If you have been following my blog, you have probably noticed that I have developed a real LOVE (or obsession) with Ashtanga Yoga. Ashtanga has changed the way I practice yoga, and as a result, has changed my life. My intuition was screaming at me to explore this love for Asthanga, so I did, and earlier this month, I completed a 40 hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training with David Swenson.

If you have no idea who David Swenson is, please do yourself a favor and google him. He is an internationally known, incredibly intelligent yoga teacher, and is one of the first American students to practice Ashtanga Yoga. His teacher was the the one and only, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois.

I believe that anything is possible. I believe that we should practice the impossible until something more impossible takes its place. I believe that practicing anything with that type of attitude and commitment makes it possible to believe that anything is possible.

I believe that there are no mistakes in life. You reading this blog post is not a mistake, it is not by accident, nor is it a coincidence. Everything in life is on purpose.

Aparigraha (ah-pah-ree-GRAH-hah)

The principle of non-possessiveness, refers to the ability to let go. It encourages non-grasping, non-clinging, and non-attachment to possessions or even thoughts. Aparigraha teaches you not to fill your life with "stuff" (including extraneous worries!), but rather to take it easy and be happy with what you have.

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This year, actually this month, I am turning thirty. You know, the big 3-0.

To some of my friends, this has been a huge deal and even a little depressing. I can't tell you how often I have heard someone sincerely say, "I'm getting so old."

I know. I roll my eyes, too.

For the past three years, I have taught a class on New Year's Day, and it's one of my favorite classes to teach. A class full of students looking to be inspired. Wide-eyed, excited, feeling ambitious, some maybe even a little hungover. It's a great way to start a new year.

January 1, 2016 was no different than any other New Year's Day class. A class filled with some of my favorite students with big smiles and positive attitudes; it's a yoga teacher's dream. Plus, it didn't look like anyone had a hangover this year.
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I love when the seasons change from summer to fall. I love the changing of the color of the leaves. I love pumpkin everything! I love the cool weather, wearing boots and sweaters.

​But most of all, I love eating SOUP!

Don't get me wrong; I eat soup all year round. I am a big soup fan. But there is something about eating soup when the weather gets chilly that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Have you heard of Kino MacGregor? If you haven't heard of her, I encourage you to look her up on YouTube and watch some of her amazing videos.

She has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for over fifteen years, and I find her to be truly inspirational. 

I have to be honest, before I found Kino on Instagram, I didn't know a whole lot about Ashtanga Yoga, but if there is a person to make you curious about Ashtanga, it's Kino.
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After I became vegan, I quickly realized that there are very limited options for what I can eat on a sandwich. There are only so many ways to eat vegetables on bread or on a wrap. 

So, I did some searching on the internet and came across a chickpea salad recipe which is meant to be similar to chicken salad.

I have to say, I think this chickpea salad is better than any chicken salad I have ever had.

For as long as I can remember, I have felt insecure about my body. 

I am tall and it feels like I always have been. Always the tallest girl in my class (sometimes taller than all of the boys, too), standing in the back row of all of my school pictures since kindergarten. I am five foot nine and a half and have been this tall since middle school. 

I have large breasts, which most people think is wonderful, but has always made me feel bigger in my belly and torso. When I gain weight, it always goes to my chest and belly before any other body part. 

I feel the most insecure about my stomach.
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