a little lazy but busy...

While I'm not lazy enough to use a genius invention such as this all-in-one card stamp (which is actually pretty rad if you ask me), I have been a bit too lazy to blog and for that, my sincerest apologies...

In reality though, it's been less a situation of laziness so much a an all-out stress/cramming/craziness on my end. I finally graduated from my yoga teacher training this past weekend (!!) and along with that came test prep and a huge workshop prep that kept me away from this lovely little blog of mine. But alas, I'm finally a certified yoga teacher!

Along with the yoga-ness, there's been that other distraction - work work work. BUT I promise, I will try to get back on the ball asap.

much love
xoxo
jess

this is for my yogis...

I know a good handful of people in yoga instructor training, one of course being Jessica. Thought this was pretty clever for a business card. Designed by Phil Jones

xx, Liana

ohm shanti...

Hola! Namaste!

Just checking in from my vacation to rave a little bit more about Harmony Hotel and Inward Bound. I have to say, this has been one of the most amazing vacations I've ever booked for myself. Joy (pictured with me above), is the owner of Inward Bound and not only is she a kick-ass-yoga-instructing-long-boarder but she is one of the sweetest, most caring individuals I've ever met. She's got a great thing going here and has made me feel so welcome that I'm already planning to come back and do it again next year!



Like I said in my previous post, the yoga studio at Harmony is simply gorgeous. I've never practiced in such a calming atmosphere... it's amazing what a wall of jungle and some running water nearby can do to your focus.

It's so open that animals saunter by (and even into) the class! Yup - monkeys and birds and even a few sweet local pups - one of which refused to leave the other day and lay peacefully by my neighbors mat!!




Carl, one of the instructors

Anyways, this week has flown by and I'm sad tomorrow will be my last full day here... I've met some amazing people and have learned a lot about balance - in every aspect of life.

Off to Playa Negra for Jen's wedding on Saturday though! Wooot!

Till then...

xoxo

buenas noches...

Hello there, kiddies! I'm coming to you from heaven on earth Costa Rica! I'm about to head to bed (yes at 10:30pm!) but wanted to check in...



First of all, I absolutely loved coming on here to see all the wonderful guest-posts! Let's pause give these ladies a round of applause, shall we?

:) :) :)



The last 24 hours have been nothing short of awesome... I had a chance encounter with some howler monkeys on the drive from the airport and the driver let me out to snap some pics:



There is simply too much to fill you in on. My first surfing lesson was awesome and I have a million bruises on my knees! And the yoga - well - I've never in my life practiced in an open-air studio like this! The entire front of the studio is open to the jungle... it's beyond ridiculous. The two hour (gah) class magically flew by too!

Harmony Hotel is simply beautiful, entirely eco-friendly and has amenities I never even knew I could want... like my own private outdoor shower and hammock!



So my whole goal for this trip is to de-stress and I think it's working so far (?) - although I find myself stressing about de-stressing (meh, I clearly need help). Hopefully I'll find more of the anti-anxiety medication I so badly need on the waves or in savasana. Either way, I've got a big, tan smile on my face :)

On that note, I'll leave you with some pics of tonight's sunset... check out those waves!!!





Hasta luego!

xoxo,
Jess

yoga-thon

Next Saturday, 9/27, I'll be participating in Zarnay Yoga's annual yoga-thon for St. Jude Childrens Hospital's Cancer Research!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/yogasurf/1216173672/

We'll be doing approximately 400 poses to raise money for a great cause! If you feel like donating, you can write a check to ST. JUDE and mail it to me or visit this page for other options...

(if you're interested, leave a comment and I'll email you my address :)

garland...

New favorite - bound garland pose/bound malasana. By far the best shoulder stretch I've ever experienced.

i'm having an affair...

...with myself.


photo by AraiGordai

Yet again, I'm coming to you after an absolutely amazing yoga class. So many days go by stuck inside my head - thinking, working, stressing - then class comes and I'm reintroduced to my physical self. I get to fall in love with a body that works so hard day in and out.

Like an affair, it's brief (90 minutes), hot (90°) and filled with emotion - giving, taking, releasing... Unlike an affair, there's no guilt and you feel nothing but ecstatic afterwards.

I apologize for my temporary high, just felt the need to share. Hope you all have a great night :)

xoxo

never has the floor felt so good...

Such an amazing yoga class tonight! Sarah and I sweat out all our toxins and wrung out all our stresses... by the time we got to savasana, our butts were officially kicked.

Anyways, here's some colorful chakra-inspired pics from rajmtx's photostream on flicker :)

xoxo

it seems that...

I did too many back bends in yoga last night as now I'm laid up in bed with heating pads, unable to walk upright.

Being stuck in bed is b-o-r-i-n-g. At least Project Runway starts tonight - can't wait :)

off we go...

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, Sarah and I start yoga teacher training. I'm a little nervous - at first about the massive amounts of anatomy and history reading we had to do but now more about the actual teaching portion of it... eeek! Needless to say, I'm anxious for our first weekend to start and am going to have a hard time sleeping tonight :)

That said, I hope everyone has a great weekend and hits up the beach - it's supposed to be PERFECT weather in Boston (finally!). Enjoy!

goodnight moon...

by AraiGordai

awesome.

little grasshoppers...

It's official - Sarah and I have signed up for yoga teacher training :)

In just 10 months, we'll have our RYT 200 certification under the Yoga Alliance and be able to teach anywhere in the US - all thanks to Zarnay Yoga!


nice logo huh? wink... http://www.zarnayyoga.com

Classes start July 13th and meet once a month. We ordered our books online yesterday and I hate to say it but I'm a little nervous about all this required reading - haven't been required to read anything in over 4 years!


photo by Pedro Moura Pinheiro

And of course now all I want to do is buy some cute new yoga threads... I clearly have issues.

surprises...

It's always the things you hate at first that you end up loving the most...


Eka-pada-rajakapotasana - Andrzej Radka

Pigeon used to be my most dreaded pose... now, I look forward to it like nothing else.

It was a good class this morning. Dave came and slid all over his mat - need to get him a yogitoes... actually, maybe I'll give him my old one and I'll indulge in a new, deity one - love the ganesha!



Before class, I sprayed my Chakra 2 body mist from Aveda on my mat and an hour into class, when we finally got to lay down, it was the best little surprise of a fragrance - must do it again!

Hope you're having a great weekend!!

well duh...

Every once in a while, I get into a funk where all I want to do is sleep - I get all lethargic and lazy, down on life.... Usually this happens when I take an impromptu hiatus from all things active...

Well, stubborn me insists on waiting until becoming alllmost clinically depressed until the light bulb goes off yelling at me to "GO TO YOGA!". Then, I inevitably go and return home, sweaty as all hell, happy as a clam.



Well tonight, Keyse, Sarah and myself braved the 105º baptiste studio to sweat out all the funk and wring out our toxins... nothing in the world beats hot yoga. And, of course, we all left saying "we should do it every week!", all glowy in our happy bodies :)

Anyways, that's all I've got. I feel good and feeling good makes you want others to feel good! Go be active. It's truly the only way to stay sane.

wow. it's midnight. sleep tight!


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oh and btw, if you're a yogi and live in the Haverhill area, my mom just opened a new studio, right on Merrimack St.!
check out www.zarnayyoga.com for more info (...and yes, I'm in the process up updating the site - geesh!)