Observe

 

Malasana - Garland Pose

Sit back and watch the frenzied, delirious world do its thing whilst you do peaceful, casual yours. 

Jingle all the way 🔔 

Peremptory

Anjaneyasana - Crescent Low Lunge variation 

Not ‘exalted’ or ‘reverse’ as the arm reaching back is on the same side as the extended back leg it is reaching for and pressing upon.

Evaluating friendships as of late and finding it is essential to follow the chemistry and foolish to ignore the kismet. 🌟 

🌟 Starbaby 🌟

 

Yoga Mudrasana - Psychic Union Pose

Lotus legs, hands bound, third eye to the floor 🧿

🌈 How do you prepare for your birthday? ✨ 

🦢 elegant and effective

 

Upavistha Hamsasana - Sitting Swan Pose

Both graceful and effective. 

Weekends are the necessary outbreath to your week’s extended and exaggerated inbreath. Keep your weekends 1. Nourishing 2. Restful 3. Warm. 🧤🧦🪶

Wholesome nature-based activities nourish the soul. 

Warm with Fire and Water (food and clothing).

Movement can be restful; rather than planning a ‘hike’, step right outside your door.

Have an approach that is lighthearted and buoyant.

20 toes

Prapadasana - Toe Stand, practice

The exponential power 💥 of collaborating with your friends and the unlimited learning opportunities 🤓 of working with those unfamiliar. 

OMing ocean

 

OM - Primordial vibration of the universe.

Sonic representation of the divine. 

Why yoga at the studio and not at home? The energy of the group carries you. 

Symbiosis

 

Relationships with our children can be mutualistically symbiotic (both parties benefiting from the interaction), in which case they are heavenly. Of course, much of the time we must accept as parents that the symbiosis will feel parasitical (children rule, we drool), or commensal (they thrive, we status quo), at best.

🌹Mutualistically Symbiotic, of course 😘 

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. 

Dirndl

 

Dirndl 

Liebe - Love

How do we, as women, find our personal UNIFORM in the current CHAOS of literally unlimited options?

Your name here

 Nam - Bow. Salute with reverence, respect. Submit, bend.

The sweetest sound? One’s own name. And for some - a special nickname.

For a less familiar name or unusual spelling, help your brother/sister out - and hence yourself - during introductions.  “Astrid, like an Asteroid in space.” “Nok, like ‘to knock’ ✊.”  “Leonie, a female ‘Leo’; Lioness,” or “people call me Lay Lay.”

Party Pose

Ardha Padma Vrksasana - Half Lotus Tree Pose

POTLUCK - Gathering together without a singular hostess carrying the load. Attendees are often glad to be more than a guest and feel part ownership in the social occasion. Proprietorship makes the party more special in one’s mind. Win-win-win…

Life Preserver 🛟

 

🛟 How to survive Pool Party Season in four (with Sanskrit) easy steps!!

1. Ekam. Inhale for a count of four.

2. Dve. Hold for a count of four. 

3. Treeni. Exhale for a count of four. 

4. Catvari. Hold for a count of four. 

Pete and Repeat sat in a boat, Pete fell off, who was left? Yes - REPEAT this breathing technique.

Also known as square or BOX breathing. & Good enough for the navy SEALS. 

1. “Eh-kam” 2. “Dvay” 3. “Tree-nee” 4. “Cha-tvaa-ree”

And again :)

🍹

just Astrid

NOT “Mom”, “Mother”, “Wife”, “Boss”, “ Secretary”, “Client”, (“Customer”, “Collaborator”, “Gate Keeper”, “Dog Owner”,  “Chef”, “Chauffeur”, “Cleaning Lady”, “Counselor”…) Just Astrid.

It’s worthwhile and meaningful to uphold important (to you) roles and wear ones supervisor hats — to lead a purposeful life. But, boy, was it emancipating to relinquish administrative duties for a couple of days! 

Whirly girl

Las Vegas for 2 nights. High-waisted swim suit - check.

Goal : tan, people-watch, shop. 

Desert dress-code : ‘Fear and Loathing’ meets haute hippie. 🏜️ 

I am forever giving all colors (patterns, fabrics, cuts, shapes, treatments … ) a whirl. Perennially curious or fashion victim? 🤷‍♀️

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…

Confetti

 

SHOW UP Show Pony!!!

If you’re suffering from the Winter Blues it’s likely those all about you are too!!  Bring on the color, the texture and the prezzies and MAKE THE FUN at the parties. In all the ways Winter encompasses GIVING. 

ATMOSPHERE

Xmas flowerchild dress, jellyfish onesie (on bébé), ‘tartlet’ (so says my brother) ruby and diamond earrings, pink and green tourmaline ring, bows, bows, bows, and BARE FEET !!

Every holiday has its ambiance - decide on and GUIDE that quality, but when life inevitably throws its curveball - just GO WITH IT. Our Christmas turned out sickly and stormy, but it was also curiously easygoing, exceptionally intimate and required a remarkable combined effort - an ESPRIT DE CORPS !!!

Atmosphere - ‘vapor’ ‘globe’

Back to the Sea

Crystal turtle-neck dress, gold and pearl choker, diamond hoops, suede cowboy boots, leather cherry purse, cremant champagne and Coke for Family party in Denver.

 

The river is flowing,

Flowing and growing

The river is flowing

Back to the sea

Mother Earth carry me

A child I will always be

Mother Earth carry me

Back to the sea

- Sun Bear, Chippewa Tribe

Home from the Sea, musing over what the future will be…

CLOUDY with a chance of PENUMBRA

 

Coniglio viscose rose tie lounge set. Ruby earrings and moonstone necklace. Pink sparkle Arabian slippers and diamanté conejo purse.

A hazy genesis of 2025 in paradisiacal, but overcast, Palm Beach. The pink hotels, patterned store windows and I are nearly cheerless. Yes - the sun shines eternal. But then there’s those deleterious clouds rendering all below dull and dreary. We are beginning the year in the penumbra - the gray area. 

IN ‘The World’ but not OF ‘The World’

Dreamworld TieDye silk pajamas.

 

What is this “Real World” (I keep hearing about)??