HONOR THE STILETTO!

Maybe it’s just me, but I get the feeling, in “certain circles” the Stiletto is actually shunned, as if toxic.  Did I miss the day in school when my yoga instructor told me not to wear high heels? I do however remember the day when my yoga instructor spoke about non- judgment.  Unlike many of my yoga instructor colleges, I feel amazing in heels. Maybe it’s because of all the years I stood on my toes as a ballerina? Good style is something to be grateful for, it is a means to express your self and release creative energy, another voice, if you will. 

Here are two women who I admire. They are both deep and spiritual and also chic and fashionable.

Gabrielle Bernstein is a very well known author and a motivational speaker. Is she any less of a “Spirit Junkie” when she’s wearing fabulous outfits? Ummmm no… It just makes her more astonishing. 

Kimberly Wilson is an artist, author and activist from Washington DC, and she is the creative director and founder of Tranquil Space. She is in Eka Pada Kapotasana, (pigeon pose) in heels!

Then there is me... I am a yogi ballerina, and sometimes I where stilettos. I am not any less deep or spiritual or because of my shoes. I am taking a stand for all stylish yogis in the world. Be your most SEXY, be your most AUTHENTIC, do what brings you JOY, and honor the STILETTO!

“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world”

 Marylin Monroe

BALLERINA BOOST!

BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO... I LOVE ALL OF YOU!

***URBAN HIBERNATION***

Winter is full on here in Philly and I am in major hibernation mode. Cooking, cleaning, & delving into creative home improvement projects are just a few of my hibernation activities this season. Anything to stay off the cold city streets! Having recently rid my home from the toxicity of cable television, my new favorite hibernation delight is curling up in bed with a cup of tea, my Lola, and Netflix! Here is my top 10 list.

1. Romeo & Juliet ( Franco Zeffirelli)

2. The Buddha

3. The Art of Living

4. The Science of Dogs

5. First Position  

6. Vegucated

7. Never Stand Still

8. Into the Universe with Stephen Hawkins

9. The Secret

10. Christmas Classics

BACK TO BALLET!!!

I never thought I would say this... but coming back to ballet after many years feels liberating! I am so ready to leave the trauma of my dance past behind, move my body the way it was trained to move, and do so without judgment and without stress. Ballet now feels healing and therapeutic, it feels like home. Ballet is a part of me, like a limb, and I need it to feel complete. My life experiences with ballet and yoga and now the creation of Sculpere have demonstrated how life can come full circle and bring you back to balance.

There are dancers all over the city who have been repressing their need for ballet like I was. Classes often are not welcoming to new student, and everyone is intimidated to start up again.  Sculpere is a safe place for dancers, yogis, and all to work on both their bodies and their minds. I believe the work  we do at Sculpere, will effect the negative culture of ballet and possibly remove some of the discriminating  standards of the ballet world. I hope every girl who walks into Sculpere's warm and friendly studio leaves with a deep sense of self love, acceptance, and a few new friends!

STOP & SMELL THE ROSES ...

Stop and smell the roses!

Inhale...

Exhale...

Relax.

*VIVE LE FRANCE*

Interesting fact: Those historians inclined to reject the less defined techniques of the Italian balletto as the historical root of ballet, might consider the performance of the Ballet Comique de la Reine at the Palais du Petit Bourbon in Paris as the true birth of ballet.

 

The Côte d'Azur, often known in English as the French Riviera is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco. This coastline was one of the first modern resort areas. It began as a winter health resort for the British upper class. With the arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century, it became the playground and vacation spot of British, Russian, and other aristocrats, such as Queen Victoria and King Edward VII. It was frequented by artists and writers, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Edith Wharton as well as wealthy Americans and Europeans. Many celebrities, such as Elton John and Brigitte Bardot,have homes in the region.

 

 

Menton is known for wonderfully fragrant citrus. I picked-up some citrus soaps, teas, and perfumes for my girlfriends.

 

 

Menton

Forget Hollywood...Monaco here I come! Everything Glamour.

 

Glamourous Nightclubs

 

 

Incredible Beaches

 

Oh yes... Lots of TOYS!!!

Vive le France!!!

MEDITERRANEAN DIET *** YUM ***

Everyday here in Ventimiglia, there is a market in town where all the local farmers sell delicious, and incredibly fresh produce. I mean fresh! Eggs just hatched from the chickens, tomatoes just pulled from their vines, peaches from heaven! It was my pleasure to take a 15 min walk down to town to buy these nourishing treats and practice my Italian!

 FIGS 

 LEMON & AVOCADO

TOMATO MOZZARELLA BASIL
A staple in almost every meal.

 PROSCIUTTO MELONE
 Traditional Northern Italian Appetizer  

 A LIL* PROTEIN 

In Italy, meat is completely natural, no hormones, no antibiotics, no worries.

WILD AGAVE grows all over this part of Italy.

GELATO!!!

It is a sin that Gelato doesn't exist in the U.S. I know there are some places that sell "Gelato" but trust me!!! it's not the same. There is something truly magical about Gelato in Italy and France. Maybe it's the cows, their diets, their strong Mediterranean genes? I don't know what it is, but I cannot wait to eat it again next summer.