community, one of my favorite things...

Yoga has become a place for me to find my sanity. Time after time I find it laying right there on my mat- and I think, "ah just where I left you..."

How I keep losing my mind, I just don't know. Maybe I spend too much time in thinking and it gets heavy with stress and falls out when I bend over to pick up yet another toy I have stepped on. Or maybe I lose my marbles when I dash across the playground to save my fearless toddler from learning about gravity the hard way. Perhaps my inability to remain sane comes from sorting through the dramas of the 10 year old girl world. Maybe the baby in my belly is sucking out all my brains through the umbilical cord.

However it keeps escaping me, it seems to find its way quietly, calmly to the Yoga Stone and it slowly creeps back into my body as I lie in shavasana or hold fast to my inner warrior, my limbs stretching out in all the right angles, my breath drawing me through a practice that is always just what I needed.

Another entirely effective remedy I have recently discovered is delivered directly to my muscles by the skillful hands of a warm and welcoming woman who invites me to relax as she helps increase my "range of motion and flexibility... improving my blood lymph circulation and promoting healthy tissues and a more balanced immune system... massage is often used for relaxation, an important step in reducing the physical and emotional effects of stress."

The journey back to my me-ness begins when I see the tall lighted "community" sign as I travel down Brookhurst. The gated, arched entrance is as effective as a worry tree- and I leave all my stresses outside. I spend a moment connecting to the baby girl who is growing inside me as I glance over Rosie Posie Baby's sweet natural baby gear, and always peer in to envision RSSA Vintage's pink fridge leading to domestic bliss as I imagine it would if I could take it home... and I enter the long open area, adorned with prayer flags above, reminding me of the luck, happiness, longevity and prosperity I have been covered with. Twinkle lights, and other luminescent lanterns create a visual dance in the dusk and the live plants lining the tables covered in linen provide a connection to living, growing and green grounded-ness in such a simple way.

The huge windows showcasing the other shops' hand-made, unique, fashionable and often locally sourced goods and gifts (one of the aprons at the Nest is on my birthday wish list, in case you are curious) allow me to indulge in a little retail therapy to prepare my head for surrendering on my yoga mat for just one delightful hour. Afterwards I marvel at the art amidst the "zines, records, wears" of Ceremony, dream of dressing my post-pregnancy self up the trendy fashions of Switchroom, and have lately been wondering if I am adventurous enough to try out a little fiery & fun dancing at the newest of the shops- Naranjita Flamenco.

Last night (while the beats of the Zumba dance party at the Yoga Stone invigorated us) I had the wonderful experience of sitting in a planning meeting with these locally minded shopkeepers and hearing more about their vision for the community they are building. There is more to come on the hearts and heads behind this "destination for the design, environmental, and socially conscious consumer"... I will be featuring the young entrepreneurs who are creating a place that fuels "the continual exchange of knowledge and inspiration that goes on." Subscribe to my blog to learn more...

Of course the best way to experience the community is to join it (visit their Facebook page) or head on over the first Wednesday of any month (and I can tell you the Valentines plans these people are making will melt any heart)- so bring your sweetie and enjoy some good old fashioned social networking- the kind where friends make eye contact as often as they make witty comments, where you can see their smile and know that they Like your status update, and you connect to a wireless energy source that has nothing to do with the free WiFi you can also hook into while you are there- (so you can check in on Foursquare and let everyone know where they can find you!)

posted in conjunction with Favorite Things Thursday

which appropriately enough is being co-hosted by Etsy shop owner and blogger

 Embellishments by SLR