Tribal Nautical

Necklace, handmade in Ecuador, Earrings www.lailarowe.com shades www.forever21.com

A couple of years ago we lived in New York City's ultra hip Greenwich Village. Nearly each time I walked home I passed by Ralph Lauren's Rugby store. Never did I not notice the exquisite attention to detail in this funky but somehow classic division of Ralph Lauren's fashion empire.

Many touches on how I combine my outfits today comes from what I learned by admiring Ralph's windows for several years. One of my favorite Ralph Lauren summer inspirations is combining a nautical piece with some tribal touches. Not the ordinary pairing but for me it makes my heart soar. Mostly because my Mom comes from a little city, Cuenca which nestled in the Andes Mountains in Ecuador. Here is where my beaded necklace was made. During many vacations to her homeland I've collected several pieces of what I call art made by native Ecuadorians.

My bag resting in the foreground is gifted from India, where my husband's family comes from and this is also hand made by native Indians. I love pieces that are made by artisan natives that come from countries which are so far away and older than my own. What I've come to realize is that not only are they unique items and filled with a little bit of spirit from their origin but these works of art last.

My dress on the other hand is actually a skirt from the Heritage line at www.forever21.com that I bought last summer. I opted to wear it as a dress because the day these pictures were taken it must have been a 100 degrees outside and I wanted something loose and light on. After I taught class in the morning I slipped off my camisole and pulled the skirt up and over my chest. This was a trick I learned during my pregnancy days to not only make room for baby but to also feel the breeze under my dress.

Shoes Nine West outlet store

As for my postures, July is all about back bending and keeping my heart open to all the great seeds that are ripening before me. I'm noticing that it is easy for doubt to pop into my consciousness when what I've wanted five years ago or so presents itself and it is my turn to receive it. When I physically practice back bends I find it to be the antidote to lack of trust and fear as my nervous and tight shoulders soften away from my ears, my ego softens a bit and more truth emerges from my voice. All of this along with open arms is who I want to be

Because summer's fun times and unstructured schedules can get me a little out of balance from doing some necessary things in my daily routine like buying milk and returning phone calls, I've thrown a little balancing work into my practice. I usually practice plenty of balancing postures in the spring but now I'm finding they have a place during mid summer to tune me up.

I can't believe how these geese stayed with me as I practiced. If you look closely a few of them followed my dance.