Fall always brings a sense of new beginnings. The crispness in the air. The memories of the start of school. Having wrung out all the summer fun, the idea of a chance to start with a clean slate always sounds good. Often we are sad for the end of summer but at the same time looking forward to new routines and a change. Sound familiar?

The seasons are changing and I am aware that it is natural to feel the effects of these changes in the body. Perhaps, a little cold or allergies will spring up (it did). Perhaps, I will feel hungrier than normal (yup). Perhaps, I will feel the need to do a complete life overhaul - well, I'm nipping that one in the bud as that's been a work in progress all summer and I suspect for life rather than any quick-fix.

Since it’s been a month since I last blogged, I hope my sparkfriends understand my short leave of absence as I've had so much new experience to digest and gave myself the gift of time to contemplate. :) So… here’s some updates.

I took the entire month of August off from Bikram Yoga and the entire summer off from singing. As far as Bikram goes, I'm no longer a work-study at my local Bikram yoga studio and trying to decide what to do about membership. I'm not sure where I am going with that practice but I do know that I really enjoyed doing a variety of things on my vacation and I'm not ready to limit myself to just "one" practice every day for "x" amount a times a week . BUT, I could use some sort of routine for my own sense of security. With regards to singing, I haven’t taken a summer off from singing since I was 8-11 years old and it was a very good experience informing me of how I want to connect to music in the future.

I just got back from a wonderful 4 day weekend trip with my husband to Bar Harbor as a belated 15 year wedding anniversary celebration. It was just wonderful. We biked on the carriage road trails in Acadia National Park, went sea-kayaking, experienced the awe of Thunder hole, took a scenic air flight where my husband got to fly for some of it and we ate LOBSTER to our heart's content! It was a perfect end to a really great summer of learning to listen to my own joy and follow through on it. Combine this trip with an amazing experience living at Kripalu for a week getting a yogadance certification – and I have developed a better perspective of what it means to live life following my joy on a regular basis. I have a better perspective on what it truly important to me and what it feels like to live life from joy so I must say it is easier to make decisions to that end. In some ways, it feels like living life that way is more real to me than the "real world" and I am working on balancing meeting my past responsibilities and obligations yet at the same time forging new paths in directions more meaningful to me.

This all may seem so cryptic but suffice it to say, the old me would let things drop and run away to fresh starts and new beginnings OR make plans impossible to accomplish in limited times. This newer me is making new beginnings from better perspectives and allowing myself time to transition.

So here I am at September. Theme for SEPTEMBER:
"New Beginnings with Better Perspectives and TIME TO TRANSITION"

*HEALTH: My daily mantra - “I am healthy. I am wealthy. I am grateful for my good health and abundance of wealth. I love my body with daily abhyanga practice and am grateful to break a sweat once a day in joyful activity.”
*EARTH: My daily mantra – “I am grateful and love to eat my small portion of light food from earth's bountiful harvest of fresh food and water. I delight in fresh fruit and vegetables prepared a variety of ways and drinking eight glasses of water a day.”

*MARRIAGE: We separately write down our 5 year vision/plans and share them with each other
*CHILDREN/CREATIVITY: I am grateful and love to spend an hour a week exploring my inner artist through dance and playing my new ukelele
*BENEFACTORS/TRAVEL: I am grateful and accept help in developing my yogadance business
*CAREER: *I set up plans to teach one yogadance class in October. I prepare to sing and play ukulele for Christmas tips. I fulfill my previous singing obligations by singing 9/11 Memorial Mozart Requiem, completing a benefit concert for King’s Chapel, planning a Christmas recital at King’s Chapel, singing at High Holy Days. WHEW!
*KNOWLEDGE: I am grateful and love knowing and tracking my meals and expenses
*FAMILY: *I complete scanning the photos from our early childhood
*WEALTH/HOME: *I am grateful and love the success and safety of our alley sale that brings in extra cash and de-clutters our home
*FAME/SUCCESS: I am grateful and love that my skills and talents are highly regarded and sought after with requests to teach yogadance in the future