I have always thought of myself as a healthy eater. Well, except for college. ;)

I have since told myself the lack of soda and junk food in the house with only a handful of stops at the drive through made me healthy. But it was really just a starting point.

My husband has always said getting fit is 70% what you eat and 30% exercise. And because my diet wasn't the best and I was a very active person, I did not listen to him. But don't feel bad for him, he is used to it. 

My diet was pretty much whatever I thought was healthy. But did this mean more vegetable and less chocolate? Absolutely not. I ate meat, grains, dairy, carbs and then sweets to "reward myself" for a rough day. I really just assumed that staying active would keep me healthy and fit. But I was wrong (no need to tell my husband I said that).

Flash forward to finding Buti Yoga and starting my journey of eating grain free and dairy free (basically paleo). Because my husband has a gluten allergy, we really don't have a lot of breads and such in our home, Which made cutting grains somewhat easy (although I did dream of bread floating in the sky one night).

Then came cutting out dairy. I have pretty much had a glass of milk at every meal my entire life. I loved it. And cheese, oh man. A meal was not finished until I added cheese. So when it came to cutting dairy I was a bit terrified. But somehow, I prevailed! I was able to switch cheese with some other topping that added to the flavor of the meal. And thankfully, no one was hurt in my transition. 

In the first two weeks of my new paleo lifestyle, my body changed immensely. I leaned up so quickly I couldn't believe it. I have always rocked "thunder thighs" and they quickly became sculpted and stronger. I have always had a flat stomach but now I am seeing definition and actual abdominal muscles! Freaking craziness I tell you!

I kept up being paleo for a few months (with one cheat meal a week) but today I am not as strict. I try to avoid grains and dairy if possible, but sometimes life and my crazy schedule gets in the way. 

And now my focus is shifting again. Paleo is inspiring me to eat even cleaner than before, but it is a very high fat diet. Which I don't mind as it works for my body, but I need to be conscious of my veggie intake. Because it sucks. So ten points for me for getting creative in the kitchen and trying new recipes to include more vegetables. 

I love that my grocery cart is now filled with more fresh produce than boxed foods. I love that my meals are becoming "one bowl wonders" to throw in as many veggies as possible. And I love that I love it!! One of my favorite discoveries was the veggie spiral fun. I can come home late from teaching and spiral a zucchini into the skillet with leftover chicken and veggies to  make a quick, healthy meal. And it makes me feel fancy. ;)

So cheers to throwing more veggies into the mix and continuing to eat more consciously and healthy. And with any luck, my kids will actually eat something green too. 

Eat better! You're totally worth it!

Michelle

If you've been hanging with me for a while then you have heard of Buti Yoga. You may have even seen some videos and pictures on my social media pages. So what the hell have I gotten myself into and why won't I stop talking about it?

I kind of asked myself the same question. ;) And the answer is Buti Bliss <3

The physical practice of Buti Yoga is combining dynamic yoga, plyometrics and cardio. Each aspect of Buti Yoga encourages the practitioner to allow their raw, true self to come through and leave expectation behind. Many find Buti Yoga to be unlike anything they have every experienced or practiced, which often leads them to feel vulnerable and exposed.

Good.

​Buti Yoga invites you to strip off the layers and find your core sense of self. And the beautiful thing about the Buti community is the lack of judgement during our transformation. The Buti Tribe is all about empowering, supporting and loving each other.

So what are some of the movements you would find in a Buti Yoga class? One of my favorite movements is the Spiral Structure Technique, which is the funnest core work I have ever done. This spiraling technique works your entire core and can even help moms with diastasis recti safely find their core strength again. More core work is included in class with movements like pelvic tilts (NOT twerking) and hip movement. These are amazing ways to isolate and strengthen the obliques and transverse abdominis.

You will also find cardio sessions during class that simulate a HIIT workout. What makes Buti Yoga unique is the focus on tapping into our primal movements and focusing on our Shakti or feminine energy. In today's world we are seated and still for much longer periods of time than our ancestors. And the result has been more disease, injuries and a lack of authentic connection to ourselves. Buti Yoga invites you to once again find movements in your body to release negativity and gain freedom.  

Trying to explain Buti Yoga on paper is very difficult and can never truly illustrate the amazing practice. The best way to find out what the hype is about is to attend a class. If you are fortunate enough to have a live class near you then get there ASAP. If not, then check out a few free classes online to get you started. 

If you're close to Longmont, CO then check out my Buti Yoga schedule below. If you are looking for a class near you, the Buti Yoga website has a list of current classes. And as always, if you have any questions then please let me know! 

Enjoy that Buti Yoga Bliss!
​Michelle​

If you told me in college that I would become a practicing yogini and a certified yoga instructor, I would've spit my beer in your face with the loudest laugh imaginable. But life likes to lead us on a much different path than we would've thought of for ourselves, and often its a much better scenario than our own.
I have been teaching for a few years now and each day I find gratitude for the practice of yoga and the opportunity to share it with others. I have always loved teaching and helping people become aware of the best version of themselves. And yoga has definitely helped me to do so.
But what I didn't realized when becoming a yoga teacher was that it wasn't all about teaching yoga. I quickly learned there is a business side to teaching yoga and one that you cannot ignore even if you teach one weekly class. On top of continuing to grow your own physical and spiritual yoga practice to provide your yoga students with a rewarding yoga class, you must become familiar with the behind the scenes paperwork. 
I have struggled to find the balance of instruction and business in my teaching career. Juggling the many roles I play often leaves something unattended or left behind. Sometimes it is my own self-study, my physical practice, making playlists, answering emails or marketing my classes. 
Luckily for us, the internet can help us stay on top of the many tasks we have as teachers to keep our to-do lists in check. Their are many websites, articles, online yoga communities and even apps to help keep your yoga teaching career organized. So what are these online resources I speak of? Great question ;)
Check out my latest article with YogiApproved.com Best Online Resources for Yoga Teachers - Your Complete Guide for some online resources to help you make the most of your time for yourself and your students. 
**If you know of any other online resources that have really helped you, please share in the comments below!! 

​Happy Teaching,
​Michelle

It was a gorgeous day (as they often start out to be). My family was in town and we were excited to go on a hike to hang with Mother Nature.
We reached our destination and soaked up the gorgeous scenery in the Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked up to check out some falls and ended up climbing down a trail to sit alongside a small waterfall. It was beautiful of course. And I get all giddy and happy when I am near water. 
So apparently my coffee kicked in and I began climbing and hopping on rocks to further my way into the river. 
Then I heard it . . . PLOP.
My heart stopped beating and I thought my life was over. 
My phone slipped out of my backpack and into the water next to a big rock. I ran to see if my phone somehow began to make its way downstream but quickly learned it was taking a long and luscious bath in the fresh, cool mountain water. 
Well shit!
Luckily my dad reached below the rock and rescued my little friend which allowed my heart to start beating again. I tried my best not to freak out. I tried my best not to think of all of the data, pictures and communications I would no longer have with a soaking wet and broken phone. And I tried my best not to let it ruin the beautiful day. 
Once we made it back down the hike and out of the Park, I stopped and got a bag of rice. And there my phone lived for two days.

Two days I did not have phone.

I was honestly expecting to start twitching, pacing around my house with a lost sense of direction and to completely lose my mind. But I kept it together! And it was actually kind of nice! It did help that my parents were in town and I had access to a phone for emergencies (or directions lol). 
I've heard of ppl taking a "digital detox" for a couple days just to step away and reset from it all. Which I think I might begin to do more often. I was bummed about missing some pictures or videos of the kids, but it was also nice to just enjoy the moments and memories besides scrambling for the perfect shot. 
Lesson learned: I am going to detox from my phone more often. :) Nothing terrible happened. Life went on. And a phone wasn't needed to enjoy the day. <3