Flashback to my days in middle school & high school....
My best friend Meghan & I spent A LOT of time together. & we loved food.
We loved to make food & eat said food while watching Saturday Night Live. Then we might make & eat some more food, then listen to music, talk for hours & probably eat more food. We totally bonded over one of our favored meals, Beef Stroganoff.
(we always referred to it as 'Beef Strokinoff'.... immaturity at its finest!).
I haven't had Beef Stroganoff in years & honestly when I have had it, it never meets my expectations.
Now, being pregnant, I had a hankering for something hearty, filling, tasty & nostalgic.
So I re-created the classic Beef Stroganoff with some minor alterations, mostly the addition of grass-fed beef, fresh herbs & the swapping of greek yogurt for sour cream. It's literally the best Beef Stroganoff I've ever had!
Enjoy!
(these are rough measurements. I rarely cook from recipes & love to use my culinary intuition. I hope you use yours too!)
Best Beef Stroganoff
1 lb Beef --- grass-fed, free-range, high-quality chuck roast, steak or your favorite tasty cut
(pre-roast, crockpot, grill...however you like to cook your meat)
16 oz Amish-homestyle wide egg noodles
(you can sub gluten-free varieties if needed, but egg noodles are the classic if you can have em)
8 oz full-fat Greek yogurt
(don't skimp with 0%....fat is your friend!)
1 Tbsp. grass-fed butter
(alternative is unrefined, virgin coconut oil)
1 - 2 big Portobello mushrooms
(rinsed & coarsely chopped)
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
(white onions work too)
1 c. beef broth
(try to make your own! I added 1 cup of water to my beef & onions in the crockpot & was left with tasty homemade broth)
1 Tbsp. flour
(to thicken the beef sauce....use all purpose flour; alternative is all-purpose gluten-free flour)
2 cloves garlic
(crush & finely chop garlic & let sit in open air for 5 min before using; alternative is to use a couple teaspoons of dried garlic powder)
1-2 stalks green onion
(rinsed, sliced lengthwise & chopped, ends removed)
1/4 c. fresh parsley
(rinsed, patted dry, finely chopped)
1-2 Tbsp. fresh dill
(rinsed, patted dry, finely chopped; alternative is to use a couple teaspoons of dried)
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
a few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce on top
Directions:Cook your meat ahead of time, either the day of or day before.
When ready to prepare the meal, saute mushrooms & onions in butter or oil until fragrant & brown. Thinly slice the beef & add to the skillet. Add the garlic & beef broth. Bring to a simmer & stir in the flour, making sure there aren't any clumps. Turn down to a low simmer & cover with a lid. Boil water in a separate pot for noodles. Cook noodles according the directions on package. Strain noodles & add back to the cooking pot.
Return to the skillet, stirring as needed during simmering time. Stir in the greek yogurt & dill. Add salt & pepper to taste. Pour beef mixture over noodles in cooking pot & heat to low-medium to fully coat the noodles & warm everything up. Serve warm with green onion & parsley on top & add a few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce (that takes it to a new level). Excellent with a fresh green salad & warm bread & butter. mmmmm deeeelish!
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Vibration: the Underlying Truth
Every single person, place, creature & thing on the planet, including the Earth herself, is vibrating at a certain frequency. Consider the birds singing outside your window, the seemingly solid sofa you rest on, the food you eat, the sound of your voice...they all possess a vibratory frequency, whether it is obvious or very subtle. There are also many many sounds which are inaudible & unheard by the human ear, yet they still exist & emit a vibration. (The human really only perceives one millionth of the electromagnetic spectrum).
Since we now know through the advancements in Quantum Physics & Mechanics that everything in reality has a vibration, the gates of potential for altering any given frequency for positive or negative have been opened. The power of sound, vibration, toning, singing, chanting, speaking & music in general is immense. Sound has a profound effect upon our psyche, physiology, emotional well being & mental functioning. Music & sound therapy is an up & coming form of healing which has a lot of science & research behind it.
The outstanding work of Dr. Emoto, a Japanese scientist & researcher, has found a way to validate the power of vibration & other various stimuli upon the molecular structure of water. His testing was based upon exposing water (remember WE are primarily composed of water, as is the Earth) to different types of sound, music, written word, technology & environmental situations, freezing it, then viewing its crystalline structure under a microscope. The results were incredible!
In general, the water which was exposed to microwaves, hurtful words, angry music & negatives forces, produced mutated & deformed crystals, very similar to what a cancer cell might look like.
Conversely, the water which was exposed to positive affirmations, soothing music, uplifting prayers & mediations were beautifully shaped, forming sacred geometrical crystals. Divine!
And also very compelling were the vibratory frequencies of the words LOVE & GRATITUDE. Those words, when exposed to the water, consistently produced the most outstandingly beautiful & "perfect" crystal shapes. Wow! That's scientific proof that love can conquer all!
This is just one fine example of how the frequencies of our thoughts, environmental exposure, sounds & practices of daily living can impact our well being.
With that being said, let's take a look at the energetic space of the throat chakra, Vishudda. If you are not yet familiar with the chakras, consider them wheels of life force energy. These are special areas within the body which you cannot see, but like revolving doors they receive & absorb energy, emit & release energy. We have 7 major chakras, which run along our spine from root to crown, in coordination with the location of our endocrine glands. Each chakra is related to a different body system & various aspects of our psychology, behavioral & spiritual health. The throat chakra specifically, is directly related to the element Ether, governs the throat, neck, shoulders, ears, nose & mouth, & is the seat of sound, vibration, communication, listening & how we express ourselves in the world.
The fascinating part of this is learning how to use to positive, uplifting healing Sound & Vibrational tools & techniques to open this chakra & bring balance to our whole being. Vishudda roughly translates to "purify". When we learn to speak our Truth, freely express ourselves creativity & articulately, we purify our expression between the mind & the heart. We begin to develop a stronger relationship with the concept of Vibration & harness the power of our throat chakra. Additionally, the effects of sound & vibration are not exclusive to just the throat chakra. If we know all things are vibrating, then your whole being will receive the benefits!
Awakening our inner voice & allowing it to come forth into the world is potent medicine. Think back to the most beautiful song you ever heard, a compelling speech or your favorite book. All throat chakra stuff! Remember how good those moments made you feel! Now consider a time in your life when you so badly wanted to share a joke or story to a group of friends at a party but didn't feel confident enough to believe that your words had value. Or perhaps you continually get shut down at your workplace, never getting the chance to speak up for yourself & your views. Or maybe as a child you were often told to be quiet. How do those experiences make you feel?
Whether we realize it or not, the way we communicate & listen dramatically affects our self-confidence, willingness to relax, go with the flow, express our passions & emotions & live an authentic life. Additionally, a healthy balanced throat chakra relates to a healthy balanced thyroid gland, less neck & shoulder tension, less mental chatter, reduced headaches & jaw pain.
This is exactly why I'm bringing my sound healing tools to the Magical Mamas Retreat! My gong & quartz crystal singing bowls are magical instruments to help reduce inflammation, ease stress & tension, remove energetic blockages & realign the chakras. I can't wait to share with you the beautiful experience of inviting healing sounds into your body, mind & spirit!
Since we now know through the advancements in Quantum Physics & Mechanics that everything in reality has a vibration, the gates of potential for altering any given frequency for positive or negative have been opened. The power of sound, vibration, toning, singing, chanting, speaking & music in general is immense. Sound has a profound effect upon our psyche, physiology, emotional well being & mental functioning. Music & sound therapy is an up & coming form of healing which has a lot of science & research behind it.
The outstanding work of Dr. Emoto, a Japanese scientist & researcher, has found a way to validate the power of vibration & other various stimuli upon the molecular structure of water. His testing was based upon exposing water (remember WE are primarily composed of water, as is the Earth) to different types of sound, music, written word, technology & environmental situations, freezing it, then viewing its crystalline structure under a microscope. The results were incredible!
In general, the water which was exposed to microwaves, hurtful words, angry music & negatives forces, produced mutated & deformed crystals, very similar to what a cancer cell might look like.
Conversely, the water which was exposed to positive affirmations, soothing music, uplifting prayers & mediations were beautifully shaped, forming sacred geometrical crystals. Divine!
And also very compelling were the vibratory frequencies of the words LOVE & GRATITUDE. Those words, when exposed to the water, consistently produced the most outstandingly beautiful & "perfect" crystal shapes. Wow! That's scientific proof that love can conquer all!
This is just one fine example of how the frequencies of our thoughts, environmental exposure, sounds & practices of daily living can impact our well being.
With that being said, let's take a look at the energetic space of the throat chakra, Vishudda. If you are not yet familiar with the chakras, consider them wheels of life force energy. These are special areas within the body which you cannot see, but like revolving doors they receive & absorb energy, emit & release energy. We have 7 major chakras, which run along our spine from root to crown, in coordination with the location of our endocrine glands. Each chakra is related to a different body system & various aspects of our psychology, behavioral & spiritual health. The throat chakra specifically, is directly related to the element Ether, governs the throat, neck, shoulders, ears, nose & mouth, & is the seat of sound, vibration, communication, listening & how we express ourselves in the world.
The fascinating part of this is learning how to use to positive, uplifting healing Sound & Vibrational tools & techniques to open this chakra & bring balance to our whole being. Vishudda roughly translates to "purify". When we learn to speak our Truth, freely express ourselves creativity & articulately, we purify our expression between the mind & the heart. We begin to develop a stronger relationship with the concept of Vibration & harness the power of our throat chakra. Additionally, the effects of sound & vibration are not exclusive to just the throat chakra. If we know all things are vibrating, then your whole being will receive the benefits!
Awakening our inner voice & allowing it to come forth into the world is potent medicine. Think back to the most beautiful song you ever heard, a compelling speech or your favorite book. All throat chakra stuff! Remember how good those moments made you feel! Now consider a time in your life when you so badly wanted to share a joke or story to a group of friends at a party but didn't feel confident enough to believe that your words had value. Or perhaps you continually get shut down at your workplace, never getting the chance to speak up for yourself & your views. Or maybe as a child you were often told to be quiet. How do those experiences make you feel?
Whether we realize it or not, the way we communicate & listen dramatically affects our self-confidence, willingness to relax, go with the flow, express our passions & emotions & live an authentic life. Additionally, a healthy balanced throat chakra relates to a healthy balanced thyroid gland, less neck & shoulder tension, less mental chatter, reduced headaches & jaw pain.
This is exactly why I'm bringing my sound healing tools to the Magical Mamas Retreat! My gong & quartz crystal singing bowls are magical instruments to help reduce inflammation, ease stress & tension, remove energetic blockages & realign the chakras. I can't wait to share with you the beautiful experience of inviting healing sounds into your body, mind & spirit!
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Death is Thy Master
Death is a cruel but necessary master of our entangled fates.
Dismantling, dissolving & surrendering to the powers beyond our limited control offers us a strange & blessed gift...an opportunity to experience a deeper sense of connection: and paradoxically, the freedom from attachment.
Death is the phenomenal teacher of impermanence. Death seeks no award of recognition for its difficult task. Death knows it is a tough but beautiful job, as death, change, movement keeps the cycles flowing.
Death knows its purpose purely & without hesitation.
Its honor is in the cataclysm & surge of force it commands.
Death stuns & shakes, humbles & awakes.
Death is beyond time or logic, ego or mind, beyond any volume of supposed information.
Death is the twisted knowledge of the darkness. YOUR darkness. MY darkness.
OUR inevitable darkness.
Consider....
Birth extends invitation for death. Death RSVPs & bring it's special guest, rebirth.
Do you see the connection? There cannot be one without the other.
Black & White.
Mother & Father.
Moon & Sun.
Yin & Yang,
Inward & Outward.
Cycles, cypers, circles, chakras....
everything is in its right place!
Revel in the explicit & ecstatic dance of duality!
This balancing act sets the stage for the human drama.
And you my dear are the Star!
(But who is directing the film? Who wrote the script?)
The inquiry beyond birth & death opens a flow of infinite potential, a greater Source of wisdom, the curious wonder of the ONEness.
To explore a Truth beyond birth & death requires courage to bravely travel the Void,
the Womb of Creation.
Descension. Crescendo. Explosion. Ascension.
To fear not death is to accept the challenge of simply being.
Do not be afraid to explore the spectrum of light & dark.
Be completely alive!
& Always be prepared for death.
Proverbial - Metaphorical - Figurative - Literal.
The pain & suffering of love & loss teaches the beauty & grace of life itself.
Yes it is mysterious.
Yes it is a conundrum,
But this is our work.
This is the mystery of our inevitable fate!
Oh what a tangled web we weave...
Dismantling, dissolving & surrendering to the powers beyond our limited control offers us a strange & blessed gift...an opportunity to experience a deeper sense of connection: and paradoxically, the freedom from attachment.
Death is the phenomenal teacher of impermanence. Death seeks no award of recognition for its difficult task. Death knows it is a tough but beautiful job, as death, change, movement keeps the cycles flowing.
Death knows its purpose purely & without hesitation.
Its honor is in the cataclysm & surge of force it commands.
Death stuns & shakes, humbles & awakes.
Death is beyond time or logic, ego or mind, beyond any volume of supposed information.
Death is the twisted knowledge of the darkness. YOUR darkness. MY darkness.
OUR inevitable darkness.
Consider....
Birth extends invitation for death. Death RSVPs & bring it's special guest, rebirth.
Do you see the connection? There cannot be one without the other.
Black & White.
Mother & Father.
Moon & Sun.
Yin & Yang,
Inward & Outward.
Cycles, cypers, circles, chakras....
everything is in its right place!
Revel in the explicit & ecstatic dance of duality!
This balancing act sets the stage for the human drama.
And you my dear are the Star!
(But who is directing the film? Who wrote the script?)
The inquiry beyond birth & death opens a flow of infinite potential, a greater Source of wisdom, the curious wonder of the ONEness.
To explore a Truth beyond birth & death requires courage to bravely travel the Void,
the Womb of Creation.
Descension. Crescendo. Explosion. Ascension.
To fear not death is to accept the challenge of simply being.
Do not be afraid to explore the spectrum of light & dark.
Be completely alive!
& Always be prepared for death.
Proverbial - Metaphorical - Figurative - Literal.
The pain & suffering of love & loss teaches the beauty & grace of life itself.
Yes it is mysterious.
Yes it is a conundrum,
But this is our work.
This is the mystery of our inevitable fate!
Oh what a tangled web we weave...
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Savasana may be the most important pose our world needs right now
There's a whole lot going on during a yoga practice...
Whether it's the resonant sound of AUM, a sweaty booty, desire for spiritual enlightenment, a physical breakthrough or perhaps the admiration of a yogi in a wild & crazy upside down pose,
your mind has a lot to concentrate on. Your body is being called to dynamic action.
You came to your practice for a purpose. So when it's all over, do you hit the ground running? Or do you take time to process what the heck just happened?
No matter where or why or how you practice, you certainly want to include into your routine the best posture ever :::
... S A V A S A N A ... {pronounced SHA-VA-SA-NAH|}. AKA Corpse Pose. Yes it sounds morbid but we are literally practicing "dying". . . as in letting go, releasing, surrendering unattached.
Essentially, you get to lay down on your back & do nothing. Sounds good right?
So why do so many people skip it?!
Savasana is basically the rest after a race, the enjoying of a meal you just cooked, the happy hour after work, sleep after a long day....the peaceful harbor of love after a crazy thunderstorm.
Without confusing cocktails with clarity, you get the point.
Savasana is the much deserved integration, soft space, rest, rejuvenation, relaxation, unplugging, & reaping the fruits of one's own labor....
it's the cherry on the top of a badass practice!
One time years ago I went to a Bikram yoga class...you know the kind where you feel totally out of place, way OVER dressed, completely wimpy next to that eldery man who has been practicing for years, & unable to breathe because of the hot, sweaty, junior-high-boys-locker-room smell that has permeated every square inch of the carpeted floor.....
yes I said carpet....weird.
What I heard was the instructor saying that we should all take at least a 2 minute Savasana after a long, hot, grueling & quite physically challenging practice. TWO MINUTES? are you kidding me? I mean, at least Savasana was recommended. But 20 minutes sounded way better to me.
Only 2 minutes of rest after a deeply detoxifying practice was the minimum, but in my opinion not nearly enough. It's been recommended by many teachers to offer 5 minutes of Savasana/rest for every 30 minutes of practice. If I just powered my way through 1 1/2 hours of staring at myself in the mirror (locking my knee in dancer....PLEASE DON'T LOCK YOUR KNEES!).....sweating my ass off in the company of 35 determined & somewhat militant folks....my God I need to take it easy for a bit! INTENSE!
Now to each his or her own. A little Savasana is better than none. My homegirl Angela, a most excellent massage therapist, friend & wise ole soul in a young gal's body, said that some people in her hot yoga class don't even take Savasana! We joked how that's like running a race only to run home & do the dishes, take care of kids, pay the bills, what have you. Is your Nervous System even ready for that shit? Hell no. You are totally in fight-or-flight mode / Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). Most folks are living in that mode already, so give your Nervous System a break! That precious time at the end of class is YOURS TO CHERISH! YOU EARNED IT! YOU DESERVE IT! BY GOLLY, TAKE IT! Get yourself into rest & relax mode / Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) & enjoy the calmness of life.
There was a period of time where I would skip Savasana in my personal practice. I didn't have time for it. I thought I didn't "need" it. Within a few weeks my muscles were aching, my body stiff & the progress of my triangle pose was zilch. I was more anxious & I felt like I was wasn't progressing, but rather regressing! At first I thought, "Oh this is when it gets worse before it gets better. Yeah that's it!"
Well it wasn't.
It was just me skipping the integration, the rewiring, the recalibration of my physical & energetic body. There's a lot going on during a yoga practice...yeah that hot girl in tight pants or your powerful sweaty hot yoga moves.....but really you're making changes, moving breath & offering vital life force energy to various parts of your body. You're strengthening your physical form, expanding your perspective, increasing flexibility & getting grounded in your center. You're improving concentration, focus & intention.
But if you skip that seemingly pointless end part....do you really allow those very dramatic changes (they're happening whether you realize it or not) to sink in? Do you let your body, mind, spirit... your life, actually RECEIVE your awesomeness? Your whole practice was probably YANG or physical, masculine, moving & working. The YIN side comes in at the end! This is the cooling, the relaxing, the receiving, the surrendering. Embrace the duality.
. . . Savasana may be the most important pose our world needs right now. . .
. . . So much that I'm reassessing how I offer Savasana in my weekly Hatha Gong. My intention is to share a Gong meditation, THEN offer a quiet Savasana.....ample time to let it all meld together into a delicious cocktail of YOU :) Drink it up....you earned it!
Whether you practice yoga, hot yoga, work out in the gym, hit the weights or walk the treadmill.....consider giving yourself AT THE VERY LEAST 5 MINUTES OF REST AFTERWARD. DON'T SKIP IT! Let your body heal.
On that note....I'm gonna go lie down.
WORD! XOXO
Whether it's the resonant sound of AUM, a sweaty booty, desire for spiritual enlightenment, a physical breakthrough or perhaps the admiration of a yogi in a wild & crazy upside down pose,
your mind has a lot to concentrate on. Your body is being called to dynamic action.
You came to your practice for a purpose. So when it's all over, do you hit the ground running? Or do you take time to process what the heck just happened?
No matter where or why or how you practice, you certainly want to include into your routine the best posture ever :::
... S A V A S A N A ... {pronounced SHA-VA-SA-NAH|}. AKA Corpse Pose. Yes it sounds morbid but we are literally practicing "dying". . . as in letting go, releasing, surrendering unattached.
Essentially, you get to lay down on your back & do nothing. Sounds good right?
So why do so many people skip it?!
Savasana is basically the rest after a race, the enjoying of a meal you just cooked, the happy hour after work, sleep after a long day....the peaceful harbor of love after a crazy thunderstorm.
Without confusing cocktails with clarity, you get the point.
Savasana is the much deserved integration, soft space, rest, rejuvenation, relaxation, unplugging, & reaping the fruits of one's own labor....
it's the cherry on the top of a badass practice!
One time years ago I went to a Bikram yoga class...you know the kind where you feel totally out of place, way OVER dressed, completely wimpy next to that eldery man who has been practicing for years, & unable to breathe because of the hot, sweaty, junior-high-boys-locker-room smell that has permeated every square inch of the carpeted floor.....
yes I said carpet....weird.
What I heard was the instructor saying that we should all take at least a 2 minute Savasana after a long, hot, grueling & quite physically challenging practice. TWO MINUTES? are you kidding me? I mean, at least Savasana was recommended. But 20 minutes sounded way better to me.
Only 2 minutes of rest after a deeply detoxifying practice was the minimum, but in my opinion not nearly enough. It's been recommended by many teachers to offer 5 minutes of Savasana/rest for every 30 minutes of practice. If I just powered my way through 1 1/2 hours of staring at myself in the mirror (locking my knee in dancer....PLEASE DON'T LOCK YOUR KNEES!).....sweating my ass off in the company of 35 determined & somewhat militant folks....my God I need to take it easy for a bit! INTENSE!
Now to each his or her own. A little Savasana is better than none. My homegirl Angela, a most excellent massage therapist, friend & wise ole soul in a young gal's body, said that some people in her hot yoga class don't even take Savasana! We joked how that's like running a race only to run home & do the dishes, take care of kids, pay the bills, what have you. Is your Nervous System even ready for that shit? Hell no. You are totally in fight-or-flight mode / Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). Most folks are living in that mode already, so give your Nervous System a break! That precious time at the end of class is YOURS TO CHERISH! YOU EARNED IT! YOU DESERVE IT! BY GOLLY, TAKE IT! Get yourself into rest & relax mode / Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) & enjoy the calmness of life.
There was a period of time where I would skip Savasana in my personal practice. I didn't have time for it. I thought I didn't "need" it. Within a few weeks my muscles were aching, my body stiff & the progress of my triangle pose was zilch. I was more anxious & I felt like I was wasn't progressing, but rather regressing! At first I thought, "Oh this is when it gets worse before it gets better. Yeah that's it!"
Well it wasn't.
It was just me skipping the integration, the rewiring, the recalibration of my physical & energetic body. There's a lot going on during a yoga practice...yeah that hot girl in tight pants or your powerful sweaty hot yoga moves.....but really you're making changes, moving breath & offering vital life force energy to various parts of your body. You're strengthening your physical form, expanding your perspective, increasing flexibility & getting grounded in your center. You're improving concentration, focus & intention.
But if you skip that seemingly pointless end part....do you really allow those very dramatic changes (they're happening whether you realize it or not) to sink in? Do you let your body, mind, spirit... your life, actually RECEIVE your awesomeness? Your whole practice was probably YANG or physical, masculine, moving & working. The YIN side comes in at the end! This is the cooling, the relaxing, the receiving, the surrendering. Embrace the duality.
. . . Savasana may be the most important pose our world needs right now. . .
. . . So much that I'm reassessing how I offer Savasana in my weekly Hatha Gong. My intention is to share a Gong meditation, THEN offer a quiet Savasana.....ample time to let it all meld together into a delicious cocktail of YOU :) Drink it up....you earned it!
Whether you practice yoga, hot yoga, work out in the gym, hit the weights or walk the treadmill.....consider giving yourself AT THE VERY LEAST 5 MINUTES OF REST AFTERWARD. DON'T SKIP IT! Let your body heal.
On that note....I'm gonna go lie down.
WORD! XOXO
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
the luminous bridge between the ego & the heart
It's time for the realness to come through. It's time for an Energetic Breakdown!
Personally I've been feeling somewhat of an internal struggle for a little while now. It's a vulnerability I thought I'd successfully hidden beneath a thick layer of pretending everything is ok. I had been telling myself I don't deserve to be so bold, so bright, so open about my authentic self, probably for fear of what others might think, how I'd be judged & what kind of impact my personal growth may have on my closest relationships. But what you resists persists & by golly I cannot resist any longer! Now these conflicting feelings have reared their heads & are holding me accountable to live out my dharma & be my authentic self. I've got some fears about making big changes (huge lift shifting changes) & often plagued by self doubts of inadequacy, lack of self-worth, old programmings of poverty as more noble than wealth & abundance....they all seem to love the dark stormy dance between my Ego & my Heart.
I literally feel this area of my body, the diaphragm, pulsing like a heartbeat, begging to be acknowledged, breathed into, to be nurtured & awakened. Yes as a yogini I breathe consciously & yes I definitely know the correlation between the depth of our breath & the depth of our being. Still, I am a human, a person who is here on Earth to learn & figure shit out. There are times when it can be so hard to breathe into the uncomfortable places of complacency, to breathe into the uncertainty of change. It's feels even more intense especially since I'm teaching it other folks on the regular.
With that being said, my personal practices of yoga & spirituality as well as my professional teachings & offerings tend to revolve around the connection to & awareness of Energy. Hence my intrigue & magnetism to diving into the Chakra System. Now if you are new to Chakras this might sound a bit "out there," but trust me everyone has Chakras...even you! Perhaps you're just not tuned into them yet or have not had the exposure or education to understand their significance.
Consider Chakras as revolving doors of life force energy, running along your spine (Sushumna) which is your biggest energy channel (Nadi). From root to crown (and beyond!) each energetic center pulls energy in & sends it out. We absorb & emit frequencies, colors, sounds & more. The Chakra System is the inner journey of the Self, an internal blueprint of energy. I liken it to a navigational system for expanding our awareness of physical, emotional, psychological & spiritual growth & understanding. If one or more of these energetic centers is stagnant, blocked, excessive or deficient, the result is you guessed it.....dis-ease. Sound familiar?
So naturally I think to myself....I'm feeling a bit crazy lately, I'm so busy with all these projects yet I'm low on funds & feeling drained. I'm having a hard time deciphering for myself what's Ego-driven & Heart-centered, what's fair?.....fair to whom? Where's my place in this crazy world?
What's going on with my Chakras? I have a hunch....
Let's take a snapshot of 2 specific Chakras:
the 3rd Chakra / Manipura: Personal Power, Independence, Fire, Light, Charisma, Forging the Path, Purpose, the Ego, Autonomy, Digestion, Liver, Pancreas;
& the 4th Chakra / Anahata: Unity, Balance, Love, Joy, Compassion, Air, the Breath, Thymus Gland & Heart.
But there is more....there is an energetic space between these two Chakras. It's an evolving Chakra center....the luminous bridge between the Ego & the Heart. This Chakra is known as the Diaphragmatic Chakra.
When the Diaphragmatic Chakra is in balance we're able to breathe deeply into our awareness of the Self, uniting how we feel with what we need to do. We then are able to liberate that energy upward into the space of the Heart. This way we don't get stuck in our passions or power, and learn to harmonize our personal wisdoms with the good of the whole. Our capacity to release self-doubt & the need to be validated by others for approval resides here. Deeply breathing into the space between the 3rd & 4th Chakras supports us in opening the tightness, the rigidity, the tension & stress which can accumulate into an unhealthy roadblock when one is not living authentically as one IZ. (did ya get that joke there?)
When this Chakra is blocked we cut off the intelligence of our emotional wisdom, unable to feel deeply who we are & what we stand for. And often times the Ego gets a bad rep because of the potentially extreme behaviors guided by arrogance, greed & self-centeredness. Yet the Ego is NOT BAD...it's a necessary component to recognizing the power of your being. Those potentially unhealthy qualities of the Ego are distinctly different than healthy expressions of authenticity, confidence, abundance & self-care.
So how do you & how do I, cultivate the balanced qualities of a healthy Ego & open Heart?
We practice working with the breath.
Check out my video (my first ever video!) titled, "4 square healing breath" to learn this technique.
I've been practicing this technique & it really works! You can feel everything slow down & come back into balance, calming the wasteful worries of the mind & truly focusing on the present moment & the fluidity of the breath.
Funny the other day one of my students said, "You probably never need to take a yoga class since you are such an amazing yoga teacher!"
I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Au contrare!" I replied. "That's like saying once you are a chef you never need to eat food again!" We both cracked up at the realization ....
We are never done learning.
Keep on breathing & keepin' on growing my friends!
love, IZ WORD
Friday, June 27, 2014
Sweet & Spicy Holy Moly Guacamole!
Sweet & Spicy Guacamole Recipe
2 large ripe avocados, peeled & deseeded
Juice of 1 medium sized lemon
2 shallots, finely minced
1 ripe yellow or white peach, finely chopped
2 tsp Chipotle sauce (adjust for heat preference)
4 turns of the pepper grinder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)
1-2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 c chopped cilantro (I do 1/4 c because its my fave!)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl & mix well. Enjoy with tortilla chips, fresh veggies, on fish tacos....get creative!
As with any of my recipes, make room for creativity, experimentation & innovation!
This is a general guide but make adjustments as you see fit. Perhaps you substitute mangos, nectarines or oranges for the peaches. Play around & have fun!
cheers
2 large ripe avocados, peeled & deseeded
Juice of 1 medium sized lemon
2 shallots, finely minced
1 ripe yellow or white peach, finely chopped
2 tsp Chipotle sauce (adjust for heat preference)
4 turns of the pepper grinder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)
1-2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 c chopped cilantro (I do 1/4 c because its my fave!)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl & mix well. Enjoy with tortilla chips, fresh veggies, on fish tacos....get creative!
As with any of my recipes, make room for creativity, experimentation & innovation!
This is a general guide but make adjustments as you see fit. Perhaps you substitute mangos, nectarines or oranges for the peaches. Play around & have fun!
cheers
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