Let Your Life Bloom

Making your city edible

As you know, I've been finding the most incredible trailers lately. Well...I'm still finding more and I can't resist in sharing them with you. This is why I love the internet, we can easily see what's happening in and outside of our community, then we get to share it with others. What joy!

Below, you'll see the trailer for Edible City, about those creating gardens and farms in their own backyards, thus taking back power over the health of their bodies and food sources. Go here if you want to see a longer trailer on it.

Working the dog

My husband, who is quite the blogger (Triple Pundit, Ecopreneurist, & GreenSmith Consulting), always tells me to make my post titles obvious and easily searchable so people find me. Good tip, for sure. My creative mind took over anyway. So, this post title may pull pet owners instead of yoga enthusiasts. I couldn't resist though! I'm learning how to work the dog.

Downward dog that is. This popular yoga pose is one that I'm both drawn to and mystified by. It looks pretty simple to do. But when you're in it, you realize that there are all these little adjustments which, when implemented, allow your body to actually relax into the posture in a way that feels incredibly supportive. Each time I do it, I learn a new way to move deeper into it. Not only does it feel more and more natural (the body has a good physiological memory), I feel more mentally at ease too.

Here are some of the ways I've been working the dog:

Spread out my fingers and imagine I have mini suction cups on them and the palm of hand, with strength and groundedness is radiating out of them. This way my shoulders and arms relax.

Lengthen my shoulders in width. Put your hands on your shoulders right now and gently pull them down and away from the side of your body. This gives you the sensation of what you want to create while in the pose, thus taking the tension out of the neck area.

You know that fold near your hips that make a "V" when you sit? That's your groin area. What you're going to do is imagine (and move) those muscles behind that "V" toward the back of your body. This allows your quads to do their job more effectively while allowing your hamstrings to lengthen and relax into the pose. It also takes the pressure off of your back and your shoulders. In fact, if you practice lifting those groin muscles back it will help your standing and sitting postures, therefore alleviating back pain.

Next, let your heels relax toward the floor. This and the changing of the groin muscles were big eye openers for me in regard to how much easier the posture was. Once I incorporated these, I was really working the dog. I hadn't realized that in an effort to maintain a straight line along my back, I had been lifting up my heels and putting too much pressure on the front of my toes/feet. This only created more tension. Dropping my heels was like finding a missing piece of the puzzle and allowed other parts of my body to be more at ease.

What tips and techniques help you relax into different yoga poses? How do you work the dog?

Trailer week: Imagine that

For anyone that has ever been around kids (and liked it), you'll appreciate this movie! Plus it's all about how play and magic and answers are right there in front of you but we often miss it because we are too busing "working." And I couldn't resist that the imaginary princesses are providing the intuitive information to the main characters. Long live princesses.



Buy my princess book, the first of three, right here.

A great deal I had to share!

I know, two posts in one day! How lucky are you?!

It's no secret that I'm passionate about wellness, food, coaching, intuition, and gathering useful resources that help people live fulfilling and healthy lives. That part is easy (and incredibly rewarding). What's been a, uh, let's call it an educational process, is learning how to create a business out of what I do. You know how it is when after you learn something it seems so obvious and simple? You know where I'm coming from then!

In the past few days, I came across a resource that's going to be very helpful with taking my passion and business to a whole new level. I want that for other people too. For me, it's all about sharing what I love with as many as possible. That's what this toolkit helps you do.

It's called The Ultimate Entrepreneur's Toolkit and it's comprised of 20 different products/programs. I've seen ads for similar types of offerings. What makes this one stand out is that the programs in it are by people I've respected for awhile, followed on Twitter, friended on Facebook, combed through their site for valuable information. People like Andrea J. Lee, Mark Silver, Arthur Samuel Joseph, Mary Allen, Susan Harrow, and more.

You can easily take what's in this toolkit and apply it to your great idea that's been waiting to be expressed - whether it's photography, writing a book, or finally turning your passion into a viable business. Topics range from time management to creating heart centered websites to prosperity mindsets to optimizing search engine results to understanding social networking sites to book publishing, the list goes on. You know if it's coming from me, it's got to have a holistic bent!

I'm seriously jazzed about it and had to pass it on to you. Now's the time to take your dreams and make them real! They are only offering this toolkit at 95% off of what it would individually sell for, through Friday, until midnight, PDT.

Go get it by clicking here!

Trailer week: We are together

Was close to tears by the end of this trailer. For all those that believe in the power of music and singing together. And for those that don't.

Trailer week: The Shift Movie

Has there been change and upheaval happening in your life at a more rapid pace? It's ok. Take a deep breath. We are all going through it. We're just clearing. Every time your "stuff" gets brought up, promise that you'll say "I'm so glad this is getting cleared out, so I can feel good again. All it's showing me is it's time for a new choice - in perspective, thought, feeling, action."

Every time I see this trailer, I get goosebumps. That's my truth-ometer. Hope & inspired action is winning. There's nothing to fear. It's a done deal.

Trailer week: Food, Inc.

There are those that believe in the value of eating home grown, local, organic, seasonal, whole food. Those that don't think about it or know it to be an option, though if educated, they would choose it. And those who don't care or for some odd, wacky reason are against this healthy way of eating. This movie if for all of the above.

Trailer week: Enlighten up!

Have you ever tried yoga before? What initially drew you to do so? What keeps you coming back? How has your life changed as a result? There are many types of yoga and levels of commitment to practice it. For some, the impact is immediate, for others it takes a lifetime. Could our readiness to transform be affected by our seriousness about it? Maybe it's time to enlighten up!

Random funny habits

We all have these random funny habits that we do unconsciously. Have you ever watched someone do something and think, what in the world are they doing? It's really quite funny when you see it happen. Being able to laugh instead of react feels so much better. Plus it takes the pressure off of the embarrassment we sometimes feel from how weird we can be.

Here's a random funny habit I have:

I collect silverware from other people's houses. I don't do it on purpose. In fact, I don't think I've ever stolen anything ever. It was the one rule I remember being drilled into me as a kid. If you want it, ask. Simple enough. Back to the silverware. I almost always have food on me (to eat, not wear) and I almost always forget to bring silverware with me. Thus, I use others. Funny thing is, this only happens in temporary relationships. People I see once or twice but never again. I now have a random collection that reminds of the people that briefly graced my life with their utensils.

What about you?

It's a small world after all

Last weekend I went to the Harmony festival and the Fairfax Eco Festival. Perfect weather, great music, fun booths to peruse, fantastic food, and so much more. What stood out to me most of all was the conversations I had. I met 5 new people in person - @pavati, @lissarankin, @katiekeenan, @joeyshepp, @stacieshepp that I knew from Twitter (or knew my husband @greensmith). Then, I ran into two people I knew from high school! And saw a few people from my current hometown (which was hours away from the festival).

Do you ever get that feeling when you know you're in exactly at the right place at the right time, literally at that moment, and overall, in your life in general? That's what it was like.

I often hear of people wanting to feel more connected. I've felt that myself. Sometimes all it takes is a gentle reminder to reach out, to put yourself in situations where others are, and start a conversation. It's part of why I love social media & networks. It reminds me of how many cool people are in the world that I have yet to meet. From this perspective, it really does feel like a small world and a supportive community awaits you!

What are new positive ways you can get involved and feel part of something bigger?