I turned my Frustration into Action this Election year & You can Still do the Same

To see what began my short career as a political operative, please read the post on Elephant Journal.

I turned my Frustration into Action this Election year & You can Still do the Same

At my assigned time I logged in to my previously set up online account. My first call was Susan, a 39-year-old woman in Iowa.

But the call went straight to voice mail.

As did the next 12 calls I made.

Maybe I’m not meant to be a political operative.

But then, call number 14 was to Ophelia, a 72-year-old woman in Virginia. Dear sweet Ophelia. Not only did she answer the phone, but also she was excited to tell me she was supporting Hillary Clinton.

In fact, she told me not only was she voting for Clinton, she was driving all her lady friends to the polls so they could vote for the first woman president too!

Of the more than 100 calls I made, only one caller was rude. No problem, I simply followed the script and politely thanked her for her time and ended the call.

I also spoke with:

• Diane: a 47-year-old woman who wasn’t sure where her polling place was. I was able to give her the exact address of her assigned polling area

• Rachelle: 27 years old who didn’t know the polls opened as early as 6am. She has plans to go cast her vote before her shift at works starts

• Eileen: 34 years old, who although I interrupted her dinner, thanked me for working for the cause and dedicating my time to making calls

To see how my time in politics ended,  please read the post over on Elephant Journal.

The Really Real Reality Of Life As A Single Mom

THIS IS THE STUFF NO ONE TALKS ABOUT

Please click the link to my newest Elephant Journal post.

I shed a few tears while I was writing it.

If you like the post too, please Tweet it, share it, Facebook it or do any other social media thing there is to pass it around.

Books: #reverb13 Day 6

What was a favorite book that you read this year?

Any genre, any author, any subject. Or—choose up to five, if it’s too impossible to narrow it down to a single volume.*

Looking back over my Kindle, there wasn't any one book that grabbed me especially hard this year. Probably because my time is so much more limited now so admittedly I'm not reading what would be considered great quality classic literature.

But I have read some good stuff this year:

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - a suspenseful novel of a bad marriage and a woman on the run. I read it all in one weekend.

2. Heft by Liz Moore - a severely obese man becomes friends with the woman who was once his student. An unlikely friendship begins that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

3. Who Will Cry When You Die  by Robin Sharma - I'm not sure there is really anything original in this book, but he does a great job of breaking down the big picture into simpler 101 tips to living a happy, healthy life. It's an easy read that I keep around to pick up and review when I'm feeling I need to get myself back on track.

4. There's More To Life Than This by Theresa Caputo - Although I haven't yet blogged about it, a couple months ago I saw The Long Island Medium in Memphis. It was a very emotional night. That night and then reading her book have really helped me put to rest some of my questions and doubts about my mom's death. Whether you believe Theresa Caputo can really talk to dead people or not, the woman is funny and has offered healing to many people.

5. Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss - If you've ever thought you were "addicted" to junk food, this book proves you right. The author traces the rise of the processed food industry and uncovers internal records that show the companies actually do use salt, sugar and fat to addict people.

This post is part of #reverb13, a series of daily writing prompts to explore the year passed and manifest the year ahead. This prompt was found on Elephant Journal.

Grateful To Be Able To Write

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading your elephant journal. Thanks for being such an independent strong woman, and for allowing me to be in you and your girls lives. You're definitely some one I look up to. (:

I received this message tonight. To hear that something I write touches someone else means the world to me. 

The funny thing is, what I call my "throw away" pieces, the ones I write and I don't think much of,  tend to be the ones that get the most response. My latest Elephant Journal post had more than 1000 views and was shared to more than 40 Facebook pages before I even knew it was published. Like any piece of literature not all the reviews have been positive. But like Bob Weisenberg told me years ago, even if someone says something negative at least they are reading what you wrote.

Positive, negative or neutral reviews I always write for myself first.  I believe writing helps keep my crazy away. Or at least at a distance. 

Why Do Young Women Do What They Do?

Please click the link, comment and share the post if you also enjoy reading it.

You can also read my other posts on Elephant Journal here or by clicking the tab up top titled Elephant Journal. 

Longing (Poem)

My latest Elephant Journal post. It's quite different than what I usually write. 

It's special to me and I'm proud of it.

I wasn't sure what to expect when it was published, but I've gotten some beautiful emails from people who have read it, felt it, lived it and understand love and longing.

Longing (Poem)

Please click the link, comment and share the post if you also enjoy reading it. 

You can also read my other posts on Elephant Journal here or by clicking the page tab up top titled Elephant Journal.

The Wife vs. The Mistress: A Lesson in Compassion

As part of another baby step towards reclaiming my life, I am once again writing for Elephant Journal Magazine.

Here is my  newest post:

The Wife vs. The Mistress

A Lesson in Compassion

Please click the link, comment and share the post if you enjoy reading it.

Head Over Heels - For Good Summer Reading

My latest Elephant Journal post is up!

Head Over Heels: A Book Review

It is, if you couldn't tell, a book review of the second in a series of books set in a Los Angeles yoga studio. It's a fun, easy read. The perfect book to pack for your summer vacation when you just want to relax and laugh a bit.

Please also check out my other Elephant Journal posts.

Why I Bleed At My Keyboard

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.

-- Ernest Hemingway

I'm finally writing a book. I blog here. And I post to Elephant Journal.

I began writing as a way to get the crazy out of my head and along the way writing became a form of meditation for me. And, like meditation, sometimes the things that come out are unexpected and even a little scary.

I can't stop the words that flow. I can't not write any more than I can't not breathe. Every now and then I write something that I wonder whether I should post or not. I hesitate and worry to the point that I feel I might vomit before I hit publish. 

But when you bleed all over the keyboard you have to clean it up.

My most recent Elephant Journal post caused quite a bit of bleeding. The emails and private messages I've received have been heart wrenching, touching and as raw as my post. So many people have shared their story with me and thanked me for being brave enough to say what they were too afraid to. By reaching out to me they have helped bandage my wounds.

My new post, What Alcoholism Taught Me is the story of how yoga helped me be a better person, despite of, or even because of, the chaos around me. It's a small sample of what you'll read in my book "Creating A Joyful Life: The Lessons I Learned From Yoga and My Mom" - due out later this year.

10 Reasons To Go Vegan That Have Nothing To Do With Sex

Earlier this week I went to lunch with some of the girls after yoga. The restaurant we chose was offering some new vegetarian options so I eagerly ordered the veggie melt.

I'm not a hardcore vegetarian, in fact for a few months last year I fell off the wagon and was a complete carnivore. It quickly showed in my increased weight and decreased energy levels. And living where I do vegetarian options are few and far between, so it's a struggle to stay true to vegetarianism.

But I'm trying.

As the waitress brought my meal, I hungrily took a big bite and ...

There was bacon on my veggie melt!

Seriously! Who does that?

For more about vegan eating and some of the reasons I try to maintain that diet, please read my newest Elephant Journal post:

10 Reasons To Go Vegan That Have Nothing To Do With Sex

You can see a list of my other Elephant Posts by clicking on the Elephant Journal link on the top of this page. 

Self-knowledge

December 14 – Jnana (Self-knowledge)
Name something you did that was completely out of character. How did it feel?


This is the year I decided to stop fighting my natural body shape and instead accept it.


Except it wasn't that easy.


This is also the year I've gained and lost the same 10-15 pounds a couple times. There are physical reasons for the weight gain, but there are also more emotional reasons that caused it.  In the industry I'm in, looks matter. But what I learned was they matter way more to me than to those who know me.


My first step to acceptance came in an Elephant Journal article I wrote called Does My Inner Goddess Look Fat In These Jeans?   After a difficult day at the gym, I came home and while holding back tears sat and wrote off the cuff. The whole post took me about 20 minutes to write, and in an act of never-before-seen in me bravery, I published it before I had time to think twice.


The response was overwhelming. The comments and emails I received were touching, honest and raw. Yes, looks matter. But our own warped perception of ourselves is clouding how much (and how little) they matter to those who love us.


I've done a lot of internal work on myself this year and I knew I had succeeded when in the store dressing room one afternoon I pulled on a pair of jeans a size bigger than I've worn in the past six years and didn't cry, didn't scream and didn't immediately start crash dieting. This is where I am now. That's where I was. And I'll probably be somewhere different in a few months. It's OK.


But then the real challenge came. Elephant Journal assistant editor Hannah Siegle wrote a series of posts on real women, real bodies and real bellies. She even included pictures and encouraged us to send in our own pictures of our own real bellies. Each picture featured a woman holding her hands in the heart mudra over her belly as a symbol of self love. 


I sat and cheered on the women who were writing and sending in their own pictures. I followed the posts glad to see women standing up and saying "This is me. I am not a photoshopped picture. This is who I am."


And then fellow Elephant writer Kate Bartolotta asked where my picture was. Damn. Time to walk the walk and talk the talk. So tonight I emailed Hannah my real belly picture to include in an upcoming post she's writing. 


And in the ultimate act of self-acceptance I am willing to post the picture here as well. 


This is the real me. No photoshop. And I love the real me, belly and all. 


This post is part of #reverb11, a series of daily writing prompts to explore the year passed and manifest the year ahead. I'm following the prompts found here. (Yes I'm a little behind and writing some out of order.)

Meditation Tips For Beginners

Feeling stressed?       Meditate
Feeling depressed?    Meditate
Feeling confused?     Meditate
Feeling sad?              Meditate
Feeling grateful?       Meditate
Feeling happy?         Meditate


I know, I know you don't have time. Or it feels weird. Or you don't know how.

Meditation doesn't have to be scary or weird or something only those freaky yoga people do. To get you started, or just to learn more if you are even semi-interested, here is my new Elephant Journal post:

Meditation Tips For Beginners And Those Beginning Again


And if you enjoy that, please be sure to check out my other Elephant posts, listed on the Elephant page here on my blog:

Elephant Journal

Learning To Breathe: My New Elephant Post & My Intro to Energy Work and Chakra Balancing

As my close friends know, it's been a shitty year. My mom died in February and since then it's been an endless series of injuries and illnesses for me.

Is there a connection? Well of course.

Am I ready to deal with it all? Well, I'm ready to start.

In the midst of all this I received an email from a publishing house asking if I'd like a copy of a new book, Learning to Breathe by Priscilla Warner. Warner is also the author of the bestseller The Faith Club.  I get more than a few of these requests and honestly don't even remember saying yes to this one.

Eventually I got a second email asking if I was enjoying the book. Oops. So I dug through my book stack, found it, and started reading.

And couldn't put it down.

Thank you Priscilla Warner for sending me your book. Thank you for being so honest in describing your journey to wellness. And thank you for encouraging me to begin my journey.

How cool is the Ms. Warner? As I was reading and doing my internal work, she even took the time out of her busy book tour schedule to send me encouraging messages. She's a big time famous author! How humble and human of her.

Warner had access to a wide range of well known meditation teachers, rabbis, therapists, scientists and other experts and masters. My access is very limited here in rural Tennessee, but when the student is ready the teacher comes.

My teachers did come. From a massage therapist in the small town of Atoka to a chiropractor/energy worker in the even smaller town of Covington. I had read about energy work and chakra balancing, but had no idea I was about to embark on an exciting, scary, exhausting yet much needed journey of my own.

Energy work, chakra balancing and emotional tapping - yes it's all very woo woo and out there. But I'm here to say it's the real deal.

To read more about my woo woo energy work and even more about Priscilla Warner's Learning To Breathe, please click here to read my latest Elephant Journal post:

Searching For The Brain Of A Monk; Dropping A Lot of Tears Along The Way

Whether you know what energy work is, or you just are looking for a bit of peace in your life, I recommend Learning To Breathe. You won't be disappointed.

And if you want to read more of my Elephant posts, you can find them all listed on the Elephant Page of my blog here:

Elephant Journal

Back Pain & The Breaking Point

My latest Elephant Journal post:

Did You Hear The Joke About The Yoga Teacher Who Hurt Her Back

Yoga Bitch: My Elephant Review Post

Reasons why you should read my latest Elephant Journal post:

I Want My Yoga Teacher's Life, But Just the Good Stuff

A Yoga Bitch Interview and Review

1. How can you not love a book called Yoga Bitch?
2. After talking with the author so much, I'm pretty sure she's the kind of person me and my friends would be friends with.
3. Have you ever drank your own pee? Sound gross? Read the book.
4. Of all the yoga journey books out there now, this one is the most real.
5. I don't get paid to write the YogaLifeWay blog so if I'm saying a book is worthy, than it's worthy! (Note: I'm willing to entertain offers to write for pay)
6. Support independent journalism and after reading my posts on Elephant Journal, check out the other cool posts by even cooler writers than me.

Yoga Book Club

I've written a few posts on here about my Twitter Yoga Book Club, #YOBC. I've met the most interesting people who all are reading the same book and I've been very fortunate to have corresponded with a few of the authors as well.

Out little #YOBC is growing with more and more members with each book we read. We have no joining requirements, you just comment on what you are reading when you feel like it. People will quote their favorite parts, discuss the authors point of view, or share similar experiences.

Yes, it's social media, but like I wrote in Not Your Momma's Book Club, it's a new era of book clubs. But I guarantee we get just as much, if not more, from this new technology. When in the days of living room book clubs would I have been able to speak directly to the author?

If you are on Twitter and want to join us, jump in anytime. Comment using #YOBC. Even if you aren't on Twitter, I think you'll enjoy these yoga books:

1. Yoga School Dropout - Lucy Edge
2. Poser, My Life In 23 Yoga Poses - Claire Dederer 
3. Holy Coy - Sarah MacDonald (read my review here)
4. A Life Worth Breathing - Max Strom ( read my review here)
5. Yoga Bitch - Suzanne Morrison - review to be posted soon

Have a book you think our #YOBC would really like? Please put the title and author in the comments section. I'm always looking for good books to read. And yes, I also read lots of non-yoga books too!

The Universe Doesn't Negotiate With Complainers

When you ask a question are you willing to listen to the answer?

Please click on my new Elephant Journal post and read about:

Drinking Kombucha, ballerinas and accepting life is as it should be.

I'm Difficult - But In A Good Way

Do you remember the scene in When Harry Met Sally where Sally finds out her ex-boyfriend is getting married and Harry tries to console her?

You don't?

OK, well I've seen the movie enough times I can quote it for you:

Sally: What's the matter with me?
Harry: Nothing.
Sally: I'm difficult.
Harry: You're challenging.
Sally: I'm too structured, I'm completely closed off.
Harry: But in a good way.

It's time I admit it, I am a Sally Albright. I'm difficult, challenging and structured.

But, see, I get Sally. I understand her. She can't help herself. Neither can I.

And as I delve deeper into my yoga studies and learn more about Ayurveda, I realize it's true. I really can't help myself. I was born this way.

I'm a pitta dosha and we pittas can be difficult and challenging. But we're also the ones you want in charge because we get things done.

What's a pitta? What's a dosha?

Well I'm not going to give it all away here!  PLEASE click over to my Elephant Journal page to read my latest post Trying Not To Be Such A Pain In The Ass: An Ayurvedic Newbie Attempts to Balance the Doshas.

And if you like that, check out my other Elephant Posts. Just follow the links under the Elephant logo over here on the right ------------------------------------------>

The most popular posts (so far) are How Yoga & Janis Joplin Convinced Me Not To Buy A Bunny and Does My Inner Goddess Look Fat In These Jeans?

Thank you for reading here at YogaLifeWay and over at Elephant Journal!

It's Not Geeky, It's a Book Club Kula

It's back - the return of Twitter Yoga Book Club!

I've written lots of posts about my love of and for yoga. And there have been more than a few posts about my love of reading and books. So how great that I get to combine those two passions in one great book club.

This is not the stereotypical, stuffy, meet in the living room kind of book club. No, we are a cool kula of yogi's and book nerds who take advantage of social media and tweet our discussion using #YOBC. By using Twitter, I get to share the books with people from literally all over the world. And, sometimes the author even joins our Twitter discussion which takes it to an all new level.

The group had taken an unofficial summer break, but with some prompting from me and the need for a new good read from Meredith LeBlanc, we will begin reading again August 20 with the release of the much awaited Yoga Bitch by Suzanne Morrison.

And.. I tweeted Ms. Morrison and she said she will definitely be a part of our discussion group!

So, if you are looking for a good book to read, or a cool group of yogi book geeks, check us out on Twitter. There's no timeline for reading and you can tweet your thoughts at any time.

Update: The book is officially released August 16. But you can pre-order now on Amazon and it will delivered either to your door or your Kindle on that day. But even if you don't get it right away, just join in the discussion when you can!

15 Blind Elephants

What happens when 15 Elephant Journal writers who have never met, aren't in the same place and come from different backgrounds decide to collaborate on an article? And they just happen to pick a really easy topic to start with:

What Is Spirit?

Thank you to my fellow Elephant writers for including me in their think tank and letting me run with the big dogs! (or big Elephants as the case may be)

Stop & Rest: Even If In A Max Strom Workshop

Here is the Tweet I sent at 7am today:

Body saying Stop Rest or face injury/illness!

 Will have 2 wait till tmrow tho. Today is 

Yoga in the Park & then Max Strom wkshp 2! 

I am physically exhausted and I know the body can only do so much before it goes into self-protection mode and shuts itself down with either an injury or an illness.


I know this. I've experienced it many times. Too many times, in fact, that I should have learned the lesson by now.


But, I was busy today! 


The day started off with Yoga in the Park. A nice group showed up, the sun was shining and the breeze was blowing as we began our practice together. As I led the group I found myself repeatedly clearing my throat. And getting froggier and froggier each time I tried to fix my voice.


By the end of the hour my voice was very close to being all the way gone. Well at least I made it through class I thought. (A more mature response would have been - this is a warning sign I need to stop and rest!)


Instead it was off to day two of yoga workshops with Max Strom. Meeting him was way beyond cool and I wanted to soak up every word he said. I'd read his book A Life Worth Breathing - in fact I've read it twice now - and even wrote an Elephant Journal post about the book.


I left the first workshop last night inspired and keyed up. Today I entered session 2 tired and dragging. In fact I just lay on my mat waiting for the session to begin rather than socialize with the other yoga teachers in the room.


It was, as expected, a wonderful class. And when we went into savasana I really went into savasana. Yep, I did what so many yogi's are afraid will happen - I fell asleep.

Me and Max Strom

I don't mean just dozed off for a second. I mean drool rolling down my face and oblivious to everything around me sleep.


And oh how good it felt!


When Max rang the tingsha bells to bring us back, my first thought was "did I really just do that?" Followed immediately with "can't I have just a few more minutes here?"


I needed that rest today, as much as if not more than, I needed to learn what Max had to teach me. 


Or, perhaps that is the lesson. A lesson maybe he didn't intend, but the lesson I obviously need to learn.


When the body says stop! rest! - we should listen and stop and rest.