nostalgia

Watching my baby nephew's wide-eyed smile, accepting a warm embrace by my parents, looking out over a canyon with a friend by my side, and gazing into my boyfriend's blue eyes. All these things make me want to go back in time briefly and soak up the nostalgia of it all. Life is fleeting. Life is beautiful. My heart fills with sincere gratitude for these gifts. This man puts it into words better than anyone...

Watch the video.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152493717896512

happy holidays!

What are we but souls residing within a biological, robotic vessel designed to help us decode the language of the universe by means of sight, touch, sound, smell, and intuition. 

During the hustle and bustle of this holiday season I hope you find the time to take in the sight of a dazzling Christmas tree, listen to the sound of laughter, melt into a warm embrace, inhale the aroma of a fresh meal, and simply be. in. the. moment. Take your "gaze" outward. Reflect upon your surroundings and become aware of any emotions that are catalyzed by each of your senses. "Introspection" will links you to all that is. This way you may be able to not only exist but CO-exist within this fine, intricate habitat on Earth. 

If you're still reading this post, maybe it's time to set your device aside and become present with the world around you. 

Breathe deeply. 

Bring consciousness into your being.

Happy holidays! 

Namaste.

five minute plank anyone?

"My plank pose might not be perfect, but the fun is in the imperfections." 

-Stacy Porter

After reading this bit on "how we might actually be able to pull off a five minute plank," something came to mind.

We've all, or most of us anyway, have had that one instructor that held the class in a seemingly easy posture (to start) for two or more excruciatingly long minutes.  After the first minute your muscles are on FIRE and you're searching for any glimmer of hope to get you through the next second, and then the second after that, and then the next, and... You get the idea. The point is you begin having to fight off the urge to simply release, fold forward and let that (*insert optional four letter word here*) go! All while your instructor is telling you to "stay strong," and "dig deeper" to which you may silently reply 'if I dig any deeper, I'll end up in China!' No, it's not comfortable, yes, you're sweating bullets, and sure, you'll be sore tomorrow. Was it worth it? 

How about asking yourself this instead. At any point during that plank, twisted horse, or "touch your nose to the back of your right knee" pose (just kidding of course) did your "monkey mind" wonder? Probably not. In that very moment, as you were attempting to hold "one handed downward tree" ( ;] ) it's likely that all that existed was your practice, your breath, and the mat or ground beneath you... And that's a beautiful thing.  

Happy Thanksgiving week, all! 

See you at the Whale. 

Heisler Park - 9:15 am, Monday - Sunday 

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/11/how-we-might-actually-be-able-to-pull-off-a-5-minute-plank/

my yoga class schedule

yoga class schedule

permanent classes:

Sunday

•  8:45 am - level 2 - Training Camp

 Monday

• 9:15 am - VF (vinyasa flow) level 1 & 2 - "Yoga at the Whale" at Heisler Park by the whale statue - 375 Cliff Dr, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 

• 6:30 pm  - hot power fusion (all levels) - Training Camp- 34000 Via De Agua, San Juan Capistrano, CA  92675

Tuesday

          --

Wednesday

•  9:15 am - VF 1 & 2 - "Yoga at the Whale" 

• 11am  - VF 1 - Training Camp 

• 6:00 pm - MyPowerFlow 1 & 2 - My Om Yoga Home19051 Goldenwest #103,Huntington Beach, CA 92648

• 7:30 pm - MyPowerFlow 1 & 2 - My Om Yoga Home

Thursday

      -- 

Friday

• 9:15 am - VF 1 & 2 - "Yoga at the Whale" 

• 4:30 pm - MyPowerFlow 1 & 2 - My Om Yoga Home 

• 6:00 pm - MyPowerFlow 1 & 2 - My Om Yoga Home

 Saturday

• 8:45am - level 1 & 2 -Training Camp 

Classes I'm subbing:

• Friday, Jan 16 @  4:00om - San Clemente Hot Yoga 
• Friday, Jan 16 @ 5:30pm -detox flow- Training Camp 

• Saturday, Jan 17 @12:00 pm - OceanaFit (San Clemente) 

• Sunday, Jan 18 @12:00 pm - San Clemente Hot Yoga
• Sunday, Jan 20 @6:30 pm - San Clemente Hot Yoga
• Sunday, Jan 30 @ 9:30 am Hot Power Fusion - San Clemente Hot Yoga

change is in effect

Today I stepped out of my apparent and began an 8 mile trek through the canyon behind my house. As I was hiking I stumbled upon these beautiful, complementary colors and the various shades between. They tell a story; each a representation of separate seasons, the first bringing with it the flurry of youthfulness, both reproduction and growth, and the second, an inevitable acceleration of deterioration which exists in all life forms. Yet, as a collective, as a whole, these colors are indicative of the classic tale that is the transition, or evolution, from one season into the next so that new life and fresh growth may one day be able to spring forth into the world from that which has passed. It is only through passings (death) that these means are possible just as it is only through life that death remains inevitable, making this an endless cycle of life and death and the beautiful "everything" that exists between. 

Perhaps just as one leaf must fall (or tree, or anything that lives for that matter) for another to eventually carry out it's cycle in this world, so do certain parts of humanity - the condition and quality of humans - our thoughts and habits. We, just like the seasons, have the ability to transform how we choose to see ourselves, and thus creating true, undeniable change even right down to the cellular level. Furthermore, If we allow certain aspects of ourselves to die (not in the sad sense of the word, but rather in the sense of letting go of that which does not serve) and consciously bear in mind the manifestations of our dreams (within reason) both of introspection and the surrounding world, perhaps then we become the change we wish to see in the world. 

Within each short lived moment there's a transition from one journey to the next. Take for instance something as amazing as a newborn's first breath, or, an equally profound final exhalation of the soon to be deceased. If these profound transitions take place in the same amount of time that an autumn leaf finally detaches from it's branch and blows into the wind, then we too can embark upon our journey within the blink of an eye.

Be rid of stagnancies. Seek growth. Create positive change. 

a daily dose of selenium

I think we can all appreciate this one. How about the ability to decrease inflammation as well as oxidative stress on the body, prevent cancer cells by carrying out free radicals and repair DNA.  

What is the magic word of the day?

Selenium.

My favorite naturally occuring source of selenium is Brazil nuts (per my suggestion of course), but one can also eat whole grains, meat, poultry and fish (if you're in to that sort of thing) in order to get one's fill. The RDA is only between .02 and .2 milligrams per day which is easily acquired with a little effort, specifically speaking for vegetarians, vegans and rawatarians alike. Eat just a few of these delicious, dense, little (or big, if we're comparing) nuts a few times a week, or one a day, and you've satisfied your need for this essential trace mineral, of which there are eight total. Of course that depends on soil conditions from which the nuts were grown since selenium comes from the soil. 

So now that we've established the importance of and source of selenium, how exactly does it interact with the body?

Selenium contains properties that prevent cell membrane deterioration and works in conjunction with vitamins E and C to nourish the organs.

raw energy bars - nourish with vegan lifefood

Okay... Couple of recipes I need to share with everyone that are well overdue.

The first is a simple raw energy ball/bar recipe that I put together after an awesome raw food workshop held by a couple awesome yoginis here in Orange County. I make every recipe a little different since there are so many versatile ingredients available to us!

Raw Energy Balls/Bars

Ingredients
- 1 cup organic sprouted walnuts (or any kind of nut you favor).
* You can find sprouted nuts at Whole Foods or buy organic raw nuts and soak them over night. To get the most out of them, drain the water and store them in a dark, cool place for another day or two, rinsing them occasionally.
- 1/2 cup your favorite organic dried fruit (I usually flipflop my fruit since these greatly determines flavor. My favorites are figs, cherries, raisins, and apricots)
- two or three organic pitted dates to sweeten (I use medjool)
* You can also use molasses or unpasteurized local honey
- 1/4 cup of organic shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite organic seed for crunch (chia, flax, sesame - to name a few)
- 1 tablespoon of organic extra virgin or cold pressed coconut oil, or EVOO.
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
Add a dash of any of your favorite spices or super-foods to taste. I usually throw in organic ground cinnamon, fresh ginger and chai spices (cardamom, and clove), or, lemon zest and a little lemon juice, or, raw organic cacao powder for a chocolate pallet!
I also like to use protein powder along with a teaspoon or so of a miracle superfood known as spirulina aka magical green stuff!

Note: you can pretty much throw anything into these energy bars as long as you keep the water content to a minimum. That means no fresh juicy fruits and vegetables. Stick to the raw, dehydrated forms. Throw in whatever pleases your palate!

Directions
Put everything - nuts, dried fruit, dates, coconut, seeds, oil, salt and fresh or dried spices in the food processor. Process the hell out it until it starts to clump up into a dough ball-like form. This process may require you to press the mixture down a few times in order to keep it from sticking to the sides. Once you're left with a sticking ball of deliciousness you can begin to form 1- 1 1/2" balls - using your hands to roll the mixture - or you can plop the mixture in-between two layers of parchment paper and roll it out (this is my preferred technique). I roll it out and fold the sides in a few times until I'm left with a long rectangle that's just under a centimeter thick. I then cut with a pizza roller into perfect bar shapes and proceed to wrap these individually in aluminum. They all go into the freezer.

You now have the perfect "on the go" superfood snack! Take one with you for that long run, hike or bike ride!