life on the mountain


life on the mountain signifies a return to good health. wholesome eating. contemplative walks. country roads. garden herbs. on the mountain, there is always time for yoga.

when your best friend shares your healthy ambitions, we have found that it is easy to embrace the purist lifestyle. equipped with fresh reads from the local library and invigorating iced teas from our favorite cafe, summer has always been our time to shed the negative trappings of a tough school year and return to our best possible selves, refreshed and ready for a new school year. every year the process is the same: we plunge full force into purging and cleansing. day in and day out we make the trek to our beloved YMCA. we kickbox and yoga our way to healthy versions of ourselves. we celebrate our accomplishments with small treats. we are quick to punish ourselves for tiny missteps, and constantly have to remind each other to have a little tenderness for our bodies. the transformation occurs, but all too soon it is reversed by the stresses of urban living and rigorous academic programs.

with the ever present goal of health, fitness, and happiness for life, we realize that what was once a summer project must now become a full time journey. conscious living comes naturally on the mountain where the grass is green and the air is pure. not to mention, the lack of significant social commitments and professional obligations frees up our time for lots of exercise, rest, and proper nourishment. summer on the mountain is a hiatus. in essence, a retreat from our busy, crazy, passionate lives as young women committed to social change and personal and professional success. the mountain allows us to devote full attention to our health, but we are not satisfied with only three months of good living. we know that the other nine months can quickly negate our hard work, and we are determined to avoid the pitfalls of the 'all or nothing' approach to wellness that stands in the way of long term success. 

perpetual summer is not an option; however, our goal is to live as if it is. 365 days a year, regardless of location, we aim to live as purely and wholesomely as possible. there is not always time for the gym. there is not always time to make dinner. outside of the mountain, it is a much more complicated world. there are travels and drinks, friends and parties, movie nights and study dates - all of which come with their fair share of tempting deviations from the healthy course. it is easy to be overwhelmed by the many obstacles that stand between us and our ideal lifestyle. never together for more than three months out of the year, we cannot always be there to hold each other to the high standards of respect for the body and for the spirit that we have set. while we have been known frequently to fall short, and occasionally to flail, it is our hope that this blog will serve as a testament to our commitment to take the mountain with us wherever we go.