i seriously loved this documentary.

too many good parts to mention--just watch it for yourself and see.

blessed yogini.

isn't ayelet the most lovely yoga lady? we took these pictures in dumbarton oaks park over in georgetown. we walked ten minutes away from the road and suddenly we were in a little fairy glen of greenness. ayelet described it best by saying that the whole shoot conveyed the mother earth sukha (sanskrit for softness, openness). i think this makes sense because ayelet expresses her own sense of sukha so well (and has some awesomely defined tricep muscles that show her developed capacity for sthira (strength)).

as long as we are on yoga, i found a list of pantajili's yamas and niyamas that i copied from one of my mom's yoga books. as i am always trying to remember to live by these, i thought i would share them, along with some of my mom's notes in the margin (her thoughts are the ones punctuated by "quotation marks." i've been studying these for the past few years and it's interesting how all of a sudden one will become really interesting to me. last year i was all about the svadyaya--just looking again and again at the way that i act and think about things. this year i am really feeling the importance of tapas, disciplined practice, for me to be true to myself. but really, it's always ahimsa, non-violence, that is really the centerpiece of this whole yoga practice. if i start there then i know--especially with how i treat myself--that pretty much i will be in alignment with the way i want to be living. let me know what speaks to you...

yama and niyama: conscious relationship with your world and yourself
"awareness. it's about eliminating distractions from your path. without spiritual connection, yoga is just exercise. the wise use of all our gifts--increases them. unwise use--decreases them"

yama--"based on non-violence"
social ethics

ahimsa, non-violence/compassion
behave in kindness, friendliness, compassion, and thoughtful consideration for all beings and things, as well as yourself. "in the presence of one established in compassion (non-violence) all hostility dissolves. co-listening. violence--intent to harm (usually because we feel threatened)"

satya, non-deception/truthfulness
practice conscious communication through speech, writing, gesture, and actions. consider what you say, how you say it and in what way it could affect others. "for one established in truth, the results fit the action"

asteya, non-stealing/honesty
take advantage of no person or situation for personal gain. "generosity. the persona established in honesty lives in abundance"

brahmacharya, non-abuse of sexual energy, conscious sexuality, energy management
honor your sexuality and that of others. create relationships that foster your understanding of the highest truths. "on established in conscious sexuality has abundant energy"

aparigraha, non-greed/security
take only what you need and nothing more. "one who is consistently w/o greed understands the meaning of life"

niyamas "based on purification"
personal practices

saucha, purity
maintain cleanliness of body, mind, and surroundings. "over exposure to bad language, sexuality, violence, gossip de-sanitizes us. there is a the possibility for attaining equilibrium, purity, well-being, focus, mastery of the senses, and ultimately self-realization"

santosha, contentment
practice being comfortable with what you have and what you do not have. embrace all experiences as opportunities to learn and grow. "contentment brings supreme joy"

tapas, discipline
increase the heat that burns impurities through practices that keep you body/mind fit and healthy; proper sleep, exercise, nutrition, work, and relaxation "through disciplines that strengthen and purify body, mind, and senses one becomes capable of extraordinary abilities. ability to endure pain"

svadhyaya, self-examination
observe, read, study, practice, reflect, review and observe your progress so that you may see yourself more clearly. "therapy. self-study (sacred texts) brings realization of one's true nature"

isvarapranidhana, spiritual attunement
'let go and let god.' attune to the all-knowing presence within you and allow that presence to direct your actions. "develops extraordinary abilities. experiencing the presence (of god) to see what's real"

ayurveda myths.

i love this piece by anne thiel about how ayurveda doesn't have to be so extreme. i especially dig that part at the end where she talks about beer being good for people with vata imbalances :)

love this song.

thanks acacia for turning me on to jazmine.

taking care.

peace lily success.

last week i had my first vedic astrology reading. the guy's name is peter and when i talked to him on the phone, he sounded like your average 30-something dude. then he told me a lot of things--some obvious, some more complicated--and hearing it all made sense and made me feel a lot better about this life i am living. his main message to me was how important it was for me to take care of myself and give myself stability. i told him that sometimes i feel selfish for spending so much time making sure that i am rested, well-feed, yogaed, and in touch with my emotions, etc. "nah," he said, "that stuff is really good for you." he told me if i continued to follow that path then good things were going to come my way so who am i to argue with that?

i inherited the above peace lily when i moved back to dc and since having it, it has failed to thrive. the only exception to this was when i went to peru for a month and my subleaser diana, quite an earthmother, took care of it for me. i came back and was happy to find two of the white blossoms sticking above the green leaves. then it went back to my care and i watched them shrivel up in following weeks. i told everyone that the plant didn't really like me that much, but the reality was i wasn't giving it what it needed. i have since learned that it likes to shower with me once a week, with little bits of watering in the meantime, and likes to be turned now and then so all of it's leaves get good sun. i've been really dedicated about keeping up with it over this past month and then last week, i noticed a little patch of white. it's started to open today and i am quite proud to report that there are two others starting to come up as well.

(note that in in this past month i have also been doing a really deep food/herb cleanse, keeping my room super clean and uncluttered, making my own yoga practice a priority again, making sketchbook art again, and being vigilant about my morning writing practice).

having another life form's well-being linked to mine is best possible mirror for me to see how i am doing. i feel embarrassed that it's taken me three years to figure out what it needs, but relieved that i am doing this learning on a plant and not on a pet or even a child. i've always said that i don't want to have kids until i figure out how to take care of myself and although i know i still have much to learn, this feel like a sign that i am figuring out all those little things that help me to flow and be my happiest, healthiest self. my wish is that this continues to radiate outward.

happy weekend everyone! xoxo

peru meets peru.

a little long but worth it if you've ever spent time in peru.

lastest zooborn to make me squeal outloud.

baby advark.

this guys lives at busch gardens. read the full story here.

this charming city.

two ferocious spirits in warm and fuzzy exteriors (my boo is ferociously awesome)

site of the best crab cakes in baltimore (according to all the awards on their wall) and we were not disappointed

go to the visionary art museum and see their humor exhibit and you will feel better about life (especially if you sit on the whoopie cushion chair)

ay ay, this breakfast burrito and cinnamon roll at blue moon cafe were incredible and worth the hour+ wait

baltimore in orange (taken from the patterson park pagoda where adam and i went on a sketchbook adventure while escaping the rain)