“Sometimes the small pleasures in life are the sweetest.”
- Karen Marie Moning
Coffee
Popcorn
Bacon
Toast
Waffle cones
Roasted nuts
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
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“Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”
― Maya Angelou
So you hear all this talk about living in the moment. Blah blah blah -- it's the "best ever."
But is it REALLY?
I actually do you live in the moment. I do walk my talk. So when friends and family commented that I "couldn't let Madison (age 17) follow her dream and go to Kent school in Kent Connecticut where she had earned a merit scholarship, because, well, I would just be too sad!"
I was like, "What are you talking about? It is the best fit ever for my girl, she is thrilled, and I am thrilled for her. It's the best ever!"
(I, like every parent, just want the best for my child.)
So low and behold, September 1, 2014 rolls around and this Supermom and her +5 and husband trek three hours to Kent, Connecticut and move my first born into a room that, may I repeat, is three hours from our home.
Still, best ever.
I was so excited! The school is absolutely perfect for Madison. I am so excited and it is such a good fit that I am wishing I had gone to Kent!
Fast forward.
Her room is beautiful with twinkle lights sparkling, we all chowed down an amazing lunch in the adorable Berkshires town, and we are giving her hugs and kisses goodbye. The three boys, ages four, four, and seven, are somewhat clueless. The 10-year-old sister is sobbing. Madison is sobbing.
I am still all smiles.
"What's wrong with you girls? This is an amazing new beginning! You are so blessed! You are going to thrive!"
Many more hugs and kisses later, I watch as my firstborn walks into the distance and I turn and get into our Prana van.
To say that I felt as though a sledgehammer hit me would be an understatement.
I cried for three straight hours until we pulled up to the white castle.
And continued to cry for three straight days.
Thank God the crying somewhat subsided on day four because I had a big photo shoot for Boston Magazine and my eyes had been beyond swollen and puffy for over 72 hours.
Do I regret living in the moment? Do I wish I had been better prepared for the moment I said goodbye to my child?
In retrospect, nope and no.
In retrospect I realize that for me, and as always, take what you want and leave the rest, being "well prepared" would have meant that I was worried and crying and sad for many months up until that day. But since I was truly living in the moment, I only experienced joy and excitement for my daughter's upcoming amazing adventure. And I'm glad that I gave that gift to her and my other four children.
Do I miss her?
You bet.
Are we closer now than ever?
Actually, yes.
Do we communicate even more now even though we live three hours apart?
To quote Mr. Big from "Sex and the City", "abso-fucking-lutely."
Yeah I'm going to continue living in the moment.
To be honest, I have no choice. I am a Yogi.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one."
― Brad Paisley
- Practice being kind instead of being right.
- Practice yoga.
- Practice gratitude.
- Practice conscious breathing.
- Practice being excited about my pure potential.
- Practice being excited how about my day.
- Practice being excited about being alive.
- Practice being a good listener.
- Practice patience.
- Practice generosity – with my energy, love, and material things.
- Practice letting go.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Your ultimate goal in life is to become your best self. Your immediate goal is to get on the path that will lead you there.”
David Viscott, M.D.
You've heard that when someone annoys or angers you, it's about you. Is it is a reflection of something about you that is actually annoying or angering you.
I never fully understood this concept until I had kids.
All of my children are a mirror of me and teach me on a daily basis; but three of my five kids are an incredible undeniable mirror of me -- so much so that it's actually funny. Ironically, they are the three that look just like me as well.
I've noticed that when I get frustrated with them, it's always really something about myself. It's a mirror of me.
"Phoenix! Sit still!"
(Uhhhhh. Oh yeah I am totally vata and never stop moving.)
"Madison! I was speaking! Please don't interrupt."
(Uhhhhh. Oh yeah. She got the talking gene – from me.)
"Dakota! Please sit down when you eat honey."
(Uhhhhh. Oh yeah. It is just this year in this lifetime that I have finally taught myself to sit down while I eat.)
Notice today if something that annoys you is really a reflection of something in yourself that you aren't so psyched about.
And once you have that awareness, you're free! You can shift the behavior in a heartbeat.
Or not. Or you can just accept it with love.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Expect your every need to be met. Expect the answer to every problem, expect abundance on every level.”
- Eileen Caddy
Always believe that something amazing is about to happen.
You're going to think anyway, so may as well think big.
You're going to expect anyway, so may as well expect the best.
You're going to talk anyway, so may as well talk about what you wanna create.
I'm rootin' for ya!
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them.”
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anticipation.
For me, it's as good – or better – than the actual "thing."
Watch children today and tonight. Watch the magic. Their eyes are sparkling, their anticipation keen. Feel their energy.
And replicate it! Every moment. Every day.
You are the creator and master of your life. Create it as you wish.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“With the power of love; our two hearts can enlighten the whole world.”― Kristian Goldmund Aumann
This morning while I was practicing yoga in our Buddha room I peeked through the window into the kitchen window and spied Dakota, age 4, nibbling on a blueberry Pop tart.
Just peeking at this child eating a pop tart filled me with so much love and joy that it is indescribable.
I smiled at the power of love.
Think about it. If you saw a random person on the street eating a blueberry Pop tart, you would not -- errrr would most likely not -- be filled with love and joy just at that sight. Maybe you would, and that rocks. But my guess is you would not.
But this shows our potential for love. Arising from even the simplest things.
And remember, the power of love is limitless.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Our thoughts create our reality - where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go.”Peter McWilliams
This morning was epic.
I have been scooting to NYC weekly to teach at Prana NYC and Prana Brooklyn and take classes with our wonderful teachers and give feedback, and this morning Philippe and I thought my train was at 5:20 , and we were chatting in the car outside the station at Back Bay.
I had a funny feeling and looked at my ticket at 5:09 -- and it was a 5:10 Departure.
I sprinted into the station and down the stairs and the train was just pulling up.
I hopped on immediately and laughed as I recalled that last week I had thought to myself, "This sucks standing outside in the cold for 10 minutes before the train comes."
I am a powerful manifester. And so are you.
What are you creating with that thought?
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be.”- Joy Page
The only thing standing between you and your dream is the story you keep telling yourself and others about why you can't have it/live it/be it.
You can be, do and have anything that you want.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Following all the rules leaves a completed checklist. Following your heart achieves a completed you.”― Ray Davis
Sometimes it's OK to break the rules.
Rules are important. They are the fabric with which we weave our lives, the foundation of our lives. They give us a sense of order in the midst of chaos. They give us a sense of "safety," if you will.
I was born both a lover of order (Virgo) and a rule-breaker (yoga hippie) concurrently. Ahhhhh, therein lies the contrast.
But contrast is important in our lives, for it shows us what's working, and what ain't.
And without chaos, we would not find order. And then begin again. Again and again.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Worrying is using your imagination to create something you don’t want.”
-Esther Hicks
Worry is a magnet. It does not take away tomorrow's issues and drama but it does steal today's peace.
Remember that you are a magnet. Draw to yourself what you do want --not what you don't want.
I'm rootin' for ya!
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Why aren't you dancing with joy at this very moment? is the only relevant spiritual question.”
~Vilayat Khan
I don't have the time and energy to hate people who hate me because I spend all of my time and energy loving people who love me.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Heart-flow means listening to your intuition and hunches and following your heart. How can you let your heart lead today?”
― Amy Leigh Mercree
My friend is going through a big life transition. I went over to her house to help her sort through some stuff. I offered to do so – it was my idea. I'm a big fan of clearing the clutter for spiritual, energetic, mental and emotional health, and feng shui reasons.
Best ever!
Over the years I have become a master at doing so. Or so I thought.
My jaw dropped open as we walked from room to room seeing piles and piles and piles and still more piles of stuff. Drawers full. Closets full. Basement full. Everything full -- of stuff.
As we were assessing the situation, I couldn't help myself but to start grabbing stuff to throw/give away or recycle. Pencils. Thousands of pencils. Pencils upon pencils. With no eraser. Broken off. Still in packages. You name it. I started grabbing them -- but my friend resisted.
In the garage I wanted to grab the infant car seats stacked up on a shelf and leave them by the curb (Her kids are in their teens). "They'll be gone within 10 minutes!" I exclaimed. "Someone will be thrilled to have them!"
Again, she resisted.
My energy felt heavier and heavier as we walked through the house. Room after room after room.
Soon it became clear to me that action was not on the menu for today.
Reading the energy, I switched gears and said to my friend, "This is an assessment. We are assessing! This is great! We must assess before we clear out."
I was able to shift the energy to more of a positive vibe, momentarily.
I had to leave at 2:30 to pick up my kiddos from school but my friend did not want me to go. It was difficult to leave her and not just camp out and clear out that house for the next year or so. I'm like that sometimes. I just want to jump into action to help people; even though my spirit knows that it has to come from within them.
My friend had told me that because of my suggestions, she had been setting aside an hour every morning to clear stuff out and give stuff away. She said that it was going okay but it felt like a long time.
I was curious about this. It was interesting to me because whenever I am involved in this type of action the time flies by and the whole world slips away. Hours upon hours can melt away like butter in a pan, unbeknownst to me. Because I only clean clear and organize when I am inspired to do so. When I am in the flow. And as you know, when you are inspired, time is irrelevant. Inconsequential. Doesn't exist.
As I drove off to pick up my kids from school, it came to me that I can't go into her house and help her clean clear and organize because she must be inspired to do so and do so from a place of flow. And this cannot be scheduled.
It also came to me that, "Who am I to tell her, her husband, her children -- or you for that matter -- how to live your life? Just because I personally love to clean clear and organize and have no clutter in my white castle, who am I to say that clutter is bad?"
Clutter is not bad. Or good. Nothing is bad -- or good. It is what it is.
What matters is what it means to you and how it makes you feel.
I am not teaching you to follow what I do. I am teaching you to follow your heart, your spirit.
And this changes by the way, with time, with learning, with pain, with the seasons. With wisdom.
This is why I say, over and over and over again, ad nauseum, "Take what you want and leave the rest."
Sometimes I forget. I forget even what I teach and know so well. And I jump right into action. In this case, I did so out of love for a friend and wanting to make it all better for her.
But only she can make it better for her. I can only offer suggestions. I can just plant the seed.
I know my friend is going to be fine. I know she is going to thrive! My job now, as painful as it can be at times, is to step back and let her flourish.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it.”William A Ward
So . . . tomorrow, we give thanks.
What's your tradition? What does Thanksgiving look like for you?
What are your emotional triggers? Physical triggers?
How would you like to re-create them -- and the whole holiday?
How about if right now you take stock, take inventory, become curious. "What has Thanksgiving looked like and felt like for me in the past?"
Now that you have that clarity and that vision, how about re-creating it in a way that is even better?
All day every day I say to myself, "I have so much fun finding a better way." And I do!
If you approach Thanksgiving – and life – from this place, the Universe will toss you ample and awesome suggestions all day and all night. But pay attention! The Universe will use every possible messenger and situation to get the point across.
So back to Thanksgiving. Right now close your eyes for one minute and visualize how you would love it to go. Let the past go -- it's over. Create it in the NOW in your mind.
Then tomorrow morning, get up an hour earlier and get on your yoga mat. I'm teaching at 4:30 AM at Prana Power Yoga Newton if you're interested. You'll be out by 5:30 am -- plenty of time to cook!
I'm also teaching at 9:30 AM -- but if you can't make it to the studio, no worries. Roll out your mat at home.
And during your practice, again see your vision of how you would like the day to go.
Then inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Breathe in, breathe out. All day long.
And have the BEST Thanksgiving EVER!
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5