Sarah O'Brien's Page

My Christmas holiday was wonderful - I got to spend it with my husband :) New Year's was spent with my Mum, stepdad, and some of their friends - all great people, including some former military folks. All in all, the holidays were good, though just 2 weeks with my husband was not nearly enough!

I hope you are doing well & have a safe trip back to IN. How were your holidays??

Ahoy Sarah!

I hope all of your finals go well. I finished all of mine for the semester before the trip to SC - still waiting the grades though :O

The trip to SC was fantastic. It was a bit unseasonably cold, but I was there for a fantastically happy reason :) My husband & I drove home, arriving on Sun, Dec 12th.

Ahoy Sarah! I did get your message from earlier this week. I've been so swamped with college studies that I haven't had a chance to reply, but I will this weekend :)

Bah, that's not embarrassing at all - we all experience the world at a different pace. My husband has never been outside the country & he is always jealous when I talk about my high school-age visits to Italy & Austria. Of course, now that he is in the Marine Corps, I'm sure he'll be traveling a lot. :) I enjoyed northern CA so much more than I expected to. My husband (then boyfriend) & I lived in SF for 3 years (2006-2009). We moved there just because - seemed like a good adventure, you know? :)

I must clarify that I am NOT yoga teacher, though I have been personally practicing for many years. There's only 2 things standing in my way of teacher training - time & money. It is a personal goal & I know many professional yoga teachers - add that with working at the yoga studio in SF for a year & I've got lots of info on the subject :)

If you already have a yoga studio or teacher that you really enjoy, that is the best place to start. If not, let me know & I can give you some other suggestions for finding just the right teacher training program. I don't personally practice a particular style, but I enjoy Ashtanga & Anusara more than the flowing or heated styles. Oh wow, on the subject of poses, I could go on for hours about my favorites! I've been writing a series of posts on my blog about my favorite poses (http://victoriaklein.net/blog/tag/yoga-poses/). Lately, I've finally worked up the courage to start trying to do a headstand (a pose I've avoided for a long long time). My ultimate goal pose is Scorpion! How about you??

When you have a chance to read some of the Buddhism books, I'd love to know your thoughts & am open to chatting about them :)

I was born in Crawfordsville - not sure if you've heard of it :) Yeah, I know of Palm Springs - I lived in San Francisco for 3 years & my best friend is originally from CA, so I've got a few connections there :) I certainly enjoyed being in SF, but something ... I still don't know what ... always ends up drawing me back to the East Coast (glad I'm not the only one that feels that pull)

I adore swimming as well! I can't afford to join a gym (plus I barely have the time), so I stick to running. It can be tough to get up & run when it is cold outside, but all you need are some good layers. Every time that I get up and run, I always feel better after I'm done than when I started. I just try to remember that great feeling & help it drive me to get out there again. I love running outside too - I actually won't run on a treadmill, it screws up my gait. Running outside surrounded by trees is the best; I'm a bit of a purist too & I don't run with an iPod or anything.

Trying to choose to right yoga teaching training program can feel very overwhelming. I got your email about Buddhist books - I'll reply soon; feel free to ask me any questions you have about yoga teach training as well - I might be able to point you in the right direction :)

I should have taken the time to look at where you are living - I was BORN AND RAISED in Indiana, so I know just what you are talking about. No matter where you go, it won't be perfect, so I am glad that you have found a place where the positives outweigh the negatives :)

Feeling lost in a religious or spiritual sense is very common, not only for our age group, but for our entire modern culture. I'd be happy to recommend some Buddhist books! Feel free to send me a message & I'll compile a list for you :) You're probably already thought of this, but trying looking for the books at your local library first (saves money!)

I have actually never take a gymnastics course, but I always wanted to! At 5'10" & age 26, I doubt I would do very well now, but the idea is still very intriguing. I think it would be fun to take one of those circus acrobatics courses. :)

I am surprised by how much of my flexibility had returned from doing yoga. I recently added running into my fitness world & that certainly tightens my legs up a bit, but I'm working on running with a healthier form to help sideline some of those issues. Of course, the first yoga practice that I miss, I can notice a difference in my entire body!

If you love yoga, I say become a yoga teacher - it is an amazing & diverse practice, not only from a physical standpoint, but a spiritual one as well. I want to become a teacher as well, specializing in teaching soldiers & veterans.

Why not just subscribe to Yoga Journal? It's not expensive & that way you will always be sure you have the latest issue :)

Sounds like you have a great advisor at your college :) My best friend goes to college in San Diego and majors in anthropology - a subject she has loved all her life. Your idea of traveling, observing, and writing sounds like heaven - I'd join you on that adventure!

I am glad to know that yoga has been able to help you so much :) I'd be happy to chat with you about Buddhism sometime - I can recommend a number of good books on the subject & I always enjoy talking about religions (especially Buddhism, since that is what I practice). It is said to hear that you are in a place that has such a harsh judgment of religion, but you've got a friend in me :)

I am naturally flexible as well, though not nearly as much as I was in middle school. I wasn't very active after middle school & through high school, so my body tightened up a lot. Of course, yoga has helped with that too :) I come up with new routines in many ways - flash cards, Yoga Journal magazine's monthly sequences, but I haven't tried many online classes. I know of a number of websites, but just haven't made the jump to test them out. What is your favorite site?

Wow - very cool subjects you are studying :) What inspired you to do a double minor? That has to be a lot of work! I'm doing a 2-year Liberal Arts degree. I've been working full-time as a freelance writer for 6 years, so my degree isn't really going to advance my career much, but it is a personal goal that I wanted to achieve.

I have the same issue of trying to stick to one thing. For me, it just isn't possible! There is far too much in this world that fascinates me :D

Unfortunately, I can't say that I have been practicing yoga steadily for 10 years, but I was introduced to it when I was still in high school in 2000. It is amazing how much it can help with anxiety & depression, isn't it!? Do you maintain a home practice? I would love to go to studio classes more often, but it just doesn't work for my schedule or budget right now (especially with my husband at Marine Corps boot camp right now) - I haven't been to a studio class in 2 years, but I practice at home every other day.

Congrats on your college journey! I'm in my 2nd year of a 2-year community college degree, so we're in a similar boat. What are you majoring in?

I've been doing yoga off & on for 10 years now - my 1st book is all about yoga too :D Yoga has helped me overcome depression & crippling anxiety. I practice every other day (usually) :)