Day 11 #SFYMindfulMay #pleasure – during today’s yin yoga class I spoke about being mindful of pleasure. I love that Christiane Northrup, MD professes that “Pleasure is a vital nutrient.” Where we place our attention and awareness, we increase our experience of that object. Breathe into pleasure, notice the sensations of your experience, and give yourself permission to thoroughly savor every moment. Be mindful of experiencing pleasure in your relationships, in your work, your hobbies, in every bite you eat. Notice how pleasure increases in your life when you look for it in each moment…breath by breath.
CHIA PUDDING PARFAIT WITH BERRIES
Mix 1/2 cup of nut milk with 1/4 cup chia seeds and let sit in the refrigerator a few hours or overnight. Stir after a few hours just to remove the clumps of chia gel. Add a dollop of “yogurt” (eg coconut cream yogurt or dairy yogurt) and top with berries. Taste and feel each creamy, healthy bite. Enjoy…
MINDFUL EATING – mindful of WHAT you eat and HOW you eat.
Do you multi-task while you eat? Eating in front of the TV…while reading your email on your smart phone…while reading the paper? When is the last time you JUST ate, paying attention to each bite? Or, when eating with your family, put all your electronic devices away, notice the food you’re all eating, thanking those who prepared the food, thanking mother earth for providing you that food, and talking to each other with eye contact? Hmmm…maybe it’s time to eat mindfully! IDEAS FOR COLORFUL WRAPS AND SALADS
Want to eat clean but, you’re tired of beans and rice or plain old salad? Here are some ideas for being creative in the kitchen. Try it and maybe you’ll discover your colorful, inner chef! Get your kids creating in the kitchen too!
Take the time to choose colorful foods and present them with care and creativity. Treat your meal like a masterpiece and savor each beautiful bite.
Add color to your veggies by adding these to your salads and wraps:
shredded carrots
purple cabbage
watermelon radish
yellow and red peppers
orange sweet potatoes
strawberries
raspberries
Add protein:
creamy avocadoes
hearty legumes
hummus
pesto
nut sauces
nuts
whole grains like quinoa
Try gluten free:
rice paper
nori sheets.
“noodles” of spaghetti squash
zoodles from zucchini in a spiralizer
Brighten flavors with herbs:
cilantro
parsley
basil
dill
Spice it up:
curry
jalapeño
salsas
chipotle sauces
Add acid:
lemon
lime
vinaigrette
Add richness with oils:
sesame oil
olive oil
coconut oil
avocado oil
And savory “umami” flavors:
tamari
Bragg’s liquid amino acids
sautéed mushrooms
caramelized onions
fun sea salts
Eat clean and organic for 3-7 days and notice how you feel. Eat two or more hours before your next vigorous yoga class and notice how it affects your practice and digestion. Think PTY “pretty, tasty and yummy” when creating your food art…have fun and enjoy each bite!!
Thank you for participating in this month’s Spiritually Fit Yoga Mindful May challenge! Join anytime! It doesn’t matter if you haven’t started on day one with us. Just follow me on Instagram @spirituallyfityoga then in each post tag @spirituallyfityoga and #SFYMindfulMay.
Whiz up on high in your blender. Serve frothy over ice or room temp. Cheers!
Watermelon to hydrate
Lemon to detoxify
Turmeric to reduce inflammation
In addition to hosting the #SFYMindfulMay challenge I am also participating by committing to:
Starting my day with a morning detox juice, such as this watermelon detox juice
Drinking at least 60 oz. of liquids per day, which will consist mostly of water
Bring more yoga philosophy into my yoga teaching and yoga practice
Shoulder healing and love
Reconnecting to my inner photographer by taking daily photos with my Nikon D7000 (my blog posts will be taken with my D7000 instead of my iPhone) and I want to find my slides from Nepal, digitize them and share those online #PrayforNepal
This is the first instagram challenge I have hosted and I’m excited to be part of a challenge that lets the participants choose what they would like to focus on for the next 21 days. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE yoga challenges but, I felt like I wanted to put energy into some specific goals which would nurture my soul and detox my body. There are so many things I could actually commit to such as going gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, etc. etc. Although I may still bring those dietary goals into my next twenty-one days I decided to narrow it down to “just” four goals. “Focus” is after all one of my challenges too!
Thank you for participating! Join anytime! It doesn’t matter if you haven’t started on day one with us. Just follow me on Instagram @spirituallyfityoga then in each post tag @spirituallyfityoga and #SFYMindfulMay.
Spiritually Fit Yoga Mindful May Challenge 2015It can take 21 days to make a new habit or break an old habit so in light of the popular 21 day challenges, I am hosting a Mindful May Challenge. Rather than dictating a yoga pose a day or a list of foods to eliminate, instead I’m suggesting that YOU CHOOSE what life changes or behaviors you hope to invite into your life. What would you like to change in your life to awaken to a brighter, happier, lighter YOU?
MAKE A DECLARATION
On Day One, post your first pic and make your declaration “I will practice yoga 20 minutes every day”, “I will eat whole foods every day”, “I commit to eating gluten-free every day”, “I commit to telling a joke every day.” You get the idea. Commit to one or more behaviors, declare them to the cybersphere on instagram, then continue to post your progress daily.
FEATURED PARTICIPANTS DAILY
Every day I will feature one of you by reposting your instagram photo. Just tag your posts with @SpirituallyFitYoga and #SFYMindfulMay. Support the other participants and searching on the “SFYMindfulMay hashtag to see what others are being mindful about this month.
SPREAD THE LOVE…YES, TO YOURSELF TOO!
Support each other by liking posts and leaving supportive comments. And, be truly mindful approaching this challenge with that open-minded observer mind. No self-criticism, judgment, or guilt trips allowed! Skip a day? So what! Just notice it…let yourself learn something about yourself, and continue on your merry way!
IS THERE A PRIZE?
On the last day a participant will be randomly chosen and will receive a $25 gift card from amazon.com. Yippee!
I look forward to your instagram posts and congratulations for participating in this challenge!
Due to the request from several guys I’m offering a coed yoga event instead of another women’s yoga retreat. SUNDAY MAY 18TH 10AM-3PM at Kula Yoga in Port Angeles. The cost is $50 per person.
The theme of this retreat is about inviting abundance, thinking and dreaming big, opening your heart and mind to possibilities, and giving yourself permission to play! Give yourself the gift of time to listen to your heart, get playful and adventurous through a power yoga practice, and allowing yummy, juicy release of tension, blocked energy, and tightness by inviting openness, softness and compassion through an introspective yin yoga session. Indulge in some “me” time and connect with some new yogi friends!
We will workshop more advanced poses like handstands. jumping back from crow into chatauranga, tripod headstand, etc. Then we will incorporate them into a fun, energizing 90 min power yoga practice. A healthy, tasty, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free lunch will be served. We will end with a 60 min. yin yoga practice and yoga nidra. You will leave feeling powerful, relaxed and renewed. I really hope you can make this fun and challenging event…and invite your friends!
Space is limited so PLEASE RSVP by MAY 2nd. Your $25 deposit will reserve your spot.
Consider giving the gift of yoga! I have gift certificates available for my 2014 Women’s Half-day Yoga Retreat on January 12, 2014 in Port Angeles. Call 360-808-0074 or email me to register, purchase a gift certificate, or if you have questions. Space is limited for this special yoga retreat.
ABOUT THE JANUARY 2014 RETREAT
When: Sunday January 12, 2014 10am-4pm
Where: Kula Yoga Studio – 128 E. Front Street Port Angeles, WA
Class format:
Anatomy focus: learn proper shoulder integration in basic vinyasa poses
90 min. heated vinyasa class: Baptiste Journey into Power sequence
Delicious, healthy, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free lunch (we are using the same caterer from our 2013 summer retreat. it was unanimous that the food was FANTASTIC!)
Feeling uncomfortably full after Thanksgiving indulgences? Try these poses for a little digestive relief: Child’s Pose
Wind-relieving Pose
One-legged spinal twist
– yoga with your pet for added relaxation 🙂
Have the day off Friday? Come take a class with me! 🙂 9:15am Heated Vinyasa at Kula Yoga in Port Angeles (128 E Front Street).
Congrats! You’ve made it to the final week of our detox and yoga challenge with only SEVEN MORE DAYS TO GO!! With the help of our “secret” facebook group I’ve re-confirmed my belief that participating in a challenge, involving changing deep-rooted food habits, is easier accomplished when feeling supported by others sharing their successes and struggles. Several times during this detox I’d felt tempted to “cheat” on my detox but, the accountability of going through this with my detox support group kept me on track. And, even though you may not have joined us in our facebook group, I’ve heard that some of you have taken on this challenge privately. Congratulations to you and thank you for letting me know how it’s been going for you! My accountability to ALL of you has personally helped me make it through these 28-days!
FINAL SEVEN DAYS!!
Today or tomorrow morning: weigh and measure yourself
Introduce these items SLOWLY during the week: meat, dairy, gluten, sugar, caffeine, alcohol. And, be your own scientist noticing how each substance affects you.
Be mindful: prepare your food and beverages with the awareness of how your are nourishing your body with the items you choose to consume. chew your food slowly. continue your daily yoga and meditation, focusing on self-care and and self-compassion; notice how setting this specific intention affects your health choices. note any changes in your flexibility, strength, and ability to quiet your mind after practicing 28-days of daily yoga and meditation.
JOURNAL!: As always, note any changes in mood, digestion, sleep, etc. On day 28, complete the self-assessment provided on your last journal page. Then, just write down anything your discovered about yourself these last 28-days. Continue to observe yourself as a curious scientist focusing on a fascinating, beautiful subject! 🙂
Day 11 #SFYMindfulMay #pleasure – during today’s yin yoga class I spoke about being mindful of pleasure. I love that Christiane Northrup, MD professes that “Pleasure is a vital nutrient.” Where we place our attention and awareness, we increase our experience of that object. Breathe into pleasure, notice the sensations of your experience, and give yourself permission to thoroughly savor every moment. Be mindful of experiencing pleasure in your relationships, in your work, your hobbies, in every bite you eat. Notice how pleasure increases in your life when you look for it in each moment…breath by breath.
