Is it just me, or was July super intense?!

Today, we usher in a New Moon — which means it's time for intention setting. And it could be the intensity of the heat this week... it might be all sorts of planetary retrogrades... it might be a teensy bit in my head.

Whatever it is: July was NUTS... wasn't it?

I know I'm not the only one that felt the gravity this last month. I was challenged in all sorts of ways... and I felt so many emotions I haven't felt in a long time. And not just a little bit... I was feeling things with intensity!  

At some point, I had to just surrender. I resolved to just feeling all the feels — and using my experience as a laboratory. I could clearly see the contrast as I would pendulum back and forth, and I used that information to decide how I want to feel, and how I don't want to feel on a day to day basis. 

I'll give you an example.

I was driving back to Whitefish from Staples in Kalispell this afternoon with a stack of Kids Yoga Training manuals (for tonight!) and Aerial Yoga Training manuals (for next week!).

I'd grabbed a handful of supplies from the store as well... including a massive pad of chart paper for lecturing. I had all my windows down in the car because my air conditioning has been broken for months (not complaining — I fully recognize it's within my power to get it fixed) and the top sheet on the giant pad of paper started to flap in the wind in the back seat.

And then the second sheet started flapping.. and the third... now violently.

I reached back to stop it, worrying about how I just spent $34 on a pad of chart paper that was going to be *gasp* wrinkled for the training, and as I was reaching, I realized I was swerving out of my lane like a crazy person on the highway so I put my hands back on the wheel. I tried to close the windows so it would stop (and I nearly melted in the heat) so rolled them back down... allowing the paper to flap, reaching back one more time to try and re-adjust while going 70 mph.

I could feel the frustration rising and all of a sudden I was yelling. Like, ARRRRAHHHHHHHHH!!! And then it felt good... so I kept it up for a minute (or two). 

And that's how my July went out with a bang... or rather, a roar. There were so many instances this month that required me to roar like a lion — many of which took place in my own head. All of that built up to yesterday when I feel like I was able to release it, out loud!

Just in time for the New Moon, and my new intention: To maintain the same fierce, productive high energy of July, with softness.

Truthfully, this is what the Yoga Sutras teaches us as well. Live your life fully, with intensity. Life on this incredible planet is filled with sensory experiences and we're all just looking for more intensity, whether we try Paddleboard Yoga for the first time, swim naked for the thrill of it, or book a yoga retreat in Montana because we need a reset. What matters is our consciousness around the choices we make, and our evolution as we decide what works and what doesn't.

So to August 2019, WELCOME! I'm looking forward to having a more devotional, gratitude-filled, sweet zest for this incredible life I live. And I invite you to join me on the softer side.