alavinephotography

[alavinephotography]

So so proud of these two! 5th grader/Competitive 🤸🏽‍♀️ | College Senior, soon to be Nurse 👩🏽‍⚕️! • “On Children: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.” —Excerpt from book “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran... https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo6UrKQFSnY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=b1vxoh0fjmzg

[alavinephotography]

#REALTALK... I have been slacking on my batch cooking ever since my knee surgery.🙆🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ Up until recently, standing for long periods to get all the prepping and batching done was hard on the knees - causing both to become achy and swollen afterwards. And to be honest, even with the end result of having several meals ready to go in the fridge (or the thought of using my favorite ninja knife), my motivation to be in the kitchen for hours was overruled by quick and easy. • So, sometimes meals looked like rice and frozen mixed veggies, plain pasta with marinara sauce and nootch... and dare I admit, even cereal made some appearances when oats didn’t sound appealing. • BUT! I’m getting my groove back! This past week, I was able to batch for the ENTIRE WEEK! I was beautiful to see a rainbow of colors in the food and it felt ahhhh-mazing to look in the fridge and have a assortment of options to choose from! And my knees held up quite nicely - just some minor stiffness as I finished washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen! • The moral of the story: It’s ok to fall of the horse, there are surely ebbs and flows in life (whatever the reason) that knock us on our butts... but ya gotta DECIDE to get up and get back after it! • Have a great weekend💪🏾👊🏾💥! • Pictured: @thehappypear Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup and it’s so yum!😋 (with a helping from a bagged salad from Costco... you can still make things easy on yourself! 😉) https://www.instagram.com/p/BokoA_VF7T-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1cqn5n0vjymdq

[alavinephotography]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Andria L._Creator, Inspire Journals (@andria_wu_wei)

I came across a pondering about #carpoolyoga from back on 8/30/2016 that said: • “What if we... did the things we were afraid of? The things we want to do but are too scared, too afraid, too fearful to ACT on? (...not harmful things - uplifting things). I don’t know why... carpool yoga seemed like such a great idea or why I actually ACTED on it. But it feels right...” • I went on to say that I hope to happen back upon that page and when I did, that I could look back and see that doing Yoga in the carpool line INSPIRED something great... • I was scared to death the first time I pulled out my Yoga mat on the sidewalk in the carpool line... That people would think I and/or it was weird, that I would be judged, and on and on with the mental chatter. By the time I finished that first round of carpool yoga, the nerves and fear were the LAST things I was thinking about. But rather, how GREAT it felt to be moving, how clear my mind was, how AMAZING it was to DO something that pushed me outside of my comfort zone. It has indeed inspired many things, including friendships, endeavors and its own volume of my Inspire Yoga Journals (link in bio!). • My challenge to you - Step out of your comfort zone. Do something that scares you. And when you do, make a note of it so that someday, years later, you come across that note of how you felt and what you were thinking when you DECIDED to ACT. • Happy Humpday! https://www.instagram.com/p/BoeDi0FlVBp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=k405d68u8tfa

[alavinephotography]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Andria L._Creator, Inspire Journals (@andria_wu_wei)

So... THIS HAPPENED! • The Inspire Yoga Journal has been featured on the @BestSelfAtlanta Blog! I could not be more grateful for this incredible honor of making space to share this project! • I am so excited to share this project with others, create new editions and to one day see it manifest into the full scope of what I envisioned it to be over a year ago (sharing the stories of those who have inspired me along my Yoga and plant-based food journey)! • So grateful for and humbled by this moment! • “Inspire” can be found on Amazon (for Kindle - can search my name or “Inspire Yoga Journal”) and online via my website (link in Bio). • Best Self Atlanta blog post link: bit.ly/2OWXtoA https://www.instagram.com/p/BoRF1WZhK94/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wqbea64fr2r6

[alavinephotography]

“Nighttime routine”... every night, no matter how tired or how busy of a day... We say “Twinkle Stars” (used to be her fave bedtime baby book...🤷🏽‍♀️), then our prayers, our gratitudes (at least 3), read from a couple of her children’s devotionals books and end with a short meditation. • This routine started before she could speak; she’s now 10 and still demands it. Yes, it takes time. Yes there are days when she’s too tired and I have to do the reading and reciting. And real talk, there are days that I’m too tired and she has to do all the reading and reciting. But we do it. Every. Night. • Good night😴💤 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7hS68liUi/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1bnm7u9q3fldm

[alavinephotography]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Andria L._Creator, Inspire Journals (@andria_wu_wei)

Getting back into the swing of things and #carpoolyoga is back! The backdrop will be a little different this school year as you kinda saw in between the bad knee sitch last year but this is probably going to be my new spot when I get out of my car and onto my mat while waiting for the kiddo to dismiss from school. • Y’all! So in other news.... THE LITTLE AND I TAUGHT OUR FIRST YOGA CLASS! Last night, we gathered with mothers, their daughters, beginners and seasoned yogis to spend time together on our mats and it was an INCREDIBLE experience! I could not be more humbled and honored and excited and quite frankly blown away by this journey! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn1vLOMBnnG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vda5at5ylfmb

[alavinephotography]

Here's an mindfulness practice for you. • Tomorrow morning, before you do anything else (except maybe go to the bathroom), have a tall glass of water. Consciously feel it refreshing that parched morning mouth, traveling down your throat and how cold it is when it hits your belly! It's amazing! I dare even say, better than the feeling of drinking ice cold water on a hot day or after a good workout. This could totally be part of your morning meditation, as you take a moment of gratitude for another day of life, the access to fresh water, a restful nights sleep... • And you know... I find that when water is the first thing I take in in the morning, I don't crave my morning tea as badly, I drink it slower, and therefore enjoy it more. For me, it also seems a little easier to continue getting in my water throughout the rest of the day. • So, that's all! Just a little reminder to hydrate and encouragement to do so mindfully! Happy Friday! Any weekend plans? The little and I will finally be hosting our Yoga Class this Sunday! Super excited about that! https://www.instagram.com/p/BntkAxShPAA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1untx8cx00xl5

[alavinephotography]

"There's Just Not Enough Time!" Sound familiar? Well... Make time! Every one of us makes time for what we want to make time for. Period. Binge watching our favorite tv shows, scrolling through our endless social media streams, stopping off at our favorite latte or foodie spot... But what about self care? Though we find the time for the above and more, we're "too busy" to go to the gym. "Too busy" to maintain healthy eating habits. "Too busy" to take 5 minutes to just stop and be. To top it off, in this day and age, it's often easier to ignore/patch physical issues and ailments by leaning on modern medicine and conveniences. No bueno. So... what do you do? One thing at a time. DECIDE to make one change, do one thing different. • Watch only one episode, and let the commercials run so you can do stretches in those few minutes. • Have to wait in your kiddo's school carpool line? Do some exercises... walk or do Yoga! (...like I almost got to do today but my Back to School timing was off, so here’s a throwback!) • In the evening, plug your phone up for the night in another room, or at least farther away from your bed. • At lunchtime, step away from your computer and take a quick walk before you eat. • Set your alarm to wake you up 5 minutes earlier - yes, JUST 5 MINUTES - and roll over and right into your morning prayers, centering or meditation practice. Start your day a little clearer. • Decide to swap eat an apple or some other "WHOLE. FOOD." snack to replace your mid-afternoon processed food crash snack. (By the way, and not to be funny... a whole food is a food that you ingest in its natural form. An apple, not apple juice. Tomatoes, not ketchup. Kale, not kale chips. A potato, not french fries... I LEGIT just had a conversation with someone that didn't know what Whole Food meant, other than the fact that it was the name of the store. And quite frankly before transitioning to plant-based, I would likely have the same struggle.) Take one step. Do one thing. You will find yourself feeling a little bit better every day and finding it easier to make more time for the things you previously didn't. And with that, you will do even more things that make you https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnopv1Ul22P/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=yfxhbds2sq4m

[alavinephotography]

"You never know who you effect!" • I say these words... A LOT. And in the past couple of years, I've been Blessed with 360º moments that served as validation of that fact. The things we do - no matter how little, how insignificant they may seem - resonate with others in the most unlikeliest of ways. And in every one of these instances, it proves not to be the things you set out to do intentionally (i.e. "I'm going to lead this... I'm going to show this person how to do that..."), but rather the things you do when we are simply being your authentic self. • While taking pictures along the BeltLine, strangers asked questions, offered compliments and wonderful encouragement to my sweet girl, but the absolute most precious moment was this little boy who was so taken by her that he really just didn't care that we were taking pictures. He circled. He left. He returned. He stared. He was studying every detail. Who knows what he was thinking, what he was wondering. All I knew was not to break up that encounter for him because who know what it would mean to him later. I mean, the kid got off his scooter and SAT. DOWN. to watch what was going on. • Let's be childlike today. Let's sit in awe and wonder and amazement. Let's be our authentic selves with no care of who may be watching. And maybe just maybe, some insignificant thing we do will impact the life, day or simply a moment of another. Happy Friday! Have an amazing weekend! (at Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnbScjGl-un/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1bb2mezvai9p9

[alavinephotography]

I actually took this photo back in June. Five months post-op and funny enough, it was taken one-year to the day that (and in the same place where) I tore my ACL (6/12/17)! • What started out with what was supposed to be the awesome Coach @Laurenajohnsonn and I doing Baby Grasshopper together turned into a group affair with a few of the amazing young ladies on the little's gymnastics team! Kids are incredible - they have no qualms with trying new things and running with it! And they're relentless! They can fail... they can fall... and they get up and try again... and again... and again. Or they improvise until they get it. A wonderful reminder for us adults. • Anyway... don’t know why I never got a chance to post this photo, but here you go - along with a quick share that... I did it! I hit send on the email introducing the Yoga class that I am hosting! Kid friendly. Beginner-friendly. I'm being mindful - listening to the nudges and being obedient! • So grateful for so much support, interest and overall enthusiasm for this event! Kicks off next Sunday and I can’t wait to share more about it! • Inspire Yoga Journals are still rolling strong as well! Volume 4 - The Carpool Yoga Edition - was recently released online and on Amazon for Kindle! Would love to know what you think this far! • Happy Friday friends! Have an absolutely incredible weekend! https://www.instagram.com/p/BnKiPhUFLLP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1uopoq47d0mfd

[alavinephotography]

#TriYogaSchool |#SleepingPigeonPose • And Happy National Dog Day! Can you believe these two? 🐶💕🐶💕Hot. Messes! • I’ve actually been working on putting together some “Mommy & Me” style yoga classes! It’s been a pretty cool process and the little is so excited because she gets to be my co-instructor! Lol! • Huge Thanks to the amazing Yogis and lovely hostesses of this Restorative Yoga Challenge: @cece.carson @omniyogagirl @helen_garner_yoga

[alavinephotography]

#TriYogaSchool | Week 3: #RecliningBigToePoseC • Well... this was a great😬 way to keep that other hip grounded! Pounced on as I hear, “You’re doing a Yoga pose without me!?!” 🤣LOL • Happy Sunday everyone! How was your weekend?I’m here wrapping up a busy weekend with The Last Sharknado🙆🏽‍♀️🙈 It’s like a train wreck that you can’t look away from! • Huge Thanks to the amazing Yogis and lovely hostesses of this Restorative Yoga Challenge: @cece.carson @omniyogagirl @helen_garner_yoga

[alavinephotography]

#TriYogaSchool | Week-Pose 2: #LizardLunge • I can't lie... I've been trying to break away from watching Tiger play to get this photo captured... ALL EVENING! OMGoodness! What a master of his craft! • When I'd started Yoga 5 years ago, Lizard and Frog were two of the most transformative poses in my practice (I'd started because of hip issues). And now, during my ACL Recovery, Lizard has been a benchmark for my progress. My quads are super tight, but I felt a difference today. Helps to have that little face smiling up an me... even though she's showing off! • Happy Sunday y'all! And man, still blown away by that round of golf today. 18 months... multiple back & knee surgeries... #ComebackGoals!

[alavinephotography]

Jumping in to the #TriYogaSchool Restorative Yoga Challenge with three amazing yogi hostesses that I've loved getting to know here on the 'Gram... @cece.carson - @omniyogagirl and @helen_garner_yoga! Many thanks to @christydac for thinking of me! • Hero Pose (in all its forms) has been a journey for me, especially here Post-Op, but it gets better with every time I practice. I've felt the need to take a step back with my flow over the last couple weeks and funny enough, this has been on of the postures that appeared as something my body needed. With all the leg work done in and post-PT, my quads have been super tight and in need of some additional TLC. But also, for working on all the different ranges of motion in the knee, this has been a W-I-N! • Looking forward to the rest of this challenge journey! Have a great day all!

[alavinephotography]

Happy Flashback Friday! And my little 5-yo self is asking how did I NOT find Yoga until I was 37-yo?!? LOL! So thankful for the mind-body-spirit practice of Yoga! ✨🙏🏾✨🧘🏽‍♀️💕Have a great weekend, everyone!

[alavinephotography]

The beautiful @simplemuffin tagged me for some #stopdropandpose fun yesterday! If you know me, you know that these tags always mean so much to me and truly warm my heart, from the first one I received here on IG! • Ok, this pose... I’m surely not doing it justice, but, I first saw it a little while back by @_balance_in_life_ then @lala79xox and from there, it has cropped up everywhere... I had to try it! And it’s hard. To add to that, it was after yesterday’s leg workout😬 but I made it happen! • So, a day late, but let’s continue to celebrate #InternationalFriendshipDay and of course the Stop, Drop and Pose fun... tagging is limited to 20 but tagged as many OMies as I could to play along! As I always say, even if you weren’t tagged, please feel free to jump in if you are so moved! Namaste all✨🙏🏾✨🧘🏽‍♀️💕💕💕

[alavinephotography]

Happy Flashback Friday and Cheers to Carpool Yoga! Tore my ACL the summer after my first full school year of bringing my mat to the sidewalk. That time was so precious! (Especially so when there’s a guess appearance by my eldest!🧘🏽‍♀️💕). • Instead of sitting in the car while waiting for school to dismiss, I brought my mat with me and got an amazing workout ALMOST. EVERY. DAY. When it got to cold (I think around the 40's is where I tapped out), I layered up and went for a walk instead. • I miss it so much that I'm dedicating the next #InspireYogaJournal to Carpool Yoga! Coming soon! In the meantime, there are 3 volumes available for PDF download and Amazon Kindle!