Commemoration

Commemoration

• a ceremony or celebration in which a person or event is remembered.

about to have some cake

PERSON:  Today I commemorated my husband, he does not like birthdays, parties, but this was a big one. So I got friends together, it was a surprise, and at first he was not too happy, but ended up enjoying himself with close friends.  The best part was there was a huge kids area, the kids were so busy, all of us adults got to relax, hang, chat, and enjoy each others company.  We went to www.tacoflame.com, it is Kosher and perfect for families.

EVENT:  Today in my news feed I am getting information about a very special commemoration of an event.  I am deeply connected to it, and I am excited to learn more about it. Before Israel became the Jewish state, Jewish people were living in Arab countries and Iran.  My ancestors came from these Mizrahi Jews, and even before Israel, there was persecution and after Israel most got expelled.  I feel this is extremely important history and education for the world to know especially connecting what is happening now with all the extremism, antisemitism, and anti Zionism around the world.  The Holocaust was so extreme and on such a great scale, that other atrocities were not focused on.  Finally today Israel is educating, and God Willing the rest of the world will follow.  At the end of the blog is a short video all about the commemoration.

I also ran across some amazing articles about spreading the truth about the Jewish mission in this world, the Jewish way of being, and rebutting all the lies about genocide and apartheid.  It is so important to keep on educating ourselves and everyone around us, so it is not a bully situation, but a place of knowledge, mutual respect, debate, and action going forward.

http://embassies.gov.il/un/statements/Pages/Question-of-Palestine-Debate.aspx

http://observer.com/2014/11/bloody-battle-for-israel-at-oxford-university/

This is my world,
I cannot keep quiet,
Blessed to celebrate my husband's birthday in a Kosher restaurant openly without fear,
Coach Yulia

Post by StandWithUs.

Conduct Disorder - Technology - Hypnosis

We had some brilliant guests at my husband's birthday Shabbat table last night, and today I was reading so many interesting things and wanted to share.  We had a behavioral therapist, a marriage and family therapist, an organizational leader working at a non profit assisting people in getting jobs in nursing, and a finance whiz.  I was most interested in what happens with children that get misdiagnosed, do not get the therapy that they need, or have parents that are not involved in their lives.  This is a severe case of what could happen.  "Conduct disorder is a serious behavioral and emotional disorder that can occur in children and teens. A child with this disorder may display a pattern of disruptive and violent behavior and have problems following rules.  It is not uncommon for children and teens to have behavior-related problems at some time during their development. However, the behavior is considered to be a conduct disorder when it is long-lasting and when it violates the rights of others, goes against accepted norms of behavior and disrupts the child's or family's everyday life.

What Are the Symptoms of Conduct Disorder?

Symptoms of conduct disorder vary depending on the age of the child and whether the disorder is mild, moderate, or severe. In general, symptoms of conduct disorder fall into four general categories:

• Aggressive behavior: These are behaviors that threaten or cause physical harm and may include fighting, bullying, being cruel to others or animals, using weapons, and forcing another into sexual activity.
• Destructive behavior: This involves intentional destruction of property such as arson (deliberate fire-setting) and vandalism (harming another person's property).
• Deceitful behavior: This may include repeated lying, shoplifting, or breaking into homes or cars in order to steal.
• Violation of rules: This involves going against accepted rules of society or engaging in behavior that is not appropriate for the person's age. These behaviors may include running away, skipping school, playing pranks, or being sexually active at a very young age.

In addition, many children with conduct disorder are irritable, have low self-esteem, and tend to throw frequent temper tantrums. Some may abuse drugs and alcohol. Children with conduct disorder often are unable to appreciate how their behavior can hurt others and generally have little guilt or remorse about hurting others."

I found this very powerful, our children need our attention, and then I came across this article how too much technology could be dangerous,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-egbert/10-reasons-why-i-will-continue-to-give-my-children-handheld-devices_b_5009840.html.

It was amazing to read about the effect of events in our lives and how they affect us chemically and physically.  Somebody asked if hypnosis can wipe things out of our memory.  It stays in the system, read about it below.

Everything in the blog today is about.

Taking responsibility,

Being Open,

Being Aware,

Being Involved,

Ignoring, Escaping, Not Dealing

Does Not Work,

Today is serious,

Tomorrow is a surprise,

Coach Yulia

Talking Turkey

I had a turkeyless Thanksgiving, our host was vegan and made a delicious array of dishes, and was proud we saved a turkey :)  I have always wondered why the big bird we eat on Thanksgiving is called a Turkey, and the country Turkey, and then phrases like "talk turkey," and "cold turkey."

Let's explore.

I just ran across a very interesting article about how it became to be known in America as turkey,
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/why-americans-call-turkey-turkey/383225/?single_page=true.

Turkey the country, when I googled it, these were my choices,

Turkey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey

Wikipedia

Turkey officially the Republic of Turkey is a contiguous transcontinental parliamentary republic, with its smaller part in Southeastern Europe and its larger part in ...

Turkey (bird) Domesticated turkey - Wild turkey - Guineafowl - Phasianidae - ...	Ankara Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city ...
Turkish people Alp Arslan - Sertab Erener - Elif Şafak - Turkish diaspora - ...	Islam in Turkey Islam is the main religion of the Turkish people in Turkey, where ...
Turkish language Turkish alphabet - Ottoman Turkish alphabet - Ottoman Turkish - ...	History of Turkey The history of Turkey encompasses the history of the ...

My baby just stopped wearing diapers, and many people ask me if he still wears diapers at night. There are two things that don't make sense to me:

1. teaching boys to pee sitting down
2. wearing diapers at night

I am all about "COLD TURKEY," abruptly stopping something.  Here is a definition, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_turkey, but more specifically a phrase from this link,

• Some believe the derivation is from the comparison of a cold turkey carcass and the state of a withdrawing addict — most notably, the cold sweats, goose bumps.^[10]

"TALKING TURKEY?" This phrase goes way back to the beginnings of Thanksgiving,
http://www.theindychannel.com/decodedc/where-did-the-phrase-talking-turkey-come-from.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving,

I had a fantastic time and so did my kids,

Now the partying commences,
with my husband's birthday weekend,

Plenty of surprises in store,

Shabbat Shalom,

Coach Yulia

Thankful

Today is a day when many people in America stop and focus on what they are grateful for.  I try my best to do this on a daily basis, and I am happy that the there is a positive energy all over today.  The amazing picture above is so powerful, and it is a big part of my gratitude.  I am so happy to know my roots, to live in a community where I can be a proud Jew, and also live in a country where I feel that I can meet people from all walks of life.  I love to learn about cultures, traditions, and backgrounds.  I love living in a big city so I am surrounded by diversity.

I ran across an article that digs deep into part of my background, and it made me smile.  Jewish people are from all over the world, and a part of my ancestors ran from the Middle East into what was the Soviet Union.  Because of this my father was travelling to Moscow to meet a nice Jewish girl, and that is how I came to be.  I love connections, I love how things turn out, my brain is always in awe of how one thing leads to another.

I am 1/4 Mizrahi, you can read more about it here, http://www.jns.org/latest-articles/2014/11/25/tragedy-of-mizrahi-jewish-refugees-emerges-from-the-shadows#.VHbe94eprQQ=.

So as I keep on learning about me, I love to celebrate modern traditions.  Thanksgiving is family and friend time, home cooked meal time, and many people don't have to work and just relax and enjoy,

Thankful to have friends that are throwing a feast together,
We are bringing the salad,
Not sure if it will be turkey,
None of us are born in America,
I love to celebrate everything,
Happy Thanksgiving,
Coach Yulia

We are not cooking

My family is from Russia, when we moved to this country even the Thanksgiving dishes were something new.  Luckily my mother was a socialite and brought fun anywhere she went.  So my family tradition was to get invited.  I am so blessed to live in a community where it is part of the tradition and law to invite guests, so we have been guests, and we love to have guests.  My husband is an amazing cook, but Turkey is not his thing, so we are joining friends who are also from Israel to throw something delicious together and just enjoy each other.

I personally love food period, so I am happy to eat anything that is served, especially if it is home made.  I am actually working all day tomorrow, and I am OK with that.  Have a Pilates class in the morning, hopefully many people that do not get to the gym will treat themselves to health and fitness and then to delicious meal with family and friends.  I love to say excess once in a while is moderation.  It is important to indulge, but on a regular basis variety, portions, and a healthy, active lifestyle is key.

There is so much going on in the world, and I am choosing to step off of the world and just enjoy the long weekend.

Coach Yulia

Do you really get it?

Everything is personal, everything is opinion, everything is our own unique experience, and we attempt to understand everything from that lens.  I am a Yoga teacher for 15 years, before I met my Yoga teacher, I had never done Yoga, I don't think I ever really heard of it, I was just doing completely different things in my life.  As soon as I met my teacher I knew that was going to be my life path.  Many people tell me that they are not flexible enough, or they tried it once and did not have a good experience, so they wrote it off.  All I tell people is to try it once, if it clicks great, if not, I hope they find what fits their lifestyle, energy, and goals.

Yoga was going to be my topic.  I ran across this amazing video of a 92 year old woman, blew me away.  My teacher is 82, healthy and always on the go, it inspires me to follow in my path of preventive maintenance and finding healthy, active and delicious options that fit me.

Post by Barcroft TV.

The I ran across this article about a 13 year old girl teaching Yoga to her peers, so beautiful, we all attract different ages, backgrounds, levels, goals, styles, go girl! Just follow this link,
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/style/yoga-jaysea-devoe-13-years-old-among-the-youngest-yoga-teachers.html?_r=0da

You never know where life will lead you and maybe something horrible can lead to something wonderful.  One of my students today told me she missed class last week because she got out of work late, and traffic was horrible due to road construction.  On the positive side she had found an alternate route that she took to class today that was much faster and that she will use from now on.

Everything I am writing about today is about getting it.  My family left Russia because of discrimination, they wanted my brother and I to live openly and proudly Jewish.  Just recently it seems the open hate has erupted all over the world against Jews and Israel, and it is shocking to me.

That is the only lens that I have to understand what is happening in Ferguson.  A few bloggers have written amazing perspectives, and all I can do is keep reading and keep learning.  This one is from an African American Jew, http://jnmagazine.com/2014/11/25/what-side-should-jewish-americans-take-on-ferguson/.  Amazing historical perspective in this blog,
http://rabbicreditor.blogspot.com/2014/10/rabbi-michael-rothbaum-fergusonfargesn.html

On my Facebook page I put a video of an African American friend who was in the Marines, is an amazing father, and working hard to support his family.  I will keep open, I will keep listening, I am not interested in watching the violence on TV, I am listening to the dialogue and the monologues.

An amazing African American voice speaks out,
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/11/pharrell_williams_why_aren_t_we_talking_about_michael_brown_s_bully_behavior.html

We all have opinions,
I do not know if I will ever get it,
but I want to keep listening and learning,
Coach Yulia

Snowball Effect

I had to google the synonym of snowball effect and found some amazing answers.

domino effect
escalation
upsurge
enlargement
development
increase

A situation which continues to grow in an uncontrollable way.

• One could substitute domino effect. or chain reaction, if using it in a more negative sense, one could say, "a vicious circle" or a "spiral of decline" but if is used to describe something beneficial, I would go with "a virtuous circle" I would stay away from cliche's like "A slippery slope" because while that term, usually used argumentatively, states that a relatively small first step leads to a chain of related events culminating in some significant effect, much like an object (snowball) given a small push over the edge of a slope sliding all the way- to the bottom. However, the the fallacious sense of "slippery slope" is often used synonymously with continuum fallacy, in that it ignores the possibility of middle ground and assumes a discrete transition from category A to category B. Modern usage avoids the fallacy by acknowledging the possibility of this middle ground. 

• It's officially known as the Butterfly Effect
  which in itself states that under the PERFECT conditions- in our own world the small gust of wind produced by a flap of the wings of a butterfly can continue to grow in power and become a force that would be called a level five hurricane as it escalates further 

I found this fascinating, especially seeing butterfly effect being the positive side, but most of the other descriptions focus on something negative.  The video below shows what could happen when one thing can set other things motion in either direction.

Enjoy,
Coach Yulia

Post by Yeni Şafak.

Everything Has Energy

Electricity to be precise.  Ran across the video below just now, and it fascinates me how science is proving more and more how everything is connected, that everything pulsates, everything that has been thought of as non existent, actually exists.

Relaxing and tidying up before we head out for the day.  On the agenda, new bike helmets for kids, and some fun time, not sure where yet, it is going to be one of those go with the flow days.  Nowhere to be, no time constraints, see where the day takes us.

We are going to follow the currents,
Coach Yulia

Post by Malik Tajamul Hayat Khan.

Let's see where the day goes

This morning the kids woke up early as usual, my husband was making them breakfast, so I decided to pick up a book.  The book I chose were inspirational stories and lessons, and it was perfect for my day of rest.  My husband got everyone ready and they went off to synagogue, and I was so happy to have a quiet house, me time, and I promptly took a nap.  I was excited to realize that this could be my reading day, it is a day when nothing else can be turned on, nowhere I have to be, I can actually get lost in a book, exciting!

Once everyone came back, it was my husband's turn to rest, so I got everyone' bicycles and we went to play outside.  It was absolutely perfect Los Angeles weather, and I am proud to report, not only is my baby out of diapers, but he has officially learned to ride a bicycle, Woo Hoo!

Then my neighbor came home, my kids love to go visit her upstairs, she gives them some juice and Shabbat was over, so they got to watch some cartoons, and it was nice to get to know more about her. She has lived in our building for 19 years, and we just passed 7 years, and she finally came to dinner a few weeks ago.  We are busy, she is busy, and I was busy having babies, now its a nice place of just hanging out.  There was a picture of her in her 20's, she was stunning, seriously like a movie star from the 20's, short blond hair, and just gorgeous.

Now everyone is quietly playing in their room, I am recounting my day of nothingness and everythingness.

BH,
All Good,
Happy Weekend,
Coach Yulia

We all look like this

I see people on bicycles keep checking their cellphones while they are weaving in and out of traffic, not to mention people in cars being honked at because they didn’t notice the light has changed.  It is sooooooo hard not to look, especially if we get a text, or just to see what is happening on social media, maybe even a work email that we have to get to.  Life is so non stop and although our smart phones have made it amazing to be reachable, get instant information, and to multitask, there is really no such thing.  Yes a million things can be happening at once, but we can only do them one at a time. Every Friday night I put my phone away until Saturday night, it is very hard, but I am so happy that I have taken upon myself to commit to t, and I literally can take a deep breath and know the world can wait one day.

If you are not doing this already, give your self a gift of one day off.  It is amazing how most people work so hard during the week, and on the weekend it is either running errands, watching shows, or going out to party.  It all sounds fun and was fun when I was single, but especially now as a married mom and with a busy work week, my one day completely off is something I 

count down to.

The computer goes off,

The TV goes off,

The phone goes off,

The car and car keys are in their spots,

We walk everywhere,

Have conversations,

Enjoy meals together,

Dress nice,

Look each other in the eye and talk about the blessings in our lives.

The best part is that this is every week, not once a year, every week we have a big celebration with friends and family.  Everyone is looking forward to Thanksgiving and the holidays coming up, and seeing their family that they maybe do not see all year.  Make time for your friends, make time for your family, make it something that is part of your life.  I feel so blessed that my kids look forward to our day of rest too, they love it as much as I do.

Enjoy your weekend,

Shabbat Shalom,

Coach Yulia

I am teaching my baby Pilates!

To pee or not to pee, that is the question on my baby's mind and mine.  Today he did everything on his own, we are done with diapers hopefully for good, got him some cute underwear just like his big brother.

I went to teach my Pilates class and I always tell everyone that when they pee they should stop their flow, males and females same function.  These are the pelvic floor muscles, kegel for women, perinium for men.  When you are at a red light squeeze them, when you are at a green light, let it go.


My Yoga teacher says bodily functions should be pleasant, or something is wrong.  All of the functions that should work right and we don't want to think about need preventive maintenance too. Pain and discomfort are not the way it should be, the body is an amazing machine and starts out knowing what to do.  Especially for women after children, these muscles need to be restrengthened, and it is possible.




All of these adorable pictures are selfies that he took on his own with my phone, what a talent! He is such a pleasure, he knows how to say his name clearly, so everyone that is confused by it, sorry, if my 2 1/2 year old can do it, so can you :) When we are really done with diapers, we are having a party, I said I would, and I am going to do it.  WOW! Before kids we only think of ourselves and our dreams and we should.  Then when you first start having kids, all the new things are a whirlwind, and its all good, we are grateful, exhausted, and in awe.  It is nice to see the end of the road with diapers, just like every milestone is so exciting.  It is nice to let each child be their own individual trend setter, do things at their own pace, and thrive.

YAY,
Coach Yulia

Magnanimous

A friend has been posting some powerful words on Facebook, and it has been helping me connect to where the world needs to be as a whole, the difference between power and force, WOW! Read on,

So....today I woke up with one word in my mind and that is: MAGNANIMOUS!!!! Now that word I DO NOT use in my vocabulary and I actually had to look it up for its meaning. Here is what it means: "someone who is MAGNANIMUS is big hearted; noble and generous of spirit!" Let us all be more magnanimous today!!

ike

"Force always moves against something, whereas power does not move against anything. Force is incomplete and therefore has to constantly be fed by energy. Power is total and complete in itself and requires nothing from outside itself. It makes no demands; it has no needs. Because force has an insatiable appetite, it constantly consumes. Power, in contrast, energizes, gives forth, supplies and supports. Power gives life and energy. Force takes these away. We notice that power is associated with compassion and makes us feel positively about ourselves. Force is associated with judgement and makes us feel badly about ourselves."
I ask u, where in your life are u living by power or by force
Power vs Force
David R. Hawkins M.D.

I have been part of many workshops that were about getting yourself in a positive head space before stepping out into the world.  I am blessed to be in my positive bubble, it does get burst with reality sometimes.  Sometimes a beautiful reality like children that make you face yourself, but other times with the cruel reality that exists in our world.  I really do not want to know it, I don't want to believe it, I don't want it to be in my world.  Unfortunately it is directly in my world, in my Jewish world, affecting people that I personally know, affecting my community, my culture, my people.

What gives me hope is that I come from a line of people that keep moving forward, life will happen, conflict will happen, in that same synagogue where the massacre occurred, today they had a Brit Mila, welcoming a new boy into the world in a ceremony.  Unfortunately some lives have ended, but a new life has shined onto this world.

http://www.sdjewishworld.com/2014/11/19/symbolic-brit-milah-held-day-synagogue-massacre/

All we can do is be proud,

Stand Tall,

Shine Our Light Bright,

Be An Example,

BE Magnanimous,

Join Me, 

Everyone from all walks of life,

Walk in Truth,

Genuine,

Honest,

Working together to light up the world,

Coach Yulia

Processing and Digesting

I am not talking about nutrition.  I am talking about information coming into our senses from all over, and trying to absorb, process, and even act on it in addition to our non stop day and to do list.  My mother used the word digestion in this context when there was something big that my father would need to process, it needed time, to let it seep in, and become OK with whatever had to be done.  My husband is the same, whether it is something with the kids or an event, if I let him know about it well in advance, eventually we get to a point where we can compromise on how to go along with it.

Over stimulation, non stop news feeds on social media, news, talk around town, my brain does not want to hear about negativity, but when it involves an attack on my culture, tradition, ancestors, and way of life, I cannot just turn off and ignore.

Then my mind goes to beautiful things, my children and their world of homework, friends, and an amazing evaluation of my baby's progress in speech therapy.  Reading about mom's helping each other promote their businesses, women asking about Doula's, and getting new people in my classes that are excited to feel good and learn.  So all I can do is spread the truth, not sensationalize, not yell, not get depressed, not attack or be violent, just respect those that have fallen standing up to extremism.  I am so disturbed by the non stop attacks in Israel and Isis, many of the victims are American, and finally today I hear something positive, maybe the world is ready to stand together against extremism, and support democracy, freedom, and a country defending itself to survive.

Below is a picture of a Druze Police Officer that was defending the Jewish people that came to pray at the synagogue in Jerusalem against the terrorist attack, God Bless Him for his courage and service.

Coach Yulia

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/hero-police-officer-zidan-sayif-has-died/2014/11/18/

Power Of The Mind

Yesterday I went to bed evaluating my day and coming to the conclusion that I know in what areas of life I am powerful.  Yoga is what I just feel, also when I connect with my Doula client or even with my kids and things flow, I love the high of that moment.  Today I substituted a class that was into it, but I didn’t feel the connection.  So I suppose power like everything else is an organic feeling, doing a similar thing in a different environment could bring out a different vibe. 

I know in every situation that I give 100%, so if people plug in then I feel the energy exchange.  We are all different everyday, even me, so my 100% can have a different feel on a day to day basis.  Sometimes if I am feeling tired, and people are fully plugged in, whether in a Yoga class, a mother in labor, or my kids fully engaged in my play then I get an extra burst of energy.

I was listening to a fascinating story on the radio about how people perceive and believe things about themselves and their health.  Asthma patients were separated into two groups, one was told they were smelling some herbs that would help them and others were told that it would harm them.  After the study the people that were told it was good for them felt good, the people that were told it was bad for them actually had physical swelling in their lungs.

Check it out, http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/11/17/363837479/the-power-of-suggestion-could-trigger-asthma-or-treat-it.

What you believe is how you feel.

Get Out Of Your Head,

Find Ways to Release, Balance, and Recharge,

Find where YOU have power,

Trust It,

Go,

Coach Yulia
 

My guy hanging with some cereal and his pajamas

Blank

No pictures, no big stories, just a day of fun with kids in the morning, then running around town at night trying to find some basics for all my kids, I like deals, and at this time of year all you hear about is deals, but I do not see deals anywhere.  Taught an interesting sugar infused Yoga party tonight, so much energy, amazing to see that children's energy just gets more and more intense, I am only in the beginning stages with my kids.

Working on a project with my oldest boy about our family background, trying to explain to him where all the grandparents are from and why we all left our countries.  My daughter is learning letters and numbers so well, not only to say them but noticing them all around her.  My baby loves to count his fingers and toes, and his language is getting better and better since the tubes.

I enjoy doing fun stuff with my kids, I do not enjoy shopping, crowds, all the holiday fuss.  I don't really like stuff, I like to get rid of stuff.  I do like to get cute stuff for the kids, but not the everybody has it cute stuff, unique cute stuff.  Thank God my kids are happy with everything they have and are OK when I tell them they do not need something, or they have to earn it with their sticker chart.

No Big Point Tonight,
Just Rambling,
Not Really Ready For My Week,
But Will Forge Ahead,
Coach Yulia

Friday went by FAST!

This is actually the state I am usually in, but unfortunately life does not flow in this manner, and Friday was intense

My brother in law came to Shabbat dinner Friday night and his first question was, did I write my blog? I had it on my mind all day, but the day never stopped, and then I just had to stop.  The day before horrible allergies started, I took a Claritin 24 Hour early Thursday hoping that it would not affect my sleep at night.  After dropping kids at school Friday morning had some errands, then work until 2, then had to pick up my boy from school.  The moment I got home I just felt exhausted with a headache.  Since daylight savings time, Shabbat starts right after 4:30pm, so I wanted to rest before our guests came. Rest was my priority, usually blogging is a need, but since I was under the weather, sleep was more important than self expression.  I am OK, my mother usually asks if I am OK if I did not blog one day.

The day wasn't too restful, the kids decided to stay home with me, so hopefully with an early bedtime for all of us, I will get the sleep and rest of my dreams tonight.

I love sleep,
Coach Yulia

Social Media: The Ultimate Reality Show

My hairdresser asked me if I was addicted to social media, while my color was processing I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed. I put it down when I am driving, but glance at it when its red light.  Glancing is hard not to do, just to see whats up, even if I just checked a moment ago, and see one new entry, but everything else is the same.

Am I addicted? No.  Am I in Love? Yes.  There are so many and the big ones are also twitter and instagram, but they are too much for me to also do, I plainly say that I am married to Facebook.

So what I am in awe about is the extremes, it is such a reality show of some friends but mostly strangers asking intimate questions that are interesting to me as a person and as a professional.  I am on a few groups that are for mothers and specifically for pregnancy, and the questions that get asked are so intense, and the beauty is that somebody always relates to the experience and gives advice.  It feels like heartfelt advice, it feels so good to pass on a good experience, with a doctor or a method. Sometimes women hear certain things from their doctor and also want opinions from moms from all walks of life.  That is what I cannot get enough of, I feel like I would rather be addicted to this thank a fictional TV show or even a reality show.  I am not really into TV, and in my non stop day with work and kids, Facebook is definitely a treat.

What I also love is words of inspiration, poems, thoughts, motivation from a personal experience.  I cannot get enough of Humans of New York, if you don't know what this is, just google it.  Magical glimpses into real people, he even travelled into warzones and brought the world brilliant images with thoughts directly from the people in regions all over the middle east.

One girl wrote that five years ago when she turned 26, she felt like her life was at a standstill.  Not in a negative way, but was stuck which direction where she wanted to go.  She is now 31 married with two kids, and has her own thriving business.  She was so grateful what only five years cold bring.

My messages from all of these posts, whether disturbing or inspiring.  To always look at myself, see where I am in my life.  Feel good where I have been, where I am, and where I am headed.  Enjoy every interaction, especially when I teach, it feels so good to impact people in a positive way.

As I am glancing at my feed I am wishing a friend a happy birthday, and see him write an amazing response to another wish.  "You know, it's funny. You can meet some people and spend years and years with them, but soon forget them. Others, you can spend 4-5 months with them, and you'll always remember them."

So True,
Coach Yulia

The Closet

There is one closet in our home that is the everything place.  Whenever we don't have a place to put something, clothes out of season or too big or small (for next child.)  Recently our closet had a leak so I had to move everything out of ours into all the closets in the house.  Today was the day to declutter the everything closet.  It is really a walk down memory lane, and its funny that things I hung onto before, now I don't have a need for.  There are some articles, pictures, and even stuff from my kids that I put away, and now I am sifting through everything, only keeping what I feel will be a good memory and memento.

Taking a break to write before I go to work for the rest of the day and evening.  I feel so blessed for my memories and experiences.  The funnest thing to find was emails and cards from friends and clients, it is amazing to read their thoughts to bring me back to those times.  Email had just started to be commonly used, I had a hotmail account, don't have it anymore.

Feeling grateful for where I am today,
Feeling consciosly aware and present of everything that I have done that made me who I am today,
Excited for what tomorrow will bring,
Coach Yulia

Some Kosher Stretching About To Happen

Thank You Veterans

I love google doodle's, sometimes I learn something new, and sometimes they are so creative.  Today it is just spot on.  As I was driving to teach my classes today, everything on the news is about veterans, and one of the most fascinating points is that today it is such a diverse group.  All ages, genders, backgrounds, and experiences.  I had a talk with my brother about being OK with sending my own child to fight for his country.  We were specifically talking about the war between Israel and Gaza, and I told him I would be proud if my son to chose to fight for Israel, and I meant it.

Everyone has a calling, has different talents and gifts, and choosing to learn discipline, skills, and the amazing mindset to be in the services is so honorable and inspiring.  On my Facebook page many people I know are posting their own military service, or their relatives, and all I feel is gratitude.

Thank you for fighting for the rest of us,

Coach Yulia

Evaluation

Evaluation is the most challenging thing in the world for me.  I really look at everything as organic, molding, changing, growing, and it is just as it should be as the journey moves along.  In my classes my goal is to create a space where everyone feels open to just feeling good, giving themselves their undivided attention, and allowing themselves just to be where they are.

I am in a position where I need to write evaluations, and it is the hardest thing for my brain, for my person.  Most of my life I have been in areas of work that did not focus on performance or behavior, it was more about creating a mood, feeling, space, for everyone to enjoy, that is what I do, I am present and I invite everyone to be present with me.

I love having my own thing, not into being micromanaged, but I am always open to get uncomfortable, out of my comfort zone, try new things, learn new things, and grow.

Sometimes what we do not like leads us to a new way of doing things, creating our own way of doing things.  I have been teaching Yoga for 15 years, it just clicked, but Pilates was a bit later, and when I first started, I did not love it, but figured it was something that complimented other things I do.  I eventually developed my own style and method of teaching, and now I love that I attract students that really want to learn core, form, and alignment, and I have learned how to explain it in a way that everyone figures out their own way to do it.  Now Pilates is a pleasure, and I enjoy being in my own zone while I get my students into their zone.

Lesson is to stick with it and reevaluate later.
I guess I have to keep evaluating,
Even Evaluating Myself,
Such is life,
Try Different Things,
Try it in different ways,
Focus on making it feel right doing it in a style that makes sense to you,
Trust What Feels Right,
Gotta Get Back To The Evaluations,
Coach Yulia

Play, Roles, and Mommy Role Play

My older son's birthday was in September, we had many celebrations, and I booked tickets for a fun event that we went to today.  I figured after all the Jewish holidays, it would be fun to celebrate some more with all the kids.  Thomas the Train was in town, an hour and a half away from town.  My brother was surprised that my six year old was still into Thomas, and he really just turned six, all my kids are into it, and our train table and trains are always in use.  I prefer that he likes this for as long as he can, and happy he is not more into legos.  My nephew was so into legos, like an engineer, he knew what each tiny piece was meant for, and the tiny pieces add up.  We have some lego stuff, but it mostly sits on a shelf, they all like playing with little cars, and mostly with pillows and blankets creating everything from houses to hatching animals.

So when I saw the chance to go to a railway museum and actually ride Thomas the train, I was excited, and figured it may be my last opportunity to drag all three kids.  It was very cute, and there were trains moving all over the place.  We also got the chance to see Percy the Train and Sir Topham Hatt.

Overall the kids were great on the long ride, and I kept on showing them all the exciting things to see on the way.  Luckily we left super early, on a no traffic Sunday, 70 cruise control the whole way there in my hybrid car, we did good.  So since I booked those tickets a few months ago, we recently had two birthday invitations for today.  So we left early enough to get to Thomas at 9am, enjoyed the museum and activities, and boarded the train at 10am.  By 10:30am we were headed back to our car for the long drive home in order to make the birthday parties.  One of my son's good friends from school had one, so I dropped him off there and my husband met him there.  I took my other two to a one year old birthday party at a park, it was perfect for me and for them.

I love a day of play, and I was thinking of all the different roles I played as a mom today.  Chauffeur, Chef, Event Planner and Coordinator, and when they do not listen, I get the actor in me out and it seems to work.  Sometimes my husband thinks I am really upset and I quietly explain to him that I am putting on a show on purpose, he just doesn't get it.  So I just tell him I will call him if I need him, he lays down the law if my performance does not get the results I am looking for.

role play

1. Psychology

   
   

   the acting out or performance of a particular role, either consciously (as a technique in psychotherapy or training) or unconsciously, in accordance with the perceived expectations of society with regard to a person's behavior in a particular context.

The Show Must Go On!
Coach Yulia

Profiling and Miracles

Profiling

The consideration of race, ethnicity, or national origin by an officer of the law in deciding when and
how to intervene in an enforcement capacity.

In the beginning of today I was by myself, my husband took the kids to synagogue.  Before taking my nap I was reading interesting articles about history and profiling, and it just made me upset. Especially with all the rampant antisemitism that is happening all over the world.  It is so amazing when I hear stories on the news where people are identified by their actions.    This disturbing story came into my news feed, and it is racial profiling, bullying, and discrimination, http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/11/06/i-taught-my-black-kids-that-their-elite-upbringing-would-protect-them-from-discrimination-i-was-wrong/.  Today I read about the history of the Berlin wall, it is so fascinating, it is the 25th anniversary of the end, and it is so amazing that there are still repercussions today.  People in the west make more money, and live better, even though they are one country the damage that was done is still making a negative impact. Go to page 26 for the complete article, http://issuu.com/jewishhomela/docs/la_jh_11-6-14_lo?e=7985120/10025695.

Also in this issue it was so interesting to read that of the 200 richest people in Russia, most are Jewish, and the Jews are divided into Ashkenazi and Kavkazi, which I am both, I have to ask my parents if any of those are our relatives!  Check out the article at the link above on page 32.

I have been on call today for a birth, and after my nap my kids came home and I was about to go play with them outside when I got the call.  With all the craziness in the world, birth puts everything in perspective, it is just a miracle, nothing can explain how it works, the sperm and the egg does not show how a person, a complete unique person pops out.

In Awe,
Coach Yulia


Miracle

A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

Just got home from an amazing birth, Doula Life is a natural high

Gentle Giant

I do not like watching the news, it is always negative.  My husband loves to watch world news, and it is more of the same, danger, sickness, and conflict.  Recently I have been more conscious of what is going on because I am passionate about Israel.  I am shocked how the world is so nonchalant about the extreme violence, beheadings, and treatment of women by ISIS.  I think because of that this country has horror stories on all the time, why is that always the news, and why is it OK for people to act in that horrific manner.  I will spare you details, but there was a three year old boy that was tortured to death by his mother and her boyfriend, it all started because he wouldn't eat his breakfast. We still hear about kids with guns all the time, and kids hurting other kids and even more extreme hurting just to hurt, like the Boston marathon bombing, WHY?

The reason why I just want to scream, I want to pray for the victims, tears want to come out is because of a story that I heard today about a little boy that got hurt, really hurt, and it is someone that I do not know well but my good friends know his mom, and she is a very special person, and she raised a wonderful son.  I asked her if I can put her post on my page and haven't received an answer yet.

Her son had a friend that would come over to the house, they would have fun together, go out to eat together.  I do not know his age, but maybe 7 or 8?  So one day somehow he got his friends shoes muddy.  The boy got so upset that he got an older boy to beat him up, and really beat him up, in the bathroom, on porcelain, he couldn't hear well, he is in the hospital, going through machines, and I cannot imagine how these things get into kids heads.  Her son knows martial arts, and she asked him why he didn't defend himself and he said that he didn't want to hurt the older kid.  She called him a gentle giant, and my son is a gentle giant too.  His is sensitive, takes things deep, is really tall, and I am so happy I put him in Kindergarten to be the oldest, and he has had some Karate, but with him who knows if he will act the same as the other sweet boy who always thinks of others.

This makes me think of Israel too, although a small young country, its intellectual and military capacity could extinguish its neighbors with ease.  They choose not too, they take so much criticism for defending themselves, and extremists like ISIS are ignored like a bad movie.  There have been so many acts of terrorism there the past few weeks, babies and innocent pedestrians are targeted, and the world doesn't blink.  Israel is gentle giant, and I will keep on raising my voice loud and clear about the truth.

Transparency,
Reaction,
Action,
Love You Israel,
May everyone have a peaceful Shabbat,
Coach Yulia

This is what the mom wrote me when I asked if I could share,

"you can share. I feel like awareness is key here. I NEVER in a million years thought I would be in this situation. My kid is BIG, years of martial arts under his belt, and is one of the kindest most loving souls I have ever met (I say that not as hi mom, but as a person). He is brought up in a Buddhist home, and we don't believe in violence, only in self defense, and I have to admit, I was almost angry that he didn't fight back. But when I asked him why he didn't, his answer floored me! He said "hurting them back is doing what they are doing, I'm not that guy". I was humbled by my 11 year old kid!!! My heart aches for the pain he feels for being betrayed by his friends. But more than anything, the reality that I cannot protect him from everything is a most disturbing. . . THANK YOU for reaching out."

Extremes, Balance, and Fat

I always tell people to find what they like to do for exercise, so that way it is something they look forward to and it will be fun to go and do it on a regular basis.  What is also important is to counterbalance that with other exercises so the body does not get overworked.  For instance, people playing a sport like tennis should work out their other arm in other ways to balance the body.  So I ran into one of my Yoga regulars and she told me that she took a class somewhere else that had a lot of twists and was more advanced.  She enjoyed it but her body didn't feel so good afterwards, her doctor told her that for her back which has had problems, too much twisting is not good.  So important to listen to your body when it is telling you that it doesn't feel good or that an exercise is enough and you need a break.  If you don't take a break, you will break.  If you do not make time for rest and recreation, you eventually have to make time for illness, a few of my favorite quotes.

There is not one way for everybody, many people love Hot or Bikram Yoga, for me it sounds very scary and I have never stepped foot into a studio.  I know some of my friends that love to sweat and the heat doesn't bother them and they love it, I get nauseous in heat.  For some people with sensitive backs or join pain, they say that the heat helps loosen it up so they can actually do the poses.  I think in anything you do it is so important to know your own body and focus intently on form and alignment, because I feel too much heat can lead to hypertension, which could injure the ligaments.

I just met a father in my son's school who was stretching, so I asked him why and he said he is obsessed with spinning, does it three times a week, and he looks great.  The problem is that his muscles are so tight that he has to get physical therapy and he has to go to the doctor to see what he can do.  I told him to look into Yoga because too much working out without stretching is a recipe for injury.

In my Jewish community there are always babies, Thank God, and many of them close in age.  My older two are 18 months apart which is close enough, I got pregnant when my first one was 9 months. A friend of mine who has a three month old just found out she is pregnant again, so the babies will be a year apart.  She is thrilled, it may overwhelm some, but she had such a positive birth experience, and wanted her babies close, so she is happy and ready.

The last thing I want to talk about is the difference between eating healthy fats and the body fat that we measure on our bodies.  Healthy fat is essential to life, great options are avocados, nuts, and olive oil.  Body fat can be measured by many devices, men need to be no higher than 18% and women no higher than 25%.  I am not talking about BMI, body mass index, but about actual body fat percentage.  I would be happy to measure for you, or you can do it at most gyms. At the doctor they talk about BMI, but it is not as specific and individualized as the body fat percentage.  On my recent visit to the chiropractor I found out I was 18% bodyfat, and the amazing thing is I still need to lose my stomach but the rest of me is solid muscle, Woo Hoo!

Ready for bed,
Good Night,
Coach Yulia