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Friday, July 26, 2013

You are a F*cking Unicorn... DREAM BIG!

Hello all youViva My Yoginis!!!

Read this Elephant Journal article (click here) and thought it was oh so great.


Especially this excerpt:

'You are a f*cking unicorn. You are a f*cking unicorn and all this time, you have been trying to be a horse. You very carefully hid your horn every time you stepped in the room, pretending that you were more horselike and able to do horse-like things but what you were really doing was repressing the best parts of you. It’s simple: unicorns are unicorns and horses are horses. One can’t be like the other—it just doesn’t work that way. When you hide who you are, truly, madly, deeply, at the core of your being and try to fit into some other idea of you, you start dull; you shine less. Your horn starts to lose it’s power because it’s not being infused with everything it needs to stay alive and before you know it, your heart is crumpling in your hands.'


compliments of the lovely ms. Sally Hope!

Everything about this article is right up Viva My Yoga's alley. It's empowering, it's expressing that life ain't always easy. It's magical, it's full of power & emotion. And most of all, it's about f*cking unicorns and living the life you love & want to live. What could be better?


So wherever you are you Viva My Yogini you, I hope you know I fully believe in your dreams, whatever they may be. 
I think YOU are MAGICAL! And I totally BELIEVE IN YOU.

What is your dream? SHARE IT! Today! With me, with a fellow Viva My Yogini, with a friend.

And if you're a Narwhal well I believe in that too.
Namasté y'all!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Power of Deep Belly Breath & Horse Trouble


When I lived in Argentina I became a vegan. 
Argentina is considered to be the #1 worst country in the world to be a vegetarian in.
Figures. I always said 'well if I can do it here, I can do it anywhere.'

My local fruit & veggie stands were my livelihood in terms of getting all my nutritional needs. The guys working the stands never really understood how I didn't eat meat or dairy, but they were happy and proud to know that majority of my food was coming from them. I explained the importance of eating the colors of the rainbow and getting a full variety of vitamins and minerals. It quickly became a game for them to help me collect all the colors on my weekly shopping trips. It's in these produce stands that I learned the word arcoiris, or rainbow, in Spanish.

Well I'm no longer a vegan and I no longer live in Argentina. But all this time studying nutrition and my body coincided with my love of yoga and sharing it with the world.

If you've been in a yoga or meditation class with me, you know I always start out with awareness of the breath and then some deep belly breathing. It's the perfect way to transition form monkey mind to blissful mind. It also creates an outlet for moving beyond the physical form as well as  finding appreciation for your buddha belly.

The energy body is accessed through the breath.
The breath is the link to our feelings.
Our feelings link us to our thoughts.
Our thoughts link us to our beliefs about ourselves.

By accessing our breath we have an outlet to understand ourselves better.
In my latest elephant journal article, Deep Belly Breath & Misbehaving Horses, I explain how deep belly breath can affect us, our horses, our emotions, our digestion, our children, and our mindset.



Namasté y'all!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Time in the Mountains, A Reflection

Hello all you lovely Viva My Yoginis. 
It's been a while and I've missed you all! I've been busy frolicking in the mountains and enjoying the hot, ephemeral blast of summer that Montana provides. It sure is beautiful here.


I've recently become a regular columnist with Elephant Journal.
Which is great because in one day I can write a post and then share it with the world.

Mountain Time, a Reflection for Just Being, is one of those. I decided to share a journal entry I wrote when I was returning from my travels this past winter. My journaling is very personal and very intimate to me. I write poetry and lyrics often, but I don't tend to share what comes out from my most exposed and vulnerable, free form self. I keep those parts of me locked inside to protect and share only when very comfortable.

I've decided to take the reins of my own being and start sharing some of my deeper vulnerabilities. I want to speak my truths and not be afraid to be completely open about all parts of myself, not just the ones that seem desirable or comfortable for me to share.

What's better than stumbling across a HEART shaped lake?
Swimming and sun bathing in its glory.
Nature provides.

Because we're all lovable, exactly as we are. And if we don't share and express our unique selves, our confidences and our vulnerabilities, we shy away from some of our most tender and lovable parts.

I hope you are inspired to share your vulnerabilities & affirm your worth.
For in doing so you are embracing your full potential.
Which we all deserve.

Namasté, Jess



Monday, July 8, 2013

Who Do You See Yourself Becoming?



‘Make a pact with yourself today
to not be defined by your past.
Sometimes the greatest thing to come
out of all your hard work
isn’t what you get for it,
but what you become for it.

Shake things up today!
Be you.. Be free.. Share.’


~Steve Maraboli

Mother / Daughter horse shenanigans.

This post is dedicated to my wonderful mother, Janice.
She is a constant inspiration, a wonderful nuturer.

She is who I see and feel myself becoming.

Thanks for always shaking things up with me, mamma.
For being you, for being free, & for sharing.

Happy 60th Birthday!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Embrace Your Buddha Belly

Hello all you Viva My Yoginis!




About what else... embracing your buddha belly.
I've felt inspired to write this article for quite some time and am glad said time has come.
I feel so many of us can relate to this. 
Not just the flat abs or dangers of belly fat.

But the food allergies, the incongruence between what we put into our stomachs & how we feel, 
the true power of the brain in the gut.

I mean what I write, pat that belly, listen to it, find some gratitude, and smile like the Buddha while you're at it.
It will go a loooooooong way.

And always remember you are what you ingest (not just eat).
What you put in is what you get out.
That goes for friends, toxic environments, TV, books, magazines, jobs, and of course food.
Whatever you surround yourself with is what you become.
So choose wisely, trust your self..


Namasté y'all!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

You Want Change? Change yourself. ~ Ohm Namah Shivaya


We all want change. We all fear change. Let's stop talking about change and just change already!!!

So how do we go from self-conscious to SELF conscious?

Sounds easy enough right ..


United Buddy Bears on tour in Buenos Aires
Happy 4th & Canada Day y'all!

Try relaxing.
A few ways to mellow your groove & induce change: 


    Calm.com    

 CHANTING

Chanting is a powerful experience, 
it accesses an ability to speak your truth!

Ohm Namah Shivaya is a favorite of mine. I often sing this at the end of a yoga class.
Sing along, repeat it once, or just say it to yourself. It helps!
(the video's a bit quirky, but you get the idea..)





Repeat 'Om Namah Shivay', with the feeling that you are bowing to Shiva - your true inner self.

 OhM NaMah ShivAya


It's ok to bitch about the world & be frustrated & annoyed - angry at the way things are.
But if you really, truly want things to change- then change yourself.
And at the end of all this changing, you'll find acceptance
Which will be like nothing else.
Enjoy it!

Namasté y'all.