wellness + lifestyle lessons from the mountains

soham | i am the universe

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
-The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry

Have you ever anticipated something for so long, only to scroll longingly through the photos in the aftermath and think to yourself, I can’t believe it’s over?

Those were what my last two weeks consisted of: celebrating a best friend’s marriage in Southern California, visiting with the dogs and the fam, working the Hyde booth at Wanderlust Squaw Valley where we met new friends and reconnected with old ones.

It was an overload of emotions, FUN amidst hard work, and an onslaught of newfound practices and lessons that traveling always has to offer.

Here are a few memorable wellness + lifestyle takeaways that stuck with me from the Sierra Nevada mountains:

• Fear derives from duality, or the mentality of us vs them. The mantra soham translates as “I am He/the universe;” in other words we are all essentially made up of the universe itself. So in reality there is no duality, only that which we individually create and perceive. From the disintegration of duality comes a softening of fear and the result is ease, even if only for a moment.
• Community is key. The Hyde booth wound up serving as a hub for several of our teacher friends to chat, take a break from the sun, practice Iyengar with the chairs or acro on the floor, and of course try on deliciously soft organic cotton clothes. We met sweet customers and realized connections we both shared; we saw old friends and made new ones. We discovered new food vendors and amazing musicians who performed on the stage next to us. I love how the Wanderlust and Hyde communities connected people with one another to celebrate this incredible, worldwide practice; to relate to each other through yoga, food, music, art and nature. Namaste indeed.
• Smile and dance as often as possible. Hyde’s co-owner Brook and I did this several times throughout the weekend, and whenever we did we made new buddies. Another vendor and I even got into a little break dance battle during the High and Mighty Brass Band performance. Smiling and dancing is enjoyable, makes you and others feel good, and needs to be done more often.
• Treat others with the same respect you crave yourself. Because there’s really no point otherwise. When we extend kindness toward others, the outcome is unlimited in potential and joy. I saw this in my friend and her husband as they tied the knot two weeks ago, and that unconditional love was contagious in the best way. Spread the love.
• Get in the grass. Put your feet in the dirt, roll around on the ground, don’t be afraid of nature. It has so much to offer us if we listen.
• Moonbathe. You heard me. Get under the moon and stars whenever you can, look up and explore the unknown, watch the sky the same we we can watch our breath and our body in both stillness and movement. Enjoy the light the moon provides and appreciate the enormousness of the universe, including your valid place in it.
• Shake it out. I took a class with Kevin Courtney and he shared with us a special Qi Gong practice where we shook our whole bodies for about 15-20 minutes. I can’t describe how incredibly cleansing, healing, and relieving it felt to shake out all the unnecessary junk accumulated in the body from various emotional reactions, whether ancient or recent.
• Celebrate where you’re at. We often only celebrate when we reach a goal or milestone. Why not celebrate right now, in this moment, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing? Doesn’t that seem more thoughtful than waiting, holding expectations, perceiving you are only worth a celebration if you achieve something? You’ve achieved enough already and you are worthy of a party just as you are, I promise.
• Remember you’re the only one on this life journey with you. No one else. You be with you, you do you, and love yourself along the way. Accept the mistakes, have compassion for the mishaps and embarrassing moments, breathe the air you’re in right now and feel your beating heart and appreciate your whole Self. Props to Gioconda Parker for this inspiration.

Wanderlust’s Kula Village had some truly excellent vendors, and it was so exciting to see and meet others who are doing big things. Here are some of my favorite people and products:

• Hyde organic cotton yoga apparel, always.
• Goddess Garden organic sunscreen
• Go Macro organic snack bars
• Living Intentions superfood cereals, nuts and seeds
• Imlak’esh Organics – we ate at this food truck at least twice a day, and they sell superfoods to boot.
• Resource Water – if you’re going to buy bottles, look for these made of 100% recycled plastic.
• Body Nutrition Gardenia vegan protein powder
• Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds – I eat these every day, in almost every meal.
• Kombucha Kulture truck
• Lydia’s Organics – another outrageously tasty food truck that also offers clean snacks.

All in all: live and love fully, find what inspires you and stick with it, play and breathe and connect to your Self and others.

What lessons did you learn today, whether from nature or whatever concrete jungle you’re in?

Read the rest of the newsletter for an easy and delicious recipe, good music discovered at Wanderlust, discounts and more.