Bipolar Disorder The Stereotype and Reality

Note: a friend of ours without a blog wrote this post for us - due to the sensitive nature of the topic and its potential impact on her friends and family, she's chosen to remain anonymous.  

To begin this blog post. I think we should at first get the whole "What is bipolar disorder?" question out of the way.

What I also would like to ask of you is to keep an open mind, to throw away your stereotypes and assumptions about bipolar and to keep your judgment and criticisms to yourself.  I promise you, no one living with bipolar is unfamiliar with any criticisms you have.

So, what is bipolar disorder?

“Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings — from feeling overly “high” and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these episodes. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated. At least half of all cases start before age 25. Some people have their first bipolar disorder symptoms during childhood, while others may develop symptoms late in life.” 

– definition from www.bbrfoundation.org

“Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.”

 – definition from www.nimh.nih.gov

These descriptions are very accurate, but unfortunately there isn’t much information out there regarding how what it feels like to live your life with a bipolar disorder.

Life with Bipolar is hard. Very hard. 

The fact that there are so many negative stereotypes out there and very disrespectful & degrading memes doesn’t make it any easier. In fact, it makes it so much harder for people to understand and have some sort of compassion for this medical condition.

That's the first thing everyone has to realize -- that this is indeed a medical condition – one that needs treatment and understanding.

I most likely had bipolar tendencies throughout my entire childhood and early teens, traumatic circumstances in my teens lead to it going from tendencies to real, full blown bipolar.

Often, I thought I was just depressed because for the most part my mood was stable – or so I foolishly thought.

I had wonderful highs when the world was so rich and colorful, everything was amazing and nothing could dim my shine, then I had normal days like everyone else with little ups and downs – normal life.

BUT then I had deep downs. And I don’t mean just little deep downs, I had deep downs that made me question if I wouldn't be better off dead because I am a waste of precious oxygen and my mere existence is so hopeless and awful that I am no good to anyone and in fact just ruin their lives too, hold them back from being happy, dragging them down with me.

In my teens I was at times so incredibly high on happiness that I probably thought I could fly – those were the days when I partied straight for several days without sleep without a care in the world.

I rode in cars with drunk people, I balanced on the balustrade of bridges; heck, we even build a mini race car out of a child toy and attached a 6PS engine to a frame that weight in at about 25kg.

All in all, wonderful, wild teen memories and amazing stories to tell on a bonfire night – except for the part that I felt invincible while doing this. When I was on a mood high, I had no real consideration of possible consequences and dangers. To me the world was just one big playground and I was some happy superhero that no one and nothing could harm.

Boy was I wrong and somehow I got so lucky that I made it through that without getting seriously injured.

Now, let’s talk about the days when I felt normal.

Those were my favorites because those were the days when I thought I actually fit in and I can manage my day to day life just perfectly. I made the best decisions during those days and I was actually in control of myself. My decisions were rational and I was able to control my emotions – the most difficult part when living with bipolar disorder.

But then the downs came again, and let me tell you, they aren’t a joke.

I can’t even count how many times in my life I was on the verge of committing suicide – some of these situations were before I was even 10 years old.

There were also situations where, out of being overwhelmed with negative emotions that I couldn’t control, I actually followed through with some version of those plans about taking my life and the wonderful picture I painted in my mind of everyone else being relieved I was gone and myself finding peace within the nothingness of the universe.

I was an excessive cutter during those times. Not for attention, the way it is often portrayed (believe me, I was incredibly good at hiding this, no one knew this side of me until I was almost 15).

I did it to see the blood; to see that I was not dead yet, that I haven’t given up just yet. “One more day. I can hold on one day longer” is what I told myself during those times.

Now, that I have finally gotten help and treatment for my problems I am so incredibly happy that none of those attempts reached their goal and that I managed to hold on.

As an adult and a mom my highs were thank goodness not too extreme but I still had days or sometimes even weeks where I was high energy, and the world was so much brighter. We did a lot of trips to the zoo and parks, I bought myself clothes and nice things that weren’t really in my budget.

Most of those days I was running on 3-4 hours of sleep,spent more money than I wanted and bounced through the house starting 50 projects in the same day and finished none of them in the end. It was a happy, overwhelmingly positive disaster waiting to escalate or ruin my finances for life.

The normal days weren’t that much different from the normal days in my teens. Just that I was a parent now, and on those days I was able to handle being a young parent incredibly well. No matter how stressful the day, I was able to respond to any challenge in a reasonable and controlled manner. My emotions weren’t an uncontrollable roller coaster and I knew exactly what I did.

Then the downs, again. Those were the days when I didn’t have any energy anymore. When I went to bed at 6pm and when the alarm clock woke me up at 6am, I ended up calling in sick to work, because I feared if I get up I would just pass out or crumble to pieces.

Those days were followed by feeling too ugly to be alive, feeling like the happenings of my past were so bad and damaged me so badly that no one could ever love me – I felt hopeless and wanted to give up.

But the big and main problem here was that I was a parent. I had to keep it together.

Everyone who ever suffered from depression knows that “keeping it together” when we must feels like walking over broken glass while being blasted with a flame thrower.

It was so incredibly hard to resist the urge to just take my child / children and drop them off with family / friends and drive with the car into the nearest wall to put an end to my useless being and save them from having such a horrible parent.

When I look back at those situations I am scared because of all the bad things that could’ve been, but I am also a little proud because I managed to not endanger my children – which I now realize must’ve been some sort of miracle.

But even then, I was struggling so hard that I went back to the cutting for a while and once you have a child, hiding this isn’t that easy anymore and you constantly worry about someone seeing this and taking your child away or your child seeing it and being traumatized.

I got myself help at that point because as a mom, I couldn’t go around like that anymore.

The saddest part about this all was that I didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone about it. I was scared to be judged, and in the past a lot of times, people in my life that I tried to explain it to told me to “just pull it together”, “you’re probably just getting your period”, “get over yourself” or “I don’t even care anymore. There’s no winning with you and I don’t want to deal with it/you anymore”.

Those things are like a knife to the heart, especially when they come from people that you trust and that you thought would understand and help you.

When you suffer from a mental illness, there’s no “just pull yourself together” and it is about time that we recognize those things and help people with those struggles.

All those stereotypes and all the judgment out there is one big reason why so many people who are suffering from such disorders don’t get help.

So please - if you take away nothing else from reading this, stop the stereotyping and the stupid comments. You never know who’s suffering from a mental disorder, but hasn’t “come out” yet.

When someone you know does come out, treat them with respect, dignity and take them seriously. Playing it all down doesn’t help anyone, it just makes it worse for the ones who struggle and it already hard enough for them to admit that there is something wrong with them.

Getting help was tough. 

It starts with admitting that something is very, very wrong with yourself and fixing yourself isn’t an option anymore.  That's not an easy thing to accept, especially in a culture where we're told we can do anything if we only want it enough, and needing help is a sign of weakness.

The first time I got myself help for these problems was one big fat failure. I lied to my therapist, got the wrong meds, gave up on it and struggled another five years with trying to keep myself under control.

It worked out more or less fine for a while, but January this year I was at my breaking point. I had the biggest down in years and I was so desperate and hurt that I all I wanted was to get better, to get a hold of myself and seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

I’d been seeing my therapist at this point for over two years, but this was the first time that I was honest to him about how I really feel.

Of course I wasn’t able to fool him. He knew what was going on for longer than I did but I can tell you, I felt amazing finally, letting it out. Admitting my struggles and being told that there is hope, but that meds would be my best bet at this points.

Meds…pills…chemicals... pharmaceuticals
…I hated the idea.

I’ve always hated the idea of this option, but I had to admit that after trying to deal with bipolar disorder for over a decade without meds I was at the end of that road.

So I got a referral to a psychiatrist.

It was bad. I didn’t trust her, I hated how she read the diagnosis and how she pronounced each one of my failures and flaws. I couldn’t stand it and definitely didn’t want to talk to her about it.

Once that part was over, she asked me a series of questions and I was able to somewhat explain myself.

Then we talked about treatment and she discussed with me different options of medications, pointed out the pros and cons of each one, the side effects and how I might react to them (not everyone reacts to the same medication the same way!).

I was still breastfeeding and the side effects didn’t just apply to me, so it was really a tough decision to make. But I made that decision to give it a try.

And that was the changing point. I took control of the mess that was my life and changed it. I got very, very lucky that the first medication I tried worked.

I was on an incredibly low dose and felt so very much better. Then we increased just to see on what dose I would be the most stable. Again, another improvement. Then we increased again to see if we could still improve, but it didn’t work. I had bad side effects such as very bad headaches, anxiety attacks and tremors.

So we decreased again and I am fine.

All it took was a very, very low dose of the right medication to improve my life so drastically, I don’t even know I’ve ever been that good, balanced and in control before.

I still have ups and downs, but everyone has them. I am still moody on some days, which is normal for humans to have such days, and I still get angry & frustrated when things don’t go my way.

But I can handle it now. I don’t feel like having to kill myself because a plan doesn’t work out & I don’t have highs that I can’t control.

For the first time in my life I feel “normal” – not the boring kind of normal but the I am in control of my emotions normal.

For the days when I wake up with a bad attitude, or don’t feel too positive, I go on a walk or work out. It helps me get my mind off of things and refocus on what’s important & needs to get done. This also improved my self-esteem a lot and how I see my body.

If you’re struggling with a mental illness, please get yourself help. It is a big step and it isn’t easy but in the long run it will make your life so much better!

Friendship Break-Ups - Painful But Sometimes Necessary

This is a tough subject to write about but I am pretty sure everyone reading this has had a friendship break-up at some point.

Making friends isn’t easy or for quite a few people, it doesn't come naturally. Making friends that are worth keeping - I don’t think that one is easy for anyone, and it takes a lot of courage to make sure your friendship relationships are healthy and positive.   Sometimes, we wind up making friends with people who aren't right for us, rather than go without. Sometimes, circumstances change for one or both people in a friendship, and the relationship simply doesn't survive.

When it comes to this subject I can only speak about my own, personal experience with it but I am sure everyone has some similar stories to tell.

Due to my husband being in the military, I’ve made many, many “friends” in a fairly short time, but a lot of them never made it on to my keeper list. A lot of them were toxic, “fake”, dishonest, drama-addicted or had a negative influence on myself, my family and my environment.

I think this happens a lot when many people - some barely into adulthood - are put together in stressful environment far away from their own family and friend network. (Remember that first day in a new school? It's like that, magnified!)

So, while military family life can make for some really important and special friendships, it also leads to several not so great connections that need to be dealt with.

So what exactly is a friendship?

I think each one of us defines friendships and true friendships a little differently or has some sort of modifications to the general definition, but let’s just stick with the basics for now:

YourDictionary defines it as:

“The definition of friendship is a relationship between people who like each other and enjoy each others company. An example of friendship is when you have a buddy with whom you like to do things.”

This seems to hit the nail on the head as a good start. It’s definitely someone whose company you enjoy, have things in common with, share in some of the same activities and, in many cases, someone you trust with very personal details, struggles and problems.

That last one is where things can get complicated. Often you don’t want those things to become public at all.
It's where friendship goes from being about 'buddies' and moves into the realm of confidante. That vulnerability not only brings people closer, it can also make things much more painful if they don't work out.

Because even the best friendships tend to have some issues at some point, the important question to ask as you move into a more intimate relationship with a friend and find yourself experiencing difficulties is:

- are these problems worth investing the energy needed to resolve them or is it better to just move on?

I think everyone needs to answer that question for themselves.

Just as you would assess a romantic involvement, you want  to make sure you're not ending it at first sign of conflict without trying to find a solution, but on the other hand, you don't want to hang in there past the point where it is clear that something you cannot accept is a part of the relationship that isn't going to change.

A big part of that has to do with how much time and effort you've already put in, and the nature of the conflict itself.

So what are some of those things that cause friendship problems?

There are many things that can cause conflict in a friendship, but here are some of the ones that seem very common:

Misunderstandings:
These happen to the best of us and are often easy to clear up by just simply talking to each other openly.

Talking bad or gossiping behind the other persons back:
Ugh, am I the only one who is soooo tired of this kindergarten drama?

This one seems to happen a lot. It’s so painful when you hear that the person you trust is talking badly about you but doesn’t even have the balls to tell you in person what it is that bothers them so much about you.

So, you can't even consider fixing it, and meanwhile they are poisoning your trust and damaging your reputation.   If you have a friend who often brings you gossip about other people you know, think hard about this - it's almost a sure thing that they're doing the same thing  to you.

Yes, you heard that advice in Middle High School. It still applies as an adult.

Toxic personalities:
This is a tough one to explain but I am sure we all have encountered a toxic person at some point in our life.

Toxic people tend to have a trail of drama following them around. At the beginning they make themselves sound like they are amazing people, but end up being extremely needy, only caring about themselves and their own needs/wants, and often manipulate, control or use others to get what they want.

They also like to criticize but don’t offer any kind of solution.  They also like to present their problems to you for 'advice' but  then criticize and knock down everything you offer - and before you know it, another couple hours have been spent talking about their life, and you're too exhausted to notice that they didn't care to hear a thing about yours that didn't lead straight back to being about themselves.

I like to describe them as the wolf that hides under the sheep skin. All in all, not the person anyone should have or want in their lives.

Dishonesty:
Honesty isn’t always easy, yet lying has never really gotten anyone very far in life (okay, this may be debatable but we are talking about everyday people here and not politicians ;) ). I think for cases like that, it always depends what they are dishonest with and how long the trail of lies is and how extensive.

Some lies - aka “white” lies are forgivable and someone can apologize for them and move on, but some dishonest behaviors are unforgivable. Everyone has to draw that line for themselves.
 
At this point I would like to share a personal story/experience:
(!!child loss trigger warning!!)

I had a friend that I met, and we became very fast very close. And I don’t mean “sharing a lot” – close, I mean “I’ll trust you to watch my kids” – close. Trusting someone with my kids is a very big deal to me.

Long story short: Among  the many confidences we shared, this person talked about how she was pregnant many, many times, each and every single one resulting in some sort of dramatic miscarriage – one even ended as late term stillbirth a few months after her family moved away from where we were stationed.

Obviously, I felt deeply for her situation and grew to be very protective of her.

Well, here’s the thing:

.... a few weeks after she'd talked about the stillbirth, her father in law made a public post on Facebook accusing her (and his son) of scamming and lying about her having been pregnant at all.

As her friend I, of course, jumped on that post and was defending her ferociously, until I saw the proof that he was able to provide about the situation.

This was a big shocker. Like, earthquake level shock.

There was actual real life proof out there about her lying about those horrible & tragic events (which had elicited tons of support, sympathy, and yes, actual gifts to help the family get through it), and all of a sudden I realized that everything she'd ever told me about her miscarriages and the stillbirth (after which she even got the planned child's name tattooed on her body!!) did not add up at all.

As someone who had miscarriages before, I was devastated over this. I never knew people would be so cruel to lie about things like that.

But those people are out there.

I gave her a chance to explain herself, which resulted in another completely made up story that didn’t match up at all.

So I broke up with her.

The good old drama addict:
I was one of these earlier in life myself (shame on me for that one, but hey, people can actually grow out of that!).

These are the ones that always have to start some kind of drama. Often very, very childish and completely unjustified drama.

Some do it to be the center of attention, some do it to “fit in” with another group or clique, some are bored out of their minds and have nothing better to do.

There are also the ones who just like to victimize themselves to get empathy (see my story above!) and others just do it because they can’t live without it.

I personally can’t stand it anymore and have a no tolerance policy when it comes to that. You start unnecessary drama and you instantly lose the privilege to my friendship.

I guess sometimes it can be forgiven but you need to decide that for yourself. I have come to realize that this isn’t healthy for me and that a lot of those drama-mamas are toxic people, gossips, and liars.

Negative influences
Sometimes you meet very nice people – or so you think – but it turns out they have a negative influence on yourself, your partner/family and your direct environment.

Those are the ones that bring the nasty in us out, whose comments about our partners make us question our relationships and their intentions, the ones that have to influence everything and everyone in a negative way.  Often, they'll work to remove you from your other friendships as well.

I like to say those are also the “dare” friends and the ones who like to tell you if you don’t do something you aren’t “cool” or make fun of you if you decide you don’t want to do something (for example: drink more at a party than you want to, etc).

People with a negative influence often affect your entire environment and your relationship before you even realized it's happened.

Disagreements:
We all have them, but the key is how you deal with them. Can the two of you find a compromise? Can one of you change their opinion about the matter - or at least can you agree to disagree without harm?

Often this one can be resolved unless it involves fundamental violations.  And even where it can't be resolved, it doesn't mean one person or the other is to blame - it may simply be a barrier that precludes continuing to be involved closely.

There are many more things that can cause trouble and there are always individual situations that don't fall into any specific category.

So, how to cut someone loose?

Sometimes we are rash in our decision to end a friendship, and regret it later, so I always like to take a little to think about if there’s a chance to make up or to establish boundaries that allow the friendship to continue in a more healthy way.

My dealbreaker involves core principles: If you have strong core principles regarding what is acceptable within a principle and they get violated in a deep way, or repeatedly, a come-back is often just another disappointment waiting to happen, but again, your life – your decisions.  You know what you can accept and you need to respect that.

You're also not doing your friend any favors leading them to believe you can put up with something you know in your heart you can't.

As to how to go about ending a friendship. I personally tend to go the direct way and tell people why I don’t want to hang out anymore or why they aren’t welcome around my family or me anymore. (and we are talking about friendships, not acquaintances - for loose social relationships, the easiest and kindest way to proceed is to simply stop being overly available. There should be no reason you can't engage in social niceties when you are in the same place, without allowing it to go any deeper than that.)

To me friendship is a privilege and not everyone deserves this privilege or gets to keep it.  That said, if you speak your truth, expect to be willing and able to hear theirs as well - like any serious relationship, most friendships that are problematic have issues on both sides.

But some like the whole “making excuses” route that avoids the possibility of confrontation. It’s really what you’re comfortable with and often it depends in the situation.  Sometimes, you are so done that there is no need or desire to rehash anything.  At other times, you may find yourself deciding that not making the situation hostile will give you more confidence that  the other person will resist breaking confidences you've shared out of revenge. (But if you're breaking up because that's what they do, there's little point in worrying about it.)

How does it feel to break up with a friend?
It hurts. Depending on how close you were it hurts a whole bunch.

If it was more like an acquaintance, then it usually passes fast but if it was one of those “close”, “true” or “important to me” kind of friends then it’s more like ending a relationship with someone you’ve grown to love.  Because, really, that's what it is.

I honestly think that the one that gets broken up with doesn’t hurt as much as the one who has to take the step to cross someone out of their life – at least that’s my experience.

If the friend was a closer one, then you will also miss them, no matter how bad the bad part was. Sometimes you randomly think about them or a situation reminds you and then it feels like ripping off a band aid.

But sometimes it is necessary!

There’s not much worse than bad friends who use you and hold you back; who don’t help you grow.

Why keep them around and grant them the privilege of your company and friendship?
Why invest your time & energy in someone who wouldn’t do the same for you?

Seriously! Ask yourself those questions!

Relationships are a taking and giving that should be balanced – this applies to friendships just as much as it does to healthy family and romantic attachments.

Breaking up isn’t easy and no one ever said it would be.

It doesn’t always have to be a permanent break-up, but think twice before you jump right back into a friendship that has been toxic and disappointing to you.

I’ve broken up with quite a few people in the past few years, but all it did was help me grow and meet the right people.

That's the thing I've discovered - bad friendships suck up all the energy and well being you need to find and maintain good friendships.

And good friendships are a crucial part of a thriving, happy life!

A Breathing Exercise that Will Transform Your Day

How do you feel as you wake up and begin your day? Are you overwhelmed by everything surrounding you or are you calm, ready for a new day?

How do you feel as the demands begin falling on your shoulders? Are you tense or ready to enjoy each task?

I’m guessing most of us are overwhelmed, tense, and stressed for a good portion of our day. Why is this? What’s the key to finding a peaceful, calm foundation to live by? You have the answer, you have the power to change, and it’s available to you at any time for free!

So what’s the answer to a calm, happy life? Your breath.

It’s true, I know it sounds so simple and easy that it can’t be effective but it is. Let’s look at how powerful breathing is.

Mindful Breathing Corrects Posture

When you take that deep breath in you immediately correct your posture. With correct posture you reduce & eliminate bodily pains. The most common areas of pain include back, neck, and shoulder.

Breathing becomes easier when you maintain good posture. Combining good posture with a deep breath and you will feel the pain leave.

The more pain you release the more your muscle balances can correct and eliminate future injuries.

When you slouch you lose your core muscles and you prevent good digestion. There’s no need for 1000 sit ups when you have the opportunity to maintain good posture throughout your day. Your core’s endurance becomes off the charts.

Correcting your posture improves your muscle tone, flattens the stomach and improves your confidence, body image and self esteem. If you slouch, you are suppressing your stomach and colon preventing good digestion.

Mindful Breathing Establishes a Mind-Body Connection

When you breathe deeply you give yourself the opportunity to feel your breath, feel what your body is holding on to and where, and feel where your mind is distracted. As you connect your movement to your breath it becomes more mindful. As you connect your breath to your thoughts you decide what really matters.

Mindful Breathing Creates Positive Change

With a few deep breaths you can change the moment you are in, your day, and your entire day. With every inhale you can manifest. With every exhale you can release.

The sort of breathing I am speaking of doesn't need to be difficult - I've created a free guided video for this breathing exercise. Are you ready to enjoy the benefits of breathing through your day?

Visit: A Breathing Exercise that Will Transform Your Day.

As you continue to practice your breathing, give yourself an advanced challenge to see where you are at. Just for fun, choose the longest line at the bank or the grocery store. Breathe slowly and pay attention to your bodily sensations. Put those waiting times to work for you, instead of regarding them as the enemy as you rush to the next thing.

Do you use mindful breathing as a part of your wellness routine?

Review: ProYog Yoga Wear

When you mention the word yoga, you instantly have my attention. My journey in yoga began 10 plus years ago. Proyog’s line of yoga wear is designed for serious practitioners.

Would I call myself a serious practitioner? I have a toddler and I’m continuing my yoga practice the best I can. I teach a yoga class to my fellow mom’s two days a week, and practice yoga more off the mat than on the mat. Toddlers teach you to be more present than ever and remind you the only thing you have control over is how you react.

So am I a serious practitioner? I feel I am, much of my life is lived through what yoga has taught me.

Aside from yoga, I am a very active person. I exercise daily, am training for my third marathon, lead a mom’s workout group, keep up with a toddler, and embrace everything outdoors. The majority of my wardrobe is active gear. For the first time in many years, I now own one pair of jeans - I prefer active wear, and everyone is shocked when they see me not in it. Most of my clothing is form fitting.

When I was browsing Proyog’s website, their dhoti pants instantly caught my attention. I have always wanted a pair of pants in this style. I was beyond excited for the opportunity to finally try them.   
I love that this clothing comes from India. Yoga originates in India and until I one day get to travel their myself this is my little piece of the heart of yoga. 



I received the Vira Dhoti Pants in India Ink Black ($65.00) and Mala Comfort Tee Salmon ($45.00). I could not wait to put them on! As soon as I did I was instantly inspired to put on music and flow. These clothes are so comfortable you can pretty much say it’s all I want to wear.

Proyog advertises that their clothing is not too tight and not too loose. I absolutely agree. The majority of my clothing is tight because it is the easiest to exercise in. While practicing my yoga flow I never once felt like I needed to adjust or mess with my clothing. I’ve been in so many yoga classes where the teacher encourages us not to mess with your clothing, wipe the sweat off, or be distracted. Let’s acknowledge it, it’s annoying when you are constantly messing with your clothes. You don’t have to worry about that with Proyog clothing.

Check out my video of me going through a yoga session while wearing my Proyog apparel - see how organically it moves with me?

Prolog’s size chart is helpful and accurate for their clothing when you are deciding on which size is right for you.

Proyog’s focus in their design is

“Naturally breathable, Proyog is meant to liberate. To free the body so the mind can focus. Soft and stretchable, neither too tight nor too loose, Proyog moves along with the body as you breathe in and out of asanas. Our purpose is pure and simple. The perfect yoga wear can distill your yoga experience” 

I completely agree and look forward to every practice in my Proyog clothing.

“Proyog’s trademarked HYPERBREATH™ fabric is non-restrictive and designed in a way that the practitioner is barely aware of its presence. 

It draws from cotton and modal, two of nature’s most breathable fibers. A proprietary blend of fiber, yarn and fabric structure, HYPERBREATH™ offers all the airiness and comfort serious yoga practice deserves. ORGANIC COTTON ELASTANE JERSEY and ORGANIC COTTON MODAL JERSEY” 

Along with Proyog’s attention to creating a high quality product, their focus is on Creating a harmonious ecosystem for people, society and the planet, as a whole through their product production.

The Proyog webiste's "Save Yoga" page has a really interesting explanation of the importance - for ourselves and for the planet - of practicing yoga in natural materials rather than synthetic.  According to ProYog:

"Did you know that most people are unaware that they are wearing plastic or PET fabrics for yoga? In an extensive study done by us, we found that 9 out of 10 yoga practitioners in US and Canada are wearing clothing made of polyester and nylon!” 

Proyog apparel can be online via their website.  Order over $100 receive free shipping.

If you're ready to add Proyog apparel to your yoga wear, they are offering a 15% discount to our readers from now through January 25th.  Just enter PROYOG15 at checkout.

https://proyog.com/

https://www.facebook.com/proyogindia

https://twitter.com/DoYouYog

Is 2016 Your Year?

We all know January is the time for a New Year, A New You, and New Years Resolutions.

Do you remember what your resolutions were last year? Did you achieve them? If you didn’t achieve your 2015 revolutions or don’t even remember them, don’t worry - you’re not alone.

So how can you make 2016 different? Find something that is so inspiring to you, you are filled with the drive to make change happen. Every time you find yourself putting your goals on the back burner return to your inspiration to push through that wall.

So what inspires you? How do you find that thing which will help you become that person you’ve always dreamed of?

Over a year ago, we were in a transition time of leaving Hawaii and moving to California. One day I was driving the car around to get my 2 year old son to take a nap. I saw Jim Carrey's Commencement Address at the 2014 MUM (Maharishi University of Management) Graduation and was interested. I played it in the car as I drove, which was great because I had no other distractions and could fully listen. Within minutes I was completely absorbed in his words.


You can listen to the full speech here:

Here are a few of my favorite parts:

“Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much. You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts, worrying about your pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happening here, and the decisions we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear.”

“You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

“Everything you gain in life will rot and fall apart, and all that will be left of you is what was in your heart.”

“Your job is not to figure out how it’s going to happen for you, but to open the door in your head and when the doors open in real life, just walk through it. Don’t worry if you miss your cue. There will always be another door opening. They keep opening.”

For me this speech always re inspires me on how to follow my passion. My 2016 goal is to focus on my small business; inspiring and helping others to live a active, healthy, and happy life.

This speech may not be what inspires you to change your lifestyle, set new years resolutions, or achieve your resolutions. But there is something out there that will. So start searching and live your life to the fullest.

What will you achieve in 2016?

Review/Giveaway: Dive in Deck

Dive in Deck: 33 Cards to Ignite & Inspire Deeper Dialogue.

I am very excited to share this wonderful little inspiration / conversation sparker deck with you!  According to their website:

Dive In Deck is like a cosmic permission slip to put down your devices and DIVE IN to deep and meaningful connection with your Self and others. Each unique conversation card features an igniting question or statement paired with inspiring visual art, serving as an access point for inquiry & exploration. There are no rules, every answer is right, and evolution is totally allowed. Choose a card and DIVE IN!”

This is right up my alley of interest! I’ve been saying for years how hard it is for me to engage in “the normal” conversations. And these cards offer the sort of inspiration for deep dialogue on the sort of topics that get me charged up. Sign me up!!!


The deck is a collaboration between the Heather, Jessie, and Kristina, three ladies who are ambassadors in the Connection Revolution.

I would love to sit around a fire with them and go through these cards. I love sharing conversations with like minded people and find such deep discussion empowers us to follow what is next for each of us. I believe daily conversation should lift us up, inspire us, and challenge us to do something better. You can’t say the daily gossip or drama quite does that.

There are endless ways these cards could be used. On their page, several ideas are listed, including:

• SPICE UP YOUR DATE NIGHT
• MAKE A NEW PAL
• GO DEEPER WITH A BESTIE
• MEDITATE ALONE OR TOGETHER
• BRING THEM TO THE PARTAAY!
• ENLIVEN A ROAD TRIP
• INSPIRE A JOURNAL ENTRY
• IGNITE FAMILY DINNER CONVO
• SKYPE AND CONNECT LONG-DISTANCE
• KICK OFF A BUSINESS MEETING

Over the last few weeks, I've used them for:

• Personal meditation
• Journaling
• The daily question at the Momma and Kiddo workout I lead
• A surprise random act of kindness note on two of my friends door steps
• Around the fire conversations

Dive in Deck comes in a cute, easily transported, durable case. The cards are all different and inspiring in their unique ways. One may resonate with you more than others do at any given time. That’s the great thing - pick a card and if it’s not right you have an abundance of choices.

I want to share with you how the cards inspired me and can inspire you. This was a journal entry that I found very meaningful and worth further thought:

“What adventure would you embark upon if there were no limitations?” 

I’m a small business owner in the making, stay at home mom/work at home mom plus volunteering 20 hours a week inspiring other moms. The adventure I would embark upon if there were no limitations is never owning a home or car and traveling the world to inspire others through movement and food.

Why am I not doing this? Is it fear? Am I not ready to take a risk? I haven’t quite figured it all out yet but I know what I want and now I know I can focus on how to get there.

“When do you feel most empowered?”

I feel most empowered after a great workout whether its a long run or yoga class, reading an inspiring non fiction book, or surrendering into a yoga training, festival, or retreat. I now know when I’m feeling like I need a reboot to choose one of these activities to spark the fire.

January is coming and this means it is a new year, a new you.

I’ve been working in the wellness industry for eight years now. I know January is the month most of us are focused on changing who we are and where we want to be. The Dive In Deck is a great tool to help you get there.

With the ladies I help, I plan to use these cards to ignite some deeper conversation and spike some motivation to make it past that point where most give up on their “New Year’s Resolution” and are back to where they have been for years.

The Dive in Deck brings back meaningful conversations, with yourself, your family and friends, your children and organizations.Order your Dive in Deck on their website for $20 and see where it leads you!
  
“You know that feeling you get in your soul when you experience face-to-face, heart-to-heart, meaningful connection with someone through conversation? It's just so... good. But in a world where "likes" and text messages have become the communication standard, we often fall into a pattern of small talk and meaningless chatter, boring our minds and isolating our souls. It happens. We totally get it.” 


We're very happy to be able to offer one of these decks to one of our US readers - keep reading to see how you can enter to win one of your own!

http://www.diveindeck.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DiveInDeck


https://www.instagram.com/DiveInDeck/

https://twitter.com/DiveInDeck

https://www.pinterest.com/DiveInDeck

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpcHK0IQ3F6cxsSumEgLUtQ

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter below, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!) This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY and will end just before midnight ET on 1-12-16.

The winner will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winner has responded and confirmed, their first name will be posted on our Giveaways page.

Good luck everyone!

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