Journey to Hope!!

I do apologize for not writing! I have been so busy practicing & teaching yoga, working full-time, playing and counting each of my blessings.

I am constantly reminding you all to work & play hard, to live life to the fullest and to accomplish your dreams by putting one foot in front of the other. Do not ever give up. Keep striving!

Well, today is the day it all pays off:

Journey to Hope Yoga Inc is now an official 501c3 non-profit!!!!

I am so proud of myself, our board, our amazing volunteers and all of the people over the past year who have supported this dream. It is truly a dream come true to have opened that letter today and see: “Congratulations!”

I promise to write more soon... but for now: get out there, do yoga & make life sparkle!!

Namaste,

Jenny

Terrific Tuesday!!! (Or Magical Mondays a day late...)

Wow oh wow!

Terrific Tuesday already?  Where did last week go, or for that matter – where did Monday go? It was such a magical day that I didn’t have time to write!

This past week was full of more learning and as a self proclaimed nerd, it was amazing. I have been learning on my feet as well as in specific trainings at work. I also looked at all of my books for the 500 hour teacher training and I am getting very excited about Chakras, Anatomy & Asanas!!

Some highlights: finally seeing the Plymouth rock (it’s just a big rock-  haha) but it was neat to see the excitement around the heritage!!, Cupcake Charlie’s and bringing a half dozen cupcakes back to work, yoga as a practice, hubby putting up our mailbox, Apollo being okay after his vet appointment, a surprise visit from the Aborns, Apollo’s surprise puppy play date, my first paycheck, trader joes entire frozen section in my freeze (exaggeration but we have a lot of goodies), Gerardi’s and riosotto cakes, date night, spending time in Wolfeboro, manicure, yummy appetizers, our swimming puppy and much more!

This past weekend was an absolute blast! My in-laws came up to our family home in Wolfeboro, NH. My dad taught my father in law how to swim, my MIL went into the water fully dressed, hubby learned how to snorkel, we went tubbing, wake boarding, fishing, ice cream tripping and much more! On Sunday we had a delicious brunch – all 11 of us – at the Wolfeboro Inn. The only thing that would have made it better is my cousins (but they will be visiting us this coming weekend).

Aside from everything else, my favorite part of this past week was Apollo and his big adventure! He went swimming!!! He “swam” in July when we brought him to Wolfeboro, but it was forced and we carried him some of the time. This past weekend, he JUMPED into the water and then swam after hubby & I! He decided to just keep going – he would go to shore to take a breath – and then swim back out of his own will. He definitely stole the show on the beach and I was so proud of him. His little webbed feet really DO mean he is a swimmer. What a joy to watch his face and see how happy he was while swimming to his mumma!

I’ll be keeping that blessing with me all week.

What about you?? Is YOUR Tuesday Terrific?? Have you been counting your blessings?

Much joy, love & light to you!
Get out there – do yoga & make life sparkle!
Namaste,

Jenny

The Girl I was 5 Years Ago...

The girl I was 5 years ago would like to know who the hell I am.

Last night, I took home two fresh pieces of tuna and made tuna steaks. By fresh I mean that my boss walked into the office on his vacation day with a giant dead fish and put it on the conference table. Like a little boy he asked: “Want some? Look what I caught today!” Instead of being upset or confused, we were all so happy because of his blatant joy.

Needless to say, I took it home. Now I have had tuna steak at restaurants and I even tried sashimi the other day... but I took home a FRESHLY DEAD FISH and cooked it in my kitchen. For dinner. And ate the whole thing. It was so delicious.

After I do things like this I often think to myself, “I wonder what the hell myself 5 years ago would have said.”

No.

I would have said no.

I said yes to all the wrong things and no to all the right. I didn’t take as many risks, but I did say yes and get myself tangled into all kinds of obligations I wanted nothing to do with. It’s a matter of timing and learning. I am glad I said no when I did. I wasn’t meant to understand and embrace the power of YES!

Everyone learns things at their own pace. My brother, who is seven years younger than I am, is currently learning the lessons I learned seven years ago. When my mom asks why and looks to me for answers, I calmly remind her that I learned those lessons when I was 19 or 20 and he needs to learn them to. He wouldn’t be 19 if he were learning 26 year old lessons.

I am so lucky and blessed to currently understand that where I am now is right where I am supposed to be. Sure there are days that are difficult, but at the end of the day I am surrounded by blessings and love. I am surrounded by much more good than bad.

The girl I was 5 years ago didn’t take risks. But the moment I got my first taste of adrenaline, or my first taste of swordfish or brain – I knew I could never look back to where I used to be. Those moments of fear and joy are what help to create the me I am and the me I am becoming.

My first skydiving trip, my first octopus sighting, the first shark dive, the time my mother-in-law got me to eat lamb brain, roller coasters, starting Journey to Hope, quitting my job three years ago, starting again at itslearning, marrying my hubby, getting our first puppy and SO MUCH MORE!!! All of these amazing things were mixed with high volumes of fear. But I did it anyway. I said YES to life. I said yes to the moment. And I couldn’t be any happier.

What would the person you were 5 years ago think about you?

I think I would be impressed. I would be confused. I wouldn’t necessarily understand that all of the things in my life are blessings. But I would be happy that I’m currently happy.

I remember a time a few years ago. I was floating around the ocean in a dinghy waiting for some new friends to come back from a dive in the BVI. I looked up into the clouds and began to cry, begging God or the universe to tell me where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to be doing. I have always known I was meant to do something BIG. Always. I don’t know how, and I’m still not sure why – but I’ve been put here for something more.

In some ways, I hope that Journey to Hope Yoga Inc. is my reason – but I know it’s not. I know I’m meant for even more than this... and I know that Journey to Hope will go far. Yesterday was our one year anniversary and although we didn’t accomplish ALL I wanted to, we accomplished a lot more than anyone ever imagined we could.

I am so blessed, and thankful. My husband, my family, my friends (old but especially new) have all helped shape and change me into the brave, brazen, SAY YES person I am today. I’ve always had a loud and strong voice, I have always been marching to the beat of my own drum and I have always been a leader. But I haven’t always been this brave.

I am so excited to be brave. I am excited to be in love with an amazing man who I would have NEVER imagined would become my husband. I am excited to be in love with our furry babies. I am excited to admire sharks and octopi.

But for today, I am excited I took home some fresh tuna and seared it in my kitchen for dinner. One step at a time. One brave moment at a time. I am becoming a better me. Everyday.

As I always say to my students, “where you are right now is where you are supposed to be, and it is perfect.”

Today is perfect, even if imperfect.

~~~~~
Leave a comment to let me know what yourself 5 years ago might think of you today!

Get out there – do yoga and make life sparkle!
Namaste,
Jenny

It's been a YEAR!!!

What a week it has been. I have a full week (and change) at itslearning and I’m loving my new/old job more every minute. It’s so much fun to be doing a job I used to enjoy, only now with more people, support and services in the office. What great energy and a fun place all around.

I apologize for not writing as often as I usually do, but things have been quiet for a while, as I'm adjusting and transitioning back into a full-time position. I promise to write more often - and more inspirational posts as soon as things begin to settle!!

Journey to Hope also had a good albeit quiet week. My volunteers have successfully transitioned into their new positions and I am so blessed to have such amazing people to count on! What a journey it has been and will continue to be!!

On that note: today is our one year anniversary!!! Holy cow! How did this all happen so quickly? I am so proud of my volunteers, board members and amazing support system – thank you all for the best year yet... here’s for many more to come!!!

Personally everything is going well too! I am constantly overjoyed with how much love and support I receive daily from my family. My folks came to visit this weekend and saw our new home on Cape Cod. They loved it – and mom bought us all sorts of fun trinkets that match everything we already own. Perfection. We went shopping, ate too much food, walked the beach, played with Apollo and watched the Olympics and the first episode of Shark Week!

This past weekend was the perfect end to a great week. Last week, hubby and I celebrated his birthday, played pool, hung out in our new home and began to adjust to my new schedule. I made yummy food, we played with our boys and began watching re-runs of Bones!!

Oh, and have any of you seen Man on a Ledge? Oh man! Woah!!! It grabbed me in the first five minutes. I know I’m a bit behind, but it was amazing.

Things I’m loving this week: long necklaces, yoga PRACTICE (being on my own mat), jammin’ yoga slow flows, cuddling, new work outfits, fresh tuna, working with friends, new friends at work, family time, planning for fall, goal setting, TED talks, motivational speakers, joining twitter, following starbucks on twitter to know THE MOMENT that pumpkin spice lattes are coming, planning our housewarming party, housewarming invites, my first umba package arrived and so much more!

I hope your day is just as magical. Count your blessings. You have so much more than you sometimes believe.

Believe in love. Watch the stars. Make a wish.

Get out there – do yoga & make life sparkle!
Namaste,

Jenny

Magical Mondays - Transitions and NYC!

Hubby & I - NYC

I’m sorry for the delay in posting. This past week was VERY busy and fun. The first bit of news, as I mentioned a few posts ago, is my new job. I went back into sales this past week, and I am very happy with my decision. My former boss told me that he was looking to re-hire for my old position and asked me to considering coming back. I loved my job and the biggest reason I left was due to location. They just moved their offices MUCH closer to our home – so on Thursday I started again.

This means a big transition for Journey to Hope, but a great one at that! All of my volunteers are stepping up their game and together we are creating the best possible organization to serve our community. I am so blessed to have amazing board members to rely on and volunteers who are willing to go above and beyond to serve our wonderful population.

We also have a campaign out! Check us out on indiegogo!

This week was full of Mexican food, NYC lights, rooftop parties and so much adventure. It was also full of blessings. I wasn’t feeling my best in the beginning of the week, and my co-workers lovingly stepped up to help me for a day and a half while I rested and got myself back on my feet!!

 

Niraj, Ashwin, Bindya, Me, Hubby - Penthouse Rooftop

This past weekend, we got to visit friends from India who were visiting. My husband’s best friends from his days in college over in India. I was very intimidated as one of his best friends is Ms. Chennai – but she and her husband were AMAZING!! As were all of his other friends who were visiting and living in NYC. We have been a few times as a couple, but this was by far my favorite trip. I don’t think I slept more than 7 hours the entire time we were there, but I got to experience and see so much more than we usually do.

Niraj and his favorite married ladies!

I also went to toy stores on Saturday. We ran into FAO Schwarz by accident in the morning, so we went in! Then after our adventure, our friend Niraj asked if I had ever been to the Toys R US in Times Square... needless to say, this was my reaction to walking in. I can’t believe my husband caught this on camera! Haha.

I saw superman...

On Saturday night we decided to celebrate my hubby’s birthday by getting him a big cake while we were out for dinner. We were trying to be sneaky all day, and finally were able to run across the street and find the perfect most delicious cake. He was so surprised!

We went clubbing, saw the toy stores, did a little shopping, ate brunch two beautiful French restaurants, hung with our friends, got dressed up, and had some time to ourselves. It was an amazing and wonderful weekend.

I think one of our highlights was visiting a friend who lives in a penthouse with a private rooftop overlooking all of NYC. You could see the statue of liberty, the world trade center going up, the empire state building, the river.... we were there from dusk until evening and watched the city transform and turn all of her lights on. New York city lights are truly amazing!

When we got back home, we were able to cuddle with our boys, make dinner and relax. My in-laws were house sitting and puppy sitting – they left us a weeks’ worth of India food, a sleepy puppy and a clean house.

I am just about off to teach my last aqua yoga class before heading into work. I hope your day is as magical as ever. Remember, Mondays are a time to reflect on our blessings – not cry that the weekend has ended.

Get out there – do yoga & make life sparkle,

Namaste,

Jenny

P.s. Many people have asked if I’m still teaching – yes! Of course I am. I am now teaching Wednesday full day schedule and in the fall I will be teaching Monday and Friday nights. That just means you need to make it to class to see me more often! See you on your mat. xo

Don't let your mind bully your body!

I saw a sign on pinterest the other day that really caught my attention. It is the one above: “Don’t let your mind bully your body.” I love it! The whole idea that we aren’t perfect stems from information we were fed as children and teenagers. The idea that your body isn’t great the way it is can be a load of bullshit.

As with many quotes, I brought it into my classes this week. I kept repeating the mantra of joy and love and accepting yourself completely for who you are. DON’T LET YOUR MIND BULLY YOUR BODY.

As with most quotes, I asked my students to believe in themselves and then looked in the mirror and had a huge argument with myself. I had to convince my mind, just as much as the minds of my students.

Then I saw this:

The part that really resonated was the comment a girl before me pinned. She said: “Read it again and again and again, to yourself and your daughters. Until it really sinks in.”

What a concept. I read all of these amazing meditations, passages and quotes everyday. I dig down deep into my soul and try to be as kind to myself as possible, but I don’t always believe it. It is why I try so hard to get others to love themselves as well. We are on this journey together and the more the merrier. The more people you have on your side, supporting you and believing, the better your world will become.

I’ve often said that you’re an average of the top five people you spend the most time with. Aside from my husband and our furry babies, I spend a LOT of time with my students. They are so empowering. They are beautiful from the inside out. Even (and especially) when I make them cry, they continue to give everything they have and more to their practice. It is amazing to watch and their energy is not only captivating but also contagious. They make me want to further my practice, further my education and further my future.

My students feed my practice. They do not feed my ego. I don’t need them to follow my classes and attend all (appreciated, but not needed). I need them to go to other teachers to explore and bring more variety and joy into their practice. I love their energy and I am so blessed to have each and every student who walks through the door. But we create a practice together. I may lead, but I most certainly follow as well. Yoga is a community. Together we can make a difference in the way we view our world.

My husband said the other day that he is afraid for our future children because he doesn’t know what the world will bring. With terrible and heart wrenching acts such as the shootings in Aurora, the world doesn’t seem too safe. But there are other stories. Stories that I hear everyday because I surround myself with wonderful people.

An old acquaintance from high school has a beautiful four-year old baby girl. Her little girls dad lives in South Africa, but as tickets are expensive Kate & Adria have trouble flying there! Kate recently won a contest to fly them there for free. The only problem was the contest requires you to pay fuel surcharges: an additional $1,000! Facebook and friends came to the rescue! Yesterday, a friend of hers put up this little beauty and within an hour and a half, the entire goal (with excess) was achieved!

Little acts like this: helping a mother reunite her daughter with her father, a compliment from a stranger as you walk down the street, a hug from your neighbor and so much more. They remind me that we need to look at the whole picture. I can spend all day in front of the mirror telling you what is wrong with myself or I can spend my day spreading love and light. Asking people to create a community of goodness. I’m not afraid for our children. Yes, I am anxious in certain ways. But we will teach them to spread that goodness and light as well. We will teach them to love, to give and to help others.

Get out there – do yoga & make life sparkle!

                                                                             Namaste,
                                                                               Jenny

What do I DO all day long?

A lot of people wonder what it is I do all day long. I think it is a fair and great question! Although it is ever evolving, and I am currently experience some big changes – this is a bit of an overview of my daily life!

In the morning, I wake up to take out the puppy and feed him breakfast at 5:30 am. At the same time, I put away last nights dried dishes, clean little odds and ends, feed Digger, clean his litter box and check the house for things that may need to be done before the day actually begins.

I hop back into bed and check my email while snuggling with hubby & Apollo. This allows me to catch up on things and people who were emailing me at all hours of the night and get back to people as soon as is possible. Emails usually include things about Journey to Hope, volunteer prospects, yoga classes and family things.  This is the time when I begin brainstorming about blog posts and the classes I will teach.

At the moment, I am doing the 21 day Deepak Chopra meditation challenge and am trying to incorporate meditation into my morning routine as well.

When hubby’s alarm goes off, it is time for both of us to begin to get ready. We both shower and get ready individually and I typically continue cleaning and creating a list of things that need to be done by the end of the day. I also plan dinner in my head – potentially defrosting chicken or looking at what we have in the fridge.

Green smoothies, overnight oats, fruit, luna bars or toast are my breakfast of choice. The hubby doesn’t eat breakfast, so I try to make him a cup of chai or coffee – and by make, I mean over the stove in a saucepot the way his mom taught me! :)

Depending on the day, I will teach 1-5 classes. On my busy days, I hop right out of bed and don’t shower until mid-day or evening. At the moment, Wednesday is my busiest day so I make time for a nap on Wednesdays knowing full well that my body won’t make all 5 classes without rest in between.

In order to prepare for these classes, I write lesson plans in a small notebook I keep with me. It has little thoughts and ideas for classes. Sometimes I plan out a whole class with special sequences, meditations and more. Other times I will come up with a few ideas of poses I want to incorporate and go with the energy of the class itself.

Playlists are also important – so I spend some of my afternoons creating those as well.

In my daily life, no matter where I am working or what I am doing I believe making connections is so crucial. I stay in touch with my friends as best as I am able. One of my girlfriends and I are pen pals, another is a lunch date girlfriend, and many more are yoginis that encourage me to ATTEND class as well as teach.

When I get home I begin to make dinner. The hubby doesn’t like to eat anything other than dinner – so I make sure I create delicious, yummy and nutritious meals EVERY night. There are times when we will go on a date or (very rarely) order a pizza but typically I am in the kitchen with fresh ingredients making dinner every night of the week!

At the moment my life is in midst of yet another transition. I love my job, and couldn’t imagine doing anything different – but the universe has given me an opportunity that I know is right for this moment. I have been asked to go back into my old position with a company I love and worked for in graduate school. This week I am spending a lot more time on my mat. I have been transitioning others into teaching my daytime classes and am hand picking through my amazing list of volunteers to place folks in the best possible locations for Journey to Hope.

This transition is for the best, and I am thrilled to be going back into the world of 9-5. Scared? YES! Excited? YES! I will be able to create better classes, content and actually have more time for my own practice. I am also seriously researching a particular 500-hour RYT program at the moment!

This position will allow my personal life to become more stable and thus allow me to be a better yoga instructor. Journey to Hope is finally in a place where I feel I can transition into more of a director’s role. I hope to be able to continue teaching directly with our students, but at the moment this is right where I need to be.

I honestly and truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Yesterday while in class, I read a meditation from the exact date. Often times I research and look for great meditations. Yesterday I picked up Journey to the Heart and opened right to July 23^rd. It was a passage about fresh starts and change: the idea that even if something is scary, it can still be right. We need to set aside our ego and trust that the universe knows what it’s doing. I wasn’t looking for a job; one was extended to me. I think that’s a pretty clear sign from the universe: don’t cha think? :)

My life will now be transitioning into a 40-hour workweek (slowly), and I will continue to teach nights and weekends. I will also continue to run Journey to Hope while growing it to be the organization I dream of it becoming.

Life is full of adventure and opportunities. We just need to know which ones to grab and which to leave behind. It’s like the old proverb goes.... a man is in a flood and asks God for help. A boat arrives and the captain asks him to hop in. The man says: “no thank you, I’m waiting for God to send a sign.” The water gets higher and a helicopter comes. The pilot drops a line but that man says he’s waiting for God to rescue him. Eventually he drowns. When he gets to heaven he is angry with God for not saving him. God replies: “Son, I gave you a boat and a helicopter – what more could I have done to help?”

We need to open our eyes to the idea of change, challenge and choice. But we also need to open our eyes to the opportunities that are given to us by the universe. It is our choice as to whether or not to accept them.

So what is it that I do all day long?

Write. Drive. Work. Teach. Take classes. Lunch with friends. Laugh. Cook. Clean. Organize. Play. Write more. Laugh more. Cuddle. Work. Work. Work. Learn. Drive some more. Cuddle. Love. Laugh.

That’s what I do all day long – what do you do?

Get out there – do yoga & make life sparkle!
Namaste,

Jenny