Rise Up and Shine Again

The recent and rather abrupt change in the weather from mild warmth to a somewhat more bitter chill made me start to think of the way in which we draw with in during the winter months. The earth settles down from the height of summers warmth and draws in to rest and renew during the fall and winter. Some people draw in during this time of year and use up there reserves of energy re-emerging somewhat dull and listless. Others draw in using the time to revitalize themselves, filling up with new energy and renewed creative spirit. 
As the chill in the air begins to get more pronounced allow the breath to become full and free, warming you from the inside out. Take some time each day to do something for yourself,  if it is sitting quietly with a cup of tea or talking a walk in your neighborhood. You will feel more revitalized.

Soup

I love soup, I would eat it everyday, at every meal if it was available. The rich variety of soup is limited only by your imagination. Of course the classics are always appropriate French Onion, Minestrone, Leek and Potato, Five Bean, Vegetable, Chowders of all variety, Tomato Basil, the list goes on and on. Why should we shun soup to the cold winter months or times of illness? Soup can be created out of almost any ingredients that you have on hand and with a little creative paring take classics and update them to your special tastes. 


As I become more sensitive to foods and how they affect my body and my mood I have been playing with ingredients to see what harmonizes with me and what does not. One thing I have noticed is that I seem to have an almost unquenchable thirst. There are days when no amount of fluid will keep that dry mouth feeling at bay. This is more pronounced the more dry foods I eat (breads, crackers those sorts of things) but a bowl of soup will help to add water to the desert. 

Soups also lend a sense of home to most meals. The warmth from the bowl, the  complex aroma can trigger a feeling of warmth and togetherness. Take a moment before you have your next bowl of soup to appreciate the simplicity of the meal. There is no reason that the most expensive and extravagantly prepared foods must be your favorite things, try to slow down and let simple be the guide for the day.

Lift Me Up

As I reached the end of a long day of teaching students began to trickle in for my last class of the day. The first student to arrive was a stout woman named Omaria with a lot of fire in her eyes and a little life experience in her pocket. She rolls out her mat front and center in the room and proceeds to go about her pre-class stretching and settling. We begin a casual conversation where she revels that she was going to go walking but decided to come to another yoga class instead that day. She then begins to tell me that she has been working on Crow pose and that it has been eluding her and she is at the point of frustration and about ready to give up. She then begins to rattle off a list of poses that she can do, ones that she has been working on and has succeeded with. She then shows me her crow attempt. Her form was nice she seemed balanced (if for only a few seconds). My suggestion was for her to bring her feet together and squeeze them together, hugging into the mid-line. So she immediately jumps back into it and eureka! Balance and confidence!
As other students began to trickle in and take there places in the room there was a mellowness to the class that fit perfectly with the lazy Sunday afternoon. As I normally do I ask if there are any requests for the class and as was expected Crow was requested. There were some murmurers from other students about that being a challenging pose that was scary at times thinking that face-plant-asana was very likely. So we worked hugging the mid-line and trying to get the shoulders firmly on the back to support the lift safely. Then before they knew it we were at Bakasana. Not one person backed down from the challenge, most were able to balance and fly for more than just a few seconds! It was lovely to suddenly be in a room full of birds flying so gracefully.
At the end of class as we are gathering up our stuff to leave and the remaining students are chatting about there experience in class, Omaria revels that she will be 63 in September. I hope to have her zest for life and fire to learn at that age. For Omaria I say thank you for your gift of determination, perseverance and sharing your enthusiasm for life!

My Quest for Curry

Ever have one of those days where your out running errands and realize that our are hungry? Looking around at the food options that are available and come up with bland over processed food that makes your tummy turn at the thought of it. Then suddenly you realize just exactly what you want. So you set out for that particular restaurant only to find that it has closed. This happened to me the other night and since then I have been on the quest for curry. I am not one of those people that backs down from a good cooking challenge having made some fairly good curry's at home before I went home and went directly to the spice cabinet. Gathering up all the spices necessary to make Garam Masala. Begin with toasting the whole spices and then grinding them. The aroma filling my kitchen was sweet and spicy. The recipe that I have used in the past marinades the meat in a yogurt spice  mixture. This is where I deviate from the original recipie. I add lots of chopped veggies and saute the meat rather than cooking on skewers over a fire. My quest for curry being complete I can now sit back and enjoy my feast.

New Years

It's January which means that New Years resolutions are being created and questioned simultaneously all around the world. This got me to thinking, who created the calendar that we use and why did they have the year begin in the heart of winter. Why not begin the year in spring? Then after some more thought it occurred to me that the heart of winter might actually be a better time to begin the year. During the dark months of winter you can begin to plant the seeds of intention that will lead to new habits. By planting a seed of intention rather than jumping full force into a complete lifestyle change you can be more gental with yourself if you have "a slip-up".

While considering resolutions for the new year it also occurs to me that generally people set resolutions from the end of the road. Many people set resolutions like: loose weight or stop spending money. These are fairly big ideas. Why not make small intentions that will set you on the road to the bigger goal.

Almost anyone can benefit from a smile. Perhaps there is something that happens fairly regularly in your life that just instantly gets under your skin, allow your self a moment to acknowledge the feeling of irritation then try to smile. Try to create an intention of greeting moments of irritation with a smile, perhaps a smile will being to spread to more aspects of life.

Threw the Looking Glass

Lets just get it out there now, this year has been horrible. Most of the people that I talk to have agreed with me on this point. There has been one or sometimes two major events in everyones lives this past year that have had  a made major impact on the quality and tone of everyday living. Even with all of the stress of the past year I can say that I am truly enjoying the ride so far. I get up in the morning and wonder at what the universe has planned for me for today. There are so many things to be excited by and in wonder and amazement of that I can't sit around and feel sorry for myself for too long. 
After this past weekend in Asheville I am seeing things in a new and fresh way. I can see that there are opportunities just around the corner that I haven't even dreamed up. Some of it will be hard and I am willing to accept that. I have never been one to back down from a challenge, perhaps change tactics and sneak up on it but not back down. 
Once we realize that there is more than what we can see with our eyes or feel with our skin we can really begin to feel alive and feeling alive is great!

Falling in Love with Fall

I love fall! Who doesn't really? The landscape changes color, the air gets crisp, and you are almost willed to be outside to soak up the last bits of summer. When the sun begins to set around 6 pm I am usually astounded to find myself still awake since the rest of the natural world has gone to bed. This year I have noticed the shift to fall was a bit more dramatic than I remember it being in the past. It almost seamed like I went to bed one night during the summer and the next morning it was fall. There the thought also occurs to me that we seem to be working in opposition with nature since we create our "busiest" season just as nature is telling us to take a break and relax a bit.Since we are a over connected, ultra caffeinated society we must keep up the busy pace that we set for ourselves during the summer right threw to January. 
I am of course not immune to the hectic scheduling of the holidays but this year has been one of hectic scheduling. I almost don't know what to do with myself if I'm not bouncing from one thing to another at this point so I am looking forward to trying to slow down and maybe take some time for myself. I have a feeling that my practice will grow in leaps and bounds threw this fall and winter. One of the side effects of being inside so much more is that I am one of those people that "needs something to do". I often find myself jumping up and wondering around the house usually aimlessly. If I have something to do that can calm that inner restlessness then perhaps I won't find myself wondering aimlessly.

Stepping into your courageous heart

As I am going threw this second weekend of my immersion I am realizing that there just isn't enough time to discover and learn everything that I want or need to know in this setting. This weekend focused more on upper body with particular attention to the shoulders. My shoulders have been giving me some problems lately and I have been stuck as to how to work with freeing some of the blocked energy. I have been trying to find the connection of the shoulders moving down the back and the expansion of the heart. Keeping the shoulders safe has been a big issue for me since I have had some shoulder injuries in the past that have been very debilitating at times.
Recently in class I decided to give some prep for handstand. The response was interesting, the part I love is that the majority of my students say they could never do handstand because there arms aren't strong enough. When they come into L pose at the wall they are able to hold themselves up, arm strength isn't the real issue with these students. The real issue is that they are afraid. Fear holds them back. Fear can be a big motivating force but when not properly balanced it can be very debilitating. Being courageous in the face of fear will lead to greater freedoms.  Since the theme for this weekend is shoulders and upper body my thoughts have turned back to the message of courage. Apoaching the difficult aspects of life with a courageous and open heart working towards a balance, learning to dance with the divine.

Practice, practice, practice...

What 8 year old hasn't been told countless times to go practice the piano (tuba, guitar,or what ever instrument of auditory torture it happens to be) and given the traditional eye roll and "Oh, Mom". Then sits down and begins to hammer out some scales and perhaps a bit of a piece of actual music while being reminded that "Practice makes perfect". My question is does it make perfect? What is perfect any way? Who's measuring stick are we using to determine perfect. In some areas my measuring stick may seem inadequate to some people. Let's redefine perfect as continual practice. Everyday get up in the morning and practice being kind to yourself. Practice being kind to other people. Practice patience, love, caring, understanding.
In my yoga practice I sometimes get frustrated with my far from perfect body. My hip that gets bound up somewhat easily. My hamstrings that sometimes seem too short to allow me to move into a pose that I have been working to achieve. My arms that at times seem too short. This is the instrument that I was given and I have to learn to be patient when things seem to be beyond my grasp. I suppose that the thing that I most practice is opening to Grace. Following the first weekend of Immersion this idea of open to Grace was utmost on my mind. As we head towards the upcoming second weekend I am still coming back to that first principal. It is the first principal for a reason. I am beginning to wonder if it shouldn't be the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth as well. Not to say that the five Principals of Alignment need to ne tampered with but just that the first principal has become more pervasive in everything I do.
So tomorrow we practice everything! Perfection is everything!

Seeing things with new eyes

My first taste of yoga was at age 17. I don't remember much of what was taught during those early classes but what stuck with me was the feeling of accomplishment that I had. Fast forward about 10 years and yoga came back into my life. There was a feeling that I had after class that made me hungry for more. The more I learned and began to discover what there was left to know the more I felt I had been called to find this path. Last year I began a teacher training class that really left me with more questions than answers. Along the way I began to deepen my physical practice which lead to a deeper spiritual practice and helped to open my eyes to the wonders of my everyday life. There have been so many instances where I have thought that had I not found this path of yoga I would have reacted so differently under the same circumstances. 

This past weekend was my first step on my new path to more fully discover who I am and why I have been dropped down in this place at this time. I began an immersion into Anusara Yoga. Anusara speaks to me in so many ways it is difficult to articulate all of them. For most of the students by the time they reach the phase where immersion is the next step they have already cultivated a depth of learning that far surpasses most peoples willingness to participate. The thirst for knowledge is intense.  The desire to spread this knowledge into the community is equally powerful. It's also really fun to be able to talk to someone who has the same level of commitment and understanding of why you get really excited when you really figure out that "If I move my little toe like this, the power of that micro movement frees my entire leg to be stronger and more grounded." Multiply that excitement by 30 people and you have an immersion underway!


I have had a couple days to reflect on my weekend and have discovered more depth of understanding than I originally thought. Finding my self back at home and trying to unravel all of the information that was conveyed only creates more desire to return to my mat and see what new things I can discover, what new way can I see the world that I didn't know existed. When you approach the world with an understanding that there is an innate goodness to be found it makes everything that much sweeter. Suddenly the traffic doesn't seem quite so horrid, the mountain of laundry seems more like a hill, the sound of my birds fighting seems less obnoxious. Having the willingness to look for the good and seek it out creates more lightness and joy.

In a Pickle

Pickling is one of the oldest and easiest ways to preserve foods. Anything can be pickled. Fruit pickles! Veggie pickles! Pickled fish! Pickled pork! Pickled beef! Pickled eggs! Ok you get the idea  anything can be pickled. Once you start pickling things you may not want to stop experimenting.

Generally when we think of pickles we thing of the ones from the grocery store where every bottle tastes the same as the next. Real pickles, homemade pickles have the bite of vinegar the crunch of the cucumber, slightly salty, slightly sweet. The true taste of a pickle is the one you make. When you make your own pickles you can substitute different types vinegar,  kick up the heat by adding a dried chili to the jar before you seal them.  Have a sweet tooth, make some super sweets. Want to make a crowd pleasing topping for deserts how about desert pickles?


All this pickle talk has made me think of one question. Why do we refer to pickles as only cucumbers? The reality of the situation is that the liquid that the cucumbers is put in is the actual pickle, the result is a pickled cucumber. The real champion of the equation is the vinegar. Vinegar's preservative powers are top of the class. The high acidity of vinegar makes it an unwelcome environment for just about all micro-organisms, which is why we have to add some spices and maybe some sugar to the mix to make the pickle taste less like window cleaner. There are some tried and true combinations that have been handed down over the years. Pickles are probably only limited by your imagination. So get out in the kitchen and get yourself into a pickle! It won't hurt I promise.

Open to Grace

"What does open to grace mean to you? "This question creates many different thoughts and feelings that come rushing to the surface. Open to grace means to soften to the unknown, to surrender all of your pre-made plans when things don't turn out just like you want or expected. To climb to the highest mountain and accept that the reason you came up was to step off the edge to spread your wings and fly. Understaning that the next step you take maybe terrifying but you take it anyway not to prove anything to yourself or anyone else but because it is the right thing to do. When you open to grace you connect more fully with your inner truth.

Reflections on the recent past

It has been about 6 weeks now that I have been teaching regular yoga classes and in that short space of time I have discovered the freedom of non-planning. I began by meticulously planning each class and trying to create a theme or an idea that all the poses were based around. I then began to look at my own practice. I didn't plan anything when I went to the mat I just did what my body was calling for. During my practice I might begin thinking of sequences to share in a class or thoughts arise that maybe pertinent to other practitioners. Most of the time I keep these things to myself because the class doesn't seem to be asking for that information. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if the students are truly understanding what  I am talking about especially when I ask them to move a part of there body that they may have never thought about before. It does seam that most yoga instructors have the same difficulty with this, always wondering if the students understand what they are talking about. 


So far I have gotten numerous reviews of "great class" and even more since my lack of planning has created more freedom to try to tailor a class to the students who are there at the time. Sometimes this works out very well and sometimes the students leave with looks on there face that tell me they have no idea what just happened. 


Well I think I will just continue to experiment and let things flow.

Canning Success!

The sound of jar lids popping in the kitchen is a sound that every canner wants to hear. The last bit of air being forced out of the jars as they cool means that the jar has successfully sealed. Being able to share this knowledge with others and hearing of there success in there own kitchens is wonderful. This past Saturday I got to share that with some friends. We made Strawberry-Mint Jam, Strawberry-Lemon Marmalade and Lemon Curd. Listening to there stories while the jams were being made and watching with amazement as they got there first taste of jam making made the afternoon fly by. 


Knowing where the food you feed your family came from and how it was produced is one of the biggest pieces of information that I felt I could provide. As someone who is somewhat skeptical of mass produced foods, not knowing what was really in my food was always bothersome. Being able to share in the local food movement and provide information about local farmers who produce some wonderful fruits and veggies is great. Why send your money off to the other side of the world when you could keep it here and help your local community to prosper is a feeling that has been very rewarding to me. 


Now everyone together A la Cusine!

Adventures in Strawberry Preserves

My attempts to make strawberry preserves are turning out a little frustrating. I have tried a couple methods for them and instead of coming out as jars of strawberries is syrup they are jars of syrup with some strawberries in them. My first attempt created a very watery syrup and the second created a very think overly sugary goo. Strawberries seem to go from nice and firm to soft and mushy in a blink of an eye. Trying to catch them before they become mush has been the tricky part. Luckily I can reprocess the the syrup and make some sort of jam out of it so it's not a total waste. 


The adventures in the kitchen are intriguing and have got me wanting to experiment more and more trying new and different combinations of this and that. Experimenting with different techniques and making new discoveries. 


Off to the kitchen with me then...

At the Farmers Market

Farmers Market season is in full swing now. It is wonderful to see all of my favorite growers and getting there advice about what to grow and how to solve problems in the garden. Getting share the excitement of the growing season with others in canning classes is thrilling as well. I'm looking forward to the season of canning that starts this Saturday with strawberries. I am hoping to try some new recipes out and add to my ever expanding stock of inventiveness by using what is local and fresh. 

Part of getting to know the people that grow the food you eat is getting to ask them questions about how they grow the food. Most of them are more than welcome to share there secrets and tricks. They are also more than welcome to share recipes for some of there more unusual ingredients. There is a great little farm in Chickamauga, GA Called Mahada Farms. They have some great eggs and if you are willing to take a drive out, you can pick up some free compost. My garden thanks Dianne this season for suppling fresh compost for a new garden plot. 

How does your Garden Grow?

So here we are well into spring and I am ready to go. I am anxiously awaiting the time when I can plant more things in the ground. I put some veggies out late in the season hoping that they would survive the winter and be good early season food. They have proven them selves worthy. They survived the hard winter we had with three heavy loads of snow. I did dig up a new section of my yard this year to expand my veggie possibilities. Now to figure out how things are going to fit into the new space and play well together.

Of course there are many questions that I still have about a successful veggie garden but I have some good hands on experience from the last couple of years.

Also on my mind is canning all of the goodness that comes out of the ground in my small yard to make the winter less dreary. I got a pressure canner for Christmas this past year so I'm excited to get to experiment with that. At least I know I will be able to eat something during the next winter.

Canning Classes Announced

Canning Classes are now posted and ready for your inspection and reflection. 

Do you need an excuse to Souffle?

I had a really bad excuse to make a souffle, I had a bunch of egg whites in the freezer that had been calling to me lately to do something with them. So feeling in a bit of an odd mood I made a French dish with Irish cheese. It wasn't as hard as I was expecting and tasted fabulous!

It did fall pretty quickly after the picture was taken but I was sort of excited that it rose as well as it did. 

For the Brussel Sprout lover in you!

I have discovered there are so many things that as a kid I probably would not have even contemplated eating and actually enjoying. Brussel sprouts are one of those things, but pare them with sauteed mushrooms, bacon and onions and a little cheese and you have yourself quiet a tasty dish.

It is a bit difficult to give an actual recipe with measurements since I have stopped using recipes when I cook. I usually just go by feel and see what happens. This was about 1/4 lb of brussel sprouts and a handful of shiitake mushrooms, half an onion, one and a half strips of bacon.

Give Brussel sprouts a a chance.