I have been having a torrid love affair with coffee lately. This is probably not the best considering my feeble, barely working adrenal glands. But oh well. Like Guruji would say: No coffee, no prana!

Namaste,
Z

Healing Spinach Soup

It's getting to be that time of year where things are dark and grey outside so I crave warm, comforting foods.  Past me would have been scarfing down on mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, and all the comfort foods that are not so nourishing. Present me is learning, slowly but surely, that when I eat like crap, I feel (and look) like crap.  So I'm creating new "comfort" foods for myself that are healing and nourishing to my body.  Enter: Healing Spinach Soup!  Spinach is loaded with iron (great for menstruating women), potassium, fiber, Vitamin C (hello flu and cold season), and disease-fighting antioxidants that are great for everybody, so eat up!
This recipe comes from the book by Gillian McKeith "You Are What You Eat Cookbook". (Thanks again for the great cookbook, Mom!)

Healing Spinach Soup Recipe serves 4
What You'll Need:
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
1 pound fresh baby spinach
1 zucchini, chopped (optional)
1 vegetable boullion cube
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups boiling water
1 handful fresh parsley
Nutmeg to taste

1. Place the onion, olive oil, and 1 tbsp water in a large pot.  Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, until onion is soft.
2.  Add the spinach, zucchini (optional), 2 cups boiling water, bouillion cube, 1 cup broth, and parsley to the pot and cook for roughly 10 minutes on high.
3. Remove pot from heat (safety reasons), and blend all together either with a handheld immersion blender, or transfer in small batches to regular blender (then, of course, returning it from the regular blender to the pot). Blend until smooth.
4. Return the pot to heat, season with nutmeg and reheat gently.
5. Divide among soup bowls and garnish with anything that suits your fancy! (Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, baby spinach leaves, etc). Enjoy!

The recipe in the book doesn't call for the zucchini, but I added it because 1) I had a zucchini that was about to go bad that I wanted to use up, and 2) it adds a little more fiber and overall oomph to the soup.



Namaste,
Z

Living the Practice:

Here is a wonderful video from a world-renowned Ashtangi and Ashtanga Teacher, David Robson.  If you've ever been curious about Ashtanga Yoga and weren't really sure what it is, why people are so drawn to it, and all of the beautiful benefits it can bring to your life, then watch this video. If you already practice Ashtanga, it's a great watch and will remind you, as it did me, just why you are so in love with this practice.

Enjoy, beautiful yogis!

Living the Practice: Ashtanga Yoga with David Robson on Vimeo


Love,
Z

Yoga Ruins Your Life:

Yoga ruins your life?

Watch this video and see what I really mean:

This really is such a beautiful practice. Go let it "ruin" your life, why don't ya? ;)

Namaste,
Z

In The Presence of a Guru (or 2):

Today, I will be meeting two of the most inspirational Ashtangis and teachers/gurus in the world.  Sharath Jois (grandson of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois) and Saraswathi Jois (daughter of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois) will be coming to Charlottesville, VA to do a yoga practice and lecture on Ashtanga Yoga.

I signed up and registered today and, quite literally, had tears in my eyes.  These are the happiest tears I’ve cried in a very, very long time.
Ashtanga Yoga came into my life a year and a half ago at yoga teacher training. It was brand new to me and quite daunting. But I immediately fell in love with it. It changed my body so quickly, inside and out, in ways that I never imagined possible.  After graduating from “yoga school” I kind of fell off the bandwagon of my Ashtanga practice (that’s what having 3 jobs will do to a lady..oy!).  But, in the last few weeks, something has kept telling me to get back to it. So I started practicing it again at home, 6 days a week and remembered why I love it so much. I feel so strong when I practice, and it helps me work through my “junk”.  I’ve said for so long how I would love to study with Sharath, because I find him so awe-inspiring and amazing.  I always thought, however, that my only opportunity to do that would be to travel to Mysore, India.
And then, today, one of my girlfriends from yoga school texted me if I was going to UVA on Friday. I had no clue what she was talking about. When she told me that Sharath and Saraswathi would be there doing a workshop, I immediately jumped up and down, and started crying from pure excitement and happiness. I immediately signed up and registered for it.
I cannot believe that this is happening.  Being in the presence of Guruji’s lineage is going to be so amazing.
This week can’t go by fast enough!
This little yogi is in a state of pure bliss and happiness and excitement right now.

Here’s the link: http://www.uvacontemplation.org/gurusongrounds

Getting out of a funk:

Sometimes, you just get in a funk. You don't know why. Maybe it's the lack of sleep? Maybe it's the fact that the weather is crazy (67 one day, BLIZZARD THE NEXT)? Maybe it's having 3 jobs and a lack of free time to spend doing things you really crave and need to feel less zombified? I don't know. But sometimes, sometimes you just get in a funk. And then you read a quote from a fellow yoga teacher that really resonates with you and zaps you out of your daze:


“Having a bad day? Going through a rough patch? Life crisis? Don’t panic. In the words of Liz Gilbert - don’t fall apart, it becomes a habit. Stay calm and know that you are where you are right now for a very important reason. Life will never give you something you can’t handle. It will all make sense in a little while, but for now: Go back to basics. Drink water. Breathe deeply. Eat foods that heal. Surround yourself with loving people. Read books that resonate with your soul. Go for a walk in the woods, on the beach, in the park, in your backyard…anywhere you can breathe fresh air and see the sky above. Close your eyes. Connect. Remind yourself of the things you have to be grateful for, and let the words ‘Thank You’ become your most important mantra. You can do this. You are strong, you are whole, and you are not alone.” - Rachel Brathen

Time to find happy again.

Om shanti,

Z

30 Before 30:

I jumped on the bandwagon and created a list of 30 things I would love to accomplish before I turn 30. This gives me 5 years. That's do-able...ish...right?

1. See the Grand Canyon.
2. Rescue a dog and give him his forever home.
3. Own a home.
4. Complete a 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training (already have the 200-hour one under my belt).
5. Own and run a yoga studio, OR at least be in the serious process of getting to that point in my career.
6. Travel to India and get back to the source.
7. Forgive everyone who has ever hurt me.
8. Forgive myself.
9. Hike part of the Appalachian Trail.
10. Go for 30 days with no sugar.
11. See the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco.
12. Learn to tango.
13. Be less fearful of the unknown and new experiences.
14. Actually start to let people in again.  I've been really hurt in the past so I have these walls built up, and I'd love to break them down and have more faith that not everyone is there to screw you over. This one will be a challenge, but I'll try.
15. Learn how to drive a stick shift.
16. Take a cooking class.
17. Host a dinner party.
18. Visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, FL.
19. Go on a hot air balloon ride.
20. Attend a silent meditation retreat.
21. Run a half-marathon. I am not a natural runner (but I'm working on it), so that's why I didn't aim for a marathon (yet). Maybe in another lifetime?
22. Surprise my family with a really awesome gift, like a cruise or a cool trip or something.
23. Read the Bhagavad Gita once a year.
24. Love singing again.
25. Pincha Mayurasana. 'nough said.
26. Get my fortune told by a fortune-teller.
27. Try acupuncture.
28. Try paddle-boarding. Preferably somewhere tropical.
29. See the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Plaza in NYC.
30. Sing and act on the stage again, any stage at all. Part of me really misses it.