Someone, somewhere, in summertime...

MO:

What a phenomenal weekend!!!
When Sweden shows this side of sunny, there is nowhere else in the world I´d rather be. I hope you MOJO:ers have had a wonderful time -enjoying the sun, the warmth and the incredibly relaxed atmosphere that seems to rule when spring turns to high summer...

I had my wonderful friend Ulrica here Friday to Saturday. We managed to just fika & hang out for 1 day and a half. Not bad for 2 normally ultra-busy people. Ullis is a dear friend since many years now, and although we don´t get to see each other more than a few times a year, we always make sure that we have some quality time together. She is living her dream at the moment with a new yoga super-studio - OM YOGA opening in August at Norra Bantorget in Stockholm plus a bunch of new books coming out in the next years.

With multi-talented, fierce & fab woman & friend Ulrika Norberg

On Saturday we hung out with sis, M & darling Daisy in the country. P and I were shattered when we finally got to bed. Living in the center of the city has its advantages and its SEVERE disadvantages at times. Being the hottest weekend of the year, student-times, pay-day weekend, etc, it meant that the streets weren´t really quiet, if you know what I mean. So, what´s a pregnant gal got to do? Well, at 00.35am in the morning, I suggested to P that we should move our bedroom into our spare room (the office). P just looked at me incrediously in silence for about 30 sec and then went: "Are you for real?"

He held up for about 10 minutes and then we started to move furniture around...

Today has been spent IKEA-shopping (for a new roller blind), present shopping and celebrating my wonderful, wonderful mum on Mother´s Day. I´ll sleep like a princess in our "new" bedroom tonight....

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More than a woman...

FINAL DAY today with miss A!

Mixed feelings... kinda just starting the get into the flow, getting the hang of it and now it's over.

It's been an intense 9 days but I would do it all over again!

I have soo many new tools in my box as I leave Rhode Island.
But even more meaningful - I have made some really GREAT connections with AMAZING people!




Like at this very moment I am sitting in my room listening to More than a women with Bee Gees dancing the Disco Nauli Dance with my roomie, preparing for 4hours of Sweat sweat sweat!!! Doing lines from "A night at the museum" - Faro to Darth Wader: You don't look evil to me, you look a bit to much... like what's with the cape... r u going to the Opera??! And the Breath, I can't even hear my own thinking....... hahahaha

Off to the LAST Supper now folks

Love Jo

KEY TO HAPPINESS

Just came back from another Movie with my supa dupa room mate :)

2 more days of yoga with Ana Forrest and then I'm heading to NYC with some delicious crazy yogis!

Ana found my weak spot or soft spot or whatever you want to call it today 5min into class... I felt the tears coming like a river bursting free but then.... I couldn't really let it go.

At least now I know where it sits and I can visit her when I .... (well I could write some bullshit here like when I am ready, when I have the time, when I feel like it bla bla bla but actually....) WHEN I FIND MY VAGINA (balls is the common expression here but it doesn't really fit;)

Isn't it amazing how you can find LIFE everywhere!
From Yoga to the mall to "A night at the Museum" :)


Ben Stiller taught me this today:

DO WHAT YOU LOVE WITH THE ONES THAT YOU LOVE
Right on Jo

From laughter to tears to amazment and joy

MO:

Slept better last night so today wasn´t bad!
Started up with a café breakfast with gorgeous Malin I, who is only a few weeks behind me with her pregnancy. It was a wonderful opportunity to moan, discuss and LAUGH about different pregnancy issues. The biggest and loudest laughter of the fika? How not to show up at the delivery table with a ...... "beard".... need I say more???

I had lunch with one of the few high school friends that I keep in touch with and also happened to bump into lovely Fatou, who is the group training manager at Gymnasium.

Had a treatment at P´s clinic in the afternoon, after having snuggled with my niece for a bit. My lower back has started to complain loudly in the last week, so P made sure he gave me some tough love in that area...

Ok, so about 1 month to go. It´s amazing to have gone from:
1. Never wanting to have children.
2. Maybe wanting to have 1 child.
3. IF I´m going to have 1 child it will be with this man.
4. I´m going to have a child with this man.

When we finally made the decision it took us 1 month to get pregnant. But we also lost that pregnancy in a miscarriage 5 weeks later on.
It was weird. I was sad and upset and confused. First of all that I COULD get pregnant (for some reason I had had this feeling that maybe I couldn´t?) and secondly, how/why did it not work out? Completely illogical thinking, I know, but remember, I knew NOTHING about pregnancies, let alone miscarriges at this stage... I then learnt that about 25-30% of all first time pregnancies end up in miscarriage. I also learnt that many women around me had gone through the same thing without me knowing aobut it....I was shocked that it was so common and that people just didn´t seem to talk about it... I guess grief is such a personal thing....

I thought my body would need months to recover. It didn´t. I got pregnant again the following month. And went through the most scary experience. I had a very early ultrasound because of my previous experience and when I lay there on the examination table, the midwife couldn´t find anything.
An empty amniotic sac was all there was to see.
I was refered to the city´s main hospital. Over 3 days they measured my progesterone levels and in the end the doctor told me that I would most probably experience another miscarriage within the next few days. 2 days later the bleeding started.

This time it took me longer to recover. Both mentally, but also physically. 7 months to be exact, before I could feel that my body was back to normal. When your body is your working tool, you are so in tune with every aspect of it, that the slightest change can be felt.

After that 7th month, we got pregnant for the 3rd time. And that´s where we are now. Entering week 36. It´s amazing and it´s a joy, however bad I feel during certain days and certain hours. Believe me, I´m grateful.

Love
MO

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My PRECIOUS!!

Two days ago I posted a blog with some questions that you can ask yourself. Like what is most precious in your life, important, what r you proud of etc...

On all of these question my FAMILY came at the TOP!
And that is my mother, grandmother and BROTHER. Look what he did!!!

You rock ELLE :)

Have fun in Gbg and don't crash my home! I love you but there are limits heyyy ;) hihih

Puss Sissi

The Yin and Yang of a Yoga teacher Training

Ahhh

A day full of YOGA (off course)

I am learning so much everyday! Tomorrow I am gonna teach the whole class in front of Ana Forrest (only around 5min but still). She gives MASSIVE feedback in front of the whole group. I like it and am scared of it at the same time - you know - evolve or die :)

As a teacher trainer my self I am really impressed with the way she gives feedback to the students. She is FUCKING HONEST in a way that is truthful and evolving for the student cause you can feel that it is done with the deepest affection! I aim to be able to do that! (have a hard time being THAT honest sometimes....)

Anyhow - there is a time for yoga and there is a time for girl stuff :) So after classes today me and my gorgeous/funny/smart rommie went to dinner and a movie :)

YUMM

As in Yummy Food, Coffe :) and gorgeous Ewan McGregor in Angels and Demons !!

It is way past bedtime now yogis!

Sweet Dreams

Jo

Aggression Central

MO:

I DETEST being pregnant.
That´s it. Out in the open.
And some days are worse than others. Today was a "worse" day.
So bad that it made me feel aggressive.

Example? If someone had told me today: "Ohhh, I looooved being pregnant - it was the best time of my life!...." I would have responded with a COLD, LONG, HARD STARE, followed by a very chilling:
"Well, You need to get yourself a PROPER LIFE, then!!!"

With just over 1 month to go, I´m counting the days-the hours-the minutes, until my little Prince arrives. And once that miracle has arrived - sound and healthy - at least I know this is something that I will NEVER, EVER have to experience again...

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What matters to YOU?

The 4th day

And it is beautiful! I am standing strong and firm still stating that Ana Forrest is one of the most skill full and present persons I have ever met. She is also a 0 zone NO-BULLSHIT person :)



Perhaps that's why many people interpret her as HARD CORE and say ohhhh when you tell them that you're going to practice with her. But I like it! I like when people are clear, say what they want, what they mean and GO FOR IT! My spirit is like that but I know that I don't always follow through right to the end (in my actions and speach that is). Like most people in our society.

Because we think that we have to be and act and talk to people in certain politically and socially correct ways - which are BULLSHIT really.
Like Ana calls it - we are Sacrificial Hores!! Here take my bread, it is really the last I have and I am starving, but go ahead, take it, really.......


This is part of what we did today - And I am offering it to YOU to practice this with me :)

Answer the following questions:

1. What do you have that is fullfilling in your life?
2. What do you have or do that you are proud of?
3. What do you have in your life that you are greatful for?
4. Waht is precious in your life right now?
5. What helps you to live mindful of the sacred gift that is your life?
6. What do you need to change to honour your life?

Your homework is to practice what you wrote down (and if you don't know how to practice it, figure it out!) during this week!

Today was a good day - cause I choose to have one ;)

Of to do my homework now :)
(That is playing basketball cause my spirit told me to :)

La la Love Jo

SPIRIT

"Little" J shows feature of strength...

MO:

Children, DO NOT try this at home...

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Kettlebell - training with Steve Cotter

"Now, where did I put that kettlebell...?"

Hilde from Norway, KB-Swinging soft style at 8 months pregnant - fierce!

GO NORWAY! This bunch of people = awesome KB-lifters!
Christian, Kari, Hilde & Lisbet

With the very sweet, very lovely (even if they look tough and hard) guys from Crossfit Nordic.
Erik, Tomas, Rickard & Einar.

She´s tiny - but VERY strong and with a beautiful technique: Ayame.

WOW. It´s great to feel small and light again! "Little John" - doing lifting with pregnant woman.
Fab person, with the nicest smile and heart...
oh, and with the COOLEST name:
John Wild Buckley...

The man, the myth, the legend: Steve Cotter.
The things he can do with his body are a bit out of this world.
RESPECT.

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Struggle Free?!

Thank you ALL for your loving words, they really mean a lot to me!

Especially today when I got back from the first yoga session 7am-12 non stop ADVANCED ASANA.

I was exhausted, not physically but mentally!
Forrest yoga is a very different style of yoga compared to what I normally teach. You hold the poses for quiet some time, the room is heated to 35-38° Celsius BUT the most challenging part is the mental journey you go through. Ana is an AMAZING teacher and there is not one singel thing that you can get away with. She even sees all the crap that you do that YOU'RE not even awear of.

Anyhow... this morning the intention with the class was STRUGGLE FREE.

I am not joking when I say that the room was full of people screaming like animlas being hunted down. I can take a lot but those screams went right into my soul like a dirty knife, twisting, turning, unwinding itself.



I was exhausted! I ran straight brack to my room and took a long shower. Thinking about NOT going back in the afternoon.

But of course I did (if you know me!) and I am glad that I did.
I am learning and it is hard cause it is not BLACK or WHITE as you all know.

I just got back from a DELICIOUS dinner with FAB girls! Feelt like getting a bit naughty tonight so we went to an Italian restaurant and had fried food and cappucionos :) Lovelly !!

My favourite quote of the day:

They/You need EXECUTION - not EDUCATION. It's gonna get answerd by FEELING it!
-Ana Forrest

Throw yurselfs in there MOJO readers
Jo

Scrambled brain

MO:

Looking all over the place after our camera cable, so that I can publish some cool photos and videos from Steve Cotter´s Kettelbell education this weekend.... Ehhh, being pregnant does not help when you try to get your brain cells collaborating....
Give me a few more hours....

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Just make me wanna SHOUT

It's Funny!
During a YOGA Intensive there are certain Do's and Dont's.
Some secret and not so secret RULES that you have to play by:

DON'T

• Drink Coffey, coca cola
• Eat any processed foods (ice cream is out of the question)
• Smoke or take any drugs (well, off course!)
• Use any kind of perfume
• Joke about going out for a drink, ooops!
  

DO

• Drink loads of TEA
• LISTEN carefully and very intensely
  
• CRY
• Open up to your past - some people LOVE to talk about it to
• Wear Colourful hippie yoga clothing
• Eat loads of granola bars
• Hug for hours

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE YOGA!!!
But this afternoon was just a little bit to much for me. I know that I will recover and get back on the mat tomorrow but sometimes I just feel like shaking it all off, stand up and do a Victory Dance with a shoot of tequila in my hand :)

It is interesting also how the different schools of yoga and their community differs.
This training that I am doing now has brought a lot of serious and "damaged" (I know we all are more or less, but these are MORE) yogis together. Hence a quiet deep and serious tone!
Which in turn makes me wanna shout and get down!

But who knows. Even I might break during these days.
One thing that I figured out today was:

I am a MASTER at keeping my shit together!
I have a lot of really cool cooping skills - That is GREAT. I got my diploma, I can hang it on the wall. Perhaps it is now time to practice falling apart?!!

What do you say?

Hoooo Jo

AWESOME

MO:

It seems that JO and I are good at finding sensational people and FANTASTIC teachers.... (Ms Forest sounds just like my cup of yoga teacher!...)

After 4 days with the man on the video above, I am TRULY INSPIRED!

He came to see me in Gothenburg for 2 days and then P and I spent the weekend at his wicked teacher training course in Motala.

A full report will follow tomorrow.

Ana Forrest TT Part 1

It's been a FULL ON day for sure!!

This woman is hilarious :)

I was expecting a monster, a female HITLER (you know what I mean) but instead I've spent the whole day in the loving care of a SUPAWOMAN!




There is not one single detail that she doesn't see - whilst some might interpret it as a HARD CORRECTION, A FAULT, I see that she's only speaking the TRUTH. And that can be hard sometimes since we're not used to that.

I've been to MANY Teacher Trainings and I have to say that this is the first time that the Teacher knows my name AND gives me personal feedback + corrections (several) in the first day!

Can't wait for tomorrow!
MO - You would have LOVED it here :)

My favourite comment of the day:
After a full on sequence being upside-down Ana tells the yogis to come down. So people start doing embryo (or childs pose as many call it).
Ana - Don't go to EMBRYO. I think 9 months is more than enough! Don't you?!

Hahaha
That's my kind of GURU

Jihaaa Jo