YOGA by Brittney

It's a rare Strawberry Full Moon and Summer Solstice tonight + This yogi starling is six months sober and clean. Crazy, and cool, but not what this post is about...  It started here at Jivamukti Yoga School in New York City about a month ago, where I learned to do this pose below, Revolved Hand to Big Toe Pose, or Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana. (Side Note: What a feeling to be in front of this amazing wall of Inspirational Yogis!) We were in Wheel, or Urdhva Dhanurasana, during class when I saw the girl behind me lower to her forearms and begin to kick her leg up. She fell over and the instructor came running. I thought, "So THAT'S how you get into that dreamy looking pose!"  I figured since the student behind me took a tumble, I'd likely need a spotter and more practice before ever getting into the posture myself, but a seed was planted. I had drooled over images of other yogis in that asana on Instagram, but didn't think I was quite there yet. ...

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...

I think it was the Jim Carrey movie, "Yes Man" that first got me thinking about being a "Yes person." The idea is to begin a collection of experiences with positive affirmation, to change your life. The problem though, is that it's actually always been more difficult for me to say, "No." Just months ago, I decided to give my 8-5 job in finance a big ol' "NOPE!" Anxious all the time, and waking up depressed about going in to work, I decided to really listen to my heart. Why was I so miserable? I had great benefits, a salary that most my age would be excited about, and by all societal standards I should be happy - but I wasn't. Because I wasn't serving my soul. I wasn't doing what I loved or honoring my passions. So I quit. I quit being blamed for my bosses problems and quit the business of other-people pleasing; I quit the benefits, salary and steady hours; I quit ignoring my innermost desires. I ditched the work dres...