moments of peace

I find that they come when I least expect them. In sitting down and thinking about my most peace-full moments during the year that was what I found. It wasn't anything that I had to work hard for. I didn't have to be anybody other than mySelf. There were few to little expectations. Nothing felt forced.

I had an especially peace-full moment on a Friday night leading this year's yoga teacher training. It was towards the end of the training. It was late. And dark. Everything and everyone was quiet. We had done some fairly intense work. There was a moment when I felt such perfection with everything. It wasn't anything that I said or did. It was just being there with all those people and knowing that it was exactly as it should be. This was my path.

Another deeply peace-full moment was had in Tulum in November. An early morning walk. Tank top, shorts, and barefeet. An ipod with Bob Marley. Singing....

Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")

Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."

The rising sun was amazing. The beach quiet and beautiful. I can feel a light breeze. I had a huge smile on my face. And I bopped down the beach with a little bounce listening to that great message sent by Mr. Marley. Another moment of feeling deeply connected to both mySelf and nature. Nothing forced. Nothing planned.

My most peace-full moment of the whole year is one that took me by quiet the surprise. It was a moment shared with a sweet little newborn baby girl. My niece, Zoey Hazel Rose. My sister was resting in the bed and I sat in a chair over by the wall. Zoey was only a couple of hours old. I held this tiny precious girl in my arms. Her eyes were wide awake and she was staring directly up into my eyes. I sat there, staring back at her. I saw beyond her eyes. I saw everything she was in that moment, which was perfection. I felt deeply connected to her. It was all unplanned. I sat there looking at her, breathing deep, and feeling complete and utter peace.

What I've come to learn about my moments of peace for this year, they all have the following in common:

1. The ease of the moment. No plans. Nothing to force. Nothing to push.
2. Perfection in the moment. In the smallest, most simple ways.
3. Deep connection. To mySelf, people and nature. Being accepting of myself and others. Looking past any stories and being present without wanting to change anything.

May we all be surprised by a moment filled with peace today. :)

being flexible

So I was all set for what I wanted to blog about tonight....challenges and cheers of the day. But I'm going to be flexible here. I was doing a little blog reading just now and ran across the best of 2009 blog challenge and decided I must write about my best trip in 2009.

I've had some great trips this year...three to Mexico, two to Asheville area, one big trip with Andy and friends, Yellowsprings, and such. But the one that comes to mind almost immediately as standing out the most is....

The trip to Mexico with my brother and sister. It was my fave for a variety of reasons. But when you combine two of my favorite people and my most favorite place, it's bound to make for a pretty sweet trip.

And we went on Jan. 1. Really, greeting the new year in sunny, tropical Mexico....doesn't get much better than that. I got to plan and plot out my year on the beach. I got to explore the little island of Isla Mujeres on a golf cart. I got to see my sister laughing more than I had in a long time. I got to take walks on the beach with my brother. And sweat with him in the sweat lodge. We got massages in the jungle. And played in the sea. I got to be present as my sister took her first flight. And listen to her speak her first Spanish words...grande por favor (hehe). We ate tons of delicious meals. And my sister was preggers with little cutey Zoey.

It was delightful. And heavenly. And we felt oh so lucky and blessed to be on the beach. Riviera Maya is a long way away from the head of a holler in eastern Kentucky. We relished every moment. Reveling in our good fortune to share seven days together as adults sharing a family vacation. No fighting. Only laughing. Loving. Reminiscing.

So that is my fondest, most memorable trip of 2009. What about yours? Would love to hear.

hello december

[Warning: This is one of those completely random and odd blog posts where nothing appears to relate. But, here we go!]

I'm feeling pretty happy about the arrival of December! Good stuff going on and coming up!

Here are the upcoming goodies at the studio:

Barefoot Works Holiday Party
Sunday, Dec. 6
Noon - 2:00
Join us for food, fun, henna, massage, craft, yoga dance, and more! Bring a vegetarian dish if you'd like to share.

Donations accepted for FLorence Crittenton Home.

Ask the Yoga Therapist
Saturday, Dec. 12
10:40 - 12:30
Schedule your 15 minute session at the studio. Donations accepted for FLorence Crittenton Home.

Breathing Through the Holidays
with Anita Courtney
Sunday December 13
2:00 - 4:00, $25

Community Yoga
Sunday December 20
4:00 - 5:00
FREE

New Year's Yoga Retreat
with Sharon Tessandori
Saturday, January 2
11:00 - 8:00 pm


Good stuff. Good times. For certain.

Other studio and yoga news:

Emily only has one more Tuesday class before she has to give it up due to school and a bunch of other adult stuff. Makes me very sad. But the good news is that she'll stay on the Saturday rotation and start teaching the community yoga class in Jan.

Teaching training is filling up so very nicely this year! I keep getting phone calls, applications, and inquiries from people. I loooovvve teacher training. Can't wait for the fun times to begin.

As the temperature drop outside and we start to cuddle in and cozy up for the winter season....don't forget about Tulum. Yoga and Tulum. Tulum and Yoga. And get this....airfare is still super cheap. I just checked delta and they have the direct flight for $290! Yep, that's right...

This isn't studio news but it's exciting yoga news. Two of the people I trained in Hazard this fall have started their very own yoga operation in Whitesbug. North Fork Yoga. Super cool. The seeds are planted. And I can't wait to see yoga growing in eastern KY.

Sue Jones presented at the KASAP conference this week. Luckily for me we have a darlin' student at the studio who informed me of this (you rock Addie!) and the KASAP people were so sweet to let me in on the yoga action. Anyway I was so inspired by Sue and her bravery in sharing her real, raw and authentic story about what motivated her to found yogaHope. Super inspired about the power of yoga and how it helps all of us to grow and to heal. And super excited to spend some time thinking about our very own yoga programming over at Florence Crittenton Home. I'm feeling really drawn to service these days. It feels so good for my soul.

Still thinking a lot about mindfulness. And using the breath to create space in all ways possible. And about contemplation and action and how they go together. And how we need to share our stories. And the ways in which we're connected.


Exciting news at the Tessandori casa!

Andy and I bought tickets to see Bon Jovi April 15 in Atlanta! Yippy! Love it when you know exactly what you want for Christmas, glide up the stairs to purchase two tickets while listening to the new cd. Happy holidays to me. :)

We also went and purchased a tree on Friday. That's Andy with our pretty tree stuffed into the box (car). We'll be gone the whole week of Christmas as we're traveling to Texas to spend with Andy's sis and the little ones. We decided not to drag all the decorations down. Opting only to decorate the mantle and create a wish tree instead of a christmas tree this year. So much fun to do something different!

Spanish! I had a breakthrough during my lesson this past Sunday. Jessica is such a kind, patient, and passionate teacher. We actually had a conversation about our families in Spanish. It was a really slow Spanish conversation. But nonetheless...it was Spanish darn it!

Alright I think that concludes the random hello december blog post. Adios!

a good day indeed

I had so much fun teaching yoga on Thanksgiving day! I could never have imagined that I would be so happy to work on my favorite holiday. We had 33 people come get their yoga groove on. Barefoot Works regulars, their family members and friends. It was truly exciting for me. And luckily for me, Sarah assisted the whole class so we could take care of the thanksgiving day yogi's. We also raised $250 for the gals at the Florence Crittenton Home. I'm super excited about going out and shopping for them. Thanksgiving Day class will certainly become a tradition at BW.

"Coach T" even came out for the practice! That's what his kids at school call him. Pretty darn cute....
"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.” ~John Ed Pierce

Then Andy and I went home to Vicco to celebrate with the family. As always, my mom really out does herself. Such good fun. And she always so sweet to go a lil bit more out of her way to make sure that their are plenty of vegetarian options for me.

We took the traditional hike up the hill after the feast. This time we lost Andy due to asthma...or was it that Cowboys game? ;)


As my brother Joel says, "The rock that changed it all."

thanksgiving

Come into my lap and sit in the center of your soul.
Drink the living waters of memory and give birth to yourself.
What you unearth will stun you. You will paint the walls
of this cave in thanksgiving.
~Meinrad Craighead

My Thankfuls:

*The biggies...health, a home, a family, friends, clothing, a job I love, a car to get me where I need to go, my doggies
*Blue sunny skies
*The baristas that know my name and take great care in making my lattes.
*Leaves to rake
*Babycakes cupcakes (raspberry white chocolate)
*Books to inspire me
*Jessica, her patience and enthusiasm in teaching me spanish
*This training/workshop
*Bon Jovi's new cd (and the many appearances they've made this week)
*A husband that surprises me with said new cd
*Yogi's supporting the gals at Flo Crit
*Happy, thriving plants at the studio
*My little camera that goes everywhere with me
*Sun salutations in my yoga room
*Mala beads from India
*That such a place like Tulum exists
*Fresh linens
*Retta, her amazing design skills, and her ability to create something wonderful for yoga teacher training
*The smell of the ocean
*Vision boards
*The yoga treehouse
*Copal incense
*Meditation
*Candles and twinkle lights
*Hills to hike
*Cemeteries to walk
*My ipod and Stephen Cope who talks Andy and I to sleep at night
*Mary Oliver poems
*Artichoke and olive pizza
*Blogs
*Strangers that smile at me
*Dance parties with Andy
*Stones and seashells on my altar
*My vessel, my body that contains my spirit
*The exchange of ideas
*Any and all travel that I'm lucky enough to partake in
*Old trees and short lived flowers
*Happy family moments
*Quiet mornings at the coffee shop
*Yoga Journal
*Sweet nieces and potty trained nephews
*Earrings made by Lisa
*The growth of yoga in Lexington
*Pretty journals and pretty pens
*The ability to dream
*And the bravery to move towards those dreams
*Talented, loving, and compassionate yoga teachers
*Words like unravel, revel, and deliberate
*That places like this exist
*The students that I've trained, that have now become teachers.
*Seane Corn's hair, and this even more so
*The growth of compassionate communication (aka, nonviolent communication)*
*The strong, real, raw and beautiful women in my life

What's on your list?

Have a happy happy thanksgiving. Wishing each of you a day filled with joy and gratitude.

sweet darkness

When your eyes are tired
the world is also tired.

When your vision has gone
no part of the world can find you.

Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.

There you can be sure
you are not beyond love.

The dark will be your womb
tonight.

The night will give you a horizon
further that you can see.

You must learn one thing.
The world was made to be free in.

Give up all the other worlds
except he one to which you belong.

Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn

anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive

is too small for you.

~David Whyte

**Wow. Goosebumps.**

mindfulness

With stammering lips and insufficient sounds,
I strive and struggle to deliver right
the music of my nature....
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Yesterday evening I had an interview with a gal with Health and Wellness, a local magazine. The article was about mindfulness. I thought I had my thoughts and ideas in order, but I hung up the phone and said to Andy, "Wow, I hope that makes at least a tiny bit of sense."

We chatted about what mindfulness is....being aware of what you're doing saying, and thinking without judgement AND my fave way of thinking about it....living deliberately.

How being mindful impacts people's lives...aside from the many many benefits that research has now proven, being mindful allows us to choose our attitude, break free of bad habits, see things more clearly, take a few steps away from the drama, and live moment to moment...amidst the joys and the challenges in a more calm and peace-full manner.

What activities help a person be more mindful....ummmm yoga and meditation. That's an easy one, right? ;) Certainly, starting with the body is the first place to go.

Ways to think about the new year as it approaches...not to overload it with expectations, lose the resolution and work with an intention, reflect on areas of growth and challenge, then let go and step brightly into the new year.

So yes with "stammering lips" I tried to convey the beauty, the simplicity and the power of mindfulness. We'll see how it turns out in the January edition. :)

not all roses and rainbows

Because it's really important to me to be as real, as honest, and as authentic as I can I want to share the "other" end of the spectrum in returning home from retreat:

1. It's not easy for me. Never. Ever. When I return from Tulum I need time. And space. And more quiet then I normally need. Andy knows this by now. While he does kid me about it, he respects my need for it. He doesn't quiet understand it, but he supports it. Leaving Maya Tulum and then stepping into the Cancun airport is a toughie for me. For a week you live as close to nature as you can, then it's bright fluoresecent lights, loads of people (are they always this loud), lots of noise, and really bad food. Really bad food. Too. Much. Stimulation.

2. Sometimes getting clear isn't easy. Every single time I leave Tulum, I'm at least a little different than before I went. I can't explain it. That's just how it is. Getting clear usually means that some sort of change is in order. Sometimes change is hard. Even for a lover of change like myself.

3. Who took the beach away? I grew up in the hills of eastern Kentucky. I love the mountains. I love how you get a sense of being held and enveloped within the hills. But the beach....ahhhh the beach. The sand, the sun, the sea. It's so very healing to me. I love everything about it and it's hard for me to leave it behind. Hence all the beach pics....tired of em' yet? ;)

4. Balance. Easing back into work, tending to homelife, nurturing relationships, and nurturing yourself as you re-emerge. Finding the happy place within each might be even a greater challenge post retreat.

So there you have it. My thoughts about removing the rose colored glasses when looking at retreats. What I do is really plan for re-entry (Andy thinks this word is hysterical) by:

1. Spending more time in meditation. This time I brought back copal incense from Tulum. This is what they burn during treatments (and Temalzcal). It's my new fave. My replacement for nag champa. I've been meditating each morning for at least 20 minutes and using this incense has been so great.

2. Watch even less television.

3. Read more books that inspire and elevate me, my mood, and my thoughts.

4. Get creative. Debra and I did some great creative exercises in Tulum. On Saturday I spent some time updating my vision board with the words I identified as meaning the most of me right now....spirit, service, abundance, personal growth, freedom, wisdom, and creativity. I also used images to go along with the words.

5. Bring a bit of your special place back. I picked up a couple of rocks and tiny seashells from my walk at Tulum. These now have a special place on my altar. I also brought over 3 lbs of homemade granola back from Maya Tulum. I gave some to each gal that attended the retreat this past summer and I've been enjoying some too. It's de-lish and reminds me of my happy place. :)

reflections from maya tulum

Monday Nov. 9, 2009
I took an hour long walk on the beach this morning and passed only four people. It feels as if the beach and I belong together. I wonder if everyone that steps onto the land feels the same. Are they as moved, as connected as I? The gentle breeze on my back ever so sweetly nudges me onward, encouraging me to move forward. Embracing myself. Embracing life.

Tuesday Nov. 10, 2009
Mother nature is truly inspiring. I constantly stand in aw of her. Especially here in Tulum where I feel so connected. Being here I'm reminded "there is no God, when there is nothing but God".

Wednesday Nov. 11, 2009
Several years ago, when I first came to Tulum I thought I had it together pretty well. It only took that first session with Fabian to clearly show me that I didn't have it together quite as much as I thought.

Thursday Nov. 12, 2009
Floating in the water, listening to the waves as they make their way towards me...relaxing, breathing, knowing that if I can give to to them, I wont go under.

Friday Nov. 13, 2009
*You are living juicy! Ride into your life on a creative cycle, full of juice, abundance and ecstatic wonderment. You are a star. ~Sark
*Life is a bridge. Cross over it, but build no house on it. ~Indian proverb

Saturday Nov. 14, 2009
It's the drive back to the airport. I woke the usual time, 5:30...wrapped myself in a Mexican blanket and watched the most beautiful sunrise of the week.

Appears that what I was needing most from my week here at Maya Tulum was the time, the space and the resources to connect with my spirit and the spirit of the universe which I've come to know and feel as one.

Being surrounded by the people at Maya Tulum make it easy to connect with spirit, to see the good in the universe, and bow down with deep and great gratitude for life.

Leaving this time doesn't feel as sad for me as times in the past. I'm taking away an even closer, greater friend, a slight tan, a smile that feels permanently plastered to my face, and a renewed spirit.

Now I've come enough times to know that I'll be back. So it never feels like goodbye. It feels so much more like....until next time.

**This was my cabana. See how very close to the water?! How could I not wait to get back? ;)