Summer Bucket List

Summer is already off to a swift start! It's nearly almost July... when did that happen? I am truly finding myself on a path to discovery, constantly finding out what works and what doesn't. It's almost sort of ever changing too in that aspect, but I'm figuring it out.

I've got some time off coming up and I'm planning on using it to disconnect from technology, and connecting back with nature, life and my husband! I'm not sure what we'll be doing exactly, but I'd love to get the house in order AND maybe take a small road trip or something to get out and explore! 

Among many many MANY Summer plans I've got a pretty decent sized bucket list going of things I would love to accomplish by the time Fall rolls around! 

- visit Starved Rock
- go blueberry picking (the pups LOVE berries! So I try to keep them in the house at all times!)
- go strawberry picking
- tending to our small garden;

    -   I'll need to get some tomato cages and trellises for the vine plants that are growing
    -  My herb garden didn't work out to my advantage this time around. I've got about 3 plants from my kitchen planter that I think I can salvage into bigger pots. My mint though...  ON POINT! Same with my lavender! I think I will be looking up some DIY recipes to make sure it all gets used!

- I'm challenging myself to complete 5 (or more) classes, workshops, meetings with a mentor or weekend retreats to help being a little more self-care back into my life over the summer. 
- Sort through all of our closets and dresser drawers and get rid of things that don't suit our needs anymore.
- Complete the same task of de-cluttering our garage, shed and basement
- Car shopping
- Price the materials needed for our mini home renovation
- Get to Wisconsin at least once this year
- Begin at home yoga and meditation practice
- Set up a yoga space at home
- Dive into (and complete) 3 yoga books (seriously, they're everywhere!!)
- Secure space at a new studio for Fall
- Book a photo shoot for yoga advertising
- attend the flea market once (or twice lol)
- get to the pool and make use of my season pass

So, yeah... that and all other things that consist of teaching, weddings, showers, bachelorete parties, birthday parties, graduations, festivals and other various family events. I'm so looking forward to the remainder of summer!

On a side note; Cooper is finally able to be left alone! For those of you who don't know we have struggled this past year with Cooper and his separation anxiety! It was a long (really long) year of trials and errors! It what feels like, and could quite have been, overnight; Cooper was almost like a different dog. Calm... relaxed... and just chill! He didn't care whether he had someone by his side 24/7... or about pretty much anything about relaxing. So, we took this as a sign to try a little more vigorously as getting him to be home alone - well with his doggie brother.

The first week we tried anywhere from anywhere between 1 hr and 1 hr 45 min. He was completely fine. That got pushed to 2-3 hrs and from there we left him while we are at work with someone checking on him mid-day. He did fine and quite frankly, didn't really even care someone had come to check on him. So, we stopped that and officially, he is good at home for a period of 5-6.5 hrs! 

I just feel this huge sign of relief! We missed out on so much this past year! Friendships even ended because they didn't understand what was happening. It was so stressful! We were CONSTANTLY judged by others and truly were at our wits end! Oh the judgement... I am just oh so thankful to those that have and continue to offer their help and understanding! Without that, I don't even want to think of where we would be now. 

Until you've actually lived it, you probably won't ever understand. But I do encourage everyone reading to reach out to someone you know who is experiencing something similar and just offer your shoulder! Don't judge! And if you can, research what separation anxiety is like for the animal AND for the person caring for that animal! It's hard! OH so hard! I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy! The pain and sorrow these animals go through before they are rescued simply baffles me. How can anyone be so cruel?

Alright.. Off to explore Summer! 

The blog will most likely continue to be pretty light. BUT you can find me over on my Facebook page; Savvy Serenity Yoga. Right now I'm starting #daretodream where I will be posting daily quotes and weekly meditations as I begin to embark on my journey within. 

I've also got a few classes coming up;

Curvy Yoga in the Park
Bliss Woods | Sugar Grove
July 30th, August 27th 8AM

Farmers Market Yoga
Batavia Farmer's Market
July 23rd 8AM

If you're interested in taking one of my classes, please email me at savvyserenityyoga@gmail.com
 

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NEW CURVY YOGA 6-WEEK SERIES CLASS BEGINS JULY 6TH! 

email curvyyogafocusom@gmail.com to register or visit www.focus-om.com

Mindful March Collaborators: Meet Caitlin!

Caitlin Quigley is a graduate of the Healing Yoga Foundation’s 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training for Yoga Therapy. Being plus-sized herself, she’s living proof that Yoga is for every body!

“I won’t be small… that’s just NOT how I was made.” she continues, “I used to feel imprisoned by my body; I thought, if I can’t physically do the same poses and activities as my neighbor, I shouldn’t be doing them at all. But through the process of my Yoga Teacher Training, I felt enlightened to learn that Yoga is all about FUNCTION
over FORM, and anyone can do it with the right instruction and focus.

I’m very blessed to be in good health, and I truly believe that God gave me this body for a reason. Instead of looking at it as a burden, I am learning from it and am using it as a tool to help myself and others grow beyond what is and to realize what can be. I want to help people who may be hesitant about yoga because of their body size, and let them know they are not alone. You are beautiful just the way you are, and I want you to have enough confidence to participate in your life and enjoy new activities without fear of judgment. I believe that all people–big and small–deserve good health and happiness, and I want to share my philosophy in order to help you reach your physical and spiritual goals.”

It’s this desire to reach others that led Caitlin to practicing yoga as an instructor.

Caitlin’s style of teaching is directly under the lineage of TKV Desikachar, which teaches that Yoga is a holistic, healing discipline that offers a broad range of tools for supporting health, healing and personal transformation.

Second Look: Manduka EKO SuperLite yoga mat

Last month I received an email letting me know of the add-ons for my monthly Birchbox subscription. Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that sends you 4-5 beauty products to test out monthly. You can review the product on their website for points that eventually equal to dollar amounts. (For every 100 points, you earn $10) You can also order products through their site and earn points to use on different products you are interested in trying or those that you love and want to repurchase again and again.

In my e-mail I was excited to see that not only was a yoga mat an add-on item, BUT it was a Manduka mat. I thought the price was pretty decent, and without overlook added it onto my January box. After ordering I checked over the reviews and I've come to realize that they are pretty much 50/50. So, I decided I would pass along my review if you're on the hunt for a new yoga mat and are looking at this one.

The Mat:

Manduka EKO SuperLite(TM)

The Claims:

"The eKO SuperLite Mat is a superior travel yoga mat that provides excellent grip. Wherever your practice takes you, the eKO SuperLite is the best yoga mat for yogis on the go!"

The Cost:

$32 as a Birchbox add on but you can expect to pay between $30 and $40 respectively depending upon location.

I actually tried this mat for the first time during a class I taught last night. The first thing I would say I noticed was how light the mat was. The better quality the mat, the heavier they seem to get. All through training I had (and still have) a Jade yoga mat; which I love. But lugging that thing around the city was such a pain in the butt. It was just heavy! I dreaded bringing it to class with me and ultimately ended up keeping it there at the studio for the duration of training. This mat was literally SUPER LIGHT! I think I caught myself thinking this quite a few times actually. Especially when I rolled it out to set up my area for teaching. It unrolled like a dream. For sure a win in my book!

Of course with the mat being literally weightless, you're going to lose out on thickness. This mat comes in at only 1.5mm thick. So, I guess this is where you could start with the pros and cons. Unless you prefer a pretty dense and squishy yoga mat, then this is perfect. Now that I've tried it, I almost think I prefer it to my thicker Jade mat. I get the same grip, and I like the firmness of the floor that you can feel through the mat. Which brings me to my next point; grip.

Typically until broken in, Manduka mats are somewhat slippery. While I did have socks on (hey, I was cold), I have to say, I didn't notice at any point where I felt I was slipping. Granted, my practices are usually more gentle and restoring. I think I will have to play with this and see what happens when I do more of a vigorous practice and also practice without socks. I feel like if you use a carpeted surface, you will probably prefer a thicker mat that will stay in place. But on a hard surface, this mat doesn't move much for me.

The thinness of this mat allows it to be rolled OR folded. This makes this mat to be the PERFECT travel mat because it can fold up to fit in your suitcase, carry-on or even purse (depending on your purse size, of course). The downside to this; this mat tends to have a memory of those folds. So, you'll likely permanently have them in your mat if you chose to store/transport it this way. But if that's not something you mind, and you're solely looking for a travel mat then I think you'll still be perfectly happy with it. For me, I'm just a little too OCD to have the folds permanently in my mat. So, I prefer to roll it.

Another downside you could say would be if you normally use a yoga mat bag. I just got this one here from Hugger Mugger and I absolutely LOVE IT. Expect to have TONS of room left over (which actually might be great because you can throw in a block (foam so it doesn't get too heavy), strap or an extra sweater/shirt to change into. You may actually not even need the yoga mat bag anymore. Which for me is sad, because I really love my bag.

All in all, for the price of the mat and durability I've experienced thus far, I have to say I'm super happy with this mat.

Be on the look out for this mat at a discount similar to what I paid for it through Birchbox at retailers like; Marshall's, TJ MAXX, Nordstrom Rack, etc. You can also order it here on Manduka's website at normal retail price ($40 + shipping).

*If you're interested in signing up for Birchbox and it's $10 monthly subscription that you can cancel at any time; please check out Birchbox's site and sign up here!

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Flash Forward:

• Beginning February 3rd, Curvy Yoga will now be held Wednesdays at FocusOm Batavia from 7:00 - 8:15pm. You can find this class on FocusOm's website under Yoga For The True Beginner if you'd like to pre-register.
  
  
• Beginning March 2nd, Curvy Yoga is changing to the format of a 6 week series. Here, we’ll meet you where you are on the mat and focus on helping you on your journey to happiness and well-being. Each week we will guide you through a practice with thoughtful instruction and support to help you reach your goals safely and most importantly; at your own pace. We’ll use physical movement along with guided meditation and some yoga philosophy to not only help you develop strength, balance and flexibility but also help reconnect the mind and body; all while within a fun, comfortable atmosphere. 

March's series will be surrounded by Mindfulness and will also be a part of my Mindful March event. (stay tuned for details on Mindful March)

Curvy Yoga will run from March 2nd to April 6th and will cost just $85. Register here!