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.

BUBBLY the champagne hangover

It's the mind that makes the body

Yes, while water, fresh citrus juice and a banana may help with our hangovers the only cure is- as my driving instructor Mr. O put it succinctly- TIME.

So, the real question is not how to try to "cure" the hangover, but how we treat ourselves as our body does so naturally. We have 24 hours, give-or-take, to heal and we can only help the process by making the best of it. The key to bouncing right back from a hangover or any setback in life is compassion and forgiveness. Why is it that we practice so much empathy and kindness towards others but never ourselves?

As we grow older it seems that we easily obey the golden rule but so often forget to inverse it on ourself. "TREAT YOURSELF AS YOU WOULD TREAT OTHERS."

Bubble baths, a warm cup of amazing coffee (a little caffein is thought to help,) steamed veggies, great movies, wonderful company... surround yourself with what you love and makes you feel good. Call the person who always manages to cheer you up, re-read something inspirational, partake in light and enjoyable exercise, and think only good thoughts! (When we are thinking lovely thoughts the not so lovely ones are pushed out since there isn't room for two at once.)

No punishing, scolding, or starving allowed. And no hair-of-the-dog-that-bit-you either!

Sleep is for the chic

The Death Jam.

At the end of every yoga class we take the most important, and for many of us the most difficult, pose - Savasana (pronounced shavasana.) Savasana is difficult because there is no stretching, strengthening or fidgeting allowed; it is the art of doing nothing: just being. Savasana is translated into English to mean 'corpse pose' because it is the practice of dying. In yoga we also discuss that every fear can be reduced to the fear of dying, and the Buddhists believe that if we let go of this fear- the root of all suffering- we will find freedom and happiness.

Please,please,please I beg of you do not roll up your mat and skip out on Savasana*, every other pose is leading up to this pose; we go through the physical motions of hatha yoga only to reach the final most desirable state of meditation- and preparation for our death! I know it sounds morbid, but that's just our conditioning talking. By examining uncomfortable topics we get to work through them and find a release on the other side. I like to imagine a doorway- breathing through that doorway of discomfort in order to find a spacious room of release on the other side. If you feel any pain enter and face that pain: get to know it, what color is it? What temperature is it? What shape is it? Is it Sharp? Dull? Smooth? Jagged? Hot? Cold? Itchy? Sticky? Name it. Get inside of it and breath into it. Walk through the doorway.

"Get over it?!" I don't think so. Go through it.

Ps: I love to sleep! Use your yoga breathing tools and Savasana pose if your having troubles. The above pose on the iPad-doodle has her hands one over the other nuzzled up into her occipital ridge where the spine meets the skull. This position aligns our entire body and clears the energy pathways. With arms like this, try not to cross the ankles and simply watch the breath.

I have been known to zonk out for 12 hours at a time (shameful,) 6-8 is far better.

*and if you don't get a Savasana, shame on your teacher - I'm sure she has a good excuse- but you'll have to squeeze in your own later in the day. Maybe in your parked car? If your yoga class does not include Savasana at all, ever, well, my friend, I don't think that's yoga your doing then.

Though we are busy living, we must make time to die a little too.

Less is more more more!!!!!!

Except when it comes to exclamation points.

“Moderation in all things, including moderation.” -Petronious

As the weather gets warmer and the clothing skimpier we naturally clean our diets- even if that simply means adding more water/fruit/greens and light foods (while not necessarily taking anything away. The old spring cleaning phrase reminds us it is imperative to clean other aspects of our lives as well. I am a lover of organization, labeling, minimizing, cleanliness, and streamlining. Though I love it now, this wasn’t always so and I am by no means at the professional level- at least not yet. I would say I have achieved near perfectionism in packing, but we can leave that lesson for another day.

As with packing, the key to a clean and uncluttered house is to reduce and simplify. Give it away, throw it out, whatever you do get rid of it! Let it be someone else’s problem. There are so many junk removal businesses these days and the savvy entrepreneurs of these companies didn’t become millionaires practically overnight for nothing. We all have too much stuff and the majority of it is JUNK. Go to the nearest Salvation Army in your or your friend’s SUV, call your local veterans donation association (they will generally pick up for you,) hold a yard/garage sale, E-bay it, or give to a needy friend or neighbor. Anything is better than letting stuff hang around and clog your physical landscape and hence your emotional terrain too.

Physical objects are literally blockages we have to get around unless we get rid of them. Everything has a place, and everything in its place.

If you don’t NEED IT or LOVE IT get rid of it!!!!!! BE RUTHLESS!!!

My mom just sold her sprawling home for a trim apartment and let me tell you not a single family member misses one thing we got rid of (and we ditched 80% of our material possessions, conservatively.)

Now she lives amongst her most favorite objects in pure serenity; nothing tethering her down or holding her back.

A clear space and a clean body gives us freedom to be happy and thrive. An organized house allows us to move through life smoothly with ease and joy, just as your body functions with fluidity when unblocked and free of excess.

Clean ONE spot in your house today (make-up area, underwear drawer, nightstand…)- I will too!

Maybe that one will lead to more…

If you are really not sure about parting with an object just make a limbo bag/box and if you don’t retrieve anything from that quasi-trash after a few months than toss it for real.

Standing up or lying down: TWIST to remove toxins from your bod and aid in digestion.

Flying High

The water store in Pacific Beach, San Diego is a frequent hangout spot of mine considering I need to refill my gallon sized water bottle almost every day. Not only is my waterman an H2O aficionado and my personal weatherman, he is as enthusiastic about his job as they come. He truly wants to spread clean water to one and all.

I asked him about the ionized alkaline water this evening ($3.50 a gallon rather than the usual 45 cents,) and he warned me that the quick cleansing effects might cause me to breakout! There are three levels of ionized water available: 1,2,3 and 4, 4 being the most alkaline. Waterman was hesitant to let me try level 3 my first time around because he didn’t want my complexion to suffer, or my sleep schedule to be disrupted from high levels of new-found energy. He even told us clients of his have worked up to level 4 only to have to step down again to level 3. This water is serious stuff. We agreed on level 3 with the promise that I wouldn’t drink it too fast. So J and I are here sipping away, wedding planning, law-school studying and having a grand old time. Sure, it may be the placebo effect, but who doesn’t love a placebo effect?! Either way gets results!

Alkaline Ionized water.

The claims:

“Alkaline water has a higher pH level than does tap water. Some proponents say that alkaline water can neutralize acid in your bloodstream, boost your energy level and metabolism, and help your body absorb nutrients more effectively. Others say that alkaline water can help you resist disease and slow the aging process. However, researchers haven't verified these claims. (Mayoclinic.com)

For most people, plain water is best.”

-Nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. of the Mayo Clinic.

Andrew Weil discusses on his website that the body maintains its pH and is not affected by outside substances.

“The health claims for water ionizers and for alkaline water are bogus. Save your money.”

-Andrew Weil, M.D.

Don’t know who Dr. Andrew Weil is? Definitely look him up! An amazing natural practitioner with so much knowledge and a wonderful author sharing his wisdom and paving the way for us each to find true health.

Her Butt probably needs to go just a liiiiittle to the left, right over the shoulders .

Pincha Mayurasanana (feathered peacock pose, forearm stand) is my favorite pose to practice/play with lately (the traditional pose is legs straight up.) By practice/play I mean exactly that; there is no destination, no perfection: it’s all about the ride. And if your shoulders are in anything but mint condition, and that’s a lot of us, than this pose is not for you, and guess what? You can live a happy, fulfilling, and complete life without this or any pose.

Pincha Mayurasana and many other inverted and flying pose take lightness and energy that I have been aiming to achieve through:

-Lots of (ionized alkaline) water

-Eating dinner early and not snacking late (a very hard habit for me to abandon)

-More meals in liquid form

I am very creaky in the morning so I practice harder poses before lunch when my body has been alive for a little longer. An empty stomach is important, and for most not-so-stiffies first thing in the a.m. works best.

I am fairly brittle and dry because I am primarily a VATA type rather than PITTA or KAPHA. Want to know your dosha? Look up AYURVEDA!!! Click for a DOSHA QUIZ! You’ll love it!!! It describes everything by its QUALITIES. We find homeostasis by treating our imbalances by treating the quality of the issue. Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga. (This link, Kripalu, is my mother-ship yoga school. I will be there for two weeks in May.)

Sent from my iPad

So, I sprung for an iPad! And my favorite feature thus far (and not very far have I gone,) are the drawing apps. Sketchbook Pro holds a lot of promise, and above is my first virtual doodle.

J and I had Italian style breadcrumb stuffed artichokes last night for dinner. This is one of my favorite snacks/accompaniments that I get at Bice in Palm Beach, FL. I didn't quite hit the mark (too much bread, not moist enough,) so if anyone knows how to properly make a delicious stuffed artichoke please do comment.

love the site Boing Boing. My brother M and many others argue it may be the best site on the web?

My Body Is My Temple

Finding Ananda - Bliss

Side bending stretches our peripheral body and creates more space for our breath to move into. Opening our side body allows prana (life force energy/breath,) to move more freely through us. Our breath becomes multi-dimensional. And so do we. And so do our lives.

Backbends of all levels- mild, medium and hot- are wonderful chest openers. My favorite, shown above with the two blocks as props, can be made mild with the legs bent and arms by your side or is so-spicy-you-get-numb when held for a prolonged amount of time as pictured. (About ten minutes.)

Don’t let how relaxing this pose looks deceive you, this pose is so effective it will not only do wonders for your posture but emotionally and spiritually open you heart. Warning: after opening your heart your approachability and charm and its strong effect on others may be alarming at first.

Anandamaya kosha is our bliss sheath and is the innermost sheath of five sheaths that layer outward from our true self, our inner light. The outermost layer is the Physical, Annamaya kosha. In Sanskrit Anna means food and though the Yoga Sutras do not outline a specific diet the importance of what we consume is emphasized. I think Yoga Sutra compiler/author Patanjali would have agreed with author, journalist, activist Michael Pollan: "Eat food. Not too much. mostly plants."

Remember!!! The only reason we pay attention to, care for and improve our physical bodies is so that we can get the body out of the way so it is no longer an obstacle to us finding our inner Bliss. It is so our legs don’t hurt when we sit for hours in meditative ecstasy: a means to an end, not an end within itself.