Ringing in the New Year

So I signed up as a new student at a local yoga studio. The place appears to be very much what I'm looking for, and I'm extremely hopefully that I will find an instructor there that I connect with. I am also extremely hopefully that after my Special 1st Month Rate is over I will be able to afford to continue studying there. Grated $100/month for a personalized yoga practice isn't much to ask figuratively; it is quite a bit when it has to come out of your already deflated pockets. But, I am a firm believer that The Most High will provide a way for the things that you need in your life. At this point I am in serious need of my practice evolving and growing (not to mention in need of my waistline shrinking) LOL
In news of my food habits, I've decided to less the Flex in my relatively Flexitarian lifestyle. I am aiming to reduce my animal consumption down to twice a week. This is a HUGE move for a Black Texan whose entire family is from the South. Where meat is a meal and vegetables are an afterthought, and only because we figure SOMETHING that isn't brown should be thrown onto the plate.....smh. I've always been a bit of an odd bird in my family. My Poppa calls me a "fake vegan" in a teasing fashion. The only thing about that statement is...it's kind of true. I don't have the dedication, conviction, or ethical commitment to be completely vegan. Though I have gone vegetarian a number of times in my life. It seems that illustrious yard bird (the chicken) manages to always lure me back in. Especially when in fried form. And the next thing I know I'm more carnivore than omnivore, and definitely less herbivore than I should be. So the goal for 2011 is to amp up my herbivore side and stay focused. I think because my primary causes are health and ecologically based it becomes a little simpler to backslide. But over the years (especially this past year with the various personal crises) I've grown much more grounded and convicted in my beliefs.
Hopefully those of you looking to make a change in the New Year and leave behind less than stellar experiences in 2010 are able to do so on both accounts. I extend Blessings out to each of you in the New Year......See you then! 

Doing Well But Falling Behind

Well I'm more than sure no one is out there anymore (if there ever was anyone lurking) especially since I've been taking months in between each post.....My Bad. Apparently Mommy is not allowed to have a hobby or side interest unless she's able to complete it before anyone else in the house wakes up. *shrug* Oh well, I've also been completely slacking on my open mat journey. I think I'm just feeling stuck and unable to progress adequately in my practice without at least a weekly classes with an instructor. But I may have an idea for rejuvenating my home practice. I found a wonderful Primary Ashtanga Posture poster and I hope to pick one up for myself as a Christmas gift to me :-) LOL and hopefully if I hang it up in the right spot I will be more encouraged to practice everyday, even if for a short time. I've also decided to add to my open mat journey by adjusting my diet to guide me to greater enlightenment. I intend to do 365 days of gradual change. Hmm, but first I must create my parameters so that I progress consistently, steadily, and painlessly. (Theoretically) Once I've made all of my guidelines for myself I will begin. Most likely it will be a classic New Year's "new beginning" type project. I'll need a few new books (Yay an excuse to buy more books!) *happy dance* :-)

P.S. the new job has been going really well. I enjoy the people I work with. I've been getting tons of OT lately, but we hired some extra staff so the OT will be going away soon. (no biggie) and I have another supervisor whom I enjoy working with. This is literally one of the best jobs I've ever had. And yes, I'm still investigating the new career path option. I still have not made a definite move in the direction to say yay or nay to my new idea. But I'm still actively researching the subject. Thank you to those who may peek in on me  from time to time. I aim to write my regularly. For now, Good Night Ya'll.
Namaste

Big Wins!

Hello out there.....So I've been M.I.A. for awhile now and it's due to a number of things. My open mat journey has had it's ups and downs but ultimately I'm really hoping to be able to afford and attend a class on a regular basis very soon. I'm not holding my breath though so I must continue to practice at home. I do have some great news.....I found a job. My title will Reproductive Health Specialist (but where is going to stay with me *wink*) I'm extremely excited because I have been hunting for a job for a year now, and I have been hunting for a job in my field of study for 4 years now and this position brings an end to both searches. Wooo Hooo!! So now that I have a job I get to start planning how to advance my career...and guess what I'm creating a new 10 year plan and this time it involves options that I honestly feel will actually leave me feeling fulfilled and happy. I'm already being the research process and I expect to begin the program study within the next 18 months. I figure that gives us time to save money for both a home and my tuition and fees. I'm making connections with women in the industry and plan to expand my professional networks as far as they can reach. I'm trying not to verbalize my desires just yet because it seems as though every time I get a bit excited about personal possibilities I discover something that just doesn't quite suit me and must announce that I will not be completing the process. So I am in the preliminary stages of something I find very intriguing and if it pans out the way I believe it might, I will share with the world what I am choosing "To be when I grow up" *joy* :-)
I'm feeling great these days and I am so grateful to The Most High and the opportunities I've had in meeting new people and having new experiences. I hope that whomever is out there maybe reading this is able to take away some of the positive energy that I am feeding into this post. With much love to you all....Peace & Namaste 

Open Mat Journey- Found Help

Well, a little help at least..............
So I've finally found a video podcast on iTunes that is an hour long. I was so super excited. LOL The cast is by Dr.. Melissa West and so far it's pretty good. My only complaint is that she caters to the beginners, so there are no flow episodes yet. Everything is very deliberate, she holds the poses for quite a long time. Which if I am not mistaken is what Hatha Yoga is primarily? Then again it could be any of the dozens of other forms of yoga that I am not yet familiar with, so please don't look for answers here just yet LOL. Dr. West makes the podcast a bit more personal, to me at least, by not being afraid to laugh while she's filming. She laughs quite often which helps to relieve some of the tension that can build from trying to focus so hard on "succeeding" in a pose. So I've done two consecutive days of her podcast, but I'm really jonesing for a good class. I like getting dressed to leave the house and lay my mat down in a room dedicated to the activity I'm taking part in, and being surrounded by like minded people, oh and not being interrupted by my family. God knows I love them, but why is it so hard to get just an hour of peace a day without having to wake up at 5:00am? Oh well school will be back in session very soon, so I'll have to create a specialized schedule anyway. Now if only I can find a job that I will love taking part in and that will have good pay, benefits, and a decent schedule that will allow for ample mat time, life will be complete. LOL Off to hunt for the elusive job. Namaste 8o)

Open Mat Journey - Absence

Hey Ya'll,
I know I've been MIA for about a week.Over the weekend I was out of town for an international convention. And through this week I simply kept meaning to get on here but never seemed to make it. There have been a couple days where I missed moving through even a handful of poses, but for the most part I succeeded in moving and opening my mat. Even on Saturday while out of town I stretched and strengthened. I didn't have my mat with me, so I was exceptionally proud of myself. Plus pushing through a Down Dog was  the best thing I could have done at the time for my aching lower back. I'm still nursing this "skating injury" LOL My wrist/hand is nearly as tender has it had been previously,  but my lower back is still very much out of whack. Not as badly as it had been originally, but still rather continuously uncomfortable. I've started rising early again, and it's great, I'm able to open the mat before anyone is even thinking about setting foot on the floor from the bed. That's the way I like it. I'm able to focus and breath and move and remember what to do next. When everyone is awake and moving about I can't quiet my mind. But, I'm going to have to start training myself to wake up even earlier pretty soon because school starts in a few shorts weeks here and my child will be awake and moving at the 6:30 (which is the time I'm waking up right now) Goodness, that's going to be hard for me, I've always had a bit of a mental block in regards to being able to rise from the bed before the clock says 5:45am. I don't know what it is LOL......I'll have to start working on it Monday, which is when the little one will have to return to hitting the hay early and waking up early to prepare her body for school hours.

Oh yea........I'm supposed to be scheduling an interview with a company I've LOVED for years now!! I'm so excited, I hope I don't blow this. AND I truly pray that When I'm offered this job we can move and my husband will find a better job that suits his personality, or lifestyle, and our financial needs. Amen. Okay, I feel better know. I'm going to try and do better about making it here daily. Love You Guys (even though no one is here LOL)

Day 6 of the Open Mat Journey

Well, let's see, where to begin. Yesterday was an extremely emotionally draining day for me because of a number of very personal issues that arose. After hashing somethings out I was not up for much of anything, but had a practice to assist with late in the afternoon. Well I didn't get on my mat at home and in peace (because there wasn't really much of that going on around here anyway) But I did get in a few inversions and some meditation during an isolated segment at practice. It's strange sometimes I really do feel as though I must be invisible to people. I was able to get in full stretches and even a headstand and not a single person noticed. And it's not even as though I were off in a corner somewhere. Oh well, I'll just say they were all focused on doing what they were supposed to do "good job kids"! I didn't really do much else after that though, mostly because all I wanted to do was sleep.
I messed up my fast yesterday and had to start it officially today. It seems the guidelines I've given for myself are: no solid foods before 4:30 or after 9:30, no meats, no wheat, and no refined sugars. I'm not exactly sure why this is the fast I've created, to be honest I just pulled a bunch of thoughts out of the air that seemed to be fitting. I have a small addiction to wheat and sugar right now and I would like to break that, I have also notice that I eat way too much animal flesh these days. I feel as though I will be able to reconnect with my body and come back to appreciating food in a more positive and less desperate light. My goal is to make it through the month of July. But I am taking it one day at a time, if I can make it to Monday I will be proud of myself and feel quite accomplished.

Now, if I can just figure out what I really want to be "when I grow up" and find a dedicated center of control for losing this weight I'll be on happy lady. Hmm...........

Day 4 and 5 of the Open Mat Journey

Yesterday (day 4) I was super duper late on opening my mat, I did two video podcasts one geared toward helping cyclists recharge (mostly because my legs were tight from the treadmill) then a moon flow. Because I got to my mat so late I decided today that I would simply leave my mat open in a space on the floor that was out of the way and provided enough space for me to more around. That worked out really well for me, I stepped on the mat and moved twice today for at least 20 minutes each time. And I've decided to begin my fast in the morning to aide me in my open mat journey. I haven't solidified a length of time for this cleanse simply because I want to take it one day at a time and live in each moment. Let's see how this goes....