in one of the goal coaching sessions i did with lululemon, i was asked to write a ten year vision for my life. (this is the just the first part. i may share the rest of it in a later post but it’s quite revealing!)

“it is a sunny but cool afternoon. i am under a low tree on my yoga mat barefoot scribbling in a notebook while our two children and our bulldog play in the garden nearby. from inside there’s the smell of spicy quinoa and the sound of rich jazz as matt prepares a delicious sunday lunch.

our friends will be arriving shortly with their own kiddos and dogs to eat from our garden around a huge farm table with low slung italian lights above our heads. the table will be covered with bottles of wine and plates to share and crayons for the kids who are doodling all over the butcher paper.

we have spent the morning at the farmers’ market with the kids on bikes and skateboards. we picked up all sorts of deliciousness and peonies for every room.” 

even when i read it now (i wrote it over a year ago) it lights me up. i wrote it before i was engaged to matt. before we had this amazing little house in venice (was such a nervous wreck while we were looking for it convinced we wouldn’t find anything. a complete psychopath.) before we’d had the most amazing wedding. before we’d worked really, really hard on our relationship to get this place of major respect and understanding.

so yesterday when i was sitting on my yoga mat at just about the time in the afternoon i had pictured, under a tree, with my notebook, getting kisses from my bulldog and watching my husband (still feels crazy to say!) work in the yard i thought, “i’m here.” right in the middle of that dream i’d written. not exactly how i’d described above (thank god, not ready!) but the time before the kiddos and perhaps another bulldog. everything else is in place – the enchanting backyard, the unbelievably rich friendships we’ve developed, our little home. i just wanted to stay right there on my yoga mat soaking in it all. with all of the chaos of the past year, i hadn’t even realized i am already here. 

MEET ANGELA.
founder of hol:fit. loving, inspiring mama&wife.  lululemon ambassador. nutrition/fitness superhero. um, and just totally gorgeous!

what’s the best part of your day?
i love snuggle time with my oldest girl right before bed. we go through all the the things we’re thankful for that happened in the day – having our health, yummy home cooked meals, bright blue toenails. it’s so beautiful to reflect and see the world through her eyes! if a day begins with determination and ends with a sense of accomplishment i’d say it was a great one!

what inspires you?
i am inspired by those that live life bold. by people that pay tribute to their purpose each day by living with integrity and sharing their message with the world. and through my girls – i am deeply inspired by the way children live out their love.

your favorite trip.
vegas. 2006. me, my babe and 15 of our closest in the most beautiful garden off the strip, saying ‘yes’ for life. none of us had ever been there and it turned out to be beautifully uncheesy!

what’s your ideal sunday?
it starts with a pile of quinoa pancakes and a french press. the girls are playing in the living room in their dresses all ready for church. i’m enjoying the last few drops of a good organic sumatra while i scribble out my meal plan & workouts for the week and i’m excited. my week is full of clients, workshops, visits with friends and a date night. after church & brunch, i set aside a few hours to meal prep in my kitchen and get the crockpot going so that supper is done when i get home from a beautiful hot yoga class. bathtime, book time & bed time all goes perfectly with the girls. hubs gets the corn popping and i get to pick the movie tonight.

your favorite words of wisdom.
“we see the world not as it is but as we are.”

when do you feel most “you?”
1. in the shower after a great workout – i do my best thinking time there. 2. when I’m preparing a food with love for my family. 3. when i’m leading a workshop – the information just flows and i love taking difficult information and delivering it in a way that makes it accessible & motivating .

what fulfills you?
when i hear from a reader or client that their life has been blessed through my work. i want to reach as many people as are ready.

your favorite outfit.
transitional lululemon pieces that take me from training clients to my own workout and then the market after.

what’s on your iPod?
foo fighters, everclear, krishna das and podcasts… lots of love for podcasts (so much that i’m starting my own the start of feb!)

five things you love.
water. green smoothies. instagram. coconut oil. authenticity.

how you feel in one word today.
blessed.

dyeing fabrics with flower petals. love this idea from the free people blog.

don’t you worry child. great, easy-listenin’ cover by conor maynard.

to and from magazine. rad online girly mag.

making the perfect green smoothie. entirely whole foods-based and looks super yummy.

the value of vulnerability. i love julia lee. amazing writer and yogini.

clove coconut tea. great for a sick day.

20 great yoga mats. love that both lululemon and manduka made it on this list. i practice on both.

my new but favorite app ever. it’s amazing for making lists and being crazy organized.

tumeric is the new kale? not sure what that even means but i sure have been hearing a lot about the healing benefits of tumeric. check out this post by my friend erin.

ten tiny houses. i love what they did with these small spaces. they are clubhouses for grown ups.. that you live in.. (definitely not sure i can do that but i can still appreciate!)

waking up in my own bed after just being gone five days felt strange this morning. miraculously my travel buddy and partner-in-crime michelle (of lululemon) and i managed to pack at least a week’s worth of adventures, laughter and connecting into just three days in switzerland.

my mind isn’t working 100 percent quite yet (i had ambien-induced sleep to get back on track last night) so here’s just a few takeaways from the past week:

- i love working with athletes. even if they’ve never done yoga before, they usually show up with an open mind (and if they don’t, i love the challenge), a great awareness of their bodies and especially with this crew, a great sense of humor. these guys are SO talented (like ridiculously so) yet super humble and a hell of a lot of fun.
- i am sort of over cheese. i know. i can’t believe it either. but after a year and a half of avoiding dairy as much as i can, even the best european cheese doesn’t really do it for me. (mom, please don’t disown me.)
- lululemon is so generous and i cannot even believe the friends i’ve made through these journeys over the last year.
- everyone should have the experience of being in a country where hardly anyone speaks english. at least in the area we were in, everyone spoke french, and then either italian or german. trying to tell someone you want an omelette with your hands is quite interesting.
- SWITZERLAND IS %*$(#) BEAUTIFUL. so pretty. i can’t wait to go back.

more to come. i’m taking the next couple days to get my groove back.

xo

tomorrow eve i’m heading to geneva, switzerland for the week to teach yoga to some amazing pro-mountain bikers with lululemon.

usually i’m a lil’ blogging machine while i’m gone but i think i’m going to take this time to be quiet, to fully focus on where i am and who i’m with and brainstorm/write in my journal/read lotsa books. (however i will post the winners of the tea giveaway on wednesday on the actual post!)

catch ya when i get back.

xo

greetings from los angeles.

i’ve been MIA. i’m just coming out of some sort of holiday vortex. gourmet meals; oodles of vino, movies & laughs; tons of time with fam and friends. i am spent.

it’s times like this when i am so far out of my routine that i really appreciate my life. i love waking up and making coffee or tea, taking a bath (yes, i actually take baths many mornings with candles, bubblebath and said tea. i’m a bathtub diva.), and connecting with matt and rosy. on the flip side, it’s also this time with family that makes me so damn grateful for where i came from and from whom.

that being said, here’s how i’m gettin’ my mojo back this weekend:

practicing tons of yoga. last night i took an amazing class with one of my great friends and mentors ally hamilton, and i’ve been practicing some hot yoga too which i’m really loving (fave teacher so far is dene logan selkin.)

playing with my new ipad! matt gave me his fairly new one since he never uses it and i am stoked!

planning my trip to switzerland to teach pro-mountain bikers. (leaving in two weeks. is this my life?)

making lists. SO MANY LISTS. wedding planning, life planning, class planning out the waaazooo.

hiking and movie watching with my man. it’s like, hi, i’ve been with you for two weeks straight yet i feel like i haven’t seen you at all. yep, just like that.

avoiding vino. like the plague.

have a beautiful weekend! hopefully i’ll be back in full force next week.

xo,
mb

read my post on my recent trip to portugal to teach pro-cyclists yoga!

my friend and fellow blogger, erin, asked me to contribute to this year’s holiday gift guide. check it out here! (and how cute are her graphics? i love them!)

my job, while here in portugal, is to teach yoga to a group of super passionate female athletes. every morning at 7 am they, along with a slew of others including bike mechanics and cycling dealers, file into the dining space we are using as a yoga studio, and show up. completely. no “i’m super tired, my legs hurt, i don’t like yoga” comments have been uttered. for the 45 minutes they are there, they listen and they give what they’ve got, even pre-cappuccino.

i have forgotten what it’s like to just begin practicing yoga. the looking around, wondering if you are doing it correctly, even a bit of competitiveness as you first struggle through the poses. and one of my favorite things as a teacher is to create the space where you let the ego go. in my own practice, i’m drawn toward the teacher that pushes me without needing perfection and, in fact, celebrates the art of being a little messier on the mat. exploring your breath, your edge, and making that delicious exit out of your head and into your heart.

but watching these passionate, super healthy women, i’ve noticed that i’ve also gotten a little lazier in my practice, almost fearful of what a heavy dose of discipline would do to me. would it make me a better person, or more critical/guilt-ridden/obsessive? in the past i’ve struggled with body image and eating disorders, and have made it my personal intention to never ever make my way back to that space.

while i’m here my job is to teach yoga. to inspire these women to keep stretching, pushing, breathing super deeply.  and at the same time, while i’m here, my job is to take a really good look at my relationship to challenge. where am i playing small? wehre am i better utilized? where am i holding myself back?

yoga is the art and practice of connecting to YOUR truth. even if it’s not pretty. in fact, especially when it’s not pretty. that’s when you get into all the good, juicy stuff.

finding that beautiful balance of yin and yang, sweat and rest, strength and grace, sthira and sukha. 

yoga. 

i am here. after a little over twenty-four hours of travel spent in a strange vortex of airports, shoddy headphones and wondering if i packed correctly (i didn’t.) i arrived wondering if i’d left that morning or two weeks ago.

the hills, the light and the people of portugal are gorgeous. the weather very cold (hence why i didn’t pack correctly. three swimsuits were definitely not necessary.) the buildings are dilapidated in a storybook sort of way. the coffee is very, very good.

then the reason i’m here – teaching yoga to an amazing group of professional female cyclists. so far i’ve met only one since the others haven’t arrived yet, but i’m surrounded by the most fun, inspiring lululemon crew. the next week and a half will be filled with so much growth. that i am sure of.