Expecting Joy

It's been quite a week. The Namaste Experience continues with no luck on the juice fast. I just have not been able to complete one full day of a fast yet. I think part of my problem is the days I choose. I longing look at the sweets and decide to have just one. Just one succulent morsel, a little sweet, a sugary morsel of chocolate. Well my blog is called yoga, dogs and chocolate! I'm not one to quit so easily so next week I will choose another day. Hope spings eternal.

Last week I made an Italian Minestrone soup from cooking the whole foods way. Boy, what a disaster. I put all the ingredients in a slow cooker and headed off for the day. Bad idea... very bad idea. The result was a thick substance, bland and not entirely edible. OK, live and learn, as the song goes, there's always another train. This week I'll try my hand at Greek Lentil Soup. I also have a new yoga DVD, vinyasa flow with Seane Corne. There is very little talk if any, and I understand how this might unsettle some, but personally I need to breath these days and I'm looking forward to concentrating on breath rather than alignment. I'll report back on my silent practice.

Now for some really exciting news.... one of my students is pregnant! This is my first pregnant student and as soon as she told me I dashed home to look up the do's and don't and design a sequence for her. I am so excited and thrilled and I want to give her the very best experience I can to help her welcome in her new loved one by assisting her through the birthing experience by proving a solid yoga experience with breath and gentle asana. ANY words of wisdom anyone might have, student or teacher will be dearly appreciated and put into practice. If your out there I would love your suggestions.

Blessed day everyone!

Fiday's Feast

Appetizer
How are you today?
Tired, thankful its Friday. Ready for a slow weekend with walks in the woods yoga and time spent finishing a paper that's needs to get done!

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.
I used to watch Monk, the Closer and Hustle regularly but these days I don't watch much of anything.

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?
Some years ago coming back from a funeral up North I got caught in the worst snow blizzard I have ever experienced. I would have stopped to get off the road or even park the car by the side of the road but these weren't options. There was one lane and we all had to drive it or cause serious peril to ourselves and other motorist on the road. I was so thankful when I finally reached my home safe and sound.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?
India on a yoga and meditation retreat.

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?
Now that the weather is beginning to turn I choose really comfy pj's and a soft night shirt when consulting my pillow.

Sweet Dreams

Thursday evening after a mountain of errands, obligations and a rather long workday I finally settled unto the mat. Destination: Kundalini yoga with Gurmukh. I'm tired and I wish I had a yoga nidra DVD or CD but it's this or vinyasa. I must say much to my surprise I had a good time. I am going to have to do this yoga DVD a couple more times but I really got a lot out of just one session. Gurmukh gives good directions and explains why, what your doing relates to the chalkra system which is the basis of this yoga. By the end I had worked up a good sweat and settled down for a nice savasana after one hour. she has a sweet dispostion and I felt encouraged to carry on although all I really wanted to do was sit in front of the television and veg out with a bag of chips. I slept like an angel Thursday night and woke up Friday without giving my alarm the usual sound beating it gets every morning.

Fridays Feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite type of art?
I love art in all its forms. Fine arts, theater arts, the art in sport, its all fantastic. I would have to say wandering a museum on a cold Sunday afternoon is one of my favorite things to do, so perhaps fine art. On the other hand watching elite gymnasts do there stuff is truly watching art in motion or a symphony or a great play that takes you some place else in your head, so I guess at the end of the day I'd have to say, it's all fabulous.

Soup
When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?
Last week my best friend had a clam bake at her house. Lobster, clam chowder, oysters in butter. Great food, excellent company, just wonderful.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?
I have a lot of emotions but as time moves on I'm far more in control how I handle my feelings. Also by the end of the day emotion can give way to exhaustion. I think about a 6.5 to a 7.

Main Course
Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?
Some days the whole day can be filled responding to emails. It's an aspect of my work.

Dessert
To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat?
68 unless it's really frigid out. This home is huge on layering up. If your cold put a sweater on.

With the gates open and all systems go I've been holding on tight and trying to figure out how to make all the pieces of my life fit together. The Namaste Experience is now in its third week with a lot of ups and downs. I have managed to cook one meal a week from Cooking The Whole Foods Way with last weeks meal Japanese noodle soup with tofu quite enjoyable. This week I will be making Italian minestrone soup. I've been careful to pick accessible recipes as life needs to be as simple as possible these days. I am still doing my yoga DVD review but finding it difficult to take on more than one a week. Tonight I'll try kundalini yoga with Gurmukh. I'll report back later on this. What I've found the most difficult is the one day juice fast. I have not been able to successfully make it one full day. Each time a pick a day, I wake up that morning ravished with hunger ready to eat a three course breakfast. I have to pick the right day, psych myself into it and stick to it! I am going to try again tomorrow, wish me luck! So far all I can say about my little experience is that I'm bewildered about how to smoothly fit it into my life. Its hard to find time to begin, do and finish everything these days. I have managed to finish a couple of books. I highly recommend Buddha by Karen Armstrong although a warning here, although its small, its compact and a little mind boggling because she gives so much information its hard to take it all in. I think this book deserves more than one read. I also read the last in the trilogy by Sinead Morearty, From Here to Maternity. Emma and James are a couple with fertility issues, using all their options to create a family. I loved all three books and this writer always has me laughing out loud. She's light and leaves the reader feeling life is really OK no matter what happens.

Well its off for a little Kundalini, hopes things are moving nicely for everyone!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?
A couple of weeks ago, I had my annual physical.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?
7, I've mellowed with age.

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)
Toe: Ted owns elephants.

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?
This question makes my head spin. It's all about having the time which I have none of right now but perhaps a club for yoga teachers to come together to discuss topics related to teaching and practice. Yoga for the teacher... I don't know.

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?
Ah! I have an ugly brown carpet in the hallway which will soon be gone replaced by wood floors.

Not meant to be

Today I attended the Paul Grilley Workshop. From the beginning there were big problems. I needed to drive but once there could not find a parking spot. I finally found something a good distance from the studio. I didn't mind the walk but knew I would need to continue to feed the meters or pay the consequences. I assumed I would be able to slip out slug quarters into the meter and slip back in. This it turned out was going to be a problem since the doors would be locked once everyone was in the workshop. Directed and redirected I finally found a friendly yogi willing to assist me. Late at this point I rushed into the studio and settled down. I saw some teachers I take class with from other studios which was lovely but short lived as I could not overcome my exhaustion, frustration, and need to be mindful of the time. I did make it to the meter and back into the studio, but not without more irritation and a general bad vibe feelings. I settled into my mat for the second half of the workshop and fell fast asleep. Paul Grilley had some interesting things to say but I'm not the one to ask what he talked about as I was holding hands with the sandman! What was I doing there in the first place?

The Namaste Experience week one

My one day juice fast could not have gone more miserably wrong. I did not bring enough juice and water for the day, broke down and had junk food half way through the day, followed by sardines and cheese when I got home. So, needless to say..... things didn't go so well. I am going to have to plan this out more carefully next week and have a little more restraint and endurance. Part of my problem is not having a schedule or a plan yet. I need a schedule, I need to get organized, basically I need to get my shit together. On a good note I did review the basic flow sequence from Yoga Shakti with Shiva Rea. I liked it for a lot of reasons. The flow was only 30 minutes and this is all the time I had, she had a savasanya long enough and calming enough to fall asleep to (you can insert a snore or two here) and the yoga was practiced on a lovely beach, far far away from the maddening crowd! So far five stars for Shiva. New from the kitchen: tonight, Spanish Paella with tempeh.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Using only one word, how does grocery shopping make you feel?
Secure.

Soup
What is your favorite part about the season of Autumn?
Hiking in the mountains and the forests when the leaves are in full change. Glorious and brilliant!

Salad
Have you ever had any bad experiences online?
Irritating is more like it, nasty computer viruses, too much junk mail clogging my account and my first comment on my blog was spam, that was sad.

Main Course
Name three things that make you happy daily.
My loved ones, my dog, my yoga practice.

Dessert
What one household cleansing or organizing item would you not want to be without?
The vacuum cleaner!

All my balls in the air

Already this is how I'm feeling and we've only just begun. Due to an overabundance of balls in the air its highly unlikely that I will be able to attend the whole of the Paul Grilley workshop. I'm sad about this but it conflicts with an obligation that can't be rescheduled. Today I'm going to try my first one day fast. I'll also review my Shiva Rea yoga DVD. Unfortunately if not today it wont happen till next week. This weekend I am going to Maine for a little woman's retreat. I'm looking forward to the company and perhaps a little yoga outside by the lake!

Smooth sailing everyone

The Chocolate Woman

( a little something for the chocolate lovers of the world)

Carve my hips with an axe I ate too much chocolate.

Crunch my skin, please Crunch my bones, if needed It is time for big changes

On the verge of my tiny little tits are insinuating, sharp and plumped,Two hazelnuts, crac! You ate them It is time for big changes

On the verge of my slightly openned lips is growing a raspberry bush red and silvered

Could you kiss me to cut it...

Knead my hips with your kisses

I'm becoming the chocolate woman

Let my Nutella hips melt

The blood flowing in me is hot chocolate...

One day I will take off through the sky by keeping on pump up...

And I will yawn lightning

A comet planted between the teeth

I will transform myself into the chocolate woman

Carve my hips with an axe I ate too much chocolate...

Olivia Ruiz

One Down

Yesterday the Man and I went to a lovely beach to wile away a little time before the bell goes off, the gates open and were off and running. Knowing this week is going to be a shock on the system I thought I should get the first meal cooked and done before Monday. I made this very easy on myself, fried rice with vegetables. The only modification was herb instead of fresh burdock. I also spent the week trying Mantra Girl's Kundalini yoga DVD. I like the idea of cleaning out my aura but I'm not particularly fond of her approach or sequence. I'm sorry but I am not going to be able to recommend this based on the yoga. I would strongly suggest checking out her music and chanting. Truly her voice is divine, and I fully intend to incorporate her music into my classes. In a couple of weeks I'll be trying a yoga DVD with Gurmukh, a renowned kundalini teacher. This may give me better insight into the practice. Next up, Yoga Shakti with Shiva Rea. It's going to take me at least a week to get through this , there is a LOT of yoga in this vinyasa series! Tomorrow I think I will try my hand at a one day fast.

OK then.... one meal down, one fast one yoga video to go! Bliss factor: not bad.

End note.... How to make the Man ecstatic; be a rookie, pitch a no hitter, make it happen after we've lost five in a row. You should have seen him beam. Talk about bliss factor!