Choose Joy

Challenge yourself to be a better you, live to the fullest of your expression. What is your expression? How do you get through life and choose the path of JOY?

I just came from an incredible weekend and glimpse into a yoga teacher training with Philip Urso from Live Love Teach. It was truly enlightening; a mind opening experience. So many lessons and teachings of yoga can guide you throughout your life. Yoga is constantly transforming the lives of others. People come to yoga and may be surprised by what they leave with; peace and a sense of calm. There are over 500 different types of yoga, 500!...Hard to imagine. The type of yoga I practice, vinyasa, which in simplist terms is known as flow. I love this type of yoga. Twisting, sweating, detoxing and focusing my breath through the flow of the poses leaves me utterly relaxed and present in the moment in my final state of shavasana, or resting pose.

We can choose the path of joy (true joy, utter joy) or the other path in life. Constantly we judge others, we react, we assume. What if you spent all of the time you spend constantly thinking and worrying about the future and focused all of that energy feeling joy and feeling love? What if you laughed instead of yelled? What do you have to lose? Does thinking about the past and worrying about the future create any positive outcome? No, it does nothing. It fills up space in your head and time in your life.

We talked a lot about the ego. There are many writings and extensive research done on this topic. A simple break down of the ego: The ego constantly lives back and forth in the past & the future. The ego is all of those thoughts flooding your head worrying about the future, thinking about the past and back and forth and back and forth. So many of us live paralyzed in our minds, afraid, handicapped by fear. The ego does not back down. The ego is strong and stubborn but there is a way to quiet the ego, to quiet your mind. This is done through meditation, through breath, and through awareness. When you are in the present and you have 100% of your focus on your breath this can be achieved. This special kind of breath is known as ujjayi breathing, or ocean breath with a deep inhalation and exhalation in and out of your nose, you can live in the present moment. If you concentrate on your breath for a few moments, you will begin to notice, with time and practice, the ego is not present.

How do you take this with you through your daily life? Instead of feeling the anxiety and depression that many people suffer with, practicing breath awareness can center your focus and relax the mind. Try practicing this in a stressful situation or if you are nervous right before an interview. They always tell you to take deep breaths, well its true. But these are the deepest kind of breaths, ujjayi breaths. Do this when you find yourself sifting through your thoughts of frustration about what will be or what is going to happen next, because we don't actually know. We are not in the past, nor are we in the future. We are here now. Practice your ability to LOVE and you will experience joy.

Get Inspired

If there is one thing I know I need a little push on it's completing a task, project or goal. Don't get me wrong, I am a hard working professional that leads a very active lifestyle. But when it comes to finishing BIG, finishing STRONG and finishing with PRIDE, I feel that I lack in this area. This is not to say that I do not complete projects and work. Rather, I tend to have that 'do many different things at the same time all at once' type of approach lacking of full satisfaction upon conclusion, or lack there of. Perhaps this is something that only I notice, but it is big enough for me to start thinking seriously about how I've been inspired. I am ready to take that inspiration and turn it into something magical.

Three years ago, shortly after moving to Philly, I decided I was going to complete my certification hours to teach yoga. Having only one year of yoga experience under my belt, I figured I would give it a try; I knew I loved yoga deeply. It was a cold, blizzard-filled winter when I committed to this idea. I was new to the area, having just moved across the country...yet excited for the possibilities. I soon found out, teaching took a lot more practice than I had anticipated. The particular training that I had chose was a fairly flexible program. I repeat, f-l-e-x-i-b-l-e program. While that might be a good path for some (ie the working mom), it was not the best path for me. Knowing myself, I knew that I needed more structure; a beginning and an end. Not a beginning and an end whenever you so desire. I completed the hours and some but did not feel 'ready' to teach. I did not have enough practice 'teaching.'

And so here I am three years later, loving the beneifts of yoga more than ever. I have a growing curiosity of the practice that is special enough to me to explore further. I have found, and integrated myself into a great studio and community and have been feeling ever inspired to complete and finish my training. Though they say you are never really ready. I know with time, this will become easier. You just have to do it, go for it. Yoga has had a profound impact on my life, my perspective, and my mind and I would love to empower others with the same benefits. I know I have it in me. I am mentally preparing myself for the journey and know that if you truly feel inspired, when the time is right, you can do and accomplish anything you set your mind to.

"Thinking will not overcome fear but action will." ~W. Clement Stone

Set Your Intention

The first thing you do when you arrive on your mat in a yoga class is close your eyes and 'set your intention.' You can set an intention for anything you wish, anything you'd like to get our of your practice, anything you'd like to leave with. Yoga is a time to practice being present and center your mind, body and spirit. My intention, 90% of the time, is to be calm and find relaxation and to let go of any tension. Yoga is an art that you must allow yourself to be open to. The benefits of yoga do not come with one or two classes; it is an ongoing dedication. You come to practice and must remember there is no judgement; no judgement of yourself and no judgement of others. Simply make it a goal to release all of the stress you have built up throughout your day. This is easily mastered by your continuous deep breathing throughout the exercise. Your body is different each any everyday; you cannot get mad at yourself if one day you can do a headstand and another day your body does tells you otherwise.

When we think about judgement, there are so many ways we judge ourselves and others almost as if it is embedded in the human gene. We assume the person driving on the road way under the speed limit is stupid or shouldn't be driving. We assume. We get angry. We make up a story. What is actually going on? We judge and it often creates a negative feeling which can be spread like a contagious disease in to the world. Anger can have the same impact as the infectious smile only one can generate a ripple effect of positivity into the universe. It would be so much easier to live a judgement free life, this is why you must practice taking your 'intention' with you off your mat and into the world. If you want to achieve something you must practice regularly to see results. Think about all of the hassle you could save your mind. Set your intention to be grateful to others, to be grateful for what you have, for your health and your happiness. Yoga has an extraordinary amount of benefits. What you practice on your mat, with your breath, through meditation can be utilized to serve as a purpose in your life. Set your intention, take it with you into the world.

Think 'Caveman'

Have you ever heard of the Paleo Diet? I hadn't either until I came home to Arizona and my mom threw a recipe in front of me and said "let's bake." If I ever have any down time, I definitely enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. What is the Paleo diet you ask? Simply put; following the diet of our ancestors. Essentially eliminating all processed foods from your diet. Its the modern stone age diet consisting of fish, veggies, fruit, nuts, no dairy or grains and the list continues. In the words of Dr. Will Clower, who follows a similar lifestyle, "If it doesn't grow from the earth, don't eat it." Now that seems near impossible considering how everything in America is processed, mass produced, sprayed with chemicals or manipulated beyond its intended original form.

I just read an article in the November issue of Women's Health about the undisclosed significant amount of 'Food Fraud' that occurs across the world in which we consume on a daily basis. Much of it is undetectable, never checked, and ultimately results in human death. By the time the crime is discovered, it is often too late. It is crazy to think that 15 percent of all food imported to America passes through 300 some odd points of entry and only a fraction of it is checked. They say combating food fraud is just as hard as detecting it. Now that's a scary thought.

Talk about a simple, easy, healthy and filling recipe! I highly recommend this one, straight from the Paleo Diet, 'Morning Glory Muffins.' The hardest part of the recipe is grating the carrots and apple. Here is a before and after shot of the muffins with a glimpse of the recipe instructions themselves. Perfect for a snack or breakfast. A healthy option for consuming less calories and feeling full faster. Try it out and tell me what you think!

Too much 'Stuff'

It was just the other day that I was packing for my 10 day trip to Thailand and my goal was to figure out how to fit everything I wanted to bring in a small carry-on suitcase. UH? Hello! There was no way I thought this could actually work. How would I decide on what to pack considering how many clothes I have? Perhaps this wouldn't be such a dilemma had there not been so many options. Let's take notice of the piles of clothing pre-moving out of the house I lived in for 2 and a half years. It can be very overwhelming when you have so much, yet you don't know where to begin.

I thought back to my first experience when I first realized how having an endless amount of 'stuff' was a legitimate epidemic in America. I was overseas in Israel staying with host families; getting a true taste of the culture. I immediately took notice of the simplicity of their lifestyle and house. How little they had, how few clothes they owned, and how unimportant 'stuff' is in most other countries besides America. How in the world did it get so bad?

I often blame growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona for a reason that I have accumulated and continue to 'collect' stuff. What else is there to do in the desert besides shop? For goodness sake, every store is on every corner just 10 minutes in every direction.

Needless to say, I was proud that I packed everything I would need for my 10 day trip to Asia in one carry-on bag. Rolling your clothes is an excellent space saving trick that can help save a lot of space in your suitcase.

But really though, why do you hold on to things you don't use anymore? Obviously think you might need them at some point for something someday. We are so attached to our clutter. Who even has time these days to sort through it all?

Three years ago when I was moving to Philly, my mom and I had a complete breakdown laughing so hard we were crying our eyes out. My parents were packing up their house of 14 years to move and I had been packing for quite some time to move across the country. We were hysterically laughing in disbelief of how and why were we swimming in a sea of clutter. We were convinced we would make great entertainment on the show 'Hoarders.' Shamefully, we've already given ourselves such a terrible reputation in this country with reality shows specifically about people who basically need an intervention for their ungodly amount of 'stuff,' often resulting in hazardous conditions.

Do you really need all that 'STUFF?' Have you ever searched for something and just have no idea where it could be? Maybe if you didn't have so much crap, it would be more likely for it not to be buried in all of the possible 90+ places it could be hiding with the rest of your stuff. Not only do people buy things to perhaps fill voids but having too much stuff can just make a person feel stressed. So who is winning here?

Maybe its time to re-evaluate your things and consider giving some away to those in need. We should all try to live a more minimalistic lifestyle. Give it a try.

The Art of the Artichoke

Photo courtesy of pinchmysalt.com

I grew up eating artichokes. Some people find them to be foreign...that is, the entire artichoke. Not your artichoke/spinach dip or artichoke hearts, all of which are typically found pre-made if you will. Those are all good of course, but there is something much more appealing about the entire artichoke itself. They are super delicious (if in season) and can be cooked in a variety of ways.

I have often been asked when eating an artichoke, "How do you eat that thing?, what is that? What do you do with this leaf part? Do you eat the whole leaf?" My answer is always watch and try for yourself! I assume many people are disinterested in artichokes simply for that reason; you have no idea how to eat one! The best part of the artichoke is the heart. So you must pack some patience with you before you get to the center. The reward however, is well worth the 'hard work' to get there.

The easiest way to cook an artichoke is by boiling it in hot water for 15-20 minutes. To check if it is fully cooked, carefully grab hold of one of the leaves and pull. If the leaf comes off easily, you've got a dunner! If not, keep her cookin'. While the artichoke is a cookin' go ahead and melt some butter in the microwave to be used for dipping. Don't get too crazy now, and don't burn the butter, it won't make your kitchen smell very good. Once the artichoke is done, let it cool for 5 minutes or so. Once cool, you can begin pulling the outer leaves off and dipping the tip of the artichoke in the butter. Be careful of the sharp tips! Pretend you are scraping the icing off of an oreo and use your teeth to bite down and pull the leaf away from you. You can use a separate bowl or plate to discard the leaves after you eat the meatier part. The closer in you get, you will begin to see the leaves appear purple and thin with no flavor or 'meatiness' to them. These can be tossed. Once you get down to the small leaves and hairy center, you want to grab your knife to shave away all that hair and you will find the heart underneath. Best dipped in butter or any sauce of your choosing! As a side note, artichokes can be eaten cold or hot, but I think hot is the best choice!

I also recommend grilling an artichoke. I have often found these on the menu under appetizers at many good restaurants. It is a very yummy appetizer.

Artichokes are extremely low in calories and make a great snack. One large artichoke is only 25 calories but the tricky part can be keeping the sauce you use to flavor or dip the artichoke in low in fat. Artichokes contain no fat, are a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, dietary fiber and complex b vitamins.

Happy Artichoking! But don't choke on the hair!

Gratitude

Thought I'd give this thing a try. So here we go. I don't know about you but I could always use a constant reminder of reasons not to get ahead of my mind, to stay present, to be thankful and be grateful. I just downloaded this book to my Kindle Fire titled "Think & Be Happy" and came across this great quote.

I think it speaks volumes to anyone in any situation in life. We always want more. Why can't we just be satisfied with what we have? It's NEVER enough. I am quite sure it is some disease that Americans are born with. We can't stop, won't stop, have to keep doing, wanting, moving. We can't sit still (at least I can't). If its not my mind running wild its me running wild ;). The biggest challenge, I think for all of us, is to be happy and grateful for what we DO have. We need some reminders like this to keep us in check. In fact, this has got to be one of the top 5 reasons I practice yoga.