the smell of summertime in the air. makes me want to buy hawaiian tropic and sit in a baby pool all afternoon long.

an entire, solo weekend ahead of nothing but sunshine, yoga, green juice and lots of sleep (i know, i know.. it’s only monday but i can’t resist!)

cotton tanks. i live in them.

new opportunities ahead in the world of yoga and life coaching. (more to come on that, of course!)

my morning smoothie – sfh protein powder, maca, spirulina, bee pollen, frozen berries and a handful of spinach followed by a jasmine green tea.

my reggae playlist for tonight’s sweaty yoga class.

MEET RACHELLE.
yogini. activist. founder of the neshama project. mama to bailey. soul sister. radiating beauty.

what’s the best part of your day?
morning cuddles and bailey licks.

what inspires you?
people who are living their truth, and making a difference in the world. people who do not succumb to societal norms and are willing to live outside the box, regardless of how it may be perceived. people who do something with their time, success, finances, and give back to the world. smiles, children playing, humility, patience, traveling and adventuring to some unknown place, people in love, individuals with depth and soul, artists and dancers. love inspires me. nature. the ocean. the wind blowing. birds chirping. a starry night. all the beautiful souls behind innovation africa, one of the organizations that the the neshama project supports. people who have overcome obstacles and choose to stay resilient, and grow, even in the face of pain and tragedy. my brother and sister. mary beth. all my soul sisters from around the world who bless my life and make me feel rich with love and support. zeno mountain farm, a camp for adults with special needs that i regularly volunteer at.  oh man, i can keep going and going! and you know what, i’m gonna say something that i normally wouldn’t, but what the hell, i inspire me!! and thank god for that!

your favorite trip.
traveling with meaning and purpose to some unchartered territory. learning about different cultures, communities, and ways of living. talking to locals, eating new foods, experiencing life though their world, no plan, no map, all trust and magical unfoldments. and since i call myself a hippie in heels my ideal trip would be a good mix of camping in nature-no makeup, minimal showering (dont judge me! you know you want to do it too!!) then followed by massages and champagne at a swanky hotel (lots of showers and hot tub action). not too much to ask for, right?  forever a hippie in heels!

what’s your ideal sunday?
no plan. bike ride adventure. champagne brunch with the ladies followed by a ping pong game (i just recently bought a ping pong table that currently resides in my backyard. i am hard core about my pong! and yes, after i win, i have a “ping pong champion” dance! ) running into friends. hike/yoga. allowing the magic of the day to unfold. sunshine kisses and belly laughter. time spent with my pup, bailey, and the people that i love most in my life.

your favorite words of wisdom.
“everything happens for a reason.” my aunt likes to share this story:  when i was nine years old, after my mom passed away, she was tucking me into bed one night and consoling me, and i apparently looked up at her with my big blue eyes and a smile, and said in hebrew “gam zu latova,” meaning “everything happens for a reason.” and i still believe this today with all my heart. you never know why someone has entered your path, or why this challenge or triumph is showing up. i take comfort in knowing that everything happens for a reason; it all adds to the tapestry that highlights the bigger picture of why we are all here.

when do you feel most “you?”
on my yoga mat. being with my friends who just “get me.” and dancing wildly with my eyes closed, not caring at all what i look like.

what fulfills you?
the neshama project. teaching and practicing yoga. having meaningful conversations and interactions with people. listening to others, complimenting random strangers, and making people smile.

your favorite outfit.
a long flowy dress, some bangles on my wrist, and my hamsas close to my heart.

what’s on your ipod?
flight facilities, blackmill, owlle (a song called “ticky ticky” just does it for me every time), death cab for cutie, rhye, pink floyd, ellie goulding, poolside, anthony valadez, bon iver, radiohead and little dragon!

five things you love
1. my outlook on life, my heart, my past, my bright future, and deep connection to something Greater.
2. my family, soul sisters, friends, and ever growing community around the world.
3. the neshama project. for all the lessons i am learning in what it means to start a business from my heart, and how it continues to connect me with people from all walks of life around the world.
4. yoga. it is my lifestyle and permeates throughout everything that i do in the world. i have been enjoying teaching more than ever before. i think it is due to being more comfortable in my own skin.
5. my soulmate who happens to be in the form of a fluff ball goldendoodle puppy, bailey.  we just get each other. she makes me smile none-stop and reminds me to pause and play, and what unconditional love feels like.

it’s a good sign when i keep wanting to continue writing more and more things that i love… i am a lucky lady!

how you feel in one word today.
grateful. very grateful. (i know that was three, but i felt the need to emphasize the gratefulness!)

being stuck inside with a head cold and a pinched nerve (what a combo!) for the past few days has inspired me to do some spring dreaming.

our star jasmine all along the back gate has begun to bloom, our fruit tree is producing left and right and our backyard has taken on a bit of a rainforest vibe.

what else in on my mind?
 wine drinking on the back patio / camping with friends (maybe some baja surfing/tecate action, miss collins??) / hiking in the morning / morning outdoor yoga practice in my skivvies / doors and windows open all the damn time / sundresses and sandals / fresh flowers / sunday night dinner parties and barbecuing / photographing venice

no matter where you are in the world, practice with me, and some other really rad teachers, for FREE for 10 days at yogis anonymous online. use the coupon code “marybeth10″ when you check out.

about yogis anonymous:

the spirit of play. somebody once said that the way you do anything is the way you do everything. we believe you ought to have a little fun with it. what is IT? well that depends on who you are and what you want. most people arrive at their yoga mats because they’re looking for something. lots of people can keep you company while you’re looking, but we’re interested in something more specific. at yogis anonymous, you’ll experience community; a gathering of teachers and students who not only want to be with you as you’re finding your bliss, but actually believe that the journey ought, at times, to be …<gasp>…FUN!

but don’t get us wrong: we take the yoga very seriously… when you come in, you will find that our roster is made up of highly qualified and inspired teachers who pay attention to details like proper alignment, who love to work one-on-one with you to help you find that handstand or arm balance you’ve been working on, and who want to know what’s happening in your body so they can help you work sensitively and safely. for sure, we take the yoga seriously, just not ourselves. life is short, so don’t miss a single opportunity to infuse it with something that might put a smile on your face. and hey, life is long, too, so why not learn to actually enjoy the company you keep (YOU).

we believe that when you walk into a yoga studio, there should be a heartbeat, a personality, a vibe. so we built a place that feels good to us. we want you to feel good, too. hope to see you here often.

MEET MIA.
west virginian. yoga teacher. lover of california and her super sweet boyfriend (yay!). beautiful writer. pure light.

what’s the best part of your day?
i’m quite fond of my morning routine lately. an early wake-up, hot shower and a nice big mug of something delicious alongside my daily dose of inspiration (a book, a blog, a gratitude list). then there’s breakfast – which i believe is a love language. the whole process of making breakfast and coffee or tea is such a lovely thing to me.

what inspires you?
my parents, sister, brothers, boyfriend, and gorgeous/creative/funny/loyal friends; a countless number of teachers who make a difference; mothers everywhere; good talks; long walks; yogis who don’t do yoga; taking chances; falling in love; california (!); new places; fresh faces; laughing my ass off.

your favorite trip.
oh man. i’m lucky enough to have LOTS ! but i’ll go with the most transformative one….
a couple days after my 20th birthday, i flew out to lake tahoe, california for a few months to complete my 500-hour with doug swenson. i had never been to the west coast, and had never gone off on a trip alone. the experience was surreal, beautiful, and life-changing. and i met the most incredible people.

what’s your ideal sunday?
i love sundays. it’d be my yummy little morning routine, followed by a yoga practice – which feels especially sacred on sundays. an afternoon of some sort of outdoor adventure / aimless wandering / bike riding / thrift shopping (newly obsessed!) and the farmer’s market to stock up on fresh, healthy ingredients for the coming week. i’d wind down the day enjoying a homemade meal and a movie-watching-snuggle-session with my man.

your favorite words of wisdom.
“a yogi is someone who leaves a place a little nicer than when they arrived.” – david swenson

when do you feel most “you?”
in the midst of good conversation, music playing, sun setting – a nice bottle of wine and a farm table full of friends and family.

what fulfills you?
being of service; staying open; enjoying my choices; loving people; witnessing self-limiting beliefs dissolve through the practice of yoga; moving from the inside out.

your favorite outfit.
a little black flowy summer dress, a pair of cowboy boots, turquoise jewelry, bright nails, the biggest smile.

what’s on your ipod?
lately a mix of: little dragon, first aid kit, the lumineers, beirut, natural self, lykke li, the weeknd, the xx, wiz khalifa, bon iver, ryan bingham, eric chuch, brad paisley, bob dylan, john prine, mason jennings, the be good tanyas.

five things you love.
west virginia.
scrabble marathons. (i don’t mess around.)
teaching yoga.
children.
that i am graduating college in less than 4 months. (hallelujah!)

how you feel in one word today.
serendipitous.

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

this year my intentions are all around balance because no matter what happens this year it is bound to be pure, delicious chaos. with both of us taking trips for work, getting married in april, honeymooning in thailand, yoga retreating, building our home – yep, chaos.

i’m starting the year from a place of quiet. this month is dedicated to yoga, tea drinking and writing. taking time for solitude. walks without my cell phone. saying “no” when i need to.

my big one: karate chopping my expectations, and letting things just be. (by this i don’t mean lowering my standards or not having goals, but more allowing.)

{oh, and in other news, i just started the desire map from danielle laporte. she’s a flipping genius. what i love about this program she created is that it’s about figuring out how you want to feel and creating goals/choices/ideas based around that. rather than the other way around. mmm, so good. more on that as i progress of course.}

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