To the dog owners who refuse to clean up their dog's shit.

Disclaimer: This post isn't about yoga. But as someone who loves dogs and sitting (and practicing yoga) on the grass on a pretty day, I figured I'm allowed the rant. 

 A dog is supposed to be like a family member. You love them, you cuddle with them, they love you back, they entertain you, and they are extremely loyal. Some people even refer to their dogs as their fur babies, and love them as their own children. So I ask you this: would you be okay with picking up the shit of someone else's child? 

I ask this because as I walk to my car every morning (I live in an apartment complex), I walk past beautiful landscaping filled with colorful shrubbery and trees and flowers and dog poop. Why is there dog poop? Because you walked your dog, let them shit and did not clean up after them. This makes me unnecessarily angry. Why would you think this is okay? It isn't fair to those of us who have to walk around and sometimes inadvertently walk into it! It also isn't fair to all of us who have to look at piles of poop that all over the place. If it is too difficult for you to clean up after your pet, or if you are simply refusing to do so, why on earth are you taking care of another life?  It doesn't magically disappear or dissolve into the earth when you walk away. You obviously care enough about your pet to take it out for a walk (or simply don't want it shitting in your house). Why not enough to clean up after it as your dog cannot do this for himself? 

I don't think it is asking for too much... just clean up after your pet. So simple. Don't we deal with enough caca in our everyday lives? Your neighbors thank you. Our shoes thank you. You dog thanks you. My dog thanks you. I thank you. 

#LoveYourChakras Halfway Point

As we just passed the middle point of the month, Tess and I have had a lot of fun so far with our little yoga challenge! Not to mention I've learned quite a bit about the chakras from research for the poses.  Even though we only have a few people who have joined us, it's awesome to see their posts and I've gotten some really nice words of encouragement from my friends. It's never too late to join! If you aren't following us, please do! @sidekickdoula @bbrownskinlady Just a few of our postures so far:

Reflection: Bad Days

Last night was my second night adjusting and assisting in a yoga class at the studio. Was a little nervous at first, touching a bunch of people I don't know in a candlelit room is a little intimidating! But I learned quite a bit. Got some great feedback from some of the girls I knew that took the class. I went into class last night feeling really off. I've had a lot of things on my mind lately, with work, money, friends, family... I felt my energy was off. And was worried that I would transfer that to the people around me. After a few deep breaths, I focused on the fellow yogis and it all went okay. Takes a lot out of you, to teach and assist in a yoga class. Not only are you giving a lot of yourself physically, bending over, massaging, adjusting, walking around, etc. But emotionally and mentally. You have to be completely present. There for them. And they give a lot to you. You can actually feel what they're feeling. Sometimes you can feel how happy they are, and other times you feel the heaviness in the energy they give you. After class I asked the teacher how she deals with having a bad day and going into class to teach. She always seems so calm and collected and her energy is always so positive and strong. I told her I was feeling shitty before class started. She simply said "I was having one of those, too. You find that connection to them." I think that is what happened. Once I was in the studio, watching all these beautiful souls in one room moving and breathing and being present, nothing else mattered.

 

Then I woke up this morning feeling totally under the weather. I am not sure if it was simply fatigue. I didn't even make it to work. Slept a good part of the morning. Mentally and physically I felt like I had been hit by a truck. So just about an hour ago, I thought I would try a little yoga. Always makes you feel better, right? Started with the usual Sun Salutations, warmed up my spine. Felt confident hopping up into a couple of handstands. And then, the frustration began. I couldn't hold a single inversion after that. Tried to get a chin stand (something that totally scares me and I am not strong enough for) and I felt totally weak. Anything I tried I felt totally off. The ground and the wall seemed too real. I had psyched myself out. Tried breathing and focusing but it wasn't there. Finally, I just broke down and cried.

 

I had set up my camera to catch a few inversions, but instead caught a different moment. Through my practice, I have been able to feel a joy and gratitude I hadn't felt before. But opening your heart also comes with the price of feeling vulnerable. This isn't something I'm particularly comfortable with. Being more sensitive to negative energy and having to confront feelings you may have been suppressing. I was really good at holding things in before. That wasn't a good thing. It's a learning process, to take the bad with the good. Some days I just want to cry. Some days I just want to be left alone. I share this with you, not for sympathy. I share this because I want you to know that no matter what, it is okay to be a little vulnerable. It is okay if you feel like shit. Some days are just going to suck. But it's only temporary.

#LoveYourChakras

Social media can be a real drag sometimes. Besides consuming a lot of your time and attention (guilty as charged), you're constantly bombarded by depressing news, overly photoshopped ideals, annoying spam, etc., etc. But something good about it is that you can connect with people you would have otherwise never encountered. You're able to find a common ground with people who share the same passions as you. Who encourage you. Most of my newsfeed is now full of other yogis and their beautiful photos. It's truly inspiring to see what some of these yogis can do. It's also great to see other yogis trying out new things and seeing their progress. A real popular thing on Instagram right now are yoga challenges. For those who don't know, it's one or two yogis hosting the challenge and they post a photo of a pose each day for others to join in. Most of the time, these challenges are sponsored, and a winner is chosen at the end of it for a prize. The great thing about it is that it's free, you get to see other's photos and you get to do yoga!

 Now that 31 Days of Handstands is over, I thought that instead of joining a challenge, I would start my own! So I asked my comadre, Tess, if she would like to help me and she was just as excited as I was! So we declared February to be #LoveYourChakras. A month dedicated to postures meant to balance and get in touch with the 7 points of energy, as well as to find love for body, mind and soul. Tess also volunteered to custom make a mala necklace for a randomly chosen winner! I'm really excited about this challenge and hoping that we have some yogis join us. We're both pretty new to this so we hope for a good month!

If you'd like to join, please follow @sidekickdoula and myself, @bbrownskinlady and find our flyer for the challenge details and rules. Yogis of all levels welcome!