Weekly Check‑In — Balance, Roots & Mountain Classes
It’s been a good week. Two of the baby goats from this season — and Jelly Bean — have found their new home. They have a job to do now, and I’m so happy they’re living their best life. Those kids were quite loud this season, so it’s been much quieter around the homestead, thank goodness.
Hammy is still adjusting well, although he and Cheyenne are still very wary of each other. That dynamic will just take time, so no worries. I also got a visit from my sister who lives in Ohio. I haven’t seen her in two years, so it was good to put my arms around her.
🌿 This Week on YouTube
We have the first of three classes from the mountains. Tuesday’s class will be a 40‑minute full‑body flow.
🌿 This Week on Patreon
A new series on Yoga Feet — mini classes collected to help you work on your roots (your feet). I’ll be adding these to the Yoga for Runners collection as well. Any imbalance in the feet directly affects the rest of your body, so foot health is incredibly important and often overlooked.
On the Esoteric Tier we have: • a mini somatic sensuality class • a tarot journey lecture
🌿 What Does Balance Mean to You?
I’ve talked before about the acronym PIES — Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Spiritual. I can take stock of how my day or life is going by breaking it down into these four words.
Physical: exercise, cleanliness of space, the body Intellectual: what I’m learning, consuming, thinking about Emotional: how I’m feeling in my mind and body Spiritual: gratitude, peace of mind, living life on life’s terms
You may notice one or more out of balance when going through the list. Remedies might look like:
Physical: exercise, cleaning your house or car
Intellectual: learning a new skill, practicing a talent, meditating
Emotional: journaling difficult feelings, talking to a trusted friend
Spiritual: gratitude lists, prayer, reading inspirational texts
Trying to promote balance in all four areas is my goal.
🌿 Q&A
What’s the messiest, most exhausting part of homesteading that people don’t see online? Definitely the poo, and the flies.
What kind of music do you naturally gravitate toward, and does it influence your yoga practice or teaching? I like a wide range of music. Not much into country — most of the songs feel like a load of crap. Drinking songs and love songs about an idea of love that’s far from reality. But rock (multiple genres), alternative, classical, dance, some rap — my playlist is all over the board. I don’t think the music I listen to influences the way I teach or practice yoga. Most of my classes don’t have music, and if they do, it’s ambient. Yoga is an inward process, and music can pull the focus outward. In a world with plenty of noise, I think it’s ok to practice in silence and just listen to your breath.
Can we plant an idea before sleep and intentionally dream about it? I think with practice you can receive answers from your dreams with intention. How the dream unfolds is a crapshoot. But if you’re thinking about something a lot during waking hours, it’s definitely possible you’ll dream about it.
Is yoga a religion? You talk about a higher power — is that part of yoga? We talked last week about the Niyamas, the second limb of yoga — specifically Isvarapranidhana, surrender to a higher power.
There are eight limbs total, coming from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali — a collection of verses compiled around 2,500 years ago. The sutras are not specific to any religion or philosophy. Their open‑mindedness allows them to be used by so many without contradiction, and they remain a valuable source of inspiration even now.
The text is not specific about what the higher power is — that’s for the practitioner to decide. I often come back to AA principles to explain why this matters. Who are you without faith? And who are you when you can turn your life over to a higher power or divine purpose?
When I entered the program, I found the idea of a higher power annoying and off‑putting. I was caught up in right/wrong, punishment/reward, and the suffering of the world. But my life was a disaster, and I was in a lot of emotional pain. I figured if my own thinking had gotten me here, what harm could it cause to try something different?
Perspective is everything. My life immediately began to shift. I became lighter. I didn’t have to know the why of it all. I started to see that difficult things happen alongside the good — they are one and the same. The seed sprouts in darkness before it reaches the light. The caterpillar doesn’t know it will fly.
Challenging times teach us. Peaceful times restore us. Faith helps us find peace in the bad and gratitude in the good.
We all eventually die — but how we live is up to us. Finding a higher power is recommended for peace, gratitude, and groundedness.
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