Sunday, July 31, 2016

Sweaty Men

You guys! I'm making strides this year, yo. For the first time in three years, I went to a yoga studio!! That might sound like a measly accomplishment, but for me, it was a significant feat. Let me explain...

I used to do yoga all the time in school. Sophomore year was the most pivotal year of my college career. Michelle introduced me to yoga, I dropped my fraternity, I came out of the closet, I sought help from a counselor, I fooled around with a guy for the first time and I had my spiritual awakening. After I got a taste for yoga, I instantly fell in love with it, because I feel closest to God/the Universe when I'm on the mat. I was going to on-campus classes all the time and took advantage of my roommates P90x yoga Senior year. But once I graduated, I just kinda stopped practicing as frequently and didn't have the motivation.

Until recentlyyyyyy!

My coworker (who's also vegan!) and I went to a 90 minute hot yoga class and it was one of the most intense workouts I've ever done. As we entered the studio room, the other class was leaving, and I was graced with the presence of four beautiful shirtless, sweaty guys walking out.

So of course, I was already in heaven. Unfortunately, there was only one cute guy in our class, but thankfully he set up his mat right behind me, so I could easily sneak a few glimpses. haha

If you've never taken an advanced hot yoga class before, you're basically drenched in sweat after 15 minutes. Me and the other guy in the class ripped our shirts off and the girls were all in minimal clothing, for good reason. Everyone had beach towels on top of their mats to collect the sweat dripping off every crevice of our bodies.

Once the workout had finished and we were laying in Savasana (corpse pose), I was given an art vision, which I can't wait to bring to life! I was light headed as fuck as we were leaving the room, from a mix of getting my butt kicked, working out in a 90 degree room and not drinking enough water. On our way out, we each thanked the yoga instructor and walked over to grab our shoes. Before I could physically move my body in that general direction, standing about 15 feet away, by the kombucha bar/lounge area...was the most stunning guy I've ever seen. He was a solid 9.5 and just physically perfect. I was star struck by him (and light headed still), so all I could do was freeze and stare at him. He was talking to a girl and I must have looked like a deer in headlights, because he noticed and made eye contact. As Michelle put it "like the awkward staring that the person can't tell if you're rude, awkward or high." Haha I hope I see him again in the future...

 
After yoga, I went to visit my friend at Raw Juce and she hooked me up with a free care package...basically a free juice cleanse! She is such a sweetheart.


 
 
The following night, the coworker that I went to yoga with, along with another, met up for dinner and it was so much fun! I feel so utterly blessed to have met so many cool people through my job.
 
 
 
During dinner, I started receiving snap chats from this guy whom I've been talking to on and off with for over two years now. We were supposed to go on a date to the beach like a month ago, but it started storming that day and I cancelled plans. We were "flirting" through the app and he told me once he gets back from Cali in a few days, he wants to meet up, so I'm excited about that :) He's 6'4" which is kind of intimidating, but we'll see how it goes. I could get lost in those eyes.
 
 
Than yesterday, I received my health insurance card in the mail, which allows me to go to any LA Fitness gym FOR FREE! I was so happy I almost cried. LA Fitness offers yoga classes that I get to start taking advantage of, on top of the yoga studio I'm going to with my coworker a few times a month AND the yoga workout videos I'm doing every morning from home. :) I would love to meet a guy through yoga, because yoga guys are the hottest, so the odds are definitely in my favor now.
 
Lastly, I started a timesheet for the rest of the year, by writing down the dates of the next 12 paychecks of 2016 and what to buy in correlation with the money (a camera, MacBook, studio lights, video editing software, etc.), so I set myself up for an epic 2017!
 
It's hard to believe Fall is around the corner. I'm so proud of myself and everything I've achieved this year. I finally feel like I have a vision of what I want out of life. I hope you guys continue crushing 2016 as well!!
 
Much love guys!
 




Thursday, July 21, 2016

Realignment

Yesterday morning I woke up with the WORST knot in my neck. Thank goodness I had the day off (as well as today), because I absolutely would have had to call out. I used an Icy Hot patch for the first time in my life, because my head was stuck in an abnormal, tilted position and I was unable to move it more than an inch or two. I had so much to do, yet this left me debilitated all day, along with a killer headache.

However, I try to look at everything that happens to me with a positive outlook. By early evening, the pain in my neck and right shoulder became unbearable and I had to stop doing art and lie down in bed. I began to meditate for awhile, before dozing off into a three hour nap. I had worked the past six days in a row, so I guess I was more tired than I thought.

Prior to falling asleep, I focused my attention on the ways I've enhanced my life in 2016 and HOW I can better it even further.

Here are some recent investments I've made to my health:

As soon as I wake up in the morning, I jump on my new trampoline for ten minutes. It wakes me up, gets the blood and oxygen flowing and charges me up to start my day.


I added two new supplements to my existing arsenal. Reishi and Chaga mushrooms!


My juicer broke about a month ago, so I upgraded and got this new beauty!


I was never a fan of flossing, so I made a very adult purchase and got myself a Water Pik. Best Idea Ever. I add one drop of Peppermint essential oil to the water and my teeth feel like I just went to a hygienist and got them professionally cleaned.


Each morning, along with my supplements and juice; I also make a huge smoothie, a protein shake and a green shot. Needless to say, things are flowing in the A.M. So what better way to help keep my body clean, than with this new addition! I lalalove my Squatty Potty!


Next, I got myself a diffuser and essential oils. Not only does it aid in helping me sleep better, but my bedroom has permanently become the best smelling room in the house. Essential oils have numerous benefits, from aromatherapy, household cleaning, personal beauty care and natural medicine treatments. Here's some information on EO's.


The last thing I do before getting in bed and turning on my zen music and diffuser, is meditate. I knew I needed a more comfortable setup, to help deepen my practice, so I got myself this chair which is so comfortable!


The epiphany I had last night while meditating, was that I absolutely need to get back into yoga! I crave that level of flexibility and clearness of mind I had in college, when I was doing yoga almost everyday.

After I woke up from my nap, I ordered four yoga DVDs: DVD1, DVD2, DVD3 & DVD4.

I'm excited to utilize this new smart TV we just got, by doing yoga every morning and lifting at the gym every night after work!!


That's all for now. Much Love Guys!

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Koi Fresco

Hey guys! How's life been?

I received my first bi-yearly review at work and got my first raise. I'm very grateful for that, but I'm still making SHIT money. However, I know it's all temporary and enabling me to obtain what I need to move on. This stage of my life is making me really appreciate what is yet to come in my future and my success. Thanks to this job, I am much less intimidated to talk to strangers...and more importantly, attractive guys. It's definitely contributing to more solid social skills, which I'll utilize when I begin selling my work at music festivals, wedding expos, etc.

Speaking of art, I just finished a new piece today and I absolutely love it!

 
Who is that gorgeous, vegan man radiating such ethereal beauty you might ask? Koi Fresco. I discovered him about six weeks ago and instantly fell in love with his YouTube channel. My parents just returned from a week long trip to San Francisco and while I had the house to myself, Michelle and I listened to his guided meditation video every night before bed. We'd sip our chamomile tea, light an incense in the living room, turn on the Himalayan sea salt lamp and meditate with him. It's become apart of my nightly routine and I HIGHLY recommend listening to this video...along with his other content. His mind is equally as beautiful as he is physically.


I posted the drawing to my Instagram earlier this evening and he liked/commented on the photo, so hopefully he posts it to his account and gives me a shout out.

*Update*

 
BOOM

This was the first time using my fancy Prisma colored pencils I had bought for myself as a birthday present to meee. Crayola's can suck a dick, there's a reason why an entire box of those costs $1. Prismas blend like butter and it's such a massive upgrade, which is perfect timing, because I'M STARTING 24 NEW PIECES!

Remember the Consciousness Series I did with Michelle? It was a twelve piece series shining light on several different topics including marijuana, toxins, Earth, dreams, aliens, bees, psychedelics, food, animals, etc. I have more to say about each topic, so I'm making a subcategory of the 12 topics and creating two more drawings for each of them. Photo shoots coming soon and I'll take you guys through that entire process.

I'm so stoked to continue crossing off my 2016 To-Do List! My eyes are on the prize and I'm more ambitious and tenacious than ever.

Much Love guys!