got back from 8 hours of training and decided not to leave the room to return to our evening session on leadership for a mulicultural age. despite the 80 degree weather the past two days, today brought a gorgeous snowstorm and the unused fireplace in our room was beckoning me. as great as tonight’s workshops sounds, i’m in need of some spaciousness and an early evening to bed. last night after our evening workshop, BFF and i dashed over to a yoga studio at 9pm to get more yoga in, then back to our rooms to handle the day’s e-mails.

one big thing i’m recognizing throughout this training is the need for more spaciousness in my life – less back-to-back meetings, less planned days (although i’m a cancer and crave structure – don’t have to be booked until 10pm), more being in the moment when i’m with others. a consistent theme that i see emerging is a need to retreat, crawl back into bed, and savor the simple joys of life. once i return to dc, life heads back into full swing with the transition to our new studio home and getting settled. that’s my next month in a nut shell – oh, and finalizing the fall TranquiliT designs. fun, fun!

as i gear up for this exciting transition, i know that i have to conserve my energy. as a strong-willed introvert carving out space such as tonight is critical to my survival. yesterday’s meditation teacher mentioned how in today’s fast pace we treat our bodies like machines and i totally related. Q: how to treat it like the sacred shell it is and listen to its longings – for healthy food (AND cupcakes), for deep sleep (complete with lavender-scented eyepillows and earplugs), for naps, for legs up the wall, for yoga, for a run, for some deep twisting? A: by paying attention to your deep desire to crawl into bed and savor the warmth of a blazing fire while the snow pours down outside. listen.