Sunkissed Yoga :: Mats + Cats

About 6 months ago I made a commitment to try and practice yoga every day. And in the past 6 months, there's only been a few days that I've missed. There's definitely been days where I've only done a short 15 minute practice, but I still got on my mat! I'm pretty proud of myself for staying so consistent- but I have to say it's the yoga that's drawing me back, not necessarily my strong will or determination. 

Now I'm at the point where if I DON'T get my vinyasa or chaturanga or tree pose or forward fold in, my day just doesn't feel quite right.
I have definitely noticed that my mindset is more energized and focused when I start my day with yoga - and I look forward to doing it as soon as I wake up and even when I'm going to bed the night before.
Sometimes I treat myself to a full practice before bed time, intermixing sipping my bedtime tea (more on that in another post!) and doing my stretching and breathing.

Back problems run in my family, and has already crept in on me. One of my goals in building my practice is to restore and strengthen my back so I don't see more problems and pain as I get older (30 is right around the corner for me...ah!).
The biggest thing I've learned (or been reminded of) in these past months that I've really been diving into this beautiful and ancient discipline is to bring what I learn on my mat into my daily life. To stay calm and strong, to keep my head above my heart and to remember to show myself and others love and forgiveness always. 

"A special combination of substances designed to bring about
a specific effect upon the body or mind is [thus] called a yoga."
- The Yoga of Herbs, David Frawley & Vasant Lad

This is an Ayurvedic definition of yoga from an herbal medicine book I'm reading, but I like how it relates to the practice of physical yoga. 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Since my practice is getting more "serious" I decided to purchase a new yoga mat, my old one wasn't as grippy as I'd like, and I was looking for something a little more eco-friendly.

I found this AMAZING mat by Barefoot Yoga that I am in love with and would recommend to anyone! It is on the thinner side, so if you have bad knees or other sensitive areas, it may not be right for you (or you can just put another thicker mat under it when you're practicing, like I do.) It's called The Original Eco Yoga Mat and it is exlusively sold by Barefoot Yoga Co. The jute and natural fibers are so grippy and feel so "earthy" to practice on. The underside is rubber, so it also grips the floor very well. It is biodegradable and made sustainably- so nothing to feel guilty about at all!

I love this natural color, it reminds me of sand, but they also have some brighter options. 

And my kitty, Tiki, who also enjoys practicing yoga (she just likes to the lay on the mat and get in my way) gives her approval as well.

PS: these super fun pants are from Omgirl and I got them here. Organic cotton, not too thin, and super comfy!

I'd recommend this yoga channel to get started, if you don't already have a favorite or are looking for something new. I hope you can find the same amazing benefits and energy that I have from making this a part of my daily ritual.

Until next time, keep dreaming. xoxo

Sunkissed Escapades :: Oregon Roadtrip

My husband and I took a road trip up to the beautiful state of Oregon this past month. We've been planning it for a while now and we're both so stoked to go exploring and adventuring up there.

We packed my Kia Soul full of everything, including his surfboard, and headed out for a week of escapades. 

If you have a chance to visit, I'd highly suggest it. Here's a bunch of photos from the driving, eating, hiking, relaxing and all the little stops along the way.

First stop: Shasta Lake, Mt. Shasta

Yaks on the 5...literally the best burger I've ever had, not to mention their coffee is delicious and they give it to you in a french press!

The home we stayed at the first couple days had visitors on the lawn everyday. Precious deer and wild turkeys! It was fun doing yoga together. 

Outside of the cutest little breakfast place called The Teapot on Wheels, right by the river.

Views from a few of our hikes. These first photos are from Lower Table Rock Trail, the last 30 minutes of the trail you're walking on top of a plateau and you have a 360' view of the mountains and city below. It's unbelievably gorgeous!

Stopped at the tasting room at Del Rio Vineyards. Yuuuummy wine and friendly staff. They do everything on site- it's a great local winery in Gold Hill.

Jacksonville is an old little town with a lot of charm. We got there around 6 on a Sunday night and a lot of the stores were already closed, but we enjoyed walking around and had dinner then coffee and dessert at a great local cafe. 

This day was probably my favorite :: CRATER LAKE. I've been wanting to visit this gorgeous phenomena for some time now, and this bright blue lake is completely everything it's cracked up to be!

View from the top of Garfield Peak, I'd HIGHLY recommend hiking this trail if you're there.

Found the PCT! One day, I'd love to hike at least a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. We saw it from the highway we were on, and pulled over to check it out.

On to Portland...the city of a million cafes and another million local restaurants. Not that that's a bad thing- it just made it harder for us to choose where to eat with all the delicious options and only one day!

Laurelhurst Cafe- get the quinoa salad or the Donald Trump sandwich.

Blue Star Donuts - locally sourced and made from scratch daily. I got the lemon poppyseed- sooooo amazing with a glass of ice cold milk.

On the way back down from Portland we stayed at Lakeshore Inn, right on Lake Oswego. We woke up to gorgeous views of the lake and the amazing houses on it; the hotel was lovely and we found a great deal! I wish we could've stayed there a few more days- there's a heated swimming pool downstairs that is overlooking the lake that I would've loved to swim in!

Had breakfast at Down to Earth Cafe on a rainy morning. (Seeing rain was so great).  It's a small family owned restaurant with organic ingredients and tons of delicious options. Their coffee was great as well. These eggs benedict and potatoes were delicious. With all our heavy meals, I was still trying to keep it balanced (trying is the key word), so I got a smoothie to go with fruits, ginger, greens and seeds. (Pretty sure I gained like 10 lbs on our trip...that's what vacations are for though, right?)

Speaking of packing on the pounds, we also HAD to stop at Tillamook Cheese Factory for some free samples, a tour of the place and a deliciously cheesy grilled cheese sandwich.

So many beautiful little stops on our 15 hour drive back home. It didn't seem like that long (probably because I wasn't driving), and the gorgeous views from the passenger window were keeping me pretty occupied. 

Yes, that's a huge Elk standing on the side of the highway. I thought it was fake at first, then it barely moved its head and my husband and I both yelled "it's real!" So glorious and strong.

Our humble ride. My husband drove the whole time (I swear I offered), such a loving guy- he said he wanted me to be able to enjoy the sights.
I can't wait to travel up there again, maybe next time we'll take a tent or trailer and camp instead, there's campsites about every 10 miles it seemed like! Thank you Oregon, US Interstate 5 and US Route 101 for the beautiful memories.

Until next time, keep dreaming. xoxo