2013 In Review

2013. A year of growth, possibility, discovering pieces of my true self, my power, and my potential.

January began with saying goodbye to a stable job and relationship and getting back on a jet to Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain. My friends from Azul had called earlier in 2012 with a seasonal job offer. Even though it didn't make sense or push me directly toward my goals, I felt strongly pulled to go. Looking back, I can recognize this as a pivotal action in my life. Previously I had everything, but I was half-assing my work and my relationships in a lot of ways. Removing myself from my environment and simply looking at these areas of objectively was powerful. I gave every bit of comfort and stability up in order to see clearly, what was working, what wasn't. And this gave me the power to change and transform it.

Watching the sun rise over the rolling green hills during a layover on Dublin, Ireland.

February I began to get grounded in my work at Azul. I found great friendship in my roommate and colleague, Manuel. Manuel inspires me for a number of reasons. He is open, kind, and generous beyond belief. He is generous with his time, love, and resources. Nothing is off limits to talk about, he is an open book, showing strength through vulnerability and raw honesty. Manu's yoga practice and teaching is rooted deeply in Ashtanga. His commitment to the practice is something I remind myself of daily.

I would wake up around 7 to head into the Azul kitchen to prepare brunch for our guests, and I would see him in the living room, halfway through his 90-minute Ashtanga practice. His Ujjayi breathing filled the entire house with methodical power and precision. I quietly gathered my things so as not to disturb his meditation, then as I walked out the door, I looked over and he winked at me as though to say, 'don't take it too seriously'. I keep this image as a reminder, to take my work (my yoga practice, teaching) seriously, and take myself lightly.

This was also the month I passed my certification as a Les Mills Body Combat Instructor!

Manuel and I saluting the sun in the volcano fields of Villaverde, Fuerteventura for a yoga-shoot.

March was a month of culinary adventure! Savouring Stella launched as a full functioning food blog. I took on more freedom in the kitchen of Azul to experiment. We cooked a lot from our head chef, Jo Dombernowsky's, cookbook, Truly Healthy, Truly Delicious, and we also experimented a lot. Blending Manuel's knowledge of fermentation, and vegan gourmet with my indulgent twists on whole foods.

I got more adventurous on the island, I mountain biked down a volcano, fed a baby goat, and partied all night on the streets for Carnival.

clockwise from top left: Colorful medley of leftovers from the previous night's dinner; sugar-free strawberry sorbet, and vegan avocado chocolate mousse; grain-free nut & seed bread; date-sweetened chocolate courgette muffins; creamless cream of broccoli soup; Manuel's super vegan cake with coconut milk chocolate ganache; green salad with avocado and a gluten-free bun.

April, my last month in Spain and my first month back home, with a multitude of adventures in between. I left to my friends and family at Azul Fit with enough smiles and hugs to last us another year apart.

Frauke, one of our general managers at Azul Fit, me and Manuel, before I left for the airport.

I spent a day in Dublin, got cooking lessons from my dad in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, got to hang out with my little bug of a niece, Lily.

I traveled to Toronto and ate a peameal bacon sandwich at the St. Lawrence food market, got soaked by Niagra Falls, and spent time exploring in the Kensington District.

Exploring in the Kensington and Distillery District of Toronto.

May was when I decided to get back to business. Full steam ahead into my goals. Within weeks of landing back on U.S. ground, I bought my first real car (aka I took out a loan), got my job back at lululemon, started teaching yoga and Body Combat at Studio Z. I came back clear in knowing what I wanted and how to get there.

top: posing in the store window with two of my best girls bottom: posing in front of my new baby.

June, I flew down to Sedona, Arizona for my Level One Training with Baron Baptiste. Seven days of asana, sweat, tears, laughter, and Sedona red sand in every crevasse. 

 August included my first Body Combat release as a certified instructor. Studio Z combined Body Pump and Body Combat into two hours of pure weight training and martial arts inspired interval fun!

September I launched the Yoga Foundations Series at Studio Z. I lead a group of 12 people through a series of progressive yoga classes. Rooted in my training with Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga, each class opened a layer of Baron's foundational Journey Into Power sequence. Each class offered a multitude of options and variations for poses, modifying for specific injuries, and how to build a home practice. This was also the month I began my 200-hr Teacher Training with Shakti Vinyasa Yoga in Seattle, Washington! After months of fundraising, this was made possible! Gratitude still spills over thinking about the generosity of my friends and family in this reaching this goal of mine.

Teacher Assisting Program (TAP) Weekend with Shakti Vinyasa Yoga.

October, I became a Keyleader at lululemon and brought goal coaching to the forefront of our awareness with one-on-one coaching sessions and a revamped goal wall.

November I taught the inaugural Free Sunday Yoga Class at our lululemon athletica Burlington Outlet. I made my final payment on Yoga Teacher Training. I had a decadent Thanksgiving for two with my mom.

December was full of celebration. I graduated from Yoga Teacher Training with a massive dance party (how else do you spend grad night?), spent a night bar hopping in Ballard, Seattle, Washington for my 21st birthday, and will ring in the New Year alongside my favorite man. Setting our sights even higher for 2014 as we raise the bar and push the envelope even further!

Happy New Year! Wishing you abundance in health, love, and levity this year!