Month: January 2016

Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked…or Equestrians 

Posted on by horseyogagirl

  Winter came in with a bang this month in the mid-Atlantic. Our “winter” here in northern Virginia had consisted mostly of sunny, mild days. Suddenly, Mother Nature remembered what season it was and said, “Oops, here’s all the snow and cold you’ve been missing.” Snowstorm Jonas began rolling in about midday Friday. I got off of work early from my barn manager job and went to play in the fast-accumulating snow with my horse. We went for a ride, during which we saw a beautiful, bright red fox absolutely resplendent against the white snow. Then I tucked my horse in for the night and went home to hunker down. 

  
When I awoke Saturday morning, I couldn’t believe my eyes—there was a wondrous amount of snow! Driving was out of the question. I shoveled our way out of the house and my mom and I walked to the barn in the midst of the blizzard. 

  
It felt like we were on the set of The Day After Tomorrow. After 45 minutes of braving the wind and snow, we arrived to the barn. 

  
The horses had all survived the night, but they’d have to deal with staying in, and they weren’t too happy about it. They looked longingly out of their stall windows, craving to stretch their legs and stimulate their minds. All we could do was provide them with clean stalls, hay, and water, and promise them they wouldn’t be cooped up forever. 

  
By Sunday morning, the snow had stopped. With the help of a kind neighbor who visited the barn, I shoveled a path to the paddock closest to the barn. 

  
The horses could finally stretch their legs after being confined to their stalls since Friday night. Most of the horses had never seen this much snow, and their expressions were priceless. They thoroughly enjoyed playing in the snow, for about 10 minutes, then they were worn out. It was quite a bit of work to wade through all that snow. I rode my horse again for a few minutes, pretending to be in Game of Thrones (bring it on, White Walkers!). 

   
   
The horses had to spend the night in the barn again, but they seemed much more content. They peacefully munched their hay as I bid them farewell for the evening. 

  
You don’t get days off when you have horses. Sometimes you even have to walk 45 minutes in a blizzard to go take care of them. But I wouldn’t trade it for a thing. 

Watch a video of the horses playing in the snow! 

Out of the Woods…And into the Garden

Posted on by horseyogagirl

Ever since I returned from Costa Rica at the beginning of December, I’ve been searching my heart and trying to figure out what to do with my life and how to use my gifts to best serve others. I felt like I was lost in the woods. I took steps to get another “real job,” but I felt quite a bit of anxiety about it. My passion is with yoga and horses. So I made what some would consider the not-so-smart decision and turned down the “real job.” I had faith that I would find a way to do work that spoke to my heart.

Well, I asked and the universe answered. I’ll soon begin work with Wheatland Farm as its barn manager. It provides therapeutic riding and an array of other services and activities. I’m thrilled to be a part of such meaningful work.

I spent a few hours today at the bucolic Oatlands Historic House and Gardens. I’ll be teaching yoga there every Sunday (except the first Sunday of the month) beginning February 21st. On the first Sunday of each month, my yoga mentor, Denise Moore, will be teaching, and I highly recommend attending her class, too. During the colder months, we’ll practice in the cozy greenhouse among the refreshing energy of the plants. Once it’s warm, we’ll practice outside in the lush gardens.

Stay tuned for more yoga classes to be added to my schedule. They’ll be posted here. There are lots of other exciting things in the works, and I can’t wait for them to come to fruition so I can share them all with you.

I’ve always followed my heart, and it has yet to lead me astray. We all have gifts, and it’s up to each of us to figure out what those gifts are and how to use them to serve others. If you spend your life chasing money, power, fame, and material objects, you’ll never be happy. Spend your life instead sharing your gifts, helping others, making this world a better place, bit by bit. Follow your heart and the rest will fall into place.

dancer in the garden.JPG

What’s the Time?

Posted on by horseyogagirl

Last night’s new moon provoked an emotional journey into the past and a night of very restless sleep. All kinds of memories about my pony Sugar Maple came rushing back to me, and the grief felt as fresh as it did the day I said goodbye to him forever. Grief is not something you get through; it’s something you learn to carry. Some days the load is light, and others it’s crushing.

Sugar.jpg

When I finally did fall asleep, I had a dream the moon herself must have sent me to help me feel better. The Dalai Lama came to me and I asked him for his most wise piece of advice. He replied, “The only time is now.” I recently had a realization that I was letting certain things in my life stop me from being happy—that I was actually stopping myself from being happy. Truly the only moment is this present one. Focusing on NOW makes it easier for me to recognize how much I have to be grateful for instead of focusing on what I’ve lost.

I had the privilege of attending a yoga class with my most favorite teacher, Denise Moore, this morning. She led my 200-hour teacher training, and to practice pranayama, meditation, and asanas led by her this morning was such a treat. Towards the end of our practice, Denise guided us through a lovingkindess meditation. We silently repeated to ourselves, “May I be safe. May I be happy. May I be healthy and strong. May I live life with ease.” We then extended the intention out to our loved ones (including our four-legged loved ones!), and then out further to our town, our state, and I eventually thought of the entire earth, humanity, animals, plants, and insects. I felt a serene oneness with the earth. When Denise mentioned living life with ease, she pointed out that this doesn’t mean challenges don’t arise—it means that when they do, we continue to let go.

I’ve learned that letting go doesn’t fix everything, but it does give me the strength to listen to my inner wisdom and find creative solutions to whatever challenges I’m facing. Letting go doesn’t mean going down the river without a paddle; it means accepting that you’re going down the river no matter what, but that you can choose which rapids to go over.

What’s stopping you from being happy? I’m going to bet that deep down, it’s you. So get out of your own way and let yourself feel joy and love and compassion. Life isn’t always rainbows and sunshine, but as Vivian Greene said so well, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

What’s Yoga Really About?

Posted on by horseyogagirl

  

I want this to be the year people stop using the excuse of being inflexible for the reason they don’t do yoga. My urdhva dhanurasana didn’t look like this when I started practicing eight years ago. There were poses I never thought I’d be able to do that are now easy for me. My strength, flexibility, and balance have all improved through my years of practicing. And the great thing is, there’s always room to grow, no matter how “advanced” you become. 

Let’s also remember that yoga is not even about being flexible. We’ve become obsessed with contortion yoga, and aspiring to look like some of the people out there who can bend their bodies certain ways can really be harmful for those whose bodies don’t move like that. Let’s remember that yoga is about quieting the mind. Let’s remember that yoga is not just the asanas (postures), but also meditation and pranayama (breath work). Let’s remember that truly any BODY can do yoga. Let’s make 2016 the year yoga feels accessible to anyone. The year we focus on proper alignment instead of contortion. The year we remember the importance of pranayama and meditation in our daily practice. The year we remember what yoga is really about.