forgive me if this posts begins a bit self indulgent, but i figured i would share with you my soul searching of late. hopefully some of you will relate! my life has changed so much in the past few years, and to be honest, trying to BE BRAVE during these changes has definitely had me stultified at times. after completing a yoga teacher training, studying a ton about the meaning of yoga, and being exposed to 'perception changing philosophies' it gave me the idea for the concept of my business WARRIOR HEART. foremost, it is a design company that looks to unearth the unique identity in all things; combined with working on projects that are soul based. this concept came from the intention that being a warrior, a spiritual warrior, who spreads positive energy, love, and compassion to others, as much if not more than the love one has for the self, will bring about positive change and energy to all.
it can be challenging to live this way everyday, to try to only exude positive energy, to try to perceive only the positive side of everything, seeing that glass as always full. retraining negative thoughts to only positive ones, is a daily battle for this here warrior heart! yes i did say it, i said TRY... because life does throw us curve balls and sometimes the road is hard, but without dark, sometimes you can never know light. in living this way or "trying" to live this way, i keep happily finding myself surrounded by others who spread this VERY word. one such person is an author friend of mine from my magazine days, AMY SPENCER. she has an awesome new book out titled: BRIGHT SIDE UP: 100 WAYS TO BE HAPPIER RIGHT NOW. it is a book comprised of one hundred short chapters on finding the silver lining in any situation. here is a quote from amy's book that spoke to me immediately:
“We’re afraid to be turned down, so we don’t ask. We’re afraid someone won’t like our song, so we don’t play it. We’re afraid to be thought foolish, so we don’t ask questions. We’re afraid we’ll be bad at explaining it, so we don’t stand up and try. Well, here’s a different idea: Let’s show fear what we’re made of and give ourselves a chance to see what we can do. Because facing a fear brings reward no matter what. You’ll be rewarded with success, or you”ll be rewarded with pride that you tried. Either way, you win.”
because facing a fear brings reward no matter what... either way you win. say it again!! repeat it over and over. face your fears. BE BRAVE. TRY!!! don't you just want to run out and get her book immediately?? who doesn't need more bright side in their life?? i know, i know... believe me, despite trying to always be positive, it is quite easy to fall off the wagon. just too damn easy to get stuck in negative patterns of thought. just be gentile with yourself and get back on the horse (yes i know...it sounds so cliche!). need a little coaxing... just remember this quote from amy's book:
"Seeing bright side up is just that: a way to look at life that makes it easier than ever to see the secret, to find the good. The way a magician can lead you to look at his hands from a different angle, we can look at our lives in a fresh way, turning mountains into molehills, our fury into calm, our irritation into gratification, and our anger lines into laughs."
ok have to run for now, but until i post again...
you will find me livin' BRIGHT SIDE UP (or trying
to anyway!). xo, nikki
CHECK OUT AMY'S BOOK(isn't she pretty!), BLOGS, AND SITE AT THE LINKS BELOW:
pinterest and tumblr. make sure to check out the links below. curated with much love and passion, there are many images that i hope will inspire all. xoxo, nikki
hi everyone! i haven't blogged in awhile because i have been busy working on my new business. WARRIOR HEART, the union of yoga, art, and design. it is inspiring others to discover their own unique identity, whether it be unearthed through a yoga class, a painted portrait, or a design concept, every individual has a hidden potential within.
warrior heart offers creative vinyasa flow privates or groups up to ten people, workshops, harmonium performances, commissioned art work, portraits in acrylic, oil, charcoal or pencil (or the medium of your choice), and art direction, graphic design, web design, logo and concept design that always conveys one's unique identity.
please check the website i designed, www.warriorheartstudio.com!!! the flyer below is a very unique workshop presented by WARRIOR HEART (that's me of course, creative director + yogi) and SHAKTI PHOTO, brittany irwin a brilliant photographer + also an amazing yogi (her website is in the works by yours truly). much light + love, nikki xo
WARRIOR HEART STUDIO IS LOCATED IN MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ, BUT THIS UNIQUE WORKSHOP CAN
HAPPEN AT ANY STUDIO OR SPACE WITH A LOT OF LIGHT, ANYWHERE! HAPPY TO GO ON THE ROAD!!
LOVE everything about these photos and their movement. the sky in the background, the dessert, the stardust, the stillness and motion that is happening at the same time, and the overall magic they convey. stumbled upon these on fashion designer gretchen jones' blog. thanks to her for posting these beautiful images in motion. the images remind me of bjork's (forever a huge fan) two new singles crystalline and cosmogony and an article that i read on elephant journal about bjork's yoga infused poetic lyrics. a quote from the post:
"the song takes me on a magical yogic journey that goes deep into our bodies, and gets exploded out into the stars." sooo beautiful!!! check the post out here and listen to both of bjorks songs below. be safe and be calm during the storm over the next few days.
hi there! i know i have been MIA. i have missed blogging, but yoga has kind of taken over in the passion area as of late. i have been submerged in the world of love + light; just having finished my first 200 hour teacher training and then recently was so so honored to have been accepted into the Conquering Lion Training Program with renowned NYC yoga teacher Kelly Morris, starting in september. all the while trying to start my own business, and of course tippy top of my list, that which i am most passionate about is being a mother to my two beautiful boys. anyhow, enough of me...here are some of my favorites, from the many brilliant photos i came across on gretchen jones' blog...remember her? she was the winner of project runway season 8. love love love (did i say LOVE) her aesthetic and her fashion and jewelry collection. check her out PRONTO- she is such an inspiration!! ok gotta run. until we meet again (so many ideas and not enough time in the day and night)...
♥ much love (+ light), nikki xoxo
PS: besides leaving you with the most brilliant motto above...for info on any and all of these photos posted (plus so many more) please check out gretchen jones' blog, or feel free to email me or contact me via facebook. ♥