Eagle Arms

If you're like most people(myself included) you might spend your time doing any number, or all, of these things:
Sitting hunched over a computer keyboard
Looking down while chopping veggies and stirring pots
Gripping the steering wheel with less-than-perfect posture in traffic
Finding yourself with tense shoulders because of holding and nurturing babies (yours or otherwise)
The list can go on and on and the result is a pain in the neck! Well, the neck and shoulders. BUT, there is a remedy, a quite simple one, to help ease your pain. This is a great one that can be done anytime, anywhere: Eagle Arms.
I LOVE EAGLE ARMS. The stretch is really wonderful and goes deep into the middle of the upper back and shoulders.

To practice Eagle Arms bring one elbow on top of the other and continue winding arms around each other until your palms touch or you touch your wrist. Then press your shoulders down away from your ears and lift your elbows up towards your face. Play with the amount you press the shoulders and lift the elbows until you find a juicy stretch in between your shoulder blades and HOLD for 3 to 5 breaths or more. Then repeat on the other side.
If your shoulders are tight or it is hard for you to get into the position of Eagle Arms, don't worry! You can get the same benefits of the stretch by stacking your elbows and wrapping your arms around yourself like a big hug.

If you want a little bit more of a stretch throughout your back and in your neck you can drop your chin to your chest and round down through the spine. This can be done in either variation. Breathe all the way down your spine and feel how the entire back of your ribcage expands.









This is definitely a pose in practicing self love. By taking good care of yourself you are more equipped to take care of others around you. This goes for people you know and love and those you don't! (Ever smile at a complete stranger?) One of the reasons I love practicing yoga is that it is a form of "loving movement"(to use a FLY Lady term ). A lot of other exercise programs are harsh and seem almost violent, pushing hard through the workout in hopes of certain results. In yoga we are encouraged to turn inward, listen and feel, soften and experience, to be in the moment intimately with our own life force; our breath. The practice brings awareness to every moment that we are alive, that we are able to move our bodies and to be deep in gratitude for that fact. And sure, with the practice may come strength, flexibly and muscle tone, but that is not why we do it. We practice to be connected more deeply to ourselves, at our deepest core, so that we may more fully connect with each other.
I hope that you take time away from whatever may be causing you tension in your shoulders and practice this pose.  Like I said, it can be done anywhere, at your desk, in the kitchen and even in the car.  You have no excuse not to try!  Let me know how much you love Eagle Arms too! (Or not....and that's okay, too.  As long as you TRY.)

"If you've never tried, you should. These things are fun and fun is good!"

I love bread.  So much.  Toast with earth balance and nutritional yeast is like a little slice of heaven to me.
I don't really understand those who VOLUNTARILY give up carbs.   Not all carbs are not evil, despite what you may have heard.  Complex Carbohydrates that are found in WHOLE wheat give you energy!  It's the simple carbs you need to steer clear from, white bread, white pasta and the like.
Now, if you are gluten free because it makes you sick to eat stuff like that...  I feel your pain.  BUT you can use a mixture of brown rice flour, potato starch, corn starch, tapioca flour and xanthum gum.  Also, I'm pretty sure Whole Foods sells this type of mixture as gluten-free flour so you don't have to worry!
So, speaking of bread I thought I would share my TWO favorite bread recipes.  That's right, it's a two-for-one!:)
First is a beautiful loaf of traditional whole wheat bread.
But, you may say "I don't have a bread machine"
You don't need one!
"I don't have the time to make an old fashioned loaf of bread"
It doesn't take very long...and most of it is just waiting.  I thought the weekend would be perfect timing since you'd be home looking for something to keep you busy!
And, if you really just can bring yourself to try it this time, you can try the OTHER recipe. :)

Whole Wheat Bread
1 cup luke warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp oil, plus some for greasing
1 Tbsp molasses
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and wait 10 minutes.  When the yeast is foamy stir in the oil, molasses and salt.  Next add the flour.  First stir in the 1 and 1/2 cups white flour then 1 and 1/4 of the whole wheat flour. When it starts to form a dough turn out onto a floured cutting board.   Use the remaining 1/4 cup to add in when kneading the dough, incorporate slowly whenever the dough starts to get sticky.  When finished form the dough into a ball, grease the bowl with a drizzle of oil, place the dough in the bowl turning over twice to cover in oil as well.  Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour.

After an hour the dough should double in size.  Remove from the bowl and again turn out onto a floured board.  Knead for a few minutes and shape into a loaf.  Grease a loaf pan with a bit of oil, add dough cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 while you wait for the loaf to rise.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Banana Bread 

2 very ripe bananas
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup apple sauce
2 tbsp flax seeds
¼ cup water or soy/nut/seed milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 1/2  cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Grind flax seeds in a clean coffee grinder or a blender.  Transfer to a small bowl and add the water or milk.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large mixing bowl mash the bananas.  Stir in the sugar, apple sauce, flax seed mixture, baking powder,  vanilla extract, and cinnamon, if using, and combine.  Next slowly add the flour.  Finally add the nuts and cranberries.  Be sure to add the nuts and cranberries before the flour is all incorporated so you don’t over mix the batter.

Pour into an oiled bread pan.

Bake for about an hour.  Check for done-ness by inserting a knife into the center of the loaf.  If the knife comes out clean remove from oven or continue to bake if necessary.

Media Free Day!

Tofu scramble with tomatoes, spinach, onions and Field Roast Sausage, oven roasted home fries and fresh squeezed OJ!

When I wake up, on the way to the kitchen to make breakfast, I usually turn on the computer.  However, yesterday as I went to press the button and I remembered something my sister told me about trying a "Media Free Day" and so I didn't press that button, just continued on to the kitchen and slowly and mindfully made an awesome brunch; tofu scramble, home fried potatoes and fresh squeezed orange juice which we sat down to eat at 9:30.  9:30!  On a Sunday!  IF I had turned the computer on, I would have, no doubt, been sucked in to email, facebook, blogs, etc. and we would have eaten probably an hour later than we did.  Slowing down gave me the great idea to soak the Field Roast sausage in a little maple syrup.  YUM!     Taking it slow also made the whole process of cooking more enjoyable.  I was able to savor the meal twice!  Once while cooking and again while eating!  With a full tummy and a clean kitchen I read my book, Isla played and Corey was on the computer(I had kept my Media Free choice to myself).  Later, Isla and I went to the park where she played in the water fountain, then home for a nap.  I made bean soup(Monday's dinner), played bocci ball in the backyard and walked to Tacos Por Favor for dinner.  There were a few tempting moments when I thought "I could just sit and check my email...." but I didn't.  And I was so glad that I didn't.  There was something freeing about not getting sucked into the computer for a day.  I recommend you try it! :)  BUT when Isla went to bed we did watch and episode of "Pillars of the Earth"  so I guess it wasn't a completely Media Free Day.  But I still felt really good about it!  Thanks for the suggestion, Sarah!  I will definitely try it again, and maybe even suggest Corey tries, too!
Here's the recipe for tofu scramble.  I like it even better than scrambled eggs because it doesn't have that weird egg smell....and it doesn't get stuck to the bottom of your pan!  It's great for weekends, but simple enough for any day of the week!    Also fun for a "Breakfast for Dinner" night.  I love those...

Tofu Scramble
1 block extra firm tofu, frozen and thawed
1-2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp liquid aminos, or soy sauce
1 tsp turmuric
1 tsp onion powder
1tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp nutritional yeastany veggies you like!
Try peppers, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, onions, chard...whatever you can imagine.

In a skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Crumble tofu and stir continuing to break it apart as you go.  Stir in aminos and spices, everything except the nutritional yeast.  Add water if it seems dry 1 tablespoon at a time.  Add veggies and nutritional yeast, stir to combine and serve hot!

Ch Ch Ch Changes

"The only thing constant, is change." 

Somewhere deep down we all know this is true but when things in life are "good" we think they always will be so we're disappointed when something changes.  The opposite is also true.  When things seem "bad" we think they'll always be that way and we may feel sad, desperate and helpless.  It helps to know that everything in life is ALWAYS changing.  Constantly.  The earth is moving, our blood is flowing, we are growing.  Every move we make, every thought, every experience we have, changes us.
That being said, you have to know what I'm going to tell you next is true:
I haven't always been the way I am now.
Whenever I think of the life I live now and the life I used to lead, it kinda blows my mind.  Currently, I practice yoga and meditation everyday, I am conscious of what and how I consume, on what and where I spend my money, what I eat, where it came from, how it was prepared, I keep my house simple and tidy, keep my kitchen sink free from dirty dishes, and use only baking soda, vinegar, water and essential oils to clean everything. 
This is all a FAR cry from the way I lived 5 years ago.  I don't even know how to describe it but I went through a "phase" when I would eat a double-quarter-pounder meal EVERYDAY, I always waited until the next day (or more) to clean dishes left in the sink, and thought nothing of cleaning with pure bleach.  But each day is a learning experience.  When I became pregnant, obviously a lot of things changed for me.  I wanted to learn more about how what I did affected the baby growing inside me.  And that caused a chain reaction.  What I did not only affected myself, and my child but it has the potential to affect everyone around me.  And I have been very lucky to have know many very smart people who have helped me to educate myself on not only food choices, but health and wellness, and environmental issues.  I didn't just "know" how to make these changes, I listened, I read, I discovered all sorts of new things and then implemented them into my life.  And it has been a process, and it is still evolving.  I never thought that I couldn't change.  I welcomed it.  I ran with it. 
And so a note to those who are changing and moving toward a healthier lifestyle.  It doesn't happen over night.  But every moment you have choice.  You can choose to choose the same thing you always have.  Or you can choose something else.  Something that  might bring your body, mind and spirit more joy.  And each time you make a positive choice it starts to become less of a chore and more of a habit.  Just like yoga, or and instrument, or a sport, life is a practice.  We try, we learn and we get better at it.

"We don’t get to choose whether we want to make a difference or not; we get to choose only if the difference we make is negative or positive."

Energize!

We've all felt that mid-day lull. When you feel like you want to take a nap.  But because you're working or otherwise unable to do that you reach for a coffee, or red bull, or candy, or a soda or....you get the picture.  And maybe that fix helps you feel that little extra burst to get you through the next few hours.  Then you get home and all you want to do is crash.  Just the thought of making dinner or doing anything, really, makes you want to sink into the couch a little bit deeper.
Let's rewind.
You feel the sleepiness of the 3:00 hour and instead of running to the nearest Starbucks you try a heart opener.  A mini back bend with a side of a few deep breaths.  You feel your chest expand, your mood lifts, and you are filled with liveliness!  This helps remind you to stay aware of your breathing, bring mindfulness into the rest of your day.  With a calm mind and energized body you arrive home, happily prepare a delicious meal for yourself and your family, joyfully clean up after eating and relax the rest of the night with a good book.
Here's how:
Start by dropping your chin to your chest to release the back of your neck and tops of your shoulders.  Take a few breaths here moving your chin from side to side and exploring where there is tension, and consciously let it go.  Carefully lift your gaze and do a few shoulder rolls.  Now you're ready.

And you have a few options.  If you can, stand up, plant your feet firm into the floor, about hip distance apart.  Interlace your fingers at the small of your back.  Squeeze your elbows together as you start to straighten your arms moving your shoulder blades in toward the front of your body.  If that feels okay for you start to lift your arms towards parallel to the floor.  Keep your throat open yet the back of your neck long.  It is easy to bend deeply into the low back here, so keep you abdomen engaged and your tailbone tucking in.  Breathe deeply into the center of your chest accepting feelings of love and joy.  Take this only to the degree that you can hold it comfortably and breathe easy.   Hold for 3-5 breaths and repeat as often as you like!

If your chest and shoulders are tight or it's hard to interlace your hands behind you, try this variation.  Sit up tall in a chair or on the floor.  Place your hands behind you and lift your chest up.  Again, keep your throat open and the back of your neck long.  Feel the expansion of your chest as you inhale and try to keep your chest full and wide as you exhale.  Imagine your heart flying high out of your chest.  Hold steadily and ease-fully for 3-5 breaths and repeat as many times as you want.

It might feel good for you to counter this back bend with a forward bend, like Child's Pose, Standing Forward Fold, or if your sitting just folding forward where you are, just for a moment or two and slowly come back up and feel the bliss move through you!
Also, you don't need to save these heart openers for the midday.  They are a great way to get you energized when you wake up as well!  Let me know how you feel after trying this one!

Namaste.

A Relaxing Dinner at Home

When it was suggested to write a complementary food post to the previous post about relaxing in Child's Pose, my mind was flooded with ideas. And then I thought, what REALLY makes cooking a meal relaxing maybe has less to do with the ingredients used and more to do with the process of cooking. Since it's summer, and although it hasn't been too hot here, I know it has been hot in other parts of the country, I have decided to share with you what I made last night for dinner. It is simple, and cool and because of that, very relaxing.

Salad for Dinner topped with Chickpea "Tuna"
There are three components to the dish; the salad greens and veggies,

the dressing,

and the chickpea "tuna".

For the Salad Greens and Veggies, just use whatever you have and like in a big green salad. I used red leaf lettuce, tomatoes (both from my CSA:)) shredded carrots and cucumber.
For the Creamy Dressing
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 30 minutes or more
1 tbsp. Ume Plum vinegar, rice vinegar can be substituted, but try to get the Ume. You can find it at Whole Foods.
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 small clove garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried dill
plus 2tbsp.-1/4 c water for thinning

Drain cashews from the water they soaked in and place them in the food processor with the garlic. Once smooth, keep processing and add the vinegar, lemon juice,and herbs. Slowly stream in water until the dressing is the consistency of creamy Ranch. Transfer to a bowl or jar.

For the Chickpea "Tuna"
1 can (about 2 1/2 cups) of chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
Finely chopped carrots, onion(I used red) and celery
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2-3 tbsp. Wildwood Garlic Aoli, or your favorite mayo
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the chickpeas and garlic in the food processor and pulse until the chickpeas are flaky. Transfer to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients stir to combine.


The finished product.

How easy is that? And so wonderful when it's too hot to turn on the oven. With all the time you save not slaving away in the kitchen I'm sure you'll find quite a few things to do! Meditate? Practice yoga? Play with the kids? What will you do? Let me know!
Happy Eating! :)