lululemon athletica Queen Street

TUESDAY NIGHT YOGA w/ AMBER from MISFITSTUDIO!!! BE THERE FOR 8:00PM!!!!!!!

http://www.lululemon.com/

soup goodness

There are a few images and words that specifically say autumn. . . . the changing of the leaves, crisp cool air on your face, wearing a big scarf, the first fire in the fireplace, and a warm bowl of soup
especially if you are preparing to spend a long time outdoors, say for Nuit Blanche, or to go apple picking or a long walk in the park. . . . .
I have had a lot of people lately ask me what my favorite soup recipes are, as i do make a pretty awesome soup from time to time
so, here's what i made today, eaten with gooooey cheese and crusty grain bread!

a ton of garlic, chopped onion and some good olive oil, salt, pepper
brown together, and add sliced mushrooms, your choice
a good size piece of ginger
one chopped sweet potato
a butternut squash(peeled, chopped and de-seeded)
one chopped carrot
one chopped pear
and a ton of water(i also sprinkle a little maple syrup and cayenne)
add water as you need as the veggies become soft and absorb liquid
about 8 cups, watch and see. . . . . . .

i use a hand blender, stick it right in the pot and blend till smoooooth

while that's cooling and settling to the most amazing velvety consistency
i wash the butternut squash seeds, place them in a pan add oil, salt, pepper and cayenne
and broil till crunchy

ladle the soup into big mugs and add squash seeds for garnish!
yummmmmmmmmmmm

a gentle touch

After an inspiring yoga workshop(with the one and only Brian Kest) recent conversations with friends, and talks with family, I'm left thinking. . . .

why?
why this. . . . why that, why it IS, why it ISN'T, why yoga, why, why, why. . . . .
well
here is something to think about. I share this as its something that resonates deeply for me, something that was addressed over and over in the yoga workshop I mentioned, as well something that comes up in day to day life
with awareness, with conscious breath and with a gentle touch

challenge yourself to break your old patterns
in fact challenge yourself to break your old shitty patterns

first you have to be brave enough to acknowledge them, to own them, to take responsibility for them.
Then challenge yourself to change, to grow, to build
and face your shit
face what works, face what doesn't work, look at your drama or why you are so INTO it, recognize what ISN'T working and shift behaviours, shift thought patterns, and allow yourself the comfort of going slow
like learning a new language, it may be frustrating at first, perhaps a few new words, then a sentence, and one day you will be speaking a new language

there is a sort of comfort in knowing your thoughts, accepting your judgements, your harmful patterns, heck, most people don't even THINK about it. . . . .but for a change, stop, quite yourself, take a moment and really look at where that is all coming from
and then see if you can also apply this notion to your yoga, let it seep into every part of your life
a quiet mind, an aware breath, and a gentle touch
gift yourself that break
see it as you will, but taking time to let everything around you melt, disappear, to let go of your incessant thoughts, internal dialogue and embrace the quiet, a meditation if you will

yoga, just as life. . . . .IS that simple
but we cloud it and confuse it and complicate it, mostly with our stuff, our patterns, and judgement of ourselves and others

so, even if just a thought
think about it
and challenge yourself to change YOUR patterns

to sick or not to sick

The debate continues.....to practice yoga when you are feeling sick, or to just rest

Yoga and exercise are considered an unwritten prescription to health and well being. Physical training requires a healthy body, we all know this, but from time to time, our bodies break down, we get. . . .ahem, sick. Recovery from sickness requires physical and mental recuperation skills. It is said that a gentle yoga or a vigorous walk might alleviate mild illness such as a runny nose, colds and coughs but overheating the already overheated body overworks the immune system and slows the recovery. On the other hand, Yoga not only stretches and strengthens your muscles, but it invigorates your immune system and internal organs, helping to keep sickness at bay and aids in speeding the healing process. Yoga also provides stress relief, which is vital for wellness generally. So really, how do you know? Who knows!!

Feel it out for yourself, ultimately you know your body best, and if its saying REST, I say listen to that! And in the meantime, take many Vitamin Cs – The best variety to use is Ester-C or some other buffered form. I usually take 1000 mg every 3 hours. Oil of oregano, I LOVE this brand drop directly down your throat, or dilute in water, either way its gonna sting, but do it, it helps! And drink my miracle tea!!!! (recipe below!)

Here's a recipe i use when im feelin sicky:

Miracle Tea:

• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup diced fresh ginger
• 2 sliced lemons
  
• Cayenne pepper
• honey
  

Boil all together and sweeten with honey to your liking, drink as much as possible, it flushes out the system!!!!

doin the dog

why downward dog?

Ever had a day that just seems.....OFF?
well, it could be for many reasons, symptomatic of many things
change, time, life challenges, heartache, creative blockage, season change, time of month, communication issues with friends or family, the holidays, general frustration......any or all, fill in the blank, maybe more than just one thang naggin, RIGHT
well, it has been said, and proves to be true
when havin a Dog day, DO THE DOG

just a few benefits......

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Energizes the body
• Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands
• Strengthens the arms and legs
• Relieves menstrual discomfort when done with head supported
• Improves digestion
• Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
• Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis

So, get on the mat, get on the floor, hell do it on your bed
and hang out, do the dog, breathe deep and slow and feel the shift happen!!

LOGO

enjoy, admire, tell me what you think!!!
ahhhhhhhhhh creativity!

creativity

People often say creative people are fun, likeable, more social, and outgoing - but many creative minds are unorganized and sometimes deficient in handling complex logic. The University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Open University have found that professional artists and poets have about twice as many sexual partners as the rest of us. The study also reveals that the average number of sexual partners increases as creative output goes up. So according to these institutions, the more creative you are, the more sexual partners you would have.

The desire to be creative or feel creative, whether expressed in music, industrial design, art, fashion, photography or film, coexists with the primal urge to commit the sex act, as well as the other layers in between. What if your desire for sex is weak, does it mean you are less creative than others? Our creative motivations are often based on some of our most primal passions such as joy, fear, anger, love and lust. In an article titled “Creative Juice- A Dozen Key Lessons for Creative Dreamers”, Suzanne Falter-Barns quotes Deepak Chopra and says, “Creativity is ultimately sexual, I’m sorry, but it is!” Love and lust make us think differently in that they trigger global processing, which in turn promote creative thinking- guess that means love and lust are good for creativity.

http://www.ideacouture.com/how-we-think/sex-and-creativity-is-there-a-connection