It's Official!!!

It's official!! I just received my RYT (registered yoga teacher) status, from Yoga Alliance, this morning! It was the completion of my goal and it feels great! And to top it all off I may have another teaching job at the new sportscenter that just opened up earlier this month. It will be more evening classes so I'm not away from the kids during the day and it gives my family a monthly membership for $30 a month!! Can't beat that. If it all works out Martin will just bring the kids in to shoot hoops and work out while I'm teaching so it will be a family affair. My kids will probably even take my yoga class at that time. Life is good!!

My heart just hasn't been into blogging as much lately so I apologize to those of you who like to know what's going on in our lives. I feel so euphoric most of the time lately that it seems overwhelming to try and blog about all of it.

Life is very good in the Snavley home It's been a very quiet winter and we haven't been doing anything all that exciting but it seems everyone is truly settled down from the six months of traveling; I know that seems ridiculous being that it has been a year and a half, but it has taken some time, especially for Tristan, to get used to one more change. As much as I hated being away from the kids so much during my yoga training, Tristan and Calista really learned how to work things out in a more civil manner, without mom to interfere too much, and have been getting along so well lately. I'm settled into a nice routine with my teaching, Martin is still really enjoying his job, and we have wonderful friends and family that we spend lots of time with. Of course, Rock Band has been an extra bonus this winter:)

Last weekend, my very dear friend, Sheli, flew down from Fairbanks with Maija and Kayla. Maija and Calista are bosom buddies and since they were very small we have called them Betty and Veronica. Maija has blonde hair and Calista has black hair. Kayla had basketball games so she stayed with the team in a hotel ,but Sheli and Maija stayed at the house with us. We went to lots of sporting events since Sheli also had two different nephews here playing hockey games also. We had lots of time to catch up with all the gossip and we laughed til we cried so many times that my stomach was sore after the weekend. It's always hard to say good-bye when they leave but I cherish every moment with them. We will be driving up to Fairbanks in three weeks for Maija's birthday so it won't be too long until we see them again.

I've been doing lots of self-exploration and reflection lately. I'm learning a lot about myself; some things that are wonderful and some things that aren't especially pretty. One of the things that I have been doing is keeping a journal of synchronicities in my life; those "coincidences" that aren't coincidences at all, rather very loud messages from the Universe. The more I journal and take note of these things the more they are happening, or maybe it is just me being more aware of them. One of the main things was that I have been trying to find one of my very best friends from highschool. She moved out of state after highschool and we lost touch, reunited at our 10-year reunion and then somehow lost touch after that. I looked several places online and nothing was coming up so I decided I would probably have to wait until our 20 year reunion, in two years. Well, ironically, she found me this week! She had been looking for me also, not realizing that my mom had died, we had moved and my dad had moved also, so no Bidwells in Fairbanks anymore. Not only did she find me but our lives have taken very similar paths, on a very deep soul level. I can't wait to talk with her on the phone and catch up on the last ten years!

I'm teaching five yoga classes a week and am thoroughly enjoying it. I love to watch people transform before my eyes, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I am taking two different workshops the end of February to further my training and delve deeper. One of the things that has been a challenge is keeping my own daily practice healthy. I've kind of had to rededicate myself to my practice this week, as I've been a little neglectful. Am currently waiting for Yoga Alliance to process my application so that I will have my RYT status. Hopefully, that will come in the mail this week.

We are once again going to try and sell the motorhome this spring. It's hard to let that part of our lives go, as Martin and I still would like to be living that lifestyle. It's not practical at this point in our lives so we have chosen to be content where we are at. We still dream of traveling full time and someday living somewhere else but we are here right now and I am choosing to love my life. We are probably going to have to pay thousands of dollars to get out from under it but we really need to do it. It will get rid of 1/3 of our monthly expenses so it will be worth it. Finding a buyer will be another challenge! Two trips that we have in the making, over the next three years, is Italy and India and those don't require a motorhome so we are good!

Daily OM

I loved today's Daily OM for a few reasons. One is that our society puts so much emphasis on intellect and "smarts", pushing academics and senseless information on our children when what our hearts are telling us is so much more important. No wonder why adults lose that connection with their souls. We are constantly told that that "inner voice" either doesn't exist or it doesn't know what it is talking about.

We also tend to listen to our brains more because of messages that we are told since childhood, ways in which we were "domesticated" by our parents, aggreements we made with THEIR beliefs and opinions; they did it sometimes knowingly and sometimes not. I feel like I'm am just beginning to understand how to REALLY listen to and be connected to my soul. We have all the answers inside of us but our brain tends to override them so often.

I am thankful that I had the courage to start listening and responding to that inner voice and begin to build intuition. So here it is.........................

January 11, 2008
Inner HierarchyListening With Your Heart

Most of us were born and raised in cultures that value the head over the heart and, as a result, we place our own hearts below our heads in a sort of inner hierarchy of which we may not be conscious. What this means is that we tend to listen and respond from the neck up, often leaving the rest of our bodies with little or no say in most matters. This is a physical habit, which sometimes feels as ingrained as the way we breathe or walk. However, with effort and awareness, we can shift the energy into our hearts, listening and responding from this much deeper, more resonant place.

The brain has a masterful way of imposing structure and order on the world, creating divisions and categories, devising plans and strategies. In many ways, we have our brains to thank for our survival on this planet. However, as is so clear at this time, we also need the wisdom of our hearts if we wish to continue surviving in a viable way. When we listen from our heart, the logical grid of the brain tends to soften and melt, which enables us to perceive the interconnectedness beneath the divisions and categories we use to organize the world. We begin to understand that just as the heart underlies the brain, this interconnectedness underlies everything.

Many agree that this is the most important work we can do at this time in history, and there are many practices at our disposal. For a simple start, try sitting with a friend and asking him to tell you about his life at this moment. For 10 minutes or more, try to listen without responding verbally, offering suggestions, or brainstorming solutions. Instead, breathe into your heart and your belly, listening and feeling instead of thinking. When you do this, you may find that it’s much more difficult to offer advice and much easier to identify with the feelings your friend is sharing. You may also find that your friend opens up more, goes deeper, and feels he has really been heard. If you also feel great warmth and compassion, almost as if you are seeing your friend for the first time, then you will know that you have begun to tap the power of listening with your heart.