Some days are just mind boggling, and luckily I was in a head space to just observe in awe. Sometimes it takes us time to process, other times the feels just mount from within.

1. The past few days I was so happy to see my husband taking his self care seriously, and no matter what time he woke up, or how he was feeling, got ready and went to pray.
2. It all started when I was waiting for my 8:15am class in my car while listening to a very interesting report about what is actually happening on the border and how can we reach a solution. It was refreshing to hear facts and civilized conversation about solutions. https://www.npr.org/2019/07/04/738737313/responding-to-conditions-at-migrant-detention-centers
3. As I walk out of my car, I see one of my students with a prayer book in deep concentration. Religious Jewish people pray three times a day, and she later told me that because of the 4th of July she had no traffic, so she had time to finish her prayers. It gave me such peace to see someone in a state of focus and self awareness, connecting spiritually in their own beautiful way. I did not say a word when I walked by her, I did not uwant to interrupt.
4. I have many classes just for women in our community, and when I walked into class this morning, her husband was hurrying out the door grabbing his prayer shawl and tefillin, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1918251/jewish/What-Are-Tefillin.htm . It was interesting that it kept on being on my radar.
5. This particular class, all the ladies know each other, and along with a good Yoga practice comes great conversation. We were talking about Fireworks and how one of them enjoyed my Live Streaming Online Studio at www.coachyulia.com and was describing how everyone has to try it.

6. The picture at the beginning of the blog is the 15 yards of fabric that I need to buy in order to make belly binding wraps for my post partum clients. It helps with getting all the organs back in place while the hormone relaxin is still in the body for 40 days, and helps shrink the uterus back to regular size. The mom feels supported and put together. Her posture is strong, and she can nurse and move freely. I was excited because the fabric store was already having a sale, and then I asked at the register about using another coupon, and she guided me to text myself a coupon that I can use for sale items, SCORE!

7. As I am driving to teach my Yoga class at 24 Hour Fitness in West Hollywood I receive a very interesting photo from my cousin that lives in Russia. It is a picture of my grandfather’s gravestone that is in Chechnya. This is a much longer story, but it is a war torn place, and I was curious if she was actually there. She told me that my father had asked her husband to try to use the internet to find if the stone and cemetery got destroyed or still stands. It made me so emotional, it is a place that both of us do not feel safe visiting. She remembers him, she was 13 when he passed away. I was 7 when we moved to America, and only remember him from pictures of us.

8. As I am about to teach my Yoga class, everybody is lying down on their back, 35 students. I start feeling a little lightheaded and figure it is my natural high, when one of the students says, “IT’S AN EARTHQUAKE!” Luckily it passes, and we all continue to Yoga as I assure them I will keep my eyes and ears open for any messages or visual cues, while they stay in their stepping off of the world zone. The class flows smoothly without any further interruption. I honestly barely felt it at all.

9. I am driving to meet a friend with whom I did not confirm, and realize it is the fourth of July and maybe it would not work. For some reason all of our conversation on Facebook messenger do not contain her cell phone. I try to reach out to two of her friends on Facebook, no answer. As I am driving my father calls, and I think it is about the gravestone, but it is about the earthquake. He asks me if I am OK, and I told him that we continued to Yoga and later find out it was a 6.6 between LA and Vegas. So I tell him about the gravestone, and he tells me he is finding out about tours to Chechnya and I tell him I want to go. I feel very connected to my ancestors, I look like them, and am named after my great grandmother, Yehudit, that is also buried there. My mother chimes in that it is fully Muslim and I would have to wear a hijab, and I tell her I have no problem with that. She also tells me that her friend from Russia told her that the Chechen people honor and care for the Jewish graves, Thank God! Then I get a call from my friend that she is barbecuing as we speak and needs to reschedule, so I change direction back home.

My day is not finished, we are figuring out fireworks, having some hot dogs and corn. It is a happy day full of awe.

Happy Birthday America!

I am grateful,

Coach Yulia