Follow Your Passions Even if it's not Your Job.

Posted on May. 5, 2011 0
If your job isn't in the same field as your passion, keep following your passions when you have time (outside of work) and see where it leads you. Maybe it's not meant for your passion to provide your income, but that doesn't mean you have to squash it. It is possible for your work and life to form a healthy balance that compliments you.

If you are lucky enough to have what you are passionate about provide a means to live, count your lucky stars and try to avoid complaining about your fortunate life. We all are fortunate to be alive each day. Follow something you enjoy each day to keep you connected to the zest of life. If you are fortunate enough to have a job, a spouse, or a circumstance that allows you to enjoy your passions that's fantastic also. Count your lucky stars and settle into the moment.

Try not to force your passions and interest to be a job unless it happens naturally. Pushing for a particular outcome from your passions can taint it's specialness for you. Keep connecting with your passion. Try to observe when you have the urge to push or give it up, be patient, and see what develops.

Pushing almost always comes from looking outside and wanting something that is not authentic to you. Look within to find what is right for you. Everyone has their own path. Try to follow someone else's and you'll never measure up and what's the point anyway? Follow yourself. You are unique and have something to offer that no one else on the planet does. It's silly to push for what someone else has.

Put in the effort, something will happen. The beauty is in letting yourself be surprised at what that something is.



Mantra For the Day:

Today I will recognize and acknowledge the uniqueness that I have to offer. I will make time to cultivate that uniqueness without pressure and without influence of outside sources. I will look within when I have doubt and questions and bring out what is authentic to me. I will be patient, keep following my passions, and allow myself to be surprised.

Restore Now

Posted on Apr. 13, 2011 0

Discover Yoga For Yourself

Posted on Mar. 3, 2011 1




Be There. March 26, Discover Yoga for Yourself. with Michael Taylor

I wouldn't have married him if he wasn't connected. You would know all about Mike Taylor and his contribution to health and yoga if he wasn't spending a lot of his time being an entrepreneur. He brings the practice of yoga, meditation, and awareness of consciousness to his business practices so whether you are a yoga person, a business person, or anyone who wants to bring awareness, happiness, joy, and an authentic discovery of yoga and meditation for yourself for lasting empowerment you must go to this. Learn how to follow your self through yoga, which leads to freedom, endless creativity, and grounded power and strength.

See you at Strala!

Interdependence Day.

Posted on Feb. 27, 2011 4
The day in which we remember that we are not separate from ourselves, each other, and the universe around us. The day we realize that our mood, thoughts, actions, reactions and behaviors affect ourselves, those around us, those far away from us, and everything that is in existence. The day that we realize we are simultaneously in the present moment and of the infinite.

The day which we realize we have the capability to harm or heal, suppress or inspire, live sick or live radiantly healthy, hate or love. It’s up to us to realize, or more accurately, remember, that we are entangled with all that is conscious and know that striving, pushing, and forcing our way toward seeking independence is a misaligned identity that only points to destruction. The rembrance of our interdependence is the state of flow and harmony with all consciousness.

You choose when will your interdependence day be.



I snapped the above photo at the Geodome last night at Deepak's Sage & Scientist's conference where I'm leading yoga, the practice of experiencing consciousness, connectivity, and cultivating health and awareness.

Anything is Possible

Posted on Feb. 25, 2011 2
(I posted this originally at Master the Shift. . . putting it up here per request of a few twitter pals.  Thanks.)

Yoga reminds us that we are full of potential and capable of living out our lives to their fullest. We have endless possibilities, but so few people actually live out their lives to achieve, breathe, and experience this potential. Fear, self doubt, and a whole other mess of circumstances can stand in the way. It can seem, if we choose to look at things in a certain way that life is one big set up for failure, to do what we are told, get in line, and pay attention to a formula that has been set by someone else who didn’t live up to their full potential. Why subscribe? Fear can lead to a life of unanswered questions like, “what could have been?” and even worse, glazed over complacency.

One thing I love about yoga is it naturally empowers you to realize who the heck you are and then hopefully give you the energy, courage, and inspiration to go out and do something about it. Last night at Strala a woman came to class who told me she was afraid to come to other studios because she is over weight. She even sent an email and asked if it was ok that she come! She obviously hadn’t been to Strala yet, where we have all shapes and sizes. She had been doing my yoga videos on-line and DVDs for a while and finally came to Strala with a friend. She was right in the front row, excited about her life, passionate, and full of zest and energy. Her body is open, strong, and when she wobbles on the mat she holds herself together with focus and determination. This is a woman living life, driving past her fears, her own limitations and past choices to start again fresh, in the present moment where anything is possible.

I’ll share some of my own life story (so far) to illustrate how it works.

I’m from a tiny town in Illinois. I liked to meditate in the woods as a kid and had big ideas for myself and lots of joy about pretty much everything. Without any connections to people in the “industry,” I got myself to Chicago and was dancing (and doing some more yoga)… although not super fantastic enough to be a professional ballet dancer…My boyish hips are made for yoga, not ballet. I could have performed contemporary but that’s a whole other story.

I kept going after experiences that made me feel good, made me feel like I was making a difference. A lot of people tried to tell me I was crazy, that yoga is a mature market that never hit it big and had no room for someone to make it different. People told me it was impossible to reach everyone through yoga, and that it’s only for the “yoga people.”

So that could have been my dead end right there. I could have gone a different route and thought, “OK, they are probably right. I should pick something else, just continue to do yoga, but stop worry about bringing it to the masses and all of that nonsense.” But I knew what I wanted to do and negativity was never and still isn’t anything more than a small annoyance to me…like a fly that won’t leave you alone on a nice day at the beach. Are you going to let the fly kick you off the beach or are you just going to ignore it until it gets tired of you and moves on?

When you do what you love you become a magnet for everything that aligns with your intention. You become extra magnetic especially when people haven’t seen something quite like how you are doing it. Remember everyone is unique and when you are being you, you are extraordinary. Problem is most people try to be like someone else that is “already successful.” Trick is to be YOU. Cultivate YOU.

So what happened? Well I work a lot because I love what I do so I am always working. I have other people’s sweat on me daily, and I love it. I get to work, meet, and be friends with my heroes, and I have a team of amazing people at Strala that are fantastic and passionate individuals doing great work. And if things weren’t as glitzy as they are currently I’d still be doing what I love.

I’m not gushing here to brag about all the cool things in my life, but I’m letting you in on a little secret. You can do whatever you wish, and it’s not about the outcome, it’s about the work. Work hard, follow your intuition, pay attention and trust your heart. Study yourself. That’s yoga. Keep doing yoga and your world will expand.

You can start fresh in this moment, knowing anything is possible…and that means for YOU.

What would you like to do? See? Experience? What’s holding you back?

Why Do Yoga.

Posted on Feb. 21, 2011 3
I do yoga so I can understand myself from the inside out, stay grounded and centered, and connect in a meaningful way in the world. Seeing colors, irredecent dots that connect all things, and other trippy, amazingly real effects of doing yoga are also incredibly enjoyable for me, although I refrain from making them a discussion leader for the most part, except for those days when the class pack has left and a few stragglers/good friends linger around the Strala couch, grandma's quilt, and E.T. pillow made from my brother remain.




I'm busy, you're busy, we're all busy. Busy is the new normal it seems. Yoga can keep us centered through it all and also give us the ability to enjoy the good things that come our way, and gain perspective from the challenges. Yoga takes us out of the roller coaster of our fears and puts us into the direct experience with our lives, revealing our potential. It is up to us to do something about it.

I always tease friends at Strala that you can tell everything about someone by how they practice yoga. It's like going to the doctor for a full exam. Give up to easily? Work too hard but not efficiently? Hard on yourself when things don't work out as planned? Or do you have patience with yourself, are able to stay in the moment without squirming or day dreaming? Once we know our habits and tendencies, we can do something about it, shift our attention and carve ourselves into the people we'd like to be on a daily basis. It's all practice, right?

My schedule is banana pancakes and will only get more nuts. I figure I could freak out, complain that I never have time to myself, or more sensibly, be crazy grateful for all the opportunities that I am getting to live out because of the effort I have put in. I am ridiculously grateful to be living exactly the life that I would wish for myself. . and I'm happy to understand the effort and attention it takes to cultivate life.

Do you do yoga? If so why do you, and if not, why not?

I am. . . Yoga Rebel

Posted on Jan. 24, 2011 0

I woke up last night at 2:30am to a constant buzzing of my iPhone filling up with texts, emails, FB messages, Twitter messages, YouTube messages, and old fashion voice mail being left by friends, long lost friends, and strangers. I had a hard time falling back asleep because I knew at 5am on my front door a big front page story of the New York Times profiling me will be placed on my doorstep. I had to hold this one in for a while. After seeing what everyone was up to "inside my iPhone" for an hour or so I must have fallen asleep because Mike woke me up at 7am. It was time to read the Sunday Paper that will change my life.

And here it is, in case you missed it, I am. . . Yoga Rebel.



Too tired to write more. I have to get up early tomorrow. Thanks Everyone. xx
More news to come soon.

The Talk

Posted on Jan. 4, 2011 0

Check out the full segment with Lady Jane Fonda being fab as usual. Team Fonda comes on in the third act to take you through Daily Yoga, Bootcamp, with Jeanette Jenkins, and sculpting and toning with Katrina and Karena, the Tone it Up Gals! It's a fun show!




















De-Stressing with Daily Yoga on GMA

Posted on Dec. 30, 2010 0

Big thanks to Good Morning America Health for having me on to talk about the launch of Jane Fonda's WORKOUT. Good news, Daily Yoga has sold out of a lot of Target stores and on-line at target.com. You can grab it here on Amazon until the next shipment comes in. . it will be soon!

Enjoy the De-Stressing Yoga Routine!




Make sure to also check out my Team Fonda mates in their awesome DVDs too! Jeanette Jenkins kicks our booties in Bootcamp and the lovely Tone it Up Gals get us sculpted and toned!





Jane Fonda is Back! And I'm on Board!

Posted on Dec. 22, 2010 1





You've probably seen, heard, or read about it somewhere, Jane Fonda is back in fitness and films! I had the pleasure of meeting Jane this summer and she asked me to be a part of her re-launch of WORKOUT, the popular brand she released all those iconic fitness tapes, and videos getting America in shape!

It is such an honor to know and work with Jane. She popularized integrating fitness and health into our daily lives paving the way for the entire fitness and mind/body industry. Jane is the original and I'm so proud to be on board! Pictured right to left Katrina Hodgson, and Karena Dawn from Tone it Up, Jane, Jeanette Jenkins, and me :)

The DVDs and equipment are available in all Target Stores Dec 26th.



To celebrate the launch we had a shin dig at my favorite hotel, The Standard in Hollywood. Thanks for letting us have our party at the pool!

Check out this fun video of the launch by PopSugarTV.