Hot Yoga.

So, in an effort to balance my mind, body, and soul,  I have been really searching for ways to change my everyday life.  Sometimes, I spend time in silence for 10 minutes and not think a single thing, just listen. Sounds easy? Hah. No, this is the hardest thing to do.  One day, I wrote down all the negative thoughts in my head that came into my head in that day that I could remember, and I combatted all of them with truths.  Sometimes that means accepting failure but at the same time confronting it and letting it go.  I started shopping at whole foods and planning out my meals ahead of time.  I've been filled with so much more peace lately just by implementing these small changes.

On Monday, I got up at 5:45am to go to hot yoga.  If you know me at all, that is something so out of my comfort zone.  Not the yoga part, but the getting out of bed to do something physical and intense at 6 in the morning.  No one would believe I actually did it, but I did and I will go again.  I went again today, and this time I went at night to a candlelight hot yoga.  My instructor was Australian,  naturally.  Beautiful things happened in that intense sweat-bath pain-filled room.  While your body is sweating like crazy, your body starts to open up and eventually so does your mind.  It was incredible and invigorating.  As hard as it was, I want to go do it again right now because I felt so aware of every inch of my body, inside and out, as well as every thought that I was having.  I so easily could push aside negative thoughts and just be happy.

I've always like yoga, but this hot yoga stuff really does the trick for me.  It feels so detoxifying and cleansing.  You come out of it feeling as if you have gone through the fire and succeeded.  I have always like yoga to keep my mind and body centered, and right now that is exactly what I need.  So, bring on the heat.  Just by walking through those doors I know I have already accomplished something amazing and walking out I feel I have accomplished the world!

Hello Sydney!

A video I made after my first few days in Sydney, Australia.

Italians & Legs.

My favorite leg-wear company Calzedonia, from Italy.  I so wish there was a store here.

Back to Chic.

{via Lulu*s}

Looking to the Future.

 
As we look back over the fall season and prepare for winter and the holidays, it is important to look at our past and ask these questions:

• What have I learned from what I have done and what I have experienced?

• What do I want to change, trans­form or bring to resolution in the winter?

• What aspect do I want to keep for the coming spring?

What aspects of the past season do I want to let go of? What parts do I want to keep for the next season?

Today, ask your­self: What have I learned about myself? About my life? About soci­ety or our eco­nomic sys­tem? What do I want to let go of? What do I want to preserve? Make those things you want to preserve your focus in winter to prepare for spring.

Life is all about learning. Good and bad, happy and sad, there is some­thing to be learned. The transition from fall to winter is a time to reflect on what we have learned, what we want to release and what we will nurture in the coming year.

 {pictures: my friend Jess & I frolicking all day yesterday at Seal Beach in La Jolla, CA. It was a perfect 72 degree day in November.}

The Trap of Reality.

My roommate and I were talking about *travel yesterday. We both have this insatiable desire to travel, but for now both of us know that we need to be here to deal with stuff. We were talking about this “real life” question that always comes up when you just want to travel from one place to another for the rest of your life. If you are away from your “home” from an extended period of time, more than likely you will be told that what you’re experiencing is “not reality.” I always hated when people would tell me that my life in Australia was not “real.” What is real? “I am working, I am providing for myself, I have great friends, and I am happy. Isn’t this more real than the life I had before working constantly, stressed out to the point of physical pain, and I wasn’t happy?,” I always said. 
 

Knowing full well how I felt, she asked me, “What was it about Australia that made you so happy?” Was it the place… to some extent. Was it the idea of the place… that too. Was it the people…It was how the people made me feel. For the first time in my life I felt like I knew who I was, but once I came back to the states it instantly evaporated. I’m still trying to regain that feeling and sense of self-worth. What it boiled down to was that sense of “belonging” was really just because I felt special for the first time in my life. In Australia, I stood out, and I became the “American girl,” and I have to admit, I loved the attention. I had never felt like I stood out like that here. I have more friends now than I did in one place then, but my friends here actually love me for who I am, not where I am from or the person I became when I was thriving off of being the center of attention. So, why isn’t that enough for me?
 

My roommate started telling me her own struggle, as she has wanderlust just as bad as I did. She started talking about how creating a home base, establishing relationships, and building roots has finally become more important to her than her desire to travel. It made my stomach turn and hers too. “This is all part of growing up, realizing that the cloud of Australia or wherever the next adventure is, is not reality.” She compared it to getting high or an addiction to a substance- “It’s the same thing,” she said. How can I reduce the high, create a reality and home base, find “real” bliss and still travel. Here's the thing though, I know that travel is an escape for me. It's a place to runaway to when my "reality" isn't what I want it to be. I think that acknowledging that fact is huge and until I get over trying to run away, I know that I am not ready yet.  Until I don't feel trapped any more, it is then that i will be ready to travel again.
 

I hate this so much. I hate thinking about it or even asking these questions. I just wish the conversation had never happened, but I don’t know if she is right. I know there is a balance between living-on-a-cloud and where I am now, but right now I don’t even have an idea of where that is. It’s either travel for the rest of my life in bliss or get stuck in U.S. for the rest of my life and never travel. And no- I am not okay with traveling once a year. That is a sick and twisted concept that Americans created. It’s literally frowned upon to take your two weeks’ vacation. When you take vacation, everyone hates you for it, your coworkers and your boss'- then you have the potential of not having a job when you come back. Here I am feeling guilty for missing one day of work to go back to Colorado for Christmas to spend it with my family for the first time in 2 years. That’s not okay with me. I know that is sick and twisted, and yet I am living proof that it doesn’t matter how much you're against it- you will get trapped.  I've been working for 9 months now with 0 vacation days.  Twinsies and I- we call it "the trap," and that is a reality that I don’t want to live in for the rest of my life.
 

I understand that this isn’t just a desire I have and that everyone feels this way, but because I’ve actually lived and worked in my dream country as a reality, it makes me feel like it is even more possible than most people would. Where does my dream stop and reality begin? Or, where does reality stop and my dreams begin?
 

*travel meaning actually living in another country and working for an extended period of time

Comfortable Chic Travel Syle.

If there’s one thing we seem to do during the holiday season more than eat, it’s travel. We visit friends and family, and—when possible—take ourselves on much-needed vacations to escape the chilly weather and holiday stresses. Regardless of where your travels take you this season, we wanted to give you some inspiration to create a comfy-chic travel style of your own. Scroll through the images to see the travel-worthy looks that caught our eye. Written By: Natalie of Thoughts By Natalie

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• comfy boyfriend jeans
• feminine flats
• blanket-like scarf just in case the flight gets chilly 

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• Playful, Sylish, & Functional Layers
• Dress for many different temperature zones- Climates can change from the airport, to the plane, to the pit stops along the way to your final destination. 

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•  A big bag for carry-on items or for easy access in the car 
•  A hat for hiding unwashed hair for early morning flights

 

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• Combo: Stretchy leggings + Button-down Top + Sweater with a hint of sparkle

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• Jeans work best for travel if they have a hint of stretch.
•  Pair yours with a simple button-down top, flats, and a big travel bag—and you’re set to jet-set!

 

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• Denim on denim with a pop of color is an easy way to mix comfort with style.
• A bold lip is a better travel accessory than jewelry —guaranteed not to set off any metal detectors!

{via Glitter Guide}

A Great Day.

What would make today great?  If I could ask myself this everyday and reach towards that goal by doing some of these “great day” ideas every day, maybe I could start to feel like every day was a great day and live without regrets on how I spent my time.  It wouldn’t have to be big, but each step might bring me closer to the kind of day that I want to spend.

So many times in a week I say, “I feel like I don’t have any time!”  The truth is I do have the same amount of time as I did before, I am just choosing ways of living it that make me feel as if I am not living it in the best way possible.  On this journey of trying to find balance in my life, I have created this list of what would make today a “great day” in practical terms.  Of course, impractically, I would quit my job, fly to Australia, and spend the entire day drinking Mimosas on the beach with my twinzies.   Daydreaming is good and I believe in the absolute possibility of that being feasible, but I know it is not practical for this particular day.   Sometimes you have to learn to appreciate what you have in this very moment without getting distracted by the "what-ifs" and "could-bes."  By knowing the elements of what it would take to make today a great day, it will make it incredibly easier to make it a reality.

·        Wake up on time and feel full of energy to take on the day

·        Having a Skype date with one of my best friends at the Coffee Bean & Tea House while I have a yogurt and fruit parfait and a Dragon Tea Latte (still off of coffee a.t.m.)

·        Walk to the bus & walk to work from the bus stop (mini-workout)

·        Have a great balance of energy throughout the whole day

·        Sit down at work and great everyone with a genuine smile

·        Write a productive to-do list for the day and accomplish everything on it

·        Work on and present my creative ideas to top management with a great response and back-up

·        Have productive conversations at work with my colleagues

·       Make people happy at work by doing something special for them (I.e. bring coffee, make brownies, etc..)

·        Go to the beach on my lunch break- meditate and devo while snacking on some healthy foods

·        Improve the workplace a little bit every day (work towards my goal of making it as fun as Google)

·       Empower the people around me and inspire my friends (via text/Facebook/blog) throughout the day to be better

·        After work sunset yoga and a massage afterwards

·        Meet up with my friends for our weekly Monday meet-up to learn about our pasts and present and be there for each other and love eachother while eating some great food and sharing insights

·         Have time to write a great blog post without feeling pressured or rushed

·        Clarity of thought & Only speaking when I have something of value to say throughout the day

·         Learn something new to improve myself and actually apply it

·        Bake something amazing from my Pinterest “Feel Hungry” board without over-eating it and saving it to spread joy throughout the day tomorrow

·        Spend some time in the Word and get filled up on God’s love for me until I am overflowing with joy

·        Spend the rest of the night talking and laughing with my roomies and going to bed feeling like I had accomplished great things today

What would you add to your list?

 

Break-Up Letter to Sugar.

I found this break up letter to refined sugar on MyFitnessPal.com and am officially declaring my break-up with sugar with fellow-fitness-pal, Michelle.  It has been such a struggle to get to this point, and I just hope I can stay strong & stay away!  This is a problem:

Dear Refined Sugar,

You and I have had a very complicated relationship for many years, so I think it’s time to be honest with you. You’re really amazing and I find you irresistible, but unfortunately you bring out the very worst in me. I’m sorry, but I’ve come to the conclusion that things have got to change and you can’t be a part of my life any more. I realize that it will be difficult to break this off, but I must leave you and never look back.

I didn’t see it at first because things seemed so innocent in the beginning. But the more I’m around you, the more I see just how much you control me. You nearly ruined my life and you had me convinced that I couldn’t live without you. I listened to your lies. You promised comfort, companionship, relief from stress, happiness, and a promise to fill that void in my heart. But your promises are empty. When we were together it felt so sweet and soothing. You would lure me into your emotional trap and I’d fall prey to your temptations every time. I knew it was wrong. Other people warned me about you, but you’re so convincing. When you’re around I lose all track of my senses, and it’s like I can’t say “no”. You’re a sweet poison to me, feeding off my weaknesses and taking away my strength to resist. You leave an aftermath of depression, a lack of energy and sometimes I feel unable to cope with life. Some days I couldn’t even leave the house because of how depressed I was. The moments we had together were deceptive, because as soon as you were gone I’d feel worse than I did before. All the highs and lows you bring are too much for me to handle, and I can’t let you do that to me any longer.

I don’t think you even realize all the things I’ve gone through just to be with you. All the pain, embarrassment you’ve caused, and grief you’ve brought upon me just isn’t worth it any more. I’ve turned down quite a few opportunities and let go of some really important things just for you. You bring me down in so many ways, and I think you deserve someone who can handle your “unique” qualities. Someone who doesn’t react to you the way I do. You need to find someone who is stronger than I am. I thought I was a strong person, but when you show up, I’m weak. So maybe it’s not just you, it’s me. I think the chemistry is all wrong between us, and our relationship just isn’t healthy.

Unfortunately you know that deep down I still love you, and there will probably be days when I’m tempted to come running back. I know you’ll be waiting. However, I think it would be best if you just stay away for a while, and leave me alone so I can heal. I have to move forward and I can’t recover with you hanging around my house, so it’s time for you to go. You’ve caused so much damage, and I’ve allowed you to control me far too long. I’m sick of you, my friends are sick of you too, and honestly, you’re a burden to everyone you come into contact with. From this point forward I’m taking my life back. I’m in control of my future now.

I must confess to a new love in my life. It’s Gym. I need balance, vitality, strength and health. Time with gym does that for me. I never got that with you. I’m moving on and I think you should do the same.

Goodbye,

Michelle

[& Summer]