Dress for Success

Hooray my fellow yogis! The universe blessed me yesterday with some yoga gear from the lovely company Bohemian Island.

I was always told dress for success no matter what it is you are pursuing. For me yoga is my pursuit and man, this company really delivered. Normally I love yoga leggings, they are tight and flexible and just work with you. These are my first pair of harem pants and they are so incredibly comfortable I wish I had them sooner!

Why do I love them?

They are so incredibly comfortable! Made out of 100% cotton and stitched in Thailand, you can just feel the love in these pants. They are a beautiful color and pattern not to mention they wash and dry wonderfully, no wrinkles or fading. The great thing about them is that they are so wearable! I wore them everywhere and they made such a cute outfit

Even my son Zen loved them

How was yoga practice in them?

During my yoga practice I have a sense of freedom in them and the loose fabric helps keep me cool and grounded.

                                                                       

How long did I wait for them?

It took 11 days to reach my doorstep here in California and considering they came all the way from Thailand, that's awesome.

Any complaints?

I have had the pants for about a week now, practiced yoga in them four times. They have been through the washer and dryer, they've been slept in and also worn out as a day outfit. They have help up great and I really cannot find anything wrong with these pants

Do I recommend them?

100% yes, go buy a pair right now! 10% of their proceeds goes to helping stray dogs in Thailand so you can feel good about giving to yourself and animals in need. 

In all, Bohemian Island is a great company with a great product. I am so happy I was given the opportunity to review their product. Really give these guys a shout out if you order a pair and give a great company some love. Head over to their website http://bohemianisland.com/ and check em out!

                                                             

Namaste

Freeing the soul

Wow my friends, I have had the most emotionally physically and mentally draining last day, one of proportions that I never experienced before. At one point my vibration dropped so low I contemplated what it would be like to free my spirit of this place.

I have battled anxiety and depression for quite some time and that is one of the reasons I turned to meditation a few years ago. Sometimes though, even through deep and heavy meditative practices this ugly low vibrational feeling rears its ugly head and I am then forced to deal with it head on.

There is always a time in life where we have to deal on a low vibration or in other words deal with negative emotions and feelings. For me this came in a giant wave over the last two days. The first day I turned to my mat, the second day all I could do was savasana an deep meditation. Today, I am still reflecting.

I am reflecting on attachment today. In all reality that is where this all stemmed from. Being attached to opinions, being attached to emotions being attached to situations. If I could just let go and free my mind of the bonds it created, the bonds my ego feeds off of I could then free my spirit of them and truly find sumati.

I have reached a point in my journey that I have to overcome. Like a mountain this attachment stands before me. Like climbing a mountain I will stumble I will fear I will get to the tip and put it behind me.

I have faith in the universe to help me and to guide my soul to where it needs to be. With this faith I know I will be okay, I just need to get over this speed bump.

What are your mountains?

Namaste.

Inner Light: Empowering your inner goddess

Every day we wake up to a challenge. We wake up having to deal with the world and all that is in it and if you all are anything like me that is difficult. We see all the things we feel helpless to change and it crushes our spirit. we deal with negativity, low-vibrational people, desensitized media and the like and after a while that inner spark, that inner light sort of dims down.

Today I awoke ready to reignite that inner fire, my passion, my inner goddess. I am a very passionate person especially when it comes to the health and safety of my family but also about my spirituality. Today I opened myself up to universe and meditated on my inner self and what it was that drives me and I began to awaken that light.

In my core I am a healer and a lightworker. I want to watch people grow and continue down a healthy path guided by the universe. This is what I feel called to do and as I continue to pursue this calling the more confident and empowered I feel. The hardest thing to do in this life is find our calling but when we find it we must go after it to feed our higher selves.

Unfortunatly, it is not always that simple. We have bills to pay and mouths to feed and that is completely understandable. The Gita talks about having to complete ones duties unattached. If we are not attached to the fruits of the labor we preform we can then let go long enough to pursue our passions. For example, lets say you work at a grocery store and the amount of hours you work is perfect to pay your bills and support your family. Now lets say your boss offers you extra hours but during a time that you do something you enjoy like surfing. If you are attached to the fruits of your labor (in this case that is money) you will miss out on what you love to do! Who is to say the universe won't reward you for pursuing something that feeds your inner light? Who is to say you could not make a buisness out of surfing or whatever it is you want to pursue?

Our passions are what feed our inner light. So I am giving you all permission to let out your inner goddess or god and really let your light radiate from inside you! show the world your passion with no regrets or attachment. Feed that inner self that part of you that makes you confident and empowered.

Today I practiced yoga in nature on my dock at the lake. I gave the sun salutations as it rose up over the California mountains and I asked the sun and universe to help set fire to my inner goddess and bring her to surface. I focused on goddess pose and also fish pose.

Namaste

Summer time detox time

I like to use the word "detox" very loosely. Our bodies naturally detox, and have an amazing detoxing system including the liver, kidneys and colon. So when I hear all the hype surrounding detox pills, drinks, etc. I get a little agitated that these companies are taking credit for a perfected body function.

What these "detoxes" actually do is support your bodies natural ability to expel harmful and toxic substances. I only bring this up because I want all of us to appreciate our amazing wonderful bodies. So, how do I support my body you ask?

I like to follow tradition. Fasting has been around forever and is even mentioned biblically when Jesus fasted for 40 days. According to ayurvedic knowledge fasting is considered an austerity or depriving the senses and that is what brings us closer to enlightenment. Fasting also allows the body to naturally reset so to speak. We give our GI track a break and our organs a chance to catch up.

I don't like to fast completely. When fasting I drink up to a gallon of mineral water with lemon a day (also aids in detoxification and alkalizing the body), as well as drinking spirulina and wheatgrass because I enjoy treating my body well and that includes keeping it nourished.

This time around I will also be taking some liver support and a parasitic cleanse with black walnut and wormwood extract.

By giving my body a break and allowing it to naturally reset I am opening myself up for spiritual and mental health as well. When we feel good about ourselves our outlook on life becomes clearer.

For today's practice I really worked on some detoxifying twists. Making sure to twist from my core (like wringing out a towel) rather than going for cracking my back, this way it massages out my organs getting those muscles and fluids working. I stayed away from inversions today so that way my bodies natural flow was not disturbed by gravity. It is very important to listen to your body and know what is best to acomplish your goal in your practice. Much of the time we strive to continue practicing those asanas we haven't mastered, for me those are inversions, and though I wanted to keep practicing it is not the right time for my body while I cleanse my system.

Remember to work with nature not against it and in the end the universe will reward those who are knowledgeable. How do you detox fellow yogi?

Namaste

Self Love: Opening our hearts

Today I woke up, got on my mat and just felt bad. I felt bad about my looks, about myself in general really. So instead of just jumping into my normal practice I sat down and looked to myself and the universe for answers.

Reflecting back I can't pinpoint why I felt bad about myself but the feeling I received told me it did not matter. Rather, what mattered is that I let the feeling go.

Inside all of us is a beautiful soul. And our outer bodies are beautiful vessels for those souls. We are all fractal pieces of the universe and we are all connected and loved. Self love comes from inner acceptance and also unattachment of material ideas. If we lose weight will we love ourselves more? If we change our physical features will we love ourselves more? Or will giving up those human ideals bring about greater self acceptance. We don't need to look far to find ourselves.

Today my practice was full of heart openers and perspective changers. I love hanumanasana as a heart opener and headstands as a perspective changer. I focused on loving my body through my practice and thanking my body for all the amazing functions it preforms for me.

The only person we need to impress is ourselves. Once we embrace our inner beauty and inner goddess we embrace the universe and the love that it has to offer. Each day is beautiful, just like your soul and heart.

Namaste

With a calm mind we listen: Listening to our higher selves

It is my firm belief that we as humans like to get comfortable. We do things on repetition until it becomes second nature and that's where I was at with my yoga practice. A couple sun salutations, maybe throw in some backbends some balancing poses and the like and then finish it all off with savasana. It was great! Stretched all those pesky kinks out, finished with meditation to set my intention for the day and there is nothing wrong with getting comfortable in your routine. We all need to find that balance and comfort because that is where we find peace and habit.

I felt the universe calling out to me though. I felt my body telling me it was ready for more, it was ready to bend balance and show its new strength. So I complied. I got on my mat and timed my practice to my mantra something I had never done before and I pushed my body to things I never thought I could do. Something amazing happened. My mind spirit and body all worked together in a dance of the asanas. As my body moved in and out of poses and stretches my mind became less cluttered and my spirit became lighter. I was free of my material self for the first time.

At the end of my practice I came into savasana, not out of habit but out of need. My muscles were worked I was drenched in sweat and I let my body rest while my mind fell away and my soul took over.

Sometimes the universe calls out and we believe it to be more than we can handle but if we put our faith in the universe and our souls inside us we truly can accomplish great things and experience something divine. In yoga there is something very common you hear "listen to your body" I think every teacher I ever had told me that and I even catch myself saying it, but there is nothing truer. We are all on this journey of self discovery but we cannot expect to all have the same experience. We must look inside ourselves to what our own personal needs are. When we find our true higher self we find our greater purpose.

So today's lesson: listen to your bodies my fellow yogis, sometimes we may surprise ourselves with what we are truly capable of.

Namaste

No matter where on this journey...

Today I want to talk about my journey and what led me to yoga and clean eating. We all have a story and regardless of where we are on this path the beggining, the middle, or perhaps we have mastered it. We will all end up where we want to be.

My journey started my freshman year of high school. I was overweight, I felt out of place and I needed an outlet. At the time sports weren't really my thing, so I looked to yoga. I found an article about it in a fitness magazine and I took that as inspiration. The natural flexibility,strength and balance awed me and I wanted to be able to bend my body like they did, I wanted to look like them. Little did I know there was much more to it than that.

I started at the library. A book on healthy eating and a book of all the asanas. Flipping through the pages I vowed to myself I would execute every one of them one day. I started in to the asanas but I did not make it a practice instead I focused on stretching my body to limits I should not of crossed, entered into poses I wasn't ready for and hurt myself a few times. I loved the way the beginner poses made me feel but I was missing something and eventually I returned the books and I stopped.

A few years later during my junior year I started soccer and during summer practice I started back in to yoga with actual classes. I fell in love with vinyasa. The movement and breath and overall feeling of stillness and calm really spoke to me. Clean eating followed by natural progression.

I am still on this journey, still learning bending and trying. I don't ever see my life without yoga and meditation I hope my story can inspire you to never give up, to keep on moving until you find your niche.

Namaste my friends

Chia protien bowl

My favorite meals are the really simple ones. The ones that you look at and you know exactly what is you are eating. In my book, the simpler the better. That's what makes this yummy breakfast so great, its simple, fast, and you get a great morning nutrition boost! Chia seeds are one of my favorite superfoods. Loaded with antioxidants, omegas and protien they are just the thing for a filling satisfying breakfast.

Recipe :

What you need:
Chia seeds (I buy them organic and raw)
Protien powder(any flavor)
Blueberries
Strawberries

How to make:

Mix up a 6 oz protien shake, add 5 tablespoons chia seeds. Let it set in the fridge for 15 minutes or long enough for the chia seeds to "gel" it becomes the consistency of tapioca pudding. Top with strawberries and blueberries OR your fruit of choice

Namaste my friends, Enjoy!

Healing through oils

One of my new hats is a DoTerra seller. Doterra is an amazing essential oils company that I one hundred percent stand by. My goal for my future career is to become an Eastern medicine doctor with my own practice. I do not believe in the pharmaceutical industry and I do not believe they are trying to help but rather finding profit in the sick. With that said I am a personal believer in homeopathic remedies for myself and my family.

The reason I signed up in the first place is because I want to heal people and these oils can help me do that, but most people ask "where is the proof?" Well my mother was just recently diagnosed with lymphoma again for the second time in her life. Along with the lymphoma she has a whole myriad of other health issues including malnutrition, anemia, severe swelling in the legs, muscle and bone pain and the list goes on. At first, I was devastated at the news of my mothers current condition and then I realized.. I can heal her.

Today I started her health regime. My main goals are to pump as much nutrition into her as well as help ease her discomfort and help boost her immunities. I am hoping this combination along with ionized colloidal silver and maybe even CBDs I can cure her all together. She will start her day off with a high nutrition smoothie: Fresh fruit, juice, wheatgrass, coconut oil, spirulina, redmans clay, and lavender and frankincense. This smoothie will be enough of a nutritional boost that she will get most of her daily nutrition from it. As for supplements she will be taking a daily multivitamin and also msm and glucosimine to help her body absorb the nutrients. Also daily she will be having a protein drink and plenty of plant based foods. Also I will be using a lotion of coconut oil, frankincense, lavender and magnesium oil on her legs to help reduce swelling.

As a disclaimer I would like to say I am NOT a doctor and I in no way encourage people to not seek professional assistance nor do I claim that what I am doing is a definite cure. Every person is different with variations in their bodies and illnesses and I cannot say that what works for one person works for them all. Everyone should consult their physicians before a change in diet or before supplementing.

I hope to one day bring people the success story of my mother as their proof. I want to show the world what is really possible through homeopathic medicine and I cannot wait to document this experience and see the results.

Coconut oil lavender coffee? Say what?

I am an avid coffee drinker. Or I am now that I'm not pregnant any more but upon inspection of my coffee creamer I was not happy with all the sugar and preservatives. I thought it was the end of my coffee drinking days... But then I read a life changing article on using coconut oil as creamer!

Sounds strange right? Oil doesn't mix well, but if you blend it up in the blender it becomes a frothy tropical heaven in a mug. I decided to take it a step even further with some lavender tea and honey. Sweet perfection. I can honestly say I don't miss the creamer at all!

Not just fit... HEALTHY

When I first started this blog I had the intention of being "fit". In my mind this meant skinny, muscle tone, balanced diet etc ... Ever since the birth of my son, my views of being fit have turned towards health.

I have been hyper aware of the products entering my body and to be honest, I am disgusted by what I have been finding. BPA lining most plastics and canned goods leaching toxins, fluoride causing thyroid dysfunction, parabens, and the list goes on all leaching their toxins into me, my husband and our sweet boy. Not to mention the myriad of preservatives and don't even get me started on GMO's! Our world today is not the world our parents grew up in and it's scary for me as a mother to think I am poisoning my son with everyday products.

This summer I plan on going " back to nature" cutting all the fake garbage out of my families life and documenting each step along the way. I don't think I am smarter or better than anyone else by doing this, I am just a mom who is horrified by the realities of our world. I want to make a difference in this world but I can't change anything if I don't change me and my family first.

So, as for the plan...
I have already got a HUGE headstart on this whole project by starting my garden. (All organic and heirloom seeds this year!) Why eat something I cannot grow? Not only will this garden be big enough to feed my family from but I also get to control the quality of our food and it will be so much more nutritious because its fresh and picked ripe. Not to mention we will be lessening our carbon footprint.

The next step will be to go through my food cupboards. Alas, it is time to let go of all my snacks *sigh* goodbye my dear convenient salty and sweet friends. Anything with a preservative must go! As well as bleached flour and those nasty BPA lined canned goods. Now I'm sure you are asking at this point "But Kaitlin, doesn't that mean you will be grocery shopping all the time? There will be nothing in your pantry!" Well do not fret my dear friends I have a wonderful solution.. Canning and pickling in glass jars! I should have such an abundance this summer from my garden I will give my mason jars some much needed love. My pantry will be stocked with dried beans, grains, seeds and nuts as well as my own canned goods!

And last, but certainly not least is my bathroom cabinets and beauty regimen. So many harmful chemicals are leached into our skin through soaps, lotions and even toothpaste! My plan is by trial and error finding all natural recipes for my bathroom products. I will also be looking for an organic and non harmful makeup line for myself and possibly trying out some alternatives to tampons.

This should be a very trying and rewarding next few months. I am basically taking my families way of life and turning it completely upside down. I firmly believe I am doing what is best for my family and I look forward to our more natural and holistic way of life. Has anyone else gone through such a drastic change like this? What was your experience?

Life after Baby

This past January I was blessed with an amazing bundle of joy and he has truly captured my mind, body and soul. There always seems to be so much nonsense surrounding "baby weight" it makes me sick. You can seldom walk into a store and not see tabloid headlines addressing how so-and-so lost all the extra baggage. Well I'm here to say I love my body and even though it's hard for me to say it I do love it. I love it because it safely housed, fed, and protected my sweet boy and for that I will forever be grateful. 

I can honestly say I have had post partum depression and I have had a very negative outlook on my body but I have a plan to change it. Not for anyone else, just for me, because I deserve it. I deserve to feel sexy and confident again. I deserve to love myself again. I don't expect it to be easy but with these new life changes I hope to overcome what I feel powerless to change... My own judgment.