June's Acts of Kindness, Pueblo Purmamarca

The picture below is one of my favorites from living and travelling in northern Argentina. 

Who is this man in red? Everything blending perfectly into its environment, including him.

El Cerro de los Siete Colores, the Hill of 7 Colors, a rare site indeed, makes me wonder...

What would it be like to live in a place where everything is harmonious?

In honor of May being the month of manifestation, a friend and I shared a daily gratitude journal with each other. What better way to produce a sense of 'more' than by being grateful for what you already have? And after filling ourselves up with gratitude and good intentions, we decided to share it with others. We are dedicating June (a month of transition and creative action) to Random Acts of Kindness. Want to join us?

Create a more harmonious world by being grateful for what you have, and then sharing it with others.

What will your daily act of kindness be?

Man in Red ~ Pueblo Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina

Nothing discernible to the eye

of the spirit is more brilliant

or obscure than man;

nothing is more formidable,

complex, mysterious, & infinite.

There is a prospect greater 

than the sea, & it is the sky;

there is a prospect greater

than the sky,

& it is in the human soul.

~Victor Hugo

Thank you to the people of Argentina, for the kindness you showed me, the kindness I will never forget.
Gracias a la gente de Argentina, a la gente mas amable que conozco.

Yellowstone & Travelling in the Directions of our Fears

Yellowstone's Mammoth Hot Springs

So much has transitioned in the last few weeks! Maybe it's because May is considered to be the month of manifestation, June the month of creative action. I really wanted to take advantage of this time to put my wants and desires into actions. Only thing is, I kept coming up with blanks! For those of you who read my last blog, I was feeling pretty good about following my passions and desires, keeping it simple, but still I felt like I was still so cloudy and nebulous, without any clear vision as to what my next steps should be.

Well I finally feel like I have my ducks in a row (or at least in more of a line than the chaotic scramble that they were in before). It's challenging to not know what your next steps are when you're someone who believes so strongly in the power of manifestation, who can see the 5-10 year dream line, who has always had a strong intuition of what the next move would be.

But as always, when I most needed them, my friends were there to help (cue the Toy Story theme song). I had a few of my best friends in the world come to visit me in Montana this past week and it definitely provided the motivation, inspiration, combined efforts, and outside perspective that I needed to put some momentum into gear.

Having good friends (or Couchsurfers) visit is something I truly relish. It's like being presented with a travel opportunity without going anywhere! Fresh perspective, a chance for revamping, rejuvenating, broadening horizons, and starting fresh.

This was all enhanced by a remarkable trip to Yellowstone. Did you know that the world's first national park contains more than half of the world's thermal activity?! Wowza!  I spent a lot of my time there pondering the renewal of life, through this mesmerizing landscape. The lands there are literally in constant change- sink holes, geysers, mud pits, all coming and going, literally bubbling and boiling at the surface. Young byson frolicking, testing out their legs and feeling the freedom of life.

I was able to bring this new perspective back with me to Bozeman, appreciating new houses that I had never noticed before, all within just a few blocks from my home.

What can you do to find some new perspective? I'm always a fan of planning and following through on a life changing trip. Having some good friends come to visit can also help. But you don't have to go anywhere or do much of anything in order to gain a renewal of life and spirit that is constantly available to you.

Try setting an intention for your walk, your day, or your yoga practice (i.e. I want to open my eyes to something new today and be made aware of it). Find a new neighborhood or restaurant in your village or talk to a stranger. Simply be open to rejuvenating your soul, bringing new opportunities your way, and enjoying the constant replenishment that life on Earth provides.

I've quoted Einstein often on this blog, and I'll do it again:

'There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.'

Through all of this brainstorming, good friendship, and opportunities to see renewal firsthand, I've found much more clarity than I've had in quite some time. I've learned through yoga that what we often fear most is our brightness, not our darkness. I keep searching for the perfect fit in terms of a career, a way to make a living. And it hits me over and over again, that I'm already doing my perfect career, already living my perfect life (however imperfectly).

I have a gift. And it involves helping people to access the inner parts of themselves that tend to seem so elusive. My gift is in helping others to understand, love, embrace, and accept themselves, exactly as they are, with the best vision of themselves in their hearts & minds. I want to help others find and live their very own Personal Legends. I kept telling myself that I needed to know more, have more experience, that I wasn't quite ready to really give my dream my all. 

'We must travel in the direction of our fears.' John Berryman

Not anymore! I'm throwing my hands up in surrender, knowing that whatever I have to offer, it is enough. That whatever my dreams are, they are already coming true and I simply need to continue walking towards them. After all, the journey of 1,000 miles begins with just one step, right? Thank you Lao Tzu!

This is where Viva My Yoga was born- at the heart of accepting my self, giving my gifts, and receiving my needs. I'm expanding my horizons, I'm learning new things, consciously choosing to do things that scare me, and I'm taking tangible (albeit sometimes tremulous) steps to turn my dreams into realities. 

So find that fresh perspective on life, by just being open to it (channel Yellowstone). The more I travel, the more I realize that there are beautiful places to explore everywhere! Walk towards your fears, your brilliancy, and into the very best you. Know that your capabilities are endless and that whatever you most want to offer is probably exactly what someone else is looking to receive.

Thank you Katie ~Thank you Anna ~ Thank you Vicki ~ Thank you Sally

For helping me to recognize my brilliance, for encouraging me to let my light and my best intentions shine through!

Thank you to all my wonderful friends out there far and wide- new, old, and yet to be discovered. 

I love and cherish you all dearly!!

NAMASTE y'all!

Do What You Love, Keep It Simple

I've decided to share one of my favorite stories, which I found here:

'A vacationing American businessman standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico watched as a small boat with just one young Mexican fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. Enjoying the warmth of the early afternoon sun, the American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

"How long did it take you to catch them?" the American casually asked. "Oh, a few hours," the Mexican fisherman replied. "Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the American businessman then asked.

The Mexican warmly replied, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs." The businessman then became serious, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

Responding with a smile, the Mexican fisherman answered, "I sleep late, play with my children, watch ballgames, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs..."

The American businessman impatiently interrupted, "Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats."

Proud of his own sharp thinking, he excitedly elaborated a grand scheme which could bring even bigger profits, "Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you'll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise."

Having never thought of such things, the Mexican fisherman asked, "But how long will all this take?"

After a rapid mental calculation, the Harvard MBA pronounced, "Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard."

"And then what, señor?" asked the fisherman.

"Why, that's the best part!" answered the businessman with a laugh. "When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."

"Millions? Really? What would I do with it all?" asked the young fisherman in disbelief.

The businessman boasted, "Then you could happily retire with all the money you've made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ballgames, and take siesta with your wife. You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want."

What do you think? A simple reminder to live the life you love, and you will be successful at it? What defines success to you? 

To me success is finding strength, contentment, passion, and integrity in that which you do, through  the challenges, the times of nothingness, and the rewards. It just feels right.

Lucky for me, I had wonderful parents who always instilled in me, 'Do what you love, and the money will follow.' Here's a compelling TedTalk on the subject that many in the world are struggling with right now, and it involves much of the same advice, for us 20-something dreamers and doers.

I think one of the biggest challenges in life can be to know what it is you do want, to know what does actually make you happy. It sure seems like the simpler we live, the easier it is to know and do what makes you happy. Like the Mexican fisherman. He was content with life as it is. But for so many of us who want to change the world, who've seen expansiveness, who want to have an impact, where do we start? Here's an interesting article about happiness found in making a difference.

How do we make that difference? We start with ourselves and it quite naturally unfolds from there. It's about following your heart. Your intuition. And if that seems confusing or inaccesible to you, revert back to the good ole Eleanor's 'do one thing every day that scares you.' If it rattles your bones, you know it's making a difference. Start there. And know that by changing your life for the better, you are without a doubt already changing the world.

I hope you enjoy!

Please feel free to write me, or comment, with any questions, confusions, or for further insights!

I welcome them!

Namasté!

Bandhas Are Sexy

"Wouldn't it be powerful if you fell in love with yourself

so deeply that you would do just about anything

if you knew it would make you happy?

This is precisely how much life loves you

and wants you to nurture yourself.

The deeper you love yourself,

the more the universe will affirm your worth.

Then you can enjoy a lifelong love affair

that brings you the richest fulfillment

from inside out.”

~Alan Cohen

*shared from the ever wise and beautiful Mystic Mamma

I want to thank all of you who have encouraged me on my path of writing and sharing my teachings. I have been so inspired through all that I have learned in this journey of expression and exploration. Writing has always been a creative outlet that has allowed me to fall in love with (or at least accept) myself over and over again.


Please read (and feel free to share) my first Elephant Journal article: Bandhas Are Sexy, because really they are!


It's been a rapid and transformative growing process, this writing thing, and it is only just the beginning! Come back for more tips and reads on acceptance, love, meditation practices, and just plain finding and living the life you love (i.e. that makes you happy).

What would you do if you were so in love with yourself that you would do just about anything to make you happy? Be your own best friend and share any musings in the comments below!

Namasté y'all.

Are You Aware of Limiting Yourself?

'To dream by night is to escape your life. To dream by day is to make it happen.' - Stephen Richards

It's so easy to limit ourselves.

I know, we hear this over and over again. But how can you make it not just one more thing that goes in one ear and out the other, and instead allow it to be something that finds its way in, gets into the nooks and crannies of your being and jostels thoughts or places that haven't seen any movement in truly quite some time. A welcome jostling that excites, entices, and makes room within yourself for new excitement, feelings of peace, taking the reins, and a new you?

So let's think. There are many different ways in which we can limit ourselves without even knowing it. And maybe you're one of the people who knows how much you limit yourself- by being all too aware of the low assumptions you have of yourself or by the amount of confidence you lack in your abilities. Well congratulations! Because at least you are aware of your supposed limitations and you've already undergone first step to making a substantial and tangible change! And those tipes of limitations can be among the easiest to change! Hello affirmations! Seriously, don't underestimate their power. See for yourself and free yourself (I truly believe that positive affirmations have been the single strongest driving force in allowing me to be where I am in life). Our thoughts create our actions, create our beliefs, create our realities, create our very own lives. Try it for yourself. What do you have to lose? Really?

And for the rest of us who also need (and/or want) a little work for how to search deeper or go within to free ourselves from our own limitations... well here we go..

Take a minute to close your eyes and silence yourself. Just take 3 deep breaths, focusing on the joyousness, rejuvenation, & potential that can be held in every single inhale. Exhale and focus on allowing yourself to rid your self of any doubts, fears, worries, expectations, and anxieties. Don't worry, it's only 3 breaths, you can always come back to the comfort of your own entrapment after reading this (or NOT!).

Now what do you really want for yourself? Let it be simple and be true. Who's here to judge? It's just yourself, be open to it!

Can you envision your life exactly as you want it? Do you even know what you want? Now this is the first step to truly creating positive change in your life- knowing what you want. Not easy, huh? Sometimes for me I feel it's really very easy to state what I want. But there are also times in life when it feels confusing and we honestly do not know what is in our best interests or in what directions to place our energies. In these times, it's best to take it day to day, moment to moment. Take a few deep breaths (or 5 min or 50 min) to ask yourself what you really do want in this moment. By finding these awarenesses, you will allow yourself to move through these stuck energies and emotions that are being felt or possibly repressed, and you will be able to come breath by breath into your own presence and your own understanding of what you most want and need in order to move onward.

Moments of silence contain profound opportunities for sitting still and simply listening.

'Unless you walk out into the unknown, the odds of making a profound difference in your life are pretty low.' -Tom Peters

Now this can be the scary step. Because for some people, this means fully embracing emotions that you've done a very valiant job of  trying to repress or abstain from, for who knows how long. OK, well guess what!? FREE your SELF! Let them go! Find a safe place within (a place where you feel completely calm and comfortable, accepted, and safe). A place real or imagined. Now visualize this place in your mind's eye, using all of your senses. Then let whatever most needs to come up, arise! From this place of safety, acceptance, and comfort, free yourself from whatever it is you are repressing or denying!!! Feel it. Embrace it.

'Too often man handles life as he does the bad weather.
He whiles away the time as he waits for it to stop.'
-Alfred Polgar

Maybe you tend to adhere to the appearance/ideal that you must always be positive, calm, zen, and yogi. I hear ya, it's tempting. And seems all too right to only want a calm compassion at all times- a fuzzy little reality that is blurred by sweetness and innocence. But wake up! Refraining from any 'negative' emotions or thoughts - well that's just yet another form of control, totally inhibiting yourself. It's not life or really even living. The universe is a beautiful swirl of emotion and complexity, dark and light, positive and negative, emptiness and loss, fullness and expansiveness. It's all one and by limiting our experience to that which we think we should feel or experience, we severely limit ourselves in the complexity of all that we are truly capable of as human beings and lively spirits! We're here to enjoy and experience, not control or anticipate!

'By choosing your thoughts,

and by selecting which emotional currents you will release

and which you will reinforce,

you determine the quality of your Light.

You determine the effects that you will have upon others, 

and the nature of the experiences of your life.'

-Gary Zukav

So embracing the anger, the sadness, the hurt, the pain, vulnerability, the depression, the fear... well it can be darn right scary or intimidating to start! But the more you start to embrace these parts of you in totality, the more you free yourself up for being true and for whatever goodness is looking for an opportunity to make its way into your life. So whatever you are experiencing, embrace it, experience it. And you will realize that these emotions that you have been so afraid of expressing, well they are not you. They are just a wave in the ride of life. But if you repress any one emotion, then it gets stuck inside of you, and you ride that same wave for the rest of your life. Or until you decide to let go of control and move beyond it, trepidatious but ready to embrace the new and the change. And soon you will decide to be open to experiencing ALL of what the seas and oceans have to offer. And come on, we all know how amazing the seas can be! They are full of sea creatures and colors and coral and mermaids and deep sea nothingness and brilliant reviving!

And if you don't choose to let go of the wave you're on (which maybe you've been on for quite some time) then eventually nature will make sure to throw you off of it the best it can. It will present you with new surfboards (as new ideas or people coming into your life), new opportunities, new desires, and oh so much more. And if you continue to ignore these openings, the universe will begin to present you with pain, illness, dis-ease, disparity, and despair as chance to listen. But the human will-power is immense and if you choose to stay on one wavelength (I'm not good enough, I don't deserve this, I'm not powerful, everyone and everything always gets me down, I'm not happy, etc), then you will stay there. But life will turn into an unhappy challenge- it will be frustrating, you will get lost, you will feel victimized and you will stay stuck, ending up in despair, frustrated with your life and all that it hasn't offered or brought to you.

Well guess what, I can empathize, but I don't feel sorry for you. That's the beautiful thing about the immense power of this thing called human will- as much as you can use it to fight the force, the inevitable change, you can also use it to embrace instantaneous and drastic positive change in your life, your mentality, your belief system, your every moment and being.

Begin by embracing your feelings. It might feel scary at first to let go of that control which we have all become so accustomed to experiencing, but slowly you start to get the feel of it and it feels right. The process of letting go actually allows you to have never felt better. And little things start to present themselves in your life, things you never would've imagined before now. Amazing coincidences, feelings of belonging, connection, truth, confidence in yourself, purity, immense abundance in health, and understanding.

Furthering this, I get that we all have different experiences, some of which have been very trying and difficult for us. Life has many different lessons to teach us and it is relative, yet some of us feel we've been dealt particularly unfair hands. Which is absolutely fair. But what I'm attempting to get across here is that we all have that deliciously innate goodness within us and that we all deserve to access and embrace this ever present part of ourselves. This part of ourselves that is buried so deep within, that is so full of love, truth, contentment, and acceptance that it is all encompassing. As we access it and allow it to surface, it allows us to ride the waves with ease and grace, knowing that we are not any one wave in particular, but free to ride the seas wherever they choose and wherever we are open to them taking us.

 'Feelings are like waves, we can't stop them from coming, but we can choose which ones to surf.'

If you are dealing with some particularly dark or stuck emotions, beliefs or feelings, I encourage you to find someone who is neutral to you and who you can feel really safe in expressing yourself with. Maybe that person is through you and a journal (the benefits of free form writing your own experiences, thoughts, and feelings, cannot be underrated!). And maybe for now you just want to start with embracing your present emotions, not worrying on uncovering the buried and hidden layers of your past. Great place to start! Just embrace where you are right now, today. And notice that as you start to become your own mindful observer (instead of saying, well I'm just this way, well life's just this way, this is just how it happens), then things just flow and you start to feel such immense joy in following where life takes you rather than feeling trapped in your own person, your own past and expectations of yourself. You move from being unable to accomplish anything meaningful to moving into that really deep, settled, place full of the love and contentment that you deserve.

'Happiness is something we reap from the seeds we sow. Plant misery seeds and that us what you reap.' -Stephen Richards

Use these tips to move through your past and its continuous rearing of its ugly head to embracing your own reality and your new future! Mindfully embrace and move through those old stuck beliefs and emotions and visualize your new future and your new YOU! Decide what you want for yourself (no matter how big or small, how immediate or long term) and practice by being completely honest with yourself and with your intentions. If it doesn't feel right to say or do something, then don't, and if it does feel right to say or do, then do it! But lying to yourself or others only worsens a situation and lessens your personal powers and belief in yourself.  So trust in your gut and go with what feels right, knowing that the pleasure/pain principle will continue to guide you in the right direction as you become more and more open and accustomed to following it.

Whatever you don’t like and accept 

about the ‘perfection’ of your life right now will keep coming. 

What you believe is ‘missing’ will stay ‘missing.’

Be grateful for however it looks 

and more will come to gratify you.

~ Melanie Tonia Evans

Lastly, remember that our beliefs become our thoughts, which become our emotions, which become our breath. And this pattern is completely 2 way. So our breath is also a purveyor of our emotions, which are glimpses into our thoughts, and patterns of our beliefs.

So by tuning into and mindfully shifting your breath, you have the power to tune into and willfully shift your beliefs. Quite simply amazing!

In the words of The Peaceful Warrior (a truly exceptional story)... 'Let it FLOW, Let it GO!!', breathe, and enjoy the vast immensity of your own potential as you dive into the waves of life.

'The greatest weakness for most people is that they don't understand their own strength.'