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| Raw Cashew Dream Cake |
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| Dreamcake |
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| Portobello Mushroom Pizzas |
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| Raw Tacos, Butternut Squash Dip, Flax Crackers and Heirloom Tomato |
September 11, 2011
Saturday Night Feast
September 10, 2011
Leg Breaking Pose
How the name suits this asana. I have just started exploring this pose in the Advanced classes. It looks like the movement happens in the knee but I feel the stretch in the hip and hip flexor.
If I understand the pose correctly, eventually my foot should be tucked up underneath my rib cage.
Here is what Leg Breaking may look like one day, in the future. I don't know the Sanskrit name for this pose, if anyone knows it and would like to share...
Update September 11: the Sanskrit name is Eka-pada Gokilasana. Thanks Dancing J!
If I understand the pose correctly, eventually my foot should be tucked up underneath my rib cage.
Here is what Leg Breaking may look like one day, in the future. I don't know the Sanskrit name for this pose, if anyone knows it and would like to share...
Update September 11: the Sanskrit name is Eka-pada Gokilasana. Thanks Dancing J!
September 9, 2011
Flax Crackers
Last night I borrowed my mum's dehydrator. She used to make us home made fruit leather with this dehydrator from the apples and pears from our back yard. I found a recipe for flax seed crackers on My New Roots and wanted to give them a shot.
2 cups ground flax seed
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 cups water
dried basil and oregano
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Allow to become firm and then scoop onto a solid dehydrator sheet and spread thinly. Cut the flax mixture into cracker shapes and dehaydrate for 5 - 6 hours. Check periodically and when the crackers become dry on top, flip onto a mesh dehydrating sheet and allow them to become crisp, another 4 - 6 hours. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
They are seriously yummy.
I adapted the recipe slightly. I found the mixture easier to work with after it had hardened slightly. I was able to spread it more thinly. And I found the crackers impossible to "flip" onto the mesh sheet so I slid a knife under them and one by one picked them up and flipped them over. You could add any kind of seasoning you'd like to them. I was thinking cinnamon and more honey the next time to make them more of a sweet treat.
2 cups ground flax seed
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 cups water
dried basil and oregano
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Allow to become firm and then scoop onto a solid dehydrator sheet and spread thinly. Cut the flax mixture into cracker shapes and dehaydrate for 5 - 6 hours. Check periodically and when the crackers become dry on top, flip onto a mesh dehydrating sheet and allow them to become crisp, another 4 - 6 hours. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
They are seriously yummy.
I adapted the recipe slightly. I found the mixture easier to work with after it had hardened slightly. I was able to spread it more thinly. And I found the crackers impossible to "flip" onto the mesh sheet so I slid a knife under them and one by one picked them up and flipped them over. You could add any kind of seasoning you'd like to them. I was thinking cinnamon and more honey the next time to make them more of a sweet treat.
September 8, 2011
Push It, Forget It, Move on
This morning I got extremely frustrated - with lack of communication, with the feeling that I'm at people's beck and call, with the fact that I do not comprehend why people run a business and treat their employees the way they do.
Moving on. It was my Back and Biceps day for P90 X, so I decided to take not only what I learn in my yoga practice but also what Tony Horton reiterates in his workout videos - forget it, let it go, this time is for me, focus on now! So I pushed it. I was tired today - maybe from the advanced yoga class yesterday. But I fought hard. Biceps curls and all the many versions that Tony has you doing, are not easy! Not to mention the many different versions of pull ups. I can do one chin up on my own with no props but in order to get through my workout, I take Tony's advice and use a chair. I use that chair to give myself a little boost to make it up the entire way, so that I can complete 10-12 pull ups in a set.
I feel pretty ripped by the end of this work out. My arms feel tight, almost swollen and I feel strong. Focusing on my workout was the best way I could have dealt with my frustration this morning. It allowed me to re focus my attention on what was important to me at that moment and what I could actually, productively, deal with.
September 7, 2011
Breakfast Pancake
With this new eating plan I am experimenting with, I had to come up with some breakfast ideas other than my standard rolled oats, Greek yogurt and fruit. What I came up with was a butternut squash pancake.
Take a butternut squash, cut it in half and remove the seeds. Bake it at 350 degrees until you can stick a fork in to the flesh. Cut the squash into four equal pieces. Take one of those pieces and scoop it out of skin and into a bowl. Mash it up with some cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add in a tablespoon of flax seeds and one egg or a quarter cup of egg whites. Mash it all together until it is a lovely orange, brown mush. Heat a pan on the stove and pour your pancake batter into the hot pan. Fry at medium heat until the bottom starts to firm up - sometimes I add frozen blueberries at this point. Flip carefully. It will may fall apart - no biggie - just stick it back together again and finish the second side. Slide onto a plate and top with whatever you'd like.
September 6, 2011
P90 X Review
Today I completed my 42nd day of the P90 X workout.
I was kind of skeptical when I started this 90 routine a little over a month ago. I didn't really know what to expect. I had never really lifted a lot of weights before and my 12 and 15 pound dumbbells collected dust for a couple years until I started bringing them out a few months ago. The problem was I didn't really know what to do with them - other than your standard shoulder press and curls and incorporating them into lunges and squats - I felt a little lost.
I can now say, that with the help of Tony Horton, I feel stronger and leaner. I'm seeing definition in my arms and shoulders that I've never seen before, I'm not afraid of trying a pull up, even if I need to use a stool to help me up, and I've lost an inch from my hips and 3/4 of an inch from my thighs.
I haven't followed his program exactly because I practice my yoga 5 days a week and I don't have the time, nor, do I want to do 3 days of weights, 5 days of yoga and then 3 days of other cardio. So I've been following his weights and my yoga and on my rest weeks (Week 4 and 8) I do the Plyometric work out or Cardio X along with yoga.
I also haven't been super strict with my diet. I mean eat pretty damn well - I think. Most days I consume less than 2000 calories (with the P90 workout calculation where you calculate your resting metabolic rate and then incorporate the workouts, I need 25oo calories to maintain my weight, so I cut it by 500.), I eat a ton of fruit and veg and get enough protein. But I have bad cheat days and I didn't cut our my rice, pasta, oats for the first month, which the P90 program recommends.
So, beginning yesterday, for 30 days I am going to avoid all oats, rice, pastas and breads. I still eat squash and zucchini and fruit and salad, I'm simply trying a little experiment. I figure if I've lost an inch from my hips and I'm half way done the program, let's just see what this will do in the next 30 days.
I was kind of skeptical when I started this 90 routine a little over a month ago. I didn't really know what to expect. I had never really lifted a lot of weights before and my 12 and 15 pound dumbbells collected dust for a couple years until I started bringing them out a few months ago. The problem was I didn't really know what to do with them - other than your standard shoulder press and curls and incorporating them into lunges and squats - I felt a little lost.
I can now say, that with the help of Tony Horton, I feel stronger and leaner. I'm seeing definition in my arms and shoulders that I've never seen before, I'm not afraid of trying a pull up, even if I need to use a stool to help me up, and I've lost an inch from my hips and 3/4 of an inch from my thighs.
I haven't followed his program exactly because I practice my yoga 5 days a week and I don't have the time, nor, do I want to do 3 days of weights, 5 days of yoga and then 3 days of other cardio. So I've been following his weights and my yoga and on my rest weeks (Week 4 and 8) I do the Plyometric work out or Cardio X along with yoga.
I also haven't been super strict with my diet. I mean eat pretty damn well - I think. Most days I consume less than 2000 calories (with the P90 workout calculation where you calculate your resting metabolic rate and then incorporate the workouts, I need 25oo calories to maintain my weight, so I cut it by 500.), I eat a ton of fruit and veg and get enough protein. But I have bad cheat days and I didn't cut our my rice, pasta, oats for the first month, which the P90 program recommends.
So, beginning yesterday, for 30 days I am going to avoid all oats, rice, pastas and breads. I still eat squash and zucchini and fruit and salad, I'm simply trying a little experiment. I figure if I've lost an inch from my hips and I'm half way done the program, let's just see what this will do in the next 30 days.
September 5, 2011
Lotus, Ouch!
I practiced 3 hours of yoga today! Love it! My studio has started having advanced classes again, so I participated in my first one in nearly a year today.
All I have to say right now is, Lotus, my god, it hurts so much. Not my hips, not my knees but my ankle. Specifically my right ankle. We do a whole series of Lotus poses that last for what feels like forever. I can stand the first quarter of the series and then my right ankle starts to kill me. I know that it is from the many, many times I have rolled it and pulled the tendons and sprained it. The tendons are used to being so tight and this is finally allowing them to stretch out.
So, really, this is a good thing.
And, that's all I have to say about that - for today.
Happy Labour Day!
September 4, 2011
Pranayama Deep Breathing
Pranayama warms your body up from the inside to prepare you for the heat and the next 90 minutes. This was a very difficult pose for me when I first started - 6 counts to inhale and 6 to exhale can feel nearly impossible when you first start. All I can say here is try. If you can only inhale 4 counts that's OK. You will get stronger, your lungs will expand. Just try.
Now, the "snoring sensation" that the instructors tell us to do is difficult. For 6 months I was simply inhaling loudly through my nose. Then I took a private lesson with Ida and in 10 minutes it made so much sense. Essentially you are drawing the air in through the back of your throat instead of just through your nose. If you have trouble with this, I encourage you to ask your instructors. Ask a few different ones until you get it.
What I find just as important in Pranayama as the breathing is the foundation of your body. You are standing in Mountain pose (Tadasana) before you begin the breath. I find it very useful to plant my feet firmly side by side on the floor and distribute my weight evenly through the inside and outside of my heels and the balls of the big toe side of the foot as well as the little toe side. Otherwise known as the four corners of the feet. Contract your thighs, pull your knee caps up and make your legs strong. Your legs and your feet are there to support you through the entire 90 minutes, so find them, engage them, become aware of them before you begin your practice. Flex your glutes and push your hips just a little forward so you don't have a pronounced curve in your lower spine. Extend your spine up - from you cocyx to the top of your head. Lift up. Stand proud. Start strong.
When I clasp my hands and interlock my fingers, I like to interlock them with my dominant hand on top first and then during second set, I switch my grip. I have switched my grip so often that I no longer know which is my dominant side.
Remember to suck that belly in! This will increase your lung capacity. And keep your eyes open the entire time or you will get dizzy. Check in with your foundation every so often. I like to do this because sometimes my feet start to drift apart or my thighs release. Keep that strength in the lower half of your body - it will help you during the rest of your practice.
It took Mr. Iyengar 20 years before he could master the art of Pranayama (1), so don't get discouraged. Look at him now.
[1] http://www.iyengar-yoga.com/articles/yogatradition/trad4.html
Now, the "snoring sensation" that the instructors tell us to do is difficult. For 6 months I was simply inhaling loudly through my nose. Then I took a private lesson with Ida and in 10 minutes it made so much sense. Essentially you are drawing the air in through the back of your throat instead of just through your nose. If you have trouble with this, I encourage you to ask your instructors. Ask a few different ones until you get it.
What I find just as important in Pranayama as the breathing is the foundation of your body. You are standing in Mountain pose (Tadasana) before you begin the breath. I find it very useful to plant my feet firmly side by side on the floor and distribute my weight evenly through the inside and outside of my heels and the balls of the big toe side of the foot as well as the little toe side. Otherwise known as the four corners of the feet. Contract your thighs, pull your knee caps up and make your legs strong. Your legs and your feet are there to support you through the entire 90 minutes, so find them, engage them, become aware of them before you begin your practice. Flex your glutes and push your hips just a little forward so you don't have a pronounced curve in your lower spine. Extend your spine up - from you cocyx to the top of your head. Lift up. Stand proud. Start strong.
When I clasp my hands and interlock my fingers, I like to interlock them with my dominant hand on top first and then during second set, I switch my grip. I have switched my grip so often that I no longer know which is my dominant side.
Remember to suck that belly in! This will increase your lung capacity. And keep your eyes open the entire time or you will get dizzy. Check in with your foundation every so often. I like to do this because sometimes my feet start to drift apart or my thighs release. Keep that strength in the lower half of your body - it will help you during the rest of your practice.
It took Mr. Iyengar 20 years before he could master the art of Pranayama (1), so don't get discouraged. Look at him now.
[1] http://www.iyengar-yoga.com/articles/yogatradition/trad4.html
September 3, 2011
Old Friends Warm My Heart
Today, I drove 45 minutes north of Victoria today to meet my oldest friend for lunch. I have known this amazing woman since she was 3 and I was 4 and through, first, our mother's efforts and then those of our own have managed to keep this friendship burning strong over 26 years.
My earliest memories are of L and her sister, C. We were very strong believers of faeries when we were little girls. We used to lay out food for them and build swimming pools. We would believe, and perhaps it was true, that the faeries would drink our water and eat our food. L and I were obsessed with Barbie. We had so many Barbies and could create stories for hours and hours on end, then one of us would get annoyed with the other and we'd storm off to our own homes, 3 doors down. There was no doubt a few hours later we'd be back for more.
When L was 5 her family left Victoria for Cumberland, a small town 5 hours north of Victoria. We continued to see each other every summer. I would go and stay with her family for a couple of weeks and then she would come down and stay with me. We would spend hours on beaches collecting shells and stones and then hours by the little creek on her farm with her dad's hammers trying to smash open big rocks searching for quartz - we never did find any.
We grew and changed in completely different directions - one was the rebel, the other the dancer and athlete. Whether it was our bond from childhood or whether it was just meant to be - we stayed close. As we got older we stopped seeing each other every summer but we wrote letters and emailed. Sometimes we went for months and months without any form of contact but the moment we saw each other again, it was like not a day has passed.
Today, we sat in the restaurant gabbing for 45 minutes before we could even think of ordering. I can't think of anyone who knows so many different facets of myself - who has seen me grow and change and morph into the woman I am today. She has been there for me through thick and thin - even though some years we lived on different continents.
Today, I am incredibly grateful to have this amazing lady in life.
My earliest memories are of L and her sister, C. We were very strong believers of faeries when we were little girls. We used to lay out food for them and build swimming pools. We would believe, and perhaps it was true, that the faeries would drink our water and eat our food. L and I were obsessed with Barbie. We had so many Barbies and could create stories for hours and hours on end, then one of us would get annoyed with the other and we'd storm off to our own homes, 3 doors down. There was no doubt a few hours later we'd be back for more.
When L was 5 her family left Victoria for Cumberland, a small town 5 hours north of Victoria. We continued to see each other every summer. I would go and stay with her family for a couple of weeks and then she would come down and stay with me. We would spend hours on beaches collecting shells and stones and then hours by the little creek on her farm with her dad's hammers trying to smash open big rocks searching for quartz - we never did find any.
We grew and changed in completely different directions - one was the rebel, the other the dancer and athlete. Whether it was our bond from childhood or whether it was just meant to be - we stayed close. As we got older we stopped seeing each other every summer but we wrote letters and emailed. Sometimes we went for months and months without any form of contact but the moment we saw each other again, it was like not a day has passed.
Today, we sat in the restaurant gabbing for 45 minutes before we could even think of ordering. I can't think of anyone who knows so many different facets of myself - who has seen me grow and change and morph into the woman I am today. She has been there for me through thick and thin - even though some years we lived on different continents.
Today, I am incredibly grateful to have this amazing lady in life.
September 2, 2011
Oh, 6 am, How I Have Missed You
Because I am currently living a life of leisure, I rise late and have been attending the 9 am yoga classes. They are great - I don't have to set my alarm, I don't leave the house in the dark and I have more than enough time to drink my sole. But there is something magical about a 6 am class.
I decided to go this morning, I set my alarm extra early so I would have time to drink my Crystal Salts (more on these to come). It felt a little eerie leaving my house in the dark, not a sound - the birds hadn't even started chirping - started up my car and got to the studio by 5:45am. L was teaching this morning and she only ever teaches 6am classes so it was an added bonus.
Class was wonderful. It was calm and collected. I moved through the poses with purpose and paid close attention to my alignment. I am becoming much stronger in Standing Bow. My kick is strong and I feel steady in the pose. My right hip flexor is a little tight so I dedicate my first set to trying to stretch it out. I love Triangle pose. I never ever thought I would say that but in the past 4 months or so I have been able to sit right down so that my thigh is parallel to the floor and I get an amazing opening through my hip. I am really starting to feel the stretch through my shoulders and have started to explore the twist in the torso more deeply. Camel has been so difficult for me lately. I get nauseous and dizzy and rarely do two sets. This morning I was able to do both and while I was bending backward, I had an amazing flashback of a dream I had last night - I dreamed that I went right back into Full Camel. I remember seeing my toes and putting my hands on feet and then my forehead on my feet. It was incredible!
I left class feeling revitalized and refreshed. The air is crisp this morning - Autumn is around the corner. I picked up an americano on my way home and made myself a butternut squash pancake for breakfast.
Happy long weekend!
P.S. The best part of practicing at 6am right now is that I get to come home and write a blog post, instead of rushing off to work. I am trying to enjoy this while I can.
I decided to go this morning, I set my alarm extra early so I would have time to drink my Crystal Salts (more on these to come). It felt a little eerie leaving my house in the dark, not a sound - the birds hadn't even started chirping - started up my car and got to the studio by 5:45am. L was teaching this morning and she only ever teaches 6am classes so it was an added bonus.
Class was wonderful. It was calm and collected. I moved through the poses with purpose and paid close attention to my alignment. I am becoming much stronger in Standing Bow. My kick is strong and I feel steady in the pose. My right hip flexor is a little tight so I dedicate my first set to trying to stretch it out. I love Triangle pose. I never ever thought I would say that but in the past 4 months or so I have been able to sit right down so that my thigh is parallel to the floor and I get an amazing opening through my hip. I am really starting to feel the stretch through my shoulders and have started to explore the twist in the torso more deeply. Camel has been so difficult for me lately. I get nauseous and dizzy and rarely do two sets. This morning I was able to do both and while I was bending backward, I had an amazing flashback of a dream I had last night - I dreamed that I went right back into Full Camel. I remember seeing my toes and putting my hands on feet and then my forehead on my feet. It was incredible!
I left class feeling revitalized and refreshed. The air is crisp this morning - Autumn is around the corner. I picked up an americano on my way home and made myself a butternut squash pancake for breakfast.
Happy long weekend!
P.S. The best part of practicing at 6am right now is that I get to come home and write a blog post, instead of rushing off to work. I am trying to enjoy this while I can.
September 1, 2011
Nada
Today I got nothing.
Nada (Spanish). Niks (Dutch). Rien (French). Nichts (German). Faic (Gaelic). Moshe (Arabic). Nulla (Italian). Nihil (Latin). Ingenting (Swedish). Kaimu (Japanese). ничто (Russian).
I did a lot of talking today about sewing and yoga. I cuddled two adorable chihuahuas that this lovely lady has the pleasure of caring for. I rode my bike under a gray chili sky. I had to wear a hoodie. I did the P90X Back and Biceps workout (I'm on week 7!). And I wandered the Asian grocery store.
So maybe I got something.
August 31, 2011
"You is Kind. You is Smart. You is Important."
I saw the movie the Help last week. I haven't read the book yet, sometimes I enjoy seeing the movie before I read the novel, that way I am rarely dissapointed. I think the books are always better than the films that they are turned into. Anyways, one of the main characters in the story is Abeleen Clark, a maid and nanny who feels it is her duty to tell the children she cares for, "You is kind. You is smart. You is important." She grasps them tightly in her arms, looks them in the eyes and has them recite those magical words with her.
How often do we tell ourselves this? How often do we give ourselves credit for what we are? I personally find it easier to tell myself I haven't done something right than to acknowledge that I've done a good job.
Go on, right now, grab a pen and a piece of paper and I dare you to write down 10 things that you like about yourself.
10 things I like about me!
1. My blonde hair.
2. My dedication to those that I care for.
3. My strong work ethic.
4. My ability to empathize with people.
5. My ability to adapt to many different situations.
6. My legs.
7. My strength.
8. My Standing Bow.
9. My ability to crochet an afghan.
10.My passion for all things that interest me.
How often do we tell ourselves this? How often do we give ourselves credit for what we are? I personally find it easier to tell myself I haven't done something right than to acknowledge that I've done a good job.
Go on, right now, grab a pen and a piece of paper and I dare you to write down 10 things that you like about yourself.
10 things I like about me!
1. My blonde hair.
2. My dedication to those that I care for.
3. My strong work ethic.
4. My ability to empathize with people.
5. My ability to adapt to many different situations.
6. My legs.
7. My strength.
8. My Standing Bow.
9. My ability to crochet an afghan.
10.My passion for all things that interest me.
August 30, 2011
I Am Still Alive
I've been away. I've been hiding. I've been avoiding this space that I use as an outlet. Why? I don't really know. I'm unemployed and my days consist of yoga, working out, cycling and getting dinner ready for LW when he comes home from work. Doesn't sound awful, does it? No definitely not, and I can't say that I hate it. But I most certainly feel like I am hanging in limbo, that where I am as I near closer and closer to my 30th birthday is kind of - pathetic. Now, yes, I know this is so not true. That I have done a lot of things in my 20s. Traveled and lived in Europe; went to college and studied forestry; studied and graduated with a diploma in GIS by correspondence while working a full time job; lived in the Rocky Mountains; lived in the Okanagan; worked an amazing summer in Nova Scotia; picked grapes in France; lived in Edinburgh; and met amazing friends that are too far away for my liking.
I am not ashamed nor do I regret any of these things that I've done and accomplished in my life but I am not where society dictates I should be. And I hate that this is what I am thinking about because ever since I was 14, I rebelled against anything that I should be doing. No top of the line clothes for me - I dressed in long flowy hippy skirts, made hemp necklaces and went against most everything the majority of the people in my high school did. Why? I don't know. I didn't go to university until I had traveled and explored and got the wanderlust, mostly, out of my system. I'm so happy I did that. I don't regret anything I've done but, boy, do I kick myself for some of the mistakes I've made. They mostly have to do with money and my respect or disrespect for it and how I chose to handle it.
So I'm trying to look at this bout of unemployment as a huge life lesson for me. One thing about me is, I love to shop. I love clothes. I have not bought myself anything that has cost me more than $10 since June 30th. I pick something up I want and I actually weigh it out, do I need this or do I want this? My Mum has been trying to teach me that since I was 14 years old - 15 years later I am finally catching on.
I find it interesting how I discovered amazing self discipline when I went to college for Forestry - I amazed myself and my parents at how good I was at school and studying. The self discipline then carried through to my health - I lost 50 pounds through devotion to exercise and diet, which has now carried on through my yoga practice and is the way I live my life. I am just now discovering this discipline when it comes to material items. Ha! Come to think of it I didn't become a shopaholic until I lost the weight and clothes actually fit. Now, there's a double edged sword.
A couple weeks ago, my brother passed on this blogger to me. James Altucher is an interesting man and I like how he writes. I don't agree with everything he says but what I get the most from his blog is that you need to take control of your own life. There's no point just letting it happen - make it happen. It's not gonna be easy but why not spend your time trying and maybe failing or falling (Standing Bow!) and getting back into it - at least you did the best you could. Altucher talks about a daily practice that consist of four things; Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual. The one that is the biggest challenge for me is the mental. I need to re discover my creativity, to develop new ideas, to come up with something unique.
So I'm going to start with this space. This space is going to be an outlet and I am going to write something unique here every day. It may be about yoga, it may be about food, it may be just a giant purge which I did today. I am giving myself permission for this blog to no longer be just about yoga but about what ever I feel I need to discuss. It may not be pretty but this is where my daily practice is going to begin.
I am not ashamed nor do I regret any of these things that I've done and accomplished in my life but I am not where society dictates I should be. And I hate that this is what I am thinking about because ever since I was 14, I rebelled against anything that I should be doing. No top of the line clothes for me - I dressed in long flowy hippy skirts, made hemp necklaces and went against most everything the majority of the people in my high school did. Why? I don't know. I didn't go to university until I had traveled and explored and got the wanderlust, mostly, out of my system. I'm so happy I did that. I don't regret anything I've done but, boy, do I kick myself for some of the mistakes I've made. They mostly have to do with money and my respect or disrespect for it and how I chose to handle it.
So I'm trying to look at this bout of unemployment as a huge life lesson for me. One thing about me is, I love to shop. I love clothes. I have not bought myself anything that has cost me more than $10 since June 30th. I pick something up I want and I actually weigh it out, do I need this or do I want this? My Mum has been trying to teach me that since I was 14 years old - 15 years later I am finally catching on.
I find it interesting how I discovered amazing self discipline when I went to college for Forestry - I amazed myself and my parents at how good I was at school and studying. The self discipline then carried through to my health - I lost 50 pounds through devotion to exercise and diet, which has now carried on through my yoga practice and is the way I live my life. I am just now discovering this discipline when it comes to material items. Ha! Come to think of it I didn't become a shopaholic until I lost the weight and clothes actually fit. Now, there's a double edged sword.
A couple weeks ago, my brother passed on this blogger to me. James Altucher is an interesting man and I like how he writes. I don't agree with everything he says but what I get the most from his blog is that you need to take control of your own life. There's no point just letting it happen - make it happen. It's not gonna be easy but why not spend your time trying and maybe failing or falling (Standing Bow!) and getting back into it - at least you did the best you could. Altucher talks about a daily practice that consist of four things; Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual. The one that is the biggest challenge for me is the mental. I need to re discover my creativity, to develop new ideas, to come up with something unique.
So I'm going to start with this space. This space is going to be an outlet and I am going to write something unique here every day. It may be about yoga, it may be about food, it may be just a giant purge which I did today. I am giving myself permission for this blog to no longer be just about yoga but about what ever I feel I need to discuss. It may not be pretty but this is where my daily practice is going to begin.
July 13, 2011
Cobra and Breath
I learned how to breathe in Cobra pose, yesterday.
I did my first set of Cobra, as per normal - I love Cobra pose. And then during Savasana, the teacher started talking about how you need to inhale up into the pose and then you naturally exhale but then on your next inhale, focus on the expansion of the chest, then exhale 20% of your breath and then inhale and expand again.
Well, if I wasn't looking even further back on the ceiling in my second set of Cobra. I always thought I was breathing in the pose, maybe I was but maybe I wasn't breathing enough. This morning I tried it again and it felt good - new, different, deeper.
On another note, I tried to do the splits yesterday, which I haven't done since the competition and holy tight hip flexors! I guessing with all my BodyRocks and weights some parts of me have tightened up again. I'm also not as far along as I was 2 months ago with King Pigeon pose - a sore shoulder and lack of back bends and practice will do that. So new goal is to practice King Pigeon and the splits a few times a week.
But I've improved with Crow and Crane pose! Yesterday I was actually able to balance in both those poses for maybe 2 seconds. I like to think that I've gained some upper body strength and some confidence!
I did my first set of Cobra, as per normal - I love Cobra pose. And then during Savasana, the teacher started talking about how you need to inhale up into the pose and then you naturally exhale but then on your next inhale, focus on the expansion of the chest, then exhale 20% of your breath and then inhale and expand again.
Well, if I wasn't looking even further back on the ceiling in my second set of Cobra. I always thought I was breathing in the pose, maybe I was but maybe I wasn't breathing enough. This morning I tried it again and it felt good - new, different, deeper.
On another note, I tried to do the splits yesterday, which I haven't done since the competition and holy tight hip flexors! I guessing with all my BodyRocks and weights some parts of me have tightened up again. I'm also not as far along as I was 2 months ago with King Pigeon pose - a sore shoulder and lack of back bends and practice will do that. So new goal is to practice King Pigeon and the splits a few times a week.
But I've improved with Crow and Crane pose! Yesterday I was actually able to balance in both those poses for maybe 2 seconds. I like to think that I've gained some upper body strength and some confidence!
July 2, 2011
Strength Fueled By Compassion
There is a teacher at my yoga studio who I admire greatly. She is a tough cookie and makes you work your ass off. She takes the time to get you into the proper set up in every single pose, she'll call you out if you aren't working to your potential. I remember her telling me in my first few months of practice about water and how you really should just sip your water and that, yes, your heart will be pounding fiercely by the time you are finished the first set of Standing Bow. Just breathe and stand still, she says.
She is also so very kind. She will tell the class to smile at themselves in the mirror. She will remind us constantly that we should have compassion for ourselves at the same time as kicking our heel forward in Standing Head to Knee.
I worked very hard in class this morning at the same time as being kind and gentle to my sore shoulder.
It reminded me that I need to stop kicking myself when I'm down. It reminded me to keep my head up. It reminded me that I am surrounded my supportive and caring people everyday - virtually and in person. It reminded me to have faith, have trust in myself and to know sometimes I need to just stand still and breathe.
She is also so very kind. She will tell the class to smile at themselves in the mirror. She will remind us constantly that we should have compassion for ourselves at the same time as kicking our heel forward in Standing Head to Knee.
I worked very hard in class this morning at the same time as being kind and gentle to my sore shoulder.
It reminded me that I need to stop kicking myself when I'm down. It reminded me to keep my head up. It reminded me that I am surrounded my supportive and caring people everyday - virtually and in person. It reminded me to have faith, have trust in myself and to know sometimes I need to just stand still and breathe.
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