Yoga/meditation | theclothesmakethegirl

Mar 28, 2013 Posted by Mel

Strength & Sprints & Satnam

Warning: workout war stories ahead. As I explained last week, although I’ve been lax about sharing my workouts in my blog, I have been doing the workouts — and thanks to my new good health report card, I’m hitting ‘em pretty hard. And loving it! Here’s what I’ve been to, sweat-wise. Wednesday, March 20: Strength It’s Week 3 of the Wendler 5/3/1 cycle, which means... read more

Feb 7, 2013 Posted by Mel

Strength Tuesday 2/5/13 (w/ Bonus Bear)

In my quest for lean superhero-ness, I’m following the Wendler 5/3/1 strength training program. Twice a week, Dave and I are hitting the craptastic gym in our Converse to lift heavy and crank through a mini-metcon. Grin Grimace and Bear It Not this bear: Or this bear: Or this bear: Nope. I mean a bear like this: I mean the deadly Bear Complex. In case you’re not familiar, it’s a... read more

Dec 1, 2012 Posted by Mel

Daily Practice: Two Easy Steps To Bliss

Leading up to Thanksgiving, I gave you some tips to make Turkey Day one of your best holidays ever. All of those tips apply to the next few weeks, too. I challenge lovingly encourage you to make this a joyous, truly celebratory holiday season by making a little time each day to take care of yourself. Right now, you might be trying to plan your holiday eating strategy— or you might decide to take... read more

Nov 30, 2012 Posted by Mel

Kundalini Continues To Be Weird

It’s been a while since I shared some of my kundalini adventures, but rest assured, I’m still getting my weird on a few times a week. In fact, November 16 was my Kundaliniversary, and I’m proud to say that in the year I’ve been practicing meditation, I’ve become more adept at relaxing into it and staying focused. Sure, there was that time I thought about the Stay Puft... read more

May 31, 2012 Posted by Mel

Yoga Against My Will

I’m on a yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico this week. If things are going right, I’m either meditating, bare foot running, or sipping a pina colada right now. I’ll be back in the world of all things digital on June 4. Until then, enjoy this post and take good care of yourself. If someone had told me a year ago that now I’d be looking forward to a week on the beach with a bunch of yoga... read more

May 25, 2012 Posted by Mel

Gone To Mexico

I still find myself quite surprised to be typing these words, but here goes: Dave and I are off to a yoga retreat. We’re going to the Maya Tulum Resort in Mexico with a crew from YogaYoga. My plan is to completely disconnect from the internet, so no blog, no email, no Twitter, no Facebook… just sun, sand, surf, Satnam, books, running, meditation, CrossFit workouts, and romance with my handsome... read more

May 23, 2012 Posted by Mel

Walking Your Path

Our kundalini instructor Robin gave us a prompt for a visualization in class last week, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot ever since. She had us close our eyes and visualize a path. There were no specifics other than that at first: just visualize a path. I immediately thought of the hiking trail in Tennessee Valley, in Marin County, California. This is what the trail looks like as you start your... read more

Apr 13, 2012 Posted by Mel

Gong to Costa Rica

If someone had told me a year ago what I’d be doing this weekend, I would have thought they were out of their minds — and then I might have hit ‘em with two for being lame. What a difference a year makes! Tonight, Dave and I are off to an event called Gong Gong Gongathon. I know! Can you even?! It’s a one-hour kundalini yoga class followed by a 45-minute gong concert. I anticipate... read more

Mar 30, 2012 Posted by Mel

Ohm Ma Goodness

It’s been a while since I shared my yoga adventures. Rest assured: I’ve been getting my Satnam on with my kundalini teacher Robin every week. I continue to be completely entranced by the variety of ways she directs us to breathe. In the last few weeks, we’ve moved way, WAY beyond the standard breath of fire… - tongue out, breathe through the mouth - tongue out, breathe through the... read more

Jan 25, 2012 Posted by Mel

Wonder And Camels

I’m about to draw parallels between comedian Louis C.K., my favorite Victorian character Jane Eyre, our Saturday Hatha Star yoga class, and camels. Hold on tight; I promise it will make sense soon. All of these things have been making me consider the notion of wonder (and delight, surprise, and, ultimately, joy). I think we tend to define the word wonder with only one of its meanings: a feeling of... read more

Jan 18, 2012 Posted by Mel

My New Vocabulary

[photo] When I started my yoga adventures a few months ago (as part of my Healing Experiment), I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t anticipate that (1) I’d learn a whole new vocabulary, or (2) that combining movement and breath in a particular pattern would leave me simultaneously tired and refreshed – and 24 hours later, comfortably sore. It seems that Kundalini Yoga is making... read more

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The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Novel
I'm about two-thirds of the way through this detective thriller, and I'm hooked. It's set in modern Norway with flashbacks to WWII (catnip for me!) and features a somewhat grim hero that engenders empathy. I can't help pulling for the guy as I watch him struggle with his case and his life. The cast of characters is a realistic but motley crew, and it reminds me of other favorites set in cold, snowy climes: the Millenium Trilogy and Smila's Sense of Snow.
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I picked up this book after reading an interview with Lee Child (author of the Jack Reacher thrillers). He referred to The Lost as "the book of the century" and since I devour as much as I can about the Holocaust to try to make sense of it all, I decided I needed to read it immediately. Part memoir, part detective tale, this book was thoroughly engrossing. It's intelligent, annoying, moving, frustrating, and ultimately, rewarding and beautifully written. It challenged me in ways I didn't expect, and I was sad when it was finished.