Beyoutifulliving

Be you. Live fully.

June 27, 2017
by Beyoutifulliving
1 Comment

Online Yoga + Fitness Classes for Vibrant Living

Hi there. I hope this post finds you well. ♥

I wanted to let you know that the brand new beyoutifulliving.com is now LIVE with online yoga, fitness, and meditation classes waiting for you!

beyoutifulliving-online-yoga

  • New classes every week
  • Vinyasa, Power, Hatha, Meditation, Restorative, Yin, Barre, Tone + Sculpt, Cardio, HIIT
  • All levels of experience
  • Practice anytime, anywhere on any device.
  • Try it free for 10 days. Just $9.99 / month thereafter.
  • No commitment necessary. Cancel at any time.
  • Exclusive discounts on our comprehensive courses
  • Perfect for when you can’t make it to the studio/gym, while traveling, and to build a home practice
  • Classes range from 5 to 45 minutes, great for busy schedules

beyoutifulliving-video-classes

Come on over to check out what the new beyoutifulliving.com has to offer and let me know what you think!

I’d love to know what classes you’d like to see.

Start your 10-day FREE trial today

Peace + love,

Anjana

August 2, 2016
by Anjana
0 comments

Beyoutifulliving is Expanding: Great Things Coming Your Way!

HELLO there.

It has been quite some time since I’ve sent out a post, and I’m so happy to be writing this to you with exciting news! Beyoutifulliving is transforming in a huge way, and I sincerely hope that you will join me on this new journey.

It is my thrill and pleasure to announce that beyoutifulliving.com will soon be your brand new online space for yoga, fitness and meditation video classes and courses. You’ll be able to access unlimited videos, anytime, anywhere, at your convenience. You’ll have a variety of unique classes to choose from to make your practice your own.

My aim is to genuinely connect with you and build a community based on love, support and full living. My intention is to share a daily practice of wakefulness, authenticity, empowerment, peace, presence, and living and loving beyondfear. Yoga, fitness and meditation are tools we use to fully embody who we are, moment to moment, day to day – to live full, beautiful lives.

You are the first to see this little sneak peek of the new website:

Features include:

  • 10-Day Free Trial to give the classes a try
  • Vinyasa, Power, Hatha, Restorative, Yin, Barre, HIIT/Cardio, Meditation Classes
  • New classes added every week
  • 5-60 minute Classes. All experience levels.
  • Community discussion, support, connection
  • 28 Day Courses/Programs for effective learning, integration, growth
  • New stylish and inspiring Tanks + Tees
  • List of future Live Events + Retreats

Please use the Email Sign Up link below to ensure that you are the first to know when the new website launches. By signing up, you’ll also get exclusive discounts!

Thank you so much for being a part of this journey. Let’s connect, expand and live fully together.

Peace + Love,

Anjana

Stay in touch:

Facebook  |  Instagram  | YouTube  |  Snapchat  |  Twitter 

December 29, 2015
by Anjana
0 comments

The Winter Process

The winter solstice was about a week ago.

The least amount of sunlight and the most amount of dark in the entire year.

I felt the darkness.

I felt slow and sluggish and like I wanted to crawl into a hole.

I actually still feel it, even though the light is increasing every day.

And I keep judging myself for that and resisting it.

And then I remembered that this is all part of the cycle.

Of dark, death, light, rebirth.

Winter is a sacred time.

I am not a “winter person.” I like warm weather. I could do without the cold and the snow and the dark.

Yet there is something undeniably sacred within the changing seasons, the lack of light, the stillness, the hibernation, the retreating.

Winter time is the time to go within, to be still and to be with ourselves.

It’s the time to sit with our shit.

It’s the time to surrender.

It’s the time to be okay with the darkness.

Out of darkness is born light. All things are created out of this nothingness, this darkness.

We have to allow it to be.

We have to allow the darkness to be so that we can release what needs to die.

So that we can shed what does not need to be carried with us any longer.

This is how it goes:

In the dark, shit dies.

In the light, we thrive.

When we surrender our resistance and allow the darkness, we allow things to die.

We give up holding on.

This is absolutely necessary.

Look at nature.

In winter, everything is dead or sleeping, after having let go, after shedding the old.

When spring returns, everything in nature comes vibrantly back to life with full force.

Align yourself with nature.

The seasons are your friend.

When the light returns, we have shed what needed to be let go of.

When the light returns, our hearts and beings are renewed and we are ready to begin anew.

Take this time during winter, to simply be with yourself.

Find the time to just sit with yourself.

Not trying to make anything happen, not resisting, just being there. Surrendering.

Just staying present with yourself and letting what ever to come up.

Trust and allow the process.

Allow life to be lived through you,

without your resistance and judgment of it.

There is a natural intelligence working its cycle,

far beyond what we can comprehend.

Let it be.

Let it be.

Let it be.

photo by Tim Lenzo

photo by Tim Lenzo

August 14, 2015
by Anjana
2 Comments

Spontaneous Joy

Sometimes the process of getting into a posture is better than the final posture. Beauty in imperfection. Beauty in the journey. Spontaneity. Movement. Aliveness.

So much love and light and joy in a spontaneous finding of a Maryland vineyard today. Today was intended for a day of hiking. Passed a vineyard on the way. Hiked for maybe 20 minutes. Went back to the vineyard and spent a few hours drinking wine.

That’s the beauty of being alive. ∞

Be open and spontaneous and willing. Free yourself from attachment. Free yourself from control. Find joy and ease in the free moment. Be open to the beauty in the imperfection that exists along the way of what you think is your destination.

Follow me on Instagram for daily photos. @Beyoutifulliving

August 1, 2015
by Anjana
0 comments

Embrace the Chaos

I have a simple challenge for you this weekend:

Find a place to walk that is completely in nature, away from anything man-made.

The woods, the jungle, somewhere that is completely full of vibrant, natural, messy life – preferably somewhere without many people nearby.

The thing about nature is that it is far from anything constructed by the human mind. It is far from neat and tidy and organized. Far from mind-made. Far from any rules.

It is free. It is alive. It is wild. It is beautiful. 

It is the perfect place to escape the madness of the mind and the madness of society; the perfect place to reconnect with your true nature, your inner peace, your inner stillness.

It is also the perfect place to embrace the chaos. 

Eckhart Tolle says,

“When we go into a forest that has not been interfered with by man, our thinking mind will see only disorder and chaos all around us. Only if we are still enough inside and the noise of thinking subsides can we become aware that there is a hidden harmony here, a sacredness, a higher order in which everything has its perfect place and could not be other than what it is and the way it is.

The mind is comfortable in a landscaped park because it has been planned through thought; it has not grown organically. There is an order here that the mind can understand. In the forest, there is an incomprehensible order that to the mind looks like chaos. It is beyond the mental categories of good and bad. You cannot understand it through thought, but you can sense it when you let go of thought, become still and alert, and don’t try to understand or explain. Only then can you be aware of the sacredness of the forest.”

Rather than going for your walk stuck in your head, thinking about all your problems, all the world’s problems, all of the chaos in your life that needs to be controlled and organized, let go and just BE present where you find yourself.

Make it your intention to NOT THINK as you walk.

Set down your story before you begin.

Make it your intention to be fully present, simply observing your surroundings.

Put one foot in front of the other, be present in each step, and fully feel your feet on the earth.

Don’t think, just BE there. Completely and totally.

Don’t try to make sense of anything. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to name and label anything. Don’t try to judge anything as good or bad, right or wrong. Just witness.

Feel the fresh air on your skin. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Smell the pure life around you. See the chaos, the messiness, the perfection, the sacredness of everything. Hear the sounds of the buzzing insects, the water flowing, the birds chirping. Everything teeming with life.

Connect with the power that is only in the immediate moment – the power that is Life, bustling and thriving, living and breathing. The power of presence. The power of Life that is the same Life that you are.

Embrace the chaos, find the stillness within and without.

June 2, 2015
by Anjana
0 comments

All In

So much to say and I have no idea where to start.

As I write this, it’s a weekend evening and I’m relaxing by myself on my boyfriend’s boat where I currently live, with a glass of wine and no agenda. No agenda for tonight, tomorrow, the next day. And I feel a crowdedness and a yearning. And I realize, I have not been writing and blogging the way that I used to. I started this website and blog when I first moved to Hawaii in 2011. And there was so much inspiration and flowing creativity and passion – I HAD to write. And I shared it freely with anyone who wanted to read it, without fear of judgment or rejection.

Now, I feel some of that inspiration is lacking. It’s easy to blame my surroundings. But as I am forced to learn again and again, everything is always within. You can be in paradise, i.e. Hawaii, or you can be in a prison cell, and everything is still within. Our minds make us think that we have to look for our happiness, love, sanity, completeness on the outside, but that’s actually the opposite of the truth. All is within.

Back to why I started writing this blog post in the first place – I just have not been writing at all. And I consider writing one of my main passions in life.

I just finished writing something in my journal – which has also been a rarity – because I felt like I was going to explode with fiery, overflowing energy. I had to do something, I had to express something, I had to release something – so I wrote.

Well – I ran, then ate a healthy dinner and a decadent dessert, then I painted my nails, drank a glass of wine and put off writing as much as I could.

And then finally I wrote. And in writing, I realized something important. I’ve been holding back so much. In all areas of life. In relationships. In writing. In creating. In goals. In career. In everything.

Maybe I’ve gotten lost too much in my head, too far away, too disconnected from my heart. Too afraid. Afraid of failing, afraid of what I put out there, what I could lose, what people will think, those kinds of things.

Instead of worrying about if I’m writing too much, if I’m getting too personal, if I’m breaking too many rules, if I’m letting too many people in, if people will like what I say or not, if I’m not being professional, why not just be raw, be real, be true, be human, be vulnerable? That’s why I started this blog in the first place, right? Beyoutifulliving!? Be you. Live fully. And that’s what I shall do.

I’ll write my heart out.

And these words are for me as much as they are for you:

Why not abandon all worries and cautions? Why not just GO FOR IT?

This is it. This is life. Soon it’ll be done.

Let go.

Really, let go.

Feel what it means to let go. I mean, let go of your grip and your grasp and the lid that’s screwed on so tightly. Let go of what you fear to lose. Let what’s bound up inside, dying to be truly, authentically, wildly released, be freed.

Let yourself be liberated. Whatever that means in this moment. Let go of all rules. Let go of all thoughts telling you no. Be 100,000% you, whatever form that takes in this immediate, unique moment.

Abandon caution. Abandon reservations. Abandon inhibitions.

Even if just for the moment, feel, really feel, what it feels like to be without any cares, to be free, to be wild, to be alive.

Abandon fear. Abandon perfection. Retain YOU. In whatever state you may be in. YOU. YOU. YOU.

That’s absolutely enough. You are absolutely enough. Fuck any other thought saying, screaming, insisting that you are not. You are enough. There is no greater truth.

Whatever you fear, just go for it. Move into love. Return to LOVE. That’s where we all resided, before our experiences, our minds started telling us we needed to be afraid.

There is really nothing to lose. If you take risks, if you face fear, if you focus on love, without worry, without holding back, even if you lose, even if you make mistakes, even if you fail, even if your heart gets broken open, it’s better than staying stuck.

This is LIFE, and we’re all breathing, we’re all moving, we’re all getting closer to the end and we need to LIVE IT.

So what if you fail? So what if you fuck up? So what if you break open?

Grow. Expand. Wake up. Be alive. Be free. Love. Life is much better awake and alive and in touch with your heart. Don’t be deadened and asleep and in fear. This life and all that is experienced while we are here is for waking us up, bringing us back home, bringing us back to wholeness, bringing us back to love.

Go for it.

Love.

Open arms. Open heart.

Move toward love.

There’s nothing to lose.

Go for it.

All in.

Love.

Anjana 

May 17, 2015
by Anjana
2 Comments

One Year

One year ago today, I left Hawaii with a heavy heart after 2.5 years of living on the islands.

I remember the night before, it poured and poured heavily. I kept waking up throughout the night, thinking that if I didn’t go to sleep, time would stop or at least slow down, and maybe the time to leave wouldn’t actually arrive. The morning surely did arrive and I went to my spot on the beach to go for one last swim. The sky looked like something out of a dream – heavy, dark clouds with a big gaping hole of pure light pouring out. I swam and I cried, swam and cried.

I remember sitting on the airplane, waiting to take off, bawling my eyes out, surrounded by strangers. As we took off, the sight of the island of Oahu below broke my heart. It was one of the most intense moments of my life because of my deep love and connection to the islands. I experienced so much there – I came to know the islands, I came to know myself, I became more independent, I became more of a woman, I came to know a love I had never known for the earth, for the ocean, for myself. 

And one year later, here I am, living and breathing, whole and complete. I survived! I survived my first Maryland winter after my 2.5 years living in paradise. I would say I was very resistant to being back in Maryland for the first 6+ months. Then winter hit and it was even harder to accept my reality of living in such a cold, grey place.

But somehow, I made it. Now it’s springtime, with summer fast approaching.

Life continues, moves and changes. That is the very nature of life. Even if it doesn’t seem like it in the moment, life is just a ride to be enjoyed. With its many ups and downs, twists and turns, highs and lows, life is just a ride to be experienced, embraced and enjoyed. I am doing my best to live day to day like each day is the best day, with true connection to myself and loved ones surrounding.

At this point in my adventure, I am currently living on a boat with my boyfriend in Annapolis. Yep! Who saw that one coming? Not me, that’s for sure. But again, life is a a journey, life is a ride, life is but a dream, and then it’s gone. I’m determined to live mine to the fullest.

I was teaching yoga full-time for a while, but now I have cut down to teaching only one class per week and leading workshops at different studios. My other current “gig” is being a nanny for an awesome family. In my spare time, I am enjoying the sunshine, boat life, running, walking, practicing yoga, planning future yoga ventures, and working on making my other goals and dreams a reality.

I know in my heart that I will return to Hawaii. What’s unknown is when and for how long. 🙂 I’m okay with the unknown at this point. I am going with the flow. Ease and flow. When it’s time, I shall return.

Always in my heart, Hawaii Nei. 

Aloha. 

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March 23, 2015
by Anjana
1 Comment

Anything is Possible

Aloha ♡

Long time, no blog post. 🙂 I hope if you are reading this, it finds you at ease, hopeful, positive and light.

Spring has sprung, although you wouldn’t be able to tell here in Maryland. It’s 8:30am on this Monday morning, and currently 28 degrees outside. Crocuses are pushing their way out of the ground and blooming in vibrant purples and yellows, so I know Spring is doing her best to arrive fully.

This winter has been a rough one for me personally. It’s been the first winter being back in Maryland after living in Hawaii. At many times, I truly just felt like giving up. On all levels.

But I’ve pushed through and feel the hope and rejuvenation of Spring — reawakening, coming back to life, expanding, growing, blossoming, moving forward.

I have made a lot of changes recently in my day-to-day living and feel like I’m in kind of a transition phase at this point. I’m changing gears in my career and focusing on creating the life I truly desire. I’m listening to my heart and following the beat, going where it wants me to go, even if it may not seem like the right direction to other people.

My heart feels alive and light and feels as if it’s opening up right along with the buds and the blossoms on the trees outside. Winter is surely on it’s way out. And there’s no where to go but up. There’s no where to move but forward. There is nothing to lose. There is only love.

After much confusion, struggle, fear, stress and darkness through the winter, things are shifting and transforming. Like a caterpillar gone into it’s cocoon, later emerging into a butterfly, things are changing for the better. Things are easily falling into place, synchronizing and flowing. With a sense of expansion, ease and flow and magic that I would probably not think is possible in the dead and darkness of winter.

I feel a sense of connection with my heart. I’m letting it guide me, rather than allowing fear to take over. The power of love is greater than the force of fear, if we let it be. We just have to let it be.

Keep your focus, your aim, on love. Let it be.

Stay positive. Stay light. Stay open. Stay connected.

Your life is your art.

Dream. Create. Play. Work. Love.

Love. Love. Love.

Anything is possible.

February 13, 2015
by Anjana
0 comments

Instructor of the Month at M.Power Yoga In Baltimore

Aloha!

I’m so honored and excited to be featured as instructor of the month of February at M.Power Yoga Studio in Baltimore, Maryland!

Get to know me a little better as I answer questions about what led me to become a yoga teacher, what yoga pose challenges me the most, my favorite thing about teaching and more on M.Power’s blog.

Join me for classes at M.Power’s beautiful studio every Friday (3:30-4:30pm M.Power Level 1 & 5-6pm M.Power Level 2). More details are on their website and on my full class schedule.

photo by Julie Andersen

photo by Julie Andersen

Namaste

Anjana