Hip Tranquil Chick by Kimberly Wilson

This was such a fun book to read, about being a woman who lives her own life, makes her own choices, creates her own destiny and does all that with a sense of flare while practicing yoga on and off the mat. Whew! Saying all that in one sentence is a ton of work; imagine doing it all, as this author did! It is truly inspiration for every woman. (And also a bit nerve wrecking…as I contemplate how can I do it all?!?!)

BREATH ~ BREATH ~ BREATH …….ahhh

 “How extraordinary to actually spend time connecting to the body, surrendering the mind, pushing the edges of comfort, while also honoring limitations.” ~ pg2

I really enjoyed reading these words, I know I’ve heard this in so many different ways, from different teachers or books and each time it reminds me of how amazing it is to be able to spend time with ourselves, honoring our efforts and challenging ourselves in a safe environment. It’s OK to be a little selfish …for the right reasons. I’m not sure when it was instilled in me, but I’ve always tended to underplay the importance of myself, and overplayed the happiness of others. Yoga is a way for me to even out the taking for the self and the giving for others.

Explore Creativity in the Everyday

I enjoy how the author provides so many ideas of how to interject creativity in the everyday, to avoid the mundane minutia of life. I’ve been noticing myself since reading this book to randomly day dream about ways to be creative in my career…which I have been finding extremely difficult in my chosen path of accounting. After all, ‘creative accounting’, in some forms can be illegal. This idea is definitely something I am still exploring….at a minimum I know my color coded spreadsheets that I am famous for at work and with my family proves that I have creativity in me trying to escape.

It has been a great advantage to be studying at Tranquil Space and to have met and taken a few workshops with Kimberly Wilson, the author of this book, because having met her puts a completely different light on the book, and shows you what a true ‘hip, tranquil chick’ is. Her presence is graceful and emits creativity that one wants to smile and embrace. The day after finishing this book I went out to a local shop and bought a bright yellow necklace and earrings (for a great deal of $10) …and they have since been a great reminder to be bright, allow fun to infuse my life and to shine out.

I love so many of the words that are used in this book to describe things, they are all adjectives that brighten up a sentence …and why not. I think I have been trained to speak, as less is more (which I do believe in), but I’ve allowed it to permeate through everything I do and say…why not use words like; ‘hip’, ‘sensational’, ‘tranquil’, ‘graceful’, ‘vibrant’, ‘energetic’..and so on. I want to strive to use energetic and fun words in my everyday language, and integrate them into my yoga teaching.

Graceful

The word graceful ignites such a wonderful feeling in me…and a desire to be graceful. I think of a beautiful flowing, fluid, gliding movement with little effort and yet is intelligent, strong and independent; I think of a swan, Audrey Hepburn, a butterfly, a snowflake, a horse, and the fluid movement of a vinyasa yoga class. How can I be more graceful?  As my husband says now…and my mom said when I was growing up…’why are you always like a bull in a china shop’….Well, I think it’s being mindful and present in the current moment which allows for the room in one’s own space to move with full intention, creating the opportunity for a graceful moment. I have a feeling this will be like meditation for me…I may only see glimpses in my lifetime of ‘that one moment’, but they are still worth trying for.

Yoga off the mat

I am, like so many yogi’s I know, so lucky to have the opportunity in my life to practice asana and try to practice yoga in my life. I have learned over the past few weeks of teacher training and with help of this book the difference between practicing asanas (yoga poses) and practicing yoga in my life.

I realized that I have truly taken advantage of so much, the money I have to visit amazing yoga studios, the time I have to actually practice yoga, the comfort I have of to practice in a clean, friendly and safe environment. I listen to the news every morning thinking how ‘crazy’ this world is ~ and then without a second thought I get dressed, put my makeup on, my clothes, jewelry, perfume, shoes, etc and jet off to work ~ all while someplace in this world there are individuals suffering in so many different ways. Wow…makes me feel completely spoiled. 

This is where I hope to use the practice yoga as a tool to help. Now that I am AWARE, I can begin to use my resources and tools to begin to help others and provide a source of happiness and release to others. After all, yoga has been a source of happiness and inspiration for me, it is only natural to want to share this with everyone I possibly can.

“The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become” ~ Charles DuBois ~ pg 61

WOW – these are powerful words….and a bit scary. But, I do believe that overcoming challenging moments on the mat and delving deeper into self exploration in yoga, has allowed me to handle life’s recent challenges more effectively. Recently I learned that I will likely be laid off in approximately 2 – 3 months. This experience has allowed me to embrace this concept of being at any moment ready to jump into a new opportunity, not be afraid of the unknown and allow for some room to fail, in order to grow.

I am only a choice away from an amazing new experience, and I should not be afraid of where it leads me, if I take conscious steps towards that experience.

Vision and Goal Setting

This book talked about creating short term and long term goals in line with one’s own personal vision statement. I love this idea of setting goals and having action items to complete to ultimately attain a positive result that leads to being ‘finished’ with that specific project/goal. It is the type A, accountant, black/white personality that controls my brain for 10 hours out of the day. For me yoga has allowed me to relax those reins that control my next step. So, personally this section of the book made me a bit uncomfortable, because I have been setting goals and achieving goals for as long as I can remember...and right now part of me just wants to relax and not force myself into the next ‘to do’ list. But, being that who I am I seek out continuous development. I remember my dad telling me as I grew up and was longing to graduate from high school, and then to graduate from college, something along the lines of, “Christine, this is just the beginning, you will constantly be learning new things, and if you ever stop learning then you’ve stopped living”. It’s interesting, because he was so right. Even if it wasn’t a formal school training, I have been learning something new ever since I officially graduated ( how to make stained glass, yoga, how to plan a wedding, learning from the traveling, learning a new job and industry and now learning how to become a yoga teacher). It is kind of funny…because becoming a yoga teacher to a certain extent is the next milestone for me. The major takeaway is one can and should never stop setting goals (and ultimately learning something new), as they do create a life to live for.

“Taking risks that push you outside your safe and comfortable zone helps you grow in a powerful way” ~ pg 88

One of my biggest ‘fears’ is risk taking. If it is a calculated risk and I know and understand all possible outcomes, and I obviously have a preference for one outcome over another, but would be ok with all outcomes…then I am willing to jump in. WOW – that’s a lot of stipulations I put on my decisions. This is one area that I would like to continue to work on. I do believe practicing yoga and especially the teacher training has allowed my mind to begin to accept the idea of jumping in a bit more. For example, I’ve wanted for the longest time to volunteer someplace, but wasn’t willing to risk my time away from my husband and work, was afraid of what I might get myself involved in, didn’t want to go ‘alone’…really just a bunch of excuses. Staring the Karma Yoga project of volunteering to teach yoga at a senior assisted living center has proven all of my fears wrong. I recently read in another book how sometimes we want to volunteer to help others…but somehow the universe is also helping the one volunteering as well. It has definitely opened my eyes to the idea of volunteering and I have only begun to dip my feet in the water. (I think I even have some ‘ChariTea’ events in my future planning!)

There were some great reminders in the book about professional development, going on information interviews and seeking out my own unofficial mentor for insight into career moves. As I will be seeking a new job position soon, reading this could not have come at a better time. 

In closing:

To summarize this book, it is a guide for a woman to live a fulfilling and exciting life. I believe the following words capture the essence of this book and inspire me to be this woman…and hope someday I may be lucky enough to be described in this way:

“She juggles a busy life with grace, lives her practice, makes time for thoughtful gestures, gives of her resources, lights up a room with her presence. She embodies a passion for life. She lives in a mindful, conscientious manner that helps spread true tranquility.” ~ pg2

~ Namaste~

To read more about this book and the author visit the following websites:
http://www.hiptranquilchick.com/
http://www.kimberlywilson.com/