Mindful Living

*Sigh*... I Love London

My husband taught again this year at Triyoga London and I got to spend a week soaking in the city. The second night I was so excited by my to-do list that I barely slept! I still have lots of fun London sites to see next time, but I did get to check a few things off my list.

I can honestly say that London is my favorite city in the world right now – it’s charming and sweet yet grand. The people are so polite but they’re not at all distant; they treat like you’re an old friend. And the food. The food is out of this world crazy good. The highlights for me were:

• My first flat white at the appropriately named café, Flat White. Not only were the coffee and food amazing, the whole vibe felt like it fulfilled my preteen New Wave fantasies of marrying Simon LeBon or some other bloke with amazing hair.
• The Yayoi Kusama exhibit at the Tate Modern – They call her the “princess of polka dots” and her room installations were dizzingly good. The last room was completely dark and lit up by hundreds of tiny bulbs reflected in mirrors so that the lights looked like they extended into infinity.
• The Columbia Road Flower Market – I made my way there on a Sunday afternoon and browsed the cute shops – the affordable art gallery Elphick’s was a fave – and listened to vendors competitively squawking about the prices of their flowers. Of course, there was delicious food, and lots of street music.
• A lazy afternoon that took me to lunch at The Wolseley – Hands down the best chopped chicken salad I’ve ever eaten, making me wonder why we don’t have chopped chicken salad in San Francisco? Why?
• And then down to Fortnum & Mason to pick up some Smoky Earl Grey for the hubby. I wandered around the store ogling the tea tins, the homemade fudge, and I learned that Fortnum & Mason (like so many restaurants in SF) keep bees on their roof, too! And then finally a walk through Mayfair to look at the shop windows.
• Dinner at Yauatcha for dim sum. Pillowy soft pork dumplings, the best steamed vegetable rolls I’ve ever had, and pulled noodles with mushrooms.

Check out my London board on Pinterest for more ideas, including ones I didn't get to this time! I can't wait until next year!

 

Buddha Belly Love

I’m pregnant. And I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy. And it shocks me. Even though I’ve always valued family and even though I’ve always secretly had internal conversations with my future child, I was never really, absolutely sure if I wanted to do it. Because I also value my independence. And I was worried that it might go away. Worried that my identity, my personality, my entire being might be consumed by a brat in poopy diapers.

But once it happened, it was a like a switch flipped in my brain. In place of the fear is lots of excitement. After the first appointment when I heard the heartbeat, I didn’t sleep all night. As my friend Josh put it, I was high on vitamin B – vitamin baby. Also, it’s just the most beautifully mysterious process I have – and will ever – go through. There are so many moments where I wonder – where are you now little one? Are you sleeping and sucking your thumb? Floating around doing your own personal water ballet? When I do yoga, does it feel good to you? How about Down Dog – do you like being suspended in the hammock of my belly?

Yesterday I had a realization while I was doing yoga: One of the biggest gifts of being pregnant is that I’m a whole lot kinder to myself. I’m finding that this is the one time in a woman’s life when the rules change. For starters, you get to eat whenever you’re hungry and until you’re full. Without guilt. And you get to take naps when you’re tired. Without guilt. And you’re asked to exercise moderately, at a pace that feels safe and good and uplifting. Instead of working yourself to death in hopes of improving or changing yourself. It's pretty darn glorious.

During my yoga class yesterday – it was a regular people’s class, not a prenatal class -- I was so tired. When I lifted my arms into Warrior, I felt my heart rate go up. When I did my knees-down Chaturanga push-up, my arms fatigued. It was just HARD in a way that felt completely unfamiliar to me. But it was perhaps the first time ever that feeling fatigued didn’t annoy me or make feel like a lazy turd. My inner voice was so kind, because it was all about the baby. And I made a mental connection – a connection that I’ve heard so many times before – that in order to be kind and open and allowing of someone else, you have to be kind to yourself. It’s got to start with you, how you treat yourself.

Can you forgive yourself for feeling tired? Out of shape? For…gasp…aging and changing? Can you not only forgive, but be kind and happy and embracing of all the shades, moods, and aspects of yourself? If you can, wow. I congratulate you. Because the glimpses of it that I’m having are making my experience of life infinitely happier and easier.

I hope I can be kind to my kid. I worry about my tendency to be impatient. Plus a million other character flaws. But impatience is at the top of the list. At the same time, I know that these moments of feeling a little kinder, gentler, easier toward myself are helping me prepare and create space for another little being. And it doesn’t feel like I’m losing myself at all. It feels like I’m discovering different aspects of myself that I wouldn’t have otherwise discovered. And it feels good.

Tension Tamer #1

I've been having restless nights lately. Many of them. It's not so much that I can't fall asleep, I just can't stay asleep for more than two hours at a time. And it's not stress that causing the bouts of insomnia (I'll tell you more about the cause in a future post), but waking up constantly is definitely causing me some stress!

So, the other night, as I wandered out to the couch bleary-eyed in an effort not to rouse my poor husband, I did my all-time favorite thing to do when my thoughts overwhelm me: I repeated a little mantra to myself that I learned from one of my teachers, Sarah Powers. It has an amazing effect every time I do it. It's not just soothing -- it actually makes me happy. It's very simple, and I thought I'd share it.

Wherever you are, whether you're seated in meditation, waiting in a verrry long line, or in the midst of a sleepless night, repeat to yourself: "I am just here now. I am letting go." As you repeat the words, notice what sensations come up in your body. Notice if your thoughts reshape themselves. Repeat it for as long as you'd like or allow it to transform into a longer positive affirmation.

Let me know how it goes or share your own nighttime tension tamer below :)

Superstah! Yoginis

I had the opportunity to interview 10 women for a story about longevity and yoga that just went live on iVillage.com. These are truly amazing, inspiring women and I had so much fun talking to them. They are thinkers, leaders, and lovers of life.

As each month ticks closer to the big 4-0 for me, I keep having moments where I feel grateful for getting older:

• I stress less, enjoy each day more.
• I trust that I’m capable of handling what life throws at me.
• I’m more skilled at what I do, which makes it a lot more fun to do it.
• I don’t worry about how others think of me.
• And, let’s face it, I know that my time is limited, so I’m determined to make the most of it!

I’ll tell you one thing I haven’t quite embraced yet and that is: my wrinkles. And this reminds me of something that one of my mentors, Sarah Powers, said to me in her interview. She said (with a laugh): “Aging takes all of our gifts and compromises them..so you get to see what has vanity been playing with in you. That’s a beautiful thing.”

I’d love to hear from you – what is the aging process like for you? What have you learned? What do you embrace or find yourself rejecting?

PS: Do you remember that old SNL skit with Molly Shannon, "I'm Sally O'Malley. I'm 50! And I can kick and I can stretch!" I'd love to see what Sally O'Malley has to say about these ladies...

Yoga Journal December: What's Inside

The December issue of Yoga Journal is on newsstands and I'm pretty darn excited about it. I've got two features in this issue -- one that focuses on Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutations), which is a fluid soothing practice that's perfect for the dark nights of winter. The boundlessly creative Shiva Rea created the mandala (sequence). It was shot by Jasper Johal and designed by Ron Escobar and it is so. darn. beautiful. If it doesn't inspire you to get on your mat I don't know what will. Look! A sneak preview:

 

The other feature asks the question, "Is yoga a religion?" It's a deep, thinky piece you can really sink your teeth into. For years Yoga Journal has published articles insisting that yoga is not a religion. In essence, I agree that the way it's practiced in the West doesn't require you to subscribe to specific rituals, prayers, or dogma that we associate with religion. But if you stop the dialogue there, you miss out on more nuanced discussions about the difference between religion and dharma. You ignore people of different faiths who might feel conflicted about chanting in Sanskrit or who struggle to reconcile the yogic idea of Self-realization with God-realization.

We decided to open up the dialogue again and we invited a variety of different yoga teachers and scholars to weigh in. I had a great time moderating a panel with yoga therapist and religious scholar Gary Kraftsow, Vedic scholar David Frawley, journalist and Ashtanga practitioner Stefanie Syman, and Christian yoga teacher, Brooke Boon.

I was so impressed by the quality of the exchange between them and I learned a ton. It was fascinating to work on...I hope you'll pick up a copy, read it, and let me know what you think!

Inspired Yoga Moment

That’s my hubs taking a yoga break. Back when we were just friends (oh those were exciting days) I noticed that he could make just about any found object into a yoga prop. The first time he came to my house, he knelt down in front of my ottoman – you know, the thing that most people put their feet on – and started stretching out his shoulders. Then he whipped around and did some hip stretches. For a moment he was like a yogi Jack Lalanne – efficiently bending and stretching and talking all the while. It was strange yet…intriguing.

When he saw this curved bench at Ohorikoen Park in Japan, he made a beeline for it and instantly turned it into a backbender. I tried it and I must say, it felt amazing. Lake right next to me, trees above my head – it was a great yoga moment.

Point is, you can make just about anything into a yoga prop. Look around you…what everyday object can you use to help give you a five-minute yoga break? The edge of your bed? A countertop? Your desk chair?

For the next few days, I challenge you to be the weirdo in your office who backbends over her desk chair. Come on, do it! It’ll be fun. And more importantly, worth it. Your breath will deepen and your mind will relax and you’ll have a precious moment of feeling connected to your body.

I’d love to hear from you, too – do you have an everyday object that you use as a yoga prop?

Adventures in Japan

I finally organized and edited all of my photos from our recent trip to Japan. There are so many things I love about Japan. In this post I'm focusing on the amazing abundance of color that's all around, at every moment. One of my strongest memories will be how Japan is a visual feast for the eyes. The attention to design detail is mind-blowing. The trains, the signs, even the vending machines are inspiring and fun to look at.

A quick aside (and I wish I had a photo of this, but I don't): One day I was walking along with my friend Sachiko and noticed what looked like a municipal building, except that it had illustrations all over the front. I asked her – who is that little yellow character and what is he doing? She said, “Mmmm. I think he is a ‘pipe man.’” Pipe man, people. As in, a little creature that depicts drainage pipes and sewage pipes! He had eyes and a face and pants on and I think he was telling a joke. And he was adorable.

 

These little origami peace cranes were hanging from a memorial building in Hiroshima. It was so moving to see this amount of color and attention to detail. So many years after the horrible event, there is still a way to remember.

 

This sweet tiled mural was in one of the train stations in Fukuoka. Can you believe how clean and beautiful this train station is?! My friends could barely drag me away from the mural. I became obsessed with all of the little creatures depicted. See the birdie up above? He’s got his scarf around his head like a chef…or maybe he’s a warrior! I like pretending he’s a chef, slaving over a hot tamago dish. Oh and there was a worm with a hat on and a snake with a sweater and so many other hilarious little animals.

Even though the cities are big, it's easy to find a patch of green. When we were in Fukuoka, we spent the day at Ohorikoen Park and saw cranes, old ladies taking their walks, and lovers snuggling in the sun. The chandelier you see on the top right was in a cafe in Shibuya, one of the most crowded neighborhoods in Tokyo. It gave me a moment of rest even though just outside there was chaos!

Arigato Gozaimasu, Japan! I love you with all my heart. Until next year.

Happy Day, You Are Love

I couldn’t resist another post about the Ojai Yoga Crib. There are so many things that make this yoga conference so fabulous, and one of them is the town itself. When you walk outside in the morning, you see gorgeous views of the Topatopa mountains all around you. The air is crisp, the sun is shining; citrus and pomegranate trees bear their fruit.

The conference is in different venues all around town. If you’re really lucky, you get to take class at Meditation Mount. But one of my other favorites is the Soul Dome, the funky structure you see here. I took a Bollywood vinyasa class with Hemalayaa Behl and it was the most fun I’ve had in yoga class in awhile. Great cardio workout, too. Try running in place in Down Dog for five minutes and you’ll see what I mean! I wanted more, more, more.

I always try to take a class at Lulu Bandhas – this is Kira’s yoga studio. It’s so cozy and I feel at home there. This year I took class there with Laura Tyree and I found myself scribbling copious notes. She taught us a Jalandara Bandha with a very soft treatment of the neck. Instead of locking the chin to the chest, she draws the neck back, “like a cave.” I tried it an instantly relaxed. 

Her approach is so unique and she's not afraid to tell jokes and during Savasana she sings to you and her voice is divine.

I’m certain that what makes the Crib so special is the care and attention that Kira and her dedicated staff put into every detail. When you get to “Crib Headquarters,” you feel immediately taken care of. They’re so friendly, warm, welcoming. Really, I can’t say enough about the atmosphere that these folks have cultivated. It feels special to be a part of it. Plus, there is uh-mazing organic food to keep you going (by Farmer and The Cook) -- think Chai, pumpkin chocolate muffins, delicious curries... And yogis love to eat. Am I right?

I can't wait for next year! Will we see you there? I hope so.

Yoga Adventure in Ojai

My husband and I just returned from another amazing yoga adventure -- this time at the Ojai Yoga Crib. I've blogged about the Crib before. If you know me, you know it is one of my all time favorites! The people, the landscape, the teachers are all wonderful...I feel so fortunate to be able to take part in it. This was my 6th year attending and I still learned a ton! Taking class with Erich Schiffman is one of the highlights for me and I tried to capture how his classes make me feel in photos instead of words this year. Hope you enjoy it!

The Yoga of Bernal

My husband and I bought a condo in Bernal Heights last year. It was, for the most part, my idea. I pushed for it, I looked for it, I built the case for why we needed to spend our entire life savings for what could be characterized as a bottom floor apartment with tandem parking down the street from a Pizza Hut in a city known for its earthquakes. Most of the time we don’t feel this way, but I’ve had moments where I’ve wondered if we did the right thing.

I fell in love with Bernal years ago. And the other day, as I strolled home from my hour-long elliptical session at Fit Bernal Fit—perhaps the only gym in the universe that has indoor and outdoor “childcare” areas for your dog—I was reminded of why.

Bernal is the best little small town in a big city that you can find. The homes are perched around Bernal Hill and the narrow streets wind around one another so intricately that it’s easy to get lost. All of this means that it’s not a destination for tourists or cool kids looking for a wild time—it’s too remote, too sleepy, too hard to hike up to in Manolos.

Bernal marches to its own drummer and the pace of that drummer is verrry slow. When I first moved there and I would drive home from work, I found myself exasperated as soon I reached Bernal. I would be in fast-twitch, downtown mode, eager to get home when suddenly I’d be halfway down a steep, narrow hill nose to nose with a driver coming the other direction. One of us would have to awkwardly back up or pull into a driveway to let the other pass.

Then one day something shifted. I noticed the rhythm to driving in Bernal: If you see another driver coming toward you in the distance, you pull over to the right—this is easy to do once you reach a small intersection—and it allows you smoothly weave around each other in a sort of dance. You do this over and over again as you drive through the neighborhood—either you choose to yield or the other car does— and it works out perfectly. When I clicked into this simple Bernal dance I felt like I’d finally arrived as a local. Sure, you have to slow down a bit, you have to give your neighbor driver a friendly wave, and you have to be willing to yield. But that’s all part of what living in Bernal is all about. Slowing down, giving a wave, yielding when it’s necessary.

Which takes me back to the way I felt when I was leaving the gym the other day. I wasn’t in a rush. (If you know me well, you know this is tantamount to a miracle.) I stepped into the crosswalk and noticed that the driver in the oncoming car wasn’t paying full attention. So, I stopped and stepped back. I smiled. He looked at me, and, noticing his mistake, smiled apologetically and waved and through the crosswalk I went. I didn’t furiously thump on his car as I’ve seen people downtown do to drivers who make mistakes (I’ll admit I’ve wanted to be one of those car thumpers from time to time). And he didn’t beep at me aggressively.

From that small moment of human connection I walked home in one of the clearest, most present states I have in awhile. I saw vivid purple flowers blooming that I hadn’t seen before. I smiled at the Yellow Lab mix with this stumpy Corgie legs who bayed at me as I passed. I watched the shopkeeper wash his windows at the end of a long day. I noticed the high school kid take his mother’s heavy bag off of her shoulder as he walked up to meet her. Bernal was all abuzz in its own quiet way. And then there was me, singing out loud to a song from Glee on my iPod, so happy I nearly had tears in my eyes.