Wednesday, March 21, 2012

One Plus One Equals... Zero?

I teach yoga on Tuesday nights.  It is something that I enjoy doing and it keeps my inner passion for the practice of yoga alive and well.  Now that I have committed to a more regular teaching schedule, I am working towards creating a small community of students, as I build relationships with them one by one.  Prior to teaching at the studio, I taught small classes to family, friends and acquaintances and I found the adjustment to the studio difficult because I felt like I was teaching 'strangers'.  As a yoga teacher, I have found that one of my 'things' is this desire to get to know my students, and my intention for each class is to be of the highest service to each and every person that comes to my class.



Meanwhile, back at 'the ranch' (I guess we shouldn't call our house that any more b/c we have moved off the farm, but I always liked this term and I am keeping it!), Trent is finishing up the bedtime routine with Chephren and then he proceeds with his Tuesday night 'man ritual'.  A little Kijiji, a beer (or two) and the token violent movie on Netflix.  I know this is his routine b/c when I get home after yoga, the computer is still open to the Kijiji page, the beer cans are on the counter, and the violent movie is still playing at full blast.




I abhor violent movies.  I think that I always have, but I few years back I put my foot down and simply REFUSED (yes, REFUSED) to watch anything violent.  I just don't see the point.  Why would I fill up my 'airy fairy, peaceful' psyche with all of that senseless killing?  As for Trent, he has since been missing his blood and gore and I think that on some level he is grateful to have one night of the week to 'fill his cup' with all of the manliness. 

Last week we had a funny conversation when he came to bed after the movie.
M: 'I think it's kind ironic that I am going out into the world teaching yoga, doing my best to increase the positive energy in the Universe and you are sitting at home watching killing shows.'
T: 'Yeah, funny.  It is like we are cancelling each other out in the Universe'...



How is that for some math?

Marebare

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

19 Things I Love About (this) Spring!

1. ‘Tis the season of renewal. Winter is hard on the body, mind, and spirit. Spring offers the chance to start again… to re-awaken to your true nature. It’s like, ‘Oh yeah… I forgot how it feels to play outside in the sunshine… it feels GOOD!’


2. Dirt. Earth. Worms. Compost. YES! I love the smell, the texture, the taste (just kidding on the last one – not that there is anything wrong with eating dirt… I know that Trent has a special fondness for straight-from-the -earth garden carrots).

3. Fresh buds on trees. Nothing like it. It’s a freakin’ miracle!



4. Essential Life Series. Shameless plug I know, but check it out. It is going to be something that you WON’T want to miss! I feel humbled and blessed to be a part of such a stellar crew of co-creators!

5. Road biking. Mountain biking. Biking with Chephren. Biking. BIKING! BIKING!!!

6. On that note – playing outside. Even better, playing outside with Chephren.



7. Grass. I love the stuff.

8. Farmer’s Markets



9. The first robin of spring! This is as good as the first Canada Geese of spring… Neither are here yet, but they will be soon!

10. Nordegg – back to the bush to keep building the house! I love spending the spring/summer out there!

11. Longer days, shorter nights.



12. Campfires

13. Flip Flops (Shakakan Brent!)

14. Driving with the windows down and playing it LOUD!

15. Spring ski trip – happening next week. Given the current Avi conditions we might end up spending the whole week in the hut but WHATEVER! Yoga mat + books + journal + guitar + drum = I could stay up there for a week and not even ski and I wouldn’t even care!

16. Spring cleaning + windows open in the house… (and having a smaller house to clean than I did last year and the 5 years before that!)

17. Watching Cheph splash in the puddles (in his bright yellow rain suit and rubber boots of course!)

18. Spring flowers


19. Hay House Conference in Vancouver – headed there with my mom. Should make for a lovely weekend!

What do you love about spring?

Marebare xoxo

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

What goes around comes around...

When I was a little girl, I was a picky eater.  I always used to think that it was my parents' fault (they were always trying to make me eat HEALTHY, damn them!), but looking back it was clearly me who had the problem.  They would send healthy lunches to school with me: peanut butter and honey sandwiches (way back before peanuts were considered weapons of mass destruction), orange slices, and carrot sticks, only to find them crammed into the back of my desk when they came for parent-teacher interviews.  I would have thrown them in the garbage, but they had the teacher on 'garbage patrol'.  They even got the bus driver involved when I started trying to use the garbage can on the bus.  I was persistent, but so were they.

Finally the day came when I started bringing home an empty lunch box on a regular basis.  My parents, ever suspicious, immediately called the teacher to check in with her but she could find no trace of my lunch remnants anywhere.  It would appear that the lunch problem had been solved!

A few months later, my mom started noticing a funny smell in my room.  Thinking that the carpet had developed mold underneath from the humidifier running, she ripped out the carpets and replaced them with rubber tiles.  That didn't work so she replaced the mattress and all of the bedding, and still, that SMELL!  Desperate (and confused) they decided to take down the wallpaper.  While they were moving the furniture, preparing for this ornerous task they happened upon 'my stash'.  Several weeks (or was it months) worth of lunch leftovers crammed behind the books in my bookshelf.  I may have only been 6 or 7 but damn was I smart, right? 

I am telling you this because today I found this under the couch:



and the day before that it was peanut butter toast underneath the couch, and the day before that it was grapes in the cracks of my leather sofa, and the day before that it was a pile of grated cheese and a muffin underneath his bed. 

Talk about KARMA! 

All of my wonderful traits and quirks and THIS is the one he chooses to emulate?  Great.


Anyone know a cleaning lady who excels at hide and go seek?  (I am only kidding... for now)

Marebare xoxo

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Seven Plus One = Eight

Today is my (our) 8th wedding anniversary.  Normally this is a date that passes by literally unnoticed, forget about the acknowledging it with the traditional 'hoopla' of gifts, cards, etc.  We are not about the hoopla.  We just aren't. 

This year is different.  I am celebrating.  Heck, I am even telling the world via this blog and random people who I ran into today (read: anyone who made eye contact with me). 

I know what you are thinking: what's the big deal... after all, it's not like '8' is some magical number or a big milestone that 'most' people celebrate.  The big deal here is that we (or rather our marriage) has had a tough year.  So tough in fact that more than once we tossed around the 'D' word (and no, I am not referring to Dessert or Debacle or Debate).  No, this 'D' word comes with lawyers, and custody arrangements, and a whole lotta misery from what I have been told.  So yeah, tough year. 

With that being said, by some miraculous gift from the Universe (and a whole lot of work from both of us Hasse's) we have made it through the year and honestly things are better than they have ever been.  EVER.  I don't know what Trent would say about this (and we will likely never know because he still insists on not reading this blog), but he is getting steak for dinner and I KNOW that he is happy about that.  Men are so much easier to please than women ;)

So, here are my 7 + 1 'tips' on staying together or making it better:

1. Love Languages.  I read the book 'The 5 Love Langauges' by Gary Chapman.  Learned 'em, used 'em, they worked... enough said.

2.  You get what you expect.  If you are expecting the other person to react a certain way, they almost certainly will.  This is kind of like the Law of Attraction in action.  Change your expectations -- for the better, change the entire conversation.

3. See the other person as a gift.  This one is hard, like really hard -- especially when they are STOMPING on all of your buttons -- which of course, they do best because they have the advantage of knowing what all of them are!  This is where true, authentic unconditional love comes into play. 

4. Be clear on what it is that you DO want.  This is related to number 2.  For example, I made out a list for myself about my marriage entitled 'Won't it be great when'... and then I wrote out exactly what I wanted it to look like.  6 months later?  I am enjoying exactly the kind of relationship that I wrote down.

5.  Make time for each other.  I know, I know, this one should go into the 'duh' category... but this is free advice after all ;)  Seriously, make the time.  It's important.

6.  Take time to fill your own cup -- BOTH of you.  If your cup isn't full, you are no damn good to anyone else.  Balancing time for you, time for each other, time for family and time for all of the other things in our lives can be tricky, but it is totally doable.  We can all make a little more time for the important things in life... even if it means a few less hours per week on Facebook or watching TV.

7. Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Marriage is hard!  I am not sure why we are under the impression that 'we are the only people in the world with problems', but I assure you, you aren't.  The more I opened up about some of these issues, the more 'normal' I felt about them, and the more ideas/strategies I had to deal with some of them.

8.  'A family who plays together, stays together'... this quote works for couples too.  Plan for some FUN in your time together.  Laugh, dance, play, sing!  Whatever floats your boat (and theirs) is fair game.  This will help you to remember why you fell in love in the first place.

And THAT is my two cents...

I hope that your relationship is making you happy if you're in one and that you will find love very soon if you're not...

Marebare xoxo

P.S.  I made him read this one... just in case!  Communication is KEY!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Vortexes, magic and miracles

I spent last week in the Phoenix area.  My dad and stepmom have a house in Goodyear and we are super fortunate (and extremely grateful) to be able to use it during the winter months.  I know what you are thinking... more holidays?  Really Maren, REALLY?  I hear you, but let me put it to you this way:

A beautiful house to go to + a car to drive + a short three-hour flight = an offer we can't refuse...

You do the math.

We are not alone in our 'quest' to shorten up the loooong Canadian winter, as we had a multitude of friends/family in the area as well.  In fact, I learned that almost 600,000 Canadians spend their winters in the PHX area -- the 'snowbirds' if you will.  While I am not a snowbird (yet), I can truly understand what the draw down to the desert is!

Anyhow, as part of our vacation Trent got the brilliant idea that myself and 'the girls' should go to Sedona for a girls night.  He even found us a deal on Travelzoo for a night's accommodation/spa treatment/breakfast and a yoga class.  Do I need to do another math equation to illustrate for you why this was also a no-brainer?!  No, I didn't think so. 

Our trip to Sedona proved to be lovely.  Much, much better than I expected even.  The hotel was absolutely beautiful and very luxurious.  The spa even more so.  Our meals were all fantastic and we really enjoyed our 'girl time'.  We spent a lot of time giggling but also a lot of time discussing those 'big questions'... we were in Sedona afterall...


My beautiful travel companions: my mom Dianne, Gail and Darcie

While we didn't come up with any of the 'big answers', I would say that it was an enlightening trip for all of us: full of magic and miracles.  If you have never been to Sedona and you ever get the chance, go.  It will inspire you, it will mesmerize you and it might even change you... for the better. 

Hell, look what it did for my vertical jump:


No, that is not an illusion.  That is really me on the left... IN THE AIR!

See?  Miracles do happen.  That, or I was standing in a vortex.  Either way, it was MAGICAL!

Marebare  xoxo