Creativity is the magic cherry on top of the ice cream of life. You don't have to be Picasso to live your most creative self. We have the opportunity to place our authentic and creative spin on every single thing that we do. Applied toward family, work, hobbies, friends, and spirituality, you have the chance to make it YOURS and offer that creativity to the people around you to stimulate that same energy.
Read MoreWe all have a little Cona voice living inside our heads at each moment. It barks doubt, whines for attention, and claws for you to coil and cave. This little voice becomes the Chitta Vritti (mind chatter or monkey brain) that can sway our decisions and distract us from what truly matters. The more that you give that voice what it wants, the bigger and louder it gets. It becomes this untamed animal living inside of you wanting all of your resources, energy, and love.
Read MoreIn moments of doubt, fear, or plateaus, where can you find the inner power to overcome your obstacles? Can you shift your perspective in a particularly challenging situation or conflict? Mindfulness, like our muscles, can be worked and stimulated.
Read MoreI vividly remember staring out the backseat car window and smiling at absolutely nothing watching the trees go by for long stretches of time. Even at a young age, I craved to have the happy wrinkles that lived on my Grandma's face. It wasn't because I wanted to get older, or to make my wrinkles look better so that I was attractive, but because the smile that was on my grandma's face was almost permanent. Even in her saddest moments, her happy wrinkles displayed the stories of joy in her life. They weren't forced, but they were sculptured into her face from experience and hard work. It was a constant reminder to choose a smile and make it beautiful.
Read MoreWhoa-truth bomb. I believe that all of us have moments of shrinking in our lives. We allow others to create a sense of "less than" that takes us away from our true core values. As I continued to dive into my yoga education, there were constant moments of comparison, judgement, and doubt as I discovered my own authentic voice and confidence. It is something that I reevaluate constantly to this day. I witness these emotions and struggles when I work with students who are embarking on their own journey of self-discovery. Though I may not be a typical yogini with long legs and 6 pack abs, I have learned to become my own Small Giant. I play it big energetically, and work to offer my big heart to my students, coworkers, family, and friends to the best of my ability. I have learned to recognize that playing up my strengths serves me and everyone around me much more than when I shrink and get small. There is of course a balance to playing big; the yin to my yang. However, I commit in moments of shrinking:
