I was about 20 minutes late to class, as I had to wait for a spot in the gym childcare to open up for Thommy. (Oh, January gym goers, I will outlast you!)

The important thing is, I got there.

I crept in quietly, and gently unrolled my mat. My fellow students were on their backs, in the middle of some leg exercise I'd never done before. But in this particular class, I expect new and unfamiliar. 

I lay down on my mat and followed along. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know why I was doing it. 

I was there, moving my legs, looking at the ceiling, in yoga class and that was all that mattered.

Everything, everything, from the morning melting away. Or rather, released. Wow. Why was it so easy?

Then it came to me: I love yoga, I love this practice, because I trust it. Implicitly. I'll try nearly any pose, any chant, any breath, any exercise to see what happened. With complete trust in this teacher and in yoga.

And I trust that no matter what happens in the practice, I will learn something from it. I will be happy that I showed up.

I can come to my mat and go into mental and emotional freefall because I trust I will be caught. I may go through the day feeling like nothing more than a bundle of atoms held together by the force of attraction, but I know that in yoga I can let go and I will not scatter. I trust. 

I realized, as I moved in and out of poses, what a vital and necessary thing it is to have places of complete trust. 

Tension releases. Hackles go down. Jaws unclench. Defenses, gone.

Trust allows release. Unbounded creativity. To see and be seen, completely and clearly. 

So much of life requires demands on guard. Second-guessing. Analyzing. Selectively sharing. Or does it?

Where do you find spaces of complete trust?

xoxo Maeg

january 27th, day 27

making time to get my yoga on.

happy weekend, all! xoxo Maeg

My Year of Joys is a year-long photo project documenting one small, sweet joy every day in 2012.

See each day so far or join in!

january 26th, day 26.

a family hike through the woods.

to the little house, the climbing tree, and the river.

and finding the perfect leaf.

xoxo Maeg

My Year of Joys is a year-long photo project documenting one small, sweet joy every day in 2012.

See each day so far or join in!

Hello Thursday!

Just popping in with a few bits and pieces today. 

As you all know, the idea of congruence has been on my mind a lot this week. My column on Scoutie Girl this week is all about it, too, so feel free to head over there and show the love. If you haven't been turned onto it already, Scoutie Girl is a great blog edited by the amazing Tara Gentile. I think you'll like it a lot!

Also, it's giving-away time again! Every month I give away a super mini shopping spree to a randomly chosen newsletter subscriber. The winner this month is...drumroll...Angela! All the details are in your inbox. xo 

I'm really happy to see new folks signing up to be part of the Creative Collective, and I've loved the ideas for topics that you all have been gifting to my inbox! Thank you!

If you're curious or want to be part of this monthly discussion, you can see all the details and sign up here. You can sign up and participate as often or as little as you like.

With that, I'm off to make a little coffee. Have a little breakfast. Perhaps fulfill a little someone's request to watch "Elmo's Potty Time." You know, Thursday.

How are you spending your Thursday?

xoxo Maeg

january 25th, day 25.

knowing when to admit defeat and just call it a spa day.

with a teacup toast to you,

xoxo Maeg

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Those are sculptures made from feathers. Yes. Are you feeling simultaneously amazed, thrilled, and creeped out yet? I hope so.

See more photos at Kate MccGwire's website.

Enjoy! xoxo Maeg

january 24th, day 24.

this view.

on a miraculously warm january day.

happy tuesday! xoxo Maeg

My Year of Joys is a year-long photo project documenting one small, sweet joy every day in 2012.

See each day so far or join in!

Thommy's turning two years old this weekend! Yup, I know it sounds cliche, but I'll say it: I can't believe it. It's gone so fast. I really does seem like just yesterday that I gave birth to him (when the two years of sleep deprivation doesn't make it seem like forever!) Ok, he keeps me up, but I adore him all the same.

So...that gives me a little less than a week to plan his birthday bash. We're doing something small and sweet this year, just having family over for a birthday brunch. I already made and sent my own invites, as you can see, and am just looking for some fun details and decor. Here's some little one birthday inspiration I found via pinterest:

You can see all the photos and their sources here. I'll certain let you all know what I came up with next week!

xoxo Maeg

Got any toddler birthday tips or ideas? Please let me know!

january 23rd, day 23.

coming home to my two favorite boys in the world.

xo, Maeg

My Year of Joys is a year-long photo project documenting one small, sweet joy every day in 2012.

See each day so far or join in!

The word of the week at our house is: congruence.

It's a beautiful thing. But also a big, heavy word.

Fitting for winter, fitting for hibernation. For lots of thinking and evaluation.

Lately, I've been looking at things in the Right Now, as opposed to the Great Imagined (you know that version of your life that looks a lot like a magazine spread? Where your dishes are always washed, you have an amazing couch, and you finally got around to reading Manufacturing Consent, for the second time?).

It's all too easy for me to confuse the Great Imagined with the Right Now. But in really looking at the present, I'm mulling over how it fits with what I really want from life. What matches up? What's congruent?

Just the act of asking what's congruent brings to the surface everything that is not. And it's uncomfortable to look at. There's a lot. From the huge to miniscule.

Working on bringing the big stuff into alignment--location, home, job, relationships--is a daunting task. Monolithic.

So I went to find out how to get congruent. I did some interior scuba diving. I consulted my inner Oracle of Delphi. I did a little Shiva Nata on it.

The message I got was pretty clear, and pretty surprising.

It's in the moment. It's right now.

It's not just about what I do, it's about how I do it.

It's less about the results, the end goals. It's about finding congruence in the moment. Whatever I'm doing, am I doing it in such a way that supports the kind of life I want to live? (And if not, can I find a way to create alignment without giving myself a hard time for needing to do so?)

Talking with my husband. Playing with my children. Am I joyful, or impatient?

Writing, making art. Am I expansive and exploring, or am I rushed and frustrated?

Steaming veggies. Moving into a yoga pose. Am I feeling relaxed, or pressured?

Having feelings about whatever. Making mistakes. Am I kind to myself and moving on, or self-punishing, angry?

Am I bringing the qualities I want in life to these interactions? Or am I doing things that fit my life design--but in a way that's counter to my desires?

That's been my recent practice. To take a deep breath and ask myself these questions.

Because really, in the end, it doesn't matter if I get that amazing couch and read that hefty tome if I'm fuming the whole time. That's not really what I'm going for.

Congruence. Here's to finding it, right now.

xoxo Maeg