Want bliss? Join MB and Jacki in Sayulita, Mexico October 10-17 for a transformational week in their favorite place on the planet. Amidst ocean breezes, expect life changing conversation, sweaty yoga sessions and blissed out evenings on the sand. @marybethlarue and @jackicarr designed a program that will uplift and inspire, and create big shifts in your daily life. At the same time, enjoy a vacay in a tropical paradise – surfing, snorkeling and sipping margaritas.Space is limited so snag your spot fast.
Just Add Bliss
4 Ways to Find Inspiration Daily
As a writer and yoga teacher, I am constantly on the lookout for inspiration. I love watching people in creative yoga poses, passionate discussions with friends (using apps like the new Conversation Starters by Danielle Laporte) and sitting at cafes with large floor to ceiling windows to enjoy the view and people watch for the afternoon.
Inspiration is something I always need as I never want my well to run dry, so I’ve created a quick list of places we can find inspiration in a pinch.
1. Pinterest. My favorite place to draw in inspiration would be Pinterest! It is such a creative hub full of everything you could need. In the past few months I have used it to style my newly PINK and blonde hair, create a few fun vegetarian dishes for our family and grab fun quotes for my Facebook pages. I have also used it to create a bit more style in my life. As I LIVE and breathe in yoga pants, it’s nice to have a few “days off” outfits.
But here’s the trick my boho friends – some days you need to re-inspire yourself. This is when you need to look at your own pins. What inspired you weeks ago, or yesterday? Instead of constantly searching for the new, see if you can find some inspiration from a few days past. The same goes for old notebooks, blog posts or emails – check it all out and see what inspired you in the first place.
2. Get outside! In nature. In the city. By the ocean. People watch. Listen to others stories. Sit in an urban garden. Watch the stars. Hear the stillness of the lake or the crunch of the leaves underfoot. Tune in and be present to the world around you. Step away from your computer. Go LIVE, connect and breathe into each moment. Or as Emerson says in my favorite quote: “Live in the sunshine, Swim in the sea and Drink the wild air”
3. Write a bucket list. This is one of my favorite things to do! I LOVE writing lists and do so for everything: to-do lists, Core Desired Feelings, a themed word for my year ahead, seasonal goals and intentions etc. I am constantly finding inspiration by plotting out what it is I want to do and how I want to create a life I love. By digging deep every few weeks or months, I am able to connect to how I want to feel and what it is I truly want in life.
The biggest key here is visibility. I always use a beautiful card each year and create a list of fun goals, intentions, to-dos and wishes. I place this card on my desk at work, or my meditation altar in order to see it all the time! This is why I choose a beautiful card; it’s something I want to view often to connect with my own inspiration and intentions.
4. Go on a date. You can go on a date by yourself or with a loved one. If you’re alone, bring your notebook. Record musings of your day, conversations you’ve overheard and drops of the chai tea you let loose over your thoughts. If you’re with a friend get creative: think outside the box, bring along that same notebook and make some BIG plans. Instagram your delicious lattes and promise one another that you have #bigthingsbrewing. Dream big and then talk about those dreams OUT LOUD. If you’re out with your honey, do something unique. Go pumpkin picking. Explore Six Flags in the fall. Drink lattes after a late night movie. Watch the stars as you hold hands and fall back in love.
Your life is truly yours to live. You get to choose whether you want to snuggle in with a delicious mug of chai and use Pinterest for hours on end, or if you’d like to explore the world as you watch it spin around you. Get out there boho babe and CREATE inspiration by being you. Live life out loud, have FUN, connect, breathe and play.
Jenny Ravikumar is a yoga teacher, blogger and studio owner of Barefoot Yoga Shala. As a teacher and self-proclaimed boho mermaid, Jenny has been bringing her yoga lifestyle knowledge to the online world for years through her blog, jennyravikumar.com. She specializes in helping women dig deeply into self-love & care, while also explaining yoga philosophy and love on her blog and through her courses/private online groups. You can catch her teaching 6 days a week in Massachusetts or pouring love all over the internet 24 hours a day.
5 Apps to Boost your Meditation Practice
Craving some calm? Need to pump a little zen into your daily routine? We’ve rounded up our favorite meditation apps to help you de-stress and do your best. Go and get your bliss on!
1. Calm
Cost: Free, subscriptions begin at $4.99
Every day bring it’s own chaos. Between meetings, emails and deadlines it can be hard to find time to be still. That’s why Calm is so awesome. Guided meditation session’s range from two minutes to 30 minutes and you can sneak them in between meetings, or settle in for a longer session if you can spare the time.
Cost: $1.99
Spirit Junkie’s are no stranger to Gabby Bernstein, a NYT bestselling author, life coach and motivational speaker who’s on a mission to teach the world about the power of miracles. The Spirit Junkie app allows you to wake up to a new affirmation every day. Set a reminder anytime to surface today’s affirmation or choose from any of the hundreds of previous affirmations to turn inward and shift your perception. Save your favorite affirmations, and share with friends to spread the love.
Cost: $1.99
With meditation apps, as with life sometimes, the bells and whistles can get in your way. The Mindfulness App is straightforward and simple. Guided meditation sessions can span from 3 to 30 minutes. Silent meditation sessions alert you with gentle bells. You can personalize your own meditation session too. The app even reminds you when it’s time to meditate, so you can keep up a regular practice.
4. Simply Being
Cost: $0.99
One of the biggest distractions when trying to meditate is the stream of thoughts running through your head. Pushing thoughts out of your mind requires skill and practice. Having someone — in this case, a calming voice from the app — guide you through your meditation session may help you find calm more quickly. With this app, you can pick a session length, choose to have a guide or not, and even add soothing, natural sounds to the end of your meditation session.
5. Omvana
Cost: Free
What’s relaxing and calming to one person may be aggravating and irritating to another. That’s why Omvana lets you customize your meditation sessions with the sounds, noises, and quotes that inspire and relax you. This app contains thousands of audio tracks, beats, and sounds that you can blend together in the app’s mixing board. If a stranger’s voice is unsettling, you can even record your own voice and use it to guide your meditation sessions instead. This app is fully customizable to help you create a more relaxing, enjoyable meditation experience.
Did we forget to add one of your favorite meditation apps? Tell us what it is in the comment section below!