Too...

So many thoughts running through my head, so little blog writing since November! Which was around the time I starting cooking up baby boy #2!! January and February were less than delightful, but summer is here and my flowers are back and life is looking oh so lovely again, most of the time. He's growing and doing well and so am I, and for some reason lately lots of thoughts about mommyhood have been coursing through my brain, I wonder why ;)... perhaps the hormones are coursing as well?

I even considered the idea of a mommy blog, but let's face it I'm about to have TWO young boys to care for (as well as you know, 4 cats, a tank full of fish, 3 acres of garden, 110 acres of farm etc etc) so I will work on keeping it simple for now. I've realized of course, motherhood affects yoga! So this is still relevant to yoga, but for a while my posts may diverge here and there into tangential life topics, hopefully you can find a way to relate. I've continued to teach some gentle yoga, but as I enter trimester three I am paring back, and I hope to start taking a weekly class myself just to work on my inner mental landscape and not to mention a little nice stretching and resting, as my exterior physical landscape is changing and morphing by leaps and bounds each day. My blood volume is gargantuan, so is my appetite, and I'm getting kicked and explored from the inside of my abdomen on a daily basis, this is not for the faint of heart! I love you little one!! I've noticed that you seem to be rather feisty on the fetal motion front. I wonder if your personality is going to match, mellow is fine by me as well for the record. Two feisty boys may push us parents to our limits, but I know I will handle whatever happens.

During my last pregnancy, I met my doula-to-be at prenatal yoga through a strange twist of fate. My doula was supposed to be someone else, but with a health issue suddenly arising there, my doula ended up being the perfect person to help us welcome our first son into the world. Sadly that doula is no longer practicing, but I understand and will welcome the help of my doula from before, barring any catastropes, which almost anything appears to be when you are 38 or more weeks pregnant! Another little soul to nourish and care for, a consuming task so I am relishing my bits of personal freedom this summer as my son attends his preschool and a summer camp. I feel mostly ready for the baby, but I'm looking forward to a bit of down time to reflect on life and prepare for our growing family to add an entirely new member. I've greatly enjoyed our dear family of three over the last 4
+  years, but I believe our family of 4 will create a circle of love that is even bigger and better. Just today my son boxed up a prized fan of his, and said it was a present for the baby. What a sweetheart. I'm amazed by his growth this year, and so proud of him, I know it will be some adjusting for us all, but we'll handle it and we'll grow together through this new experience.

Perhaps in yoga, just like in life, we have large shifts in our thinking, in our viewpoint, in our freedom to explore the self and to simply breathe. At times, we can feel that we are barely treading water in our yoga practice, we are frustrated, tired, and overwhelmed. And then those moments of clarity burst forth, where we sense the energy around us, the love, and the peace that exist if we can clear out the monkey mind long enough to perceive it and let everything go. My hope as I have another child to care for is that I can overlook the day to day stresses and focus on the sheer joyful experience of having a baby and a preschooler to love and care for, and I can continue to also make room in life for yoga here and there. I know I will make the space where I can, and it will be good, very very good.

Namaste,
Mama Kat

These are a few of my favorite things.

Another holiday season is upon us. I find myself thinking about how to simplify, but also how to make it special and memorable. I'm planning on getting a real Christmas tree this year, it will be the first time I am the adult making this happen. Cool. I did just read the other day, keep in mind a holiday is just one day out of the year, each day is special in it's own way, and I do agree with this world view. This time of year, I start to reflect a little, looking back at the ups and downs of the year that is closing down. I've been on a bit of a health journey this year after feeling extremely fatigued this past spring. In fact, I came down with a bad tummy bug that almost made me pass out cold on the bathroom floor. That scared me. After checking in with my doctor for a physical, I found out I have a decent case of iron deficiency anemia. I had no idea how common it is, and felt foolish for not taking more iron into my body for the last five years of high need time, although I do eat a pretty healthy and varied diet so I also felt surprise. I feel like this has been going on for a while under the surface, and it was great to get the knowledge that I can do something about it and hopefully gain back energy I have been missing.

Long story short, taking iron has not totally corrected things yet (but it has helped some), so I find myself realizing I can't just take the easy way by popping an iron pill, it's not working.  So I have been pouring over articles and we've ruled out a few things, it appears for some reason I'm not absorbing/retaining iron all that well, so I am upping my vitamin C and my natural iron sources from diet and will up my iron supplement a little bit as well. Did you know oysters, mussels, parsely, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate and black strap molasses are rich in iron? Also spinach, prunes, black beans, lentils and iron skillets. They're all in my plans although to some extent they have always been there. I might draw the line at liver. Ugh :) The topic of health makes me realize how lucky I am that I have a treatable and relatively mild condition and access to good health care. I think back over my life and the moments (or months) where a friend or coworker or family member dealt with something so much more difficult. And so I feel thankful. In that spirit, here are a few of my favorite things from 2015.

• Watching Clay play by the ocean on his first ever visit to see it. He seemed to prefer sand over surf but got in the water a little bit, and it was a lovely chance to take the sun in during gloomy February. We also met our nephew Rowan for the first time so it was fun to watch the cousins play.

• Picking out four baby chicks to care for and raise. It has been a fun journey and now we have our own eggs. Alice, Marigold, Moonflower & Willie and their hilarious antics have been a unique addition to country life.

• MOPS- A cool time to meet, eat, and learn and reflect on key life issues with other moms. Pretty awesome!

• Teaching yoga to tots at the KC ZOO. Lots of fun visits with the little man to see such a variety of animals. My mom was able to come several times so we definitely got our steps in!!

• Running a 5km race while pushing the little guy up and down the numerous hills of Watkins Mill State Park. I was exhausted (*see anemia above ha*) but it was exhilarating to finish the race up a hill, and then rest!

• Driving up to Pikes Peak, watching the big horn sheep frolic, enjoying Garden of the Gods, Estes Park, and RMNP with Ed and Clay.

• Stand Up Paddleboarding for the first time ever with three of my lifelong girlfriends. Amazing. Splash, climb, repeat. Foot burn to the extreme, in such a good way.

• Watching a bona fide bagpipe player share his talent on the front porch of Breath Deep. Experiencing and guiding yoga there has been such a great flow, and I love the healthful facet this lovely place has added to Kearney. 

• Reading the Outlander series. Such a great and epic story. Still going but on the last book, not exactly sure when I began but I'm sure I'll get more sleep when it's over. Life changing.

I wish you happy "holi-days" but also happy every-days!
Namaste,
Kat

FOMO problems, yo I'll solve it!

Do you ever have fear of missing out (FOMO)? Like life is really happening and you're not a part of it?? So maybe that's why you check twitter or watch the pathetic local news (it really is just reekingly poor content), or check into facebook way too often. I'm sure I have FOMO. I admit it. Not sure why but does it really matter? The HUGE and obvious irony here is that by perusing such things, we are actually MISSING out on real life. I stumbled upon a web page recently and suddenly something clicked, I am on facebook too much, doh! I feel like I should give it a shout out. He's a little extreme. But hey, so is life.
http://zenhabits.net/ Rawr!

What in my life would be better if I wasn't sopping up moments staring at stupid stuff? So... I'm taking a week off. You can do it too, here's how if you are addicted to facebook like me. Go to password change and make up a crazy hard password that you write down somewhere and will never remember otherwise. Now, put the password somewhere that's kinda hard to get to. IF FOMO kicks in, just relax and do yoga or breathe for 5 minutes instead of getting the password. We didn't have facebook 10 years ago, it will be okay. This is as much for me as you people lol. If someone desperately needs to find you or me, they will, hopefully they are not the gestapo. Maybe it's just social isolation that makes me like facebook, I'm not sure. Being a stay at home parent can be a touch lonely, but there are ways to shore it up!

A few things I would like to work on during this week (or perhaps more?) while I'm out of the face space: getting up a little earlier so I can get some yoga in before anyone else is awake (well, before my tot is awake anyway, my Roo man is up sooo early crowing). Cook more better and eat a bigger breakfast. Lately I am starving by lunchy time, I think it's because I've been adding a touch of running to my schedule. Literally I am hangry in your face cannot function starving and feeling faint by 11:30am. I recently found out I have a tiny touch of anemia and I also blame this for my new starvation feelings, I think my body is working really hard to up my blood and muscles back to normal now that I am channeling my inner iron goddess and focusing on taking a supplement and also working in all foods iron-rich: red meat, spinach, bitter herbs and vitamin C to increase absorption, you name it I've been reading about it. Any tips for me if you have been there? Did you know about 10% of women of child bearing age are anemic? Damn. Take some iron ladies, it's good for us!! Of course, don't overdose. That's bad for us. A nice multivitamin with iron will suffice if you're not sure but by all means ask your doc to check if you are feeling fatigued, that's what I did and lo and behold, my ferritin was pathetic. I am now thinking that it's been that way for a few years. Oops.

Once I get that normal, I'm shooting for a few running goals. Nothing otherworldly. Just a 5km run in September and October, I would be happy with 12 minute miles in September and 11 minute miles in October. I think I can really get into better shape once the tot is back to preschool in late August. But honestly I can exercise some in July/August as well, he does well in the jogging stroller and all the more reason to get out of the house while it's cool in the morning.

Another task...I want to work on general house clutter. Hosting the 4th of July is a good reason to clear out the major rooms, but I even want to tackle the storage basement...dum da dum dum dum. We'll see how she goes! I should really do some before and after shots and show you guys. I just need to donate some stuff and trash some stuff and maybe even BURN some stuff (sensitive documents) yes I am a secret agent, okay?? Shhh... My inner chemist is happy with that one! It's not outside the realm of possibility, my hubby has a burn barrel and we live in the country, two strikes in my favor. We have never done it but both aspire to it. Other goals for the week, be more present with my dear tot and do some fun projects, and also keep him away from screens. We don't have a lot of screen toys like smart phones or iPads but he loves this Canadian guy on youtube named Bill and I'm quite sure his dose of Bill per week is too high. I KNOW my dose is too high.

Anywhoo, will try to check back in this week and keep ya posted here on the blog. I might even take some live film of my chickens!! I know everyone would want to see that right? They are a hoot, I mean, a bock really. They are hilarious!! How does this tie into yoga? Well maybe I will have a little extra time to focus on some zingy yoga class stuff for Wednesdays at Breathe Deep, not to mention I want to work on music a little bit too. I can already feel the facebook section of my brain morphing out a bit. I did this last summer too, that was a week of vacation but this is sort of feeling very freeing as well. Let's release the fear and find something else. JOJI? (Joy of Jumping In?)

Namaste,
Kat

Dear DAD

Just about 6 years ago, my dear dad passed away suddenly at the age of 68. We had no chance to say goodbye. So I tend to get a little sad this time of year. This was before I had a dear tot of my own. This year we are working (my mom really is doing it) on getting a bench put in at Anneberg park in Manhattan in his memory. We have been looking through some old emails and remembering his funny, thoughtful, scientific, at times silly, humble, grinning and joking ways. My family was fond of walking or running there at the park, and we spent a lot of time there with soccer and other events. 

As a parent now, I feel like I really understand my dad even more than I used to, and I see how selfless he was with his time and spirit in both his work and his family life, spending time with each of us 5 children in special ways. I am so grateful for his wonderful supportive presence in my life. So, here's something I thought I would share that is sad but true. I never got to give my dad his last father's day card. It was there on my fridge, written in and sealed up on the day he died, June 19th, 2009. So if you have a dad out there and he's a good dad, show him and tell how much you love him this father's day and share your gratitude for him, with him. The crazy part of life is, you don't really know in life when you will get a chance to do that, and so I'm going to make up a yoga quote. "Seize the present moment to share love and happiness with those people that have cared for you for so long, recognize the deep love in them, and bow to them." 

Namaste, 

Kat

Talk what you want to walk.

In life, there is a lot that can get to us and affect us and stay with us. Work, home, relationships, and even random moments can all shift our days and weeks up, or down. How we frame events, interactions, and experiences can make a big difference in the flow of our days and how we feel overall. A big component of this basic sense of self is all about how we talk to ourselves in our own minds.

Where and how does this voice get formed? I think a lot of it comes from genetics, childhood and our parents, but also from our major life experiences. Now that I'm raising my own child, I want that voice that I am sharing to be a strong and steady one. Its a fine line to walk between teaching a natural awareness of the world, to being a afraid of fearful or negative about it.

So how do we most effectively shape our voice for ourselves and our children (or friends and family) for the positive? We must start with ourselves. We need to identify our "triggers" or those areas which can have a strong impact our our own souls. Framing these with a positive angle will lead to a relaxing and happier outlook. I strongly believe keeping a feeling of gratitude is a component of how we function well. To head out to work or to a task with the view, "I'm a lucky person today because..." is far more soothing than "Now I HAVE to...". It can be hard to practice this, but over time it can become more accessible and create an entirely new frame to each day and each task.

For example, tomorrow I have some trees to plant. Quite a few. I know myself, and my mind can sometimes tend toward worry. Will the seedlings be okay overnight? Are they too wet or too dry? Will I be able to get them all planted in the free time that I have? What will happen once they are planted? But if I can seek rephrasing and refocus, the work becomes a joy. Tomorrow will be a nice day to be outside in the fresh air. I get the chance to work with my hands and shovel and create a beautiful and lasting wall of trees that perhaps someone someday will look upon and thank the planter. These trees will give wildlife homes, the planet oxygen, and create lovely shade on hot days. Then I feel at peace. And thankful that I have the ability to do something like that. And excited for the journey of the trees. I know not every plant will make it, I've learned that lesson many times over in my days of gardening. But that is okay. I will adapt, create room for something else. And that will be a another nice moment.

Speak kindly to yourself. The energy around this talk will echo in many directions.

Namaste,
Kat

Quiz about Your Tendencies

I like the author of this quiz, she wrote the Happiness Project and has a new book out. See if Gretchin Rubin's quiz helps how you see yourself!

http://www.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2015/01/ta-da-the-launch-of-my-quiz-on-the-four-tendencies-learn-about-yourself/

No need to stumble to be humble.

What is humility? In its true form, it's amazing. When I chance across it in everyday life I feel a sparkle settle over my spirit which is energizing and delightful. Self-deprecating friend. Endearing one. Humble fellow human. The opposite of ego. I am so honored when I encounter humility. I am awed. I am inspired. How do each of us encourage humility without becoming a trampling block? Without falsely letting go of our very true and real strengths?

We can do so in a way that makes me think of my dear friend, the Dalai Lama. No we have not met but I guess I see us as "kindred spirits" of sorts, perhaps that is not humble. I will simply say I am his admirer. He has a term that he likes to use and he calls it "warm-heartedness". I think humility is often practiced when we put on our warm heartedness like a cozy vest. Think of it as a thinking cap, but one of social form rather than an internal mental aid. When we are humble, we are often thinking of others in a kind and respectful way, and not overly focusing on the self. We are allowing ourselves to have a sense of humor about our self and this comes across and truly is a generous and pleasant way to live. It's essentially... LETTING GO OF EXPECTATIONS! One cornerstone of a natural and fulfilling yoga practice. Not simple or easy to obtain, I think the old adage that pride goeth before a fall could also be stated in this way: "experience preceeds humility." When we let go of a false inflated sense of self, we reveal a happier, more grateful soul that is much more comfortable to live with and within. So, let go. Release pride, no need to fall. Simply throw on a humble mien like a comfy old blanket and settle in this place. I think you and I will find it to be such a delightful niche in which to perch and interact with the world around. I certainly aspire to this humble place. Perhaps a humble home is the best one of all.

Namaste,
Kat