July 4th fireworks are over and so is the first half of the year.

Do you remember your outlook from January? Did you have a vision for how you hoped the year would unfold?

I’m not big on “resolutions” for the new year, but I do enjoy a “word” for the year. I choose a word that encompasses a feeling I want the year to embody as a whole or a direction I want to move toward. 

A word, instead of a resolution, allows more wiggle room for manifestation.

A clear goal with precise action steps is great, but sometimes tunnel vision of specifics blinds out additional opportunities that can yield the same (or better) results by a different course.

In Sun Tzu’s classic text, The Art of War, he teaches that only a foolish general goes into battle without a plan, but a general who sticks to the plan while in battle is equally foolish.

In a similar sense, I’ve learned that goals and methods are continually in flux and often resources appear...

My husband spent a large part of the holiday weekend doing maintenance at our yoga and wellness studio: painting, cleaning, changing light bulbs, polishing the wooden benches and cubbies. And it looks great! A fresh coat paint can make almost anything look new.

But it got me thinking... What do I do for personal regular daily maintenance, for my whole self, not just my living space? I don’t mean laundry and dishes, Marie Kondo decluttering, or even daily yoga or meditation.

I’m talking about the big picture vision of what I do regularly to nourish all levels of myself: body, mind, and soul.

I've distilled my personal “almost daily” maintenance into 3 bigger categories:

(I say almost because let’s keep it real: some days it just doesn’t happen, and that’s ok!)

Appearance 

I’m a believer that “when you feel good you look good” and when you look good, you feel good! So when the invisible hands of depression or anxiety...

When I first opened my yoga studio in 2007 and started teaching yoga and meditation, few of my student had ever seen a mala. Today, they are integrated into pop culture for fashion, but few people actually know how to use them aside from a funky outfit accessory. 

If you struggle with meditation and are seeking an easy way to begin, mala beads may be the answer.

What are mala beads?

A mala is a string of beads, sometimes separated by tiny knots. Traditionally the beads were made of sandalwood or hard, round seeds, but today you can find them made from various types of wood, crystals, or gemstones.

A standard string has 108 beads plus one additional distinct bead or tag, so you can mark the beginning and the end of the circle.

Mala bracelets are also popular and may have 18, 27, or 54 beads.

What are mala beads for?

Malas are a meditation tool. Each bead on the string is one inhale and exhale, one breath per bead, or one word or phrase of a chant, mantra, or prayer. (Similar...