“All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within.”
— Horace Friess
Today will be _____. *
*My humble suggestions:
~ Epic ~ The best ever ~ Wonderful ~ Awesome ~ Fantastic ~ Enlightening ~ Transformative ~ Super fun ~ Easy and exciting ~ Full of adventure
Create as you wish. It's all up to you. It's all about the focus of your mind.
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
~Winston Churchill
I got this email from a reader and loved it loved loved her attitude about tanking her exam:
"Taylor,
I tanked the exam. I won't get the results for several months, however I looked up several question I remembered and I missed them. The frustrating part is that I had either hi lites or circled them in my books and notes. Whatever! I did all I could, No regrets and I will end up exactly where I should be! All The best!"
Even though she feels that she did not do well on the exam, her energy is high and she is surrendered to the process and the Universe. Even her use of the word "tank" is a wise choice, compared to the word "fail."
I actually think that she did fine on the exam and we will see; however, the importance here is her energy. Her attitude. Her focus. And her faith.
“Your children need your presence more than your presents.”~Jesse Jackson
The greatest gift you can give anyone is your time. Because when you give them your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you will never get back. It is priceless. Precious.
I have always loved the quote, "Your children need your presence, not your presents."
So does everyone in your life by the way. Not just your children.
"Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths."
~Etty Hillesum
My good friend Mariam Gates is going to be at Prana Power Yoga Newton on Tuesday, March 31st at 2pm for a Book Signing + Family Yoga Event. Come join us!
"I wrote Good Night Yoga: A Pose by Pose Bedtime Story, because after years of teaching children’s yoga, I wanted a way for my students to (literally) take it home. This book became a way to hand children the tools to create their own practice and for parents, caregivers and teachers to share in that experience.
There is a power in being able to pause and take a deep breath in and a long breath out. As I teach kids and train teachers around the country I am amazed by how this simple tool of slowing things down through breath and movement can be so essential to how we experience a moment, a day, and our lives. This book is my way of bringing that practice to life.
As a parent, part of the purpose of this book was also to create more ritual around bedtime. My daughter has always needed a longer lead-in to sleep. With this simple flow, we had a way to relax her mentally and physically and really ‘let go’ of the day.
We all, adults and kids alike, need opportunities for true rest, true renewal and a way to settle without there being anything else to ‘do’. This book is meant to support all of that. Enjoy!"
Good Night Yoga: A Pose by Pose Bedtime Story (pub. Sounds True, April 1, 2015)
“Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.”~Epicurus
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”
― Wayne W. Dyer
Everything is relative.
Everything is about your foundation.
Everything is about your expectations.
My four-year-old son Montana told me yesterday morning, "Mommy, I hiccuped."
Turns out the poor little angel had thrown up. All over the couch. I brought him into the kitchen in which we were meeting with our Prana Power Yoga Winchester manager, and rubbed his back as he laid on the floor.
Soon he "hiccuped " again into a big silver bowl I had put beside him. I rubbed his back and said he was alright as he threw up several times into that shiny bowl. He was so calm and relaxed and just surrendered to the whole process.
When he was done I asked how he felt and he said, "Good." Then he fell asleep on the floor next to me.
When he awoke he said he wanted a pop tart, and the rest is history.
Montana doesn't have baggage about throwing up. He doesn't even know what it is. He thinks it's called hiccuping. So he surrendered to the process and then was done with it. No drama.
I, on the other hand, have baggage about throwing up. I threw up 20 times a day every day for all five of my pregnancies. And that ain't a good memory.
As always, my children are my biggest teachers.
It's all relative.
It's all about your foundation.
It's all about your expectations.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
“Stay away from what might have been and look at what will be.”~Marsha Petrie Sue
If plan A didn't work, the alphabet has 25 more letters! Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breath out. Inhale, exhale. Now count to 10.
“Originality is the best form of rebellion.”― Mike Sasso
You rebel. I like you.
Now use that sass to go on and create your BEST LIFE EVER.
I'm rootin' for ya.
“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.”― Barbara Hall
I teach about 25 times a week at my five yoga studios and a few of the classes are really early. For example,4:30 AM at Prana Newton and 4:45 AM at Prana Winchester.
We live 25 minutes from Prana Winchester and so I leave our house at 4 AM. There is no one on the road and that rocks – no traffic!
Something I've noticed is that when you are driving in the dark (and there are no lights on the highway like on 128 N) and no one is on the road it's kind of tricky. It's like you can't really exactly see where you're going because there's no one else there to keep you in line – in the lines. I know this sounds weird but it's true. And I was thinking. . . it's a metaphor for life. When you forge your own path and are the only one on it, it's awesome and cool and there's no traffic; however, it's a little disconcerting at times and difficult to see where you are going.
“Instead of focusing on how much you can accomplish, focus on how much you can absolutely love what you’re doing.”― Leo Babauta
“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.”- Henri Bergson
Phoenix: "It was great."
Taylor: "What would you do the same and what would you do differently?"
Phoenix: "I would do it the same."
Taylor: "How can I learn and grow?"
Phoenix: "Eat meat."
“Find what makes you happy and go for it with all your heart. It will be hard, but I promise it will be worth it.”― Charlotte Eriksson
Don't tell people your dreams.
“Be gentle first with yourself if you wish to be gentle with others.”-Lama Yeshe
I'm not a big "girlie girl." Never have been. Don't like to shop or go to malls, put on make up, primp, have a lot of clothes, and whatever other stereotypes there are out there for a "girly girl," I most likely don't fit 'em.
Not that there's anything wrong with being a girlie girl! Whatever floats your boat is the BEST EVER. I'm just sayin' that it's not my propensity (to give you the background for this blog).
So when Prettyology contacted me and asked me to come in for a treatment to check 'em out, I was like, "Uhhhhh, well .…"
But something about it. There was something that drew me to that place. Even though I get about 10 to 20 emails a day from people asking me to come in and check them out or try their product or read their book or whatever.
There was just something.
And I always follow my heart and my intuition, so in I went.
I chose to have a facial. I had never had a facial my whole life and man, I must say, it rocked.
Jen gave me my facial and I highly recommend her. She was amazing.
And the energy of this place. It's not all hoity-toity Newbury Street get me out of here before I scream. To the contrary, it has great energy. A high-vibe.
This comes directly from the owner/leader, Julie Michaud. Love her.
And as Jen and I chatted during my incredible facial experience, it became clear why the universe had brought me there. The synchronicities were amazing and fun. The woman from whom we bought our White castle five years ago is the resident dermatologist there.
Julie had been wanting to try yoga and I told her, "I am your divine intervention." She and her son now practice at Prana Power Yoga Winchester.
And there were many more but I'll spare you the details.
So even and especially if you're not a girlie girl and/or have never treated yourself to something as luxurious as a facial, get into Prettyology and experience it. It's not to be missed. You're gonna love it. And you deserve it.
“It's never too late to start over!”― Lynne Gentry
Years ago my friend, a kick a** caterer, made a comment I have always remembered. We were trying to work with someone at Prana who just wasn't working out for many reasons, and my friend was like, "Jesus, just let it/the person go. It's like bad soup. You keep adding stuff in to try to make it delish -- but it keeps getting worse. And then in the end you gotta throw it all away anyway, and you've wasted all those ingredients, time and energy."
Bad soup. Interesting.
Years later, my husband said something similar and also so wise, about a totally different thing. I don't even remember what it was -- some situation -- and he was like, "Let's just let it go. I mean, if you have a paper napkin and it gets dirty, do you try to rinse it out and dry it -- or do you just throw it away and get another new clean paper napkin?"
Today I was on the Acela to NYC to teach and take classes at Prana NYC, and my water bottle was filled with water and a water enhancer called MIO. I LOVE this stuff. Use it all the time.
This particular flavor, however, not so much. (I like to try 'em all).
So I added some more water to the bottle and a different flavor I do like.
Yuck.
More water. More of the flavor I like.
Ewwwww.
Then I remembered my friend the caterer, the bad soup, and the dirty paper napkin metaphor, and I dumped my water bottle out and began again-- started fresh with fresh water and a flavor I love.
Mmmmmmmm.
There's a difference between quiting and deciding you've had enough.
“Negative thinking will not produce positive changes - ever.”― Taite Adams
If you can't be positive, then at least be quiet.
I don't mean any disrespect by the previous sentence. It's what I have learned on my path. And it really works.
Sometimes you just ain't feelin' it. Sometimes you just ain't having your best day ever. And that's okay. And to be expected sometimes. This is called contrast.
But don't draw everyone around you into your negativity and drama. Just stay quiet and let the storm pass. It will.
“Life always begins with one step outside of your comfort zone.”
- Shannon L. Alder
Have you ever tried Yerba Mate tea? I love love love it. It's delicious and also provides amazing clarity. If you haven't tried it definitely do so.
I ran out of my inventory and went to order some more online and Vitacost was out of it. I was annoyed for a second and then let it go and simply searched their website for other brands of the same tea.
As I did so I realized that I had been ordering that brand since I had first tried it and it has just become routine.
And so it is with so many things in life. We do something one time one way and then we just keep doing it that way without questioning it. And without an awareness that we are doing so mindlessly.
And then the universe pulls the rug out from under us. This is obviously an innocuous example of a tea brand not being in stock, but it is a metaphor for life.
How do you respond when something doesn't go the way that you planned or the way that you have been doing it for so long? Are you open to change? To a new way?
I ordered a new brand of Yerba mate tea and guess what? I like it better.
