Yellowstone obsessed

All of us are drawn to this place, I think, by the same magnetic force that worked on the nineteenth-century settlers and explorers - the sheer wonder of the landscape of mountains, rivers, and skies, the sense that something primordial is still present and available to us. 

- George Black, Empire of Shadows - The Epic Story of Yellowstone

I've been slightly Yellowstone obsessed lately. We just got back, and I started planning the details of our next YNP adventure immediately (we're going again in a few short weeks. As I mentioned previously - lucky us to have it in our backyard). 

Here are a few snaps from our YNP quickie: Artist Paint Pots, Gibbon Falls, Norris Geyser Basin, and a young grizzly near the North entrance. Don't worry, this photo was taken from the car. 

Downward Facing Bison

Well. It's been a wild and woolly few weeks. I left my dream horse at the altar - he had more jekyll and hyde issues than I could handle. When I thought I was bringing a horse home, I got a hamster instead (don't even ask). 6 year old had an allergic reaction that resulted in her eyes being swollen shut for 2 days. She also finished 1st grade, where I wish she could stay forever. None of this majorly life-altering, I know, but all of it within one week had me feeling like this bison we saw in Yellowstone Park, in his somewhat defeated looking downward facing dog pose. Or perhaps more appropriately, it's child's pose...?

By the time the holiday weekend rolled around, I wasn't all that surprised to learn that SW Montana was under 'winter' storm warning. Not just for a few hours, but for the entire three days. We had planned 2 days in Yellowstone, which got cut back to one given that many roads were closed in the park due to heavy snowfall. It's hard to be dismayed though, by what I often refer to as Montana "weather drama". How can you not be impressed by a major snowstorm the first official weekend of summer, when the rest of the country had a heat wave? Daring to be different, in a badass sort of way.

In the end, we had a quickie afternoon in Yellowstone, because we can. Because we are lucky enough to live here. We saw geysers and a grizzly. We soaked at Chico Hot Springs, and visited a brand new retreat venue that I can't wait to share. And in the end, I relished the reminder of how fortunate I am to live here, along with all the other blessings in my life. Hamster notwithstanding.

More Yellowstone pix to come.

Yoga: the ultimate tune-up, for a lifetime of mileage

It ain't the years, honey...it's the mileage. 

-Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark

I was stopped in my tracks by an analogy in a book I'm reading, comparing the difficulty of something with "starting the violin at age 40". Blink. Was that meant especially for me? It made me smile because, while I don't anticipate ever becoming a violin virtuoso, I'm not doing too bad either. And, I really enjoy it, and look forward to learning more.

Because that's what it's about, really. You're never too old to learn. And in fact, learning keeps you young. Can I extend that to yoga keeps you young? I've always told other type A personalities like myself that you are never "done" learning yoga. And maybe that's why it's such an effective tool for managing our well-being. Every time we step onto our mat there is ample opportunity to learn and grow, from a teacher, from a new pose, from an old pose, from ourselves, from how we receive the teachings from all of the above. Everyone adores all the pictures of people in their 90s practicing challenging asana. That's not just some pr stunt - it's the real deal. Yoga keeps you supple, in both body and mind. I've found that yoga keeps me in learning mode, not just about yoga, but in lots of other areas. It's opened my mind to receive the many, many teachings out there. 

And it seems to me that it just keeps getting better with age (cue the fine wine cliché, santé). Sadly, our culture places a high value on the beauty of youth, when there is so much beauty to appreciate across all ages. It could be an article in one of the fashion and beauty mags (it probably already has been): "Be beautiful at any age with yoga!"

So when you're feeling the miles, à la Indiana Jones...remember that yoga is the ultimate tune-up, for a lifetime of mileage. Keep on truckin'. Namaste. 

A Yeehaw & Namaste Montana moment

Here's the picture of me in a handstand next to my horse Dude Boy, our head Cowgirl Yoga wrangler Janice, and Cowgirls vs. Cancer event coordinator Jessica. This photo accompanied the story about our Cowgirls vs. Cancer fundraiser in the Bozeman Chronicle last Friday.

Not only is this picture fun, and representative of the spirit of Cowgirl Yoga - to me it represents a tenet of the experience we offer on our retreats: the horse-human connection. Dude Boy and I have come a long way together; mostly in that he has helped me to expand my understanding of communication, both on a direct and subtle level. He trusts his humans enough to know that even when he sees cowgirl boots flying towards him in a handstand kick-up, everything is fine.

We've had quite a few Yeehaw & Namaste Montana moments, Dude Boy and I. I'm hoping to keep 'em coming.

Cowgirls vs. Cancer Fundraiser - a sweet success!

It's one of those perfect days under the Big Sky. In addition to the weather, I'm enjoying that this week promises to be fairly mellow, after a lot of excitement last week. It's nice when things balance out so well.

I'm also basking in the afterglow of Friday's fundraiser for Cowgirls vs. Cancer. We hosted an evening of yoga, meditation and the good things in life - 14 Hands wine, cheese, and La Chatelaine chocolate - at Montana Yoga Photographer's new red barn studio. We raised just over $2,000 to benefit our scholarship fund to provide healing with horses and yoga for breast cancer survivors, on a Cowgirl Yoga retreat. I enjoyed the energy of teaching almost 50 people who got on their mats for this great cause. What a fab Friday night, and a sweet success!

The Bozeman Chronicle wrote about our event, check it out here, along with a great photo of head Cowgirl Yoga wrangler Janice, Cowgirls vs. Cancer event coordinator Jessica, and me in a handstand next to my horse. The fact that Dude Boy allows me to use his shoulder as my "wall" amazes me - it's such a Yeehaw & Namaste moment.

Thank you Bozeman for supporting Cowgirls vs. Cancer!

Yoga with Mom

It's almost Mother's Day! 6 year old and I prepared a little asana à deux to celebrate - check out my latest on the Athleta Chi  - Yoga with Mom - for some OM at home this weekend.

People always wonder how to extend the benefits of their own yoga practice to their family members; if I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard, “but my husband would never do yoga!” I maintain that what you do on the mat has a positive effect on your family. So maybe your husband and your children don’t practice yoga, but they indirectly benefit from you being more balanced. Partner yoga is a unique way to entice your family onto the mat. It won’t be your 90-minute, sweat-drenched vinyasa practice — but it will forge new connections to people you love through yoga.

Yoga has been part of my daughter’s life since before she was born (I taught my last yoga class 3 days before her birthday!). She views it as normal, and part of daily life. She will watch me, imitate some of the poses, and as I like to think of it, soak up some of the good energy I’m giving off. When I’m really lucky, she’ll rub my third eye while I’m in savasana and softly chant, lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu — may all beings everywhere be happy and free. She also adores partner yoga and playing with me on the mat. I’ve focused this practice to cultivate physical connection — it’s like a series of different-shaped hugs. We’re sharing this practice in honor of Mother’s Day, so grab your mom, your son/daughter/niece/nephew, or really anyone you want to give some yoga love. 

And if it looks like we are having fun in the pictures - we are. Happy Mother's Day from Montana! Namaste. 

Dream Horse #2

This past weekend, I took a road trip to meet my Dream Horse. This was the culmination of over a year of searching for him. And let me tell you, it's felt a lot like dating. Even though it's been awhile for me on that front, I recognized the similarities: the screening ("what does he look like, how tall is he? is he well-mannered? are his teeth good? is he too young/too old for me?"), the matchmaking (head wrangler Janice calling to say, "I've found another potential match for you that we should go see..."), the butterflies in my stomach, the not being able to concentrate. I've been looking for Tennessee Walking Horse love, and after many lukewarm dates, I finally got hit with the equine equivalent of cupid's arrow.

And no, I haven't forgotten, I already have a Dream Horse, named Dude Boy. Unlike husbands, you can have more than one dream horse. How cool is that?

It happened in a roundabout sort of way, where my equine stars aligned and a series of events led me to a TWH (Tennessee Walking Horse) breeder here in Montana. I had to take a big gamble, and basically agree to buy the horse without meeting him first (would the dating equivalent be agreeing to marry someone before you've even met?). The recently aligned stars said yes, do it. But the butterflies in my tummy beat their wings faster.

Before we met, I was told that he's gorgeous, but a bit overweight. I could work with that. But as we closed the miles between our first encounter, I wondered, how big are we talking...? I think I held my breath as they opened the door for him to get off the trailer. And then, my world stood still for a moment as he looked at me with one blue eye, one brown eye. My heart beat faster. Was it love?

I really think that as with people, you are attracted to certain horses and not to others. It's an energy thing. This boy and I had sparks fly. Well, at least I did. But I plan to make him love me. More about Dream Horse #2 soon, as our relationship unfolds. Yeehaw & Namaste.