Why I prefer morning yoga

At first it was hard waking up an hour earlier than I normally would; given that I already wake up two hours before I leave for work. Having to be at work at 9:30am, I wake up at 6am. Now, I wake up at 5, sometimes 4am just to do yoga. 

Why? 

It is almost better than coffee in the morning. And when you have both... Watch out world!
 

Morning
Ashtanga Yoga.

This practice teaches you a series of poses, breathing techniques and how to quiet and center the mind. I like doing this in the morning because it wakes me up and energizes me for the rest of the day. I enjoy the sweat and burn in the morning followed by a hot shower. It's very refreshing. Waking up earlier than normal gives me more time in the morning to get ready for work, enjoy a healthy breakfast and prepare for the day ahead.

Right now I mainly practice with Hulu Plus yoga videos. 

My favorite video is by Yasmin Yoga. 

Yasmin is simply amazing. She makes every pose seem so easy and gives very precise instructions for every position. I go back and forth through three episodes of hers and pick random ones every once and a while from other instructors. It's been a great introduction to where I can go at my own pace, in the privacy of my cozy home. I've seen enormous transformation within my physical and mental self.

March 23rd.

April 8th.

My butt and arms look totally different! I was wearing a tight thong (TMI?) in this picture so it squished the top of my butt into a point. Never again..

Evening
Form and pose practice.

I like to practice certain poses I'm struggling with or interested in. Right now I'm pretty obsessed with being able to do a proper arm stand so I can eventually do an awesome handstand.

Why a handstand?

If I can do a proper handstand I know I have great shoulder, back and core strength. Plus they look awesome when doing one. Standing upside down increases circulation and re-directs blood flow throughout the body. To condition myself I'm stretching daily and practicing my crane pose and arms stands.

CRANE POSE

This picture was taken March 23rd. I held this position for maybe two seconds.

This was taken April 15th. I held this position for over 15 seconds and was able to cross my feet and pull my abdomen in, focusing more on form than length of time. I have more muscle tone here and overall strength. Three weeks may seem like a long time to nail this down, but with work and a happy love life, I didn't practice this everyday. However, I am excited to see what I can do in another three weeks.

An arm stand is where your forearms are shoulder width apart and flat on the ground and your body is held upright by your amazing shoulder, back and core strength.

Nighttime 
Gentle and soothing yoga.

I find videos online for nighttime yoga. It's basically deep breathing and stretching to get you relaxed for a deep sleep. At night, stretching and concentration on my breath relieves me of any tension or stress. I wake up feeling overall well-rested.

The times where I can practice a couple times a day,
I feel powerful, courageous, confident and peaceful.

I am so passionate about this because of what it's done for me personally. I've struggled with depression for five years and have always felt the need to look fit. It was difficult for me to clear my head of all the pain and heartache I carried.
Yoga may seem overrated and has become somewhat of a trend that rich, suburban moms can only afford. But you don't have to go to an expensive yoga class and buy colorful yoga pants in order to try it for yourself.

I like sharing with you what it's done for me because of how powerful it makes me feel. If I can in any way help someone feel the same, I must share.

It has improved my body, mind, confidence and sex life. The breathing techniques I learned from yoga got me through tough situations, dealing with people that make me nervous.. like when I interviewed for the job I have now. In every interview I've ever had, I literally choked on my words and couldn't even say what I really wanted to say from being so extremely nervous and insecure.
I NAILED my last interview. I did most of the talking, saying exactly what I wanted to say and it ended with me asking my boss the tough questions.
Even now as I write this I am sitting straight up with my legs crossed because I am naturally and constantly aware of my posture and body.


Yoga has been a one-stop-shop for me and I am absolutely in love with it.

How I got a job with no experience whatsoever

Original Message:

Hi, my name is Bethany Cavender and I'm interested in your position listed on Craigslist. I'm friendly and work hard.

To be quite honest, I've been cooking in the food industry for years. And to be more honest, I'm tired of it. I just moved here with my fiancé from Atlanta, Ga. He's a welder in San Francisco and I've been on a long road to chef-dom.

When I moved here I told myself I'd find something new. I'm in search for a new avenue. I love the idea of working m-f, 9-5 or 6. Or whenever. No I don't have much experience in this position but I am a hard worker, I'm capable, I'm easy to work with and friendly. I just want a reliable job where others can rely on me too.

If interested, I'd love to meet for an interview. I'm always on time, if not a few minutes early.

If you want someone who is hard working and honest, a fast learner and friendly to work for you, please contact me.

          Best!

This is the email I wrote to my current employer... 

How did THIS email help get me a job? How did I get picked out of 15 other applicants with years of experience? 

When I first got the call from my job, I was very surprised. In my email I clearly stated I had no experience for the position whatsoever. I went back and read my original email and laughed out loud.

Why me?

I was very skeptical. Even though I decided not to professionally cook anymore, I kept letting the fact that I was stepping out of my comfort zone be the little devil on my shoulder telling me this will be boring, I will hate every second of this and I should just say I am not interested but thanks anyway.

Sometimes being out of your comfort zone can take you places. Far away places.. like maybe California.

When I went in for my interview I was nervous. My heart was beating out of my chest and I was beyond tense.

One of the many beneficial lessons I get out of yoga is controlling my breath. When I control my breath, I control my heart. And when I control my heart, I control my brain waves. Controlling my brain waves makes me more present. Being present, breathing and listening to your heart beat pushes out the extra noise in and around you.

When I approached the office doors, I stopped before going in. I took a deep breath in and let a deep breath out. I could literally hear my heart beating and ringing in my ears from anxiousness. I stood there and continued to slow down my breath until my breath and heart we working together as one. 

I did not go inside until I had control of my own body.

Sometimes shit happens. Some moments in life can and will have a traumatic impact on you, and creep up on you when you least expect it. Overtime, I have become a nervous person around strangers. It takes me a long time to feel comfortable around people and even longer to invest trust in someone. In past interviews I would freeze up and not be able to finish a sentence I started. I used to not have this problem. I used to be a social butterfly. But things happen. Shit happens. How you deal with pain can change you. 

I highly recommend therapy if you think you need it. 

It changed my life.

Once I entered the office I knew I was ready. I kept concentration on my breathing to keep my heart calm. By the time I sat down to talk, I was ready to kill it. 

My interviewer/now boss was very aware of my no experience email and resume. And of course he asked me why I applied and why I decided to make the change. I simply told him my honest truth. I was wanting a change in scenery. I wanted to experience my life a little more. 

He asked me why I applied to his company. I told him because he posted an ad on Craigslist. That's why.

Then I turned it all around. 

I asked him why he even responded to my email? It's almost comical. Why me?

His response summarized:

My email grabbed him. He read between the lines in my email. 

He said he could relate to where I was at. A time of reflection is an important part of someones life and everybody does it. 

If I'm a point in my life where I need to take a step back and change it up, he knows how that feels. He's been there too. 

 If my resume is all restaurants but I'm applying for an office job, why? He wanted to know. 

Gaining insight from my words, the context of my words and my behavior was what brought everything together. No, I didn't have any experience for position I applied for. But I sold myself in other ways. 

I sold myself. 

My interview was long and I did most of the talking. 

Not one time did I freeze up, choke on my words, hear my voice start to sound like I was in a car on a rocky road... Not one time! 

(this is a record for me so far)

Thank you yoga.

At the end of an interview, the interviewer usually asks if you have any questions. Normally, I say no or just ask what the compensation for the position is. This time I asked many questions. I think turning the interview around to where I was now interviewing him was very smart.

I asked if he had any doubts in my qualifications for the position. What would be my biggest challenge starting out? What are the main concerns for the office right now? What is the compensation??

The ending to this interview fairytale is I got picked out of a group of people with more experience, I think, because of how honest I was and the way I presented myself. I wasn't another drone going in there with a standard resume, being a "yes woman" and answering questions the way I think they would want to hear. 

I  let myself shine through the unqualified applicant I was, and now, I am not.