WP Days 17-23

I have some catching up to do - again! So what has been new in the last week? I've kept a lot of my eating habits the same from the first 2 weeks but I started to incorporate some foods back in.  One night for dinner we had an egg scramble with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and a sprinkle of parmesan paired with gluten-free toast. I have had some gluten though and it seems that my belly has responded ok. I think everything in moderation is the key. If I have the choice, I try to stick to a vegan, gluten-free diet but I will not rule out some foods entirely (as long as I'm sticking to a mainly vegetarian diet).

Last Thursday, I decided to bring my love, um i mean, coffee back into my life. I would need a lobotomy to think that I could live without coffee. It's just so good and moving forward I will try to have some "tea days" mixed in to find some balance between the two. Again, its all about moderation.

We've been making a lot of soups lately which are so comforting in the cooler temperatures (and helps us keep the thermostat set lower than I normally would be inclined to have it at). Last night, my honey made a simple and delicious Leek and Potato soup. I'll resist any urge to write something about an irishman making a potato soup and just give ya the rundown of what he did. :-)

Ingredients:

- 4 medium golden potatoes - scrubbed clean and diced into quarter inch pieces (you can remove skins if you want, but he left them on)
- 1 small onion
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts - diced and thoroughly cleaned to remove any grit between layers
- 1 box of veggie stock (4 cups) - low sodium!
- 2 cups water
- salt, pepper, and herbs to taste (he used dried parsley)
- Olive oil (1-2 tbps)

Steps:
1. Heat oil in a soup pot and sautee onions and leeks until soft and translucent. Season with S&P
2. Add in potatoes and mix to combine. Season with herbs of choice.
3. Add in stock and water. Cover and allow to come up to a boil.
4. Cook until potatoes are fork tender. We kept it chunky, but if you want (and you removed the skins on the potatoes) you can blend for a thicker, creamy soup.

I have 5 days left on "the plan" and I really want to buckle down for the remaining time. Going to focus on staying GF and vegan for the rest of the time and eating as clean as I can. I feel so much better from when I started this plan 23 days ago and it has given me a GREAT jumpstart for the rest of my life. I've lost some weight, have more energy, and just feel less sluggish and gross! I think I'm on to something...

There may be some wedding dress shopping in my near future. :)

WP Days 13, 14, 15 & 16 - Updates!

Woah sorry about that - the days have just gotten away from me! I guess I will give you the abreviated version of what's been going on & what I've been eating.

Over the weekend, we trekked through the uber wet, quarter-sized snowflakes and wind to get to Brooklyn and NJ to look at wedding venues. All of our meals on Saturday were out and half on Sunday.  Saturday I had some green smoothie, banana, vegetarian pot pie and an italian appetizer plate for two that I split with my honey. It was not vegan, or gluten-free. And I will just leave it at that. haha.

Sunday I was not feeling well at all. I was super nauseous when I woke up and hoped it would go away as we travelled back to the Bean. But unfortunately it just kept getting worse. By nighttime I was able to slurp down some soup - lots of veggies, white beans, and veggie broth. We made some muffins too for the week and I had one of those too as a late night snack, once my appetite came back.

Muffin recipe:
Carrot Cake Muffins per NY Times article

Again, not vegan or gluten-free, but the ingredient list is pretty simplistic and generally good for you (as far as muffins go). They are a little dry. I would incorporate some unsweetened applesauce or something into the mix to give them more moisture. But baker, I am not.

Monday: I had a muffin, minestrone soup from a local store, banana, some nuts, Sun Chips (oy, I'm slippin), and some leftover soup. It was Halloween and I will admit I had a piece of chocolate (Hershey's with Almonds).

Tuesday: Muffin (maybe having baked goods around me is not a good idea, mental note), salad with spinach, chickpeas, carrots, peppers, broccoli, peas, raw sunflower seeds and orange-glazed tofu, Bora Bora bar, dinner TBD.

I feel awesome today. Today is a good day. :)

Keep smilin'.

WP Day 12

It snowed last night. The heat automatically kicked on because the temperature dipped below the 62 degrees we have it set at. A single tear rolled down my cheek. Another New England winter is upon us and I am just not ready. After Mother Nature showed us how much she loved us last year by dumping tons and tons of snow on our merciless souls and after shoveling huge mounds of the white stuff ONTO our porch because there simply just wasn't anywhere else to put it, I don't know if I can do it all again.

So I'll just take this moment to address the powers of the natural world. Please be kind Mama N, I beg of you. I'll even pop the tire on the next Hummer I see so it can't spit anymore CO2 at you. Deal?

Ok, now back to business. Last night, the dinner plans got shifted. I went to yoga and while I was in class I was feeling super tired, achy and I didn't even break a sweat. This is unheard of for me. I usually sweat like a dude and have to mop myself up several times throughout class with a hand towel. So when the people around me were glistening in their dew of perspiration and hardwork and I didn't even have a single bead pooling up on my skin, I knew something was up. I usually get sick with the season change and though I have not come down with a full blown cold or flu (maybe its all these nutrients?!), I was definitely feeling rundown and not myself.

So when I got home, I had zero, zip, zilch energy to prep a meal. Usually when I ask the fiance what he wants to eat, I usually get two answers: 1) somethin' tasty or 2) pizza. Since my brain didn't feel like figuring out "somethin tasty", I went with option B. However, I was determined to stick to my newfound vegan, gluten-free diet while doing so.

Enter the Flatbread Company at Sacco's Bowl Haven in Davis Square. They can make any pie they have on the menu with a gluten-free crust. They also have a vegan option. Score! The only thing is that they don't make whole pizzas with the gluten-free crust so you have to order individual sized ones (so just double your order). We had eaten there once before, so I knew the pizzas where tasty, though this was going to be my first time experimenting with the GF dough and the vegan toppings. Bring it on. 20 minutes after our order was placed and my honey braved the cold, snow AND lightening (all at once mind you) to pick it up, we had dinner.

First impression, it looked really good and it smelled divine. The vegan pizza comes with tomato sauce, caramelized onions, mushrooms, kalamata olives (I don't like these so I just picked them off), and garlic oil and herbs (all organic).  The flavor was delicious, but the pizza wasn't very hot and the crust became a bit soggy. But overall, it was a great option and I think it would have been much better if we ate it in house.

Now on to today:

Day 12

- Banana & Bora Bora bar
- 3-bean chili from local store (vegan, gluten-free and spicy! for today's cooooold weather)
- Riceworks Parmesan & Sun-dried tomato brown rice chips (gluten-free). I saw these and just couldn't resist trying them. Even though they have dried Parmesan cheese dusted on top, I was just really in the mood to try this flavor. I don't eat chips often (I have more of a sweet tooth) but these were delish. Crunchy, flavorful and filling.

- Apple for snack
- Dinner TBD - working late again tonight (teaching yoga and doing my karma yoga as a work-study at  my yoga studio). I'd like to keep it light - maybe a brothy, warming soup of sorts.

Tomorrow we are venturing to Brooklyn and NJ to look at some wedding venues. Keep your fingers crossed we like something and that we don't get stuck in any snow storms on the way back and forth!

Happy Friday friends!  Have a great weekend.

WP Day 11

Day 11!  As the days tick by, this plan is becoming more and more of a lifestyle change and less of a "what can I have? what can't I have?" kind of plan. I rarely think about my old friend coffee anymore. Though I did catch a whiff of a fellow commuters java the other morning and almost pounced her for the sweet, sweet nectar. But, I resisted. I did. I'm ok... really.

Staying away from the gluten and dairy have really made a huge impact on how I am feeling and I plan to stick with it perhaps indefinitely.

The Whole Living Action Plan for Day 11

Foods today will be:

- Naked Green Machine Smoothie (obsessed). I want to start making my own smoothies, but just haven't been getting up early enough to do it. I should prep them at night so I can just grab it on the go for the morning. Maybe next week.

- Dry roasted pistachios (1.75oz.)

- Sprouted Brown Rice Risotto from Macro Vegetarian in Sunnyside, NY. 

- For dinner, I want to use the 2 avocados that are sitting patiently in my fridge ready to be eaten. I will probably put together some sort of mexican-inspired dish with what ever veggies I have, black beans, avocado, and quinoa. I usually like to cook the veggies with cumin, cayenne or chili powder, and some lime juice. I'll let you know what happens...

Though I have been doing yoga (vinyasa) and walking, next week I will have more time (hopefully) and would like to amp up the exercise routine. Increase the amount cardio workouts and yoga sessions, even if I have to drag my tired bum out of bed in the morning to do so. I know once I'm up that is great to get it all done in the morning. That'll be the week 3 focus. 

WP Day 10

Back on track. It's a dreary, rainy day but that's ok because I got a good night sleep last night and I'm feeling optimistic about the day. To wind down last night, I took a long super hot shower and we washed the sheets so everything was fresh. I love clean and this definitely helped me find my slumber. I was feeling sick and rundown so I think my body was just ready for a solid night sleep too.

For dinner last night, I chose to give this recipe a try which ended up being AWESOME. This will definitely be in the repertoire from now on for sure.

Lightened up Protein Power Goddess Bowl (from the Oh She Glows blog.)

We used brown rice instead of speltberries (I'll search for these next time, just wasn't in the mood last night). I never cooked with nutritional yeast and didn't know how vital it would be for the recipe, but we ventured out to get some and I am so glad we did. It definitely adds a creamy, almost cheesy, dimension to the dressing that would have been missed if it was omitted. The fiance advised me against using the word "cheesy" to describe any kind of yeast, but hey, that's what its like!

Today's tastiness:

- Banana and Bora Bora bar
- Quinoa salad from Good Neighbors company - I've had this other days because its easy to pick up at the local store by work. It has quinoa, green & red peppers, dried cranberries, herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, spices.
- Leftover Goddess Bowl from last night.
- Gala apple and pear for snacks

I have a late night tonight since I am teaching a 7:30pm yoga class, but I think all these foods will keep me good and fueled up!

WP Day 9

I strayed from the diet today and almost immediately started feeling the consequences. We had free lunch from a local cafe at work and I indulged in some pasta, cheese and sugar. Feel.like.crap. What was I thinking?! At least its still mid-day and all is not lost for today. I will have to redeem myself with the remaining meals.

The damage:

- Banana & some Naked green machine
- The lunch: Pasta/roasted veggies in a white wine sauce, salad with pistachios, goat cheese, grapes and dried cranberries (no dressing), tofu spring rolls w peanut sauce (delicious!), and a white chocolate-covered strawberry. Ugh, no wonder my belly is angry.
- Dinner will be clean and simple. Maybe a stir-fry with quinoa, kale, carrots, etc... OR this! The lightened up protein power goddess bowl will most likely win. I'm feeling sick & rundown and I would definitely like to feel 1. "lightened up", 2. "power" and, of course, 3. like a "goddess".

I've been having a terrible time sleeping the last few days. I need to come up with a good relaxing bedtime  routine to help my mind & body wind down. So much is on my mind lately and it's hard to shut it down at night. Tonight, I'll try a hot bath and a book. Here's hoping that works!

WP Day 8

First week down and on to the next! So this week I am "allowed" to start adding in some of the foods I omitted over week 1 (like wheat, dairy, soy, caffeine - in increments over the week). I've decided that since my belly is behaving quite well these days, I will continue to stay away from the gluten and dairy for now.

Day 8 Plan according to the Whole Living Action Plan.

What I ate:

- Banana (staple in my diet as you probably have noticed by this point) & Bora Bora Paradise Walnut Pistachio bar

- Naked Blue Machine smoothie

- Leftover lentil stew (See Day 7)

- Fish and kale - the fiance went to the store while I was at yoga to pick up a few items and there was some fresh & local (Maine) white fish (paddock? haddock?) on sale. I usually eat a vegetarian diet but will throw in the occasional seafood - usually if its local/sustainable/fresh/etc. 

- Rudi's gluten free bread with fresh blueberry jam we got when we were hiking in New Hampshire in August. 

Weekend recap - WP Days 6&7

Super busy weekend and ended up eating some of my meals on the go. Here is a breakdown of what I consumed:

Saturday:

- Banana and green goodness smoothie (6oz.)
- Green tea from Sbux
- Lunch was out so I made a meal out of side dishes. I tried to get the best choices I could based on what was being offered. I ordered lemon rice w herbs, veggies and black beans.
- Dinner was also at a restaurant but we went to a local favorite so I had an idea what I was in store for. We went to The Independent and I got the vegan veggie plate, swapping out the white rice for quinoa. It was the BEST meal I had in a long time. I had eaten that plate before but they brought out all the stops on Saturday. Broccolini, mushrooms, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, onions, quinoa and an orange-carrot sauce. SO good.  I cheated and had some cocktails - 2 Kentucky bucks and a glass of wine. Oops. ;-)

Sunday:

- Oatmeal with a drizzle of real maple syrup
- Banana, mango and grape fruit salad
- Quinoa salad (quinoa, dried cherries, peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, spices)
- Quick lentil stew - I used lentils that I had already cooked previously. Sauteed onion, carrots, butternut squash, sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil with herbs) and then added in the lentils and a can of diced tomatoes w/juice (with herbs). Covered and let stew for about 20 mins. until everything was softened and flavors were mixed.

Still substituting tea (green mostly) for coffee and drinking water whenever I remember!

WP Day 5

Friday! Even though it will be a long day, I can't help but get excited for the end of another work week. Plus I made it through my first work week on the "plan" and successfully avoided coffee! (Insert pat on the back here). So here's what is up for my friday:

- Green goodness smoothie (6 oz.)
- Banana and Bora Bora bar. I wanted to find something nutty with alittle flavor. This bar is vegan and gluten-free and quite tasty.
- Salad: Romaine, carrots, mushrooms, green peppers, broccoli, chickpeas, raw sunflower seeds and nonfat balsamic vinaigrette.
- Pear & KIND fruit & nut bar (another gluten-free & vegan bar. heavy on the "bars" today but good for on the go).
- Dinner to be determined. I have to work late until about 9ish so maybe I will treat myself to some Life Alive on the way home. :)

I am really feeling good today. My eyes aren't drooping close, I feel lighter (down a few pounds) and I'm in a great mood. Maybe it's the sunshine after a few days of gray and rain. I'm sure it doesn't hurt.

WP Day 4

Crazy morning. Waited over an hour for my bus to come. As I was standing around the bus stop I overheard some people talking about there being a back-up on a nearby bridge that was causing the delay. I grumbled to myself and cursed the MBTA under my breath, but eventually the bus arrived and I tried to brush it off. I made it to work and stopped in to get my cup of tea (Orange Spice today) at my regular convenience store. I was chatting with the store manager as I prepped my tea when he said "Did you hear? Some woman jumped off the BU bridge this morning. I don't think she made it". Immediately everything came together from what I had heard at the bus stop and I realized that if waiting an hour for a bus to come constitutes a "bad morning", then I am doing quite ok.  Thoughts go out to whoever that woman was and her friends and family.

Seems trivial to talk about my food plan after that, but alas, it does go on:

- Green goodness smoothie (6oz.)
- Banana and dry roasted pistachios (1.75 oz.)
- Leftover sweet potato and kale soup from last night's dinner
- Mango
- Veggie chili - minus the cilantro. I hate cilantro. But that's just me.

Whole Living Action Plan tips for today:
- Develop a relaxing routine of your choice 30 minutes before bed (reading, taking a bath, etc)
- Skip the gossip!
- Use deep breathing to release tension
- Find quiet time in your home
- Exercise

Hug those you love today.

WP Day 3

Wow, I slept like a rock last night and actually woke up this morning earlier than usual and felt wide awake. It's only day 3 and already I am reaping the benefits.

Today's plan:

Whole Living Action Plan - Day 3

- Morning smoothie - Berry Veggie. I goofed when I picked this one up this morning since i now realize it has corn in it (one of the items that is on the avoid list), but I am not going to stress over the 91 kernels of corn that are apparently blended inside. Could be worse.
- Handful of raw almonds (for more protein) and a banana
- Leftover lentils & beets from dinner last night. We got home super late last night so dinner ended up being at like 10pm. I modified the whole living action plan lentil and beet recipe - sauteed red onion, lentils (already cooked), beets (roasted) and arugula and topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon and some salt.
- Dinner will be sweet potato and kale soup. I essentially use this recipe as an outline, omitting the pasta and replacing chicken stock with veggie stock.  It's a rainy day and I am soooo looking forward to this.

Each day I've been sipping on lots of water and some green tea (to replace my coffee addition) and so far so good.  I really enjoy limiting the amount of tv time at night too - I think it definitely helped me sleep easier.

WP Day 2

On the menu today:

- Green goodness smoothie (8oz.) after my shower this morning
- Banana mid-morning at work
- Quinoa salad - (a variation of this) for lunch. I wanted to use up some veggies I had in the fridge so I sauteed up white button mushrooms and green peppers with the garlic, thyme and scallions. Mixed it with the cooked quinoa, celery, raw sunflower seeds and added some lime juice and pinch of salt.
- A pear will be my snack before yoga
- Lentils with Ginger, Beets and Herbs for dins.

Last night I focused on prepping a lot of food, cleaning the house, and doing laundry (including some blankets and towels that had been sitting there for quite awhile). I LOVE when my living space is organized. I immediately start to feel at ease when I accomplish these tasks and it made the idea of sticking to this plan much more achievable. It also helped me stay away from the tv/computer/phone, though, I will admit that I did watch an episode of House. :)

Food Prep:

1. Roasted all the beets according to the directions in the recipe above. I ended up cooking them about 20 minutes longer than they suggested. Not sure if it was the beets I had or my oven, but i definitely recommend checking to make sure they are fork tender before you take them out.

2. Cooked a whole bag of lentils to have on hand during the week

3. Made the quinoa salad for lunch today.

4. Made the Millet Bowl for dinner last night - delish! I reduced the amount of dressing I used, since I didn't feel it needed that much. I also couldn't get baby bok choy over the weekend so I swapped in broccoli.

I got in a brisk walk/jog this morning on my way to the bus! Definitely need to start leaving a bit earlier. Tonight I'm going to take a moderate to vigorous level vinyasa class. I am starting to feel the changes in my body even after one day. My stomach has calmed down a bit which is major! My sleep was pretty disrupted last night but I'm hoping that will change as the week goes on.

Happy Tuesday!

Wellness Plan Day 1

October 17, 2011

It's day one and I'm feeling optimistic about this new challenge. I like that it is not called a "detox" or a "cleanse" but rather a "whole living action plan". By focusing on what you can have - all those good things that will nourish you - you won't feel deprived. At least, that's what I'm hoping!  I've taken note of my weight this morning and generally how I am feeling. I got a decent night sleep last night, but still feeling a bit sluggish.

According to the plan:

Foods to Avoid
+ Added sugar
+ Processed foods or beverages
+ Alcohol
+ Caffeine
+ Wheat/gluten
+ Eggs
+ Dairy
+ Peanut products
+ Fruit juices (very high in sugar)
+ Soy, including soy sauce
+ Corn


Eat mindfully - giving yourself at least 20 minutes per meal


Tune out - Limit technology and take breaks from it; reduce or eliminate TV/online time. Since I can not avoid the computer during the day at my job, I will reduce/eliminate TV time at night.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Whole Living Action Plan 2011, Week 1: Pare Down and Purify 

My game plan for today:

1. Start the day with a fruit smoothie (Naked green machine drink) and a piece of fruit
2. Lunch will be a salad filled with greens, veggies, and beans (red and chickpeas). Dressing will be balsamic and olive oil
3. After work yoga! :)
4. Millet bowl for dinner

Tonight I will prep some food for the week (cook up some lentils, beets and grains and make a smoothie for the morning - I might even roasted some veggies if I am feeling ambitious).

Over the weekend, my main focus was on food shopping for the week. I also started to cut back on the caffeine. I had a small coffee on Saturday and then switched over to one cup of tea on Sunday. Today I may have a cup of green tea and will drink ALOT of water.

Somebody slap the bagel out of my hand: 28-day detox challenge.

As I sit at my desk this morning, with bagel and coffee nearby, I feel like absolute crap. Lately the stresses of life have been getting the better part of me and quite frankly, I'm over it. I've been slipping and my body and health have been paying the consequences. I've become all too familiar with the daily regime of fighting adult acne, I have bags under my red, tired and irritated eyes, my stomach is pissed off at me, I am tired all of the time, and my mind is reeling nonstop.

Sooo, with that said, this is my declaration (and my way of being held accountable for my actions) that I am going to get my groove back. Stella did it, so hey, why can't I.  My eating, sleeping and exercise habits can all be improved so on Monday, October 17, 2011, I am going to begin the 28-Day Challenge as it is laid out by Miss Martha herself.

Whole Living Action Plan: 28-Day Challenge

I've tried detoxes and cleanses several times before but have always given up pretty much 30 seconds after I start. But this time I mean business and this blog it going to document my journey. I also have a sparkly reminder on my finger that will help keep me focused too. In 18 months or so (date TBD), I will be marrying the man of my dreams and if I feel like I do today on my wedding day, then god help me, I will be one sad, sad bride. I am a natural procrastinator, but instead of putting this off I am going to do things differently this time. I am going to get control of things now so as I move forward in planning my life and future, I have a clear head and happy, healthy body.

Feel free to follow along and maybe even try the challenge yourself!  Let's do this thang!

How I Met Myself in Southie.

It's been a month since the completion of my last yoga teacher training and it has taken me until now to even consider formulating the words to describe this experience. I would think a lot about what to write, knowing that I wanted to say something about the time I spent with this group of truly mind-blowingly wise, compassionate, and whole-hearted people, but I would always pause feeling that my words could not do it, or them, justice.

For 3 weeks straight, we would start our days by rolling out our mats for 7am practice. With our stifled yawns and somewhat tamed bed-heads, we knew that this is where we should be, where we needed to be. We all came to the training with a purpose. Maybe it was to find a deeper meaning to the yoga asana practice, or to learn how to teach yoga to others, but it was also personal. It was many things for each person. It was finding confidence, forgiveness, happiness, breath, peace of mind, power, compassion and the list goes on. We all came because we were drawn to the idea that we could be a better version of ourselves and we were willing to take the steps toward it, no matter how scary and emotional the ride might be.

And, boy, it was emotional. Each day new feelings arose. Old insecurities and worries were juxtaposed with new moments of clarity and excitement. Gentle hands and open ears were always there in support. Tears, laughs, and copious amounts of china gel were shared without hesitation. It was amazing to me that once the walls of support were built around me, it finally became easier to lower the ones that I had built up within myself for so many years.

The transformation that I felt during the training was so powerful and by the time it had ended, I was not only physically stronger and more centered, but I was happy. Like really really happy. My friends would comment that there was an ease about me, even a glow. But as I've assimilated back into the day-to-day grind of public transportation and my 9-5 as a glorified desk jockey, I sometimes feel that happiness slipping out of my grips. But I won't let it. I will hold on, white knuckles and all, because I know how good it is and, more importantly, because now I know that I deserve it.

As our teacher David says, and what he reminded me of last night in class, "Don't do anything that doesn't feel good... and I mean that as a general rule in life". This is my mantra. As I sift my way through the items in my life, letting go of those things that no longer "feel good", I will keep reminding myself of this. I will remind myself that I am not my job, or the negative thoughts of those around me, or the anxious feelings of uncertainty that arise as I try to map out my future. I am that calm, grounded, happy person that I met a month ago and she is here to stay.

I bow in deepest gratitude for this training, for my teachers, and for those who shared their hearts with me during this time. Thank you, thank you, thank you. XO.

Portobello Salad

I've been slacking on meal prep duties so I had to grab lunch on the go today. Luckily, there is a pretty sweet salad bar at work. The salad pictured above is made up of a mesclun mix as the base with cucumbers, carrots, green peppers, broccoli, red beans, peas and - the piece de resistance - a marinated & grilled portobello mushroom cap. The mushroom is marinated in what seems to be shallots and garlic (and i'm guessing some olive oil too?) and it is dee-vine. Everything is topped with some nonfat balsamic vinaigrette too. Hello salad food coma.

Berry Smoothie

I have a killer sweet tooth. I could eat a cupcake everyday if I let myself (the chocolate vegan cupcakes from down the road at Kickass Cupcakes hold a very special place in my heart). However, I would be large and in charge if I allowed myself to do this, so I am always looking for alternative ways to get my sweet fix. Now that it is warm out I am all about smoothies. So fast and adaptable to any palate.

Ingredients:

1 bag or 2.5 cups of mixed frozen berries (unsweetened)

1 ripe banana

1 cup milk - could be from cows, almonds, coconuts, soy - whatever floats your boat!

1/2 cup water

Optional: tablespoon flaxseed or chia seed for extra health boost

1. Put in blender and blend until smooth. Can't mess that up. :)

Makes 2 large servings.

Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

When I am in the mood for something "meaty" I like to incorporate tempeh into my meal plan. I use Lightlife Organic Three Grain tempeh, which is made up of soybeans, brown rice, barley, and millet. Simple and delicious. Love the nutty flavor and the texture it has. Since the tempeh is dense and filling, I like to pair it with light veggies. In this case, I made lettuce wraps.

Ingredients:

1 package of tempeh, chopped into cubes

2 carrots, shredded (I used a vegetable peeler to make shavings)

1 head of lettuce of choice (something that will bend a little and be good wrappers for the filling)

Marinade:

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 water

3 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

2-3 garlic cloves, depending on size and preference, diced

2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup water

1. Combine all marinade ingredients together except cornstarch mixture in a small sauce pan and start to heat

2. Once heated, add in cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. If it gets too thick, just add more water. If not thick enough, make more cornstarch/water mix and add to sauce. It's not an exact science and you have some room to play here. Don't sweat it - just depends on how thick you like your marinade.

3. When you get a consistency that you like for the sauce, let cool slightly. Then add enough sauce to cover tempeh fully in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more. I let mine marinade for 24 hrs and the flavor was fully infused.

*I had extra sauce which I saved for another day in a air-tight container in the fridge. If you don't want extra sauce, you can reduce the amounts above.

4. After the marinade period is up, stir-fry tempeh on medium-high heat until fully heated.

Assemble wraps and dive on in.

Hands in the dirt

Garden update! Everything is growing so big that we had to do some rearranging yesterday. The yellow squash plants were taking over and covering the neighboring onions and carrots. We had to swap the cauliflowers and beets with the squash plants so everything had a bit more breathing room. I guess we should have listened to the planting instructions after all. Lesson learned. We had one causality (the mini squash pictured above). RIP mini squash. We also learned that we should have been eating the arugula all this time. I guess once the plant starts to flower, it is nearing the end of its season (getting too hot in herrre for it). Hopefully we can still get a salad out of it!

Mediterranean Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a delicious, easy way to add protein to the diet (it's protein content is very high - 12-18%). According to Wikipedia, it is a "grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds." I use it instead of pasta and rice in lots of dishes, but here is a dinner that frequents the Woodsasana household.

Ingredients:

1/2 large red onion , diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

1 tomato (I used vine ripened here), diced

6-8 white mushroom caps, stalks removed and caps sliced

1 can chickpeas, rinsed to get excess salt off (I usually buy low sodium and still rinse)

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package

extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tbsp dried oregano

1. Sautee onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil

2. Add in mushrooms, allow for them to soften and turn slightly brown

3. Add in zucchini and cook for a few minutes then add in tomatoes, continue to cook until zucchini is softened but still has some bite to it

4. Stir in chickpeas and heat through

5. Add in oregano, salt & pepper to taste

6. Once all the veggies are cooked, stir in cooked quinoa

Dish it and eat it!

Asian Edamame Stir-fry

My wok is my best friend in the kitchen. I cook with it all the time, even when I'm not making stir-fries (shh, don't tell. I feel like that's gotta be illegal in the culinary world). I like the size of it and how it cooks all the veggies evenly. One easy dish I made the other night was an Asian Edamame Stir-fry. I don't measure amounts of ingredients when I cook so I'll do my best to explain what I did. I cook for 2 people with hearty appetites (me and the bf) and we sometimes have leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients:

1/2 large red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1.5 - 2 cups edamame

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 head of broccoli

couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach

rice vinegar

toasted sesame oil

low sodium soy sauce (you can sub in Bragg's liquid aminos or tamari if you are gluten-free)

Pam spray or cooking oil (vegetable or extra virgin olive oil) - whatever you sautee veggies in normally or what you have on hand

1. Heated up wok with Pam or oil on medium to high heat. Add in onions and garlic and sautee for a few minutes until softened and onions start to become translucent. Keep an eye on it to make sure the garlic doesn't burn - stir occasionally.

2. Add in carrots and broccoli and cook until starting to soften.

3. Add a dash of soy, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. I usually go once or twice around the pan with the soy and rice vinegar. The sesame oil is added in a smaller amount - usually a drizzle since it is powerful in flavor.

4. Lastly, add in spinach and cook until wilted down.

Enjoy!

Day 30 - Don't stop 'til you get enough

DAY 30 - June 8, 2011

Ok, welp it's a wrap. Day 30 came and I ran out of time to fit in an "official" practice. I had to work and then head straight to the airport for my flight to Cali. I was going to get up early to practice, but yeah, that didn't happen. I know, excuses excuses. I did do eagle arms & some twists on the plane! Even though I didn't meet my goal of 30 classes in 30 days (drats), I did learn a lot during this time of renewed practice and reflection. Here are some of my thoughts on the last 30 days:

• Daily practice makes you feel like a superhero.
• Not practicing regularly makes you feel like a rusty robot that is filled to the edges with cement. Trust me, I went to class last night after a week vacation and I thought I was moving through a bucket of epoxy.
• Yoga will change your relationship with food. You will start caring about all the stuff you are shoving into your piehole. A bonus side effect to an already awesome experience.
• Toenail maintenance is often overlooked and this issue should be addressed by all those in the barefoot community. No need for an expensive pedi - just a simple cut and file will suffice.
• Returning yoga props to their proper storage places after class can be a straight up battle zone. Please - stop for a moment before you start cutting lines/elbowing your classmates. Ride the happy yoga wave, breathe, and know that you will be able to get the props back to their rightful location eventually. In other words, chill the eff out. You're yogis, for cryin' out loud! Maintain some semblance of yoginess even when you're annoyed that you can't bob and weave your way to the block stack fast enough. Many thanks. Yours truly, the recently trampled.
• "Om-ing" is fun and the vibrational resonance is so powerful. Try it! Get your friends to join you, it's even better in groups.
• Check your yoga pants for any transparency issues BEFORE going to class. I learned this the hard way.
• I love bolsters and will use them anytime I get a chance.
• It's amazing what you can do when you start believing that you can do it. Get out of your head and just do it.
• Blessed to be living in a city filled with unbelievable, inspiring, ass-kicking teachers and surrounded by a totally wicked (shout out to the new englanders out there) yoga community.
• Yoga is a practice and a lifestyle. It's ok to not do all the fancy schmancy poses. Of course, arm balances, splits, crazy backbends, etc. are awesome and the more advanced poses help focus your mind on the task at hand, build strength/flexibility and can invigorate you, but they are not necessary in order to have a fulfilling, worthwhile and life-changing practice.
• The intention and dedication you bring to your practice (and life) is what matters.
• Yoga has taught me self-acceptance. Be true to where you are at each moment in time. Don't beat yourself up. Don't ignore yourself either - live a life of truth.
• This is just the beginning. Totally content knowing that I have the rest of my life to continue with my "30 days". Each day will bring a new challenge and I am ready for it.

In the words of Michael Jackson, don't stop til you get enough.

I sure haven't had enough so I'll see YOU on the mat. Now, let's boogie.

Days 28 & 29 - Awareness

DAYS 28 & 29 - June 6 & 7, 2011

Day 28 - I was sick. Can count this as a yoga day only if the fetal position counts.

Day 29 - My 30-day challenge is rapidly approaching the end. and I went to Georgia's class at BBY. In the beginning of class, she read a beautiful, powerful speech by David Foster Wallace that was given at a university commencement a few years back. I would like to share an excerpt

with you:

“Because here’s something else that’s true. In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship — be it J.C. or Allah, be it Yahweh or the Wiccan mother-goddess or the Four Noble Truths or some infrangible set of ethical principles — is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you. On one level, we all know this stuff already — it’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, bromides, epigrams, parables: the skeleton of every great story. The trick is keeping the truth up-front in daily consciousness. Worship power — you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart — you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. And so on.

Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they’re evil or sinful; it is that they are unconscious. They are default-settings. They’re the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day, getting more and more selective about what you see and how you measure value without ever being fully aware that that’s what you’re doing. And the world will not discourage you from operating on your default-settings, because the world of men and money and power hums along quite nicely on the fuel of fear and contempt and frustration and craving and the worship of self. Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom to be lords of our own tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the center of all creation. This kind of freedom has much to recommend it. But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talked about in the great outside world of winning and achieving and displaying. The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day. That is real freedom. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default-setting, the “rat race” — the constant gnawing sense of having had and lost some infinite thing.”

This reminder came at a perfect time in my journey. I know I talk a lot about the asanas and about my quest to achieve some of the more advanced poses, but truly, when it comes down to it, I do yoga because of the awareness it brings to my life. It goes way beyond anything I could ever do on the mat.

"The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day."

Day 27 - Capturing moments

DAY 27 - June 5, 2011

I'm usually the one at the party with the camera, trying to document everything that is happening. Capturing moments in time. So in honor of this moment in my life and in my practice, I teamed up with the extraordinarily talented designer, photographer and yogini, Miss Liz McBride, to take some photos. Here's a sneak peak:

Though I didn't take a class, we shot for a few hours and I have the thigh pain to prove it. woo-wee. I'm going to redesign this site with others we took. Stay tuned for more of Liz's brilliant work and check her out on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizmcbride/

Namaste my friends.

Day 26 - Fire it up!

DAY 26 - June 4, 2011

What happens when you combine crazy core activating poses, super smart and creative sequencing and two of the top badass yoginis around? You get a workshop with Ame Wren and Sadie Nardini and it will rock your world. It did mine. Saturday I took the Hot Core/Cool Sequencing workshop with these two lovely ladies and was in a sweaty heaven filled with twists, deep lunges, arm balances, fists of fire (say what?!), fierce lion (double what?!?!) and the list goes on...

Sadie and Ame tandemly taught a 2-hr vinyasa class (say that 3 times fast) building up to the peak pose, or what Sadie would call the "super adventure pose", dragonfly - see below, as demonstrated by Ann Pizer on about.com.

Even considering getting into a pose like this takes a lot of preparation for the average joe like myself. But by dissecting the peak pose and then working backwards to create a class, Ame and Sadie focused on all the key areas that were needed to open, lengthen, twist, etc., making the peak pose more realistic and achievable (for some - haha). Big up to my girl Kate Heffernan for rocking it out on the mat next to me! As for me, I was close. But as they say, close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. So alas, another pose has been added to the list...

If you have been reading this blog you probably already realize how much I love and adore Ame Wren and her teaching. She has been a HUGE inspiration to my practice and I am honored to be able to call her a mentor and friend. So let me just take a few minutes to explore the awesomeness that is Sadie Nardini. First, she is totally Brooklyn. Being from the Dirty Jerz myself, I like people with a little edge, with a little "fuhgeddaboudit" in them. But don't let the all black outfit fool you, Sadie's presence is sweet and caring and she is genuinely there to make your life better. It is undeniable. Secondly, she has developed a way of teaching the yoga poses, along with creating some of her own, that connect you deeper to your core body and core being. I love this. My flubby abs love this.

To quote her views about the "Core" from her website (http://www.sadienardini.com/core-strength-vinyasa-yoga.html):

In my view, the “Core” is too often seen as only the superficial abdominal muscles. They are important, but there is a whole world of muscles, actions, energy and philosophy contained within the core of the body and spirit complex. I teach it all to you so you can demystify what’s at your core and how you can make it work for you instead of against you both on and off the mat.

Strengthening your mind and body with yoga goes far beyond your experience on the mat and I can relate to Sadie's outlook and approach to finding that balance.

Curious about Sadie's poses like Fists of Fire and Fierce Lion? You can find all the fixings to turn yourself into one kickass yogi, and perhaps maybe even a ninja, here in the Core Strength Vinyasa virtual library of poses:

http://www.sadienardini.com/core-strength-pose-library.html

Rock on.

Day 26 overall: My body was literally buzzing after class from all the energy pulsing through me. Cloud nine. Love love love all around.

Oh! And a side note: Kate Heffernan not only killed it at dragonfly, she taught me how to get into Eka Pada Koundinyasana II AND I held it (all be it, momentarily) on both sides. LOVE HER. Her tip to me was - as a beginner to this pose, avoid getting into it from lizard pose. Your hips, bum, body, everything is too low to the ground to get any lift from there. She suggested I try coming into the pose from down dog. So starting in down dog, come forward toward plank with the right leg (or left, depending on what side you are doing) to the tricep, getting it as high up on the arm as possible. Engage that core! Once the knee is in place, start to extend the leg out. Then find chaturanga arms (think push-up arms), lift the chest/gaze slightly as if in chaturanga, shift the weight forward a bit and then extend and lift up through the back leg. Voila! E.P.K.II. Word.

Mine ain't pretty but it's a start!!

Day 25 - Skip the oxygen bar and go to VDR

DAY 25 - June 3, 2011

If you have been following along, you are probably getting familiar with my regular routine. Friday = VDR. I have to admit that I was a bit star struck when I was setting up for class and I glanced around only to notice Sadie Nardini just a few mats away. If you are not aware of who Sadie is, she is kind of a big deal in the yoga world with her Core Strength Vinyasa classes. She has an extensive online presence ranging from free yoga YouTube clips to incredibly insightful & REAL articles on elephantjournal.com to daily facebook updates with tips and sequences. I have been following her for about a year now, ever since I took her workshop last Yoga Journal Conference in Boston, so I was a tad giddy when I saw her in person. Though I knew she was in town since I signed up for her workshop at Back Bay Yoga the next day (more about that later). But anywho, it was cool to have her in class.

As I have been practicing more regularly and getting more familiar with sequences & poses, I have been able to really focus on my breath work while moving through the flow. Vinyasa is all about linking movement to breath, a moving mediation. However, I know I am guilty of not always doing this. Rather than allowing my breath to lead me into the poses, I end up breathing as an after thought or out of necessity. This usually happens when most of my attention is focused on what the heck we are doing. Of course it is okay to get off track every now and again. The important thing is to reel it back in, slow down, reconnect. VDR has been a great class for me to practice flowing with my breath and last class I felt particularly more connected. The breath led the way and rest followed suit. I completely lost myself in the movement (and even forgot that Miss Nardini was doin' her thang just over yonder).

So forget about taking a trip to an oxygen bar and breath in all that good air that is already floating around you:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oxygen_Bar_interior,_showing_flavors.jpg)

Day 25 overall: The simplest moving meditations that are connected to the breath can change your mood and overall well-being. Stop holding your breath!

Day 24 - Morning yoga makes my energy levels go "POW"!

DAY 24 - June 2, 2011

Time to make up some of those missed classes. I actually got myself out of bed at 6am for the sunrise yoga class at Be. Monica Delgado Chaffee was standing in for the regular teacher and she was a delight. The sun was indeed shining in through the windows of the studio, making the name of the class quite accurate. In what seems like a past life, I used to row on a crew team. We would have 4am practices and, by some stroke of insanity or lapse in my normally lucid consciousness, these early morning trips on the river quickly became my favorite time of day. There is something great about mindful and deliberate movement in the morning. Yes, your hamstrings are too tight and you may have to stop mid-movement to wipe the remnant of sleep from your eyes, but it is easier to bring your focus back to yourself. The mind isn't racing from a day of emails and to do lists. I love taking advantage of this morning energy that is so peaceful, yet still softly humming, eager to burst into the full blown craziness of the day. And the best part - it wakes you up. I had more energy all day then I knew what to do with!

At night, I took Ame's vinyasa flow class at Back Bay Yoga. I am chronicling my yoga pose wishlist here on this blog and I am adding this to the list. Galavasana, as demonstrated by Luke Jordan:

Come on, that is just cool. Of course, I will have to continue this ongoing, strongly-worded discussion/battle I am having with gravity and my inability to overcome it.

By the end of my second class of the day I was feeling awesome. I know the guy behind me was feeling pretty good too, at least super relaxed. I was barely finished staggering with my neighbors and negotiating ideal hand placement in savasana before the rumblings of the nasal orchestral symphony began behind me. Yep, he was relaxed I'll tell ya. Always a compliment to have people completely conk out at the end of your class. Sheer exhaustion or utter bliss - who cares, he obviously needed a few extra minutes of shut eye.

Day 24 overall: Crazy amount of energy. The arm balance saga continues - I will keep lifting my butt to the ceiling, hoping one day my legs will decide to follow.

Day 23 - Fighting gravity

DAY 23 - June 1, 2011

Wednesday night and I was off to Back Bay Yoga for vinyasa with Georgia. I dodged tornadoes, thunder storms, drunk Red Sox fans and PSYCHED UP Bruins fans to make my way downtown for class. The skies grumbled with heat and electricity as I rolled out my mat onto the hardwoods. We started out class on our backs, block between our thighs, knees over hips or legs straight up, pressing the block, legs squeezing towards one another. This may sound easy but go and try it. Hang out there for a few minutes. Hello abs. It's almost like Georgia read my last blog about her class when I may or may not have mentioned my "flubby abs". She definitely had us paying very close attention to our cores the whole class. Georgia, are you out there?

We practiced headstand prep and, again, no dice on lifting both feet off the ground at the same time. I'm working on it though. One of these days...

Another goal of mine, that I attempted in class tonight, is Eka Pada Koundinyasana (demonstrated by B.K.S. Iyengar):

I totally fail miserably everytime I try this. I'm convinced that gravity has a certain affinity for my bum. I will get this though, in due time my friends.

Day 23 overall: Fightin gravity with everything I got, but she is fighting back something fierce. Didn't let it get to me though. Great class and happy I didn't get sucked up into a tornado. If I have to go head to head with natural forces, I'd rather battle it out with gravity.

Day 22 - Studio hopping in my hood

DAY 22 - May 31, 2011

Another gorgeous day and I decided to walk to another yoga studio located just down the street from my house. I do realize how lucky I am to have such an abundance of beautiful yoga studios in close proximity to my house and work. This time I checked out a vinyasa class at Bow Street Yoga Studio with Christie Rosen. I have walked past this studio so many times before and I am glad I finally went in! Such a great space! The class was small (maybe 6 or 7 of us) but it suited my mood. Christie asked for our suggestions in the beginning of class and she took them to heart, changing up her sequence to meet the needs of those in the class. She offered plenty of variations so you were aware of all the options you had to alter your practice or if you were up for amping it up a bit!

My body felt really strong and my mind was calm. I can see the effects of my practice growing every single day and I am thrilled with the progress I have made thus far. The dedication is paying off and its exciting to know that it never has to end.

Day 22 overall: I love my practice more and more each day. The gratitude is overwhelming at times.

Day 21 - Figure Four for Happy Hips

DAY 21 - May 30, 2011

After playing hooky for two days in a row, I could not miss another day. I hit up a vinyasa class at Samara with Nicoline Valkenberg. Nicoline has a great presence, very sweet and calming. My legs and hips were tight from riding my bike 9.5 miles beforehand, so again, I found that pigeon pose was not my friend that day. She suggested I take an alternate stretch that takes some of the pressure off the hips and keeps the torque to a minimum. It's a figure four stretch on your back and you can check it out here:

http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons1/192/1922729/42_2009/4cbf3a4d825941c7_stretch.jpg

It's a great alternative for runners, bikers, or anyone with hip or knee troubles or tightness. It's great to have options and definitely do not feel bad if you aren't doing what everyone else is doing! Make sure it feels good for your body and you will be golden. :-)

Day 21 overall: Wow 3 weeks in! I think I need to throw some home practice into the mix.

Days 19 & 20 - Memorial Day Weekend

DAYS 19& 20 - May 28 & 29, 2011

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! This is the best weekend of the year. The summer officially starts (ok, maybe not officially but close enough), you can cook your grub on a grill, and the extended days lend to more play time outside. SO with that said - I could not physically get myself inside a studio to practice! oops! I shopped, biked, BBQed with friends. I watched a parade, went to the movies, watered the garden. I lived and loved every minute of it. I'll consider that yoga. But I guess to stay true to this challenge I will be making up 3 classes now!

Day 19 & 20 overall: The sunshine fed my soul and I ate it all up. Beautiful weekend.

Day 18 - VDR obsession

DAY 18 - May 27, 2011

I just cannot pass up Friday night Vinyasa with Deep Relaxation (aka VDR). The blend of vinyasa flow and restorative release is exactly what I need at the end of the week. It's also fun that I have a bunch of friends that come too! Friday night yoga party to kick the weekend off right. Definitely sets a nice tone for the upcoming days off. I can forget about the stress of work and ease into the slower pace of the weekend. It's just perfect.

Day 18 overall: My VDR obsession continues. No revelations - just straight up yoga yumminess.

Day 17 - Summer is in full effect - get your sweat on!

DAY 17 - May 26, 2011

Back in the saddle. After a few days of near full-blown body rebellion, I finally felt good today. I went to Ame's vinyasa class at BBY and, once again, it just flew by! I'm starting to think she has special powers - special time-bending powers. I can't wrap my head around it, nor am I going to try. But it's pretty super. In her classes, I can totally lose myself in the movement. The tempo, her voice, the cues, the adjustments - it all just comes together brilliantly. And I love it. Total addict.

I realize that I talk quite a bit about sweat on this blog, so I will try and stop after this comment (especially since its summer now and its gonna be hot all.the.time.). But class was a lovely sweatfest and I was in my glory. Go get your sweat on today. You will feel like a million bucks. Well, I wouldn't know what a million bucks feels like, so you will feel like a brand new, crisp one dollar bill. Better yet, you will feel like the owner of that crispy, wrinkle-free one dollar bill standing at a vending machine and after you make your purchase on the first try without any dollar regurgitation, you also find the forgotten extra change from the person before you. THAT'S how good you'll feel. So do it.

Day 17 overall: Feeling good again. Why can't I breathe when I try to backbend? Need to explore this further...

Day 16 - Stubborn Toes

DAY 16 - May 25, 2011

This week has been rough. My body has been tired and I was just waiting for it to totally rebel. I went to Georgia's class at BBY and when I found myself literally shaking in the first down dog, I couldn't help but think "oh crap". I was envisioning myself face-planting on the mat. As we started building heat and moving through the flow, my body started to cooperate - up until we got to pigeon pose. Total hip spasms in full effect. Thank goodness for child's pose, that's all I gotta say.

Recently, I participated in Ame Wren's Teacher Mentorship Program at BBY and, as part of the curriculum, she asked us to read Matthew Sanford's book, Waking (http://www.matthewsanford.com/content/book). Matthew is a yoga teacher who is paralyzed from the chest down and this book tells his story, as well as explores his connection to his body and to his practice. He talks about the disconnection he has with his body because of the paralysis and how he works to overcome it. I won't give too much away because you should read it (even all you non-yogis out there). It is a-maz-ing and you will not want to put it down.

So the point of me mentioning his book - While in class, we were practicing headstand prep. I set myself up - forearms firmly planted on the ground, elbows shoulder-width apart, hands clasped & cupping the back of my head, crown of my head pressing lightly into the earth, hips up, hamstrings long and strong. As I walked my feet in, I realized this is the best I've felt in this pose ever. My hamstrings were finally loose enough to allow my hips to just float up over head and my shoulders and arms felt strong enough to support my body weight. I was getting super pumped. I came to the point where my toes barely dangled on top of the floor - just the tips barely brushing the ground. And then it all stopped. Georgia cued us to "use your core to lift your legs slowly into the air - no hopping!!". My brain understood this cue, I have lifted my feet up above my head many times before. But today I was searching, yearning for that controlled lift - and there was nothing. I leered at my toes waiting for them to levitate gracefully up over my head but they just hung there stubbornly. I immediately thought of Matthew. It dawned on me that this must be how he feels all the time. His brain sends the signals to this lower limbs to move, to rise, to follow along - only to never receive fully what he is asking for. In my case, my non-movement issue only lies in the fact that I have flubby abs that need some serious core boot camp. I had to pause. I grew extremely thankful for those bullheaded toes of mine. When I asked them to wiggle, they wiggled. When I asked my legs to bend, they did as they were told. My body doesn't always move exactly the way I want it to and I get frustrated with it at times, but I have a strong, able body and it is something I will never take for granted.

Day 16 overall: Happy for the body I have and all that is does for me. I needed this reminder.

Day 15 - Midpoint!

DAY 15 - May 24, 2011

I've reached the midpoint in my challenge! Day 15 and I have to admit, I did NOT feel like doing yoga today. Not at all. I wanted to make a lentil loaf, sit on the coach and watch the Biggest Loser finale. Thankfully, I have the best boyfriend who took up all lentil loaf making responsibilities and motivated me to get going. I had no excuses. I looked around for what I thought would be a mellow class and when I found one titled "Just Yoga" at Be. in Union Square, I thought 'perfect'. I begrudgingly gathered myself together and schlepped down to the studio. On the plus side, the neighborhood smelled like flowers and BBQs. On the down side, did I mention I did NOT feel like doing yoga today? Blerg.

The "Just Yoga" class was the second class of the night and the heaters had been pumping for a full 2 hrs before we even got in there. The studio was hot and soupy and it didn't take long (maybe by the second "om" of the class) before we were all sweating profusely. I even questioned bringing a towel to this "just yoga" class before I left, thinking it was going to be chill. Well good thing I decided otherwise. It also didn't help that it was the first 80 degree day of the season. Swell.

I slipped and slided through the poses, muscles twitching from trying to stabilize themselves on my sweat stained mat. I thought they were going to go on strike, and my mind was right behind them. I zoned out. I rolled my eyes once - ok, maybe twice. I just wasn't feeling it today. It wasn't the class or the instructor (both were great), but it was just one of those days. Ya know? I am happy I made it through though because I felt great afterwards. There is just no escaping the yoga buzz, no matter how hard you fight it.

Day 15 overall: Glad I sucked it up and went to class. It's not easy getting yourself to the mat every day, but it is important to make that commitment to yourself and to your practice. It is so worth it.

Day 14 - Bikram scares me, but hot yoga's cool

DAY 14 - May 23, 2011

I have a love-hate relationship with Bikram yoga. I love the heat, I love how it makes me all bendy and flexy, and I love how I am able to mold myself into positions I normally wouldn't deem fathomable. It's shocking how good it feels to practice in a room that has the equivalent temperature of a sauna, but trust me, its incredibly cleansing. Watching the beads of sweat drip off me onto my yogitoes towel below, makes me one happy gal. Afterwards, you feel like you had a facial, lost 5 lbs, and took a few shots of tequila. Sounds fun, no?

I dislike Bikram (hate is a strong word) because the studios are usually bright, you are usually staring at yourself in a mirror, and the instructors are, well, very stern. Yeah, stern, that's it. Ok, I'm not going to candycoat it - they like to yell at you. At least this has been my experience. While other forms of yoga will encourage you to "listen to your body" and "do the best you can", Bikram is a bit more in your face. I've been to classes where I wouldn't be surprised if the instructor pulled out a ruler and hit ya on the back of the hand, nun-style, if you didn't go deep enough. But there are many people out there that love this style of practice, and to each their own.

With all that said, I do like "Hot Hatha Yoga" or "Hot Yoga" classes. These classes tend to use the 26 traditional poses of the Bikram series as a foundation but build on them and add other poses that complement and expand the practice. And best of all they are generally more relaxed (this doesn't mean easy). I went to Alice Senko's Heated class at Samara yoga studio for my day 14 and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Alice is animated, energetic and you could tell how much she loves being an instructor. Being a newbie to her class, she made the effort to ask my name in the beginning of class and I was pleased when she didn't forget it (nice touch). She also has endearing quirks like saying "sof-ten" with the hard T sound and my fave "lit-trally", instead of "literally", like Rob Lowe's character on Parks and Recreation. [Sidenote - Watch Parks and Rec. You will not be disappointed.] The sequence was challenging, and by the end, I looked like a crazy lady with frizzed out hair and was dripping with sweat (think jumping into a pool with all your clothes on). But I was a happy lunatic, no doubt about that.

Day 14 overall: Got deeper into Hanumansana (full split), which I am stoked about (gotta love that heat). This hot yoga class reminded me of the days I would regularly take/teach hot yoga in NJ. Good old days.

Day 13 - Energy

DAY 13 - May 22, 2011

Post-gardening tightness had set in and yoga was needed ASAP. I headed to Samara for some vinyasa in hopes of loosening up my hunched shoulders and cranky lower back. Hannah was filling in for Nicoline Valkenberg (the owner of Samara) and when she asked if the group had any requests, I had no qualms asking for some shoulder/back love. She delivered with lots of backbending, twisting, chest opening and a whole lot of chaturangas. A whole lot.

All the yogis must have slept in on this Sunday morning because only 7 folks opted to skip brunch in bed and come in for class. It's interesting how the size of a class can affect the vibe. Energy, to a scientist like myself, is something that we try to understand, quantify and capture. But it is amazing to just feel how it can change from scenario to scenario. There is an intangible quality to energy that is so powerful. We are always transferring and receiving energy from those around us. Make sure the energy you are sending out is positive and beneficial to those in your life.

Day 13 overall: Felt a bit like Frankenstein today in class with all the stiffness in my body, but the class relieved some of it. Energy is more than just that little extra something that you find in a double espresso. Be conscious of the vibes to are sending out in the world.

Day 12 - The Garden Project

DAY 12 - May 21, 2011

My yoga for the day was one of service (and manual labor). We tackled the back garden and planted tomatoes, carrots (from seed), red onions, zucchini, yellow straightneck squash, cauliflower, beets, arugula, sweet peas, cucumbers and saved a thyme bush. Seed potatoes are also drying out and prepping for there home in the earth. I'm already dreaming of all the tasty meals that will be made from our homegrown veg.

Whether you have a green thumb or not, I think it is important to be aware of where your food is coming from. I am all about buying organic, local and sustainable food when possible. Check out what this means here: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/eatlocal/#what.

Happy noshing.

Day 12 overall: As a former geologist, I felt right at home in the dirt. Pleased with all of our hardwork and eager to see what comes out of it. Since I spent all day with my hands in the ground, I guess this means I will have to double up yoga classes sometime before the 30 days is over!

Day 11 - Surrender

DAY 11 - May 20, 2011

Friday night Vinyasa with Deep Relaxation (VDR) is my happy hour. Led by Ame Wren at BBY, this class mixes vinyasa, yin and restorative yoga to create an hour and a half of pure bliss. Just to give you a visual of the complete surrender you will experience in this class, this is how we started out:

http://www.laughinglotus.com/blog/randi%20childs%20pose.jpg

You can forget the chaturangas and start building your own mini Stonehenge replica out of bolsters and blocks to prop your legs up on for savasana (aka corpse pose - yep, lie there like a dead man. no joke.). You know it's going to be a good class when the instructor tells you to grab two blocks, a bolster, a blanket AND a strap. Do not fear the props, they are your friends! Especially in restorative yoga, it is crucial to use the props to support you fully in the poses. Give your muscles, and your ego, a break.

Day 11 overall: I looooooooooooooooove restorative yoga. End of story.