My Aussie Crush

I'm not usually one for blondes, but in Simon Baker's case I will make an exception. There is something so intriguing and alluring about that man, but maybe that's just because of the role he plays on the Mentalist as a crime solving intuitive. The way he wears those 3-piece suits....Mmmmmm. The wit and charm he brings to his role. The mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Whoa! I'd love to let him read my thoughts.


And to think, in real life he's a beach bum who loves to surf.....which just makes him even more HOT in my eyes. I've always had a soft spot for the ocean loving wave riders. They seem to be a more playful sort who aren't afraid to stay connected to their inner child. It's endearing.


Or maybe my current fixation with Simon Baker simply has more to do with that irresistable Austrailian accent than anything else. Actually, no, what am I talking about.....those beautiful soft blonde curls that beg to be played with, those kissable full lips. No, it's not so much about the accent as it is about the whole package. Even without those irresistable blonde locks, he's still a sight to behold. Oh dear God, yes he is!

The following link takes you to all that this "easy on the eyes" guy from down-under has accomplished in his acting career.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Baker

I hope you have enjoyed some of my favorite pictures of this incredible man. Goodness, I could just devour him!

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

I'm Doing What I Dream

As nerve wracking as it can be, I am officially teaching yoga and doing my best to inspire my students. Working for LA Fitness as a yoga instructor is a good start. I'm getting lots of practice being an effective instructor, but I still question how much knowledge I have to take my students into posture and back out SAFELY! It's going well so far, but I've only taught 3 classes. My fourth class is tonight and I still need to come up with a sequence that will be different as well as challenging for them so they walk away from my class feeling rejuvenated and yet relaxed.

I'm concerned about falling into a pattern and my sequences will all feel very much the same. I need to mix it up and add variety. Best get on that for tonight's class or else I'll be feeling nervous and unprepared. Thursday nights are supposed to be busy. Last week wasn't, but this week might be.

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Yoga Update

Okay, so when I last posted, I was going up to Kripalu for the weekend. Well, Kripalu was wonderful; more than I bargained for in fact. I found that even with all the reading, introspection and yoga that I do, I still felt like a fish out of water and was very much intimidated by being there. It was a little like being at college again for the first time. I was entering a space where I knew one person and she wasn't even going to be around the whole time. I would be lying if I said I wasn't uncomfortable. After stepping back from it all, I realize that my discomfort came from the fact that even though I can talk the talk when it comes to yoga and the yoga lifestyle, I still don't always walk the walk and therefore felt like a "fake" and like I'm putting on a show.

My internal discomfort not only came from my own perceived personal hypocrisy, but also from the pranyama(breathing) exercises that were done during the workshop I was helping with as well. The theory goes that if a person suppresses their emotions, the pranyama; dhirga in particular, can dredge up those emotions and make them free floating in the body, resulting in spontaneous crying, as it did with me. As a result, I became overwhelmed enough that I left Kripalu before the BEST musical performance of the weekend; Yo Yo Ma! Yep....my experience was that profound and overwhelming, that I had to leave because for now it was more than I could handle.

Despite the emotional discomfort I felt while I visited Kripalu, I would go back in a heartbeat. The grounds are so beautiful and so peaceful and everyone is so nurturing and accepting. Being there is like being enveloped by a HUGE hug......however, if you aren't ready for it, as I was, it can be like getting a hug from a complete stranger.

So.....what does this mean for my yoga practice? Well.....less than a week after I returned from Kripalu, I was in a Latin Impact class and asked the instructor if LA Fitness pays (like a scholarship) to get people certified so they have class instructors for their gym. She said no, but AFAA (American Fitness and Aerobics Association) was having workshops which they were charging only $99 for (as opposed to $300) in the month of September. They had a yoga workshop available that I registered for immediately. The workshop was yesterday! Woo Hoo! I can now teach yoga within a gym setting.

This by no means is a "true" yoga certification, but it's a step in the right direction for now and I can get some teaching experience which I desperately need. I've recently learned of a YTT at a local yoga studio right in my town. Saraswati's Yoga Joint has a thorough and comprehensive 200 hour training program that meets every other Friday, Saturday and Sunday for 3 months. The cost is not that astronomical that it's out of my reach, so I think I will do it if my application gets accepted.

I get butterflies in my stomach when I think about it. The idea of doing what I love and sharing that with the world brings me to tears. The excitement and the joy along with the fear and anticipation make me giddy. The signs keep pointing me in this direction. All I can do is honor my heart and answer its call.

Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Yoga Focus

So.....bad news. My trainer has moved onto another gym to take a better paying job, so that concludes my personal training. Oh well. That's okay.....my focus had shifted for a short while there away from excelling in my yoga practice to rising up to the many challenges put before me by my trainer instead. It wasn't counter productive, but I wasn't as yoga focused as I should have been. Now that he's out of the way, I can realign my focus once more.

And wouldn't you know it.....the timing of things couldn't be more uncanny! Here's what I'm talking about:

My trainer moves onto his new job last Thursday and that same night I was at a going away party with my friends and and we were discussing our exercise regimes and I mentioned how much I enjoy yoga and do it as much as possible to which my friends suggested that I should be a yoga instructor. Only two days later, I received an email from my friend Larissa, who is a yoga instructor at Kripalu Health and Wellness Center in Lenox MA asking me if I could come up and be her assistant for a workshop this coming weekend. I won't be helping to teach any yoga classes as I have no certification, but I will be helping to greet guests and hand out pamphlets, etc. I do get to have access to all the yoga classes, free room and board for the weekend and get to attend the evening concerts at Tanglewood. I've been toying with the idea of becoming an instructor for a while, I'm just not sure when I would find the time to become certified. Perhaps this weekend will show me a way.

I'm really excited to see where this adventure leads me.

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Can't get enough of the gym!!!!!!

......and that's why I haven't updated my blog in a while. I'm on a SERIOUS health kick and trying to get to the gym as much as my children will allow me to.......which lately has been every day! Can you believe it????? Thank God for that Kids club that the gym has.....my kids actually request to go to the gym so they can play with the other kids. Fine by me!

Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Yoga Dreams and Aspirations

There is a saying that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I have been wanting to take my yoga practice to the next level for a little while now and keep envisioning myself being strong enough to lift myself from a seated position into a handstand with ease and control.

Currently, my upper body strength does not support that vision and I have been working to condition myself to be more flexible, but have needed a teacher or trainer to help me reach the next level of my yoga practice......one that is strong enough and flexible enough to have the knowledge of how to achieve the goal I have in mind.

It just so happens that I was at the gym last Thursday for my yoga class and did some shoulder exercises and cardio after class. As I was stretching I looked over to see one trainer inverted on an exercise ball with is legs up in the air. I was in pigeon pose and decided to comment and said, "Now you are just showing off!" He told me I had him beat because he could never get into pigeon pose. I tried doing what the trainer did and fell commenting that once I master Crow position, I should feel more confident doing an inversion. Then seemingly out of nowhere appeared two more trainers, one of which showed me he could not only do Crow, but he could push himself from Crow into a handstand!!!! OMG!! My teacher has appeared! I told him I wanted to learn how to do that and he said he could teach me.

BRING IT!!!!!!

He proceeded to put me through the wringer for the next 30 minutes, but was impressed that I was able to do most of the exercises he put before me even though I'd never done them before. One thing I do need to work on is my balance! At the end of it, I was so seduced by the idea of meeting my yoga goals, that I hired him as my trainer....not taking into account that right now spending money is a no, no in my household. I ended up having to cancel my training membership the very next day and felt so badly about it because I wanted so much to train my body to be stronger without looking like it....and I know this trainer can get me those results!

Luckily, he said he'll still train me regardless of a membership......and I'll sign up for a valid personal training membership once funds become available.

Life is good!

Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Olsen Olsen

Olsen Olsen is a song by Sigur Ros off their A'gaetis Byrjun album. I had been skeptical of this album and Von only because other listeners described the albums as dark and moody. I'm still digesting A'gaetis Byrjun, but so far I really like it! My new favorite song is Olsen Olsen. It starts out with a kind of dark tone to it, but as soon as Jonsi starts singing, the mood lifts. His voice sounds like I'm hearing it in my dreams.....all soft, distant and echoed. When he crescendos at what I assume is the chorus, the feeling overtakes me and tears just spontaneously well up in my eyes. The sound is so beautiful. Then come the flute, piano and brass interludes that ultimately build into this very joyful and free spirited collaboration that lifts the heart out of any possible sadness. God, I love these guys!

I actually just sent a letter off to the band just expressing my appreciation for their fine work and in the letter I told them that I almost couldn't go back to listening to American music because their unique music makes American music sound cliche and almost ugly. I know that sounds harsh, because obviously there are still some decent American bands out there, but today's pop culture and the way the big record labels dictate song artists creativity have soured me to much of the American music industry. I do still have some bands I can listen to.....Dave Matthews being one of them.

By and large though, I am religiously reaching for Sigur Ros when I want to hear music. I sneak off to get a little listen on my iPod every now and then when I don't want to inundate my husband with the same tunes over and over again. I find I am more creative when I listen to them and I'm also more calm and happy as well. It's no wonder they were asked to play for the Dalai Lama about a week ago. Wow! What an honor! The feeling in the arena where the performance was held must have been pure love and bliss.

I say this because; even though it may sound retarded, I truly believe that Sigur Ros' music could bring about world peace if everyone listened to them. Bring the Dalai Lama into the mix and it's practically a done deal. Does any of this sound like a kooky movie from the 80's? Remember "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"? Remember how they were destined to create music that would bring world peace? Ahem.....enter Sigur Ros. The modern day and infinitely cooler band with a musical aesthetic that any true music lover can appreciate. Ahhhhhhh! I just can't get enough of them!

Until next time....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen