Wintry Mix

Today Pawleys Island is getting a "Wintry Mix," and I am feeling like one!

This past month has been a long roller coaster ride of crazy!  Between the holidays and changes in my job and my husband's we have had many ups and downs.  For those of you who do not know, I had to make an incredibly hard decision following Thanksgiving.  I decided to resign from being Head Coach of the Riptides swim team.  This decision did not come easy nor did I take it lightly.  I mulled and mulled and mulled it over, weighing the pros and cons, praying, meditating, and listening to my heart.  Deep down however, I knew what I needed to do.  So, in an effort to spend more time with my husband, have more time for myself, develop my life here in Pawleys Island, and follow my own dreams, I resigned, effective this coming Sunday, Jan 16th. 

With that being said, I am going into this last week of coaching with a "Wintry Mix" of feelings.  I am so sad to be leaving the swimmers and families (even though I still plan to be involved on a volunteer basis and I hope I will still continue to be a part of their lives). I have met the most amazing families and kids these past few months and I have cherished every second I have spent with them; I will for sure miss seeing them everyday!

On the other side of the spectrum, I am beyond excited to embark on this new chapter in my life! Professionally, I have taken on teaching many more yoga classes at Yoga In Common in Myrtle Beach and Waccamaw Pilates in Pawleys Island, all of which I am ecstatic about! I am currently back on track, following my dream to help others find peace of mind and optimal health through heart, body and soul.  At Waccamaw Pilates I  have developed a "Wellness" Program that involves nutrition, cardio (heart), toning and strengthening (body), and yoga and meditation (soul) specific to the individual.  I am so excited about this program and how it can grow and change over time as it helps bring balance to each participating individual's life!  For those clients I am currently working with, we are beginning our 21 day cleanse TODAY!  Yay! These clients will be challenged mentally and physically throughout the next 21 days as they begin to heal themselves through optimal nutrition and activity. (Wellness participants please stay tuned for yoga, meditation, and recipe posts!)

Along with chasing my yoga and wellness dreams, I am super excited to develop my life here in Pawleys as myself and as a couple with my husband!  Pawleys has SO much to offer and I can not wait to see what is in store for us!  I have already met some amazing people who have helped change my life for the better already!
Although, I know this will be an emotionally trying week as my last week at the Riptides, I am so thankful that even at a young age of 26  I know how to follow my heart and take a leap of faith.  If I have learned anything these past few weeks its that sometimes you just have to put yourself and your family first. 

I hope everyone has a warm and snugly day in this "Wintry Mix.

Happy New Year- I'M BACK!!! :)

I apologize for the lack of posts in the past month.  Following Thanksgiving things began to get a little tricky around here and I have made some extremely positive changes in my life.  I fully intend on filling you all in as soon as possible but I wanted to post a quick HAPPY NEW YEAR and wish you all health, happiness and much peace in 2011.  Please stay tuned; I assure you 2011 is going to be a ROCKIN year! Cheers!

Restorative Workshop Yumminess

This morning after an extremely emotionally challenging week, I had the privilege of teaching a Restorative workshop at Waccamaw Pilates and Sunrise Yoga.  It was lovely, refreshing, relaxing, and completely nurturing for the soul.

This morning as we focused on "Letting Go," something I myself have been struggling with lately. I found myself smiling on the inside and out feeling as though I was in the right place at the right time.....you know, when you get that feeling of  "yea, I am on the right track, I am supposed to here right now."  Life is so funny because you just never know where it will lead you, what will happen next, who you will meet along the way or what challenges you will be faced with.  Sometimes the things that are most near and dear to you are the ones that have to be let go of.  Sometimes the most comforting things in life are the ones that are keeping you from personal growth....it takes a lot of time and strength to realize these things and even more time and strength to begin the process of letting go. 

Breathe deeply.....and as you exhale, let go........

Dead Ends....

When you find yourself at a dead end, either turn around and head down a different road, or just go home for a while and start over.....But don't beat yourself up for trying the road that led to a dead end; if we all knew where every road would lead life would lose all of its mystery. You never know until you try.

Love Is Yogic

Love is an asana



it comes and goes


ebbs and flows


how long can you hold it?






Love is a sutra


it binds and holds


folds and unfolds


connecting at the source






Love is a mantra


it is O! O! OMMMMMM…


waves of bliss


an endless kiss






Love is a journey


it starts within and


where it ends is


entirely up to you


-Dylan Barmmer

BINGO, Beehives, Honey and Other Sticky Situations.....

If you are an overachiever, perfectionist, do-it- yourself kind of person then you can probably relate to what I am about to write about. Sometimes we take on more than we can handle.  I am not quite sure why we do this or exactly what we are trying to prove to ourselves or other people when doing so, but I do know that it happens, and it happens to me quite frequently.  The biggest problem I have is realizing what to do once I figure out that I am in WAYYYY over my head.  I have this tendency to just put the blinders on and push forward; the overachieving perfectionist in me says "keep going, things will get easier," unfortunately this does not always happen. Which is sooo annoying! So what do I do once I come to realize it is not going to get easier, and by continuing down this same path I am not only hurting myself, but the people I love as well?  Well.... after making countless lists and charts and obsessing and crying and laughing and talking to my family and weighing the pros and cons, and meditating, and praying I usually make a decision of some kind.  Next comes the hard part, decision implementation, this can be very similar to walking into a beehive covered with honey, or at least it can feel like it is!  For this, I call my friends and talk for hours until I can get some perspective on my life and all of the 1 million possible scenarios that can go down during decision implementation.  Unfortunately, no matter what, the situation usually remains sticky, and one of the scenarios always involves becoming an all-star BINGO player but at the end of the day I realize that everything is going to be okay, even if I do get stung in the beehive!  Sometimes you just have to leap fearlessly!  Thanks Perrin!

Leap Fearlessly...

After a while you learn the subtle difference



Between holding a hand


And chaining a soul.

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning

And company doesn't mean security.

And you begin to learn

That kisses aren't compromises


And presents aren't promises.


And you begin to accept your defeats


With your head up and your eyes ahead


with the grace of a woman or a man


Not the grief of a child.


And you learn to build all your loads on today


Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans


And futures have a way of falling down in midflight.


After a while you learn that even sunshine burns


if you ask too much.


So you plant your own garden


And decorate your own soul


Instead of waiting for someone to buy you flowers.


And you learn that you really can endure


That you really are strong.


And you really have worth.


And you learn.And you learn.


With every failure you learn.


-Anonymous