My Favorite Yoga, Spirituality & Philosophy Books
I’ve had a few friends ask me recently for my personal recommendations on books related to yoga and spirituality. Through my YTT—and just being interested in the subject for as long as I can remember, I’ve read quite a few books over the years.
My Parents on 40 Years of Marriage
This October, my parents, John & Donna (O’Connell) Dzenawagis, celebrate 40 years of marriage. Since I’ve become the unofficial family historian, I thought it would be a good opportunity to document the story of how they met, their wedding, and get their thoughts on the highs (and lows) of the 40+ years that they’ve spent together
Death Valley National Park Travel Guide
As someone who loves to travel, I'm fortunate that I get to travel for work from time to time for trade shows. While the typical trade show hot spots like Orlando and Las Vegas aren't necessarily my #1 choice of destination, I'm pretty good at doing a little research to see what's within a few hours of driving distance so I can extend my trip to visit someplace I actually do want to spend time.
Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park Travel Guide
After we eloped in Las Vegas last year, we took what I called a "minimoon" to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in Utah. March was a little early beach-weather-wise to do our full-fledged honeymoon to Croatia, but I wanted to do something after the "wedding" itself before heading back to the dreary Michigan weather we had left behind.
This St. Patrick’s Day, A Toast to My Grandfather, “The Wild Irishman”
This St. Patrick’s Day, in honor of my Irish grandfather, Francis Stevens Joseph O’Connell, I’d like to share an article that was written about him many years ago.
A Love Letter to the Olympics
In February of 1994, I was a 10-year-old little girl about to discover something that would mesmerize me for the rest of my life: the Olympics. That year, the Winter Olympics were in Lillehammer, Norway, and as a kid watching them for the first time, I was instantly obsessed.
A Short Yoga Sequence for Winter
To help us all make it through to Spring, here's a short winter yoga sequence that you can practice at home. The intention is to move through the poses slowly and mindfully, taking long, deep breaths in each posture and working towards long holds (5–8 breaths if you can).
How I “Self-Care:” A Little Nature & A Lotta Nurture
People in my life have often asked me how I’m always so "calm" and "easy-going." “What do you do? Don’t you ever get angry and lose it?” Part of it is certainly nature—if you’ve met my dad you know what I mean, he is the most even-keeled, laid-back human being I know.
Thoughts on 34
This week I celebrated my 34th birthday, and for the first time in my life, I felt a little "meh" about it. Although I typically hate being the center of attention, my birthday has always been the exception.
Aunt Carrie
There are moments in all of our lives when everything changes like that. The moments when you physically feel a shift occur. When the pieces fall out of place. When the ground drops from underneath you.
17 Things I'm Grateful for in 2017
Is there a difference between being "thankful" and being "grateful?" They seem to be used interchangeably, but "gratitude" has achieved buzzword status, whereas "thankful" only seems to make an appearance on Thanksgiving. Either way, 2017 has been an amazing year for me and there is a lot that I'm grateful/thankful for.
A Short Yoga Sequence for Fall
Designed to help ease the transition between seasons to keep you grounded and centered during the busy holiday season, here's a short yoga sequence to practice during the fall and early winter.
A Simple Ayurvedic Cleanse
Back in the Spring, I did my first Ayurvedic Cleanse led by Katie Silcox of the Shakti School. Typically, I have a fairly healthy diet and a strong self-care routine, but from time to time I'll get off track, and while I know that my body naturally cleanses and detoxifies itself (thanks liver!), I've found that doing a short cleanse helps me get back to healthy habits.
Recently Enjoyed Quotes: Fall 2017
From books, articles, podcasts, social media & more, here are some quotes I’ve highlighted, underlined, or scribbled down recently.
Unpopular Opinion: I Hate Halloween
A few days ago, a social media friend posted an old photo of herself in a bad outfit with a caption about how she's "meh" about Halloween because she feels like she spent so much of her life playing "dress up"—meaning, she's tried on her fair share of identities with their corresponding "costumes" over the years.
A Honeymoon Road Trip Through Croatia & Slovenia
In the early 2000s, I subscribed to a magazine called Budget Travel. While I'm sure that I dog-eared at least a dozen pages in every issue, two countries that I read about quickly made their way to my travel short list—and to the top of my list for future honeymoon destinations: Croatia and Slovenia.
A Short Yoga Sequence for Summer
For anyone who needs a cooldown from the Summer heat, here's a short yoga sequence that you can practice to fan the flames of pitta—Summer's dominant dosha.
Two Dans Make a Right: We Eloped!
Anyone who follows me on Instagram probably already knows, but on March 11, 2017, Elvis walked me down the aisle at the Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada and I married my long time love, Dan.
Dzenawagis Genealogy Part 3: Ancestry DNA Test Results
A few posts ago I wrote about how I recently decided to take Ancestry.com's DNA test. I've been using the site for a while now, building out my family tree, sorting through old census documents and public records to expand on the family history that I've been taught all my life.
Recently Enjoyed Quotes: Spring 2017
From books, articles, podcasts, social media & more, here are some quotes I’ve highlighted, underlined, or scribbled down recently.