Tag Archives: Cary Fyfe

A Balanced Approach to Resolutions

iGnite - fireworks Here’s to a New Year with New Beginnings and — Balance! This year, let’s think about a more simplified approach to resolutions and try to make those resolutions realistic and sustainable. One way to do this is to prioritize your goals as you come up with ‘Less is More’ resolutions. When we focus on doing less and doing it well, instead of doing more and assuming it’s better, we’re less scattered, more deliberate, less stressed, and more present. Our leaders are sharing their ‘Less is More’ Resolutions to encourage a more balanced lifestyle for 2016. Enjoy and be inspired!

Neissa Springmann

Less Caffeine, More Water

“Rather than use water, wholesome food and proper hydration to boost my energy, when my energy is low I drink MORE caffeine. I absolutely know better, and when I do eliminate or decrease my caffeine conssumption and only drink water, I feel amazing!” – Neissa

Less Thinking and Over-Thinking, More Prayer

“I like to think of myself as a faithful person, but waaaay too often (almost always), I do not turn all of my questions and decisions over to God in prayer. I’m not a worrier or really an over-thinker, but I am an independant minded do-er, so too often I don’t include God in my daily decisions. I want every minute of my day to be directed by God and in order for that to happen, I need to include him in all decisions- big and small.” -Neissa

Less Spending, More Giving

“Having recently moved I purged a lot, however I am still amazed at how much excess I still have and frankly, I don’t need, and will likely never use. There are so many people who are in great need of basic things, all of which I have plenty of. Therefore, in 2016 I am going to make it a priority to spend less on “things” and give more.” – Neissa

Less Judgement, More Love and Compassion-

“Shamefully, I am amazed at how quickly I will judge someone or make an assumption about them when I don’t even know them! To be called to love one another means that we love despite flaws and having a ton myself, I certainly want people to love me and my family despite ours.” -Neissa

Kathleen Parker

Less Cooking & Cleaning, More time on the Lake

Less Collecting Stuff (Clutter), More quality time with friends and family

Less worrying about getting everything done, More time traveling with friends and family

Less focusing on wasteful errands, More time BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, of course that happens a lot on the lake!

“I am at a phase of life where enjoying every day is a requirement!
Each day is such a gift. I am not waisting one more in 2016.” – Kathleen

Cary Fyfe

Less time worrying, More time in prayer

“This takes that yearly reminder to reboot. And then again throughout the year…friends hold me to this as well.” – Cary

Sha Klatt

Less time thinking about being active, More time being active.

“I’m trying to do something active everyday. It usually helps if I get it done first thing, but a 20 minute walk in the evening works too. It really makes a difference for me to do something active everyday.” -Sha

Molly Daniels

Less time spent on technology, More quality time with my husband

“My husband and I both work from home, so it’s hard to “turn work off”. We are aiming to do our technology turn-off every night for at least one hour so we can spend quality time together.” -Molly

More yoga, Less cross training

“Thanks to Amy Younkman teaching her wonderful Vinyasa Yoga class at Treehouse Yoga, I now have found a wonderful class I really enjoy and get excited to go to once a week. It reminds me to slow down and take time for rest – I don’t always have to be going 90 miles per hour.” – Molly

Amy Younkman

Less time using technology, More time using my own thoughts.

“In 2016, I plan to tune out the need to constantly be “plugged in” to technology and instead tune into the “Amy app” where I am checking in with my own internal wisdom and guidance.” – Amy

Jill Watts

Less time talking, More time listening

Less time complaining, More time being grateful

“I am trying to do these things especially with my kids” – Jill

Delaine Teeple

Less eating out, More cooking at home

“It is so easy with the multitude of after-school activities and sports for our kids to just eat out on the way home instead of prioritizing a home-cooked meal and calm evening together. I know that everyone makes healthier choices at home, and I enjoy cooking for the family.” -Delaine

Less multi-tasking, More being present with my family

“With a little more prioritizing during the school day, I could get more done (or cut things out completely!) which will enable me to be free when the kids and my husband get home to enjoy my time with them and be present in the moment.” – Delaine

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8 Christmas Gifting Opportunities that Give Back

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Looking for a more meaningful way to give this year?

Check out our team’s favorite socially-conscious companies to buy from and charities to give to this holiday season:

Raven + Lily

Raven + Lily “The whole mission of this beautiful jewelry, clothing and home goods line is to ’empower women through design.’ I have many of their pieces of jewelry and clothing, and I LOVE to give them as gifts because they’re not only beautiful but support such an incredible cause and an unbelievable organization — that way, everyone that gets one of their items then looks into what they’re doing and sees the big picture 🙂 Check it out at http://www.ravenandlily.com“
-Catherine Sanderson

Teen and Family Services

“The charity of my choice this Christmas season is Teen and Family Services, a Texas-based nonprofit that fills such an important gap for families searching for answers. It’s a peer-based recovery support program for adolescents and their families who are suffering from the harmful effects of teen substance abuse. You can donate or learn more about their holistic approach at teenandfamilyservices.org.”
–Betty Cunningham

Marbridge Ranch

“My favorite charity is Marbridge Ranch, because it’s just a happy place, filled with kind people — staff, residents and volunteers. It offers a safe and comfortable home for many cognitively-challenged adults, and the programs at Marbridge enrich lives daily, by providing activities, skills training for jobs, and community. It is the place where you go to give, and you leave filled up…they turn it around, and you become the recipient of warm welcomes, friendly hellos and hugs, and just the most contagious, amazing smiles that will absolutely light you up. I love the place, and I love to support it! To support Marbridge Ranch during the holidays you can donate or become a short or long term volunteer. You can find these opportunities at www.marbridge.org“
–Cary Fyfe

Lush

“I also like Lush for great handmade skin care and body products and they have wonderful project called “Charity Pot,” 100% of the proceeds from sales of this cream is donated to small, grassroots organizations working in the areas of environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights. Learn more about this great product at www.lushusa.com.”
–Alli Phillips

Buy Fair Trade

“Buying “Fair Trade” products and gifts (chocolate, coffee, wine, etc.) means that the workers and artisans around the world that grew/created/manufactured the food, goods, or gift items you purchase were paid a fair “living wage.” This is why “fair trade” goods are sometimes more expensive, but also why it’s so important to support these companies. Just look for “Fair Trade” signage as you shop around this holiday season.”
–Alli Phillips

Altar’d State

“I love this store for three reasons: 1). They have super cute clothes 2) . They have affordable clothes 3). They are service-oriented, and they donate 1% of all sales to local and international charities. They sponsor high-risk children in Peru, and they support their employees by sponsoring volunteer hours. To date, they have volunteered over 1600 hours! Check out their clothing and their mission at www.altardstate.com.
–Neissa Springmann

Victory School Uganda

“My good friends and Austin natives, Jeanne and Lew Little, founded the Victory School upon traveling to Uganda and witnessing first-hand the poverty and absolute practical and educational needs of the children in a remote village in Western Uganda. They founded the Kumakuma Foundation as a means to partner with the Victory School in Uganda and help provide the children with a quality education and a bright future. What I love about the Victory School is that for just $25 a month, I am able to sponsor a child, which provides tuition, books, supplies, a uniform, 2 meals a day, access to clean water and life skills. As a sponsor, I receive pictures and letters from my child and am able to write him as well. Find out more about this beautiful foundation at www.victoryschooluganda.org.”
–Neissa Springmann

Trinity Center Austin

“The Trinity Center is an incredible faith-based organization that loves on the homeless and provides them with emotional, spiritual and physical needs. From socks, underwear to tennis shoes, they provide it for these sweet people living in downtown Austin. To learn more and donate visit www.trinitycenteraustin.org/.”
–Neissa Springmann

Want some more great gift-giving ideas? Check out our
“give back” lists from previous years here and here.

Compiled by Delaine Teeple

I’ll be Honest, I’m Not Good at Change!

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iGnite - if nothing ever changed

Photo taken by founder Neissa in iGnite member Mary Bell’s flower garden while the Monarch butterflies migrated to Mexico. Be sure to be on the lookout for Monarch butterflies (iGnite’s chosen symbol for strength and grace), as they will be migrating and coming through Austin soon! Devastatingly, since 1990 about 970 billion Monarchs have vanished due to farmers and homeowners spraying herbicides on Milkweed. You can help by planting a lot of Milkweed, which serves as their primary food source, nursery and home.

Point to Ponder:
How do you cope with change?

by Molly Daniels

Change is very hard for me, and I’ve experienced a lot of it in the past three weeks. These recent changes aren’t happening to me personally, but rather to families very near to my heart — special friends who I consider family. As I mentioned in my journal piece about “connectedness,” when I love someone, I love hard, and I attach equally so. Hence, any event that alters that relationship is challenging for me.

I found out several months ago that my closest family friends in Austin were considering a move to Seattle, and my first reaction was an uncontrollable flood of tears. I cried thinking about how I would never get to see “my girls” as often as I would like. When I moved to Austin in 2006, I began babysitting for them. At the time, the oldest was nearly two, and the mom was pregnant with the little sister. I babysat two to three times every week, ate dinner with them, watched TV shows, spent the night, went to baptisms, helped at every birthday party, had Thanksgiving with them and had them as flower girls in my wedding. We actually are almost family — we share the same cousins, but we aren’t cousins, although the girls and I like to say we are 🙂 I have lived five minutes away from them for nine years, and could see them anytime that I wanted. I felt like I “grew up” in their house — as an 18 year old moving to a big city and a huge school, they were exactly what I needed. So, needless to say, their decision to move to Seattle really upended me, and the tears — both by myself and in public — continued to flow freely. I was hit hard with the feeling that a huge part of my heart and my life were leaving “home”. And I am crying as I write this because it is still so hard for me to think about, especially when I drive by their house and the two girls aren’t outside jumping on the trampoline with huge smiles on their faces. Although I know I can go visit them in Seattle anytime, and I will see them at Christmas, it is just not the same.

Then, when iGnite founder Neissa announced to our team that her husband Russell accepted a job in San Diego, my head fell to the table, and I cried so intensely…I even think I was dry-heaving! Neissa and iGnite have been the best thing to happen to me since I graduated college! I was very persistent with her when I was interested in joining the iGnite team, and she gave me a chance, for which I am forever thankful. I love her so much as a friend and a mentor, and I love her kids to pieces. I spent so much quality time with them over the summer, which was so nice, but that did make it slightly harder when they left. We swam at my pool, splashed in the lake, had dinner together and laughed a ton. My husband Clayton and I have conversations in “Malaine voices”, and we often catch ourselves saying things that both she and Durant say. We have enjoyed getting to FaceTime several times already, which was such a treat!

Saying goodbye to both of these families was tough — I cried in front of “my girls”, but actually held it together in front of Neissa and her family (I waited until I got in my car — which was not easy). Clayton has been telling me for months, “Molly, they both have to do this for their families. There is nothing to be sad about.” I completely understood his point about this truth, but I needed and wanted validation that my feelings were real. I got the validation I needed from sweet girlfriends, like Cary Fyfe and Kathy Huffaker, for which I am so thankful.

As I move forward and release all of my emotions, through either talking about it or crying, I am slowly learning to embrace this change, remembering that change is a natural and necessary part of life, and that where we all “travel” next will be good. I also try to remind myself of a quote that Neissa hung in her kitchen shortly after she knew that a significant change was coming their way:

“Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they are meant to be”.

Most certainly, this is a growth opportunity for me, and even though it very painful, I know these changes are part of God’s plan. After all, I now have two really cool (literally and figuratively) places to visit, and I am certain that travel is EXACTLY how this change is nudging me to move forward — ha! However, and listen carefully to this, I hope that everyone that I love now knows that they simply must not move, EVER, because I am currently maxed out on change 🙂

Action Item:
If you struggle coping with change, remind yourself regularly of this truth:

“Change is not something that we should fear.
Rather, it is something we should welcome. For without change,
nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom,
and no one in this world would ever move forward
to become the person they are meant to be”.

How Cary is In The Game

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Point to Ponder:

Do your fears inhibit you from trusting people and life in general?

In an effort to be vulnerable, courageous and 100% in the game, throughout the month of July the iGnite Team is going to share some of our fears (eek!!). Like all things in life, nothing is as they appear, the human experience is not unique and we all have fears. Therefore, we feel it’s important that we open the doors into our heads and hearts so that in the event you are experiencing similar fears and emotions (and we know at least one person is) we can bring you comfort, encouragement and even spark some healthy conversation. So, without further adieu, I hope you enjoy Cary’s beautiful testimony and appreciate how she’s avoiding the sidelines and playing in the game of motherhood and letting her children fly.

by Cary Fyfe

“Have faith in him…”

My oldest son, in his quest to encourage me to step back from his younger brother’s need to blossom on his own, softly laid these words like a potion, on to my raw, motherhood anxiety. There we sat, in a sports bar, of all places, the night before this wise young man left for his first year of college. I had asked him to dinner, just him and me, so that I could frantically plant as many seeds as I could before he sailed off into his future…my motherly cherry-on-top-gift to him. He quietly tolerated my mission, and his brown eyes compassionately caressed my anxious sorrow as he listened and validated. Then, when I finally took a breath between words, he softly said this: “You are a great mother. You did everything you needed to do with and for me. Thank you. And now, I want to tell you something important. You needed to do that for me…it was necessary for me…but it is not necessary for Jack. You can step back. You can give him space to use the great skills he has….please do that, Mom…it’s okay to do that. Have faith in him.” I stopped talking, and I began to listen…and what I heard was my own fear — fear that disguised itself as concern, as necessary in order to guarantee the survival of my children. Fear that was not…was not….true. What was true was the clarity of my oldest son, the capabilities of my youngest son, and my misguided thought that I alone could set their ships on course, for life. I treasure that warm summer night when my sage-of-a-son very gently peeled away the layers of my misguided need to control, and compassionately revealed my useless fear. And in my case, as my son taught me, my fear wasn’t something that I needed to conquer, but rather something that I needed to recognize for what it was, so that I could have the faith to allow life to happen around me, as it was supposed to happen. Falling into fear is a dance that I still do, but because Taylor brought a simple truth to life for me, I can now allow sweet faith to be a bigger part of that dance.

Action Item:

Recognize your fears for what they are. Then have faith by letting go and let life happen around you, as its supposed to.

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4 Moves to Release Tension in the Neck & Shoulders Using a Tennis Ball

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If we feel tight or tense anywhere, it’s often in our neck, shoulders and upper back. Yoga leaders Amy Younkman and Cary Fyfe share 4 fantastic and easy ways you can use simple tennis balls to release that tension from the comfort of your own home or even while traveling.

Embracing the Yin and Yang of Life

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waterfall

by Cary Fyfe

Life….it flows, it surprises, it lifts and drops. Sometimes, it drops more than it lifts. And sometimes, no matter what we do to alter unwelcome circumstances, we have no choice but to let go and sit in what is happening. To not strive…to stay in the sensation of the experience…to allow tension to transform to strength. While it works to respond actively to many situations, when we surrender — while surrounding ourselves with support — we learn to love the truth that is right there, patiently smiling upon us.

That truth finally snagged me, when I became a mother to two boys…two very busy, delightful, public boys. It was a process though…I continually turned my head to the chances to be enlightened — I really thought — not proud of this one — that I had reached my mountaintop of maturity and wisdom, that I was equipped to rock this gig of motherhood. I had always worked with children, what did I not know? And not surprisingly, my arrogance was swamped by the first rough wind that took me to my knees…a wind that knowingly whispered, “Self-anointed ‘I’ve-got-this’ mama, these boys are here to teach you…so please listen.”

And listen I did. But trust what I heard, I did not. I was a slow learner. I was intent on — dang it — being the writer of my family’s story. We all have periods in our lives where we feel wildly tossed about by rapids, and we madly paddle to avoid the inevitable waterfall — we hear its roar, and it terrifies us. While we wonder how — or if — we will reach a peaceful shore before the cascade envelops us, we strive to fight the inevitable, to change the story. Oh, oh, I wanted to change the story. I did not want to be in the spotlight of teachers and administrators who were dialing my number. I did not want to consult experts to guide us along the way. And worst of all, I did not heed the messages that each of my precious sons were sending me…I was too frantic, too busy, too scared.

So I shook. I pushed back. I cratered. I chose to pull hard, away from the uncomfortable sensations; I was resistant to releasing the hold that fear had planted inside of me. While my precious sons were shining their little rainbows of uniqueness and wonder at me, I was franticly responding to the messages that I had been given my whole life, and to those that were being given to me as a mother, by the small — not always kind — world surrounding my family. “Try this, try that, if you don’t do this now, they’ll do this later”…and one day, my paddles broke, our boat flipped, and we all went over the waterfall.

There is good news here, and it took a trip into the dreaded abyss to trust it: the truth that lies below the fall has been waiting patiently, for our arrival. In order for my story to be changed, I had to first let go and embrace the story that was present. That precipice, that torrent of water and where it landed us, was my lovely truth. That free fall down the current, into the calmer stream below, forced me to let go — to hold myself and my family in love and compassion as I recognized that my story was, indeed, a beautiful one.

When life’s current determines our direction, we must power up and actively engage, while also dwelling quietly in the sensations of the experience. Both are necessary. The active response — Yang — fuels us for motion, and the passive response — Yin — heals, informs and sustains us. While we use our strength to paddle, we give in to the force of the current. And no matter where we finally settle, it takes both engagement and surrender…Yin and Yang…to arrive. Beauty in strife, strength in repose…balance. I so love nurturing that balanced, life process, as it is mirrored in my own practice and teaching of Yin Yoga…to release the struggle, and to witness the beauty that then flows.

Join Cary February 28th for a Workshop on Yin Yoga Exploration:

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The Magical Tibetan Twist

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by Cary Fyfe

As we move more deeply into November, and closer to — ready for this? — The Holidays!! — I want to share my yoga “go-to” with you. This magical move is for those moments when, in one minute, your head is spinning wildly off of your body, and in the very next, you fall asleep while standing in line at the post office, still holding on to your packages. This move is called a “Tibetan Twist”, and it reconnects my body and mind every single time that I do it.

How-To:

So here we go…stand up, feet hip-distance apart, lift your arms straight out to the sides, to shoulder height (like you’re pretending to be a bird, one that could fly to Grandma’s house and not have to ride in the car with the kids for 5 hours), and:

twist right, twist left
inhale right, exhale left, breathe in and out, through your nose
twist 21 times on each side, and you will soon love yourself and your life again.

Benefits

If anxiety is poking at you, twist and breathe slowly, for calming. If lethargy is plaguing you, move more quickly, for energy. And if you’ve had too much pecan pie and dressing, twist away and your full belly will thank you. You can do this anywhere — yes, people will stare, but we are entering the Season of Wonder, so who cares? Just put the packages down first, twist and breathe away, and the wonderers will wish they knew what you knew. And now, I’ll leave you with a fun-fact: the magic of 21 times has another story, and there are 4 other exercises in the Tibetan series, but I will stop here and say — a little pre-Christmas gift from me to you — the next time you see Amy Younkman, ask her to tell you more because she is a “Tibetan Five” expert! Happy Travels, Happy Feasting and Happy Twisting!

Cary’s Day 7 | 10-Day Body Re-Boot

Only 3 more days to go, you can do it!

What’s Your Monkey Bar?

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“First tell yourself what you want to be, then do what you need to do.”
– Epictetus

Action Item:
Set a goal, back it with objectives, then support it with action, practice and positive reinforcement (and let others support you!).

by Cary Fyfe

The quote and action sound simple, right? At first glance — yes, then when we move forward with the goal in mind, we get tripped up. It’s so easy to dream big and set goals, but not so easy to accomplish them. Why is that? A million reasons like: “I ran out of time,” “I don’t have the resources,” “I don’t have the strength,” “my life is too scattered,” etc. All true, but only if we set our sights on the goal, then neglect to engage in the small steps that enable us to reach the goal. And what are those small steps? Find them in this story about CK, a 4 year-old preschool student of mine:

CK stands alone on the playground, nestled into a shady spot beside the monkey bars. She seems unaware of the gleeful sounds of play surrounding her; she ignores her friends’ requests for her to join. I look toward the object of her thoughtful gaze, and she is intently watching a playmate guide her seemingly effortless way across the monkey bars – back and forth, over and over – reach, grab, dangle, swing, reach again…a natural and unselfconscious dance for this four-year-old peer. She continues to watch, then sees me and slowly approaches, something clearly on her mind.

“I want to do that.” She points to her swinging friend. “…but I can’t” she adds.

I reach for her hand and we walk together to the monkey bars. Together, we survey the ladder — up to the launch, the length of the bars to the ladder on the other side, and the length between the bars. We talk about how the metal is hard on sweet, innocent palms, of how it’s hard to maintain a strong grip.

“What CAN you do on the monkey bars?” I ask. Without answering, she shows me as she climbs the short ladder, affirms her safe stance, reaches for the first bar with one hand, then the other, then turns to look at me again. Where moments before there had been a look aglow with possibilities there is now a cloud, casting a shadow of self-doubt across her face. I smile and urge her forward with a nod, she turns again to the bars, and with the twinkle returning to her now determined focus, she reaches one hand out, then the other, and drops her feet from the ladder. She swings – I will her to hold on. The earlier shadow crosses her face again – I tense every muscle in my body as if that would be the force that enables her to stay aloft. And with my smiles and the excited hurrays of her friends who are now cheering her on, she breaks her personal record for holding that first bar, then moves ahead by reaching out for the second. Does she make it the first time? No. And not the second or third either, but she is now clear about her goal: she is going to cross the monkey bars. She now knows her objectives: to hold on to one monkey bar and swing, to reach for the next bar and repeat, to continue this practice until her goal is reached. Her support when she loses faith? The encouragement of her friends and her teacher, the inspiration of her peers doing what she so badly wants to be able to do, her growing strength from practicing and experiencing small successes.

And she moves toward this goal by doing just that – she practices. And even in her four-year-old world, there are roadblocks. It rains the next day and we don’t make it to the playground. She chooses to play chase with friends over monkey bar practice every now and again. She gets a blister and has to rest for a few days. But in time, she makes it across, and when she does, there is cause for celebration like nothing has ever been celebrated before in her short life. And it is a golden moment, one that launches her towards her next goal: to cross back over again.

So, what’s your ‘monkey bar?’ In other words, what goal/goals are you striving toward? Whether physical, mental or spiritual, this week is our week to allow ourselves to revisit the simplicity of moving forward with our goals and desires, which will move us closer to living our legacy. Therefore, set a goal or goals. Back it up with specific, reasonable objectives that enable you to move towards accomplishing that desired behavior. Then actively practice those objectives in your daily life – again, even in the tiniest ways. Find support and encouragement by surrounding yourself with supportive people, or positive and inspiring readings or situations. You can also share your goal someone who is happy to nudge you gently forward, as you see fit.

“First tell yourself what you want to be, then do what you need to do,” and we will continually celebrate together and for each other like no one has ever celebrated before!

Point to Ponder:
What is something difficult you would like to accomplish this summer, but don’t know how you will make it happen?

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the iGnite blog

Body + Mind + Spirit

Tag Archives: Cary Fyfe

A Balanced Approach to Resolutions

8 Christmas Gifting Opportunities that Give Back

Looking for a more meaningful way to give this year?

Check out our team’s favorite socially-conscious companies to buy from and charities to give to this holiday season:

Raven + Lily

Teen and Family Services

Marbridge Ranch

Lush

Buy Fair Trade

Altar’d State

Victory School Uganda

Trinity Center Austin

Want some more great gift-giving ideas? Check out our
“give back” lists from previous years here and here.

You Might Also Like:

I’ll be Honest, I’m Not Good at Change!

Point to Ponder:
How do you cope with change?

Action Item:
If you struggle coping with change, remind yourself regularly of this truth:

“Change is not something that we should fear.
Rather, it is something we should welcome. For without change,
nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom,
and no one in this world would ever move forward
to become the person they are meant to be”.