Humble Your Warrior

I’ve practiced yoga for years. Hot yoga for the last few months. But last Friday I felt like a complete newbie.

I’d heard people talk before about sudden waves of emotion during yoga, about getting weepy or panicked, needing to rest. It had never happened to me before, so perhaps my inner warrior grew a bit… cocky.

The hot yoga class I take is an hour and twenty minutes. I went every weekday last week, so by Friday I was on my fifth day in a row. The first half of the class was great, though I did notice that it seemed even hotter than usual, well over 105˚. During the second half of the class, I found myself thinking about death.

That’s odd, I thought, as death is clearly not the intention I set at the beginning of this class. 

But it wouldn’t go away. Death was in my head. The deaths of loved ones, my own death, and whether or not I was going to die of a heart attack right there on the studio floor. I backed off, went to child’s pose, focused on breathing out longer than in. I couldn’t slow my heart rate and my throat began to choke with emotion.

Then I did something I’ve never done before. I left early. Never bailing on a class is something I pride myself on. After all, I’m the person that suffers through a class even with the worst of wardrobe malfunctions (which you can read about here). But maybe my pride had grown out of hand. I had to leave. I mouthed the words I’m sorry to the instructor, who graciously smiled and mouthed back it’s okay.

I’ve had three successful classes since then. I’m glad that it hasn’t happened again, but I also know that I’ll be okay if it does. It’s a practice, after all. And every now and then it’s good to humble your warrior. 

I don't see the word death in there anywhere, do you?

Yoga Wardrobe Malfunction

I've pretty much worn the same exercise top for the past four years. It's a gray t-shirt. Boring and old. In light of the fact that my yoga obsession has a reached a fever pitch of late, I decided to treat myself to new gear. I went to Title 9. Note: I cannot afford Title 9. I went anyway and bought four expensive tops for yoga. They are colorful and have elastic to keep parts in place. They are tank tops with cool necklines that I'm sure have fancy words to describe the cut, but I don't know what those words are. In any case, I was very excited.

I went to one of my regular classes. I arrived late and the room is small, so I was relegated to the front, right next to the teacher. We began with opening awareness and the setting of intentions. The usual drill. I felt good in my new top. I felt downright fashionable.

We stood and the heat kicked on. The room was already warm and this was not a hot yoga class. The heating system was simply malfunctioning and forcing us into a hot yoga class.

We began a standing series. We flowed. And it quickly became apparent to me that my cute little new top would not, in fact, contain my breasts. This, despite the presence of what I considered a built-in bra. They hovered dangerously close to escape during down dog, but then really threatened to break free when I came through for up dog.

This is a picture of upward facing dog. Except this woman was smart enough to secure her breasts first. 

Shit, I muttered, which completely contradicts the peace-love-free-calm-happy feeling that I strive for in yoga. I tried to discreetly tuck the girls back into place a few times. But when you're standing at the front of the class and everyone else is facing you, discretion is tricky. It simply wasn't going to work.

The heat continued to malfunction and pour into the room from a vent above me. At the same time, I admitted defeat and put on my hoodie. It was my only option, other than leave. The hood fell down over my face on every forward fold, the ridiculous amount of clothing I wore, combined with the relentless heat, made me extremely uncomfortable, which again, contradicts the whole point. But I finished the class with my boobs hidden from sight. For which I believe my classmates are truly grateful. I still love the top, and it will look great with a pair of jeans. But when it comes to yoga, I'm going with my old gray t-shirt.

You Are What You Eat (and Watch, Breathe, Hear, and Feel)

You are what you eat. We all know this to be true. If you eat healthy, you'll be healthy, and vice versa. Except for the occasional person who defies rational science and manages to break these rules.

I've found the same to be true in other things we consume. Not just food, but music, culture, images, advice. If you take in the negative, it will be nearly impossible for you not to BE negative yourself. Not that I'm in favor of turning a blind eye to the real but negative issues affecting our world, but there are a lot of needless negatives that we consume on a daily basis. In an effort not to turn into these things, here's my list of 8 damaging things I vow to eradicate from my life:

• Useless, hurtful Facebook rants that in no way instigate positive change or understanding.
• Depressing movies. I can appreciate the artistic aesthetic, but I need to consume these in moderation. Life's too short to be sad.
• Scary movies. What I said before. Life's too short to be scared.
• Music that brings me down. If it doesn't bring a smile to my face or at least a vague sense of peace, I'm skipping it.
• Talking heads. I love the band. Hate the angry political instigators.
• Gossip and Tabloids. I'm making a conscious effort to recognize these for the false and damaging things that they really are. 
• Television comas. I never wake up thinking, "Gosh, I wish I'd watched more t.v. last night." I always feel better when I've gone to bed with a book instead. 
• Couch time. A good day requires physical movement. This one's non-negotiable for me. 

Here's to more light in your life. 

10 Surprising Facts About Orgasms by Sarah Jio

I love this article by Sarah Jio in Woman's Day. It's titled 10 Surprising Facts About Orgasms. My favorite is #9, in which she discussed a woman who had an orgasm every time she used the treadmill. That would take my love of running to a whole new level.

Though now I'm always going to wonder about the women next to me on the treadmills at the gym. Does she just really enjoy working out or did she just...

Reviews Rule the World

It’s true. And I think it’s for the better. Because that’s the culture of commerce we now live in, it can be hard to get a new product or voice off the ground. So, I’m asking for help. I would love to provide free content of my work to ten people who agree to give it an honest review. If you can carve out a few minutes of your day, please, help a girl out.

I’ll send you a pdf of Sylvie and the Spark. Take a look (it's short, a novella around 27K) and review it on Amazon. I’m only asking for honest, genuine feedback. Here’s the catch, Sylvie is an erotic comedy, so you have to be okay with a few graphic scenes and four-letter words. If that sounds like your kind of pleasure reading, please email me at giannadaybooks@gmail.com. If you write something along similar lines, I’d be happy to provide an honest review of your work, as well. 

Celebrating the Sexy Redhead

There's just something about redheads. I'm not sure if it's the hair or how we've come to associate it with a wild and fiery nature. Maybe we all feel we have a little of that nature inside, whether we show the world or not, and therein lies the attraction. In any case, I'm a big fan. I created a board on Pinterest with some of my favorite redheads. These include unnamed models with kick-ass hair, as well as actresses I admire like Julianne Moore and Renee Russo, both of whom I think are incredibly sexy, but also carry with them the touch of class that makes them even more so. If you appreciate redheads like I do, here's some eye candy: http://www.pinterest.com/giannaday/sexy-redheads/. None of the pictures are pornographic, though some are risque.

If your delicate sensibilities aren't offended, you might also want to check out Boudoir & Burlesque.

Hot Yoga Man

I think this guy is hot. And it has nothing to do with his age, race, or muscles. It has everything to do with humor and health.

Laughter is sexy. Laughter brings balance into the otherwise serious and often heartbreaking world. I love a man who can laugh at himself and bring joy to those around him. It implies a self-assurance and innate peace that attracts one human to another.

The physicality is equally sexy, but it's not about the muscles. Sure, muscles can be a turn on, but hotter than chiseled abs is a man who works hard to take care of his body. Who invests in feeling good through movement and hard work. I find the same qualities sexy in women. It's not about the dress size, it's about honoring the amazing human form and treating it right.

There's something about this picture and the elements it combines that I find undeniably pleasing. I look at his face and wonder what he's thinking, whether it's Hurry up and take the picture or Hey, look, I'm doing it! So many yoga photos show people practicing with serious faces, because the face is supposed to be relaxed. Maybe that's why this one caught my eye. It's almost as if instead of smiling for the camera, he couldn't help but smile, even though he wasn't supposed to. Dear yoga man: in the spirit of joy and health, I salute you.

Also, here's a picture of me writing today's blog:

Just kidding. I'm not quite there. Yet. 

Selena Kitt on the Pornocalypse

I've long been a fan of Selena Kitt. I've enjoyed some of her erotica, but also her voice on the industry in general. She went up an added notch in my book for her recent blog post on erotica and the treatment of erotica writers. Specifically, how writers of erotic fiction are often kicked to the curb by Amazon, despite the fact that their work might make Amazon a chunk of change.

Read her full article here: Survival Tips for the Pornocalypse

Kudos to Ms. Kitt. Long may she write.

Book Trailer for The Sylvie Series

It's 28 seconds, so go ahead and hit play. Check it out this short book trailer for The Sylvie Series, now available at Amazon.

Here's the description of Book 1, Sylvie and the Spark: One night of phenomenal sex isn’t enough to convince Sylvie that she should stay with Dave, her long-time boyfriend who borders on dull when not in the bedroom. When a set of twins moves in across the hall, Sylvie’s horizons broaden, though this pair might not turn out to be exactly what they seem. With a backdrop of inappropriate coworkers, a humping-addicted mutt, and a set of sexy suitors, SYLVIE AND THE SPARK is sure to please, in more ways than one.

Covers for The Sylvie Series... Coming Soon

In Awe of Diana Nyad

Diana Nyad is, to me, one of the most amazing women on the planet. She's been in the media lately talking about her recent successful swim from Cuba to Florida. What many don't realize is that this was her 5th attempt. Talk about perseverance.

If you ever need a little inspiration in your life, check out Diana Nyad's website. Here's a link to a blog entry with pictures from her journey and her own reflections on it.

You can also learn more about Nyad and her life at her Wikipedia page here. When I feel tired or down, I think about people like Nyad, I pick myself up, and I move on. Someday, I hope to shake her hand.