Hello all!

I am over the moon to announce the launch of my new business, Olivia Bowen Communications, tomorrow, February 1st.

For the past few months, I’ve been having way too much fun (and yes, moments of frustration–but mostly fun) doing market research, building my website, working pro bono, and developing a launch plan. And tomorrow it will all come together as my baby goes live.

Olivia Bowen Communications is all about helping small businesses and entrepreneurs master their messaging so they can get back to the work they love.

If you…

• know your website copy could be better, but don’t know how or don’t have the emotional energy to fix it…
• have a bio that doesn’t reflect the amazing work you do and the spark behind it…
• avoid sending newsletters because you’re afraid of finding a typo or writing something boring…
• steer clear of social media for business purposes because you don’t know how to do it without being spammy…

Brenna, my instructor for yesterday's class

Thanks in part to the disincentive bet, I finally made it to a yoga class last night. It was a gentle class, just what I needed to ease back in. When it came time to set my intention, I decided to depart from my usual method of dedication and instead focus on being kinder to myself.

It freed me to honor where I was in my practice, to laugh as I fell out of poses, and learn from the discomfort of poses that used to be easy. I left class feeling energized and joyful, and didn’t berate myself for spending most of savasana dreaming about the roasted garlic gluten-free pizza that I’d be having for dinner.

It also freed me up to re-evaluate my disincentive bet goals. Where they achievable? Absolutely. But they were also a big stretch. More of a stretch than I want right now. So I’m dropping the running piece. Hopefully I’ll slip on my running shoes and get a few miles in, but it feels more like a chore than a joy, and, well, I want to squeeze in as much joy as possible this December.

Since the hubs and I just joined the yoga studio down the street, we were able to take advantage of a new student discount offering two weeks of unlimited classes for only $25. (Bonus: It came with a gift certificate for a free meal at one of our favorite veg eateries, Jyoti-Bihanga.) I’ve learned that when I try to just jump into a fitness goal whole hog, I often wind up sick or injured, and I think it’s safe to say that running a few days a week plus a yoga class almost every day would be too much. So I’m swapping out a brief home yoga practice and occasional runs for a (near-)daily studio yoga practice that I hope will help me really recommit to to time on my mat.

My upper back and shoulders are perfectly sore from yesterday’s class, and I’m looking forward to a Yoga I class tonight to really engage and lean into my practice.

How are you practicing self-kindness this holiday season? What are you doing to nurture your health and wellness, and where are you giving yourself a free pass in the name of sanity? 

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

In some ways I’ve been doing a good job of taking care of myself (I’ve been slugging 32oz of delicious green juice on a pretty regular basis, for example), and in others…not so much. As in, I don’t know the last time I meditated. And my plan to start a regular running routine never really took off.

Then I went back east for two awesome weeks of visiting family, and my (oh-so-tasty) wine and cheese consumption went through the roof. And I caught a super nasty cold that knocked me on my butt. Finally, a week and a half later, feel like I’m thinking clearly and can do more than lay on the couch.

I want to kick my health into gear so I start 2012 feeling like the best version of myself, not bloated and run down.

Which means…disincentive time is back. My girls Paloma & Amanda first introduced me to the disincentive bet when we lived in Seoul, and man oh man I have never been so diligent about meeting my goals! I created a spreadsheet to track my progress, and invite you to join in. It’s an open google doc, so anyone can edit it and add their own goals. (Remember: It’s a LIVE document, so don’t type over anyone else’s fields; just add your own in blank columns.)

I’m being ambitious, but I’m also being reasonable. I commit to:

1. Running a total of four miles a week, broken into at least three sessions. (Baby steps!)
2. Practicing yoga for at least 20 minutes a day, 6 days a week.
3. Doing my favorite ab workout, Jennifer Galardi‘s 10-minute Standing Abs video, 3 times a week.
4. Meditate for five minutes every day.

Dancing with Jen at my wedding last year

Hi folks! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving; I lucked out and got to see my whole immediately family, too-cute
niece & nephew included.

Pardon the silence (again), but I’ve been busy closing up our apartment in Seoul and preparing to move to San Diego. After 10 crazy days, I am excited to say:

We have a home!

This is the first lease I’ve signed in three years, and the first time the fell and I are setting up a proper home. Needless to say, I am stoked.

Because we’re pretty much starting from scratch, we have an amazing opportunity to be very deliberate in what we bring into our home. And I’d like to keep it as green as possible–particularly with regard to cleaning products. Much to my chagrin, I don’t have a whole lot of expertise in this area. Or, more specifically, I lack expertise in effective natural cleaning products.

Fortunately, you are a wise bunch, so I want to know: What are your favorite, effective, natural cleaning products? I’d really like to know what you recommend for tough jobs (hard water residue) and greasy jobs (olive oil coated pans).

So, brilliant folks, if you could leave your suggestions in the comments, I’d be incredibly grateful.