From my family to yours...

I have been taking some time off to enjoy friends and family this holiday season. I hope and you and yours are happy and healthy. I wish you all the best in the year to come! 

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

May your life be filled with joy and happiness and may each new day bring you moments to cherish.

For those who celebrate, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Pismo Beach Yoga

SLO TV-Crew Interview

Well, my friends, it's beginning to come together! There have been a lot of changes, as of late. I sold my business, Grass Valley Yoga, when my family and I relocated to the Central Coast. I have missed teaching and so here comes my new business...Pismo Beach Yoga! I am excited to share the beauty of yoga with my community members. Ahhhhh, beach yoga sounds like pure bliss to me.

If you are on Facebook, I invite you to "like" Pismo Beach Yoga. You can also check out my website-in-progress http://www.pismobeachyoga.com. Pismo Beach Yoga can also be found on Instagram!

Thank you so much for your love and support as I embark on this new journey in my ever-changing life.

How I Spent My Day

I have a new obsession and they are called succulents. 

They require very little water, which is great with our current drought in California.

I love to mix it up with cactus varieties!

I was looking for someplace to use the sea glass and sand dollars I've collected.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whatever the day brings you, I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Sore Throats at the Beach

My daughter and I woke up with sore throats this morning. My son was sick all last week. I told her that we can either have sore throats at home or at the beach and she chose the beach. That's my girl! On our way to Avila Beach, we stopped at Shell Beach and enjoyed the view. She couldn't resist striking a tree pose! We are back home resting now, but the fresh air and sunshine did wonders for us.

Pismo Beach Yoga

                                                                                                                 Photo courtesy of Dixie Green Sharp

Here I go again! Just when I thought I would be able to relax into the holiday season, I went ahead and launched a new business. Pismo Beach Yoga! If you are a Facebook user, I would really appreciate a "like" for my new page. Here is the link...

Pismo Beach Yoga Facebook Page

Thank you so much for your support!

Exploring!

Such a fun day exploring our new town today with my love! Lots of walking and lots of smiles. 

Happy Beach Dog!

Happy Dyson loving his new yard! He keeps my toes in the sand. As of I needed an excuse! 

The Big Move

Wow, what a journey the last few weeks have been! I know that I have been MIA, but with good reason. My family and I just relocated to the Central Coast. Many of you know that this place holds a special place in my heart. We have been spending a lot of time in the area looking for just the right place to live. After a long search, we found it! We have settled into the Pismo Beach area. Beach girl that I am, I feel so grateful that I can walk there any time. We have an ocean view now, so I can actually see the beautiful sun drop into the ocean each night from my balcony. I pinch myself each time I walk home from the beach, knowing that I get to return the next day.

 I feel so grateful! 

The first of many sunset walks with my happy dog. 

Lava Flow

As the lava flow moves closer and closer to the town of Pahoa, on the Big Island of Hawaii, I have been reflecting on the precious times that I have spent there. The Big Island holds a very special place in my heart. It is my home away from home. Each time I have been there, I have felt the warm embrace of the island. It is said that Pele either loves you or loathes you. People either have incredibly beautiful  experiences on that island or dreadful times. I can say whole heartedly that Pele loves me. She has watched over me each time I was there and I had experiences that could have ended not so well. (I do like my adventures!) Pele calls me back constantly and I know that one day I will settle there to live. For those of you who have been lucky enough to visit her beautiful island, you know what I'm talking about. The rest of you probably think I'm nuts. Let me explain...
Pele is the goddess of fire and volcanos and what she says goes. She is a powerful presence on the island. It is her island; we are just visitors. She has her moods and she spreads her lava at her will. In 1986, she took the town of Kalapana. What was once a beautiful black sand beach town is now a lava field with Uncle Robert's Kava bar to welcome visitors. I walked those lava fields and was saddened and amazed at the fact that not that long ago there was a community there. I met a local who was picking up tourist's trash on the lava fields. I walked the fields for hours helping to pick up litter. What used to be homes, streets and ohana (the Hawaiian word for family), is now miles of hardened lava.
The lovely little town of Pahoa in the Puna district, is currently in jeopardy of becoming the next Kalapana. The lava just entered into the town yesterday. I have been watching the flow for a few months now. Preparations have been made, i.e.: new roads built, evacuation plans, etc. but nothing can be done to stop Pele. She has covered the cemetery and crossed the road into town. Her pace quickens and slows down at her will. I pray for the people of Pahoa. I pray for the little town and all of it's inhabitants. I know that when I return the landscape will be so different. That is the nature of the island.  Madame Pele (as she is referred to) is in charge.

This is the cemetery on the outskirts of town.

Pele taking over open space. The vog is very bad in the area, due to the lava flow. Vog is air pollution caused by the volcano eruption. 

Up close and personal.

Here you can see the lava flow as it heads straight for town. :(

The aerial view

Another aerial view of Pele's destruction.

This is me walking on a trail just outside of Pahoa. 

Sivananda Yoga Farm

This peaceful ashram always brings me so much tranquility. It is located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills in Grass Valley. It will always hold a special place in my heart. #timeout

Fun in Cayucos!

It was a beautiful weekend on the Central Coast! We loved the little town of Cayucos. 

Cayucos is just north of Morro Bay. You can see the ever present rock from the beach. 

Ice Capades #TBT

In honor of Throwback Thursday, we're going way back! I was a poodle in a local ice capades in Chicago circa 1976 (ish). Such great memories!

Holding the Sun in Morro Bay, CA.

I love Morro Bay! Such a beautiful sunset, I just had to hold it! I'm so happy that my kids have Fall Break this week. Time to head to the Central Coast!

Chilling Out in Nevada City, CA.

So much fun hanging out with friends in Nevada City, CA this weekend! It was nice to feel a little chill in the air when the sun went down. This picture was taken at a cool coffee house called Cafe Mekka.

Married with Children #tbt

Throwback Thursday! Married with Children, 1993. Gotta love those bridesmaid dresses!

Green Sand Beach

This is me doing a variation of Tortoise Pose at Green Sand Beach.

Yes, the sand is green! These pictures were taken at the southern most point of the whole United States, located on the Big Island of Hawaii. The green sand gets its color from olivine crystals created from eruptions to a dormant volcano years ago. Nestled in Mahana Bay, this is one of only two green sand beaches in the world! 

Take an Inner Inventory.

Everyday is different. Take an inner inventory each day to see where you're coming from. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Peaceful Sunday

I hope you are all having a very peaceful Sunday! No matter how busy life gets, it's important to take the time, as often as possible, to do something you love. #beachtimeforme

Tree Pose at Akaka Falls

This picture was taken at the end of an amazing day of zip lining at Akaka Falls State Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. Such an incredibly beautiful place. I'm ready to go back!

Happy Friday!

Wishing you all a very Happy Friday! This was me on a Friday not too long ago in Morro Bay, Ca. #happyplace

#tbt

Throwback Thursday! This was a 1986 publicity photo. I was 17 years old. My daughter is going to be 17 in 2 months! For me, that's hard to believe. 

Happy October!

Fall is my favorite time of year. I hope you enjoy the crisp days of October!

Happy Tuesday!

Wishing you a happy day too!

Playtime Yoga!

Playtime at Stinson Beach with my daughter. This is actually a Yoga pose called Warrior 111.

Flashback Friday: Whiz Kids

Flashback Friday! 

The cast of Whiz Kids...

Matt Laborteaux, Todd Porter, Jeff Jacquet and me.

Plank on a Paddle Board

So much fun practicing Yoga with my daughter on a paddle board! This is Plank Pose. It is an arm balancing Yoga posture that tones the abdominal muscles while strengthening the arms and spine. It can be tricky to do on the water!

Savasana

This is my sweet boy, Dyson, enjoying some Restorative Yoga after a busy day chasing squirrels.

Big Island Buddha

This photo was taken during my second stay Kalani Yoga Retreat Center on the Big Island of Hawaii. Kalani is Hawaii's largest retreat center, one of the best-loved centers in the world for more than 35 years. I feel privileged each time I return to this tropical paradise. 

Forearm Balance at King's Beach, Lake Tahoe

Moon Salutations in Monterey, CA.

This yoga flow can help ease the symptoms of depression and PMS. Inhale and exhale with every movement. Repeat 3-5 times. Namaste.