What are you yearning for?

“It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist 

I have not always been obsessed with all things health and exercise related. Apparently, when I was quite young, I told my parents that I didn’t like going to tennis camp because I didn’t like to get sweaty! You can imagine how surprised they were that I eventually took up running in high school which led to collegiate running, many marathons, yoga, and rock climbing. I started to run because I was inspired by my younger sister who is a natural athlete. If I am really honest though, I didn’t really love running at first. It was hard and sweaty, especially in the Georgia summers! But as a weight obsessed and horribly self-conscious teenager, it did allow me to regularly eat delicious, Mexican food. Eventually though, running became a part of me and also set me on this journey towards outrageously, vibrant health. What started out as a desire to eat junk food without gaining a ton of weight, has morphed into a yearning to feel truly alive and whole within my body.

This path, this journey, has not always been easy. I spent years suffering from depression, anxiety, and medical problems that could “only be solved by yearly surgery”. But my experiences in running, yoga, and eventually Ayurveda suggested that there was another way. And so I did something radical, I decided to put myself and my health first. I followed what my Ayurveda practitioners recommended, I took time for myself, I meditated, I practiced yoga, I listened to my body, and I spent time with my sweet, always supportive husband. And I began to heal. And then I began to want more; more energy, more body acceptance, more joy.  I also realized that my body already knew how to reach the desired end point of my journey towards outrageously, vibrant health. I just didn’t (and still don’t) always listen to her. Currently, she is yearning for more time spent in meditation and in a community of like-minded women and also much less caffeine! But many days I self-sabotage and drink my (way too sweet!) caffeinated tea instead of sitting on my meditation cushion. So I am also practicing being gentle with myself, celebrating the successes, and working on the next small step towards my best self. I have not reached the end point of my journey yet, and I think maybe that is the best part. There is still so much for me to learn and discover about myself and that is so exciting to me!

Looking back, I have to credit running with putting this whole journey in motion. The friends I have made over the many miles run together, the problems solved, and the stress released, has been a true gift. And while I could never catch her, I am eternally grateful to my sister for inspiring me to take that first step, for the training runs we shared, and for the races we ran together (And by run together, I mean that we started the race at the same time and she waited for me at the finish line!).

What is your journey? What are you yearning for in your life?

And on a purely superficial note, I am also super inspired to finally nail eka pada rajakapotasana I. Follow me on Instagram (@bethmarek) for progress on this fun side journey!

You are the answer

I came across this poem today by BethAnne Kapansky called You are the Answer. It is perfection! You absolutely must click the link below to check it out! 

http://www.rebellesociety.com/2015/06/25/you-are-the-answer/

Walking Meditations: Get Outside and Enjoy the Sun

Well, it is finally, really and truly summer here in Austin and I have to admit that I LOVE the hot weather! I have therefore been spending as much time as possible outside soaking up the sun. While I know that not everyone shares my love of the Texas summer heat, I do want to encourage each of you to spend some time outside every day. Go for a walk, drink your morning coffee on the back deck, ride your bike around the block, work in the garden, etc. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!

If you are also looking for a really powerful way to spend some time to yourself and enjoy the great outdoors, I highly recommend doing a walking meditation. While there are many variations of walking meditations, I like to simply get outside, walk around my block, breathe fully, and notice everything going on around me. I notice the beautiful flowers and trees, the clouds in the sky, the squirrels, cats, and deer that cross my path, the birds singing in the trees, etc. This therefore becomes a basic practice in being completely present. If you notice your mind starting to wander to your plans for the day or a big presentation at work just gently steer your thoughts back to the sights, sounds, and smells in the world around you. While you can do this at any time of the day, meditating in the morning around dawn is the most potent time for meditation. It is during this quiet, magical time that we are the most clear and receptive to contemplative practices, like meditation. Let me know how it goes!

9 Reasons You Should Eat at Home

As you probably know, I quit my corporate job back in December to focus on teaching yoga and my yoga health coaching business. Because my salary is now a bit lower than it was (and by a bit lower, I mean a lot lower!), we have cut way back on eating out. At first I was really worried about this change in our lifestyle. Growing up, eating out was considered a treat and was something that I always looked forward to. Once I got married, Steve and I continued this practice. Soon though, eating out began to serve as an emotional crutch, and it wasn’t long before we were eating out to celebrate any and all successes, any and all bad days, and any time that I was bored or just didn’t feel like cooking. This meant that we ate out several times a week, for years. Actually, we probably ate out more than we cooked in. So to say that going from eating out several times a week to only once a month was tough for me, would be an understatement. But I decided that I would embrace the change and finally pull out all those cookbooks that have been collecting dust and actually start cooking. And you know what, eating at home is so much better than eating out! This is why:

1. Let’s start with the obvious benefit, we are saving a ton of money by eating at home. I have even embraced bargain shopping!
2. Meals made at home taste better. I think this is because I am making exactly what I want (if a recipe calls for cilantro, I just leave it out, because frankly I think it tastes terrible!) and I am using the freshest possible ingredients.
3.  I can be really choosey about where my food comes from. We make a weekly trip to the farmer’s market to buy great, local, responsibly grown produce.
4. I know exactly what went into the meal, so we can easily avoid the foods that don’t agree with our stomachs.
5. It is so much easier to control the number of calories that we are consuming, which has been great for our waistlines!
6. No loud, crowded restaurants. And you get to choose the background music!
7. You can eat in your pajamas! 
8.  It is so much fun to prepare a lovely meal for the one that you love.
9. Finally, I am positive that no one has spit in my food!

So if you are trying to save some money, lose weight, or uplevel the quality of your food, avoid the crowded restaurants and eat at home. Bon appetit!

Summer Sunshine Yoga

Take advantage of the beautiful weather that we have here in Austin in the summer and practice yoga outside! I would love for you to join me for an All Levels Yoga class every Saturday from 9-10AM. We will practice in my backyard under a huge lovely tree! Contact me for more info and for the address (beth@bethmarek.com). I hope to see you on the mat and under the sun this summer!