YOGA by Brittney

I'm not sure why I stopped blogging about my recovery. Maybe because I started believing that it's not a topic that should be shared openly, shamelessly. Heaven forbid someone not like me. The best thing we can ever do in this life is be true to who we are. This means all the things that make us uniquely individual - to include our flaws and sometimes the things we don't want the world to see. I just had the BEST weekend, and I spent so many moments overflowing with gratitude for my life. My Chinese roommate from the Arhanta Yoga Ashram in India was visiting the US for the first time, so I went up to NYC to see her. We ate yummy vegan food, went to yoga and walked around shopping for things I couldn't afford. I stayed the night with one of my best friends from High School. We laughed and talked in the way it feeds your soul. I soaked in the views from her apartment, we ate brunch on the water front, I went to a flea market in the city where I bought more heal...

1. It's a disease classified by The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  The definition of disease is as follows: a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location* and is not simply a direct result of physical injury. *The location in this instance being the brain. 2. It can be considered an allergy.  Definitions of allergy : A) altered bodily reactivity (such as hypersensitivity) to an antigen in response to a first exposure. B) exaggerated or pathological immunological reaction to substances, situations, or physical states that are without comparable effect on the average individual. According to William D. Silkworth, M.D. a prominent physician who specialized in the treatment of alcoholism, the action of alcohol in alcoholics is the manifestation of an allergy; the phenomenon of craving that develops is limited to this class...

“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.” ~Ancient Ayurvedic Proverb  Every 35 days, your skin replaces itself and your body makes new cells from the food you eat. What you eat literally becomes YOU. This is my why -- This is why Juice Plus is so important to me. I'm among the 75% of Americans who fall short of 5-13 servings of fruits and veggies a day - even when I try my best! Juice Plus bridges the gap between what I should be eating and what I actually eat; it's whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 30 different fruits, vegetables and grains. Plus soil erosion has lead to nutrient depletion, so today's grocery store tomato isn't exactly the same as the tomato farmed for Juice Plus, but that's a whole other blog. Shred 10 was new for me, but as a part of the Juice Plus family, I saw the value. I didn't lose any weight, but I noticed an increase in my energy, especiall...

I haven't been too inspired to write lately, but the truth is, sometimes it's just about starting. I've felt like if I didn't have some profound message, it wouldn't be worth reading. But God speaks to me through people. How am I to know how what I say will affect others? I trust the words will find the hearts it's meant to... and I still stand by sharing My Truth and revealing What's Under My Yoga Pants , despite the Lemon I was dealt as a result. Now that I'm in a new area, I think it's important for those just meeting me to know my authentic self. I write a lot about my recovery from alcohol and addiction . I had a "burning bush" experience after working my twelve steps, and knew I was meant to leave my stressful, draining job, take a leap of faith, trust the universe and follow my heart, pursuing my passion. That's how YOGA by Brittney was birthed. I'll be 18 months sober on May 20th - One day shy of my first weddin...

When I was younger, I moved to LA for a short while, and to NYC as well. I also traveled frequently to Minnesota. I always loved to "get away." It was nothing for me to pick up and go, and it didn't seem I was close enough to anyone for it to impact me. After college the world travel and moving around continued into and all around DC. I found friends, but kept them at a distance. (Me in Paris, where I enjoyed too much champagne.)  In March of 2014, I found my way into the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. I managed to string together my first 30 days of sobriety after a messy year of trying to escape myself. I'd come to the realization I had a problem - that once I started drinking, I couldn't stop or control my drinking.  Around the 40 day mark, I was to go on a trip to Vegas with the start-up I was working for. I decided to start drinking again, already having made the decision I would drink on the trip. It was immediately clear to me, I wasn't dr...

I'm nervous...  What I've learned and experienced of self-reflection and spiritual growth thus far: It can be painful. But to gain self awareness, enlightenment and to awaken is powerful and what I believe we've all essentially incarnated for. So, from an internal perspective, I'm excited, trusting, albeit apprehensive about my trip to India. The facilities of the Arhanta Yoga Ashram are simple, offering the possibility of immersion in traditional Indian culture and lifestyle, free from western luxury and comfort. The idea is to minimize materialistic influences and attachments, renounce material dependencies and to bring the focus within. Situated outside the historical city of Khajuraho amidst 17 acres of green land,  beautiful lush nature, surrounded by hills, forests and seemingly endless fields - the environment is a serene place for yoga, meditation and focus on spiritual growth. It is quiet and secluded promoting a deep connection with creation. I g...

It would be really nice to have a glass of wine with dinner. I miss having cocktails with friends, and holidays, like Halloween, make me miss letting loose and "having fun." Those are no longer privileges of mine though, unfortunately. You see, I am bodily and mentally different from others. I have a genetic predisposition (nature), plus my environment throughout life has contributed (nurture) - whatever, it's who I am.  I respond to alcohol different from my fellows; I'm essentially allergic, except instead of it being like an allergy to strawberries, for instance, I'm judged harshly for it - and it can wreck havoc on not only my life, but my families as well when/if I choose to consume it. Also - I have a mind that prioritizes alcohol over basic living needs for survival, and a body that craves it. Do people who are allergic to strawberries have strong cravings and a mental obsession for them? I'm not sure, but I doubt when people who are allergic to stra...

When you get married, you hear from just about everyone, "enjoy the process" or "enjoy this time" and "enjoy every moment." Tough stuff when planning involves thinking about the future, and when coordination, details, vendors, food, friends, family, rings, and dances all seemingly demand your attention simultaneously. The same mentality applies though, with stress on the flip-side, when you go on a vacation (or honeymoon in my case); you just want to soak up every second and immerse yourself within every morsel of time... Ego aside, I figured if anyone I knew could really manage this almost ungraspable concept it should be me. So with the weeks prior and days within, I tried my very best, and truly hope to carry out my efforts to be present every day in the same way and share my lessons learned with you. Life is so short. And the passing of time is relative, as with all things. That's really what remained at the forefront of my mind throughout...

1. Life is still  really  good when you know how to count your blessings. Count the highest when it's hardest.  2. There is good in bad, and opportunity in every crisis.  3. Hard times can launch you into periods of immense spiritual and personal growth.  4. What makes you vulnerable, makes you more you.  5. Sharing your authentic self builds bridges for love, compassion and understanding to cross -- it also makes for a richer more vibrant human experience.  6. Shame and guilt are soul deadening vibrations.  7. More love. 8. Everything is temporary.  9. Happiness is a choice.  10. Embracing the whole journey is possible.

Look to this day,  For it is life,  The very life of life.  In its brief course lie all The realities and verities of existence,  The bliss of growth,  The splendor of action,  The glory of power -  For yesterday is but a dream,  And tomorrow is only a vision,  But today, well lived,  Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness  And every tomorrow a vision of hope.  Look well, therefore, to this day.  Sanskrit proverb by Kalidasa Fifth century A.D.  I found this beautiful sanskrit teaching within the first few pages of some of my AA literature. Sanskrit is a rich, ancient, Indic language used in yoga to define the asanas (poses). The Hindu scriptures are written in sanskrit.  There are no accidents or coincidences in my life. I love yoga and 12 step programs because both are spiritual ways of life, but neither are religions. Both encompass religious teachings and yet neither impose.  ...