in remembrance and reflection

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, 
my mother would say to me, 

“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” 

To this day, especially in times of disaster, 
I remember my mother’s words and 

I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many 
helpers – 

so many caring people in this world.” 

- Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)

Today I've been thinking a lot about the community of Newtown, CT. I still can't believe it happened. My deepest sympathy goes out to those innocent lives that were lost and their families that are enduring this horrific tragedy. I've been thinking about what anyone can do to help them. No amount of money or tears can undo the events that unfurled yesterday.

But in this sad, disheartening time, we need to remember that there is still good in the world. We have the advent of each other for support, and a strong reminder that this life we are given is precious and fragile. Let this tragedy bring us together so that we can remember the brave lives lost, and reflect. If you haven't already today, take a moment doing whatever it is you're doing--checking your email, watching TV, listening to music--to stop. If you're with someone, suggest they stop, too. Close your eyes, take 10 deep breaths, and send so much love to those families affected in Newtown today. Feel their heavy hearts in yours and share their pain. They need it more than anything right now.

Make it a point today to tell those that you love how you feel. Let them know how much they mean to you. You never know what will happen next in this roller coaster life.

the month of no work

 After eighteen and a half years in the public education system, I am officially (for now!) done. I can finally call myself a college graduate. It's a weird feeling to be done with something so intertwined with who you are. After I completed my last final I went about business on campus as usual--taking a nap in a beam of sunlight on the only couch in the quiet and warm Cape Cod Lounge at UMass, and after, making a list of things to do. The list was strangely short. Make homemade Christmas gifts, do yoga, practice the ukelele, read books, explore x, y, and z. Now, I know that this is not reality. Generally, you have to work to make money to pay off loans and bills and support yourself. But, for the next 5 months, it weirdly is mine. For the first time in my life, I don't have any job commitments or any schoolwork commitments. My only long term commitments right now lie in the destinations of plane tickets and bookmarked pages of Travel South America on a Budget. This cannot be real life.

So since I have "nothing" (everything) to do for the next, oh, month or so as I await my plane rides, I'm going to write it down here. Because why not.

What I have planned (telling you will help me to actually do what I say I'm going to do):
1. Do yoga every day, either in a class or on my own.
2. Commit myself to spending 10 breaths in my favorite yoga pose that day.
 3. Explore different yoga props. Currently, I have added a big bouncy yellow ball, two spongy blocks, and a hula hoop to my practice. Also socks for dancing around on my hardwood floor.
4. Make homemade Christmas presents for my friends and family. I can't tell you what they are yet.
5. Explore places around the valley. Some destinations include Mass Moca, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Katalyst Kombucha & People's Pint, different yoga studios, Peace Pagoda in Leverett and towards Albany, and whatever else comes up.
6. Make bread. I've never done this before. Also: soups, banana bread, cookies, bean burgers, etc.
7. Finish leather journals.
8. Knit. Find more patience with it.
9. Read a lot. Books on the lineup include: The Science of Yoga by William Broad, Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut, and Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.
10. Play the ukelele. At least once a day.
11. Walk around Northampton and meet people. Make eye contact and smile at them.
12. Write letters to people I love. Tell them I love them and why.
13. Try to blog everyday, even if it's just a teenie weenie little thought bubble.

So yeah. That's what I've got planned. Join me if you're interested, and don't if you're not :-)


What's on tap for today:
Favorite breakfast. Eggs, refried beans, onions, and salsa on a tortilla. yum.
Yoga time. Included: hula hooping to this throwback, laying in a supported backbend on a big yellow bouncy ball for a while, and lighting some incense.
Cookie party!
Crockpot soup--lentil & sweet potaters yum.
Dying hair with henna


a jam for your earbuds: 



until next time, amigo.

five steps to life-long happiness

What's the key to happiness? Some people search all of their lives, or just resign themselves to the 9-5 work schedule. No doubt, it can have its benefits. It can provide you with financial mobility and stability (and other things too), which is important. But sometimes we tend to put that on the front burner and our own happiness on the back. If you know what makes YOU happy (it might require a big 'ol study of yourself), then what's stopping you from following that passion and living a fulfilling life?

I'd add one more to this list: Surround yourself with people who care and help you believe in you.

Relationships with people = hugs, a loving sense of community, thought-provoking conversations (which leads to growth and change) and SO SO much more.

Okay I lied, one more: move your body (and shake your booty). Don't judge how it looks.

If you ever get lost on your way to happiness, remember this song, SING it, and believe it.

Bob had it right.

home sweet home

I ended up going home to the Cape this long weekend, both for a friend's wedding and also to work on my garden (and I suppose seeing my family factors in there somewhere too). You know those days when you get a ton of stuff done because you have to? I read a book last year, The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, that showed me it had an actual name: Parkinson's Law. It basically means that you get stuff done in the amount of time that you have allotted to do them (sound familiar, fellow procrastinators out there?). So, this being one of those times when I had a short amount of time to get a lot done (i.e. mulching my garden so that I have kick ass soil next year, locking myself in my parent's kitchen and cooking up a storm...), I was down to brass tacks this weekend. And even though I feel a little bit exhausted and my feet hurt, I feel accomplished, grateful for home, and completely in love with life. If you're interested, here's some stuff I made/did:

i took pictures of fleurs

at Ceile & Adam's wedding

and got a little jiggy with it after

i made banana-apple-chocolate chip-walnut bread

and pumpkin gingerbread muffins

 

 

 

and butternut squash & kale soup (with maple veggie sausage)

i picked a baseball bat cucumber before i pulled up the plant 

and sheet mulched my garden with stinky stuff! (seaweed and old grass clippings)

Whew! It's been a couple of long and happily productive days. I'm constantly learning and reminding myself that sometimes you just gotta do the elbow work to get what you want.

click here for a tune i'm diggin' at the moment

these happy days

In my last semester at UMass, I've begun to realize the weight of this being the end of my undergraduate career. Being in college is a great and unique time; we're allowed to run all over the place like children, hanging out with our friends all the time while occasionally doing homework (sometimes homework time > friend time...but only until you're done with the exam/paper). Lately, I've been taking a little bit of a different approach, as my 20 credits take up a lot of my time. As I continue to flow into my second month of my last semester of undergrad, I'm realizing the absolutely amazing resources that are available to me (and perhaps you) at UMass as a student and in the Pioneer Valley. Like...

1. There are lectures by esteemed intellectuals within the five college system going on ALL THE TIME. I can only speak for UMass, but I know that I've been filling up spare hours with talks by interesting people who have something important to say all over campus. Lately, I've been able to attend FREE talks by Noam Chomsky, Alex Morse (the 23 year old mayor of Holyoke), Madeleine Kunin (Vermont's first female governor), and I've got plenty more lined up. How do you find good talks that you might be interested in? Keep your eyes peeled. Message boards are all over campus, and though they look littered, some have some pretty cool messages to share. Also, check out the Five Colleges Event Calendar.

2. There's so much great yoga here! From the free stuff (for students) at the Rec Center, where I teach, to Northampton yoga studios like Karuna and Shiva Shakti, you can learn a lot about your body and the way it can move by people who know what they're talking about.

3. The great outdoors. Um, hello, have you seen the trees lately? I won't lie, I squeal in excitement a little bit when I see great patches of fiery tree goodness (especially on solo roadtrips). The colors that appear in the fall are so beautiful they make my jaw drop on the ground (I'm a huge fan of tie dye). Next time you see a bright red tree, pull off a leaf and look at it! Marvel at its beauty.

 ...While you're in the outdoors, go on a hike (Mount Holyoke Range, anyone?). Or check out the Leverett Peace Pagoda. Or just go walk around and explore in the woods!


4. Farms and farmer's markets galore! Gather up some friends and go get your hands dirty at a farm! We are so lucky to have so many in this area, and I bet each one of them could use your capable hands for a couple of hours. If not, go support them at a farmer's market! Butternut squash? Yummmm (stay tuned for squashy recipes and more foodie things).

5. Friend time and alone time. Friends are the best the best the best. They make you laugh (which is one of the best things you can do for your body, mind and spirit), they offer you shoulders when your'e sad and hugs when you need one, and they just all around rock. Being surrounded by good people probably is the most important thing in my life right now. I predict good people always will be of utmost importance to me, but it won't be as easy to go and knock on your friend's door later on down the road. I'm loving the roomie love.
But alone time is good too. I'm thankful for my quiet room and yoga practice, and those little encounters that happen when you're alone that wouldn't necessarily happen if you weren't.

Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.  

-Corita Kent

rainy spontaneity

my friend hannah cohen is a wonderfully talented photographer and just a gem of a human being. i came across this photo in one of her albums recently about strangers and was inspired to put it up here. she writes:

this couple had been enjoying a coffee outside in Amherst when a major rainstorm hit. i expected them both to flee but instead this happened.
 

ain't love beautiful?

grateful sundays

my birthday's tomorrow. i feel a little older than a lot of my peers (i've always been old for my grade and now i'm graduating a semester late), making me 23 in a sea of 21 and 22 year olds. not that i'm complaining and not that it makes much of a difference; i'm a firm believer that age ain't nothin' but a number. but in light of the changing season and approaching the anniversary of my birth, i've been thinking a lot about what it means to be getting older.

it seems that many people avoid or look down on the topic of getting older, groaning after we hit that ripe old age of 21. but in my experience, entering my 23rd year of life, it just keeps getting better. each year up to now, i've been able to meet new people, live in new places, and learn new things.

granted, i'm coming from a privileged place. i'm going to college and my responsibilities are fairly limited (maybe that's why i'm feeling this happy freedom). but i think it's all about how you look at it, too. everyone can look forward to the future if they put your mind in the right place. it helps to start with gratitude. we've all got lots of great things to be grateful for; can you think of something?


things i'm grateful for today:
1. combination of simon and garfunkel and coffee
2. friendly people
3. fresh cut flowers
4. new beginnings

openness

"I do not accept any absolute formulas for living. No preconceived code can see ahead to everything that can happen in a man's life. As we live, we grow and our beliefs change. They must change. So I think we should live with this constant discovery. We should be open to this adventure in heightened awareness of living. We should stake our whole existence on our willingness to explore and experience."

 -Martin Buber

As I begin to embark on my last semester at UMass Amherst and approach the "real world" after, I am constantly feeling waves of intense uncertainty. I'm almost 23 and I have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. I've got lots of ideas, but no definites (other than travel). While this can be freeing, it can also be intimidating. How are we supposed to choose the path for the rest of our lives at such a young age? The idea of choosing one seems to suffocate me.

When I get too anxious about the situation, I find comfort in talking with lots of people about this, and it seems that most people don't know what they want to do when they grow up, regardless of if they're 19 or 91. It makes me think about this flexible, fluid thing called life. If we're lucky, we could have 100 years on this planet--that's a long time! Why restrict oneself to a single job for a whole lifetime when there are so many options and years out there?

It's pointless to worry about what will happen ten years from now. The weight can feel crushing, but there is nothing we can do about the future except positively be here now. You might not be in the job or location you dreamed, but only you have the power to change those things. Make the best of your now, and if it isn't the best now you could be having, change it. Look for avenues. If you're open to it, you never know who you might run into, what subject might steal your heart, and what opportunities might just land in your lap. Life is a pretty crazy thing. You don't have to know exactly what you want to do, but if you don't, be open to the fluid changes of life and perspective. And don't forget to smile and even laugh, especially when you get too serious.

yoga homework

it's been a while! as the summer rolls to its last months (i am continually asking myself and others, where does the time go?!), i'm going to make an effort to write a little bit more in my blog. about what, you might ask, whoever you are. about those rambling thoughts, memories, travels...we'll see where it goes.

so, what brought me here, writing this entry right now, was my latest yoga practice. i love to think about one's wealth of yoga knowledge, or more broadly, any kind of knowledge or experience, as a growing and shrinking, let's say...ball. i think of the video game katamari damacy (2:30), where the goal is to go around different places and "roll up" literally anything--cows, beach umbrellas, cars-- into a big ball for points. (this is where my mind goes while i practice.) as i was thinking about this and connecting it to my yoga practice, how each class i go to, each teacher i talk to, each sequence that i design myself, is all part of this never ending and ever evolving yoga ball. from this, i began to think about how my practice has grown this summer, and just how it involves a little bit of discipline and practice (in sanskrit, yoga actually means "discipline/to yoke oneself"). contrary to popular belief, a yoga practice doesn't have to be anything special at all, and it can take many forms...not just contortionist stretching poses or heated vinyasa for an hour. working on the Cape Cod Organic Farm this summer, i am tired at the end of the day, as i'm sure most of us are. because of this, some days all my yoga practice consists of is lying on my back with my knees drawn into my chest, as i rock side to side gently with my eyes closed for a couple minutes. one of my favorite yoga teachers, Eric Burri in amherst, ma, suggests for his yoga students to do their yoga homework, which is taking 5 deep breaths in your favorite pose of the day, every day. :-)

another one of my favorites lately has been legs up the wall pose, shown below.

legs up the wall pose, (vipariti karani) is deeply restorative and helps to soothe sore backs, tired and cramped legs and feet.

Try it yourself to explore your own yoga practice! Take 5 minutes to close your eyes and scoot yourself right up to a wall. If you have tight hamstrings, back a little away from the wall, and as shown in the picture, use a pillow or blanket under your lower back. take some deep breaths and try to just let go...even if its just for 5 minutes, or 5 breaths. and most importantly, if your mind wanders, just let it be okay. let it go and just come back to it. if you really want to put yourself in a good place, let yourself smile a teeny bit--i say often to my yoga classes to "turn up the corners of your mouth".

i hope you're enjoying your summer as much as i am! will write again soon with who knows what.

goodvibes playlist

 I've been trying to change up my playlists more in my yoga classes because I think it adds new energy to classes. People are always asking about the songs I play, so I'm going to continue posting them here on my blog if ya'll want to take a looksie from time to time! I'll be posting the links to my facebook page, which is probably how you got here anyways. I hope that it helps in your own yoga practice at home or in the dorm, or maybe as you're doing your homework or just hanging out. I would love to hear any suggestions that you might have, my ears are always open for new tunes :-) I'm a big fan of spreading the wealth.
So enjoy! Have fun! Fly!

dharma talk

I've been looking more into meditation and Buddhism in the Happy Valley lately, and I've found a bunch of great resources and new friends at Hampshire College! They have daily meditation sessions and I recently learned that there are even Tibetan monks living on their campus, learning about American culture. Supah cool. Anyways, my friend Derek hosts dharma talks every Friday night, where a bunch of people sit in a circle listening to a podcast by some Buddhist thinker--it usually is about an hour long. I really enjoyed the messages of the talk this past Friday, so I'm going to share it with you.

I know it can be difficult to find a whole hour out of your time to listen to something like this, but if it interests you, I highly suggest just sitting down, closing your eyes and digesting the words. Jack Kornfield, the speaker, walks the listener through highly accessible Buddhist teachings about healing in the body, the feelings, the mind, and the soul. Listen to the talk here.

I hope you have had a relaxing and peaceful weekend! A tune to keep your head boppin' and your mouth smilin' for the week ahead:

yoga and animals

I've got animals on my mind. Cats and dogs. This is why:

I have a yoga for dogs calendar and it is hysterical. All of these dogs photoshopped into crazy yoga poses. Ridiculous and so, so awesome.

 

Don't forget to smile!

om dog

 

 

 

 

 

When the world seems upside-down, stand on your head!

I also have cats on the mind. I was just watching one of my favorite yoga instructors, Sadie Nardini (she has a ton of videos on Youtube if you are ever interested in checking her out), teach a little home sequence and her cats were being, well, cats. It made me cry I was laughing so hard (do you ever cry when you laugh? I do.) Maybe you'll find it entertaining too.

Problem. The video can't be found on the blogger search so I'm going to have to post the link here. I hope you find it as funny as I did.

Watching this video made me think of another cat yoga video. It is so interesting how the cats are so interactive. I've heard before that they are attracted to the energy of the practice. Something to ponder...

chill yoga playlist

Here is a playlist that I recently made for my classes...zone out and enjoy!

wise words from the doctor himself

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” 

-Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go! via this website

 

playlist lovin'

I've been getting a lot of requests in my yoga classes at the Rec Center to post my playlists. So, my friends, after finding a cool new trick on Mac (Command + Shift + 3), I am giving you my latest playlist, entitled "dankbeats". It's kind of small here, but if you click on it it will get bigger. Even after playing it through many of my classes, I still practice to it and enjoy listening to it, so I hope you do too!

"You have a very powerful influence on the world in which you live, and on the life you experience. Live as though everything matters, because it does, and bring your own 

magnificent consequences to life." 

- Ralph Marston

puddle jumping

I've been listening a lot to the artist Sia, and I thought I'd share a colorful video of hers that was free on iTunes a while ago...Gotta love Free Music Tuesdays. I think she's great, so I'm including a song of hers called Breathe Me which I love from a couple years ago also. I hope you are a having a sunny rainy day! (Well, it's a rainy day here in Amherst anyways...)

surreal life

Off to a brand spankin' new semester! For the first time in a long time (I know it might sound a little strange), but I am so excited to start my studies! I am in the BDIC department at UMass, which is a program where you can design your own major, and mine is called Holistic Health and Agriculture. My schedule this semester? UMass Student Farming Enterprise, Yoga Traditions at Amherst College, Sustainable Marketing, and Herbal Approaches to Women's Health....What?! So, I can proudly say that I am sufficiently pumped to start diving into my studies and exercise my brain and abilities. It's time to start paying attention (hi eric!).

So, as I said in my last post, over the break, I was lucky enough to participate in a wonderful course called Shaman's Pharmacy that was led by ethnobotanist and explorer Chris Kilham in the Peruvian rainforest. We learned about medicinal plants, animals, trees, and bugs in the rainforest, as well as modern-day environmental and ecological issues in the rainforest, and about Peruvian culture on the river. Check out the pictures below if you are interested in seeing some of what we got to do and see!

Fluffy clouds over the Amazon River

Hungry hungry caterpillars

Treetop walkin'

Sir Anaconda. Behind is Guillermo, talented shaman

Twisty trees

Monkeying around on a jungle vine swing

I would like to have a home this colorful

Giant water lillies! These things were 4-5 feet in diameter

Tiny monkey!

Posing for the camera

Tree pose in front of the giant Ceiba tree

It an amazing trip that was worth the dozens of mosquito bites. No sign of bot flies as of yet.

"If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less, but to dream more, 

to dream all the time" 

 - Marcel Proust

Hey ya'll!! Sorry I haven't been to present on my blog here so far this year...I just returned from a wonderful, awe-inspiring trip to the Peruvian Amazon with ethnobotanist and world traveler Chris Kilham in a class called Shaman's Pharmacy. I'll leave the pictures and details for my next blog post, but for now enjoy this video on a 95-year old woman named Maia who practices yoga and lives simply. Yoga is a buzzword and a buzz activity in today's society (which is great!), but sometimes the message can get muddled. Maia shows us what it really is all about: keeping your body fit and healthy all through your life, honoring and loving yourself, and finding joy in the little things everyday. And, I'll add, community.

It won't let me post the video here but I can give you the link:
My Friend Maia

Enjoy, beautiful you :-)

taking the plunge

Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all (whoever you are, out there in cyber space) had a safe and fun new years! This year, I decided to bring in the New Year with an activity-filled day that I hope will start everything out on the right foot. I took a wonderful, cleansing and challenging yoga class this morning at the sun-lit Centerville Yoga and Wellness Center with Sheri. I enjoy taking her classes because they kick my butt and align my chakras :-) Anywho, mid-class she mentioned something about the Polar Plunge Challenge, which is a fundraising event all along the Cape where crazy people take their first swim of the year in the freezing cold ocean.

Do you ever become so overwhelmed with an idea that you can't get it out of your mind? That happened. I had to take the plunge, it was settled. So I went home feeling energized and dragged the family out of the house to come with me for moral support. And surprisingly, my dad and little 11-year-old brother Dan wanted to join in on the chilly escapade! We trekked to Long Beach (we didn't participate in the fundraising challenge, just our own little personal challenge) and sprinted to warm up and then....

Luckily, the weather was warm

But the water was not

Just a quick dip

The plungers (haha)

 In this next year, I hope you take the challenges and opportunities presented to you. Get so excited about them that they won't leave you alone. Whatever your hopes, dreams, and goals are for the next year, go for them and stick to them. Take the plunge. Because...well...why not?


photos: Mike Black