Turning your world upside down - literally!

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. ~ Wayne Dyer

I have been practicing and teaching yoga for over 16 years.  My foundation and love will always be for vinyasa but that does not mean that I have not tried other types of yoga.  I have ventured into the hot yoga class and thought, "Why is it so hot in here?" I have relaxed in restorative classes and finally I have turned myself upside down in the yoga swing and found my "home."  Of all the specialized yoga classes I have to say that aerial yoga is my "it" class.

I came across aerial yoga about three years ago when my friend Emily open her pilates and yoga studio in Clearwater.  I came on as a pilates and traditional yoga teacher but then Emily heard about aerial yoga and said, "Do you want to take this training and certification?"  I did not have a clue what this was going to be but I tend to be a woman willing to think well outside the box so I jumped in feet or should I say "swing" first!

Emily and Espi playing around in the swing

At my first aerial yoga class I was so nervous.  Feelings like trust and anxiousness came out of me.  I tend to think I am a very confident person but the swing was intimidating and scary.  I was used to doing some crazy poses on solid ground but to do them suspended in the air - no way!  After my first class I was completely nauseous.  The class was even a more gentle one and I thought, "I will not be able to do this let alone teach this to other people!"

Luckily our trainer was so supportive.  She reassured me that how I felt both physically and emotionally were totally normal.  I sat down after class, had some water and a little food and within a few minutes I was feeling better.  I was still nervous to come back the next day for another day of training.  I had a lot of self doubt but the tough Scandinavian in me said, "You can do this Espi."  So I returned to training for the next few days and with time and practice I built self confidence in both my body and mind.  Aerial yoga taught me that I can do so much more than I ever I thought I could.  It made my body and mind feel so free and open.

Still not convinced?  Just read some of the benefits from doing aerial yoga below:

1.  This is a total body workout: Due to the nature of many of the movements, almost all the body parts are forced to move and stretch. Muscles are toned and redefined, and joints are regenerated and strengthened due to these movements.

2.  Improves flexibility: Aerial yoga helps you to move more freely, with less effort, by counteracting gravity. Suspension in the air releases tension on the bones and muscles, increasing flexibility and deepening your practice. Suspended yoga strengthens core muscles and increases spinal and shoulder flexibility.

3.  Heals back problems: It gives you the chance to hang freely, allowing your spine to lengthen. With less strain on your back while doing the exercises, it eases tension in the spinal cord and hip joint, helping you feel better.

4.  Increases strength: Aerial yoga improves strength and flexibility, which carries over into other daily activities. Increase in both core and upper body strength will be gained just after a few classes.

5.  Puts you in a great mood: Another key benefit of doing aerial yoga is that it gets your adrenaline going while going against gravity. It also releases “happy” hormones like serotonin, endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine, which boost your mood and help you feel more energetic.

6.  Improves balance: While going against gravity can be exciting, aerial yoga also helps with balance and stability in daily activities. Balance is a key component in daily activities, and aerial yoga helps maintain a good balance both inside and out.

7.  Aids digestion: The different types of stretches and movements help improve the digestive system, thus helping in healing various digestion-related issues, including constipation and indigestion.

8.   Old age and heart disease: Aerial yoga improves the circulation of blood, thus combating aging and its symptoms. Aerial yoga also helps detoxify the circulatory and lymphatic systems, which lowers the onset of various cardiovascular issues.

9.  Improves memory: Aerial yoga fortifies your neural connections, thereby, rendering better memory power. In a way, practicing aerial yoga can make you smarter

10.  It is simply fun! This class lets you be free, swing like a monkey and just let loose.

It feels as magnificent as it looks!

There are a few contraindications to note about aerial yoga.  Due to the nature of the class, with its flips and inversions, aerial yoga is not recommended for women who are pregnant. Also, if you have recently had eye surgery or suffer from vertigo, it is recommended that you consult your doctor before giving the class a try.

But when it comes to your fitness level, there are no restrictions for aerial yoga.  All levels will be challenged and encouraged.  Even if you have never taken a yoga class in your life, you will be amazed at how much you can do. Age does not matter either, I have kids from age nine to 75 hang in a swing and love it.

Some tips for your first class:

Wear long shorts, capris, or long pants and a shirt with at least small sleeves.  Avoid wearing jewelry that may snag on the silk material and perfume or lotion that may scent it. For the ladies on the first day or two of menstruation, you may need to modify your practice. Avoid coming with a full or empty stomach, have a little something with ample time to digest. Come with an open mind and have fun!

As you can see and read aerial yoga has a lot to offer both for physical and mental health.  If you want to learn more or have questions feel free to ask.  Come and join us for a class - seize the swing!

I once read that you should try something new every day - maybe aerial yoga is your something new today!

As always, the light in me honors the light in you,

Namaste

Espi

A gift from the heart

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. ~ Lao Tzu

My sister visited us a few weeks ago and while she was here she gave me an early Christmas gift.  I can say without a doubt that it is the most thoughtful, loving, caring, and special gift I have ever received.  The gift of course relates to our late father.

Our dad was known for wearing either plaid or flannel shirts all the time.  It makes sense for the winters in Minnesota are long and cold.  Between our mom and the rest of the siblings I think that our dad got a new shirt for his birthday and Christmas each year - he was not in a shortage to say the least.

After my dad's funeral I stayed in Minnesota for a while to help my mom go through his things.  We did end up donating a lot of his clothing to charity but my mom wanted to hang onto some of the clothes, specifically some of his shirts.  Little did I know that my sister had a plan with the famous Tom Wallander shirts.

The magic eight pillow

To the right is a picture of eight pillows that my sister had made out of my dad's shirts.  One for my mom and one for each of the seven kids.  The shirts were picked randomly except for the the one my mom received.  She was the only one who knew about my sister's plan so she had a certain shirt she liked used for her pillow.   The odd thing is as my sister started looking at old pictures she started to spot some of us with our dad in those specific shirts.  The pillow I received is one that I am in a picture with him.  

I got my pillow before everyone else for I would not be at our Christmas family gathering in Minnesota this year.  It has been really tough holding this sweet gift as a secret but now that Christmas is complete and everyone has received their pillow I can shout it out to the world. 

My dad and I a few years ago in the shirt

I asked my sister how the presentation of the pillows went with the rest of the family on Christmas day.  She said that everyone was deeply moved.  A part of me wishes I could have been there.  I know that each one of us was genuinely touched by this gift.  It is so comforting to have a little piece of our father still in our grasp.  I feel like a young child with their blanket but in this case it is a pillow.  It's like having dad there with me.  He is forever in my heart but also a symbolic touch away as well.

I'm so lucky to have such a thoughtful and inventive sister.  I know that each of us is thankful for this gift and hold them lovingly in our

   

My pillow

hands and heart.  It is truly a blessed Christmas to be surrounded by such love and support during a tough time of year.  These pillows will be a reminder daily of the true importance of the season.  The importance that my dad would agree with: family, faith, and love.

May the Christmas season continue within our hearts for the New Year.  May we continue to remember the importance of kindness and love in our daily lives.

Namaste

A Winter Solstice filled with hope

Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom. ~ Rumi

It is hard to believe that it was a year ago that I was up in Minnesota saying goodbye to my dad for the last time.  It may sound strange but I wish that is was last year so I could relive the hours with my dad.  That way he would still be alive and I would still be able to talk to him and hold his hand.  The hardest part about this one year anniversary is that the only comfort I have are the memories.  I so long to see his sweet face, to hear his deep voice and to watch his face shine as he is surrounded by his children and grandchildren.  All of that is just memories now - it can never really happen again.  It seems so finite, so bleak, so sad.

As I am facing this deep sadness within my heart I am also surrounded by the vastness of the Christmas season.  I cannot escape it if I wanted to for it is rooted in my husband's career and in my children's thoughts constantly.  It is really tough to be in the holiday spirit when all my heart wants to do is grieve.  I will admit it, I am not over my father's death.

I also feel like after I hit this one year mark I am supposed to be some place else with this grief.  I do not know why I feel this pressure.  Maybe I feel like people are sick of hearing me say I miss my dad.  I know I am not the first person in the world to lose a father but it is a first for me.

My body and my heart ache for this loss.  How am I supposed to find joy in this season when all I can think and feel is sadness?  I still have days where I would like to just sit around and mope.  I find myself still going through different stages of grief.

Then I find glimpses of joy or dare I say hope in the little things.  My father was a huge weather fan and his death falls upon one of his favorite topics - the change of seasons.  I recall as a child my father always pointing out that this is the shortest day of the year - the Winter Solstice.  He loved watching the days get longer from this point on and would even update us on just how many minutes more of daylight we would be getting.  Must be what us Midwesterners do to fill those cold days with hope for the warmth of spring and summer.

The Winter Solstice also brings upon the idea of a rebirth.  A celebration of the coming year.  In some ways a reminder that even though my father is gone from this earth that his memory can continue in my heart. There is a tenderness and hopefulness to this idea.

Maybe the greatest joy I can always have are the memories of my finals hours with my father.  Those final hours when all seven of his children and his wife gathered to say goodbye.  It was so special to know that we could all be together one last time.  Many families do not get that gift but we did.  The gift of a peaceful farewell to a man, husband, father and grandfather.  Somewhere in the grief and sadness shines hope for the next phase of life.

I will continue to miss my father - that will never cease. I do not think that I will ever truly "get over" my father's death but I do know that the pain and sadness will ease with time.  Life is ever changing but love is one constant that I will continue to believe remains the same. My love for my father and his love for me will never end - that is my true hope.

May the mystery of this time of year inspire us all to find light where there is great darkness, peace where there is war, joy where there is sadness and hope where there is grief and despair.

Blessed Winter Solstice to you all dear friends.

Namaste

Abundant Harvest of Love

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies ~ Aristotle

Today Mike and I celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.  A true milestone in our hearts. I got a little weepy this morning as I realized that amid all the stress we have been through over the years we have always had each other.  The ying and the yang always balancing it out somehow.

As he said, "We have survived two, seven-year itches!" Humor has definitely kept this union going through the years but when I think of the most important ingredient, I would have to say without a doubt that it is love.

We both still have that little electric pulse that runs through our bodies when we are together.  We know what makes each other tick and also what really ticks us off! We know how to fight and make up and even when we should just simply give in (well most of the time!).

We have had a lot of things going on in our family life these past few weeks - a few challenges that have unfortunately clouded my vision on some of the more important things in life.  Mike had to make an emergency trip up to Minnesota to handle some house issues.  Nothing that could not be handled but an added stress no less to a busy schedule.  Trying to keep the kids schedule as normal as possible while mom and dad are trying to make it all work.  "Stressed out" would have been my superhero name last week.  I should have tried to figure out a costume for that one - hahaha!

We have been through some super stressful times and yet somehow we got through them all.  It has always been the love that we share for one another that seems to win in the end.  Knowing that no matter what comes our way we always have the abundant love for each other.

So I dedicate this blog to my forever partner and lover.  I love you so much Mike.  You know how to ease my worries, massage the knots out of my aching back, amaze me with your knowledge, surprise me with your carefree way of life and love me with your unconditional heart.

I have been blessed to take this journey with you the last 15 years and I look forward to many more together.

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

Namaste

Mike and Espi from the "I do's" to the "Now."

 

Birthday Blues and Expectations

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! ~ Dr. Seuss

Today would have been my father's 83rd birthday.  I knew it would be a hard day but as the day has gone on, it has been harder than I thought.

I also celebrated my own birthday a few days ago.  It was a lovely day for I spent it with my husband

and my girls.  Yet, in my heart I had a deep longing for my dad to be here for it.  It is still really hard to come to terms with the fact that he is no longer here on this earth.

I do take some comfort in the fact that my dad and I have always shared the same birthday month.  Actually, my birthday falls right in between both my parents.  Kind of apropos for the baby in the family to be nuzzled in-between her folks.

My dad was never a big birthday celebration person but he recognized the importance of life, our lives.  I miss the simple ways of my dad.  He was driven by family and faith.  Between church and his kids that was all that mattered.

My dad did not worry about the little things.  Did we have food, shelter, clothing and a family that loved us?  The answer was yes and that was all that mattered.

I have been using this simple way of life to help me through some of my own personal struggles with stressing over the little things.

The other day, the girls were supposed to start back up with piano.  One of my girls was adamant that she did not want to continue.  It really made me angry.  The real question was why?  I was putting my own desires and expectations of me on her.  I played piano so you shall, too.  It was creating this stress in our family life that was so silly.  I finally decided that in the end it was just that, not the end. Let the girl enjoy her other activities and move on.  Will our world crumble without more piano lessons? No.  Can she take them up again if she chooses to? Yes.  Am I less stressed and saving a few dollars?  Yes.

The most important question: Do we have food, shelter, clothing and a family that loves us?  Yes.

I miss my dad immensely but his simple life teachings still help me even when he is not here anymore.  I hope he had a great birthday today.  Hopefully he had a nice cup of coffee and a lot of M&M cookies.

Here's to letting go of the little things, of expectations of things we cannot control or just simply should not even try to control.  The less we cling to the little things the more calm this walk of life shall be.  Bring on the simple life indeed.

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

Namaste

A Back to School Wish

Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.    
~ Margaret Mead

This week the girls headed back to school.  I am in awe that it is the fourth year at their school here in Florida.  Where did the time fly?  Hard to believe that we have a 3rd and 5th grader.

I can honestly say that this year I felt well prepared.  The girls seemed to take more ownership of the first day this year and that helped.  Not a lot of drama which makes for a much smoother first week of school.  This is a big deal when you have two girls!

As the girls grow older I have noticed that I feel quite confident in their academics.  They are intelligent kids for sure.  I know that as they get older there will be some bumps in the road.  The bumps that I am referring to have nothing to do with academics but more the social development and hurdles that come with being human.

I worry about them.  I worry about how they are treated by others. I worry about how they treat others as well.  I know they are kind and loving children and I worry that over time there will be occurrences that might dim that light in their hearts.

I remember growing up and facing some challenging social obstacles as a kid and young adult.  I also remember not always being kind myself as a young person.  Feeling the need to fit in sometimes trumped being a good person.  I know now looking back that this was wrong and I stress to my kids often that being a smart, kind and loving person are the most important things you can do for yourself and others.

Yet, I know it is not easy.  I even see adults faced with this dilemma as well.  I remember when I first moved down here I had a few altercations at one of my jobs where a fellow coworker treated me like I was not welcomed.  She was literally mean to me deliberately.  I thought I was having high school flashbacks.  I could not believe that a grown woman could act that way?

After some time I realized that this person felt threatened by me.  Why?  I have no idea but for some reason I must have been treading on territory already claimed.  After time, I slowly was accepted by this person.  I must have become less threatening when she realized that I was simply a woman trying to live her life in a harmonious manner.

It's hard as a grown woman and parent to start to see and hear the moments that you remember as a child yourself that were not always so fun.  The girls will face those hard decisions on whether to take the high road or take the popular road.  They will not get invited to parties some times and there will be tears.  They will have to decide for themselves who is a true friend and who is not.

My thoughts always go back to the yoga principle of ahimsa or non-harming.  I believe this relates to so many aspects of our lives.  Non-harming applies to both how we treat ourselves and how we treat others.  It is hard to explain this some times to my children but I have decided that the more I can stress the importance of this thought AND action that they just might have an easier (or somewhat easier) time with this thing we call life.

Choosing the more just road is not easy.  We are all faced with daily decisions on doing what is best for ourselves and hopefully others as well.

My wish for this coming school year for my kids (and all kids) is that they may learn how to show respect, love and kindness for others and themselves as well.  Knowing that in the end, peace, love and kindness shall always prevail.

May that light shining bright in their eyes and hearts be constantly burning.  If they can keep that fire lite within them for the future days then they will have accomplished a great deal in this world.

Here is to a new, bright, bold, loving and peaceful school year for all.

May the light in me honor the light in you.

Namaste

Savoring the moments

Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write. ~ John Adams

We just returned from a wonderful summer vacation.  It was a mixture of family, friends and fun.  It was the all American road trip and we are still basking in the wonderful adventure.  We spent a week in Minnesota and then we took another week with our little family to download together.

While I was in Minnesota, I visited by father's grave.  The last time I was at his graveside was the day we laid him to rest.  That was a frigid, December afternoon.  This time around it was delightfully warm and sunny.  I went with my mom and we put flowers on his grave and I took some time to talk to him.  It was a very special day with my mom...and my dad.

It got me thinking about all the moments or events in our lives that happen every day.  Do we take enough time to really appreciate the abundance that surrounds us?  I spent a lot of time in Minnesota with my mom.  We visited my dad's grave, went swimming, walking, dining and just talking.  I know she liked our time together and so did I.

I also thought about my dad when we were all together as a family.  I wondered, "What would dad be doing now if he were here?"  I smiled for I knew right away he would be watching all his grand kids with a mug of coffee in one hand and an M&M cookie in his other hand. He would be filled with love and joy.  He always enjoyed the moments.  He honored the times we were together as a family.  I knew he would be smiling with us that day as well.

My brother and I on our 37 mile Twin Cities bike ride.
I'm holding one of the best cities in my hands - Minneapolis

We did what you were supposed to do on a vacation - we unplugged.  We left our worries back in Florida to enjoy time with people.  I even let go of working out - wow!  I decided that my mind, body and spirit could use a little rest and relaxation.  I did still manage to fit in a 37 mile bike ride with my brother and sister and walks around the lakes and on the North Carolina beaches but they were not my typical routines.  I ate what I liked, in moderation of course and slept in late - ah!


We enjoyed time with our extended families but we also took time with our little family, just the four of us.  We spent time frolicking on the beach and at Aquatica.  We discovered new cities across the country that we had never explored before.  We connected with each other and had no set schedule.  It was refreshing.  It was necessary.  We created moments that will always be remembered and cherished.

 







As I continue to live off of the vacation high, I reflect upon a poem that I first came across while I was in college (many years ago!).  It is deeply moving and reminds me everyday that my dad is still within and around me always.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

RIP sweet dad.  I love you always.

I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.
                                              ~ Mary Elizabeth Frye


So take some time this summer to savor the moments, the here and now.  Enjoy the warmth of the sun, dance in the rain (Florida summers include A LOT of rain), strike a yoga pose on the beach and embrace your friends and family a little longer.

The light in me honors the light in you,

Namaste