Good morning! I hope you are all having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. A little housekeeping to start out today’s post. If you have submitted a contact form via the contact page and haven’t heard a response…it’s because I wasn’t getting notifications! I set up the form about six weeks ago and the notifications have [...]
Yoga
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Friday I’m In Love…
May 23, 2014 { 9 comments }This is the happiest kind of Friday of them all…a long weekend Friday! Although I’m not traveling anywhere, I’m hoping to make the above photo a reality. My grand plans for the weekend include sleeping, pool time with friends, movies and just hanging out at home. Sounds like the perfect stay-cation to me! Here are [...]
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Weekend: Growth, Love & Transformation
May 19, 2014 { 26 comments }My weekend was full of celebration including the final weekend of yoga teacher training and graduation, a friend’s baby shower and the grand opening of Metro Fitness 51. My weekend was also full of reflection about how much growth, change and transformation is constantly happening around us (and within us). I stayed in on Friday [...]
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This Week’s Workouts + How I Plan My Workouts
May 18, 2014 { 15 comments }Every couple of months I find that I naturally have a “reset week” with my workouts where I dial it back and keep it simple. This was one of those weeks. In general, I don’t plan out my workouts. While I’m aware of my schedule and where I can usually fit in what, I don’t [...]
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Practice Brings Change
May 12, 2014 { 29 comments }One of the things that I say over and over again in my yoga classes is that the practice of yoga is a journey. It’s about meeting yourself on your mat practice after practice and facing whatever is going on in your body, in your head and in your heart…becoming more aware of how you feel [...]
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Last Week’s Workouts + Visiting CrossFit Above the Bar
May 12, 2014 { 6 comments }Good Monday morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. Sullie did! (Her life is really hard.) Here’s a recap of last week’s workouts. Well balanced, still heavy on the lifting/CrossFit and a complete rest day! Body feeling great and focusing on good nutrition right now. Monday AM ashtanga practice by the pool [...]
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Mother’s Day Yoga + New Playlist
May 11, 2014 { 6 comments }Happy Mother’s Day! While I wish that I could have spent the day with my mom I am so happy that I was able to celebrate Mother’s Day with her while I was in Florida last weekend. I spent my Mother’s Day with beautiful, beautiful yogis teaching class, taking class and with teacher trainees. This [...]
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Four Pigeon Variations to Stretch Tight Hips
May 9, 2014 { 17 comments }A couple of months ago I wrote about 3 yoga poses for tight, rounded shoulders. The response to the post was great and I’ve received many requests for a version focused on the hips. If I had to identify two areas of the body where my yogis, CrossFit athletes and personal training clients are tight [...]
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A Very Social Weekend (I Put on Real Clothes 4 Days in a Row!)
April 28, 2014 { 44 comments }I hope your Monday is off to a great start! I had a yoga private this morning, a coffee meeting and then I shopped and cooked meals for my client. I haven’t done a weekend recap in a while because my weekends haven’t been much to write about but I thought that putting on real [...]
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A JOYFUL Weekend of Yoga + New Playlist
April 27, 2014 { 14 comments }This was a really, really, really good yoga week on the teaching front. I am grateful every time I lead a class but this week my yogis went above and beyond with their energy and focus. They showed up BIG. I can’t even describe what it’s like to be a part of but it makes [...]
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This Week’s Workouts: I Ran 14 Miles!
April 27, 2014 { 12 comments }Good morning and happy Sunday! I missed y’all yesterday but I spent Saturday afternoon sitting in front of the computer writing about the anatomy of the core muscles so I was ready for some fresh air after that. I took Sullie for a run/walk instead of blogging. One of the things I always tell friends [...]
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This Week’s Workouts + The Best Rest Day
April 20, 2014 { 8 comments }Saturday was the best rest day ever. I bounded out of bed at 7 a.m. after an awesome night of sleep and knocked out a blog post while I drank a green smoothie. I finalized my playlists and readings and then headed off to Om Yoga to teach my Saturday morning hot vinyasa class. I [...]
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Easter Yoga + Playlist
April 20, 2014 { 10 comments }Happy Easter! For the last few years I have spent my Easter Sundays the same way I always spend Sunday mornings…teaching my 90 minute hot class at Y2. After two days of pouring rain I woke up this morning to find the sun shining, the air crisp and everything green and vibrant. It’s the perfect [...]
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This Week’s Yoga Readings + Playlist: On Taking Care
April 13, 2014 { 11 comments }Last week I shared that I’m going to start posting my weekly readings/discussion topics that I use for my yoga classes. I thought that in addition to that I will also post my playlist. Many of you have told me that you enjoy seeing my playlists (students, fellow teachers and readers looking for new music) [...]
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This Week’s Workouts: Lots of CrossFit
April 6, 2014 { 13 comments }Right on the heels of me blogging about the workout balance that works for me…I had a week with hardly any yoga and lots of CrossFit and running! The balance is definite an ebb and flow. Some weeks I’m all yoga, yoga, yoga and others it feels better or works well with my schedule to [...]
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Letting Go Of “Should Be”
April 6, 2014 { 17 comments }When I first started practicing hot yoga I looked so forward to my weekly Sunday afternoon class with Suzanne Bergen. It was not only hot and physically challenging but also spiritual and sacred. Suzanne always had a message to share with us at the beginning of class and it always seemed to be exactly what [...]
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Finding The Right Workout Balance: Lift, Run, Stretch
April 2, 2014 { 67 comments }One of the questions that I receive all the time is how to find the right workout balance between cardio, strength and mobility. I totally understand this question from both ends of the spectrum. Mindset #1 – “I do this one thing and it’s all I want to do!” I spent a good 6 years where [...]
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3 Yoga Poses for Tight, Rounded Shoulders
March 28, 2014 { 70 comments }Unlocking tight shoulders and chests are something that I focus on constantly with my yoga students, CrossFitters and training clients. Rounded shoulders and tight chest muscles have become the norm in our society as we are constantly hunched over desks and steering wheels and carrying heavy bags or children on one side of our bodies. [...]
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This Week’s Workouts + 3 Reasons Why Women Should Lift
March 23, 2014 { 93 comments }I hope everyone had a great weekend. I’ve got my weekly workout recap for you today but first I want to talk about a subject I feel passionately about…why women should lift weights. I want to start out these weekly workout posts by discussing some sort of fitness topic. Let me know if you have [...]
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Yoga Changes Things + This Week’s Workouts
March 16, 2014 { 34 comments }I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. Per usual, mine was yoga focused. I always teach on Saturday and Sunday mornings but it was also a yoga teacher training weekend for Y2 and I am assisting with training this year so my afternoons were spent in the training. I am approaching my third anniversary of teaching [...]
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Weekend: Furniture, FroYo and Yoga Clothes
March 9, 2014 { 12 comments }It has been the most beautiful weekend here in Charlotte. Blue skies and 70+ degrees. Happy! It was so nice to have a weekend at home for the first time in several weeks. I spent my time catching up, running errands, working around the house and teaching. I can’t wait to share my ALDI trip [...]
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This Week’s Workouts + Being TOO Sore
March 8, 2014 { 15 comments }Let me give you one piece of advice. Don’t go on vacation for 9 days without lifting a single heavy weight and then crush your body the first day back in the gym with heavy squats and front rack lunges. Squatting and lunging are my two favorite lower body exercises and when they were BOTH [...]
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Vacation Week Workouts
March 2, 2014 { 13 comments }Hi! I’m home! I kind of decided to take a break with the blogging for the last few days of vacation and focus on writing during my limited working hours and soaking up the experience the remainder of the time. There was a moment yesterday where I thought “I could blog or I could take [...]
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So Much Beautiful
February 28, 2014 { 14 comments }Only two days left of this amazing trip so soaking up all the sun, friends, yoga and relaxation that I can. Here is a quick photo recap of what my days have looked like. It’s truly been a trip full of beautiful everything…moments, people, scenery. I have been getting up at 5:30 or 6 most [...]
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This Week’s Workouts + Learning to Love Deadlifts
February 23, 2014 { 17 comments }My workouts this week were really well balanced. Three strength training workouts, two good runs and lots of yoga. Furthermore, I loved the balance of my strength workouts with one big squat day, one deadlift focused day and one all over circuit training day. As I’ve mentioned before, I try to get in barbell squats [...]
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Arriving and Exhaling
February 22, 2014 { 14 comments }Hola from Mexico! My alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. and I happily bolted out of bed to get ready for an early flight. We have a great airport in Charlotte and I knew there would be lots of good breakfast options. It was nice not to have to choke down breakfast at home at [...]
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Weekend & Winners
February 17, 2014 { 23 comments }My weekend was nothing too exciting but perfect for me. I’ll give you one guess what the theme of it was… Yep, yoga. I am assisting with 200-hour teacher training this winter/spring and we had a teacher training weekend scheduled. (They complete the 200 hours over the course of eight weekends and assisting/observation work done [...]
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This Week’s Workouts (They Made Me Sore!)
February 16, 2014 { 19 comments }My workouts this week were kind of all over the place due to the snow but I was sore all week! First from a CrossFit WOD and then from the snow day home workout that I did. It’s been a long time since I’ve been as sore as I was this week. Monday Hot Yoga [...]
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Weekend: Crazy Curls + Massage + Yoga
February 10, 2014 { 21 comments }Good morning and happy Monday! I am setting my intention to have a focused and productive week that includes LOTS of writing for my book. :) Before I dive into the new week, here’s a look back at a few weekend highlights. Fun fact: my hair is naturally curly/wavy but I never wear it this [...]
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Day In The Life Tuesday: Different Every Day
February 4, 2014 { 20 comments }Hey, hey! Hope everyone had an awesome Tuesday. For whatever reason this always seems like the best day to do a “day in the life” post because my Tuesdays have always been my busiest and most diverse days since day one of this fitness full time gig. So, here’s your day in the life Tuesday! [...]
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Purge Part 2 + Rooster’s Reward Dinner
February 3, 2014 { 14 comments }I can’t say that this was a fun weekend but it was necessary. Other than a work happy hour on Friday, I had zero social engagements to distract me from the great purge of 2014. I fully own that I had a mini-meltdown last night while I was standing in the middle of the bedroom [...]
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This Week’s Workouts + Brady Bands Giveaway
February 2, 2014 { 138 comments }Happy Super Bowl Sunday! (Yesterday someone asked me what I was doing for the game and I asked them, “what game is even on tomorrow?” True story.) I’m checking in with my weekly workout recap but I also have a fun giveaway for you at the end so read on! Overall, it was a great [...]
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Weekend: Lulu Trip, Sushi, Yoga & Movies
January 27, 2014 { 25 comments }Happy Monday! I hope the week is off to a great start for everyone. I got to sleep until 7:30 this morning so I am feeling pretty amazing after almost 9 hours of sleep. The rest of the week won’t be so kind with 5:30 and 6 a.m. clients to I took advantage while I [...]
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Five Ways to Beat Fitness Plateaus
January 26, 2014 { 16 comments }Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s already Sunday evening. This weekend flew by in a haze of yoga, yoga and more yoga. Literally, I was either practicing, teaching or assisting teacher training 10 hours each day. Needless to say that’s pretty much my idea of perfection and I am overflowing with gratitude and happiness that [...]
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Weekly Workouts: Back to Ashtanga + Last BodyPump Class
January 19, 2014 { 12 comments }Time for the weekly workout recap. This is a new weekly series that I’ve started in the last couple of months. I think it’s easier to give you a holistic view of the week and how I felt throughout than to sprinkle it throughout the week. I’m kind of trying to do the same thing [...]
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The Walls Come Crumbling Down
January 13, 2014 { 37 comments }Last weekend was…emotionally heavy. The studio where I teach started their fourth teacher training on Friday night. I participated in the very first training the studio offered three years ago and have now been teaching yoga for three years. I wrote a post about my experience in teacher training. Every year when a new yoga [...]
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It’s January in the Fitness Industry!
January 11, 2014 { 13 comments }This week was…insane. There is no other word for it. January in the fitness industry is everything that it’s hyped up to be. I was booked solid with clients and classes and my inbox overfloweth with many other fitness and training related opportunities. I also have a list of things about a mile long that [...]
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This Week’s Workouts + New Playlist
January 5, 2014 { 16 comments }This was a much lighter week for me on the workout front. A lot of yoga, minimal running and only one CrossFit workout. Also, two complete rest days. I say this all the time but I really listen to my body when it comes to structuring my workouts. I try to stay true to whatever [...]
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A Pho-Tastic Start to the Year & Some Shopping Finds
January 2, 2014 { 26 comments }Happy second day of 2014! It’s cold and gray here in Charlotte but I’m combating that by eating lots of comfort food like oatmeal and grilled cheese and tomato soup and I have a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup going on the stove for tonight’s dinner. And as usual I’m drinking hot tea [...]
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Day in the Life Monday
December 30, 2013 { 7 comments }I thought today was a good “day in the life” post for you. It’s a little different because almost all of my PT clients are traveling and not training this week but it still gives you a good idea of what a working day looks like for me. 6 a.m. – alarm goes off. I [...]
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Party Weekend + Winners
December 30, 2013 { 13 comments }Hi! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Today I want to share some weekend photos with you and then announce the winners of my most recent giveaway. Saturday night we had our holiday staff party for Y2 Yoga. I spent half the day at the mall making returns and checking out the after holiday [...]
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Running Is The Easiest Travel Workout + This Week’s Workouts
December 29, 2013 { 15 comments }Even with the Christmas holiday this was a good workout week for me. One of my favorite things about running is that you can do it anywhere with minimal equipment and minimal time. No driving to a gym or yoga studio, you can just head out of the door and go. It’s always my default [...]
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Wrapping It Up
December 24, 2013 { 4 comments }Merry Christmas Eve! I’m headed to Georgia for Christmas with my family. The past few days have been a whirlwind of last minute shopping, baking, packing and wrapping. This was the scene in my living room last night as I tackled all the gifts that needed to be wrapped while I watched Elf. Sullie acted [...]
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Five Miles Never Felt So Good
December 21, 2013 { 9 comments }Happy weekend! Mine is a balance between hanging out and relaxing and running around trying to get the last of Christmas taken care of. This month flew by! It is a beautiful day here in North Carolina – 72 and a little overcast with peeks of sunshine coming through the clouds. It was too nice [...]
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Accidental Arugula Smoothie & A Really Strong Workout Week
December 14, 2013 { 9 comments }Well, I don’t have much to share with you from my Saturday. It’s cold and has been raining all day here in Charlotte. I slept until 8 and then headed to Om Yoga to teach a hot vinyasa class at 9:30. It’s my second week teaching there and I am loving it so much. I [...]
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Weekend of Celebration
December 10, 2013 { 15 comments }Last weekend was one of those special weekends full of love, fun and friends. On Friday night I attended the Tupelo Honey preview party where I ran into so many friends I don’t see often. After dinner I went to a screening of an amazing documentary that deserves its own post. I left with my [...]
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The Week in Food and Fitness
December 8, 2013 { 26 comments }Please vote for my Chicken Marsala Mac and Cheese recipe in the Colombo Marsala Wine Challenge. It takes two seconds! My dish is today’s featured recipe on their Facebook page! Like ,share and help spread the word!!! Hi there! Hope y’all are staying warm. It has been such a wonderful weekend. I have a ton to [...]
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Five Things I’m Doing To Age Gracefully & Healthfully
December 6, 2013 { 20 comments }Let’s have an honest conversation about aging and growing old. I think it’s easy to have tunnel vision when it comes this topic. We have the tendency to limit aging to focus more on the next phase in our life instead of the overall big picture. So for us growing older means hitting common social [...]
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Working Out At Home And Away
December 1, 2013 { 15 comments }Hola! I’m in the Dominican Republic until Monday but wanted to check in while I wait for room service to bring my breakfast.Then I think I’m going to take a long walk on the beach followed by a massage and then laying on the beach reading. It’s a tough life here. The wedding was last [...]
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A Perfect Thanksgiving Eve
November 27, 2013 { 2 comments }I have had a wonderful Thanksgiving Eve. It started bright and early with teaching my normal Wednesday 6:30 a.m. yoga class at Y2 but I was blown away to walk in and find over 50 yogis waiting eagerly on their mats to start their morning with a practice. I guess everyone was trying to get [...]
