The most helpful criticism I received last year was an insult
About this time last year I was in a frenzy designing my first website ever. I'd done a lot of research and worked my tail off. Although I was very proud of what I'd created, I was also terrified that maybe I just couldn’t see that it was an utter disaster. So, I went on the hunt for a boatload of feedback from friends, family, and strangers.
As the criticism came pouring in, I dropped everything and got to work addressing all of it. I was overwhelmed and disagreed with so
What's your WHY?
Most of us have firsthand experience with how hard changing our lifestyle can be. We get pumped up about New Year’s resolutions, only to get frustrated with ourselves a couple weeks later if we drop them. “Forget it! I don’t have enough time to meditate.” “It’s just too hard to quit smoking.” We feel like failures when we don’t have the drive to make a new behavior stick. But we aren’t failures at all! We just lean too much on something that fails: willpower. Willpower isn’t
Is your busy schedule owning you?
When someone asks you how life is going, how often do you heave a sigh and say "busy"? Not an abundant busy, but a "PLEASE take something off of my plate" busy. If we aren't paying attention, our schedules can easily fill past our comfort. We find ourselves going from bed to work, from work to our next obligation, and finally rolling in the door at night with little energy to hear ourselves think. Our weekends can feel packed to the gills with things that seem mandatory, unti
How to treat yourself like a loved one
I’m so excited to share this post with you today as part of the Women’s Holistic Health Blog Tour hosted by Vivinne (Kala) Williams from YogaBlissDance.com. Throughout the tour each expert blogger will share her tips on how women can maintain their emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Read tomorrow's article on Fall and Early Winter Season Guidelines for Balanced Health by Anamaria Pontes. During my first semester of graduate school I was extremely depressed. On top
The first person to cry is the strongest
Some of you have followed my writing since I started a little Tumblr blog in 2010 to connect with students and friends who were curious about yoga for depression and body image issues. It was amazing to read your comments and have deep conversations about mental health with you. Thank you so much for your support! A few of you actually met me through my MySpace blog over a decade ago. I feel like I owe more than a word of thanks to you brave souls. I owe you a drink! One of t
What yoga teacher training taught me about change
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” – Gail Sheehy One of the most tumultuous times of change in my life was when I embarked on yoga teacher training. I’d deliberated over teacher training for years and was determined and passionate to teach classes that felt safe and accessible to people whose bodies didn’t match the stereotypical yogi physique. When I showed up to the studio on day 1, I may as well have had my eyes tightly scrunche
