Hello Friends!
Today I am breaking two simple but challenging transitions that fit well together or work all on their own. If you haven’t seen the video on my IG already, head over to @leenslens to see the spilt hop & handstand hop switch transitions. These can be used to come into and out of most of your standing postures, and are fantastic ways to build in extra shoulder & core work (road to handstand anyone?!?!?!).
First is the split hop from down dog into crescent lunge (or any other standing pose). It’s important to make sure you’ve warmed the hamstrings up a bit – any split or handstand requires open hammies! Step 1: extend left leg up – keep left pinky toe angled to the floor so hips remain square. Step 2: look between your hands, shift your body weight forward, and wrap the outer arms in towards center. Step 3: draw the belly button in & up, spread the inner thighs apart, and hop the right foot up between your hands (or close to it bc as you can see I didn’t quite make it there). Step 4: set the foundation for your standing posture and inhale to rise.
Next, we look at the handstand hop/switch back to chaturanga. This second transition does require a little more time to get right but it’s fun to play around with. Step 1: plant your hands shoulder width apart and extend your left leg up. Step 2: tuck the right outer hip back, wrap the outer arms in (sound familiar?!?!), and bring your body weight into your hands. Step 3: lift your hips, rise onto your right toes and kick up to handstand. Step 4: leave your right leg extended up, slowly bring left leg towards mat, bend elbows into the sides of your ribs and draw the chest forward. Step 5: keep the core and shoulder girdle tight to land with control in chaturanga. FULL DISCLOSURE – step 4 & 5 will not happen right away…most of us will take step 3 & then head back to vinyasa and that’s okay because this is just yoga!
The goal is to do this every week…we’ll see how it goes! Have fun with sprinkling this into practice!
’til next time, keep smiling! 😉
With sunrise around 4:30am and sunset around 9:45pm there was so much time to get out and explore! I think my favorite day was when we went riding through Dyea – I absolutely love being on a horse! There is something about having a strong animal trusting you to guide them, and you in turn trusting them to carry you through the wilderness – it’s so great! Secretly I want to buy a horse now but seeing as we just bought a car, I think I need to halt on the horse. 
Yep, that’s right, we bought a car! Phil and I pulled the trigger on a 2015 Certified Preowned BMW X1 Sport & I can’t tell who likes it more, Phil or Theo! I’m just thrilled to finally have a set of wheels in this city & the ability to get around. Of course the car came as a result of our pending move but I will take it any way I get it.
The car will come in handy for transporting yoga props to Halcyon for my Hennessy sponsored, Jigger & Dash hosted, myofascial release workshop. I currently hold a bi-monthly myofascial release workshop at Moxie Nob Hill, and on the 18th I will be adopting it for industry friends…I am so excited to work with such a deserving group of hard working professionals!
I am quite skilled at forgetting to practice what I preach & it was time for me to take a deep dive into the root of the problem. I realized certain shifts had to be made, and while change may scare the shit out of me, it is inevitable. As my father always says, “The only constant is change.” If we want to keep succeeding and taking steps towards future goals, things have to change. So what did I change? I adjusted my studio offerings to give myself self care time in the mornings. I’ve started doing more meditation and activities I like, rather than exercise to look a certain way. I also stopped lying to myself. I didn’t want to admit it but I was living for others – trying to be perfect for everyone instead of just being happy with myself. I know that I need to be my most authentic self, & I can’t please everyone. I can only take responsibility for my own happiness & hope it rubs off on those around me. 
Oh, also Phil and I are moving to Walnut Creek. Yep, in a few short months we will be moving over the bridge & establishing a new routine in the East Bay. For the record, we are NOT moving because we are pregnant, haha (my family ALREADY asked), but we do think this is better for our family. The thought of leaving the city is bittersweet but I’m sure they’ll be more to come on that later.
I’m gearing up for Phil to leave for another business trip and making sure to spend as much time together as possible! One of the worst things about Phil going away is getting to sleep. Some people may think it’s a blessing to have the bed all to themselves but for me, it’s hard to get settled. Thanks to yoga I have a few proven techniques to calm my anxious energy & for Wellness Wednesday, I’m going to share them with all of you.
Find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. As you deepen your breath start to imagine yourself sinking into the mattress, one body part at a time (starting with your toes and working to the crown of the head). Once you are settled, the real magic begins… Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds, and repeat until you are asleep. It might sound simple but is incredibly powerful. For me, as soon as I think “Man, this is taking forever, maybe it isn’t going to work” I fall asleep. A good night sleep is a foundation to a healthy life, so what do you have to lose?
I hope everyone else enjoyed their weekend as much as Phil & I. When I said we wanted to get back out on the mountain and prove ourselves (to ourselves), I wasn’t lying. We took it relatively easy Saturday and totally blew past where we thought we’d get to on Sunday…with a little help from our friends. After a lunch time pow wow we decided to join our them yet again and tackle some tougher runs. We dove in head first and went down some of the more challenging terrain – it felt great! 
I of course couldn’t have survived the 6hr ski days without my yoga practice – starting the morning with some mediation / light vinyasa and finishing the day with some yin to stretch things back out. Now, it’s back to the power yoga grind with 11 classes this week (2 advanced, 1 beginner, 8 all levels).
Obviously there is no shortage of physical activity here, haha, but the dietary routine is on point too…it has to be to stay happy/healthy! We’ve got 7 more weeks to make some real changes & it’s feeling great!
pe everyone is excited for a romantic weekend, haha!! Of course, I am kicking things off with a lovely evening of FREE yoga and exclusive shopping! That’s right, tonight is the night I teach at HAVEN collective yoga’s trunk show hosted by the beautiful & talented Jacqueline Palmer. I am so excited to slip into their amazing contour leggings and share my offering with the Bay Area beauties in attendance. But enough about that, today’s Foodie Friday is sort of a Valentine’s themed because I made this recipe specially for my handsome husband. He asked me to pick up some zucchini bread ingredients earlier this week and they sort of just sat there. So I took the hit, haha, and got to work concocting a healthy but still delicious zucchini muffin for us both to enjoy this weekend & coming week.
Just like everything I make, this still needs some tweaking, but certainly good enough to share as is…I present:
I was definitely skeptical at first but I must admit, I could become addicted to these moist, delicious, little wonders!! I hope you and yours find yourselves inspired to get creative with some of your favorite treats this weekend!!
I’m excited to share this weekly dose of motivation because we’re both starting to see differences. As I have been sharing we’re still enjoying our lives, indulging in moderation, and we’re both down 5+ pounds. More than that, we’re both noticing a bit more muscle definition and feeling great! 
We had a wonderful weekend in Tahoe skiing and enjoying the amazing views! This week, in addition to my studio classes at 
But lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. Here’s what we have lined up for this week to keep us motivated and making positive changes. It’s week 6 of 16 and we’re feeling like we could do this forever!
Livingleen 