I think that every wine lover has secretly dreamed of owning a little vineyard somewhere. Every now and again I find myself day dreaming about tending rows of vines at sunrise and lovingly picking grapes by hand at harvest. While the fantasy is a lovely one, the reality of vineyard work tends to be much less bucolic. In fact, growing grapes is back-breaking work that demands a tremendous amount of skill and knowledge. On a recent trip to Napa I got to experience a taste of this for myself as I took part in a hands-on pruning demonstration at the historic To Kalon vineyard with Matt Ashby, director of vineyard operations at Robert Mondavi Winery. (more…)
I just finished reading “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin about a writer, mom and wife who decides to dedicate a year to getting happier. Her decision was not brought on by a seismic life event, but by the same everyday things so many of us struggle with. It isn’t about major life changes, in the style of “Eat. Pray. Love.” Instead, each month she gives herself resolutions like “remember love” and “make time for play” and plans specific strategies for keeping them. It was certainly inspiring, but I was left asking myself can we tackle our happiness like we do our to-do list? What resolutions would I make? Should I start my own happiness project? (more…)
It’s easy this time of year to get caught up in old, unhealthy patterns. The sky is grey and hibernating can sometimes seem like the best option. When we step onto our yoga mat we have the power to change all that. We can let the movement, the breath and the music help us blossom open. It may not be spring outside, but we can let in the light and start to find that first warm breeze inside of ourselves.
Check out the playlist from today’s Yoga Flow class by clicking HERE. Hope it makes you feel like spring is just around the corner. I am loving the version of ‘Ooh Child’ by Beth Orton and ‘Wheat Kings’ by the Tragically Hip. ‘Brown Sugar’ by the Rolling Stones is a great song to make you want to rock out on your yoga mat. Enjoy!
