing to a decision. And TAKE TURNS with your other half, arbitrating according to your particular strengths. This is what partnership is for. 
 

Substitute Teacher

Curtsy Lunge 👑 

By structuring our days as routine and regular as viable, variations become happy surprises and enhancements. Like the substitute yogi teacher who shares her barre skills. 

Do you nap??

Do I nap??

I laughed with my husband - “I can’t sit down without falling asleep!” It’s sincerely a very powerful thing The Catnap. I am able to stay extremely productive any time of day (or night?) and not tire by counterbalancing with these short, albeit deeply restful, nod offs (often taken in the sun, but anywhere is fair game). 👼 

Stop Fidgeting

Muktasana - Liberation Pose

Burmese style Seated Meditation 

Dhyana Mudra

To fidget is to be nervous, restless, impatient, EAGER. Unless these are qualities you wish to embody - finish with the fidgeting. 

“Be STILL and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

😈 advocate 👿

 

Sirsasana - Headstand

I take my concerns and turn them all around , inside-out, and upsidown.

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…

Get it together

 

Dwi Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana (Vrschikasana Pada) — Two legged Downward Facing Dog (Scorpion-esque)

If you take your kids to the store, plan on buying them something — “one salty snack, one sweet”, “one snack, one drink”, “one non-food item”. If you don’t want to buy them anything - don’t bring them!!!!!

PS : Offering to buy GUM can generally seal the deal. 💋 

SUPERficial

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