Once Again, I am a Slacker

It appears, history repeats itself once again. I am a slacker and haven't made any updates. And I even promised a book review and failed to do so there.

In my defense, life has spiraled into a controlled chaos. And I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Yoga has been, and continues to be, the driving force behind, arguably, my every action. In just a few quick months, my life has completely turned into something not only worth being proud of, but truly worth living. I think in the first post I ever wrote I said something about... let's see. What did I say again?
 [Please Hold]

I had to go back and look. Here is what I said:

"My life is beautiful and dysfunctional and sometimes overwhelming. I wish I could say I wouldn't change a thing.. but I'm working on that. I think that's my ultimate goal. To wake up in the morning, look around and honestly say, "Everything is just fine." "

I don't think I can say that everything is perfect, but I can definitely tell you that from the moment I wrote that in August to this moment right now, my life has completely changed its course. The middle of 2012 until the beginning of 2013 was pretty.. well.. intense for me. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the most intense situation I've ever been in, but it is easy to forget that we've struggled with worse when we're in the thick of an unpleasant circumstance. Especially one that is unlike any situation we have ever found ourself in.

 For the past six months, I have spoken with my dear friend, Stephanie, almost every day. I'd tell her all about how everything in the world was falling apart and I just wasn't sure how to put it back together. But in (almost) every conversation I would tell her: This has to change. I don't know when, but I am going to keep working. I am going to keep doing yoga and keep working hard and keep being positive. Something good has to come from that. 

And it has. 

There continues to be more and more yoga in my life. I am physically, mentally and emotionally stronger than I think I have ever been before. I am learning how to look down on a situation from a neutral perspective and truly make a judgement call based on something other than my flighty fickel nature. I have decided that I will surround myself with the most extraordinary people. And I will learn from their extraordinary nature, thus continuing to shape my life and myself into exactly what I want it to be. I have continued to experiment with nutrition. I can feel a difference in every cell in my body. I won't continue to ramble so we'll suffice it to say that I am happier than I can ever remember being. 

That may not be true.
I have a very specific memory from when I was three on Trinity Beach in Australia. I climbed up onto (what seemed to be) the biggest rock in the history of rocks. I stood there, clutching the warm surface with my toes, facing the wind and felt like I was on top of the entire world.
Here is that moment:

Today, I am as happy as I was when this photograph was taken. I am on top of the world. 

Figuratively, of course. I wouldn't want my fellow Archer fans to literally get upset because of my literal misuse of the word "literally." 

Long story short, everything is awesome. And you're awesome. And I'm awesome. And let's go be awesome together. 

But on the real side of things.. I feel like the luckiest girl alive today.

What was that? How's my teacher training going? 

I'm glad you asked.

I have three weekends left of my 200 hour YA certification. It's so exciting and a little sad as well. I graduate in May... May 19th. However, I'm jumping right into my 500 hour YA certification. Actually, I'll begin my first module before I even finish my 200 hour certification. 

This one is a little different. It won't be with the same group of people as it is set up into 11 modules. You can register and pay for the modules as you are ready to take them. So, basically, you are in control of when you finish. The goal is to complete my 1000 hour certification from Asheville Yoga Center within the next six years. 

I'll be 30 at that point. 

I love teaching, and in fact, have a private session today in about an hour. I am off from my desk job today and have packed my day full of teaching, studying, writing and taking yoga classes. 

I love days like today. 

In a non-yoga related story (GASP) I learned how to ski on Sunday! Sometimes I forget that I enjoy doing things other than yoga. It was really nice to completely move outside of my comfort zone. 

I fell.

A couple really good, hard times. Falling is something I have always been a little afraid of. I'm tall. It's a long way down. Falling from grace, then opening to grace, and oscillating between those two actions is something I am becoming much more comfortable with. 

Maybe it has something to do with all the inversions and arm balances that are so challenging to me, yet I am completely obsessed with mastering. 

Anyway, back to skiing. It was awesome. Nothing like water skiing... except the skis. Nothing like roller blading. Except a little like rollerblading. Nothing like ice skating. Well, maybe a little like ice skating? I have no idea what I'm trying to do here. Coming from a girl who has only ever made one snowman* in her entire life, I suppose it doesn't mean much to try and describe skiing. So I'll just say this: 

It was awesome**. 

I think that's it. We'll see what comes next. I'm sure I will not feel this incredible every single day. But I am equally as sure that regardless of what life has to throw at me, I have everything I need to handle it gracefully. 

Even if it just means to fall.

XO
A

*In the spirit of honesty, I would like to come clean about a few details regarding the snowman I made. 1. It was on Sunday.. the same day I learned how to ski.
2. It was about one foot tall.
3. He had no face

**I need new adjectives. Suggestions and applications are now being accepted