Saturday, June 25, 2011

Stuff I'm Into: MUSIC!!!

Before Practice - Deep:


During Practice - Rhythm:


After Practice - Fresh:



In Joy!

I've been yoked!

Yoga = to yoke = to bring together = to harmonize = balance

there is a space in me that is totally aligned,
unstruck,
unhurt,
uncompromised.
this is the space that feels warm,
safe,
powerful and effortless.
this is the space that is all mine.
this is the space where all creativity springs from.
this space, is sacred.

the process of yoking is to first, open and second, to surrender; third, to discipline the creative play. it takes deliberate placement. it asks for mindful awareness. the point is to finish more spacious than when you started, to be more aligned, more clear, so that the creative process flows without the friction of the mind.

today i am thankful for the gracious service, the unfettered offering, the fierce and untwisted realness of a fellow yogi and teacher who i had the honor of taking practice from last night at Peace Yoga Gallery in downtown LA - thank you Cheri Rae.

i am reminded through her sweet reflection of this:

my greatest journey, my greatest quest, is to return to being me.

((namaste))

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

News!



It's been a little while since I've posted, but alas there will be posts!
To kick off the next sprint of updates, some good news to share.

On Monday, my co-author called me for the first time in several months. If you are new to this thread, I published my first book last November with a co-author and friend Owen Shieh. As we built momentum in the final revision process, our excitement peaked when we each received our first print copy by mail. In the months after print, we reached out to our community and hometowns for support and to help us spread the news. But as all things do, our attention moved on to other projects and we let the seeds of our first-run promotion settle.

Turns out that one of the seeds Owen planted during a pitch to his high school English department began to sprout, and we were told that they choose our book as part of their summer reading list! So our work will be in the hands of all of their international students for the 2011/2012 school year as well as all of the English honor students! We are thrilled! Not only is it great news that people will be reading our work and creating dialogue for exact target audience...but this sprout holds the potential to bloom into other opportunities for us to spread our work and generate feedback and dialogue [Our book is about peaceful co-existence through dialogue and diversity].

Honestly, I had forgotten that Owen pitched the idea at all; and he'd gone on thinking that they hadn't chosen our book because it had been so long since he had spoken to them.

" You cannot rush a seed from the earth. Be gentle with yourself."
Cheers everyone!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Discounts and Coupons!



For JUNE!
Print out and bring in either of these flyers to receive a couple free classes!





The green flyer is only good for my classes :)












Hope to see you soon!






<3
niki

Sunday, June 5, 2011

aMUSEing: Stuff I'm Into

Inspired by my old school friend Stephanie for asking about recommendations for other content like this blog that are great... here's what I'm into!

The Vegan Stoner: A weekly(ish) blog with super simple, delicious vegan recipes using items that you can find at regular grocery stores.

Moving Through My Vinyasa: My teacher, Maria Cristina Jiminez's blog. She gets geeky about anatomy, yoga philosophy, and her journey as an ever-evolving teacher and student of yoga. She is a beautiful and nurturing resource - connect with her!

The Power Path: An incredibly insightful resource offered up by Lena Stevens, a shaman based out of New Mexico. Check out the monthly forecasts! (Think: horoscope for the entire human population regarding physical/political/romantic/personal relationships). I read this EVERY month.

Osho Tarot: In jest or in all seriousness, take this game lightly - you know, practicing non-attachment. ;) Osho's philosophy narrates each card drawn from his digital tarot card deck. I find the narratives to be really concise and easy to translate into my own experiences.

MUSIC:
Knowa KnowOne is a friend of a friend who creates positive, conscious hip-hop electronica and freaky funky beats. Give him a listen!

The Regal Manatee is one of the faces that my brilliant partners' uses to offer his musical musings. Check out this unexpected ambient experience - the kind that is meant to wash over you as you melt into your couch with a warm cup of tea. Try it out!


That's just a few...
keep checking back for more posts and more of the 'Stuff I'm Into.'


In joy,

Niki