Oprah inspires me! I have found myself drawn to O: The Oprah Magazine a lot lately. It's tag line is "Live your best life," which is right in line with my view of yoga being a powerful tool for me to live my best life and be my authentic self. It seems a natural publication for a yogi to read.
Oprah decided to start her own cable television network (OWN) that will debut in the new year, where she wants to share inspiration and teachings with a television audience. In the January 2011 issue, Oprah discusses wanting to take responsibility for the energy that she is bringing into the rooms of every person watching her network. (Check out the article titled "Own It" for more insight!) That got me to thinking, what kind of energy am I bringing to the people I encounter everyday, from my husband and co-workers to people in line next to me in the grocery store, and even my dog?
Some people are more intuitive than others and can sense other people's energy more clearly, but the fact is that it's happening. People are sensing your energy all the time. They can tell if you are uncomfortable, jealous, irritated, tired, bored, or if you'd rather be somewhere else. They can tell if you are full of joy, gratitude, compassion, love, happiness, or humility. And the awesome - yet scary - thing is, that energy builds on itself. Positive energy can light up a room; while negative energy can bring it down.
Think about what energy you are bringing to the spaces around you. In the end it doesn't matter what you say or what you do; it matters how you are being. That is how people will remember you. And think about how a little shift in perspective can fill you with joy, and allow that joy energy to be shared and to grow with every person you encounter throughout your day. That's how we make this world a better place!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
It's OK To Feel
It's OK to feel sad, my stepmother told me this past week. Underneath my cheery disposition was a lot of pain; and not unlike many times in my past when I was hurting, I hid beneath a fake smile and false positiveness. I told everyone that I was OK. I almost even thought that I was...
But this time her words sank into me, and I remembered them. When I felt sad, I cried. When I felt angry, I observed it. When I felt nothing - almost numbness, I sat with it. I can't say it really felt "good," but different, like I was letting it out.
So often in my life when I felt lonely or stressed, I'd reach for food and seek comfort; not really feeling the feeling, just feeling full. When I was sad, I busied my life with projects and appointments, so I couldn't feel that sadness. When I was angry, I'd create stories, and make the anger build. I had never learned to sit with my emotions and feel them.
Now, I am not talking about dwelling on my feelings, letting them define me. But giving my emotions room to be. Letting myself feel them and know they are not right or wrong, good or bad, but that this is how I am in the present moment. It helped me to put things in perspective. It also helped me to open my heart. Without covering my feelings up with something else, I was able to be honest about them, and share them with my friends. (This is something I don't often do. I try to be the pretty package perfect life girl... my goodness, that's a whole blog in itself - stay tuned!)
So often we drown our feelings in tequila, sappy movies, Ben & Jerry's, exercise, whatever it may be. But when the ice cream is gone or you sober up, the feelings are still there. It's not until we give them space to be, that they can move on, move through us, and continue guiding us on our journey.
It's OK to feel. In fact, its the only way you can be.
But this time her words sank into me, and I remembered them. When I felt sad, I cried. When I felt angry, I observed it. When I felt nothing - almost numbness, I sat with it. I can't say it really felt "good," but different, like I was letting it out.
So often in my life when I felt lonely or stressed, I'd reach for food and seek comfort; not really feeling the feeling, just feeling full. When I was sad, I busied my life with projects and appointments, so I couldn't feel that sadness. When I was angry, I'd create stories, and make the anger build. I had never learned to sit with my emotions and feel them.
Now, I am not talking about dwelling on my feelings, letting them define me. But giving my emotions room to be. Letting myself feel them and know they are not right or wrong, good or bad, but that this is how I am in the present moment. It helped me to put things in perspective. It also helped me to open my heart. Without covering my feelings up with something else, I was able to be honest about them, and share them with my friends. (This is something I don't often do. I try to be the pretty package perfect life girl... my goodness, that's a whole blog in itself - stay tuned!)
So often we drown our feelings in tequila, sappy movies, Ben & Jerry's, exercise, whatever it may be. But when the ice cream is gone or you sober up, the feelings are still there. It's not until we give them space to be, that they can move on, move through us, and continue guiding us on our journey.
It's OK to feel. In fact, its the only way you can be.
Holiday Card Letter 2010
Dear Friends and Family,
We hope this letter finds you filled with holiday cheer and cozied up with your family staying warm! 2010 has been a wonderful year filled with many blessings. While 2009 was all about our wedding, new house, and new puppy; 2010 has been a year of travel and breaking in our new home.
In April, Mike accompanied his good friend Cameron, a photographer, to a UFC fight in California and was asked by Universal Magazine out of Sydney, Australia, to write about the event. (This is the same publication Cameron shoots for.) Mike is as passionate about MMA as he is about food, football, and fishing, so when they asked him to cover another fight in August and write a piece on Anderson Silva, Mike was stoked. The next event he is covering with Cameron is this February in Vegas.
In May, Sara turned the big 3-0. We hosted seven of our crazy fun college and high school friends at our house to ensure Sara kicked off her 30s the right way! We had a blast, though Cuda couldn’t figure out why there were always – day and night – people playing in his favorite toy (the pool). Sara’s dad and step-mom came to visit the next weekend to round out a perfect entrance to a new decade.
As part of Sara’s 30th birthday celebration and as an official honeymoon (Yes, we got married in Mexico, but never had a real honeymoon with just the two of us!), we spent almost two weeks in Vietnam the end of June/early July. We backpacked the trip and saw Hanoi (Vietnam’s capital city and a foody’s Mecca), Halong Bay (2000+ limestone creations in a turquoise bay which we sailed through on an overnight cruise), Sapa, (a Hmong tribal village amidst the Tonkinese Alps – boasting the highest mountain in Southeast Asia), Nha Trang (a beautiful beach town on the South Sea of China), and Ho Chi Minh City (the cosmopolitan center of Vietnam loaded with war history). It was an amazing experience, but very HOT there during the summer. Mike ate his way through the country, of course, in search of the best pho – he sampled over 17 different bowls during the trip!
In July, Cuda turned one, so we had a big birthday BBQ bash for him. He loved playing with the other doggies and kids. Smushes and Callie have warmed up to Cuda a bit over the year, and they all keep Sara good company while working from home.
In August, Sara completed her 200-hour certified yoga teacher training at Bala Vinyasa Yoga. The certification program consisted of one intensive weekend of training a month for six months, and was one of the most challenging – and rewarding – things Sara has ever done. She now shares her passion for yoga by teaching at the studio a few times a week on evenings and weekends.
In October we traveled to Italy to celebrate Mike’s parent’s 25th wedding anniversary with them. We conquered Rome (hitting a dance club in a 2000 year old cave ‘til the wee hours of the morning our first night there), Venice (a magical city with lots of great meals), Florence (to have our breath taken away by Michelangelo’s David), and Camiore (a charming little town in the hills of Tuscany where we celebrated our good friends’ honeymoon with them) – and took in lots of fresh truffles, porcini mushrooms, pasta, pizza, and of course, vino! Back in FL, Sara’s mom graciously took care of our “children.”
Amidst all this, we squeezed in work and play trips to Key West, Miami, CA, NY, OH, and MN (experiencing the awesome new Twins stadium, and a Vikings game… womp… womp…), and created great new memories with you! For those of you we haven’t seen in awhile, we miss you and hope our paths cross soon!
Wishing you unending joy, love, and blessings in 2011,
Mike, Sara, Smush, Callie, and Cuda Mueller
We hope this letter finds you filled with holiday cheer and cozied up with your family staying warm! 2010 has been a wonderful year filled with many blessings. While 2009 was all about our wedding, new house, and new puppy; 2010 has been a year of travel and breaking in our new home.
In April, Mike accompanied his good friend Cameron, a photographer, to a UFC fight in California and was asked by Universal Magazine out of Sydney, Australia, to write about the event. (This is the same publication Cameron shoots for.) Mike is as passionate about MMA as he is about food, football, and fishing, so when they asked him to cover another fight in August and write a piece on Anderson Silva, Mike was stoked. The next event he is covering with Cameron is this February in Vegas.
In May, Sara turned the big 3-0. We hosted seven of our crazy fun college and high school friends at our house to ensure Sara kicked off her 30s the right way! We had a blast, though Cuda couldn’t figure out why there were always – day and night – people playing in his favorite toy (the pool). Sara’s dad and step-mom came to visit the next weekend to round out a perfect entrance to a new decade.
As part of Sara’s 30th birthday celebration and as an official honeymoon (Yes, we got married in Mexico, but never had a real honeymoon with just the two of us!), we spent almost two weeks in Vietnam the end of June/early July. We backpacked the trip and saw Hanoi (Vietnam’s capital city and a foody’s Mecca), Halong Bay (2000+ limestone creations in a turquoise bay which we sailed through on an overnight cruise), Sapa, (a Hmong tribal village amidst the Tonkinese Alps – boasting the highest mountain in Southeast Asia), Nha Trang (a beautiful beach town on the South Sea of China), and Ho Chi Minh City (the cosmopolitan center of Vietnam loaded with war history). It was an amazing experience, but very HOT there during the summer. Mike ate his way through the country, of course, in search of the best pho – he sampled over 17 different bowls during the trip!
In July, Cuda turned one, so we had a big birthday BBQ bash for him. He loved playing with the other doggies and kids. Smushes and Callie have warmed up to Cuda a bit over the year, and they all keep Sara good company while working from home.
In August, Sara completed her 200-hour certified yoga teacher training at Bala Vinyasa Yoga. The certification program consisted of one intensive weekend of training a month for six months, and was one of the most challenging – and rewarding – things Sara has ever done. She now shares her passion for yoga by teaching at the studio a few times a week on evenings and weekends.
In October we traveled to Italy to celebrate Mike’s parent’s 25th wedding anniversary with them. We conquered Rome (hitting a dance club in a 2000 year old cave ‘til the wee hours of the morning our first night there), Venice (a magical city with lots of great meals), Florence (to have our breath taken away by Michelangelo’s David), and Camiore (a charming little town in the hills of Tuscany where we celebrated our good friends’ honeymoon with them) – and took in lots of fresh truffles, porcini mushrooms, pasta, pizza, and of course, vino! Back in FL, Sara’s mom graciously took care of our “children.”
Amidst all this, we squeezed in work and play trips to Key West, Miami, CA, NY, OH, and MN (experiencing the awesome new Twins stadium, and a Vikings game… womp… womp…), and created great new memories with you! For those of you we haven’t seen in awhile, we miss you and hope our paths cross soon!
Wishing you unending joy, love, and blessings in 2011,
Mike, Sara, Smush, Callie, and Cuda Mueller
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Words Of Wisdom For The Happy Couple
Good friends/family of ours recently got married. One of their friends put together a beautiful anitque "Words of Wisdom" book that we all signed. This was my poem for the newlyweds from Mike and I:
Love each other as if this is your last breath
Laugh until it hurts, then keep laughing
Choose to always experience joy and gratitude together, no matter the circumstances
Dance! Dance! Dance!
Never underestimate the power of a hug
Cherish the simple moments together for the miraculous gifts that they are
Love each other as if this is your last breath.
Love each other as if this is your last breath
Laugh until it hurts, then keep laughing
Choose to always experience joy and gratitude together, no matter the circumstances
Dance! Dance! Dance!
Never underestimate the power of a hug
Cherish the simple moments together for the miraculous gifts that they are
Love each other as if this is your last breath.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Distractions... Or The Universe's Plan?
My life has been... well, crazy the last two months. Travel for fun, travel for work, huge work deadlines, more yoga teaching, Thanksgiving, showers, parties, and more. I had been wanting to do more writing and more personal yoga study for my teaching, but that didn't happen much in October and November. When Thanksgiving ended and I had time to catch my breath, I began to worry, was I letting the business of my life distract me from being the person that deep down in my core I know I want to be?
Instead of worrying about it too much I decided to allow my life to settle, to pick up my meditation practice that was so inconsistent the last two months, and get on my mat for some kick-my-booty yoga workouts! After one week I already feel more grounded, more in touch with my authentic self, and having more faith in the universe's plan.
I do believe that life distracted me a bit, but I also believe that I am right where I am supposed to be. And, if you think about it, life's precious gift is the life that you are living, the breath that you take day after day. While I work toward my goals, I have to appreciate - and completely live - my life. What a waste the past two months would have been if I was worried about doing more writing, rather than truly experiencing the moment I was living.
But that being said, there have been times in my life when I allowed myself to be distracted. Like when living in NYC and I didn't feel I was on the right path; so I spent six months studying for and taking the GMAT to get into business grad school - mostly because my friend Steph was doing the same thing (and she seemed to be so sure this was her next step in life). Looking back, what was I thinking?!?!?!?! I was living her dream, not mine.
So what I learned these past two months is that I have to be grounded. I have to come to stillness - especially amidst chaos - to ensure I connect with my true self and stay on the right path. Sometimes life just happens, and you have to go with the flow trusting in the end things will work out as they should. It is in the moments of stillness, of centering, that I connect with God, with the universe, with my true self, and allow it to guide my direction.
And from there, all I need is faith, and I will be right where I am supposed to be.
Instead of worrying about it too much I decided to allow my life to settle, to pick up my meditation practice that was so inconsistent the last two months, and get on my mat for some kick-my-booty yoga workouts! After one week I already feel more grounded, more in touch with my authentic self, and having more faith in the universe's plan.
I do believe that life distracted me a bit, but I also believe that I am right where I am supposed to be. And, if you think about it, life's precious gift is the life that you are living, the breath that you take day after day. While I work toward my goals, I have to appreciate - and completely live - my life. What a waste the past two months would have been if I was worried about doing more writing, rather than truly experiencing the moment I was living.
But that being said, there have been times in my life when I allowed myself to be distracted. Like when living in NYC and I didn't feel I was on the right path; so I spent six months studying for and taking the GMAT to get into business grad school - mostly because my friend Steph was doing the same thing (and she seemed to be so sure this was her next step in life). Looking back, what was I thinking?!?!?!?! I was living her dream, not mine.
So what I learned these past two months is that I have to be grounded. I have to come to stillness - especially amidst chaos - to ensure I connect with my true self and stay on the right path. Sometimes life just happens, and you have to go with the flow trusting in the end things will work out as they should. It is in the moments of stillness, of centering, that I connect with God, with the universe, with my true self, and allow it to guide my direction.
And from there, all I need is faith, and I will be right where I am supposed to be.
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