A lot can happen in a week, especially when not much "happens".  We live in an area that has been hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.  I went back and re-read my last blog post and so many things about it seem frivolous in light of the week we all just experienced.  Who cares about yoga pants, board games, and foot massages when homes are destroyed, lives are lost, and productivity grinds to a halt.  Yes, I was advocating "slowing it down", but I didn't mean for it to STOP.  My usual productivity stopped, so not much "happened", but I feel like so much is different this week from my Pollyanna attitude of last week.

One of many fallen trees has ripped down
power lines, blocked sidewalk,
obstructed road

Yes, a lot happened.  This is the first time I've sat in front of a computer in a week.  All of my "news" has been local - obtained from the Facebook feed on my phone.  Yes, I know, first world problems, but I truthfully kept it all in perspective, and didn't complain - or at least tried not to.  I was "inconvenienced" by Hurricane Sandy. Our house came away relatively unscathed.  A few branches fell, our home had no structural damage (as we have been able yet to determine), and we have a gas hot water heater with a gas pilot.  While we lost electricity, we had hot water at home and could shower.  A mere block away, families lost half of their homes because massive trees fell and crushed them.  Given that, I'd say me without a computer is a mere inconvenience.

We had lots of candles on-hand, so dinnertime was "romantic".  Well, those dinners we actually ate at home were candle-lit, because we were so fortunate to have wonderful friends who opened their homes to us for meals, device-charging, and warmth.  We only ate evening meals at our house twice throughout the 5 days we were without power.  One friend lent us a camping lantern, and that's when my "pioneering" instincts kicked in.  On our walks home, I would tell the boys to gather downed sticks and branches for fireplace kindling.  My husband, who never camped a day in his life (putting up a tent in February with your fraternity brothers, building a huge bonfire, and getting completely drunk until you pass out in front of said fire doesn't count as "camping") wondered, "What the heck is that crazy broad up to now?"  We used matches to light the burners on our gas stove so we could cook up food before it went bad.  Luckily, our fridge wasn't overflowing with food, so this was manageable.  We monitored the freezer contents, and as something thawed out on it's own, we figured out what we could make with it, and ate it.  If someone invited us for dinner, we brought whatever was thawed.  It was turkey burgers one night, beef another night, shrimp a third night - we didn't fare too badly.  We also have eaten more meat than I've eaten in many weeks, so I feel like I've actually been overindulgent.  Let's not even mention the mounds of Hallowe'en candy I've eaten.

A home (and 2 cars) crushed by fallen trees.

So, within a week, my mindset has completely shifted.  Instead of wondering how many emails I'll send in a day, when I'll be able to browse the internet for more yoga pants, when I'll be able to hit the gym, what night I'll be able to catch up on my DVR, I needed to wonder about other things.  With electricity removed from my life, I had to wonder about how long I could go without doing laundry and how I could work out the logistics once it was time to do laundry.  I had to plan out when and what path to walk home from friends' houses because without streetlights to guide us, it was really unsafe.  There was no "work" for a week, but before people think it was a vacation, it was anything BUT.  I may not have created lessons, graded papers, or interacted with students, but I certainly worked: keeping in touch with friends via text messages, updating my family who were unable to reach us by landline, reading info feeds on Facebook that reported news of damage cleanup around our area, not to mention the fact that everything takes twice as long when you don't have electricity.  By the end of the day, I was more exhausted than I usually am after a full day of work.  I'm sure the emotional toll had an effect, but I slept soundly for 8 hours a night (maybe it was SO cold in our house that my body went into hibernation mode.)

In the past week, you could say "nothing happened" in the sense that I wasn't productive my usual way, but a lot happened, including surviving a hurricane and changing my perspective.  I'm so grateful for the small losses we had to help us notice and appreciate the bigger picture.

Thank you for reading.
Namaste. 

Slow it down

It's been a busy couple of days...and so I haven't had the chance to blog lately.  Not that I haven't had the desire to!  I bought some new yoga pants and wanted to blog about that, I bought a new book and wanted to blog about that, I took a challenging class that ended with a crazy posture (thanks, Kate!) and wanted to blog about that, I taught a yoga class to colleagues at work and wanted to blog about that...  But it hasn't been until life has forced me to slow it down a bit that I actually had the time/courage/motivation to sit and put my thoughts down on paper computer screen.

Yes, I, like much of the Northeast corridor, have been crippled a bit, thanks to Hurricane Sandy.  Schools are closed, trains aren't running, flooding and mass power-loss are expected.  It's different from a Nor'easter snow storm, because there is no snow to shovel (although I am compelled to report that I heard someone outside with a leaf-blower yesterday evening.  I know you're all with me here: THAT is ridiculous.)  We are collectively being forced to "take a break", but it's an odd break to take, because I'm sure the sympathetic nervous system is still being stressed out.  With every powerful gust of wind threatening to down a tree limb or two, and every news channel urging people to stay indoors (and what about those poor weather reporters being drenched as they report alongside the swelling tides of the Jersey shore?), I'm sure few people are not feeling the stress and blood pressure spike.  As far as your nervous system is concerned, however, it's time to pause, take stock of things, realize that the weather is out of human control, and slow things down.

So, how will you spend this time?  We had the chance to sleep in today (usually early morning is my only time to squeeze in a workout - hitting an early yoga class or scooting out to the gym - but naturally,those places are all closed), and then fixed the children a leisurely breakfast.  I had the kids do their Italian homework while I cleaned up breakfast, then get caught up on cello practice (hey, we're raising a couple of renaissance men!) while I caught up on ironing.  Husband joined in on guitar and it became a regular jam session.  The boys moved on to coloring with markers, I threw in a load of laundry (in case we lose power I'd like a head start on stinky clothes piling up), and Husband busied himself with booking his travel for work next week.

Now that the "hard stuff" is out of the way, and it's not even noon, what will we do with ourselves?  I lit a sage smudge stick and threw it in the fireplace - an unconventional riff on home scent, but I'm saving my candles in case the power does go out.  At least the air will be clear (the traditional purpose of a sage smudge stick is to "clear the air").  We'll likely break out a few board games later on, and maybe get around to finally treating the boys to a screening of "Back to the Future".  A few mugs of tea are in order, maybe a foot massage.  All of those little luxuries that we don't often take.

Why have we created this society where things like this are "luxuries"?  Why do we feel like we aren't successful unless we're "busy" all the time?  More than I'd like to admit, I've lately found myself responding to the question "Hey, how are you?" with an exhausted-sounding "BUSY!"  Do we busy ourselves all the time to feel important?  Are we being busy all the time to keep pace with our peers?  I have to wonder why we have created this life for ourselves where there is always so much to do.
Yes, I'm stressed about the potential damage from this storm.   Yes, I'm worried for my friends, family, and neighbors, and praying for their collective peace and safety.  But I'm also grateful for the storm for forcing me to slow down, take stock of what's important, and get on with it.  So, slow it down, and see if you can't find some bits of enjoyment for yourself in the midst of the storm.

Try a semi-inverted pose to restore your body's essential systems in times of stress.  Lie on the floor with your legs supported on the seat of a chair.  Place your palms on your lower belly feeling it rise and fall with your breath until you feel at rest.

A lamentation on the end of summer...

My boys and some friends saying farewell to summer.
(well, they're waiting for the ferry, but it looks like "farewell")

"Summer" doesn't officially end until September 22nd - the Autumnal Equinox - a time when the hours of day are supposed to equal the hours of night.  Despite what the calendar tells us, most people feel that Labor Day weekend is the end of summer.  Stay-at-home/work-at-home parents are rejoicing because they'll finally get a little peace and quiet to get their projects (work and home) completed.  Children are antsy - looking forward to seeing their friends again on a regular basis, but not looking forward to using their brains in an academic way ("Ugh, I have to get up early?"  "There's homework?!?")  Teachers are whining "Where did my summer go?!?"  (I know, I know...you just want to tell those whiners "STFU!" - it even gets on my nerves - and I'm a teacher!)  Parents of college-bound children can't believe those 18 years have flown by.
We can't stop the march of time.  It moves on whether we like it or not.  I try and be a grownup about it and accept it every September.  It's time to be grateful that I have a job that allows for a 104-day (not really, Phineas and Ferb.  Not even close.) break to rejuvenate. Somehow, the end of summer feels different for me this year.  I know I'm on the verge of some dramatic changes.  Obviously the topsy turvy schedule we'll be keeping around here is going to be dramatic.  But I also have a 5 year old who is entering Kindergarten (and "organized" town sports, too), and I'm surprised at how emotional it is this time around.  It's dawning on me that it's the end of the preschool era in our house.  That's dramatic!
He is the younger of my two children, and once he walks through those Kindergarten doors, I won't have a "little kid" anymore.  I mean, physically, he's little, but people will start to see me as one of those mothers "with older children".  He is going to join his brother in the "land of primary school-induced independence"! Even more-so than in nursery school, he is going to learn how to be his own person and make his own decisions.  Soon, he'll not want to hold my hand anymore or give me a hug and kiss goodbye.  I'm starting to understand why people have 3 and 4 kids (but not 5.  That's crazy, no matter how you cut it!  Both my grandmothers had 5 kids...and we've got some crazies.) You want to prolong those feelings.  Sure, it's a pain the neck to change diapers, juggle baby gear, and wipe faces (I can't say tushies, because my 5 year old is still asking to have his tush wiped...some of you with husbands might even comment that they never stop acting like they need their tush wiped!), but that sweet feeling of having a little person who wants you and actually acknowledges that he needs you is so warming.  It also ironically makes you seem "younger".  A mom who feels frazzled with kids pulling at the proverbial apron strings can rest assured that she projects a younger vibe than the "polished" mom who has a few extra minutes to actually accessorize with a bracelet or run some product through her hair because her kids can brush their own teeth, no matter what age that driver's license reports.
So, what am I actually lamenting this year?   Is it the end of the relaxed days with no deadlines?  Is it the dread of cooler, snowier days ahead?  Now that I've typed this, it's starting to dawn on me exactly how vain I actually am...
Oh, and how is yoga going to help with this?  Well, keeping active with gentle yoga stretches that bathe and lubricate the joints with sinovial fluid will keep me feeling sprightly, and at the very least, enable me to continue to wipe my own tush, well into my old, old age!

Namaste.

Why is it....

....that my lovely children, who rarely remember to flush the toilet, suddenly choose to "remember" to flush when I'm in the shower, causing scalding hot water to rain down on me?

Why is it that when I have 15 minutes to pick up my son from camp I make it there in 5 minutes and have to listen to his protest the whole way home? ( "Why did you have to pick me up early?  I'm always the first to leave!!")  That said, if I have 10 minutes to pick up my son from camp, I get stuck behind someone driving a Buick LeSabre who takes the 30 mph speed limit so seriously that they actually drive 25 mph and wouldn't ever dream of speeding up at a yellow light (we hit every red on the way) so I end up being 10 minutes late and have to listen to his protest the whole way home? ("Why were you so late today?  I was so lonely sitting there by myself!")

Why is it that I realize that I'm running low on milk and keep forgetting to pick it up each of the 3 times I run out to the store and when I finally get around to using the milk, I find that I'm 1/2 cup short for the recipe? (and by the way, why am I so disorganized these days that I can't get through the week without going grocery shopping 3 times?  During the school year I plan the menu/ make the list on Saturday and I shop on Sunday.  That's IT).

Why is it that a cloudy morning causes me to choose to slather on SPF 15, but by the time I'm out and about (with no backup sunscreen), the sun makes its appearance and stays out, full force so I get a bit of a sunburn - the day before my dermatologist screening?

I know, I know, these situations happen to any and all of us.  That doesn't make it any less frustrating when it happens to me.  Rather than whinging, I suppose I'd better get to my point and explain what this has to do with yoga.  Murphy's law says that "Anything that can go wrong, WILL go wrong".  These aren't necessarily  Murphy's Law situations.  The pessimistic icon is actually providing encouragement for the rest of us to plan ahead in the event of a less-than ideal outcome.  No, my situations all seem to be a product of bad timing.

Yoga teaches us many things, one of which is patience.  Anyone would do well to practice a little patience when "bad timing" situations arise.  Breathing deep can help you relax a bit and maybe, just maybe, try and see some good in the situation.  Patience can help you realize those positives among the negatives a little more readily.

You see, I can take advantage of the "extra steam" to add a spa-like, pore-opening experience to my shower.  I can be grateful for the LeSabre driver for holding me up so that maybe I missed a situation that might have caused a mishap or even an accident further up the road.  I can be grateful for the opportunity to "experiment" in the kitchen or substitute a lighter alternative (although I must note you can't get much lighter than skim milk) in my crepes.
And what to do about that sunburn?  I suppose I should take a cue from the dermatologist and just slather SPF 30 everyday, regardless of cloud cover.

Whatever the situation, try even one deep breath to help you manage the negative outcomes and turn your lemons into lemonade.

We can all waste a great deal of energy on negativity.  Instead repeating the mantra "Happiness is what happens" can help you feel more accepting of the here and now. - Liz Lark in "1001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom"

Gratitude

See that word over there? <---  It means "contentment" - something that I think I will be struggling with for a very long time.  Then again, what life is there without struggle?  Does struggle make life worth living?  Such a silly question, because I can think of many people who struggle a whole lot more that I do, and does that make their life worth more than mine?  I know a great many people who seem to struggle a whole let less than I do, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't make their life worth less.  I think the question I mean to ask is "what is a life without struggle?"  Is it a life with contentment?  But that's what I'm struggling with!  ...Aha, you begin to see my conundrum...
Nonetheless, sometimes things don't quite go the way I plan them (and as a working mom with 2 small children, there is often a carefully orchestrated plan in place to make sure kids get where they need to be, house cleaned, groceries shopped, laundry done, doctors appointments made, general house upkeep, etc).  When the plan fails, it's so easy to get upset, to get worked up, to get frustrated.  It takes a great amount of humility to stop and be grateful for those times when the plan actually *does* go right.  In fact, when the plan does go right, I, personally, don't stop and take a moment to express gratitude for that.  Perhaps I should...
On Monday, my older boy started his full-day summer camp.  Prior to this week, he had only been doing an activity that lasted from 8am to 10am.  My younger son has camp from 9am to noon.  What this meant was that I had only a 1-hour kid-free window to do whatever it was that needed doing.  That's not a whole lot of time.  Now, I have a 3-hour window, which opens up a world of possibilities!  Or so I thought.  I, of course, wanted to squeeze in some studio yoga classes, but by the time I drive the half-hour to the studio, take the hour and 15 minute class, and drive home for another half hour, it leaves me with 45 minutes to do whatever.  Not nearly enough time.
Huh?  I had a 1 hour window where I was too rushed to do anything, and suddenly I have a 3 hour window, and it's still not enough time?!?  I was in the studio class on Monday morning, on my mat, feeling disgruntled that by the time class was over and I drove home, I wouldn't have enough time to do any other errands.  Then it dawned on me that I wasn't feeling gratitude for the time I did have.  I made the choice to spend my time on the mat - and while my to-do list wasn't getting any shorter  - the dry cleaning wasn't getting picked up, the phone calls weren't getting made, the fresh groceries for dinner weren't being bought, I could rationalize that I was choosing to spend my time on the mat.  Time well-spent, if you ask ANY yogi!
(actually, in retrospect, a calm, relaxed and centered Mommy is quite a positive accomplishment for any family!  Count your blessings, boys!)
I often find myself telling my children: "Be thankful for the things you actually do have, do not cry for the things you don't have"  This often comes up when one brother gets a perceived "treat" that the other brother does not (ie, one gets more time on the iPad, or eats dessert at a slower pace so it seems like he had a larger serving, etc).  My reflections on Monday led me to realize that I would do well to take my own advice.  I think if I took pause and remembered to be grateful more often, then my life might begin to come closer to "contentment"

Ask inwardly for guidance, and listen for a reply - Erich Schiffmann

You never know what you're going to get!

The finished product: Vegetarian chili (made with Tofurky)
*looks pretty close to the real-deal, eh?

Welcome to this edition of YATS Cooks!  These days, I have to say, have been rather hectic, and I haven’t been cooking as much as I used to. However, as we’re preparing to go away on vacation, I need to “clean out” the refrigerator, so let's roll up those sleeves and get to it!  

The last time we were at the supermarket, I decided I would try something new, and picked up some “Tofurky”.  A friend had recommended it some time ago when I shared that I had been experimenting with Tempeh (she’s also suggested Seitan, but I’ve not given it a go ‘round yet).  There are lots of versions of Tofurky out there, and I decided to try the one that claimed it was “just like ground beef!”.  Well, my carnivore husband will be the judge of that!

The picture on the box shows a delicious lasagna prepared with these little bits of Tofurky.  Making Lasagna involves a lot cheese, a lot of time, and turning on the oven.  Ahem.  Not going there with these 90 degree days!  I decided on Vegetarian chili, and the results were great!  When I make vegetarian meals for my family, I have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.  What they don’t know won’t hurt them, and around here, when I’m in charge of dinner, you never know what you’re going to get (might be Quorn, might be Tempeh, now might be some Tofurky…).  As long as it tastes good, I’ll keep experimenting.  I haven’t had too many complaints yet…

Here’s how I did it:

The main ingredients for flavor include one 12oz package of Tofurky and a sachet of Vegetarian Chili seasoning.  I’m sure you could use any sort of chili seasoning for flavor, but sometimes they add beef bouillon to it, so if you’re a strict vegetarian, stick with the vegetarian seasoning.

The supporting cast are your beans and tomatoes.  I just used canned because they’re cheap, quick, AND easy (I'll spare you the prostitute jokes here.  cheap...quick...  oh nevermind)!  My preference is for Cannellini and Red kidney beans, but you could easily use black beans or pinto beans, or whatever you like in your chili!  The tomatoes are always diced and almost always “fire roasted”.  Sometimes I’ll use a can with jalapeno seasoning included, but this is the can I had in the pantry, so it’s what I used.

Add all of the canned ingredients to a fairly large pot with the Tofurky.  I needed to mix the sachet with a 1/4cup of water before stirring into the beans and tomatoes.  I warmed through on medium-high heat until bubbling, and then I turned the flame down to let it simmer a bit, allowing the flavors to meld.  That’s it.  The finished product cost somewhere around $8.50 (each can was 89cents, give or take a dime), the seasoning was a buck twenty, and I think the Tofurky was $4.50.  It might seem like a lot for something that's not meat, but a pound of ground beef, last time I checked, was at least $7, and by the time you cook the fat out of it, you probably only end up with just a little more than 12 oz anyway!  

We added some shredded Colby jack cheese (oops!  Lost my "Vegan" status with that one.  I was so close), and everyone chowed down.  There’s even a sizeable serving left over.  Normally I’d be happy about that because it means I have lunch for tomorrow, but we are leaving on vacation, and I’m trying to cut down on the dang leftovers!

Bon Appetit! <--- a not-so-subtle nod to our vacation destination ;)

The Monday morning shuffle

12 years ago, before kids, before the suburbs, before yoga even, I married my college boyfriend.  We called each other "sweetheart", but wouldn't exactly say we were sweethearts.  We were a guy from a foreign land and a girl from a small town who met at a small, liberal arts college and liked hanging out together.  We did some crazy things things way-back-when, and eventually decided that we liked each other enough to get married.  Actually, Husband was transferred to London, and I said there was no way I was joining him unless I was a little more than a "girlfriend" - and he could start with a rock and piece of paper (scissors not necessary).
Fast-forward all these years, and we're now firmly ensconced in the suburban life, along with all of our peers, who probably have eerily similar stories about how they got "here" - and became part of the bleary eyed, Monday morning shuffle.  It's really no different from any other morning shuffle - you still have to be in the same places you were on Friday, at roughly the same times - so why does Monday get such a bad rap?  It has nothing to do with celebrating your 12 year anniversary with some champagne and a bottle of wine the night before, that's for sure (although it's certainly not helping...)
In our household, the summertime Monday morning shuffle involves Swim team for the first kid, daycamp, errands, phone calls and emails, swim team for the other kid (they're in different levels, otherwise this shuffle might be leagues easier!) and all of this before 11:30.  Is yoga a possibility?  It's always a possibility...maybe not a studio class, but I could try some home practice with a DVD or some flow that comes to me once I'm on the mat.  What I DO know, is that some well-spent time on the mat will help the Monday feel a lot less manic and a lot more marvelous!
As the saying goes, today is the first day of the rest of my life.  I'm grateful for the last 12 years with Husband, growing our family, our experiences, our life.  I approach this Monday with more gratitude to start the next 12 years with more growth, experience, and LIFE.  
*Knowing that the next Manic Monday will be spent in Paris certainly helps, too ;)

Finding time...

Ah, summer is here, and I have all the time in the day to practice whenever I'd like.  Right?  Well, not exactly.  I still have these little people who live in my home, called Children, who need some level of care and supervision, so I'm not able to just jaunt off to a studio for a class whenever I'd like.  And there were 2 times yesterday that I wanted to do so, and these "Children" and their "needs" just got in the way!

I'm being cheeky here.  I love my children dearly, and I wouldn't have my life ANY other way.  Husband and I have been married for nearly 12 years, and children have only been a part of our life for the last 8.  I can barely remember what life was like before them, and I can't imagine what life would be like without them.  How could you NOT love children when you have an exchange like this at the ripe hour of 6:30am? (Child #2:  Mommy, can you please scratch my back?  Me: Yes, but what are you going to do when I'm not around to scratch your back?  C2:  I'll get a wife.  But I DO NOT like girls.  Me:  That might be a bit of a problem.  C2: Well, I'll wait and see.  Maybe when I turn into a grown up, I'll like girls......  Can you just scratch my back?)

Yesterday morning, Child #1 was at swim team practice at the bright, early hour of 8am.  He is motivated to be there, especially after staying up late each night to watch Phelps and Lochte in the Olympic trials.  Child #2 goes to morning camp at 9, leaving me just enough time to make it to a 9:30 studio yoga class.  My plans were in place....but the studio class ended at 10:45, meaning that Child #2 would be left alone after practice for 45 minutes.  It didn't work out for me to go.  After chatting with Husband, he explained that he was going to work a half-day (in the summertime, bosses are a little more forgiving with the Friday clock-out time), so maybe I could take the 4:00 studio class.  It was a great opportunity, and if I left at 3:30, accounting for heavy summer Friday traffic, I would be able to make it.  Only problem, Husband's "half-day" meant leaving work at 3.  Catching a 3:10 train meant he wouldn't be home before 3:45 - really not enough time to make it to the studio.  So, backup plan was also foiled.

Almost.  I remembered that I was trying to do yoga.  I can do yoga ANYWHERE.  Including my living room.  Enter backup plan 2: I decided to revive my home practice.  I figure if I'm going to become a yoga teacher, I might as well get used to leading a practice, and what better way to get started than with myself?!?

I unrolled my trusty striped yellow mat (I save that beauty for special occasions - like practicing at home, since my Manduka mat picks up lint from the carpet a whole lot easier than Old Yeller does!) and got to it.  I started in downdog and took several deep breaths while deciding what to do.  I could feel the stress and frustration from the day melting away - I imagined it dripping down my back and pooling at my hands, and I started moving.

The practice wasn't perfect, but I threw in some vinyasas, and built my way through the familiar postures, adding one after each round.  Downdog, plank, chaturanga, updog, downdog, low lunge.  Repeat on left.  Second round:  Downdog, plank, chaturanga, updog, downdog, low lunge, warrior 1.  Repeat on left.  Third round:  Downdog, plank, chaturango, updog, downdog, low lunge, warrior 1, warrior 2.  Repeat on left.  And so on.
Sound nice?  It was.  I should have put on some nice, mellow music, slowed everything down with some deep breathing, lingering in each pose...but I have plenty of time to make it better.  Hopefully someday I'll be ready to guide you on the mat!

"...joy's soul lies in the doing" - W. Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida

Hey! Slow Down!

My hydrangea is gradually blooming,
lengthening it's time of beauty.

Things are blooming in my garden....and I'm missing it!
Lately, life has been zipping by so fast that I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water.  Quite a few times in the last 2 weeks, I have felt my head slipping below the surface, days when my "to do" list is impossibly long, I'm double booked all over the place.  The worst is when there is a list just as long for the next day, with no relief in sight, and I just don't see how I can get it all done.  Something's gotta give!
Yes, anyone with children knows how busy June is.  As schools wrap up for the year, there are performances, celebratory field trips, end-of-year festivals and BBQs, added in with the usual monthly birthday parties, sports commitments, and your time suddenly is not your own.  This year seems particularly worse than in years previous, and I find myself juggling and struggling to keep up.
When you think about it, our modern way of life is built around efficiency and multi-tasking.  In fact, if you aren't juggling something, you are just an under-achiever, aren't you?  We have somehow forgotten that patience is a virtue, that good things come to those who wait.  I see this all the time with my students.  They ask a question and expect an immediate answer, having absolutely no patience to discover a solution.  I see it with myself, waiting at a traffic light or waiting in line.
The good news is that yoga practice and mini-meditations can help re-adjust your focus and remind you how important it is to slow down.  When you're waiting for a traffic light, instead of worrying about "how long" the light is taking to change so that you can be on your way, you can take the moment (and it usually is around a minute) to focus on breathing deep instead of focusing on how you're being held-up on your errand, your commute to work, or your after school carpool shuffling.  When you're breathing deep, your breath is automatically lengthened, giving you time to think of a simple mantra as you inhale and repeat it again as you exhale.  Breathing deep gives you time to stop and actually smell the roses (and maybe, you'll make the time to watch them bloom in your garden!)
In the garden, things aren't in a hurry to happen all at once.  They take their time, and little by little, they gradually share their beauty with us.  It's not something you can rush, and sadly, if you're always so busy, you might not have the chance to see it happen.  Take some time, breathe deeply, and appreciate the times that you're forced to wait.  Maybe you'll catch a bloom in action.

I hope I slow down enough to catch this rose as it blooms!

Live slowly - "All mankind's troubles are caused by one single thing, which is their inability to sit quietly in a room." - Blaise Pascal

You can take the girl outta Jersey...

...so goes the saying.
Many (more than is decent to admit) moons ago, I was born in the bustling metropolis of Pittsburgh, PA, fairly accounting for my loyalty to the Steelers.  I'm no bandwagoner!  Black and Gold are in my blood, y'ins.

Through a series of events, some fortunate, some unfortunate, my family moved to the decidedly bucolic land of South Jersey.  Not the fabled shore points (Cape May, Atlantic City, etc) of everyone's summer vacations, mind you.  No, the flat, rural farmland of Salem County.  Case in point:  I think two blocks west of my parents' home is the "center" of town - pretty much the only proper traffic light in town (all the others are blinking reds and yellows), and two blocks east of their home lie bonafide farm fields.  Some of our neighbors had horses as their family pets.  Fast forward many years, and I now live in an UNbucolic suburb of NYC.  In fact, if I wanted to drive to the nearest farm, it would be several towns away, not several blocks, and it would probably be to the Bedford "farms" that belong to Martha Stewart and Ralph Lauren - hardly the moguls one brings to mind when you mention "farmer".

Anyway, waaay back in Februrary, taking advantage of a President's Day Monday-off, Husband decided it would be a fun and cultural thing to tour a farm (this, after watching Anthony Bourdain tour a farm in his homestate of New Jersey).  Being a Jersey girl myself, I was game.  We drove about two hours (accounting for George Washington Bridge traffic - you'd think for the guy's birthday they'd let up on the traffic a bit) west and south to the Bobolink dairy farm for a tour of the place by it's owner, a modern-day cheese maker.

It was strange how "at home" I felt.  Sure, I'm a city slicker now, and I'm not about to sell everything and become a cheese farmer, but it was fascinating to learn about the way this husband and wife run a biodynamic farm.  They keep bulls and cows, preferring to keep their farm populated the "natural" way - so much so that they rotate the bulls with other dairies to prevent too much inbreeding.  Everyone is grass-fed, and all of the milk is used to make cheese, save for a small amount that the farmers themselves drink.  They keep chickens, not for laying (although the small amount of eggs they yield are the freshest, most delicious you could get), but for assisting the process of fertilizing.

Snooki and GTL jokes aside, there are some pretty cool places in the Garden State - I mean places that helped ole' Jersey earn that license-plate nickname.  It's inspiring and somewhat comforting when you see people treating the Earth well and acting as good stewards of the Biosphere.  And getting in touch with nature isn't just for us farm-raised South Jersey girls...anyone could come to love it!  Sometimes I'm glad that you can't take the Jersey out of me.

*sometimes*

In search of Contentment

Hello, dear readers!  I have been quite a bit busy lately...that's what working, having kids, and living a life does to you.  I have not forgotten about my blog, merely set it aside for a while.  I thought about blogging quite a bit - I've had many experiences over the last 3 months where I've said "Oh, this is a great topic for my blog!", but finding the time to sit down and compose an entry, add pictures and links to make it interesting, and telling people about it is the challenge.  Anyway, it's been busy around here in YATS-landia and I feel like I've been running 90 miles an hour with no relief in sight.  When I think one task or commitment is finished, there's another one waiting in the wings, ready to swoop in and ensure that my life isn't slowing down.  I welcome summer more than ever this year.  It will give me time to get back to my yoga practice, dive into my yoga reading list (I hope to have some good book reviews!), and most importantly, back to blogging!

I have been contemplating a big step in my yoga practice, and to ready myself, I have been skimming through lots of different material.  Lately, one theme has been coming to the forefront of my mind, probably because things seem more stressful than ever, and I'm looking for ways to slow down, enjoy life, be grateful for what life I have created, and honor the best intentions.  One of Patanjali's yamas (restraint) comes close to defining this:  Asteya - which translates to "non stealing"; however, this goes far beyond the literal translation, which reminds one of God's commandments to Moses "Thou shalt not steal."  Asteya means not coveting, not hoarding, not getting in the way of others' happiness.  Patanjali's second niyama (observance) seems more appropriate:  Santosha.

Santosha is the sanskrit word you see above, which translates to "contentment and satisfaction" - more as a theme for living your life, rather than a temporary state of being.  I can eat an amazing meal and feel contentment and satisfaction, but not experience Santosha.  It is a state of mind - one that goes deep - and one that is oftentimes hard to observe.  This is why yoga is a "practice" - one that never ends.

Santosha is about living in the present - not daydreaming of the future or wishing for what you don't have. It is not necessarily about not having goals, but it means accepting things as they come to you, good or bad, and being genuinely happy for others when good things happen to them.  For me, this has always been very, very hard.  I'm the oldest of 4 children, and my parents didn't have the means to give us all of the things that our friends had - or all of the things we wanted.  I remedied this by getting a job, babysitting, and working my butt off so that I could buy the things that kept me in pace with my friends - but in the early '90s, I wasn't always satisfied - plus, all that working meant I missed out on a lot of going out.  Bottom line:  I had a BAD case of "keeping up with the Joneses".

It hasn't gotten easier as I've gotten older.  I still work my butt off, but I don't exactly have a high-powered career that affords me big bonuses and lots of vacations.  We don't have an dynamic house with fabulous furnishings and amazing architecture.  My yard isn't the best-manicured on the block (not even close, thanks to the large tree we recently had to cut down!).  It sounds like I'm crapping all over my life and lamenting that I'm not "good enough"...and that's absolutely not my intention.  What I'm driving at is "Santosha" - feeling satisfaction with what I have and not getting in the way of others' happiness.  I'm not giving up my "drive" or my goals - but I do have to practice being happy for others who are blessed.  When a friend gets a promotion, instead of asking "Hey, why aren't I getting promoted?" it's time to be happy for the friend and be content in knowing that when the time is right for me, I'll get promoted, too.  Or not.  When someone I know experiences joy or happiness in his/her life, it's not time to question where my joy is; it's time to honor the fact that someone has found happiness, and hope that one day, they will be feeling the same for me.  Or not.
Santosha is a way of reminding myself that with or without these "trappings of success", I am worthy, I am capable of satisfaction, and it's up to me to find and see that contentment.  Being content is not about "things" and "experiences", which is hard to keep in mind in our American society which is competitive and materialistic.  Santosha brings it back to the basics - "Honor the good in yourself, honor the good in others".
Thanks for reading and joining me on my yogic journey.  More is on the horizon...

"May all beings, everywhere, be happy and free.  And may the thoughts and actions of my own life contribute, in some way, to that happiness and to that freedom" - Swami Nirmalananda

Have mat, will travel...

When you have something that you're passionate about, it's so much fun to experience it in a different place.  This holds true with a *someone special* (few things are better than experiencing a new destination with a lover or fabulous friend), a *vibe* (some people feel like they don't know a place unless they've visited "the underbelly" - case in point:  Bourdain's No Reservations!), or even an *activity* (yes, I'm talking about YOGA!)
I have a new friend Joanne, who is passionate about running.  She is so passionate about it, that she probably identifies herself as "a runner" above all else.  Her passion for this activity takes her to some amazing destinations, all for the sake of experiencing an amazing run in a new and interesting place.  She'll travel to Vegas, to Florida, just about anywhere, to take in the sights but above all, squeeze in a good run.  I thought this was way-cool...and thought about how lucky Joanne is that she has this thing that she is passionate about, and she can do just about anywhere.  Then I thought about it a little more, and realized that I do, too!
About a month ago, I got an email from my bestie since the 90's, Liz, saying that she was tagging along on her DH's conference which was going to be in Boston.  She wanted me to help her kill the time while her hubbs was in his workshops.  Boston's a 4 hour drive away, but that's a heck of a lot closer than Texas which is where Liz spends the majority of her 365 days a year.  I talked it over with MY DH, who travels frequently to Boston (we're talking about once a week), and we were able to work it out so that I would be able to fly up, stay in a suitably pampering hotel, and help Liz kill some time.  I booked the flight, booked the hotel, and started to think up things to do.  First stop:  yoga. 
I found a studio within walking distance of my hotel - this was NOT hard.  Yoga is so popular in Cambridge that you can throw a rock straight up and have it land steps away from a yoga class.  I emailed Liz an itinerary that included not one, not two, but three separate yoga classes!  DH travels to Boston and his research entails swank bars and delicious curry joints.  I travel to Boston and I research yoga classes.  Everyone has their passion.  Liz had her reservations about taking yoga - she hadn't taken a studio class in a long time - but she figured "what the heck".
On the morning of my trip, I got up, left the house by 7:30, hopped on the plane by 9 and was at Logan Airport by 10:30.  Took the T to my hotel, checked in by 11:30, and was at the studio a tad bit early for the noon class.  In case you are wondering, I wore my stealth-yoga outfit on the plane, so no changing was necessary.  I was comfortable, and sans-pockets, breezed right through airport security (bonus!). For Your Fashion Information:  Lucy black yoga pants and a Lucy black wrap top with a hood (sorry, can't find a link!).  I feel like a ninja when I wear this outfit (all black with a wrap top) and it can go from studio to street without a second thought.
It was incredible.  The studio, KarmaYoga, was gorgeous.  With a lobby full of zen furnishings and a small library of various books and pamphlets, I felt relaxed before I even set foot in the studio.  There was a tea bar and a few healthy snacks and goodies available for purchase. The class (Liz and I borrowed mats) was challenging, it felt good, and I was so happy about being able to experience a new teacher's style.  Even though I had never practiced with this yogi before, I knew the postures as she called them out, I liked her focus on setting our intention and gently reminding us of this intention throughout the practice. It dawned on me that this really is a passion that I can take with me everywhere. 
The best part, however, was meeting Liz in Boston and sharing another experience with her on the mat.   I have to say that, thanks to a few too many cocktails in a swanky bar (kudos to DH for the recommendation - his research did come in handy afterall!) and a rich dinner in the North End, the other two yoga classes fell by the wayside.  No worries - I still feel fortunate that I was inspired by a new friend to experience my passion in a different place with an old friend.  New, different, old, Yoga is a unifying experience. 

Are you afraid?

My children are deathly afraid of the dark.  This fear makes it very hard to "take care of business" during winter months, when the sun sets earliler than during other times of the year.  Neither of my kids will venture into a room where the lights are not turned on.  If we're out and return after 5pm to a dark home, they won't leave the foyer until the lights to the next room are turned on.  If I commence with cooking dinner, getting busy in the kitchen, and one of them needs to use the bathroom (which is on the second floor), they need me to stop what I'm doing, wash my hands of whatever food I'm preparing, and walk them upstairs.  They won't even agree to walking upstairs, turning on lights as they go.  I must escort them, lest a "Death Eater" (my older son is WAY into Harry Potter) or "Ghost" come and spirit them away.  In the modern age of energy conservation and environmental conscientiousness, it's pretty much ingrained in me that we can't leave lights on unless we are in that room, so I'm pretty much stuck with this station in life.  To be fair, this fear of the dark *does* work itself to my advantage.  If there is a room where I don't want my children to enter and make a mess, I just leave the lights off.  But overall, my life is inconvenienced by my children's fear.
Is fear justified?  As far as my children and the dark are concerned, yes.  This is despite the fact that my husband and I are vigilant about what these boys are exposed to.  Knowing that the 4th Harry Potter novel is far scarier than the first 3, I've been reticent about letting my older son delve in, despite protests that all his friends are reading it.  The boys haven't even seen Finding Nemo, we've sheltered them so much from "scary things".  Can it be conquered?  Ask the 7-and-under set - the answer is No Way.  Mom's help is needed.  But what about us grown ups - you know, those of us for whom "Mom" is no longer at beck-and-call?
When it comes to your yoga practice, what is it that you fear?  Is it something simple, like a challenging posture?  Are you afraid of flying in crow?  Are you fearful that your Ardho Chandrasana is going to land you on your face? 
Maybe you have no idea of what I'm talking about - let's address you neophytes:  are you afraid of trying yoga?  What is holding you back?  The beauty of yoga is that you take away from it what you want (unless what you want is a hard-driving sweaty workout.  Then again, we've got you covered with Bikram!).  There really is nothing to be afraid of.  It's not too girly (in fact, I'd venture to say that there were more men than women in the class I took with Heidy this morning...and the Tuesday night class I've been aiming to catch with Eileen always has at least 3 men who are regulars).  It's not too intense (there are modifications for every single posture).  Remember that it even took God 6 days to make Earth.  You're not going to fly in crow on the first day - you work up to every posture, honoring your body and respecting your intentions with each practice.  You'll get there.  And when you feel like you've "arrived", you realize that there's somewhere else to go with the posture.  Your practice is never finished. 
So maybe that's what you're afraid of - the fact that there is no "end" to yoga.  There's always somewhere else to take your practice.  When you think about it, that's nothing to be afraid of.  It's exciting that your relationship with Yoga is not going to reach a "dead end".  There's room for improvement, room for growth.  The longer you spend growing your practice, the more you appreciate it, and not that other's opinions should matter, you'll have more respect. 
In a practice last month, towards the end of the hour, the teacher guided us into crow.  I was game to try, knowing that I wasn't strong enough to hold the posture (which is a rather intense arm balance that also incorporates abdominal strength).  There were two women on mats behind me that scoffed at the thought: "Oh, there's no way...", but as I attempted the balance: "Oh, look, she might have it...oh, she doesn't...wait, maybe she's got it...ooops, nah".  Why weren't these women focused on their own practice?  Why weren't they attempting to conquer the pose?  The answers don't matter.  They were fearful of something, and they let their fears get in the way of trying.  And this, in turn, got them nowhere. 
So, the lesson to be learned here is to put things into perspective.  My kids need to put it into perspective that the dark is simply the absence of light.  The same things that are there in the light are there in the dark.  Conquering this (hopefully) will come with age.  Right now, they haven't much life experience, so the fear of the dark is understandable.  As we gain more experiences, we realize that certain aspects of life are left in the proverbial "dark" - there are things we can't see or understand.  Maybe we're not meant to understand them, maybe we need patience to deal with them.  Either way, give them time and patience, and the light may be turned on, hopefully conquering our fear.  Treat your yoga practice with the same perspective, and one by one, each posture will come to you.  It will be like turning on each light as you go upstairs to the second floor.

Thanks, Yoga Journal. Really...Thanks!

I'm not making excuses, but another reason I haven't blogged much lately is because Yoga Journal already does the work for me...AND delivers it straight to my inbox each day.  There are countless yoga teachers out there who write daily blogs far more knowledgeable (they have the 200+hour training to back it up!) and, dare I say it, just as entertaining as mine, and Yoga Journal culls them all, sending the best entries via email to anyone who signs up to subscribe to the posts.  They really are insightful, and many times they mention things that are worth sharing.  But, many times I also get too lazy to re-craft what the message is so I'm not a plagiarist, and I leave it.
One recent blog post however, read about it here, IS worthwhile mentioning.  It talks about our national obsession with 6-pack abs.   A recent perusal of the offerings in Target's fitness section had no fewer than 3 media offerings promising "fab abs" or "6-pack in 6-minutes" or "Flat abs diet".  It's enough to make any gal feel like a hopeless underachiever. 
My abs are not fab.  I don't spend 6 minutes a day on them, and my diet certainly isn't helping the matter.  While I miraculously have few stretch marks, the skin is less-than-taut, thanks to carrying 2 babies full-term (healthy, chubby 8 pounders, each!).  I never, even way back when, was skinny or "slim" (in fact, I think I weigh less now than I did when I was a Senior in HS), so I've always had a tummy, and I've ALWAYS been self-conscious about it.  The article gave me some hope.

This article explains that a 6-pack of abs might not be "healthy" (say WHAT?).   Sure it looks good, but all of that muscle bulk gets in the way of flexibility.  Hey, that's good news!  What we should be after is "strength" - a strong core that helps support your spine, shoulders, and head - and that is not necessarily what you get with 3 rows and 2 columns of perfectly chiseled muscle.  Sounds contradictory, right?  Not so.  The article explains that chronically tight abdominal muscles are not any healthier than chronically tight hamstrings or back muscles.  Ouch.  Furthermore, women can suffer estrogen loss and bone weakness if they lose enough fat to give that chiseled abdominal look.  Huh.  Turns out it's actually normal and better for women to have a little extra padding in the middle.
Instead, aim for a strong core that permits flexibility and movement.  Practice yoga poses that engage all of your abdominal muscles to help you gain this flexibility - and there are a host of postures that will do this!  The author is not saying (and I agree) that we should all give up and resort to a doughy middle - doing so can increase the risk of maladies such as heart disease and diabetes - but we should have different priorities when it comes to the appearance of our bodies.  Basically, it's not about appreciating how it looks.  It's about appreciating what it can do.
So, thanks, YJ (actually blogger Fernando Ruiz), for doing the work for me about this insecurity-inducing issue, but most of all, THANKS for helping me feel better about the lack of tone going on in my own mid-section.

Be accepting.  Accept your faults, accept your weaknesses - they are just as important as your strengths.

Book Review: Poser

2 weeks ago, I took my kids to the library afterschool as an "outing".  Yes, I've been so busy lately that the bar is set really low for what passes as "an outing".  The joke is that my younger son thinks the library is where we go to rent DVDs, and my older son likes to get Star Wars graphic novels.  Neither of which quite fit the bill for what I have in mind when visiting the library.  Anyway, while the boys were hunting for their choices, I decided to peruse the "new releases" section.  This is a complete joke, because new releases are typically 2 week loans with no renewal, and anyone who knows me would realize that I have ZERO chance of finishing a book in 2 weeks.  BUT, I saw this book, and it just spoke to me.  Was I a "poser"?  I practice yoga (infrequently), I write a yoga blog (even less frequently!), I can get into 23 different postures (I think).  I borrowed...
So, Claire Dederer, the author, is from Washington (state, not DC), is a journalist and a person who found a mode of "escaping" through yoga.  I think this is why a lot of people turn to yoga.  They are looking for meaning in some area of their lives, and yoga, with it's mysticism and contradictions, makes one feel less confuddled and more capable of coping.  Claire had some issues left unresolved, and her journey on the mat helps her cope, discover new things about herself, and just plain old "deal".  She's up against a northwest neo-hippie culture where you're not a good enough mother unless you puree your own organic babyfood, co-sleep, and nurse your baby until he's nursery school age.  That kind of maternal pressure is crazy - it seems enough to make any mother feel insufficient!  I joyfully nursed my kids well into their first year, but God, when that was done, I was SO ready to have my own body back!  On top of this, she was dealing with insecurities from needing to work, needing to support her husband as he dealt with insecurities about supporting his family as a journalist, complications from when her daughter was first born, and dealing with a strange parental dynamic (her parents were married, but not living together, as her mother had a live-in boyfriend for the last 20 years or so).  Yoga was her escape. 
I returned the book to the library today, only about 30% of the way through.  I have to say that I didn't give the book a fair shake.  It was interesting to read about the progression of Claire's practice, but I couldn't relate.  I felt like an insufficient mother just reading about what Claire went through to prove herself a "good" mother/wife/daughter/sister.  Jeez.  Several times I had to put the book down, step back, and ask myself if this is what it was really about.  I work full-time and look with envy at my peers who are able to stay at home and be fantastic mothers to their children, "effortlessly" keep in shape, eat well, do proper outings, and keep an active social life.  If this is what it's really all about, I'm doing a piss-poor job of keeping up!  I don't need that kind of reminder that I'm not as awesome as the rest of 'em...so yeah, I didn't finish the book.
Claire had problems to cope with in her life...not on the mat, and this book was more about the coping and less about the posing.  Seeking time on the mat was her release, as it is for me, and I didn't feel motivated to read her book to find out more, especially when it made me feel like more of a loser than I needed to feel.
Suffice it to say, I know all about turning to the mat to work things out.  Even with this, however, maybe when the book goes off the "new release" shelf, I may return to it to finish reading this summer (typically when I have more time to read!).

Life is a bridge.  Cross over it, but build no bridge upon it. - Indian proverb

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!)

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

First day of Spring

Ahhhh!  It's finally here!  A change of season.  The vernal equinox.  The first day of Spring!  Where are you going to let your life wander during these next 90 days?  It's amazing to think that some of us are going to experience things that will irreversibly change our lives.  Some of us know that these changes are on the horizon, but as life is unpredictable, many of these changes will be unexpected.  How you respond to these changes is about the only thing that is controllable.  Of course, flexibility - physical and emotional -  is an advantage in these instances.  Yoga postures certainly  help achieve physical flexibility, but how do you work on emotional flexibility? 

Yama  is known as the first of 8 limbs of a yoga practice, and it recommends following 5 ethical "practices" in your daily existence.  You can follow these guidelines in your self-awareness, in your relations with others, even in your diet (which might be a challenge for some of you meat-lovers out there!).  Trying to keep these practices in mind will certainly give you some emotional flexibility, and influence how you perceive changes that happen to you as well as how you respond to them!
Ahimsa is the first ethical practice (it's also the subject of my most viewed blog entry ever! 82 pageviews and counting...)click here.  It stands for applying non-violence to every part of your life - this means not harming others OR yourself - ie, not pushing yourself too hard during a workout, not really eating meat (sorry, Husband), that sort of thing. 
Satya means truth; specifically, living according to your own truth.  Okay, got it: to thine own self be true. 
Asteya is fairly straight-forward:  non-stealing.  Hmmm.  Ironically, I steal many of the images used in this blog.  Note to self: perhaps I should devote a little more time and attention to this particular ethical practice of asteya...
And then there's Brahmacharya.  Uh-oh, I can already tell that this next "suggestion" is not going to go over so well.  This is the "ethical" practice of abstinance.  Yeah.  Containing your sexual energy is restraint, alright!  How this is going to help you with your Yama and emotional flexibility, I'm not quite sure...  Okay, dear readers, why don't we just keep moving along to the last ethical practice:
Aparigraha, which means non-grasping and non-covetousness (is that a word?).  This is one practice that can help you best deal with change.  Relax your grip on things, and just observe the world.  Keep your mind open to the change - reality is that change is going to happen whether you compel it to or not. 
While practicing Yama can present it's own challenges, it certainly puts forth a few guidelines worth considering.  If all else fails, or you feel as though yama just isn't cutting if for you, the best thing of all is to just breathe.  When changes come too fast or seem like more than you can handle, open your mind to all possibilities,  including the possibility that a negative change can be turned into a positive one, and B-R-E-A-T-H-E.

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love" - Marcus Aurelius

My 80th post!...and the end of mid-winter break

Entryway to the Temple

So, how did I spend this last-day-before-heading-back-to-work?  Husband had a great idea to take the boys to Flushing to visit a Hindu temple and grab a bite to eat, and a great idea it was!

First of all, the day couldn't have been more beautiful - end of Februrary in New York, sunny and approaching 50 degrees.  It was great to be out and experiencing something a little off the beaten path in our great city.  We got a little lost on the way, and had a rather loud, angry shout fest in the car...was it my fault for emailing and not providing directions, or was it his fault for printing-out shitty directions and being impatient with my phone's GPS?  It's un-germane (is that even a word?) to the point of the trip, and yes, I'm more than a little embarrassed that my kids had to witness that, but I think we'll all live.

We luckily got the directions sorted, and found the temple.  Even luckier, we were able to find on-street parking just around the corner.  The temple is actually under reconstruction, and much of it's facade was scaffolded off, but the website shows the ornately decorated top of the temple.  We strolled through the entryway, admiring the various incarnations of Ganesh, the Hindu god with an Elephant's head and human body (sometimes with multiple arms), before we found our way to the temple's entrance.  We needed to leave our shoes in the basement before entering the main temple.  We wandered the perimeter to check out the jaw-dropping statues of deities, each adorned with garlands of flowers and jewels. 
Fortunately, a ceremony was underway, celebrating the Maha Sivaratri Day (which is coming up this Wednesday), and we were able to respectfully observe.  We saw the food offerings, heard some chanting, and witnessed the adorning of the main statue with flowers.  Unfortunately, we understood very little, but it was fascinating to watch, nonetheless, and we felt quite welcome to peaceably observe.

After a bit, the growl of our tummies and the promise of some delicious curry called us to the Temple's Canteen (too much Star Wars had me accidentally calling it the "Cantina" more than once).  I have no idea what we ate, but it was a weekend-only special for $9, it was spicy, and it was good.  There was a potato curry, a pappadum, something creamy with carrots and okra, and a yummy grain with chopped greenbeans.  There was a sweet dish, and a side of yogurt.  We ordered a supplemental Paneer dosa (very spicy!) and a plain dosa which was delicious when dunked in the sweet dish.  I had an authentic chai (surprisingly quite a bit different from the chai my morning bag of tea claims to be), Husband had a coffee, and a quick stroll through the Temple gift shop ended our trip.  I'm glad we took this little adventure, and look forward to a return trip!

This mid-winter break has been a great time to relax, recharge, and reconnect. Thanks to the time off, I've also been able to make quite a few blog entries, and (happily!) increase the readership. Thank you for stopping by...I can't promise I'll keep up with as much regularity, but I'll give it an honest try, so keep checking back! 



The divine is universal.  "It makes no difference whether you worship God, Jehovah, Allah, Mohammed, Buddah, Christ, or Krishna - it is still and always one and the same God." - Swami Satyananda Saraswati

YATS cooks!

Want a cost effective and delicious foray into Indian cuisine?  Try it yourself at home!!

Here at YATS, we do it all...yoga poses, media reviews, fashion, and now:  COOKING!  Don't get me wrong...I've always cooked - I just never blogged about it before.  Then, when I was fixing up dinner last night, I looked down at the table and decided it WAS something worth writing home about.  Heck, it was even something worth blogging about!  I know you'll appreciate it:

So, the key to this evening's meal was this TastyBite "Good Korma" simmer sauce, which I picked up for the low-low price of $1.99 at Fairway last week.  All of the TastyBite simmer sauces were on sale, but this one had a catchy name, AND I was pretty sure I could get my kids to eat it.   While I was there, I also picked up a package of Garlic Naan (already made - I just needed to warm it up) and some Basmati Rice.  All other ingredients I had at home (and purchased at Stop & Shop for a fraction of the cost at Fairway.  Fairway is great for specialty foods, but terrible for other things...it's just a matter of whether or not you have time to visit another grocery store to find out if saving the 5 bucks is worth it to you.  I'm on a tighter budget these days, and I have the time to shop around, so I did).  Here's a list of ingredients along with what they cost, so you can get a sense of what a bargain this meal was for my family of 4!  My standby curry place lists Chicken Korma at $16.95.  I think it comes with the rice, but add in the Garlic Naan at $3.95, and you're talking over 20 bucks, and there's no guarantee that would feed 4, let alone with leftovers!

Here's what you NEED for a home-cooked curry, YATS-style:

• TastyBites "Good Korma" sauce ($1.99 on sale)
• Garlic Naan (2 large pieces $2.99)
• 6 Frozen boneless chicken tenderloins (we call this "magic chicken" - it cooks from frozen and never disappoints!  The HUGE bag costs $5.99, and I only used 6 pieces (about 2 breasts' worth).  There's plenty more in the freezer for several other uses!)
• Frozen cauliflower florets store brand "steam in bag" variety ($1.79 - I only used half the bag)
• Basmati Rice ($4.99 for a 1 lb. bag...pricey, but this is the variety of rice you need for an Indian cookup!)
• 1 can Swanson fat free chicken broth (.79 on sale)
• Cardamom pods (I had these in the pantry...don't remember how much they cost)

Here's what you DO:

1.  Place 1 cup plus 2 Tbs.  Basmati in a medium-sized microwavable bowl.  Add the can of chicken broth (1 3/4 C), stir to mix, and toss in 4 or 5 cardamom pods.  Put the bowl, uncovered, in the microwave, high power, for 5 minutes.  Once that's going...

2.  Heat 1 Tbs. Olive oil over high heat in a saute pan (I used a braiser, actually).   Add frozen chicken tenderloins, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 3 minutes.  By this time, the microwave is beeping.  Give the rice a quick stir, and cook uncovered for 12 more minutes on 50% power.

3.  Turn your chicken.  Cook for 2 minutes, remove from heat.  The chicken will not be cooked through OR browned - and this is how you want it.  Cut the semi-cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Return to braiser and add the 1/2 bag of frozen cauliflower.  Cover and steam over medium heat for 2 or 3 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

4.  Add the Good Korma simmer sauce and stir to coat all the pieces.  Let this simmer at low heat until the rice is done.  Meanwhile, on the next BARE burner, gently toast the Naan.  You are doing this over an open gas flame, so your undivided attention is necessary.  I just let the naan sit right on top of the burner and it does the job nicely!  When I see the bread smoking, I use tongs to lift it and move it to a new spot.  Once toasted to your liking, turn off the flame and transfer to serving dish. I cut mine into 4 pieces, otherwise the kids would leave "naan" for us - :P

5.  By now, your rice is done (to perfection, I might add!).  You can toss the cardamom pods or leave them in as garnish.  Don't eat them.   Transfer your curry to a serving dish, or plate onto dishes right from the pan. 

Yum!

So, how did it turn out?  See for yourselves:

As you can see, I did have the expectation that my kids would eat this meal...but I was realistic about it.  The little one needed some apple slices because there was no way he was touching the cauliflower.  He did dog the rice and naan, though.  The older one tried everything, and took an extra spoonful of chicken.  He, too, probably could have done with some apple slices since he didn't eat much cauli, either.  Hubbs wasn't in the mood to eat very much, so we ended up with a lunch-sized leftover...perfect for bringing to work during the week.  All in, this meal probably would feed 2 hungry adults, or 2 sorta hungry adults and 2 picky children :)

Not bad for a Saturday night; it was easy, tasty, and wallet-friendly!  I paired it with a glass of chianti - not my first choice, but it was already opened. 

So, comment and let me know if you would attempt this, or better yet, share your own meal ideas!