Yoga Yoga Yoga

So, I finally got around to finding a physical activity that I enjoy and will be motivated to continue. I actually have done yoga before and knew that I liked it. The problem was that I could never find a place that I could afford and that was in a could location with a convenient schedule. This was until I found Black Swan Yoga. Now, I know the name sounds scary, but the yoga studio came before the movie! Anyways, they are a yoga studio instead of a gym that offers yoga classes. This is great because instead of working my schedule around when classes are offered, I can take a class around my schedule, since they have classes all day long every day. Another great thing about this place is that it is a donation based studio. They suggest $10-$15 if you can afford it, but understand some people can't and ask only for what you can give. I have been giving about $5 per class on average and that is perfect! The location of the studio is on 5th street by Whole Foods, which is really close to where I work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It takes me no time to get there after work, and by the time I am done with the class, 5 o'clock traffic is gone! AND if I want, I can walk over to Whole Foods afterwards and grab a salad.

So far I have taken two classes, Vinyasa (Vinyasa means “to flow” and also “to link postures together”. In this class, you’ll do both as you breathe, and move in a conscious dance from pose to pose. Longer holds are added to build endurance and deep stretches keep you flexible and strong.) and Hatha+ (Hatha yoga plus a little more at the end. A little yin yoga, holding stretches for longer periods of time. Perfect balance to the yang part of class.) Both of these kicked my butt! You really do stretch muscles you normally never stretch and tense muscles you normally never tense. Yoga is such a disciplined practice, which I love, but it takes a ton of concentration and control over your whole body. By the end of the class, you feel like you had a full body massage... until the next day when you are super sore! But I know the difficulties will pass as I go to more and more classes. Overall, I am SO excited!

Next week my yoga schedule is:

Monday: Sweaty Yoga (Mix of Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga in a heated room. Enjoy the music, breathing, and have a great time.)
Tuesday: Sweaty Yoga
Wednesday: Vinyasa
Friday: Power Yoga (This is a class for the vinyasa student looking to get their sweat on.)

 Tonight is date night with a nice meal at The Grille at Rough Hollow and then an evening showing of The Hangover 2!

over and out.

Real Beauty

I want to talk about beauty for a little bit, and I want to be totally transparent and honest as I do so. I have struggled my whole life with seeing myself as something beautiful that God created and truly worthy of the word "beautiful". I have gone from eating my insecurities, to starving myself in the name of eliminating the insecurity. I've had people criticize me for not being thin enough, and many many people criticize me for being too thin. I've had mild to moderate acne my whole life, never enough to take drastic measures, but enough to not remember a single day when I was zit free. I've been a health freak vegetarian that works out, to a lazy, eat whatever is cheapest kind of girl. I also have a really bad habit of chopping every last inch of my hair off, which definitely has not aided me in my desire to feel feminine and pretty. And although I have put myself through all this for most of my life, it breaks my heart every time I see another absolutely beautiful girl treating herself as if she isn't inherently beautiful, as if she has a million and one things to prove until she deserves "beautiful".

What do you think makes someone beautiful?

At the risk of sounding totally cliche, I think beauty is a heart issue. Loving yourself is beauty. When you love yourself, you love others better. When you love yourself, you can love others simply to love them, instead of loving them so you can get some love back. When you love yourself, you want to treat your body well by eating healthy (both food and the amount of food) and being active. When you love yourself, you want to treat your skin well, keeping it clean and well moisturized. Beauty doesn't come in the form of makeup, hair colors and styles, the size and shape of your clothes, and definitely not in a lack of clothes. Because none of those things are showcasing you as the beautiful person that you are. When you love yourself, you want to do things that make you happy, which leads you to being passionate about something, which makes you beautiful. Your passions are outlets to utilize the characteristics that are beautiful about you. Loving yourself gives you absolutely no excuse to be mean to others. Loving yourself motivates and empowers you to help others love themselves. That is what makes someone beautiful.

When do you feel most beautiful?
I feel the most beautiful whenever I am doing something I am passionate about. Be it painting, doing photography, reading or really enjoying my education, or simply living missionally for God. Whenever I am doing something that I love, that I can accomplish to the best of my ability, with my whole heart, I see the purpose God has for my life. I see the reasons why He created me, and that makes me feel like the beautiful hands of God that I am. That we all are.
 

How do you deal with the pressure for body perfection in our culture?
This is something I have struggled with a lot. As I discussed earlier, I went from being slightly bigger than other girls my age at the beginning of highschool, to being way too much smaller than other girls my age, to finding my healthy weight and struggling to be happy with that. I also find myself trying to use clothes, makeup, and my hair to feel beautiful and that simply doesn't work. Cute clothes are only fun to wear whenever I am comfortable with my body. Makeup is only fun and expressive whenever I am comfortable in my skin (otherwise it just feels like something I am hiding behind instead of shining through), and new hairstyles aren't a fun change whenever you aren't confident in yourself. Seeking perfection only makes you miserable and leaves you feeling inadequate. Loving yourself for who you are makes you feel beyond worthy of "beautiful".
 

If you could give your younger self advice about beauty, what would it be?
Stop caring what everyone else thinks; stop seeking acceptance from everyone else; treat yourself with all the respect, care, and love that everyone deserves..even you. Don't seek happiness by pleasing others; make yourself truly happy by doing the things you are passionate about.

What’s your one, can’t-live-without-it beauty product?
Hmmmm, mascara. Coats and coats of mascara.


Who is your beauty role model?
My boyfriend. Because on those days whenever I let self degradation take over and convince me that my physical flaws deem me unworthy, he holds my hands and looks into my eyes and tells me I am the most beautiful person in the world. He reminds me of the true reasons why I am beautiful.

over and out.

All Over The Place

Okay, I am posting as a simple distraction from studying for my final final of this semester, this year, and the first half of my college undergraduate carreer. Also, on this mile marker of a day, I worked my first day at a real office, after driving downtown in eight o'clock traffic, for real 9-5 hours, with a real break room, wearing real work clothes, with real co-workers while doing real (assistant) work. Now, yes, I have been working for my Dad since January in a real office. But, as a new business starting, I mostly get to file things, answer phones, and make excel spreadsheets. I don't have co-workers there, and unless my Dad is there doing some phone calls and/or having business conversations with me than it is me, myself, and I. Also, I normally work 3/4 days and only three days a week. Next week, I will be working 40 hours a week a.k.a. FULL TIME. A couple days a week I will be assisting downtown, where I was today. The other days, I will be in my dutiful position at my dad's office. Why might I be working full time? I have three reasons. 1. Experience, 2. I need to save up some serious $$$ before flying off to France, and 3. I have really come to thoroughly enjoy the time I have got to spend with my dad while working for him.

Anyways, back to this mile marker. I woke up this morning, worked a 9-5, and earned as much as a typical living as any average American does in a day. But, then I have to come home and study Art History. Oh yeah, Taelor, you are definitely still in college and not a grown up. It made me both appreciate college and loathe it at the same time. I get much more sporatic free time in between all my classes, work, and homework. But, a real job, for the most part, gives you a guaranteed 5 p.m.- 9 a.m. break every day with a guarenteed two day weekend once a week. Stability is the first word that comes to mind, but then comes repetitiveness. I am not sure if I am ready for that yet. Good thing I still have two more years of undergraduate and three (+) years of law school...


I am trying to pull a life-transforming lesson out of this, but I am too distracted right now. Time to study.

over and out.

random inspiration

Okay, so the post before last was all about the art benefit that my college small group is throwing on June 4. (Email me if you are interested in coming and I'll send you an invite with all the details) Anyways, as I was trying to go to sleep last night, the inspiration for my pieces that I will be painting just popped in my head. Then I proceeded to get more and more excited and had an even harder time falling asleep. I just have the concept in my head and did a few test sketches, but I am pretty solid on what I am doing. I don't want to give too much away, but it definitely involves some techniques I have never tried before, so hopefully I can pull off what I have imagined in my head. I haven't pinpointed what I want to use as my subjects, nor have I decided a color scheme. I am leaning towards things objects that can be black and white yet still have plenty of detail. I will be using photographs, wheat pasting, and acrylic paint on canvas. Right now I think I am leaning towards bicycles for one and an elephant for the other, but musical instruments would work well too. Maybe a bird... I don't know. This post is kind of lacking a solid point, but whatever :)

I'll be posting more information on the benefit soon!

over and out.

Dream Job.

If I could drop out of college and be a full time photographer, I wouldn't. I would finish school, BUT then I definitely would be a full time photographer. I would also totally love doing professional makeup, but that's a whole other year or two of school, which costs money. To be a full time photographer, all I need is a newer, more professional camera (mine is four years old), and one or two nice portrait lenses. That should only set me back about... $3000- $4000, not including updated photoshop (I have the original Lightroom). So, I definitely don't see that happening anytime soon. But, as a free-lance part-time photographer, I am pretty content. Here's a couple pictures from my Senior Portrait Session today...

It certainly helps that Catherine is beautiful...

over and out.