Existence is Gold

This Thursday I am leaving for the Berkshires of Massachusetts to return to the mother ship, Kripalu, for a 10-day meditation module, part of my 500-hour yoga training.

I could use a clearing of the chatter!

Is there any gold inside Fort Knox?

Gu-darkness. Ru-Light.

Guru. Bringing darkness to Light.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

- Marriane Williamson

found on Lori Painter's Inspire2act blog, (click) a frequent read of mine.

When the student is ready the teacher will come.

Bhuddist Proverb

I often get inquiries from friends and family who are curious in starting yoga. I tell them the teacher is the most important element in the you-plus+yoga=equation. Some of them have been to a class and felt 'yoga wasn't for them.'

Trying one yoga class and dismissing the entire practice is like tasting a banana and declaring you hate all fruit (or even all food.)

It often takes a few or many drop-ins to find the teacher best suited to you. The teacher is far more important than any other factor, including the difficulty level and style. Often what you want is not necessarily what you need. (Injuries and other obvious physical boundaries excluded.)

I, for one have always been weary of the stringency and seriousness of Iyengar yoga, but Friday at 11am was such a perfect fit in my schedule that I showed up and my vision has shifted. This teacher does something to me; she changes how I look at things and how I feel. It is indescribable.

*A great great read: (I might even have to Amazon another copy seeing as mine is in Cleveland)

BKS Iyengar, Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner peace, and Ultimate Freedom.

Has anyone read any of Geeta Iyengar's work? This is BKS Iyengar's daughter. I have not, so let me know.

Some tips from a teacher (yours truly):

-Introduce yourself to the teacher when you come in- we dig this!

-You do not have to be "good at yoga" to SIT IN FRONT. The more of a beginner you are the nearer to the teacher you should be plunking yourself. You'll get so much more attention and a little one-on-one in yoga is clutch. Don't be shy, get up there and get yourself more bang for your butt!

-There is no such thing as being good at yoga.

-Flexibility has nothing to do with your hamstrings.

90 percent of life is showing up

-Woody Allen

my Muffin Top brings all the boys to the club

This recipe is flying out of the tin:

Fluffy Easy Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

3 Tbspn sugar

1 tsp salt

3/4 cups milk, plus 2 tablespoons

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbspn maple syrup

1 cup blueberries (thawed from frozen ok)

makes 12 muffins.

Pre-heat oven to 400. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Combine milk with oil, egg and maple syrup. Make a well in of the dry ingredients; pour the combined liquid mixture all at once and mix lightly. Do not over mix! Quickly fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter in to muffin pans- lined our lightly greased. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool a few minutes, remove from pans.

Thank you Cathy Banks form the Ocean Beach Co-op

I recently read an article regarding Agave- my current sweetener of choice. It is said the Agave is not processed much differently than High Fructose Corn Syrup. (Using strong acids, caustics, and genetically engineered enzymes.) Yet, organic manufacturers claim this is not true. Agave has been proven not to spike blood sugar the way many other sweeteners do, and because it is about three times sweeter than table sugar, it does take less to get your desired taste. But in the end it is still a sweetener.

It may be natural but it is not a whole food. Our bodies are not designed to consume a processed, high-sugar diet, no matter what the kind of sugar, and where it is coming from.

The holy grail of benign sweeteners does not exist. Instead, we must tame our sugar cravings.

I am no saint. I eat "refined" wheat/sugar products- mostly, when they are homemade. Yes, I have a little muffin top (and not the kind pictured,) but I have no regrets. After reading this and admitting I am a sugar addict, I am less likely to slather on the agave (in the past splenda- ew) as I have been known to do.

Many natural foodists, nutritionists and the like agree that honey is our best option. (See post 'home is where my honey is'.)

Sage

Sage, from the X-men: (from my iPad)

The Sage acts without action

and teaches without talking

All things flourish around him

and he does not refuse any one of them

He gives but not to receive

He works but not for reward

He completes but not for results

He does nothing for himself in this passing world

so nothing he does ever passes

(Verse 2, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu)

Sage, the color.

the grocery getter

I'm back in San Diego and the California farmer's markets have exploded! Like a humdrum green bush erupting with vibrant flowers in Spring, rows of avocados and tomatoes have morphed into fruits and edibles spanning the entire spectrum.

The French Breakfast Radish is my current favorite. (the elongated, tubular variety)

To prepare- slice off the greens and trim the tip so the radish is flat on both ends.

To enjoy- scrape a little butter on one end, dip in sea salt and chomp into the crispiness.

... and watch as radishes disappear as you have never seen them do before. Into your own mouth no less.

Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga, speaks of six tastes and declares that a fulfilling meal will contain all six: sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, astringent.

The radish is pungent. Herbs and spices such as black pepper, garlic, ginger and cloves are pungent as is the condiment mustard, but very few foods fit into the pungent category, making radishes very unique.

Radishes are also thought to freshen the breath, regulate appetite, treat constipation and improve circulation among many other benefits.

This evening I was gifted Hula O Maui, Pineapple sparkling wine 'made from the juice of fresh golden pineapples' grown on Maui. Definitely my kind of beverage. Thanks K!

It will all work out

J, my mom, and I all went to see the Palm Beach Psychic before making our way out of town yesterday. Her store front is so glitzy its gaudy- no wonder I couldn't resist. We all agreed she was very intuitive, though only 25, and had the cutest big ears.

...in the Orient large ears are looked upon as auspicious because they indicate wisdom and compassion. The Buddha is depicted as having big ears because he is the compassionate one. He hears the sound of the world - hears the cries of suffering beings - and responds. The important thing for us is not how large our ears are, but how open are our "mind ears." -http://www.kwanumzen.com/

I won't reveal the details of our readings, of course, but in the end the overall message was the more you know yourself the better you will fair, and to relax and allow your destiny to unfold. She recounted who we were in our past-life, information which helps to explain our fears, worries, insecurities, burdens, and pains, as well as shed light on our powers, virtues and strengths.

In summation, Knowledge is power.

Wedding countdown: the fifth full moon from now.

J and I (above) are clearly excited. And on our way!

Not my dress

I bought the first dress I tried on for the big day (wedding.) It was not in your classic boutique where everyone frou-frous around you, and this made me apprehensive. But then I remembered how this whole business started and the way things were done in the old days. I was reminded not to buy into the hype and to stick with my personal style. I did it my way.

The day in general is unlikely to be your average bear. It's going to be spectacular. It was also a breeze to plan (thanks mom) without the stress you see in the movies, minus maybe a little tension regarding the band (which has since been diffused.)

The big lesson: things don't have to be stressful/difficult/fight-inducing just because people say they are. You write your own story. It is what you make it.

On a yoga retreat with Baron Baptiste, Baron lectured that we all carry around like a heavy burden these made-up tales of our life, and that's just what they are: dramatic narratives that we compulsively repeat.

He urges us to strip our lives down to just the facts (this is going to take A LOT of editing) and examine what is left. Not much. We can create any story we like around the simple frame, why not make it a great one?

This is on my registry. Thanks A! xxx

I heart a Harbor Master

I'm not much (at all) of a gamer but...

J and I are obsessed with "Harbor Master" it's a free game on the iPad.

(Above is Sailor Moon! not necessarily original, but my own rendition/work, of course - as always. And done on the iPad.)

A new way to enjoy fruit

Mom's fucsia strained raspberries:

Push raspberries through a fine sieve with a pestle so only the seeds remain.. Discard those seeds and you are left with a succulent, bright nectar.

My Parisian aunt uses a french Moulinette for this process.

Et Voila! An antioxidant rich smoothie-like texture that can be drunk straight (my personal choice,) frozen and blended into a smoothie, poured over ice cream or yogurt, dripped delicately over dessert... endless possibilities, this stuff is amazing.

I mmmmmm'd after every bite.

Here's to moms, aunts & grandmas everywhere for their tried and true ways of keeping our food and us homemade, down to earth, simple, and fail-safe.

Raining cats and dogs

My new Initials-to-be APK

Today I woke up at ten! Ugh! Without a schedule forced upon me I often have slip-ups like this that throw me off of my game. In all fairness, its been thundering and lightening all night and morning.. pouring, pouring!

J is basking in vacation mode after tough finals, to boot, but I have no excuse. Waking up late makes me very grumpy.

My brother M and his son littleM were just in Palm Beach too. LittleM, five months old, has a strict schedule and if he is even ten minutes off of his nursing, eating, sleeping, napping times life just simply doesn't run as smoothly as it could. Without realizing it, I think we all get fussy when our routine is disturbed.

I have made a conscious effort as I travel to keep regularity and it isn't easy. When on the road we are exposed to differences in time, weather, mood, and company. We are subject to other people's timetables and our own agenda comes secondary. When out and about and away from home I aim to:

-stay in a hotel not a crash pad*

-wake up an hour before everyone else, or before I have to go about the day, for light stretching (yoga) and pampering

-drink even more water than I do at home

-drink less alcohol than I want to

-err on the short side for trip length

-use alarm clocks (only trust my inner compass at home)

-do as the natives do. I don't try to make my stay 'like home', rather I enjoy, indulge and throw myself into wherever I am: sure, I like my herbal tea, but if you're drinking Cafe Con Leche count me in!

*Yes, I might be on vacay to visit my peeps, but unless I'm certain I won't be on top of them during the debauchery, I get a room of my own so I have a haven to retire to and they can go about their life in peace. As we get older personal space becomes more precious, as twenty-somethings we are caught between college insanity and grown-up formality in so many ways, it's not an easy place to be.

Unless there is at least an extra bedroom and spare key, get thee to the Ritz.

exception: If you're visiting me, ignore all of the above, you're staying at my place!

My boyfriend's back

After two weeks away from one another (and, as J noted, our first time separated after our engagement,) J, my fiance, and I reunited in Palm Beach where we are visiting my mom. We are used to spending substantial blocks of days apart and have grown to cope quite well. I would even go so far as to say that it makes us stronger, because during these spurts we grow as individuals.

"Let their be spaces in your togetherness." (Khalil Gibran)- the man.

when apart we have learned to:

-write letters (not emails) via the pony express (not cyberworld)

-keep phone conversations just long enough to tell each other how much you miss and love each other

-not long enough to start fighting*

-not go into great detail about what you are up solo for it is a sure way to spark jealousy (someone is bound to be having more fun than the other)

-text!

-change/grow a little, but not too much (a new outfit, a tan- not a tattoo)

*short/sweet frequent phone calls, but conversely long, romantic letters is the best advice I can impart to another- it got us through four years of long distance, sometimes on different continents.

When we are together the whole is greater than the sum of our parts!

For the four years we have spent pining for one another, we have also spent four wondrous years living together! We keep that fresh by:

-clear-cut roles and duties

-a clean house

-dinner together every night AT THE TABLE

-flowers for me

-baked goods for him

-no mindless TV surfing

-instead, TV shows we follow together weekly

-with separate popcorn bowls- J eats popcorn like a tennis ball machine set on the highest level

-NOTES: little stickies with sweet nothings

have colored Sharpies and post-its all over for communication at its best!

What are your tricks for long-distance jaunts and tips for sharing small quarters?

Note: As I am out of town I have been using my iPad "sketch" application to create the doodles... let's just say it's a learning process, with a lot of room for improvement!

a little snickety snack

To snack or not to snack that is the question.

Ayurveda believes in giving the body rest between meals to properly digest and empty the stomach.

The french, for the most part, agree.

Ayurveda does allow for tea time, though, especially for lankier compositions- warm milk or tea is eaten with buttery biscuits. mmmm.

J (beanpole) lives on snacks as he is a busy law school student and in his case snacks need to be high in calories- cheese and nuts are his sustenance. Calories through liquid- juices and smoothies are also winners as they take less energy to digest and more is left for brain function.

My motto as a working yoga instructor was "a chocolate chip cookie a day keeps the..." as I was very active.

Also, I am dying to try THIS RECIPE 'Sea Salt Fudge Brownies' (click) Someone please do so and tell me about it. The blog design alone is worth taking a peek. Inspiring.

There is room for snacks (not fourth and fifth meals) in every life. In France we call it Gouter: "Taste." We don't mindlessly graze all day, but we set aside time every day at 4 pm for a bite.

Lately, I'm loving Tea Time. I speak about Ayurveda often- the qualities of people, places, jobs, things, seasons, time of the day etc. It is important to analyze not just your life in general but your current mood/state, its qualities and how to balance it.

After a wonderful weekend with my friends in NYC- HI GIRLS!- I must commend them for thriving in the high-energy, fast-paced, raw, non-stop, real world. I could barely cope for a mere 72hours.

In a world like NYC where the lights blare, the sounds scream, and the people, cars, and time whiz by it is imperative to counter these qualities and INSULATE oneself for protection. My girlfriend Mg described to me that she learned to consume olive oil with alcohol to coat her stomach- this is a classic example of insulation and protection. My girl A loves to slather herself in coconut oil, which is a powerful way to cool the body and keep it calm in a high stress world (and/or in the summer) while still giving it nourishment and moisture. The workplace and city is rough, drastic, extreme, and brash--- smooth, steady, slow, and soft activities, foods, relationships, media etc. balance this environment. (Barlene's, below, also makes the best greenfood powder.)

Tea is another wonderful way to balance the body by assessing what you need and treating yourself with mild herbal remedies. A pick me up is in order? Go green! Hooked on coffee? Try Yerba Mate. Can't sleep? Kava Kava, baby.(click it) I have actually never tried Kava Kava, but a little research has me intrigued. A tea for all times? Peppermint!

BALANCE is the key. If you are hyper, no black. Anxious? Put that green down and back away. If your in rut try a new tea.

Some teas are better with a little milk/honey/agave/lemon. Some of us never add any type of sugar because we like to keep it a calorie-free beverage. This is a MISTAKE... suck it up, it's a few measly calories. Forget calories.* With a little honey many teas will taste so much better, our enjoyment will be drastically higher and thus our energy and quality of life will soar.

Summer is coming and I still like the hot stuff in the boiling heat, but if your not crazy like me then hello iced-tea!

Tea time is a great snack time because you'll only want a little munchie with all that liquid.

*I know I once posted the calorie counts of exercises- it's ok to be curious, but these numbers will get you nowhere.