{ pare to gold } - yogi. witness. photographer. austin, tx

"Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37 NKJ Bible

Satya - Truth. Truth is the highest rule of conduct or morality. "Truth is God and God is Truth." - Mahatma Gandhi

As fire burns impurities and refines gold, so the fire of truth cleanses the yogi and burns up the dross in him. - B.K.S. Iyengar 'Light On Yoga'

We really are not so different. Truth burns open the path for love to move fluidly through us all.




In the last few months I have been drawn to the beauty of silence. When the words are pure and simple, the truth is clear. There is such a great impact when all is quiet, thoughts and emotions surface and pass undisturbed by chatter. This is healing. What must be said is said, truth is spoken and the space following allows that truth to drop in and plant a seed in the heart. I desire to cultivate and enhance this trait in my life. I'm not planning to take the vow of Mauna (vow of silence) right now, but to become very conscious of my words and focus on listening more. I love listening to others and I want to sharpen my ability to hear myself, to know my 'Yes' and my 'No.' Before sharing anything, I want to become a strong witness to my purpose and intent behind what comes up to say. To see the truth, the purest, most potent love, and have that be the pattern of my speech.




This is a work for me. I have grown up a talker, I love to chatter away, I am easily excited to open up. Saying many words that are just taking up time and energy and have no power.

Another way I have over used words in the past was by explaining things in detail un-necessarily. I felt continually misunderstood and would just beat my point into the ground. As I've gone through layers of my healing work something I have been able to see and work through has been that my feelings of being seen the wrong way were all because of how I viewed myself. I wasn't trying to convince others of my true intention, I was trying to show myself that I had good inside. When the words stopped, so did my false self belief. It hasn't been an easy healing, what it has been is a most beneficial. Anytime these old habits of ugly self thought arise I write my truth in a little bitty journal, I remind myself what really is.




Writing in this tiny little book has been therapeutic and enjoyable, if you are interested in something like this I recommend getting the book 'Loving What Is' by Byron Katie.



Silence really is golden, or I kind of like to see it as Amber (of course I see it as amber).



On a less introspective note, I have begun teaching at CorePower Yoga which has been another goal of mine and I am so thrilled! I feel so deeply grateful. Pursue your passions, because when you walk in your calling....it feels so euphoric.

{ within } - yoga photography musing

I love forward folds in yoga. There is no faster way for my focus to turn inward than to drop into a fold, I crave them. Feeling my belly breathe against my thighs, the stretch of my entire back body, it's like a delicious reprieve from all outside energy.

Tonight I'm folding. Being very still in my own space, in my body, taking that quiet peace all the way to my mind and spirit.



Sometimes I really marvel at how simple some healing work can be. My deepest work recently has taken place as I sit and feel everything, without running away in fear, just feeling all that arises. That has manifest as copious amounts of crying, laughing until my cheeks hurt, grunting with anger, lathering my body with oil and blessing, even throwing rocks at the water. After the expulsion, it's wonderful, I turn inside witnessing that everything is just as it should be and I am still breathing. Not only have I survived, I've grown. I didn't turn away or run, I looked inside to the scariest parts and I found places to soften, to soothe, to release what is no longer serving me.



This is yoga on and off the mat. Breathing, reaching a frightening precipice, breathing, trusting, breathing, stretching, breathing, realizing that I can change patterns in my life and transform my body. Even if I'm not sweating in a studio, I calm my mind, slow my heart rate, steady my gaze, this practice is truly mind, body, spirit.

Centered, I can give and receive love like I've never experienced. When I am strong in self, I am a better mama, teacher, friend, and future lover. Peace and grounding lovebugs, namaste.

{ a wish your heart makes } - yoga. photographer. austin, tx

In 2012 I was fortunate to be an employee for a wonderful brand of athletic gear. My specific role in this company was to work with others and self motivate with goal setting. I grew up surrounded by this jargon, they called it "dream building." My family was heavily involved in Amway when I was a child and the big schtick was to set goals and dream big. Grateful that I have since learned effective goal setting and the bliss of having a dream in my heart, I appreciate that I was exposed to this so early in my life to the idea of thinking outside of what I can easily believe possible. It was in this position as goal setting coach that I took a deep dive into what I honestly want now, in a year, in five years, in ten years......

My goals are this wide spectrum of amazing and ridiculous things I am choosing for my life. They range from spiritual healing to a hot bearded man with many beautiful things to fill life in between work and relationship. One thing I have held as a goal for myself since I was very young is to be in a magazine. When I was 13 my sister and I took turns snapping photos of each other to send to Seventeen Magazine, I cried when I received the "Thanks, but No Thanks" letter in the mail. My obsession with magazines is deep and to be in one has always felt like a fairytale to me, the icing to my cupcake. That is why I am almost without words to express how humbled and fantastically happy I am about having my self portrait featured in the July Issue of Austin Fit Magazine! A dream come true (because I have to be cheesy to clearly convey how awesome this feels to me)!!



What I thought was going to be a small photo somewhere near the back of the magazine turned out to be a two page spread of my photo (and if you look close you can spot my nifty little remote control that I used to fire my own shutter) just a few pages into the magazine. I really want to thank the staff of Austin Fit for choosing my photo and for the beautiful job on the spread, thank you!!!

{ it's like this now } - yoga. photography. healing. energy.

My teacher Denise says something all the time and it has become a mantra for me recently. She says "it's like this now." Without judgement, it just is.

I've missed this blog. Since April I have not had a working wireless internet connection at home and not much free time to tote my laptop around for writing. Tonight feels amazing to have my fingers gliding over these keys again. Sometimes being a single mom on a yoga teacher budget means taking time away from certain things, although it was not my preference to go without internet, I had to accept it and say "it's like this now."



Today I received the coolest news, actually a dream I have had since I was a child. I was honored to have my self portrait featured in Austin Fit Magazine! I will share more in a separate post to come, I'm truly in the most humbled and blissed out state today. In this moment too I am saying "it's like this now." The key is "now." Living in this moment, not past or future. I find myself drifting to the past often, just last night I had a sob fest in my car for someone I mourn the loss of. Plans for tomorrow's classes and schedules swirling in my head...future taking my attention from the now. When I choose to focus and join the flow of energy, I witness the most incredible things. Today such an overflow of pleasure as I guided three students into Hanumanasana (full splits) for the first time of their practice, I saw each face shining with delight and celebrating their triumph over fear. Each "now" holds some gift, sometimes it comes in the form of a lesson I have to learn and other times just as pure unadulterated joy. May I be ever grateful for all that is given to me and be here to experience each and every "now."



My love to each of you and heart full of thanks for your friendship, kindness, and encouragement to keep writing and shooting, you guys have really inspired me and your love is felt strongly. Thank you!