Choose

Another hot day in Los Angeles, and for us even a little humid.  Luckily I got to sleep in while my husband took all the kids to synagogue.  Once they came back mommy was on duty again, I have to figure out a Saturday routine once they get home.  I just want to be lazy and off all day, but that doesn't really work once you have kids.  We read some books, they played some games together, but there comes a point where they are restless.  Luckily today we had a birthday party later in the afternoon, baby fell asleep, so I took the older two, and it was great to get out of the house and socialize.  Once I got back home it was bedtime for the older kids, but my baby had his nap, and was super fussy until it was his bedtime, not sure why, maybe it is terrible two's, I never really had that with the other kids, it is the 3 and 4 that are much more intense for me.  They are all asleep now, and I am going right after them right after I blog, we have a full day of activity tomorrow, and the weather is quite gorgeous, cool breeze, best when there is shade around.

In the picture above I am wearing a Libra shirt, it is my astrological sign, and I have many objects other than clothes that portray the symbol of the scales in a creative manner.  Once I got married and learned my Jewish birthday, I realized by the moon calendar I am a Scorpio, which makes sense to me.  I do believe that everything in the universe is connected, humans are made out of minerals and water, everything is made out of the same stuff.  I also believe that all of these signs, characteristics, and even genetics are something we can choose to overcome, we can always write our own story.

Choose to be happy,
Choose to shine your light,
Choose to inspire and elevate,
and now I am choosing to have a good night's sleep,
hopefully none of the kids wake up,
Coach Yulia

To thine ownself be true

Some days I am inspired, some days I just need to vent, and other days I am really a blank slate.  I sit down to write, but Thank God my day has just been average, which is a blessing when everything keeps moving as it should.  Many people are posting beautiful things about Maya Angelou, her words are powerful and true, and I feel like the quote below really applies to everything in life.

Whether it is relationships, career, friendships, or even being in a place where your gut is telling you to go. Click the following phrase, To thine own self be true, to find out its origins and meaning.  It is a main message in how I live my life and in my Yoga, Mat Pilates, and Doula services.  If you do not put yourself first, how are you going to be there for everyone and everything in your life?  Whatever helps you get off of the world, re-energize, recharge, and relax, figure out how to put it into your life.

We get this one body in this lifetime, might as well treat it as good as we treat our cars, pets, and other belongings.  For our mind the best thing is to keep planting seeds and watering, unlimited growth and potential awaits.

Sooooooooooooo Happy to get my Weekly Recharge, with my Day of Rest,
Pushing the stop button in a few hours,
Stepping off the world and not coming back for 24 hours,
The beauty is this day is that it is not only about me alone, it is about reconnecting with my family, community, and recharging my spirit, imagination, learning from our ancestors,
learning that anything is possible, everything keeps on moving forward,
creation happens every second, we can recreate, we can sprout anew,
What we tell ourselves becomes our reality, change your conversation, open your communication, and I don't mean wifi, technology, and airwaves, I mean the good old fashioned human heart to heart,
Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

What has your attention?

When I teach Yoga or am supporting a Doula client, my main message is to be present, to give yourself undivided attention, 100%, mind and body fully connected.  I am happy to say that when I am teaching or taking a class or am with a Doula client, I am right there with them, there is nothing else in my mind, total energy exchange.

The rest of my life not so much, most of my focus is in my happy space, or really air headed or absentminded at times.  For instance I hurt my ankle because I was really in a place of such joy, I climbed up the steps with triumph, and walked down the incline not too fast, was enjoying my natural high, and must of missed a rock or some slippery sand.  I knew I should have worn my ankle brace, but I forgot where I put it, and my ankle was wear, so the tiniest rock could have wiped me out.

This morning, and many mornings, I put eggs to boil, and am running around getting the kids ready and almost burn the eggs most of the time, the water is almost gone, there is just so much going on, there is not one place of focus, total multitasking, and the eggs are usually suffering, the kids are bathed, dressed, fed, and off to school with lunch in hand.

Yesterday was the worst of it, my husband asked me to load the washing machine, he is the OCD cleanaholic of our family and prefers to do everything himself in the cleaning department.  I fold the laundry, I was the dishes, and assist wherever else I can, I am more the organizer, it is truly a blessing, because this is something I am just not born to do.  For some people cleaning is like therapy, or a need, for me it is something that I always knew I would not do, would have help doing, and Thank God got the cleanest man in the world.  I always say I would rather have that addiction than any other addiction.

So what did I do? We changed the baby in the morning and his diaper full of pee pee was on the floor among the clothes.  I scooped it up, put it in the laundry, and it got washed thoroughly.  So much so that when my husband emptied the washer, that gel like substance that the pee turns into in the diaper was all over the washing machine.  Yep, he told me I had to clean it until there was nothing left, and I did.  We always throw the poop ones out right away, but in the morning with everything going on, the pee one goes on the floor, and eventually gets sorted, or hopefully from now on it will.

YUCK!

Parenthood,
Never a boring moment,
Bodily functions are a constant topic of conversation,
Fluid in the ears, whats in the diaper, cleaning the nose, stuff in the eyes to clean out, and then there are nails, skin, hair, and everyone's least favorite experience, vomit clean up,
The JOY!
Coach Yulia

The Concept of Time

I grew up in Miami, there was Cuban time, in Los Angeles, there is Persian time, and Jewish time, and I am sure every culture has their version.  It is different however in specific professions, for instance when you have a doctors appointment, you know sometimes there may be a wait.  For my Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, and Doula clients, I know that there may be rescheduling, and there really is no such thing as a due date.

My husband is an auto broker, and today we had an appointment at 2pm, he had a car that was supposed to be delivered at noon for a client.  He suggested rescheduling our appointment, but I really thought we could make it, but he knows his business, the car was coming from far away and he knew that noon could mean anything.  I felt bad rescheduling our appointment, but then I realized every profession knows that things happen, life happens.  I always think I can squeeze everything in, but next time if my husband says that he will probably have a client longer than expected, I will not schedule anything on that day.

I really value my time and do my best to be places on time because I value other peoples time as well. Not only professionals that we have an appointment with, but my students and clients that have put me into their day as something important, something that they do not want to miss out on, I would not want to take that feeling away from them by running late.  Of course it is nice that my classes know that I have three kids, things happen, and if I am really running late I call the gym or the house that I am teaching at so they know I am on my way.

My only Jewelry, and looking at my watchless wrist

It is so interesting that now because of cellular phones, not many people wear watches anymore.  I personally do not wear any jewelry except for my wedding ring, and it is just part of me, but other than that I do not like anything, and am kind of happy not to know what time it is at every moment.  I am blessed to have a career that fits my personality, I cannot imagine being in one place, Monday through Friday, waiting for the clock to tell me its time to go home.  However when I do help out in the office at my kids school, I do enjoy the air conditioning, and to just sit down for a few hours, but that has only happened since I became a mom and rarely sit down.

Sometimes knowing what time is it is important, it lets us know how close and often the contractions are coming during labor, it helps to pick our kids up from school, and the best part is when its bed time first for the kids then for me.

There really is only now,
but in order to function,
yesterday and tomorrow have their place,
memories,
goals,
feel good now,
Coach Yulia

I'm OK

I got my ankle brace on too late, yesterday I was too ambitious, wanted to squeeze too many things in, and last but no least, my mind and body were not connected during my hike yesterday.  I hurt my ankle in the beginning of April, it was dark, I had to walk through a narrow alley to go open a back gate in order to teach a class, I was looking at my phone to turn on my flashlight app, and I did not see a huge pothole and twisted my ankle.  Luckily since I am the biggest klutz ever, I jumped right out of it, and didn't hurt it as bad as I could have, but it definitely was twisted but Thank God not worse.  Since then I still feel it sometimes, it is my weakspot, but I have started jogging with my ankle brace on once a week with my friend and it feels OK.

I remember the very first time I twisted my ankle I was wearing sneakers, running down a long stairway when I worked on cruise ships.  We were always non stop in our work schedule, I was always running to the next thing, so my mind was ahead of my body, I missed the last step and twisted my ankle.  The next day I had a walking tour of Edinburgh, Scotland and there was no way I was going to miss it.  I found a pharmacy got the ankle brace that you see in the picture and had a great day.

So yesterday I knew I needed my ankle brace to go to Runyon Canyon, but I forgot where I put it, after the hike I had to teach two classes, time was running out so off I went.  The hike started out perfect, still sunny with a cool breeze, I decided to do the steps and I did quite well, it has been a long time.  I decided because my ankle was not 100% I would walk down the paved trail and not run, however it does pull you down, I must have bumped a rock or a rough patch of road and down I went.  The worst part is I ripped my new favorite Nike Yoga pants, I think I was more upset about that.  People were so sweet and asked if they could help, Thank God it wasn't horrible, I was able to walk down and iced it in my classes, luckily I have regulars that know the Yoga routine, so they were someone to watch for the new students.  Someone gave me Arnica under my tongue, I also have the cream at home, ankle brace on today while I got to teach my Pilates class.

I hope its a lesson learned,
Non Stop Mommy Life,
Trying to stay healthy,
Trying to squeeze things in,
It's a lesson in mindfulness,
A lesson in slowing down,
I love the phrase, "If you don't take a break, you will break."
Also, "If you don't take time for rest and recreation, eventually you have to take time for illness."
Life slows us down when we do not balance, take care of ourselves, take time to prepare,
But also accidents happen, and Thank God we heal and move on,
I will be taking it easy for the next few days,
Coach Yulia

God Bless Our Soldiers

My husband is cracking me up while I am trying to take a picture before I run off for the night.  I was observing today how quiet it was in our streets because of Memorial Day, how lucky we are to live in a country not at war, while soldiers are being remembered and honored.  I was listening to a sad story of a mom that lost her young son to suicide after he had come back from war.  It is also the families of the soldiers that have to live through yet support their children that are proud to fight for their country.

My older two had school today, my baby had a speech therapy session, then we both took a nap, I have two classes to teach tonight, and am in my workout class ready to go for a hike.  I am actually very excited, hiking is my favorite cardio, but usually very challenging to fit into mommy life around everyones schedules. Seeing how it goes today, I hope it will become my every Monday workout.

Feeling grateful for my family,
Thinking of all the families that have lost loved ones to war,
Much Respect, Pride, and Honor to all Soldiers,
Coach Yulia

Work and Play

Overall today was a dream day, nothing extravagant, but just how I like it, I love mixing business and pleasure.  The only day off I need is my Saturday, where it is completely off, not a vacation, not a getaway, I love how nobody can reach me.  I don't have any idea what is happening in the world on purpose, my only focus is my family, friends, and community and being present, Thanking God for all the good in our lives.

Every other day I am so grateful to be able to work, meet clients, and have my kids around all at the same time.  One of my Doula clients was around the same area as me today, so I told her it would be best if we met at the park so my kids could play.  Of course my daughter was demanding that I pushed her on the swing, and my baby wanted to be near mommy non stop.  The nice thing is that it was all good, the conversation was all about the new course their life was taking, and it was amazing to be in an environment that was a glimpse into their future.

After my meeting my daughter saw a cute baby and went to play with her, and then my boys decided to play too and I got to know the mom, we exchanged numbers, she was new to the community and was interested in Yoga.  I feel so blessed to be useful and needed, and to stand for women taking care of themselves, and getting educated about all their choices, and supporting them to make decisions that feel right for them.

Then we came home, had some lunch, the baby napped, the kids watched a show, it was a lazy, easygoing day.  It is nice to have a very loose structure sometimes and go with the flow.  I had one Yoga class tonight, I just got back, it is so nice to be free once my kids are asleep and go out and energy exchange with adults. They feel good with the Yoga, and I enjoy the calm, focused space that we are all creating away from our not stop lives, I always feel like it is a mini Saturday, Shabbat.

Excited to keep on keeping on,

If this was my everyday I would not want it to change,

However I do like breaks from the routine,

Find what you love,

Either do it for work,

Or do it when you are off of work,

It really is the fuel of life,

I feel kids are the mirrors of life,

Coach Yulia

Bombarded

Negative Bombardment:

Yesterday I took my three kids to my hairdresser, they watch a cartoon, play with her dogs, they have fun.  I was crossing a street holding my two year olds hand, my other kids were walking by me and I had two bags in my hand, a diaper bag and my handbag.  Out of nowhere a lady loudly informs me that I need to be holding all of their hands, I motion to her that I am not an octopus, and she proceeds to tell me how it is not safe.  I am running late to my appointment, the other light to cross again is about to change, so I calmly suggest that my older two kids hold hands, she liked that idea, but the kids didn't.  The walking signal was ticking down from 14 to 7, I was DONE, so I said you know what I have to go, and what did she do?  She started cussing very loudly at me in front of my kids.  I love how she was telling me how to be a good mother, and then taught my kids some new vocabulary.

Parental Bombardment:

Great Day of Rest, until we got home, the tantrum started over a cheese stick.  We keep Kosher, and do not each any milk products after eating meat for 6 hours.  My kids know this, and we always do this, but today it was the straw that broke the camels back.  I never know what "it" is going to be, but everything after that kept it rolling.  Screaming, kicking, hitting, I didn't know how long it was going to last, but I stayed calm, tried to keep away from the other kids.  Eventually a cookie did the trick, and I am the boss, and I got hugs and kisses that I had to allow even though I was still recovering from the virtual vomit.

Positive Bombardment:

The following video has amazing facts that can help anyone looking to feel full, eat right, and be healthy. There is usually so much out there about what actually is good for us, but the basics and facts are scientific and are just the truth.

All we can do is recover and move on,
But Thank YOU for letting me vent,
I feel better now,
Coach Yulia

Engaged Listening

Bright and early 6:30am this morning, we still have sleepy faces, now getting ready to PEACE OUT - Literally :)

en·gaged

 adjective \in-ˈgājd, en-\

: promised to be married

: busy with some activity

of a telephone or telephone line : being used

Full Definition of ENGAGED

1

:  involved in activity :  occupied, busy

2

:  pledged to be married :  betrothed

3

:  greatly interested :  committed

4

:  involved especially in a hostile encounter

5

:  partly embedded in a wall <an engaged column>

6

:  being in gear :  meshed

It was interesting to read the definition of the word engaged.  Today in my Yoga class this morning my teacher was talking about really finding where the pose feels good, then your whole body is engaged and listening, and letting it sink in deep like a massage, opening, allowing, enjoying, doesn't that sound nice?  I feel this is a metaphor for everything in life, and my teacher is the ultimate example, his birthday is tomorrow, he is turning 82, and is probably healthier than people in their twenties and up.  In the definitions above I don't know which definition of engaged would fit in the one I described in Yoga, I suppose number one, involved in activity, or number three, greatly interested, or even number six, being in gear also known as meshed.

The rest of my day was a bit nuttier, I am just going to let it all go, its done, Day of Rest about to commence, PEACE! Literally :)

Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

1. sha·lom

   SHäˈlōm,SHə-/

   exclamation

   1. used as salutation by Jews at meeting or parting, meaning “peace.”

   
   

   

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Timing

Got my running shoes on, excited to join my friend and that this is the last "to do" of my day

Yesterday I wrote about connection, but there is also another important factor in things fitting, clicking, and going int he right direction.  Whatever the situation is, each party or person needs to be ready and willing to go forward, the timing has to be right for everybody.

It's 6:30am Friday morning, I just woke up, Good Morning, just realizing I never finished writing last night.
Speaking of timing, I came home last night after my run, my older two kids were asleep, watched a show with my husband and the baby.  Put the baby to sleep, took a shower, went to bed, totally blanked that I forgot to finish writing.  I am someone that always cuts myself some slack, I work hard on being consistent, on being punctual, and on keeping my word, but at the end of it all I am honest and have tried my best.

Mommy Life,
Coach Yulia

Shidduch

Everything in life is a Shidduch, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shidduch, a match, a connection, a good fit.  Did you notice that I didn't say a perfect fit? Perfect does not really exists, it would be boring, no room for growth, ultimately its pros vs. cons.

Today I started my day with a beautiful Brit Mila, one of my Prenatal Yoga clients had a baby boy eight days ago.  One of the greetings is Mazel Tov, and the other one is may we meet again, only Simchas, happy celebrations.  I love running into different people from our greater Jewish community, and meeting new friends.  Whenever I tell people about my Doula work, I say it is like a Shidduch, the client and I need to connect, and I hire them as much as they hire me.  Today I met a beautiful girl, she is single, we are all trying to find the right match for my amazing brother in law.  It is a feeling in your gut, it is common interests, common goals for the future, and also just really getting each other.

All I know that the right match exists in every area of life.  Before I got married I saw all of my good friends who were strong, beautiful, and accomplished finding partners that accepted, respected, and weren't intimidated by their fierce energy.  I also feel that there is a big pool, and staying open, searching, and knowing although rare among the many, the "good" ones are out there.  It is interesting for me to say that now because I am surrounded by good, real, happy, and I feel so blessed that it is my reality.

Keep searching my friends,
work, relationships, clients, good fit for your kids,
We are blessed to be in a world where there are options,
and anything is possible,
at least believe that,
Coach Yulia

Lazy Crazy

Those two words describe my weekday mornings, it is almost 7am, my husband is at synagogue and my kids today are still asleep and I get some quiet mommy time.  They wake up anywhere from 6am-7am and believe it or not at that point we are still lazy, that is my cuddle time, hang out time, no rush lets chat time. One by one I hear their footsteps and they climb on top of me on the couch, that is where I usually am just relaxing, having some coffee or tea, and sometimes scrolling through my phone before they wake up.  I like the hanging out as long as possible, but once everyone gets antsy, usually the reason they all want to be as close to me as possible, once the calm is gone, I ring the pretend cowbell for breakfast time.  It is different every day, sometimes it is challa, braided egg bread that is left over from Shabbat, with cream cheese or bagels.  Sometimes oatmeal, cereal, fruit, and sometimes my Russian favorite buckwheat which we call kasha, and my kids love to eat it with cottage cheese, something I passed down from my childhood.

When does the crazy begin?

After breakfast there is free play until my husband comes home from synagogue around 7:30am, and then its go time.  We take all of our showers in the morning, sometimes its smooth and sometimes its nutty.  My husband loves to shower twice a day, I refuse to ruin the kids skin, so we came to an agreement to morning bath time, so they don't smell after they poop.  He is a cleanaholic and I always say, I would rather have that addiction than any other addiction, Thank God.

Their school drop off is at 8:30am, it is less than five minute away, so that last hour is spent on baths, getting three kids dressed, always a fashion consultation with my daughter which takes time, somewhere in between I make their lunches, do homework with my son practicing his Hebrew reading, and as long we get them to school by 9am, we are good.

Lazy Crazy could also describe life in general and most of my day, I suppose it is a synonym, a metaphor for the ups and downs, busy times and quiet times.  I have a class in the morning and then later tonight, in between it is taking care of the house time for today.  Everyday is different and that is how I like it, I like last minute calls for work, and even last minute cancellations, then I rearrange my day and squeeze other things in.

On the go is how I like to roll,
Non stop keeps things spicy, exciting, and flexible for me, my family, and my clients,
I cannot believe they are all still sleeping,
I need them awake so I can snap the pic of the day,
Smiling about mommy life, mommy challenges,
Even when we are enjoying the quiet, deep down we are yearning for the hustle and bustle,
I will not wake them up,
No way,
I know once they are up the energy is on until bedtime,
When do I get myself ready you ask?
Last minute, luckily mostly in Yoga pants, I am very low maintenace,
Only for special events and on our Day of Rest do I like to take time and get fancy,
It's All Good
Coach Yulia

Here is my fabulous eyebrow gal, Tahira, onlyu $5 www.rozinas.com no appt necessary, didn't have a moment in the crazy part of my morning to snap a webcam pic of the kids so took a selfie once I was free taking care of mama!

Raising a Girl

These are important messages for boys and girls, but in our society girls are the ones bombarded of what it is to be sexy, and how to dress, and how to follow, and how to express their sexuality.  Today I have been seeing many articles that make me stop and think how important it is to give our daughters the right messages.  I was very lucky to be a very innocent child, and I am happy that so far, overall my kids thoughts and words about what they see around them is hilarious because it is such an innocent perspective.  There is a big billboard on the mall nearby of a man that is shirtless near a bathtub.  My daughter squeals with delight as she proclaims, "look, he is taking a bath!"

The funny thing is people who know me are laughing because I grew up in Miami where it is hot and it is always sundress, shorts, and bathing suit season.  Also in my performance years, I was having fun Vegas style, and it was great.  I have always been a person that likes to be appropriate for wherever I am, in Yoga I am in Yoga plants and a workout shirt, and to the synagogue I am in appropriate modest dress with a skirt and long sleeves.

I found these articles interesting as I have a four year old girl and want to send her messages of self confidence, having fun being herself, but also knowing what is private, special, and hidden.

http://www.dailylife.com.au/life-and-love/parenting-and-families/stop-asking-my-daughter-to-give-you-a-kiss-20130806-2rbp2.html

The Nation Newspaper

January 5 

Muhammed Ali's advice to his daughters...
An incident transpired when Muhammad Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were quite revealing.

Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:
“When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. 
We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.

My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected.
Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell.

Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them.”

He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.” From the book: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes.

Look below for my oldest boy on his own running to the front of the parade yesterday,
Coach Yulia

My son along with his friends leading his school in the big parade yesterday, so proud :)

Overreacting

You have been following my adventures of children and their big personalities, which I always know will serve them later in life.  Sometimes I sound like I am making a big deal about something when I am talking to the kids, when I am really acting in order to make a point.  My husband does not realize that I am acting and overreacts, and I have to quietly explain to him that I am acting and when I need his help I will let him know, but until that point please do not intervene.

Then I realized it is in his nature, and many other people I know to overreact, the situation is not something humongous, but the response fuels the fire.  I am acting, and he is overreacting, and it reminds me of something I learned from a Rabbi.  Anger is actually a sin, it is unhealthy, it can manifest physically, and we must work on ourselves and our reactions.  In the case of children, sometimes it is important to make a big deal and "act" angry, but not be angry on the inside.  A good example is a child running into a street full of cars, instead of fear taking over, we must overreact with control to make the child understand that this is dangerous and not allowed.  This really made sense to me, so I use this method of acting when there are mountains, but try to downplay molehills.  We always hear the phrase, pick your battles.

Today is a day of celebration, it is Lag B Omer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lag_BaOmer.  One of the main celebrations is lighting a bonfire with friends, I did it last year with my older kids, it was beautiful, but I feel it is very late, cold by the water, although our weather has been the hottest ever, and they enjoy it but it is a little to much for their age.  Luckily today is the perfect Los Angeles weather, sunny with a cool breeze, we just came back from an amazing parade where my son was holding the sign representing his school, now having some lunch at home, then heading out to more celebrations around town.  Ending with a hair cutting celebration of a boy turning three from my daughter's class.

Thank God For This Day,
Coach Yulia

 My husband is a car enthusiast, he wanted me to let everyone know that this is a 1971 Plymouth,
 and its privately owned, it is not a police car anymore, it was part of the parade, this was right before it all began

Ride the Wave

Peek A Boo

Whether it is positive or challenging all we can do is ride the wave.  Recently my four year old is non stop with tantrums coming out of nowhere, and what I do know for sure is that they end.  So I have decided that I have to just wait until it passes, do my best to be present and hold my mouth, talking too much has not helped, and eventually it does pass and I am showered with hugs and kisses.  Today's tantrum started because the windows were open and my child wanted them closed, saying it was cold, it was not cold, it was super hot, we have no air conditioner in the living room, and there was a nice cool breeze coming from the windows, so I said no.

Also when wonderful things are happening, it is important to ride the wave and not to interrupt, or get in the way.  I just saw a wonderful woman that I met probably over 10 years ago in one of my Yoga classes.  I was teaching and I always really bond with some students, but then we move on, and this was before everyone had Facebook.  Probably over a year ago I ran into her in a shoe store in Hollywood, and we reconnected on Facebook.  Since then she has gotten married and is expecting a baby and has asked me to be her Doula.

I am always in awe of the waves of life,
whether amazing or challenging,
it is all magic,
take time to feel the magic,
Coach Yulia

Celebrate your roots!

I love when roots are celebrated, and there is humor and fun, I thought this would be a fun way to end the week.  In our world today where there is so much focus on battling judgment, hatred, and bigotry, wouldn't it be nice if we just accepted and respected each others backgrounds.

Short post today, my internet is going on and off, and I thought it was me, my electricity impacting the lines somehow!  Yesterday I was driving our car where we have introductory Sirius XM Sattelite Radio for 6 months, and in the middle of a program it just stopped working.  Are my wires crossing all these electric circuits?  I did call our provided just now and she told me there is an outage in our area, luckily I can use the phone for a hotspot.  Wow, how did we survive without all this stuff, how did we find each other, how did we know what was going on in the world the instant it happened, and remembered everyone's birthdays.

So happy to turn of from it all,
Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

Review of a hot, busy day

6am Kids awake

6:30am All they want for breakfast is strawberries

7:15am my husband is home from synagogue and gives them baths

8am they all want to eat cereal now

8:30am I am out the door with two kids, husband out the door with the baby

9am teaching Yoga to kids

10:30am teaching Pilates at 24 Hour Fitness

Noon Home for lunch

1pm-4pm work at my children's school

5pm doctor appointment with my oldest boy

6:30pm making sure everyone has dinner and goes to bed

7:30pm going for a run with a friend, I figure if I start running in this heat, the next time will be so much better

Happy to be home,
Looking forward to cooler weather starting tomorrow,
Today's high says 102 Fahrenheit,
Busy weekend coming up,
Taking the kids to a splash pad after school to beat the heat,
It says its 81 Fahrenheit right now,
Looking forward to a fun day tomorrow and finishing with the beginning of our Day of Rest,
Thank God,
Coach Yulia

Broke in my new running shoes tonight, proud of me :) getting out of my comfort zone, learning about something new

Alignment

What I love to focus on most in my classes is form and alignment because it is universal, a right angle is a right angle.  Yes there is breath, finding the pose that fits your body, clearing your mind and so much more, but the alignment guides each person to find a more comfortable, steady pose that leads to more effective workout, stretch, and results.

I just realized that I wrote alignment is universal, and it is exactly that.  I have been experiencing universal alignment all of my life, Thank God, and I am always in awe of the connections that come about.  I feel blessed for always being connected to my gut, trusting it, and being open to possibilities.  That is what helped me align with my husband!  My roommate at the time would ask me how it was going when my husband and I were first introduced, and as we kept seeing each other I told her that there was no drama, nothing to report, nothing to talk about, it just fit, and it was just going.

Recently I was introduced to a group of women that run a children's group, they were looking for a Yoga instructor for themselves in the evening.  An amazing girl in our community that runs Babycinno, a mommy and me group that I was going to, also teacher kids Yoga at that children's group.  Not only did I meet the most amazing group of women, that are also of Russian descent, but my son was approved to go to their center and started his first day of school today.  Everyone I am meeting is so helpful, really doing their career and purpose in life 100% in order to serve and benefit the people they work with.  In the spirit of alignment my baby's speech therapist asked us today in the session to change the time we meet, that perfectly fits into his new school schedule.

Alignment is so magical.

a•lign•ment (əˈlaɪn mənt) 


n.

1. an adjustment to a line; arrangement in a straight line.

2. the line or lines so formed.

3. the proper adjustment of the components of an electronic circuit, machine, etc., for coordinated functioning: rear-wheel alignment.

4. a state of agreement or cooperation among persons, groups, nations, etc.: an alignment of political parties.

5. a ground plan of a railroad or highway.

Appreciating all the connections and feeling grateful is what being present is all about.  Sometimes you keep on hearing about enjoying the moment and feeling blessed for what you have, well this is exactly how to do it. Start noticing the magic right in front of your eyes, be open, allow yourself to receive and follow through. Many times exactly what we need is right in front of us, but we are not open, it my pass by unnoticed.

Let it in,
Coach Yulia

Thank You For Letting Me Vent

We all vent in different ways, sometimes to our family, parents, siblings, or friends.  For me it just feels good to write it and also to share it, hoping that it gives others a door to walk through, an OK to let it out, because in my opinion holding it in is the worst thing anyone can do.  It is also good to let it out in a way that it doesn't hurt anybody, sometimes when there is anger or frustration it feels like someone vomits on you, and then they feel better for letting it out, but you are still stuck with the vomit.

I am grateful to all of the moms that relate, and my own mom that tries to give me suggestions and advice. Luckily my wiring is always positive, so even if I have a moment of explosion, my brain automatically works on figuring out how to not let things happen again, how to improve, how to grow, and ultimately to be grateful for all the positive that comes out of it.

Recently I have randomly called a friend or family for one reason, and they feel comfortable in that moment to share with me and vent over something that is troubling them, even cry.  I feel blessed that I can be a safe place for venting, and maybe even for a positive view.  I encourage everyone to see where you can do that for people around you, sometimes it is surprising where it comes from, but just an objective, open ear is quite rare in our world.

Listen and Silent are made up of the same letters, I read that recently and love the power of how important it is to stay silent and listen, to nature, to our environment, to our inner voice, to our friends and family.  There are so many distractions, it is so rare to have silence in our lives.  My Pilates classes I teach with no music, our breath becomes the music, and when I walk around the room to check form and alignment, I love to see that each person is inward, only focusing on their movement, their breath, how they feel, complete mind and body connection.  I also love to watch the movements as the mind and body connection happens they look like a dance or martial art, it is a beautiful sight for my eyes, I receive such pleasure when clients find their own way, tune in, tune everything else out, fully present, and a beautiful energy exchange for me.

I had a moment of feeling so blessed with everything happening in my life, my children, my husband, and my family all over the world.  They say just being present to what you love and are happy with brings more.

Bring More,
It's up to you,
Be Present,
Be Open,
Just Be,
Coach Yulia

Toddler Tantrum

God Help Me

The Joy! That is the best thing to say when children are showing their parents how strong, independent, and will get their way, also known as toddler tantrum.  Yes, this is how my mothers day ended, with an hour long toddler tantrum, where they saw the other not so nice side of mom.  I try to keep talking, negotiating, debating, but in a tantrum it is something that will pass, but in the moment they don't want to hear it.

The crazy thing is once it ended, my child wanted a hug and a kiss and quietly went to bed.  I know some of it was brought on by exhaustion and also by transition.  I hear many parents counting minutes, or having a conversation telling their child its time to go.  For me transitions and bed time are always a whole production. Lately I have been giving them time to play before bed, and I think that makes it worse, they are tired, I think it will just be lights out early from now on, I will keep you posted.

That is the way I can stay calm, cool, and collected is try to figure out how to avoid it in the future.  In the moment it is the biggest challenge to let it pass, when I have to put a baby to sleep, when I am exhausted myself, and when I know that I have to be firm, and that is what may be prolonging the insanity.  What was it yesterday? My child wanted me to bring water, and I said I would bring water when they went into their bed, maybe if I brought water right away I could of nipped it in the bud.  Eventually it all calmed down, but I felt that I had to set the way it was going to be even if the screaming didn't stop.  I did not bring water, and that is the dilemma, to bring water and to have a quiet night, or to show that it goes both ways, I will do something for you if you do something for me.

Oh this teaching stuff is so not for me, Thank God that my children go to school and are taught these lessons, it is a big challenge for me to deal with.  Anyone else in our lives we can just walk away, or take a break, or get back to it later.  One of the joys of motherhood and parenthood, there is no later, there is only now.  Not like a Yoga now, or a Shabbat now, but a not so pleasant now.

Oh how I love pleasant now,
Otherwise we would be bored,
Maybe we can think of it as spicing up our lives,
Infusing our lives with energy,
Waking us up to be in the moment,
Ultimately facing ourselves,
OY!
Thank you kids,
Coach Yulia

My Mom

This picture is from a couple of years ago, my mom flew into Los Angeles and stayed with my kids while my husband and I went on a business cruise that also coincided with our five year anniversary.  That was our first time without kids, it was amazing, when we stepped on the plane to go my husband said that we should definitely do it more often.  The baby was 8 months old in this picture, my daughter was almost three and my big boy was 4 1/2.  She was a rock star, my daughter was almost potty trained, this was the first time the baby was without his parents, and my big boy as usual was the biggest helper.

In my opinion my mom is the happiest woman on earth, of course we all go through the ups and downs of life, but her positive view that came from her mother is ingrained in me.  I choose to live in a happy space and feel blessed and present with everything that I do have in my life thanks to my mom.

My parents took a big risk taking my brother and me out of Russia for a better life in 1980.  They always raised us as adults and let us teach them about this new country, trusted us, and let us be independent and fly.  My goal is to raise my kids with the same confidence, fearless trust, and faith that everything will turn out as it should.

Thank You Mom For Molding a Happy, Fulfilled, and Strong Woman,
Who shines her light just like you shine yours,
Coach Yulia

Mothering

Continuing in this weekends theme of all things mother, I am in observation mode.  My daughter stayed home with me today while my husband took the boys to synagogue.  For me four years old is quite a doozy, totally in charge, demanding, forthright, and most of the time my nice conversations don't work.  So I do one of two things, I either reward a fun place to go or I take away something I know that they would like to do and it usually works.  But in my experience the female energy is so much more intense than the male energy, even if I win in the end, I have used all of my tricks, and I am thanking God that it has worked in my favor.

Last week my daughter stayed home too, I don't even remember for what, but I figure a lesson has to be taught, and this week she was just not using her words, so it had to be taught again.  Usually I love for all of the kids to go with my husband, so I can have complete quiet, me time, and a nice nap.

Last week she played quietly and let me nap, this morning she woke up crying before 6am, would not tell me why, so when all the boys left, I told her to please let me sleep, and when I woke up from my nap, I found her asleep on the couch and it really made me smile.  She was quiet, she did not come to sleep by me, she respected my wishes, was tired, and fell asleep on her own.

My motto is always take care of mama.
She gave me the best mother's day present ever.
If I could say the one thing I miss most about life before children is my naps.
Thank you dear daughter,
You are one of a kind,
God Willing you will be a mother one day,
You are so full of love,
So full of affection,
Ultimately that is what family is about,
We drive each other nuts,
But we can be 100% ourselves,
Respected for it,
We can go for a walk and take some breaths,
I always say otherwise we would be bored,
Feeling blessed for my kids,
I cannot imagine not being driven nuts,
God Bless Them,
Appreciating Mothering,
Coach Yulia

Mother's Day Weekend

This is hilarious, this year I am enjoying all the hoopla around mother's day.  My oldest is 5 1/2, my girl just turned four and my baby just turned two, I have been in a whirlwind of motherhood, and maybe finally now seeing the dust settle a bit.

All of these big holiday's on our calendars I have never been a fan of, people say they are created by hallmark.  Especially Valentine Day, it never meant sense to me to show love on one day.  Now that I am in a community that celebrates something daily, Solar birthdays, Lunar birthdays, it just never ends, and I honestly cannot get enough.  Why not have a day just for moms, and recently there has been teacher appreciation week, administrative assistant week, and so on.  Why not?

I still feel we should love everyday and celebrate our family every day, so why not have a day that the everybody hops on board, and all the energy and love is directed towards the one and only mom.  Whether you are a mom, hoping to be a mom, in the process of being a mom, have a mom, enjoy this day, or even this weekend.

We are not planning to do anything too over the top, going to spend the day with the family and with my mother in law.  Everything in life is about getting together, that is what makes life fun and full of memories.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Shabbat Shalom,

Coach Yulia

My Happy Place

I am very proud of me, I have been working on getting my teeth and gums healthy again after having babies, that is my weak area, genetic after my mom, but I have been a good girl and a good listener and its getting better and better, YAY!

I live in a bubble, that bubble makes me happy.  Sometimes life happens and my bubble is popped, but Thank God temporarily.  I work hard to recreate the bubble, yes of course sometimes it is a challenge, and the ups and downs of life help us really feel grateful for what we have.

Today was a long yet productive day, and I just was under my covers so ready to sleep, and I was thinking of my happy place, and I thought, well I might as well write about that, so here I am.

For some reason during the day there is so much happening, and I do have a moment to write, but nothing sticks out lately, and I am not in a rush, so for some reason it is at night that I have the OH YEAH moment. No matter what happens in my day, I feel grateful that 99.9% of the time I go to bed content, blessed, and leaving what ever has to be done for tomorrow.  I was saying that the last few nights I haven't slept well, but not because of things really running through my head, but being aware of noises and being bothered by them.

Who knows, I give some great advice in my classes, and I should really listen to what is channeling through me sometimes.  Our thoughts are our reality, what we tell ourselves is what we truly believe, we live in yesterday and tomorrow.  Whatever gets you present, try to go there at least once a day, and then if you are able once a week stay there for 24 hours, it does magic for your perception and gratitude.

Where is your happy place?
Where is your bubble?
Where can you be present?
If you don't take a break, you will break,
Coach Yulia

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy

Amusing myself with some webcam shots as I realize I haven't blogged today, and running through my head thinking of today's events.  Nothing too eventful, but good overall, productive, happy to be home, and so looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Tomorrow is full of celebrations, a new baby boy is having his ceremony in the morning, then mother's day celebration at my children's school.  I have one pilates class to teach, and then helping out at their school for the afternoon. Happy that tomorrow night I am free, to just enjoy time with my husband.

I am coming from teaching a Prenatal Yoga class, I get such pleasure being around pregnant mommies and helping them feel as good as possible.  First time moms trying to wrap their head around the whole amazing process, and mom's that are doing it again appreciating taking care of themselves and feeling good.

Feeling Good is Important,
Bodily Functions Should Be Pleasant,
If they are not something is wrong,
Even birth is a healthy elimination,
Our bodies know exactly what to do,
The baby knows exactly what to do,
Thank God,
Be Present Pregnant Mommies in Labor,
I admire all the mommies that bring so many beautiful children to light up this world,
God Bless You,
Lean on your sisters,
Lean on your community,
We are here for you,
Coach Yulia