Healthy Lifestyles Workshop from Heaven Meets Earth Yoga Studio in Evanston

/
Ashley, a friend of mine and an amazing yoga teacher at Heaven Meets Earth, is teaching a workshop on healthy lifestyles, weight loss, and mindful exercise and eating.


If you're in Evanston or the Chicago area, consider attending!



Healthy Yoga Body
with Ashley Moran
6 Week Monday night series 
Mondays 7:30-9pm, January 3-February 7.
Starts tonight!

Photo via Heaven Meets Earth.

 Please feel free to share with friends you know who are always dieting or who could use a boost in their body image and self-confidence.


A few details:

Whether you want to lose weight, detoxify your body, or learn more about the ancient art and science of Ayurveda, this class is for you!


Healthy Yoga Body is a mindful approach to weight loss through yoga and the Ayurvedic lifestyle.



Photo via Heaven Meets Earth.

We will explore the basics of Ayurveda, the doshas (body types), and identify appropriate foods and exercises for your type. You will learn how to create a personalized home yoga practice and a community of support. Discover how mindfulness can transform your relationship with food.

Each class will include a lecture, yoga practice, and meditation. Students will leave class every week with amazing resources --delicious, healthy recipes and short mindfulness exercises to support your efforts during the week.

Cost: $120 for six-week series. Beginners welcome! No yoga experience necessary.

Materials: This class will reference texts “Yoga Body Diet” by Kristen Schultz Dollard and John Douillard and “Eating Mindfully” by Susan Albers, psy.d. These books are fantastic resources for your body/mind transformation!

Ashley Moran, CYT, was inspired to create Healthy Yoga Body community after taking a Yoga and Ayurveda workshop with John Douillard. 


Register at Heaven Meets Earth or call 847-475-1500.


Photo via Yoga Journal of a Not Very Calm Character.

The Kiddos

/
All photos by Jose Villa.

Photographer Jose Villa has a way of capturing the most heartfelt moments, don't you think?

I love when kids are silly, zany and beautiful.

Welcome to the new series:

Beyond Childhood
(How To Love Your Kiddos Better)




More inspiring posts to come soon. And if you know of some awesome toys I should be posting about, or sweet kid snack recipes, please write in!

Ready for the Impossible?

/
 
Photo via Pennyweight.

I have a feeling 2011 is going to be an incredible year. Are you ready for it?

I'm ready for quiet moments, full skies and elaborate dreams. I plan to do plenty of yoga, healthy cooking, and reading for fun.

And I want healthy relationships to be at the top of the list.

Photo via Andrew + Carissa.
Photo via Atlantic Tree Fox.

Now is one of those times of year I feel pretty reflective. I find myself reminiscing about my favorite memories -- which means reliving the Big Day over and over. Anyone else wish they could enjoy their wedding day all over again just because it was so wonderful?

Before we left California, I was also helping my mom pack up a few boxes and get rid of some of my old stuff. I spent a few hours going through old papers -- birthday cards, love notes from my lunchboxes as a kid, letters from penpals, journal entries, high school essays. I found myself feeling strangely sentimental, and sad to leave my family. The cards from both of my late grandmothers almost brought a tear, and more so they have inspired new poetry.

Photo via A Desert Fete. 
Photo via Oh Happy Day!

Getting back to our wonderful little apartment has also inspired me. I endured a particularly long and ridiculous journey home (delays at the airport, delays for the bags, delays for the cab) so I was pretty happy once I made it to bed last night.

I spent the whole day today cleaning, organizing, and getting rid of old stuff. The perfect New Year's purge!

It felt great to free up some space and tidy up. I still have a bit to do -- and I have big plans for my own new planning schemes to keep things easy to find! 

Photo via David and Sarah.
Photo via Stephen Beadles Photography.

At the start of January, it's easy to look forward and think how lovely and open the new year is. It's just as easy to look back at the year behind us and get overwhelmed by how much we had to do to survive it.

Are you busy looking forward, or looking back?

At this very moment, I am equally at peace with my goals for the new year and my accomplishments from the past year. I feel prepared to do better, to grow, to let go. I'm as ready for the impossible as I can be.

Photo by Jose Villa.

A final quick note: I'll be featuring a new series here on Alive in the Fire very soon! It's called:

Beyond Childhood (How to Love Your Kiddos Better) 

Get excited; you're going to be seeing a lot of adorable baby pictures, parenting advice, thoughts for expectant moms-to-be, reviews of green products, and ways to make family your top priority in 2011! I hope you'll follow along and consider contributing your comments and ideas.

If you know of a mom who might want to share her story, please have her email me here: aliveinthefire at gmail dot com.

I'd also love to hear from you with ideas about:
  • Family-focused companies
  • Eco-friendly and green products for babies
  • How to put family first
  • Raising kids with love, hope and spirit
  • Eating well for you and your family
Thanks and namaste!

Morning, Yogis

/
Photo via Mika Yoga Wear on Facebook.

Hello morning yogis! Are you rolling out your mats for your first class of 2011? Me too. I'm really excited to get a 90-minute torture session in before we pack up and head out to Chicago today.


I need the heat!


I hope you're enjoying the day and sticking to your practice. There is nothing better!


Here's to making 2011 a year for yoga.