No Holds Barred

Upavistha Konasana - wall Straddle Pose
I just love love love (cute, soft) pajamas.

There are seasons where living your yoga may not involve actual yoga… as in no holds barred convos over ice cream sundaes poolside.

The Tone of Your Home

Zesty, starry, shiny, peppery, salty, coppery, green, energetic, soft, pink, calm, blue... Mom Vibes - to infinity and beyond!!!

As women we set the tone of our home, and that energy, embodied in the members of our family and the visitors to our environment, ripples out indefinitely.

Cloudy days call for colorful dinners…

Not pictured: Stormy Day Dinner was chicken tortilla soup (from a dear school-mom-friend's Boulder CO soup company) with plenty of Astrid's home-baked vanilla pound cake (new fave) with fresh CO cow whipped cream. 

Mature ~ Standing Half Bound Lotus Pose

Ardha Baddha Padmottasana - Standing Half Bound Lotus variation
Ok to mature over here.
I am not one to try to turn back the (face and body) hands of time.

Mature: A fruit that has reached its ideal, fully developed state on time.

Growth Phase to Maturity Stage ~ Bound Half Lotus Standing Forward Fold

Ardha Baddha Padmottasana - Bound Half Lotus Standing Forward Fold
Goodbye growth phase, hello maturity stage.

This past week I felt wrenched (physically ill, even) over a possible exciting, albeit petrifying, dramatic life-change. Then, all of the physical pain dissipated when I returned to an old-friend book of mine and made the realization that...

We are at the point where our "Growth Phase" is plateauing into the "Maturity Stage" of (family) life. It is time to point the decision-making compass towards:

The Maturity Phase:

- Enjoying moderate, steady, stable growth. 

- Lowering ‘costs', increasing 'revenue', and refining processes.

- Maintaining pre-established fundamentals (number of children, location...)

- Distributing excess wealth and emanating peace.

A satisfying discovery: I have earned the position, through time + work, where it is wonderfully NOT necessary or appropriate (anymore) to act on exciting, petrifying life changes! I have painstakingly developed the character and gradually accumulated the means to be creative, expansive and free within my already glamorous, gorgeous, lovingly curated Life-Structure. 

Lost ~ Goddess Pose On Tiptoes

 

Utkata Konasana Samprapada - Goddess Pose on Tiptoes

Feeling lost and in despair with nowhere to turn? Remember what your mother told you and stay put where you are. 

Sumhersasana

Summer come save me.

Four kiddos. Four packed lunches and snacks. Five days per week.

Soak Up the Sunny Colors ~ Reclined Bound Angle

Supta Baddha Konasana - Reclined Bound Angle Pose

🌼 Ditzy Bimbo 🌼

What is a girl to do?

I have a penchant for embarrassing myself. Hopefully it amuses others and maybe puts them at ease? This blonde likes to have fun and doesn’t mind looking like a lunatic doing it (knocking over cups full of pens in a solemn bank meeting 😬, showing up to the pool opening - and swimming! - 2 days early with 6 kids in tow: “why is no one else here?” 😬, bopping around town with my shirt inside-out 😬, stating my drive-thru order loud and clearly into the trash can placed en route to the speaker 😬, and on and on all the days long…)

Happy-go-lucky, carefree and a bit daffy while hard-working in my home, active at our school, engaged in the neighborhood, out-and-about in my community…

When actively occupied both at-home and about-town, faux pas are bound to happen and, in my case, it is gaffes galore!! You are welcome?🙏 

Yoga Habit

For a behavioral habit - do it even though you don’t want to.

A clothing ‘habit’ is often long and loose.

Habit - a distinctive garment worn to signify a person’s affiliation with a specific group, profession or purpose. 

It is time I return to an all black (+ dark grey) habit for yoga… the stunning woman beside me this morning looked flawless and serene in her entirely ebony, austere uniform (and always does.) 🖤🖤🖤

Enoughness ~ Triangle Pose

Utthita Trikonasana - Triangle Pose

What is your Enough? Dis-cover Un-conditional enoughness through daily yoga. 

3 Wishes ✨ ~ Side Plank variation Floating Leg

Vasisthasana - Side Plank variation Floating Leg

Wishing for an organized mind, lithe body, and stellar soul? Your wish is Yoga’s command.

Not Just Pretty ~ Plow Pose Variation 3rd Eye 👁️

Halasana - Plow Pose variation Knees to Third Eye 👁️ 

Radiant Beauty is a yoga byproduct. Enjoy. ☺️ 

The Help ~ Revolved Low Lunge

Parivrtta Anjaneyasana - Revolved Low Lunge
Variation Quadricep Stretch, Reach Back for Toes.

Alchemize anger into asking for help. 

Effortless ~ Vajrasana

Vajrasana - Thunderbolt, Side Bend ⚡️

Health Building. Compound Interest ~ Ksepana Mudra

Ksepana Mudra
We study and practice the poses (as a group) to eventually own our asana (independently).

Like wealth, time is required for health building. Like wealth, health allows you to make life choices without constraints. Like wealth, health provides security in uncertain circumstances. 

Asana ~ Crescent Low Lunge

Anjaneyasana - Crescent Low Lunge Pose 🌙 

Steady, comfortable movement: your Yoga Asana may be Pilates, weight lifting, walking, running, hiking, fishing, skiing, skating, swimming, dancing, biking, gardening… steady, comfortable movement.

Fated ~ Mermaid Pose

Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana - One Footed King Pigeon Pose
Mermaid Pose 🧜‍♀️ 

Cultivate inner peace and outer beauty is assured.

Limbs of Yoga

Anjali Mudra

If your mind cannot solve your mind problem (meditation) - let your body solve it through movement (asana). 

Re-Union ~ Yoga Your Everyday Life

Yoga Your Everyday Life 

What movement is your Yoga?

What clothes are your Yoga?

What food is your Yoga?

What home is your Yoga?

Yoga: union with the divine. 

Why So Serious ~ Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana

Utthita Padangusthasana ~ Extended Hand-To-Big-Toe Pose

‘Work’ can be a bit fun (and funny, too). 

One Problem Per Yoga Class ~ Supta Padangusthasana

Supta Padangusthasana - Reclined Hand-To-Big-Toe Pose
The monkey mind is no match for the yoga mat.

Big, huge cosmic dreams realized in pretty, average-sized human steps. 

Tool Box ~ Supta Padangusthasana

 

Supta Padangusthasana - Reclined Hand-To-Big-toe Pose 

There is always more to learn. 

Cost Incurred ~ Parivrtta Utkatasana

Parivrtta Utkatasana - Twisting Chair Pose

When singularly focused on an acquisition, inquire conversely: what am I giving up to ‘get this’?

Soft-Test ~ Vakrasana

 

Vakrasana - Twisted Pose
Soft, relaxed version.

Accomplish difficult tasks with a light touch.

Intense Focus - Dandayamana Janu Sirsasana

Dandayamana Janu Sirsasana - Standing Head to Knee Pose
Head down. Intense focus.

Demanding from ourselves concentration and engagement. It’s not Summer Break - yet 😉.

Do You - Janu Sirsasana

Janu Sirsasana - Head to Knee Pose

No Cell Reception ~ Paschimottanasana

Paschimottanasana - Seated Forward Fold
Yogis: a weight-bearing, stretching, breathing, chilling, sweating, meditating, luxuriating tribe - sans phones.

Cellphone-free in the yoga studio ; it’s reason enough to go!

Santosha ~ Setubandha Sarvangasana

 

Setubandha Sarvangasana - Bridge Pose

Cultivate Santosha with (week) DAILY yoga.

DAILY yoga and DAILY creativity for DAILY peace.

Yoga Your Way ~ Ardha Anjaneyasana

Ardha Anjaneyasana - Half Lunge Pose

Mini Visions, Missions, and Values for each Season; purposefully thought about and clearly written out.

Unexpected ~ Urdhva Dhanurasana

 

Urdhva Dhanurasana - Wheel Pose 🎡

Just lay it all on the yoga mat for the universe to figure out.  

Wrestling with my usual mommy / wifey / community conundrums, I arrived at hot yoga in a tizzy. So I just gave it all over to something greater. Immediately an unexpected course of action - to embrace what I had been rejecting - was proffered by the divine. By opting for this original possibility I then floated through the remainder of the (rife with responsibilities) day in pure peace. OM Shanti OM. Namaste.

Spring Flings ~ Bhujangasana

Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose 🐍 

SPRING - bright sun, dark clouds; high temperatures, UV rays, summer-like days, drizzle, pouring rain, sleet, hail, snow, storms, sunshine, tan-time … and all the moods that come with it!

Candles On My Cake ~ Virabhadrasana II

Virabhadrasana II - Warrior 2

 

__ Kisses when I wake.

__ Candles on my cake.

We have closed ‘Birthday Season’ (until next October) in the Kirschenbaum home. A huge EXHALE for a mother who decorates and celebrates (6 human stars and a sparkle pup) in fantastical excess. 💐 

Self Massage ~ Utthita Parsvakonasana

Utthita Parsvakonasana - Extended Side Angle Pose

With familiarity through exposure, background and skill, yoga becomes self massage. 

Inner Universe ~ Meditate with Bolster 🦋

Hand to Heart and bébé belly.
Butterfly Legs Seated on Bolster.

 Make PEACE (rather than happiness, joy, love) your aspired state of being.

Silent Retreat

Listen only to the Universe.

It has been 10 days since I turned off all podcasts, audiobooks, and music; a calm has swept over me that I haven’t felt since… turning them on. 

Cherry and Pit ~ Prasarita Padottanasana

Prasarita Padottanasana III - Wide Legged Forward Fold C

What was the cherry (peak) and what was the pit (valley) of your day? We use this as our analogy since our last name is “Kirschenbaum”, German for Cherry Tree. 🍒

When our family has been apart for the day’s working hours conquering the world, we dine together at sunset while comparing notes, but when the weekend has been seemingly endless hours of “mom”, “MOM”, “dad”, “DAD”, why not serve the children separately?

Zen From Scratch ~ Chaturanga Dandasana

Chaturanga Dandasana 
Strong arms for pouring, whisking, flipping, serving, clearing…

Creating resourcefully for everyday tranquility.

Batter, Dressing.

Infinite granola iterations.

Pancakes.🥞 BUTTER.

Is Your Rest Constructive? ~ Constructive Rest Pose

Constructive Rest Pose

Knees together, feet apart.

 Deeply relaxing - like a self hug. 💞

Just as your food should be nourishing, your rest should be deliberate. 🫛

Green Goddess Dressing, Flower Blossom Cookies, Nut Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates, Mamachi’s Tomato sauce has carrots and cream, Homemade Food makes your fridge beautiful.

Garnish with your garden flowers (lilac here).

Yes - It’s Yogini Food! ~ Diver Pose

Diver Pose (Drinking Bird Pose) 🦅 

What does a Yogini cook and eat? Why, the foods she loves, of course.What foods does a Yogini love?

Living a creative life means create-ing daily; handmade delectable edibles are a piece-of-cake way to commune with the divine per diem (especially if you’re planning to eat anyways)!

Just keep COOKing (in silence for effortless enlightenment).

Spring goddess salad, chocolate pots, homemade ‘perfect bars’ plus oats, three berry muffins, classic stuffed bell peppers. 💚🤍❤️

EN-JOY