i he(art) seattle

This past weekend… and yes, time has been flying by for me… I experience two polar opposites. The easy breezy tranquility of a Lavender Festival on Saturday and obstacle laden glory of the Warrior Dash on Sunday. It was actually awesome.

The Lavender Festival was nice, the only beef I had was with the weather it was overcast all day and about 60-65 degrees, and it rained a few times while we were there. This weather has also effected the lavender itself and we saw smaller stalks and less overall, but it still smelled great and was very pretty. I love lavender for it’s relaxing scent and its healing, calming properties overall. The festival had all things lavender from spicy chicken rub seasonings, lavender and raspberry pancake mix, to spicy mustard with lavender. Of course there was the lavender lemonade (which sadly used a premixed lavender syrup), lavender ice cream, oh and other fun stuff like BBQ Oysters and Corn on the Cob.

The Warrior Dash was also on a cloudy overcast day but I was a bit warmer out, maybe 63-68, so I pulled myself over to the event. My friend had a computer malfunction that morning so I was not sure if we were going to make it but we did! We ran in the 4pm wave and I thought I’d have less energy that late in the day but by the time we finally arrived all the crazy costumes and music and fun going on got us ready to roll! I wish I’d have taken more pictures didn’t want to get my camera too muddy. Next time, I will need a friend that just wants to watch and take pics come with. It’s really fun even if you don’t run.

So the Warrior Dash itself was only 3 1/2 miles but there were 11 obstacles in between the start and finish line some of them being as simple as a field of tires and busted up totaled cars and as difficult as flames (yes, I had to leap over fire!). My favorite obstacles were the climbing wall, the web of ropes we had to climb over, and the planks we had to slowly walk over (with great balance!). Overall it was awesome… I think I am ready to move on to something a bit more serious like a triathlon which has been my not so secret desire for the past few years. I’ve always been worried about my swimming skills not being up to par but I think I should maybe just do it! I’ll probably need to stick to 5 or 10Ks for awhile while I’m in grad school though.

We shall see!

This week was marvelous!!! And I can’t wait for the weekend… I am eager to get going on another yoga teacher training weekend, #4, and to also spend sometime with friends, in a hot tub, selling furniture, more cleaning and organizing, and making a stop at Goodwill to drop off a whole bunch of stuff. I also have Monday off… which is super awesome!

So this week I…

• Ran 4 miles twice this week at an average 11 mins per mile
• Found a new best friend in RunKeeper App which is how I know how fast I ran
• Spent more of the day at Motivation Seminar that counted as a work day
• Finished a few jQuery concepts at work
• Saw Bill Cosby and Colin Powell both in the same day
• Started reading The Big Leap by Gay Hendericks (a gift from a new friend)
• Had some scrumptious salads at work (I out did myself this week!)
• Got a much deeper understanding for pranayama (breathing) in my yoga practice
• Got taught by two awesome fellow yoga teachers in training
• Treated myself to yummy curry fried rice from Citrus Thai
• Spent the evening at a coffee shop with a book one night this week
• Had some $6 chicken curry for dinner at Maharaja Happy Hour
• Got a new addiction, Lie to Me
• Spent a few solid hours masterminding with my visual journal and the Creative Entreprenuer
• Had some delicious, cheap, non-trendy sushi at Kamei in West Seattle
• Spend the evening brainstorming with my partner in crime @kcwebgirl

Good times. Hope you enjoy your weekend and get some sun!

Today I attended a Get Motivated! Seminar in Seattle WA. At first I was not going to attend but the lure of seeing Bill Cosby and Colin Powell speak in one day won me over. Those two were not even the only greats that spoke there… it was a full line up of business, leadership, team building, and finance focused folks that motivated and inspired a full house in Key Arena to get up get out and get something. Motivation is good for the soul!

Here are 8 top tips I learned from this even that I’d like to share:

1. Persevere. This was touched on by mostly all the speakers but Colin Powell said it best when he reminded us, “It isn’t where you start, it’s where you end up.” I would add to that that it’s not even where you may be right now… it’s where you are headed. Make that vision for yourself and keep at it daily.
2. Recognize others. Powell also said he writes notes on index cards with his name on them to people often just saying “Job well done” and “Thank you for your service.” That personal touch and appreciation can go along way and it makes you feel good to notice others giving it there all. He also mentioned discipline in teams and if a person is not caring their weight calling them on it. I think so many times we let people get away with things and it effects us. Stand up for yourself and your values and speak your mind to others. At least you and they know where you stand.
3. Laugh at yourself. Bill Cosby joked, “So you guys need to be motivated. You need us to come up here and tell you to get motivated.” His entire speech was full of quips like that and it helps me to see that, well, it’s funny to be de-motivated. I mean, this is my life and it’s my job to stay encouraged and get myself back on track if I’m not. BUT it’s also not the end of the world if I need a little help… just smile and dust yourself off and keep it pushing.
4. Believe in yourself no matter what. A very weird white guy (he’d love that I said that) named Jack Smith had a lot to say about confidence. He told us how he didn’t do too well in school and his teachers said he wouldn’t amount to much. They gave him the typical speech on how he wasn’t qualified for this and that as a career and he said he really didn’t listen to them. He said the difference between people who never gave up and people who did was that they didn’t listen to any naysayer’s and just did it anyway. They just believed in themselves no matter what. Sure we always have our down days but after you take the blow… don’t throw in the towel.
5. Walk with your passion. Powell spoke on this and how important it is to walk with an intensity of belief in yourself and what you do.
6. Trust others to follow. Powell again spoke on how a good leader empowers his troops to have what they need to get the job done. This is even helpful in finding mentors or people to follow… do they empower their troops?
7. Keep someone in your corner that challenges you. Funny thing is, all the men, Cosby, Collin and Dan Rather talked about their wives and how these women challenged them. They spoke on how their wives keep them humble and reminded them of their humanity even when the rest of the world saw them as perfect. Its so important to have a partner that inspires you to do and be better and reminds you from where you came. It’s great to see great men speak of the great women that are in their corners and not at the door playing the mat.
8. Change every day. Krish Dhanam spoke on spirituality, love and God. He was a student of Zig Ziglar and said that Zig had a prayer basically asking God to work in his life each day changing him in the ways that he needed them. This speaks to how everyday we wake up with a new chance to move forward and grow and be changed. We are works in progress with the privilege of growth with God (or whomever we believe in).

Staring and keeping a tight gripe on our to-do lists and perfect schedules and deadlines, we can drive ourselves and our loved ones crazy! I, for one, used to love that perfection. I just wanted everything just right, my way or the highway… you know, perfect. Recently I’ve put myself on a fast. No more comparison to others that admire or (most importantly) to the impossible to-do lists I’ve been holding myself accountable to.

Sometimes a girl needs to try a lil’ tenderness…

When I think of compassion I don’t think of feeling sorry for someone, or in this instance, for myself. Sometimes compassion can be just taking it easy on yourself… so you want to watch some reality TV tonight… give yourself a break and Keep Up with the Kardashians or whatever. Maybe you do want an extra scoop of Ben & Jerry’s tonight… I know I did. But compassion is not just about when you want to indulge a bit. Compassion can also be lovingly pulling yourself out of bed to go to yoga class or take a long walk to clear your mind, it can be calling up a close friend when you really just want to have a private pity party. Compassion can be being gentle with yourself and bring yourself through something you might be struggling with. It’s a bit of holding yourself accountable and also holding your hand in the difficult times. Telling yourself it’s okay to do what you said you were going to do… even thought you may not feel like it.

I came to this post because I had to show myself a little compassion tonight. After a long day in the office, I was feeling soo tired and when I got off the bus I imagined taking a quiet cat nap instead of going for my run… I imagined my comfy bed and pillows and thought, I’ll probably be in bed all night. Then I realized that a run may just be the burst of energy I need to get my through my evening… so I tied up my laces turned on Pandora & Run Keeper and hit the pavement. It was a great run and I’m happy I showed myself some love and compassion on the way out the door. It wasn’t about being perfect, it was just about doing what was best for me during my time of weakness.

So think about it, how can you kick perfection to the curb and show yourself some compassion?

This weekend was amazing! It was a 4-day extravaganza filled with some of favorite things and favorite people… I got some sun, didn’t get rained on, and had a blast! Check out my review, some pics and some links too:

• Yoga at Sound Yoga in West Seattle
• Coffee break with my planner pad
• Friday night Comedy Show and dress up with the girls
• Early morning run on Beach Drive
• Cloud staring and sunbathing near Alki Beach overlooking the Puget Sound
• Tea time with the ladies at Healing Garden Tea Room in Tacoma
• Rare and out of print bookstore finds in Tacoma
• Sorting and organizing of art supplies
• Entire box of art supplies ready for garage sale
• Mid-day relaxing yoga sequence
• Lazy Sunday of obsessively watching Ancient Aliens History Channel series on my iPhone Netflix App
• Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch (YUM)
• Early morning dance party with Raphael Saadiq’s Pandora Channel
• Family Seafood Boil Potluck (Double YUM)
• S’mores!!!!!

I had a joyful, magical moment in The Olympic Sculpture Park the other day. It was sunny and beautiful out. I saw mountains, trails, art, chairs and water. Oh and the clouds were gorgeous! If you work downtown or are visiting the City, please check out the far North edge of Belltown… it’s a transformed nine-acre from industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This lovely waterfront park has not only beautiful outdoor sculpture but also incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. And admission is free!

Enjoy the photos:

This full moon was called the Super Moon! It was very bright and quite high and luminous in the sky. It was also supposed to have been the closest it’s been to Earth in ever. It’s interesting how the world is changing right before our eyes. Not only is our earth trembling with natural disasters but we are having economic strife all over the globe. People are starting to ponder on what really matters.

For me yoga, mediation, art making, and the most important my connections and relationships with my closest friends, family, and even acquitances. I have been meeting and developing friendships with so many new wonderful people (yes, that means YOU!)… and deepening my relationships with close friends and family. I love sharing my experiences with others in teaching, leading by example, and by being supportive. I want to be a better listener, more patient, and able to live within the moment. This requires stillness and faith on my part and also courage to reach out and at times be vulnerable. My board this month is simple, I wish to focus on being strong and supportive in the relationships in my life. To be a good listening ear and a brave friend to speak wisdom and encouragement into others.

Thanks to Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios for the idea of monthly full moon dreamboards!