Seems like such a simple question.  I often end my classes asking this.  Once the sweaty flow is over and everyone is basking in the light and energy of a deep savasana, they all curl up into a ball and rest for a moment.  I ask everyone to pause in that fetal position.  Many times it's used as a pit-stop on the way to sitting back up on the mat.  But, I adore this pose.  The fetal position is one that represents new life and fresh starts.  We get a chance to "start over" after each practice.  Essentially, we get to press the reset button.  We have the ability to step off the mat as the person we want to be.  We can decide there how we want to show up in the world. 

Do you ever think about that? I often reflect on how I used to show up.  I was quiet, anxious and fearful.  I wanted to show up as someone strong, competent and able to share my message.  I knew the person I wanted to be.  And I knew that's not the person I was being. 

Now I'm very aware of how I show up for people.  I want to be support for my husband.  I want to be a guide for my students.  I want to be an eager student for my teachers.  And I want to be a messenger and voice for anxiety for the world and share my experiences and healing journey with as many people as I can!  

We all have people we want to show up for.  And we have desires of how we want to show up for ourselves.  Think about the energy you want to share with the people around you.  Don't let your fear push you up against a wall.  

The next time you finish your practice, curl up into that fetal position and think about who you want to be and how you can be that for the world.  We are so incredibly lucky to get that 'do-over' and fresh start everytime we step off the mat. Let's not waste this beautiful opportunity to shine bright!

xo b 

Anxiety often blocks our ability to find gratitude and contentment in our daily lives. Anxiety leads us towards feelings of fear, stress and insecurity.  


It's during these times that we need to focus on appreciation and santosha (contentment). Our santosha practice helps guide us to find peace regardless of what our path presents us with. Santosha is one of five niyama practices that can be found in the eightfold path in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra and encourages us to find satisfaction with what we are given in life.  


Here are 3 tips to help guide you to gratitude and practice santosha 


1- keep a journal with you at all times. during the day, write down everything you find yourself being grateful for and satisfied with. whether big or small, write it down! the act of writing it down makes you become aware of what you are thankful and happy for and at the end of the night before you go to sleep, pull out the journal, read what you wrote down and reflect on all of your daily blessings. *the coolest part about this practice is that you go to sleep with a heart full of appreciation. 

2- offer sincere moments of gratitude to everyone around you. go out of your way to show the people you love how much you appreciate them. tell your friends, family and co-workers that you are thankful for them and truly express appreciation for what they do. spread this appreciation far and wide- to the stressed out barista that makes your morning latte to the office intern who helps organize your files. when you operate from a place of gratitude, you will bring more things to be grateful for into your life. offering it outward, helps you feel it and experience it inward. 

3- create a mantra. make one that empowers you, reminds you to find peace with what is and be grateful for it. write that mantra on the cover of your gratitude journal. write it on post-its and stick them around your house. make it your background on your laptop and phone. incorporate it into your meditations. do whatever you can to expose yourself to this mantra everyday. and most importantly, say it when you notice ungrateful, anxious and disempowering thoughts come up. 

what are you thankful for today?
i am thankful for you. 

xo, b

-gabrielle bernstein

I love the above quote from gabby bernstein. I think what I love most about it is that I have so much experience with this!  

Many times in my life things happened that caused me to re-evaluate my relationships with those around me. I began to carry the heavy burden of anger, resentment and grudges towards people and situations that I felt I had no control over and were causing me pain. No matter how hard I tried to let these emotions go, something would come up again to make all of these feelings resurface.  Before I knew it, holding onto anger about certain situations was becoming my full-time job. 

Forgiveness is something I used to see as a weakness.  I used to believe that if I forgave someone, I was allowing them to continue to hurt me. I saw it as an external practice.  I thought if I offerered forgiveness, that meant I accepted the way I was being treated and accepted that person or situation. It took me a long time to see the power of forgiveness.  It is the exact opposite of what I used to believe it to be. Forgiveness is one of the most powerful things you can do for YOURSELF. 
This continues to be a daily practice for me and one I do truly for myself. I forgive and let go of resentments because it frees me. I let go of grudges so I can continue to grow into my truest self and not let other people's crap hold me back. And the forgiveness I offer releases much of my anxiety and stresses. It's definitely not an easy practice, but it's one I truly believe in as being key to eliminating anxiety and stress and allowing you to feel the freedom you deserve. 

I wanted to share with you my Forgiveness Meditation


-sit up tall in a comfortable position, rest your hands on your knees with palms down (for grounding energy)
-begin to breathe deeply into your belly through your nose
-after you settle into a deep and calming breath, close your eyes and begin to visualize the person or situation that you're struggling with offering forgivness to
-breathe in and acknowledge the experience, accept the feelings and emotions that come up 
-exhale and release them with intention and purpose


here's a mantra to use during this practice:


-INHALE: i accept you/this situation and i understand the resentments i feel no longer serve me
-EXHALE: i let you/this situation go, and with that i also let go of my anger/frustration/hurt (whichever emotion is most powerful for you and is holding you back)

INHALE: i offer forgiveness to both you/this situation and to myself
EXHALE: i release resentments and replace them with love 

don't worry if you're not a meditation maven, just do what feels naturally!  remember, this is a practice for YOU. we forgive others to set ourselves free. 
xo, b 

It's no secret I'm a big fan of EFT (emotional freedom technique, also known as Tapping). It's so easy to do and I love to incorporate anything into my life that relieves stress, renews my energy and can be done at a moment's notice.  

I put together a quick 101 on the tapping points:

The points to tap, in order:
 -karate chop edge of the hand
-between your eyebrows
-outside edge of eye
-under eye
-under nose
-chin
-center of chest
-underneath your arm (below the armpit)
-top of head

when you start on the edge of your hand, say a 'set up statement' 3x. this statement sounds something like this:
"even though [insert the issue you're working through] i completely love and accept myself"

the set up statement can really have any ending that works most powerfully for you. the issue can be anything from having immense anxiety, struggling with depression, feeling out of control, trouble letting go of anger... really anything you're working through. and the end part should be something that makes you feel powerful. i happen to believe strongly in always planting seeds in my mind and body of self love and acceptance, since i spent many years struggling with that, so that happens to be the end of the statement i use most. but it can be interchangable. it should be something that speaks to you. say this statement 3x while tapping the edge of hand. 

next, move onto all the other tapping points in order. doesn't matter what side you tap on. as you tap begin to say how your issue makes you feel, the emotions you're going through, what's happening in your body. be honest here. let it flow! i kind of compare this to the exercise of free writing. just free tap! let all your gripes, fears and feelings flow!  and tap out on each point for as many times as you like- start with at least 5-10 taps on each point.

when you're done tapping, close your eyes, take a deep breath and long exhale. feel the shifts in your energy! 

the most beautiful part of this practice is that there's really no right or wrong. your set up statement can be anything that speaks to you, you can tap as many or few times as you'd like, you can go through the whole tapping process for as long as you'd like. there's an element of being intuitive here that i just adore! 

so tap away wellness warriors! 

xo, b

Everything that happens in our lives is neutral until we give it a meaning.  We have the power through our thoughts and interpretations to create challenges or blessings.  We can create our world through how we CHOOSE to see it. 

Be miracle-minded. 

xo, b

I'm often asked by students and clients what I personally do to work through my stress and anxiety.  

I have a few practices (tools in my kit!) that I rely on heavily- and daily- to keep me cool, calm and collected and I'm very excited to share them with you!

My Go-To Stress Busters:

1) Yoga- of any kind! Any movement, whether a sweaty vinyasa or a chill yin class helps me untangle the knots of stress that I hold in my body.  Moving my body takes me out of my mind and keeps me focused on the present. 

2) Meditation- A quick 5-10 minute mini-meditation is usually all it takes.  I practice a visualization meditation where I relax every muscle in my body and picture myself strong, capable and overcoming whatever challenge I'm facing.  I also vividly picture my desired outcome. This helps plant the seeds in my subconscious of what I want and need to happen. 

3) Morning Ritual- I literally wake up 2 hours before I need to be out the door.  Whether to teach a class, run an errand or workout, I'm always up 2 hours (if not earlier!) beforehand. A lot of people laugh at this, but it ensures I always start my day in a relaxed way.  I read, write, meditate, listen to my favorite tunes in the shower, have a filling breakfast, enjoy some coffee, walk my dog... and then i'm on my way. If I start my day rushed and chaotic, it usually stays that way! And I get very stressed when I'm rushed. 

4) Sleep/Bedroom Tranquility- I have worked my schedule out so that I do not teach late evenings anymore.  I make sure to always get my rest when I need it.  It keeps me centered. I have made my bedroom an oasis that I love to unwind in.  Having this tranquil room to escape to at the end of a long, busy day helps me rejuvenate. It is a phone-free/work-free zone. 

5) EFT/Tapping- I LOVE to tap! I have experiened monumental shifts in my perception and energy since I started tapping.  I tap in my car, before class, during stressful times and sometimes even when I first wake up in the morning. I am in love with how I feel after I work through a tapping session. It's quick, easy and powerful!

Those are some of my stress-busters I practice in my daily life.  I also like to sprinkle in workouts, journaling and deep belly breathing when needed. While many of my tools in this kit ebb and flow (such is life!) those top 5 are my everyday essentials.  And every now and again, a glass of wine doesn't hurt either!

xo, b

My class theme this week has been the intention of love.  There are so many different types of love we offer out every day.  However, the one person that always seems to be standing at the back of that line is... US!  
Ever notice how you're often hardest on yourself?  People with anxiety are naturally type-a and have perfectionistic tendencies.  Those two traits sometimes lead us to be even harder on ourselves than we even realize.  
Here are some heart-opening poses that will help alleviate depression and ease anxiety.  These poses also focus on the intention of love by expressing our hearts outward and allow us to share this intention with the universe. 

COBRA/UPWARD FACING DOG
-Start on your belly, press your palms down underneath your shoulders and hug your arms into your rib cage with elbows up
-Begin to press into your hands and curl yourself up. Lift up to full upward facing dog pose by straightening the arms gently, looking up to the sky and lifting your knees off the ground (toes stay down, pointed).  If your back is tight or injured, only lift halfway up into Cobra. Lift only up to your ribcage and focus the lift from your back rather than your hands. 
-Practice a few rounds of this, inhaling up and exhaling back down onto your stomach.
*keep your shoulders back and spread open through your collarbones to keep your heart open and shining!

BOW POSE
-Start lying face down with your hands resting by your hips.
-Bend your knees and reach back to hold your ankles or the tops of your feet.
-Press your feet against your hands and begin to lift up off the ground.  Take your time lifting. Use the energy between your hands and feet to lift deeper into your backbend. 
**before you lift up, roll your shoulders back. as you deepen your backbend here over time, begin to roll into your belly and feel a lift through your thighs.you can roll forward and backward if you have that available to you.

FISH POSE
-Lie on your back and reach your hands by your hips
-Tuck your hands under your hips, palms facing down
-Lift onto your forearms and gently begin to ease your head down
-Some might stay here for awhile. If you have more range of motion, release the top of your head down onto the ground/mat, crown of your head to the floor. 
-Keep your legs pressed together. Lift up through your chest and feel your heart expand.
**focus on the lower back here as you create this pose. If your back doesn't support this alone, keep your forearms on the ground to help give you lift


Another super quick heart opener you can do is interlace your hands behind your back and pull your knuckles towards the ground.  Feel your shoulders roll back, begin to backbend and look towards the sky. 

Make sure your back is warmed up and stretched before moving through any backbends!  

Set your intention today to create self love. Be mindful of your thoughts. Be aware of your energy.  Notice how you're showing up for yourself on a daily basis. Shift your perspective and be first on line to receive your love and acceptance!

with LOVE,

xo b