My 3 Best Ways to Reset

Is it just me, or is the overall atmosphere heavy right now? Post Election and natural disasters, there are a lot of things swirling in the air-whether you like it or not.

This season we’ve experienced a lot of uncertainty, and for some things didn’t go as planned. This can cause us to feel somewhat depressed or have an itch to do something different.
If you have the urge to throw your hands in the air to scream, shout, or give up…maybe all you need is a reset. A reset can be a mental and emotional restart to help deal with letdown, stress, or change that you’re facing.

There are plenty of ways I’ve learned to reset after tough times. Trial and error has helped me fine tune what works for me, and here are my 3 best ways to reset after things have me unsettled or my nerves have been rattled.

1. Listen to MY Playlist
   As a Wellness Creator, I’m convinced I’m some kind of DJ the way I curate playlists for classes and events. Music speaks to me. Its ability to uplift, inspire, and create change in our souls is truly transformative. This is why I have a playlist that’s dedicated to ME! I put the songs that stay on repeat, help me sing my heart out, and have truly been there for me through life. I do my best to listen to it when I’m in a really good mood or really in a funk and ALL ALONE. It may sound silly, but I encourage you to pull up whatever streaming service you have and click on a  playlist that gets you going every time. Better yet, create your own with no rules. Listen with your headphones and block out the world to go to that place the songs take you. You will be surprised how your attitude can adjust after an hour of music or singing!
   
   2. Follow a Recipe
   I may not enjoy cooking, but I do like to bake every now and then. I typically do it around Holidays or have time off. I like to follow a recipe and directions when I’m not feeling like myself. It helps me to get out of my head and focus on the moment without really having to think for myself. It can be a favorite cookie recipe or something as easy as making pancakes. The goal is to focus on the task at hand. If baking turns you off try any new recipe, or an arts & craft or DIY project. It has the same effect and the tactile activity will help you to be in the moment. In the moment and out the head, this will help you feel more relaxed and in touch with yourself.
   
   3. Read
   Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. I love to read. It helps me relate to the characters, experiences, or thoughts of the author. With Fiction, it feels like a new way to experience humanity which can be a nice reprieve from real life. This guides me to feel a stronger sense of self as I agree, disagree, or relate to whatever I’m reading about. It doesn’t have to be Fiction either. Sometimes picking up to learn something new, hear someone’s personal story, or diving deeper into subjects you love is just as powerful. If sitting and turning pages doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of audiobooks you can listen to. Purchase a magazine (yes, they still sell those) and get lost in those glossy pages. Finally read some articles you previously earmarked in your emails or subscriptions. No matter what you choose, it can help you get out of your head.

A lot of people are confused right now on what seems to be normal or what other people are thinking. We should instead focus on ourselves and figure out how we can process everything that’s happened and move forward. A reset helps us pause in the moment to better connect with ourself.

It’s not about trying to gain or win back control in your life or people around you. It’s about returning to a state of normalcy within the soul. In fact, a reset helps us to let go what we cannot control and instead focus on getting back to a sense of self.

Try out one or all three of my tips and see if they help. Remember, these are just suggestions and if you have something else in mind, go for it! The point is to do something. Anything, so that you don’t feel stuck. Because no matter the situation you’re in, you’re not. You just need to get back to you.

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Thanks for being apart of my community! If this post moved you or made you think of a friend or loved one, please send it to them for encouragement as I look to expand my community and grow with you!

Old Wounds

The child within me has been through a lot. Just like yours. We all have sufferings in life from childhood that carry over into our adult lives. The wounds from our younger days sting a little more when they show up nowadays. Sometimes they come out of nowhere, other times we know we’re going to get activated by someone or something before we’re around them or in certain environments. 

From childhood, I was labeled a “sensitive” person. As I grew up, I thought a lot of the things I felt from the past were valid. I believed they were a part of me and absolute truths. Before I started my Healing Journey, I was completely oblivious to patterns about my behaviors and habits. Even still, I knew there was something to be said by my body’s visceral response to certain language, people, and environments. 

At some point in my journey I came across Inner Child Healing. It instantly piqued my interest. I thought about how most of my childhood and teenage memories in regards to social interactions, communication, and being myself would leave me feeling lost, invisible, or insecure. I didn’t know it, but that phrase “Inner Child” planted a thought seed that would eventually grow into a garden.  

In 2017 I was diagnosed with DCIS, which is stage 0 breast cancer at 28 years old. The adult version of me began to slip away the further and further I went through that physiological process. By the time I made the decision to have a mastectomy, I was a vulnerable pre-teen emotionally. Nothing made sense. No one could understand. This isn’t fair. My life was over. (Don’t you remember being 13?) After the surgery I had an emotional void. It left me, the most sensitive person I knew, unable to feel anything around or within me outside of fear and anger. 

During my reclusive healing process, I had to watch other women my age in swimsuits, talk about breastfeeding, and showing off their cute summer bodies. All the feelings I felt growing up from childhood, puberty, and being a late bloomer came rushing back. Every insecurity I felt as a young girl was there every time I looked at another woman. 

It was a long and hard recovery, emotionally more than physically. It took a lot of prayer, faith, and family to get back to a place where I was functional again. That time in my life brought up so much emotionally, it took years for me to get to the bottom of it. 

Through teaching kids, I realized why Inner Child Work work means so much to me. My biggest trauma had my wounded Inner Child in a chokehold. There was no way out of that pain except by going through it. It’s been years, but through mindful practices like journaling, I can be gentle with my younger self when she needs it and remind her that she is beautiful and resilient. I’m passionate about Inner Child Healing and empowering others to start or stay on their Healing Journey. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about what Inner Child means and connecting with your Inner Child, click here for my next workshop. It’s not an easy road, and it will be more difficult for some than others, but I believe it’s worth it. 

Having the ability to recognize when your wounded Inner Child is coming out is one of the most powerful tools to have. This helps us in our relationships, and most importantly our self-worth and self-love. Our younger selves need this love and attention because they are still inside of us. When you feel ready, know that your Inner Child is ready and waiting for you too.  

Give Me A Break

I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 years since my last post!

It feels like I’ve done so much and at the same time like I’ve just scratched the surface in this Wellness career. I have a whole notebook full of dreams and things I want to accomplish, yet there’s only so much a person can do in a day. Creating anything takes time, effort, and energy. I simply try and do my best each day.

As a Creator, you are always in the cycle of creating, promoting, planning, and making content. Through breakdowns and breakthroughs I’ve learned to budget my energy, manage my time, and separate myself Regina, from Brave Baby Bird the business.

It may sound crazy, but breakdowns and breakthroughs have become some of my favorite points in time. Those moments where I am the most raw and vulnerable version of myself help me to connect the dots with the issues I’m facing. When these experiences open me up, I embrace them. Even as I become undone, I know healing is waiting. For me, growth is on the other side of sweat, tears, and AHA moments that typically come after separation and release.

I allow myself to feel it all, that way I can let it go. Essentially, this Creator lifestyle is forcing me to learn how to deal with ALL the feelings and emotions. The openness has allowed me to experience autonomy within the high and low moments of life. So here I am, restarting this online journal for the world to see. No longer wanting to hide what I know I’ve been called to do because I can detach myself from perfectionism.

I am a Creator. I am a dreamer. And I am here to fulfill my mission-internal prosperity through Wellness for ALL! If you’re new, welcome to my Wellness journey! If you’ve been here, thanks for sticking around friend! I’m flying by faith while living with intention. Stand by, let’s see where this goes!

Where I've Been

It’s hard to make sense of things when you’re in transition. Life becomes something like a puzzle. It’s challenging to put the pieces together when you’re simply trying to figure out what the picture is supposed to look like.

I find myself coming out of a season of transition. Closing the door on one thing and walking into the next. During the adjustment, I wasn’t uneasy. I was more so taking it all in. Doing my best not to judge myself too harshly. Knowing that I was going to mess up. Spending time learning new things and being unfamiliar with…a lot. 

Learning to trust yourself through change isn’t easy. At first, you don’t know what you’re doing right and what’s not working. Being mindful of what it is that you’re doing is a way to keep yourself in the moment and on task. Doing one thing at a time. Noticing how the outcome made you feel. This gives you the ability to decide if you continue or is it time to pivot to a different way. Perhaps you can flip your perspective. As an avid journaler I find that it helps to write out what the days are like. You begin to process what comes up. Finding gratefulness in the good. Praying on the things that feel heavy. With time, this leads understanding to insight. 

Change is going to come. It helps once you realize you are the constant. Thoughts, tone, and circumstance may change, but your heart is the same. It never leaves you. Pushing you toward the things and people that matter most. That pull is always there. Helping you to focus on how beautiful your life is, instead of what you think it’s  supposed to look like. Take time to put the puzzle together piece by piece. It’s a process. Settling into that truth is a way to realize that you can move around with the many changes of life. 

Slow Burn

I’m so busy. I can’t stop moving. I want to stop, but I can’t. At some point I realized I was exhausted, but before I could truly rest the way I wanted to, life started to pick up its pace. I went from being on E with no gas to forcibly filling up with Diesel to supercharge my way through summer. Looking at my calendar every day gives me hope and makes me weary. I’m working towards my goals but I’m overworking myself.

No one told me that when you become a mom “rest” becomes something that feels unattainable. Sleep is not the same. Not to mention, “resting” isn’t something you have the luxury to take whenever you please. I have an extraordinary amount of help, and I still feel like a zombie. Working a Full time, Part time, while never clocking out from Mommy time…it feels like too much.

I’ve noticed the theme of the yoga classes I teach lately are about slowing down. Even if it’s a Flow or Power class, I continuously remind them to go back to the breath and slow it down. It’s funny, I think I’m teaching the class for them, but I’m instructing what I’m slowly learning. What’s that you ask? Exhaustion is no place to call home. It will lead to never ending stress, which eventually turns into burnout and regret. If you keep it up you’ll be living in a smoke filled cloud of fatigue.

 If you’ve zoomed past your breaking point and are still trying to chug along. I suggest you take a moment and ask yourself why are you pushing so hard? Who is going to pay the cost when you break down? And when you break down, how are you going to deal with everything that has to be repaired? I’ve pushed myself through the past 2 months and literally didn’t even realize it had been 2 months. Is that a way to live? You and I both know that it’s not. Maybe there’s something you have to give up. Maybe there’s someone who can help. There has to be another way. Fill up on the truth that your health is more important than doing it all. You have to take care of you sis. Now slow down, so you can sit down.

On E

Sometimes it feels like I’m running on fumes. Nothing left in the tank. The gas pushing me forward is exhaust. Leading me to exhaustion. I can sleep and still feel like I need to crawl into a hole and hibernate for a few days. I take a seat when there’s time and feel the heaviness on my body. Even with movement and meditation sometimes it’s just not enough to help me feel like I have enough to carry on.

One of the many gifts from the practice is body awareness and enhancing the mind-body connection. This connection helps me spiritually. When things align within I can hear my heart telling me I need to connect to my faith. At that point I know not only am I running on an empty tank physically, but also spiritually. It’s at this moment when I turn to the Lord and ask him to increase my faith.

You can seemingly be doing all the right things in all the right ways for self care...But we have a tendency to leave out a crucial part, the spirit. Your spirit needs soothing. Who can help you when you’re low and your hands are full? Our Heavenly Father. He can supply you with your every need. Gently nudging you on when you’re exhausted, overworked, and overly tired. Pray for strength, stability, and support through the long days. He will make a way. Normalize asking Him for help with the little things. He’ll encourage you to move intentionally and with purpose, even when you’re just washing dishes. Filing up your heart and pouring nourishment into your body, allowing you to feel full. And just like that, you’re no longer empty.

Adventure Will Call...

Everyday is an adventure. That doesn’t mean that a fun adventure is guaranteed, but it’s an adventure nonetheless. We wake up in the morning and strive towards something. Things we want to accomplish are high on our priority list. But sometimes the adventure your day takes you on seems completely off course or upside down from what you originally intended.

What do you do when your head is below your heart? In yoga these are called inversions. They are often shown as arm balances and handstands, but handstands are just one of the options. A lot of people aspire to do headstands. If you do any scrolling for yoga related images on social platforms you will see a lot of arm balances and somewhat contoursion-like poses. Check out a pic of a “successful” handstand and you will see a lot of likes and comments. In reality, these poses are some of the most difficult asanas that can take months or years to master. Some people may never have them in their practice due to injury, body range of motion, or even fear.

Simply put an inversion is the head over the heart. Think about all the yoga poses that are inversions that don’t require you to turn into a studio version of Simone Biles. One of my favorites is Humble Warrior. The name alone forces me to reevaluate my foundation and surrender. On the mat and in life. 

At some point in your life you will be upside down. The true test is how you can find your breath when you feel like you have no balance and are falling down. Can you take a moment and stop what’s going on in your head and listen to the beat of your heart? That beautiful beating drum inside your chest is telling you something. The key is to surrender to the vibration and let it guide you. This allows you to slow down the racing thoughts and work your way back right side up. Finding your foundation wherever you are. Making your way back to steady ground the best way you can in your own body and mind. The journey may not be easy, but it sure will be an adventure if you give in to the process. Learning and growing somewhere in between. The question is, are you ready?

Word To Ya Motha

Motherhood...is a journey. You create a child. Carry a child. Birth a child. After that, you forever cater to and nurture a child. Tapping into a place deep in your heart that you didn’t even know existed. You pour out love into a little soul that truly looks to you for life-support.

 It’s not easy. Motherhood drains and replenishes you at the same time. Pushing you to be stronger when you already feel weak. Helping you to appreciate the little things in life to ground you. It’s a give and take, with a heavy emphasis on the giving. It seems like a thankless job, but you don’t do it for a thank you. You do it, not necessarily because you have to, but because it’s in your womanly nature to be an embodiment of love.

 I find that motherhood correlates a lot to yoga. Going through different stages as your child or practice changes and grows. It seems like once you get into a good groove something shifts and things are different again. Learning to re-adjust is the key. How can you identify what’s happening now, and how do you need to respond? Not how you want to, but how you need to.

 Life ultimately is our true mother. Giving lessons on the daily, no matter if you’re ready to hear it or not. You have the power to decide to breathe in and listen. Can I grow from this? Can I learn from this? If you say yes, one day you will be able to teach whatever THIS is. Passing on what you learned to your children or people you encounter. Fall in love with where you are in this journey. Appreciate this moment because you will never get it back. Whatever stage you’re in is exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Golden Girls

I am very blessed to have a strong and healthy band of female friends that lift me up and help me get through life. Some relationships have gone through seasons of space and growth. Others are a constant non-stop force in my life. Each one providing a different level of love and energy that nurtures my soul.

My friends inspire me in different ways to follow my dreams. Encourage me to try new things. Remind me that I can’t always have control. But what I love the most is how they understand me, all the way down to my core. Knowing when my heart is all in, and when I’m in the wrong. I love how friendship can be felt in so many different ways. Each one having a foundation that gets stronger over the years as we hold each other up through everyday trials.

Just like friendship nudges my spirit with different wavelengths, so do the many styles of yoga. Restorative - being still enough to live in vulnerability and listen. Yin - deciding to stay in the discomfort and surrender to the truth within. Vinyasa Flow - having fun and playing with the little girl that lives inside. Power - finding strength and believing I can do it. Ashtanga - allowing myself to reset and re-focus the mind.

Always experimenting with the different styles of yoga helps me make sense of my emotions. Taking what I need from each practice based on what’s happening inside. Fully opening my heart to the benefits and using it to propel me forward. I encourage you to get out there and try something new. It can be a new class, studio, or teacher. It doesn’t have to be limited to yoga. It can be anything. Variety is the spice of life!

Get Your Eagle On

Imagine you’re standing on one leg holding a 20lb weight on the shoulders. Arms sticking together like glitter on glue. Weight of the world upon you. Unable to free yourself. Afraid if you let go you  will fall into an abyss. For me, this is how I feel on a regular.

Some days beat me up that bad. On the mat, the extra weight is no longer there. My arms aren’t stuck together; they're beautifully twisted together in eagle arms. I’m not standing on one leg afraid to fall; I’m standing strong on one foot rooting into the Earth. Finding balance. 

Living at work. Surrounded by our housemates 24/7. Away from family. Barely taking time for ourselves. So busy doing the work we’re unable to focus on the work within. It’s challenging. You're not alone because I’m struggling too. Juggling all the hats. Responsibilities. Tasks. Goals. Fears. Wants. Needs. Anxieties. Guilt. We’re carrying it all and expected to keep reaching for the stars.

What keeps me showing up to yoga is knowing I can let go. It’s a space where I can fall. I can play. I can try anything. Most importantly I can keep moving. The calm confidence I gather within lights me up inside. Feeling strong and brave I’m able to surrender. To everything and anything. It’s a safe space. When you’re on the mat what makes you feel safe?

In The Zone

Moving past fear. Shaking off mental constraints. Barriers placed inside my head by my own self. Protecting my mental space was not a top priority in my life. Constantly taking care of others and not taking care of myself. For months my yoga practice was stagnant. I got on the mat and didn’t want to move. To be honest, my personal practice was more of a moping session. Moving without intention and purpose. I wasn’t pushing myself. Cultivating within-nothing more than complacency. There is no room for growth when you are comfortable where you are.  

I had a light bulb moment and suddenly something clicked. I got out and took a few yoga classes around town and got my ass kicked! Working muscles that weren’t being used because my whole body was engaged. Pushing myself to go just a little bit deeper because someone was there guiding me. Encouraging me. Feeling the energy of being in the presence of other yogis. What a difference it made in my practice! This gave me that spark I was missing. Lighting a flame I let sizzle out for months by not focusing on myself.

 Just like that I was back in the groove. Living in the flows. The energetic energy I feel now is cursing through my veins. Inspiring me to look over my goals. Plan. Strategize. Most importantly ask myself the right questions. Mentally I feel stronger. I’m able to stand in the mirror and tell myself that I’m not afraid to fail. Without the positive energy within it’s easy for self-doubting thoughts to overwhelm me. The mat keeps me strong. Building me up as I feel the practice take shape in my body. It fuels me. That spark is what keeps me excited about moving. All movement is good because one way or another it leads me to forward progress. All I have to do now is keep flying strong. Girl, you can do this!

Just. Breathe.

When yoga and faith can’t save me from the darkness, I feel lost. I may be getting through everyday, but it feels like I’m walking in circles, not sure what to do next. I’m avoiding the mat right now because it does nothing for my soul. Yet I still try and get on hoping that I can move my feelings around and make sense of it all. My body is stiff. My mind feels like a slow pour of concrete. Everyday more and more thoughts get buried, hardening into stone thick with anxiety and fear.

 The good thing is that I can see the growth, which gives me hope. I would have swallowed up and withered away were this a different time. Letting the days get the best of me. Not able to mentally do anything because of the blank space.

Through the strength I’ve built, I’m able to get through these difficult times. I am thankful that years of practice have taught me that I am strong and can push through anything. I only need to focus on one thing; keep breathing. Breathing through whatever I’m feeling, and doing my best not to get stuck in the fluttering thoughts. When I can’t get on the mat I take time to inhale and exhale 5-12 deep breaths. This helps me remember how good the oxygen feels in my body. How good it feels to be alive. It helps me to overcome dark moments and try to shift my thoughts to the light. From there it’s a constant task to stay focused on the good for as long as I can. Breathing through it one day at a time. Just breathe Gini. Just. Breathe!

Pretty Little Bird

I’ve been called a crybaby on more than one occasion. So, when I started to tell the news about the cancer to those around me, I was shocked when all of a sudden I kept hearing words like brave, courageous, and fearless. It didn’t make sense how people looked at me as someone who was strong when I’ve been considered a delicate little flower all of my life. Could they not see my eyes were red and puffy? Did they not hear my voice cracking when I spoke? The praise they were giving me didn’t seem to match up to what the voices in my head were saying.

As I recalled these conversations with Clarence who was my boyfriend at the time (now hubby), I told him “I’m a baby, I’m not brave!” He simply replied, “You’re a brave baby.” Just like that my heart skipped. I remember repeating those words together as time rolled by. I would whisper, “Brave. Baby” over and over again to myself. I loved the way it sounded for a nickname but something was missing. One day I put pen to paper and started to write down words that moved me. I got to the word “bird” and then scribbled “Brave Baby Bird” and knew that was it!

I’ve always loved birds. Their beauty and grace has forever amazed me. They are strong and bold yet elegant and soft at the same time. I look at them and see h o p e. When they fly in the sky, I watch them and imagine feeling free and light. I also admire the confidence they have as a baby when Momma Bird pushes them out of the nest because it’s time to fly. This is why I relate so well to “Baby Bird”. Anyone who knows me knows that it is so fitting!

I am brave because I didn’t give up. I’m also a Baby Bird because I am sensitive AND strong. I can be both at the same time, as well as anything else I want to be. It took so much faith to get here to even be able to write these words. And I am still looking up! I want to grow even more in truth, by the Word. Push myself to stay consistent with my practice. These two things are hand in hand for me in finding peace. Even when it seems like I’m just winging it, I know He’s guiding me so there’s no way I’m falling. Will you fly along?

Moving On...

Up until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t done any yoga within a span of about 2 months. I. Was. Losing. It! We moved. Which means I had to declutter, pack, move, then unpack. This was our first house. We were so grateful and happy and ready to move in. But, while they make it seem super fun and exciting on TV, the reality of it was completely stressful and more expensive than we expected. There are so many things that came up and I felt like everyday was a new storm I had to battle. The daily chores and responsibilities as a wife and a mother did not stop just because we moved. Plus with Covid and working from home while being a stay at home mom at the same time, I was on 12-hour days!

While I wanted to take time to get on my mat, I was at the point where all I could muster up was enough strength to get through the days. Anything extra that I had went to unpacking and trying to organize. This may seem unimportant but we couldn’t live in boxes forever and if I heard my husband ask me one more time where this and that was, I was going to bite his head off!

It was a crazy 2 months, and now that things are somewhat settling down I’m back on the mat and building my strength back up, both mentally and physically. Yoga is very spiritual for me. After I move, I pray. These prayers are special because my mind feels clear and I can really speak to God from the heart without letting my fears or own limitations get in the way. I feel so connected to my mind. It’s a reminder to thank Him for the little things that are stirring around in my heart.

Moving is, the pits. It takes so much time and energy. But in the end it’s always good because it helps you see how far you’ve come. It’s an easy way to create a new start or chapter in your life. This move may have been mad stressful for me, but it made me realize I am a lot tougher than I thought I was. To be able to juggle so many issues while staying strong in my faith no matter the circumstance shows me that I’ve made so much progress from that broken girl that I used to be. I reiterated that I am brave, baby, and this little birdie is ready to soar!

Straight Buzzin'

When I go over a week without yoga, my body gets the jitters. Usually when this happens it’s because I’m overwhelmed. The days are getting the best of me. Once I get a chance to rest, I can feel the unsettling energy vibrating under my skin. It’s such a weird sensation. I immediately feel jittery and my mind can’t relax or stop the random exhausting thoughts. The energy begins to take a life of it’s own and it’s like a pinball machine inside of me.

it’s easy to ignore the signs and tell myself I just need to sleep. But now that I’m starting to learn my own self, I’ve started calling myself out. Basically I cut into the thoughts and say girl, just do some yoga! And I’m talking 75-90 minutes of yoga. I’ve seen what happens when I disregard what my body is telling me. Petty arguments and complaining that I can’t get anything done are the first usual suspects to show up in my behavior. At that point I grab a hold of myself and stomp onto the mat. Getting there is always the hardest part, yet it becomes the best moment of the day.

Why do we avoid things we know are good for us? I know there are scientific explanations on this, but I don’t wholly understand it. Nevertheless I ask myself this question when I recognize the buzz. The moment I try to rest but can’t, is when the energy takes flight and I need to move to let it work it’s way through. If I don’t it starts to block my mind and consume me to the point that I literally don’t know how to act! Basically it’s moving so fast I can’t understand what I’m thinking. For someone like me who has such a strong mind-body connection this is enough to knock me off kilter and I’m on a rocket ship to Crazy World. Yoga centers me. When I do it and am fully submerged into the practice it release me. As I flow I can feel the energy disperse. I start to hear myself think again. I make better decisions. I’m just better. I love that yoga can do that for me. What can yoga do for you?

Corona & Yoga

With the COVID-19 pandemic going on, it’s been crazy. Since everything is closed down, including yoga studios, it’s hard for me to get my yoga in the way I want. As soon as guidelines for #socialdistancing were given I immediately knew that I was going to be staying home because I don’t want to risk catching the virus or passing it on to loved ones. However, once I committed to that, the selfish part of me was upset because the only time I get much needed ME time, is when I go to the yoga studio and attend a class.

Yes, almost every yoga studio and teacher out there are doing videos and having virtual classes (shout out to @shelbyadina @khonafit) but for a new mom like me it’s not that easy to tune to a livestream and hop on the mat. Our apartment is teeny tiny, and now with a baby there is nowhere I can go for a quiet place. With working from home and watching the baby at the same time since the sitter closed, I am constantly shuffling back and forth between “Work Gini” and “Mom Gini”. By the end of the day I’m D-O-N-E.

So how does a yoga obsessed girl like me make time for yoga when I seemingly feel like I have no time at all? My practice right now consists of stealing 15 minutes here and there a few times a week. My yoga teacher training was in Ashtanga Yoga; a set sequence of poses that you do over and over again as you deepen your practice. While initially the thought of that was alarming, the more I did it the more I realized it helped me get into a rhythm and relax as my muscles knew what to do next. When I practiced, I noticed I would feel something new here and there. It helped me to explore the movement within my body more than I could have imagined. Ashtanga yoga is helping me get through this self-quarantine. I can get on the mat and immediately my body knows what to do. I don’t have to think about what pose comes next. I don’t have time for that. I just start the sequence and stop when I run out of time. I can also do the short form versions when I don’t need to worry about tending to the baby.

I love yoga, I do. My practice means so much to me. But one of the most important things I’m working on right now while the world is turned upside down is practicing yoga off the mat. I personally do not have much free time, and that’s with just one kid! It is very difficult to allocate my energy away from the baby and household. However, if I can focus on ways to improve my practice throughout my day then I am doing something. Taking deep inhales and exhales in the shower. Practicing good posture when I’m sitting at my kitchen table (aka my new workstation). Forward folds in the morning and before bed. Thanking my body for everything that it does for me throughout the day. And of course, stolen moments of practice. These are ways that I am practicing yoga while seemingly not practicing yoga. Everything is connected, what I work on today may seem minute, but I know one day it will all come full circle. This is what my Ashtanga practice is giving me.

Brave Heart

Where does the Brave in Brave Baby Bird come from? When I was going through my trial with breast cancer, whomever I opened up to would always call me brave. Brave? Me?! I was so confused. How can you be brave when you are living in fear and crying your eyes out? It made no sense, but somehow the word kept coming up. At some point it clicked.

I realized that even though I may have curled up into a ball of tears, I stood up to cancer. I didn’t run away from it. When the doctors had me to do another test, another scan, or another biopsy, I showed up! Every appointment I was there with my support system (mommy and hubby) and my questions in hand. I let them poke, prod, and literally drill in me because I needed to know what was going on with my body. That makes me brave!

The what-ifs can take over our mind and convince us that not knowing is better than anything. This stuff will stifle you and until that tidal wave of fear comes crashing into you, you can’t understand it. However, the moment I recognized that I stood up to my fears by going through all the motions is when I accepted the fact that I was brave. You don’t have to be fearless to be brave; you just can’t give up. This is why B R A V E is a part of me.

Why I'm Here

Faith & yoga — I’m not sure where I’d be without ‘em. While I live a very blessed life, I can’t pretend that I’ve never been to dark places where I questioned everything about myself, even my own existence. I had breast cancer. The cancer led to depression. Depression led to anxiety. Anxiety led to self-loathing and hate. I was insecure about my body before, but once I had the mastectomy my insecurities crashed to an all-time low. I had no idea who I was anymore. It seemed like I was fading away.

But when you crash, there’s only one way to go from there. Up! I got up and remembered my faith. I read my bible for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Once I believed that I was beautiful and worthy in His eyes, I found the strength to get on my mat again and do what I love: Yoga.

Once I got back on the mat, there was no stopping me. I could feel myself becoming stronger, physically and mentally over time. Fast forward a few years and I listened to the calling in my heart to get certified in Yoga Teacher Training. I finally believed in myself enough to chase after my dreams. Now all I want to do is share my love of yoga with those around me. I’m thankful for the breath and thankful for the movement. It’s a spiritual connection that I have between mind-body-soul, and yoga seems to tie it all together for me. This is why I’m here, to share what I love and how it’s helped me. Your journey may be different than mine, but I know we’re all connected and you’re here on this page for a reason. So, let’s flock together!