nuture yourself

in times of uncertainty, rather than stressing about what you can't control, find peace in simple things: nature, laughter, family and friends. It's also especially important to take some time to nuture your body and spirit.

i took my own advice the other night and booked a massage with Atlanta's best masseuse, Jeanetta Lambkin of Spa Flow. She has a massage room on Moreland on the outskirts of Little Five Points, or- for a very worthy indulgence, she will come to your home or work. She also will do spa parties. I can't recommend her enough. Every month or so I see her to get all the knots in my shoulders worked out, she's super professional, and has the magic touch. I also love the massage lotion she uses, it isn't greasy so you don't leave oily -just super loose, mellow, well-moisturized. The perfect attitude adjustment!
check out Spa Flow's website

staying hydrated

approximately 55 -65% of your body weight is water. Proper balance between water and electrolytes determines how our body functions. Staying hydrated is extremely important, especially when exercising in the summer. A few facts:

watery foods, such as soup, yogurt, and fruits (an orange is 90% water) count toward your daily water needs.

if you are properly hydrated, you should have to use the bathroom every 2 to 4 hours and your urine should be light in color.

your body hides mild dehydration very well. Headaches and cramping are common late signs of dehydration.

a 2% drop in body water can cause dehydration, and a 3 to 4 percent drop can cause physiologic changes, such as an increase in heart rate and body temperature.

-excerpted from Living Well, Atlanta Medical Center

even keel

when you turn your yoga up a notch, you gravitate towards highly wicking, highly breathable materials. I've got my eye on these shorts by Even Keel.
I dig the foldover top, the color combination (especially a chocolate/pink combo) and they are made of 70% Bamboo / 25% Organic Cotton / 5% Spandex. Sounds luscious. The great thing about bamboo is that it feels cool and silky on your skin and is antimicrobial - it never takes on a sweaty aroma.

Even Keel is a small company run by a yoga teacher, and their line is made in the USA. Check them out!

Atlanta Pet Food Bank

For the past few months, I have had the honor of working with Ann King at Blooming Cookies, a creative cookie/gift company that ships nationwide. We've been working on a line of eco-friendly gifts, which fabulous. Also Blooming Cookies are all-natural, preservative free, in biodegradable wrappers, and very, very, tasty. If you're going to indulge, I recommend the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.

The Blooming Cookies office is a very dog-friendly environment. Ann is very involved in Animal Rescue and there's always a posse of dogs with her. Just a few weeks ago, after hearing that folks in Atlanta are abandoning their pets because they can no longer afford their food and care, that Animal Rescue and Control facilities are beyond capacity, she rallied pet rescue groups, volunteers, and pet businesses to support a brand-new Pet Food Bank. Donations are accepted at many companies and shelters around Atlanta, and the food is distributed at PALS Atlanta for needy pet owners. Support already has been huge, and Ann was on WSBTV news last night, drawing more attention to the issue.

More information on how to donate, volunteer, or pick up pet food: See "Animal Activism"
WSBTV clip

advanced yoga classes

Currently I have been teaching some group yoga classes that are "open" level, with students ranging from brand-new to yoga to more advanced students, all coming to the mat with different expectations and goals for the hour. You don't want beginners to be overwhelmed, nor do you want advanced students to be bored. The challenge for me as a teacher is to find a happy place for everyone: getting newbies aware of foundation poses safely, and cuing more advanced students on finessing their practice further and providing more difficult modifications. The great thing about yoga is, that no matter how an advanced/flexible/strong yogi you are, there is always something new to learn. It could be a new pose, it could be uniting your breath with flowing movements, it could be patience, with yourself or other students. Every moment, every day of practice is different.

This article from the NY Times addresses the need for separate, advanced level yoga classes: Yogi, Take Me to a Higher Place. My suggestion, if you're not finding the challenges you crave in regular studio classes: rally a few like-minded yogis and schedule a private session package with me. We could meet monthly, bimonthly, whatever works with your schedule, and work the advanced poses you are missing in class. I can also put together a sequence so you can keep working on the advanced poses at home.

yoga one-on-one

why take private yoga lessons? here's 2 compelling reasons:

it's all about you.

In your private lessons, I create an entire sequence of poses that are tailored to your specific needs, on that particular day. If you are the mood for relaxation and stretching, then that will be the session's goal. If you want to be challenged with balancing poses or powerful poses, those are options as well. There is more time for me to answer questions and to provide you with more hands-on adjustments in a private setting.

convenience.

Your lessons can take place in a studio, in your home, or at your office, on your schedule. Private lessons are good for students who can't fit public classes in their schedules, have physical conditions that need special attention, want to progress faster, or just prefer the comfort of privacy.

recycle, cut + sew

when i'm not teaching/doing yoga, i'm usually creating and making stuff. In 2004, on a whim, I started a business called teddylux cashmere, based on teddy bears I was making from recycled cashmere sweaters. I sell online and locally around Atlanta. In 2006 I shot an episode of the HGTV show "That's Clever", showing how I make a bear. It aired in 2007. In 2007 I was commissioned to create a custom cashmere polar bear for the Coca Cola Museum store in Atlanta. In 2008 I added a line of recycled cashmere headbands, glitzed with vintage rhinestones and reworked costume jewelry. This spring I changed the bear shape to the cuties you see here, and added elephants and bunnies to the mix.

Everything I make at teddylux cashmere is recycled, one-of-a-kind, and earth friendly. I have always been so fortunate to have a core group of customers who value handmade gifts. If you are looking for a unique gift for a new baby, child, or girlfriend, please take a look at teddylux!

farmer's markets in atlanta

this morning my husband and i rode our bikes to the Piedmont Park Green Market. It's on Saturdays, and features local organic produce, breads, pastas, cheeses, honey, granola, and more. The market was buzzing with people shopping organic and supporting local farmers and artisans.

Normally I have private clients on Saturdays, but i had today off, so it was a special treat to bike on over to the Park, shop the market, and do a lap around the park. We bought some tasty looking tomatoes from 2 Doves Farm and a big bunch of basil and cucumber from another organic farm. We're going to make a killer cucumber salad, and I'm going to put some of the tomato on portobello burgers we're grilling Sunday night.

I found this resource, georgia organics, for a list of farmer's markets in Atlanta - there's a lot!

lululemon atlanta

have you been to the lululemon store in atlanta? it is a mini-showroom on Highland Avenue in Morningside, not quite a full store, but they carry plenty of options for yoga tops, pants, and activewear. They use technical, sturdy, stretchy, wicking fabrics, and welcome feedback on how to make their gear even better. lululemon is rather pricey but their items definitely wear well, and of course I am in yoga gear as much as possible!

Recently I've been wearing the groove pant, which has a colorblock waistband on one side, and solid black on the other - it's reversible. At first, I thought the reversible concept was silly, but now I love it. I'm also trying out an ujiyaii tank and an organic cotton tank.
I'm hoping that more yogis and fitness folks shop the store so it can expand into a full-blown store with the full lululemon line - they don't sell online.

A fabulous thing about lululemon atlanta is that they offer free weekly pilates + yoga classes every weekend, often led by studios around town. They also offer free health-centric workshops to the community - i went to a very groovy one in May on journal writing. The philosophy behind the company, based out of Canada, is very uplifting and empowering... check out their manifesto.

check out lululemon in atlanta. my friend from teacher training, Missy, is usually working there, and she'll get you all set up with what you need. It's so important to be comfortable in your yoga clothes!

out of the darkness, into the light

When I'm not teaching, and I take a class as a student, I've been tending to really enjoy an intense, challenging, power/Ashtanga blend practice. Which means sweating like crazy during class. I ride my bike there in the Atlanta heat, so I'm hot before we even get started. Afterwards, I'm walking on air - I can feel a marked difference in my body- more space in areas where there was tension before.

My parents gave me a Yogitoes Deity Towel for my birthday. Yogitoes are great for any practice where you generate a lot of heat, or if you tend to have slippery palms. Topside is towelling and the backside is covered in eco-friendly silicone nubs that grip your yoga mat so it stays well anchored. My Yogitoes is silkscreened in gold with the image of Kali Ma, up at the top, for your drishti, or focus point. Kali Ma is The Black Goddess who takes the darkness away from devotees who strives in the path of perfection. A portion of the proceeds from the Deity towels, and there's a rainbow of colors and gods/goddesses, goes to various international charitable organizations. I've been "needing" a Yogitoes for a while now, making do with a little camp towel, and instead of snapping one up, I waited for my birthday, so it would be a special treat, reminding me of my fab parents, and useful gift.

I believe, that as people are becoming more conscious in their consumer choices, that they are going to be more selective in their purchases, and look for products that are meaningful to them. Eco-friendly products are a priority, and also the practices and the values of a company is going to be a greater consideration in purchasing. Overall, I've been trying to purchase less and when I do buy, to buy quality, optimally of an artisanal level made in the USA in a conscious way, maintaining what I have by reworking, reusing and recycling. It seems like this movement is growing, and I think that is a positive change.

staying hip + tranquil in the heat

ah, summertime in Atlanta. Hot, hot, hot. Steamy, steamy, steamy. I've been riding my bike a lot to teach classes and it's been so fun. My '82 Benz lacks air-conditioning, so i prefer pedaling through traffic, possibly creating a little breeze, rather than sitting in traffic in a hot car.

fabulous DC-area creativity maven, yogini-businesswoman, and eco-yoga-clothing designer Kimberley Wilson, "The Hip Tranquil Chick" (check her out, she's so inspiring) recently blogged about staying relaxed and happy in the summer heat. Her suggestions:

- drink oodles of water
- don fabulous sunglasses
- wear a flowy dress
- enjoy the complimentary hot yoga
- apply waterproof mascara
- surround yourself with people who make you laugh
- go for a swim
- stay locked up in AC with a yummy book (for an even better dose of tranquility, add in a yummy cupcake)
- don open-toe shoes and get a pedi
- drink more water
- eat a yummy spinach salad with strawberries
- focus on all you have to be grateful for
- call someone you love and thank them for being in your life
- meditate on a comfy cushion
- write it out in your journal

for me, i love to eat tons of fresh fruit - i just got a big bag of cherries, which I'm hoping came from northern Michigan, near where my cottage is - they grow the most and best cherries in the US.

I also tend to make a lot of fruit smoothies. I worked at a vegetarian restaurant many, many years ago and came away with this simple recipe:
in a strong blender,put
organic apple juice (approx. 3-4 cups)
1 banana
handful of frozen fruit of your choice: cherries, blueberries, strawberries, mangoes
a few teaspoons of organic vanilla yogurt
Blend well. Take a test taste. If you want more sweetness, drizzle in some honey or agave nectar and reblend. Also, for a thicker smoothie, add a few ice cubes.

yum.

independence

this july 4th i declared myself independent of clutter. my zodiac sign is cancer, and i have been a collector and also tend to feel sentimental about all the things i've collected over the years. I'm also big on recycling, and an artist/designer, so i've always got lots of craft materials around, and tend to hold onto things that i can rework and reuse later. My husband has been known to complain (rightfully, unfortunately) that I've covered every surface with stuff.

as i studied yoga philosophy in the past few years, i tried to be more mindful of letting go, non-grasping. The past few months, I have gotten more aggressive with weighing what i have/need and weeding out many, many things - donating to charity. My parents just moved out of the family home of 40 years and we had so much stuff to go through, things that were held onto for years and years but never really used, it sparked me to go through what my husband and I have and reassess.

it feels really good to look across our loft (it's mostly one big, wide, open space, after all) and just see LESS. It feels relaxing, peaceful, and freeing.

the battle for independence over clutter is looking positive- this is a work in progess...

deeper backbends

I was watching the Olympic Women's Gymnastic Trials a few weeks ago and was so blown away with the amazing balance, and especially flexibility of the young gymnasts. The arches in their backs are so amazing, they are practically folding in half. Great flexibility in my back has always been a challenge for me. It is easier for me to be flexible in my hamstrings and legs, and I need to spend more time backbending.

Maybe you've been in a yoga class and looked around and seen fellow yogis in some really fabulous wheel poses. Greater flexibility in backbends just takes practice, according to Yoga Journal. The only way to learn a new pattern in the body and mind is to practice it consistently. And it's important not to force a biggie right off the bat. Start small, breathe, and gently test your edge. Repeat regularly. Do backbends that feel appropriate to you as often as possible.

Yoga Journal had this advice that I found interesting: Incorporate backbends into your daily life. You can do small backbends—like clasping your hands behind your back, lifting your chest, and simply stretching—while sitting in your chair at work, waiting for the train, or standing in line at the grocery store.

so easy! i just backbended right now!