If there's one thing that I think each and every one of us can do to enrich our lives, it's to practice mindfulness. Any regular blog readers may recognize this to be a constant life practice that I bring up, because I really believe that living in the moment and appreciating the now are surefire ways to feel happier and lower stress levels. (via) Today I had the chance to practice at a yoga studio I hadn't visited before - a rooftop yoga studio and vegan restaurant in La Jolla called Trilogy Sanctuary. I'll be sharing a full review of the studio soon, but as I participated in a lunchtime vinyasa flow class - feeling the ocean breeze, looking up at the bright blue sky, stretching out in some yoga poses - I couldn't help but feel appreciative of the moment that I was ... [Read More]
positivity
Want a Positive Life? Hang with Positive People
Hey friends! While I tend to keep it light with my Friday posts, I must be feeling philosophical, because today we're going deep and talking about relationships, and how you have the power to create a happier life by choosing who you spend your time and energy with. Ready? Okay, let's dive in! One of my favorite quotes in the world is, "Respect yourself to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy." I think of this quote partly in terms of the people that I surround myself with. Awhile back, I made a conscious decision to let go of the people that weren't bringing light and love into my life or in some way helping me to grow as a person. I think that people's vibes have the power to rub off of you, whether you're aware of ... [Read More]
Our Brains are Like Velcro to Negativity and Teflon to Positivity {Self-Love Talk}
"You have some under eye circles, so you need a hydrating concealer to help with that," the Macy's makeup employee at the Benefit counter said. I feign a smile while staring at the pound of makeup caked on this girl's face. A moment later she follows it up with, "I think you should go with shade #2, because you're supposed to go with your forehead color. Your forehead is darker than the rest of your face, but that should work." I look in the mirror in the overly bright department store I'm standing in, then give my husband, who I dragged with me to the makeup counter before a movie, a, "What the hell is this chick talking about?" face. I walk away muttering that I suppose this girl was just doing her job, although it was totally unsolicited advice, as I was just stopping in to ... [Read More]
Top 10 Life Mottos & Quotes of the Week
Earlier today, I realized that exactly 4 months ago I moved from San Diego to the San Jose area. In all honestly, I miss San Diego a lot, but I've been having a great time exploring the Bay Area and have settled into my life here. Between wine country, good food, farmers' markets, beaches, and more, there's no shortage of fun to be had in this area! In other places I've lived, I've printed out motivational quotes or written sayings that inspire me on post-its, and then hung them up in places where I can see them on a daily basis. One thing my new place has been missing is some quirky quotes around, so I've been checking out some phrases to put up around my house. I know that there are a lot of quote junkies out there like myself, so I wanted to share the top 10 mottos & quotes I ... [Read More]
Fake it Til You Feel It
Mantra of the day: Since I got back from my vacay, I've been in a bit of a I-got-to-spend-an-entire-week-with-the-love-of-my-life-and-now-we're-living-on-separate-continents-again funk. I'm fully aware of how lucky I am to have been able to meet up with him during this deployment, but reminding myself that didn't prevent the sinking feeling I had in knowing I was traveling 20 hours back to San Diego in one direction, and he was going thousands of miles in another. As my grandma reassured me on the phone when I admitted to being a bit bummed, it's okay to not feel awesome 24/7. So, I let myself be a little sad for a few days as I recovered from jet lag and got back on track with my routine & sleep schedule (well, sorta.. still working on that part). Then on Tuesday night as I was ... [Read More]
The Power of Positivity: One Month Down
"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well." -Diane Ackerman A long hike to the top of a mountain with Harley + soaking up the sun & reading poolside + banana chocolate chip oatmeal pancakes = one glorious Saturday so far! Last night I realized that February 3rd marks 1 month down of Adam being deployed. As most people in my situation would automatically think right after realizing they're only somewhere around 15% done with their spouse being overseas, I thought ...And at least five more months until he comes home. Immediately, I forced myself to dismiss this thought, and instead looked at it this way: ONE MONTH DOWN! WITHOUT A COMPLETE EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN! OR CRYING MYSELF TO SLEEP! OR ... [Read More]