Day 355 Intention ~ A Shout Out

Day 355 Intention ~ A Shout Out

It's hard to believe that there are only 10 more days this year! Today I want to send out a shout out to all of my yoga students that I am lucky enough to teach. You are all so unique, talented, smart, funny & beautiful. Everytime I have the pleasure of having you on your mat in my class, I learn something from you. And, let's face it, without you, I wouldn't be able to do this personal dream job for a living.

So, thank you.

Happy Holidays & I look forward to serving you in 2014!

Til tomorrow...namaste

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 333 Intention ~ Practice...

Day 333 Intention ~ Practice...

Just because Thanksgiving is over, it doesn't mean we stop practicing all the "nice" behaviors that we say & do over the holiday. Today, not only will I practice yoga (yes, I need a little bit of twisting too!), but I will continue to practice positive ways of living that hopefully make not only my days brighter, but those I meet in those days.

Throughout the year, not just at holidays, I vow to continue to practice: 

1. Kindness

2. Honesty

3. Compassion & empathy

4. Gratitude

5. Giving & living joyfully

6. Positive thinking

7. Healthy eating habits

8. Eco-awareness

9. Conscious eating (ie: vegan...at least vegetarian, organic, local, ++++)

10. Love for myself & for others. 

I think a list of 10 is good for today! 

Hope you all are enjoying a break from work still & if not, that you are enjoying your day! 

Til tomorrow...namaste

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 331 Intention ~ Give Thanks

Day 331 Intention ~ Give Thanks

My in-laws came today to celebrate Thanksgiving. They have to leave tomorrow, so we had the big meal a day early. 

So, this means it's time to reflect on what I am thankful for in this life today. 

I could do a whole year/life long list of thanks (and there would be a lot), but I think in an effort to keep it simple, I will just go with 10 things that I am thankful for today. 

10 things that I am thankful for:

1. Our cozy home and the love that is inside of it. 

2. The fact that we have family/friends that will travel in the snow to spend a holiday with us. 

3. The delicious meal we prepared and chowed down. 

4. For getting through a spynga class this morning, when I wasn't feeling quite up to it. 

5. The fact that I started to feel better. 

6. The laughter around my living room while watching Christmas Vacation after dinner.

7. My animals. 

8. My family. 

9. My friends. 

10. My life. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 307 Intention ~ Be Grateful

Day 307 Intention ~ Be Grateful

Fantastic weekend filled with good friends, music, good food, art, football, laughter & celebration. I am so grateful for all of these wonderful things. Noticing this and appreciating it while it's happening is part of being present. 

Take a moment to reflect on the past day & find one thing you are grateful for that happened today. It may just change your perspective.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 223 Intention ~ Keep On Being Grateful

Day 223 Intention ~ Keep On Being Grateful

There are just some times when I am reminded how much the people in my life are just amazing and just how lucky I am. This week was one of those special weeks that I got to experience that a little bit more than an average week. 

Yoga, live music, a baseball game, a great canoe ride, laughs, old & new memories and just great people and times have left this lady's heart welled up with gratitude and love. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 205 Intention ~ Enjoy the Moments

Day 205 Intention ~ Enjoy the Moments

Still in gold friend bliss from last night, I just love that feeling of waking up and having a full house of some of my favorite people in the world. Laughing over coffee and feeling like we get to do this every day. 

Although I already miss them all dearly, even though I will see two of them next week still, I enjoyed each and every moment that I got to spend with these friends and really, this part of my family. 

With gratitude. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 177 Intention ~ Keep Counting The Blessings

Day 177 Intention ~ Keep Counting the Blessings...

It is always good to look at the things in life that are positive and good. Whether it is something personal or more universal. 

Today, I continue to count the blessings for having such a wonderful husband, dog, cat, family & so many wonderful friends. I am thankful that I get to do what I love to do for a living. I am thankful to have a home I love with food on the table and that we get to go have so much fun in this life. 

I am thankful for the downfall of DOMA today too so that others can share in some of the happiness and feel support in their equality in this life. 

We have this life (and maybe some more- ha ha) to be the best person we can be and live in love, harmony, peace and respect for all other living things. Let's not take these things for granted. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 172 Intention ~ Find Joy & Gratitude

Day 172 Intention ~ Find Joy & Gratitude

It's easy to fall into the trap of negativity. But, with a little conscious effort, we can all find joy & gratitude for the things we have (or don't have) in this life. 

Today is the first day of summer, the beginning of a new season and a time to chill in the warm sun or cool off in cool water, to watch as our gardens grow and skip through the green grass in our bare feet. 

Let the sun give you energy and light. Let it bring you positive thoughts and burn away the negative ones. Let it help you find a relaxed mind and laughter with loved ones. Let it help you find joy & gratitude in the simple things in life. Maybe it's as simple as slowing down and breathing in the summer breeze. 

Whatever joy is in your world, as big or as small as you like, bring it to mind today and be thankful for it, not only today, but everyday. When we can remind ourselves of the positive things, the negative things tend to dim. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 170 Intention ~ Start Today Fresh

Day 170 Intention ~ Start Today Fresh

Part of being present is starting each day fresh. We get a chance to start over every single day of our lives, so the choice is ours to have a good day or wallow in the past or get anxious about the future. It's so much easier to just choose now. 

Yesterday I was feeling down and out of sorts and just a little bit grumpy. But this morning, everything seemed new and exciting and I found gratitude again. To have so much in this life to be thankful for and not take for granted is so so important. 

So, maybe today hasn't been your day so far. If you can't turn it around for yourself right now, just remember to hit the "refresh" button on your mind when you wake up tomorrow. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 83 Intention ~ Have Gratitude

Day 83 Intention ~ Have Gratitude

Being thankful for all of the wonderful things we have in life is a great way to keep us present and it allows us to appreciate what we have rather than what we don't. It's easy to start the comparison game or the glass half empty game in our minds and feel bogged down. When we look at all the good, even the tiniest little thing, we will love our life, just as it is. 

Eventually, we also appreciate the tougher, hard things in life. We are open to what they are trying to teach us. When we open up to these things, the sooner they can start to resolve themselves. 

Each morning when you wake up, think of something that you are grateful for and I assure you, it will start your day off on the right foot. 

Today, I am grateful for Sunday morning.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 50 Intention ~ Take a Sentimental Journey

Day 50 Intention ~ Take a Sentimental Journey

Well, here's the truth, in yoga we are often talking about being present, live in the now, don't hang on to the past, etc, etc, etc. BUT, let's be honest, we're human and we reflect and that's okay. So long as we don't dwell and we continue to grow. 

I've been thinking a lot about the past lately. I have been working part-time for some of my friends and I remember sitting in a room with them discussing the name of the company...I think it was 15 years ago?!?! To see how far they've come, it amazes me. I even think to last February, I had only been teaching full-time for 6 months, and even now, a year later, it is so much different...I can't even imagine what is to come. It's very exciting! 

Time flies and it's nice to think back on things and remember wonderful things and not so wonderful events, but see how you've come out of it. What you learned, how you grew, and how you (hopefully) didn't make the same mistakes over and over. 

I am getting sentimental, which always happens this time of year for me, because my birthday is nearby, so it's always a time for reflection. I reflect with love and gratitude for everyone in my life, past, present, and future. This person was at every P-Funk show I was ever at...until last Friday, and wondering where she was, my friends let me know today, it's because she passed away last spring. I must have been living under a rock, but I thank you, Belita Woods for touching my life too. 

Here she is doing one of my favorites from her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzKJGZ55P_Y

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 12 Intention ~ To Remain Grateful

Day 12 ~ To remain grateful for this amazing trip...again. 

Time to go home. Feeling ready to get back to my regular life on land again. Keeping this feeling of relaxation, calm and balance going once getting back to the daily grind will be a challenge, but I am going to try. 

To do this, I will stick with the plan. Practice yoga asana, pranayama and meditate daily. Eat healthy...now on to the full vegan! Enjoy each moment, no matter what life throws at you. It's all for a reason, our job is to learn from it. 

Namaste to all. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 11 Intention ~ To Enjoy Every Last Moment of this Vacation

Day 11 ~ To enjoy every last moment of this vacation with my sweet husband. 

Soaking every last bit in, finding joy and beauty in everything. Continuing santosha with presence and appreciation of each moment. 

There is so much in my life to be grateful for, including my sweet husband, who doesn't always get as much credit for my happiness as he deserves. Getting to spend this time away with him where we could both detach from the so-called real world and celebrate our lives together means so much and is so important. 

Getting away like this reminds us of how lucky we are, and how we need to appreciate and be grateful every single day of our lives. 

Tomorrow we head home, so for today, I will remain grateful from my little fantasy ship out in the ocean. :)

I am also grateful to all of you out there.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia