fresh back from an AMAZING retreat with some very lovely ladies. i was so impressed with how well everyone connected and rejuvenated in our short time together. what an absolute treat! attached are a few photos of sharing, doing yoga and collaging. we'll be back to that lovely farmhouse in 2009 and i'll be sure to keep you posted on the date in case you'd like join.

if you're free tonight at 8:30ET and would like to join us for the spring teleclass, please sign up here as we still have some spaces available.

dashing off to get the week started and wishing you a lovely start!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:55 AM | 1 comments

the retreat is going splendidly and the girls are AMAZING. a true delight. we've meditated, done yin yoga, written in our journals, received goodie bags, blended bath salts and bath scrubs, learned the benefits of various essential oils, shared something special for our retreat altar, danced to gabrielle roth's 5 rhythms, done the wheel of life, eaten banana splits and have been together less than 24 hours!

the drive up here on thursday was lovely and chill. hilary (my retreat assistant) and i arrived in time to do some set up and head to bed early to enjoy a good night's sleep breathing country air. on friday we journeyed into millerton (named among the top small towns by budget travel) to buy soy milk and flowers. we found the most beautiful narcissus' at this quaint, exquisite shoppe and they smell heavenly. it's all about the small touches! the girls arrived and the festivities have been non-stop. while they explore millerton during their break (i raved about the yummy cupcake i found at the local coffee shop), i'm doing some e-mail catch up and writing for next week's column.

it's lovely to escape for the weekend and to spend some much-needed time in the country. although i crave the city, i long for my country escapes. yay for fresh, crisp country air. may you find some respite from your routine this weekend. secure a few sacred moments for reflection and self-care.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 1:41 PM | 2 comments

i learned to play shiva shambo and gopala last night on the studio's new harmonium. i brought in a teacher for a few yogis and moi and we pounded away with occasional screeches. i'd been pecking at the poor thing for a while - didn't get the whole "chords" thing. gotta play a few keys at once. tricky!

tonight i'm packing for my 7-hour drive to the catskills tomorrow to lead my second hip tranquil chick retreat in a beautiful old farmhouse. it's always nice to shake things up for a few days and i'm looking forward to spending time with an amazing group of girls. our cook promises banana splits on friday night so i think i'll be in heaven. beau's been gone this week so i've been fending for myself and i'm not too impressive in the kitchen to say the least. tonight i dined at wendy's on yummy fries and a frosty float. yikes, not feeling so fabulous. dying for some brown rice, cooked greens, and fresh ANYTHING! anyone else have a french fry problem? gonna go eat a pear to try to make up for the drama.

if you're looking to dive deeper into blooming this spring, join me for a teleclass THIS monday at 8:30et. no french fries, only fabulous (and fun) musings on how to live fully this spring!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:22 PM | 3 comments

check out our latest youtube video on the greening of the new tranquil space. it's a very exciting time as we gear up for our transition to a new home. we're planning our grand opening party date in early may and i hope you'll be able to join us in the celebration!



washingtonians, please take a moment to click here and choose your favorite dc hot spots - including yoga studio!

i've been meaning to write about this yummy bath product company biggs and featherbelle - what a fun name! their materials are fabulous, their products smell amazing, and they are two sisters. their soaps are to die for. yummmmm!

beau is off to california to learn some yoga software goodness so it's just pug and i for a few days. then i'm off to the catskills to lead our hip tranquil chick retreat. we have some lovely ladies from as far as texas and florida joining us for the weekend. i promise to take loads of photos to share! should be a delightful escape in the country.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:07 AM | 5 comments

• click play to hear this episode, or click here to listen to older shows!
• direct download (mp3)

Bonjour! Welcome to the 125th edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat.

Today’s menu features a must-have pose in On the Mat, springing with spring in Off the Mat, and we’ve got Omwork for you too. View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

On the Mat: Hip Flow

Check out Hip Tranquil Chick on YouTube!



Off the Mat:
Ways to Spring into Spring

• Surround yourself with scents
• Buy fresh flowers for your desk
  
• Savor papaya
• Try something new
• Review your New Year's goals
• Create Spring goals
• Pour mulch over dead fall leaves and get your gardening on
• Get moving
• Speak only words of kindness
• Go dancing
• Send a handwritten thank you
• Eat oodles of berries
• Try cherry blossom tea
  
• Go see an art exhibit
• Clean out your closets
• Get writing
• Sprinkle pink in your hair
  

Omwork: To encourage a sense of diving deeper into today’s podcast, I will post Omwork relating to this segment on our HTC forum. Please connect with fellow HTCs there and play with the following:

1. What are some of your spring goals?
2. What small steps (micromovements as SARK describes them) can you take this season to unleash your creativity?
3. Schedule a "moi day" where all you do all day is EXACTLY what you want to do!

Signature Style: Bamboo Capelet

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Celebrate a weekend of all things hip and tranquil in the Catskills of NY THIS weekend, plus a WHOLE week in Costa Rica August 30-September 6. Join me for workshops and book signings in Boulder in April, Ft. Lauderdale in June, San Francisco in July, Lexington in October. In addition, we've got a week of hip and tranquil chickness at Omega June 2-6 and Kripalu August 10-15. Details for all special events at kimberlywilson.com. I hope we'll get to connect!

Join us for our next le chic teleclass chat focused on "Blooming in Spring" on Monday, March 31 at 8:30ET. Details here.

Mentoring: Interested in diving deeper into hip and tranquil topics 1:1 with moi via e-mail, phone or in-person? If so, view all the scoop here.

Chic Community: Mingle with fellow HTCs on our forums. We’re on Facebook, so please connect with the community virtually there, too! Make sure you're getting the hip tranquil times by signing up at the bottom of any page on hiptranquilchick.com. Check out our YouTube page at youtube.com/hiptranquilchick. More fun stuff coming soon!

Au Revoir: To close out the show, we’re playing Last Night of the Dynasty by The Shanghai Restoration Project from Promonet. You can find where to get more of their music at shanghairestorationproject.com.

Thanks for joining me for the 125th edition of the HTC podcast.

• You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!
• New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast Alley.
• Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.
• Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.
• Daffodil photo courtesy of mszippycat via Creative Commons license

Interested in starting a podcast for yourself, your organization or your business?
Check out nineball media.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 9:28 PM | 2 comments

i woke up feeling like a kid in the candy store. for some reason easter always makes me smile. maybe it is the assurance that chocolate bunnies are sure to come my way or the crazy-colored peeps marshmallow bunnies. either way, i love this holiday.

as i write this week's column, i came across this article that i wanted to share: setting goals vs. setting intentions. this article came out a few years ago and i remember tearing it out to reread it as i still struggle with crystallizing the difference between a goal and intention. i hope this helps you with the crystallization.

in addition, i want to encourage you to set some goals and intentions for spring. we're a quarter through the year so far. how are those new year's goals coming along? it's a great time to take stock, reprioritize, and make room for what is bubbling beneath the surface. enjoy your bunny day and i hope the bunny brought you some yummy treats! (i keep asking beau where my delivery from the bunny is and he reminds me that it must be with his - oops, we forgot pull things together in advance to do the bunny exchanges. however, pug is sure to get a pastel-colored cupcake from the doggie bakery!)

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:44 AM | 0 comments

here are a few photos that i just received from my weekend in oklahoma/texas earlier this month. brief summary: gramma and i with her new bowl of organic granola to replace her instant oatmeal (yay gramma - i'm constantly lecturing her on finding more fresh alternatives), us diligently scrapbooking, and napping with our eyepillows (a favorite past time). mum took the photos so she's missing!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 9:00 PM | 1 comments

gearing up for tonight's hip hop yoga par-tay (ok, a yoga 2 class to fun hip hop tunes but par-tay sounds more exotic) with a little legs up the wall. today has been filled with good cheer as the city seems filled with joy about spring. i skipped taking class tonight (due to a sore body and my plan to get my yoga on tomorrow morning) to get a pedi. sheer delight. my poor toes needed some TLC. as i walked out of the nail salon with spacers between my toes, i headed straight for the chocolate shoppe across the street. i was on a mission for "tranquility" - the lavender-infused milk chocolate bar from new tree. it claims that 1 bar = 3 cups of lime blossom tea and the packing says "a little r & r in a chocolate bar." what's not to love? as i sashayed home dining on my chocolate bar with my newly painted french pedi in spacers, i had to laugh. i was having a truly decadent moment. yay for spring! off to hip hop . . .

posted by kimberly wilson @ 6:38 PM | 4 comments

a fellow HTC from down under requested that i have the hip tranquil chick manifesto turned into a downloadable image to print and post as a gentle reminder or to use as your computer wallpaper. hope you love it. this manifesto serves as a GREAT reminder to live life fully and flairfully! keep shining and happy, happy spring!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 7:59 PM | 4 comments

mama is busily sewing 40+ bolsters, meditation cushions, and darling damask eyepillows for our new studio props. the eyepillows will be filled with organic lavender and flax seed. i JUST love the look of the damask. this photo was taken during saturday's shoot - yay, mama!

yesterday i had a shoot for my next 12-week series for the examiner. the final photo had me crossing rooftops - literally - and doing dancer pose. should be a fun shot.

can you believe spring is right around the corner? and easter? i am so excited to see nature coming to life and i, too, am feeling a bit more in bloom than i have the past few months. it's nice to have this shift to growth and color, isn't it? here are some fun spring prep ideas:

* buy some fresh cut daffodils for your kitchen table
* plant impatiens as soon as they hit your local nursery
* clean out your closets
* take a brisk morning walk
* light a lilac candle
* add some splashes of color to your home
* tie a colorful scarf around your neck or handbag
* pull out your peeptoe flats
* keep stalks of bamboo around your home and office to remind you of "greening" and feeling lucky
* eat a pastel-colored cupcake

happy *almost* spring!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:06 AM | 8 comments

forgive my absence, this weekend was a whirlwind with me wondering if it even happened. i think it did! i did lots of yoga and my body is feeling it in a good way. between teaching teacher training, a master class on assisting with intention, doing a photoshoot for a few fabulous summer TranquiliT pieces, and choosing our first recipients of tranquil space foundation's generosity committee, i feel like it's all a blur.

as you may have noticed, i didn't get to a podcast this week. taking a brief sabbatical that may turn the podcast into an every-other-week experience rather than weekly. we'll see. trying to gain control over my time and energy. i don't want to lose my connection with all you lovely ladies out there so i'm hopeful that this occasional sabbatical won't disrupt your lives at all.

above are two photos i had to share. while driving back from the photo shoot that took place in the country, i stumbled upon a home goods (remember that fabulous store i raved about in january?). well, i found this aisle that was SO moi that i had to take a photo - mirrored pieces, damask, pink, shabby chic white - it was like a little slice of heaven. the other photo is the finished shower of the ladies' and mens' dressing areas. didn't they do an amazing job?

in honor of today's green focus (i've been dining on a few too many green cupcakes as of late), i wanted to shed light on some fun, simple green tips and tricks i've come across lately. the latest edition of body + soul is filled with GREAT ideas such as:

*sending along a green starter kit to someone beginning to green. starterkitforchange.com.
*grouping together various glasses (drinking, vases, perfume bottles, jars, etc.) filled with flowers to create a centerpiece.
*using cloth napkins rather than paper.
*creating natural aromatherapy by hanging a bundle of eucalyptus in the shower.
*buy tree-free pencils at treesmart.com and smencils.com
*use bamboo washcloths.
*take your reusable bag to your shopping destinations. use your DIY skills to make this happen!
*looking for the perfect easter basket stuffers? check out organic chocolates at sjaaks.com and organic jelly beans at deliciousorganics.com.

enjoy and happy greening!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:54 PM | 2 comments

One of the lovely authors I met on Sunday offers this GREAT karma yoga effort that I just had to share:

KIND AND GENTLE C-OM-MUNITY YOGA MEETUP GROUP is the Karma Yoga Project of kg yoga life practices. The Meetup Group will participate in FREE community morning yoga sessions held in Malcolm X-Meridian Hill Park on the following Sundays:

1) Sunday, March 23, 2008 @ 11:30am-12pm - The short morning yoga practice will be dedicated to honoring National Nutrition Month and the Spring Equinox.

2) Sunday, April 27, 2008 @ 11:30am-12pm - The short morning yoga practice will be dedicated to National Poetry Month, Earth Day, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

3) Sunday, May 11, 2008 @ 11:30am-12pm - The short morning yoga practice will be dedicated to Mother's Day and National Women's Health Week.

4) Sunday, June 22, 2008 @ 11:30am-12pm - The short morning yoga practice will be dedicated to honoring Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month; World Environment Day; National Men's Health Week; Father's Day; Summer Equinox; and National HIV Testing Day.

The group will practice kind and gentle Hatha yoga in front of the reflecting pool and waterfall located near the entrance facing 16th Street and Florida Avenue, NW. The yoga session will last 30 minutes and include an opening meditation, warm-up, kind and gentle poses, and closing meditation. Please bring your own yoga mat and bath towel for seated positions. Dress comfortably in loose clothing. Try not to drink or eat two hours before the yoga session.

The yoga sessions will be led by Ananda Leeke, a certified RYT 200 Yoga Alliance registered instructor, certified Reiki practitioner, artist, and writer. Ananda is Founder/Director of kg yoga life practices. For more information, visit kgyoga.blogspot.com.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:41 PM | 3 comments

kimberly palmer, the author of the us news article, passed along another piece she wrote: dream big, save small. enjoy! what are YOUR long-term financial goals and how can you begin to make them a reality? this is a great question to ponder to ensure your daily expenditures align with your values and your long-term goals. dreaming big and starting small relates to ALL of our goals. it's one of my favorite mantras!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:07 PM | 1 comments

last week i sat down with kimberly palmer of us news and world report to discuss my spending habits. for a fun read, check out her write-up of our chat and my spending diary for three days!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 9:48 PM | 1 comments

for he who has no tranquility there is no concentration. - bhagavad gita

after calling the studio “yoga at kimberly’s” during our humble beginnings, i began to crave a name that evoked more of an experience. while exploring options with a group of girls, i came upon “tranquil space” in 2000 and have loved taking the concept of tranquility into all we offer. tranquil space has been created to serve as a respite, a haven for busy beings craving some peace and nurturing within their fast-paced lives.

when we moved into our arlington studio last fall, i received a lot of feedback on how much everyone loved the color scheme – golds and rich earth tones. hmmmm, guess the pink, mint green, and purple walls have worn their welcome? my beau says it feels like “welcome to my sorority dorm room.” well, i did win the tri-delta room decorating contest my senior year! however, i hoped i’d moved on from that era.

as we plan the décor and vibe for our new tranquil space on 17th street, i’m describing the look as “zen princess.” sure no one has any idea what i’m talking about – i like mystery – but i’m hopeful that blending zen motif with chandeliers and our colorful accents (not full walls, but accents!) will somehow come together in a streamlined style that exudes tranquility.

tranquility is a way of life. as a girl constantly on-the-go i’m always seeking a dose of it. lately i’ve found tranquility in daily cupcakes, soy chai lattes, and meditation. where do you find it? how can you get more of it?

spring is upon us – thank goodness – and this is always a fun time to reflect on blooming. as tranquil space gears up to bloom into a new home, we’re doing a lot of spring cleaning by sorting files, tossing former must-haves that have passed their prime, and organizing what lies behind the closet curtains. to embody tranquility, explore what lies hidden, and needs to be tossed or sorted. embrace february’s theme of loving kindness and practice it toward yourself. get ready to bloom. replace old habits with new tranquility-inducing habits. surround yourself with more tranquility-filled friends. read more tranquility-producing texts. volunteer, savor a cupcake, sit for 5 minutes a day, write in your journal, sip green tea, get your yoga on – find tranquility!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:23 PM | 3 comments

i'm gearing up for the week and carefully putting together my weekly lists in the planner pad. ah, how can the to-dos be non-ending? i don't like carrying certain ones over week after week. i guess that's when it is best to reevaluate whether those to-dos are worth keeping, eh? i do have some unscheduled creative time on friday afternoon and hope to get a table of contents on my new book re-write to my agent. gotta have that space to sit down and create!

the booksigning in baltimore today was a treat. i have a lovely photo to share once blogger's photo upload begins working again. afterwards, beau and i hit the inner harbor for dinner and some bookstore browsing. i came across a new book that just came out called life entrepreneurs: ordinary people creating extraordinary lives. i was interviewed for it last year and it was fun to see it on the shelves. check it out! also, turns out my favorite business book author, michael gerber, has just published a new book. ahhhh, that book-buying moratorium. as i was throwing a fit, beau reminded me that i also have yet to finish michael's former book. ok, i'll hold off but i can't wait to read it!

finished my creativity coaching certification this week and now i can put all my extracurricular efforts toward the naropa leadership training. i'm struggling to keep up with the readings - although it is all very interesting! happy creating.

i've set my key results for the week (top priorities) and look forward to a new, fresh week! and, to my dear online creativity circle ladies, i think you'll love what the next two weeks have in store for you!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:07 AM | 4 comments

• click play to hear this episode, or click here to listen to older shows!
• direct download (mp3)

Bonjour! Welcome to the 124th edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat.

Today’s menu features a must-have pose in On the Mat, exploring the Slash Effect with Marci Alboher in Off the Mat, and we’ve got Omwork and Savvy Sources for you too. View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

On the Mat: Meditation

Check out Hip Tranquil Chick on YouTube!

Off the Mat:
Marci Alboher is a columnist and blogger for The New York Times. Her recently released book, One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success (Warner Books, February 2007), popularized the term "slash" to refer to a new breed of individuals who can't answer, "What do you do?" with a single response. The book and Marci's career insights have been featured throughout the media including the Today Show, MSNBC, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek Magazine, National Public Radio, USA Today, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Kansas City Star.

Marci is herself a slash. The author/journalist/speaker began her career in law after graduating from The University of Pennsylvania and American University's Washington College of Law. After nearly ten years of practice, she used her law background as a springboard to a second career as a journalist.

Her articles have appeared in numerous national publications including: Time Out New York, Travel and Leisure, Marie Claire, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Legal Affairs, covering such topics as workplace issues, entrepreneurship and travel. A regular contributor to The New York Times since 2001, she currently writes the Shifting Careers column and blog.

A popular teacher at the New York Writers Workshop, where she sits on the executive committee, Marci helps novices break into journalism and coaches a select group of experienced nonfiction writers to the next level. Marci is also a sought-after speaker on workplace trends, career advice, and writing.

Marci lives in New York City with her beau, Jay, an entrepreneur/designer.

Omwork: To encourage a sense of diving deeper into today’s podcast, I will post Omwork relating to this segment on our HTC forum. Please connect with fellow HTCs there and play with the following:

1. What are your various slashes?
2. How do you blend your numerous interests?
3. How can you incorporate the teacher, speaker, consultant, and writer titles into what you do?

Savvy Sources:
heymarci.com
NY Times, Small Biz, shifting careers
Facebook slash careers
Squidoo slash careers

Signature Style: Dolman top 50% off

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Celebrate a weekend of all things hip and tranquil in the Catskills of NY in March, plus a WHOLE week in Costa Rica August 30-September 6. Join me for workshops and book signings in Denver in April, Ft. Lauderdale in June, Lexington in October. In addition, we've got a week of hip and tranquil chickness at Omega June 2-6 and Kripalu August 10-15. Details for all special events at kimberlywilson.com. I hope we'll get to connect!

Join us for our next le chic teleclass chat focused on "Blooming in Spring" on Monday, March 31 at 8:30ET. Details here.

Mentoring: Interested in diving deeper into hip and tranquil topics 1:1 with moi via e-mail, phone or in-person? If so, view all the scoop here.

Chic Community: Mingle with fellow HTCs on our forums. We’re on Facebook, so please connect with the community virtually there, too! Make sure you're getting the hip tranquil times by signing up at the bottom of any page on hiptranquilchick.com. Check out our new YouTube page at youtube.com/hiptranquilchick. More fun stuff coming soon!

Au Revoir: To close out the show, we’re playing Seeing Myself by Sham Mohan from Promonet. You can find where to get more of their music at bkpublications.com.

Thanks for joining me for the 124th edition of the HTC podcast.

• You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!
• New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast Alley.
• Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.
• Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.

Interested in starting a podcast for yourself, your organization or your business?
Check out nineball media.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 1:22 PM | 1 comments

today was a very special day surrounded by numerous amazing souls. one of my dearest friends asked me to facilitate a team retreat for his law firm group. what a delightful bunch of people! we began by setting intentions, did some yoga, dined on yummy vegetarian food from teaism, reflected on our wheel of life (see hip tranquil chick for instructions on this), created 3 personal action steps for improving an area that scored low on the wheel of life, drafted a mission statement for the team, set individual group goals, shared them with the team, did some yin yoga and meditation, and then got some tranquility-filled gifts! a lovely 5 hours.

last night i had a nightmare that i showed up 1 hour late to this retreat and everything happened in slow motion - picking out what to wear, getting to the studio to lead it, etc. it was like those "showing up to take a final exam and you've never been to class" kind of dreams. luckily, this was not reality. i got there early to set the stage and loved greeting the amazing guests - many who were doing yoga for the first time!

gonna spend the rest of the evening chilling in front of the fire, watching documentaries, reading, and cuddling with beau and pug. a delightful day indeed!

come out for a special making herstory book signing THIS sunday in baltimore! i'm honored to be a part of it.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 8:59 PM | 1 comments

as tranquil space grows into our new home on 17th street, we are seeking a FT and PT manager for positions noted below. know anyone (maybe you?) fabulous who is looking to hone their creative, customer service, yoga, and personal development skills? if so, please pass the scoop along. i'd love to meet 'em!

**tranquil space boutique manager**

tranquil space, a specialty yoga studio, spa and boutique, is currently seeking a boutique manager to oversee store operations and manage team members. The studio has been honored as one of the top 25 yoga studios in the world by travel + leisure magazine and as the best yoga studio in dc. the boutique carries a variety of chic and eco-friendly clothing, including the TranquiliT clothing line, yoga mats, soy candles and other indulgent self-care products.

the successful boutique manager candidate will be enthusiastic, outgoing, creative, and have strong attention to detail including a passion for fashion and customer service. in addition, the boutique manager must understand the fundamentals of directing inventory, merchandising, and sales performance and be a quick learner on studio software. the ideal candidate must possess at least 2 years retail management experience and will report directly to the creative director.

this creative role entails the following responsibilities:

• manage boutique customer relations.
• analyze sales trends and strategize with the creative director and fellow managers' sale plan.
• order new products that align with the tranquil space brand, manage vendors and incoming inventory.
• devise and upgrade seasonal specials and other specials offered in the boutique.
• train and manage team, ensuring ongoing education of products.
• assist with traveling boutique requests, trunk shows and other seasonal events.
• assist creative director with public relations and marketing plan.
• assist in tea bar and serve clients.

compensation: $35,000 annual salary, 2 weeks paid vacation, unlimited complimentary yoga, 40% off tranquility boutique, 50% off TranquiliT clothing line, and complimentary workshops taught by tranquil space in-house teachers.

hours: typically 40 hours a week including covering shifts at the retail store from 2:30-10:0pm monday-thursday, and 8am-6pm saturday. occasionally additional hours will be required for special events and offerings.

to apply: send resume and cover letter to kimberly@tranquilspace.com. no phone calls, please.

**tranquil space weekend manager**

tranquil space is a dc based yoga studio, spa and boutique recently named one of the top 25 yoga studios in the world by travel + leisure magazine. this is a socially conscious, values-based, and community-focused business that is planning a move to a bigger studio space in dupont circle this spring. as tranquil space grows we are looking for new team members for the expanded space.

our weekend manager would manage weekend operations during the bustling weekends, boutique and spa, including overseeing a team of studio assistants, handling customer service, retail sales, and facilities.

specific duties include: leading and coordinating a team of assistants in carrying out duties and projects vital to the smooth operation of the business, understanding the business management software and guiding/troubleshooting with staff, research and development of new ideas to grow and add value to the studio, facilitating customer check-in, knowing and selling boutique merchandise, handling questions that come up in a timely manner, and ensuring the space offers a tranquil vibe.

in particular, the ideal candidate will possess:

• strong initiative and problem-solving abilities.
• effective communication skills.
• accountability for one's work outcomes, including following through on projects and responsibilities with a sense of ownership.
• ability to be a team player, recognizing that the studio manager's work and its outcomes effects all other members on the management team.
• positive, outgoing, friendly attitude.
• ability to develop excellent rapport with customers and provide thorough customer service.
• passion for yoga and all things tranquil.

compensation: $15/hour with potential for performance-based increase after 3 months.

benefits: unlimited complimentary yoga plus discounts on workshops, boutique merchandise, and retreats.

hours: 4:30-9:30 friday, saturday 2-6:30, sunday 8-6:30, plus a weekly meeting to connect with your team.

to apply: send resume and cover letter to kimberly@tranquilspace.com. no phone calls, please.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 3:01 PM | 1 comments

local hip tranquil chicks, swing by the TranquiliT showroom (1820 T street, suite 2) THIS saturday from 12-4 for some fabulous spring savings AND vegan cookies AND sumptuous libations. can't wait to see you there. RSVP to info@TranquiliT.com.

as my world continues to feel disheveled, exciting, and, at times, unmanageable, i'm exploring ways to simplify, simplify, simplify. the challenge is that there is nothing that i want to shed but in order to maintain tranquility, i must find ways to maximize my efforts. for example, next weekend (which some people actually take off) i have scheduled a photo shoot, leading teacher training, teaching a 3-hour master class, and attending a tranquil space foundation meeting. i guess this wouldn't be an issue if i actually took a day or even a few hours off.

i'm assigned a coach through my naropa leadership training and she recommended that i go through and schedule my creative time. sound like a familiar recommendation that i'm always preaching! ;) well, this morning was to be creative space but i needed to speak with my accountant and this was our only available time this week. story of my life - at least at the moment. i'm vowing to change this and will continue to share my struggle with you. for now, i've lined up a fun artist date for the evening - going to hear anne lamott speak - and plan to play in baltimore after my book signing this sunday! taking down time and doing things differently is CRITICAL! i actually started my day with a 9:15 meeting yesterday and loved it! despite not being happy about waking up to the alarm, it was lovely to be sipping tea at a cafe at 9:15am rather than 9:15pm. small things like this shake up our routine and offer an amazing opportunity to blossom - spring is around the corner after all!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:07 PM | 2 comments

Here's a special audio treat... an interview of me by Claudia Strasser of theparisapartment.com! You may remember I interviewed her for the podcast a few months ago - now the tables are turned. Enjoy!

• direct download (mp3)

Also, especially for Hip Tranquil Chick and Daily Om readers, check out this special piece on throwing a signature chariTea soiree.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 9:39 PM | 1 comments

this sums up the weather during my tenure in oklahoma/texas. 80degrees, then big storm with tornados, then snow. hmmm - welcome to the midwest. had a lovely time with the family - complete with mum trimming gramma's toe instead of her nail (ouch!), gramma wondering what would happen if she pushed the "faster" button on the treadmill (picture falling 95-year-old with lens popping out of her glasses as she fell . . . ahhh), loads of naps, forcing mum and gramma to try my vegetarian sushi (where gramma spit out the seaweed wrap claiming that it didn't dissolve properly), scrapbooking the photos from our 10 years of weekend get togethers, and making gramma drink her breathe deep tea that is supposed to help with respiration. we had a lovely weekend and it flew by. it was joyful to see how quickly i reconnected to a MUCH slower pace of life. the journey home was no less exciting with massive turbulence and circling in the sky while we waited for them to reopen the closed memphis airport. um, that was not tranquil! happy to be home - although i will miss mum's home-baked cupcakes!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:48 PM | 2 comments

• click play to hear this episode, or click here to listen to older shows!
• direct download (mp3)

Bonjour! Welcome to the 123rd edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat.

Today’s menu features a return interview with John Strelecky, author of Life Safari. View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

On the Mat: returns next week... Check out Hip Tranquil Chick on YouTube to revisit some of the past poses!

Off the Mat: John P. Strelecky is the International Best-Selling author of The Why Cafe, and now a highly sought after Inspirational Keynote Speaker. Through his writings and subsequent appearances on television and radio, he has positively impacted the lives of millions of people.

He has had the pleasure to share the best seller list with some of his own favorite writers, including, Mitch Albom (Tuesdays With Morrie/The Five People You Meet in Heaven), Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat), Malcolm Gladwell (Blink/The Tipping Point), and Steven D. Levitt/Stephen J. Dubner (Freakonomics).

In addition to being translated into seventeen languages and sold in over forty countries, John’s inspirational book has been distributed to employees of numerous companies including IBM, American Express, Boeing, American General Finance, USANA Health Sciences, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and others. It has also been made required course reading at universities around the country such as the University of Wisconsin colleges.

In their story about him, Gannett Media (USA TODAY…) stated that John “has put his finger on the pulse of the world.” Both domestically and internationally he is often compared to Paulo Coelho, the inspirational best selling Brazilian author most known for his classic – The Alchemist. RBA Libros in Barcelona, Spain called John’s work “The Alchemist for the 21st century. A little jewel that will change the life of millions of people.”

John has spent extensive time traveling the world. His longest trip was in 2002 when he and his wife spent nine months backpacking more than 70,000 miles (almost three times the circumference of the earth) as they covered the globe on just $40 per day. He has taken subsequent extended trips to the Amazon Basin, Yucatan Peninsula, and China.

John currently lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife Cindy Xin Zhao.

Savvy Sources:
thelifesafari.com
sixthandi.org: washingtonians, come meet john on wednesday, april 30 at 7pm!

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Celebrate a weekend of all things hip and tranquil in the Catskills of NY in March, plus a WHOLE week in Costa Rica August 30-September 6. Join me for workshops and book signings in Denver in April, Ft. Lauderdale in June, Lexington in October. In addition, we've got a week of hip and tranquil chickness at Omega June 2-6 and Kripalu August 10-15. Details for all special events at kimberlywilson.com. I hope we'll get to connect!

Mentoring: Interested in diving deeper into hip and tranquil topics 1:1 with moi via e-mail, phone or in-person? If so, view all the scoop here.

Chic Community: Mingle with fellow HTCs on our forums. We’re on Facebook, so please connect with the community virtually there, too! Make sure you're getting the hip tranquil times by signing up at the bottom of any page on hiptranquilchick.com. Check out our new YouTube page at youtube.com/hiptranquilchick. More fun stuff coming soon!

Au Revoir: To close out the show, we’re playing This Truth by The Grooveblaster, remixing our old friends Lovespirals from the podsafe music network. You can get more of Grooveblaster's music at thegrooveblaster.com.

Thanks for joining me for the 123rd edition of the HTC podcast.

• You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!
• New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast Alley.
• Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.
• Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.

Interested in starting a podcast for yourself, your organization or your business?
Check out nineball media.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 3:02 PM | 0 comments

don't mess with texas

greetings from a bookstore in texas. gramma's wifi was giving me fits so my online time has been quite limited. probably a good thing. when i arrived on thursday, mama (a blog reader) decided she would test my book-buying moratorium by taking me to a borders AND barnes and noble in oklahoma city. i came out clean but VERY tempted. they bought at each store. as we returned to their home in the country, i looked around at the walls of books and realized where my "disease" came from. mama confessed that she had 62 boxes in the garage of her teaching books that she wanted to sell. 62 boxes! this is in addition to the oodles of books that fill their home. hmmmm, i think i'm on to something.

thursday night/friday morning i read suze orman's latest book women and money. i recommend it as there was a great offer on putting $50 monthly into an ameritrade account and then getting $100 after a year - something like that! a good reminder on the importance of setting money aside. she recommends having 8 months of living expenses set aside in case of an emergency! since i started the studio, i haven't had a personal savings account so this was a good reminder to set one up in addition to my annual retirement savings - which feels soooo far away.

down to texas on friday to see gramma and it's been non-stop since then (except for my numerous naps). she's a hoot! today we hit the "butterfly garden" which had 3 live butterflies and a bunch of fake animals to show what lives in the great plains???? the real animals were in a few small aquariums. gramma was entertained and that's what matters. then off to a texas winery - yep, you read that right - and did a tasting. the muscat was FABULOUS! bought a bottle although i can't really drink anymore. gives me a headache or makes me tired. think i'm officially old! ;)

it's been a joy to slow down. you kinda have to when you're holding your 95-year-old gramma's hand! i've made some interesting observations that i look forward to sharing when mamma and gramma aren't staring at me. they're ready to go home and start our night of scrapbooking! until then, i hope you have a moment to slow down and relish in life's trivial pleasures.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 7:59 PM | 3 comments