tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20399946497484786512024-03-12T18:03:10.847-07:00Tami Apland Yogayoga teacher | writer | outdoor adventurer | wellness fanatic | dreameryogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-7416275836305856442014-02-12T16:59:00.000-08:002014-02-12T16:59:21.160-08:00fear.
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If you’re reading this you probably know that I just spent a
week in Pahoa, Hawaii assisting Tiffany Cruikshank’s 200 hour teacher training.
A lesser known fact is that I was also there participating in a 500 hour
training on the art of adjusting and assisting, my first of five modules.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We were so lucky to be part of an intimate group of only
about 12 students. To put this in perspective for those of you who don’t know,
the 200 hour group consisted of nearly 50 students. Small trainings with
Tiffany are a rare opportunity! The first couple days were spent reviewing
anatomy and learning how to see bodies. We learned how to adjust bodies versus
adjusting poses. That in itself was mind blowing and I felt like I was
performing magic on people. Anatomy is so fascinating! We learned how to adjust
bodies in more common poses first and on the last two days we looked at
advanced adjusting. We learned things like adjusting bhujipidasana, assisting transitions
like tittibhasana to chaturanga, crow to handstand, pressing into handstand
from prasarita, dropping back into wheel… in plain English we were learning what
you might refer to as ‘next level shit’. I am wildly uncomfortable with some of
these poses and transitions. I find that my mind and heart limit me far more than
my physical body and that was a serious reality check for me this week. On top
of feeling fear in these poses I also felt an extreme sense of vulnerability in
showing my fear to people I barely knew. Of course we were all there together
for a common purpose- to learn and grow as teachers and humans. I didn’t feel
judged or unsupported by these people, in fact it was quite the opposite, but I
still couldn’t get over my feelings. I kept thinking, I’m Tiffany’s Operations
Manager and one of her assistants, what are people going to think of me if they
see me freak out? What if they see me fall?! What if they see me get angry and
even worse, what if they see me cry? I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and it
was manifesting in my body in the form of a wicked tension headache. Add on top
of all this that it was the second to last day of a weeklong training and I was
exhausted in every way. I felt like I was sitting in a pile of my own shit, and
let’s be honest, what could be worse than that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me back up a bit… I had been setting my alarm for 5:45
every morning all week. No matter what time zone I’m in or how early I have to
be up, I rarely need my alarm but I always set it in case. I usually wake up
before it goes off, sometimes I wake up just one minute before. My day is best
when I wake up on my own. If my alarm ends up waking me it irritates me a
little (what a not so sweet way to wake up), but if it doesn’t go off at all I
wake up in a panic. This is extremely rare and I can’t tell you the last time
it happened, aside from on this day. I rolled over, looked at my phone and it
was 6:01. I jumped out of bed, washed my face, brushed my teeth, threw on some
yoga clothes and went to get some tea before heading down to the yoga room. A
series of small things started to happen and it was really irritating me. I forgot
my water bottle in my room, I spilled something, they were out of my favorite
tea, blah blah blah. Tiffany taught her morning asana class, which I was
adjusting in, then we broke off into groups. The 200 hour group continued with
their practice teaching with Krystyn, Mackenzie and Dena and I was with Tiffany
and the rest of the 500 hour group. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of our first adjustments/assists was tittibhasana to
chaturanga, which I promptly fell out of. I was so pissed about it too. My body
tensed up and my mind and heart told me I couldn’t do it. I tried again with
another partner and fell <i>again</i>. Suddenly
I was overcome with feelings of self doubt and I wanted to leave. In that
moment, my yoga was simply just staying in the room. When I fail at something
it’s easy for me to feel like I’m the only one who can’t do it. I’m human,
after all. We moved on bekhasana and wheel and I was so grateful. I was tired
of back bending but I’m good at it so I was excited for it. There’s my ego not
so subtly creeping into my practice! I started to feel inexplicably emotional
and Tiffany asked me to demo king pigeon. At first I told her no because I was
feeling this intense mix of sadness and anger, but I quickly decided to suck it
up and I demoed. If you haven’t seen it, my king pigeon is ridiculous. I can
get into it at the drop of a hat and I can hold it for however long I feel
like. It comes so easily to me that I almost feel like I can’t even call it
part of my yoga, but I do love it! My ego was happy but I was really starting
to feel emotional from so many back bends. I’m well aware this happens to
people, both in back bends and hip openers, but I have never really experienced
it for myself. Even though I’m a pretty expressive person, I also tend to hold
on to my negative emotions for a <i>really</i>
long time. It’s a subconscious thing apparently. Consciously I feel like I do a
fine job of expressing emotions, even the gritty ones, but after this
experience I’m starting to wonder just how much of my own stuff I hold onto
deep in my bones. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We moved through some other things until we got to handstand
scorpion. I was feeling so irritable at this point. It was all I could do to
keep from coming unglued and I was scared because I didn’t know what it would
look like if I did. I even went to the bathroom for a moment and thought I
would cry but I didn’t. I came out and asked MacKenzie to spot me. I was
nervous for a multitude of reasons. I’m a good six inches taller than her and I
felt on edge about having someone so small in comparison spot me. I’m also
terrified of falling out of handstand and I don’t know why. It drives me nuts
to not know why I have so much fear around it. I finally worked up the courage to
give it a try. MacKenzie spotted me from behind, which is a completely normal
way to spot and I’m fine with it. Once she came in front of me I freaked out
and told her I needed to come out not in two seconds but <i>right now</i>. So I did. I took a minute and tried again after she
showed me exactly what it was going to look like. I can’t tell you how much
trust I felt like I was putting in her at that moment. I was not scared but
terrified. I kept telling her I was about to fall out but she kept assuring me
that I wasn’t. Every fiber of my being was telling me I was about to fall out
and snap my body in half. She helped me get my alignment right and next thing I
know my feet were on my head. I held it for about 10 seconds and I saw Krystyn
run to get her phone so she could snap a picture but her phone was halfway
across the room and I had to get out. I wanted to see myself in that shape <i>so </i>badly. Not because my feet were on my
head, I have a really flexible spine so that part didn’t really surprise me,
but rather because I knew how much mental strength it took me to get there. She
got her phone and I tried once more. The third time was harder, maybe because I
felt like I was being watched? Maybe because it was the third freaking
attempt?! Not really sure, but I did it again. I was tired and having a hard
time finding my alignment. By this time I was a little more trusting of
MacKenzie. Finally I got my feet to my head and about three seconds later I
dropped a forearm to the floor and crumbled. I started crying right away. Hard.
They weren’t sad tears, but they weren’t happy either. I had the biggest
emotional release and I didn’t even know what was happening, but I still didn’t
want anyone to see me cry so I got up and ran to the bathroom. As soon as that session
ended I immediately removed myself from the group and went to Tiffany’s room. I
felt safe there because I knew that no one aside from her or Dena would find
me. I cried until I was shaking and barely able to breathe, but it was so
cathartic. I didn’t know what was wrong, or even if anything was wrong at all.
Maybe it was right?! Maybe it was exactly what I had been needing for a long
time. I finally calmed down and felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my
shoulders. I told Tiffany I had just been feeling really scared, and incredibly
vulnerable and exposed as a result. Just having the ability to speak those
words, which were very much my truth in that moment, was powerful beyond words.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a huge reminder for me that yoga is not just a physical
practice. It was a healthy dose of my own medicine, as I am constantly
reminding my students of this fact but apparently not taking my own words to
heart. For me, it was handstand scorpion, but for someone else it may be
something as simple as tree pose. We advance in our physical practice when we
are no longer able to cease the fluctuations of the mind. Each time we come to
our mat we need something different. Some days in my practice I never get off
my back and it’s perfect, other days I need a lot more. Yoga is whatever you
need it to be. And once you get too comfortable or just when you think you know
it all, look out… the universe may have something else in store for you ;)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all I could not be more honored and humbled by this
whole experience. All of the good things, the hard things, the scary things and
everything in between made this week perfect and complete. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-41826104220741402782013-12-10T18:10:00.000-08:002013-12-10T18:10:08.117-08:00Mantra Yoga + Health Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so happy and honored to be featured in Mantra Yoga + Health Magazine's first issue! Pick up a copy at your local Whole Foods or Barnes & Noble. Lots of great stuff in this issue including articles from some of my favorite teachers and 130 inspiring yogis from 10 different cities.yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-78199369246960170282013-05-15T10:21:00.000-07:002013-05-15T10:21:05.909-07:00extras neededWe are looking for extras to be in two new Gurunista Gayhle episodes being filmed in and around Portland next week (May 22nd-26th). No acting or yoga experience required. We especially need attractive young men (20's-30's). Please email yogaseedpdx(at)gmail(dot)com with 'extra' in the subject line for more information. Shoots will not last more than 2-3 hours and you will be well fed. Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be interested. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwyWzeSVtQw</div>
yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-45033231792160209652013-05-13T18:38:00.002-07:002013-05-13T18:38:49.461-07:00$10 classes<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I'm teaching two $10 classes this week!</b></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Tuesday, May 14th: 7:30-8:30pm. Restorative/gentle/yin. Please email yogaseedpdx@gmail.com for more information.</li>
<li>Thursday, May 16th: 1:30-2:30pm. Vinyasa. Yoga Pearl. 925 NW Davis. </li>
</ul>
yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-41185602078343682152013-05-13T12:33:00.000-07:002013-05-13T12:52:04.115-07:002013 yoga photos <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqvIccRmkViO81hEfUkDinGSSgpVMI9st6u2cj6WKpJDaAv2eRP7xXEj1UIMR5bMkeCj9YR0iSBrzYtPCgwmfHFykOt8ClcsaVeUVEL1PQJM6YbYJ8PrgTylore7BIVq5AgvJUh2d12M/s1600/IMG_1102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqvIccRmkViO81hEfUkDinGSSgpVMI9st6u2cj6WKpJDaAv2eRP7xXEj1UIMR5bMkeCj9YR0iSBrzYtPCgwmfHFykOt8ClcsaVeUVEL1PQJM6YbYJ8PrgTylore7BIVq5AgvJUh2d12M/s320/IMG_1102.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland, edited by Katie Acheff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n406k5Oh_GiBD2UYXarnxeDlRE0kyP3_92xrcNOQK0HHbBYwk0Jlt-AylI-c_smg33lEgo6gj44SAZusZOKIO4EPO74IUx95v9HbjNs2LZpsGcjeH2FRLRzf_mVpfoRkgGwpJZIyH1Q/s1600/IMG_1095.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n406k5Oh_GiBD2UYXarnxeDlRE0kyP3_92xrcNOQK0HHbBYwk0Jlt-AylI-c_smg33lEgo6gj44SAZusZOKIO4EPO74IUx95v9HbjNs2LZpsGcjeH2FRLRzf_mVpfoRkgGwpJZIyH1Q/s320/IMG_1095.CR2" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdPyr5WEv7d5lFegih9PGpul0YuoFcs5RszQ0orq-9e-jfpEWjnhMxE_X5z_MKeG9MDu26k-1iSv0Qtsv5dme_6wl3R1xSKLOCVRPQFpYtEWXefzM6_HvNvXB6F-lnKGl0i6yfrbjip8/s1600/IMG_4586.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdPyr5WEv7d5lFegih9PGpul0YuoFcs5RszQ0orq-9e-jfpEWjnhMxE_X5z_MKeG9MDu26k-1iSv0Qtsv5dme_6wl3R1xSKLOCVRPQFpYtEWXefzM6_HvNvXB6F-lnKGl0i6yfrbjip8/s320/IMG_4586.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRr-0t0DI5BNI2gbW-rRvdP48xRfCpmc2_EvH0Fdnr07NranENHFBD9zL3lVASz1EtzQJpAxNnTSqA8UOwNvZrrIIvR2Y9kpWvGtTrrxUR3ZXMNxlFHiI-_OX1RBLK-sJJEbbLZXuivw0/s1600/IMG_1128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRr-0t0DI5BNI2gbW-rRvdP48xRfCpmc2_EvH0Fdnr07NranENHFBD9zL3lVASz1EtzQJpAxNnTSqA8UOwNvZrrIIvR2Y9kpWvGtTrrxUR3ZXMNxlFHiI-_OX1RBLK-sJJEbbLZXuivw0/s320/IMG_1128.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland, edited by Katie Acheff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGFxC0n_U4YMph5fSfYCOAr2HhFOLDJ4UfO34OGZW8kEDpSqmzMWGSAhvnfBLuasX5UaBR7G498h1Yl94QWpIebigBZE0ooA9oJLoMOONSm1IUtyR6CdsibGUwqNPoMmRAwqL0dEMIOQ/s1600/IMG_1158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGFxC0n_U4YMph5fSfYCOAr2HhFOLDJ4UfO34OGZW8kEDpSqmzMWGSAhvnfBLuasX5UaBR7G498h1Yl94QWpIebigBZE0ooA9oJLoMOONSm1IUtyR6CdsibGUwqNPoMmRAwqL0dEMIOQ/s320/IMG_1158.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland, edited by Katie Acheff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Uq_-MKviNtxMbC279AFWB-fHF0u0yJobC5AGqUdjwmQ7Jh7sgxGMN4-MjjtHtBO4wrBDYFNQesQ-E0MEWT5WeS2mv7cs7RvixVwYHp77DA9vjIcGY_pRMiYpW2GXodjlzkIeNveRHMo/s1600/IMG_1190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Uq_-MKviNtxMbC279AFWB-fHF0u0yJobC5AGqUdjwmQ7Jh7sgxGMN4-MjjtHtBO4wrBDYFNQesQ-E0MEWT5WeS2mv7cs7RvixVwYHp77DA9vjIcGY_pRMiYpW2GXodjlzkIeNveRHMo/s320/IMG_1190.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland, edited by Katie Acheff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesg6iw9PVwgHVe2vgI-Zg5QHuulk78aUA2NQaH_INF7BKQW0j3K7sJ-NIUYBLCESfCzufNw-z5WXtXU4Di7iD12XuIjNScQGvpbHW9GLCMzDnFhHgjTo6x5kXGjmnlwChpj84a33er3c/s1600/IMG_1212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesg6iw9PVwgHVe2vgI-Zg5QHuulk78aUA2NQaH_INF7BKQW0j3K7sJ-NIUYBLCESfCzufNw-z5WXtXU4Di7iD12XuIjNScQGvpbHW9GLCMzDnFhHgjTo6x5kXGjmnlwChpj84a33er3c/s320/IMG_1212.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland, edited by Katie Acheff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9G3sCZ5OVGbUH1Qhp9EPxXpiEik3JwA7I7-Uc2eyvkH1RANppx1jhjaz1Ae8iHD-GYqvJPA8luqPc7hD9ZJuCHAKBchUyMdtytuyNfh1FGbN4RAZt6QJnQ7vp5hJ0vPAznXYj8GgXeA/s1600/IMG_4584.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9G3sCZ5OVGbUH1Qhp9EPxXpiEik3JwA7I7-Uc2eyvkH1RANppx1jhjaz1Ae8iHD-GYqvJPA8luqPc7hD9ZJuCHAKBchUyMdtytuyNfh1FGbN4RAZt6QJnQ7vp5hJ0vPAznXYj8GgXeA/s320/IMG_4584.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8sNT2UrW9nBexNUMuYZsT3Zpbrf7xHSmmtvF4DCgitfqD5Eqe_GCiXoOnkuH7cXfDlAFWz0FW53JYb2Yzf7cacxII_hXoo42hBml-gM39jetzSnKHgviDG7bOf-QWCDEKiwYDFCtV3k/s1600/IMG_4587.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8sNT2UrW9nBexNUMuYZsT3Zpbrf7xHSmmtvF4DCgitfqD5Eqe_GCiXoOnkuH7cXfDlAFWz0FW53JYb2Yzf7cacxII_hXoo42hBml-gM39jetzSnKHgviDG7bOf-QWCDEKiwYDFCtV3k/s320/IMG_4587.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6059gk39RiqL0mp92vmoHwNbKAf34T90V0H-npRb58PJ5z9Hcwzkw695fqzaVg3H7DzzMnTxiFXYleeX4VCyDoCFs-AU-fkP6wT2SchmyVc5sjbMklmwTaqmiPKgRB0iEKdAvVSWYYf0/s1600/IMG_5214.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6059gk39RiqL0mp92vmoHwNbKAf34T90V0H-npRb58PJ5z9Hcwzkw695fqzaVg3H7DzzMnTxiFXYleeX4VCyDoCFs-AU-fkP6wT2SchmyVc5sjbMklmwTaqmiPKgRB0iEKdAvVSWYYf0/s320/IMG_5214.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben Moon Photography for Yoga Pearl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwXVt-Pu8G190F3-KaX4uoo1HdZOQmqgUv2e4I8_1bpvPDy_5IJkmrHKb5ZELtF7-im2s3DJTztI0FGcCB8RXOLYV6j36sZ-IxKWLEvvRo1gU9NDRgsVLRx-SQpyzD4ydudZ0K5f0068/s1600/IMG_5217.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwXVt-Pu8G190F3-KaX4uoo1HdZOQmqgUv2e4I8_1bpvPDy_5IJkmrHKb5ZELtF7-im2s3DJTztI0FGcCB8RXOLYV6j36sZ-IxKWLEvvRo1gU9NDRgsVLRx-SQpyzD4ydudZ0K5f0068/s320/IMG_5217.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben Moon Photography for Yoga Pearl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyX_C3jl8CrjZwPWaFCPMtx33Kg-9FF6eBtLqXbVai6XKHjhpbIDi33ZdczukAidQmM8Ufwn2Qu-TzTzAgKjJJmwQ2ZWEYUHFGWk0AfbueKdlvySkBhSqCwufMGSCnFP_pqI3N23B9uM/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-29+at+5.57.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyX_C3jl8CrjZwPWaFCPMtx33Kg-9FF6eBtLqXbVai6XKHjhpbIDi33ZdczukAidQmM8Ufwn2Qu-TzTzAgKjJJmwQ2ZWEYUHFGWk0AfbueKdlvySkBhSqCwufMGSCnFP_pqI3N23B9uM/s320/Screen+shot+2013-03-29+at+5.57.49+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben Moon Photography for Yoga Pearl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyOx8vEeWTw6OgSgbb-gbpMbGI-U0IyvaLzZlZYKxig9nqfKgBbrbfF6_Q-8kicat781W4OS3MYQVRrxXV7byPsuoQeOMo_hHTpysgEBGo0wr7HvMjaz-CW-iN5mH9j6_iPZ56QX4fSo/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-29+at+5.58.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyOx8vEeWTw6OgSgbb-gbpMbGI-U0IyvaLzZlZYKxig9nqfKgBbrbfF6_Q-8kicat781W4OS3MYQVRrxXV7byPsuoQeOMo_hHTpysgEBGo0wr7HvMjaz-CW-iN5mH9j6_iPZ56QX4fSo/s320/Screen+shot+2013-03-29+at+5.58.19+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben Moon Photography for Yoga Pearl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiJA1ZsWvYwtXWj4ZBnNpLglPj3Cj2XZ8GPuQqoWANL2LkqZULFQGbWrkjmogOtpffPl9pTJEhu1cOBMgzKzeIj7iJCcFTo_AHDmz6lXWXhlzsHMPvz70VwnKSc1zZIA8US0oxDiCgok/s1600/IMG_0666.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiJA1ZsWvYwtXWj4ZBnNpLglPj3Cj2XZ8GPuQqoWANL2LkqZULFQGbWrkjmogOtpffPl9pTJEhu1cOBMgzKzeIj7iJCcFTo_AHDmz6lXWXhlzsHMPvz70VwnKSc1zZIA8US0oxDiCgok/s320/IMG_0666.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxT7_OjzpY4BJtsBKwi0DG9XU1bK-AYVeAxmPvUBcsUWz8jaoAE4mgNXJFvY5yWoYtJOQMvjoFSGxELiGkh8Fh45zz42Z5WUuzmoGHCisDYFJOxEr7yS3WmFrJtNVpB_F40A_qDA4Obc/s1600/IMG_0681.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxT7_OjzpY4BJtsBKwi0DG9XU1bK-AYVeAxmPvUBcsUWz8jaoAE4mgNXJFvY5yWoYtJOQMvjoFSGxELiGkh8Fh45zz42Z5WUuzmoGHCisDYFJOxEr7yS3WmFrJtNVpB_F40A_qDA4Obc/s320/IMG_0681.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Keith Apland</td></tr>
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<br />yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-53557179447285490292013-04-30T14:16:00.001-07:002013-04-30T14:16:24.083-07:00Gurunista Gayhle<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WE NEED YOUR HELP!</b></div>
<br />
Last January, I met yoga teacher and actress Diane Hudock in LA. She told me about her hilarious idea to make a yoga comedy and I told her I knew just the person to help her out. My husband is a writer and director, and although he had never dabbled in the world of comedy, I knew he'd be perfect. Five months later, Diane came to Portland and we filmed the first episode of Gurunista Gayhle. With no budget to work with, it was a challenge to say the least, but we were so happy with the end result and the response from the viewers that we decided we had to do more! We played around with ideas about how to make the dream a reality and decided to do a Kickstarter campaign. With your help, we plan to make two more episodes. We have reached the halfway mark, but still have more than $1,400 to go with only four days left to do it!<br />
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We (Diane, Keith and I) are asking for your help and support. Please take a moment to watch the first episode if you haven't already, and check out Diane's video as well as read about what we're doing. Any amount, large or small, will help this project get made. Thanks for looking!<br />
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Here's our Kickstarter link: <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2081045858/gurunista-gayhle" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2081045858/gurunista-gayhle</a><br />
<br />
Watch the first episode here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwyWzeSVtQw&oq=gurunist&gs_l=youtube..0.5j35i39j0.190.893.0.2358.8.6.0.0.0.0.222.824.1j4j1.6.0.ytns%2Cpt%3D-27%2Cn%3D2..0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.cGOo6qRvbbc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwyWzeSVtQw&oq=gurunist&gs_l=youtube..0.5j35i39j0.190.893.0.2358.8.6.0.0.0.0.222.824.1j4j1.6.0.ytns%2Cpt%3D-27%2Cn%3D2..0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.cGOo6qRvbbc</a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">namaste.</span> </div>
yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-26875436527746676912013-04-08T16:48:00.002-07:002013-04-08T16:48:59.717-07:00trail running<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyG68tPOLNPSAeasjNYOH47-8cr7LZzGoipOkSl3BOrqNpe3IJVhav50r1q9OMAsumpwB0BtmQdtSkdeYlb9SkDduu7EORmvCcVr4vcVugj-ittgCa4TH-Q8SuKdXsCopG8MHSq5DbyU/s1600/photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyG68tPOLNPSAeasjNYOH47-8cr7LZzGoipOkSl3BOrqNpe3IJVhav50r1q9OMAsumpwB0BtmQdtSkdeYlb9SkDduu7EORmvCcVr4vcVugj-ittgCa4TH-Q8SuKdXsCopG8MHSq5DbyU/s320/photo.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken this afternoon on my muddy, rainy, glorious run.</td></tr>
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10 reasons why I'm in love with trail running right now:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I love being in the forest.</li>
<li>It's nearly impossible to think about anything other than RIGHT NOW when you're dodging roots, rocks and mud holes. </li>
<li>It's not boring.</li>
<li>It feels better than running on cement, and definitely better than running on a treadmill.</li>
<li>I don't have to dodge cars, or worry about being hit by one.</li>
<li>I get to connect with nature and recharge.</li>
<li>No stopping at stop lights or signs.</li>
<li>Great for interval training with so many hills.</li>
<li>It makes me feel like a superhero. </li>
<li>I look forward to it.</li>
</ul>
yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-4247734623073227272013-03-18T18:00:00.001-07:002013-03-18T18:00:30.625-07:00citrus ginger green smoothie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7UMJgkEczV6SseNJN8kobOidX_7ggf15pNK-Z0Kyvpqm0vW-lY3pGAsCDGeo7vdtpGo3o2Q3o_SfZuXS8O6G99TR7NlXCaRuVGvpPwB6-MBLIWp6VMPvc38MZJvBDFJk8EBAPzgn_IQ/s1600/photo-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7UMJgkEczV6SseNJN8kobOidX_7ggf15pNK-Z0Kyvpqm0vW-lY3pGAsCDGeo7vdtpGo3o2Q3o_SfZuXS8O6G99TR7NlXCaRuVGvpPwB6-MBLIWp6VMPvc38MZJvBDFJk8EBAPzgn_IQ/s320/photo-1.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
I love ginger and am surprised it's taken me this long to start experimenting with adding it to my smoothies. So glad I did! This smoothie is just the perfect combination of citrusy, gingery goodness. Here's the recipe:<br />
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<ul>
<li>unsweetened almond milk (not sure how much, maybe 8 oz?)</li>
<li>one small, sliced Gala apple (skin on)</li>
<li>big handful of spinach</li>
<li>juice of a whole lemon</li>
<li>peeled navel orange</li>
<li>one small banana</li>
<li>1/4 tsp ginger root powder</li>
</ul>
yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-8542252400484896892013-03-13T23:54:00.002-07:002013-03-14T08:35:18.829-07:00reflections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishGMLtS6EystieLexJ7krYlXmkDMz05CBneAAA92cjR0TjsXGz8G3X7U53lIwrvwUZJ-2t48SiiEjnNAlBzVFCAcfXYXyoPi6syBV_dDYXuYOovskBV-3V3Ovz0bABqTz8USbr49odGQ/s1600/photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishGMLtS6EystieLexJ7krYlXmkDMz05CBneAAA92cjR0TjsXGz8G3X7U53lIwrvwUZJ-2t48SiiEjnNAlBzVFCAcfXYXyoPi6syBV_dDYXuYOovskBV-3V3Ovz0bABqTz8USbr49odGQ/s320/photo.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I met Arlene Bjork in the summer of 2008. My meeting her coincided with the beginning of my yoga teacher training and I remember thinking, wow. I want to be like her. The first time I laid eyes on her she was doing the splits up a wall as a warm up for the class she was about to teach. Her asana practice was nothing short of amazing. People throw the word amazing around all the time, but I really mean it. She was the first person I ever saw go into a scorpion forearm balance and it seemed physically impossible. I hadn't even known a pose like that existed before. I was just in complete awe of her practice and her confidence as a teacher. Through her, I discovered Jivamukti Yoga. A native New Yorker herself, she was good friends with Julie Kirkpatrick and Jules Febre (rockstar Jivamukti teachers in NYC) so she brought them down to teach at her studio in Richmond. Julie and Jules are mother and son and their teachings blew me away. They taught me my favorite Sanskrit chant, which I now have tattooed on me, and inspired me to be a strong and powerful, yet graceful and compassionate teacher. The following month, I traveled to New York City and skipped a dinner out with the girls to meander my way through the city and take a class with Jules. It was his birthday. Class was packed. Julie was there too giving an in class private. Afterward, the class presented Jules with a vegan birthday cake (Jivamukti is big into the vegan lifestyle). He was so young, yet knew so much as he had been brought up in the yogic tradition. He was utterly adored by his students and rightfully so. I thought, how could I ever be this good? When he and Julie visited Richmond, they told us that when they first met Arlene her hips were so tight that she looked like she was making a phone call when she sat in baddha konasana. I was shocked, I guess I just thought she came out of the womb in lotus pose or something. I remember thinking that I would never be as good at yoga as <i>any</i> my teachers. I also remember thinking that once I could do a scorpion forearm balance like Arlene, I'd be a true yogi. How silly, right? What a naive, young little thing I was. But I thought it. I also thought that teachers and yogis of this caliber must just walk around feeling like a total badass all the time. How could you possibly have a bad day if you can balance on your hands or stand on your head? I really felt this way. Let me also remind you that I was 22 and living in Richmond, VA. At the time, there was not much of a yoga community there. Arlene was our resident rockstar yogi and I had not even one friend (other than one of my teachers who befriended me and took me under her wing) who practiced yoga. Yoga was much less popular then, even though it was only 5 years ago. It has since exploded, maybe you've noticed? ;)</div>
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Fast forward five years. I now live in Portland, OR and hit the ground (or the mat, rather!) running as soon as I completed my 200 hours of teacher training. I haven't been keeping track, but I can say with confidence that in my five years I have accumulated <i>at least</i> 1,000 hours of experience teaching, not to mention the hours I've put into my personal practice. My 22 year old self would look at my 27 year old self like she looked at Arlene Bjork. Okay, maybe not <i>that </i>much, I still can't do a scorpion forearm stand without a wall, but basically, here's what I'm trying to say. I am grateful to all of my teachers, GOD am I grateful for all of my teachers. I am grateful to everyone who has inspired and pushed me to be better, kinder, more compassionate, stronger, gentler, more flexible (both in body and in mind) and tougher. I am grateful for all the many times I've experienced failure and discomfort, either mentally or physically in my practice or my teaching career. Theses people and these experiences have molded me into the teacher and woman I am right now. Whew- felt like I needed to say that before anything else. What I <i>really</i> want to tell you is that while I can make some pretty impressive shapes with my body, I still don't walk around feeling like a total badass all the time. I still have bad days. Sure, sometimes I do feel pretty rad, and I have plenty of good days, great days even! But I equate those feelings to my overall practice as a whole, not just the physical aspect of it. I now realize that all I've done is scratch the surface of what yoga is all about. There are countless postures that are still out of reach for me, but who cares? That's only a sliver of what yoga's about. I try with all my heart and soul to follow all the 8 limbs of yoga as best I can. I strive to be a good human being who contributes to this planet and serves others. I will say that I feel stronger, more confident and empowered because of my physical yoga practice, but it doesn't make or break me as a person. </div>
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Sadly, Arlene passed away on October 31st, 2009. I still think of her often, especially when I tell my students to stay encouraged, as she would so sweetly remind us all the time, or when I have them hold plank for way longer than they even think is within their realm of capability. </div>
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It is my hope that I inspire others the way Arlene, Julie, Jules and all my other phenomenal teachers of the past and present continue to inspire me. If you are a new teacher reading this, please stay true to your authentic self. Be inspired all you want, but don't strive to be like another teacher. Instead, strive to be the truest and most pure version of yourself. What could be better than that? </div>
yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-59376150275245873072013-02-27T20:35:00.001-08:002013-02-27T20:35:32.330-08:00new playlistIt's no secret that I <i>love </i>music. Here's a new playlist I created today using Spotify. It has a lounge-like ambient feel, without making you want to go to sleep. Check it out!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Amon Tobin :: Easy Muffin</b></div>
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<b>Amon Tobin :: At The End Of The Day</b></div>
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<b>Little Dragon :: Ritual Union</b></div>
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<b>Thievery Corporation :: Until The Morning</b></div>
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<b>Blockhead :: Insomniac Olympics</b></div>
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<b>Da Lata :: Pra Manha</b></div>
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<b>Blockhead :: It's Raining Clouds</b></div>
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<b>Sylvia Striplin :: You Can't Turn Me Away</b></div>
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<b>Leroy Hutson :: Cool Out</b></div>
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<b>Bonobo :: Terrapin</b></div>
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<b>Desert Dwellers :: Union</b></div>
yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-10669051000203829142013-02-08T17:34:00.000-08:002013-02-08T17:34:33.988-08:00vacation recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QMboFDKIUb_wrSVkqjXi0JWJZaaus8OjopZYObWZSieNkvB4jQElvG0_ocbzIpkQkg5nAgWPrZ8gOms3rwXzXnvakBEAGla792gvNGvRoH0-W-cIFiXOSTi9bT5q5CxABBW2KLvxCyc/s1600/IMG_4822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QMboFDKIUb_wrSVkqjXi0JWJZaaus8OjopZYObWZSieNkvB4jQElvG0_ocbzIpkQkg5nAgWPrZ8gOms3rwXzXnvakBEAGla792gvNGvRoH0-W-cIFiXOSTi9bT5q5CxABBW2KLvxCyc/s320/IMG_4822.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Bowl at Skibowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am home from a most excellent mountain vacation with my husband and a few of our dearest Portland friends. I was chatting on the phone with my aunt about it today as I was out and about running errands and I told her I never thought I'd be able to afford anything I would classify as a dream vacation, but this was it. I told her how much we loved that our cabin was in the middle of the forest and had a nice kitchen so we could bring our own food and not have to leave. We loved cooking and sharing meals together, and waking up and having coffee and smoothies together in the morning. There was a hot tub on the deck and after we came home from snowshoeing and snowboarding for the day, we immediately poured wine and hopped in together and swapped stories about our adventures from that day. Last night, six of us piled on the couch to watch a movie under cozy blankets. We listened to good music. We did some yoga. We danced a little. There were no expectations. We had nowhere to be, no one to impress and it really felt like all of us were able to unwind and fully relax, something we all needed. My aunt pointed out that it sounded like my dream vacation wasn't about money at all, but more about the connectivity with close friends, the forest and the mountain. I realized that she was completely right and it made me feel grateful that I feel grateful for simple things! There were no arguments between anyone, no discussions about where to go to dinner, who should wear what, how to split the check at a restaurant, none of that. It was such a refreshing and invigorating vacation. Not to mention, it was only an hours drive from Portland so we didn't even have any travel related stress.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjZMOJlAr-TtSBnEL_7ELcRVESwhemKOuBDx5YILkYPLVPloJLH91CUDYItPV9bOrDjyUE0hk666oItGVgBUpV3FJ-GuG56fkOrfa6NH1Vy5erphOMhGZbNQ0h209iiWU1cwebE59k_k/s1600/64832_10151414794499443_679412792_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjZMOJlAr-TtSBnEL_7ELcRVESwhemKOuBDx5YILkYPLVPloJLH91CUDYItPV9bOrDjyUE0hk666oItGVgBUpV3FJ-GuG56fkOrfa6NH1Vy5erphOMhGZbNQ0h209iiWU1cwebE59k_k/s320/64832_10151414794499443_679412792_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lenticular cloud over Mt. Hood, February 6th, 2013</td></tr>
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My husband took the top photo of me at Skibowl yesterday. It was an amazing day. The snow was light and fluffy and for the first time ever, I was able to let go of some of the fear I have around linking tight turns. I had always refused to even try it because I was scared. If I ever gave myself permission to give it a shot, I wouldn't fully commit and would end up turning on my back edge at the last minute to avoid falling. But once I let go of the fear (and allowed myself to fall a few times), I did it. I wondered why I had never been able to do it before since it seemed like it was just a subtle shift of weight that allowed me to turn while still maintaining a sense of control, balance and ease. Fear is funny that way. It can be paralyzing and fill your heart with self doubt. There are so many great quotes about fear, but for now I think this one sums it up: "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy." -Dale Carnegie<span class="huge bqQuoteLink"></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8HXkcMM9oVjiCkAxTRbdN0R0UM_U3zxtI-TOHLleAkko5G4vqcGaQJuBZQaaRhUBnJAqIsf4qoL-DpAY2VsqAbN_MWbc7NEWxfihp7O5pw89jsXkNNi77bQ4II3JeLm9yauVcIQUG14/s1600/IMG_4808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8HXkcMM9oVjiCkAxTRbdN0R0UM_U3zxtI-TOHLleAkko5G4vqcGaQJuBZQaaRhUBnJAqIsf4qoL-DpAY2VsqAbN_MWbc7NEWxfihp7O5pw89jsXkNNi77bQ4II3JeLm9yauVcIQUG14/s320/IMG_4808.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our sweet little Podunk Cabin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4zQm8HdWasA8A8JNZncT4yVuFw7S-rzjZccG-JtY9Rswu7OjqdwnlFee0o_2WP4mZbztFW3zL685sjKImHjpNTwtklJXFMpL7pQG9_4p5PcG_onzB765ar3y9KYKnfby5PWz4lxDHTk/s1600/IMG_4803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4zQm8HdWasA8A8JNZncT4yVuFw7S-rzjZccG-JtY9Rswu7OjqdwnlFee0o_2WP4mZbztFW3zL685sjKImHjpNTwtklJXFMpL7pQG9_4p5PcG_onzB765ar3y9KYKnfby5PWz4lxDHTk/s320/IMG_4803.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keith and I at the top of the Lower Bowl chair lift.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg-A4oo8cwANaZL6jgonqjU2mxdEU4IsYLHJA_sfdrroKKy8zoOdExir0c3jhjHhtKKKQv8h3lbV6J30BLo4EUkLqgaH_7ODPxyw0MoYJoRsIc67trw5LMe-vsN3yGeiMeMOPBdA2tTs/s1600/IMG_4813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg-A4oo8cwANaZL6jgonqjU2mxdEU4IsYLHJA_sfdrroKKy8zoOdExir0c3jhjHhtKKKQv8h3lbV6J30BLo4EUkLqgaH_7ODPxyw0MoYJoRsIc67trw5LMe-vsN3yGeiMeMOPBdA2tTs/s320/IMG_4813.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The roads in the forest are a little different than Portland.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
What I took from this relatively short but very sweet vacation was worth every penny and more that we spent on the cabin rental. I had been so tightly wound prior to this trip that I almost didn't even want to go anymore. We planned the trip before we planned to move and I was stressed. All I wanted to do was stay home and unpack boxes, but my spirit felt stuck and I didn't even realize it. As soon as I stepped out of the car on the first day and took my first breath of mountain air, I felt myself unravel a bit in the most perfect of ways. My soul felt cleansed and my spirit free. I don't need fancy things, lavish vacations or any of that stuff. What I need is what I already have. <br />
<br />yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-56853922569427197742013-01-22T14:31:00.002-08:002013-01-22T14:31:37.627-08:00Mad Love<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vPYk_bKNags" width="560"></iframe><br />yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-38234364310547897252013-01-21T16:09:00.002-08:002013-01-21T16:09:37.308-08:00MondayMy move is happening this week, and I'm taking these last few days in my neighborhood to soak it all in. True, I will only be a few miles away, but realistically I will not drive over here and search for parking so I can go on my favorite walks or grab a latte at my favorite coffee shop. At least not very often.<br />
<br />
Today was such a beautiful morning. Sunny, bright and crisp! I took a nice long walk through the hills and made plenty of stops to close my eyes, breathe deeply and take it all in. It was a frosty morning, so it was refreshing and relaxing to hear the gentle crunch under my feet with each step, hear the birds chirping and the rumblings of the city in the distance. Usually when I go for walks, I listen to my iPod, but today I wanted to be extra present and it was really nice. Then I had a coffee date with my husband at our favorite little shop. What a nice day! I am loving all this Portland winter sunshine.<br />
<br />
Tonight I'm teaching vinyasa at Pearl 24 at 7:30pm, and I have a fun new playlist! Join if you can :) yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-47279051263103564512013-01-17T15:38:00.000-08:002013-01-17T15:38:01.624-08:00ch-ch-changes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHJY7N_RJqb6REAl23g8rZe-QxijP-wUjRpEvwVp8w0g52DZp1TcXJUL-l7yZsl5_MwiSQ_oyeJG7KlKs67yKA2UvIhRBIkHrM4S8RXquIbJSMWZc1ATnVJNGvzMZweePxevIbbGNVHE/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHJY7N_RJqb6REAl23g8rZe-QxijP-wUjRpEvwVp8w0g52DZp1TcXJUL-l7yZsl5_MwiSQ_oyeJG7KlKs67yKA2UvIhRBIkHrM4S8RXquIbJSMWZc1ATnVJNGvzMZweePxevIbbGNVHE/s320/-1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
My husband and I have been wanting to move for at least three years now. We live in a very lively section of downtown Portland, Oregon and dislike it for several reasons. Parking is a nightmare, it's loud (between all the people on the street, the major league soccer stadium next door and sometimes obnoxious neighbors) and it just never really felt like home to me. He already lived in the apartment when I moved here from Virginia, so I just moved in with him. The place itself is fine, it's just the fact that we didn't choose and create it together that has always bothered me. Also, silly things bothered me like the couch (it's not deep enough and therefore it is uncomfortable because my long legs hang off of it when I lay down). Side note about the couch: I told my aunt the other day that I had to twist myself up like a pretzel in order to fit on it comfortably and she said, where there is one good thing about that- you <i>can </i>twist yourself up like a pretzel so it shouldn't be much of a problem. Oh, the good old flip of perspective.<br />
<br />
We vowed recently that we would move before MLS games started again for the season. After talking about moving for so long, I took my own vow with a grain of salt. I looked at a couple places and was unimpressed. Most of the places on Craigslist were available immediately and we couldn't afford to pay rent for two places for a whole month, and the one place I found that worked with our time frame was outrageously priced and I didn't even like it. My search left me feeling discouraged and defeated. <br />
<br />
Then I remembered that we had some friends who lived in an apartment that we loved a couple years ago. As soon as we walked into their apartment, we both loved it and wished we lived there. I called the place and got some info and decided to go view it on my own without my husband. One thing about me, I am a bit of a 'screener'. Of course my husband needs to be happy as well, but if I don't like the place there's no point in him even seeing it. So again, with a grain of salt I went to see the place. I loved it right away. It had almost everything on our 'want list' and I easily pictured myself living there. After he got off work, I scooped him up, took him to see the place and within minutes we were filling out paperwork to move. I was happy, but immediately felt this sense of panic wash over me. Moving is expensive, our current apartment has been my home for four years, it was the place we came home to after our wedding, my friends and family have been to visit, it's just been all I've known for so long that moving makes me feel anxious. Another thing about me, I'm an instant gratification type of girl. I wish we could have started moving right away, but we had three weeks (which is now down to eight days) to wait. <br />
<br />
The process of moving has been weighing heavy on me. I found out there was a wait list for one bedrooms in our building. That made me wonder if we were making the right decision. I thought to myself, "If our apartment is in such high demand maybe it's not so bad after all and we should just stay?". Another couple who has been sharing a studio in our building came to look at it. I liked their energy and wanted them to take our places in our little love nest. They didn't. Then another guy came to check it out. He was okay. Here's <i>another </i>thing about me- I obsessively read the energy of other people. I can't help it. Not only the energy of other people, but the energy of spaces I'm in too. I didn't think his energy was right for the space, but who am I to tell him that? Plus, why do I even care? That's another story for another day. I think he decided to take it, we haven't been asked to show the apartment again.<br />
<br />
A few days ago, I started packing. That picture of boxes above has doubled in size since I took that photo and it's stressing me out. The space is small and the energy in there is all over the place. Plus, I knocked our lamp over and broke it so now we have no light in the living room until we move. Everything is so scattered and I am having a really hard time. I can't wait to be in the new space, but to be honest, in this moment I am feeling far more stressed out than excited. My husband is very calm and I can't understand it. I have a weaker constitution than he does and I easily get knocked out of balance.<br />
<br />
Another decision we've made is to finally take the plunge and buy new furniture. I've never owned new furniture and neither has my husband. Yesterday we picked out our new couch and coffee table and let me just say that the couch is everything I could ever want, and the coffee table is to die for. There is no way I won't be comfortable in my new living room. As soon as I saw it I visualized myself curled up under a blanket with a glass of wine in my hand and my feet propped up. Not a bad visualization! After that big purchase, I dropped my husband off at work. As soon as I was alone in the car I screamed. And then I cried. While all of these changes are for the better, they are still big changes and I'm having a difficult time processing them all at once. God bless my husband for staying so calm in the midst of this storm. If he were freaking out too, I would <i>really </i>be losing my shit. <br />
<br />
On top of all of this, I have been following a gluten free/dairy free diet since September and with everything up in the air, I am craving foods that are familiar to me, but that don't make me feel good.<br />
<br />
I think it's safe to say that I am feeling overwhelmed. I feel the weight of the world is resting on my shoulders and I need it to stop. The move is coming up very soon, and for that I am grateful, but with the move comes all sorts of things like getting rid of things, unpacking, possibly painting, changing our address and all of our utilities, etc. I need the move to happen now. You'd think a yoga girl would be more patient. In some ways I am, but this way is not one of them. Also, we have a wonderful mountain vacation planned with some of our best friends next month, but that's now also starting to stress me out because when we planned it, we didn't know we would be moving. 10 days after we move, we are leaving for five days.<br />
<br />
When I am feeling this way, I do things to make myself feel better. I run, I practice yoga, I bust my ass on the stairmaster, I go snowboarding, I close my eyes and breathe, I teach yoga, I have coffee with a friend, I allow myself more wiggle room with diet and exercise without abandoning either, etc. But I feel that all of those things are only temporary escapes and all the things that stress me out are waiting for me as soon as I return. <br />
<br />
The good news is that I know this feeling will not last forever. There is an end point. In my yoga practice, when I'm holding something longer than I want to, I make the choice to embrace the pose, soften my rigid mind and watch my breath. If it gets really intense, I remind myself with each breath in and each breath out that this is not forever. One of my teachers told me last night that there is a difference between pain and discomfort. When something is painful, you come out of it. But when something is uncomfortable, wrap yourself around your breath and breathe through it. Learn the difference. There will be many uncomfortable moments both on your mat and in your life. Chill out and learn to embrace them. It is my intention to treat this challenging time in my life the same way I treat a challenging pose on my mat. <br />
<br />
Namaste, y'all ;) <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-16962994652898001222012-11-28T15:39:00.001-08:002012-12-11T10:18:23.150-08:00My Top 5 Gift Picks For The Yogi in Your Life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lPUTxSFm07eWvBo9GaJLIaLvLH26HXkPR3n_56cpQnDZZfYmqxBikSGRuOfVfNfunPQM6M2qqtbmYg7B5eLrLUN68zxdnD_vYB7Uw2Ekn1dhEnfYRlwH24T6ovJPe9rGsBxKJ8ZHdD0/s1600/OM-holiday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lPUTxSFm07eWvBo9GaJLIaLvLH26HXkPR3n_56cpQnDZZfYmqxBikSGRuOfVfNfunPQM6M2qqtbmYg7B5eLrLUN68zxdnD_vYB7Uw2Ekn1dhEnfYRlwH24T6ovJPe9rGsBxKJ8ZHdD0/s320/OM-holiday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you <a href="http://www.yogadudes.com/">www.yogadudes.com</a> for this image! Check out their site for more great yoga gifts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Whether the yogi on your shopping list is just starting out or a full blown yoga goddess, here are five gift ideas you can't go wrong with...<br />
<ul>
<li>A subscription to <a href="http://www.yogaglo.com/" target="_blank">Yogaglo</a>. For only $18 a month, this is a wonderful gift for a yogi of any level. The subscription includes unlimited access to hundreds, probably more like thousands of yoga classes ranging in length from 5-90 minutes. You can take meditation classes, classes for a sore back, classes to kick your ass, classes for injured shoulders, the list just goes on and on. Plus, the teachers are phenomenal (Kathryn Budig, Tiffany Cruikshank, Elena Brower, Jason Crandell and many more). </li>
<li>A nice yoga mat. I would never splurge on a nice mat for myself, but I sure didn't mind using a gift card I got for Christmas last year on one (two, actually)! I recommend anything by Manduka. Of course there are other great brands too, I just happen to be the author of this blog and my preference is Manduka ;) I own the Black Mat Pro ($94) and the eKO Lite ($46). You can read more information and my review of these mats <a href="http://yogaseedpdx.blogspot.com/2012/01/mat-reviews.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If you're yogi is extra tall, Manduka also makes an extra long mat. Perfect!</li>
<li>A high quality blender. I hear great things about the Vitamix, but I have <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/kitchenaid-ksb560-blender-5-speed?ID=199462&CategoryID=46710&swatchColor=Empire%20Red#fn=BRAND%3DKitchenAid%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D10%26ruleId%3D66%26slotId%3D4" target="_blank">this Kitchenaid</a> ($130) that I've never had a complaint about. I use it almost daily for smoothies and have also used it to make sauces and soup. In my opinion, no kitchen is complete without one of these. </li>
<li>A beautiful mala from <a href="http://www.lovetinydevotions.com/" target="_blank">Tiny Devotions</a>. They have so many malas, you are sure to find the perfect one. <a href="http://shop.lovetinydevotions.com/collections/108-bead-malas/products/tiffany-cruikshank-mala" target="_blank">I love this one, called the Tiffany Cruishank mala.</a> 10% of the proceeds go directly to The Girl Effect, an effort to end poverty and sex slavery for adolescent girls worldwide. </li>
<li>A pair of <a href="http://shop.lululemon.com/products/category/wunder-unders?mnid=mn;women;wunderunders" target="_blank">Lululemon Wunder Unders</a>. These leggings are great for yoga, lounging, hiking, wearing under snow pants, dresses... I really love them. At $82, they're a bit spendy, but they're comfortable, durable and oh so versatile. What more could you ask for? They come in a rainbow of colors, but if you're in doubt, go for the plain black. Classic. </li>
</ul>
yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-5730069428748686792012-10-16T14:40:00.001-07:002012-10-16T14:40:41.679-07:00easy, healthy and tasty recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF9Dy5JlbVGqIQu5cHnd-U8h1pDQMzc4tpbCBnWvFG5pIQRX6YKgrIulE99kOOZS_w03i-8-EfvXY3c22TXaLLsSQk6JNjJzb2mxixJrOiBDY-yWtppGpGGdSmuLTyO2dSaqaIepbqGA/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF9Dy5JlbVGqIQu5cHnd-U8h1pDQMzc4tpbCBnWvFG5pIQRX6YKgrIulE99kOOZS_w03i-8-EfvXY3c22TXaLLsSQk6JNjJzb2mxixJrOiBDY-yWtppGpGGdSmuLTyO2dSaqaIepbqGA/s320/-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This, my friends, is what I like to call a yum yum bowl. There are no specific ingredients, I just use whatever I have. It's called a yum yum bowl because, well, it's really yummy and also really good for you. Both body and mind are satisfied by a yum yum bowl. Typically they contain short grain brown rice/quinoa (either or, sometimes both), kale & a veggie or two. Sometimes I throw in nuts or seeds too (like today). I share this with you because, as I've mentioned before, I never cooked or even felt inspired to try it until this past January when I was visiting a friend in Los Angeles. She inspired me to the core and taught me that healthy cooking doesn't need to be complicated. My hope is that someone else who hates to cook or doesn't know how, but wants to eat nutritious and nourishing foods, will see this and be inspired the same way I was. Here's how to make this little gem (serves two):<br />
<br />
Start by preheating your oven to 350. Wash your (organic) yam and chop it into little chunks. Put it in on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil (coconut oil works too) then sprinkle it with cinnamon (you can leave that out, but it's a powerful anti-inflammatory so I like to always add it). Mix it all together with your hands and toss it in the oven for 35 minutes. <br />
<br />
Boil 1 cup of water, then add 1/2 cup of brown rice or quinoa. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer. Rice takes about 30-35 minutes to cook, quinoa takes less. So easy... once it's soaked up all the water, its done.<br />
<br />
While all that's going on, wash and slice a zucchini (organic!) and wash and chop your kale. Any sort of organic kale will do. I like a lot of kale in my yum yum bowls so I used 4 leaves. Then get a pan, put <i>a little</i> olive oil in it and put it on the stove. Once the yam has about 10 minutes left, I turn the heat on medium/low and toss the zucchini in. After a few minutes I turn the heat down to low and when there's just about 2 minutes left, I put the kale in. I like my greens and veggies very lightly sauteed, really just warmed up. Once you add everything to your yum yum bowl, the heat of the rice or quinoa will make it wilt a little too, so don't overdo it in the pan. <br />
<br />
Lastly, once everything is done put the rice in your bowl, then add your kale and zucchini, then the yam, sprinkle with sea salt (I love Selina Naturally's Celtic Sea Salt) and put a small handful of raw sunflower seeds in too. Then mix it all together and enjoy!<br />
<br />
Other things I like to add to yum yum bowls:<br />
<ul>
<li>walnuts</li>
<li>nutritional yeast flakes</li>
<li>avocado</li>
<li>fresh lemon juice</li>
<li>almonds</li>
<li>red, yellow or orange bell peppers</li>
<li>yellow squash</li>
<li>garlic</li>
<li>beans would be good, but I don't eat them</li>
<li>beets</li>
<li>green onion</li>
</ul>
Another perk... this dish is naturally free of gluten & dairy. yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-50913906348113086752012-10-15T20:09:00.000-07:002012-10-15T20:09:01.972-07:00current class scheduleIt's a really good thing I'm better at teaching yoga than I am at keeping up with this blog. Here's my current class schedule...<br />
<br />
Monday<br />
12:00 Adidas (vinyasa)<br />
5:00-6:15 Yoga Pearl (vinyasa, subbing for Sarah Lakey through mid-November)<br />
<br />
Tuesday<br />
5:30 Adidas (yoga for runners)<br />7:00 Sunset Community Yoga (gentle/restorative)<br />
<br />
Wednesday<br />
7:00 24 Hour Fitness McLoughlin (vinyasa)<br />
<br />
Thursday<br />
5:30 Adidas (yoga for runners)<br />
7:30 24 Hour Fitness Pearl District (vinyasa)<br />
<br />
Friday<br />
6:00-7:15 Yoga Pearl (power vinyasa)<br />
<br />yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-68871352667783836962012-10-15T20:00:00.003-07:002012-10-15T20:00:59.015-07:00new playlistThis is a new playlist I made for a 75 minute vinyasa class. If I had to describe its overall vibe in two words, I'd use ambient and chill. Not upbeat, but not going to put you to sleep, either (until you hit savasana!). <br />
<br />
Jonathan Goldman: Waters of Life / Sacral<br />
The XX: Angels<br />
The Album Leaf: On a Plain (Nirvana cover)<br />
The XX: Tides<br />
Phaeleh: Afterglow<br />
Yael Naim: Toxic (Britney Spears cover)<br />
Thievery Corporation: The Moon, The Sky<br />
Phaeleh: Should Be True<br />
The XX: Try<br />
The American Dollar: DEA (Ambient)<br />
Maxence Cyrin: Where Is My Mind (Pixies cover)<br />
Jonsi & Alex: Indian Summer<br />
Rara Avis: Om Pranayogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-49186113306693861842012-07-30T09:16:00.001-07:002012-07-30T09:17:52.190-07:00class schedule this week<u>Monday (7/30)</u><br />
12:00-1:00 / Adidas (vinyasa)<br />
5:00-6:15 / Yoga Pearl (vinyasa)<br />
<br />
<u>Tuesday (7/31)</u><br />
9:30-11:00 / Yoga Pearl (power vinyasa)<br />
2:00-3:00 / Yoga Pearl (community vinyasa $10)<br />
5:30-6:30 / Adidas (vinyasa)<br />
7:15-8:15 / Sunset Community Yoga<br />
<br />
<u>Wednesday (8/1)</u><br />
7:00-8:00pm / 24 Hour Fitness McLoughlin (vinyasa)<br />
<br />
<u>Thursday (8/2)</u><br />
2:00-3:00 / Yoga Pearl (vinyasa<br />
5:30-6:30 / Adidas (vinyasa)<br />7:30-8:30 / 24 Hour Fitness Pearl (vinyasa)<br />
<br />
<u>Friday (8/3)</u><br />
12:00-1:00 / Adidas (vinyasa)<br />
6:15-7:30 / Yoga Pearl (power vinyasa)yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-14856722814640123802012-07-09T15:34:00.004-07:002012-07-09T15:36:24.296-07:00A few smoothie-making tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SoTRyiBH6ceOKEy7eXc0ra1JG8Ete-PRexBkzO2I1SrgGGO7z9L0nJXehQxXfhcql5O638JrCJrbqj0KYv2yurU9gzfcTcGzr2rPQE8-2YMW4K5mKHdg5MwQry4-PL8tq_I_D6DQTLY/s1600/insurance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SoTRyiBH6ceOKEy7eXc0ra1JG8Ete-PRexBkzO2I1SrgGGO7z9L0nJXehQxXfhcql5O638JrCJrbqj0KYv2yurU9gzfcTcGzr2rPQE8-2YMW4K5mKHdg5MwQry4-PL8tq_I_D6DQTLY/s320/insurance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br />It's no secret that I am a huge fan of green smoothies. Here are some quick and easy tips for creating the perfect blend of nutrition and taste:</b></div>
<ul>
<li>Cut the dairy! Instead of using milk or yogurt in your smoothies, try
using an alternative milk such as rice, hemp, coconut, almond or soy
(non gmo). You could also try coconut water, or even plain water
works just fine. Obviously, the more liquid you put in the blender, the thinner your drink will be. Dairy interferes with your body's absorption of iron, plus there are plenty of ways to get calcium without ingesting dairy. </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Buy organic. Yes, it really does make a difference and yes, it really is
worth the extra money. Would you really want to eat something that not
even a bug would eat? Or would you want to eat something that would kill
a bug? Would you spray Raid on your salad? I think not. Here's a list
that you should be familiar with- the clean fifteen and the dirty dozen: </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Add lots of leafy greens. Today I threw in a large handful of spinach and 4 leaves of kale. Yum!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Add nutrient-dense foods. Blueberries, spinach, kale,
avocado, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, strawberries & tomatoes are all great in smoothies and their nutrition content is through the roof. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Make sure you're using ingredients that you like and enjoy. Sounds like a no-brainer, but if you really hate bananas, don't add them to your smoothies! </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Buy fresh fruits and veggies, or pick your own if you can. I live in Oregon where there's an abundance of farmer's markets and pick-your-own farms. Instead of buying a bag of frozen fruit, I buy it fresh, cut it and freeze it myself. Usually, I don't even freeze my fruit, as I prefer to buy it in smaller quantities and use it before it goes bad. If you like your smoothies chilled, toss a few ice cubes in the blender- I find that 3-5 cubes will do the trick. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Coconut oil rocks (click <a href="http://greensmoothiegirl.com/robyn-recommendations/coconut-oil/coconut-oil-health-benefits/" target="_blank">here</a> to find out why). I add a spoonful to most of my smoothies. Another quick tip- lightly saute kale with a little bit of coconut oil, add sea salt and enjoy. So good! </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Try throwing some avocado in your smoothies. They have a nice, creamy consistency (use 1/4 - 1/2) and also have health benefits out the wazoo. Avocados aid in the prevention of several types of cancer and are loaded with vitamin E, potassium, magnesium & healthy fats. Plus, they taste fantastic. <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-2158/If-I-Could-Marry-a-Fruit-It-Would-Be-an-Avocado.html" target="_blank">Kathryn Budig agrees.</a> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Don't be afraid to experiment. <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-2883/Mojito-Smoothie.html" target="_blank">Tiffany Cruikshank wrote</a>, "If you spent some time at my house you would know that when I make my <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/tag/smoothie.html">smoothie</a> in the morning I pretty much throw the entire veggie drawer in there." I have been known to do that myself. Sometimes, my smoothies look more brown than green, but it's not due to a lack of greens! </li>
</ul>
I never follow a specific recipe when making my smoothies. I do follow somewhat of a formula, but it's not an exact science. If you're new to the health smoothie world, I would recommend starting with 8-12 ounces of almond milk, a handful of greens, some fresh fruit and a spoonful of seeds (hemp, pumpkin, chia, etc). As your palate adjusts, you can try adding more veggies and less fruit.yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-57769551537476921402012-06-05T14:12:00.000-07:002012-06-05T14:12:08.235-07:00Summer Class ScheduleMonday:<br />
Adidas 12:00pm<br /><br />Tuesday: <br />Yoga Pearl (90 minute Power Vinyasa) 9:30am (subbing for Nikki Weaver)<br />Yoga Pearl (60 minute Community Vinyasa $10) 2:00pm (subbing for Nikki Weaver)<br />Adidas 5:30pm<br />
Sunset Community Yoga 7:15pm ($10, email me for more information)<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />McLoughlin 24 7:00pm<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />Yoga Pearl (90 minute Power Vinyasa) 9:30am (subbing for Nikki Weaver)<br />
Yoga Pearl (60 minute Community Vinyasa $10) 2:00pm (subbing for Nikki Weaver)<br />
Adidas 5:30pm<br />
Pearl 24 7:30pm<br />
<br />
<br />yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-16660837052564416632012-04-27T11:36:00.000-07:002012-04-27T11:36:00.684-07:00new playlist<ul>
<li>Thievery Corporation: Marching The Hate Machines</li>
<li>Stateless: Bloodstream</li>
<li>Cat Power: Maybe Not</li>
<li>Portishead: Mourning Air</li>
<li>Anya Marina: Whatever You Like</li>
<li>Sia: Breathe Me (Mylo Remix)</li>
<li>TV on the Radio: Tonight</li>
<li>Bjork: Virus</li>
<li>Mofro: Circles</li>
<li>Animal Collective: Loch Raven</li>
<li>The Album Leaf: Window</li>
<li>Thomas Newman: Any Other Name </li>
</ul>yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-51795961003430160922012-04-26T22:07:00.001-07:002012-04-26T22:07:52.041-07:00a natural way to control pain and inflammationAfter 12 days on the couch, I returned to teaching this week. I am so blissfully happy to be back on my mat and with my students. <br />
<br />
I'm currently in that weird in-between phase- I am walking on my own and have almost regained full extension of my knee, but I'm also just 2 weeks out of surgery and dealing with my fair share of pain and inflammation. It's imperative that I take care of myself now, listen to my body and not overdo it, especially since my surgeon and physical therapist told me I didn't have any physical limitations and I could return to normal activity as my body permitted. I want to get back to my normal life so bad, but I know that allowing my body to heal properly and fully is so much more important.<br />
<br />
After returning to teaching and other normal tasks (like walking to the grocery store) this week, I have really been in pain. I've been trying to control the pain and inflammation as naturally as possible because I hate taking pain medication. Last night, after teaching two classes and walking to and from the grocery store with a big bag of food, I was in need of some serious relief and ice wasn't cutting it. I decided to take one of the pain pills prescribed to me. It helped with the pain and made me very tired, but I was still unable to sleep. I remember thinking really strange thoughts, one in particular was about coriander seeds (???). Once I finally fell asleep, I woke myself up after nearly scratching my skin off. Itching is a side effect... how nice. Then I got really nauseous and I had to take a pill for that too. Beyond all that, I was unable to sleep well, so when I finally fell asleep I didn't wake up until 1pm. I woke up feeling completely high, wondering how I was going to make a business call. After talking to my mom for a bit and eating some fruit, I felt a little more normal and made the call. It turned out fine, but after being awake for only an hour and half I fell back asleep again until I had to wake up to go teach. I'm still exhausted, and will go to bed as soon as I finish this drink I made.<br />
<br />
Obviously, I am not interested in taking any more pills that will make me itchy, nauseous and restless, so after some advice from my dear <a href="http://hemalayaa.com/" target="_blank">Hemalayaa</a>, I came up with this concoction- a natural way to control pain and inflammation. Almond milk, cayenne pepper, turmeric and cinnamon. It's spicy and quite delicious, I hope it helps! It's bound to be better than the icky icky pain pill ;)<br />
<br />
To everyone who has wished me well and sent me love during this time, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am so happy to finally be (almost) on the other side of this!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Tami<br />
<br />
<br />yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-17217264102932649672012-04-23T15:26:00.001-07:002012-04-26T22:08:10.872-07:00feeling betterI had my first post-operative appointment today and I am happy to report that my knee is healing nicely. It's still lacking 8 degrees of extension, so I'll really be working on straightening it completely in the next few days, but I can't wait to get back to my normal teaching schedule tomorrow!<br />
<br />
I'm still very limited in what I can physically do, I only started walking on my own yesterday, but it feels so good to be moving forward. The surgery was only 10 days ago, but it feels like it's been forever since I've been able to practice yoga. I practiced and taught regularly throughout the past 7 months, but it was not without pain. <br />
<br />
This experience has been interesting, to say the least. Ever since the initial injury 7 months ago, I've been reminding myself that this whole happened for a reason. I didn't know the reason at the time, and to be honest, it was only something I told myself in hopes that I would eventually begin to believe it. Now that what I hope to be the hardest part is behind me, I feel like I'm starting to catch a glimpse of the bigger picture. The past 10 days have been especially introspective for me, and what I've already known has become set in stone. I love to teach and practice yoga. I love to run. I love to hike. I love to snowboard, and I <i>love</i> to dance around my apartment like a lunatic, sometimes for hours at a time. My ability to do all of these things is directly related to my happiness. <br />
<br />
I hope that you'll join me in class this week! Here's my schedule:<br />
<ul>
<li>Tuesday- Adidas 5:30</li>
<li>Wednesday- Clackamas 24 11am, McLoughlin 24 7pm</li>
<li>Thursday- Adidas 5:30, Pearl 24 7:30pm</li>
</ul>
Love,<br />
Tami <br />
<br />
<br />yogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039994649748478651.post-76845175842045282582012-04-15T20:57:00.000-07:002012-04-15T20:57:02.025-07:00surgery updateThis surgery deceived me. I was told that it was a super simple procedure, and compared to others that is probably true, but nobody warned me that although simple, it would still be tough. Post-surgery, in the hospital and on the way home, I felt pretty queasy. To be honest, I don't even remember what I did that night, but I know it involved plenty of pain medication. I was feeling pretty good and even woke up at 4am to write a blog. I spent the first half of the next day alone until my sweet friend Julia came over to hang with me. Let me just take this moment to say that there is something really nice about having a friend you're close enough with to be able come right out and tell them what you need. Initially, Julia said she was tired on Friday after work and wasn't sure. She works for OHSU and has a very busy, fast-paced job. After asking a couple other people to come sit with me that night, I told Julia that I was sorry she'd be tired but that I really did need her, and she came right over. Oh, how I love her!<br />
<br />
Julia ordered pizza for us and we laid in my bed together watching trashy TV. She helped me get through my first set of physical therapy exercises and made sure I was as comfortable as possible. At some point in the evening, my pain level shot through the roof so intensely that we had to call the doctor on call. Being that I was already drugged up and couldn't remember anything, Julia wrote down everything he said. He told me to double my dosage on the pain medication, which sounded like a good idea at the time so I did it. Because my husband got home late and we were both really tired, Julia stayed the night. She is great! <br />
<br />
Hours after taking a double dose of prescription pain medication, I woke up vomiting so hard I thought my eyes would pop out of my head. Seriously, it was that bad. This continued for several hours, which in the moment felt more like several days. Julia left in the morning and my husband sat with me until he had to leave for work at 1. The sickness never stopped. Without me even realizing what was happening, Julia arranged for one of our friend's moms to come stay with me. I got a call from Amy minutes after Julia left saying, "Are you okay? My mom is coming over!" Thank God for all these amazing people in my life. Lauri arrived right before Keith had to leave for work and I looked like death. I had no color in my face and my eyes looked empty. As awful as I felt, Lauri made me feel calm and taken care of. She made me peppermint tea to help with the nausea, and straightened up my bed every time I had to get out of it so it was always clean and fresh. She also swept my floors and opened my windows to let some fresh energy in. My primary care doctor called, seemingly out the of blue, because he said he had seen that I'd just had surgery and he wanted to see how I was feeling. After 24 hours of feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, I didn't hold back. He called in an anti-nausea drug for me and Lauri went to pick it up. Shortly after taking it, I was starting to feel a bit better. I was able to finally finish my tea and also eat some carrots. The vomit throwing hell ride had finally ended. I only took two of the pills, but I'd say the $17 I paid for that medicine was some of the best money I've ever spent.<br />
<br />
After things had calmed down, Holly, a yoga student of mine, brought me some delicious food. Lauri pointed out that the food came from someone who really knew me. It was this glorious dish of quinoa, rainbow chard, black beans and corn, in addition to a bowl of yummy greens with baked yams, onions, sweet bell peppers, avocado, and pine nuts. Also, a package of plain greek yogurt (which I use as a sour cream substitute) and some dressing for the salad. It tasted like heaven it was so nice to not have to think about food. She also brought tulips, which look beautiful on my coffee table and make me smile every time I hobble in there.<br />
<br />
Today I woke up with what I would easily classify as the worst headache I have ever had in my life, but midway through the day, it seemed to ease up. My brain still feels foggy and I'm still feeling a bit of pain, but I feel like I am finally starting to feel like a normal human again. I still can't walk without crutches, but I am super thankful to not be feeling nauseous or dealing with a massive headache.<br />
<br />
The point of this blog is not to whine about how crappy this has been (although it did feel pretty good to let some of that out), but more to emphasize the importance of having good people in your life. I have wondered several times through this process what I would have done without certain people. Even friends and family from far away comforted me with super sweet and loving texts and phone calls. This experience has also been a great reminder for me to slow down, take a step back and realize all the wonderful things my body does for me on a daily basis. I have been so hard on myself, asking myself questions like "Why am I not walking yet?!" and "Why does it still hurt?!". Even though it was a relatively simple surgery, it is still a surgery. Surgeries are not simple and painless. I actually thought I would be walking the day after the surgery, when in reality, I hadn't even experienced the worst part by then. I can now officially say, I think, that I am glad to be over the hump. I look forward to returning to my yoga practice and teaching, but I am also taking sufficient time off to rest. I will return to my normal teaching schedule on Tuesday, April 24th. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4XyPwHAsuK98jyj70ChlDGzoHm2tKmqwPvr3zySEtdfLBYR-cEi0n74PI6iNmvzPbKrMejcLFLBlZhn5xz880u66zFZh9rOhuskufH3pBYVauzxBVTU3FB4vDkDWnyYCOXKpQ0OkjAE/s1600/IMG_1875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4XyPwHAsuK98jyj70ChlDGzoHm2tKmqwPvr3zySEtdfLBYR-cEi0n74PI6iNmvzPbKrMejcLFLBlZhn5xz880u66zFZh9rOhuskufH3pBYVauzxBVTU3FB4vDkDWnyYCOXKpQ0OkjAE/s320/IMG_1875.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am in the hospital pre-surgery, naively thinking I would be all better in 24 hours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Love,<br />
Tamiyogaseedpdxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228976237275025689noreply@blogger.com1