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Looking to Incorporate Yoga Into Your Life? Tips and Inspiration from Some of My Favorite Teachers.
In this month-long total immersion in my yoga practice, as I get my certification to teach yoga – there really isn’t much else on my brain besides just that. Yoga! I find whenever I mention yoga, either here or on my Facebook page, I tend to get a lot of the same questions from people about yoga, the practice, where to start and all that comes along with it. I know this is a nice long post, likely intimidating as a reader – but, I can promise you if you have been wanting to incorporate a regular yoga practice into your life and you just don’t know where to start, maybe you are a tad nervous to just jump right in, there are some amazing thoughts and tips here for you. If you have lost touch with your practice and you need some lovely inspiring reminders of what your yoga practice can do for you, read this. If you just want to know what some people see in it or why so many people are drawn to yoga, take this all in. Regardless of why you read this post, I can assure you, it will inspire you to get onto your mat, whether for the first time or after some time away.
I asked seven of my favorite yoga teachers, some from my past, some from my present, the following two questions:
– What advice can you give someone looking to start a regular yoga practice?
– How has a regular yoga practice changed your life?
James Brown – American Yoga School, Venice Beach, CA
What advice can you give someone looking to start a regular yoga practice?
First, I would say, “Congratulations!”
Start with a beginner class. You might stay at that level for two weeks or ten months or a few years or forever. But you will know, if you start there, if, when and why to move on. I’d also recommend that you look for a class that does not bill itself as “flow” for your first few classes. Start with classes that teach you the basics before flowing. Flow classes tend to be light on instruction.
Try different teachers and classes until you find one that works for you. If you don’t feel good about yourself at the end of the class, move on to another teacher or class. Know that there are many formats and styles of physical practice, and within any style, every teacher will be a bit different from every other one. No matter your physical ability, the teacher should be able to instruct you in a way that you feel that you are already successful. While fancy poses may take a long time to master, a good teacher makes it clear from the start that the level of the pose has nothing to do with the quality of the practice. I have met many beginners who were more advanced, because of their attitudes, than more seasoned practitioners who could do more impressive things with their bodies. Find a teacher who teaches the poses without making the poses themselves the focus.
Set achievable goals. You don’t have to start by going every day. I started with a once-a-week course and that was easy to manage, so I stuck to it and 20 years later I am still at it. And if you fall off the wagon, just get back on. The yoga will always wait for you. Give yourself plenty of time for it to really stick and to become part of your life.
How has a regular yoga practice changed your life?
I can’t really think of any ways that it has not improved my life. The most profound difference is that I am happy. I feel more connected to others and I am content with the imperfections in my life.
Less profoundly, I am aging differently from the generation that I watched age before me. I am almost 50 and my body is still getting more functional each year than it was the year before. I know that things have to turn around at some point, but the age when that happens still seems to be quite distant.
An interesting affect of yoga practice is that it gets me to make better decisions in the rest of my life, particularly with issues of health and diet. The physical practice I do has made it more clear to me how those things affect my body, so I make better choices.Ramona Tamulinas – Yoga World Studio, Long Beach, CA
What advice can you give someone looking to start a regular yoga practice?
Beginning a yoga practice is a unique, personal experience. Some people decide to practice because of health reasons, physical reasons, emotional reasons, wanting to look like a hot yoga girl, it’s a good way to meet girls (yes, I have been told more than once that is why someone started), improving flexibility, your boyfriend/girlfriend says it’s a must if you want to keep dating… the list goes on and on.
I would recommmend exploring the studios in your area and try different teachers until a place and a teacher resonates with what you are seeking. Once you find that teacher, study with them in a class setting and if your bank account allows – book some private sessions. Private sessions allow you to feel secure and comfortable and they help your teacher know you better. It is most important that you found a place, a teacher who allows you to feel comfortable and at ease. I believe deeply in a practice that builds from the foundation of comfort and ease. Yoga, if you jive with it – leads you down a magnificent path of self transformation. Loving where you begin is therefore vital.
How has having a regular yoga practice changed your life?
To me yoga is more than asana. It is service and compassion to my community. Therefore my yoga practice has taught me to embrace my strengths which are being of service and compassionate.
Before yoga, and sometimes even since finding it, I felt I didn’t have a place. I felt out of place in so many social settings, in so many realms of popular culture I searced for a place to belong and I couldn’t find it. I have always been an introverted person and one who lead internally with my heart. In this crazy world that encourages the worldly and external – I often felt lost. When I found yoga, I was full of self-doubt and wanted to be anyone else but me. I remember telling my friend who took me, “I am already flexible and calm. I need to become tough and strong.” Well yoga did that. I can say practicing has allowed me to stay sweet, calm, and flexible but allowed me to embrace the strength and toughness inside me. In a way, yoga helped me find my inner rebel.
At times I stray from practice and I notice myself questioning this inner strength, but my inner strength would realize how important this wild practice supports me and encourage me back to wards it path, back to my mat, back to teaching, back to learning. It is vital toward my life as anything inside my physical being.
It is as important as my heart, my brain, my blood, everything within me is supported by yoga. For me yoga lead me to the path of embracing my true self, my connection with the universe and my purpose. When I was a young girl the father of my church told me, “I want you to remember five words. I am beautiful, thank God.” He said “every time I see you I am going to wave with five finger to remind you”. He is gone now, but yoga has reminded me of that lesson everyday.
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Yoga Teacher Training – Week 1 Follow Up
the beautiful light-filled space where our training is taking place, in Venice Beach
This post is quite hard for me to write. I meant to do it yesterday, but when I sat down to write it, my thoughts were absolutely spinning around in my head. The best word I can use to describe this past week, the first week of my 4 week long teacher training program, is overwhelmed. Not in a bad way at all, in a totally amazing, incredible way. I am overwhelmed with excitement – for all that I am learning and for the idea of being able to share something I love so much with others. Overwhelmed with gratitude – for being able to take part in this incredible program and for our amazing teacher, James, who is so knowledgable and excited about the practice, himself. And yes, if I am being totally honest, I am even overwhelmed by all of the stuff I am learning. There is just so much to learn and know.
One of the many reasons I chose the yoga teacher training program at American Yoga School, over the countless other programs offered here in Southern California, was the fact that the program was a month-long intensive. Monday through Friday for 4 weeks straight. Many yoga teacher training programs are offered on weekends, every other, once a month, etc – usually over a 6 month period. I think this type of program is obviously especially beneficial to hopeful yoga teachers who work full time jobs during the week, have kids or have other types of limitations that keep them from being able to do it Monday through Friday. I decided for me that I wanted to be completely immersed into a program. I hoped to be totally submerged in the content and to really dig deep into it all, being the only major thing I had to be focused on in that time. I wanted it to be all at once, I wanted to be able to give it my full and undivided attention so that I could get the most out of it. That said, it is a lot of information in a small amount of time. It is 8 to 9 hours of learning, every day. Plus, I have also been relistening to many of the lectures on my hour + drive to and from Venice Beach each day. Just before my day ends I go over my notes from the day and I journal before bed. I literally lay my head down on my pillow each night with body parts, muscle groups and Indian sanskrit words swimming around in my brain. It is intense!
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Finding a Home Yoga Practice plus a Video How-to: Ardha Visvamitrasana
Today I am super excited to have my good friend and one of my favorite yoga teachers, Kathleen Engelhardt, joining us here on Tasty Yummies with a wonderful guest post. I met Kathleen at East Meets West Yoga in Buffalo, I was lucky enough to practice with her regularly and her classes were always a bright spot in my week. Not only were Kathleen’s classes filled with amazing fun and challenging flows with some of my most favorite focused and well thought out sequences ever, but I always left her classes feeling even more excited about my practice, the work that I had done and all the work that lied ahead for me. I also always left feeling so much more connected to and grateful for the body I was given and the entire world outside of me. Kathleen has an energy as a teacher and an excitement for the practice that I can only hope I will one day embody myself and be lucky enough to share with my own future students. Kathleen was gracious enough to put together some great tips for starting and maintaining a home yoga practice plus she put together a wonderful video where breaks down a modification of one of my favorite poses, Visvamitrasana.
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Hi, my name is Kathleen. I am a mom, a vinyasa yoga instructor and I am also a physical therapy student. I’m currently on a leave from school to be home with my 2 year old daughter and 5 month old son and I am so incredibly grateful for yoga and everything that it has brought into my life! We all encounter daily obstacles. For me, being home with my kids requires tremendous patience and attention (as well as a strong stomach, as there are copious amounts of spit up, poop and weird crusties pretty much all the time) and my yoga practice equips me with the armor that I need to be a compassionate and loving mother, wife and person. My daily yoga practice can range from 45 minutes to a whopping 90 minutes (if the stars align and my kids nap well). Whether short and sweet or long in duration, my practice offers me the time and space to simply observe the state of my mind and body on a given day. My post today on the fabulous Tasty Yummies blog is going to be about self- practice. As opposed to taking class at a studio, gym or online, a self-practice is, as the name implies, practicing alone and relying on your inner teacher (aka intuition) as your guide. I want to talk about my personal experience with self- practice and its value in my life. I will give some tips for how to get started and a few cautions to consider. I have also included a short video breaking down an intermediate posture that might be familiar to you if you have practiced in the past or might be a thing to aspire to if you are just getting started.
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Wow, it has been a very long while since I have put together a Photo Fun Day Friday post. It has really been a whirlwind of a few weeks, the holiday season seriously flew by, in a blink of an eye it went from Thanksgiving to New Years, it’s insane. So much going on! OK enough chatter, here’s a glimpse of the last few weeks. This might be the biggest Photo Fun Day Friday, yet!
Hope you all had a lovely holiday season and are excited for all that lies ahead in 2014! I know I am.
Our Thanksgiving Day early morning beach walk.
A boy and his mother!! Seriously, how cute are Jpeg and Indie? This is a rare site to see these two so sweetly lying together.
Sometimes, you just have to have chocolate for breakfast.
Old-timey Christmas Carolers on the beach right around the corner from our house.
The floating Christmas trees in the lagoon by our house. These make me so happy.
Took a fun holiday trip to Disneyland with Meg and her adorable fam. Such a fun day! I love this girl!
Yoga on the beach, in December. I still cannot get over how amazing this is!
Gettin’ wild on my mat with my Teeki pants.
Had a little holiday cocktail party at our house in early December. Of course Lucy was invited.
Ran into Kelly from The Spunky Coconut at the Renegade Craft Fair in LA. Such a lovely surprise.
How amazing is this sky? A regular occurrence during the winter months out here. It is magical.
A view from the christmas lights boat tour in Newport Beach. So amazing.
Our little Seri girl got sick, which meant I had to skip the road trip to San Francisco for our last holiday show of the year. I stayed home, nursed my baby back to health and we cuddled and watched Christmas movies together. Not a bad deal, afterall. Read the rest of this entry » -
Tiny Devotions – Boho Daily Feature
For those that have been following along with my Holiday Gift Guides, I am sure the beautiful Adventure Mala I featured in the Yoga Gear gift guide, a few weeks back, for sure had to catch your eye. That beautiful mala bead necklace that I so lovingly wear nearly every day, comes from this amazing company Tiny Devotions.
Who is Tiny Devotions?
We’re bohemian beauties & yogi fashionistas who love our mala beads; sacred pieces that inspire their wearers to live more inspired, peaceful & intention based lives.
Tiny Devotions is a hip, fresh and inspired company that creates mala beads and accessories for the bohemian girl.
Our mala beads represent the free spirited lifestyle of living your dreams, following your passions and looking good as you do it.
Tasty Yummies on Boho Daily
I am super humbled and proud to be featured on the Tiny Devotions blog Boho Daily today – talking about inspiration, intentions, malas and more!
Head over to Boho Daily now to see the full post!
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Giveaway: Teeki. Fashion Created from Recycled Plastic Bottles
As part of my ongoing series of Holiday Gift Guides, created to help all of you with your holiday shopping this year, I also wanted to make sure you, my lovely readers, received some fun gifts, yourselves! Just a fun way for me to say “thank you!” So, I am super excited to have another amazing giveaway to share with you guys today from Teeki!
:: teeki is an eco-conscious activewear line ::
Teeki takes water bottles and turn them into clothes, giving them purpose again through an eco-friendly process. They encourage and step forward with the fashion world, empowering it to become one with the mother. Teeki supports you with your active lifestyle and adventures; yoga, gym, workout, surf, sports, dance, flow and constantly moving forward with your body, mind, and spirit.
I’ve had the pleasure of receiving a handful of Teeki’s amazing patterned hot pants, to try out and I absolutely LOVE them!! I literally want to live in these things. Besides being eco-friendly, and so amazing looking, they are totally comfy, too. They move with my body, staying put in even the most rigorous of sweaty power yoga classes. They are soft and silky and they fit and flatter my curvy body well. As someone with thighs and hips, I have to admit I was a tad worried about how there pants would look on me, but I was pleasantly surprised. I find the wide waist band that sits higher than many trendy yoga pants, to be flattering and totally appropriate for my body. My favorite part is, if I plan my outfit accordingly, layer and add some jewelry, these pants easily transition off the mat into something I can wear throughout the rest of my day, not feeling like I am wearing the typical workout gear!
I won’t bore you with photos of me in their pants, none of my photos will ever do them the justice that Teeki’s professional photos can, but I wanted to show you at least a couple, so you can see how they fit my non-model body. I am wearing their Clouds Hot Pants in these photos. But, I also have their Space Love, Awakening and Star Dust Hot Pants. I honestly love each one more then the next!! I could live in these pants, you guys!
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Holiday Gift Guide: Yoga Gear
Hey all! I am super excited to be partnering with some really great brands this season to bring you the first-ever Tasty Yummies Holiday Gift Guide. This 5-part series will go live every Tuesday until the week before Christmas. Each week, I will be featuring a different theme with products from some of my very favorite companies. I have been working very hard to bring you some really great stuff! So please, click over to their sites and show these wonderful, mindful companies some love this holiday season and if you buy, please tell them that Tasty Yummies sent you. Also, stay tuned for some amazing features and giveaways with a few of these great brands throughout this holiday season. To see the other gift guides from this series head over here.
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Hey guys!! Hope everyone is enjoying their November. I feel like this is the calm before the crazy holiday storm! I personally love this time of year and cannot wait to get into all the festive stuff. I tend to get started earlier than most folks. (As you’ll see.)
Have anything fun planned for the weekend? We’ll be setup at the Patchwork Show in Long Beach this Sunday 11/17, selling our hand printed goodies. If you are around Southern California, come by and check it out.
My brand new 8×10 Namaste. Designed and hand silkscreen printed by yours truly. Available in the Tasty Yummies etsy store.
Finally got these hung in our new home. Reppin’ our roots and our present.
Look at that baby!!
REAL apple cider from Western New York. Who knew it would be this hard to get good cider out here. Thankfully our friend Frank shipped us some from Buffalo!
Went to see NIN last weekend at the Staples center with Meg and our hubbies. The suite tickets were sweet!
Scenes from the Rose Bowl Flea.
Scenes from the Rose Bowl Flea. A Buffalo skull like this one, will be mine for our dining area! I can’t wait. Read the rest of this entry »
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Hey all, happy weekend to you! Hope everyone is well. It’s been a busy couple of weeks here. Lots of house guests, lots of events and lots of living/loving life! Here are some snaps from the last 2+ weeks! Hope you enjoy.
Our booth at the Abbot Kinney Fest a few weekends ago
End of day cuddles. The best kind. Read the rest of this entry » -
Photo Fun Day Friday
Hey Friends!! Happy Friday! Happy Fall! My favorite time of year. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get into the fall mood here in Southern California without the major drop in temperature and the beautiful fall foliage and leaves everywhere. Though I will certainly miss the falling leaves, the color and the beautiful crisp fall aroma in the air, I definitely won’t miss the slowly declining weather. The looming snow. So far, I am really feeling in the fall mood out here. There are pumpkins everywhere, the nights have been a bit more crisp and with a trip to Disneyland to take in all of their fall goodness, that really helped!
How do you get into the fall mood?
Pumpkins and pumpkin hard cider. It was a great trip to the grocery store!
We celebrated the start of fall last week with a trip to Disneyland! Just the two of us!
Day of the dead!
So many great decorations at Disney.
Green goodness. Smoothie for breakfast and a green juice for lunch! Guess I was craving some greens!
Me in Warrior II! Read the rest of this entry »
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Photo Fun Day Friday
I skipped my photo post last week inadvertently, the weeks just fly by way too fast for me. Here are the last two weeks of fun. Hey by the way, how the heck is it June already?
We have had a handful of events we did for work the past few weeks and we’ve been squeezing in fun where we can. My parents get here a week from today, so we are working like crazy to be able to take off as much time as we can while they are here. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THEM!
We have two events this weekend where we will be vending at, Silverlake Art Craft & Vintage and the Rose Bowl Flea, if you happen to find yourself at either one, come on by and say Hi!
A super yummy post-run green smoothie. Check out the recipe on my Instagram.
Our booth setup for Patchwork Fair in Santa Ana two weekends ago.
A backyard BBQ wouldn’t be complete with a fun teepee!
We played some board games at our little Memorial Day BBQ. This was a fun one. What’s your favorite board game?
I love the amazing sun our deck gets for the first half of the day. I love practicing out there.
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Happy Friday Guys! I hope you had a fantastic week. It’s been a fun and busy one over here. We are gearing up for a big show this weekend, Unique LA, which is a huge amazing show featuring all things handmade. If you are in the LA area you have to check it out, it’s an amazing show. We are booth # 258 – Hero Design Studio. We designed a whole new booth for this show, constructed completely out of recycled wood pallets. I cannot wait to see it all constructed and completed.
On top of getting ready for the show, we are also counting down the days until my sister Vicky arrives here in California for a visit. She gets here Monday and I couldn’t be any more excited!! She is here 6 days and I cannot wait to show her around, take her to Disney and just hang out!
What do you have planned for your weekend?
Had to get a bottle of this for our Kentucky Derby party last Saturday.
Jalapeño cornbread mini muffins. I kinda made the recipe up on the fly but here are two other cornbread muffin recipes here on the blog. Cheddar and green onion cornbread and vegan cornbread muffins.
It is rare that you will spot bacon in my kitchen. It’s almost like spotting a unicorn. I bought some yummy organic applewood smoked bacon that I baked until crispy for the hot browns and it made the kitchen smell amazing.
A black-eyed pea salad inspired by this recipe, an effort to bring something healthy to the Derby menu.
Grain-free apple cobbler. I used my berry cobbler recipe and subbed out the berries for some yummy granny smith apples.
The assembly line for the Hot Brown Sandwiches. I made the sauce gluten-free, just so I could taste it to make sure it was OK, but otherwise I made these ALL for Mark.
Look at this beauty! She was sitting there when I was photographing food, posing like this.
I rolled over the other morning and woke up to this little face staring back at me from the other side of my pillow.
Playing some arm balances in my home yoga practice the other day. This is Eka Pada Koundinyasana I. It isn’t perfect, but I am working on it.
Toast with avocado, tomato slices and sprouts. The perfect breakfast.
My cucumbers are growing like crazy. I have a huge row of them. I planted these from seeds just a week and a half before I took this photo. It’s incredible.
Since we didn’t have a CSA this week, I took the bike for it’s first trip to the farmers market. Likely the first of many.
Yesterday’s post-run smoothie. Recipe can be found on my instagram.
Hubby surprised me last night with reservations to Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disneyland. Sunday marks 10 years since our first (blind) day and 6 years since we got married.
Disney is just so darn magical. Gets me every time.
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Happy Friday!! This week flew by for me, how about you? Got anything fun planned for the weekend? Hubby is originally from Louisville, so we are celebrating the Kentucky Derby tomorrow, as we do every year, but this year we can actually host a little party at our new home. We are so excited.
I plan to make a bunch of food that reminds Mark of home, most of which I cannot eat myself, but I definitely don’t mind one bit. I think Mark actually gets more homesick this time of year than at the holidays. It is such a big deal there. So I plan to make some Hot Brown Sandwiches, a black-eyed pea salad, pimento cheese dip, jalapeño cornbread, deviled eggs, apple cobbler and a bourbon pecan tart and of course mint juleps. Then we are picking up some homemade fried chicken from the market at the corner. Depending on how all the cooking and baking goes I will try to share some of the recipes on here, afterward. But I make no promises!
An update on our banana tree. Look at all those bananas. I cannot wait to eat some.
Some of the beautiful roses from our yard.
Having a home yoga practice means sometimes you get a little kitty in your down dog.
And sometimes your mat gets taken over by a real dog.
Mark was in San Francisco for a few days for work and Seri really missed him. She wouldn’t leave his side when he got home.
Tried running on the beach this week since I have been having a little knee pain. It felt really great on my knees and my back.
Discovered the most teeny tiny adorable hummingbird nest, cozied up in our grapevines. It is barely 2″ wide. If that. Incredible.
Had a growler of local organic grapefruit kombucha delivered by bike from local husband and wife company, Fine Feathers Kombucha. I just adore where I live.
I *think* I found what I was looking for on yesterday’s run. I KNOW that Seri did. Look how happy she is
Went to the doctors yesterday for the first time in over a year. It really is the one place in the whole wide world that can give me anxiety as soon as I walk in. I really don’t like doctors.
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Gratitude
{Photo © Louie Schwartzberg 2013}
Instead of a recipe today, I decided to share with you something that really changed me. I am not sure why I haven’t shared this sooner.
I first heard this nearly a year ago during savasana at a power vinyasa yoga class taught by my amazing friend Lyndsey in Rochester, NY. Days before she was to move to Africa and embark on the journey to teach yoga and share her amazingness for 6 months as part of the Africa Yoga Project. It moved me to tears while laying on my mat, surrounded almost entirely by strangers. It is powerful. In some ways more so even than the super intense, sweaty yoga practice I had just completed minutes before.
I bookmarked this video on the home screen of my iPhone the very day I heard it. I watch/listen to it a couple times a month. I watched it again today and the message is JUST as clear. It is as powerful and meaningful to me as the very first time I heard it.
An amazing reminder to be grateful for the precious gift of life and all that each day brings.
To stay connected.
Be present.
I won’t bore you with my words and thoughts, none of them could ever do this justice. But I really wanted to share this. Please take 10 minutes to watch/listen this video. Bookmark it. Cherish it. Share it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
TEDxSF – Louie Schwartzberg – Gratitude
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Photo Fun Day Friday
After some serious down time on the website yesterday (so sorry if you were unable to get the site to load if you came here) and not being able to log in to the back side of my and post anything for the first half of today, I am so happy to be here and happy to be sharing some photos from the last week.
We have a busy work filled weekend ahead, but then we are taking a couple days off at the start of next week that we are planning to fill with some fun adventures. What do you have planned for this weekend?
This house of ours gets incredible light. It shines in every morning so perfectly right as we are waking up.
Got up early over the weekend so I started a fire and then made some grain-free banana chocolate chip muffins over the weekend using this recipe. Instead of strawberries and basil I added in two mashed ripe bananas (added a bit more almond flour), some cinnamon and some mini dark chocolate chips.
How beautiful is this juice? My post run juice Monday morning – orange, beet, carrot, ginger and strawberry. The photo hardly even does it justice.
Got our first CSA since moving out here. Until my veggie garden is in full effect, this is the way to go. All this for just $15 and certified organic.
I am still totally amazed that this is where I live now. Feels like perpetual vacation.
A new donation-based yoga studio opened here in Long Beach, Yogalution Movement and Ayurveda. I’ve been to several of their classes, it’s been great!
While obsessively trying to perfect a cookie recipe, I inadvertently didn’t eat or make dinner. So spicy chipotle stove-top popcorn was the answer.
I love getting texts from my 3-year old niece, Teagan.
In cleaning off some of the photos on my phone, I realized I never shared the two new tattoos I got just before I left Buffalo. First this “Seester” tattoo that both my sister Vicky and I got matching.
And of course I needed a little something to represent my hometown! B U F F A L O
We went to the opening party last night, for a new business in Santa Ana called Best Wines Online, where our very good friend Patrick is working. Drank wine and spent time with our good friends. Actually got a nice photo of the two of us out of the deal, this was before I splashed red wine on my ivory lace dress. Weee! -
Photo Fun Day Friday
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Photo Fun Day Friday. It’s not that there was a lack of photos to share, I actually have taken so many photos since moving here to California. I just keep forgetting to put some together to share. Life has been pretty great here so far, I still kinda cannot believe this is where I live. It feels like perpetual vacation. I love it. I still hope to get some photos of the house posted to share with you guys, just have to wrap up some of the details leftover from moving in. It’s really feeling like home though.
So hopefully I am back at the Friday posts happening regularly and hopefully you guys enjoy!
Our fig tree is starting to do it’s thing and the tiniest little baby figs are starting to sprout and form. I cannot wait.
Looks like living in California only one month has already started to affect my work. This is a quick sketch for a project we are working on.
Almond flour waffle for one. Pretty excited with this recipe. Look for it on the blog this week!
Not the best photo, but the Vegi Bowl from Hole Mole might be my new obsession. I am not one for most fast food/take out places but this place has tons of gluten-free/vegan options. This bowl is loaded with fajita-stlye veggies, rice (I go super light with rice), beans and then I skip on cheese and add guacamole. Only $3.99! What?
Prepping and packaging some greeting cards last week for an event we did in Ventura.
Look at these two. Jpeg and Seri.
Gotten quite into running since moving here. Treated myself to a new pair of running shoes and it has made a huge difference already.
Working on taking my handstand away from the wall. I can hold it without the support of the wall, but I am still too fearful to pike or kick up without knowing the wall is behind me. Someday.
A recipe I have been playing with for gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free coconut macaroons. Don’t worry I will be sharing the recipe soon!
Made a big pot of classic Greek avgolemono soup on Easter Sunday to remind me of my family. First holiday away.
A snail friend I came across on my run the other day.
My little baby, Seri, cuddling in the morning.
Zucchini pasta. My favorite lunch lately.
Every morning and every evening at Sunset there is a donation-based yoga class on the bluffs here in Long Beach. Amazing views and so serene.
Small World at Disneyland. My favorite.
Simmered fresh pink grapefruit and rosemary for an all-natural room freshener. Smelled amazing.
If you eat peanut butter (or any nut or seed butter for that matter) in this house, this face will ALWAYS be in yours.
Yesterday’s delicious post run juice. Orange, ginger, apple, celery, green bell pepper and strawberries. So good.
The first fruit from our trees here at the new house. Loquats. First time trying them, they are amazing. -
7-Day Spring Cleanse Shopping List
During a spring cleanse when we are transitioning from the dry cold winter season to the warm and wet spring season, we should be looking to eat more foods that are Pungent (Spicy), Bitter, Astringent / Light, Dry, Warm: such as flavorful steamed veggies, brothy soups, brown rice. Eat less foods that are Sweet, Sour, Salty / Heavy, Cold, Oily: such as fried foods, ice cream, heavy dairy.
Below is my personal shopping list for the upcoming week. Please remember you always want fresh, never frozen or canned and always look for organic, local and non-GMO. Herbs can be fresh or dried.
Again, as I previously mentioned in my original post about the basics of this 7-day cleanse, this isn’t a specific cleanse and I am not a medical professional. I base what I will be eating on this cleanse both on traditional Ayurvedic knowledge and knowing my own body well enough to know what gives me difficulties. Your cleanse and your shopping list will likely look different. Ayurveda doesn’t limit corn, soy or dairy, or even lean meats and fish, on many of it’s cleanses, I however find that I have issues and troubles digesting these things in large amounts and I am choosing to remove them on this particular cleanse to give my body the rest it needs at this time to heal, energize and rejuvenate in preparation for the new season ahead.
Vegetables
Artichokes
Avocados
Asparagus
Beets
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celery
Collard Greens
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger
Green Beans
Kale
Leeks
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Onions
Peas
Spinach
Swiss Chard
WatercressFruits
Apples
Blueberries
Coconut (fresh and dried)
Grapefruit
Lemons
Limes
Papaya
Pears
Pomegranates
Strawberries
All BerriesLegumes
Any Sprouted Beans
Adzuki
Garbanzo
Kidney
Lentils
Lima
Mung
Split PeaGrains (sparingly)
Amaranth
Brown Rice
Brown Basmati Rice
Millet
QuinoaOils
Olive Oil (in moderation)
Ghee (in moderation)Nuts and Seeds
Flax Seeds
Chia Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower SeedsSpices and Herbs
(Really anything goes, but here are the ones I like to make sure to have around during a cleanse)Black Pepper
Cardamom
Cayenne
Cinnamon
Clove
Cilantro (fresh)
Coriander
Cumin
Fennel
Fenugreek
Ginger (fresh and dried)
Turmeric (fresh and dried)Additional
Almond Milk (unsweetened, use sparingly)
Coconut Milk (use sparingly)
Honey
Herbal Teas such as hibiscus, chicory, cinnamon, dandelion, jasmine, lemon balm lemon grass, peppermint, yerba mate, etc -
My Spring Cleanse. The Basics.
As most of you know from following my blog the past few months, my life has been in a very transitional state. Probably more so than ever before in my life. We sold our house in Buffalo at the end of 2012, after living there nearly 10 years and we closed on it right after the New Year. We went from the hustle and bustle of a ton of events and travel, and all the rest of the holidays – right into packing our house up and putting most of it in a moving truck to go into storage in California awaiting our arrival two months later. From mid-January until mid-February we temporarily moved ourselves to my parent’s house in Buffalo, so we could wrap up all loose ends on the business and in our personal lives, we sold our second car and flew out to California for a week to find a place to live. We got lucky and found a place on day 1 of looking and we got to rest for a bit to take in what would soon be our new home. We flew back to Buffalo and had less than two weeks to finish packing up, see everyone we wanted to see, have one last big sale of our silkscreened posters and other products to what was home to our business for nearly 10 years. Then, we packed up what was left plus ourselves and the pooch into a moving truck and headed west on a week-long drive. We arrived just over a week ago and we have been getting settled and acquainted with our new home ever since.
Needless to say, life has been a whirlwind and I have felt quite floaty and ungrounded for quite some time. Coming from the cold hibernation of Buffalo as well as the hectic transitional state my life has been in for over 3 months, my body is looking to align with the lightness of spring and I am ready to get back to reality of what is my new life here in California. With the Spring Equinox beginning on Wednesday, March 20, I want to prepare my body and mind for a new season and a new life journey. I love celebrating new beginnings with a cleansed mind and body and this is the perfect time to do it. The spring and fall equinoxes are the only dates with equal daylight and dark as the sun crosses the celestial equator. As the earth comes into a time and energetic change, I am seeking to shift my mood and emotions away from the darkness of winter into the brilliant renewing energy of the Spring.
Now is the time to get things moving again and clear out our systems ready for a summer of activity. It is the perfect time to focus on cleansing and rejuvenation to rid the body and mind of toxins. Beginning this Wednesday, March 13 and ending on the Spring equinox, one week later March 20, I am embarking on a 7-day Spring cleanse and I wanted to share my plan with all of you, since I know there was some interest on Facebook.
PLEASE NOTE: I am not a doctor nor a health professional, coach or expert in any way, shape or form. This cleanse is what I have to created based on what I have found to work for me, my body and my energy. Do NOT do anything that isn’t healthy for you and if you have any medical conditions at all, please do not enter a cleanse or a detox without the care or guidance of a physician. I am simply sharing my plan and experiences for anyone that is interested in what I am personally following.
The Tasty Yummies 7-Day Spring Cleanse
Spring is a time of transition, the change from Winter to Spring is one of the most stressful and challenging shifts we go through all year. In many places, Winter, with its cold weather, gradually gives way to the increasing heat of Summer, so we go from a time of excess kapha (water and earth) energy to the increasing heat of the pitta (fire element) season.
As with the cleanses I have done in the past, I am loosely following the Ayurvedic traditions, along with the items I tend to have issues with, personally. Ayurvedic wisdom recommends working with the body’s natural shifts that occur at the juncture of seasons. In addition to this cleanse, I will be continuing my daily yoga practice, focusing a bit more on detoxifying and cleansing asanas. Plus, I will be making time each morning for meditation and self reflection. I would like to someday soon visit a proper Ayurvedic doctor and learn more about my dosha(s) and what is right for me, so I won’t be getting too dosha specific, this time around, as even with many online quizzes, I am still not 100% on which dosha(s) I am. I plan to just focus my food on what is right for the season and the transition from kapha to pitta.
Ashtanga Hrdayam, one of the classical texts of Ayurveda, reminds us that “foods which are hard to digest and cold, sleeping at day time, foods which are fatty, sour, and sweet should [all] be avoided.” Focus instead on foods and activities that are dry, heating, light, and energizing. Enjoy hot water to help flush and rehydrate the system, and eat light, well-cooked foods that will be easy for your body to digest. Each morning, I plan to, as I always do, wake up and enjoy a warm glass of lemon water. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition says “The simple combination of warm water with fresh lemon can boost your immune system, alkalize and kickstart your digestion, improve skin health, and hydrate you. Just make sure to drink the lemon water after you brush your teeth because the citric acid could wear down your tooth enamel if followed by brushing.”
Since, I have had quite a few people ask me about how I cleanse, I thought I would put together a post with a very loose description of what I will personally be doing for this cleanse. If you have any additional questions about what I am doing, please post them below and I will do my best to help. Again, please keep in mind, this isn’t a professional program, it is simply what I have created to work for me, my body and my health. Do what is right for you and please listen to your own body and it’s needs!
I am avoiding the following things:
Dairy†**
Eggs
Refined Sugar
Excess Salt (I will use a very small amount when cooking)
Caffeine
Alcohol
Meat (chicken, beef, pork, etc)
Fish and Shellfish (shrimp, scallops, mussels, etc)
Gluten (wheat, barley, oats, rye, etc)**
Soy
Corn
Peanuts
Foods with preservatives, additives or chemicals, and foods grown in an environment laced with chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and canned, frozen or processed foods.**
I am limited all grains and starches, hoping to avoid them through the entire cleanse, if possible.†Ayurveda doesn’t restrict dairy, but I personally seem to have issues with it and I typically avoid cow’s milk dairy all of the time. On this cleanse, besides ghee, I am avoiding ALL dairy during my cleanse.
** these are all things that I personally avoid on a regular basis, but are very important to a cleanseSo you are probably wondering what exactly I am eating, then…
What I am eating:
Fresh organic fruit. I am going light on the fruit because of the sugar and I am focusing on suggested fruits that are best for digestion such as apples, pears, figs, prunes, papaya, cranberries etc.
Fresh organic veggies. Some of the best for digestion are leafy greens, cabbage, celery, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc
Whole organic grains such as brown rice, quinoa, amarynth, buckwheat, millet – I plan to limit my grains to VERY little during this cleanse, one serving a day or less
Beans like lentil, split peas, mung beans, etc
Vegetable juice and broth
Soups and stews made with vegetables, legumes and grains.
I am cooking with a small amount of olive oil and/or ghee (indian clarified butter that is GREAT for detox)
Raw honey and maple syrup (extremely sparingly)
lots of luke warm water with lemon and/or ginger
detox tea (I like Yogi brand Detox tea)
I am also taking probiotics in the morning after breakfast (I use a basic Probiotic from just Walgreens, which I am already taking daily)
I will continue to take my variety of daily supplements that I have discovered benefit me and my body’s need, through working with a professional.I plan to get as many recipes on this blog throughout the cleanse as I possibly can, so you can see a good example of how I eat when I am cleansing. During cleanses I like to give my mind the break and not get too crazy with my creations and stressing about my recipes and measuring foods, etc – so many times I will be cooking very, simple and humble dishes, that require little measuring and recipe specific instructions. For this reason, since recipes may not be as abundant on here as you may be looking for, I plan to share, throughout the day each day of the cleanse, what I am eating throughout the day on my Facebook page.
Here are some additional tips that I have learned along the way:
Some of the differences with an Ayurvedic cleanse vs a regular cleanse is that it teaches you to avoid or focus on foods specific to you and your body-mind type (or your dosha) and it’s needs. Also, although you should be eating TONS of fresh fruits and veggies, you shouldn’t eat them raw during this cleanse. Raw foods are harder on your digestive tract, so you should be heating and/or boiling your veggies and eating them warm.Eat whole, fresh, natural foods, organic if you can get it. Buy your produce fresh, and consume it quickly.
Also avoid ICE cold water and beverages, it can disrupt the “fire” needed in your digestive tract.
Cook with digestion-enhancing, detoxifying spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, clove, ajwain, fenugreek, dried ginger, Chinese cinnamon and fennel. Add the turmeric to foods as they are cooking, and sauté other spices in ghee or olive oil and pour over prepared dishes for the best therapeutic benefit.
According to Ayurveda, each meal should be a feast for all of your senses. When your plate reflects an appealing variety of colors, textures, flavors and aromas, your digestive juices start freely flowing in anticipation and your body, mind and heart are all fulfilled by the eating experience.
As I mention above, normally I avoid consuming raw vegetables and fruit since it can disrupt your digestive tract and it is harder to digest, however this time around, I am including juices that I am making from fresh, organic vegetables and fruit.
Look for posts throughout the week with tips on cleansing as well as some recipes and suggestions.
Will you join me on this Spring Cleanse? Let me know if you will be and feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions, tips or favorite recipes either here in the comments below or on the Tasty Yummies Facebook page. Thanks for following along and namaste!
CHECK OUT MY 7-DAY SPRING CLEANSE SHOPPING LIST HERE.
(tulip image above from Wallpaper Shock)
SPRING CLEANSE RELATED POSTS:
Facebook Album featuring Many of My Spring Cleanse Meals
Spring Cleanse – Curry Quinoa Crunch RecipeSunrise Spring Cleansing Juice Recipes
Spring Cleanse – Creamy Green Smoothie Recipe
Spring Cleanse – Broccoli and Chickpea Curry
Spring Cleanse – Asian Pear Green Smoothie
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Can anyone tell me where the last week has gone? It has just flown by. I feel like I just did my last Friday photo post. It has been a busy week over here, lots of social commitments, lots of fun, lots of work. We have a weekend full of stuff, too. The temperatures have started to drop, it is getting darker earlier, the nights are really cool and the stores are just filled with Back to School stuff. I am kinda not ready for the summer to end, personally.
How has your summer been? Are you ready for it to end or are you enjoying it?
A new art print that we printed this week! Available for purchase from our etsy store.
A new branding thing I am working on for a new line of Hero x Tasty Yummies prints I will be releasing later this year.
Beautiful, colorful goodness at the Elmwood Bidwell farmers market.
Last Saturday’s CSA share from Porter Farms.
Look at those beautiful rays shining through the clouds, over Lake Erie.
Ominous looming storm over the lake.
My adorable Seri being silly in the grass.
Discovered that our shed is the perfect place to practice my handstands. I love inversions.
Delicious, grilled sweet corn from the farmers market. Hands down, THE best corn I have ever eaten.
I have been wanting Tara Stiles’ newest book, Yoga Cures, for a while and I so luckily won it from Brooklyn Fit Chick.
Our good friends, Erika and Devin’s, sweet boston terrier, Mrs. Bean.
Hand drawing some type for a new art print.
I had the pleasure of babysitting my sweet niece, Teagan on Wednesday. We had so much fun.
Me and Teagan flipping off the couch and doing yoga. She’s a natural yogi!
Savoring the end of blueberry season. Gonna miss them. I made these delicious muffins from Healthful Pursuit, last night.
Got an advanced copy of the fall issue of Where Women Cook Magazine in the mail today. I have a 4-page spread featuring my chai concentrate recipe. First time Tasty Yummies has been published in a magazine. I am pretty excited about this.