200 Hour Yoga Training Complete {Yoga Schmoga}

We have officially gotten through the busy season of April! At the end of April I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training credentials. It took me roughly eight weeks to completely open up to my peers, eight weeks to really enjoy my journey, and eight weeks to realize that I was completing a goal that I've had for nearly ten years. 200 hour training is something that many yoga instructors aim to do- but people, it costs a lot of money, and rules your life for minimum of two and a half months (if you don't do an intensive) I'm a pretty guarded person and while I'm great at jumping into things and riding the waves, I often don't realize my intentions or the impact my journey has on my little soul. I'm still digesting the process- I hope I always am. What I do know from my training is that I came out of it with some amazing friendships, a stronger practice, and a deeper understanding of why I yoga. If you want to read my inspiration that possessed me to sign up for the training in the first place: click here. 

Wild Women {Ragamuffin Diaries}

I ran across this article from The Elephant Journal which inspired me immensely and reminded me of my own little spirit:

This is for the gentle goddesses with watery, empathic hearts, who ooze with oodles of compassion, eager to soothe another’s suffering.

This is for the luscious ladies with restless spirits who can’t stay in one place for long, because our souls are winged, always longing for adventure.

Yes, this is just for us:

The free-spirited females with fiercely sensitive hearts.

We are a balmy breeze, casually caressing arms lovingly, suddenly here, suddenly there, then suddenly gone.

We are a thousand grains of precious pink sand, slowly slipping through soft fingertips, one by one.

We can never be contained because we aren’t meant to be.

We are born to ride the wild winds of passion, surf the turbulent oceans of despair, and relentlessly explore the great vastness of this crazy world—until our bodies collapse in ecstatic exhaustion.

We understand deeply that life is a heartbreakingly beautiful series of goodbyes, hellos, triumphs and disappointments and we feel most alive in the midst of transformation, courageously shedding our old skin to be birthed again, raw and new.

We are well-versed in letting go, able to boldly exhale and swiftly set fire to the past, painstakingly gathering the ashen wisdom to build a more abundant future.

We are phoenixes, falcons, eagles and butterflies.

We are light and airy, yet never lacking depth.

We are carefree and sparkly, but our effervescence actually emanates from caring so deeply, from feeling the world’s pain, happiness, love, sadness and struggle wildly pulsate within our chests, day in and day out.

We are spongy emotional barometers, picking up on another’s mood immediately, sensing anxiety, anger, grief, frustration and jealousy. Feeling it so damn intensely that we sometimes suffocate.

We crave alone time, solo adventures, secret places and quiet spaces because the world can seem so scary and overwhelming that we wonder if it could, in fact, swallow us entirely in one single gulp.

We love wholly, compassionately and completely—but never possessively.

We have to fly away sometimes, darting out in the velvety black of night because we know that by setting ourselves free, we can set others free too.

We deeply respect our femininity, listening closely to the whispering wisdom of our intuition, the mystical murmurs of our ancestors and the primal pulse of nature.

We feel most alive outside, wings fully spanned, feeling the firm ground beneath our feet, welcoming the fiercest winds to whirl through our wispy hair.

We are fierce warriors, forces to be reckoned with—precisely because we are so sensitive.

My gentle and free-spirited sisters, I hear your feathery roar.

Let us spread our wings and soar.

Let us fly long and fast and hard.

Let us fly unapologetically.

Into the incredible lives we are meant to live.

Let us vow now.

To never turn our backs on the wise contents.

Of our fabulously free-spirited.

And fantastically sensitive souls.

Author: Sarah Harvey

Yoga Teacher Training {Ragamuffin Diaries}

News Update: I have signed up for Yoga Teacher Training 200 hr Certification! This is something I have been wanting to do for YEARS, but it's so stupidly expensive and time consuming and I have great angst towards the fact that there is a government for Yoga- though I also get it. So I've struggled with A.) Being willing to spend said stupid amount on Yoga Teacher Training when I'm already an instructor. B.) Finding the right timing in my life to do it. C.) Realizing that there is never a right time to do it...

Because all the things in life are always happening. I have 94 days to take sixty classes and 54 days in the official time frame of the training and seminars. I'll be graduating from this series on April 17th. I will find the time to do it, it will be SO mentally, emotionally and physically challenging but I paid the mulas, now I'm committed. Also within this time frame I will also be balancing:
1.) Becoming an Aunt
2.) Working Monday thru Friday at my desk job
3.) Attending baby shower out of state for new lovely bouncy baby to be.
4.) Traveling to Yuma Arizona to visit my Grannie.
5.) Traveling to Worley, Idaho for a week for a tradeshow (Can I get a WOOT WOOT for Worley Idaho!?)
6.) Attempting to maintain a normal and enjoyable life.

Wish me luck!

I Ran 50 Miles {Runner's Log}

Last year, Megan and I participated in a 50 miles to Christmas challenge which started at the beginning of November. We had about 55 days to complete 50 miles. We had to run a little less than a mile every day, but we committed to running about two miles every other day and finished just before Christmas. This was the farthest I had ever run in the shortest amount of time and was a huge accomplishment for me. The challenge also came at the perfect point in my life and running provided a required timeframe where I could meditate on what was going on in my world. 

This year I did the challenge again. This time solo because my sweet friend is a new puppy mommy and well... life happens. So this go around I turned it into hiking and running. I also got a gym membership in downtown Seattle which allowed me to escape from being a desk potato mid-day and run a few miles on the treadmill each lunch break. With my runs at lunch, and my hikes with Rich and our evening runs I completed 50 miles yesterday, right in front of this Christmas Burger. This year I only had forty-two days to finish my challenge but completed it within 33. 

Running is so much more of a lifestyle now than it was last year. Every day running has become a staple- whether I'm participating in a challenge or not. 

Dear Saucony's {Runner's Log}

Dear Saucony's, 

I've been running in this 50 miles to Christmas challenge with you and I tallied up our mileage the other day and realized that we're only five miles away from my goal with 13 days still to go. While many of those miles I didn't wear you, because they were hike miles- the mileage that we did go on together brought your total mileage well over 250 in less than a year. You and me- we go places. 

So the other day I took you on the trails Pinnacle Peak- which I know, it's not what you're made for, but your retirement for running on roads is nearing it's end... maybe. I'll wash you up and see how many more miles we can log until you start to nag at my arches and knees. I'm sorry I took you on the trails but maybe you'll have part-time job in your retirement of trail running. 

Love, Anna

Yoga Play {Yoga Schmoga}

Oh you like yoga too? Let's play! 

I was recently reading an article on www.thedailylove.com about practicing yoga with friends and it's benefits. 

The point that I liked the most was this:

"You laugh with—and at—each other. Sometimes those risks mean you fall out of Warrior 3 and flat on your face, and it’s nice to be able to laugh about it. Yoga is meant to be lighthearted and playful. This is a lifetime practice, not a one-time competition with yourself or anyone else. In the moments when your ego tries to take over, you can count on your closest friends to remind you not to take yourself so seriously."

Megan and I spent a good hour playing in the grass laughing at each other, teaching new poses and leaning on each other for support (I mean this extremely literally). 

Yoga doesn't have to be so serious. It's so much more fun if you turn it into playtime! 

Dear Saucony's {Runner's Log}

Dear Saucony's,

This summer has been hot. Really really hot. With me, you have traveled over 200 miles since I got you- on the hot hot roads and on a few trails (though I try to avoid this because I don't really like to get you dirty). You've helped me sort out a lot. You've powered me up hills that I thought were impossible, and protected my knees when sprinting downhill. You've listened to some really good tunes with me, or instead of music I've listened to you smacking the concrete while protecting my toes. I'm sorry for throwing you across the yard the other day after a four mile run so I could jump into the lake. I'm glad that over 200 miles with you on my feetsies, I've relearned the importance of meditation, breathing, and endurance.

Dear Sauconys {Runner's Log}

Dear new Sauconys.

In the last month you and I have gone on over 40 miles on our runs...

I'm excited to see how many we go in April...

Thanks for being squishy under my feet and ultra reflective.

Sincerely,

Anna.