Sandbridge Yoga

01/31/2021

A little awareness from our Rachael!
“I lived in Hawaii for four years and worked with a lot of different cultures such as Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. When I worked at Starbucks, some of the Japanese customers that would come in wore masks as a sign of respect. Even if they had a little throat tickle or a cough, they would put the mask on as a form of respecting the other people around them so they wouldn’t get sick too.
Even if we discover years from now that masks didn’t do anything to help this virus, at least I know wearing them is a form of respect in some cultures. And I wish it would be the same for ours here. But unfortunately, masks have turned into a political debate. I just don’t get it.”
An honest and heartfelt testimony that we felt was a valuable share. 🌟

01/29/2021

It can be hard to decipher if others are being good to us because they are inspired by us and want a genuine friendship or an authentic working relationship. It is no secret that we can grow out of certain situations and move towards people or experiences that align with our current reality, desires and needs. Being able to connect with others without needing them for personal gain where the relationship is symbiotic is healthy.
In the novel Ishmael the animal teaches the human about being a taker. I reference this often as it impacted the way I view relationships with others. At times others do not realize they are taking but there are other times when someone is clearly taking from us. Whether it is our energy, our creativity, our contacts, our relationships. One could argue a real relationship can never be taken from us and our role in the disruption must be made aware. However there are times when someone wants what you have and will take until you stop it. I have a difficult time with the concepts of networking and empowered women empower women. I interpret this as hollow, shallow connections for personal gain with other people guilted by the idea that women should always in fact support another woman otherwise you are not a truly empowered woman yourself. Brrrrrrrrp. Wrong! Making genuine and natural connections with other women and forming a mutually beneficial relationship to help one another succeed in life is definitely a special and rare connection. It happens with ease and on a whim. Also arguably by fate. Sometimes these relationships work and sometimes they do not and leave us with lessons for our inner guidance system.
In a world of media and networking it is good to tap into our heart, our logical and aware mind, and our ability to feel whether someone is good for us or not. Just because someone is not good for us does not mean they are not a good person it simply means they are not in alignment with us and our current reality. It can also mean there are some sneaky biotches lurking around and ya better recognize or you are bound to get got while they build upon your genuinely built foundation. Be real. Be you. Be consistently true.

01/19/2021

If this last year has done anything for us as human beings I would hope that it has made us more grateful. As a world we are grieving. We are mourning the loss of people we love. Not only from the pandemic but from other terrible circumstances. I have seen friends lose the people who make their life feel special. The people that make life worth living. I know I am NOT alone when I see their pain and it breaks my heart and makes me realize how thankful I am for the people who make life, life.
While there are many systemically ignored and ignorant issues in which we must to pay heed, as a nation we must recognize our oneness again. Perspectives and belief systems are being muddled. We are forgetting to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We are forgetting The Golden Rule! We could have been raised in different societal norms and socioeconomic backgrounds yet most human beings were raised with The Golden Rule! I have been awakened to so many things and believe things are changing. I was raised to treat everyone equally and to forget the color of skin as well as to treat the person pushing the broom the same as the CEO. Now we have a new framework. We are now told to address people of color as people of color. This is huge because we are now infiltrating our core belief system. Things we were taught were wrong are now being changed. We are told to acknowledge people of all races and backgrounds. It is actually an exciting thing to be able to talk about different cultural differences as well as it being ok to acknowledge what is right about our belief system and what needs some fine tuning and tweeking. This goes for all people of all races. However the TWO things that we need NOT change are The Golden Rule and that we all bleed!! The aggression must stop. The comprehension of the magnitude of suffering people of all races are experiencing MUST be acknowledged by one another.
We have to remember the amount of fear and loss circling us and help to shift the energy of the world without ignoring the injustices! We will not survive life this way. We aren't. Gratitude, love, empathy, action and a radical perspective shift.

01/16/2021

❤️🙏

A few years ago I had some extra umbrellas in my car. I kept seeing people walking down the street in the rain and the first time I was like, damn, they are getting soaked. I remembered I had extra umbrellas so I pulled over and handed them an umbrella. I don't remember when or what they looked liked but it became something I started to do. I would just pull up next to a person, lift my eyebrows and nonchalantly say, "Want this?" and hand them an umbrella.
The last time I did this I was driving down the road and I saw a black man with perfectly curated dreads half covered in a plastic bag, back pack drenched next to the light post, with a white T-Shirt on that he had taken a red sharpie and written "Will work for food!!" Across the front of it. He was energetically pointing to it and seemed in pretty good spirits considering it was pouring! I don't always stop or give food. Sometimes it feels right and others it doesn't. This dude got me though...I did a u-turn and cut across 4 lanes of traffic to get to him. I pulled into the turn lane held up traffic, rolled down my window, held out a bright turquoise umbrella and a $5 and talked to him like a buddy and said, "Hey man! You want this! It's f-ing pouring!" He said, "Awe man?! Hell yeah! I need that bad today! And then he saw the 5 spot and looked at me with dumbfounded pure gratitude and said, "Damn, thank you so much. God bless you...." I just replied with a head nod and a grin... I turned and changed my whole route home just so I could get to that guy. The whole way home I thought..... that look he gave me was hope...each time it is hope and gratitude. And ya know what? It gives me hope and gratitude too. To be able to interact with someone on that level and to be able to give someone something as simple as a little shelter is a good feeling, a humbling one. If you ever wonder if there is a God and you can't feel it or you question things....that's where God is...in those moments...in those feelings....the whole exchange.

It's simple- go buy some extra umbrellas. No big deal. The next time you see someone who needs one hand it to them. That's the project. Pass out hope. ☔

01/15/2021

A few years ago I had some extra umbrellas in my car. I kept seeing people walking down the street in the rain and the first time I was like, damn, they are getting soaked. I remembered I had extra umbrellas so I pulled over and handed them an umbrella. I don't remember when or what they looked liked but it became something I started to do. I would just pull up next to a person, lift my eyebrows and nonchalantly say, "Want this?" and hand them an umbrella.
The last time I did this I was driving down the road and I saw a black man with perfectly curated dreads half covered in a plastic bag, back pack drenched next to the light post, with a white T-Shirt on that he had taken a red sharpie and written "Will work for food!!" Across the front of it. He was energetically pointing to it and seemed in pretty good spirits considering it was pouring! I don't always stop or give food. Sometimes it feels right and others it doesn't. This dude got me though...I did a u-turn and cut across 4 lanes of traffic to get to him. I pulled into the turn lane held up traffic, rolled down my window, held out a bright turquoise umbrella and a $5 and talked to him like a buddy and said, "Hey man! You want this! It's f-ing pouring!" He said, "Awe man?! Hell yeah! I need that bad today! And then he saw the 5 spot and looked at me with dumbfounded pure gratitude and said, "Damn, thank you so much. God bless you...." I just replied with a head nod and a grin... I turned and changed my whole route home just so I could get to that guy. The whole way home I thought..... that look he gave me was hope...each time it is hope and gratitude. And ya know what? It gives me hope and gratitude too. To be able to interact with someone on that level and to be able to give someone something as simple as a little shelter is a good feeling, a humbling one. If you ever wonder if there is a God and you can't feel it or you question things....that's where God is...in those moments...in those feelings....the whole exchange.

It's simple- go buy some extra umbrellas. No big deal. The next time you see someone who needs one hand it to them. That's the project. Pass out hope. ☔

01/13/2021

These are some things I do to ground myself when I feel like I am lost or disconnected.
- I organize or clean out a drawer. I purge some things. This allows me to be in the present moment. It lightens my load. It gives a sense of control and accomplishment in times that feel out of control.
- I do something creative. It can be as simple as journaling or painting. Even if you do not feel you are creative you can color in a coloring book! Breathe and look at the colors! Smell the crayons! Feel the way they meet the paper. Or paint a room in your house!
Go for a walk or a bike ride and if you want to bump it up a notch try something new outside like skateboarding or even climb a tree! Walk barefoot!
If you're feeling extra insane snap the hell out of it with a cold shower! It makes you wake up! It shocks you into the present moment! It is good for you for many reasons! It is known to help with depression and I can attest to that fact.
DO SOMETHING THOUGHTFUL FOR A FRIEND OR NEIGHBOR! TAKE THE FOCUS OFF OF YOURSELF! I have delivered notes, veggies, plants, flowers, given food to homeless people and so on.... it is good for us to boost moral in our circles and our neighborhoods!
These are just a few coping tools I use and I have a huge bag of tricks! Stress can be overwhelming at times and we have to play an integral role in our healing. We also have to be OK with trusting our journey and calming the F down about what is going to happen next! We can only control certain things and the others we must drop the rope or we are going to be dragged! We must stay aware of our own bu****it. It isn't fun but we must try. We must also be gentle with ourselves! If the big plans you have or dreams you have feel forced right now, chill man!! Take a beat! We are all having to take a step back and reassess! Just keep breathing and taking care. We are in the middle of a shift in consciousness! All of us. Breathe. Or punch a punching bag! Feel how you feel and then refocus!
Please feel free to share how you ground!

📷 Nick Coffman Hatteras NC

12/15/2020

What has SBY been up to lately? We are thankful for everyone who has asked about us!
Obviously teaching yoga during a pandemic has been a tricky task! Our main priority has been the health and wellness of our community. Tyler taught beach yoga throughout the warmer months and has some fun plans once the numbers decrease!
Kim has been teaching classes in the lovely open air greenhouse of Anderson’s. She has been teaching a group who have essentially quarantined and been through the entire pandemic together without offering any space to new students in her class. All of her classes have been in spaces with outside air flow for the safety of her class.
We will be wandering our way around Sandbridge and have quite a few fun classes planned for the new year, but as our yoga teaches us, we are going with the flow, not forcing things and seeing where this crazy road takes us!

10/26/2020

Happy Birthday to Kim!
Brilliant, dynamic, kind, funny, thoughtful and obviously beautiful. There are many traits I could list to describe Kim however I believe the most important traits of all are found in someone’s character such as compassion, understanding, loyalty, and integrity.
We all have moments in which we disagree with one another or have to step out of our comfort zones and share our ideas, a piece of our hearts, our weaknesses and who we truly are when everything is not perfect. It is rare when we find people we can have a “real” relationship with that goes beyond the fun and exciting moments. The moments when we are tested in life and we have to work together to find solutions and work with one another and truly listen to our peers.
When we spend time with others and we are molding our lives and bringing our dreams to fruition. It is wonderful to be able to have people around us that inspire us, cheer us on, and they feel the same in return. With all the craziness and duality happening in our world it is always beautiful to have people we believe in and can grow with. I am thankful for Kim for many reasons. I see her and she sees me. There is no fake. We are real and I couldn’t appreciate that more. Happy Birthday Kim! ❤️

08/17/2020

Monday morning contemplation. ☀️

08/06/2020

Reconnecting with the path and our practice.

08/05/2020

Trusting our journey to unfold during times of such uncertainty can put us to the ultimate test.
When I find myself in a sort of Banksy-esk, one foot on the ground holding a balloon time in life I have found digging a bit deeper into my personal spiritual practice to be essential and comforting.
I once read this and it was one of those practices that "stuck." -

One of my favorite questions to ask myself and others as a contemplation/meditation is, "What do you know for sure?"
Our answers will be similar however each of us can use this to develop a practice of the here and now. What we have control over and what we need to allow to unfold in time. Change is inevitable and often beautiful.
In difficult times we can use it to remember to see what is right in front of us. If there is emotional or physical pain or frustration we can use this mediation to (without discounting what is bothering us or burying, suppressing it) reconnect with the gifts within the struggles. The simple things become more noticeable and we can "see" again.
Through our practice we gain physical, spiritual and mental clarity. Strength. Flexibility. Stability. Truth. Love. Guidance. Trust.

08/02/2020

No matter how spiritual and ritualistic we are we all have times of discord. We can have all the techniques in the world and still feel uneasy. ⁣
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There are things we can use to touch that can ground us. ⁣
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Walking barefoot on the grass and feeling different textures under our feet and the energy that rises underneath us. ⁣
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Then there are objects like mala beads.⁣
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There are rituals like crystals and smudging to clear energy. ⁣
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Water is always healing. Simply sitting beside a body of water calms the mind and helps us to breathe.⁣
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Sometimes sitting under a tree and listening to nature helps us reconnect. ⁣
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We have to actively seek our rituals and remember the things that bring us back to present moment awareness. ⁣
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Attempting to stay in the present moment is a must for me because I can go down the rabbit hole. I find ritual and mindful meditation throughout my "everyday" activities.⁣
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Like in my morning coffee or taking a detox bath (Epsom salt, baking soda, lavender) at night. You can even keep a bundle of sage or incense beside your tub. These are things just for YOU. They involve no approval, no sharing and ultimately help us to connect with what we would like to rid our spirit of or invite in. You can even lay in the bath with your ears covered with water and "feel the float." Floating helps with sensory overload. Especially when you feel ALL THE THINGS!⁣
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