Weekend Vibes: Inspiration and Energy

This is the first weekend I've really felt like I've had time to sit back and relax in a long, long time. In fact, I don't remember the last time I had a full weekend at home where I didn't have any big plans. It's probably been over a year.

People often tell me they can't keep track of me...and then proceed to ask me if I ever sit still. To be quite honest, the answer is no, not really. I love movement. Intentional movement. I'm a big backer of setting intentions and making them a reality. This usually means I either jump in a car or on a plane and head out on journeys to explore all corners of this universe. So yeah, I have a hard time sitting still. Since late May, I've been to the desert, India for a month, and have done weekend road trips to California, Oregon and Montana...which basically means I've been home one or two weekends over the last few months - one of which was a wedding weekend. The next question people usually ask me is where I find the energy to continue moving. Since I get this a lot, I thought I'd spend a bit of time writing on the topics of inspiration and energy...two traits that fuel my exploration.

I find inspiration in more places than the average human. Always open, ever-curious, I find inspiration in things like the way a bee lands on a flower or the manner in which a couple's hands collide into one while walking down the sidewalk on a date. And, in a major way, I find inspiration through the stories of others. Today was no different. Wondering what a "slow" Sunday at home looks like for me? Here goes...

6am: Wake up to the sweet sounds of Lady Gaga singing "Gypsy"...a song with which my gypsy soul quite often arises. Can't get out of bed. Hang out for a bit under my vintage sari blanket and then stretch an epic stretch. My favorite.

6:45am: Jump into Aspen (my Subie) to head to breakfast with Kaylin at "No Worries Cafe" and realize I'm out of gas. Typical (not the waking up for 7am breakfast on a Sunday part, but rather the not having gas in my car part).

7:05am: Arrive at cafe. Order espresso STAT.

7:15-8am: Visit with an incredible woman and one of my dearest friends since I moved to Utah, Kaylin Richardson. I admire her immensely, and am insanely inspired by her brilliance, intellect, wit, athleticism and those beautiful lines she shreds in the backcountry. I had the honor of sitting down with Kaylin back in May for her Warren Miller's Peak3 Radio "One Word" Podcast before I went to India, and hadn't caught up with her since I had returned. Needless to say, it was a great way to start the day. Open heart, open mind...resulted in more energy than I could have gotten from a double espresso shot.

8am: Tour of Kaylin's new pad. Awesome.

8:15am: Drive Kaylin to airport. Give her a big ol' hug and send her off with smiles.

8:30am: Dirty Chai at my favorite coffee shop in the SLC, Higher Ground Coffee, then back to Park City.

10am: Chat with my great friend Barbara, from Prague, via Skype. Oh how I love technology. More inspiration and some comforting words from a friend, much-needed for my soul.

11am: Start watching McConkey while getting some work done. I'm not sure why I hadn't watched the film before, as I have heard a ton about McConkey's legacy, and had the pleasure of meeting Sherry at the Mammoth Invitational this spring through friend and U.S. Ski Team athlete Stacey Cook. Talk about inspiring. I adored the film, and the tales of McConkey's humor and antics as a rogue pioneer in the ski industry, pushing the boundaries and progression of the sports he loved. I laughed, I shed more than a few tears, and my heart was full throughout the film...full of gratitude that I live in this mountain community and work in the ski industry, surrounded by others who are passionate about our playground in nature. And, Sherry McConkey...what a complete badass you are...I had no idea you had base jumped! Can't wait to see you at Mammoth next spring again. You are inspiration bottled up into a beautiful, blonde-haired, bombshell, badass package. Wow.

1pm: More work. Watermelon for a snack. Look up airline tickets for a potential trip to Keene, VA to hang with my mentor and friend - the ultimate inspiration - Beatrix Ost.

2:30pm: My favorite time of the week: candlelight bath time (since I was a child, I've loved taking baths...water baby!), lavender bath salts and a literary gift from my sweet friend Claire, "The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself". I'm constantly learning, and this experience was no exception. I have a horrible tendency to start books and never get beyond the first 20 pages (if I'm lucky). This book was another victim to my book A.D.D., until I turned the page to the next chapter, entitled "Infinite Energy." People always ask me where I derive my energy from. No, people - I don't do drugs. I've never done cocaine. I'd be afraid to see what happened if I did...and you should be afraid too. Oftentimes, I run off of adrenaline and the energy gifted to me by those around me. Even so, it's crazy how much energy I have after an extreme lack of sleep, deep in the winter months when I'm immersed in the chaos of the White Circus. My colleague/friend once told me I was the most crazy and authentic individual he's ever met...I told him that was the best compliment I've ever received.

Even still, it has not always been this way. In past relationships and jobs I've become completely drained of energy. Reading the words in this book opened my mind as to the reason why. The premise is that energy doesn't just come from sleep or food, but from within:

This energy is always available to you. At any moment you can draw upon it. It just wells up and fills you from inside. When you're filled with this energy, you feel like you could take on the world. When it is flowing strongly, you can actually feel it coursing through you in waves. It gushes up spontaneously from deep inside and restores, replenishes, and recharges you. The only reason you don't feel this energy all the time is because you block it. You block it by closing your heart, by closing your mind, and by pulling yourself into a restrictive space inside. This closes you off from the darkness within you. There is no light. There is no energy. There is nothing flowing. The energy is still there but it can't get in...

Let's say that you love somebody. and you feel very open in their presence. Because you trust them, your walls come down allowing you to feel lots of high energy. But if they do something you don't like, the next time you see them you don't feel so high. You don't feel as much love. Instead, you feel tightness in your chest. This happens because you closed your heart. The heart is an energy center, and it can open or close. When you are open, you feel it. When you are closed, you don't. This flow of energy comes from the depth of your being. It's been called by many names. In ancient Chinese medicine, it is called Chi. In yoga, it is called Shakti. In the West, it is called Spirit.

Spirit. Yep, I've been told I have that. But in any case, this all completely makes sense. My biggest strength and weakness has always been that I can feel energy in a big way from those around me. I feel everything. When it's good, it's usually great. When it's bad, it can be awful. Extremely draining. Moral of the story: decide to be open. Nothing, ever, is worth closing your heart over. Energy can heal. Love can heal. Relax, and release. Onward and upward...

3:15pm: Time to escape reality, aka naptime. Unicorns have to take naps sometimes too. I dream of magic and visits to faraway sparkle countries, and skiing the most beautiful corduroy on a crisp mountain morning.

5:15pm: Wake up, read a bit more. Yoga outside on the deck.

7pm: Epic solo sunset mountain biking session to Round Valley. This is my fourth ride of the week, and after Friday's Armstrong ladies' ride with loads of tips and tricks, it is starting to feel more natural. It is so much fun to get out there and feel the wind in my face and the ground passing by quickly beneath my tires. The sunset tonight was unreal, too...vibrant hues of cotton-candy-purple-and-pink...the sky was almost glittering. Happiness. Clear mind. Open heart. Love.

9pm: Make dinner, grill master-style. 14 oz. New York Strip and corn-on-the-cob.

9:30pm: More work. Some more writing. Another shower. Laundry.

12:57am: Right now. This very moment. It's time to get some rest.

How's that for a restful Sunday?! Okay, well, in any case it's my version of rest. Time in nature, connection with inspirational souls, learning and loving...it all gives me the energy that I need to move forward with intention and a smile on my face. Thankful.

What gives you energy? Where do you find inspiration?