Vegan Shepards Pie Double Baked in Potatoes

This recipe was inspired from a carnivore favorite Shepard's Pie. This is one option double baking in potatoes. I usually just make it all in one casserole dish. I wanted to get fancy this week so I double baked them in potatoes.  Serving them this way is a great for parties. 

As always I use organic ingredients especially when it comes to potatoes! Here's what you will need to make this or the casserole:

1 1/2 cups of green lentils (washed thoroughly)

4 cups of vegetable broth

1 small onion finely chopped

2-3 gloves of garlic finely chopped

2-4 carrots roughly chopped

1/2 bag of frozen sweet peas

6-8 potatoes (washed and peeled and chopped up if making casserole, if making it double stuffed like my pic just wash the potatoes thoroughly do not peel or chop)

Vegan sour cream

Vegan butter

Vegan milk( your choice I used unsweetened almond)

2tbsp of olive oil 

If you are double baking in the potatoes wrap your potatoes in foil and bake in oven. I set oven to 450 and they cooked for 40 min. Once they are done take out cut in half and set aside and let cool enough to handle.  Once you can handle scoop out the inside of the potatoes and place into a bowl leaving some potato in the skin like a small little potato bowl.

With the potato insides in a bowl add some vegan butter about 1/2 cup vegan sour cream and milk if you need it while mashing potatoes. Mash throughly and set aside.

Put the olive oil in pot and start to warm up. As the oil is warming add the onions and garlic. Let them cook until translucent then add carrots. Add some salt to taste at this point. Salutes for about five more minutes then add the lentils and veggie broth.  Turn heat up high until it all comes to rolling boil then lower heat and let simmer for 35-45 min.  

Once the lentils are finished put the lentil mixture into each half of the potatoes and cover w the mashed potato. I added a dash of garlic salt to the tops of them and I put them on broil for about 5 min. 

If you are doing a casserole instead place the lentil mixture at the bottom

Of casserole dish and then cover w potatoes. You can broil the top as well for 5-6 minutes. Delicious. 

Vegan Mac and Cheese without Vegan Cheese

So I started following Chef Chloe a sweet vegan chef with some great recipes.  She had a recipe for vegan mac and cheese but here's the kicker... no  cheese (dairy or vegan) anywhere in the recipe.  I am not a big fan of vegan cheese so I figured this recipe was worth a shot.  I tweeked it a bit so here is my version.  Just remember if you do a taste test during don't think its a waste.  The whole time I was making it I was thinking I wasted so much food bc this will not taste good but it ended up delicious and my hubby went back for seconds!!! You can see by my pic we ate almost half of it!! Get ready for a meal staple you will probably make every week!!

1 Sweet Potatoe  cooked and mashed (about a cup)
1Lb of elbow pasta (go ahead make it quinoa pasta I am trying this next week)
3 1/2 cups of Plain unsweetened (NOT VANILLA UNSWEETENED JUST PLAIN UNSWEETENED) Almond Milk
1/4 cup of flour
3 - 4 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 Tsp of Salt
1 Tsp of Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 Tsp of Soy Sauce
1 1/2 Tsp of Lime juice
1 large glove of garlic minced
2 Tsp of fresh or dried rosemary (I actually used a pampered chef rosemary blend)
1 Tbsp of breadcrumb for garnish not needed if you are gluten free

To begin get a large pot fill it with water add some salt and get it boiling.  Once it boils add the pasta and cook a little al dente.  Drain and put aside in the pot.

While the water is boiling you can start the "cheese" sauce.  Take your oil and flour and use a medium hit in a large saucepan and start your "rue".  You will need to whisk it and if it starts to chunk add a little more oil but not too much.  It will take about three minutes.  Now add the rest of the ingredients except the breadcrumb and rosemary.  As you add the ingredients keep whisking.  Once it come to a nice boil lower the heat to simmer so it can start to thicken but don't forget to keep checking on it and whisking.  You want it to be smooth and thick.  When I made this it timed perfectly by the time I had the pasta cooked and back in the pot the "cheese" sauce was ready. If its not give it a minute or two more to thicken up.  OK... ready... now pour the sauce over the pasta in the pot and add the rosemary.  Mix well and then transfer to an oven safe Corningware or Pyrex dish.  Sprinkle the top with a little breadcrumb and put in the oven on the top rack and set the broil to high.  Let it get nice and toasty and brown.  Once you take it out of the oven let it sit for a few minutes.  Then dig in and enjoy it's so delish!!!! I think it took a total of 30 minutes not counting the bake time for sweet potato.  You could probably microwave the potato but I choose the oven.  I am not a big micro fan but to each his own!!

Keep in mind sweet potatoes are a super food this is a great child friendly meal that helps sneak in a veggie!!!

A Quick Fix for a Mama on the Go!

PROBARS

If you are looking for a nutritional bar that is vegan, delish and can cover as a meal replacement I think I found it!  One of my favorite clients brought me a bag of goodies the other day. In the bag were two PROBARS, one was PROBAR Meal Peanut Butter and the other was PROBAR Meal Superberry and Greens.

The peanut butter bar was delicious.  I ate it when I arrived at the studio in the AM and I had to teach a class then a private Thai bodywork client.  Usually, I am starving when I have back to backs--but that day I wasn't hungry at all.  So, the next day I tried the Superberry and Greens bar. My first impression was it tasted like grass (Yeah, you know like when you were a kid).  I went back at it and the next bite I got a good dose of berry flavor. The slightly acquired taste ended up being delicious and I felt great all morning.

Meals are best when they are warm and when you can sit down and enjoy every bite.  However, if you are a busy DalaiMama like me then sometimes you need a bar or two to get you through.  I highly recommend PROBARS and I am looking forward to trying each and every variety.

FYI- if you are into bodybuilding or need some extra protein try their PROBAR Core made with 20 grams of plant protein.  You heard me right PLANT protein.  Here's the rest of their line I can't wait to try:

PROBAR Meal
PROBAR Core
PROBAR Bolt
PROBAR Fuel
PROBAR Halo

Wheat Berries and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

We love to try new, tasty, & healthy recipes in our home.  This weekend one of my clients brought me a bag of goodies.  In that bag was a package of Wheat berries.  I heard of them but never used them before. Every week we roast some veggies with onions and garlic on the oven and keep on hand as a side dish or over salad etc.  So this weekend, we roasted some Brussels sprouts.  This recipe calls for vegetable stock.  We make a fresh batch of veggie stock at our home each week too.  It's easy, freezes well and has no preservatives and a lot less sodium than store bought.   Here is a cool recipe we found that I modified

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemony Wheat Berries over Kale 

First lets start with the Wheat Berries here is what you will need:

3 cups of vegetable stock (see recipe below)

1 cup of Red Wheat Berries 

Bring the veggie stock and wheat berries to a boil and then turn down heat to low. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes. When they are finished drain the excess water and put the cooked wheat berries aside.

While the Wheat Berries are doing their thing start to prepare the Brussels Sprouts here is what you will need:

1 container of Brussels sprouts

3 cloves of garlic chopped roughly

1 small red onion or shallot

1 TBSP Olive Oil

salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 425.  Clean and cut the brussel sprouts into quarters.  Chop the garlic roughly in bigger chunks and do the same with the onion or shallot.  Mix all the ingredients in a  large bowl until everything is coated. Place in a baking tray with sides and cook for about 25 minutes or until brown.

So while the Wheat Berries and the Brussels are cooking get out your Kale.  I made a replica of the Kale I love at a local raw vegan restaurant Seed to Sprout.  Here's the secret recipe to the no fail, everyone will ask...how did you prepare that raw Kale bc it is DELISH!

Here is what you will need:

1 head of fresh Kale (cleaned and chopped) I cut out the hard stem in the middle you do what you want

I TBSP of Olive Oil

1/4 tsp of Salt 

1/4 tsp Nutritional Yeast

Put it all in a big bowl and mix well.  Mixing well with your hands is best.  We like to call it massaging the Kale at our house.  Talk to it...tell it how much you love it.  You get the idea.

The Dressing:

The zest of one lemon

1-2 TBSP of fresh lemon juice

Olive oil ( I didn't measure maybe 1/8 of a cup)

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together.  Take this delish dressing and combine the cooked wheat berries, and roasted Brussels and serve over the scrumptious bed of kale you made.  

Homemade Vegetable Broth:

1 stalk of celery 

1 Large Carrot

2 cloves of garlic

1 small onion

6-7Cups of water

1TBSP of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Chop all the ingredients and saute in the bottom of a heavy bottom pot until translucent. Add the water bring to a boil and then cover and let simmer for an hour.  If you like fresh herbs go ahead add them.  When time is up, strain the vegetables out so you just have a clear broth. 

 

This recipe serves about 4 people.

Yoga Patents for YogaGlo ...WTF?

If you are a part of this modern yoga world you most likely have heard the news that YogaGlo has received some type of approval for a patent on yoga videos. What?!  If you haven't heard here you go :http://yogainternational.com/article/view/yogaglo-patent-issued

It is becoming more and more disheartening to be a part of the modern yoga world.  I in fact, have been working on several yoga videos for you tube to share with my clients that can not make it to class or live outside of NJ.  Nothing crazy I don't have them doing forearm stands or binds without me being present just prananyama, guided meditation and maybe a few warriors and a tree.  So...if this patent goes through I can't do that anymore?
The founder Derik Mills looks like a decent person and everyone needs to make a living but having the site wasn't enough?  I mean why is it that you go to yoga?  I started to get a away from my cell phone for 90 minutes.  I was in a high stress, high paced sales job and my cell was always ringing and I always answered...except those 90 minutes I was in class bc it was in my car.  Then I fell in love with the breathing and the movement and how I could actually slow down my thoughts and manifest great amazing things.  So, Derik, lay off the patent will you?  Yes, yoga has turned into a huge business but let's not make yoga teachers hire attorneys when they want to set up a You Tube page or send their clients videos on an asana they are working on or a guided meditation they really need.  Yoga teachers just don't make that type of money to keep an attorney on retainer. It just doesn't make too much sense...one yogi to another it just doesn't fit into the yoga philosophy.  If I want to send a video to a friend or to a client that needs some help relaxing don't take that opportunity to help someone heal away.  

Lunch can be the greatest gift

Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is lunch. 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind.  Dealing with my father being very ill, two small children, worrying about my mom, oh and being a wife and having a very disorganized home.  I was stressing over things that basically were out of my control.  I know you are thinking, she's supposed to be some yoga chick, shouldn't she being focusing on the positive and not ever getting stressed? 
Well, truth is, I am human and in fact, after having a in depth conversation about what a yogi is with my cousin (a fellow yoga teacher) I am not a yogi.  I just share my passion and love for yoga with others.  I don't live in an ashram, I drink the occasional glass of wine and sometimes I have negative thoughts and I eat way too many cookies to ever be called a yogi.

I have a friend that I met through my yoga center that I will probably have for the rest of my life.  We don't talk everyday, in fact our friendship is fairly new.  Our sons are the same age and they are friends.  We schedule play dates and the boys play in the same room ... separately as three year old often do and we just enjoy each others company.  We talk about our kids, our hubbys and things we are passionate about in our lives.  There is no judgment in our conversation and we don't waste our time talking or judging others we are just simply...friends with no strings .  Today, my friend made me lunch during our playdate.  Something so simple and basic but was the nicest thing anyone could do for another.  Taking the time to prepare it and share it with me really made my day and made me realize all those things I was stressing about will be ok.  It also reminded me that I have surrounded myself with good people and for that I am truly thankful. 

She made a delish curry by the way stay tuned for my curry recipe coming this week.

Vegan Lentil Loaf

As I write this I'm pretty sure FoodTV may blow up my email and my phone tonight begging me to come and host a show.  I think they will call it....Mama V, the Mom who cooks vegan cuisine with her kids.  I peeked at a few lentil loafs and came up with a rendition of my own.  We served it with roasted sweet and regular potatoes.  It was delish!

Here's what you will need:
Lentil loaf:
1 cup of uncooked lentils (wash them and sort them there are always some random stones, etc in the package
3 cup of water
1 small onion diced  and 1/2 of an onion
Half of a sweet potato shredded
Half of an Granny Smith Apple shredded
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup of oats (crush them with food processor to make a powder)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs (any kind you like, seasoned, homemade...whatever floats your boat)
1/2 cup of Walnuts chopped
1 tsp  of dried thyme
3-4 tblsp of Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
1/2 cup of ketchup
2Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
2Tbsp of Apple Sauce
1Tbsp of Agave

Pre-heat your oven to 350.
Place the 3 cups of water in a pot and let the water boil you can add salt and half of the onion to flavor the water, or use a veggie broth or just plain water.  It's up to you.  Add the lentils and let the water come back to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for about 40-45minutes.  You want to basically overcook the lentils.  In the meantime, take 2tbsp or so of the oil and sautee the onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add the sweet potatoe, apple and walnuts.  Sautee for about another 5 minutes.  Put this in a large bowl, then add the breadcrumb, ground oats, thyme, dash of salt and mix well.  Once the lentils are finished take 3/4 of it and blend (I used my Cuisinart hand blender) then other 1/4 just put in the mixture bowl.  When you have finished blending the lentils add them to the bowl as well.  Mix well with you hands is best.  Then taste to see if you need salt or pepper.  Now, if this wasn't vegan you wouldn't be able to just stick your finger in and taste.  You would probably get really sick. :0

Get your loaf pan out and lightly grease with remaining Olive Oil and then add parchment paper to cover the inside with some paper hanging out the sides.  Put your mixture in the loaf pan and push down with your hand to make it even.  Now, to make the sauce...
Take all the ingredients and wisk really well.  Take half or so of the sauce and cover the top of the load generously.  Save the rest for dipping.

Place your loaf in the center of the oven and bake for about 45 then remove and let sit for about 5 minutes in the pan.  Remove from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack.  Then slice and enjoy!!!

You can always add celery or carrots instead of sweet potato.  I saw a lot of recipes that called for those ingredients instead.  Sweet potatoes are so good for you I decided to add them instead.  Have fun with it!!

The power of touch

The other evening I met a good friend of my husband who was an Orthodox Jewish Man. Instinctively, I reached my hand out to shake his and he kindly asked if he can refuse the shake.  Immediately, I realized "What was I thinking?  He can't touch me, it's his religion!!"  I apologized and continued the conversation.  I went home feeling embarassed and stupid for not remembering and thinking how offensive I must of come off to him.  A few hours after I settled in at home, I started to think (and yes there was smoke :) )  Instead of feeling guilty I began to think how much he missed out.  I'm usually a "hugger" not even  a hand shaker that would have been horrible and completely a mess if I did that....isn't that a shame or is it better?  The past almost 10 years of my life I have been studying the power of touch and I have seen so much healing happen from my two little hands.  

I've spent time with women (3 to be exact) who were trying so hard to get pregnant and a little thai massage and some reiki later and they could relax and let God do his work and they were blessed with healthy babies.  So where I am confused is why does this man's God (who is the same by the way) tell him something different and was "his" God right? 

I'm reading a yoga book from Swamiji when he visited us this summer.  In the book it says as yoga teachers we shouldn't touch.  We are invading people's personal space and practice....interesting.  Don't we all want a little attention?  When I started to take yoga classes I looked forward to the adjustments especially in Savasana.  So what do you think?  To touch....or not to touch?  That is my question.  I would love feedback on this one!!

The power of Yoga.

My husband shared this video with me tonight.  Sometimes I take for granted how powerful yoga has been in my life.  Look how powerful it was for this man.  Truly amazing. Take the time each day to breath and connect with yourself.  I say  that in every class bc I need to remind myself. 

Letting Go...Literally

Well, I haven't written for a while.  Mostly bc we didn't have power for two weeks.  Not having power for two weeks was actually a blessing.  So many have lost their homes, memories and even loved ones bc of Sandy so just losing power...I'm blessed.  It was also a blessing bc their weren't any distractions.  The TV was finally off, the computers put away and it was just me and my family.  Camp outs by the fire (thank goodness for the fireplace) and long nights of talking about everything and anything.  It was almost as if my hubby and I were first dating again.  Talking about our dreams, and goals but this time it was different.  When I first met my husband I had a two seater very expensive sports car, I owned a home (by myself), and I had a very lucrative job.  We would travel whenever we wanted with no budget.  I then bought another home and completely renovated it.  The master bath had a vanity in it maybe more expensive than some people's cars.   Really?  I was so materialistic?  Then we bought a huge beach house together reasoning that we both owned homes and this was like owning both of our homes.  It was a mistake we know that now but I wouldn't change it.  I remember setting goals at work all the time.  One of them was when I turned 40 that I would be living on the beach in Mantaloking. 

Well, wasn't that all ridiculous.  This storm pretty much leveled everyone in some way. For me it was a wake up call in my life.  What was really important to me and what was I going to tolerate and what was I not going to tolerate in my life. What do I really need to survive and what is just nonsense. I did this once before in my life and it was refreshing. I don't want my children growing up setting goals of a super expensive house, I want their goals to be something life changing and meaningful.  So I am doing it again, a brand new start.  What are you going to do to make your life more meaningful?  Where will you begin again?

3 + Me = unbalanced ego

Marriage is hard enough, then add a house, a business and a baby...boom it's a bit hectic around here.  So what the heck add one more baby to the mix and things are definitely not the same. I thought having a second child would be a cinch.  How hard could it be?  Everyone that told me I was so lucky with Jack being a good baby just didn't get it.  I was a good mom and he was my reflection.  I didn't yell, the house was somewhat organized and his super intelligence was partly from his brainiac father but mostly because I just talked to him so damn much. 

Then Lily arrives and literally from the minute she took her first breath we began the roller coaster.  In fact, the first night at the hospital I called the nurse and handed Lily to her and said "Something is wrong, she just won't stop crying."  The nurse laughed and said she is just a new baby getting adjusted.  In my mind I was thinking "Duh, she must not have children bc Jack was never like this ever!"  From that moment on my ego was in overdrive.  I was going to come home bc the hospital was upsetting her and everything would be perfect.  Laundry would be done,  house would be clean, my husband would be happy, Jack would be completely adjusted with a new sister & my business would be booming and I will just go there everyday with baby in tow.  Yeah, that never happened.  Laundry piled up, I didn't show up to the studio for like a month or so and my husband wanted me dead for sure and Jack pretty much wanted Lily to go back to the hospital.  Oh and Lily never stopped crying...for like two months!!

So what is the Ego and if I am such a scholar  yogi why would my ego be out of whack.  Well, for many reasons, but most importantly because I am human.  I also live in a world where the social expectations are set high for moms.  If you let the social expectations get the best of you, then your ego will take over and cause a lot of unwanted stress.

Well, here I am four months later and my ego is starting to go back into hits hiding place.  What has helped me...other moms.  It's like a secret society.  You could be at the grocery store and your kid is flipping out and all the moms give you that look like "I feel your pain sister and it's gonna be ok."  Also, online support groups, for entrepreneur moms, breast feeding moms, etc.  I think the most helpful has been the breastfeeding support groups.   Every other person tells me I should give my 15lb four month old formula bc she is hungry or so I could get a break.  Don't they get it, yeah I am tired but the moment of bonding is my break from the chaos around me sometimes.  If you want to help me with my new one just support my breast feeding decision.  It was a rough start but I made it here alive and well and so did Lily.  Of course the doctors all thought I had post par tum but I was just being honest.  When they asked if I wanted to injure anyone in one of my many post par tum visits I said "Yes, my husband".  Once I said that they new I would be ok.  Poor Ed.

 Do I want to be at every event, especially when it comes to yoga...sure. Am I...no. My time will come,  right now I am exactly where I am supposed to be and that's with my family, ego less and happy and possibly surrounded by piles of laundry :)

Vegan "Meat"balls

My good friend Julie(who I used to call Jules) that I used to work with in the NICU gave me this recipe over 12 years ago. I have made some small changes to it. They are so delicious I know you will just love them. Here's a hint: make a double recipe and freeze some so you can take out quickly for dinner on a night you don't have anything planned. They freeze great.



Jules Meatless "Meat"balls (vegan)



1 cup of breadcrumbs -seasoned

1 cup of walnut - super fine chop

2 carrots shredded

2 stalks of celery finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 small onion finely chopped

1 tbsp of dried fennel seed

1/2- 3/4 cup of plain almond milk

1/2 container of tofu(this is optional, original recipe didn't have tofu walnuts have enough protein)

a nice dash of salt

*if your into vegan cheese you can add 1 cup of the mozzarella type and Parmesan type (we leave it out)

Olive Oil



Begin by sauteing the carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a saute pan until translucent.

Set aside to cool. While the veggies are cooking you can take your walnuts and put in a food processor and finely chop them until they almost look like breadcrumbs. Now take all of the ingredients and put them in a large bowl and mix. You may have to add more breadcrumb or more almond milk to get the correct consistency. Make small little balls and put aside on a dish. Once you are finished rolling all your balls you can either fry or bake your meatballs. If you bake them set them oven to 375 for 35-40 minutes and rotate a few times through out baking process. We usually fry them in a little olive oil. You don't have to saturate them in the oil to fry.  Making sure to turn them so they cook on all sides.  Then you can place them on a dish that is either lined with an old paper bag or a cloth to drain any excess oil.  Place them in your favorite sauce or eat plain they are delicious!  You can even make Swedish vegan meatballs or sweet and sour.  The options are endless. If you are going to freeze.  You would freeze them after you finish cooking them without any sauce.

Try them and write me and tell me what you think!  Enjoy!!

Yoga Teacher Infatuation...What Happened to Non Attachment

Hmm... this should be a good one.  Why is it we as yoga teachers are supposed to be teaching non attachment yet do we practice it ourselves?  A perfect example is the following of one teacher.  We all have done it and most still do it.  Isn't that attachment?  Doesn't everyone have something to give to our yoga community?  Yes, some are new, some don't move as fast as a spin class but something pivotal in their lives put them on this yogic path.  Shouldn't we stick around to see what that was???  It took me a long time to fill my classes, then I have a baby and my students got scared and didn't give the new teachers a chance (not all... but some).  I question where did I go wrong as a yoga teacher?  Didn't I always mention detaching from people and material things?  Being present in this very moment and accepting?  For me, I did detach from it and look what was given to me.  A healthy beautiful child that brightens up my day.  She teaches me more in one day than I can learn from any yoga class in a lifetime. 

Just a thought.  Next time you see a name on a yoga schedule and it isn't someone you know maybe give it a shot.  I walked into my first yoga class at a gym and it changed my life.  That teacher is still around with two studios later.  Guess what...if I stereotyped "gym" yoga and I would have never went and I wouldn't be here today writing this blog.  Gifts are put right in front of you every second of the day.  Be open to receive them.  
Namaste.

Vegan Pancakes

So many people are skeptical when I say I made vegan pancakes.  I assure you if you make these pancakes you will never go back to traditional pancakes if you are a non vegan. 
They literally take a few minutes to whip up and I always make them with my 2 1/2 year old son (that's how easy they are to make!)

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour (whichever you prefer, we do half whole wheat and half white)
1 Tbsp of organic cane sugar (FYI white sugar is not vegan if you don't know why ask me...too gross)
2 Tbsp of baking soda (sounds like a lot but this is what makes the magic happen)
Dash of salt
2 Tbsp of oil
1 cup of Vanilla Almond Milk (you can use whatever vegan milk you prefer but this is our favorite)
*If you like fruit pancakes go ahead and slice up some banana or add some blueberries.  The options are all yours.

1.  Heat up the pan and get it ready.  You can either you an organic non-stick spray or a vegan spread.
2.  Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl (I like to sift them together but you don't have to).  I also you a 4 cup measuring cup to mix everything in so I can just pour the batter out of it, it's so much easier.
3.  Now add the wet ingredients and mix but don't overmix.  The batter should be smooth.  I like to let it sit for a minute now.
4.  Begin to pour or spoon out the mixture onto your med/high heat pan. 
5.  Once you begin to see bubbles around the edge of pancakes then flip.
6.  Finish all the batter and if you have left overs (which you won't b/c they are so yummy) you can save them to reheat for tomorrow. 
7.  Pour some pure Maple Syrup over them and dig in!!!

Want some more vegan recipes?  Not sure of vegan replacements?  Add a comment below and I will answer or email me at mariajakubik@yahoo.com

Yoga and Weight Loss

Really? Are you thinking is she really going to go there? Well, I have to go there. Everyday I hear the same thing, you should offer hot yoga, or yoga fitness or put yoga for weight loss in your window. Here's the simple truth. If you do any physical activity for an hour and fifteen minutes three days a week or more you will get in shape. Plain and simple. Even a gentle yoga class can give you sexy legs and rock hard abs if you are holding the postures correctly. It's difficult to hear I am coming to sweat, I want to scream run here before class and then run home you will sweat or better yet why don't you really hold your muscles during each asana. The best is I don't need a restorative class or a gentle class. When did we become so hard on ourselves?

So it is true if you practice yoga (any type : gentle, vinyasa, hot, cold, power yoga, etc) at least three times a week for more than an hour you will tone up. It's part of the reason we practice the asana. No. Not have sexy legs but our bodies are in fact our temples. So we should take care of them. We do the physical bc all the mental baggage leave us with some toxic stuff in our joints, muscles and most importantly in our hearts.
Then comes the pranayama (breathing), sometimes I see people just doing it to do it. If you really throw yourself into pranayama it's a miracle drug! Pranayama actually helps to relax you, rids you of anxiety, keep you focused(think kids and ADHD!) but above all it brings in more oxygen which in turn flows through your body and makes everything feel better.

Yoga is about letting go, yes physically but the mental too. Will you lose physical weight, well... Yes. Most importantly you will begin to learn to let go of the mental baggage. Once that's removed you will see yourself and others in a different light. There's an old saying if you don't have a few minutes a day to meditate then sit down and meditate for an hour. Use your practice for meditation, stop thinking about how much you want to sweat. In the end it will all be perfect and everything will be exactly where it's supposed to be..

Being a Woman

So, the funny thing is I started this blog 2 1/2 years ago when my son Jack was born.  I was overwhelmed with being a new mom and a new business owner that I never began to write.  Now, Lily is here and my business has grown and so have my responsibilities but somehow I am going to find a way to write daily here.  Maybe it will become viral or maybe this will be my online journal...who knows.

Being a woman is tough..being a business owner (of a yoga center), a mom, a teacher and a wife is just insane at times.  I  remember a time where my home was always spotless, everything organized and neat.  The yogi in me says "let go that was the past...don't dwell."  The italian guilt running through me tells me a different story, like get down stairs and finish all that laundry even if you have to stay up all night. 

This week I practice non attachment (Aparigraha as the yogi's say) .  Something I find so hard as a yogini to do.  I'm attached to my children, my husband, my family but I am also attached to my ego.  Trying to do it all myself and not wanting to ask for help.  Today I asked for help with Jack bc I just couldn't do it.  Instead of resting I worked, folded laundry, cooked for the dogs. The cool thing is I get to start over this very second bc every moment is a new beginning.

What are you attached to in your life?