Tag Archives: events

Black tie and staying present

30 Jan

bmore1Hi friends- can you believe the warm temperatures?!? I can’t.  I love it so much, but I also find it kind of scary with global warming how it’s snowing and icing one day and then almost 70 degrees the next.  I’ve been meaning to get this post up earlier but alas, here it is.  On Saturday night I got to attend The Enoch Pratt Library’s Black and White Party.  It was an amazing event.  They hold this party every year and raise money for the library and for their children’s and teen literacy efforts.

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But what made this event more special for me was that my mom used to work at the central branch when I was younger.  Actually my sister and I were on a poster for the library when we were four.  I tried to find the poster at my parents house but no luck.  I will show it you I promise!  So there was food, wine from The Wine Source, and a special beer crafter by The Brewer’s Art (love!) called The Nutty Pratt Ale. 

 

PBJ and I were in our finest and hung out with his friends. They had a Great Gatsby theme and were even playing the original film in the av room. It was an amazing time and I ran into people I went to high school with, friends from yoga, and local news casters. I hope we go again next year. And fyi- if you want to go next year, the tickets sell out very quickly!!

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This was my lunch today- vegan, gluten free, soy free.  I know it doesn’t look very pretty but it was tasty. 

In the mix was:

quinoa, spinach, black beans, garbanzo beans, polenta, onion (all sautéed with a bit of olive oil), garlic, salt and pepper to taste.  All organic too!

 

 

Here are the cat pictures you guys wanted.  I have yet to actually capture them in their cat yoga poses. Lol

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Always sleeping.  Must be nice. 

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So I  recorded a Raven’s inspired yoga sequence for you but I’m not savvy enough to figure out how to upload it.   I will try to record a video for you so you’ll have a sequence! A few of you wrote to me on facebook telling me what you would like to see on the blog and one of the topics was staying present in my own practice.  Well- the real honest answer is that you’re not always going to be 100% present in your own practice.  Our minds naturally wander and as busy human beings in a society that encourages us to keep pushing and doing all the time, it’s quite challenging to find that still place.  But the key to all of that- including being present in your own practice- is being aware of the fact that your mind, thoughts, and intentions do wander.  Instead of criticizing your self that oh I’m not focusing enough on my warrior 2- being ok and accepting the fact that, yeah, my thigh is burning and I’m feeling hungry.  It’s OK! But realizing that and then regaining your focus is what’s most important.  The other thing is that my own practice doesn’t have barriers, restraints, or fit into some box of what I think it should be or look like.  Everyday is different and just like life, my yoga practice is always changing.  And yours should too.  Being present means being awake, being vibrant, and being OK with whatever it is that shows up- not matter what it looks like. 

I hope you’re having a great week!  Time for me to face plant into bed!

xox- C

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Super fail

9 May cccy

cccyHi hi hiiiii- how are we?  I have been busy as I don’t know what.  So clearly- my challenge was a complete fail.  I will not be trying to do one of those again.  But I know so many of you keep checking my page and tell me you love it so- here I am!

I have been extremely busy with work- teaching and teacher training- and basically just trying to stay organized!

 

But on a positive note- I am teaching HIP HOP YOGA this Saturday May 12 at Charm City Yoga Midtown.  It’s a two hour class and if there are songs you want me to add to the play list let me know!!

Also- big news- my next international YOGA VACAY RETREAT is planned and set in stone.  I sooooo want you to come!

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I know you may think it’s $$$-  but make sure you ready the flyer so you can see all the details of what is included and it’s not until January!  So you can start saving.  I am also accepting credit cards this year! Make sure you also check out Rancho Santana and see how amazing it is!  I have several friends who have been and they LOVED every second of it.  Seven days and nights of yoga, surfing, horseback riding, relaxing, hiking, and living it up.  A great way to start the new year!

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So one of the reasons I created this blog was to let all of you know what my life is like, what I’m doing, what yoga classes and retreats or events I teach and all of that.  I picked the name Camiekarma because I used to desperately want my nickname to be Camie.  No one really ever called me that and I just liked the way it sounded. In college my bff and freshman year roommate was Camie.  Our room was called the Camie room.

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Very fitting I think (Hi Cam!).  Anyways- when I first became a yoga teacher- Camiekarma seemed like a good fit.  According to Dictionary.com karma means:

action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation

So in essence, I would like to inspire, ignite, and motivate you to live the life you want to live.  But the truth is blogging is a lot of work.  And a lot of the time- I feel like my life isn’t exciting and any different than any of yours.  I drink my own home made iced coffee (I’m trying to go back to decaf.  Ugh) with coconut milk, I make smoothies, I let the dishes pile up, I hate folding laundry,  I take a lot of cat pictures (as you know), I do yoga in my living room, I like to drink wine, I watch too many of the real housewives…the list can go on and on.

I just want to say THANK YOU for being dedicated to me and thank you for reading!!!

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xoxo and a big squeeze!

C

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Challenge- Day 1

15 Apr

I know you’ve been wondering where I’ve been.  And it was actually one of my goals to be blogging consistently three times a week and well- the clearly hasn’t been happening.  So I’ve decided to create a challenge for myself to blog every day for 30 days.  Today is day 1.

Are you having a fun weekend????  I’ve been working and in between that sleeping and playing with this guy.

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After a traumatizing trip to the vet- Presley is no longer gnawing away at all of his fur…too much.  Who knew that cats needed to be wheat free too?  I’ve changed his diet and now he takes Rescue Remedy as well and it’s actually working.  The people at the pet store Bark really helped me.

 

 

I celebrated Easter dinner…and ate way too much.

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Clearly we all love to smile.

 

 

 

 

Celebrated my Dad’s birthday

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And I did teach Yoga After Dark which was a HUGE success!  I am so grateful to everyone who showed up and hopefully I will be teaching another one in the summer/fall.  If you missed it- I would love for you to be there next time!!

 

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I am teaching Hip Hop Yoga again at Charm City Yoga Midtown on Saturday May 12.  Click here for all the information. 

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015I’ve been working a ton lately, working out, yogaing, and spending time with my Brad Pitt and just like everyone else it’s hard to find balance and stay inspired to be on top of your goals.  I started creating my own art journal.  I’m typically not one for journaling-I’ve started one here and there, written a few pages, and then that’s the end of that.  So I took an empty journal, rummaged through some magazines before I tossed them into the recycling and here’s what I came up with so far.

 

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I don’t know what it will turn into but I’ve found some websites that have art journal suggestions too that I’ve been looking at.  I like this one and this one.  I’ve also been checking out Elsie’s blog A Beautiful Mess which is full of creative and inspirational ideas. 

We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.  ~Henry David Thoreau

Happy Sunday!  See you tomorrow for Day 2!

xoxo- C

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Wednesday

29 Mar

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Oh hi there.  How is your week?  Mine hasn’t been too eventful and the weekend is quickly approaching but that’s the way I like it.  How about you?  The weather’s been pretty nice and I just cannot believe it’s spring!  I’m already making plans for months from now and I cannot believe summer is around the corner!  That also means my big 3-0 Smile

Here’s a recipe for you:

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Sautee some chickpeas (garbanzo beans rinsed and drained) with olive oil. 

Add onion and spinach till everything is cooked down. Add salt, pepper, garlic, to taste.

Add sprouts (I used alfalfa) and some chopped avocado into a separate bowl and then add cooked beans, onions, and spinach mix. 

Top with goat cheese if you like!  All kind of random ingredients but it was pretty tasty.

I seem to have almost all of these ingredients on hand most of them time which makes throwing it all together really convenient.  I haven’t bought cheese in a few months as I’ve really tried to cut out almost all dairy and I thought starting with a little goat cheese would be a good start. 

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These are my friends Melissa and Brian.  They just moved to Hawaii.  I miss you guys already and I wish you nothing but the best!  You both deserve it so much!

And I will be coming to Hawaii thank you very much.

These are a few pics from their going away happy hour which was at La Scala last weekend. 

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I’ve only been to La Scala one other time- but if you go on Sunday’s between 4 and 8pm you can get $6 wines and appetizers.  Very tasty if you’re interested.

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Here are some links you might be interested in:

Broga- yoga for dudes weary of yoga

A Cheap Trick: Handstand, Backbends, and the Deeper Dimension of Yoga

7 Vegetarian Super Foods for Protein

You must check out this video!!!

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Meditate.  Live purely.  Be quiet.  Do your work with mastery.  Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds!  Shine.  ~Buddha

Don’t forget to come to Yoga After Dark on Friday at Charm City Yoga Midtown!  Click here for more info!

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You can decide

27 Mar

004Hi friends- how was your weekend? I had nothing work related going on and I spent time with Brad Pitt.  April is going to be a crazy month for me work wise so it was nice to take it easy this weekend.  What about you?  Did you do anything fun?  I was originally going to see the Cherry Blossoms in DC but the weather put a damper on those plans.  ____________________________________________________________

001A few weeks ago Lululemon sent me to the Landmark Forum.  The forum is a intense weekend long seminar where you basically learn certain skills to help you create the life you want.  It has a lot to do the language that you use to help you have your own personal tool kit for living your life to the fullest.  This may seem confusing to some, eye opening to others, and really resonating to others. 

005Life is what you make of it.  You can have, be, and do anything you want. When we get upset, frustrated and angry- we are deciding to be those things.  Our decisions are based on our own reasoning. 

I’ve thought a lot about what I think I’m meant to do in life or my destiny if you want call it that as I’ve written about before and that I had thought there is something essentially that we are all meant to do in life- we just have to figure that out.  Figure out what our dharma is.  I guess something I realized that with that- the idea of duty and destiny- is that we are the ones who give meaning to what we do in life.

I used to complain all the time about not having enough “Camille time.”  If you talk to me often enough, I’m sure you’ve heard me talking about this.  But one thing I specifically took away from the forum is that we are each responsible for our actions.  So- me trying to blame everyone and everything on not having enough Camille time really means that I am the one in charge of how I spend my time. 

Life is what you make it. 

007Our lives are waves that come up out of the ocean of eternity, break upon the beach of earth, lapse back to the ocean of eternity.  Some are sunlit, some run in storm and rain; one is a quiet ripple, another is a thunderous breaker; and once in many centuries comes a great tidal wave that sweeps over a continent; but all go back to the sea and lie equally there. ~Austin O’Malley

So I had a weekend away and it was blissful.  I feel relaxed and recharged for the week ahead!

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This girl kept my feet warm. 

I did lots of this:

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Note- I am now obsessed with the Keurig coffee makers!  I really want one- but I’d be for sure a caffeine addict if I had one.  I also ate food that was not gluten and dairy free!  Gahhhh!  But it was good.  I didn’t take any pics though.  Next time!

010Present moment living, getting in touch with your now, is at the heart of effective living.  When you think about it, there really is no other moment you can live.  Now is all there is, and the future is just another present moment to live when it arrives. ~Wayne Dyer

And ended with this:

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I hope you’re having a great start to the week!

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**Don’t forget THIS FRIDAY is Yoga After Dark with me at Charm City Yoga Midtown.  $20 in advance and $25 at the door for 2 hours of yoga flow, yin yoga, and yoga nidra with me.  Click here for more info and to register.  It’s all levels so PLEASE invite your friends!

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I’m back

20 Mar

cwaterHiiiii blog readers!  I know it’s been a minute (maybe more like a month) since there’s been a post- but to be honest- I needed some much deserved Camille time.  And life is great!

My cousins husband (in one of the below pics) said to me when I was first blogging- you’re not going to be one of those people who writes things like- sorry I haven’t blogged in a while…LOL yes I’ve turned into that person!

Here’s what I’ve been up to.

The last time I posted I had gone to Baltimore Magazine’s Top Singles of 2012 party

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I had been chosen to be in their February issue (honestly not my favorite picture) but the party was very fun and tons of people saw the magazine.  Now the whole world knows I’m single…more on that later.

 

 

 

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The party was at Bond Street Social and was definitely a good time.  Packed with people, good music, drinks,- all around fun time.

 

 

 

 

I’ve spent time with these people:

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Yes- I am related to these red headed children! They’re my little cousins.  I think technically second cousins once removed.  Something like that.

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You can see my previous posts when I went to visit them here and here.

I’ve also become gluten free, dairy free, and soy free.  I know this will spark a lot of conversation- but I have had stomach issues and some arthritic flare ups in my knee and a lot of it has been cured by cutting some things out of my diet.  I’ve been eating this way- 95% of the time- for almost 2 months.  But of course, now I realize that the second I go to eat something that’s not free of these things (mainly the soy and gluten) I’m in pain the next day.

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I’ve also seen a naturopathic doctor and I feel amazing.  You can read more about naturopathic medicine here but the woman I have met with is awesome.  She looks at everything you do, eat, how you live your overall life, what your family history is etc, and helps you figure out what lifestyle changes you need to make to better your life.  This includes diet, physical activity, going to bed early, taking herbal supplements and so on.  I love it.  I have more energy and I feel over all more happy then ever.  I know it’s hard to think that some food can cause sluggishness and lethargy when you love the way they taste (trust  me I love cheese) but I feel so much better when I don’t eat those.  I’ve even cut way back on my beloved wine and champagne. 

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I’ve been working hard, enjoying the weather, taught a yoga class at Charm City Run in McHenry Row, and next week on March 30th I will be teaching a 2 hour Yoga After Dark Class at Charm City Yoga Midtown.

The class will be two hours from 8-10pm including an hour of yoga flow, 30 minutes of yin yoga and 30 minutes of yoga nidra.  Light refreshments and tea to follow.  Please sign up here! It’s all levels so bring your friends!

One last thing- I am working very hard to make a yoga retreat happen at this gorgeous resort next January.  Let me know what you think!

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I read this yesterday in one of my classes and I know it resonated with a few of you so I thought I’d share.

It’s easy to go through this fast-paced world feeling as if you are being dragged through your weeks on the back of a wild horse. Many of us go from one thing to another until we end up back at home in the evening with just enough time to wind down and go to sleep, waking up the next morning to begin the wild ride once more. While this can be exhilarating for certain periods of time, a life lived entirely in this fashion can be exhausting, and more important, it places us in the passenger’s seat when really we are the ones who should be driving.
When we get caught up in our packed schedule and our many obligations, weeks can go by without us doing one spontaneous thing or taking time to look at the bigger picture of our lives. Without these breaks, we run the risk of going through our precious days on a runaway train. Taking time to view the bigger picture, asking ourselves if we are happy with the course we are on and making adjustments, puts us back in the driver’s seat where we belong. When we take responsibility for charting our own course in life, we may well go in an entirely different direction from the one laid out for us by society and familial expectations. This can be uncomfortable in the short term, but in the long term it is much worse to imagine living this precious life without ever taking the wheel and navigating our own course.
Of course, time spent examining the big picture could lead us to see that we are happy with the road we are on, but we would like more time with family or more free time to do whatever we want at the moment. Even if we want more extreme changes, the way to begin is to get off the road for long enough to catch our breath and remember who we are and what we truly want. Once we do that, we can take the wheel with confidence, driving the speed we want to go in the direction that is right for us. ~Madisyn Taylor 

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Spring is officially here- so take a moment to clear out the clutter in your house, apartment, in your brain, make a green smoothie, and have some time for yourself.

 

 

 

Xoxo, C

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And oh yeah- I met my very own Brad Pitt- but that’s all I’m saying about that.

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Yoga love

20 Jan

Hi my favorite people- TGIF!!  I don’t know about you, but I am more than pleased that it’s the weekend.  And I have zero plans.  Happy as a clam.   What about you?  I hope you had a fabulous week and have an even better weekend waiting for you.

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Here’s a guest post from my girl Thais!

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thaisSometimes I wonder why I love yoga so much. It’s anything but easy, the progress is slow, some poses are borderline crazy, and everyday my body’s needs are different. The catch is, despite all of that, yoga isn’t really about the asanas but about connecting with the breath. Who would’ve thought. But fact of the matter is, yoga saved my life.

 

 

 

thais 3I am one of those people who lived the majority of my life completely disconnected from my body. Only after I started therapy did I realize how much I believed that the body was simply a slave of the mind rather than a tool for happiness. So I went to yoga to seek reconnection. After each class I left the studio with such a state of happiness, which I dubbed as a “yoga high”, that I just had to go back time and time again. Initially I only practiced yoga on my mat. I learned to enjoy the breath. I learned patience and persistence. I learned the joys of a good sweaty detox class. I learned that just because I can touch my toes does not mean I am in any way shape or form “better”. Eventually I noticed these lessons started following me around off the mat. I became more observant of how inflexible my mind was to change. I realized I carried tension with me for no reason. I started to become more compassionate with myself.

thais4Above all, the most important thing I’ve learned with my yoga practice is the power of the intention. If we do not set an intention before our practice, we tend to bring the same neurosis we have off the mat, on the matt. We must make it a point to let go, to breathe, to be ok with where we are, etc, when we practice. It’s my sincerest belief that without mindful intention, yoga is no different than gymnastics. This component of the practice is what creates change in the way we lead our lives. It’s what helped me express myself in a different way. Slowly but surely I am more positive, more open to life. All because I chose to approach yoga consciously and with great care. So of course, with such a love for the practice I had to go through teacher training. I wanted to learn everything I could about this world that I was just dipping my toes in. 200 hours later, I still feel like I am just skimming the surface of a beautiful ancient practice. There is so much more to yoga than just postures!!

thais1The more I learn, the more I want to share my knowledge. Eventually I want to teach yoga full time, just like our dear Camille does. We shall see what life has in store for me. After all that, what I am trying to say is – DO MORE YOGA! Whether it’s off the mat, or on the mat, I cannot encourage you enough to honor your practice. Maybe you practice to perfect your natarajasana (one of my favorite poses), or maybe you practice to get away from the craziness of life. Regardless of the reason, regardless of the actual practice, regardless of how successful you are, the point is just do it. Set an intention and go after your dreams. You’d be surprised at how nurturing the world is for those who find happiness in being.

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Thais is a 20s something yogadork with a passion for living life to the fullest. You can catch her taking naps in the park with her black lab, Caviar, reading ten books at a time, or tweeting away about some quote or another. Check out her corner of the blogging world here.

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Happy Friday!  Don’t forget next Saturday January 28th is my HIP HOP YOGA class at Charm City Yoga Midtown.  Click here for more info!

Life can be found only in the present moment.  The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

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Sickness and Health

20 Dec

045Hi! How was your weekend?? Things have been crazy busy and the only reason I am even sitting still is because I currently am recovering from a bout with food poisoning!  Who knew you can get sick from a veggie burrito (without sour cream)!? And I was on a date when it happened.  Embarrassing!  Probably just as bad as when I fell in my stilettos on a first date. 

Anyways.  Smile

 

On Friday I had the privilege of teaching yoga at Fort Meade military base.  After getting lost and making it by the skin of my teeth (had to show my license, registration, insurance cards, get the car searched, and get my picture taken) there were about 60 military students who were in attendance ready for yoga. 

This event was part of a Warrior Resiliency Day which featured meditation, yoga, a talk about nutrition and natural ways to help reduce stress- especially during the holidays.  This event was put on by my friend MSgt Chris Eder is who in addition to being on active duty, he is also a yoga teacher as well as the Ft Meade DC Metro representative for Semper Fidelis Health and Wellness. 

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My fellow teachers were CJ Keller, Karen Dubs, Chris Eder, and Laurie Hyland Robertson.

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Everyone needs yoga.  It amazed me that these young people had so much physical strength but really needed the balance of yoga and mind body awareness.  It was hard for them to sit in a seated position let alone with a straight spine.  But just like a lot of newbies to yoga- we don’t realize how we  sit or even how we breathe.  We just go through the same motions and habits every day. 

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We all taught parts of the sequence and I think they really loved it.  I could tell they were more relaxed and just happy to have even tried a basic beginner yoga class.  The ab sequence by Karen made them sweat and you hear everyone kind of groaning which was pretty funny to me considering I can only imagine what their military training is like!

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I think the even went really well and there was a great turn out.  I realized that even though I am not a huge fan of war and a lot of the politics behind it- that the men and women in the military are some of the people who need yoga the most!!!! I left feeling pretty fulfilled.

On to the next event!

Friday night was a class taught by Kim Manfredi and sponsored by Lululemon and Charm City Yoga.  I had the chance to assist the class and it was in the penthouse of Silo Point.  The view was amazing and there were a TON of people in attendance! 

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It was an awesome night- followed by bubbly and yummy food at Kim’s house.  Sadly no pictures were taken by me.  But a really fun time all around.

 

 

 

 

Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralyzed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as bird wings. ~Rumi

 

I hope you all had a great weekend! 

xoxo, C

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