hotlanta

When we originally got our schedule for this tour, I was very happy to see Atlanta on the list. My cousins Tommy & Kelly and Kyle & Elisa live there, so I was thrilled I would get to see all of them.

After spending 6 days camping, I was relieved to get back into a hotel. I think I showered 5 times within the first two days in Atlanta! My first full day in town, I met Kyle and Elisa for dinner. I stayed in Buckhead, so we planned to go somewhere around my hotel. Everything looked completely different in Buckhead, since the last time I'd been to the area. In fact, they have practically flattened everything! I guess they are trying to rebuild the area and put newer, nicer shops, restaurants and bars around to boost appeal. I had one heck of a time figuring out my way around! Kyle, Elisa and I went to a restaurant called, the Golden Buddha. It was one of those hibachi places, where they cook the food right in front of you. We had a lot of fun. It was so good to catch up with them and hang out on a random Tuesday night.

Wednesday evening, I went to this place that had Salsa dancing with some of my crew. I am not a huge fan of it, but Sunie and Pedro danced all night long. Its something about the music that I just can't get into... So they danced and I hung around and watched. Don't get me wrong, it was definitely entertaining to watch all different types of people come together to salsa dance. There is a lot to appreciate about that style of dance...its just not my thing.

The next day, I went to a local yoga class. In 2001, a teacher named Gina Minyard hosted the John Friend workshop my mom and I attended. Since that workshop, Gina has become one of the most skilled Anusara teachers on John's staff. I had to track her down and finally take one of her classes, now that I was back in her home town. She teaches all over the city, but the class I attended was at a studio called, Atlanta Yoga Shala. The day I went to class happened to be September 11, so needless to say, the theme was a bit emotional. It was nice to be in an Anusara class on this day, because Gina reminded us that through the Anusara philosophy (which is based on a tantric approach), you can find the good in everything... even those acts of violence that seem unbearable. May seem like an odd thing to say, if you aren't familiar or used to this way of thinking... but, it is true. If you believe there is evil in this world we live in, you will just see more evil. If you believe that wrong-doing or harmful acts are just a sign of ignorance, you will also be able to identify the divine nature in all beings. Needless to say, this is a teaching that takes a lot of practice and dedication to fully understand... but fortunately, my Anusara studies have helped me embrace this way of life. I am full-heartedly grateful for my teachers who have led me down this path. Gina's class was a perfect reminder of the precise technique and heart-centered mentality of the yoga I love, Anusara. After class, I stopped Kyle and Elisa's to see their new house. It was nice to be at a comfortable home with family, rather than back at my hotel room, like most evenings on tour.

Friday was the first day of our event at the Atlanta Arts Festival. It was HOT HOT HOT! We were positioned in a somewhat strange location, so foot traffic was lacking that first night. I was ok with that, though, because I am not so sure many people would have interest in doing a physical practice in that heat. After work, I met up with Tommy and Kelly at the local Irish pub, Fado. As we pulled up in the Kashi-mobile, Sargent Tommy directed us to park right up front, by the "no parking" sign. Ahhh, the perks of being related to the top-dog at the Atlanta Police Department. In case you don't already know, he's a pretty big deal :) Even though Tommy was on duty, we were able to sit down and catch up for a bit. It was a fun night out in the ATL.

Saturday and Sunday were as busy as can be at the event. I was glad to see people find their way to our area to check out what we had to offer. All my classes were pretty full, throughout the rest of the weekend. I was very happy to be able to direct people Gina's way, when people inquired about a local studio. I always like to be able to send people in the right direction, when looking to start a yoga practice after their free classes with Kashi. Knowing that I was sending people to Gina, a very highly trained Anusara teacher, felt pretty good. Hopefully, she got some good leads out of it... its the least I could do to show my appreciation for her as a teacher.

Since Kyle was out of town on a guy's trip Saturday night, Elisa and I went out for some wine and apps at this cute little place called, The Grape. It was good to sit down and relax, just the two of us. Its not very often that the we get to spend time together, one on one. We talked, laughed, ate and laughed some more :) Its times like this that make me cherish my time with out-of-town family, but also makes me miss them even more. Sunday afternoon, Tommy, Kelly and Elisa came up to my event to see the Kashi crew in action. We were able to sneak off for lunch together, over my break. That night, I stopped by to hang out with Tommy and Kelly at their super cool loft. We just sat around and talked. I loved catching up with them and knowing more about their lives together. It was so much fun to hang out with my family, like I lived there or something.

As you can tell, seeing my cousins was the highlight of my time in Atlanta. It was nice to spend time with them in the city they call "home." They are all doing so well, living happy lives. After being with out-of-town family, I am reminded of how important it is to go visit them more often. With family, you get to pick up right where you left off... every time you meet again. I am so thankful for our stop in Atlanta and my time with my cousins, I can't wait to visit again soon!

Next stop, Charlotte!




Elisa, Kyle and me at the Golden Buddha


Sunie, getting her groove on at tongue and groove


Atlanta Yoga Shala - Great Studio!


my cousin Tommy, the top-dog cop in the ATL :)


Kelly, Tommy and upside down Brige


lunch at Mellow Mushroom with my cousins

pickin' in the panhandle

Before last week, I wouldn't say I was a much of blue grass fan... our event in West Virginia opened my eyes to all sorts of new music!  We had all been anxiously awaiting the event in West Virginia and it was well worth the wait!

Since our event was on a camp ground, our crew decided to rough it for a week and spend some quality time in the great outdoors.  Since we planned to camp for most of the week in West Virginia, Sunie and I found a great Bed & Breakfast to rest our heads for one night, before the rugged week ahead.  We drove down one windy road after another to finally find our destination, Cider Mill House B&B.  This B&B is on a huge farm with cows, chickens, goats and hundreds of acres of land.  Our hosts, Kat and Ed, served great home-cooked meals and created a sense of comfort that our usual sterile hotel room severely lacks.  Almost everything they cook is local and made from scratch.  During the day, we spent time reading in the rocking chairs on the wrap around porch, hiking through the short trails around the farm, feeding the goats our leftover breakfast fruit...it was quite lovely, if I do say so myself.   I had never been to a B&B, but my experience at Cider Mill House was so great that I will definitely take that route again.

After resting and relaxing at the B&B, we were off to our next stop... Lazy-A camp ground.  The event in West Virginia was called, "Pickin' in the Panhandle."  Rightfully so, once I learned that "pickin" is what you do with string instruments and "panhandle" was referring to the part of the country we were in.  The blue grass festival was Saturday and Sunday, but we arrived early to camp a few nights in the woods, before the chaos of the music festival started.  It sounded like a great idea... until we got there and we were the only campers on the entire camp ground for the first two nights!  Now that its over I can admit, it was a little creepy being out there all alone.  At night, there are sounds coming from the woods that you don't hear every day.  Lucky for me, I am a heavy sleeper.  Once I actually fell asleep, I slept like a baby until sunrise.  Being the only campers those first few nights was pleasant and disturbing, all at the same time :)

There are certain aspects of camping that you learn to love, once you are out there. For example, cooking over a fire... sure, it is a challenge to get a good fire going, at first.  But, after building a strong fire, preparing your meals over it, and sitting around the fire to enjoy your meal, you feel a huge sense of accomplishment.  In fact, its the whole idea of simplicity that I love.  You don't need 10 different cooking utensils or kitchen gadgets to make a healthy, hearty, tasty meal.  Now don't get me wrong, we did go out and buy our food before camping... so, we weren't completely roughing it or anything.  But, its still fun to use simple tools to prepare a feast.  Cooking a meal outside is total entertainment!  It kept us busy each evening.  During the days, we hung out by the creek most of the day.  It was nice to have nothing to do and no cell phone service.  At first, I felt disconnected...but after a day or so, it felt really good to be out in the middle of nowhere, enjoying each and every minute of the day.  

Friday night, people started showing up for the festival.   One by one, tents were popping up all over the camp grounds.  We set up our event and made our way back to our camp site for another dinner by the fire.  We made a few friends that night, but went to bed pretty early, since the crazy-blue-grass-fun started on Saturday morning.  We woke up to dark clouds and rain.  It rained and rained all day, until about 5pm.  We were slow at our event, but the rain didn't seem to bother those die-hard blue grass fans.  In fact, my tent turned into the hot spot for the musicians to warm up.  There was a band contest that day, so each band was eager to find a dry spot to warm up.  Somehow, my tent became that place.  It didn't stop my from doing yoga, though... if anything, it made my tent more fun!  Doing yoga to the sound of live music is not something you will ever hear me complain about!  In fact, it drew a crowd over to our area and added the right amount of excitement to what we had to offer.  Many of the musicians even promised to come back Sunday morning to take a yoga class... which they actually lived up to!  If was a fun day.  Once the rain let up, everyone was thrilled to get back to the "pickin" area of the camp site for the real fun to begin - the jam sessions :)

The best part about camping at a music festival is the friends you make throughout the event.  We ate together, played together, partied (just a little bit) together... it was a blast.  At one point in the night, there were 10 string instruments kicking all at once!  We had the pleasure of hanging out with some of the best blue grass musicians at the festival, in my opinion.  We stayed up all night, listening to them sing their hearts out while pickin' away.  I definitely gained a whole new respect for blue grass music.  The instruments have such a detailed and unique sound.  The lyrics are down right funny.  And the musicians themselves are some of the most fun I've experienced yet!  As you can tell, I loved every second of it!

On Sunday morning, we all felt a little rough.  We were very happy to see the sun shine, though, that's for sure!  We made our way over to our event site and were happy to see people flooding our way for their morning cereal and yoga class.  It was a perfect venue for Kashi to be doing the Day of Change event.  Everyone loved having us there and we couldn't have been happier ourselves.  This event definitely makes it up to the top five, thus far.  I would love to go back next year, even if it's on my own buck!  Too much fun...

When it was time to pack up at the end of the event, no one was really ready to leave.  I was a bit surprised, given that I had never camped for 6 days before!  In fact, I don't think I have ever made it past 3 days.  The truth is, once you are used to being outside all the time, and if you have the right camp gear... camping is great!  Now, our crew is looking for other opportunities to camp.  I bet we will find ourselves eating by the fire a time or two again soon :)

So, West Virginia....my what a beautiful state.  The people, the music, the nature... its all pretty fantastic, in my opinion.  Rave reviews on this one! 

the beautiful farm at our B&B

my favorite goat, Fritz

feeding the goats our leftovers from breakfast

tight squeeze in sunie's car between the B&B and camping...

our camp site

I am a master fire-maker...as long as i have dry wood and a lighter :)

mmmm.... s'mores

the second night, I let pedro help with the fire

the creek (aka: our bath water)

winding down after our first night of the event

beautiful hedgesville sunset

working hard in the rain

one of my favorite poses...even more fun when practicing to live music!

some how, all the best musicians found their way to my tent for an impromptu jam session

rockin' the didge at our camp site

at this point, there were 10 string instruments going at once!

early morning (11am) yoga with my party animal friends

playing yoga with the kiddos

sunie, me and our friend the deer skull.  we are so hard core :)

pit stop in cleveland

After a week of bliss on the beach... we made our way to Cleveland.   Interesting adjustment, that's for sure!  Going from an east coast beach to a Midwest city is not the easiest transition to make in a matter of hours.  The food is different, the people are different... heck, it may as well be in a completely different country!

Our time in Cleveland was short-lived.  In fact, in order to pack in a few more days at the beach, we didn't get to Cleveland until just before set up. Don't get me wrong... I am sure there are many great things about Cleveland, but since it was sandwiched between Va Beach and camping in West Virginia, our time there was minimal.  We pretty much worked, ate and slept... that's about it!

Our event was the Taste of Cleveland - which you may have guessed is centered around food, cheap beer and music.   Surprisingly enough, Cleveland is known for the infamous "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame".  Needless to say, there are a lot of rock fans in Cleveland.  There were bands of all ages and genres of rock.  Some were great, some not so pleasant.  We were positioned right next to a stage, which made it somewhat difficult to teach yoga.  My classes started off slow, but picked up throughout the weekend.  Most people were pretty skeptical about trying yoga... in fact, most people were scared to even walk close to my area.  I guess they thought I might make them bend in half or something.  I always tell people, the yoga classes I teach are offered, not required.  I am there to expose people to yoga who are interested or curious.  Not to force anything on anyone uninterested.  I did have a few classes full of experienced yogis, which was fun.  I got to teach with the playful approach I am used to back home and lead the students to soar in their own practice.  That part was great!

Although most people I encountered were not really into yoga, those who were regular practicing yogis showed great interest.  Its crazy to me how many people I meet on the road who express the need for good yoga instructors in their area.   It always amazes me.  There are so many great yoga teachers in this country, yet they seem to be in the same concentrated areas.  Sometimes I wish I could just plop some of the best teachers in those areas for a few months to jump start their yoga communities.  Its hard to want to practice and learn, while searching for your teacher.  I have been there...

As far as the rest of my experience in Cleveland, it was mostly tied up with fun and games among our crew.  We seem to have fun anywhere, with anyone, so it doesn't really matter what city we are in.  One night, we found our way to a yummy Mediterranean restaurant for dinner.  Another night, we decided to wind down at a place called the Winking Lizard.  We sampled all kinds of fun specialty beers.  The rest of our time was spent working.  That's about all I've got on Cleveland...

Our crew is at an interesting point on tour... we are well past the half-way point and have to start thinking about what lies ahead, post tour.  Where to live, what car to buy, how to get back into a routine...  We are all doing our best to live day by day and keep enjoying our time as a crew out on the road.  Its hard, though... its human nature to wonder what comes next.  People are starting to ask if we are ready to be home or if we are sick of traveling yet... but, the truth is, we all love where we are and what we do on this tour.  Thus far, my experience on the road has been eye-opening on so many levels.  I have no intention of cutting that short by focusing on what's next.  I miss my family and my friends back home, for sure... but since this tour has a start and end date, it makes being away a bit easier.  I think it would feel different if I had moved somewhere else to start a new life in a different city...but, that's not the case.  I am going to continue to work hard to focus on living in the moment, enjoying each breath, each and every day.  I am coming home in November and looking forward to being home, but its not November yet :)  

Stay tuned...my next blog will be full of fun stories and pictures from camping at the blue grass festival in West Virginia!  It is sure to make up for my lack of interesting content on Cleveland :)

pedro and I lounging in my tent before the event

sunie and I doing our daily head stands

teaching pedro a trick or two

hanging with our local staff after the event

east coast sunrise

Last week, we were in Virginia Beach.  Our event was at the East Coast Surfing Championship...and our crew couldn't be more excited about it!    It doesn't get much better than teaching yoga on the beach all weekend!

As soon as we laid eyes on the beach, Sunie and I decided to change hotels so we could be right on the water.  It was too beautiful not to be right in the heart of it all.  We arrived a few days before our event and got to play around on the beach for a bit before "work" begun.  The most amazing part of the entire week in Va Beach was watching the sunrise, daily.  It was truly breathtaking.  I had never been to an east coast beach, so I had no idea what I was in for at sunrise.  Every morning, I literally opened my eyes to the navy blue ocean water crashing in as the sun took flight.  It was incredible!  Sunrise was around 6:30 am, so (needless to say) we got an early start every day.  It was peaceful & calming, yet invigorating to watch each day unfold.  I have seen my fair share of beautiful sunsets out west, but nothing takes the cake like an east coast sunrise.  Nature at its best, for sure!

Our event was so much fun.  Like I said, we were set up on the beach right by the main stage for the competition.  We made friends with the PA for the competition, so they announced my yoga class times all day.  Classes were full.  Everyone was extremely excited to hop on a mat and do some yoga on the beach.  Surfers young and old, families and groups of friends - everyone was into it.  In many other cities, I get the excuse about not being dressed for yoga or not wanting to get down on a mat... not here!  Everyone at this event was dressed for the beach and ready to play.  Definitely the first time I taught yoga class in my bikini!  I could get used to that :)

After the event, Sunie and I decided to hang around for a few more days, rather than heading to Ohio with the rest of our crew.  Man, were we glad we did!  The rest of the week really felt like a vacation.  We hung out at the beach all day and went out for dinner and drinks at night.  Most evenings ended with an ice cream cone from the infamous Kohrs Bros. ice cream shop.  It was too good to be true.  Every time we met people and they asked us what we were doing in Va Beach, we almost felt guilty saying, "work."  Our jobs are so cool, sometimes it seems like we are making up what we do for a living!  Its hard to believe teaching yoga on the beach and then hanging out on the beach all week is actually my job :)  We were out and about almost every night and ended up meeting some really great people, along the way.  In such a social atmosphere with gorgeous surroundings, everyone is happy and friendly all the time.  The positive nature was almost contagious!   I liked that about Va Beach...   

Unfortunately, there were not many great yoga studios in the area.  Most yoga classes were held at local gyms and such.  Its hard to know where to go, unless I am seeking out a specific teacher.  After such an intense week working with Mitchel in CT, I was content to just play around on my own for a few days.   I messed around with a little headstand chicken from time to time - doing headstand, facing the ocean, right where the water meets the sand to see how long you can hold it before the water hits your face!  Stupid, I know...but fun.  Most of my practice all week was more playful, than serious.  It was a good change of pace.  Sunie practices yoga too, so the two of us had fun trying yoga tricks on the beach :)

As you have probably noticed, this tour keeps getting better and better.  I am sure I have already said this a million times, but I just keep counting my lucky stars.  It is so cool to be in a different city every week and seeing things from a different perspective each time.  I am really quite amazed at how much I am learning, on this tour.  Va Beach was pretty great.  I already look back on that week with very fond memories...

Don't get me wrong, I do miss you all back home!  Please continue to write and call.  I LOVE to hear what's going on back home.  Enjoy the last bit of summer!

XOXO,

B

my attempt to capture the sunrise...impossible, but a good try :)

my day job is so cool!

my view from where I taught class

playing the didge on the beach

sunie and i with our friend the sand turtle

out on the town - our last night 

connecticut resident wannabe

This is probably the hardest blog for me to write, thus far.  I have so much to say about my time in Connecticut and I don't know where to start...It's hard to articulate how wonderful my time was when I was there.   Every day, I got to hang out with my family that lives there and work with my favorite yoga teacher at his home base.  

My first day there, I went to Mitchel's morning yoga class at Saraswarti's Yoga Joint.  I was so excited to see Mitchel and Tracy's (his wife) studio and take one of his regularly scheduled classes... Usually, I have to travel all over the country to study with Mitchel.  This time, I was right in his every day community.  It was fun to experience what it would be like to have a teacher like him at my fingertips.  Going to classes daily and seeing him interact with his regulars was really inspiring.  The first day, I went to an open levels class.  To be honest, I was a little shocked.  It was probably the first class I can remember where he kept things pretty tame :)  Maybe I should explain that comment...he is a fantastic teacher.  He has this way of opening up the doors to each student's fullest potential.  BUT, for those who know Mitchel, his classes aren't exactly a walk in the park - while still very accessible for all levels.  The first class I took with Mitchel that week,  we did a nice balanced practice - nothing too crazy.  It was fun.  Probably exactly what I needed to see coming from him - that every class doesn't have to be hard or advanced, to go deep into your practice.  Don't worry, though... the tough class came later in the week!  I went to his advanced class on Wed.  Whew!  It was crazy!  I took a spot in the back of a class of about 10 people.  These 10 people were definitely some of Mitchel's top students, who work with him on a regular basis.  Everyone seemed to know each other very well.  True to Mitchel's style, there was plenty of camaraderie and laughing going on during class.  As far as the actual class and the physical practice... hard as hell!  It was pretty inspiring.  Mitchel would give direction while teaching and I would have to stop and look around to see if what he was saying was actually humanly possible... and surprising enough, it was.  His regular advanced students have such a beautiful, strong and fun practice.  I had such a blast playing the "I live in CT" role, that week.  

I have to take a moment to talk about Mr. Bleier.  I met Mitchel when I was a teenager, back in Atlanta at a John Friend workshop.  He was traveling with John at the time, assisting his workshops.  I was incredibly inspired, right away.  His practice was insane!  John would have Mitchel demo poses, as he taught them to the class.  Shortly after that encounter, Mitchel took off on his own flight.  He has become one of the strongest, most clear and knowledgeable teachers in the country, since that first encounter.  There is so much to learn from a teacher like Mitchel.  He has a way of literally, "bringing yoga to life", which is basically the foundation of what we are building at Southtown Yoga.  Not to mention the fact that when working with Mitchel, everything reaches full potential.  There is really something to say about a teacher who can help you be the best at who you really are.  It's a gift.  As many of you know,  much of who I am as a teacher, a student and even as a person, has derived from knowing and studying with Mitchel Bleier.  He has shown me that the impossible is very possible, with the right intentions and hard work.  I am honored to say he is my teacher. 

On top of being with my favorite teacher all week, I also got the joy of spending a ton of time with my family in Connecticut.  My Uncle Jim, Aunt Denise and Cousin Shane live in Branford.  Most of my family resides in St. Louis, so I don't get to see these relatives as much as many others.  I do have to say, though, I have a very strong bond with my Uncle Jim and his family.  In fact, its pretty amazing.  My brother and uncle are so much alike, and they aren't ever around each other very often.  Its crazy how family can be like that.  My Uncle Jim and Tim are cut from the same mold, in so many ways. I loved being around him, one on one, and getting to know him as a friend.  It was the same way with my Aunt Denise and Shane, we really got to spend time together and talk about what's going on in each other's lives.  So many times in the past, our time spent together was in a mass family scene - which is also great, but very different.  We had meals together, shared lots of stories, even went rock climbing one afternoon.  I loved being at their house and in their daily lives.  My Uncle Jim has such a gentle, yet strong nature about him.  My Aunt Denise is incredibly caring and loving... and a fantastic cook!  My Cousin Shane is probably the coolest teenager I have ever met - smart, laid back and open to anything new.  As you can tell, I adore them.  They opened their home and made me feel just as your family should - full of love.  My time with them made me realize how important they are to me and how much I want to spend time like this with them, more often.  I will definitely be back to see them again soon :)

As far as the event, we were at another tennis championship.  The matches were held at the Yale campus.  The people were very eager to learn more about yoga.  The cool thing about working a sporting event is that people usually already have a pretty active lifestyle. My job is just to show them how to incorporate yoga into that lifestyle.  The response is pretty impressive, especially with the athletes.  I am always surprised at their shock value after trying a shortened version of a yoga class.  The most popular response is, "Yoga is not easy!"  Which is a good sign, coming from a competitive athlete.  Usually, that sparks interest and they look to start a practice.  I had a lot of fun with the community of people at this event.

So, in a nut shell, Connecticut was incredible.  The state itself is beautiful, the yoga community is very inspiring and my family there are some pretty amazing individuals.  I have to say, I am a little envious of the residents of CT!

p.s. If you want to check out Mitchel for yourself, he is coming to St. Louis for a weekend yoga workshop October 24-26.  Contact Jan Herzog at jan_easterly@sbcglobal.net to register.  Trust me, you will love every second of it and grow your practice leaps and bounds!

Until next time, 

B

XOXO

aunt denise, me, shane and uncle jim - family dinner

climbing with the boys at cat hole 

working my way up...

after class at mitchel's home base - saraswarti's yoga joint

holding sweet baby beck bleier after dinner

the beautiful bleier family

reconnecting in rochester

Since I stayed in Chicago all week after our event, I didn't spend much time in Rochester before the next event.  We arrived on Thursday and our event started Saturday morning, bright and early.  Usually, we arrive in a new city on Monday or Tuesday and have the event (in that city) the following weekend...so I am a bit off on my usual blog schedule - sorry for the long wait :)

Even though I was only in Rochester a few days, my time there was very well spent.  The first day of our event was great.  We were pretty packed all day, which makes time fly by.  This event was a festival, downtown Rochester.  Everyone who came our way was pretty friendly .  It was a little strange for me to be in that part of NY.  Before last week, the only NY experience I had was in NYC - which is quite different than the suburbs of Rochester!  It was nice, though, to see that NY is more than the image of what we blast all over the media and fancy reviews.  NY has a suburban side, too.  I know it sounds completely generic that I used to associate the entire state of NY with NYC, but its true.  I bet a lot of people don't really see the softer side of that state. If it weren't for this tour, I probably wouldn't have ever known any different.  In fact, we saw two full rainbows, during our time in Rochester.  Doesn't get much softer than that!  

The most exciting part of my time in Rochester was dinner with some dear friends, Saturday night.  My friend Jen and her husband Joel drove to Rochester from Pennsylvania to meet for dinner.  Jen and I met on that Sayulita Yoga retreat also... in fact, Jen is Midori's daughter that I saw in Michigan.  Jen and I were instant friends when we met a few years ago in Mexico.  Our moms would do their thing and Jen and I would venture off on our own, from time to time.  Don't get me wrong - we both completely adore our moms, but it was good for all of us to have someone else to bum around with, when desired.  Anyway, Jen and I always have a blast together, so I was thrilled to see her and equally thrilled to finally meet her husband, Joel.  

We met for dinner at a place called Eros, downtown Rochester. During her high school years, Jen's family lived in Rochester - so she new the good hot spots in town.  Dinner was fantastic, the company was fantastic, and (just as I imagined) Joel was just as fantastic as Jen.  I love seeing two people together that are so happy and such a good fit for each other.   I already knew it would be this way, but it was great to see it in person.  Jen and Joel are the kind of people who can have a very intelligent and stimulating conversation one minute and then laugh hysterically till tears come rolling down your face the next.  I am so grateful I got to spend time with them that evening. It really made my day!  At some point on this tour, we are hoping to meet up again...which would be quite the treat.

Sunday was the last day of the event and it rained most of the day.  I didn't get to teach as much as I usually do, which makes the day creep by slowly.  People were still interested in doing yoga, but with rainwater everywhere, it made things a little difficult.  Sunday evening, Pedro, Sunie and I went to Highfalls Brewery to see a concert.  Tristan Prettyman was playing in Rochester Sunday night, so I had to try and catch her.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize she went on at 6pm.  Fortunately, there were two more great bands playing after her set.  When we got there, John Butler Trio was just finishing up and G Love was about to take the stage.  The show was awesome.  It was an outdoor concert, which I love.  It rained a bit, toward the end, but no one cared.  We just danced in the rain.  At the end of the show, all 3 bands came out and played together, so I was very happy I at least got to see Tristan :)  It was a great night out in Rochester.  We were exhausted from working the event, but it turned out to be well worth it!

Overall, my time in Rochester was short-lived, but packed with excitement and fun.  Its such a great feeling to reconnect with old friends and make new memories.  Traveling the country has allowed me to see and do so many cool things with so many great people in my life.  I am excited to see what this journey brings next! 

Jen and I by my Kashi-mobile

at Jen's friend's place, after dinner

rainy sunday event day

walking into the concert at the brewery

this picture is freaky, but kinda funny 

sporting our kashi gear in the rain

G Love, John Butler Trio & Tristan - all on stage at once!

familiar inspiration

Last week, I spent time in Chicago after our first event back on the road.  For me, I was happy to start the second half of the tour in a Midwest city.  I have always loved Chicago, for many reasons - the city atmosphere, the lake, the people... its the closest "real" city to St. Louis, in my opinion.  

My first night there, I was stoked because Lallapalooza was happening that weekend in Grant Park.  There were so many great bands playing this year, including Radiohead and Bloc Party.  I was hoping to get a ticket when I got there, but that wasn't the case.  It was sold out and the scalpers were sketchy (big surprise), so I ended up sitting outside the venue on a hill in the park - listening from there.  I caught a few songs and decided that was enough.  Lots of interesting characters at that concert!  It was getting late and I walked from the hotel, so it was time to head back.  Would have been cool to see some of the bands play, but what I was able to hear was definitely better than nothing at all.

Our event was on Roscoe street, which is on the other side of Lincoln Park area.  As many times as I have been to Chicago, that whole area was new to me.  I liked the look and feel, a lot.  Everything was full of character and charisma, yet still down to earth.  One of the greatest characteristics of Chicago is the sense of family life - there are families walking around everywhere you look.  I guess can be attributed to the Midwest culture, families tend to stick together around my parts :)  Anyway, this event was a good place for Kashi to be, given the crowd.  Everyone seemed to love what we had to offer.  We were packed all day.  It was nice to have such a popular event, it makes time fly by!

After the event, I had the whole week to play around the city.  It was so nice to be on my own terms.  I was especially excited for Monday night, because I had tickets to see Tristan Prettyman play at the House of Blues.  Over the past two years, I have grown to absolutely love her music.  To see her live, was a huge deal.  I first learned of her music when she did a song with G Love, called Beautiful.  G Love kind of helped bring her up in the music world.  The concert was awesome, just as expected.  She played her guitar and danced around on stage, like she was having the time of her life.  It's always good to see people doing what they love.  She told lots of stories about each song and where it came from, which was cool to hear.  It was a great place to see her play - because since the venue is small, you feel like you are right there on stage with the band.   We were about 10 feet away, max.  During her encore, G Love unexpectedly showed up to play "Beautiful" with Tristan, live.  He was in town because he played at Lallapalooza the day prior, but no one had any idea he was going to make a surprise appearance.  I kind of turned into a teenage girl - I was so excited.  Seeing those two play live, together, was definitely my favorite part of the night. After finishing the encore, Tristan and G Love both came out to hang out with the crowd.  Its always cool to see that even rock stars are just normal, everyday people... they just happen to be really really talented and fun to watch :)  

The rest of the week revolved around the yoga classes at Yogaview.  I know a few of the teachers there and some of the regulars from there go on the Sayulita retreat every year.  I was excited to practice in that community.  One of my teachers, Geri Bleier, happened to be out of town that week, but I was still planning to attend her scheduled classes - since she had great subs.  In fact, the teacher who taught her Wed. afternoon class is a lot of fun. I know her from the Anusara Immersion we both attended in Atlanta a few years back - her name is Dorie.  If you are ever in Chicago, look her up.  She is a great teacher.  The class was a level 3 advanced class - which basically means hard as hell, to my experience.  No joke, it was the hardest and one of the most fun classes I had ever been to.  People were doing things you see in magazines or something.  The community was so dedicated and strong.  I could only imagine what it would be like to be surrounded by people with such determination and diligence, on a regular basis.I am sure they feed off each others energy.  These people were devoted to their practice, that's for sure!  It wasn't even about the poses they could pull off, it was about the look on their faces while they were doing it.  I couldn't believe it.  It was like everything they did appeared effortless.  Definitely inspiring, that's for sure.  I met some really unique people during my time at Yogaview.  Unique in a good way...

I am excited to go back to Chicago more often, after I make it back home next fall. Its a quick and easy commute to some really great yoga :)  I will definitely be making some one-day trips there to work with Geri, in the near future.  If any of you St. Louis yogis want to join me, just let me know!

Overall, I left Chicago feeling inspired and well-connected.  I wasn't really ready to leave, the day we hit the road to Rochester.  There was a sense of familiarity and comfort that came along with a practicing yoga and living my daily life in a Midwest community.  I liked the fact that I kinda knew my way around, but experienced so much new, at the same time.  This tour just keeps getting better and better!

the front gates at Lollapalooza - this is as far as i got :)

a random fountain in the middle of the city where kids were playing 

Tristan and G Love - LIVE at the House of Blues

Meet my boyfriend G Love (hehe)

Surfer/Rocker Chick, Tristan Prettyman

lake + city life + great yoga community = happy brigette