Stop and Smell the Flowers

Yesterday, I baby-sat for Nina's baby girl, Siena. We spent another afternoon together walking through the garden and the yard. We stopped to inhale the sweet aroma of every flower we approached. It never fails to amaze me how much you can learn from a baby. They are truly aware in each moment. No regrets about yesterday. No worries for tomorrow. The ultimate of being! As yogis, we make this our lifetime goal- but looking at a baby, isn't it obvious that this state of being is where we start? I decided when I have my next adult friend over to play, we will do this as well... make it a point to stop and smell all the flowers. This is a completely applicable metaphor, no?

********************BOUNCING*********************

This morning, I dragged my trampoline out of the shed- ok, Mitch actually did the dragging (the shed still makes me a little nervous-bugs, etc...). I had forgotten how much I looooove my trampoline. I used to use it every day... and as I rebounded in my backyard this morning, I vowed to do this again. Bouncing on the trampoline stimulates the lymphatic system in our bodies. The lymphatic system is what carries nutrients to our cells and also carries wastes away. When the lymph system suffers, your cells don't receive the vital nutrition necessary and your cells stew in their own waste which makes way for diseases like cancer, arthritis, and premature aging. The experts say rebounding also results in your immune cells being 5 times more active. I won't even bore you with the respiratory benefits, and how it can help to alleviate depression... Suffice it to say: The trampoline freakin rocks! If you don't have one, it's worth every penny of the $30-45 investment!!! 

*********************GREAT PESTO RECIPE***************************

So, my man's garden is in full swing these days. That being said, I am always trying to come up with great things to do with his fresh herbs and vegetables. This week, I made home-made pesto and we both really enjoyed it. So, here is my recipe. Enjoy!

 Tasty Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup Pine Nuts

3 garlic cloves minced

5 sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In blender, pulse Pine Nuts. Add Basil and pulse. Then add Olive Oil and Grated Cheese and pulse. Add your sun-dried tomatoes. Taste. Add Salt and Pepper to your liking. Serve to sweetie with grin that says  "And I can cook, too!" Haha.   

Makes about 1 cup- depending on how many tastes you have before you serve it. :) I like this best over whole wheat angel hair pasta. Yum!

Namaste.

YOGA NEWS 07/03/09

Yoga Night was last night... and it was a very relaxing practice. For the first time EVER, only Tom Roche joined me. While I love it when we have a sizable group, I was not disappointed. Tom is a great Yoga instructor... and every week, I feel blessed he can join me in practice. Tom has a knack for isolating each muscle group in his flows, so by the time you get to the more challenging postures, they just don't seem as challenging anymore. I can always stretch just a little further when he is around.

*YOGA MONTH*

The Department of Health & Human services has designated September as National Yoga Month. This September will be the very first one. *YAY* It was designed to increase the awareness and benefits of Yoga... but I will use it as a reason to push myself towards even more Sun Salutations daily! If you don't practice on the regular, this is a great time to start. Check around for what gyms in the area may be offering free classes and yoga groups. You can check this website <<   http://www.yogamonth.org/  >> for more details.

Great Reads

My friend Nina divulged a guilty pleasure to me last week. She is a fan of the Twilight series, and was happy to share this indulgence with me. Being a former Vampire book enthusiast, I decided to dive right into the copy she loaned me. It reminded me very much of The Vampire Chronicles by L.J. Smith that I just loved in middle school... although a bit longer and perhaps a little more romantically geared. The characters were fun and entertaining, and the plot, although kind of slow in the build up, had me quickly turning pages at the end. It took me back bto age 12 when I fantasized about traveling with the Vampire Lestat... and when I saw Dracula for the first time. Just the brand of Creepy Cool I adore :) 

Jodi, Mitch's Mom, brought us a copy of Julia Wertz's new comic book Fart Party 2. Aside from the title, which makes it difficult to recommend without a smirk from my listener, it is a really funny book. Wertz's dark humor and foul language interwoven with hilarious drawings and satire make it a gem of a comic. Beyond being a struggling artist, she also waitresses to supplement her income. As a former food service worker, I relate especially to all of her on-the-job sketches. Her comics can be viewed and ordered through her website as well: http://www.fartparty.org/

My Blissful Journey

I really enjoyed the ability to share my journey with friends and family via my India blog... So, I have decided to create one for my daily life.... for those who wanted to continue with me on the Journey. Hope you enjoy.