Natalie Bratcher
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Remember to breathe...

2/19/2018

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I honestly cannot remember the last time I was on a yoga mat or practiced yoga, much less in an actual studio. My health was what originally brought me to the yoga practice, and the benefits of the practice are what led me to becoming a yoga instructor. My health is also what has prevented me from maintaining a regular practice and eventually was what led me to make the decision to stop teaching. As some of you may know, I have an autoimmune disease called Sjögren’s Syndrome. I was diagnosed as a teen, but into my adult years, it’s manifested by causing mostly neurological issues, including neuropathic facial pain (called atypical Trigeminal neuralgia), something called inappropriate sinus tachycardia and Autoimmune Autonomic Neuropathy. Basically I have a whacked out nervous system and my immune system inappropriately attacking certain nerves.

Keeping it simple, we all have a sympathetic nervous system which activates by way of a fight or flight response. This is what helps to protect us when in danger. When activated, it increases pupillary response (better to see you with), heightens reactivity to stimuli (better to hear you with), slows gut transit (no time for that when you’re on the run), among other things. Then there’s the parasympathetic nervous system whose job is to play peacekeeper, calming the system and bring everything back to normal. These two parts of the nervous system work in harmony to help the body maintain balance and homeostasis. Have you ever heard that a little stress is good? Yeah... for me, not so much. My Autonomic Nervous System gets super confused. The smallest, non-threatening stressors like heat, standing, eating too much, driving fast, multiple noises occurring at once (like 2 conversations or the TV on with the dryer running at the same time) etc. can trigger my fight or flight response and since my parasympathetic nervous system sucks and doesn’t do its job well, it leads to an uncomfortable experience (ie. blurry vision, dizziness, light headedness, anxiety, feeling like I’m going to pass out, etc).


So yeah, it’s kind of hard to teach and practice yoga when you get winded easily and feel like passing out all the time. It’s also hard to find time to practice when out of commission for a week for infusions every 4 weeks, then there’s keeping up with work, the 3+ hours a day commuting to/from work, making sure I get to multiple doctors appts, and importantly there is getting enough rest/sleep during what little down time there is left. Oh, and there’s trying to be a good partner and girlfriend through all of this. Overwhelmed, and with not enough hours in a day, I’ve been pretty intolerable lately. There simply isn’t enough time for anything, including yoga. However, lately I’ve considered reframing this... there’s not enough time to feel poorly and all the more reason to reprioritize and take care of me.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about self care and the priorities I place on the time spent living my life. I’ve been wanting to get back into the practice and to get my body back to the level of strength I had a few years ago as I know it would help me to feel better in the long run. There’s so much data to support the physiologic benefits of meditation, breath work and exercise. So today, even though I was exhausted and wanted to come straight home after work, I made the decision to go to a studio and get back on my mat! Yay!!!

I was in pain from the very start... it’s hard to believe how difficult some of the most basic asanas feel after being out of practice for so long. I also have zero muscle mass left. In time, right!? I also couldn’t breathe... something I thought I totally had covered. Nope. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe!? And as much as I don’t like heated yoga, for a number of reasons (one being because you don’t have as much biofeedback and are at more risk for injuring yourself if you don’t have a skilled instructor... but also because heat is a huge trigger for me), I’ve recently been listening to Dr. Rhonda Patrick and have become quite interested in the concept and research behind “hyperthermic conditioning” or deliberately acclimating to heat, independent of working out. “Heat acclimation, through sauna use, (and likely any other non-aerobic activity that increases core body temperature) can promote physiological adaptations that result in increased endurance, easier acquisition of muscle mass, and a general increased capacity for stress tolerance... the positive effects of heat acclimation on the brain, include the growth of new brain cells, improvement in focus, learning and memory, and ameliorating depression and anxiety. In addition, modulation of core temperature might even be largely responsible for “runner’s high” via an interaction between the dynorphin/beta-endorphin opioid systems.” Cool, right!? So while there is some conflicting data over whether heated yoga actually increases core body temperature, perhaps acclimating to heat through yoga might lessen my Autonomic symptoms as well as my facial pain? Worth a shot, right!?

Anyway, while I thought I was going to faint and my heart rate was easily around 130 beats per minute the entire hour, I went at my own pace and made it through the entire class. I am thrilled to be back on the mat and am feeling optimistic. Whatever is holding you back, there is a way to overcome. Remember that everyone is dealing with something, so be kind to others and importantly, be kind to yourself. We’re all doing our best. Make time for those things that really matter, including loving yourself. Oh, and remember to breathe. Namaste 🙏🏻
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Live fully now...

1/27/2017

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On the topic of how day-to-day life and planning ahead get in the way of us living in the moment, this atmospheric three-minute spot encourages people to reconsider their priorities, do the things they enjoy and not get trapped on a treadmill heading somewhere that never arrives.
..and then, when you get out into this famous world, comes the struggle for success in profession or business. And then when you're about 40 or 45 years old, in the middle of life, you wake up one day and say 'Huh!? I've arrived.' And while it is of tremendous use to us to be able to look ahead and to plan, there is no use planning for a future which if you get to it and it comes to present you won't be there. You'll be living in some other future that hasn't yet arrived. And so in this way, one is never actually able to inherit and enjoy the fruits of ones actions. You can't live at all, unless you can live fully now."
~ Alan Watts, 1959
.I ask myself what would I do if money was of no importance? What would I do if my health was no longer an issue? How would I live fully? As difficult as it may be at times, how do I live fully now!? What is my why!? What is your why!?
#livehappy #livefullynow
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Slowing down...

1/15/2017

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As this is my first post of 2017, I want to wish you all a very happy Happy New Year! I wish you health, warmth, comfort, peace, acceptance, joy, happiness, abundance, connection and love (and many spoons) now, and all year long. I realize I quit posting regularly shortly after creating my website. I was pretty dedicated to writing and keeping the site current for a while there, and then I just couldn't keep up. Life became busy and overwhelming, and unfortunately, some of the things that I found most fulfilling became my lowest priorities. I suppose you could say I have been in what feels like survival mode for the past two years now, which leads me to the purpose of this post.

I seldom ever set resolutions. Not that I don't believe in them, or admire those that do, I would just generally rather the search for growth to extend beyond a particular time of the year. For me, resolutions are also easy to forget about and cast off as unrealistic, lofty ideas after the novelty wears off sometime in early February. I would generally rather identify areas in my life that I would prefer to work on consistently, and do so one day at a time regardless of the time of year and without the pressure of letting myself down should I not resolve what I set out to in the arbitrary time frame of 12 months. That said, this year is going to be an exception. I have decided to create a vision for my year. Sure, call it a resolution.. as with any vision or intention, the first step is releasing it to the universe. I feel it's something I need to profess, to share, to put out there, to make it real... Ready? Here it is. Super exciting!!! This year, I resolve to slow down. That's it. Simple enough, right!? For me, it will actually take a significant amount effort. I have always been one to set unbelievably high expectations of myself. By nature, I am very much a control freak and like to plan, manage, achieve, take advantage of any exciting opportunity that comes my way, etc. I love and am passionate about so much in life... my career, yoga, helping others, helping animals, music, growing our small business... I've always considered myself a master multi-tasker and you'll seldom hear me turn down an opportunity or back out of a commitment. These qualities have been great assets and strengths, but lately have become points of weakness as I've been unable to find that sweet spot of balance. Everything in moderation, right? Well, not so much lately.

As some of you may or may not know, I have dealt with chronic health issues my entire life. Seriously, my entire life. My medical history could easily fill a walk-in closet, but for the most part, I've had amazing support, have managed well and have been determined to not let my health issues keep me from moving forward and working toward living life to the fullest. I'm also unbelievably stubborn. I have two autoimmune conditions and a number of related complications that have become increasingly difficult to deal with. My quality of life and ability to live the life I would like to be living has been significantly affected in recent years... more of that in future blog posts. I've always tried to walk through life with a glass half full perspective and a will do attitude. With the help of an excellent therapist, I've learned that I am very good at minimizing (working on it) and have become pretty good at forging ahead, no matter what. Even at the cost of my well-being. To say that living with chronic illness has all required a great deal of patience, faith, self compassion, and acceptance is an understatement. The past few years, however, I have really reached my limit. Or perhaps we could just say that I've reached the point where I realize that I need to set boundaries to remain both emotionally and physically well. I suppose you could say that finally, at 40, I've reached a point where I believe it's time to get real about what is important in my life. I've reached a point where I need to be okay with saying no. I've reached a point where I no longer need to concern myself with people pleasing. I share it with my yoga students all the time: we are all just doing our best and there is no such thing as not good enough. So why have I been struggling to feel like I'm not doing enough or doing well enough!? So I feel a pull toward re-prioritizing for the sake of living my best life.

In the business and leadership (and martial arts) space there the concept of "slowing down to go fast", which while counter-intuitive, essentially gets at the idea that its better to step back and invest sufficient time and effort in building a solid foundation, culture and positive habits on which to build from rather than rushing through the fundamentals toward the active part change or success. Success without a strong foundation and support of positive habits and culture will be short lived if reached at all. Such a great concept, right!? However, in my case, I literally plan to slow down to slow down. If a successful outcome is what I ultimately achieve, than I suppose we could consider that fitting the conceptual mold here, but I just want to slow down. I've become such a firm believer in, and proponent of living for the now and practicing presence and gratitude for the moments we have while they're occurring. If you go back and read my previous blog posts you'll see this is the common thread that runs throughout. For me, this concept and way of living took years to actually evolve and translate into my way of being. For a planner to not think about a plan? For an analytical thinker to not mentally construct or reconstruct every possible hypothetical scenario of what was or what will be? Pft!? And while it still takes daily, often moment to moment practice, for the most part I can say that I am living this way as much as pragmatically possible. It's certainly much more automatic than it once was. I believe that it is only when you are both truly living in, and practicing gratitude for the present, that the magic happens. It's amazing what we are able to see when we quiet the mental chatter and remove that mental veil. What we are able to see was there all along, our busy minds just didn't allow us to see it! I also like to practice non-attachment to outcome. But don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't care about outcome, I simply believe that I am in a healthier space when I am able to set an intention and vision and work toward these things while not being attached to how I get there or that the end result may be different than it looked when my journey began. The idea of not needing to understand the destination while having faith that the journey is where it's at. All of this can be much more difficult to live by when dealing with chronic health issues that require attention, planning and accommodation. I'm missing out on the magic, all the while it's right in front of me!

I am resolving to slow down regardless of the outcome. I believe that ultimately this will lead to goodness, as a part of why I want to slow down is to enable myself more time to do the things that bring joy into my life. I am preparing to begin what could be some pretty intense medical treatments this year and I want to make sure I am keeping my stress to a minimum and my positivity to a maximum. Without a doubt, stress is a leading factor in immune modulation. And when you're immune system is already attacking itself, balance and living with as little stress and as much happiness and optimism as possible is so important. I try not to use the term stress management, as this implies control, of which I have little to none. But I do have choices, and choosing to slow down is a part of my vision. I would also like to connect more with others by sharing more about my experiences through my blog. I have always said that someday I would write a book to perhaps help others going through shared experiences. But why wait for a book!? Why not start sharing my experiences now!? I can say that my research on the internet in recent months looking for information from others going through what I am experiencing has been frustrating and disappointing. There simply aren't a lot of resources out there and not enough people connecting and sharing their stories. I'll be honest, it's difficult to talk about. Not only does it require a load of vulnerability, I'm simply too tired to talk about it. But for me, life is all about connecting to others. I find the more we share with others, the more we learn from others. So more to come here. For now, I wanted to share my personal vision for the year to put it out there. Perhaps this resonates with someone out there that reads it? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts.

I leave you with this... I came across this story today through a Facebook group that I am a part of... it's called The Spoon Theory. I can't believe that it's been around for so long and that I've only just now discovered it, but I am so grateful that I did! As I read it aloud to Tim tonight, I could hardly get through it. It was an emotional read because it resonated so strongly with me.

Its hard, the hardest thing I ever had to learn is to slow down, and not do everything. I fight this to this day. I hate feeling left out, having to choose to stay home, or to not get things done that I want to. I wanted her to feel that frustration. I wanted her to understand, that everything everyone else does comes so easy, but for me it is one hundred little jobs in one. I need to think about the weather, my temperature that day, and the whole day’s plans before I can attack any one given thing. When other people can simply do things, I have to attack it and make a plan like I am strategizing a war. It is in that lifestyle, the difference between being sick and healthy. It is the beautiful ability to not think and just do. I miss that freedom. I miss never having to count “spoons”.
- Christine Miserandino
While not entirely aligned with my way of thinking, if I could share my average daily personal experience in words, it would sound pretty darned close to that described in this story. Sadly, the same could be said by so many others. In many ways I feel blessed as I have a lot of days where I have excess spoons. When you really get down to it, everyone is struggling with something or loves someone who is struggling with something. Be it chronic physical illness or disease, mental health issues, addiction, even loneliness, self doubt and insecurity... I believe this story translates to all of these struggles and offers such a beautiful perspective. You just never know what someone is going through. Here's to slowing down, connecting with others and not wasting our spoons on that which doesn't matter. Thank you for sharing your time with me.

​With gratitude,

Nat
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The only moment that matters to us, is right now...

4/18/2016

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"I think everybody's looking for something that they already have. We are so distracted by the human level of our experience; you might not be what you think you are. We are already light. We are already complete. So everything we see in each other is us seeing ourselves. I am not a human being that has consciousness, I am consciousness that is shaped into a human being. All of us are energy... The body and the mind are a temporary manifestation of that energy. Ego tries to convince us we need to get something that we already possess. Ego is the voice in your head that says you're not as good as that person... It's trying to keep you from loving this and loving this life. Everyone is looking for God, and everyone is God. The only moment that matters to us, is right now. "
~Jim Carrey

If you liked this video, you must check this out! Life changing...
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Get Real St. Louis

4/12/2016

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What a phenomenal week we've had!? We are so grateful for the time and opportunity to connect & reconnect with loving family, friends... And to meet so many incredible new friends! When I joined Nerium a year and a half ago, I had no idea that I would learn so much about myself, or that it would align so perfectly with the many aspects of me and my life that I was already working on. Want to read more about this, read my previous blog post here. Nerium does have incredible products, which I use, love & proudly share, but for me, and thanks to some incredible leadership, my involvement with Nerium is about so much more than our products. If you want to try our products, let me know, they are amazing - new eye serum anyone? But if you want more out of life and/or are looking for positive change, some thoughts to consider... A few personal reflections as I've just come back home from our most recent conference... We all have choices - if you are unhappy, overworked, over-stressed, feel like you're settling in any aspect of your life, only YOU can change that; and you can indeed change it. Perspective is a beautiful thing - whether you are experiencing success or happen to be struggling in life, try changing your perspective. Look for ways to use your struggle or success to help others. In helping others, your problems will either come to seem insignificant or will become the foundation for something amazing. Living with gratitude WILL change your life - find gratitude for and rejoice in both the blessings and the suffering. Faith & belief in something 'bigger than' will not only bring you peace, but will pull you toward love, opportunity & abundance. I say it all the time, but the universe and our higher power is constantly guiding us, but without balance and attention to living with presence, in the moment, we're too far gone in our heads to even notice. Quiet that mental nonsense and JUST BE! Practice living with presence and connecting to the moment, and suddenly this life becomes a magical place. It's all about connection - and the only way to really connect is to let go of expectation, release ourselves from fear, from the hypotheticals and ghosts that live in our minds, live with joy, live with love, live with faith, live with compassion, live with gratitude, live fearlessly and put ourselves out there, every day, over and over and over again.
​With love and gratitude, live happy,
Natalie

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Something wonderful is about to happen.

4/8/2016

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I noticed this billboard last week in Chicago and randomly (or so I thought) took this photo, which has been my FB cover photo for the past week! 

Deborah Heisz of Live Happy Magazine and author of Choosing Joy gave a great talk about the benefits of living with gratitude at the conference I am attending and played this video at the end of her presentation today...

​How about that!? "Doors are always opening... They just keep opening..." It's amazing what beauty and magic we see if we simply open our hearts and open our eyes long enough to take notice. Can't ignore this one! ‪#‎GR16‬ ‪#‎Nerium‬ ‪#‎choosingjoybook‬
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A little share on perspective...

3/2/2016

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A little share on perspective... I've been craving food from Freshii for days now... Love the place. After what I felt was a rough day, spending over 3 hours of the afternoon in doctors appointments, I decided to go practice yoga for the 2nd time in months (I'm a yoga teacher, but due to an autoimmune disease, my body hasn't been very cooperative and it's made me super vulnerable). It's humbling - we take so much for granted, even when we try not to. So after yoga, I picked u...p my favorite dish from Freshii, got home, put my pjs on, and got settled in. Super excited to be bundled with my heating pad behind my knees and ready to eat, I open the container and there is chicken ALL over it... I'm a vegetarian. Deep breath, it's late, hungry, super frustrated, I put my slippers and coat on to go back out to the restaurant to get the correct order so that I can eat it. As I was on my way there, I thought, how do I reframe this? This is not a big deal. I was just able to move my body and breathe for 60 minutes - more than I've been able to do in a while. I have a loving boyfriend who spent hours in an appointment with me today, a loving dog and cat, and a comfortable home with heat. I immediately thought of the guys that have been living under the interstate that Tim & I have been trying to help stay warm this winter - we take hand warmers, warm drinks, gloves and scarves, etc. Most importantly, I always try for a short conversation - ask them about their life. Just to connect to this human experience. This could be you or I. There was this one guy, Alfredo, who really made an impact on me when I gave him a blanket, some time for conversation and a hug a little over a month ago. He shared so much with me in 5 minutes. And even though I know he lives in this one spot I pass by at least 5-6 times a week, I haven't seen him since our initial encounter (I saw the blanket though!). So I took my chances knowing that someone would appreciate the meal, and headed over... And who is the first person I see!? Alfredo! Standing right there on the corner. It was so nice to reconnect, see that he is ok, and hand him a warm meal (with protein). He just kept saying how grateful he was. He lives under a freeway, sleeps with 10+ blankets to stay warm, and has no one but his fellow homeless buds (of which, I have met a few). I tried all day to find a smile, and this guy had one on his face before I even rolled my window down. My frustration with the chicken vanished and my perspective on my day, my life, etc. completely changed. We are so blessed... "And not only so, but we rejoice in our suffering; for suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." I am SO glad Freshii messed up my order! ‪#‎noaccidents‬ ‪#‎happyacts‬ ‪#‎livewithgratitude‬ ‪#‎livehappy‬ ‪#‎livewithlove‬

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Adapting to that which is beyond my control...

2/25/2016

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Yogis, I hope you are all enjoying the new year and are maintaining balance during this season of change. This time of transition can generally seem to be a time when people begin to feel overwhelmed. Yoga teaches us to be adaptable, and so keep taking it to your mat when you are feeling the need for more energy, or perhaps the need to release some excess energy or anxieties.

As most of you know, I have been dealing with chronic health issues for some time now, and after a lot of serious thought, it saddens me to share with you that I have decided to cancel my Thursday yoga class at the Abbott/AbbVie Fitness Center. In addition, I have asked for my Thursday night candlelight class at Village Yoga Chicago to be turned over to another teacher. As a practitioner myself, I know how much we become to rely on consistency in both our practice and in our teachers to work with us as we grow with our yoga practice. I wish there were a better option, but it is simply not fair to those of you that work yoga into your schedules and rely on this time, space and balance. And these are simply things I cannot provide at this time until I am in a more centered space of my own.
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In the meantime, I am going to keep working on me and on adapting to that which is beyond my control. I encourage you to get on your mats daily, even if just for a short practice or meditation on your own. Why do you practice yoga? Bring your attention and intention to that why, spend some time centering and connecting to your breath. You know your physical, spiritual and emotional needs best - So tune into the subtleties of movement and feeling from pose to pose and breath to breath... take your time, stay out of your mind, and do what feels right. You know what you're doing!
I miss you all and look forward to joining you all on the mat again soon. Thanks for your understanding, and while I'm not currently teaching, know that I am always here if you have questions or would like to chat!
Namaste.
With gratitude, live happy,
Nat

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Full circle...

8/23/2015

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Thoroughly enjoyed teaching #sundaysalutations‬ at #lululemonhalsted this morning! Full circle moment! ‬ #villageyogachicago #villageyogarepresent #chooselove
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Join me tomorrow at Lululemon Halsted for Sunday Salutations - I'm teaching!

8/22/2015

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Tomorrow morning I'm teaching Sunday Salutations (10 am) at Lululemon Halsted. It's a full-circle moment for me. Don't you love it when it happens? When you reach a point where you are able to reflect, only to see that universe was laying the path before you all along?

About 4 years ago, a friend asked me why I didn't practice yoga. I didn't know about yoga. Every week for about a year my landlord would ask me to go to this store in the neighborhood to 'do yoga', but I never understood what it was she was doing. Stretching? The only experience I ever had with yoga was in college. A band I sang with was looking for something to do together, so we signed up for a class at the university. I don't have much memory of the class itself, other than that it was held in my elementary school gym. I believe we went twice, maybe only once and I remember feeling very light-headed and I ended up having to run out where I got sick to my stomach in the lilac bushes. Ick. Anyway, I guess I just never gave yoga much thought.

I was never much of a health nut. When I moved to Chicago, and as I was getting older, I would work with personal trainers here and there, I even joined a gym for a while, but I didn't get into the regular exercise thing until about 5-6 years ago. I have a few chronic health issues, one of them being a neuropathic pain condition (atypical trigeminal neuralgia) and I was looking to explore alternatives to conventional pain management. I knew I had to do everything in my power to manage my stress and get healthy. So I dedicated myself to it. I had already given up alcohol a few years before this, so I committed to exercising daily, I went vegetarian and gave up fast food, I got a good therapist. This all became a part of who I was rather effortlessly. In fact, I connected to this person more than I'd connected to any of my other selves in the past. I was so disconnected for so long, but I didn't know it... so with each connection, I realized how much more I enjoyed connecting. I started digging deeper in life... something I think many of us do as we get older? I started getting into books on mindfulness and meditation, self-actualization and presence. Within about a year, I was able to stop taking all medications for pain management - medications that I had used for 10 years. Pretty profound, right!?

Then back to this friend that asked why I didn't practice yoga. The timing was perfect, really. And so when he offered to take me to a class with him, I agreed. We went to East Bank Club where we worked out for a while, and then made our way up to the studio, where we practiced for about an hour and a half... it was a physical practice for me, but I liked it and I even remember feeling like I was actually pretty good at it for it being my first time. Little did I know at the time that yoga had nothing to do with flexibility and that it's something you're not good or bad at doing. When my landlord asked me the next weekend if I wanted to join her for yoga, I went. We walked into the store where all the retail racks had been pushed into the back room. The store was packed, yoga mat to yoga mat... I remember feeling super intimidated the first Sunday there. I didn't own any of these cool clothes. In fact, prior to this, I didn't even know what Lululemon was!? I shop at Target!? But that was the cool thing about Sunday Salutations - while you're in this super hip store, you aren't held to any super hip standard. In my experience, the folks at Lululemon couldn't be any less judgmental. They are always friendly, inviting, and are all about supporting community when they can. So each Sunday we would go to the store to practice. In the summer, they offered a weeknight class in the park. Yoga, outside? In the park? Under the trees? Amazing! Every class was taught by a different teacher, so I was exposed to a number of different teaching styles and learned pretty quickly what I liked in a teacher. After only a few classes the practice became more of an inside job than a physical practice for me. Some of the yogic philosophies, or the teacher's philosophies resonated with me and what I was working on in my own life... it all jived with everything I had worked on up to this point in my journey. Yoga tied up all my self-discovery work and Lululemon put a fancy little bow on top in the form of beautifully constructed yoga gear.

I practiced every week with Lululemon because it was non-intimidating. I started also practicing with a teacher at the corporate gym where I work (she was phenomenal), and thought about finding a studio, but something about yoga studios felt intimidating to me. I'm not sure why. Not to mention the cost of membership to a yoga studio. So thank goodness for Lululemon for making it free and accessible for  so many! After about a year and a half of practicing with Lululemon and their various studios of the month, I found beach yoga, which is also amazing. If you haven't gone, I strongly suggest you give it a go before the summer leaves us in the cold. There is something so beautiful about practicing during a sunrise over the lake, or in the evening after a long day. I knew I wanted to teach and enroll in a teacher training program someday - and in the summer of 2013, I started experiencing health issues that made me very heat intolerant (no more beach or yoga in the park for me that summer), and so I finally sucked up my intimidation and sought out a studio. As fate would have it, Village Yoga Chicago was the first studio I tried, and not only was the first teacher I practiced there a fellow neuroscientist, but the other woman practicing with with us in that Thursday night class was in a clinical neuroscience graduate program! Amazing how the universe places our paths before us, isn't it!? For this, and a few other fun reasons, I decided that Village Yoga Chicago would be my new home away from home and I enrolled in the 200-hour teacher training program with the lovely studio owner, Alyson D'Souza. That same Thursday night class is now the class that I teach. Fun, huh!?

So bringing it back... beyond the learning experience, and growing and expanding my own personal practice, one of the main reasons that I wanted to become a yoga instructor was to share this goodness and love with others. Yoga and the presence that came along with it had been so profound in my own journey - to be able to share that and have it impact even one person would make it all worth it. I felt it was my karma to give back, just as it had been given to me. So in the same light, teaching the Sunday Salutations class tomorrow is both my way of giving back and celebrating coming full circle. I hope you will join me on the mat, if not tomorrow at Lululemon, perhaps some Thursday night.
Namaste.

And here's to the team at Lululemon Halsted for hooking me up with free gear for teaching tomorrow's class! Love the Wild Tank! It's such an amazing thing you do, offering free yoga twice a week for the community. #‎lululemonhalsted ‪#‎karma ‪#‎gratitude ‪#‎nofear ‪#‎chicagoyoga ‪#‎yoga

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http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/tanks-light-support/Wild-Tank?cc=0001
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    I live in Chicago with my partner Tim, our 34 year old turtle Freddie, and 7 year old dog Fagan. We just lost our 21 year old cat, sweet Belle, may she rest in peace until we meet again. We live in Lincoln Park and absolutely love living in the city. We enjoy taking Fagan to the park every day, living so close to the lake and the beach, the restaurants and the food, and the energy of the city... there is just so much to love. I love my job and enjoy a full-time career as an animal welfare research scientist, a role that I worked quite hard to establish. But this is just a part of my life, and I am a big believer in a balanced life. Not long ago, I was very much a hermit... I didn't get out much beyond work, didn't have a lot to identify with... My life has really opened itself to me in the past 5 years. Finding balance and connectedness was an inside job that required time. It's amazing how much happiness, connection and balance can bring. In our free time, Tim & I enjoy working our independent business, where we have met amazing people and formed lasting friendships. That, and we're excited to building supplemental and residual income! I also love everything music - see my Music and Yoga Playlists blog for more on that- but I enjoy both playing and listening to music. I also enjoy cooking, spending time with friends and family, and staying healthy by exercising and practicing yoga. I discovered yoga only a few years ago, during that moment in my life where I was seeking balance and connection. The timing was perfect, and yoga helped me to find peace in accepting that at any moment, life is as it should be. I immediately knew I wanted to become a teacher, to share with others the experience and practice that was so profound in my own life. I completed my 200-hour teacher training in 2014 with Alyson D'Souza at Village Yoga Chicago. As a yoga teacher, I appreciate the practice from a different perspective and am grateful to be able to share it with others, seeing the profound impact it has on the lives of those who practice.

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