where do i start?

it's been almost a year since my last song-lyric-titled, anti-cap-letters blog post and i've really missed it. sure, there have been plenty of times where i've thought, 'i should write about this on my blog!' but it never came to fruition. i think the longer i waited, the more daunting it became, which is just plain silly because nobody is making me do this. ease up on the self-inflicted pressure, girl in the mirror!

so here i am, a slow day almost coming to an end, tired of looking for the perfect bridal shoes online, and almost out of almond butter, thinking now is a good time to start this ol' blog up again.

it's almost impossible for me to begin where i left off, which was describing my wonderful, life-changing experience at last year's wanderlust festival in stratton, VT. i still have all of my classes written down and my notes from those classes, but i can't quite tap in to the overall feel, and it would be a disservice to try to recap at this point so i'll just move on. the good news is, i'll be heading to the 2013 wanderlust festival, so i will be sure to blog about that experience twice as much, just to make up for last year :)

i know i was giving you guys the play-by-play of my yoga trainings, but i haven't wrote since i actually began teaching. surprise! i am officially a yoga instructor at the local ymca and i am loving every minute of it. each week i try to attend 3-4 other yoga classes from various studios and teachers to find new tricks, and then i spend about 2 hours setting up my class and playlist. it is everything i ever wanted it to be and more. the students are amazing. their encouragement and feedback kept me working hard and coming back when i was so nervous i was getting sick every saturday night before i taught (i still get nervous, but not sick anymore, thank god.) i have regulars who show up every week, and when they cant make it, they call to tell me why :) they've nicknamed it the yoga bootcamp, because it's nothing like traditional yoga, and i always guarantee they will work up a sweat. joey and i make a playlist each week that is high energy, full of music from the likes of pearl jam, lil wayne, she & him, beyonce, the beatles, and vampire weekend. it's kind of like a dance party with a really wonderful group of people, in a room filled with mirrors, for one hour every weekend.

i recently got this tattoo to honor my practice and the whole yoga-teaching experience. it's sanskrit for ahimsa, which most people recognize as a symbol of 'non-violence'. this is true, but on a deeper level, it means to be kind to others, be kind to yourself, and not to allow others to cause harm to you. i'm really working on those last two, so this just serves as a small reminder to not be so hard on myself, and not to take what others say to heart.

i think that's all for now. i dont want you thinking that i suddenly became long-winded in my extended absence, and then swear off this lil' blog forever. be back soon,

xo