thankful thursday

i am thankful for sunsets. there are times when you happen to glance around at just the right moment and the magic of nature is truly overwhelming. i think sunsets do that. it is amazing that almost every night, there is an opportunity to witness something so beyond me and my capabilities. there is an opportunity to see something remarkable right outside of my window. and every time it happens, i have to take a moment to breathe in the sight and try to thank nature, in all of her beauty and majesty, for giving me something that stops me in my tracks. she is AWEsome!

I AM...

i started this idea of recognizing all of the things that 'i am' and celebrating them about a month ago, but did not do anything with it. i am trying to start that up again though because i think it is something that we don't do enough of. it goes to the idea that just being is something that we should pay attention to and rejoice in. i invite you again to do the same on your blog or in the comments! what fun! so, at the risk of being corny or cheesy or just plain silly, here we go.....

....a student of yoga. i have been going twice a week for about 8 weeks now, and i am really enjoying all of the things that it is encouraging my body to do. like my life, i think my body has been "stuck" in the same position for the last 5 years! yoga is pushing, pulling, stretching, and twisting my body into asanas (poses) that i never knew it could do. that does not mean, unfortunately, that i move through the poses with ease. i creak and groan, pop and moan as though this body was a haunted house! my shoulder, my hip, and my knee are all testing the limits, but, along with the rest of my body, they are all starting to loosen up, as long as i don't push too hard and i congratulate my body on what it was able to do for the day.

this is my warrior 1 pose ... flawed, but the "spiritual warrior" nonetheless

i like what this new endeavor is supposed to do for me. i like that it creates a flow within my muscles and organs while it brings focus to my body and what it is trying to say at 31. flexibility, peace, calming meditation, and the extremely important focus on oneself are other reasons why i am so taken with this new practice. i am hoping to reach a new kind of physical awareness with my body. i have so many aches and pains and "issues" with this vessel, and i'd like to understand what is causing so many of them. i also think yoga helps to bring about more positive thoughts as i allow my body and mind to embrace, yet quietly challenge its limits. i am intrigued by what it has to offer me and what it will teach me about this vessel that i use every day. thanks for being a part of me today! namaste.

HAPPY DAY!

happy birthday sweet pea! you are such a gentle, observant, loving soul who brings sunshine and warmth to all who know you. i hope your day is so happy and love-filled. i will be thinking about you ALL day - just missing the stuffing out of you!!!!!!!!! happy number ONE!