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Better Day

24 June 2012 / music, pictures, ronni, videos, yoga

I feel way better today. 🙂

I’m feeling more like myself. I have more energy and I’m feeling less overwhelmed.

I decided that I needed to hear a certain Mozart song, even though I had no idea what it was called. I had the Baby Mozart CD when Aidan was a baby and I knew that the song I wanted was piano and there was a really bouncy part where I used to bounce Aidan around to. I really wanted to hear it. Well, I found a Mozart piano radio station on iTunes and darned if that song wasn’t the second one to come on. Piano Sonata in 11 in A, K 331, Mov. 3 Turkish March.

Now I know. I even went over and bounced Aidan. It was different, trying to bounce a nine year old, though…

But hearing that cheered me up quite a bit.

This morning, I headed to Moksha for a music class with Arjun Baba. I am sad I missed his kirtan last night, but I needed to be home. Probably the kirtan would have done me a world of good, though. But I got to see him today and hear him sing and HIS VOICE IS AMAZING. *He* is amazing. Usually, when Moksha gets special guests, they don’t have a lot of time to just relax and talk with us students. But he and his drummer were hanging out and chatting with us and it was so awesome. I need to get some of his music ASAP because you guys, seriously.

Video doesn’t do him justice. But video and recordings never do these things justice.

Moksha is a healthy place for me. To walk in and be embraced almost every time I go there. I went again tonight for Nina’s candlelight restorative yoga class. Which is likely my favorite class of the week to attend (followed closely by Mia’s tantric hatha class). It was just what I needed. It’s ALWAYS just what I need.

Sometimes, I feel bad because I don’t really go for the aggressive asana. If I do any level 2-3 classes, it’s likely going to be a Hatha rather than a Vinyasa. You won’t catch me in a led Ashtanga class (although I might get up the nerve to try MySore one of these days). I feel like I’ve talked about this before, but maybe only in one of my drafts that I abandoned. Still, I feel like, as a future instructor, I’m going to be crap if I can’t do a handstand or any of the advanced arm balances. I just don’t go after those inversions and advanced poses like a lot of my classmates do, and I wonder if I’m doing it wrong.

Anyway, tomorrow is the start of another week, kicking off with a tantric hatha yoga class (if I can drag my butt outta bed), a meeting, and then a trip to the post office to mail a package I should have mailed months ago. It’s been sitting here READY to go… God, I don’t even want to deal with the post office. Every time I go, the APC is broken and the line is always two hours long and there’s always only one clerk working and everyone in front of me has 95 different things to mail. I might just suck it up and pay the surcharge at the UPS store. It might be worth it to check *something* off the list of things at the back of my mind, anyway. My planner looks empty, but my brain is not. Work work work (at least it’s from home), reading, yoga teacher training, newsletters, laundry, yoga classes, life. I’m tired just thinking about it. (Kinda hungry, too.)

Well, here’s to a good week. *raises glass of spa water*

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YOGA: Yeah, Oh God, Again

21 May 2012 / confessions, pictures, ronni, videos, yoga

You all know how much I love yoga. I love the way it makes me feel, I love my community at Moksha, and I love everything I’m learning in teacher training. But I’m not perfect, and my mind isn’t always overwhelmingly positive. So, I give to you, my dear friends, my yoga confessions.

1. Sometimes, in the middle of class, I think to myself, “I hate this, why am I here? These standing poses are killing me. Oh please God NOT WARRIOR III dammit we’re doing Warrior III. I’m totally going to fall. I don’t feel like a warrior AT ALL in this pose. I feel like an idiot. Oooh, I hope we do headstand. Crap, it’s forearm balance AGAIN. I SUCKKKKK at forearm balance!! I want savasana NOW!”

2. Every once in a while, when I’m doing a pose that I know is good for me but I’m not loving, I dread knowing that I have to do it on the other side. (As an old yoga friend/teacher of mine once said: Yoga means Yeah, Oh God, Again!) People say that poses I struggle in or hate the most are the poses I should be working on. But really? Warrior III? Forearm balance? Do I have toooooo????

3. Sometimes, I just don’t want to take a vigorous class. Or any class. I KNOW. But yesterday, I went to the restorative candlelight class, and you know what? It was perfect!

I wish Moksha had more restorative classes.

4. I feel guilty when I skip class. Because if it wasn’t for a good reason (e.g. I was busy, working a gig, visiting family or friends, etc.) then it was most likely because I was just being tamasic (aka LAZY).

5. I’m really glad the yoga studio is a seven minute walk from my place. Cause there are so many times when I get the bug, about 20 minutes before a class starts, to head on over and practice. Usually that’s when I have the most awesome classes.

6. Level 2-3 classes still scare me a little bit, even though I’ve been to two and they obviously didn’t kill me.

7. I love yoga pants. Not just ANY yoga pants. The moisture-wicking capri leggings. You know why? Cause I have many pairs of non-moisture wicking yoga pants that are grey. And they show sweat in not so nice places. Yeah.

8. I always say I’ll never buy anything from lululemon for various reasons, but I’m totally lying! I am seriously coveting a few pairs of their awesome yoga crops and if I had a few Benjamins to drop on some, I’d do it in a heartbeat. And they have super cute tanks, like the No Limits tank. I’d totally wear the heck out of that tank.

9. I have a couple of tanks that I ~~think~~ know need to be retired. Every time I wear one of them, I’m afraid the “girls” are going to pop right the heck out during a forward fold or down dog.

10. I wear yoga clothes more than any other clothes these days. My laundry basket is almost all yoga clothes.

11. Ashtanga yoga and me? Not so much. I tried it once in April of 2010 and decided that I was done. Then I was in a class last week where the instructor was definitely Ashtanga-inspired, and I hated it. It’s just not for me. Mysore might be a different story–I haven’t brought myself to do it yet. Maybe this week will be the time. atha yoga anusasanam

12. For Christmas, I think I’m going to ask for a Jade Harmony yoga mat, some lululemon gift cards, and a bolster.

13. When I’m in a pose and it feels really good/easy, I worry that I’m not doing it right. Yoga is not supposed to hurt, that is true, but I should be feeling SOME sort of sensation, right? But as Daren (my teacher) says, there are always ways to go deeper into a pose so that I am feeling something. I just haven’t learned all of them yet.

14. I could do forward folds all day every day. I LOVE them.

15. I really want to do this, and I CAN, but I worry that my knees won’t allow me to do so for long. 🙁

Source: tumblr.com via Ronni on Pinterest

16. Watching Meghan Currie‘s practice videos is super inspiring. She moves so smoothly and beautifully.

I like this one because her cat gets in the way like Crookshanks gets in mine.

The teacher I am apprenticing with, Amber, has a beautiful practice like this, too.

Maybe someday I’ll feel confident enough to put a practice video of ME up on YouTube. But I doubt it.

17. On the first day of yoga teacher training, Daren asked us not to eat McDonalds or any fast food. I thought it would be hard, and it was at first. I LOVE(D) McDonald’s you guys, as terrible as it is for me… but the more I go without it, the easier it gets. And I feel all the better for it.

18. Getting an adjustment in savasana is the best.thing.ever.

19. I’m scared to do a handstand. I know I can do it. I have the strength to do it, and in class Thursday, the teacher spotted me and I floated right up. These are the things he said:
a.) I have good control when kicking up.
b.) I have the strength.
c.) He didn’t have to assist me almost at all when I went up.

So I know it’s a mental block. I’m scared I’m going to fall and hurt myself. I don’t trust that I *do* have the strength/balance to do it. The teacher gave me some neat exercises to try so that I get more confident in the strength I have.

20. As much as I love yoga, I worry that it’s inaccessible to a LOT of people. Going to a studio isn’t cheap, although I was able to play it so I was able to take three classes a week for $19. (This was before the days of my work study career there.) Not everyone can do that–their schedules may not permit it or the location just might be way too far or inconvenient. And yes, one can buy a DVD, or just practice from a book, but honestly, it’s nothing like having a teacher there to guide you. And the clothes. Of course, one doesn’t have to wear lululemon to practice yoga. Actually, a lot of my pants come from Old Navy or Target or TJ Maxx and they work fine. But it’s easy to get caught up in the “Am I good enough because I buy discount yoga clothes?”

Or maybe that’s just me. Yeah, it’s probably just me.

Still, even with those crazy thoughts bouncing around in my head, I love yoga and feel gratitude every time I get to practice. I am grateful that my editing and marketing skills are skills that Moksha finds valuable enough to offer me free yoga in exchange for my services. I’m grateful that I was given an extraordinary opportunity with the teacher training, so I get the chance to stretch my practice and my life in ways I never thought imaginable.

Yoga RULES!

[via]

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Easter Through The Years…or Snippets of My Spiritual Journey

7 April 2012 / christianity, church, easter, pictures, reflection, religion, spirituality, videos

Over the years, Easter has become less and less of a big deal in my life, which is sad, because Christ’s resurrection is like THE CORNERSTONE of Christianity, right? My mom used to make a huge deal out of it. New dresses. Dyeing eggs. Church (except the year we stopped going), and big dinners that always involved ham. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still a pretty awesome holiday, but for me, it doesn’t have that same anticipation and specialness that Christmas does. And it should, and not just because of the chocolate.

Here’s a short pictorial trip down memory lane, where you can see how I celebrated Easter through the years, complete with retrotastic furniture and all.

age two

age three

age eight

When I was twenty, I was initiated into the Catholic Church through RCIA at the St. Thomas More Newman Center (Eee, Father Vinny is still there!). The ceremony took place during a three hour long Easter Vigil, during which I was baptized, confirmed, and had my first communion. It was pretty cool. After the ceremony we had a huge party and were given giant Easter baskets full of chocolate and a Pass The Pigs game. (We’d had too much fun playing Pass the Pigs at the RCIA retreat a few weeks earlier.)

being baptized

being confirmed by Father Vinny

being a neophyte

Once I was a confirmed Catholic, I went nuts. I was a Eucharistic Minister. I was always involved in one thing or another. Student ministry. RCIA (this time as a sponsor). Volunteering. And I even worked on staff there as a part-time receptionist for a while after college. I very fond memories of that church and that community.

I am no longer a practicing Catholic, but I still find many aspects of the faith beautiful, and I still have a collection of all kinds of rosaries, including a few that I handmade. I was just thinking tonight about how I kind of wished I was at an Easter Vigil. Yes, it’s a long service, but the way my church did it? It didn’t seem that long at all. It was a beautiful, amazing service. I don’t know if I’d want to go to anywhere ele, but I kind of wish I was at Newman Center right now. I have this to keep me company though:

As I said, I drifted away from the Catholic Church and church in general. Until about 2004, when I became really involved in an evangelical community. This was Aidan’s Easter basket that year:

That Easter was pretty cool. I spent the night under the stars with a bunch of other young (or young at heart) people (I’m sure I was the oldest one there, but it was still fun) and we did a sunrise service that was amazing. I was SO HIGH from that.

2004 was a crazy year for me in so many ways. I made a lot of new friends (most of whom I no longer really talk to except for the occasional facebook stalk or facebook game spam), I became super involved in church activities: volunteering with the teen ministry (my FAVORITE!) and the young adult ministry, doing Power Point presentations, throwing parties, putting together newsletters, and even running a life group. There was a lot going on at home as well. I get exhausted when I read those entries–I was always going going going. No wonder I’m so content to just sit and read these days.

There was the Easter in 2006 where I was treated to a double rainbow.

2006 is also the year my life changed in so many major ways that to think about everything that happened to lead me to where I am today is overwhelming and crazy. And also kind of amazing. Needless to say, my spirituality took some crazy twists and turns, and right now, it’s an ever growing and ever changing and ever winding journey. Maybe one day I’ll go more in depth.

Happy Easter!

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11 Things

6 March 2012 / meme, pictures, ronni, survey, videos

I’ve seen this meme going around, and I’ve finally been for it by the lovely Courtney of Baxtron Life. So, let’s get this thing going, shall we?

RULES
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions.
5. Tag a few people, let them know.

photo of me

11 RANDOM THINGS
1. I am 100% completely DONE with winter. Wait, this isn’t so random, is it? Still. I’m ready for spring.

2. Every time I sing, Crookshanks either climbs on my lap or he stares at me, purring like a maniac. He apparently doesn’t mind that I’m kinda tone deaf.

3. I’m currently “singing” The Wind Beneath My Wings. Yup.

4. I used to hate it when Charla (my BFF from junior high and high school) would start singing Wind Beneath My Wings when we were talking on the phone. She also used to sing a Donna Summer song that drove me nuts. I can still hear her singing I’m going crazy just to let you know… in my ear just like it was yesterday.

Here’s a link to the video (Google + YouTube = YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING!):

5. I totally just posted a link to that video on Charla’s Facebook wall.

6. Now I’m singing this along with the video. It’s a fun song to sing. I get it now, Charla.

7. Here is a picture of Charla with Ricky Luna:

8. If you’ve been reading my blog for at least a year and don’t know who Ricky Luna is, shame on you. For those of you who don’t know, check out this post to learn more.

9. Speaking of MMC, I can get lost in a YouTube MMC spiral for hours.

10. I wanted to be a Mouseketeer on the 90s MMC in the worst way. There’s no way you’re surprised by this.

11. I am meticulous about tagging all my mp3s in iTunes. I hate when there are blank spaces (like missing album names or artists), I hate when the genre is wrong, I hate when there are 14 different spellings for the same artist. I will go on amazon and download proper album artwork. I’ve spent many happy hours organizing my mp3s.

11 QUESTIONS FOR ME
1. You just won a trip, all expenses paid — you have to choose the destination now, where will you go? Who will you take? Why?
BAHAHAHAHA. OK if you’ve only been reading my blog for two seconds you should know the answer to this! Actually, I have many places but the first thing I’d do is plan an EPIC Disney World vacation with all my favorite people in the world. Two weeks, we’d take over the Polynesian or Port Orleans French Quarter. I’d take Adam, my mom, Aidan, Chris, Matt, Rosa, Richard, Aimzy, Charla & her kiddos, Amy R, (I’d invite Jen but I know she wouldn’t want to come), Seanan, s00j, Ryan (but I’d have him avoid it’s a small world–he got stuck on it for hours when he was a kid so he’s had enough of that for a lifetime), Vixy, Amy V, Deborah (and Jeff if he wanted), Adam’s mom and dad, Cassidy, Lola… am I missing anyone? Consider yourself invited if so.

2. Dark, Milk or White Chocolate?
Well, definitely not white chocolate. It’s a toss up between dark or milk. It’ll depend on how sweet I want it. But dark is winning. Which is funny because when I was little, I thought dark chocolate was pointless and disgusting. Now I love it.

3. Have you ever succeeded in giving up something that was bad for you? What was it?
Not really. 🙁

4. You have four ingredients: eggs, milk, cheese and bread. What is the most creative thing you can make?
Scrambled eggs with cheese, and toast on the side.

5. Zoo, Aquarium or Circus?
Zoo or aquarium. Better yet, zoos with aquariums included!

6. If there were no other factors to consider except for pure joy’s sake, how many children would you want to have?
MAYBE one more.

7. Do you wear glasses or contacts?
Yes.

8. Have you ever been in a bad accident?
No. I’ve been in a scary accident (totally Charla’s fault), but not very bad.

9. How many pets have you had / do you have? What kind? What are their names?
I currently have three cats. Crookshanks, Helena, and Fi.

not my best but probably the only time
they’ll all get close enough to be in one shot

10. What is the funniest joke you have heard lately?
*shrug* Can’t remember.

11. I like the dream car question, so if you could have any new car of your choosing what would it be?

audi tt roadster, $47,500

MY 11 QUESTIONS
1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
3. What is your favorite scent?
4. Would you rather have the perfect body and your current face, or the perfect face and your current body?
5. What is your guilty pleasure?
6. If it didn’t cause any bad consequences (weight gain, high cholesterol, etc.) what is the one thing you’d eat tons of?
7. What is one thing you would eliminate from the world if you could?
8. Would you rather sky dive or go mountain climbing?
9. What is one talent you wish you had?
10. What is one song that makes you want to rip out your eardrums?
11. Are you a PC or a Mac?

… and I tag Mandi, Jenn, Adam, Firinel, and Lauren! Anyone else want to join in? Go for it. Comment and let me know so I can go read your answers. 🙂

(If Charla had a blog, I’d totally tag her, too.)

4 Comments

A Potluck Entry

26 January 2012 / pictures, ronni, Uncategorized, videos

Just a list of randomness.

one.
I popped into the post office today to mail a package to Lesley for the 2012 gift exchange and link up.

this thing!
One of the workers fell seriously ill, and they had to call 911. I hope the worker is OK. Needless to say, I didn’t get to mail the package. I also realized that I walked out without paying for the ReadyPost box. But I’ll pay for it when I go back tomorrow. I hope Lesley gets her package in time for the link up! In the meantime, you should visit her blog. Because girlfriend has some SERIOUSLY delish recipes and you will be mad you missed out.

two.
Instead of buying new books, I’ve been rereading a lot of my favorites. In preparation for the movie, I reread The Hunger Games and its sequels again. I have read Mockingjay twice, but I literally have no idea how many times I’ve read The Hunger Games or Catching Fire. I’ve also decided to go through all my Sarah Dessen books because clearly, I am obsessed.

three.
I finally picked up my glasses that had been chipped back in December. Turns out they were calling the number I had at my old job to tell me they were in. Obviously, that didn’t work out so well. But the glasses are back with me. I like having two pairs of glasses to choose from.

four.
Disney World is coming up! Adam got the word that our travel documents are on their way. You know what that means! It’s only a matter of time ’til I’m walking down Main Street USA, heading toward Cinderella Castle. I’m started to get really excited, you guys! I’m eager for warmer weather (Short sleeves? Yes, please!), all the yummy food, soaking in the hot tub, getting a 2012 ornament, pin, and magnet, hugging Mickey Mouse, seeing my favorite shows, riding my favorite rides, taking lots of pictures, exploring new things, and MARSHMALLOWS COVERED IN CHOCOLATE AND CANDY.

five.
Sometimes when I sing, Crookshanks stops whatever he’s doing and immediately climbs into my lap. I guess that means he likes me singing voice. 🙂 I’m glad someone does.

six.
Yesterday, I went downtown to use up my Old Navy Groupon and pick up my glasses. I did well in Old Navy. It was one of those $10 for $20, and honestly, there was no way I could pass that up! I got a really cute sweater, a headband, and a tee-shirt to wear at Disney World. After that, I went to Nordstrom Rack, where I understood why some woman go absolutely bonkers over shows. Apparently, they were having some sort of SHOE EVENT because the entire second floor was shoes, except for a few key parts! I saw some beautiful heels that had me drooling. I DON’T EVEN WEAR HEELS. I also saw some flats that made my jaw drop. But I resisted, and came home with a nice, sensible pair of Keens. Because I am boring like that.

seven.
I just have to share this picture of little Helena sleeping on my lap a few days ago.

eight.
I also have to share this picture of all three cats close together at a time they’re not eating. This rarely happens! Don’t they all look sweet?

nine.
The apartment inexplicably smells like coffee. I’m not complaining, mind you. I’d rather smell this than cat poop. Thank God they’re all sleeping instead of having a poop-a-thon. They’ll wait for Adam to get home for that.

ten.
Even though my medication says to take it before bed, I rarely do. I have to take it in the morning. Why, you ask? Because my BRAIN ACTS LIKE THIS whenever I take it at night! (fyi, this is not kid-friendly!)

So guess who was up until 6AM?
Guess who wants to play The Sims?
Guess who is craving cake?
And sushi?

‘Til next time.

Linking up with:

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