One of San Francisco’s premiere yoga instructors, Janet Stone, had words of wisdom that reminded me to balance & ground myself today.

“The energy we put out to nurture & hold it all together can be exhilarating, but also overwhelming and exhausting…intense demands often mean we place the needs of others before even our own most basic requirements — health, food, sleep, bathing (you know it’s been awhile) — to the point where we can lose connection to our own center. Receive the gift of this inhalation and exhalation, the simplicity of what is occurring right now. Root down through your feet, rise up through the crown of your head and allow your belly to softly, compassionately, draw in. Notice how much more energy and clarity you have when you come from steadiness.” -Janet Stone

I spent the day in good company & went on a hike at Temescal Canyon that overlooked both LA & the ocean. The combination of both of these sights inspired me to be balanced amongst the chaos, yet posses enough flexibility & grace to be fluid. We snapped some pictures to capture the beauty around us & I felt very grounded during Vrksasana (Tree Pose). If you’re finding it difficult to balance the demands of life, give Tree Pose a try for lessons in grounding, steadiness, & fluidity. Refine your balance & feel the freedom of Vrksasana with Rodney Yee’s 1:30 min instructional & informative video on Tree Pose!