Meet Me On The Mat: Release
Happy Monday to you!
How was your weekend?
Before I dig into the first post for my “Meet Me On The Mat” series, here’s what my weekend looked like:
FRIDAY night was a complete and utter lounge-fest, which is how Sam and I tend to spend them lately. Something about coming home on a Friday after a long week, getting delivery, and doing nothing feels like pure joy. Maybe this is what happens when you’re nearing 30… and... I’m okay with this.
Anyway, on this particular Friday night, we walked to Whole Foods (which lucky for us, is only two blocks away), and brought home dinner: for me it was vegetarian mango-wrapped sushi (delicious and packed with cirusy flavors) and for Sam, two slices of pizza.
We also shared some cheese on lentil crackers and a little baby chocolate: This one, to be exact. A bit pricey at $4, but worth every penny.
On SATURDAY, we took a morning stroll over to Highlight Coffee—Glendale's newest, hippest (and most minimalistic) coffee shops. These people know coffee. Lately, I've been going for really strong coffee over the sugary dessert-like stuff. Funny enough, Sam went with a butterscotch latte (crazy good) and I tried an Ethiopian pour over hot coffee that has rich notes of fruit. The staff here's great, their coffee's no joke, and we love that there's a cool space we're just blocks away from! We always try and support the smaller, local places that pop up around town.
The rest of the day was spent getting ish done: we got my wedding band resized, made a stop at Jo Ann Fabrics for some craft supplies, hit up Macy's, and started getting the rest of our wedding to-do list in order. Here's a glimpse at my current craft... any guesses as to what's in the works?
Come dinner time, we were both pretty exhausted from our day and not up for cooking, so we decided to hit up a new restaurant for tapas—Benitoite—located in the quaint Montrose foothills. It was the perfect cap to the day as we indulged in brussel sprouts, blue cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, and mac 'n cheese. We didn't feel like huge entrees, so splitting three small plates was just what the doctor ordered.
SUNDAY was the chillest. It also helped that the day was absolutely gorgeous—sunny and 75. I did some at-home yoga, ran a few errands, went grocery shopping for the week, and hiked Griffith Park for about an hour. That's what I call a Sunday well spent. It's typical for us to take Sunday to recharge our batteries, and that often includes house pants and fluffy socks.
This brings me to my first ever "Meet Me On The Mat" Monday!
For me, Mondays are a clean slate and all about starting the week off on a positive note with a powerful, easy-to-remember mantra or meditation. It can be truly inspiring to have a mantra (whether it’s a phrase or sound, like “om") as a daily reminder to keep on track and trade in any of your worries/fears for the comfort of just a few, impactful words.In my yoga classes, we often start class with a mantra and are reminded to revisit it whenever we need some spiritual guidance to get through the moves. Sure, mantras can sound a bit spiritual but the actual act of practicing this goes way beyond that. It's such a personal thing.
At its core, a mantra is intended to bring you back to simplicity and circle our minds back to our connection to self.
Here's this week's mantra:
These words—though short and sweet—offer up such a powerful message. No one will ever be able to control every aspect of their lives, for example: work stresses, financial burdens, or finding your life partner. Some things are left up to the universe to handle.
Here's how to practice: Simply concentrate on the mantra, "I release the things out of my control," and repeat it over and over again—either in your mind or aloud. It's as easy as that! Remember to revisit the mantra anytime during the week when you need a little spiritual pick-me-up!The affect should harness positive energy around you, and offer you a sense of calmness and reassurance.Hoping your week is nothing but light-hearted and fun,Ari