Hi Friends...

Happy New Year!

I must admit, this newsletter did not come easily. I struggled for weeks trying to meet the onslaught of resolution messages with an open heart. I hoped for inspiration from among the Self-Care Challenge, Change Your Life, Throw OUT Your Resolutions, It's Now or Never, Your Heart Will Thank You, Down Dog Daily Or Rust articles flooding the internet and my inbox! They all held somewhat valuable advice from well-meaning authors from all corners of the Health & Wellness Industry. The question is: Do I or can I be one of them with authenticity and full-throttle commitment to the message? Because, really, I am just a fallible human, who happens to be a yoga teacher, fitness trainer, and soon to be yoga therapist, trying, like the rest of you, to age gracefully while experiencing joy in every waking moment of my day.

And then, a funny thing happened on my way to commencing this "Grand Article With Advice For All," My quirky, irreverent, and unconventional brain wrapped around the word itself, rather than the meaning, and settled, with glee, on VICE. I had found my voice...notice what happens if you take the O out of voice (sorry)...and below is the result.

One of the kinder definitions o the word “vice” from Merriam Webster is as follows: “A habitual and usually trivial defect or shortcoming.” And, it appears I have many...some of which I am willing to share.

If I don't have time to do my yoga practice during the day, I do NOT get up at 4am to do it. Sometimes my practice is 20 minutes, sometimes 2 hours, and sometimes I just curl up on my mat and fall asleep.

I do eat meat. I usually have one vegan meal a day to balance my body and my commitment to being as green as possible. I only eat organic, local, and animal welfare-rated meat. I do not eat beef, as the cattle industry contributes exponentially to greenhouse gas emissions.

I LOVE olives. I eat them in the morning, at noon and at night. If I could only bring one food to a deserted island, it would be olives. They are salty, which is not good for my BP but are high in vitamin E which is good for my heart.

I drive a stick shift, therefore, I am cool. My favorite thing is to watch the earnest young folk at Discount Tire or the car wash get halfway in my car and then abort...sheepishly looking for a colleague who knows how to drive it. Yes, my next car will definitely be a hybrid or an electric but I may just keep my little Subaru around for moments of needed coolness.

I drink mezcal. Its made from agave, hence, it is medicinal! It tastes great chased with an orange! What a great way to include fruit in your diet!

I often get asked why I go to the same retreat location every year. Troncones, Mexico is magical and safe and our hosts are so lovely and easy to work with. When I offer retreats with a partner, I expand my horizons and go to other countries, but when I lead a retreat myself, I choose to be in a community that I know and love. This way, I can work hard (teach 12-16 hours of yoga per week) and rest well (nap daily under a palm tree)...trusting that all the myriad details are being handled while I focus on the lucky souls who have joined me for a true yoga vacation!

As I read over the above words, I now realize that what started out as a satiric and somewhat skeptical look at January newsletters, turned into an uncovering of desire, and the intrinsic and often non-negotiable pursuit of balance. Vice morphs into love. Love creates balance. May you love yourself in the world, in 2020 and beyond!