New Year; Full Moon

Wolf Moon, Old Moon, Moon After Yule. I find the names of the different full moons to be pretty interesting. I don't pretend to know a lot about the moon, it's just always been a point of interest for me. Now, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the energy present at the time of the full moon. I'm incredibly aware of the full moon and all the goodness it brings me on a monthly basis. For January, I read that the full moon was in line with Sirius, the dog star. So that created this awesome GUIDING quality to the full moon; perfect to start the new year! Sages tell us the full moon is a great time to shed things that don't serve us; to start over, in a way. I definitely felt that this month, as I've been solidifying my intentions for the year over the weekend. With the full moon last night, I feel that this week is a great time for me to "start" on the changes I want to make this year.

I purchased The Ultimate Yogi dvd collection with the intention of starting on January 8th, and getting back in the swing of a daily, home asana practice. However, I know myself so well that it'll be nothing short of a bona-fide miracle if I make it to the mat every. single. day. So, for me personally, I'm going to shoot for every other day, ultimately working up to a daily practice. That will still be a challenge for me, and I expect to finish my first attempt at the program in May or June. Another modification I'm going to make is in regards to the diet. Again, I have a hard enough time with eating well/clean as is, so I'm going to set the goal of being 80% better. Eating better is a priority for me this year, but I don't see myself doing the 3 day diet challenges that the UY program presents.

 Maybe sometime in the future I'll be ready to do the challenge in 108 consecutive days, no cheats, and follow the 3 day diet plans, but I truly feel that my modifications will be challenge enough for where I am right now. The last thing I want to do is overwhelm myself and quit (I've been known to do this).

A couple other things you can expect to see on this blog are:

*Personal writings to help me be more expressive

* Trying new recipes to help me eat better (like almond flour tortillas and other "clean" goodies)

*Book musings and after-thoughts

*Things that inspire me (articles, music, images, etc.)

2015 is MY year. I'm going to do what I think is best for me, how I think it'll work best for me. And I'm sticking to that! Feel free to follow this blog and check back regularly. I'll be posting a lot about The Ultimate Yogi program for the first part of the year, but I hope to see this blog mature as the months go on! Stay tuned for yoga, health, and inspiration!

Just for fun

Yoga is calming, centering. It's challenging. It takes a lot of commitment and concentration. But it's also one of the most fun and enjoyable activities out there (in my humble opinion). My sister-in-law and I constantly topple over in challenging poses and giggle when we practice together. Ah, bonding through yoga, how blissful!!

I found this article from FitSugar that showcases 10 fun and awesomely challenging poses:

Click!

I'll admit I can't do all of these, but I have tried most of them! I can vouch for the fun/challenging combination. Out of the ones listed I'd say that Crow, Firefly, and Standing Hand to Big Toe are my favorites. I can't wait to try Headstand Bow!

Try these out next time you practice and let me know how it goes!

this month

I've felt myself waning. My mind has been a jumble of distractions and stress. Having surgery has really affected my personal practice; energy spent on moving preparations have left me with little else to go on. I miss my practice, and yet when I unroll my mat I feel a sense of confusion. I don't know what to do or where to go with it. I've become separated from my flow. Disconnected.

The move is in a week and a half. I feel like if I can get myself through the final touches of it all I'll have more time, or energy, or clarity, or whatever it is that I need, to connect with the Universe again.

I had such big plans for this month last month, and nothing has truly manifested itself. I suppose this is how things typically go. The one thing I can say for certain is that this challenging month hasn't pushed me away from my desire to learn more about yoga; it has been an opportunity for me to truly take my practice "off the mat" and apply what I have learned to my busy, daily life. Some days are more difficult and scattered than others (and this healing process has been way less than pleasant) and I definitely have a lot more practice and learning to do. But it feels good to know I'm starting a new chapter in my life.