Plateaus...

"It's a natural part of life to have periods of activity & growth followed by periods of quiet.  Sometimes we need to rest in order to integrate a new vision of the world, or ourselves, taking time to assimilate realizations & let old patters & habits fall away.  While it may appear that nothing is happening, these can be necessary periods of rest & integration to stabilize our new growth.

At times, we may be afraid to invite more change.  Yet change is the nature of reality.  Just as a plateau is a good location to get our bearings, to see where we have come from & where we might go next, it is also a place we must not be afraid to leave if we are to move to the next level.

There is no time to not be our your path.  This is not to say that you cannot ever rest or stop.  It is not about overachieving or overworking yourself; it is just about challenging yourself to always be awake in your life, to keep showing up in the moment.  If you need to rest, do so for the present. 
But if you are stagnating -numbing out, escaping or being unconscious- it is up to you to acknowledge it.

Often stagnation settles in just before an important breakthrough.  It helps to explore the stagnation in order to move beyond it.  Have compassion for yourself as you work to remove the obstacles to your progress.  With persistence, you will be on your way to the next plateau."  -Bits taken from the Daily OM

I'm learning to love the plateaus as they are short & full of wisdom. 
Taking the time to reflect & rest AND enjoy the view...

AcroYoga

My first experience with AcroYoga was in Portugal.  I was living in the Spanish mountains for yoga teacher training and given the day off to explore my surroundings.  So, what does a yoga teacher in training do on her day off?  Go to Portugal of course! 
Jenny, who is my base in the photos, went with me to Portugal and in a little tiny village she taught me the basic of acroyoga.  The experience is quite exhilarating, requires trust, and is so fun. 
To my advantage, I was a college cheerleader and a college cheer coach where there was a lot of stunting.  It also helped that my base was a former college cheerleader as well, so our fear level was minimal and we went for it. 
AcroYoga is a relatively new term in the yoga field.  It was coined by Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein of AcroYoga.  It's the physical combination of yoga, acro-balance, and Thai massage.  The practice cultivates trust, communication, playfulness, and balance for both the flyer and the base.  Check out Jason and Jenny's website above to see some amazing photos and who knows, you might even get hooked yourself or at least attend a workshop... 
Just last week while at a yoga festival I took a basic acro-yoga class with Jason and Jenny.  It was fun, but I found myself wanting more challenging poses and postures.  Who knows, maybe I like living on the edge more than I realize.  :-)

Camping in Lake Tahoe

This weekend my friend Sam and I went camping in Lake Tahoe.  Both yoga teachers in Orange County, we were heading up to what I like to call a little yoga Woodstock known as Wanderlust.  This was to be a fun weekend as we decided to get our camp on... note - neither one of us camp or even know how to set up a tent. 
After driving 9 hours and arriving at the wrong camp site only to find a bear... No lie!  At 11:30pm we roll into the campground, find our spot, and somehow manage to set up a tent in the dark.  Thank you friends for allowing us to borrow those ridiculous looking head-flashlights.
The yoga festival was a great experience.  Sleeping under the beautiful starts was breath-taking.  I truly do love nature and the outdoors... just not showering for 3 nights and 4 days.  Yes, we became one of those hippie, funky smelling organic people.  Gypsy sink showers and swimming in pools to clean off... oh how grateful I am for the little things - Like my shower!!! :)  Yet, I'd do it all over again.  Loved the weekend and the fun experience with my yoga friend Samantha.  Next year we are attending the festival, but flying and getting a hotel...