As L.L. Cool J Would Say…
…Don’t call it a comeback! [He also says some less-than-ladylike things in that song, too, but that's really the only applicable line.]
It feels like five minutes – not five months – since I last sat down to post. Like any art worth practicing on a regular basis, writing becomes more difficult the less frequently one engages in it. So, today I’ll use lots of pretty pictures to tell my story. [Yay, pretty pictures!]
In early 2011, I was offered the opportunity to serve as one of the 26 national Volunteer Race Directors for the Travis Manion Foundation‘s 9/11 Heroes Run. Having never even been to a 5k let alone participated in one – the girl who walked the 1-mile test during high school gym class? You’re looking at her – the idea of being in charge of a race scared the s*%t out of me. Then I saw the commercial.
So, I signed up! [Cue chaos.]
Initially, I figured we’d call it a success if a few of my closest friends showed up on race day…
…
Maybe a handful…
Six or seven…
…
However…
….
On September 11, 2011, seven HUNDRED of my closest friends showed up to race. [In the words of McLovin', ChickaChickaWahWah?] Oh yes, you heard me: Almost seven hundred people participated – and that doesn’t count volunteers (who I am forever indebted to) or vendors. Read more…
Look, look!
Check out The Yoga of Writing (and the Writing of Yoga) on EJ Yoga. That’s right, my mug finally made it to the one-and-only Elephant!
The Summer issue of Brite Magazine is here, too. Check out my column on page 16 – you might see a cameo from my favorite vegan cook/writer, too.
I promise I’ll be back soon for some banter yoga-related blabber once the crazy schedule subsides. Much love!
-VY
It’s ok to Fall…
Being defeated is often only a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
– Marilyn vos Savant
A Father…
A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again.
- Enid Bagnold
To the best rollercoaster buddy / crooked pigtail-maker / arcade companion / duck feeder / protector / DAD…
Happy Father’s Day!
Summer Solstice Promo and Giveaway!
Sunny skies, beach trips, popsicles, and lazy days are almost upon us, dear readers! Although heat waves have parts of the country convinced it’s full-blown summer already, Señor Summer isn’t quite here yet – but he is definitely peeking around the corner. In fact, the Northern Hemisphere’s summer season officially begins in just four days on June 21, 2011, also known as the Solstice [apologies to my Aussie pals].
In honor of the longest and sunniest day of the year, VY has teamed up with Nancy and Terra at Live.Breathe.Grow. to make sure you look your brightest and best for the dog days to come. [You might remember Nancy and Terra from our interview a few months ago]. Whether riding your mat or hammock gliding all through the lazy days, LBG’s 100% organic cotton tees will keep you comfortable and stylish [and motivated - a positive affirmation adorns the back of every top!]. Breathable, soft, and free of environmentally-damaging chemicals, LBG’s newest collection features a Lotus, Om, and Sun tee. Browse the tees at their online shop.
Like what you see? [you will. it's obvi]. Great news! Nancy and Terra have extended a special summer solstice offer exclusively for VY readers. Get 15% off AND Free Shipping on any order placed by June 21, 2011 by entering VYSOLSTICE2011 at checkout.
As a bonus [yay, we heart bonuses!], we’re also giving a Sun Tee to one lucky VY reader.
[The back reads: I am Light. I am Fire. I am Radiant. I am Me.]
Take advantage and get your hands on LBG’s 100% organic cotton, short-sleeve fitted scoopneck Sun Tee! All you have to do is:
- Like Live.Breathe.Grow on Facebook;
- Comment on this post and tell us how yoga has changed your life. How do you Live, Breathe, and Grow through yoga? For example: “I Live through yoga by __________. I Breathe through yoga by ____________. I Grow through yoga by ____________,” or in your own words. Get creative!
Comments will be accepted until Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 1:16 p.m. EST, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky during the solstice. Then, we’ll choose a winner by random and [poof!] a Sun Tee will arrive in your mailbox. It’s a win-win situation, methinks!
So what are you waiting for? Get commenting, y’all!
Live.Breathe.Grow….into who you are meant to be.
UPDATE: Kelly Creamer is the winner of the Summer Solstice giveaway. Congratulations, Kelly! Enjoy your LBG love.
When We are Mindful…
When we are mindful of every nuance of our natural world, we finally get the picture: that we are only given one dazzling moment of life here on Earth, and we must stand before that reality both humbled and elevated, subject to every law of our universe and grateful for our brief but intrinsic participation with it.
– Elizabeth Gilbert
Take a walk. Stop and look up to the sky. Smile in awe of the subtle greatness of nature. Close your eyes and inhale the life that surrounds you. Smile in gratitude, knowing the immeasurable gift of this moment. Om Shanti.
In Other News…
- The Summer issue of Brite Magazine deadline just passed. My column, My Savoir Faire Lady, explores do’s and dont’s of summer parties and might even incorporates a recipe or two from the fabulous Angela at Oh She Glows [hint, hint!]. Watch out for that in July.
- In September – which seems like worlds away but will be here before we know it – I’m chairing a race for the Travis Manion Foundation, an organization that grew from one Marine’s dedication to selfless service. Travis Manion was killed in combat in 2007. His family started the foundation in order to benefit disabled veterans and families of fallen service members, among other things. Yours truly is serving as the Race Director for Orlando’s first annual 9/11 Heroes Run. Just a few days ago at his Memorial Day speech from Arlington National Cemetery, President Obama spoke about Travis Manion and one of his brothers-in-arms, Brendan Looney:
As an extension of Travis’ commitment to the first responder community, the 5k and 1-mile fun run is held to honor and benefit firefighters, police, EMT’s, and military personnel, among others. Presented by Chevy and supported by countless other generous organizations, the Orlando race will benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides college scholarships for children of Special Operations service members killed in combat. Needless to say, theirs are causes that are dear to my heart. More race on specifics later. In the meantime, learn more about Travis here.
- I’ll be in NYC for a quick trip next weekend and am welcoming class suggestions and date requests [Nancy and Terra, that means YOU!]. Holler, y’all.
The Yoga of Writing [and the Writing of Yoga]
If you’re curious why things have been quiet ’round these parts lately, it’s not because I’ve actually been keeping my mouth shut [chatterbox status established circa 1989 in Miss Oberley's kindergarten class]. And, despite my lust for glamour, it’s not because I’ve been asked to spend a sultry summer working at Tom Ford in Milan [but if you're reading this, Gucci, I hereby offer up my kidney life savings for the opportunity, kthx].
Instead, my efforts have been geared toward a very non-glamorous endeavor: writing. After a good friend gave me Judy Reeves’ A Writer’s Book of Days, I committed to write every day not only to satiate my creative appetite but also to improve my writing. Reeves’ book is genius: in addition to providing inspiration in the form of daily writing prompts, she offers expert creative writing advice in the form of a practical how-to.
So you ask, why do I care? [fair query]
Well, dear readers, you care because like all great things in life, writing is exactly like yoga – and Reeves’ book reminded me of that. In her introduction, Reeves explains the importance of developing a writing practice and does so by speaking from experience:
On any given day, a writer can write the best she’s ever written, or she can compose a piece that’s clunky and misshapen and downright embarrassing in its black-and-white awfulness. Practice isn’t about being a good writer or a bad writer; it’s about being present with the writing, surrendering to the process, and trusting the pen.
I chuckled to myself after reading this sentence and thought of the yoga practices that left me feeling like a sleek ballet dancer versus those that left me feeling as graceful as a teletubby [or is it teletubbie? whatever].
Photo Credit: PBS.com
[yeah, they're still creepy...!] Read more…
Happy Hump-asana Day: Anjaneyasana / Low Lunge
Let’s not waste any time today, dear readers!
In the spirit of tight hamstrings [but really because I'm selfish and have been doing this pose every day], today’s Hump-asana pose is Anjaneyasana or Low Lunge.
Photo Credit: Yoga Journal
Now you might be wondering how this pose targets hamstrings at all. Well, it doesn’t [but it does]. See, as Sage Rountree explains, if you find yourself constantly struggling with tight hamstrings, it might not be your hamstrings at all – it might actually be your hip flexors. Instead of butchering the science behind why tight hip flexors cause that tight hamstring feeling [but really because I'm busy!], check out Sage’s comprehensive explanation here.
If you’re comfortable in low lunge and and ONLY if you feel it won’t compromise your knee, try this: Lunge in front of a wall so that you face away from it. Bend your rear knee and scootch [only the most technical of terms here at VY!] your rear leg back towards the wall, so that your knee is bent and your shin can rest against the wall.* Breathe into the hip flexor and quad of the rear leg. Read: 2-for1!
*Fold your mat or use a blanket under your rear knee for extra padding and support.
Feel the relief!
Happy Hump-asana Day, fellow yogis! Get your minds out of the gutter – Hump-asana Day, traditionally known as Wednesday or “Hump Day” in lamens/working-folk tongue, is a mid-week yogi treat. Hump-asana Day features a snippet of a pose worth spending some time exploring. And since they’re ALL worth exploring, we’ll never run out of poses for Hump-asana Day – rejoice!
Toxic Topic[als]
So you’re a vogue yogini – the “vogue” suggesting your penchant for all things fashionable and the “yogini” suggesting your ability to forsake most of those things. You bring last season’s clothes to a thrift store and donate well-worn items. You’ve pared down your closet and learned to live on less [less stilettos but more stretchy pants, that is]. At posh soirees you stick to sparkling water [ok, or maybe just a glass of pinot] and vegetarian lettuce wraps. You refuse the most decadent of treats during the holidays because you know the havoc that attractive red velvet cake will wreak on your insides, nevermind your bum. You buy a new vacuum cleaner with an EPA filter. You feel pretty clean, pretty “green,” and pretty non-toxic. Then, after a long day of green juice, asana, avoiding the sale at Nordstrom, and scrubbing your kitchen with some P & G Seventh Generation cleanser while chanting the mantra for purification, you get home and lather the highly-toxic Retinyl Palmitate into your largest organ – your skin. What? How? Who? Me? That’s right – you. Have you heard of Pond’s Time Rewind Overnight Wrinkle Repair Cream? Givenchy No Surgetics Wrinkle Defy Correcting Cream? Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer Tinted Moisturizer? Laura Mercier Oil-Free Gel Cleanser?
Each of the products mentioned above are rated a 9 out of 10 in toxicity by the Environmental Working Group. And each product mentioned, along with 418 others, contain Retinyl Palmitate, a “known human reproductive toxicant,” and low doses of the ingredient have caused tumors in lab rats [and they test on animals - not awesome either]. That’s right, the chick at the Laura Mercier counter took your $35 and gave you a bottle of poison advertised as facial cleanser. Specifically, the product advertisement is as follows:
Laura Mercier Oil-Free Gel Cleanser is an oil-free gel containing coconut and oat cleansing agents that gently removes oil and impurities.
- Marine derived exfoliants remove dead skin cells to help minimize the appearance of pores
- Allantoin calms & soothes skin
- Panthenol lightly moisturizes & Vitamins A & E protect the skin against free radicals
- Avoid contact with the eyes
[Avoid contact with the eyes? Red flag!]
Nowhere does the product advertise its dangers [shocking].
Now, I am by no means a chemical or product expert [I barely passed science in college, after all] but I am a fan of not ingesting poison. Read more…