bonjour and welcome to a sultry month in dc! let me begin by expressing extreme gratitude for each of you who walk through the doors of tranquil space. i am so honored. as i begin work on a second book that focuses on mindful business and lifestyle, i stand in awe at the community that we’ve built together over the past 9 years. thank you from the bottom of my heart. tranquil space would not be here without your amazing support.

i’m fresh back from teaching a yoga + creativity workshop in san francisco and taking a 2-day workshop based on one of my favorite books. thus, i’m full of ideas and i welcome yours. as we strive to continue to live up to the honor of being named one of the top 25 yoga studios in the world by travel + leisure magazine, i am continually searching for ways to offer more tranquility to washingtonians. our goal is to offer you a true lifestyle-focused destination where you can sip organic tea (pots of tea and scones coming soon!), shop for green gifts, indulge in a massage or specialty treatment such as psychotherapy or ayurvedic consultation, and take oodles of creative tranquil space-style yoga classes. if there is something you would love to see added to the tranquil space menu of offerings, please share your ideas with us at mytranquilspaceidea.com.

in addition to idea-seeking, i wanted to share with you some inspiring insights on the interplay of yoga and creativity. my weekly column in the examiner has eight weeks dedicated to this combination but i want to go a step deeper and share how yogic principles can assist your creative practice. we are all creative (as maya angelou reminds us above) and are given opportunities to express this creativity every day from the words we choose, the way we dress, the music we listen to, and the way we decorate our cubicles. to weave your practice of yoga off the mat into your creativity, play with these 5 yamas and niyamas (moral tenets of yoga):

1. tapas: discipline. in order to create a business, book proposal, dress, or screenplay, you must set aside time to make it happen.
2. ahimsa: kind thoughts toward self and creations. sure your first draft might not woo the publisher, but by editing and tweaking with compassion, you’re destined to create a winner.
3. saucha: purity of surroundings. ensure your creative space is inviting for creativity. it is hard to create among chaos as you’ll constantly be pulled in other directions to tidy, organize, or answer e-mails.
4. santosha: contentment. be proud of your creations – however small. taking the time to honor and acknowledge your baby steps will have a powerful motivating effect to keep moving forward.
5. svadyaya: self-study. by taking time to reflect on what you want, how you’re feeling, and where you’re heading through yoga, journal writing, and meditation, you can ensure that you stay on the right path and continue moving forward.

may you continue to find inspiration and ways to express creativity daily on and off the yoga mat. thank you for allowing me to share my creative ideas with you over the past nine years at tranquil space.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 9:12 PM | 1 comments

during my sojourn in california i decided it was time to move TranquiliT into its own home - it deserves it. i found a darling place nearby (see photo) and am finalizing logistics now. i'm hopeful it happens as i look forward to launching this baby into its own. will keep you posted as my fingers are crossed and i'm excited about possibility.

in the interim, life has been a bit of a zoo since my return. although i'm able to stay in touch and on top of things fairly well while away (due to the beauty of wireless internet), there are usually more balls in the air despite best laid plans upon return. details, details, details. there is a great quote by thoreau where he talks about life being frittered away by details, and he encourages us to simplify. hmmm, good concept. simplify! seems like life becomes more and more complicated: 5 business checking accounts to manage, personal bank account, taxes, insurance, leases, cancellation policies, signs, newsletters, reviews, systems updating, schedules, bills, rent, mortgage, health care, generate and implement new ideas, team management, home care, pet care, etc. i'm sure you can all relate! whoa - we deal with a ton every day. i think there may be something to the whole simplify concept.

in the meantime, i may be making my life a bit more complicated with a showroom for TranquiliT (more to manage and larger expenses) while also opening up the pink palace for a real dining area which would simplify (i can entertain again, dine at my kitchen table, and peer out the windows covered by inventory). it's all about balance! yet another great concept.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:04 PM | 3 comments

once you make peace with who you naturally are, life is an incredible feast.
~cleo glyde

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:52 PM | 1 comments

here are a few fun photos to sum up my days on the west coast: moi and beau at st. francis winery, lovely ladies from today's workshop diligently working on their collages, moi after the dharma mittra workshop before downing a yummy cupcake, and moi and BFF at st. francis winery.

it's been a delightful weekend full of meeting new friends, connecting with old friends, working, learning, sipping vino, reflecting, eating yummy food, and doing yoga. i fly back to dc tomorrow and look forward to hitting the ground running on new projects - ESPECIALLY MY MARCH 15 BOOK DEADLINE. woo - hoo! gotta get to writing and create a writing schedule now!

speaking of managing my time, i wanted to share an interesting article on time management which i thought was helpful - reminding moi to get honest on how i'm spending my time to ensure the best utilization of it. i'm sure you, too, can relate as a busy girl-on-the-go so i hope it is a helpful resource!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:06 PM | 4 comments

while browsing some free, fabulous magazine at cafe gratitude, i found that dharma mittra is in napa this weekend! sooo, guess who's gleefully going to spend 3 hours on the mat with her new professional crush - moi! what are the chances that i'd get this opportunity while on the west coast this weekend? i'm truly honored and can't wait to share my experience with you. i think this man is a yoga genius.

my editor gave me two books when we met on wednesday and one was a book titled yoga that had dharma mittra in hundreds of poses from his uber-cool yoga poster. again, serendipity.

tomorrow is my yoga + creativity workshop at yoga tree and i can't wait to connect with the artists/yogis coming out for it. we'll be doing yoga, journal writing, meditating, and creating a vision board. tons o' fun!

may you, too, find sprinkles of serendipity in your life. it is such a pleasant surprise!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 1:42 PM | 2 comments

when i met my editor on wednesday, i was raving about marc lesser's book ZBA. she pulled it out and it turns out that new world library published it and a new book he has coming out called accomplishing more by doing less - sounds like another must-have to had to my overflowing bookshelf. SUCH a small world! i was reading his book during my jiva teacher training last year and my BFF at the training was like "hey, he's my business coach." again, small world! i wanted to share his manifesto with you (credit www.zbaassociates.com) for a late-night dose of inspiration:

ZBA Manifesto

1. It’s okay not to know. It’s okay to be vulnerable. No one has all the answers. We value and learn from the questions and the asking.
2. We are learning to appreciate the mystery and sacredness of our lives and the mystery and sacredness of life.
3. Life is short. There is no escape from old age, sickness, and death. Death is a great teacher. Recognizing the shortness of our lives provides motivation to live fully in each day and in each moment.
4. We understand the importance of taking regular quiet time for ourselves. Through reflection and by slowing down we develop an appreciation for life and we increase our capacity for understanding.
5. We are learning to trust our inner wisdom. Our bodies and minds are amazing, unexplainable, and unfathomable.
6. It’s okay to be uneasy, to be uncomfortable, to grieve, to feel pain. Recognizing when something is off, feeling the depth of loss, experiencing pain, is the first step toward change and growth.
7. Practice active listening — listening deeply to yourself and to others. Listen to others without formulating your own ideas. Listen to yourself before speaking.
8. We all seek balance in our lives — balancing work and family, balancing our inner and outer lives, balancing what we want to do and what we must do.
9. We are learning that we can be fully ourselves in all situations — at work, as parents, as children, as friends, as lovers.
10. Being ourselves at work is vital to our health and happiness. Our time is too valuable to sell, at any price.
11. Each moment is precious. In every moment we have an opportunity to discover, to grow, to speak the truth.
12. Each moment is ordinary. In every moment we can realize we are fine, just as we are. Nothing else is needed.
13. We appreciate what is paradoxical. What may at first seem contradictory or beyond our understanding may be true. After all, who is it that is breathing? Who is it that dreams? How is it that these hands effortlessly glide along this keyboard?
14. Age is a state of mind. We have the opportunity to grow to be more like ourselves every day.
15. Developing intimate relationships is a vital part of our lives and our development. Intimacy requires openness, honesty, and vulnerability.
16. Real, honest open communication is highly valued — and takes real skill and effort.
17. When we slow down and learn to trust ourselves, joy arises naturally.
18. When we slow down and learn to trust ourselves, creativity arises naturally.
19. Self-knowledge and understanding require persistence and perseverance. Developing awareness and balance is an ongoing, unending process.
20. Self-knowledge and understanding require discipline. Whatever path we take requires structure, guidelines, and feedback.
21. Self-knowledge and understanding require courage.
22. Diversity is essential. Our differences enrich our lives. There is no “other,” just as our right hand is not a stranger to our left hand.
23. A simple rule to follow is do good, avoid harm. Of course, this is not simple or easy.
24. There are many paths and many practices toward developing awareness and personal growth.
25. Our everyday lives and activities provide fertile ground for developing growth and understanding.
26. We can learn to appreciate the gifts we’ve received from our parents and to forgive them. We understand on a deep level all we have received from the generations that have come before us.
27. We feel a deep responsibility for our children and for the generations that will come after us.
28. We can all act as change agents. We can choose to take action in improving and healing our environment and our society. There is no shortage of issues to address, of healing to take place.
29. We are all change agents on a personal level — we either create healing amongst those we live and work with or we create stress.
30. We can choose to act as change agents in relation to our communities.
31. We can choose to act as change agents in relation to our society or on a global level.
32. Everything we hold as dear will one day change and disappear. Every business that now exists will one day cease. Every person now alive will one day die.
33. At a deep level, we realize that we are neither in control nor not in control. Our task is to paddle the boat, with awareness and integrity. The flow of the river is outside our doing.
34. We all have the power to find peace and happiness in the midst of change and impermanence.
35. We have the power to heal ourselves, our communities, and our planet.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 1:41 AM | 5 comments

it's bright and early here in sonoma (ok 8am but that feels bright and early to moi) and i wanted to wish everyone a lovely weekend. attached are two fun photos - one from doga last saturday that i just received from a participant and one from a fellow HTC sharing her fabulous collage. i *heart* receiving images of your collages and appreciate you allowing me to share them. your work is inspiring!

yesterday's session here was powerful. really, really good stuff where the main objective was focusing on results. for example, when the facilitator introduced her graphic designer, she said "X ensures that our presentations are visually appealing." it was a great way to focus on what we want from the tasks, rather than the tasks at hand. i found that to be tres insightful! we went through all the roles in our organizations and were to note the results we wanted from the roles, not the tasks that role does.

another BIG focus they have us do is to focus on what we want to create, not what we have now as a business because that can deter us into the "fixing mode" which is where i feel like i live my life. always trying to fix any breakdowns by adding it to my to-do list. we were supposed to write our 1-page strategic objective which is what our business will look like when it is complete. a detailed picture of the future - what the business (or your life) will look, act like, smell like (oodles of lavender), taste, feel like, and how it will perform when fully developed. this exercise is to provide a sense of direction and goals for the future, movivation for moi and the team - a dream to strive for, and a basis for decision making, planning, and biz development activities. last night they took us to a yummy winery for dinner - st. francis - so i wasn't able to complete it before crashing. still getting used to the time change.

here's a great summary of the e-myth that i found online. a you probably know, this is my most recommended biz book out there and you have probably heard me rave about this book. my favorite piece is that it emphasizes the experience of your business. i think this translates to the experience of your life, too, for those of you who don't have a business.

i look forward to more fun reflection (svadyaya) today on how to improve, grow, and dream. i encourage you, too, to draft a strategic objective. it may be for a biz you currently have, a biz you want to have, or the life you want to have!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:16 AM | 2 comments

ahh, today has been beautiful but i'm running on fumes. i've been up since 4am ET and it is 10pm here. after less than 3 hours of sleep, i'm not feeling my finest. remember this is coming from a girl who thinks sleeping is one of the most fabulous things around!

a brief run down on today's excursions: we arrived early and headed to cafe gratitude. dined on all sorts of yummy concoctions and had a delightful catch up with one of my favorite pals from the jiva training, the lovely greg. he often held a seat for me in the front row during the training and is one of the most genuine people i've ever met. tried talking him into joining me for labor day weekend at kripalu with my latest professional crush, dharma mittra. we'll see.

next we headed to meet my editor and various key players at new world library. i did all my communication via phone with my first editor since they were based in maui. it's nice to meet someone who is so critical in forming a book and to see all the amazing titles that they've put out. i was honored and excited! more to come on this delightful new unfolding.

i wanted to share this sweet write-up by the lovely lisa from the uk who has a blog called pink-world. she's all about empowering girls and loves the color pink. enjoy.

off to catch some much-needed zzzzzs. 'night!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:26 PM | 2 comments

so, the word on the street is out that my agent has received an offer on my second book! final deets to come but it is a momentous day as i ponder how i will fit the writing into an already over-booked schedule. after tweaking the proposal over the past year, the prospect of actually getting it all onto paper sounds exciting!

gotta go get packed but i wanted to share my packing plans in case it helps anyone else find some tranquility during traveling:

noir leggings
noir cardi-shawl
noir skirt dress
4 noir camis
noir perfect pant
noir grecian dress
noir bra
noir jumpsuit
noir all-in-one
noir savasana throw for chilly planes and hotel rooms
long strand of faux pearls
comfy boy shorts
pearl earring studs
long black beads
various funky earrings
yoga mat
iPod
iPod player for hotel room
incense
soy candle in tin
eyepillow
earplugs
toiletries
journal
2 books to read: total leadership and fashion designers survival guide
oodles of magazines to go through on the plane
silver flip flops
noir ballet flats
noir patent wedges
gifts for a few friends that i get to see
notecards to write thank yous on the fly
materials for teaching on sunday
business cards
homework for 2-day leadership workshop
green tea and emergenC packets
lavender aromatherapy spray
macbook air
cell phone
chargers

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:03 PM | 8 comments

i leave for san francisco at 7am on wednesday morning. yikes! that means a 4ish alarm clock! off to take a 2-day workshop based around my fave business book, the e-myth, which teaches that if you create a business that can't function without you, you only have a job - not a business. huge concept for entrepreneurs! my BFF and beau will be there, too. looking forward to some in-depth learning. we received 19 pages of materials to read and complete before our session.

next i teach a 3-hour workshop on yoga + creativity at yoga tree on sunday. if you're a west coaster, please come out. would love to meet you!

we return late monday night. super-excited to see a few west coast friends starting with lunch on wednesday at cafe gratitude with one of my fave friends from my jiva training last year. read their latest book called sacred commerce and loved it!

i find that getting away for a few days can have a powerful effect on regrouping and exploring creativity - especially when attending a 2-day workshop that encourages reflection on big questions such as crafting a vision for business and life and escaping "busy" work to focus on strategic work. all sounds like great stuff to moi! promise to share the scoop! ;)

attached is yet another fabulous collage sent to me from a fellow HTC. i love seeing your creative work and thank you for passing it along!

just found this great mention of TranquiliT in the everything yoga blog. check it out!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:07 PM | 1 comments

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

Bonjour! Welcome to the 132nd edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat.

Today’s menu features part 1 of a 4-part series with Kathy Korman Frey from Hot Momma's Project on Wanting it (part one, this week), Getting it (part two in two weeks), Break in Case of Emergency (part three in four weeks)and Setting up a Goal's Group (part four in six weeks). View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Kathy Korman Frey is a life-long student of business and has interviewed an estimated 15,000 executives during her career. She is the founder of the consulting firm Vision Forward (www.VisionForward.com) and its business curriculum initiative, The Hot Mommas (TM) Project (www.HotMommas.org). Since its inception in 2001, Vision Forward has become known for its innovative business model as well as high success rate in helping businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations. Clients such as Discovery Communications, The American Association of Retired Persons, and The Department of Justice have benefited from the company’s unique approach utilizing business education techniques to bring about measurable results in their organizations. The Hot Mommas® Project - the recipient of a 2006 Coleman Foundation Case Award - chronicles the equations for success across a spectrum of highly-successful women leaders. With the backing of partners like The George Washington University's Center For Entrepreneurial Excellence, the first generation of this research will be published in 2008.

As an educator at GW, Mrs. Frey has a specialty in curriculum development. She co-developed the curriculum for the George Washington University’s 2004-2007 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program which won a National Excellence in Education Award, Specialty Model Program, and led to a ranking of GW’s Entrepreneurship Program in Fortune Small Business. Mrs. Frey also developed the entrepreneurship curriculum for Visa's Practical Money Skills site in partnership with the National Federation for Independent Business and its Young Entrepreneur Foundation. During the 2006-2007 year, this curriculum was taught to approximately 30,000 high school students. Currently, the curriculum is Google’s leading “business plan exercises” listing. In 2008, Mrs. Frey's cases will be published in the nation's no. 2 selling entrepreneurship textbook, Essentials of Small Business Management.

Prior to her current activities, Mrs. Frey served as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Council on the Aging Development Corporation where she worked with teams to develop, capitalize, and manage entrepreneurial ventures in the health and aging industries. Mrs. Frey led presentations with the White House, Fortune 500 corporations, and venture capitalists and was part of the planning team for www.BenefitsCheckUp.org which today delivers a 200 to 1 ROI. Mrs. Frey served as an analyst and in management at Markowitz & McNaughton, Incorporated (later acquired by Citigate) performing competitive and merger & acquisition analyses for Fortune 100 clients in order to advise the leaders of multinational corporations on a variety of strategic growth decisions. There, she founded two departments responsible for major increases in operational efficiencies and new business revenues.

Mrs. Frey received her B.A. in English from the University of Virginia and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves on the board of the Alzheimer's Association, National Capital Area. She lives in DC with entrepreneur husband Josh Frey, their two children, Maxwell and Delilah (Lilah), and dog Foxy.

Savvy Sources:
www.HotMommas.org
Effective Small Business Management

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Join me for workshops and book signings in San Francisco THIS Sunday at Yoga Tree, Lexington in October, Denver in January, Montreal in March.

In addition, we've got a week of hip and tranquil chickness at Kripalu August 10-15 and our 3rd Annual Hip Tranquil Chick retreat in a lovely farmhouse not far from NYC March 27-29.

Our next le chic teleclass chat is on Frolicking Creatively (and Mindfully) into Fall on Monday, September 15 at 9pm ET.

Fall online creativity circle starts September 8. 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: Thanks for joining me for the 132nd edition of the HTC podcast.

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

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:22 PM | 5 comments

this is one of my favorite words: do-gooding. is it even a real word? i love to make words up or must have seen it somewhere and it stuck.

i think of the motto for all things hip tranquil chick as "yoga, creativity, do-gooding." today's do-gooding effort began bright and early with doga (note attached photo of the lovely louis). there were four darling dogs there for adoption and yummy treats from doggie style bakery (one of louis' favorite stomping grounds). everyone donated what they could to the washington humane society and seemed to enjoy doing yoga under the sky.

after baking in the hot sun for awhile, i was cooked so i headed home to rejuvenate with a hot bath and nap. then off to the studio to lead 15 lovely yogis through a 2-hour hip practice which raised over $300 for tranquil space foundation (TSF)! yay!

on friday i met with two ladies from dc's chapter of girls on the run and was so energized by hearing their story and their founders story (i have a professional crush on her and secretly desire to design TSF in a similar fashion to her organizational growth). girls on the run is one of our first grantees within TSF's generosity committee. we donated $650 to three local organizations with similar missions toward serving women and girls. it felt so good to hand over a check to these women who are growing this amazing organization in dc. the plan is to put the donation toward scholarships to girls who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to participate in their programming.

after this check hand-off and smoozing over their founder, i dashed off to volunteer with my seniors up on connecticut avenue. loooooove them. one lady from italy always shows up decked out - she had on a comfy black dress and a big pearl choker. i couldn't help but hope that that is how i'll present at 90.

it's funny, i started this post simply to share louis' oh-so-fabulous picture and then realized how "do-gooding" the past two days have been. wasn't even intentional, just how it all worked out. feels good. hope it's building some good karma!

on thursday i met with a woman who runs a green medical spa in virginia called derma hair care and she mentioned off the cuff that she had read my book. i had been e-introduced to her by a mutual friend who thought we would have fun, greening, business stories to share so this came as a nice surprise. she noted how it was written in an accessible way and encouraged the reader to have fun with spirituality.

i really appreciated that comment and plan to muse about that soon on the blog because i find that to be SO important on this life journey. there is so much black and white thinking on what yoga is, what a yogi is, what spirituality is, how this is the right way and this is the wrong way, etc. frankly, it drives me crazy! the whole premise behind HTC is to find your own way, to explore what makes you tick, and to live life fully, mindfully, and flairfully. more to come on this topic . . .

off to finish date night with beau and pug - curled up in bed with a good book and some fun documentary entertainment. 'night and namaste!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:38 PM | 2 comments

my rock star assistant will soon be focusing on her next career move which includes studying for the GRE (yikes!). thus i'm on the prowl for a fabulous, creative, go-getter assistant who has big shoes to fill. below is the description in case you (or someone you know) would be a good fit!

Creative Executive Assistant

Seeking a fabulously creative, energetic, and enthusiastic assistant. This fun opportunity involves the ability to prioritize, brainstorm, have foresight, assist with decision making and strategic planning, and gracefully handle issues as they arise with a “can do” attitude. Organization, reliability, creativity, attention to detail, strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to multi-task and handle a continuous list of to-dos are absolute musts. Must be able to check email and phone regularly and wear the hip and tranquil hat as right hand confidante and support to Kimberly Wilson.

Individual should have the ability to problem solve, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and take initiative to develop procedures to continually improve operational efficiency and efficacy. Idea generation is welcomed and encouraged. Candidate should possess a strong desire to assist Kimberly with realizing the desire to turn all entities into sustainable, green, fun-loving, profitable, socially conscious organizations.

Specific duties include:

* Scheduling tranquility to go events (i.e. book signings, trunk shows, guest teaching workshops, local events, retreats), arranging logistics, and helping with successful event execution from a to z
* Preparing agendas and support materials for meetings
* Researching products, vendors, and other ideas
* Assists with projects and special events such as trunk shows, trade shows, soirees, open houses, and team retreats.
* Running errands to copier, post office, and other local resources
* Drafting correspondence, call screening, and cold calls
* Attending events or meetings, taking notes, and reporting back to the owner on next steps, deliverables
* Assisting with ideas and visionary work for the companies
* Assisting with marketing materials and plans
* Additional duties to be mutually determined as one grows into the role
* Promotion ideas for HTC/next book
* Assisting at Tranquil Space Foundation special events such as the annual gala
* TranquiliT: customer service, shipping, design feedback, modeling, book keeping, wholesale/consignment account relations, cold calling boutiques/spas/studios, tribe (fellow teachers discount program) management, inventory management, light accounting, sales rep operations. Additional tasks include attending NY tradeshows and hosting seasonal trunk shows. Ability to move beyond maintaining the current systems and sales, and to growing the business through idea generation, different sales outlets, and more!

The perfect candidate is:

* Dependable, trustworthy, and flexible with scheduling
* A creative visionary
* Detail-oriented; good with project management and devising logistics to the finest detail
* Excellent with communication, reporting and follow-through
* Passionate about business and self-growth, yoga, women’s empowerment, and creativity
* Loves dogs and cats; not allergic to any pets

Hours: 40-50 hours a week. Room for continued growth and expansion. Potential for performance-based increase in three months. Great opportunity for aspiring entrepreneur-in-training!

Compensation: $25,000 - $35,000 per year with 2 weeks paid vacation, a monthly complimentary mani, 50% off the eco-fabulous TranquiliT line, FREE unlimited yoga at Tranquil Space studios, 15% off spa treatments at Tranquil Space, 25% off merchandise at Tranquil Space, plus additional discounts relating to Kimberly’s various offerings such as retreats, creativity circles, and workshops!

To apply: send resume to kimberly@kimberlywilson.com, peruse kimberlywilson.com and outline interest in various entities in your cover letter.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:04 PM | 3 comments

enjoy this muse from my new yoga + creativity series that launched this past monday with the examiner. click on the image to read the piece. i love this quote by maya angelou: we need to remember that we are all created creative! that means you, too!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:44 PM | 1 comments

last night's teleclass was a total treat. we had HTCs from the east and west coast plus australia and iraq! a truly delightful group and one who even set her alarm to get up at 4am (iraq time) to listen in.

one of our lovely participants passed along her 8 petals from the call and i just had to share. so colorful, so creative, and so fun!

if you were registered, an mp3 of the call is coming your way in the next day or so. mark your calendars: our next teleclass is september 15 and registration for it will start shortly.

here's a brief summary of the 8 sultry summer sadhana (spiritual practice) petals:

1. yamas
2. niyamas
3. create
4. meditate
5. go green
6. live by example
7. be a do-gooder
8. be in the know

posted by kimberly wilson @ 2:02 PM | 3 comments

yesterday's photo shoot for TranquiliT was fun. here is a sneak preview on the pieces and photos to come. note the yummy fall colors: slate grey, au naturel off-white, cranberry, and noir (of course!). new fall designs: palazzo pant, long grecian dress, beanie, 2-in-1 long sleeve top.

i'm working on spring 2009 now. any color requests? any must-have additions to the line that you're craving? do tell!

best wishes for a great start to your week! look forward to chatting with some of you live tonight during our teleclass on sultry summer sadhana (spiritual practice).

also, this weekend we've got loads of exciting things happening:

- doga - our annual fundraiser for the humane society and yoga in the park with dogs. saturday 10-11:30am at rose park (past 23 & p)

- hip hips workshop with moi on saturday from 3-5pm in dupont. register at tranquilspace.com

- 4th annual studio picnic on sunday from 6-8pm. complimentary yoga class by moi, potluck picnic, and tons o' fun! come mingle off the mat. (22 & p - down the hill)

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:59 AM | 17 comments

sure this is written for young girls but i am in love with fancy nancy. i came across the latest in the fancy nancy series during a recent sojourn at tarjay and couldn't help but feel a strong connection to this little wonder. she loves boas, tiaras, accessories, parfaits, parasols and prefers to use the "fancy" versions of words - often with a french theme. hmmm, is it wrong to find a piece of yourself in a children's book? oh, and if you haven't picked one up, know that they are highly illustrated with tons o' sparkles. what more could a girl want? age 3 or 35!

here's a fun fancy nancy kit to make your sunday complete. my assistant and i are off to shoot photos of the fall TranquiliT collection! look forward to sharing and hope it, too, is tres fancy. au revoir!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:12 PM | 3 comments

french pedicures
yummy yoga classes
sweet surprises
belated birthday gifts
thank you notes
quiet time
connection with friends
reading a good book
rain on a sunday afternoon
unexpectedly found free time
setting goals
crossing things off my to-do list
getting organized
finding a cute pink leopard print notebook at tarjay
eating fruit and cheese
playing with my pug
having date nights with my beau
seeing a good foreign film with subtitles
bookstore browsing
creating new designs
hosting small dinner parties
rearranging books, trinkets, and frames
taking my pug to the doggie bakery
finding anything in damask
taking naps in a cool, dark room
picking up my big, black cat
bamboo stalks
bamboo fabric
creating ambiance with lamps
learning something new
the smell of nag champa
soy chai lattes
writing snail mail letters
straw hat on a warm summer day
sipping wine mid-afternoon at a winery
anything that sparkles
e-mails or notes of appreciation
pink hair
big black sunglasses
babies
black leggings
ballet flats
chic silver flip-flops
discovering a new eco-designer
teaching yoga
mentoring a new client
black nail polish
generosity
my pug's cute face
beau's compliments
the company of like-minded people
art museums filled with impressionist paintings
sweet text messages
stargazer lilies
brocade home products
idea books
journal writing
recycling
leading tranquil teens programs through tranquil space foundation
participating in mid-year planning sessions for our non-profit
eating cupcakes
sending care packages
creating gemstone necklaces
flowers in my hair
jasmine green tea
berry scones
lavender-infused anything
fresh mint
lemons in my h2o
fashion shows
tori amos concerts
that my father likes kitten and butterfly calendars (just like tweens)
my mother's obsessions with all things crafty
my rockstar 95-year-old e-mailing gramma

posted by kimberly wilson @ 3:57 PM | 8 comments

Join Kimberly for a one-hour le chic teleclass (via phone in the comfort of your own home) chat with your journal, cup of tea, and pen in hand. This chat will be on sultry summer sadhana (spiritual practice). The fun will be held on Monday, July 14 at 9:00pm ET (8:00 CT, 7:00 MT, 6:00 PT). The call will be recorded and an mp3 sent to you so if you can't make the call, you won't miss out! To secure your spot, click here.

Stay tuned for the fall le chic teleclass - Frolicking into fall - on September 15, 2008 at 9:00pm ET.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 6:19 PM | 0 comments

i received an image of this gorgeous collage from a podcast listener this week and just loved it so i had to share. the online creativity circle ladies recently completed and posted their collages and they are filled with inspiration, too! making a collage is one of the most fun, creative, and inspiring visionary tools. by simply pulling out some magazines, scissors, glue sticks, and construction paper, creativity can be yours.

my next 8-week series for the examiner is on yoga + creativity. stay tuned for some fun tips. also, if you live in san francisco, i'm teaching a workshop at yoga tree on yoga + creativity at the end of month. come say "bonjour!"

tonight i spoke at the capitol creativity network on how to flow in business and in life. top 3 tips were:

1. find your passion – try to find a way to create a lifestyle with your work

2. let your creativity flow – let your path unfold organically. imagine, inspire, innovate

3. leave a legacy – ensure that your work benefits others, the environment, animals, etc. – whatever particular causes you value. remember to serve a need, a population – anything, just ensure your work serves!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:20 PM | 1 comments

after a fun-filled photoshoot for my weekly column in the examiner, two dear friends came by the studio to get me for lunch. one was in from miami and the other lives nearby but i don't see him nearly enough. we all met at sportsclub LA when i taught there after they opened in 2000. we've been fast friends ever since even though life has changed so much with all of us. it's a treat to have history with two delightful beings, especially since i'm a transplant from my native land (oklahoma).

last night i was blessed with a yummy birthday dinner by a former sorority sister. oddly enough we reconnected when i ran into her on the street a few years ago. she was always one of my favorites. i was a freshman and she was a senior. you know, the cool senior. wore a black leather jacket, was always laughing, and didn't take the delta delta delta days too seriously. it's been fun to reconnect away from the university of oklahoma and share our life paths.

taking time to nurture friendships is never something i feel like i have enough time to do properly but i am feeling very blessed thanks to these interactions over the past 24 hours. i hope you, too, will take a moment to reach out to someone who you are grateful for. maybe even dedicate your yoga practice to them. it is a lovely way to honor someone else. namaste.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 3:50 PM | 0 comments

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

Bonjour! Welcome to the 131st edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat.

Today’s menu features a mini must-have yoga sequence for the girl on-the-go. View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Join me for workshops and book signings in San Francisco in July, Lexington in October, Denver in January. In addition, we've got a week of hip and tranquil chickness at 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: Thanks for joining me for the 131st 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 @ 10:28 PM | 1 comments

at yesterday's 4-hour tranquil space foundation mid-year planning meeting, the lovely ladies surprised with heaps of cupcakes for my birthday. what an incredibly thoughtful gesture. our group of volunteers are amazing and i always love spending time with them. working together to spread yoga, creativity, and leadership is a true treat.

here is a photo of bonnard, my chubby kitty, partaking in some of the cupcake icing. he and i have similar passions when it comes to sweets. after a cupcake-induced nap, i did some closet and desk organizing - almost as fun as noshing on cupcakes!

this morning i headed out to a bead show as my supplies are quite low and it was time to replenish them. i took a photo of my loot: smoky quartz, crystal and pearl pendants, red coral, turquoise, onyx, rose quartz, and wire to string it all together. this was a fun artist date as i love the prep work for creating. watch for new tranquilista gems coming soon. off to teach a free yoga class at meridian hill park, then some QT time with beau. oh, and a new podcast coming your way. best wishes for a lovely, creative conclusion to your holiday weekend!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 3:48 PM | 0 comments

wishing you all a beautiful 4th of july. celebrate independence. celebrate freedom. celebrate the woman that you continue to become!

today i taught class and remerchandised the boutique. got a little bug and couldn't stop. already warned beau that tomorrow evening after our tranquil space foundation board meeting, i plan to conquer my closets. it's been way too long. uh oh!

home today at 5pm, noshed on some yummy pie, and hope to nap before heading back to the studio for a rooftop picnic and fireworks watching with pug, beau, BFF and her beau. should be a lovely evening. yay for a holiday!

these photos are images of our new studio featuring the earth studio made with cork flooring - note the gorgeous skylights, the tea bar featuring organic teas, and the lotus lounge in the spa.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 5:38 PM | 2 comments

post-birthday glow

I hit every landmark I was hoping to during my 13.5-hour tenure in the big apple including magnolia bakery and a class with the oh-so-lovely dharma mittra. I’ve been in awe of him since coming across that gorgeous poster of him in more poses than I thought were possible. The most notorious is of him in headstand only on his head – no arm support. According to his website he was to be in Japan today so imagine my excitement when he walked into the studio. I was psyched for my 2-hour master class with him and about 20 other students. As we transitioned from crow to chaturanga to crow to chaturanga to forearm stand (yes, that was our warm-up), I was over the moon. I love the breaking of convention, especially when done with such authenticity.

In addition to Dharma being in town, I also got a birthday gift at Urban Outfitters. I feel in love with these boots. I asked if they came in black and no, they didn't. Sad, I requested the brown ones in my size. Then, lo and behold, I saw some black fringe peeking out of a box. Voila, they were an online returned pair AND in my size. I was smitten, put them on and only took them off to practice yoga - oh and to get a massage! Running around town in leggings, the all-in-one, a tube bodysuit from American Apparel (yes, I practiced yoga in it!), my new boots, and a long strand of pearls felt fabulously liberating!

Here's my special day in a nutshell:

Up at 2:45 am
Bus leaves at 3:30 am
Drunk (and not-so-tranquil) man gets on bus at 6am and yell the rest of the journey
Arrive at 8:30am
Head to Moby's teashop Teany but it was closed until 10am
Find a corner teashop and write until 10am
Hit Broadway to do some browsing and find fabulous boots
Head to Dharma Mittra's studio to practice 12-2
Walk to wholesale bead area to shop for more tranquilista gems
Walk to Union Square and hit Strand bookstore. Resist purchasing
Pass a walk-in spa and get a yummy shiatu massage (first ever and LOVED IT)
Head to Maria Tash on Broadway to buy myself a 35-year birthday gift: fancy nose stud
Walk to Magnolia Bakery and, yes, it is worth the hype. Hit Pinkberry along the way. Double dessert!
Wander upon this yummy new green, organic restaurant Gusto
Cab to Penn Station to browse a nearby bookstore and catch my 10pm train home

This birthday has been a lovely time of svadyaya (self-study) as it feels like a milestone. I’m not freaked out so much about aging (ok, maybe a tiny bit) as I am about life passing so quickly. It feels like just yesterday that I started Tranquil Space at 16th & u, although it was 9 years ago this October. I’ve been a hamster on a wheel since it began and I like taking these moments to reflect on all the lessons, gifts, and next steps. When I arrived in NY, I pulled out the goals I wrote on my last birthday, assessed them, and wrote new goals that I hope to have accomplished by June 2009. Starting the day with this intention setting felt like the right way to begin. Ending it in a state of exhaustion from an action-packed day in NY felt like the perfect way to end.

Although I charged my camera and was all set to capture the day in this way, I ended up only taking two photos: 1 of a genius window display at Eileen Fisher and 1 of my yummy cupcake. The best laid plans . . .

A BIG thank you for the well wishes. Now life is back to normal and continues as a full-fledged 35-year-old with fabulous new boots and a renewed spirit!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:42 PM | 5 comments