While re- reading Momma Zen by Karen Maezen Miller to prepare for our class this week and also for her visit at the end of the month, there was something I couldn't get out of my mind. ( The funny part is, as some of you know.. I am KNEE deep in princess world... Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, etc. )
Yoga in the SUN!
Hello,
Spring has finally sprung and today begins my new class, Yoga In the Sun! I absolutely love practicing yoga outdoors. The sun warms your body and loosens muscles. Stress melts away even faster and it is just more fun!!
We'll met at lil omm yoga and then make our way to the park. The short walk will serve as a great warm up and a way to center yourselves, separating from the work day and attuning yourself inward. Young yogis, mature yogis, any yogi is welcome (5 yrs and up). Parents can drop kids off or join in the fun. Natural will be our soundtrack. Grab your mat or just a beach towel and let's get outside!
Please also be on the lookout for an increasing number of outdoor yoga offerings around town. Lululemon and some studios often offer special events throughout the spring and summer.
I am happy to meet you in a park or in a circle for a private outdoor session as well. Just shoot me a note and we'll set it up!
Hope to see you tonight!
Enjoy the weather,
Dena
5 Simple Ways to Reboot Your Family
*GUEST POST by Sherri Kruger
Is your family stuck in a rut? Are you bored? Do you find yourself wondering how you got so far off track?
You’re not alone!
All families go through times like these occasionally. I know I would love to be able to push a pause button and just sit, regroup and get back on track.
While that’s not literally an option, life doesn’t come with a pause button, there are ways we can get back in touch with our families. With a bit of effort it is possible to get in sync, connect and move forward in a deliberate and meaningful way as a team.
I have a great family who I love dearly but that’s not to say we get off track from time to time. I want to share with you a few things we do occasionally to get back on the same page.
1. Have deep and meaningful conversations. After being with someone for months or years it’s easy to take them for granted. We assume we know them better than they know themselves. We consider ourselves experts on their likes and dislikes, their needs and wants. And I’m sure you know what they say about assuming. The thing is people change. Their tastes change. Their hopes and dreams evolve. Their outlook on life has likely changed significantly to what it was 15 years ago.
The simple act of sitting and talking about things that matter can do wonders to deepen the understanding we have for one another.
2. Be present. This probably isn’t the first time you’re hearing this on Zen Habits. When we’re distracted by cell phones, email, work, presentations, TV etc. it’s difficult to really appreciate what’s going on around you. Think about it – if you’re at work trying to have a conversation with your boss but he/she is constantly checking his/her email, phone messages and waving at everyone that walks past the window, how would you feel? Frustrated? Unimportant? Discounted?
You can only fully experience something and give someone your undivided attention when you don’t have the temptation to be somewhere other than where you are in that moment. Your family is no different.
3. Do something fun. Block out a chunk of time and do something fun with your entire family. Go for a walk, ride your bikes or go skating. Do something none of you have done before like rock-wall climbing, yoga or badminton. Team activities where you have to work together to succeed are great ways to promote trust, increase the sense of belonging and unite you as a team.
4. Plan for the future. Think as long term or short term. Maybe you want to plan your summer holidays or what you will do once you’re done school. Maybe you want to plan a little further out and think about retirement or early retirement if that’s in the cards. Planning together gives a sense of longevity to the relationship and gives you something to work towards together.
5. Invest in your family. Take the time to really put your family first. So many of us simply pay lip service to the phrase “family is my number one priority” yet very few of us actually live it. Investing a bit of time and energy in your family can tighten that core unit, make everyone feel safe and secure and raise happiness to levels you only imagined.
If you are ready to give your family a reboot, I would like to tell you about a program Leo and I will be offering through Zen Family Habits starting Thursday April 14. It’s called The Ultimate Family Bootcamp and it’s designed to help and inspire families of all shapes and sizes to regroup, reconnect, feel happier and move forward in their right direction.
This is a 10 week multi-media bootcamp with 10 modules discussing topics like creating your ideal family, getting on solid financial ground, time management for real people, organizing and decluttering, mastering the art of self-renewal and much more. These modules consist of a combination of weekly videos, articles, workbooks, printables as well as expert interviews.
If you would like more information please check out the course page here. Leo and I look forward to you joining us this April for a bootcamp – family style.
Sherri is the co-creator of the The Ultimate Family Bootcamp. Read more on family, parenting, organizing and simple happiness at their blog Zen Family Habits.
Laundry...
I learned something about myself today. I like doing laundry. I like to do laundry for my family, for myself, for my daughter. It didn't occur to me until this morning when I was loading 1 of 3 loads, and found myself enjoying every moment of this "mundane" routine. I enjoy the process, the satisfaction of completing a task. I have made it a bit of a ritual for myself.. On Monday, do laundry.
I am not sure when this occurred, or when this simple domestic task turned into a joy for me.. sounds weird, maybe? Then I started reflecting back about WHY / HOW could this be something I love? All these mom writers and bloggers talk about laundry and cleaning and house chores as rote, routine, and try to encourage me ( the reader) to enjoy it more, To let it be part of our love for our children, and to be present when doing these simple "mindless" tasks..I just finished reading Hand Wash Cold by Karen Maezen Miller, very powerful and inspiring book. She continues to amaze me. I also read something recently ( NO IDEA WHERE, I think one of my morning blogs.. ) that told a story of a yoga teacher deciding to stop teaching classes b/c she needed to go home and do the laundry and the dishes. She wanted more time to be deeply connected to and to be present with these life chores. And she felt that teaching yoga classes was interfering with her doing less and actually being present to what needed attention at home.
Then I thought back to my laundry. When I was little, my mom and I lived in an apartment that did not have a washer or dryer. The good news with this apartment was that it was around the corner from a laundromat so we didn't have to walk too far with our BIG BAGS.. we didn't do laundry weekly. or maybe we did, I don't remember. All I remember were BIG FULL HEAVY BAGS. But, I was little so not sure how big they really were.. and we would collect quarters all week, all month. Quarters were like GOLD! sliding each one into the perfect slots. I had to stand on tip toes, trying to see the slots. filling all 4 slots and then pushing the lever in. Success was when the lever came back out empty. Failure was when 1-2 of the quarters were left behind.. WHICH WAS DREAD. this meant broken machine, a loss of money, AND we had to move all the clothes to a new washer. Sometimes our clothes would already have the detergent on them. And sometimes this would happen with the dryer so we'd have to move all the wet clothes.. again! agh! that wasn't fun.
Laundry days were LONG and "boring". Mom would let me get a snack, that would last about 5 minutes. I would watch the timers on the machines. Anxiously. waiting. Most of the time I rode the laundry carts around the room, pushing them into walls, machines, pushing them and hopping on.. It smelled warm and cozy in the laundromat and generally was pretty empty. Just my mom and me. These are good memories.
Having a washer and dryer in my own home now is quite the treat. It's fabulous to be able to wash things when I want, without saving quarters or lugging huge bags down the street. Our stories are with us. Our past is intertwined with our future. We are products of our experiences. I love doing laundry.
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