I read this beautiful passage, in my yoga class, from Thich Nhat Hahn’s little book, HOW TO SIT.

Take a few moments to gather your energy by taking a couple of conscious breaths, and ponder Thich’s teachings on “Habit Energy.”

Habit Energy

"When you sit, you may feeling something pushing you to get up and do something else.

That’s the energy inside each of use called habit energy.

Habit Energy is energy that is fueled by an old pattern, situation, or habit.

It isn’t based on our real needs and our real situaition in the present.

Habit energy is always pushing.

We have the habit of thinking that happiness isn’t possible in the here and now

that we have to go look for it somewhere else or in the future.

That’s why we keep running. Our parents ran too. They transmitted the habit of running to us, and they received it from their ancestors.

It’s a longstanding habit.

We deeply believe that in the future we may have more conditions for our happiness and that our “real life”lies s...

Do you know about your chakras? 

Chakra is a pretty common house-hold word here in California.  But, even if you're in the mid-west, if you're into yoga, you've probably heard the word, Chakra.

Most women I know who love yoga, fall in love with the chakras, at some point or another.

I mean they're colorful, they're mysterious, they're spiritual, and they can help you navigate your world.

The word Chakra, in sanskrit, means “wheel” or “disc”; it refers to the vortex of energetic activity flowing from the major nerve gaglia of the spinal column.

There are 7 major chakras that align the spine from the crown of the head to the base of the spine.

Each Center is represented by an element, is associated with a color, has a name, and relates to aspects of consciousness, psychology, archetypes, and philosophy.

The chakras are the energy of yoga, harnessing this energy, both on and off the mat, will take you down a path to vibrant health, dynamic balance, and a creative life you love...

How do you love your body now when you’d rather be slimmer, trimmer and more in shape?

You might be surprised when I tell you it starts with loving the body you have! The word yoga translates to yoke or unite.

This did not come easily for me back in the days before I found yoga. In fact, in my early 20’s I hated my body. I was always an active fit kid even into my teens, but by the time I was a junior in high-school, I started gaining weight. In college my weight became a constant source of frustration. It didn’t help that my best girlfriend was fit-as-a-fiddle with beautiful, lean, tan legs and mine were fat and full of cellulite! I hated my legs!

Apparently, so did my boyfriend.

I’ll never forget the night we were walking on the beach when he dropped a truth-bomb on me. He looked me in the eyes and said, “You have the most beautiful face but your legs are fat and that is a real turn-off for me.”

I was devastated! I couldn’t believe he said that to me.

I was disgusted with him a...

When I decided to change my body and come back to my natural weight,138, give or take a pound or two, I was tipping 151 on the scale.

I knew I needed a game-plan to drop 12 pounds. 

You see, I'm no stranger to dieting.  When I was in my 20's. I tried everything from Jenny Kraig to doctor-assisted vitamin b-shots to lose the weight.

From my past experience I knew I didn't want a fad diet, fire-water, or a juice cleanse to get me back to balance. 

And I didn't want to drop 5 and then gain 5 back. 

So what would be different this time around?

Well for starters, I had an image in my mind. I had a vision of how I wanted my body to look.   As I pictured my body slim, healthy, and toned, I started feeling in to that picture.

And then I started talking to my husband about my goal.

I was activating the power of the chakras which is exactly what I teach my students to do in the Vibrant Body Program, my online course that supports women to lose weight, get in shape, and embody yoga.

C...

If you're changing your habits and dramatically reducing your sugar, alcohol, and refined carbohydrate intake, chances are you may have a day where you go back to your old ways.

That's because change takes time and consistency. 

So what do you do if you have a set back? 

How do you keep from throwing in the towel if you had a night out with friends and you drank a couple of glasses of wine?

Or if your mom came over and baked your favorite apple crumble and you couldn't help but dive in?

My mom makes the best apple crumble and yes, it is topped with vanilla ice cream.

I believe the answer lies in hitting the Vibrant Body Reset Button and  getting back on track with your next cranberry cocktail drink.

Here's the recipe: 1/4 cup cranberry juice (not from concentrate), 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1 glass filtered water, aqnd juice from 1/2 lemon.  

Drink your cleansing cocktail 1/2 hour before lunch and dinner.  It can even act as a great replacement for the glass of wine.  Ha...