Bittersweet Endings

The last days of yoga were amazingly perfect in every way. I couldn't imagine a better way to have spent my summer than with these incredible people. The community we shared, the space we created for one another, the safety and support offered by complete strangers... strangers who quickly became friends. 

Thank you all for what you have offered me. I hope that I was able to return the favor. See you all again soon, I am sure! 

Our teachers were phenomenal. While their wisdom was offered freely,
their care and love, respect and honor for their students resounds beyond the class room.
Thank you Christy, Walter, and Astara!

This is my family. I love them all.

With the Sincerest of Gratitude,
~Birdie

The Spirit of Yoga

Many of my friends on FB know that I have recently began my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program with my school, SWIHA. I chose to start this journey because I had a very basic understanding of how incredibly beneficial Yoga can be to the mind, body, and spirit. From previous practice I knew what it felt to be silent in my mind and living in the present moment instead of running through my daily To-Do list over and over again. As I had walked through the halls of SWIHA going from class to class I passed signs about SWIHA's Yoga program and always thought, "I would love to be a Yoga Teacher. I would just love it... if only..." At the time I was still in my Nutrition and Herbalism program so there really wasn't any room for a Yoga program. 

Father Time is tricky, bringing change with him and endless possibilities. In my case, with Beau being offered a full time instructor's position in Oregon and us moving at the end of the summer, I had to redirect my education path to an online curriculum through SWIHA (that my advisor so graciously helped navigate me through). I was sad to leave the herbalism program - the people and instructors were wonderful - but I knew that there were other options for me. I transferred into the Transformational Psychology program specializing in Nutrition and... Yoga! Amazingly, SWIHA offered a YTT intensive course over the summer - I signed up immediately. Fate, you sly dog! My YTT ends August 31st and we move September 1st. Beautiful how that works out, no?

At any rate, my YTT has begun and we are in full swing. I am learning Sanskrit, the language of Enlightenment. I am learning how to chant (how to discover my voice), and how to fold and utilize blankets in my practice. The other students are so kind and pleasant. The teachers are knowledgeable and approachable. We laugh and we sigh. We breathe deeply, together as one. We are taking this journey together, although we are experiencing different things. 

Our program is based out of the new Yoga location that just opened in May off of Southern and McClintock. Spirit of Yoga is just heavenly. Located in a park-like setting, the Yoga rooms look out through the huge trees, into the pond, at the waterfall, and rest on the fluttering wings of a duck. The pond is a mini-ecosystem filled with Koi fish, ducks, and turtles! Yes. Turtles. I love the turtles. I could spend the day meditating under one of the sprawling trees, if only I had the time. It is heaven, I tell you.

I know that my adventure with Yoga has just begun, but, already, I know that it will be fruitful. I will learn a thousand years worth of wisdom that will only continue to grow over time through  sharing this practice with others around me. This summer will be a blessing and I am so thankful to be in the moment of receiving it.

Namaste,
~Birdie

I am in love with this tree and its roots. They are so amazing. 

What's Your Dosha, Baby?

Ayurveda (pronounced: eye-yer-vay-duh... yes, very Webster, I know) means "the science of life and longevity."


The following information about Ayurveda is provided by my instructor at SWIHA, Melanie:


"It is a traditional wellness system that has been practiced in India for over 5,000 years. This ancient healing wisdom has been passed on through the generations, and is still recognized as one of the most complete mind, body, spirit healing systems to this day. Ayurvedic medicine treats each person individually, taking into consideration the person's lifestyle, diet, exercise, behavioral characteristics, body type, and more. The system's goal is to obtain a balance of the mind, body and spirit as a whole.


Ayurveda states that everyone and everything is composed of five fundamental elements. All matter is made up of the five elements, as follows:
Earth - the solid state of matter
Water - the fluid state of matter
Fire - the energy power to transform matter from one state into another
Air - the gaseous state of matter
Space - the space in which matter can exist and is contained"

Source

We have all of these elements present in us, what makes us unique is the different levels of each found within each person. True well being, in this case, is dependent upon the harmony and balance of the mix of elements in the individual. This mix of elements is known as our personal "constitutions" or our Dosha. "The five elements, when combined, give rise to three biological forces, your personal 'dosha'."


Vata = Space/Air, primary is Air
Pitta = Fire/Water, primary is Fire
Kapha = Water/Earth, primary is Earth

Source

Source

 - We are going to play with this science more throughout our time together on this blog, but until then let's focus on the basics... like figuring out what your dosha is first, and then later exploring what this means for you! -

Dosha Quiz:

Instructions: If the statement is true for you write "2" for Yes. If the statement is a Maybe or Uncertain write a "1". If the statement is not true write a "0" for No.

Yes = 2

Maybe/Uncertain = 1

No = 0

__ 1. I am always thinking; my mind never slows down.

__ 2. My body is not proportionate (too long or short),

__ 3. I am always cold.

__ 4. I am a thin person and do not gain weight easily.

__ 5. I do tasks quickly but I need frequent breaks.

__ 6. I have one of these conditions: hemorrhoids, gas, irritable bowel syndrome.

__ 7. I am a light sleeper and do not have solid, continuous sleep.

__ 8. I get constipated.

__ 9. During the last 10 years, my weight has fluctuated within 10 pounds.

__ 10. It is hard for me to make a decision.

__ 11. I want to do and learn so many things right now. 

__ 12. I start many projects but seldom finish them.

__ 13. I have trouble staying in a long term relationship.

__ 14. I can not stay in the same job too long.

__ 15. I get bored doing repetitive tasks.

__ 16. I am creative but my creativity comes in spurts.

__ 17. I am the life of the party.

__ 18. I learn things quickly but I have difficulty remembering them later.

__ 19. I prefer working with my hands instead of reading a book.

__ 20. I worry often; even over the most insignificant things.

Vata Total: ___________

__ 1. I can focus on jobs and tasks and complete them on time.

__ 2. I am well organized and plan things well.

__ 3. I have a strong will and seldom give up.

__ 4. I am an efficient person.

__ 5. I seldom get constipated.

__ 6. I usually feel hot.

__ 7. I have a healthy appetite and prefer large meals.

__ 8. I have skin disorders such as acne, rash, eczema, psoriasis.

__ 9. I am sometimes stubborn.

__ 10. I can lose my temper easily.

__ 11. I think I am always right.

__ 12. I need factual information before making decisions.

__ 13. I am not happy unless everything is done to perfection.

__ 14. I have a sensitive intestine.

__ 15. I can tolerate temperature changes.

__ 16. My body is average; I am not overweight or underweight.

__ 17. My weight moderately fluctuates.

__ 18. I lack patience.

__ 19. I am too hard on myself and others.

__ 20. I can work for long periods of time without breaks.

Pitta Total: __________

__ 1. I have a large body frame.

__ 2. I gain weight easily.

__ 3. I enjoy eating.

__ 4. I can do repetitive tasks.

__ 5. I don't like change. 

__ 6. I am caring, affectionate, and deep.

__ 7. Nothing bother me; I take things in stride.

__ 8. Trust is very important to me.

__ 9. I love to sleep.

__ 10. My body is always warm.

__ 11. I take my time to complete tasks.

__ 12. I do not like to rush.

__ 13. I like the way I am; I don't want to change.

__ 14. I have frequent sinus infections and congestion.

__ 15. It is hard for me to lose weight.

__ 16. It is hard for me to let things go.

__ 17. I am slow and steady but I keep going until I finish the job.

__ 18. I like systematic routine.

__ 19. I do not like damp weather.

__ 20. I have a good memory; I am a slow learning but I retain information for a long time.

Kapha Total: ________

OK - What are your totals?

Vata:

Pitta:

Kapha:

Remember, you will have all three in your personal constitution. If your numbers are all near in amount then you are a more balanced constitution. Most people will have one dosha that is ahead of the rest with a second dosha in a close second. This is called a "dual-dosha." 

Me: Vata = 11 ; Pitta = 24 ; Kapha = 27.

So, my dominant dosha is Kapha and my dual dosha is Pitta. To put it into tangible terms, my emotions and personality is rooted in Kapha. My motivation, temperament and physical body is Pitta. My creative side is more Vata. 

Beau's doshas are all very similar in number and his divisions are pretty easy to see; mentally he is Vata, temperament is Pitta, and physically and emotionally Kapha.

...... now what? Well next we will talk about what these doshas look like in people. After that, we will discuss what happens when we have an imbalance in our doshas and how to help balance them again. However, that will have to wait for different posts. 

Source

Tell me what your dosha is in the comments below! I would love to hear what your results turned out to be!

Looking Forward to Getting to Know You,

~ Birdie

Thoughts, Ideas, and Plans - Oh My!

In one of my SWIHA classes (yes, I pretty much live there and am oh so very happy to!) we talked about blogs. We brainstormed and went over a few blogging techniques to help the blog be in tip-top shape. One of the suggestions for proper blogging etiquette was to blog every day... this does NOT seem like an easy task to me as I typically only blog when I have something important, valuable, nonsensical, or educational for my whopping 6 Followers to enjoy... I try not to bog down this blog with every day rantings or inspirations, philosophies or whimsies because I want you to get the good stuff, the pulp, the pertinent information. BUT I am willing to give it a try. So that is my first Thought. I am going to try to start blogging more often, even if I don't have a huge project or update, etc. To start, I am going to write about things that caught my attention throughout the day and go from there. Wish me luck!


My Idea is this- it is April. My birthday is in June. That's 2 months to start thinking about things. Usually I am not big into my birthdays because, honestly and perhaps shockingly, I don't like being in the spotlight. It makes me feel selfish. (That's a long story.) So I typically let my birthday pass without making a big hub-bub about it, no party, no presents, no cake, etc. It's just another day. BUT I am willing to give it a try. After all, it is my 25th birthday which to me is very important. This marks a Quarter of a Century on this beautiful Earth. This means I am half way to 50! This means that I am half way through my 20's which means I am almost 30 and officially not a "young 20-something". This is a big day and is worthy of celebration. With that said, I think I am going to start a birthday list. I have a few wants and desires that sure would be the Bee's-knees if I could get them on such a momentous occasion. They would really be a great way to embark on the next 75+ years of my life! (YES! I do intend to live so long!) The birthday list will follow in a later blog once I get a chance to put it together. Keep an eye out. It should be a good one.

Ok, ok... maybe no fireworks.

I need to write down a list of blogs I want to create and share. There are so many subjects I could put on that list, it is silly. Really really silly. So many many things. I better start writing them down. I've learned recently that I need to stop living in my mind so much and start listening to that voice inside me (my intuition). I need to start following my heart and letting the Universe take the lead - I have control issues sometimes. Here's the Plan... I'm going to stop trying to control where my life ends up. I'm going to stop planning so many years in advance (yes, I have a 10, 20, and 30 year plan.) I'm going to be spontaneous again, if I haven't forgotten how. I'm going to allow adventure to happen and I am going to take full advantage of the opportunities that come my way. 


Let's put it this way: If Life is a Horse then the reigns that control the Horse control Life as well. If I hold on to the reigns I can direct the Horse to go anywhere I want it to go. It has not choice. That is how I have been running my life as of late. Complete control. If I drop the reigns and let the Horse take control, chaos would surely ensue. There would be no direction or containment. The Horse would run amuck. If I hand the reigns over to the Universe and instead I pick up a carrot on a stick and stretch the stick out in front of the horse so that the carrot then dangles just out of reach, I now I have direction and intent - "I would like to go this way" - but the Horse still has a choice. The Horse can choose if he wants to chase the carrot or if he wants to go left instead of right. With this intent I can direct the path of my life, but I don't have complete control... and I am becoming increasingly OK with that. 

Source

And so I say: 

"I would rather have a carrot on a stick then a hold of the reigns." 

My new mantra. I think it is fitting... especially when you know what the heck I'm talking about. 

Letting Life Begin,

~ Birdie

Making Paper from...well... Paper.

11 years worth of school work... oh what treasures might be hiding inside!?

There has been a project weighing on my mind for quite some time now... let's not discuss for how long because I am sure it has been floating around, lost in the abyss, since before Christmas...


Moving on. 


I had recently found a medium sized RubberMaid tub in my closet that was about 150 lbs and filled to the brim with binders, spiral notebooks, and homework from the last 11 years of school. Don't ask me why I kept it all, I just did. I have no explanation. Looking back I think, "Why did I keep 8th grade homework for so long? Why did I keep it at all? What was I thinking lugging this around to three different states, to 10 different homes?" I don't know. I can't explain it. Anyway.... I went through all the paper and binders and books and pulled the important pieces out. 

Awards from high school newspaper. Yeah... I rock.

Ughhh... floppy disks? Oh dear.

Note to self: Must find computer that reads floppies.

Articles I had written for the high school news paper. Poetry for a creative writing class. Track stats from freshman year... etc. I put all that aside for a scrap book and wrote the rest off to be recycled at a later date...apparently a much later date as it is 4 months later and TAH-DAH!!!! It's still here in our house. Progress is great. Then I started a class at SWIHA. A class called Optimum Health and Sustainability, instructed by Urban Farmer: Greg Peterson. And what I learned (among many many other things) was that while recycling is a great idea compared to just tossing everything in the garbage, it was still awfully wasteful. You see, there are these two other pieces to that loop we all learned about in elementary school. Reduce and Reuse. *Lightbulb* It all makes sense, really. Reduce your consumption of materials by reusing a lot of what we already have. Glass pasta sauce jars can be used to store food instead of plastic tupperware and instead of tossing or recycling them. Worn out clothes can be turned into rags for around the house. And so on. 


The class requires, as an assignment, to come up with a plan for sustainability. A plan of action, if you will. Now, as it stands, I already feel like Beau and I do a pretty good job at being as environmentally friendly as we can... we shop at farmer's markets and buy organic. We have stopped buying chemical cleaners, we have a garden that grows some seasonal veggies for us, we recycle more than we throw away, etc. But then there was this little blue tub of a monster in our bedroom, just sitting there saying "Do something with me for crying out loud!!!" And so I did.


I decided it was time to finally tackle that tub of paper, binders, and spiral notebooks once and for all. (Side note, I'm a freaking crazy person!) What I ended up doing for my assignment was make new paper out of my old papers. Not only am I reducing my consumption by creating new paper, I am also reusing the old paper I had saved up for 11 years thus minimizing what ended up in recycling or the trash. Not only that, but I decided I would put some seeds in the paper too so that once it was done being used it could be planted, biodegrade naturally and quickly, and grow beautiful herbs, flowers, or vegetables. Now we have come full circle.... and I think it is awesome. 

Here is how I did it and what you will need to do to try it out:

Project One: Creating the Paper Mold

• Purchase a few 8x11in frames from good will (look, reusing again!)
• Purchase a roll of fiberglass or metal window screen.
• Purchase or find an 8x11in piece of hard plastic that fits in the frame.
• Cut out a piece of screen the size of the frame and staple it to the frame.

Homemade frames (see note at the end.)
Before the screens.

After the screens.

Project Two: Making the Paper

Step One.

• Collect your paper. Be sure to avoid Magazine and newspaper print. Use minimal amounts, or none at all.

Step Two...it's oddly cleansing.... shredding early college notes.

I now have a rubbermaid tub full of shredded paper...
and I only shredded about 100 pieces. Oy.

• Shred the paper into strips or about 1x1 inch pieces of paper.

Paper soup.

• Take a few handfuls of paper and soak them in water over night.

Margaritas anyone?

Mmmmmm slop.

• Take about a cup of the soaked paper and place into a blender. Add about 3 cups of WARM water to the blender. Blend until you reach an oatmeal-like consistency. (Note: Batch will be very liquidy. That's a good thing.) Place blended mixture into a large container. Repeat process until all soaked paper is gone.

• Dip the frame (without the plastic) into the mixture of oatmeal-like paper and sift just above the surface of the water as if you were panning for gold.  (Note: This will spread the wet paper mixture evenly over the screen of the frame)

Spreading it out, time to strain it.

• Lift the frame out of the water and place the plastic piece on top of the paper mixture in the frame. (Add seeds at this point if you plan on doing so. You can also add dried herbs or pressed flowers/leaves if you would like.) Begin to press on the plastic to push the water out of the paper and through the screen.

• Once the paper mixture begins to separate from the screen you should be able to lift (gently) the "paper" out of the frame and place it on a table to dry. Pat with a sponge to soak up any access water if necessary. Repeat this process until complete.

Finished product... a light blue. Pretty. :)

• Let pieces of paper dry for 24 hours each side. Place each piece between two towels and iron on "warm" to help straighten the pieces out. 

Viola! You have recycled paper! Enjoy!

Please note- my photos are a little different than the instructions because I am enacting the "Do as I say, not as I do" rule. I chose to bite off more than I could chew this first time around and made frames from scratch that were 3x3ft and used one screened frame on top of the other to push the water out. It worked well, but took a few attempts to get it right. Overall, I'm pretty stoked about how it all turned out. 

Here are some additional photos from the experiment: 

All my binders ready for donation or recycle or upcycle/reuse...
not sure what to do with them just yet.

My "stapled" pile.... um... I hate staples. Officially.

The tiny pile destined for recycling.

Best of luck in your paper making adventures,

~Birdie