namaste*hOMe October Inspiration

October 3, 2010

Busy, busy, busy . . . I haven’t had a lot of time to write for this site. Luckily, keeping up with blog reading is easy thanks to RSS.

Writing for work, research, M’s soccer, family time, planning yoga classes and namaste*hOMe keeps me going these days. Most writing on namaste*hOMe is privately published as these design ideas are public elsewhere. I’ve not linked to them yet. Maybe someday. Each month features the following: an Inspiring Find, Green, DIY, Outdoor Living and an Etsy shop. All of the new October Featured Finds are up. Check them out! Each week and sometimes daily when time allows, visual inspiration is posted on the Inspiration & Writing page. Here’s a preview.

Image: DesignSponge

Inspiring Find: A beautiful, ecclectic Brooklyn home

Image: furniturehomedesign

Green: Antique barn wood flooring. I LOVE this!

Image: DIY Ideas

DIY: Reupholster a chair. I’m so happy I found this link. I have a chair that I desperately want to reupholster!

Image: House Beautiful

Outdoor Living: 32 outdoor room design ideas

Image: dollbabyonline

Etsy: vintage finds from dollbabyonline at Etsy

Hope your Sunday has been beautiful thus far and wishing you all a blessed week ahead!

1 Comment | house, writing | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Mindful Sunday

September 26, 2010

I’ve been writing a lot for work lately, hence my recent hiatus here. I’ve also been filling my brain with beautiful design ideas, which I’ve been posting on namaste*hOMe. For now, the written posts there are mainly private.

Today, I’d like to share a few gems from a fabulous read, Wherever You Go There Your Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

. . . feel the present moment . . .

Only then can we accept the truth of this moment of our life, learn from it, and move on. Instead, it often seems as if we are preoccupied with the past, with what has already happened, or with a future that hasn’t arrived yet.

Not knowing that you are even in such a dream is what the Buddhists call “ignorance,” or mindlessness. Being in touch with this not knowing is called “mindfulness.”

This waking up goes hand in hand with what we might call “wisdom,” a seeing more deeply into cause and effect and the interconnectedness of things, so that we are no longer caught in a dream-dictated reality of our own creation.

Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing something about who that it.

When it comes down to it, wherever you go, there you are. It’s your life that is unfolding.

Mindfulness has to do above all with attention and awareness, which are universal human qualities.

This exploration of the diamond of mindfulness is offered for all those who would chart a course toward greater sanity and wisdom in their lives. What is required is a willingness to look deeply at one’s present moments, no matter what they hold, in a spirit of generosity, kindness toward oneself, and openness toward what might be possible.

May this Sunday find you well and at peace with all that is!

3 Comments | living our yoga, mindfulness | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Upholding my UNimportance

September 12, 2010

I’m going to admit three not-so-pretty things I noticed about myself last week.

  1. I take ME too seriously.
  2. It’s not helpful or necessary.
  3. I know I will struggle to change.

When I care about something, I put my whole heart into it. This is true for all endeavors, personal and professional. As I grow older, I’m able to be more mindful, if only in retrospect sometimes. Noticing these three tendencies has allowed me to let go a little. “She Let Go” was a nice find. Actually it found me vs. me finding it. Isn’t it interesting how life works that way? Here is another:

Most of our energy goes into upholding our importance. If we were capable of losing some of that importance, two extraordinary things would happen to us. One, we would free our energy from trying to maintain the illusory idea of our grandeur; and two, we would provide ourselves with enough energy to catch a glimpse of the actual grandeur of the universe.

~Carlos Casteneda

This blog has primarily been about me. Am I really that important? Not. At. All. But blogging has helped me sort through a lot of stuff. In processing this stuff I’ve noticed that I feel drawn to share things that inspire me in the hopes of inspiring others, hence the recent quotes and poems. Reading another person’s words transports me out of “me-me-thinking-mind” and into a different space.

With the recent career division of writing more than teaching, I’ve found myself writing mostly about topics that have nothing to do with me. I LOVE this but must find a balance again with the importance issue. (I’m nervous about people criticizing my writing.) So that I can draw inspiration and have a place to draft written work, I created a new website, namaste*hOMe. There I intend to write mostly privately and to share inspiration related to my new employment (home interior/furniture/design). Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.

One final thought . . . when I write about finding *balance* like I did a few posts back know the finding is more fleeting than permanent. I’m a work in process always and I am thankful for the journey always.

Have a bLiSsFuL sUnDaY!

2 Comments | living our yoga, moments | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

On Finding Balance

September 6, 2010

A few posts back, I wrote about feeling depleted. I needed to find center, and did just that last week, sort of. I “took stock”. I figured a few things out. Two aspects of my life that are absolutely critical to happiness? Yoga and writing. It’s become increasingly clear that I need to create and keep a balance of both. For the last few years, the majority of my work has been teaching yoga. My writing life existed only in freelancing and blogging. Not enough. However, in 2008 I left my old life to escape corporate America, focus on family and to teach yoga. I should be happy, right?

In my old life I wrote a lot professionally. This part was quite fulfilling. However, family life was secondary to professional life because of a lack of time and constantly being stressed and tired.  I barely practiced yoga then. I needed it more than ever. I realized this life, this job was not serving me personally, professionally or spiritually. I left. No, not just like that. It was difficult. I struggled with the decision even after making it . . . was it the right decision? would I make the same kind of money again? who am I now, really?  In the end, it absolutely was the right decision for me. But it’s taken two years to find balance.

Teaching yoga has and continues to be fulfilling, but only if its balanced with other aspects of life. If all of my eggs are in the yoga basket, off-balance I go again. My yoga practice means so much to me and I teach from that place. It’s personal and I care about it and I want others to experience it deeply.  While its not about me, it is still from me. I give of myself through my teaching.

I began a new job about a month ago and its given me more of an intellectual challenge than I’ve had since I left my old life two years ago. The job incorporates customer service, web design and *writing* . . . YAY!  And the best aspect? I can work from home. I can take M to school and pick her up. I can have dinner with my family in the evenings. I can do laundry on my breaks throughout the day. I don’t have to drive or spend money on gas. My new employer is straight-forward about his expectations. Lines of communication are wide open. He is extremely family-oriented and hopes that his employees share this enthusiasm.  Do the job well, get the work done and get-on with enjoying your life! Amazing. Energizing. I am exhilarated that life placed me on this path. Two years later and I’m doing both of the things I love . . . writing and teaching.

This post was partially inspired by Nikki, who left a comment on my blog yesterday. She found her way here from a post by Emma at The Joy of Yoga, who wrote about single kid-less yoga teachers. It got me thinking about my own life, how I define it and what is important. My daughter, M, is not wee little; she’s pre-teen and she needs me as much now as she did during diaper and toddler years. . . maybe more so. She’s into her friends, sports, even boys. But she talks to me. I want to keep it that way. Spending time with her, nourishing our relationship is critical and its exactly what I intend to do as she continues to grow. Being a mom is the number one reason I exist right now.  I can’t imagine it any differently. Being a mom automatically places you in a teaching role, but just like being a yoga teacher, I learn by keeping my heart open. In life we are ALL teachers and we are ALL students. When we begin to define and set strict rules around how we are supposed to be, how our lives are supposed to be, we get stuck. Being a yoga teacher and a mom only gives me different experiences in which to work from.

The key to all of it?  Balance.  For me it includes work, practicing yoga, teaching, writing, creating, spending quality time with friends and family. It is all important.  I worked almost 50 hours last week, but I was home most of the time. I only taught one class as I was on break from OhioU. This week I’ll start back at OhioU and work a bit less at the other job.  Balance.

This weekend was wonderful! I felt justified in only doing what I (we/family) wanted to do! M and I created jewelry, Random Acts of Kindness Cards and Up-cycled Magazine Envelopes for my Etsy shop. J, M and I went to the high school football game. We hung out with friends. We drove to Athens to absorb the eclectic college town vibe. We cooked out. We made homemade pizza. We watched movies. We slept in. We ate ice cream. We talked. We laughed (a lot). We loved.

Enjoy this beautiful day! As for me, I’m going for a walk before working a few hours this afternoon . . .

Peace Love and Light,

11 Comments | life, mindfulness, writing, yoga | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Yoga Connects Us

August 17, 2010

Being a yoga teacher has it’s highs and lows, just like life.  What matters is what we do with those feelings.  Yoga teaches us about non-attachment and it is important not to get attached to the good, or the bad.  Everything comes and goes, waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows.  This is life.

I love teaching yoga.  It is absolutely amazing to watch people grow in their practice and to see them feel good, really good . . . at peace, sometimes for the first time in a long time.  This is one of the most satisfying aspects of the job for me.  Every time I teach I put my whole heart into it.  Yoga isn’t just a physical exercise.  It’s a philosophy, a lifestyle.  But . . . and this is a BIG but . . . it’s different for everyone.  We all internalize it in our own ways and these ways change and shift over time depending on our lives.

For the most part, my teaching is fulfilling.  Students stay after class to talk, connect and ask questions.  This is wonderful!  But, every once in a while a student throws you for a loop.  Since I teach at a college, I guess this is to be expected.  One credit hour can mean the difference between financial aid and zip.  My classes have been full since I started teaching there, and word of mouth brings more people each quarter.  This quarter, however, has been particularly painful and trying.  I’ve had two students (a couple?  I don’t know) in class who laugh, smirk, check out and look at each other throughout.  I breathe to get through it and tell myself don’t worry about it . . . all of the others are loving class.  However, it can take a lot out of a person.  I realize my ego is in all of this.  I realize yoga is so much bigger than me, but seriously.  How can people be that UN-self-aware?  Or do they not care or realize it’s hurtful?  I go on, seemingly unaffected because its not fair to the other students to give it too much of my energy.  Hold the space.  Be the peace.

What I’ve been feeling lately is a bit depleted.  I teach, but don’t nourish myself enough by taking classes.  It’s just difficult due to the length of travel to get there.  On top of this, I feel isolated at times, as a teacher, rural, with like-minded people only close via the web.  For this I am truly grateful, but I need more.  Here.

So, on goes it.  I took a second job doing something else I love . . . writing!  Plus I am connecting with people directly, working for a fabulous company that is forward thinking in their approach to business.  I can work whenever and wherever I have access to a computer, phone and internet.  I am connecting, not through yoga, but professionally and personally.  I am using my intellect and the skills I gained in my “former life” but without all of the bureaucracy that went along with it.  I’d say I’m not sure how it happened, but that wouldn’t be true.  When we open ourselves to life, we get exactly what we need.  I feel blessed to be walking in my shoes today.

What is interesting is that whenever I think I’ve made up my mind about something, another layer gets tossed on top of it.  I had a girl stop me after class tonight, telling me she really enjoys my class and that she hopes I’ll continue to teach there.  We connected through our hearts and though yoga.  Then a second person emailed me when I got home, asking where I am teaching now and asked if he could “drop in” anywhere. . .

Ultimately, I’ve decided to cut back to two classes per week at the local college and will likely continue at the other location with potential breaks in between sessions.  I need to find time to take some classes instead of teaching them.  As a teacher, I am a student too; maybe more so.

I’ve realized in the process that yoga connects us in so many ways.  Unimaginable ways sometimes.  I am a part of my student’s lives.  They tell me stories, cry on my shoulder, share triumphs and deplete me.  This is life and I AM LIVING IT.  Fully!  Life is a journey.  I’m not sure the path I am taking right now, but you know what?  It’s okay.  It will all work out as it is supposed to, and probably better than expected!

Peace Love & Light on your path!

p.s.  to my blog friends . . . stay with me.  My visits are more sporadic these days, but connections are deeper than comments. :-)

10 Comments | life, living our yoga, teaching | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Not Doing, BEing

July 4, 2010

I’ve been thinking a lot about writing. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to do it, until today. What to write about? I’ve thought this a lot lately. I have nothing to say. Today I have something to say, about having nothing to say. I’m in a BEing mode. I didn’t know what would come of the 21.5.800 Challenge, but it seems the major life affecting aspect of it has been the cultivation of a meditation practice. I don’t  have a monkey mind. I have a jungle mind, meaning there are multiple monkeys in there. It is frustrating sometimes, but I’ve come to realize it is part of my nature and my journey is to exist with it, along with learning ways to quiet the jungle.

Part of my new mode of being vs. doing also has to do with the weather, I think. During cooler months I am online more, writing and reading. With the expansion of our new deck (which is fabulous BTW – thanks to my wonderful husband), along with the warmer weather, I’ve spent more time either reading books or doing nothing. I hang out in nature. It is easier to meditate there, and the jungle metaphor makes me laugh. How can all of these monkeys be jumping around when there are so many other useful, beautiful sounds in the jungle?

It used to feel so wrong doing nothing, but I rather enjoy it these days. It used to be that if I wasn’t doing something productive, I wasn’t doing anything. Nowadays doing nothing feels like the right place for me to be. Don’t misunderstand. My house is clean, our clothes are washed, I still cook. But sips of no-thing-ness is wonderful. I’ve also been swimming more this Summer, something I haven’t done much since I was a kid – and I was a fish (or maybe a glamorous mermaid) in those days!

So, if you read my blog, you may get less from me for a while, unless I feel I have something rather useful to say. I still visit all of my favorite blogs, especially since I get a lot of posts via email. However, I read them from my iPhone and often don’t comment. I hope you’ll understand. I wish you peace in the meantime.  Here is a passage from the main book I’m reading now, The Essential Dalai Lama – His Important Teachings, edited by Rajiv Mehrotra:

“When peace reigns in the mind, one is always happy, even if external conditions are not ideal.

The body can gain health, but without peace of mind no happiness is possible, not even under the best conditions.”


8 Comments | life, mindfulness | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Summer Solstice Celebration

June 20, 2010

Today, or tomorrow depending where you live, is Summer Solstice. It occurs for us tomorrow very early. Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer’s Day in parts of Europe, is the first day of Summer and a time when the day is at maximum length. Winter Solstice, it’s opposite, has the shortest day and longest night. I find that as I get older and internalize my yoga practice more, I feel certain shifts in my own life based on the seasons.

In Ohio, we are blessed with great changes in the seasons; experiencing a lot of heavy snowfall in the winter, weird fluxuating temperatures in the Spring, beautiful Fall colors in Autumn and blistering heat in the Summer. The sun is shining today and it is approximately 90 degrees F.

I have to laugh at people who complain about the weather. No degree (pun intended) of *bitching* will change it. I absolutely love all of the seasons and what they bring to my life. Swimming. Snow skiing. Water skiiing. Hiking. Rollerblading. Biking. Snowman building. Kayaking. Every season is different and I look forward to the activities each one brings. Some activities can be done all year long. Hiking is one I adore no matter the season; a hot Summer day is quite different from exploring hills, caves and trails with inches of snow on the ground in solitude!


Each of the solstices is a pause between the change in nature. Both provide us with a time to pause, evaluate, be present and to learn to be in harmony with the changing flow of natural forces. Part of the blessing of Summer is the longer daylight. It’s the perfect time to celebrate individuality and creativity. It is recognized as a time for completing what has gone before and for establishing intentions for the time yet to come.

It is interesting, and sad actually, how out-of-touch we’ve become with nature in our hectic, work-driven society. Many people don’t know what the solstices and equinoxes are and they certainly don’t celebrate them. In ancient times the sun was worshiped. It was a source of livelihood. Crops need sun and rain to flourish. Farmers would celebrate the Summer Solstice with rituals to help their crops grow.

Today I honor Summer Solstice by thanking the Universe for her beautiful gifts each season. I was going to travel to Cincinnati Ohio for a Yoga Summer Solstice Celebration, but couldn’t justify the three hour drive for just a few hours of celebration. My soul needs the outdoors and I couldn’t find an outdoor event any closer. So, I am writing, reflecting on my back porch now, feeling the gentle breeze on my skin. I plan to soak up some sun, take a swim and practice Sun Salutations in my backyard. Finally, I’ll meditate on the blessings that this day has brought to me.

p.s. My new header will be up later this week. I saw the draft yesterday and LOVE it! *FAB-U-LOUS!* In the meantime, this one will suffice as it matches my new colors. Can’t wait to see what you think!

6 Comments | living our yoga, mindfulness, writing, yoga | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Lessons on the Journey

June 18, 2010

I’ve been spending a lot of time journal writing as part of the 21.5.800 Challenge. I don’t know how much it has helped. As an active participant in my thoughts, journaling seems to excite it which I do not need. However, I suppose getting the thoughts out does just that. They don’t continue to circle . . . in my head. Plus, it seems writing is easier because of it. Words flow more freely.

As far as the challenge, I’ve missed the mark at 800 Words by two days, but I’m not beating myself up over it. Like everything else, life gets in the way. However, I have also noticed a few things about myself that sabotage me, so its good information I am using to move past the deficiency.

What has helped the most in the challenge is my new-found meditation practice, which in turn has led to even more mindfulness throughout my days. It is, in fact, a catalyst for making a change to how I plan to teach classes at OhioU this summer. Since we will have four hours together per week in a compressed 5 week quarter, here’s what I’m planning: a yoga class, meditation outside and then writing/creative time to finish. I am hopeful that students learn something about themselves through the process.

Today, my writing consisted of a new Associated Content article about the Eight Limbs of Yoga, an Examiner article about the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure and this blog post. (It may take the AC article a day or so to be available.) Other than that, it was a simple day, enjoying the sunshine and swimming. Next: a relaxing evening by the fire with my hubby, sipping on Chardonnay, relaxing.

Happy Friday! They sure aren’t what they used to be. They’re better!

3 Comments | blogging, life, mindfulness, writing, yoga | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Trusting the Process

June 13, 2010

It’s interesting what yoga, meditation and writing can do for a person. Since starting the 21.5.800 Challenge on Tuesday, I’ve noticed a huge shift in my daily awareness. Focusing first on me, me, me, as evidenced by my last two posts, I had to stop. Sometimes its good to be introspective, but at what point do we focus our attentions outward? I think about others a lot, but I’m also a bit more introspective than necessary. I’m hoping meditation helps with this, inviting my presence within and examining my thoughts, instead of continuing to let them take over completely. Life isn’t complex; our egos make it so. I aspire to so much and I hope I continue to evolve into my fullness over the rest of the challenge. I am searching deeply to unite my negativity toward my neighbors into something positive, like yoga activism. There has to be an easier way to live harmoniously with people who are difficult, but obviously in need of someone reaching out to them. Life is always interesting, awesome and humbling.

I’ve been doing great with my yoga practice and have enjoyed it mainly outdoors. I also started a more regular, directed meditation practice. This is something I want to continue after the challenge, as I feel its already been so beneficial. I can see it creeping into the rest of my existence and I love that.

Yesterday, unfortunately, I was unable to write. M had a softball tournament for the end of her season and I was away from home from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. I decided that between today and tomorrow I would write 1200 words each day to make up for the loss. On the first day of the challenge, I discovered a website called 750 Words. Its been a wonderful tool. Instead of posting them, I’ve written freely, just letting it pour out. I guess it been more journal writing than anything, but I think its been helpful and healing. I didn’t think I needed to write in this way. It turns out I was wrong. I love the process of writing for an audience. For me, its writing, editing, re-reading, editing some more and posting. I guess I like to to look at what I’ve written analytically. However, too much of this isn’t helpful to my process. Free writing, or journal writing has allowed me to get some thoughts and feelings out in a meaningful, constructive way. Today I wrote 1216 words not counting this post.

How is everyone else doing with the challenge? Struggles? Insights?

Happy Sunday. :-) :-)

p.s. Notice the different font colors on my page?  A new friend, Willie, who is an Illustrator, is creating a completely unique header for me. I’m so excited. The new colors are in preparation for this. Coming soon!

6 Comments | writing, yoga | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Finding My Voice

June 11, 2010

It is now day three of the 21.5.800 Challenge and I can already feel a shift inside. Earlier this morning, I read a few of my favorite yoga blogs. Roseanne at it’s all yoga, baby posted her intentions for the challenge. It was inspiring. Exploring deeper, I questioned my own intentions. I thought I knew; to simply use the experience to continue to build my writing portfolio. (I write content online and for a small local company.) Is that enough? Should I go deeper? I headed over to visit Brooks at Yogic Muse who wrote a post titled, It’s okay to write crap, just don’t share it with me. My first thought? She was writing about me. I felt my fifth chakra tighten as I read on. Basically she continued expanding on the title itself. Write if you feel a need, but think about what you are writing before you publish it for the rest of the world. I sunk in my chair. What did I do yesterday? Unedited Thoughts. Crap? Maybe. Necessary? Yes. Further questioning my intentions, I realized why I did it. Because I needed to. I absolutely agree with Brooks sentiments. I want to read articles and posts with depth. Everything she writes, on her blog and at Elephant Journal, has wonderful insight. I envy her ability to write so eloquently about simple, yet profound concepts and experiences. I also realized that we are in two different places in our writing/blogging experiences. Instead of cowering in the corner, I decided to strengthen my throat chakra, my True voice. I left a comment on Brooks’ blog. She, in turn, left one on mine. The exchange was beautiful. Two souls connecting, in written form, acknowledging one another. Kindness and honesty. As I say so often, I feel blessed. It’s amazing how strangers can affect one another.

I used to journal and keep a blog that was for my eyes only. It was a way for me to record my life and thoughts. Sharing it with no-one protected me from rejection. I started Namaste-Heather in November 2009 as a way to get over this fear. I knew I wanted to write about yoga, but I also wanted to share pieces of myself along the way. I wanted to connect with people. It’s been an exciting journey exploring my feelings around it. There is an exchange. And like everything in life, it’s necessary to find balance. Once you get a comment, it’s addicting. But is that the most important thing? No. However, when I blog about anything important to me, and get validation via comment, it is rewarding.

Admittedly, when I started this blog, I didn’t know what I was doing. Do I know anymore now? It’s hard to separate myself from myself. Anyone else feel this way? I love to read and have been sucked into a variety of blogs since then. Most of them are about yoga and sustainability, but some are about other things. Random things. Interesting thoughts. Funny people. I read all of these blogs for different reasons. My tendency in reading, in general, is to learn something new. I can never know enough, and I love a plethora of perspectives and opinions.

Because I love research, its enjoyable to write about the things I learn. I write primarily content and informative articles for two websites. It gives little room for creativity, but does offer more general writing experience. In my previous job I wrote a lot; curriculum, grants, brochures, proposals, procedures, processes, reviews, news articles, web content and other such professional pieces. Editing others’ work helped me to grow my own writing. After leaving there to teach yoga nearly two years ago, I realized something was missing. I needed to write. My soul longed for it. So, I began writing for a small local company, online and started this blog.

Since starting the blog, however, I haven’t had any clear direction. Yes, a lot of my content here is about yoga and sustainability. These are two things I’m most interested in. However, I’ve thrown in pieces of myself and I’m not sure I want to continue to go in that direction. Well, let me rephrase. When writing about myself and my experiences, I’d like it to relate back to yoga (or sustainability) in a more meaningful way. I don’t want to write *fluff*. I want to dig deeper, to explore, and to write about topics that are both meaningful to me, while giving readers something to think about. The question is . . . how do I do that?

I’m hoping that through this 21.5.800 challenge, the answers will be revealed. My two primary goals for this challenge? (1.) to deepen my meditation practice and (2.) to pour it out through my writing, asking the bigger questions and hoping that answers emerge in the process. This either sounds simple or stupid. I’m not sure which.

I see Savasana as a way to allow my current self to die as I complete a yoga practice. Allowing this self to pass makes room for birthing the next phase of life. Meditation is much the same. I quiet my mind. New possibilities spring forth, and layers of self become deconstructed, revealing my True nature. I’m hoping that the challenge helps me to find my voice and not bore you in the process. Thank you for this allowing.

11 Comments | blogging, moments, writing | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

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