A yogi makes the front page of The Chicago Tribune

I woke up with the strongest desire to be at the beach . To plant my feet on the earth and feel the sun on my face . I made a detour before teaching my class so that I could spend some time at the lakefront , reflecting and sneaking in a short yoga practice .  I knew it wouldn't be the easiest to achieve as I would have my two youngest children with me, yet I also knew that they would enjoy playing at the beach . 

They played in the water and in the sand while I sat in solitude and did a short yoga practice . And slowly I began to feel at ease , reconnected to the divine . The water brings me peace , calms me in a way that nothing else can . It's these moments that make me appreciate living  just  blocks away from Lake Michigan .

A gentleman approached and asked if he could photograph the kids and I for an article he was working on and said to just keep doing what we were and to ignore him . As I once again got lost in my practice and my children played , he snapped away and captured my soul .much to my surprise  I woke up the next day to see ME on the front page of the Chicago Tribune . 

Humble , grateful and thankful . 

-A

I love LOVE

I love LOVE, to love others, to be loved. It's a beautiful, mystical, empowering thing. LOVE gives us confidence, character and puts a smile on our face. It gives us Hope. It gives us Strength. Love Heals.

A year ago I came across an article written by an amazing and beautiful soul named Bryonie . Her words resonated with me so deeply, on a soul-ular level that it's as if I had written them myself.  Every word comes from a open and vulnerable heart and THAT is pure beauty.

With my 45th Birthday Approaching, her piece on How to Love a Leo is perfect.

 I AM imperfectly perfect and am grounded in this beautiful truth.  I continue to to grow and evolve daily, as each moment contains a beautiful lesson.  I do not apologize for who I am nor choose to change as I am living authentically . In this beautiful space, my heart is alive.

It is through heart ache, that we know what it means to Love.
and in this, my Heart Roars.

 In love and Deep Gratitude.
-A

(a little snippet from the post is below, please click on one of the links  to read the full post )

"She is stubborn—but she is kind and her compassion reaches to the far corners of the earth. In her heart, she holds it all; the joy and the sorrow, the laughter and the tears. As much as she wants you to wrap your arms around her and be held, she also needs long moments to hold herself, for a Leo feels so deeply at times she wonders if it is a blessing or a curse.

So to love a Leo, you must first love yourself; let the space in your togetherness be like the sea and in her rhythm, you will learn the meaning of a heart roar."

Read the rest Here

Brightstar and Buffalo

I am grateful for social media. I have met some of the most beautiful, compassionate and talented people through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. It's amazing to meet like minded souls that are in other states or other parts of the world , yet be able to close the gap and connect through the internet.

I met Natalie on Instagram. She is the creative force behind Brightstar and Buffalo. The website drew me in immediately, not for what she was selling but for the comfort the site brought to my heart and soul. Such beauty on every web page and filled with powerful intention and purpose. The pieces on Brightstar and Buffalo speak to the yogi in me, the earthy girl that craves to be adorned in pieces that speak to my heart and remind me to live in love and light.

I received the Solar Union dvAra Wall Hanging and was so pleased with the detail and craftmanship. It is made with recycled metals and beautiful sari yarn and hangs where I can see it every morning. It is in my Sacred Space, the place in my home that settles me and brings me so much comfort and peace.  I love being surrounded by beautiful things, and this piece speaks to my heart.

My children are in LOVE with the hand made mala necklaces that Brightstar and Buffalo makes. They are whimsical and beautiful yet help children become focused and balanced . Each mala focuses on one of the Chakras and is made from recycled pine with hand etching and hung on an organic hemp cord. The children's malas are one of my absolute favorite items that Natalie offers.

Take some time to stop by her Instagram Page  and say hello and check out the Website  and get lost in its pure beauty , I promise you'll be captivated as something will speak to your soul. 

In Love and Light

-A

I Got Lost

July 1st, 2015 - journal entry

I have been anxious for a few weeks. This is a new feeling for me, the uneasiness, the lack of sleep, my mind constantly racing. I am human and one little detour off of my path,one day of not taking care of ME, made me lose my way. 

 I have always been so grounded, faithful, patient and full of gratitude. Knowing and allowing the universe to guide my way and allowing my heart to know what it is that fuels me.

 For the last couple of months I have been bombarded with 3 deaths in the family which meant lots of last minute travel, a diagnosis for my son that blind sided me and financial repercussions from my divorce that I wasn't expecting. I started wondering where we would be living next year instead of just being grateful for where we are living now. I worried about my son day and night and worried about my finances.  What else did I do? I  stopped my daily routine. My routine of reading, writing in my journal, creating art, meditating and practicing Yoga and I got lost in day to day life. I stopped hanging with my "tribe", those women that support me and fuel me.  I stopped living in the present and allowed stressing over the past and worrying about the future to take control. I let worry, fear, stress, anger, insecurity and  uncertainty become the primary forces in my day to day routine. Racing through each day without focus and intention, without gratitude, without love left me empty.

I am thankful for those in my "tribe" that notice when I get quiet. That hear my silence and come to get me and pull me up for air. Reinforcing to me that I know what to do, that the power is within ME to get back to that place and space of beauty, gratitude and abundance in my life. 

We are all the same and divinely connected to one another and that , to me, is one of the most amazing things ever. The knowing that we are not alone. The ability of placing our hand over our heart and feeling the beat of our own heart, yet also the heartbeat of others.Being Present. Being Connected. Deep Gratitude.

I found my way back, I am Present. I have my routine of Self-Care that grounds and guides me and allows me to Just Be.  Although we all may get lost at times, the most important part is finding our way back.

In love and gratitude.

-A 

Avon Walk Chicago 2015 / Reebok

I was so extremely grateful to be asked to teach yoga again this year at the Reebok wellness tent for the Avon Walk Chicago.

There is something truly magical about the day, the intense energy of love abound. I have walked for many years, for friends and family and it has been a goal of mine to always stay involved. To continue to help raise funds and awareness for Breast Cancer prevention is a passion it is a cause that is dear to my heart.

I taught 4 classes this year for Reebok, and although it was chilly out, each class was full . I met women walking for women in their family, women walking for themselves, first time walkers, volunteers and even had some of the youth crew (who i fell in love with ) stop by. Yoga unites the body and mind, and that is exactly what these ladies needed after walking 26.2 miles . We talked, laughed and even shed some tears as the ladies unwound with me and allowed their hearts to be exposed.

I AM grateful beyond measure to both Avon and Reebok, for allowing me to be a part of this amazing program.  Here are a few photos from the day.

In Love and Wellness,
-A

NFL Draft 2015 Chicago

There were NFL Draft signs around Chicago for weeks on end yet it quite never clicked with me that the draft was actually IN Chicago .  I didn't put 1+1 together until the city started setting up staging and the NFL zone which was visible out my window . My first thoughts were 1. To take my kids to explore a little and 2. To leave town .

I've exposed my kids to college football and we always watch the Super Bowl together so I knew that my kids would enjoy exploring a little. Leaving town, that was a natural reflex for many reasons , one being to avoid the huge crowds and traffic in my back yard.

Being a yogi, we did what we do best and found a couple of our favorite teams and did a little yoga . The little guy especially loved climbing inside of the helmets and running through them while my girls tried to name all of the teams represented . No crowds, no hassle and something new and exciting in the city.

And then I left town .. And enjoyed 3 days alone : thinking ,healing and allowing myself to Just Be.

Avoiding love.

..Avoidance doesn't give you resolution. 

For a couple of months I've been avoiding a situation in order to shut it out of my mind , to numb my heart from feeling pain. I knew it wouldn't work l but I pushed through with trying my best to not think about the situation , to allow my heart to go on hiatus . 

 What happened instead is that I felt disconnected , lost , unsure and cold. This is not me, yet it's what happened when I avoided my feelings , when I avoided dealing with matters of the heart. 

 

The universe is funny in a way.. Showing you everything that you want and need , allowing every cell in your body to feel alive again, then in one instant taking it from you. A cruel trick ? Or simply a lesson on patience , faith and trust ? Or maybe it's all something that happened in my mind but didn't happen in reality ? The questions, the thoughts are all overwhelming and make me scream and cry and question it all .. And go numb. My heart goes numb yet again. Because when it's numb I don't have to wonder about anything, and when it's numb I can't hurt... Yet when it's numb, I can't love . I can't love . 

And more than anything in this world , I want love . I want to love with every ounce of my being, so hard that I can't breathe, nor sleep.. Because then I know I'm alive and thriving, not merely surviving . I want to love out loud and quietly , I want to love hard and in the gentlest of ways. I want to love with compassion, trust and faith. I want to love with complete vulnerability . I want to love you, simply and without a doubt, just you. But today and everyday until then,  I protect my heart from the unknown .