Somewhere over the rainbow...

That song gets me every time! I love how it evokes a childlike feeling to my whole being. 

It makes me want to go outside, play on a swing, do a few hula hoops, maybe jump rope, all while smiling and letting the cool light breeze blow through my hair...

Reality? The swing I can get through no problem, the hula hoops... well I will probably only get through 30 seconds of it.  How do children HAVE that much energy?? SERIOUSLY?!?! :) My little munchkin runs circles around me, while yelling/chanting/singing/???? at the top of his lungs and then is ready to wrestle. At which point I pray hubs-man heads home so he can take over.  Not growing up with brothers is really making it a hard adjustment for me and all the wrestling.

The plus side? It's amping up my stamina hardcore and I'm LOVING it! Maybe one day I will run circles around him?? I can dream right? :)

[arr... :) ]

So, your challenge today is to change up your fitness routine. Pretend you are a 7 years old all over again and do everything with as much zeal and vigor! Play hopscotch (BOY does it take balance!), jump rope (maybe even a little double dutch!), hula hoop and just have FUN! Your body will appreciate the change to the routine and you will be SURE to feel it tomorrow!! Let me know what fun things you tried!

Sidewalk chalk & glittery hula hoops,

<3 T

The In's and Out's...

Of breathing that is!  Yoga has taught me so much, but the one thing that I cherish the most is my ability to breathe.

I know, I know, that totally sounds like some om-chanting, Teva wearing, incense burning cliche stuff, but I am serious!  The past few weeks I have been forced to skip several much needed yoga classes.  Me skipping yoga class means ample opportunity to be snappy in the very near future... usually. But not as much anymore!! The breathing techniques used in yoga can totally help you "count to 10" as was demonstrated in "Anger Management".

So now, all I have to do is step back, engage in some epic ujjayi and snappy thoughts be-gone! This has been particularly helpful in the workshop planning when things are not going as planned!  Which I realized i have NOT told you about the workshop properly!

[super awesome flyer created by the hubs-man!]

My workshop baby is basically a 3 hour event where I will lecture on the importance of maintaing a balance between the Mind, Body, & Soul, lead a 1-hour practice and then there will be a 1-hour mixer. I am super excited about all this and am also SUPER nervous!! I've taught smaller classes before (10-ish people) but never the size I am expecting (~50).  So excited! Do YOU have any suggestions for me??

Ujjayi breaths ,

<3 T

My inner yogi...

So to jump start my new life as an official certified yogi, I decided to host a women's only workshop. 

Sounds simple enough, right? Wow, I can't begin to tell you how many little things pop up that could have thrown me for a loop. You know what though? Old Tania would have had meltdowns to a sympathetic husband, new Tania is embracing her inner-yogi and going with it. And guess what... I LOVE IT! 

I knew embarking on this yoga journey would be awesome for my soul, but it is doing wonders on my family as well! Better relationship with the hubs-man, happier days with the munchkin and more respect for myself doesn't hurt either! :)

So, as a way to reflect the new me in my everyday life, while still being able to participate in my long-time love of baking, I am now on a journey to redo all my favorite recipes. Thanks to an awesome fellow yogi in my training class I learned that you can substitute 1/4 cup mashed bananas for every whole egg in recipes. SAY WHAT?!?!?!? I tried it out on this awesome chocolate chip cookie recipe I found on Pinterest.

[photo compliments of The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie]

MAN! Not only do I like how bananas taste, I LOVE how chocolate chip cookies taste. So, when you put those two together... well hubs ate 7 cookies in less than 5 minutes if that says anything! Added bonus!!! You can eat the cookie dough to your hearts content! Nasty egg related sicknesses be-gone!! 

Try out the recipe with the mashed bananas OR try the technique in your own fave dessert and let me know how it turns out. Better yet share the recipe and some pics! ;)

Cookie dough smiley faces,

T <3

The Heat is On...

Yeah so it LITERALLY is on... it's like 80+ degrees outside, sheesh! Funny enough I'm not feeling it anymore, YAY super humid yoga studios!! :)

Anyways, I went to my yoga study group today to only realize that there was a WHOLE OTHER BOOK that I didn't read for our homework. How did that happen??  Luckily, I am at least really enjoying the book I am reading now.

[Book of the Moment (BoM)]

So where has this brought me? It's helped me get to that point of realization about what matters to me and that mind over matter is not just a saying, its a reality. Go ahead and read the book and let me know what you think!!

PS: I drafted this post forever and a day ago, but got sick, started working on my workshop (more on that next post) and now here we are!

Books and sunshine,

 T <3

Let's start at the very beginning...

Life can come at you fast... so it's important to take the time to breathe. These days that means yoga breathing for me.

Rewind 10 months... After doing the whole corporate world thing for a few years, and then getting preggo, hubs and I decided that mommy-dome and stilettos and suits were not going to mix well for us. So after a 14 hour day at the office and a very sad goodnight to my then 4 month old, I called it quits for my accounting job and decided to become a full-time mommy, housewife and super hero :)

Enter my post-baby body... any new mommy can attest to the sensations that arise when you try to squeeze back into those pre-baby jeans. It's all to close to a horror film if you ask me. After months of going to the gym (thanks to my amazing MIL who watches little Z 3 hours in morning so i can sweat it out) I wasn't getting results fast enough... that is when I decided to take a breath and look deeper into my 3rd eye (a little yoga humor, do you like? :) )I've been practicing yoga off and on for about 11 years and I decided that I would finally become an Om chanting, mat toting incense burning (totally optional... bleh) yogi!

This new life is an exciting one. I'm loving every step of the journey. Hopefully you will enjoy my chronicles of mommy-hood and yoga mats :)

Baby hugs & yoga Mats,

T