About 12 years ago at the end of a yoga class my teacher Lakshmi Norwood casually mentioned that anger, sadness, and pain are not “bad” and they had value. My brow scrunched up in confusion and inside I felt a strong disagreement. “But wait” I wanted to say “I thought the whole goal of life was to be happy and aren’t all of those things signs that you are not happy?!” Instead I kept quiet and wondered what she could possibly mean by saying such a thing.
Read MoreWhile social media can provide hours of entertainment it has also created some very personal challenges for me. Often I would find myself in a place of comparison that lead to feelings of envy, jealousy, and insecurity. I used to feel embarrassed and ashamed that Facebook and Instagram could impact me so personally and powerfully. Now however, I see that I had a lot to learn (and still do) from these feelings and though they have been incredibly uncomfortable they have contributed to my growth.
Read MoreIt’s hot and I can’t feel the light breeze that plays with his long thin hair and braided beard as I announce that my wallet has gone missing. No matter how many zippers I unzip I cannot find my minimal turquoise card holder. A chattering enters my entire body ending in my legs. I can feel them shaking beneath me as this new reality hits. What I had feared had come true. My Green Card, credit cards, punch card only one punch away from $10 off my next pedicure and my license are gone. I cannot fathom how it happened. I had not left the tiny square I was standing in. Did a clever hand reach in and take it while I was distracted? Did it tumble out and fall to the ground? “ My Green Card was in there” I say several times. I am supposed to board a plane that night to Italy, and then home to California.
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