Turkey Pose?

Anyone want to send me their interpretation of Turkey-asana?  Or maybe just try these other “bird” poses:

• Crane or Crow Pose (Bakasana)
• Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana)
• Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
• Bird of Paradise (Svarga Dvijasana)
• Eagle (Garudasana)

This will be the most scrumptious thing you have this Thanksgiving:  Delicious Yoga

Hoping all will enjoy a safe, healthy, and peaceful Thanksgiving!  I’m bringing the oatmeal.  Just kidding!  Maybe…

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Shrunken head!

With the lately positivity push, I’ve been receiving an extra influx uplifting emails and notes from friends, many of these messages containing praise directed at me.  I fully recognize that sharing an attitude of gratitude and admiration of others is a way to push positive.  Not only does it make one feel good to share a kind word of compliment, but it pushes that positive feeling on the receiver.   

Well, maybe not always positive.  Sometimes upon receiving an accolade I may get my head blown up with misplaced pride.  But more often, I have a very difficult time acknowledging praise without guilt.  Outwardly, I accept it, because it honors the giver.  But inside, I cringe a little.  I want to shout, “I don’t deserve it!  I’m a fake!”  Where does this come from? 

Although these qualities have been a part of me, I believe this is NOT coming from a place of self hate or loathing.  I believe it comes from knowing that everything good that comes from and of me is really from God.  I know I don’t deserve praise or admiration, but He does.  And I’m writing this to recognize giving it back.

Yoga philosophy describes four yoga paths- Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Raja Yoga.  (I recommend the book Pathways to Joy by Master Vivekananda, which describes these in great detail.)  Of the four yoga paths, I am most strongly on the Karma Yoga path.  Karma Yoga is the spotlight of the Bhagavad Gita, which I’m reading right now.  (Go figure on figuring this out!) 

Karma Yoga is defined as the “yoga of action.”  I’m a doer, a service-er, an active giver and sharer.  Why?  This is my path and my nature, my dharma.  And as with all paths, there are rocks and holes and bumps to watch out for.  Feeling prideful or selfish with the fruits of my doing and giving are the obstacles in the road that may slip me up. 

The Gita describes, “Always do your duty without attachment.  If you do things without desiring results for yourself, you will experience the highest state.”  So, giving and doing without the need or want for personal esteem from the actions.  Sounds easy, but upon examination, I know it doesn’t always hold true for me.  I can’t help but feel a little puffed up when my yoga students praise my class, or a client approves of my work.  One of my biggest ego boosters is when my family likes my cooking!  So there’s that bothersome buzzword ego again… “Because the mind is clouded by ego, a person thinks: I am the doer.”  Sounds familiar.  To me, this is being prideful. 

What’s the point of this path anyways?  The Bible clearly tells us in 2 Timothy 1:9—“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”  It isn’t like doing “works” is going to get us to heaven.  God loves us either way.  The point is putting the love we have for Him into our lives in a way that is tangible to us.  Doing action and then giving God the glory is an avenue that God gives us to practice our faith in Him, thus strengthening our faith.  And practicing this also fulfils God’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations” because by living a model of God’s instructions, we are furthering His kingdom by leading by example.  Galatians 5:25—“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”  

So how do we “do” on a smooth this path?  In the Gita, Krishna (represents God in the story) says, “Dedicate all your actions to me.  Then your mind will rest in the true Self, free from wishing and selfishness.”   

There it is.  Everything goes back to the true Doer, the true Giver and Sharer of goodness.  God!  To me, this means praying for each action done to be of His will, and praising Him for the outcomes.  The joy I feel from my actions come from the knowledge that my action is a part of His plan and will work to further His message.  Maybe this means I will accept praise using words such as “By the grace of God,” or “I’m thankful God is working through me.”     

To exercise Karma Yoga, I should practice giving glory to God by releasing the “credit” of my actions or givings to sources outside myself, His children.  Romans 12:10-11 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” 

Yes, I give to the food shelf, but the money is earned mostly by my husband, and of course we are blessed by God for the opportunity to share in this way.  Yes, that was a great yoga flow I led!  The idea came from another online class I took myself.  The lighting on this portrait is spectacular.  I learned the technique from a colleague.

Practicing giving credit where credit is due is a way to push positive and also a practice in the yoga Yama Asteya, or non-stealing.  I feel that this honors God because I’m using my Karma Yoga to share the gifts He gave me through education and experience without taking the credit for myself.  Which really, there never is any.  I put into practice what I’ve learned, and that knowledge certainly comes from outside sources of study! 

I hope I don’t sound virtuous or righteous, ‘cuz oh boy I’m not.  I needed this reminder so bad, and this is how I want to keep practicing Karma Yoga.  Yes, I work hard and study hard.  I share a lot.  But it’s no big thing.  That’s just the path God has me on to do His work.  And since He put me here, I know he is leading and guiding me, and working through me.  I’m not being modest, it is simply fact.  A special friend reminded recently me of one of my favorite Bible verses, Philippians 4:13—“I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.”  And to that I’d add the following:  (Thanking God for the Bible online to help me find all these awesome applicable verses from His word!)

• 1 Corinthians 15:10—“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked hard–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”  
• 2 Corinthians 3:5—“By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified.”
• Colossians 1:29—“I work hard and struggle to do this, using the energy that He powerfully provides in me.”
• Hebrews 13:21—“May God equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”   
• Philippians 2:13—“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Thanks God, for allowing me to focus on this and give it all back to you.  My head was starting to ache a little being all filled with my ego and such.  I’ll keep practicing in the way you lead me. 

And to give credit where credit is due…thanks to the friend who sent me the amazingly uplifting message that set this soul searching in motion.  You know who you are, and you are a gift from God.  Thanks for being an intregal part of His plan here.

Positivity saved the week…and my giveaway winner!

Well, in some regards, this past week hasn’t been one to write home about.  Even with all the positive thoughts and actions, some things just were, well, negative.  The difference with it this week though is that thanks to the extra focus on positivity, I’ve been able to mostly stay on the bright side with my attitude.  So, yah, shit happens… (Or not, and sometimes that’s the issue…har har.) But the issue is how we react to and deal with the negative.    

So here’s the crap.  My tummy is rotten and hurting, again.  I’m either hideously constipated, or painfully emptied and burning.  Even water hurts.  It seemed to be doing so well, and then out of nowhere, the last 8 days have been a downward spiral.  With the stomach despair comes bloating, and body image issues are creeping in.  I’ve been steady with my intake and I think I may have gained.  Honestly I’m fine with my body, except for the middle.  Of course, as a recovering anorexic, this is where my weight will go, as my body is trying to protect my major organs from future “famine.”  This is the damage, and I accept and own that.  So although ED is trying to dig his pointy thumb in, I’m holding strong against bad behaviors, but sadness and ire over it does get to me a bit.  And I’m ashamed to admit, my combat isn’t as healthy as I’d wish.  Instead of loving my body, I just try to “not care” and “accept that I’m unattractive.”  Instead of looking at my tummy when I change clothes, I hide myself from my own eyes.  Sorry, that sounds really immature, but those are my feelings and I’m just gonna own up to ‘em!  Some of it is self protection…the same reason I don’t step on the scale.  I don’t know if I’m strong enough to handle numbers or to look myself in the eye right now.  I have to keep on the right track for a bit yet maybe.  Anyways, I think I would feel better overall about how my body “looks” if it felt better. 

Earlier this year, our water heater went out and had to be replaced.  Then in August, we noticed a water spot on our living room ceiling, and it turned out to be quite a plumbing issue.  We currently have a hole in the living room ceiling, and our master bathroom shower is in shambles.  The cost for repairing all will be, well, notable.  Just this morning, Nathan found another disaster.  This time the leak is between the main and lower level, and seeping into my studio.  Ok, these are all normal things that can happen to homeowners…however, there is a bit of ire as our house is only 5 YEARS OLD!  Not only that, but our neighbors have all had major plumbing issues.  We are starting to find this ridiculous, and may see about legal something or other. 

Alright, with all that (and dangit feeling like crap all the time is a lot!) I’d like to present…THE BRIGHT SIDE!

I finished The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananada and started on The Living Gita.  Stay tuned for my review and overview of the Yoga Sutras.  Wednesday I led my biggest yoga class ever!  It was exhilarating, and I’m so glad that yoga is reaching more people. 

I had a fabulous session with this beautiful girl.  I was giddy to have her in studio, she is the little sister of one of my high school besties!  We lost touch, and it was great to get caught up with the news via her little sis.  And this girl, she is so sweet and genuine, her wholesome kind heart shines through her gorgeous eyes. 

She is such a gem. Flawless!

And I got to spend a few hours visiting with my grandma Marilyn for her birthday.  She is such a smart, kind, open, and caring woman.  Spending time with her is refreshing and uplifting to me.   

My grandma, with my dad and aunt.

I did a great yoga session from YogaDownload.com titled Core Yoga #1.  Dawnelle was the guide, and it was a really great session.  The whole focus was the core, and since I was feeling so down about my middle, this helped me feel pretty strong.   

I have great friends.  I can’t believe ED ever had me convinced that isolation was the way to go!  My friends and yoga practitioners are so kind, supportive, loving.  This message came from a wonderful woman.

Positivity from friend Erin.

Of course, I was continually uplifted with stories of positivity via the comments on my positivity challenge giveaway, and various personal messages.  I put the “flip” challenge into practice so hard this week, and I know that without it, the week would have been MUCH darker.  With how I’m feeling, mentally and physically, ED could have really shoved in, but positive prayer and focus kept me safe.  So, with that said…by random number generator, the winner of my giveaway is Melissa! 

Lissa, #3!

To recap Lissa’s positive flip, she had H1N1 and spent a week recovering!  She stayed positive by recognizing that it could have been worse, and vowed to welcome her husband home from traveling and celebrate her 3^rd wedding anniversary with a cheerful outlook.  Way to go Lissa, glad you are feeling better too!

Coming your way Lissa is a “Love from Minnesota” care package put together by yours truly.  Included is a pair of Minnesota Mittens, a selection of Aveda products (Headquartered in Blaine, MN), a jar of my homemade applesauce, a selection of cards featuring the photography of MN native Jim Brandenburg, and other local goodies.  Thanks for staying positive girl!

And thank you for those who linked back to my giveaway, even without the promise of an “extra chance to win” and just for the sake of positivity.

I have a few yums to share.  Although these didn’t all feel good (heck, even water didn’t feel good!) on the positive side, they sure tasted yum.   I bought a package of Hebrew National 97% Fat Free Beef Franks a bit ago, and have been using them up this week.  I know, I know…it’s a hot dog!  Hey, I’m not the only one… 

Hot dogs, Yukon gold potatoes, veggies hash.

Hot dog and tater veggie hash.

Ketchup...ketchup...

Also had a big head of cabbage to use up.  So here’s hot dog, apple, tomato, green onion, cabbage…seasoned with a chipotle pepper, a dash of cinnamon and sweetener, salt and pepper.  

Was too hot...maybe only 1/2 chipotle pepper next time.

Hot dogs, cabbage, pineapple, onion, mushroom, baby corns…sauced with ketchup (w00t HEAB!), mustard, a dash of cider vinegar, pineapple juice and a bit of sweetener.

Sweet and sour hot dog cabbage skillet.

And have you tried barley with your oats?  ASDF:LKJ!  Loved this grain so much…sort of a chewy texture and a slight nutty flavor.  This is going to be a regular for awhile.

Quick barley, oat bran, apple, raisin hot cereal bowl.

I also made a variation on Ambercup Soup with Lentils.  My version had (omg more tube shaped meat!) lean turkey kielbasa instead of bacon, and golden nugget squash.  I highly recommend this soup!

Squash lentil sausage soup.

Stay tuned for the next positivity challenge and giveaway to come soon.  This week I’m gonna keep lifting my chin and feeling the sun on my face, and I pray you will too.  Remember, positivity takes practice!  And hopefully my stomach will start feeling this cheerful vibe too.

Positive Reinforcement Part One: Look on the Bright Side

In order to keep pushing the positivity movement, I’d like to offer a positive reinforcement (as if happiness isn’t enough reward to push positive!) in the form of a giveaway.

The challenge idea is to take a negative situation or mindset and look on the bright side.   Leave me a comment below of how you actively practiced this during the next week and you’ll be entered into the giveaway.  One entry per person, but feel free to leave as many positive ideas as you want! 

If you are a blogger, I’d much appreciate links back about the positive movement giveaway.  No extra entries will be given, as this is purely about practicing positivity!  So I encourage you to practice by posting and propelling positivity into the blogworld and hopefully the real world!

The goods:  In order to positively support my local economy, the winner will be gifted with a Minnesota “care package.”  Included will be a pair of Minnesota Mittens, Aveda products (Headquartered in Blaine, MN), a jar of my homemade applesauce, and other local goodies.

Giveaway runs through Friday, November 20^th, but don’t stop the positivity there!  Giveaway winner will be picked by random number, but remember, everyone truly wins here.  Good luck, watch for the next positivity challenge in the next few weeks, and…I’ll see ya on the sunny side!

Good Work, Good Food

So. Much. Work.  Friday I finally finished processing the 1,500 images from last months wedding, and have been shooting and processing lots of families, beauties, pets, and kids for holiday card and gift season!  My eyes were bugging out of my head by the end of this last week.  Good thing I had lots of yums (keep scrolling!) and yoga to keep me sane.  (I use the term loosely.)   

Amazing couple, amazing day!

 

Kiss!

 

Fun family, watch that hair pulling!

 

Cutie and her puppy.

 

Precious.

 

Beautiful senior girl.

Pretty on pink with puppy!

 

Puppy Halloween!

 

Sassy boots! Very special little one.

 

A very sweet couple, 45 years married.

 

Some random food for your my favor.    If you’re in the Minnesota area, check out Thousand Hills Cattle Company beef.  Excellent company, excellent beef.  Also yummy, Trader Joe’s Teenie Tiny Taters!  Check out another blogger recipe using the tiny taters.

Broiled Walleye- parsley, lemon juice, and Old Bay, delish.

Roasted Teenie Tiny Potatoes and Broccoli- garlic and Herbs de Provence

Crabbage (click for recipe)

Crock Pot Ginger Beef Stew (click for recipe)

Asian Style Kale (click for recipe)

HEAB's protein pancake- I made chocolate! (click for recipe)

Zucchini Bread Oats

More Zucchini Bread Oats- shredded zuke, nuts, raisins, oat bran or grain of choice...nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon!

Baked Grits with scallions and hot dog (Corn dog!)

Chocolate Zucchini Oats- oat bran, shredded zuke, cocoa powder and chocolate stevia, chia seeds and nuts!

Strawberry Almond Oats with mashed 'Nana

More Strawberry Almond Oats with mashed 'Nana

 Heeeey good lookin’…. ??

Relaxing Rain

In a recent Shavasana after a hot yoga session, I found myself deepening into relaxation by visualizing a slowly falling raindrop.  This final relaxation experience inspired me to write a guided meditation/relaxation to share with my own class in Shavasana. 

As I read this meditation with my practitioners in corpse pose, I sensed the energy deepen.  Even the yogis who normally fidget or keep their eyes open during relaxation were gone baby gone!  After I brought them back and the class awakened to leave, one woman expressed it was one of the best relaxation’s she’d ever had, and she burst in tears.  Yay for emotional releases in yoga! 

As a yoga instructor/guide, this is what it is all about, and it is a total teacher pride moment!  Not ego here, just so happy for another to experience yoga on a deeper level.

Rain in the Meadow, Relaxation Meditation:

Lying on your back, lengthen the legs along the mat, let the arms fall to the sides, palms facing up…tuck the shoulders underneath the back, and elongate the back of the neck.  Close the eyes and exhale through the mouth, feeling the belly deflate like a balloon.  Listening to the sound of your breath, you feel your body rising to float away from this room.

Moving through the clouds, you come to rest cradled peacefully in a green meadow.  The morning sun shines on your face, warming your closed eyelids.  Taking deep breaths of fresh air, the light behind your lids begins to darken and you open your eyes.  A small gentle rain cloud has moved over the meadow, and you see beams of sunlight reaching past the edges of the cloud.  A coolness now feels refreshing as it washes over your face, and the meadow grasses move tenderly in the breeze.  Your mind wanders as you gaze hazily at the cloud, and then see the oversize rain drops floating in slow motion from the sky.  As you focus on one falling drop, it stops to hover, suspended in the space above your face.  Your body tenses, waiting for the fall.  In slow motion, the drop moves to lightly touch your forehead.  The water is warm, and as it softly touches your brow, your eyes close, your body melts along with the drop and your muscles liquefy, sinking you further into relaxation.  You rest in the meadow, the warm rain falling around you.  You are in complete serenity. 

The light behind your eyes begins to brighten as the cloud moves from the meadow.  With eyes closed, you enjoy the warmth, and the whisper of the leaves in the warm wind.   Floating away from your meadow and bringing this tranquility back to your present space, you bring hands to your brow to remember this feeling, and hands to your heart in gratitude for your journey.

Rolling to the right side in fetal pose, and coming to seated at your own pace.

Have you had an emotional release in yoga?  What is your best method to relax in Shavasana…guided or silent?

Practice Positivity!

It probably isn’t productive to start a post about positivity on a negative tone…but this is disheartening:

If you are reading this blog, you are probably ‘net savvy enough to be familiar with the social networking site, Facebook.  Kind of like a “Twitter” message, Facebook users are able to set their “status” on their profile, displaying a message viewable to their “friend network.”  Not to long ago, Facebook installed a “Like” button for users to utilize when they approved of a friend’s status message.  Shortly after, the call for a “Dislike” button arose.  As illustrated above, the “Dislike” movement is vast and strong.  The opposition toward the “Dislike” button is depressingly small.  (Maybe because the positive people are so optimistic that they don’t even dislike disliking!)

As is obvious through this simple example, negativity abounds in our world.  Aside from the constant barrage of negative news in the media, how often do you hear the following phrases in your everyday life? 

On a sour note…

I love vinegar. 

No-sugar pickled egg whites

Start here:  How to boil eggs.  

No Added Sugar Pickled Eggs (stevia sweetened)

• 12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 large empty sterilized glass jar
• 4 cups vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2-4 tsp SteviaPlus® Fiber Powder  (Be sure to check the sugar equivalency charts of your stevia brand.)
• 1 tablespoon pickling spices

1. Cut prepared boiled eggs into halves lengthwise, discarding the yolks.
2. Boil the remaining ingredients together for 5 minutes.
3. Put everything into your jar, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 weeks (or longer!) for best results.
4. Taste vinegar occasionally to test the sweetness, adding more if you prefer and letting it sit longer.

Employ enjoy your pickled eggs.

Pickled eggs and onions, seitan, tomatoes, and balsamic dressing with Lemony Lentil Chard Soup.

Pickled egg whites and onions, cucumber, yellow tomato, tunafish, with celery tofu soup (recipe to come!)

 Modify your pickled eggs.

Red pickled eggs. (Just add beets.)

 Enjoy some more.

Pickled egg whites, onions, and beets salad with Lemony Lentil Chard Soup.

More pickled egg whites, onions, and beets with tomatoes salad.

Are you a sourpuss?

No, I don’t have children, and thanks for not asking.

Sometimes the devil makes his attacks so stupidly obvious that I almost stop and laugh.  Now, I’ve been around this block a little bit to see that somebody is really working to get to me.  And yah, it worked at first.  I’ll admit it; the first composition of this post was a complete “Woe is me.”  But through the writing process, I recognized the real cause of my woe, and that is a key to halt rumination.  What’s more, I’ve realized a strength…a wall built by the foundation of protective prayer.  If the devil’s assaults are this apparent and identifiable, he must be running out of ideas, which means my faith in Jesus and my confidence in recovery has been fortified!  No, I won’t let my guard down…but I’m taking this realization as a shock and awe moment with Satan’s statue being toppled. 

A few weekends ago,

October End Update

The good news:  My bacterial infection tested as cleared!

The bad news:  I still feel like crap.

Mid October was my follow up appointment for the treatment of the infection.  The results came a week later, and showed that all was well.  Well?  Pain has seemed  to lessen over the past few weeks, although I’ve stayed on the acid blocker until yesterday, and gut ache came back.  My extreme low blood pressure problem doesn’t seem “as bad” as when I was first starting treatment, but it is still quite a bother, and definitely does not add to quality of life.  But still, 90% of the time, I feel like I’ve been run over by a recycle truck full of my empty nut butter jars.  (I had a pretty nice 10% weekend though!)