Books I'm Reading During Quarantine

I have officially made it 2 weeks in my house without going crazy. That should entitle me to a medal right? Just kidding. But seriously, it wasn't as hard as may people told me it would be. I say it that way because I am already an introvert with a full-time job and a toddler. I don't get out much outside of my job. Also this time of year I tend to work from home more often due to my little guy being sick with a cold or something. So far this still feels normal to me.

I do have to admit there are some things that are keeping me sane. I started reading again. I had really started to cut back on reading once Ben was born. Who had time? Now I have a stack of books, both physically and digitally, I have been wanting to read, so might as well start right?


Most of my books have a yoga theme. I kind of went overboard when I realized it could be awhile before I could leave my house. I ordered 4 books and all 4 were yoga related. 2 were actual novels and 2 were non-fiction. Needless to say, if yoga interests you, I got you covered. Here is my stack of books for quarantine so far:
  1. Yoga Bitch - Suzanne Morrison (Currently Reading)
  2. Poser: My Life in Twenty-three Yoga Poses - Claire Dederer
  3. Perfectly Imperfect - Baron Baptiste
  4. Meditations from the Mat - Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison
  5. The Gifts of Imperfection - Brene Brown (Started reading a few months ago. Never finished)
  6. Dare to Lead - Brene Brown (Started reading over a year ago. Never finished) - Digital copy
  7. American Royals - Katharine McGee (Currently Reading) - Digital copy
So I have 7 books I strive to get through during this time. I started reading 2 of these. One is a library digital copy so I have to read it before they take it away. The other was from my yoga haul. Two books on this list I have wanted to read and even started but never found time. I will finish them after the 2 I am currently reading.

I never did set a reading goal on Goodreads this year because I haven't had much success. Last night I set my goal to 25. I think it is a fair number for the year. We shall see where I end up. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to curl up in my rocking chair and get to that list. 

What are you reading during quarantine?

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The Meaning of September

I woke up this morning and instantly opened Facebook. This is nothing new I do that every morning. What stuck out to me today was a Facebook memory from 2 years ago that seems to fit perfectly with what's going on today. The quote is
"Ships don't sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don't let what's happening around you get inside you and weigh you down."
It reminded me of the journey I started so long ago right here on this blog. I got on here everyday and I worked on something that was personal to me. I let this be my saving grace when the world around me felt like it was crumbling.

The last time I wrote here it was Friday the 13th.. in September of 2019. Funny thing is, I haven't left my house since Friday the 13th.. in March. I was sent home that day because I had a cough. The beginning of the Coronavirus here in NY. When things started to really become a reality that we were in a very scary time.

The only thing I could think of to help in these uncertain times was to help keep people grounded. I started my spiritual journey back in 2016 when I signed up for my 200 hour yoga teacher training. People told me going through that training changes you. It is such a personal journey within, that no matter if you decide to teach or not, you are a better person because of it. You can help guide people to a place that is more calm in a time of chaos.

I fully intended to do that and never thought I would teach. What changed in me is I got pregnant shortly after graduating in 2017. I did teach the poses and I really did love it. I got pregnant and I got tired. I didn't want to teach anymore. I got further and further away from the poses and more involved in the spiritual side of it.

Fast forward to now. A lot of change had happened for me since I took that training. I was very recently married (September 2016) when I started. I got pregnant right after and gave birth to my son 5 weeks early (April 2018). I struggled immensely with breastfeeding, thus having a tough time bonding with my son. I gave up breastfeeding and my job (September 2018). I took on a new job a month after quitting my job, a leadership position that I never thought I would get. I struggled with my weight, balancing work/mom life and being a leader in my community. I applied for a leadership program in my county and was accepted (September 2019).

It was when I got accepted into that leadership program that I realized I was worth it. I began to seek out someone to speak to. I wasn't looking for a therapist per say, but I was looking for someone to unload some of the hard things on and talk through them and see them in a different light. That is when I found my spiritual mentor. In October 2019 I had my first session. I went through 12 weeks of 2 hour sessions each week discussing things in my life that brought me hurt, brought me knowledge and clarity. I deeply looked at relationships, specifically ones that did not bring me joy. I was able to identify why those people were in my life and what they were teaching me.

I learned so much, but most importantly it brought me back to yoga. All of yoga. The poses. The guidance. The ability to talk to people in a time of uncertainty. It inspired me to work on my own studio in my basement. I started teaching again. Both in my own studio and out in the community. I don't believe in coincidence. This all lead me to now.

It all lead me to what is happening in our world today. I finished my program with my spiritual mentor just 1 week before things started to get really bad in New York. I have felt called to help those who need it. I am now offering support and daily offerings in a group I created for women. Join me if you feel called. I feel like I finally found my purpose in life.

I felt like someone needed to hear this today. Namaste friends.


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