Yoga on Netflix!

I like to think that I'm a better mother than most of the mothers I watch on TV...but Nancy Botwin sets the bar really low.  My husband was away for much of this week, so after the kids were snuggled nicely in their beds each night, I settled down for some Netflix...but there's only so much dysfunction one can take.  So, I decided to browse the offerings, and see if there were yoga selections I could check out...thankfully, there were!  On the streaming Netflix (playable through our Wii and PS3) there were workout selections that were actual yoga and some that were related to yoga, and there were lots of titles that needed to be ordered through the traditional Netflix.  I kept browsing, and somehow stumbled upon a movie about yoga.  THIS was intriguing.

The documentary was called Enlighten Up! and is definitely for someone who is pretty serious about yoga.  Suffice it to say, it's a good thing Husband was away, because he would never agree to watch this flick.  He's more into the Exit Through the Gift Shop brand of documentaries.  Anyway, even I, she who loves yoga, had to split this documentary up over two sessions.  It's not that it was tedious...it's more because of the fact that I wasn't starting to watch until 9pm, and I'm a 10:30 bedtime kinda girl.  I need at least a half-hour to brush teeth, wash face, and slather on the eye creme du jour (crow's feet be damned!)

Enlighen Up! was a project set up by documentarian Kate Churchill, who is big time into yoga.  She feels that yoga has the power to physically, emotionally, and spiritually transform anyone, and this movie was her project to prove that this is possible.  As her test subject, she chooses Nick, a single, 30-something (nowadays...I think he was 29 when the film was made) NYC journalist, who is skeptical.  Watching the film, you learn that his parents divorced when he was very young, and his father is a lawyer.  Nick mentions this without hesitation.  He also mentions without hesitation that his mother is a "shamanic healer"..but he doesn't elaborate at all.  He just answers the question point blank:  "What does your mother do?"  "She's a shamanic healer", and he stares at the camera for quite some time saying nothing further.  It's almost as if he's uncomfortable with his mother's path/lifestyle/outlook for some reason.  Nick seems to be a guy who hasn't quite found himself yet - he probably grew up a privileged kid, who was conflicted about a lot of things (marriage/relationships/religion/career). He iterated many times that, as a journalist, he felt the need to seek truth and be convinced of things.  I also detected that he'd been given a lot, and when he needed to find things for himself, he wasn't quite sure where to begin.  He didn't quite strike me as "driven" by any means, so it didn't seem to be a hardship to give up several weeks to participate in this project.  I agree wth Kate - this guy was an excellent candidate.  If she can convince him that yoga is transformative, she can convince anyone.

The duo travelled all over the globe:  New York to Hawaii to India and back again.  The "Celebrity Yogis" whom they interviewed were hilarious. They all said virtually the same thing and commented on the commercialism of Yoga ("well, my DVDs are doing well", "I've expanded product offerings to include bedsheets", etc!). DVDs and bedsheets? Wow...so not what yoga is about for me!

By the end of this journey, Nick got to meet some pretty amazing people who freely shared their "enlightened philosophies".  My favorite, the one who made the most sense to me, was Guru Saran Ananda in Gokul, India.  Listening to his advice, I thought for sure Nick would be transformed.  But Nick struggled time and time again with the issue of Spirituality.  Towards the end of the movie, we find out that Nick has moved to Colorado and has given up Yoga in favor of Rock Climbing.  So I suppose Spirituality was his hang up afterall.
 
Is spirituality a hangup for all of us, when it comes to yoga?  Maybe.  I'm not quite ready to give up my Christianity, but I am absolutely open to listening to all that yogic philosophy has to offer.  My search is a way to meld the two.  I know yoga is an 8-limbed path; asana (postures) and pranayama (breathing) are but two parts designed to ready your body for meditation.  Seeing as I rarely have time to get myself on the mat, I don't necessarily think I'll be getting myself to the point of real, honest to goodness mediation any time soon.  However, many of the principles of yoga: Ahimsa (non-harming) and Satya (living according to your own truth), coupled with the 8th limb of Samadhi (acknowledgement of the devine), really make sense to me.  They speak to me in such a basic way:  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated.  These "golden rules" make sense to me, and seeing as they don't really harm anyone or get in the way of anyone else's beliefs or ways of being, it helps me to feel "enlightened"!
 
It doesn't matter what you do.  It's why you do it that's important" - Guru Saran Ananda

YATS cooks!

Spicy shrimp curry with Naan

No, this is not a cooking blog.  But I do like to cook, and when I whip something up that's yummy, I don't mind sharing it with you...especially when it's extra easy.
Tonight, I made a 3-part meal that was super quick to prepare - particularly because many of the ingredients were "ready-made".  So is that "cheating"?  Maybe I should re-title the post "YATS re-heats".  Anyway....

First, prepare the rice side dish.  I used the microwave, so I couldn't go wrong.
1 cup Basmati Rice, 1 1/2 cups water, 1tsp Kosher salt.  Throw this in a round pyrex and microwave on high for 5 minutes.  While this is "nuke-ing", slice about 5 dried apricots into thin strips, then lightly toast 1/4 cup of sliced almonds in a pan and wash a lemon (you'll zest it in a minute).  By this time, the 5 minutes will be up.  Give the rice a quick stir and microwave for 12 more minutes on half power.  Once finished, stir in the apricots, almonds, and zest some lemon peel over top for color and flavor.  I got this recipe from the April issue of "Real Simple", and I call it jeweled rice.  The flavors sparkle on your tongue and the colors do look like little jewels...what a great side dish:

Jeweled Rice.  Mmmmm...
(potatoes to be used another day)

 

Second dish.  While the rice is taking it's 12 minutes to finish up, you can get on with the main dish.  You'll need:
1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
1 tbs olive oil
1 can "fire-roasted" diced tomatoes
1 generous tablespoon of "Patak's original" mild curry paste (cilantro and cumin). 

Here's what you do:  warm the oil in a medium pan and cook the shrimp until just pink (maybe 3 minutes).  Add in the tablespoon of curry paste and stir (about 1 minute).  It will slightly coat the bottom of the pan and look like it's going to be a huge mess to clean up, but wait.  Next add the tomatoes and stir, stir, stir.  The slight acidity of the tomatoes is just enough to help you de-glaze the pan and get all the spicy curry paste flavor into the dish.  Once this is warmed through (2-3 minutes), toss a Naan on a griddle pan (the same pan you used to toast the almonds would work, too) to crisp up a bit (one minute each side).

Just in case this isn't enough (color OR flavor),  I always keep a "hidden secret", an extra side dish, something special to slop up with the naan.  A ready made sachet of Palak Paneer!  You heat this in the microwave for a minute or so, and add it alongside your other dishes.  Voila!  Your fellow diners will feel like they're in a real curryhouse for dinner.  I'm not saying this is anywhere near "restaurant quality" palak paneer...but coupled with your other homemade curry dish and the rice side, it adds quite a kick (waaaay spicier than the curry paste) and variety.  Even though it was a quick heat-and-serve dish, it's a nice complement to the overall meal.

The "Secret Weapon"

Soooooo, what are you waiting for?  Cook up some curry this week! 

"You make the best dinners" - Husband (now that's an endorsement!)

Do you 'Spa"?

Well, do ya?  The concept of visiting a Spa (day or destination) seems to me the *ultimate* luxury on so many levels.  In fact, I recently subscribed to "Spa" magazine, which itself is a superfluity, only because I'm a sucker.  We all know this already, but to further illustrate, they offered me a subscription for $12, which seems like a crazy good deal because the cover price is $6.99...but they only publish about 6 issues a year, and the back third of the magazine is just a listing of magazine-approved spas you can visit.  HA!  Like I have the time, let alone the gazillion dollars needed to visit a spa...

In fact, this issue has an extensive article about "splurge vs. steal" destination spas, which was laughable.  Their version of Splurge is spending $10,000 per person to "Spa" in the Maldives for 7 days.  Their "Steal" is a trip to Malacca, Malaysia where you can get a full body massage for $55.  Sounds great, except when you remember that you probably need to spend $1500 to fly there, and then stay in a room for $250 a night.  If you stay for 7 days, you're inching closer to that $10,000.  Wow.  That's a lot of cash (and time!) that I don't have.  Who is this magazine written for, anyway?  Is it possible that it's written by a bunch of people who decided they love "spa-ing", but couldn't afford their addiction, so they started a magazine to put advertising dollars to work for them?

Further on in the magazine comes an article about "why" people visit a spa.  Here's where things start to make sense for me.  Education - you can learn more about your body and spirit.  Balance - after these treatments you may feel as though you've restored balance to your career and busy life.  Self-acceptance - you begin to stay grounded in the present moment.  Those body-parts you're not so fond of?  You don't have to be critical of them, because visiting a spa can let you relax, press the "restart" button and shift your perspective.  All sounds good...and familiar...

 Uh oh, I've let my sucker guard down!  I had to wait until I had Spring Break to find time to get a half-hour haircut.  What makes me think I have 90 minutes and $250 for a Spa treatment - ESPECIALLY when I can get all of this from a 60 minute yoga practice for $20 or less!  Sure, when it's a yoga practice, I have to actually do all of the work myself, but then isn't that a source a self-satisfaction?  So, as great as all this sounds, how about I take that $10,000 and re-do my master bath so that it's a spa-like experience everyday.  Now...where am I going to get that 10 grand...??

It is important from time to time to slow down, to go away by yourself, and simply be. - Eileen Caddy

YATS cooks! Springtime Risotto

Fresh Spring ingredients!

YATS cooks!  Tonight's dish:  Red Wine Risotto with Peas. 
This is a recipe from Giada DeLaurentis, modified ever so slightly - and hungrily declared a "win" by Husband today.  You see, he has committed, somewhat reluctantly, to eating Vegetarian 2 days per week.  I have no meat/non-meat requirements, unlike Husband, (who feels a bit "cheated" if there is no meat on the plate) so my only challenge is coming up with some variety for these "Vegetarian" days.  With the extra time I have on vacation, I have the luxury of whipping up such labor-intensive dishes like risotto mid-week.  This Risotto uses red wine instead of the traditional white, which lends a pretty purple hue to the dish.  When mixed with the greens from the peas and parsley, it looks a bit like "Joker" from Batman, but lovely for Spring!


Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used wild mushroom broth, in keeping with the "vegetarian" theme, figuring mushrooms would go well with the red wine in the dish - borrowing the flavors from Chicken Marsala, sans chicken, of course!)
3T butter
1c chopped onion (I used 1/2C because I don't like onion.  I used red onion, in keeping with the purple color of the finished dish)
1tsp minced garlic
1c arborio rice
1/2c red wine (I used Malbec)
1/3c frozen petit pois, defrosted.  (I went with a whole cup to give more substance to the dish)
1/4c chopped italian (flat leaf) parsley
1/2c grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
Get your broth nice and hot, meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.  Saute the onion until soft (8 mins) then stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Stir in the rice until nice and slick, coated with the buttery onions.  Add the red wine and stir until absorbed.  Add 1 1/2 ladles of warm broth, simmering over medium heat until absorbed.


After 1st addition of broth. 
What should I do with the rest of that wine??


 You will repeat this addition of broth (1 1/2 ladles) 3 more times, stirring faithfully until all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next addition of broth.  This is what takes time.  Finally, add the last 1/2c of broth and let it simmer until the rice is tender and looks creamy.  Stir in the peas and parsley.  Finally, mix in the Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper.

THAT'S what you do with the rest of the wine...
YUM.

Enjoy.

"Foods that are tasty, wholesome and satisfying give long life, vitality, strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction" - Bhagavita Gita

Muscle Memory is a beautiful thing!

Do you believe in this idea of "muscle memory"?  I've always been skeptical, but today, I have a newfound appreciation for such a concept.  I have to say that after 6 weeks without a solid studio class, I was right back into the swing of things, and I really, really enjoyed my class this morning.  I'm not saying I nailed every single posture, but I am saying that it wasn't as hard as I had worked it up to be in my mind.  I was really worried that I wouldn't make it through the class; I know I've done some horrible things to my leg muscles in the last 6 weeks, involving ellipticals, treadmills, even a foray into the spinning studio.  All without the proper post-workout stretching that I KNOW is essential.  But I talked myself into going to yoga (in fact, my unwilling children and their whines weren't stopping me), and an hour later, I was so glad that I went.

The instructor was one I had practiced with once or twice before as a "substitute".  Now apparently, she has her own regularly scheduled gig, and I thought it was just the right level of challenging.  She has a bit of a nonchalant way of offering instruction that turned me off when she was a sub, but now that's she's running her own show, it isn't so off-putting.  She began the practice with a nice little meditation to help set our intention for the practice.  She ended with a gradual progression to Savasana where she added a closing meditation to seal the practice.  Throughout the practice she built the poses and her asanas had a logical progression:  Virab. 1 to Virab. 2 to Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana;  Vinyasas and down-dogs peppered in between.  Perfect for a Monday morning, after a weekend (or 6 weeks) of "damage".

Nearing the end of practice, she guided us into Pigeon (one of my personal faves, and any instructor who throws it in is immediately endeared to me), and I loved the way she offered not one, not two, but three variations depending on which intensity our muscles were ready for.  Here's where the muscle memory part comes in:  I was able to do all the variations!  I wasn't sure I'd even be able to do get into regular old simple pigeon, but I was able to transition into all of the modifications she offered.  It wasn't easy, and my hips are protesting a bit now, but I know they'll feel better in the morning and reward me for my efforts!

So, "Muscle Memory" - myth?  Or reality?  What are your experiences with this?

Be truly whole, and all things will return to you. - LaoTzu

DVD Review: A.M. / P.M. Yoga for Weight Loss

It's been more than 6 weeks since I've last taken a yoga class.  Yikes.  That's just shameless...I write a yoga blog, afterall!  To be fair, I have been sporadic about posting on said blog over the last 6 weeks, so I can't really claim to be a reliable blogger.  Maybe I should re-title my blog:  The Unreliable Yogi.

Anyway, as mentioned in the previous post, I have a Spring Break Vacation, and my plans include renewing my relationship with my bright yellow mat.  Over the last 6 weeks, I've only done yoga DVDs, and sporadically at that, so these muscles are in need of a good primer before I get back to the more intense postures I find in a studio class. 

My kids woke me up bright and early this fine Palm Sunday (6am, to be exact!), so after a round of homemade Peanut Butter waffles (Everyday Food, May issue), I decided to get the day going with some yoga.  It was a late night last night, so I wasn't sure I could go through a round of sun salutations on my own, and I decided to pop in a DVD that I knew would ease me back into things.  I chose A.M. / P.M. Yoga for Weight Loss, led by Suzanne Deason, produced by Gaiam, and available here!  I bought my copy on January 11th, 2003 at the Discovery Channel Store for $18.27 - that was including my "15% teacher discount" (for some reason I saved the reciept inside the DVD Jacket???)  What a rip-off!  It's $12 at Gaiam right now, no teacher discount necessary.  No wonder the overpriced Discovery Channel retail Store went out of business...

This DVD has 2 25-minute sequences; the am sequence is designed to jump-start your day with some gentle stretches and traditional postures with modifications for muscles that are just waking up.  The pm sequence is perfect for winding down, again with gentle postures designed to release tension and calm your nerves after a busy day.  Both practices rely heavily on props - suggesting blocks, straps, and even a yoga wedge to support your practice and bring down the intensity.  You might not be ready for intensity first thing in the morning and in the evening it certainly is the last thing you need.  I didn't have my props handy (I don't even own a yoga wedge - but that's for the pm practice only), so I did the practice without them.  It was more intense without the props, but I've been doing yoga long enough to know how to modify without props. 

Deason encourages you to breathe, and her soothing voice makes her a great guide throughout the practice.  I ended the practice feeling grounded and awake - ready to ease myself into the day.  I don't necessarily agree with the "conditioning for Weight Loss" portion of the title...I didn't feel my heart rate elevate, and I'm not really sure how this gentle practice will help you to lose weight.  Maybe the resistance of using your own body weight will build muscle mass which ultimately burns more calories?  Let's go with that...but in the meantime, Gaiam may want to consider re-branding the DVD as "Gentle Yoga for am and pm"? But maybe that won't sell as many DVDs.  Either way, I wasn't doing this DVD to lose weight.  I was doing it to prime my muscles for a more intense practice tomorrow.  What I can take away from this is that this DVD works equally well for beginners and more advanced yogis.  The fact that the sequences are brief means that it's easy to work a quick practice in before the day gets going or for extra relaxation to help you drop right off to sleep (are you paying attention, my friends with insomnia??)  Final verdict:  YATS recommended!

Be Ready to Accept the Gift of today: "Yoga is the giver of untold happiness" - Bhagavad Gita, India

Hypocrisy?

Spring Break is finally here!  The last 3 weeks have felt like 3 months, and I am in desperate need to catch up on sleep, take advantage of a little extra time to catch up on projects, and of course, get back on that mat!  Husband asked the other day what I planned to do over the break (he's not a teacher, and alas, isn't always able to take vacation when we have vacation).   The first thing I said was "Well, I'm going to do yoga every day...I've planned out all the classes..." and he interjected "Yeah, that went over really well with the boys on the last break".  I explained that it was my break, too, and wanted to enjoy it myself.  I shuttle those kids all over town and back every week for playdates, activites, and programs, so it won't kill them to indulge my inner yogi for a few days...

In fact, walking out of one of these activities this week, I struck up a conversation with a fellow "child shuttler", who inquired about how my yoga was coming along.  This friend, let's call him "Tonycal", also enjoys a yoga practice or two, and in fact, used to practice in one of the classes I used to take.  He let on that he ended up disappointed with the instructor who professed the great benefits of yoga, and led us through challenging classes week after week.  This instructor really pushed us, put us through the ringer, all the while spouting off from what Tonycal thought was a "holier than thou", "do what I say" pedastal...only to be overheard confessing to another student in the class that "a Valium or two" was a regular part of the nightly routine.  Tonycal was calling bullsh!t, which he was entirely entitled to do.

Tonycal has since moved on to spending a lot of his fitness time with more cardio-vascular pursuits, and I don't know how much of that has to do with his letdown, or just a preference for something different.  Still, his comments gave me pause to think; first, was this instructor truly a hypocrite?; second, can I blog about this?  Well, I'm not sure...and yes!

In his "Yoga Sutras", Patanjali describes the 8 limbs of yoga, but in these descriptions, he gives us 2 main messages.  The first is that practicing these 8 limbs, asanas included, leads us to find "samadhi".  It's what he describes as the deepest of human experiences: a balanced mind-state; awareness of the eternal.  The second message is that we can seek out sources of negativity and find ways to live with them.  With these thoughts, Patanjali (like yoga instructors who try to interpret his message) can come across a bit preachy.  This can be a turn off for people who aren't exactly turning to yoga for it's spiritual side.  Who exactly does Patanjali think he is?  The wise old man on the mountain top who knows the meaning of life?  Patanjali was far too humble for that.  In the Sutras, he's merely encouraging us to reach our full human potential (spiritual and physical).  His intention is that if we can reach this TRUE potential, we'll truly be free - we'll have the freedom to "live with ourselves", warts and all.  Is it such a big deal if it takes a Valium now and again to get there?

I can't say that I get myself on the mat with the goal of experiencing Samadhi, but I can say that I appreciate that is an option available for people who are looking for it.  At this point in my practice (I've been on the mat on and off for about 6 years now, regularly for the last 3), I'm satisfied with that hour of peace to myself; the physical benefits are a huge bonus.  I love that one of the basic ideas behind a practice is that the focus is on your own mat - realize that you are there for yourself and no one else - so you don't have to worry about keeping up, fitting in, or exceeding the limits.  Stretching it out, breathing deep, and having fun certainly gives me the freedom to live with whatever else I'm up to for the other 23 hours in a day, glass (or two) of wine included!  This helps me to gladly get back on the mat time and time again.  Everyone has their own reasons and motivation for getting on the mat, and hopefully Tonycal will look past the "hypocrisy" and find himself there again soon.  In the process, he may find his own version of Samadhi.  Is "Samadhi" open to interpretation?  I think so, but that's likely a topic for another blog post!

A blissful state - when your mind is clear, pure and untainted by judgements, you see things as they really are - you have reached Samadhi, and equal and balanced way of thinking.

Have you had your "Greens" today?

The latest issue of Yoga Journal arrived a week and a half ago, and I dove right in (appropriately, as it's the annual "Blue Issue",chock full of stories related to preserving our planet's most valuable resource: Water).  Great articles, as usual; particularly inspiring is this month's home practice sequence and it's cheeky nod to all things aquatic with "Mermaid Pose"!

Anyway, while perusing the magazine (whilst on the Elliptical at the gym - don't judge), I was once again intrigued by the 2-page ad spread on "Vega", a green superfood dietary supplement skillfully developed by professional "IronMan" champion Brendan Brazier.  This ad appears just about every month.  They're really psyched about it, apparently.  According to the ad, it's a complete, nutritional superfood, with an ideal proportion of 40% protein, 30% carb, 30% fat.  It's also prohibitively expensive.  A tub providing enough powder for 7 servings costs $42.50.  I am curious about this type of supplement, but not *that* curious. 

Still, when I had a few minutes to spare as I was near a Vitamin World store, I stopped in to scope out similar products and see what all the fuss is about.  It was, afterall, a 2-page spread.  One of the more affordable options was the GreenSuperfood by Amazing Grass (How punny:  One of the main ingredients is WheatGrass.  They're so clever.)  It's a greenfood blend with Spirulina and Broccoli, an Antioxidant blend, thanks to the Gogi and Acai, a Fiber blend, and a Probiotic Blend complete with acidophilous.

For $22 I picked up a tub of enough powder for 30 servings.  Still a little pricey, but this one, above all others, was guarateed to taste good, and provide a complete nutritional serving of fruits and vegetables from freeze-dried greens ("Raw Food"), not juices.  1 scoop provides 30 calories, 1 g fat, 2 g protein, and 8% of your daily value of fiber.  The container also boasted to restore the Alkalinity to your digestive system.  I recently saw a sales pitch at my gym for some kind of specially filtered water that restores alkalinity by neutralizing all of the acidic foods we consume (diet sodas, gatorades, and probably wine and spirits).  I blew it off, but the second this SuperFoods starts talking about restoring Alkalinity, I was sold! (I'm a sucker.  My husband is in advertising and even he knows I'm a sucker).

So, yesterday morning, I tried my first scoop, shaken, not stirred with good 'ole tap water.  Ugh.  I almost gagged before I could finish the 6 oz.  Almost.  I still managed to wolf down a bowl of cereal and nab a bit of my kids' waffle.  I decided I used the wrong "mixer", so at lunch, I mixed a scoop with a cup of blueberry yogurt.  Not as heinous, but not exactly delicious.  I have absolutely NO aversion to eating my greens - I'll eat vegetables every night of the week, much to the chagrin of my husband, and preferably "Raw", as in a crunchy garden salad - so I'm starting to question my weird desire to eat his superfood.  It's not really "food"...is it "super"?  That remains to be seen.  I'll give it a go, and see how I feel after a week.  I'm $22 in, anyway, might as well...  For now, I have no expectations, so any observable results (more energy, clearer skin, better sleep, more endurance) will be a plus.
What, if any, are your experiences with Powdered Greens?  Thoughts, questions, advice?  All are welcome!

That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.