I am really struggling with my autobiographical statement for grad school. I know it's been almost 9 years since I last wrote an essay but seriously. . .this is HARD!  Alice, I have a whole new respect for yourr student status!

I am now a certified kids yoga instructor! I had the most hilarious 4 days of my life in training and the next training will be mommy/baby (for newborns to pre-walkers) I'm stoked!  I will be auditioning really soon to teach at the studio where I take Ilan and will start teaching in my gym in Brighton as soon as they figure out my start date. Yay!  I am also full of adorable little yoga songs - wait till you hear my yoga version of itsy bitsy spider!

As for my more official future plans, I am in the process of applying to grad schools to get my Masters in Early Childhood General/Special Education. I hope to some day incorporate my yoga training into my classroom and arm kids with a way to deal with all their childhood stresses - like growing up, fielding their anger and frustration, etc while creating strong bodies that give them confidence. 

So it seems that unemployment really rocked my world - how awesome that getting laid off paved a new path for me.


Life,

I love you.

You are full of surprises.

Namaste,
Misha

 

After going to a terrible interview last week (My first absolute disaster interview ever) I reached my job epiphany moment. I realized I detested retail and can't imagine myself working anywhere near a store (unless it's my yoga/cafe/ community space) in the next five, ten, twenty years. I hate the thought of being an aging woman and running around selling crap to people or trying to motivate a lame staff that doesn't care and has sex in fitting rooms.  So I began to wonder, what the hell can I do?

I went to my fifteen year high school reunion this weekend, I visited my two cousin Ina's.  One is black Ina and the other is blonde Ina and they are truly opposites.  Spending time with each of them really inspired me.  Each Ina has three kids, two cats, and a dog. They both live in nice houses and seem totally fulfilled by their lives. Black Ina is a teacher, Blonde Ina is a geriatric doctor and has significantly more money as a result. However, she only works part time.  Being with them and Ilan this weekend, seeing my old high school friends all made me think deeply about my career goals and what kind of mother I want to be. 

I spent Saturday and Sunday morning walking with Black Ina through Baltimore with her dog Sadie and dissecting my life and career aspirations. I talked to her extensively about yoga and my commitment to feeling centered and strong.  We talked about my mommy/baby yoga classes and how DOPE they are and how grateful I am to share that with Ilan.  I mean how many kids do you know who will have over three hundred hours of yoga under their belt by the time they are three years old?

I talked with many people who at thirty two/thirty three are changing their lives (high school reunion was super fun and interesting) and talked with everyone about how amazing it is to have kids, how incredible it feels to know you're doing something awesome for them, I talked with blonde Ina about being present in her family and being involved in her kids lives (soccer practice, plays, etc) and so I pretty much decided I'm going to try to get my Master of Arts and work towards becoming an elementary school teacher.  This way I get summers off with the bambinos, I have vacations free with them, I can incorporate a yoga pose of the day with five year olds, and basically work in a job that makes me smile until I'm old and gray and ready to retire.  I'll have weekends off with the family, I'll see my kids.  I won't make a lot of money. But at this point, I feel that I could live with less as long as I get to be a yoga mom who can find a way to inspire little people to be awesome.

I have my first meeting with an admissions councelor at Columbia University's Teacher's College on June 3rd. Pray for me!

Can you believe I'm going to my 15 year high school reunion in a couple of weeks?  I can't. It's so wierd. I just took a look at the roster of people who are coming and I started laughing! It is going to be hilarious.

I'm staying with two different cousins on two different days - anyone have good gift suggestions for family that's kind of New York-ish that won't rot or melt or break in a three and half hour car ride?

does anyone know anything about screenprinting?  If so, please direct me to some of your sources!

I've been unemployed for a week and two days and it RULEZ!  I've been cleaning my house naked, bonding with Ilan big time, sipping wine in the afternoon (sorry Ilan!) and spiffing up my resume.  I've also been actively seeking any government aid I can find. Sadly, I don't qualify for WIC but I am trying to get foodstamps! Hey, I got laid off and I'm going to take advantage!

I had a meet and greet with a recruiter yesterday which only reminded me how unexcited I am to explore the retail world again. If I got a really dope job somewhere I might change my mind, but I'm just not looking to extend my commute time to spend less time with my kickin family.  Why else become a mom right?

This May I plan to enroll in a yoga certification course for babies and toddlers, this summer is my "business of yoga" class, and I plan to take an early childhood development certification course.  This might be the right time for me to completely change my career after all.  I'd always heard about people changing course half way through their lives but never believed it -in a way it makes me happy to think that I won' tbe 60 and still traipsing around boutiques trying to make a buck.

As for the gym part -it's nice to finally have time to get back in shape -I have now lost 7 pounds of baby weight and am becoming less and less afraid to look at the scale every day. 

The sun is shining, spring is here  - this is my season people -smiles all around!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!

So last night at around 7pm I was fired.  or let go. or whatever. Not to say I was surprised really -I mean how could you keep a highly paid manager in a store that makes like $45 a day in a location where the rent is 40 grand a month? So there it is.

Now I get to collect unemployment and play with Ilan all summer on the beach. I get to practice being a house wife for half a year. I get to clean and cook and be a mom! It's super wierd, I'm kind of shocked and I sort of want to spit in the face of my former employer but I think it's truly a blessing in disguise. I mean two hours before I was fired, I opened 5 boxes of new merchandise, laughed at everything in the box, bitched about my boss, made fun of my employees, and then went on line to buy Ilan his summer wardrobe from Ebay.  I mean seriously - I shouldn't get paid for that. My heart was so NOT in it! 

So now I think I'll get certified to be a yoga instructor, like I've always wanted, take Ilan to the Natural history Museum to see the butterfly exhibit (over 1200 feet of space filled with butterflies!), perfect my resume, and if and when I go back to work, I will only work for a true high end brand. Not some fake wannabe psuedo luxury name that no one even knows how to pronouce.

I'm taking names and dates for people who want to spend a beach day with me! I'm free!

on ABC nightline at 11:30 EST!

Watch us!

Today Ilan and I shot some footage for a small segment on chiropractic care for ABC Nightline with my awesome holistic chiropractor Beth Forgosh.  I'm STOKED!  I'll let you know more details about when it will actually air but I'm excited that he gets to be on t.v.!  Yay!