Canterbury Tales

I remember reading this classic book while in high school.  It was part of the mandatory reading list.  Chapters were dedicated to characters back stories and development.  There was an array of citizens in the book.  The Miller's wife, Wife of bath, the Friar's tale.  I remember reading it and being surprised by the hypocrisy of some of the virtuous professions that were behaving in the most abysmal ways.   The friar's tale for example.  Using the church to receive bribes and be absolved.  Or, the Pardoner's Tale.  He had syphilis.   Hmmmm...how do you contract syphilis without some sort of personal irresponsibility.  I was raised in a Catholic household.  Reading this book affirmed, for me, the ridiculousness of the confessional.  I knew several people that were terrible people who attended church.  They would confess their sins and go about their day.  And, tithe, of course.  10% of their income would go to the church.  I believe in forming a community, supporting them and being accountable.  The idea that you can beat your wife/husband or kids, be a raging alcoholic, cheat/steal/take and then go to church and confess, is ridiculous.  Confessing does not make you a good person if you continue to behave in this manner.  

Perhaps the book is banned now.  The banned books are the best.  If you want to really create anxiety in your life, read the Handmaid's Tale and Parable of the Sower.  Both were written by women and are relevant for our current state of affairs.  

 We are now returning to that time.

Not in jest or supposition.  I have been listening to the senatorial confirmation hearings.  Multiple times, there is a reference to being saved or to God in general.  Blatantly avoiding answering the question and instead saying--I am thankful for the lord and savior.  I won't answer this question, but I will point out that I believe in god.  Hypocritical and absurd.  And we are allowing it to happen.  All of these yo-yo's are lying to be confirmed into their position.  Similar to the supreme court.  The conservatives lied to be appointed and then proceeded to fuck 50% of this population over.  They want women to return to the kitchen.  That is our value.  To get fucked over and then raise the kids.  There is no value in us as human beings outside of birthing kids [chattel].  Why do people who live in rural areas or small towns hate women?  Why do we not build each other up to see more of the world?  Experience other cultures, share in culture and experiment with different foods?

I thought we were founded on a separation of church and state.  Why are we willingly walking back to this time of inferiority?  Where women or any person of color had no rights?  Did you see that Oklahoma (magnificent state that it is) is now making it more difficult to get divorced?  Or that there will soon be a requirement to determine your career choice out of high school.  College (which is becoming more and more expensive).  Trade school which is also expensive. Or the military.

Oklahoma is forcing kids to sign up for the military.  To be bait for upcoming wars.  Which we are baiting with the outrageous talk of taking back the Gulf of Mexico, annexing Canada as the 51st state, reclaiming the Panama Canal or taking over Greenland.  Where will we have bodies to use for these fights?  Oh, that's right.  Being forced into military conscription or taken away from your family (mass deportation, LBGTQ family, or being unable to care for your kids).  

Then, returning to the reason for this post.  Just say you have seen the light and been saved.  Suddenly, you are absolved and no longer required to justify your asinine ways.  Listening to these hearings, is nuts.  None of them answers.  With the exception of Rubio.  Maybe he does.  However, the rest of them, are not.  They deflect.  They defend their deflection.  Then they ramble.  Why are we enabling this?  Why are we agreeing to return to the company town or where every aspect of our livelihoods are controlled by our bosses?

Read.  Read more.  Look at history and choose not to return to it.

New habits and routines

I have been drawn more towards the ayruvedic agenda recently.  More spices, movements to encourage lymphatic drainage and meditation.  

Ginger, turmeric and cinnamon are staples in my pantry.  I have increased bulk spices--fennel, cumin, coriander, paprika.  I feel I am benefitting from having an assortment of spices to aid in meal prep, digestion and feeling better overall.  There is a tonic that I make five days a week.  Hot water with cumin, coriander and cumin.  It is considered a detox tea, and I have enjoyed drinking it throughout my day.  I found this practitioner that has wonderful suggestions to incorporate more ayruvedic practices into my daily life.  She had a post about taking one day a week and only eating soup.  Soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I was intrigued.  And knew I would be able to manage that task.  I have soup from Tom, and I have dabbled with soup prep in the last few years.  I chose to make today my soup day of the week.  We shall see how I feel.

It is recommended to eat a soup that can be blended.  In addition, I felt a soup without dairy would be preferred.  Soup day is about detoxing, de-bloating, feeling lighter.  I love baked potato soup.  It is amazing and super heavy.  I cannot eat three meals of baked potato soup.  I had a lentil and potato soup in my freezer that seemed the perfect soup to start with.  We shall see how it works out over the next month.  I will commit to testing out four consecutive weeks with a soup day.  I think a potato leek for next week sounds delicious.  

I hope to practice no spend days during the month, too.  I think three is doable.  Yesterday, unintentionally, I did have a no spend day.  Partially due to having a productive morning and a catering.  I didn't have time to purchase anything yesterday, lol.  I will take credit for the day.  

I have two body brushes--one dry and one to use in the shower.  Inspired by my body scrubs at the Korean spa that I have been missing.  I need to schedule an appointment and relish in that service.  My skin feels amazing after that treatment.  In the meantime, I have brushes to use myself.  Typically, I use the wet brush.  New year.  New opportunities.  I see the dry brush being thrown into the rotation.  

Success comes from your daily life and how you choose to handle your day.  I am not going to lie.  I love meeting up with friends, sharing food and wine.  I would love to be paid to drink wine and travel.  Yesterday, I noted that to one of my colleagues at the catering company.  He agreed.  That would be a wonderful way to live.  It's all the hustling to make the life a reality.  

To balance out my hedonistic ways, I must incorporate soup day, lymphatic drainage, more walking and strength training.  That is truly the lesson of this.  Try something different to experience new results and opportunities.

Monday Motivation

Tackle those tasks that you procrastinate first thing in the morning.  It is the only way I am able to get this done, lol.

I have known about a business filing that was mandatory for the last fourteen months.  My CPA notified me that I would be required to file this new thing.  I looked at when I had to do it and it said I had all of 2024 to file the paperwork.  Then it got postponed due to an injunction.  I knew that deadline loomed til today, but I was unwilling to actually sit down and do it.  I considered allowing someone else to file it for me and pay $200 which is absurd since it was not nearly as awful as I thought it would be.  It all comes down to avoiding things I don't like.  Admin.  Spreadsheets.  Filing paperwork.  I really do not enjoy these tasks and it isn't that I don't know how to do it.  I have convinced myself that I am not good at it.  I delay, delay, delay.  Today, I forced myself to handle it, first thing.  I have a busy day and the last thing I wanted to do was create a situation where I was rushing.  Believe me, I would create more anxiety trying to get it done by the end of the day.

Sunrise yoga is now offered every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday morning at 6:30 am, mst.  It is a virtual class.  Unless you are in Denver and want to come over to my apartment.  I will have coffee and maybe juice.  Anyways, it is a 45-minute session.  Some days we will focus on breathwork.  Other days it will be sequencing.  But it will always be fun.  Email me at tastelifeyoga@gmail.com for additional information and to request a link to join the class.  

This week will be a detox/cleanse week.  Last year I managed to participate in Dry January.  This year, I couldn't make myself do it.  There is too much chaos for me to not enjoy a glass of wine here and there.  I am committed to relying on being positive and less reactive to all that is being released around me.  I do enjoy listening to podcasts--Rational Boomer, Pod Save America, I've Had it--to name a few.  I have eliminated a few to stay out of the rabbit hole.  I get inundated with the uncertainty and deep dive into the crazy.  I cannot help it (at times).  I need to minimize my exposure to some of it.  It is overwhelming.  

Take time to optimize your day.  Your time is money.  Do not take it for granted.  Until tomorrow.....

Grateful Thursday

I am at a loss for words today.  I want to express gratitude for my life--having access to clean water, a roof over my head, food to eat.  I feel weird saying this as many people are fleeing their homes to avoid the fires in southern California.  It looks apocalyptic.  Truly dystopian and horrifying.  I am not a fan of snowstorms that shut down my state, or hurricanes that ravage people in those communities.  But fire is something else.  Truly terrifying.  Plus, the winds are devastating other areas in L.A.  Sending so many healing vibes to the people of Los Angeles.  I have reached out to my friends who are there and thankfully, safe currently.   

This is another reminder how important community is.  Hug those around you who you value and love.  I listened to my favorite podcast this morning.  They were discussing being fed up with checking out at the market and being inundated with--do you want to donate to the cause of the month.  They were considering doing self-check-out to avoid the interaction and saying no to the request.  [There is a prompt for the donation request in self-check-out as well.  It is less peer pressure to hit the button denying that request]

At any rate, after chatting with their guest, they reconsidered.  He noted how disconnected we are since Covid.  We don't trust people we don't know.  We choose to be alone to avoid interactions and he noted how damaging this is.  Why not go through the check-out line and engage with the person who is standing behind it?  Make an observation of the person.  Maybe they have a beautiful smile, gorgeous earrings, or something else to comment on.  I agree.  Let's return to decency and kindness.

I am thankful for my community of people and that it is growing.  My classes this week did not take off, but I offered them yesterday and today.  I chose to do sun salutations before meditating.  In addition, I found my dry brush to aid in exfoliation, lymphatic drainage, etc.  Showered.  Moisturized and am now safe and warm in my apartment.  I see a nap in my future as my sleep has been terrible the last week.  I cannot turn my brain off.  Some anxiety of what might come and ways to navigate the chaos.  Reminding myself that I have many things to be thankful for and people in my life who support me.

Also reminding myself to follow every crazy thread of the next four years.  I know there will be endless confusion and chaos.  It's designed that way.  Instead, I will hold on to my people and choose the threads that are not in my face.  Those are the terrifying ones.  Federal abortion bans.  Restricting contraception.  Reminding people that a woman's place in the home....this is the most offensive sentence spoken.  My role is not to be chattel.  Keep looking at what is there and avoid the distractions. 

I am thankful, today, that I was told I could be whatever I wanted to be.  I could choose to be independent, capable, fierce.  

Weekly Classes

 I am now offering virtual classes every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 6:30 am, MST.  45 minutes of movement, breathwork and fun.  I will change it, daily.  I prefer having variety instead of the same sequence.  Easily I become bored, distracted and uncommitted to what I am trying to achieve.  Please contact me if you are interested in attending one of these virtual classes.

Today, I began with a post about it on instagram to remind people of the a.m. class.  Then I did sun salutations before settling into my dry sauna blanket and meditating.  This will be my morning routine until people attend the classes.  And it will happen.  I believe it.  I must commit and make this a habit.

The affirmation is the reminder that success comes from our daily habits.  In the past, I have made time to meet up with friends for coffee, walking a park, yoga classes, wine lunches, etc.  Looking back, I have not had much structure.  It has always been very open and flexible.  In hindsight, I think due to its flexibility I have not moved forward with my business as much as I would have liked to.  I have allowed distraction to keep me in a similar pattern.  Relying on other jobs to supplement my income instead of creating more opportunities to teach, build community, offer retreats.  I want to make my business more of a focus this year.  

There will be virtual classes during the evening, too.  I have not committed to what days or times, yet.  I want to take small steps to increase my likelihood of building this habit.  It takes 21 days to build a habit.  Possibly offering pm classes in February most likely.  Barre classes, HIIT yoga and mashups of the two styles of fitness classes.  Occasionally, I offer, restorative classes in the evenings.  Only seems a nice way to decompress from your day and settle into your nights.  I have been hosting a virtual class on Sunday mornings for the last few years.  I call it, Slowdown Sunday.  45 minutes of stretchy yoga.  A few sun salutations (sometimes).  Mostly focusing on holding poses, breathwork and stretching.  

If you have suggestions on other class offerings that speak to you, please contact me.  Or, if you would like to do a private session, virtually or in Denver, contact me.  I am here to create a class for you.  To customize the session specifically to suit your needs.  I love teaching yoga and building my community.  Too often we isolate ourselves from opportunities to meet people as we age.  This is a safe space open to everyone.  

Happy Hump Day!  I hope you are enjoying the new energy of 2025 and crafting ways to make this your best year yet.  Cheers!

New Classes and other ways to take control in the upcoming year of uncertainty.

It's a new year with new focus.  I will be offering yoga classes every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 6:30 am, MST.  Forty-five minutes of stretchy goodness.  Let's build this habit together!

I will focus on breathwork, movement and sequencing.  Some days more strength.  Others stretchier.  I believe in changing it up to keep things fresh.  

Today in an attempt to reset my energy, I cleaned my apartment and am de-cluttering.  Finally finishing up tasks, moving items I no longer use and saging my space.  These are things that I encourage everyone to do.  Let's start this year in the best possible way.  Make it work for you.

I have felt helpless and apathetic towards the political system after the most recent election results.  I am still questioning how it was called so quickly, almost immediately.  It does not matter.  It was called and I will gear up for what comes next.  Chaos.  Confusion and figuring out how to keep control of myself and my emotions.  

In that vein, I am unsubscribing to companies that I do not agree with politically.  I will no longer support companies that donate to causes that affect me and my rights.  There are companies, of course, that I have never frequented or have any intention of ever supporting.  Hobby Lobby.  Walmart.  Chick Filet to name a few.  

However, I was surprised, learning that some of the companies I do frequent dumped so much money into the race this year.  I broke up with Sierra Trading Company which saddened me since I love buying Saucony shoes from them.  I have purchased yoga attire, as well.  But no longer.  I will rely on the good unites us app to consider where to shop and spend my money.  I hope to try to grocery shop, primarily, at Trader Joe's as our interests align.  I need to figure out another bigger market to shop for other things.  I don't think I am interested in shopping at Sprout's anymore.  Especially now, since I just looked up Sprout's on the app and know it contributes to the republican party.   The party that hates women and all other minorities.  

I needed to find some laughter and joy.  I think listening to some of the podcasts I was listening to was making it worse.  The uncertainty of what looms and how it will affect everyone.  I stumbled onto this podcast called I've Had it.  I love it.  I find myself laughing out loud as I walk around outside.  People look at me funny when I burst into laughter, but I cannot help myself.  It is great.  These two women from Oklahoma are a riot and say, most everything, that I think and agree with especially the hypocrisy of religion.  How judgmental and ridiculous these folks are...Give it a go.  They offer two episodes, weekly, for about 45 minutes.  Or check out their daily dose which is anywhere from 10-18 minutes long.  When I drove back from Santa Fe last week, I listened to multiple episodes.  Entertaining and insightful.  

Continue learning, questioning and living your life.  Mostly, lean into educating yourself and reading.  Don't accept that you are unable to change or improve your situation.  That is my takeaway.

Be well~

2025

Here is to an amazing new year.  I am absolutely ready for new energy, opportunities and travel.  No more meh year of 2024.  I feel that since 2020 each year has been its own type of shit sandwich to a certain degree.  2020 was a pandemic.  Loads of fun to reflect on.  2021 was a smidge better than 2020.  At least some restrictions were lifted and travel returned domestically.  2022 offered more yoga opportunities, growth and I met Tom.  An improvement over the former two years.  2023 was ok.  Not as solid as 2022.  I started getting depressed about my lack of travel.  That feeling has remained with me.  I never knew how much I relied on travel to provide happiness.

And I have been traveling.  To Santa Fe, Texas, Kansas, Arizona.  I am not traveling at the rate I would like to and that is the issue.  Tom and I have not taken a trip out of the country which is further depressing me.  Part of it is due to timing and health concerns.  Thankfully, we managed to make great strides in his health journey this part year.  We are currently waiting to have a consult for an endoscopy before his hip surgery can be arranged.  It is another example of why people are frustrated with health care in this country.  Some places won't take his insurance and now we will have to have it scheduled in Albuquerque which adds another layer of challenge.  I remain hopeful that he will have the hip replacement by March at the latest.  Fingers crossed.

We have discussed going to Mexico, Puerto Morelos, to be exact.  Five to seven days on the beach sounds terrific.  We just have not been able to do it because of health concerns until this year.  Or we have considered Las Vegas or Miami.  However, I think we will be focusing on western cities/states this year.  

Health, healing and communication will be focuses for me this year.  I have some things I need to release and let go of that I have carried with me throughout my life.  I am understanding how carrying that emotional baggage with me from relationship to relationship is a habit I need to break.  I need to have better coping mechanisms to deal with stress and conflict.  It is never fun to take a hard look at yourself and realize that there are things that need to change to improve yourself, life, relationship. Mostly, I want to be better and focus on what truly makes me happy.  End living in mediocrity and thrive.  

How will I be able to do that?  By making some small changes, daily.  Creating new habits and patterns which will inspire new energy and opportunity.  I am skipping dry January this year and changing up that focus.  I intend to be moderate to eliminate some of the crazy episodes I create for people in my life to contend with.  It can be challenging.  I strive to create new patterns, habits and routines to elevate my life.

Thank you for listening to my 2025 hopes of new energy and possibility.  It is time, for me, to make some changes to live my best life.