I’ve been playing with the new iPhone app from the bloggers of the wildly popular A Beautiful Mess blog and it’s too much fun – I had to share. They’ve created a rather addictive little habit! #cantstop #wontstop
Here are some pics I edited with the app recently. Some of which I’ve shared on Instagram. Hey, are you following me on Instagram? If not, you can find me at @natanyahaviva. Let’s be friends.
#abeautifulmess 
An afternoon scrolling through Twitter brought me to a link from Jonathan Fields, creator of the Good Life Project, a weekly web-based TV show focusing on creativity and the entrepreneurial stories of taste-makers and thought-leaders. (My boss Kris Carr was a recent guest!)
This ‘Living Creed’caught my eye so fast that before I had even read through the whole thing I was pinning it to save for later. And then I thought – why wait? I had to share it with you NOW. Read through the creed and go live your good life. xo
Like this? Get more here: Good Life Project.
During the week Simeon is either at school, driving to/from school, or studying for school, and I’m usually at one or the other job. This leaves very little overlapping free time so when miraculously we do have an hour or two together we do what we can to make the most of it.
As the weather has warmed we’ve been antsy to spend more time outside among the new blossoms, the extra people milling about town, and the beautiful vistas nearby.
Last week we took a pleasant stroll down Warren Street to one of my favorite places in Hudson–The Spotty Dog Books & Ale. Spotty Dog is a bar/bookstore that sells both really great books and really delicious micro-brews (as the name implies). You can sit at the bar and chat up a friend or lounge in a comfy chair by the window while you browse a book. Whoever came up with this place was a genius. Absolutely.
We stopped in for a late afternoon brew and a little QT. ‘Twas divine.
Hudson is a tragically beautiful town. The gritty gray streets are full of storied charm. I love taking walks around my neighborhood because every day there is a new detail to discover in someone’s doorway or an abandoned alley filled with lost treasure waiting patiently to be found (whether whimsical graffiti or modern art!). On a recent walk I couldn’t help but notice just how square Hudson is.
I mean it literally.
Federal style buildings, large windows, framed doorways… square, square, square.
Click any photo to view the full gallery.
I did it. I bought yoga.
I mean, I bought a membership to a local studio. In the past few years of regular practice, this is the first time I’ve purchased a series of yoga classes (besides the ubiquitous intro deals of 10 for $10). Maybe you are like me and have wavered on forking over your cash for what is basically rolling around on the floor. Which, of course, you can do from the privacy of your home with only Toto (or Molly in my case) to watch you wriggle.
Why did I buy?
A friend recently recounted a delicious yoga class she took while visiting a friend in Philly. They both ended the class on their mats, weeping in release. I remembered those kinds of classes. The kinds that stretch you. The kinds that break you. And the kinds that not-always-elegantly-crack open your closed encrusted heart revealing You. With a capital Y.
Instructors as Guides
I didn’t realize it until she told me the story, but my heart, my soul center, has been feeling a little encrusted lately. Not for any particular reason other than the common resistance that is natural to life. But it needs a little (or maybe a lot) of cracking open. And sometimes, having a guide is especially helpful in navigating the deeper or darker recesses of our hearts. I can take myself through a pose sequence just fine (as a trained yoga instructor I know how to go from tadasana to uttanasana without injury). But moving to my edge? Exploring the boundary between known and unknown? An instructor can help me focus, can speak louder than my gremlin voice who never fails to whisper that we would much rather be taking a nap thank you very much.
Classmates as Motivators
A class environment is a powerful motivator. Though I don’t advocate yoga as performance or competition, being among classmates who are reaching, yearning, daring to become fuller more expressed humans (or just look like they are!) makes me want to too. Give me a classmate and I’ll go further than I would if I were acting alone. It’s just how I’m made.
Space as Sacred
When I practice at home it’s usually some combination of the following: rug, yoga mat, dust bunnies. While I’m hanging out in downdog I’m not just focusing on my breath, I’m also trying not to focus on how long it’s been since the last time I vacuumed.
Taking part in a deeply spiritual (for me) practice means it is nice (at least) and necessary (at most) to partake of said practice in an equally meaningful place. Yoga studios are renown for their soothing ambiance. Honestly, contemplative practice is so much easier when the hardwood floors are swept and mopped by someone else.
Membership as Community
My grandmother once explained to me that one of the many, many reasons she belongs to the Jewish Temple in town was because it was important to her to be counted among the greater community. To make her claim as a Jew among non-Jews. To be a member of a congregation was to stand with her people and together work for what mattered to them most. It didn’t matter as much which congregation in town they attended, she said, it as much as that they belonged to one, and made themselves known.
I thought about that in terms of Yoga. How do I make my claim as a yogi? How do I stand for what this practice which is so important to me? For now, I make my voice heard with my dollar vote. When I pay for yoga classes in my community, I vote for teachers who make their living as Guides and Mentors. When I pay for classes I vote for contemplative education everywhere. The more the community supports such activities, the more there will be. I want to belong to a community who believes in and supports what I think is valuable and important.
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I can practice at home and will certainly continue to do so. But for all these reasons above I have made my choice to join a local establishment. I haven’t even talked yet about the benefit of supporting a local business! Needless to say, I’ve made the choice to dive deeper into my own experience, to unite with others of like mind, to support my community. To belong.
Oh dear. The forecast is pretty much gray for the weekend. I think the exact words were freezing sleet and rain. Though I’m terribly grateful for the water, I would like very much to climb into my time machine and re-visit sunny California.
Here are some of my favorite snapshots from that weekend. While you check these out, I’ll be basking in the warm glow of my computer screen. Ahem.
Click any picture to view the full gallery.
I’ve now been working (almost) full time from home for three full months. And it’s taken just as long to get into a groove. Yes, work is work is work. It takes focus and discipline and passion plus some skill and maybe even some talent and you’ve got yourself a fine job. But working from an office and working from home are two different beasts entirely.
It took me a couple months to find the right space in the house to work from. I’ve used two “desks” and three different desk spaces. I’ve worked varying hours, trying to find the new rhythm that suits my needs and my company’s needs best.
Recently, I had an illuminating conversation with a team member about this topic. She’s been a work-from-home professional for more than 20 years. In our conversation, I shared with her how surprisingly difficult it was to find a satisfying routine in my new work life and that I’d only recently discovered some best practices. Her reply was encouraging and reassuring as many of the insights I’d gleaned over the recent months matched her tips. And I thought perhaps others of you out there working from home might find the same tips likewise useful.
1. Designate a workspace. This is tip number one for a reason. If you don’t have a proper working space, the job will be that much harder. Not only do you need the right tools around you for convenience, you also need the right set-up for your physical well-being. I had to stop using the desk in our living room because it was too tall for me I was beginning to experience back pain. Now that I’m working on the dining room table instead, the back pain has disappeared.
If you can, try to designate a location in the house as the workspace. Just like you have a dining room for eating and a bedroom for sleeping find a location that is reserved for work. When you enter that space your mind will become accustomed to focusing on work tasks. And on the flip side, when you leave that work center, your mind can leave work behind as well.
2. Don’t sit all day! I can’t emphasize this enough. Sitting for 7+ hours is not only plain unpleasant, it can also be harmful to your wellbeing over the longterm. I do my best to plan breaks throughout the day where I make tea or go for a walk or simply stretch. Not only does this feel good for my muscles, it also helps my clear my mind. When I take a quick break from staring at my computer screen filled with spreadsheets and emails it’s as if I’ve hit reset on my brain and creativity can flow.
3. Be done when you’re done. I set strict hours with myself and do my best to keep them. If I didn’t it would be too easy to “just finish this one last email” and “clear the inbox.” But in a business like the one I’m in, the inbox is never clear for long. By the time I’d finish that last crop another few would come in. Suddenly, a couple minutes could turn into hours! Be mindful of your time and this goes for taking breaks too.
A friend who also works from home relayed to me that last year she had gotten into a bad habit of working straight through her lunch hour. It gave her more time at the end of the day but she wound up starving and grouchy from low blood sugar. Breaks are important not just for you personally, but they also affect your productivity and performance. Work when you work and break when you break. For this reason I try to take my breaks outside. And with the weather warming up it’s all the more enticing to do so! I walk around my neighborhood,or get a snack from the bakery up the street or a coffee at a local cafe.
4. Find ways to be social. It’s easy when working from home to suddenly find yourself living the hermit life. Often I don’t have to leave the house for days at a time. Usually, I enjoy a bit of solitude, but not being social for long periods can be downright lonely! I make an effort to first just get in the company of other people – going for walks or to the coffee shop. Planning to meet a friend for lunch is good too, though I don’t have too many friends to have lunch with out here, so I try to plan dates for the weekend when I have time to make it to the Berkshires or they can come here. This past weekend a few friends came out for a late brunch and to window shop. If your time allows it, joining social or networking clubs can be great for you and your business. I’m an active member of a Toastmasters club and I’ve come to enjoy our bi-monthly meetings for the social aspect as much as for the personal growth.
5. Reflect on the good stuff. Life can get busy and overwhelming for all of us no matter where we work or what we do for a living. The best tip I can offer is to frequently make lists of what you love about working from home or what feeds you about working from home. Consider what inspires you… Anything that brings good feelings is worth writing down. Reminding ourselves about the benefits of where we are right now will help us appreciate the blessings of our situation. Gratitude expands the good. Always.
After long hours of travel to and from California including sitting in a car for an hour to get to the airport then sitting for over an hour at the terminal gate, then sitting for five + hours on the plane, then sitting in the car for another long while…it just gets to be too much! Sitting that is…
So, today I’m sharing my go-to yoga poses for relieving the stress of ‘over-sitting.’ If you work at a desk you’ve probably experienced some of the same aches and pains that I did recently on my trip.
Note: You don’t have to be a practicing yogi or yogini to do these poses – anyone can do them! I studied yoga at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health for a few years and am a certified Kripalu Yoga instructor, but I hardly ever complete a full polished “routine” when I’m on the road. Mostly I just follow my body and allow it to unwind as necessary. Often these are the same moves I need at the end of the day to unwind from my job. (Rather than using a glass of wine to unwind after a long day – try to literally unwind! )
What you’ll need:
• Comfortable clothes that allow maximum movement.
• A stretch of uninterrupted time (about 15 minutes, give or take).
• You do NOT need a mat. Just a sturdy, non-slip surface. If you’re going to be on hardwood, try going barefoot for better grip.
• Have a blanket handy to slide under your knees to protect them and keep them cushioned while doing floor poses.
If you like, light some candles, some incense, or anything you think will help tell your brain its time to let go… Whatever sets the atmosphere!
Ready? C’mon and join me at my parent’s house in my childhood bedroom as we rock out!
1. Empty Coat Sleeves
This is one of my favorite moves of all time. Really, nothing could be easier. Stand with your feet hip width apart (or slightly farther apart). Release your arms and let them hang loosely by your sides. Begin twisting your arms side to side so they lightly slap the side of your body or your shoulder or your kidney area. Key word: lightly! Don’t hurt yourself! Once you’ve built up some momentum your arms should be moving without much effort.
This pose is excellent for a many reasons. a) Your whole body is engaged, which is important for your lymph. All those toxins you need to get rid of (and to keep your immune system shiny and clean) are captured and carried away by your internal garbage removal mechanism aka the lymphatic system. b) You are creating a whole body twist which is helping to wring you out just a like washcloth. Imagine all that staleness being squeezed out of every cell as you move! c) It is energizing! You can add an inhale/exhale to each movement to increase the energy. When you come to the mid-point, inhale sharply though your nose, and “Haaaa” it out through your mouth when you twist to the side.
Keep in mind: Allow your heels to rise as you twist so you don’t torque your knees.
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2. Mountain pose extension
Come to stillness and stand erect. Raise your arms overhead while simultaneously root your feet into the ground. Keep reaching your arms to the ceiling or sky and imagine the elongation of your spine. You’ve been sitting –probably hunching–over the computer or a book all day. Now’s your chance to create the equal and opposite movement by stretching, reaching, and rooting as if the sun and the earth were each lovingly pulling on either end of your body and allowing your spine to realign.
If you feel like going a little further, image there is a beach ball resting on the small of your back and lift up and over the beach ball, bending backwards. This movement counters all the forward bending you do while sitting.
Keep in mind: Be mindful that your shoulders don’t creep on your ears while you reach upwards. If you notice they do, politely iron out your shoulder blades and lead your shoulders back to their rightful place.
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3. Cat/Dog
Come down to the floor to your hands and knees. (Here is where you will want to slide the blanket under your knees if you’re not on plush carpet). Align your knees to your hips and your hands to shoulders. On an inhale, raise your tailbone towards upwards and allow the movement to ripple to your head. Basically, you’ll be arching your back as far as is comfortable at this point with eyes to the sky. On the exhale, reverse the flow, starting with your tailbone. Instead of jerking the whole body up and down try creating a wave from tailbone to crown initiating the movement at the base of the spine. Imagine you can feel each vertebrae celebrating being treated such respect as you move.
Do this a few times or as many times you want! It’s not only great for your spine but also for merging movement and breath. During high anxiety times (Did I pack everything I need?, Where’s my ticket? Delayed again?!!) we can easily lose our breath. Inundating our body with breath releases us from the fight or flight response and keep us energized yet calm. Also notable is that gripping the floor can literally “ground” us after being in flight whether on a plane or far away in our minds.
Keep in mind: See if you can slow the movement to half as fast as the first time you try it.
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4. Hot Wheels
Early on in my yoga training a senior teacher explained this next pose to me by having me imagine I was a six year old playing with a Hot Wheels car on the floor. Think about it… Then do it with me! Sit on the floor with your legs splayed knee to foot with both knees pointing either to the left or the right. With your sitting bones anchored to the floor, switch your knees side to side. Continue this movement, warming up your hips.
After a few times to each side, invite your arm one at a time to join the movement by pretending you have a hot wheels car in your hand and zooming the car along the floor in front of you. Krishna will give you bonus points if you make zooming noises as you do this. When you get to one side reach past the opposite shoulder as far as is comfortable, then switch sides. Continue back and forth or stop at each side to allow the stretch to sink in deeper.
Keep in mind: There are no other bonus points other than the car noises in this one. Don’t over do it, just enjoy the stretch. That same teacher reminded me that adults hardly ever have our knees to the ground, much less the sides of our knees. Perhaps meditate on how you can invite play into your day rather than striving for perfection.
5. Child’s Pose
One of my favorites. Come to kneeling then lay your chest on your knees head to the floor. Your arms can either be stretched out in front of you palms down or rested alongside your body palms up. Once you’re here – just be here. That’s it! Your incredible brain and body take over and automatically alert the whole of you that you are safe and it’s time to rest. To modify, spread your knees apart while keeping your toes together creating a V shape with your legs. Stuff a pillow (or that handy blanket) under your belly to support your torso and sink in. Sublime.
Keep in mind: If you have a dog at home, she WILL come to sniff your butt. Fact.
Reader, meet my parents’ dog, Molly.
That’s all! But if you’re into it, then here’s my BONUS pose for you….
6. Dance Party!
Every yoga sesh at my house ends with a short dance party because it never fails to increase not just my blood flow but also elevates my mood! C’mon get happy – and shake your booty!
If you have any questions about the yoga you see here or want to know where to learn more, feel free to get in touch by email or in the comments below. To learn more about Kripalu Yoga visit the Kripalu website. (They even have free yoga video lessons!). Check it out: http://www.kripalu.org.
Om!
Flying out to California today to be with family for the Passover holiday. Looking forward to catching up with friends, spending time in the sunshine and a family reunion of sorts.
I’m NOT upset about leaving this last snowstorm. Buhbye cold weather! I even packed a pair of shorts!! (What the what?!)
I’ll be updating throughout with fun pics from the trip. In the meantime, have a great week!
A certificate tells me that I was born. I repudiate this certificate: I am not a poet, but a poem. A poem that is being written, even if it looks like a subject. —Jacques Lacan
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Wanting to change the world is like trying to cover every rock and thorn with leather. It is much easier to wear shoes.—Chinese proverb
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The way I live my life, the things I do every day; this is my religion.” —Gandhi
