Dirty Soap

The Daily Doodle: Get clean for Spring: spottless house, new clothes, pure body!

Not-so spring-like or squeaky clean: I've been watching 2011 re-runs of E's Dirty Soap.

30 days until Spring

The Daily Doodle: Countdown to Spring: 30 days (and every second a little less!)

Ustrasana: Camel Pose

Ustra: Camel

Press your hips forward in this pose so they remain in line with or even slightly forward of your knees to protect your low back. Always protect that low back! Also, see if you can relax your head backwards while keeping your breath steady and remaining calm. This pose is meant to be uncomfortable.* Ustrasana induces a fight-or-flight response: by breathing through and relaxing into this asana in a controlled yogic environment we are practicing to breathe through and relax in life's unpredictable and unavoidable sticky situations.

*uncomfortable, not painful!

put on your Monday Best

The Daily Doodle: There is no substitute for practice. I have been yogiing on my own rather than in a studio for the last eight weeks or so which means I have been stretching, breathing and meditating in short bouts no where near an hour or an hour and a half at a time. I will incorporate my trusty at-home podcasts for added structure and discipline – tapas – but it is likely time to step back into the classroom. Argh, do I have to???

That being said, please recall yoga can be done ANYWHERE!

1. Basalt, CO 2. Moab, UT 3. Hana, HI 4. Pacific Beach, CA 5. Cote D'azur, FR 6. Palm Beach, FL 7. and 8. Aspen, CO

the Good Behavior Board and what I learned

The Daily Doodle: Because so many of you seemed to enjoy the Good Behavior Board –and you all made your own versions, right?– I thought I would do a follow-up. The results surprised me. For example, I clean the house every morning without exception, the perpetually dehydrated old me had no trouble picking up better H2O habits, and I rise before 8AM without trying. The board reaffirmed that I am a morning person, so if I want something done I better plan on doing it before lunch. 

The areas of difficulty were also a revelation. The changes I would like to see are: more yoga (always more yoga!!!), more weight lifting, and more at-home spa treatments. By seeing it all on one big sheet of paper I was also able to create a plan to painlessly add the items that are important to me, but are apparently a constant struggle to complete: On weeknights if J and I are watching a show or movie before bed I will lift weights or do a mask during the TV viewing to curb snacking. Oh, and more yoga. That's all. When you write down what you want to do versus what you do for one week it really is that simple.

I didn't extend the board longer than one week because I learned what I needed to, but I will likely be repeating it in the future.

California Valentine

The Daily Doodle: Pleasure is about being and feeling over having. Sharpen your senses to make your every moment fuller. Really smell, touch, taste, see, and hear to get the most out of everyday experiences. Pampering does not have to do with decadence nor is self-punishment a path to well-being. –abridged thoughts from Mireille Guiliano

Share your love

Who would choose petty, acidic, life-deteriorating competition for an illusionary spot on an illusionary hierarchy over freely conducting love and joy with our fellow man?

The Daily Doodle: Open your heart this February! Urdhva Dhanurasana, Wheel Pose.

Urdhva: Upward 

Dhanu: Bow

Share your love and organize a yoga session with friends. No mats necessary.

yellow chiffon dresses and sunshine

The Daily Doodle: It's been a sunny January in San Diego! Pray for rays of light and battle winter blues by practicing Surya Namaskars, Sun Salutations, like me first thing in the morning. The awakening flow will strengthen your immune system.

The ideal AM stretch. 

Urdhva Hastasana: Upward Hands Pose

Urdhva: Upward

Hasta: Hand

Wish List: Ingenious silken whimsy by Camilla Franks Australia. 

ode to bride

The Daily Doodle: I'm married so the jig is up for me, but boy do I love a good bride!

Elie Saab Spring 2012 bridal above.

learning to fly

"Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith."

–Margaret Shepard

The Daily Doodle: Surrender! Lately our little family of two has been suffering from some control issues. And so we remind ourselves and you to let go, give in, accept, and embrace! We may have to do some things we don't want to do, but we do them with integrity. Things may not go down the way we hoped, but it's all part of the higher plan. And we learn to live from our hearts, not from our heads.

"When you yield internally, when you surrender, a new dimension of consciousness opens up. If action is possible or necessary, your action will be in alignment with the whole and supported by creative intelligence, the unconditioned consciousness which in a state of inner openness you become one with. Circumstances and people then become helpful, cooperative. Coincidences happen. If no action is possible, you rest in the peace and inner stillness that come with surrender." –A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle

Yoga Crush: Kathryn Budig, Santa Monica

goodbye bunny

The Daily Doodle: Happy Chinese New Year! The relaxing, grey, yin year of the rabbit comes to a close with the new moon Monday January 23rd while the magical, mystical, heavily charged, ruby red, yang reign of the dragon commences. Get excited! Those born in years of the dragon are free-spirited, uninhibited, extroverted, irrepressible, colorful, flamboyant and gifted. A 2012 baby will be a water-dragon. The water element will temper the dragon's fearless temperament.


Happy New Year!

I love mornings

The Daily Doodle: Happy Friday! Get to bed early and enjoy the mornings this weekend.

Good Behavior

The Daily Doodle: With one week off of my 'day job,' the upcoming Chinese New Year, and a lull in vacations and other plans, today I will begin a personal retreat. It is not a detox nor a cleanse – it is not food-oriented at all – it is a week of focus and getting rewarded for good behavior. My board is loosely inspired by "Kennedy's reward chart" that Taylor Armstrong presented in the recent episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (media detoxing is ironically in the bonus section of the list.) The list includes meditating before meals, 3 liters of water a day, sun salutes, drawing, spa treatments, inversions and rising before 8am (I'm off work, remember?) And so begins day one...