Everyday Yogini

Today, I used Blogbooker to create a keepsake of this blog.  Mainly because the time has come to let go of this blog and step fully into the care and feeding of my new venture.  Back when I started this blog, we were getting ready to move to Rome.  I was experiencing a very deep and painful transformation - burning through outdated beliefs, questioning my worth, sitting squarely in that uncomfortable in-between state of not knowing…  changing at a fundamental level.  I was so scared!  Keeping this blog helped me feel my way through the changes that had shattered who I was and helped me vision and put together a new, more authentic life for myself.

In some of my first posts, there were hints of what it would lead to (helping others through coaching, mentoring and teaching).  This was from maybe my 10th post:

Making peace with our demons

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007So as I am working with my worry, the message that is arriving from all directions is what I mentioned yesterday~ embracing it, discovering compassion for the parts of myself I wish to push away (in this case, worry). I came across this passage by Thich Nhat Hanh yesterday and was just STRUCK by the realization that I have the ability to transform this “demon” into a gift for myself and those around me. To develop greater understanding and depth as a result of the thing that is so painful right now.

Thank goodness for my yoga and meditation practice.  Through those practices, lots of tears, the work, and blogging as a way to coach myself (before I realized what coaches were and got my own!!)- I came through, better than ever, with a nothing short of a calling and the absolute belief that all of us have the power to be exactly who we are meant to be for ourselves and the world, and be truly, authentically happy doing it.

Now that I’ve been formally coaching for a little while, I’ve discovered that my favorite people to work with are moms who are super busy with all kinds of ventures or businesses outside of the the work of parenting.  Fabulous women who are striving to change the world, doing so much in their communities and for others, and they make it look so effortless - but it doesn’t FEEL effortless. It can feel really overwhelming…

I love helping these women find elegant solutions in their lives.  Organic, simple solutions that make everything easier - that help them recognize their brilliance and relax and enjoy their crazy, beautiful lives.  A shift in perspective that gives them some mental space and breathing room so they can make the BEST choices for themselves, their businesses, and their families.   Oh how I can go on about how amazing and beautiful these women are and what a delight it is to work with them and see them bloom!!

So there is still Yoga, at my new blog.  There is meditation.  There is all the same stuff that has been here - and more.  If you are interested, come on over.  Subscribe to the blog.   I would be delighted to have you.

Thank you to all of you who have come and read and commented here over the years and have offered such a loving, virtual support for me during this amazing time.  I salute the divine within each and every one of you.

My little family will be going on vacation at the end of this week.  We are going to a family hotel in Austria.  It’s tough, but someone has to do it, right?  So while we are vacationing, the blog will be quiet - I’m running some of my favorite posts from Everyday Yogini, over on the coach blog- about the practice of parenting- over the next week, if you want to take a look.

I’ve been thinking (and writing) a lot about meditation and yoga, and their role in living a healthy, fully-engaged, happy life.  I have some upcoming offerings to help people incorporate a practice of meditation (aka: doing nothing) into their lives.  It will be lots of fun, so, if you are interested, you can read about them over at the coaching blog.

Is there anything related to meditation, yoga or coaching that you would like me to address here?  Got questions?  I’m happy to answer… it’s been a long time since I’ve had an “ask the yogini” post…

Until after vacation!

Crazy as it sounds, yesterday our little family spent the day at the beach.  It was in the low 80’s and Clara swam in the sea, then, we enjoyed a really fabulous lunch at a restaurant on the beach.  Oh how I’m loving this “Fall” weather!

If you aren’t a subscriber at the coaching blog (if you are, I’m sorry to duplicate here), I wanted to let you know about a new offering.  For new newsletter subscribers, I am offering a free introductory manual called More Happy, Less Stress: the sensible art of doing nothing that improves nearly everything!  In it are the top three tools that I use and that I ask each of my clients to use while we are working together.  You can sign up here to get your own copy:

I’m running of for my own practice - a walk, some yoga, followed up with my own art of doing nothing…

Obviously, I have NOT been blogging.  At all.  I hate to even admit it, but in the last few months, Facebook has simply taken over my virtual life!! I cannot BELIEVE it took me so long to get on board with social networking! In fact, I have fallen so deeply in love with all the cool new stuff that keeps us connected that, at work, I will be teaching a class on social networking (Facebook and other ways to stay connected) in May (among other similar classes). Yes, Yoginis, I have drunk the social media kool aid! And that has kept me busy, busy.

But, you say, blogging is a social media tool as well! Why stop blogging?? (note: deep secret about to be revealed…) Well, when I first got onto Facebook, I linked my blog to my Facebook page (of course!) and my blog posts are announced on my Facebook feed. This is great, right? Exposure is good! Right?? Right????

Frankly, it started weirding me out.

I adore Yoga. It is so much a part of who I am, that it touches and informs every part of my life. However, there are a great number of people that I interact with in the world that I simply have not connected with on that level. Say, people I work with. Or, say, people my husband works with. And I needed some time, I think, to evaluate my comfort level with such a disparate audience having access to what, in many cases, amounts to some very personal, tender places in me. I have nothing to hide, and yet, I suppose on some level, I still feel that maybe “normal” people might find my spiritual, introspective bent odd and judge me for it. On the other hand, if I were to take a more positive (confident) view, I would be delighted that more people in my life would be exposed to Yoga, know more about who I am, and, perhaps, something I write might be of help to them in their own lives at some juncture.

On other, more mundane matters, for those of you who have not drunk the Facebook kool aid, Clara is growing up so fast and, I can say without a doubt that four is the best age EVER! She is funny, curious, independent, opinionated, lively… just fully and completely herself. I read a blog post recently (and I’m ashamed to say I don’t remember where, so if you wrote it, please leave a comment and take your credit!!) about a father who kept a daily journal the year each of his kids were four with quotes, observations, and experiences. This woman had been the recipient of the book from her father and she loved it so much, she decided to do the same for her children. I IMMEDIATELY began a journal for Clara, because, every single day she says or does something that is so amazing and magical that I realized that I had to capture this for her. 

Rome has re-entered my graces after a really challenging winter by providing sunshine, blooming trees, and singing birds for Spring. It’s about time. Seriously.

Finally, my wonderful Friday morning Yoga and meditation class is an absolute treasure! We are currently working with Metta Bhavana (Loving-kindness) meditation and, well, I am certainly having a lot of personal insights!! We practiced for two weeks directing metta ONLY to ourselves and, well, I will be writing more about that later- because for me, it was simply incredible! I have not practiced intensely with metta meditation since Clara was a little baby (I would practice metta every time she nursed, so, uh, I was meditating. A lot.) so it has been very powerful for me to practice this concentration meditation technique again.

And now, Yoginis, Clara and I must prepare for an Easter Egg hunt today. I have vegan cupcakes to frost, so my dear, sweet, girl can have a yummy, egg-free treat during the festivities.

I will leave you with a Spring gatha:

When the blossoms are showy and pink,
I vow with all beings,
To delight in Springtime’s abundance,
All the sweeter after winter’s deep sleep.

So after a long and busy holiday season, I am here! First we celebrated Clara’s fourth birthday. This was closely followed by her end of year play, where she played a flamingo (very Christmas-y, don’t you think??), then, we we set off on a plane to spend Christmas in the heart of Austria, the Steiermark.

Words cannot really begin to describe my deep and abiding love for Austria. I declared it my very favorite country back in college when I lived in Germany and that deep love was affirmed and rekindled during our vacation. My deep gratitude goes to Lindner Hotels for being no less than perfect. Clara, Erick, and I had the best Christmas EVER. And you know? We’ve had a lot of great holidays and vacations, so it really speaks volumes about Austria, the Wasnerin Hotel and Spa, and the area of the country we went to.

For family pictures, as always, go to Flickr.

Next up: Reflections on 2008 and Looking forward to 2009.

Happy New Year!

I am back!

It felt like the fastest trip ever, but I have a secret. Well, not for long.

After the initial shock of Clara’s tears and getting out the door, I had a great time. I enjoyed thinking about Clara, but I didn’t miss her. At all. Hey, after almost five years (if you count belly-time) of togetherness, it was time for a break. I’m pleased to report that Clara was no worse for the wear and, dare I say it, enjoyed herself tremendously having some one on one time with Erick. And Erick? He’s pretty proud of himself for keeping Clara put together for a whole four days. He didn’t brush her hair the whole time, but a man’s got his limits. I can grant him that.

The flights were long and the food was bad, but, I managed to watch some films that kept me entertained and, I actually laughed out loud during a few of them… I had ample time to meditate and did so. I have a great body-scan meditation loaded on my iPod which is terrific when I am really tense and can’t relax (I don’t find airline seats conducive to relaxing deeply. Maybe it’s just me!). I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to start a meditation practice, or if you travel a lot, it’s a great way to relax in-flight.

I had the luxury of staying with friends who were so sweet to accomodate me! I had a nice space where I did Yoga when I woke up at 3am both nights due to jet lag… how lovely to stretch out and drop into the body when it’s feeling a little kooky due to time zone changes!

Finally, I put the whipped cream on top of my visit by having an Accupuncture treatment with Kate. I can’t recommend her enough if you are in the DC area. What a tasty treat before getting on a long-haul flight…

Clara was awake when I got home and I was as thrilled to see her as she was me. It’s wonderful to be home, but it was wonderful to be away, too. And now, I’m sure next time will come sooner than later.

Tomorrow morning I am getting on a plane to go to Washington, DC for exactly 56 hours.  I assure you there will be many opportunities to practice mindfulness, use Yogic breathing, and, with a 10 hour flight?  Yep.  Lots of time to meditate. 

This is an exciting trip (and a bit nerve-racking) for many reasons.  First and foremost, this is the first time I’ve ever left Clara.  I’m sure everything will be fine, but the control-freak Mother in me is maybe not-so-sure everything will be fine.  Ahem.  If you know what I mean.  
It is also exciting to be going back to the states, to gain some perspective on life in Rome. I’m pretty sure going the speed limit is going to challenge my Romanized driving style…  

Lastly, I am going for a training which is very exciting!  I am very much looking forward to learning some new skills that the Embassy can (hopefully) implement immediately.  I am so grateful for the opportunities that I’m always being given!  

Wish me a safe journey and, please, Yoginis, think good thoughts for Clara and her Father while I’m away…   

This weekend, I will continue with the Healing series, but I have some data points I would like to share here, because I think it’s very interesting. 

About three months ago, I started using Pear Budget software to track my half of our budget. I haven’t been doing a very good job since we left the States of keeping track of where our money goes, and I love Pear budget!! Anyway, I have been surprised to note that we actually spend a LOT less on food here than we did in the States.

In round numbers, Yoginis, we spend about $300 less per month here. And Rome? EVERYTHING is expensive here.

I was talking with my husband about this last night and marveling at the change. The differences in what we eat are minimal, but significant enough to add up.

1. You can’t find convenience food here, ie; frozen meals, snack bars, etc. Italians? They eat real food. Now our family does too.
2. In that same vein, the only produce that is available is seasonal produce (so we gorge on asparagus when it’s available in the springtime) and, you can’t really find a lot of frozen foods. The end effect being we have almost nothing in our freezer (unless I’ve made it).
3. The food that you find really is sourced locally, for the most part. The items that are imported are more expensive, but, you would expect that, right? And the stuff that is local is so great, there is no reason not to buy it.

Amazingly enough, I can’t seem to recall if local foods in the States are more or less expensive. My recollection is that they were more expensive, because they are from smaller farms. Is this right?? With the economic situation, are you finding yourselves cooking more meals from scratch? Because I now have the numbers from our budget and spending to prove that eating fresh foods is a lot less expensive- at least here. AND to boot, the food that I make now is better- I used to think my meals from organic, canned beans and frozen, organic veggies were pretty tasty, but I’ve seen the light.

Yoginis.  I have so many things to post about, and very little time- even less energy.   

I am enjoying my job and the very busy Fall season here in Rome, but by the time I sit down to write, I am simply unable to get a coherent thought out!  I am working on making a blog date with myself on a weekly basis to sit down and write a post, so please bear with me as I get my life organized around work, Clara’s school schedule, our social calendar, not to mention the time I need to refresh with exercise, Yoga and meditation.   

Speaking of, I have a precious bit of time to myself this morning to go for a run in the park.  I will be back sooner than later- in the meantime, if you are so inclined, I just signed an online petition this morning for the next President (whomever that may be) to create a “First Garden” on the White House lawn.  Apparently, this has been done in the past, depending on the times, and I love the idea of the White House setting this kind of example for our nation.   

South of the Austrian border by about 40 miles, nestled in the Pustertal Valley of the Alps, is the inspired vacation location that we visited.  Although Hotel Lido Ehrenburgerhof is on the Italian side of the Alps, let me tell you there is very little Italian happening there. In this part of Italy, you are really in Austria. Everyone speaks German and everything is clean, beautiful, and orderly. However, being very intelligent, the folks that live in this area- and the hotel we stayed in- have a tradition of fantastic food. So, the best of both worlds, yes?

Our room was comfortable and gorgeous. Simple, but elegant. Just like the hotel. And anything you might need? The hotel had it. The hotel has a mini-club (free, indoor childcare from 9am to 9pm everyday) and a great indoor play area. We tried to drop Clara there one day and she was NOT having a bit of it. So, we did not have any Mommy and Daddy time, which was a little annoying, but in the end, it was great. We had a fabulous time together. And maybe next year, Clara will be excited to practice her German with the other kids, but I digress…

In the mornings, while the dew was still fresh on the grass, I would sneak out to the Japanese garden for some Yoga while the sun came up over the mountains. On my return to the room, Erick and Clara would be ready to hit the breakfast buffet, that consisted of fresh breads, granola, fruits, prosciutto, cheeses, not to mention the omelette bar (made fresh to order) and hot sausage.

After rolling ourselves out of the dining room, Erick would get ready to go on a bike ride in the mountains. I would start out with him, on a bike I checked out from the hotel, with a child’s seat on the back. There is a bike/walking trail that runs the length of the valley, near the train tracks, next to the river. Clara loved whizzing down the mountains and seeing the farms, mountains, and animals.

Unbelievably enough, after a brief morning outing, it would be time for, what they referred to as a “light buffet lunch”. A huge, organic salad bar, with more fresh bread, and, don’t forget the four different kinds of pasta with sauce and a hot soup… after this “light lunch”, we were all stuffed to the gills and ready for some playtime!

The playground of the resort was amazing and honestly, I think Erick and I enjoyed it more than Clara! But Clara did love the pools- indoor, outdoor, a tepid “bubble tub” and a baby pool… every day, during pool time, I again would sneak away, but this time, heading for the sauna. Oh god, how I love saunas. And the resort has all the right stuff for the full sauna experience! The cold river water to dump over your head, an outdoor area to rest. Ahhhhh.

By the time we finished up with the pool and the sauna, it was time for a nap. Dinner was late: 7:30. So, we would take a little rest and then head out for more playtime or a walk before dinner.

Dinner, too, was a huge affair. And nothing could be passed up. It was all fabulous. Fish, chicken, beef, vegetables, fruits, desserts. I should mention here that the hotel completely accommodated my need for dairy and gluten-free foods and they didn’t shlep it, either. My food was prepared with just as much care and attention as Erick and Clara’s…

We would stumble back to our rooms and fall into a deep, food-induced sleep, sleep in silence while the cool, mountain air drifted in the open window just to wake up and do it all over again the next day.

It was divine.

This area, the Sud Tyrol, is the most beautiful place I have ever visited in my entire life. Now, granted, I am from the Northwest, so I prefer a cooler, greener climate, but the architecture is amazing, the valley is full of industry and is obviously growing, but it doesn’t compromise the environment, there was NOT A SPECK OF GARBAGE to be found on the side of the road or in the waterways, and, from the bottom of the mountains, you could not see the roads and trails- just gorgeous forests…

This will not be our last trip to Hotel Lido Ehrenburghof or to that area. Erick and I are drawing up a plan to buy some sort of property in that area at some point. THAT is how much we loved it. I have never been to an area that resonates with me more and I’m excited to explore the possibilities for a future there, as well as relax and renew at the resort in the meantime!

For our family pictures, head over to Flickr.