Brokelandia – Bikram Blows from Brokelandia on Vimeo.
Smart Phone, Stupid Habit
This morning I spent an hour looking for my iPhone. I searched in all the usual places: under the covers of my bed, the bathroom counter, my desk… I even went outside onto the back porch to see if I left it on the railing when I let the dog out and opened the washing machine to see if it could have fallen in. It was nowhere to be found. I checked all of its usual hiding places again… and again… and again.
In a near panic, I opened my laptop and sent my husband an urgent message. “I can’t find my phone anywhere! Will you call me?”
I was ready to make my rounds again listening for the familiar vibrating I hear 10,000 times a day. I’d have to move quickly from room to room so I wouldn’t miss its subtle buzz.
Finally, my husband answered. “Dude. I have you phone!” (Yes, my husband addresses me as “Dude” half the time. Isn’t that sweet?) “I have no idea how that happened. I’ll bring it to you. Give me 15 minutes.” Phone thief. He must have picked it up by accident thinking it was his.
Relief.
As I was waiting for my beloved to arrive (the phone, that is… well, the husband, too), it dawned on me how completely ridiculous the whole interaction was–and how dependent I am on my iPhone. When I lose it the first places I look are in my sheets and my bathroom counters? What is wrong with this picture!? Ridiculous!
Then I panic. What if someone tried to send me a text message and I missed it? What if my daughter does something cute and I can’t take a picture of it and immediately post it to Facebook? What if I wanted to walk away from my computer.. and I couldn’t refresh my email inbox every 30 seconds? What if it was lost forever?!
It’s true. Smartphones have dramatically changed our lives. But they also have robbed us of the ability to live our lives without constant worry. Actually, it’s not fair to blame the technology–I should blame my inability to create boundaries for the use of the technology instead. It’s ironic, though, that I feel like I can’t be without my phone for an hour because I might miss something, when on a daily basis I actually spend so much time refreshing the browser on my phone–or computer, or tablet, or other tablet (I have one upstairs and one downstairs.. yes, really!)–that I’m missing out on things that are actually happening right in front of me. You can bet that when the day seems to get away with me and I’ve accomplished little it’s because I was so worried about what was happening in the virtual world that I wasn’t present in the real world for an entire day. It’s sad. And it’s STUPID.
How do you create boundaries around technology so you can enjoy your life more fully, more mindfully, and live in the present? Obviously, I could use some pointers.
Fall Fashion Round Up
I’ve definitely had fashion on my mind lately. Of course I’m more worried about what my sweet baby girl wears right now. I change her clothes several times a day–sometimes due to diaper leakage, sometimes just for photo opportunities. Even though I rarely find myself in a yoga studio these days, yoga clothes are my go-to for my home practice and grocery store runs. (I figure I only have a few more months when it will be acceptable to wear yoga clothes 24-7 so I might as well take advantage of it!)
I love seeing what the yoga clothing companies come out with for Fall. Here are a few of the new and noteworthy things I’ve noticed in the new collections.
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| Studio Spirit Wrap by Lucy |
Yummy knit cover ups. I love these for their versatility because they are just as appropriate for everyday errands over a blouse with jeans. All the big brand yoga clothes companies seem to have something light and drapey that’s perfect for before class or to bundle up for Savasana or meditation, but you can just as easily find a cute functional sweater at a department store for less. I can’t wait for it to cool off enough for me to start wearing mine!
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| Zen Layer Back Tank by ALO |
Royal Blue. Zobha‘s blue looks a little purpley. ALO‘s is a little brighter. Both are right on par with the trend in general fashion (well, if Project Runway’s winning dress is any indication anyway.) I love this blue! It’s dramatic, fun, and wearable any season of the year.
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| Ayana Pant by Prana |
Miniskirt Pant. It’s a legging with a kirt-like fabric covering just a little bum. I like to keep things positive, but this one confuses me. It doesn’t seem very flattering to the hip/thigh area. I’m not sure what the functional purpose is since it doesn’t even provide much coverage. On the plus side it does look different than every other legging, which is nice.
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| No Limits Tank by Lululemon |
Peekaboo Bra. I hated this idea until I tried one of these tanks on. Now I’m a believer. I must not be the only one because Lulullemon is making two styles the No Limits Tank and the Turbo Tank. It’s modest, but still shows off the body (teachers cam see alignment of shoulders). It gives that soft, drapey look that’s so in right now, but without showing skin in inversions. Plus the mesh keeps you cool and dry.
| Hangout Tee by Be Present |
Vote! This is an election year, and yogis are getting political. I love the idea of YogaVotes, a nonprofit backed by Off the Mat, Into the World that encourages yoga students to get out there and vote. This shirt by Be Present isn’t new for Fall (I don’t think), but a stylish way to send a message: I’m a yogi and I care about what happens in the world around me.
10 Ways Motherhood Has Changed My Yoga Practice
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| Not me. |
- I no longer have a Buddha statue or candle at the front of my mat for an alter. Instead, I have a sleeping baby in a bouncy seat, who inevitably wakes up screaming several times during my 30 minute practice session.
- Asana sessions are interrupted several times by demands for attention, food, or the need to be rocked back to sleep.
- During those breaks, I often have to change out of my cute yoga top into something looser so I can nurse … Poses that require me to lay on my belly still feel horrible, so I modify or skip those altogether.
- I look up and say “Boo!” almost every time I find my way into Cobra or Upward Facing Dog.
- My dog Penny, who will take every opportunity to cuddle she can get now that I almost always have a baby in my arms, comes running to practice with me. She licks my face every time I take Downward Dog and lies down on my calves for the seconds I’m in Cobra or Up Dog. I stop to pet her every time.
- Thirty minutes of uninterrupted practice is cause for a celebration. If I make it through I’m elated for the rest of the day.
- I know yoga isn’t about the poses. I’ve known this for a very long time, but deep down it still has been a little bit about poses for me. No longer! I practice because it feels good to do something for myself. It feels good in my body and for my spirit. I also want to be a role model for my little to girl—I want her to grow up seeing the importance of self-care. For the first time in 10 years of practicing yoga, I really don’t give a flying flip what I look like or what poses I can accomplish.
- My yoga mat doubles as padding for Tummy Time. I put a blanket down, too, to avoid getting drool all over it. This is when I get in my forward folds. (Penny licks me in the face then, too.)
- Any activity is fair game for a quick meditation session: the shower, an evening stroll through my neighborhood, holding a sleeping baby (who refuses to sleep anywhere other than my arms)… I just take 10 deep, mindful breaths. That totally counts, right?
- Savasana… I remember that!
Give Back and Look Good Doing It
I’ve noticed a trend in yoga fashion lately that I think is much more significant than colors or fabrics. I’m talking about yoga companies that donate a portion of the proceeds from a particular garment or accessory to a nonprofit organization that’s working to make the world a better place. It’s easy to see how these companies benefit — it boosts sales and their reputation as a conscious company, which is important to yoga students, their target demographic. But if you can look past the obvious marketing ploy, buying these products (instead of something similar you would have bought anyway) can be a really easy way to support a cause you believe in and freshen up your look at the same time.
KiraGrace Donates 100% of Proceeds of sales from the new Warrior Collection to Off the Mat, Into the World
These clothes are pretty cute. Off the Mat, Into the World is doing great work both here in the United States with it’s YogaVotes campaign as well as abroad. It’s an organization you can feel great about supporting–and you can’t beat 100% of proceeds. If you’re in the market for some new, high-quality yoga gear consider this new collection from KiraGrace.
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| Goddess Yoga T-Back Tank |
Zobha Donates 10% of Proceeds from Grace Tank sales to Headstand
This is one of my favorite yoga tops, and Headstand is an amazing nonprofit bringing yoga to low-income schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and Houston, Texas.
Tiny Devotions Aim True Mala Gives 20% to Poses for Paws
This beautiful mala necklace designed by Kathryn Budig is clearly a luxury item that doesn’t fall under the category of I-was-going-to-buy-it-anyway, but it is really beautiful and is a good way to support Poses for Paws, a nonprofit that is helping the Beagle Freedom Project save beagles that are being used as test subjects in labs.
I want to know what you think. Are you more likely to spend your money on items from companies that promise to share their proceeds with nonprofits? Does it make you feel better about consuming? Are there other yoga products out there that I’ve missed?
Yoga Award
Read a few more of my thoughts on ego over on my blog for Yoga Journal.
Cobra Pose
The best Cobra Pose I’ve ever seen.
And also… meet my new yoga teacher/love of my life, Annabelle.
Ego Buster
If you ever want to reveal your ego and smash it to smithereens, I can give you some pointers.
Here’s what you do:
Enroll in your first yoga class after giving birth.
Don’t bother reading the workshop description because it’s the only one that fits into your schedule and you know you can handle it because you’ve been practicing at home. (Ha!)
Unroll your yoga mat next to a mirror. Take note of your squishy postpartum belly. Be glad you wore black.
When you realize the point of the workshop is to demonstrate how a difficult fitness class (instead of asana) can also be yoga, stay and try to do everything.
When you realize you’re not as strong as you thought you were… Modify, modify, modify!
Pretend the breast milk that drips onto your yoga mat is just sweat. (What? It’s an antiseptic.) Be glad you wore black again.
Spend the last 15 minutes in Child’s Pose smiling to yourself because you know you get to go home to the sweetest baby girl and a little momentary squishiness and physical weakness is SO worth it. Thank goodness I know that yoga isn’t about the poses (or how you look in Spandex). Thank goodness I can laugh at myself.
While I was physically not at all ready for my first yoga class back, I definitely needed to hear the message from teachers Kathryn Budig and Elli Boland— the importance of positive affirmations, I am in control of my destiny, and I’m stronger than I think (mentally, anyway). Indeed.
Thanks, ladies!
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| I survived! |
Rules for a Happier (and More Productive) Life
I have a love-hate relationship with rules. On the one hand, I hate being told what to do. (My mantra as I was growing up the bratty youngest of three girls was “You’re not the boss of me!” I still sometimes feel like stomping my feet and shouting it at people who feel the need to impose their beliefs on me.) I like to go about my day with fluidity doing whatever feels right in the moment without fear of repercussions from anyone or anything. Bosses? Parking cops? Screaming baby?–You’re not the boss of me! OK, you kind of are… but I don’t have to like it all the time.
On the other hand, if it weren’t for a few ground rules, I know I’d waste my days away and accomplish a lot less than I want to. I crave deadlines. And someone to shake a finger at me every now and then when I’m late or try to get away with doing less than my best. I realize that accountability makes me better at the things I do. When my editor points out flaws in a story it makes me a better writer, just like when my yoga teacher calls me out for cheating on my core work, it makes me stronger. Unfortunately, when there aren’t any rules or anyone around to hold me accountable to those rules I’ve noticed I get less done—which just makes me feel bad about myself.
Now that I’m not going into an office everyday, it as vitally important that I build some structure into my day to keep this from happening. It is just as important to allow for the wiggle room to be creative when the moment strikes.
I recently read a book, Way of the Happy Woman by author and yoga teacher Sara Avant Stover. It inspired me on many levels. The happiest women she knows, wrote Stover, have a daily ritual of doing something to feed their souls—writing in a journal or practicing asana.. These women have structure and the hold themselves accountable! She also shared something that I’ve found incredibly useful in creating this structure and accountability. She suggested making two lists; one list of Yes’s and one list of No’s. These lists become the guiding principles for how you spend your time and energy. This exercise has helped me to build structure into my day without feeling too confined.
Yes
- Meditate for at least 10 minutes every day.
- Unroll your yoga mat and practice at least 5 minutes—more if the spirit moves you.
- Write something JUST for you. Read something inspirational every day.
- Set aside chunks of time for work. Work diligently during that time. Finish what has to be done and move on so you can enjoy your day.
- Shower, get dressed, and look your best—even if you don’t plan to see anyone all day. When you look your best you feel your best.
No
- No TV during the day.
- No junk food.
- No surfing the Internet, checking email, or refreshing blog posts to read comments during work times.
- No procrastinating.
- No skipping meals.
What would be on your yes and no lists?