Things to be grateful for.

Hello friends!

I am sure we all have many, many things to be grateful for. One of the best feelings in life is to stop our fast-paced lives and be thankful for what we have or what we have become. Here are some of the things I'm grateful for:

I'm grateful for my Family: they are my rock, my strength, my source of joy. They are my biggest supporters and best critics. My mother, my sisters, my dear cousin-sister ;) my husband, and my nephews are the best thing that ever happened to me. They are the people I cherish the most.

I'm grateful for my Friends: I just have a handful of very close friends and they are the best friends that I could have ever asked for. Most of them don't  live in the same city as I or even in the same country, but every time we meet we are able to resume the conversation right where we left it as if time or distance did not exist between us. We know we are there for each other.

I'm grateful for having a career that allows me to grow and to plan a future. I'm grateful for the chance to travel and explore the world with my soul mate, my husband, the strongest man I know and the best person I've ever met. I'm grateful to be able to focus and be present through my Yoga practice. I'm grateful for the people that cross my path and teach me what is really important in life. I'm grateful to be healthy.

 I'm grateful for having the ability to choose my path, my future, my lifestyle, the length of my skirt and the color of my hair.

What are you grateful for?

xoxo,
Nela

Hello 2018!

Happy New Year everyone!

I can say that 2017 was a year full of emotions, some painful moments and lots of Joy. Some of the most memorable highlights of last year were the birth of my nephew and our trip to go meet him in Spain. Last year also had difficult and hard moments for my family as we experienced one of the worse fears when one of our little ones was very sick and weak, thankfully everything is now in the past and we couldn't be happier about how strong and healthy and smiley he is now.

December was magic as we were able to spend Christmas together, my sisters and my mom's happiness was priceless. Also, 2017 was the year to make important decisions and 2018 will be the year to shape them and enjoy the results.

I could not be more excited to see what this year will bring us. I'm sure this will be the most remarkable year yet. 2018 I'm so ready for you.

xoxo,
Nela.

The Little Moments

On Sunday morning we went for a walk on the beach. The day was beautiful, the ocean was a little wavy but nice, with a perfect shade of blue. The ride on our scooter to the beach is something I always enjoy, to me it's like being adventurous. Those simple moments are the ones I love the most.

The fresh salty air and the smell of the ocean help to calm your soul. Walking next to my husband, talking about random things, watching people work out, ride their bikes or skating make me feel very alive. It's literally a shot of pure energy and joy.

Those little moments bring happiness to our lives, ground us and fill our hearts. We all have hectic schedules and very busy days with not much time to relax and unwind. So cherish the little moments with your loved ones, enjoy them and be present.

Enjoy your weekend XOXO!

My Journey to Yoga

A little over two years ago I took my first yoga class. It all started because I told my friend about my stiffened shoulders and neck and she automatically said: "you should try yoga, it will all go away with yoga". I (always) felt intimated by yoga because I thought you would have to be some sort of contortionist to be in a yoga class and never even thought of trying it. I went on Groupon and bought a 5-class package because I said to my self I should buy the minimum in case I didn't like it. My first yoga class proved to me how wrong I was.

In the first class, I was able to do some poses, I struggled to get to most of them, and there were a few poses that I could totally not do, but that was OK and I was not the only one in that situation. In my awkwardness I felt comfortable and my instructor took the time to focus on the new students (like me) and made a point to tell us that it was fine if we couldn't do the pose because yoga is not about "doing a pose", yoga is about loving your body and opening your heart. After that very first class I felt better, physically and mentally, my shoulders and neck felt softer and I couldn't wait until the next class. Before the end of the 5-class package, I decided  I wanted to practice yoga on a regular basis. My body felt different, leaner and my mind was calmer. I felt happy at the end of every class.

Yoga is not about being able to do a headstand (which to this day I cannot do), it is more about self-confidence and conquering your fears. Yoga is not about being flexible but dedicated. Yoga is all about growing to become a better person, more tolerant, patient, kind and committed. It is about respecting your body and that includes your injuries. But most important yoga is about being present.

Last year I completed the 200-hour teacher training program and became a certified yoga instructor. I still have too much to learn and many challenges to take, I keep learning about my body after every practice. There are poses I'm still not able to do and I accept that; I accept the fact that there are things in life I cannot change or master, and that is totally fine. Yoga took me to a journey of love and respect for me and for others.  

My recommendation to you, if you are deciding whether to give yoga a try, is to get just a few classes at a studio conveniently located near you. Try different yoga styles (Vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and much more) and decide which yoga style is better for you. When you find the yoga style you like, attend to classes, be consistent with your practice and you will feel how your body and your mind will change.

That's all I have today! I hope you had a great weekend!!

Lemonade

Hi friends, I'm Nela and I decided to create the Sweet & Sour Life blog to share some lifestyle thoughts with you and to encourage people to take a positive point of view when life is not as sweet as we expected it to be.

I don't know where this blog will take me, but I hope it can bring me closer to those that share a positive philosophy of life even though we all struggle with different sour situations in our lives. 

In this very first post, I would like to share a bit of my self, I'm 34 years old, I have been married to my wonderful husband Jonas for 7 years and we live in South Florida. For the last couple of years we have struggled with infertility, but we are not giving up, because our desire to have a baby is stronger than any limitations that we may have, the plan is to keep trying until we are successful. In the meantime, just like they say: if life gives you lemons... we'll make a delicious lemonade. We enjoy all the time we have to our selves, we travel as often as possible, we enjoy reading, late afternoon walks on the beach, or just riding our scooter to our favorite pizza place. Not having a tight schedule, I believe, is what we enjoy the most and all that will change when we have kids, so we make sure to enjoy our present state of tranquility while we prepare for our future as parents.

I strongly believe that you can take good out of the bad situations in life. We all struggle with different obstacles but have to be able to look around and see the good that's also there, as it may be hidden but is always around us. I am certain that what comes after is always better, way better.