My NEW Yoga Business! :)

Hello Worn-in-Boots readers! I want to share with you my new online business. It’s called YogaBabe and you can find me at YogaBabeLife.com … please sign up for my email to stay in touch! Here is my welcome post:

Welcome to YogaBabe!

I’m so happy that you’re here! This post will explain what YogaBabe is all about, and what’s in store for you.

YogaBabe is a place for women of all ages to be inspired to start living their best lives yet! The B-Line to YogaBabe Lifestyle Program and Get-Gorgeous Cleansing System is the complete guide to living a YogaBabe lifestyle. Inside, you’ll find SO much information, it truly is an investment into your health and wellbeing. You’ll figure out  how to stop dieting, stop counting calories, and start losing weight effortlessly. The Get-Gorgeous Cleansing System includes 3 different cleanses, a 3 day, 7 day, and 12 day. The Off-the-Mat Eating Guide will explain how to maintain your results after doing a cleanse. There is a LOT more in the program, so take a look here to find out more details!

Starting in November of 2013, I will be launching my Get-the-Glow Health Coaching Program. This is a one-on-one 6-month coaching program that is my premium program. More on this in the next few months! Let me know if  you’re interested by sending me a note here. Spots are very limited, so get yours soon!

Now onto the FREE content that you’ll be getting weekly! Each Monday is Off-the-Mat Monday. Yoga instructors, like myself, commonly refer to living your yoga “on and off the mat.” Yoga is so much more than just a physical practice, but it really leaks out into the rest of your life, from how you interact with others, the way you eat, and the way you take care of yourself. It’s truly a lifestyle. Each Monday, I’ll take questions from the community (AKA–YOU!) and answer them for you!

Every Wednesday you’ll be getting a new YogaBabe Sculpt or YogaBabe Flow workout. YogaBabe Sculpt is a combination of yoga, weight lifting, plyometrics, cardio, and pilates. YBSculpt will not only sculpt your body, it will strengthen your yoga practice and make it much more enjoyable. YogaBabe Flow classes are vinyasa (flow) classes that will center  you, engage your core, detoxify your body, and exhilarate your mind and body. You can follow along to your first YBFlow practice here!

Each Friday is Fit Food Friday and you’ll be getting an episode of YogaBabe Bites, you can watch the first episode here!

There will also be YBMeditations released in the near future. I’ll guide you into starting a meditation practice and make it fun and accessible.

Sign up for the  YogaBabe Newsletter at the bottom of this post to stay up to date on everything that’s going on at YogaBabe and be the first to know about upcoming programs–I’ve got a lot of surprises on the way! When you sign up, you’ll receive a FREE GIFT, my YogaBabe Start-Up Kit that will give you my 5 Glow tips for Becoming Fit, Calm & Confident! Get it!

Be sure to “Like” YogaBabe on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and Instagram. Connect with me by using the hashtag #NamasteNote or #YogaBabeLife! Can’t wait to meet!

Love,

Dana

in dying, we RISE <3

Welp! It’s about time I write something.

It’s been almost 4 months post surgery (April 7th marks that date). And, I couldn’t be happier to tell you that I am doing better than I ever could have imagined. As I sit back and reflect on where I’m at right now, nothing but a smile comes across my face. I’m not saying that there aren’t tough times–I have a fair share of those…and I allow myself to experience the grief as it comes. However, these moments are fleeting and are becoming few and far between. I’m able to pick myself up rather quickly and move past them. I just remind myself of the progress I’ve made so far, how different my life is now compared to a year ago, and how much I have to look forward to. I was thinking about the video that I posted on the day before my surgery, in which I made a few intentions for myself post-surgery. I’ve got to say, I didn’t think that I would accomplish them all within the first 4 months after surgery–but it just gives me an idea of how great life is going to be from this point on. If you didn’t already know, I’ve been able to go both snowboarding (@ the 2 month mark) and surfing (2 weeks ago) various times. These are two of my favorite things to do, they really feed my soul, and the fact that I’ve been able to do them already blows my mind. Life is amazing.

Seeing as it is Holy Week, I’d like to theme this post around what Easter means to me. Before I start, I want to remind you that I am Catholic, but I don’t judge anyone for what they believe, and am continuously inspired by people of all faiths. And on that note, here we go.

Growing up, Easter has always been one of those holidays that I’ve loved. For one thing, it always meant that Spring had sprung (or is trying to in Chicago, at least ;)). It comes at such an incredibly iconic time in the year. As Holy Week has approached, I’ve witnessed bulbs in our front yard starting to pop up, the air beginning to smell like spring, the sun staying out longer, and the general “coming to life” of our environment. I think this is so amazing because just as winter is dying and spring is rising, Easter is all about the dying and rising of Jesus. Pretty cool, huh?

In the past year, I’ve been so consumed by my Crohn’s and the fear that came with surgery, that although I’ve gone through the motions of prayer, I really feel like I’ve been missing the authentic relationship with God that I have built up over my entire life. I still found comfort from God, especially in “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength,” but the relationship was more one-sided than anything. He has been carrying me through this past year, and allowing me to heal in His arms, like He has so many times before. But, now that I’m feeling stronger, I am able to see this more clearly, and work on rekindling my side of this relationship. What does that look like? Well, I’d like to do more service for my community, attend mass more regularly, and plot out time for prayer and reflection. At USD, I used to light a candle, put on some music, intentionally pray for someone in particular, and journal at the end of (almost) every day. It was such a centering tradition, and I’d like to bring that back as much as I can.

I think we tend to overlook the deep Passion behind the Easter holiday, but in this single day lays the foundation for all of Christianity. I cannot help but stand in total AWE of the act of sacrificial love that Jesus showed to us on Good Friday. As we know from scripture, He was both fully God and fully human–He was utterly afraid of what He knew was about to happen. He prayed to God, in agony and fear, just like any of us would do in our darkest moments. It’s easy to feel detached from the story because it happened so long ago, the distractions of our own lives can get in the way, but I think it’s so important to allow ourselves to be there with Him for just a few moments, especially this week–at least it’s important for me. Each time that we experience loss in our lives, in any way, we can reflect back onto the Easter holiday. In my case, the relevancy comes in my surgery as a death to an old life, and a new life (a rising) afterwards. Sometimes, we have to experience loss in order to rise to a more beautiful life.

In each challenge that you experience, allow yourself to be there in the pain and agony, allow yourself to be angry and confused, but don’t deny yourself the opportunity to rise. The most beautiful people are the ones who have allowed themselves to rise from great tragedy, and the ones who continuously rise from “smaller” trials. We don’t have to experience loss, tragedy, or major hardships in order to continuously live the resurrection, but we can choose love and light in each day. Some days are just dreary and nothing seems to be going right, but when you recognize that you’re not living in the light, change your perspective and soak yourself in love. Put on a happy song, get up and move, change your direction. Give yourself permission to fall in love with the world around you, and you are continuously rising. To me, there is no better way to honor the resurrection of Jesus, the sacrifice that He made, and the gift that He has given us.

If you know me, you probably know that I am totally in love with St. Francis. He’s such a rockstar. His words are always right on with what I wish I could express, and I’d like to share my favorite prayer with you.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

How can you awaken the Paschal Mystery in your life? Which parts of your life are in need of a resurrection?

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, let go of what no longer serves you,

and rise.

love,

d

PS–a listening gift for you, friend.

Healthy Brownies? I’m in!

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My YouTube Debut :)

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