CLARITY

Here we are in January of a the New Year and I’m sure we all have a list of New Years resolutions we want to accomplish this year. I know I usually do. But this year I’m shortening that list. I've spent the last couple weeks reflecting on 2013 and my life in general; goals I’ve set and those I’ve broken. I’ve gone from being extremely proud of myself to completely beating myself up.  When I look back at where I was 5 years ago and where I am now I’m astonished at how much I’ve changed and grown, how much I better understand myself now than I did then. So why do I get so down on myself? Is it because I tend to be overly ambitious?  I think I set way too many goals for myself and limit myself from fully focusing on a few.  So this year my goal is this: I want to gain CLARITY. Clarity of what I want to accomplish in my life. Not material but more internal. My purpose – isn’t that what this whole blog is about? My journey to Nirvana – achieving my ultimate purpose? So here I am…... its January of a New Year  - I feel wiser and more aware of who I am and what I am interested in. I am more in touch with myself and what make makes me happy – so I guess I did accomplish something last year, something subconscious and intangible – but something great!

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do for my career, my day to day job you know the thing that makes you money so you can buy things and travel. I want my job to be my vehicle in helping me accomplish my purpose. If I’m going to be spending most of my time “working” why wouldn’t I want to be purposeful and accomplish something fulfilling, something that brings me closer to my true purpose. Doesn’t mean I’m ready to make a huge shift in my career and make a 180, but I want to gain clarity.  Get more clear on how I can create a career that draws me closer to my purpose. This is not to say I completely understand my purpose yet but the one thing I’m certain about is that purpose will create positive energy. I do know that my passions and interests make me happy an in turn create positive energy. So that’s where I start.

My interests. 

What am I passionate about and what makes me happy? 

To start – Spirituality; the deeper meaning of life and finding that internal balance. Things that bring me closer to that are yoga and meditation. Cooking – I love cooking and using organic and clean ingredients, being conscious of what I put in my body to increase longevity. Travel – I love traveling and exploring new places and even revisiting places that are saturated with culture. One of my favorite things to do is attending Art/Music Festivals – I get to spend time with some of my closest friends, making memories, listening to amazing music, exploring art, expressing myself and meeting new people. And a new interest of mine is Alternative/Holistic Health. I grew up in a household that always choose homeopathy over western medicine and as I got older I began to really understand its affects on the mind and body. 

So I start here – I dive deeper, practice yoga more often, maybe explore different forms of yoga and continue to meditate daily. Maybe I’ll even take a cooking class and explore new ingredients – be a little more ambitious in the kitchen. The travel is a done deal – I’m already broke thinking about it but can’t be more excited that festival season is just around the corner! And lastly Holistic health – I’ve already started following new blogs and reading more about this field. The more I read the more excited I get in incorporating these practices into my life. So next time anyone has a stomached ache – don’t you worry I got those “magic ginger pills”.

I’m putting it out there – doing more of what I’m passionate about and letting the universe orchestrate the rest.

So now I challenge you to take a moment and get clear about your purpose and objectives for 2014!

"Knowing how you actually want to feel is the most potent form of clarity that you can have. Generating those feelings is the most powerfully creative thing you can do with your life" - Danielle LaPorte

E.L.

Longevity

How many times have you committed to really getting in shape, staying in shape or just simply being more active? ?? Too many to count? Trust me I know .. I have started and given up so many times its embarrassing.


I tried all kinds of things, ridiculously overpriced gym memberships, kickboxing classes, at home workout videos you name it. I just didn't understand why I couldn't be consistent. Then I started searching deeper. Why did I want to work out? What purpose does it serve me? Is it really only because I want to look good in a bikini? It was never really to loose weight. I've never been necessarily over weight just wanted to get rid of the extra cushion. Then a friend recommended Yoga. I know what you might be thinking…so trendy! Trust me I was a little skeptical too. But I decided to give it a go, so I took a few classes here and there and then a friend mentioned Bryan Kest Power Yoga . If you live in the Santa Monica/Venice area this is the place to go! Byran Kest is a revolutionary yogi. He has taking his many years of travel, inspiration and practice and created the perfect environment for people to peacefully become in-tune with their mind, body and spirt. His primary objective "besides turning more and more people on to a healthier, more peaceful lifestyle that continually challenges them to grow, is to teach a system of exercise that fully integrates the body, mind, and spirit", says Kest. The studio(s) are structured where classes are an 1.5 and run every 2 hours, starting usually around 9am and they go as late as 10pm. Each session is led by a unique teacher possessing their own style of yoga (Bryan also teaches classes!!). I love the variety and each class is structured for you to go at your own pace, as easy or as hard as you'd like. Another great perk… it's DONATION ONLY. For more info visit http://www.poweryoga.com/
Through yoga I started to really get in tune with my body, my center. It taught me how to you use my own body to build strength, endurance and overall peace of mind.  I started to feel better… physically, mentally and spiritually. Working out suddenly had more then a physical purpose. After an hour and a half I left calm, whole, full and well yes very sweaty.


Now for me personally Yoga wasn't enough. I really want to push my body to its fullest potential. Luckily I live just steps from Venice Beach so I try to incorporate walks/jogs/runs (cardio) down the beach with the babe (Bella, my pup---get to know her shes a big part of this journey). Then there is the boring (hard part)- strength training. I know boo. This was the hardest routine to get down. But with incredible guidance and patience from "A" (the BF) we came up with my perfect core, upper body and lower body routine. So between Yoga, Cardio & Strength training I finally feel like I have a plan. Unfortunately I'm stuck with the awful 9-5 kinda life right now so my day doesn't really get to start until 6pm. So that leaves me a few hours of the day to work out have dinner and spend time doing the things that really make me happy. Trust me this is VERY TEMPORARY--baby steps. So for now I work with what I have. I switch it up, one day yoga, one day Cardio and one day strength training-- and always a day (or two) for rest. And on the weekends I try to do things outdoor doors (hikes, long walks, bike rides…etc).
It comes down to the fact that I love my life and I'm happy and excited for so much to come. So I want to provide my body with the tools to physically, mentally and spiritually live as long as I can. I found that I wanted to stay fit for longevity, and overall well being. My routine is a huge commitment, I'm not saying you need to work out everyday.

Whatever your purpose is whether its to look great in a bathing suit, heighten your mood or hell climb Match Pichu one day..find your motivation and find your reason. Tap into it ! I promise you will not be disappointed once you see how uplifting it is! . You will see that you can accomplish so much more! Learn your body. It is your temple. Take care of it .

- E