Love your March

With the feeling of spring in the air, warmer temperatures, rain droplets, blue-er sunnier skies, the opportunity for outside lunch jaunts, the unveiling of freedom from winter.... I've been feeling the need to reinvigorate myself with seeing the beauty of my surroundings…and maybe working to feel a little bit more happier, healthier, free-er in my own life.... and pretty of course!

I recently came across this 'healthy' pledge (of course I found it too late to participate in the actual pledge), but I find their 7 habits super useful and such a great idea. So, I thought I’d make my own March pledge and incorporate some of their ideas and a few additional of my own:

• Continue to eat healthy and nutritionally
• Continue to eat a nutritional breakfast: oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, and whole-grain cereals, toast
• Choose tea over coffee at least once a week
• Choose vegan options for lunch if I have plans with co-workers (sometimes I need to learn to say no to cheese!)
• Replace my afternoon chocolate craving with a decaffeinated tea

• Choose to move:
• Stairs instead of the elevator
• Getting off the bus one stop early
• Not taking the bus at all and enjoying this March weather on my walk to work
• Taking a desk break to go for a five-minute stroll.

• Hydrate: I will drink a glass of water before breakfast, lunch or dinner.

• Connect with nature: I will walk outside, breathe more deeply and enjoy the outdoors for a few minutes each day....maybe even practice yoga outside on the rooftop if the weather permits
• I'd also love to plant some beautiful flowers or plants in our planters on our balcony

• Make my sleep a priority: I will build boundaries around my sleep by sticking to a set bedtime, and by not eating or working in bed

• Embrace the power of touch: I will recharge myself and others through the simple act of giving or receiving a hug, foot rub or five-minute massage.

• Give myself the gift of silence:
• I will find 5 to 10 minutes a day away from screens of any type — phone, TV or computer and enjoy the quiet....yes, Yoga and Meditation count
• Reading the book Real Happiness - a guide to meditation

Re-committing to my meditation practice (if you remember my February post I was planning on doing a 28 day meditation challenge, my statistics were about 10 days of meditation...(as a numbers girl that is not great odds) - but that's OK, forgive myself, bought a book with a wonderful CD as a guide and pick up where I left off.

·  Continue with my advanced teacher training (ATT 500) studies

• Opportunity to teach advanced asana assignment to teachers in training for their 200 hour (TT200) certification
• Including an opportunity to be a mentor to the TT200 hour group
• Teacher Assisting for TT 200 & a Newbie workshop
• See upcoming post on the power of teacher assisting for one's own teaching and learning
• Kick off my efforts on researching and writing my ATT 500 Thesis
• Thesis topic ~ The 'How To's of Private Yoga classes

·  Teaching Yoga Goals

• Opportunity to teach a charity class at Tranquil Space for EcoWomen, Sunday March 11th @3:30pm
• Start Teaching at Tranquil Space every Wednesday night at 8pm

·  Artist Dates

• With myself ~ play with design ideas for a stained glass project
• Art journalling date with fellow DC area artists