Wellness Wednesday

Happy Hump Day!

This week has been a little all over the place for me but I’m confident there is still time to turn it around. That is why today’s Wellness Wednesday post is all about finding your focus, both on and off the mat.As a teacher and a student of yoga it is very easy to slip into a routine…just move through a sequence without paying attention, follow the same ques, repeat the same things, etc… I know yoga is supposed to help you be present, focused, and all that jazz but trust me, it happens to the best of us, haha! I really started to feel that way yesterday; as I was teaching the 2nd of 3 classes for the day it felt like I was saying some of my ques just simply out of habit, not necessarily because there was any intention behind it. It occurred to me I didn’t have a focus…I was just showing up. And while that may be enough for some, for me, it just isn’t. So, with a few more classes to teach this week, and a whole lot of yoga journal conference to volunteer for this weekend, I decided right there and then that I needed to take a moment to step back and find my focus. With my classes I chose to focus on thoracic spine opening, and for myself I am focused on being present, staying motivated, and breathing through the tough stuff. There is much more in life to love than you can possibly imagine…you just have to focus! ❤

 

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

 

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Final Days

Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays!It’s official…Phil and I have survived our first Christmas away from family. While there were definitely tears and sadness, we also managed to laugh a ton and have a lot of fun! We enjoyed LOTS of champagne and delicious food, as well as fun and shenanigans with friends around the globe. Between FaceTime with the family and yoga challenges with friends in other time zones, the Christmas weekend has been a testament to how technology makes friends and family feel closer. It was great to watch my Godson opening his first Christmas presents, and equally delighting to share holiday fun with my yogi family across the globe – posting videos and photos as part yoga challenges made me feel more connected to the people I love, even though they’re all miles away. I loved this amazing year with all the incredible milestones and adventures 2015 has offered. I think the most important take away from 2015 is to live in the moment. Life is a crazy roller coaster of excitement, blessings, heartbreak, happiness, love, sweat, tears, and lessons, AND if you are looking too far ahead or behind you’ll miss what’s happening right in front of your face…life is too precious to miss even a moment! I’m making a point to take it all in for 2016…really absorb and appreciate every sunset, hike, bike ride, adventure, restaurant experience, and moment the year has to offer – and if you find me deviating from my mission, please call me out in the comment sections below! 2016 will be the best year for Livingleen yet and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds and what lessons I’ll learn along the way!

I am saying goodbye to 2015 and looking forward to firing up the new and improved Livingleen in 2016. I am so grateful for all your love and continued support, and look forward to continuing to offer meaningful content to my health conscious and balanced living loving readers. I can’t wait to share all the exciting offerings of 2016 and hope it will help take your healthy living quests to new heights.

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

What a weekend!!!

Hey there friends!

I hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit! Even though we likely won’t be seeing snow in San Francisco for Christmas, frost covered peaks are just a few hours drive away. Phil and I spent our first weekend of the season in Tahoe and it did not disappoint! We didn’t hit the slopes because we’re still working on our gear situation but we explored Squaw Village, got settled into the house, and watched the snow fall from the hot tub – not a bad way to getaway! Even more exciting, for me anyway, is the discovery that one our housemates is also a yoga instructor in SF – WHOOT WHOOT!!! I am so excited to have a fellow yogi at the house and to get to know another bay area teacher…it’ll be fun to flow together and  nerd out on yoga stuff!

It’s Phil’s birthday tomorrow !!!!! I had a few tricks up my sleeve but he has to travel for work last minute 😦 , so we’ll have to save them for another time. Instead we’ll be celebrating with friends Friday at Dosa since Phil loves Indian…I still might have a thing or two planned! 😉 I have a lot to do for him in preparation for Christmas next week but can thankfully say I am done with everyone else. We’re going to be spending the holiday away from family this year so I think we’re both trying to make an extra effort to make it special!

It’s going to be so much fun to fill this space below the tree with gifts for him and have a nice dinner just the two of us.  Since we’re doing Christmas here I am so excited to be shooting up to Tahoe for some skiing for New Years!!

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Wedding Planning Revelations

Hey there friends!

We are leaving for the east coast in less than 10 days and I am itching with anticipation. All the last minute wedding details are coming together little by little and we’re doing our best to stay distracted…there is only so much more we can do from San Francisco, the rest will be waiting for us when we get home. This weekend we’re keeping ourselves busy with a trip to wine country Saturday and a Sunday full of teaching yoga and watching football! This week we’re tackling a few things like getting motion sickness medication for our honeymoon, finalizing menu choices for the rehearsal dinner, confirming travel arrangements, etc… but it’s really important to have a non-wedding planning weekend. Especially with last week’s confession Phil and I both really wanted to shift our perspective…leave the worrying to everyone else, this is our day!!!Admittedly, I kind of feel like a kid playing hooky from school skipping out on all this potential wedding planning time but lets get real, what is the point if you’re not enjoying it…am I right?!?!? We’re entering the home stretch and there is no way we’re gonna do anything but enjoy our wedding day!

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Wednesday Wedding Confessions

Happy Hump Day Friends!

I hope everyone is making it through the week with a smile on their face! Phil and I sat down to dinner last night and started talking about our favorite topic, the wedding. During the talk of payments, confirmations, timelines, etc.. we both looked at each other without saying a word, we knew what the other was thinking: neither of us are particularly looking forward to our wedding at this point.

While that might sound terrible to put in writing or say out loud, I believe honesty is the best policy, so I’m not taking it back. Look, the reality is our wedding day will be amazing, and we’re both genuinely looking forward to being man and wife but this whole ‘event’ is just A LOT and we’re drained! There are less than 25 days left until we say ‘I do’ and we still have welcome bags to arrange, seating charts to do, finalizing the gifts for everyone, making sure the timeline for the day of is properly arranged, a marriage license to procure, and at least a dozen other things to get done. 

We agreed we were not going to allow the wedding to stress us out anymore but now its not even stressful its just exhausting….which I guess is why we feel the way we do. We keep hoping/praying we’re not going to let a trivial detail ruin the day. We are terrified that all this time, money and energy from so many people will somehow/someway get ruined, so instead of being excited for what will be the happiest day of our life, we’re just dreading it. 

In our heart we know things will work out but we can’t help but feel the way we do! I know there is no way we’re the only couple who’ve felt this way during the wedding planning process, so I wanted to put it out there for anyone who might be feeling the same!

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Thursday Thoughts

Today officially begins the one month countdown until Phil and I say ‘I Do’ and we’re both so excited! We got a lot of the little details decided over the weekend and we’re moving full steam ahead! We did manage some leisure time too – I love spending casual time with friends, enjoying the outdoors, and sharing delicious food/wine. We had such a great time at Vie playing bocce and tasting the new vintages, rooftop grilling in SOMA with friends, and enjoying the sunshine that we almost didn’t fit in our ride over the Golden Gate Bridge…but I wasn’t going to let that happen!!Sharing some private time, just Phil and I, that didn’t revolve around work, the wedding, our finances, the future etc.. was so special!! We were able to take in the majesty of the mountains and the sweeping views of San Francisco, which was nothing short of magical…plus, feeling the wind blowing against my face and getting some great cardio didn’t hurt either!While it may seem trivial to some, time together is invaluable for us – both as individuals and as a couple. Inner peace is a difficult thing to achieve when you exist in this fast paced world of ours but often its the most important thing we need. Having time to decompress from life’s obligations, and do so with your partner, is one of the best ways I inch closer to that internal state of peace. Maybe for others it’s time alone with a good book, a stroll in the woods, sharing a meal, etc… the possibilities are endless and around every corner, you just have to find yours.

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Decisions, Decisions

Happy Labor Day Weekend Friends!

We’re looking forward to some holiday weekend festivities: wine tasting, biking, art festival, bbq, etc… BUT first, we need to make wedding decisions, since ya know, its happening in about a month!!!

I don’t know if it’s just me but I feel as though we’ve had a wedding planning lull for the last few months and now all of the sudden a million decisions need to be made, like yesterday! God bless my mother and sister! Since I am all the way across the country these two (with the help of some of my aunts and the bridesmaids – THANK YOU LADIES!) have taken the reigns and are tackling so many of the important details! Even with the amazingly generous help from my family, there is still a lot Phil and I need to decide on – favors, welcome bag items, readings, hymns, uplighting colors, linen choices, etc… the list goes on!! There are a few things I am excited about deciding and those are the gifts we’re giving to people involved in the wedding – any fun ideas are welcome..please leave suggestions in the comments! The one thing we’ve decided for certain is that from here on out we’re not going to let anything about the wedding stress us out or take away from the importance of the day. With all the superficial things, like uplighting, linens, etc… that can go into a wedding, it’s easy to forget the day is about Phil and I creating our own family unit and beginning our life as husband and wife! Whether the flowers are right, or the music is on point, or the bakery delivers the cake on time, we still get to spend the rest of our lives together!

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Wedding Rings and Yoga Things

Happy Hump Day!

Phil and I went wedding band shopping the other day…totally crazy! I know our wedding is like a month away so it shouldn’t be so surprising BUT there was suddenly this feeling of “WOW, this is really happening!” There was something about putting that band on that made things feel REAL…I can’t wait to be Colleen April! Anyway, we’re working towards the wedding day by day and last week I shared our skin prep secret – Lush face masks, so totally amazing! This week I’m sharing a little about how we’re working towards our wedding ready bods! Coupled with regular yoga (duh!) I am keeping things interesting with different forms of cardio – cycling, interval training, light jogging, and today I’m jumping into The November Project. I am not sure what to expect but I’m looking forward to the adventure!In other news, I have been enjoying teaching yoga in San Francisco and can’t wait to teach more and more. I get so nervous each time I teach – questioning my flows, beating myself up if I stumble over my words, worrying if people hate it – but the more I put myself out there the less I question, beat myself up and worry. Tonight I am teaching my first corporate yoga class and I hope it’s the first of many! I know if I keep putting myself out there and takings steps forward, good things will continue to unfold!As a fun little yogi motivation this month, I’m doing an Instachallenge! Chicago Yoga Lab’s September Splits Bits Info Challenge to be exact…day 1 is in the books and I would love it if you’d follow along this month on my Instagram!!

’till next time, keep smiling!! 🙂

Silver Linings

Hello Friends!

SO Pre-Cana wasn’t terrible…can’t help but thinking since we’re on the west coast we got a more laid back version!! The grounds, the lunch they provided, and the dinner we had at Flea St. Cafe afterwards were all lovely so even though I wasn’t thrilled about this weekend, all and all we had a good time!!! Phil and I couldn’t believe we found such a gem of a restaurant hidden in what seemed like a very nondescript section of Menlo Park…from the cocktails to the culinary treats, the meal was a delight!!!! On a different note, my bike was stolen 😦 ! Yep, from right outside my window some crazy crackhead jacked my ride to and from work 😦 BUT with the help of the amazing man I get to spend the rest of my life with, we found an even better version of my bike AND we got a great deal! Sadly, I got a wicked flat on my way to work this morning and it took me 4 bike shops and about the same number of miles out of my way after work to get it fixed…it seems the Irish luck keeps on rolling. Here is where I have a choice…this can consume me or this could be something I let go…and with the help of the people I love, I can let it go. My mom helped me through the flat situation this morning…I called her and even if she didn’t know it because our conversations can be a little combative (mainly because I know what she is saving ‘under’ what she is saying AND that it upsets her when I call her sad) she calmed me down, helped me refocus on what’s important, and made me feel supported and loved – the only things I needed. What I’m saying is every shitty day has lots of silver linings and you can choose to notice them, hold on to them, and make them light your day, OR you can ignore them and allow the clouds to roll on in….choose wisely!

Until next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Getting Serious

Hello Friends!

So I would have titled this post ‘Getting Real’ but since the last post was ‘Real Talk’ I didn’t want to be redundant or for anyone to think I simply didn’t care enough to notice, ha ha!  ANYWAY, Phil and I are heading to our Pre-Cana today and I can’t say I am super excited about it.  I’m thrilled about marrying Phil and can’t wait for us to spend the rest of our lives together but I can’t get on board with the idea that the church has to sign off on our union – oh well, that’s the life of a Catholic.  We’re making the best of the day by renting a sweet convertible through GetAround and enjoying a nice dinner afterwards at Flea St. Cafe…I’m just hoping I make it through the eight hours in-between.

On a different note, I went to a new yoga studio yesterday with my neighbor (yes, I’m making friends) and met a fabulous instructor. Moxie is such a lovely studio and the teacher I connected with is going to add my information to their sub list, yipee!!!  I have really been putting the pedal to the metal on the ‘job grind,’ with the help of Phil, and am hoping something will materialize soon.  With any luck, I can get a few regular sub spots and snag one of these awesome gigs I’m applying to this weekend.

I leave for the start of my 500hr hour training a week from tomorrow…I can’t believe it’s already here; I have so much work to do!!!  I am so excited but even more nervous than I was when I began my Yoga Medicine training last fall! The experience is going to be amazing, i just hope I can keep up, haha!

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂