Wild and Free

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~ Albert Einstein

About a month ago I left civilization for a week to be one with nature.  I left my cell phone at home and checked out of my daily reality for a few days with three other amazing women.  I was more than excited to once again enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the Quetico.  This National forest is one of 12 places left in the United States that is untouched and remote.  No indoor plumbing, no electricity, no running water, just us and our food and equipment.

I took this adventure with my sister Nunciata, and two other friends Nancy and Sara.  I was especially excited for I had ventured before into the BWCA but this was my first time in the Quetico.  The Quetico is considered more rugged and is located in Canada (just north of the Minnesota border).  This trip was planned out well in advance for you need to acquire a permit from the Quetico, get a passport if you did not already have one and get your CanPass for entry into the country.  Having the right equipment and food is super important for once you are in you cannot run out and get something you forgot.  So after months of planning, quite a few miles traveled in my case (from Florida to Minnesota and then to the Canadian border), we were ready to conquer the Quetico.

The Wilderness Women

We had kept our eyes on the weather for many days leading up to the trip and knew that having a rain-free trip was near to impossible - especially with the wet season they had been having up north.  Our greatest chance of rain was for our entry day - of course!  So we woke up before dawn to pack up our equipment and the skies were cloudy.  Luckily the air was not cold so we knew that a little rain would not hurt us - just make the adventure a bit soggy.  The hardest part with being wet in the wilderness is that it is really hard to find a dry place and it takes a while to dry out when you do get wet.

There was no turning back once we were dropped off at our entry point.  Get our equipment and food into the canoes and start paddling.  Our first hour of paddling was in a complete downpour and I kept thinking to myself, "Did I really sign myself up for this?"  The funny thing was that even during the midst of being completely soaked I was still looking forward to this time away from it all.  

Fortunately Mother Nature was merciful and at about Noon that first day the sun broke out and we were able to find our first campsite and dry out.  It is amazing how dry clothes become a luxury in the wilderness.

This trip tested us both physically and mentally.  On the first night, Sara fell off a five to six foot landing backwards and we were so worried she had broken her foot.  Luckily our first night in we pack in frozen steaks as our first meal to really fill us up for the week.  The steaks were still somewhat frozen and so she helped defrost the steaks as it aided in her foot recovery.  We had an excellent first aid kit (Sara is a nurse) so we were prepared.  I also think that Sara's strength and high threshold for pain is why she was adamant that we persevere.  We were all ready to do whatever Sara thought she needed to do but she was firm on foraging ahead with our trip.  The one condition we all had for her was that she was not going to lift anything heavy.  Luckily her paddling arms were not hurt.

The first picture above is of Sara's foot - ouch.  She did get it checked out after the trip and no broken bones thankfully!

The second picture is evidence of the mud we had to drudge through with our canoes and equipment.

So, as we ventured on for the remainder of the week we laughed, and laughed, and laughed.  I swear, I have not laughed that hard in years.  It felt so good.  It felt good to work hard portaging canoes and large packs of equipment across knee deep mud paths.  I know that sounds crazy to many but it was physically and at times mentally challenging.  You have to use your mind and body, work together as a team and sometimes you have to take another way to get to your final destination.

We had a campsite that was right next to a waterfall and because of the heavy rains earlier in the summer it was rushing quickly.  It was such a treat to fall asleep to the sound of falling waters.  We also were able to hike up to the top of the waterfall and take in amazing views.  I forgot how much I loved the cool, clean waters of the north.  It was so refreshing to take a daily dip into the freshwater lakes and not have to worry about alligators or water moccasins! Our final night in the Quetico was next to a babbling brook.  Again, we got to experience the sounds of water flowing as we breathed in the cool, crisp air at night.

Me chilling next to the babbling brook, hammock style!

As I look back at this trip I truly believe that my yoga practice is what helped me through a lot of the tough stuff.  First, physically my yoga practice strengthened my entire body to be ready to complete some really challenging portages.  Yet, I think that my breathing work and meditation practice really helped to ground me when "the going got tough."  Perseverance is exactly what is needed when you are in the wilderness.

Morning has broken...gorgeous

There is such a sense of accomplishment to be able to work as a team through thick and thin.  We worked hard but we also were able to play hard and relax as well.  Being together to talk about things that inspire us, joke a lot of the time and just be ourselves.

Letting go of expectations and just taking what comes at you can be really difficult.  My time on my mat has given me the ability to do this - yet I will be the first to admit it is not easy.  There were times on the trip where I was really physically beat after numerous portages and having to deal with some soggy weather.  The lack of indoor plumbing really teaches one to be thankful for the invention of it.  Seriously, this part of the trip is not for the faint of heart - it literally is about digging in the dirt.  I will not go any further with that subject!  

Amazing sunsets, you can just feel the quietness

Yet, even after all the dirt, bugs, wet clothes and physical exhaustion, I was sad to see it come to an end.  My mom used to always say that "You know it was a good trip if you are sad when it is over." It was more than a good trip, it was an incredible trip.  It was about the journey of four friends, dealing with the elements, using each others talents to the fullest and enjoying the awesomeness of the earth that surrounds us.  

As I continue on with my daily life, with my time I spend on my mat, I will always remember how I felt both fully alive and fully calm in the wilderness.  I hope that this is also how I can continue to feel as I go about with my future yoga practice and with daily life.  Remembering that life is about living here and now, there will be challenges, there will be sadness and joy, there will be times of high energy and times of calmness.  The true test is to be able to embrace them all.

May the wilderness in my heart honor the wilderness in yours,

Namaste

Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer, Past and Present

Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds. ~Regina Brett

I have taken a hiatus from blogging mainly because life has been flying by faster than I can keep up with it.  I also believe that summer is a time to truly kick back and let go.  Everyone keeps asking me what the kids are doing this summer and I am like, "Ah, nothing."  Seriously, when did summer become a huge schedule fest?  I remember my summers as a kid being time outside swimming and playing, lounging around and sleeping in - the best!  I truly believe that kids need down time just as much as adults.  Now, this is not to say that we have not been busy this summer but it has been filled with lots of down time.

This summer marks some really cool anniversary's for me and our family.  We have officially met the two year mark here in Florida - wow!  Mike and I were reminiscing last night on our date night about how quickly it all happened, moving to Florida and establishing ourselves as Floridians.  We marvel at the beauty of the beaches and the lovely warm winters we get to enjoy.  We do miss our families and certain aspects of Minnesota but overall this has been a fun adventure for us as a family.

Enjoying time as a family together this summer in the Smokey Mountains.  So relaxing...

The other anniversary I am celebrating is with my friend Jen.  Ten years ago she and I competed in our first ever triathlon.  I remember that in the winter of 2004 Jen asked me if I would be interested in competing in the Lifetime triathlon that summer in Minneapolis.  I was super pumped and we started training early.  We really focused on the swimming for that was our biggest weakness and yet I think we both grew to love working on laps.  We spent our weekends training in all three disciplines and it was such a great time growing together as friends.  Then a funny thing happened about halfway through our training - I got pregnant!  I remember thinking, OMG, what am I going to do?

Luckily I had a great OB/GYN who was totally supportive of me continuing with training and doing the actual triathlon.  I had already been training beforehand so the rule of thumb was you could continue with whatever you were doing as long as the pregnancy was normal.  Well, we kept trucking along and come race day we were ready to work.

I remember looking around all the people in my heat for the swimming portion and I said nicely, "Please try not to kick the pregnant lady."  I think I got a few elbows in the head but the baby bump was safe.

The biking portion went well.  I knew I was going to need to take it easy for it was 90 degrees outside in the Minnesota, summer sun so I told Jen to go ahead.  I wasn't looking to win the race, completion was my main goal.  I made it through the biking portion and to my delight, Jen was there waiting for me so we could run together.

We did a run/walk and I will always be thankful that she stuck with me even though I knew she could have easily gone ahead.  The crowds were cheering us on, both of our families were there and we made it past the finish line with energy to spare.  It was a great feeling and still to this day I am amazed at how strong the human body can be.

That day will always remind me that we are stronger than we think we are, especially during tough times.  The other aspect that plays into mind is that great saying from one of my favorite movies, "It's a Wonderful Life."  The quote is, "Remember George, no man is a failure who has friends."

Friends make our lives more complete and joyful.  Friendships also change over time.  Jen and I are two busy moms now and we live in two different states but those memories and those feelings always remain.

The anniversaries of moving to Florida and competing in my first triathlon are milestone events that will always live in my heart.  These events have shaped the person I am this very day.  Living in the present but honoring the past.

As we journey onward this summer, enjoy what is, honor what was and let go of what might be the future.

The summer light in my heart honors the summer light in yours,

Namaste

Spring has sprung!

With the coming of spring, I am calm again.  ~ Gustav Mahler

I know that for many, it has been a cruel and long winter.  I know I have nothing to complain about but we had quite a few cloudy and rainy days and that means a lot when you live in the "Sunshine State."  The sun is shining brightly and the warm air is returning - yes, it is spring!

The weather is a huge indicator of the change of seasons but I always feel like spring is a reawakening opportunity.  Spring is one of those seasons where letting go seems so fitting.  Cleaning out closets to clearing out all those negative emotions that we might be hanging onto - it is a wonderful time to focus on personal release.

I have been doing a lot of self practice this past month really investigating where I am holding onto tension in my body.  I did a workshop a few months ago about releasing the psoas and piriformis muscles (the front and back of the pelvis/hips) and how we tend to hold onto tension in this area of our body.  This part of our body partakes in a lot of functions from digestion to giving birth as well as connecting the upper and lower extremities. 

In Deb Shapiro's book, Your Body Speaks Your Mind, she writes that "the pelvis is connected to security, survival, communication and relationships.  As the hips are the center of movement, they also symbolize your ability to let go of the past and enter into new areas."

This type of body and mind work has always intrigued.  As I have been working into my deeper lunges, pigeon pose and full splits (with a little help from a wonderful bolster) I am amazed at how relax I feel afterwards.  I notice how my right piriformis is tighter than the left and I wonder why?  What am I not able to release or what is it that is holding me back?  I know that it is a combination of all the physical activity I do on a daily basis but also the personal worries that I hold in my mind. 

These worries or stresses are many times things I have little control over or things that will take time to move through.  I know that I have taken the first few steps in focusing on how my body is responding to the movements and then allowing myself to feel and let go as best as I can at this moment in time.

This is what makes yoga such a wonderful practice.  The journey is ongoing and you never know what you might find at the beginning, middle or end of the practice.

I hope that your spring season is filled with enlightening moments that allow you to enjoy the season to its fullest.  Remember that longer days, warmer weather and life changing opportunities are ahead for all of us.

May the light in me honor the light in you.

Namaste

A little self love

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection ~ Buddha

It is amazing how fast the month of February has flown by and here we are almost ready to say good bye to the "heart" month.  Yes, Valentine's Day has passed and yet we hope that love never ceases.  I have been thinking about the idea of self love these days.  Self love is not one of conceit but about caring and respecting ourselves and truly loving who we are in body, mind and spirit. 

It is so easy to forget about ourselves as we keep our days busy with careers, family and daily obligations.  I must admit that I work in a field where I must give a lot of myself both physically, emotionally and mentally.  There are days when I return home and all I want to do is simply sit and speak to no one.  Mom wants her alone time!  Sometimes parenting is not really at the top of my list and this makes me feel bad.  Yet, as I have been reflecting this month, I need to take care of myself before I can take care of others.  It is like the instructions on the airplane, put your own mask on first and then put your kids on second.  I must thank the airlines for this mantra.

I have been participating in the Tampa 60 day yoga challenge and it ends at the end of this month.  I am happy to say that I have been able to complete some form of yoga almost every day for the past two months.  This makes me smile for I know it has been good for my body and soul.  Some days I have only been able to fit in 20 minutes of self practice but other days I have had fun on a yoga swing or attended a class.  All of this time on my mat (whether long or short) has helped me stay grounded even during these busy weeks.

It has also given me time to reflect upon the way I see myself.  Self love means really coming to terms with the way my body looks.  I will admit, I am my worst critic and I know that I really should be my best friend.  I am constantly trying to build up my clients and students self esteem when it comes to there body image and yet I will admit that I find myself criticizing (internally) certain aspects of my body.  Instead of reflecting upon what might not look "model perfect" I try to instill within myself what my body is capable of doing at this point in my life.

Me doing Aerial Yoga!

If you would have asked me ten years ago to do a headstand or hang upside down on a piece of fabric from the ceiling I would have said no way.  Today I am can do both of these plus many other strong and flexible things with my body.  I am amazed at what my body can do and thankful that I can create such movement with my body.  I am thankful that I can walk on two feet, balance on one foot, ride a bike for a long period of time and meditate for 15 minutes and not feel fidgety.  These are just a few things but if we are to really sit down and list off the things we can do we would all be amazed (and probably have quite a long list!). 

Self love is loving the body you are renting right now.  We only get this one body and we better appreciate it now.  Continue to do things that lift you up and surround yourself with people who love you for all your many qualities.  Hug yourself today, tomorrow and forever.

May the love in my heart honor the love in yours,

Namaste

 

Life lessons

You must be the change you wish to see in the world  ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I recently liked a friends post on Facebook and then got stuck with the number nine. I was supposed to do some kind of list about myself with nine ideas or something along that line. No fears, I will not assign you a number so please read with ease. For the New Year I thought it would be good to list nine things I have discovered about (my) life so far.  They could correlate with New Year's resolutions as well.

1.  Your health is your greatest asset. You only get one body so use it wisely. Seriously, if your physical body is not healthy it affects EVERYTHING.  Take care of your body and if you have had injuries there is no time like the present to start healing. No excuses just do it. Exercise, eat in moderation, sleep, meditate, and love the skin your in, no judgments. Also, stop making goals based solely on body image. Think more about "health" goals.  If you are really struggling with this hire a personal trainer or see a nutritionist.  Remember, it is an investment for your life - literally.

2.  Intelligence matters. Keep educating yourself daily. Your brain, body and society will thank you. Ignorance is not bliss, it is dangerous. Being a smart, well informed person is a good thing, flaunt it.

3.  The only person you can change is YOU. Stop trying to make others the way you want them to be, period. You will become exhausted and frustrated. It is a waste of everyone's energy.  Love people for the way they are or move on.

4.  Forgive yourself and others. The best quote I have ever heard was this, "Holding a grudge is letting someone live rent free in your mind."  We all have done crappy things in our lives and have had bad things done to us. If you do not let go of them you become bitter. Don't be "the bitter old person." 

5.  Get over your family issues.  There is no such thing as a perfect family, parents, siblings, spouse, and kids.  If your childhood was abusive seek help from a professional to work through this pain.  If you simply are mad that you did not get everything you wanted as a kid well, go back to life lesson number four. Do not be the bitter person in the family.

6.  Learn to live with less. You do not need a lot of material things. Over the years I have tried to remove clutter from my life and it brings so much more peace within me. Get rid of clothes you never wear, donate kids stuff regularly, and only buy what you really need. Living in excess only causes more stress.  Embrace being called a "hippie" or "granola."

7.  Say "I love you" often to the people you really do love. You never know if it might be your last time.

8.  Try your hardest to do what you love for a living. Sometimes that means just part time to start out while you work another job that you are not crazy about. If you really want it, it will eventually become your full time passion/career.

9.  Be kind to those who are unkind to you.   Smile and remember that the way people treat you says more about them then you.  The Golden Rule is so simple, live by it, always.

Here is to a New Year filled with a healthy body, mind and spirit.  Let go of what you do not need and embrace that which brings you full life.

Happy New Year dear friends!

Namaste

Breaking Tradition

Tradition is the illusion of permanence. ~Woody Allen

A few months ago we decided that we needed to get away for a few days, take a break from this crazy thing we call life.  The girls had the whole week of Thanksgiving off and what a better time to get away from the madness if but for a while.  So, we started coming up with lofty plans of driving down to the Keys to lounge and relax. We did not mention anything to the girls right away for we thought we might get some push back for breaking the tradition of cooking the big meal on the actual day.  As we got closer to the actual dates we realized that it just was not going to work to get down to the southern most point.  We decided to modify our plans and stay closer to home and simply go over to Orlando.  We were going to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at SeaWorld.  So we let the girls know what we were going to do and to our surprise they were thrilled.  Here we thought that they would not like to be away on Thanksgiving but it actually turned out to be a great time for all.

As we moved into the month of December we realized it was going to be our second Christmas in Florida.  It is still funny to be in flip flops while buying a Christmas tree or spending a day at the beach instead of Christmas shopping.

This year we had plenty of family visits prior to the big holiday so we could celebrate early with the kids and give them a bit of "days gone by." We still had the tree, the cookies, the presents and the songs.  It got me thinking about this constant idea of tradition.  It is hard to not be attached to the way things used to be. 

I think that if there is one thing that moving to Florida has helped me with that is embracing change. 
Breaking tradition does not mean you have to leave what you used to do in the dust but it gives you the freedom to improvise.  From spending Thanksgiving at SeaWorld to playing Frisbee on the beach on Christmas Day, we are creating new experiences and memories. 

One of the ten yoga principles for living - aparigraha (not grasping) is a great way to remind us to let go.  Let go of how we think things should be, material items and even people.  I remember when I first started practicing yoga over ten years ago hearing about this idea of aparigraha from one of my first yoga instructors.  At that time in my life I did not realize how simple and profound it would be for me years later. 

What makes me laugh even more is that I think my children understand the practice of aparigraha better than I do.  Here I was all worried about going to Orlando for Thanksgiving and in the end they could not have been happier.  I mean really, what child would pooh, pooh that?  What was really going on was that I was the one having the hard time breaking the tradition of sitting around a table eating large quantities of food. 

In the end, this holiday season has been full of laughter, love and a sense of peace within our family.  Knowing that old traditions are not forgot but that new experiences are always available. 

May the joy and love of this holiday season continue within our hearts for the months to come.

Namaste

Paradise Lost...and Found

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.  - Joseph Campbell

A few months ago as I was writing one of my blog posts Mike made a comment about the name of my blog, "Yogi Girl in Paradise."  He said, "Do you really think you are in paradise here?"  Now as my husband says quite often in his sermons, you have to take his question within context.  I think that day he had been stuck in terrible traffic on U.S. Highway 19  (a.k.a. the most poorly designed road in the U.S - seriously!) and probably did not make it to the beach that day as well.  You see, Florida has its moments just like any other place in the world.  There are things down here that drive us crazy, like traffic and miles of strip malls, but then we make it to the beach and all that disappears.

When I first decided to start this blog it was named more for the idea that I was moving from the cold of winter to the warm of summer year round.   No more shoveling snow, I was going to live the "Salt Life."  I actually knew very little about the area of Florida besides the fact that the weather is pretty awesome all year round and that the Gulf beaches are breathtaking.  We were ready to experience a new way of living, we were excited for change. At that time my "paradise" was the adventure itself. 

It has been a few months since Mike posed this question and I have kept the thought tucked in my brain for a while.  What is paradise?

I think for many of us it is something tangible like a location. Yes, my physical paradise is the beach. I find a peaceful energy when I hear the roaring waves and smell the salt air. 

As I have lived near my physical paradise I have grown to realize that paradise has become more of an internal place, a state of being over the physicality. Right away it ties back to the practice of yoga. 

For many, the physical practice of yoga is what gives us joy. We can feel our physical body getting stronger and releasing tension. Yet, the asanas or postures of yoga are merely the beginning of the journey.

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, the eightfold path is called ashtanga (hence Ashtanga Yoga), which literally means "eight limbs."  The eight limbs are guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life.  They direct our attention toward one's health and they help us to acknowledge the spiritual aspects of our nature.

The asanas (the physical practice of yoga) is the third limb which falls towards the beginning of the eightfold path.  What I find very interesting is what the final limb is and that is Samadhi.  Samadhi is described as a state of ecstasy.  At this stage, we transcend the Self altogether.  We find the interconnectedness with all living things. Some might look at it as the experience of bliss and being at one with the Universe.  I know, that sounds pretty out there but what if we made it simpler like examining what we really wanted to get out of our lives?  Would we not want joy and freedom to be part of our lives? Patanjali describes this final path of desire for all human beings is for peace.  This final path that is the ultimate stage of yoga, enlightenment, can neither be bought nor possessed.  It can only be experienced.

So as I reflect upon the initial question about the name of my blog, I realize that it has evolved into so much more than a beach paradise but to a state of being.  Just like our yoga practice over time becomes so much more than just the physical movements.  We are searching for that inner peace, the ecstasy.   I will say that it is not so much about the beach anymore but I will add that the sunshine and the sand between my toes does help with getting me closer to that peaceful paradise.

May the blissful light in me honor the blissful light in you.

Namaste