play time!

more pics from yesterday:

went to Susan's class this morning - it felt sooo good to work out some of the soreness.  my practice was all over the place.  i had to laugh - the whole time.  it was fun and funny and silly and completely the opposite of yesterday's intensity.  wrapped it up with a little paperwork and headed out...

leaving the studio, feeling the brisk autumn air, seeing nothing but blue skies = the perfect sunday.

went to whole foods, spent too much money, got a yummy juice and some "juice".  and omg, i made dinner.  didn't take a photo because i couldn't stop eating it.  so good.  this is so not like me, to be able to just throw things together and have them taste amazing, but holy cow.  seriously.

1/2 red onion, sliced
1 T EVOO
2 (small) zukes, sliced
1 c. whole wheat pasta (i used penne)
2 T goat cheese, crumbled
fresh basil, to taste

i put the onions in a skillet w the evoo and let that go on med/low-ish heat for a while... during which time i was rumaging around, trying to figure out what the heck i was gonna do.  so, maybe about 20 mins?  low and slow... gotta get those onions dark & sweet.  i roasted the zukes, plain in the oven at 500, but next time i'll season them w garlic salt & pepper.  maybe turn it down to 450 (i was impatient at this point).  boiled some water, cooked the pasta al dente, reserving some of the water.  tossed the pasta, onion, zuke & goat cheese together & i did that chiffonade thing to the basil and mixed it in, too.  the cheese melted like a dream.  i only added a spoonful of the pasta water, just to keep things loose.  (made 2 servings)

and then the girl was happy.

i paired it with a glass of red, which i'm sure breaks some kind of food rule, but whatever.  me likey.

bonus:  the fridge was clean.  haha.  ;)

maybe next time i'll throw in some sun-dried tomatoes, maybe a little eggplant... who knows!

i'll have the leftovers tomorrow and try to remember a photo. 

love & light!

yoga fest, year 1

what a beautiful day! everything went better than expected today!  only had 2 students in class, but we really honed in and had a lovely practice.  followed by mysore with sati... my practice was exactly what i needed, even though i didn't know what was in store for me.  i find that more often than not, that tends to be how it goes, yeah?  when you're really truly not looking for the growth/change is when it's plopped right in front of yer face.  i've known for a while that i need to be less judgmental toward myself and my asana practice, but so many times, i just don't see when or how i am criticizing these things.  because i've been given so many new poses from sati, i believe that i'll really have an opportunity to see that in the coming months - and learn the right ways to push myself... learn to listen to my body.  it's hard to know when i need to make myself practice, even when i don't feel like it AND when i need to take rest, even though i want to push through.  hopefully, i can get a handle on this before i get an injury.  i hear way too frequently that this is how ashtangis (and yogis/athletes) learn when to say WHEN.  and when to learn some of the less physical practicies.  i also feel very strongly that this is the universe telling me that the time is now - time to deal with stuff, face some fears, and just get on with it... move through it...  we'll see.  i'm just trusting my teacher on this one - sati, as well as the ultimate teacher - the practice.  also, my asana practice will now be extended in such a way that it will require a greater time commitment from me.  i am so excited for this challenge!  okay, more on this later... on to yoga day!

today was the FIRST ANNUAL yoga day at the riverside arts market!  it was exciting and compelling and wonderful - and we couldn't have dreamed up better weather.  the teachers who set up the tent (while i was teaching) did an excellent job.  everything looked great!  over all, jacksonville raised more than $20k for the Africa Yoga Project -- (currently) more than any other city in the nation!!  WHAAA!!!!
 
 

 

over 180 students showed up for the 108 Sun Salutations lead by 10 of Jax's yoga instructors. 

i can't even properly depict how my heart goes pitter-patter when i see this photo: 

i felt like i was "home", seeing all those people in their yoga attire, mat bags slung over their shoulders, grinning from ear-to-ear.  it was a great time all around. we all really enjoyed reaching out into the community and developing relationships within the network of shalas around town. i made some new friends, and even got in some MORE yoga during the afternoon and played around with a new friend doing some acro-yoga... it was more like an acro-massage... it was totally wonderful.

i could've hung out there all day...  my hips were super sore, i can't imagine i would've been able to walk without this crazy-looking totally uh-maze-ing hip joint massage.

 ok, enough for now... more to come!

my boyfriend's back!

...well, almost.

he'll be here in like 13.5 hours.

and counting.

i wonder if he's bringing the 'stash w him.

i sure hope so.

treehouse!

I'm really wishing that our trip to the Hostel in the Forest hadn't gotten bumped.  Trying not to be too sad about it, I'm humming this song right along today and dreaming of other treehouses... and the time of year when I wouldn't fry to death in my sleep.  :)  All things happen the way they should, eh?

Happy Labor Day!

http://www.treehousepoint.com/

I have built a treehouse
I have built a treehouse
Nobody can see us
it's a you and me house

I've been climbing rocks and stones
been collecting broken bones
I've been swimming across the lakes
just to find this perfect place
I got lost into the woods
I've been covered up in mud
I've been going through a lot
just to find this perfect spot

golden birthday

went to full primary.

took miss betty over to mom & dad's house.

had baked ziti & salad for lunch.

baked this beauty of a cake w mom.

went through old boxes of books from the barn.

found some of my old, old diaries...

read them aloud.

favorites of the day included exerpts from my gratitude journal.

"i am thankful for the rain that waters the land"

"i am thankful for the trees, lakes and flowers"

i was a hippie all along.  ;)

then we had blueberry pancakes for dinner.

it doesn't get any better than that.

thanks, mom and dad.

for everything.

all my love, always.

bg

weekend photos

betty on the way to pat & gary's..

friday night home practice

greenergy smoothie after saturday class & practice

(look at that gorgeous sky!)

it turned out to be a very nice weekend of house-sitting, movie watching (watched Ira & Abby - loved it!- and Jesus Camp - scary and totally biased), practicing, reading (Guruji) and eating way too much. and like a college student, i totally use my parents' house as a laundry mat.  ha.  ;)

i could really become addicted to that smoothie.

i told my folks i needed new pillows for my bday, but i really need a juicer.
time to start dropping really obvious hints...

dream, dream, dream, dreeeeee-eam

i had a dream that was so real last night that when my alarm went off (at 4-something) this morning, i thought i can't practice ashtanga today - i just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl merely hours ago (unwed, in a hotel bathroom, in labor for about 5 min. i named her jane.  she looked just like micole.  she was jp's baby, but who knows where he was.)  and so now i'm on maternity leave (obvs), so everyone would send me home if i went to work. i'll go back to sleep, i guess.



and then i rolled over, and it was 6:30. my place of employment is 14 miles away. my shift begins at 7.

i left my work badge at home, but i know where it is.

i do not know where my glasses are. :(

mondays, eh?




yesterday, as it turns out, was not a monday. niether was the day before. those days happened to fall on the weekend. those days were good.

saturday: taught 1 hr all levels flow, assisted my last mysore w sati (hopefully, it will turn out to NOT be my LAST), practiced (even did dropbacks alone), hung w my fam, retrieved miss betty from their care, chatted w roomie about the meaning and difficulties of "life", slept.


sunday: made it to full primary, went grocery shopping, washed clothes, cleaned, chatted w roomie, intense phone conversations w my yoga bud and w guy, had complete emotional breakdown, survived, napped, snuggled w miss betty, watched becoming jane, noshed on sweet potato/black bean deliciousness, gazed at sunset, missed jp terribly, slept.


overslept.


while very little reading was accomplished, updating my resume was forgotten and meditation did not happen, i think it was beautiful over all... now to play catch up on all those other things...