Eagle Pose – Many Ways

Last weekend, I went to the Doylestown Farmer’s Market for the first time this year.  It was a generally unpleasant experience, with a winery owner offending me about my age, a pickle man who tried to hide that he sweetens with Spelnda, and a bakery owner who acted offended when I suggested they make granola.  Sigh.  But I did buy a nice yellow squash from a smiling farmer!

(See my mom’s face reflected in the countertop?  Hahah!)

For dinner the other night, I sliced it into thin discs and sauteed it in olive oil and S&P until it was almost translucent.  I added it to some Uncle Ben’s whole-grain medley and festooned it with lemon juice.

It was a lovely yellowy light meal before my mom and I went to the movies and ate our real dinner: popcorn [PS: Today I topped a veggie burger with some of the sauteed squash--great summer meal!]

We saw The Help and I LOVED it.  I like to pretend that I read the book before it went “mainstream” and it’s absolutely positively the best book I’ve ever read (well, aside from Harry Potter, but that’s in a league of its own ).  Naturally, I was nervous about seeing the movie for fear of blasphemy, but I thought they did a really great job with it!  Totally did it justice.  It’s been over a year since I read the book, so I may have forgotten vital details that got lost from print to screen (like how Rachel was biracial), but I really liked some of the things they changed.  For example, Hilly’s mom.  What a freakin’ hoot.  That character wouldn’t have worked in the book, but she was a gem in the movie!

And now for my favorite yoga pose of the moment!

Eagle pose. Garudasana.  By twisting squeezing your arms and legs together, holding and balancing, then releasing, you get a rush of fresh blood throughout your limbs.  It feels like a sigh of relief for your extremities!

Photo borrowed from Yoga Journal's website

• Be sure to cross opposites, meaning right arm on top of left arm/left left leg on top of right leg.  Then, work on shifting your torso so that the elbows and knees line up. This is where the balance challenge comes into play.
• It’s really important to keep your weight over your heel so you don’t hurt your knee or ankle. Bend as low as you can to build up strength and press the legs tighter!
• It’s also best if you can bring your elbows parallel to your shoulders and try to make a right angle with your forearms.  This gives a great stretch to your shoulders and upper back.

But eagle pose doesn’t always have to be done standing up.  I love doing eagle legs while I am in headstand or shoulderstand, or just randomly doing the arms to give my shoulders a wringout.  Or, like Ghia, I like to do it when I’m laying down.

I lay on my back, bring my arms and legs up above me, eagle-ify them, then do a twist (legs to one side, arms to the other side).  I should say that I used to do that, because I just tried it and I’m way too tight!  I can’t wait to get back into my real practice (attending classes at Yoga Vermont 6 days a week) and get my yoga body back!

Good thing I only have to wait a couple more days!  This is my last week at home for the summer, so I’ve been trying to get in some quality time with all my lovies.  My sister Sam and I went to Chipotle for lunch the other day, and it might be my favorite vegan fast-food spot!  I got a “Vegetarian Bowl” with everything but sour cream and cheese.

It was HUGE! I at half for lunch and the other half for dinner.  If you’ve never ordered this, safely but speedily get to your nearest Chipotle.  The rice was one of my favorite parts: cilantro-lime AND you can choose brown rice!  Don’t be tempted by the pinto beans, they have bacon in them, which the kind lady helping me pointed out.  But that’s OK because you get black beans!!!  Then, of course, sauteed onions and peppers.  I chose all of the salsas AND guacamole.  Dominique heard a rumor that they don’t charge extra for guac in the vegetarian orders, but sometimes she makes things up.  Plus we got some chips on the side, which I happily used as a vessel for eating my bowl.  No side of salsa or guac necessary!

Speaking of Dominique, I’ve been spending a lot of quality time with her, too.  This is what we did yesterday:

1. Went to Starbucks
2. Got a mani-pedi
3. Went on a long walk around the neighborhood
4. Watched Sex and the City way past our bedtime

We sort of sound like bimbos! Lol!  Do we look like bimbos?

iced coffee with soymilk

iced green tea latte with soymilk

I got a nice bloody red color on my nails, because I love vampires.

Know of any other good vegan fast-food joints?

Namaste.

Intuitive Exercise: Restorative Yoga

Last night, Dominique and I were talking about intuitive exercise: responding to what workout your body really wants to do.  Forget about what you think it needs, forget about what you had planned to do, but really tune in and respond to how you are feeling.  Do your muscles feel eager to prove how much they can lift?  Do you legs want to go for a wild spin?  Do you feel like you are about to break through a running threshold?  Do you want to torch some calories so you can indulge in some ice cream?  Or do you just want to cultivate a bit of energy to power through the day.  Rather than forcing it to do something it’s just not in the mood for, your body will send you signals as to what type of activity will benefit it most.

This morning, I woke up feeling really sore from being hunched over the computer all day.  So instead of going to Body Pump, I attended a hatha/restorative yoga class.  I promised myself that I would stay for pilates if I felt the need for some more strengthening.

That yoga class was pure bliss.  We took everything really slow, which is exactly what my body needed.  My muscles were so tight and tense that the best thing for them was a slow, gentle stretching.  Plus, we held poses for so long, so I was really able to melt open.  After yoga, when it was time for pilates, I just felt so loose and limber (not to mention calm and serene!), I didn’t want to risk tightening myself back up.  So, I didn’t   And I feel great today!  I didn’t get the awesome burn that Body Pump gives me, but I felt like I was really taking care of and honoring my body.

After Sam and I did a grueling errand (the DMV – I shall say no more) we went to Tabora Farm Market for a treat!  They have the best baked goods around, but apparently, they also have the largest chickens….

check out those chick’s legs!

HE WAS A BEAST and as tall as the seat of the chair!

While we chose a cookie, we looked around the store and I was so surprised to find some meat pies, just like in New Zealand!  They were even called “down under pies”!

Yes, Australia is pictures, but many people also refer to New Zealand as “down under” 

But not only that, we found New Zealand Sea Salt.  Unbelievable!

I wonder if it is really special?  Maybe it gives you dreams that you are at a beautiful NZ beach or something.  I should have gotten some.  I think I need to go back!

What I did get what an espresso chocolate chip cookie with almond slivers.  Sammy and I enjoyed our cookies while walking around Lake Galena in Peace Valley Park.

We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.  This lake is just 5 minutes from our house (when the covered bridge isn’t closed lol) and I wish I’d spent more time there this summer!

My plan for tomorrow is an outdoor run, but only if my body says it’s ok!

Do you practice intuitive exercise?

Namaste.

Starting Fresh: Setting Goals

I knew my life would never be the same when I went to New Zealand; I was going to gain new experiences and further develop my perspective on the world.  And don’t get me wrong, all of that happened, but I never realized how far I would stray from my mental and emotional norms.

Though my life was insanely busy and hectic, it never really changed when I was at UVM.  I was always busy, and I loved it: I pretty much embodied the common collegiate advice, “work hard, play hard.”  But, as soon as that fall 2010 semester was over, all of my usual responsibilities and activities–class, FeelGood, work, campus life, friends, Ashtanga–literally vanished.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime break (where I got to explore new hobbies, like blogging!) from the stresses of reality, but I felt a bit depressed since the things that had occupied all my time, and everything that I defined myself by, were thousands of miles away.

I learned how to “cope” and slowed down a lot, but I was always secretly pining for that exhilarating lifestyle and somehow fretting over taking so much “time off”… and I never completely felt like myself.  When I got home for the summer, I was eager to begin transitioning back to normal, but I’ve felt as though I am struggling to climb out of a hole – except I don’t remember which way is up.  I have felt completely overwhelmed by jumping right back into it all, and absolutely blind to any sensible starting point.

Yoga has always been the cure to all my problems, but since what I need is mental clarity and I have fallen so far behind on my meditation, that only perpetuates my confusion.  With the idea of yoga in the back of my mind (isn’t it always) I asked myself what I used to rely on the most to help me manage it all.

My planner!!!!  I need to plan!  While trying to think of a good blueprint, lululemon came to mind.  I remembered discussing goals and visions with an employee there once, and receiving a great layout for goal-setting.  For me, the best way to get a hold on my life is to clarify what I want, and develop manageable steps to get there: starting today until I get what I want.  By creating a plan of action, I feel less stressed about getting things accomplished because I know that I am doing my best to get there.  Most importantly, I will have already decided where to start

I began to set goals for my classes, my job, FeelGood, my apartment, my health, my finances, and my personal life.  I only managed a rough draft for each, plus some brainstorming, but now I’ve got a game plan for life in the works.  Bring. It. On.

Are you a planner?  Do you set goals?  cuz you should.  it helps.

Namaste.

Emerald Isle, NC: Beach Recap

I love coming to Emerald Isle because we get a house right on the beach.  Optimal comfort and convenience.  Here is our daily schedule:

1. Wake Up
2. Go for a run and/or walk and/or do yoga on the beach
3. Eat breakfast
4. Go to the beach
5. Eat lunch
6. Go back on the beach
7. Shower
8. Eat dinner
9. Play boardgames (like Scategories, Catch Phrase, SkipBo, or Bunco — it’s serious business in our fam)
10. Go to sleep

The view from our deck

Also, the beaches here are really uncrowded, because the only people on the beach are those staying in the houses!  And the first week in August seemed to be a pretty slow week, there was hardly anyone there at all.

Our family's base camp!

We barely even leave the house!  We do go clamming once or twice.  It’s like redneck strawberry picking.  We go to the bay where the water is really shallow, and all you go is crouch down and dig around with your fingers until you find a clam!  It’s really fun and disgusting all at the same time.  You end up with muck caked around your nails and a digging up a few rotten things, but there is no other feeling like extracting a big “fighter” that’s perfectly smooth and ready to eat!  We have freshly steamed clams that day for lunch–talk about fresh, and local!  My aunt also makes a great chowder.  mmmmmm

Another reason to leave the house is our annual mini golf championship.  We usually make teams by families – the five of us vs. my aunt and her family – and the winner buy Ben and Jerrys for us all.  But this year, with boyfriends and wives, we had too many people for just two teams, so we drew numbers out of a hat to make 3 teams.  I basically had a miserable time.  I didn’t get any holes-in-one AND I lost my ball on the 14th hole in the pond   But I was happy in the end because we tied!  Everyone’s a winner!!!  WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

This was my family’s tenth year, but it was the first time we rented a different house because…

Our house! The side with the towels It even had a pool!

we really wanted Ghia to come along!

The new house allowed dogs, and Ghia had so much fun fetching her toy duck in the water.  It was her first time seeing the ocean!  She was a little wary at first, but she quickly got really comfortable.  She really grew to understand the waves!

Big waves make me really anxious, so I don’t spend a whole lot of time in the water.  When I’m on the beach, I like to take read, take walks, read, play Baggo, read, play ladderball, and read.  A LOT of binge reading went on this past week.  Here’s what I read:

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver  This is about a mother whose son commits a Columbine-like massacre at his school.  It tells the story of his childhood and her mothering style.  It was really well written, and I liked its overall message:  sometimes when kids need the most love is when they deserve it the least. 

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler  The title explains it all!  This was really funny and had really nice characters.  Plus lots of fun insights into one of my favorite authors!

French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guilliano  This book is about the differences between American and French food cultures.  I devoured this book, and loved all it’s lifestyle tips; I’m really going to try and incorporate them into my own life.  Essentially, French women focus a lot more on fresh, quality ingredients when they eat and cook, and learn to compensate for indulgences.  The moral: eat light, exercise light, be light.  (live in the City of Light lol )

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant  This is the story of a woman whose life is only hinted at in the bible, Dinah.  It’s a fantastic story about the lives of ancient women and how they coped.  You will really like it if you like biblical stories (though there is nothing really about God) but either way you will love this amazing tale.

Ghia didn’t read, though, she mostly played in the ocean

I did go in the water a few times, when the surf wasn’t too rough.  One day, I was just innocently trying to stay alive in the choppy water, when all of a sudden a perverted silver fish jumps out of the water right next to me, flaps against my boobs, ricochets off my cleavage, and swims away in shame.  I felt violated, but it was also hilarious

We had perfect weather the whole week, it was VERY sunny and warm.  But don’t worry, I’m almost as afraid of the sun as I am the waves.  I slather on LOTS of sunblock and wear a hat, sunglasses, and a cover-up.  Plus, I sit in the shade.  I rather obsessively move my char along the path of the sun so that I am always completely under an umbrella!  lol

Run, Ghia! Run!

It was so hot, in fact, that I didn’t run quite as much as I would have liked.  The first morning, I went on a 5-mile run with some of my cousins, but I hadn’t run that far in a while and got pretty sore.  I did squeeze in two more 3-ish mile runs, but it was so hot that I didn’t feel like doing it every day.  I did walk with Ghia every morning! Plus, I would lead some yoga on the beach with my parents most mornings.

Do you manage to exercise while on vacation?

Namaste.

Car Yoga: An attempt to ease carsickness

Greetings from North Carolina!

This morning, we left for our road trip down south.  We had to have our butts in our seats at 6am!  I did a few sun salutes to prepare for hours and hours of sitting in the car.  I could feel the flashbacks to Air New Zealand already!  The drive from Philadelphia to North Carolina is a bit daunting to do all in one day, so we leave a day before and get a hotel for the night.  Plus that way, we can get into our house as soon as it’s ready in the morning!

I am usually a big fan of this arrangement, but for some reason I was feeling really uncomfortable and even a bit carsick during the drive.  Ghia and I were stuck in the back, but we kept our spirits high!

Breakfast didn’t help, though.  I ordered a soy cappuccino, but apparently the “soy” bit got lost in translation, which I didn’t notice until we had driven away.  That gave me a bit of an upset stomach.  To eat, I had one of those Special K bars I hate to love, and the perfect oatmeal from Starbucks. I have to admit, it is indeed quite perfect.  It’s made with water, and you are given brown sugar, dried fruit, and nuts to mix in.  I love it!

Ghia and I were stuck in the back, but we kept our spirits high!  I even finished another book while on the road!  It’s called Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella.  It was a scrumptious little chunk of chick lit about a woman who has amnesia.  She just woke up one day and suddenly has her dream life, husband, and job but has no idea how she got there!  Or who she even is anymore!  I felt like I could relate because since I’ve been back from New Zealand, I have felt sort of like I have amnesia – I can barely remember what my normal life used to be.  I felt her pain!

For lunch, we stopped at Wawa for hoagies (can you believe they have Wawa as far south as Virginia??!?!) I got a veggie on a wheat shorti, but I added some buffalo bleu cheese sauce for flava.  It was really tasty, but with spicy peppers, it certainly didn’t help my stomach.  bluugugh

PS – I love buffalo sauce.  I even tried some of my brother’s molten hot wings ruffles chips.  WOW what great flavor!  But I’m pretty certain an entire bag would have killed me.

At some point along the drive, my loving family rearranged the seating so that I could sit in front, to help with the motion sickness.  I was really in shock since I’ve never felt the slightest bit of motion sickness in my life!  I tried some car yoga – I focused on my breathing, then did some neck rolls, shoulder rolls, and seated twists.  I’m not sure if it helped, but it felt a little better to be trying!

But luckily it was a relatively short ride.  We were so ahead of schedule that our room wasn’t ready once we got to the hotel!  So we went to Target to kill time.  I’ve decided that this particular Target is my favorite in all of America.  Can you see why?

THERE IS A STARBUCKS INSIDE!!!!

Once we could check into the hotel and I had been out of the car for a bit, I was feeling a lot better and having some hunger rumbles underneath the nausea.  I had a Walker’s shortbread cookie and some big cheez its as a snack.  While we played the first round of SkipBo of the week, I drank a diet coke to try and settle my tummy, too.  I was feeling back to normal by dinner

David at the Outback, with a Trifecta of Margaritas!

We walked to the Outback Steakhouse for supper, which was right on the other side of the parking lot.  I was a little nervous about finding something I would like for dinner, but I ended up being really happy with grilled mahi, wild rice, and a side of sweet peas, broccoli, carrots, and zucchini!  It was fantastic!  The fish was nice and light and juicy.  But of course, even before my meal, I enjoyed approximately half of the pumpernickle loaf and a bit of the bloomin’ onion (you can’t go to the Outback Steakhouse and not have some!).  We also got a Mediterranean flatbread as an appetizer, but I wasn’t impressed.  I also enjoyed some of my aunt’s Cesar salad and my mom’s sweet potato fries—they practically forced them on me!    OH!  And David and Sammy made me try some of their sample platter of desserts – carrot cake, hot brownie with ice cream, and cheesecake.

AND NOW I’M STUFFED!

Tomorrow will be another busy day of traveling and unpacking/settling into our beach house, but I’m hoping to squeeze in some AM yoga and a sunset run on the beach!

Do you get motion sickness?

Namaste.

PS – I drafted this post while in the hotel, but the internet wasn’t strong enough to post it!  Then, once we settled into our house, the internet there wasn’t too impressive either.  So I took a break from blogging!  But I will write a recap soon