Stepping Onto Your Yoga Mat and Out of Your Comfort Zone

    As I lay under a tree in savasana (for those who don't know what savasana is imagine laying down on the ground to make a snow angel with arms and legs spread about half way to the full angel position) contemplating the previous evening, we watched our daughter Jayne perform in her first musical, and it got me thinking about trying new things. I think Jayne was nine when I first remember thinking she was really brave. She came home and announced that she had tried out for the school talent show and that she had won a spot. Pete and I looked at each other and then looked at her and asked in unison, “what was your talent?” Jayne had taken swimming lessons, art lessons, dancing lessons, played soccer...well you get the picture; and nothing had stuck. So when she said she sang America the Beautiful we were completely speechless, she had never mentioned she had any interest in singing. This has been a lifelong pattern for her and she mostly accomplishes her goals, but not always, which is important too. As is my habit, I began mulling over this idea, and my first assumption was I must be lacking in this area and could surely learn from Jayne. Then it dawned on me that she probably learned this from one of us. Pete and I are both pretty good at getting out of our comfort zones; sometimes we are successful and other times it turns into what I call an adventure. This statement traditionally inspires Jayne to glance at her father as if to say, “we're in trouble now.” I suppose they are right, in my mind the term “adventure” is normally synonymous with, “I've screwed up and better just make the best of the situation.”

  As I lay in the grass thinking about comfort zones, I realized every time I roll out my yoga mat and open to the guidance of the teacher I am stepping out of my comfort zone.  Recently I went to a class with a teacher who has a background in gymnastics (red flag), and is at least twenty years younger than me (red flag), and still I unrolled my mat and opened to the adventure. As she guided us into fallen angel, a pose I had only seen in magazines, I watched as she put her hands on the floor, bent her elbows, lowered her head to the ground and placed a cheek to the floor, leaned into her hands, stretched her legs out into a wide scissor position, and then lifted her legs into the air. Ok, adventure time.  I proceed to set myself up, tried to lift my legs up, and then promplty fell back down to the floor. I tried it again, and then moved on to the next pose she presented. Those who know me well know that I have an affinity for Buddhism, especially the idea that our expectations create our suffering. As I drove home from yoga that day I realized I had no expectations about the poses I had just practiced. I was able to embrace the moment without attachment to outcome. Perhaps my adventures on the yoga mat had been inspirational in my life in ways that I was only beginning to understand, and perhaps this is something that Jayne had recognized and emmulated without knowing.         

A Day With My Samskaras

      I have been, to quote my mother, a bit of a pill this week. It got so bad I called my husband to talk me down off the ledge as my car was determined to turn into the nearest fast food place I could find for a grease fix. As many of us know, old habits arise in times of stress, or for me, when I am not feeling well; this week I have been plagued with migraines. I had previously signed up as a volunteer to work at a function at my daughter's school, and was just not feeling it. I knew the woman in charge from a strictly peripheral view, but yet I was dreading it based on snippets I had gleaned of her life. “This is not the kind of person I am going to have anything in common with”, was my attitude. I told you, I have been a real pill lately. I bitched and moaned to a friend about the whole situation, feeding my negative perception of what the evening was going to be like...and then, she was lovely. In Sanskrit there is a term for this kind of behavior: samskara. Samskaras are conditioned responses to certain stimuli, both negative and positive. We are creatures of habit and so often we drift into these behaviors instinctually. My need to prematuraly judge others is one of my most tenacious samskaras. This and my proclivity for junk food when I have a headache, but on that samskara I prevailed this time.

     I think of the samskaras like the worn ruts on a mountain bike trail, eroded after years of use in the rain and snow, and so easy to fall into as you are cruising along. The only way to stay out of those ruts is to be aware of them and guard against falling into them. Yet, when we do by chance fall into one, we must cultivate the awareness to recognize the situation and to move out of it as quickly as possible. These negative habits create suffering, even though there are times they feel immensly comfortable, like a torn and weathered sweatshirt you just can't seem to part with. When learning to meditate I was taught that the first step to quieting the mind is recognizing when a thought arises and pulls you away from the breath. The first step to changing our negative habits, those well worn samskaras, is to find the courage to recognize them when they arise.        

Collard greens with "bacon" and cornbread

   I have Southern roots, my people are hillbillies if you get right down to it.  No exaggeration here either, my great-grandparents were squatters on a river in Missouri with meals consisting of frogs and squirrel on a regular basis. Hence, my penchant for southern comfort food, it's in the genes.  Here is a variation of my grandmothers original "collard greens with bacon fat" replacing the bacon with soy product.  I think this is pretty tasty and hope you will too.

1 large bunch of collard greens, remove stems and chop          
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
4 slices soy bacon product                                                        
3/4 cup chicken(or vegetable) broth
1 Tbl olive oil                                                                          
1 can white beans, cannellini is my choice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbl cider vinegar
1 Tbl maple syrup

Preheat skillet and fry soy product.  When done set aside and leave grease in pan.  Add olive oil if necessary and onion.  When onions are softened add collard greens, vinegar, syrup, pepper flakes, broth, and beans.  Bring to a simmer then lower temp and cook for 30 minutes.  Shred bacon over greens in skillet.  Serve over corn bread if you like.      Serves 2 as main meal.

Ahimsa with your burger and fries?

    An ongoing topic in the yoga world is ahimsa, or non-violence, and how it applies to us carnivorous yoginis out there. To truly understand my affinity for meat you should be aware that I grew up in the Midwest eating meat and potatoes every night for dinner, usually covered in some kind of meaty gravy. Meat in my mind equates to comfort food (so does Coca-Cola but that's another story). For a long time I felt like a fraud as a meat-eating yoga teacher so I decided to try the vegetarian life; the vegan way didn't last long in our house though. As soon as my husband started bringing home a steak or a piece of chicken to throw on the grill to go along with whatever vegetarian fare I was serving up, well, I didn't last long with a plate full of beans when the smell of barbeque was wafting my way. So what to do about this situation? I really do believe in the concept of ahimsa. My intention is to practice non-violence and I knew I needed to walk the walk, so this is what I came up with. I began to buy what my daughter calls “happy” meat whenever possible. Happy meat is free-range, no hormones, grass-fed, and as local as possible, a more sustainable way of eating. On a practical note I understand this is not always possible; I am not blind to the fact that here in California we have much more access to what my dad views as “hippy thinkin'”  meat. Yet, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and the like have sprung up all over America, so it's possible to get happy meat just about anywhere now. Be creative; when we lived briefly in South Dakota I used to buy buffalo meat from a local rancher.

   We have managed to come to a place that we all can agree upon, our daughter is a huge animal advocate and was a loud protester to our meaty meals. We cut back on meat, serving four vegetarian meals or so a week, and whenever possible I spend a little extra to get happy meat. That doesn't mean you won't find me in the supermarket with a rack of baby back ribs in my cart from time to time, I am still my fathers daughter. I am making homemade burgers tonight with grass-fed beef (it has been weeks since we've had red meat), and baked french fries. I am including my recipe for Lisa's “quarter pounder and fries” below, in all honesty I did not create the recipes I use and will give full credit to the source of each. I think if you try these recipes at home you will find it much more satisfying than a McDonald's meal. For you skeptics I have one request, I do remember my own reluctance in the beginning of my journey to eat healthier, don't judge until you try it.

Hamburgers with Un-Fried French Fries

1 lb. Grass-fed beef

1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

cracked black pepper

4 hamburger buns(wheat, gluten free, whatever suits you)

1Tbsp white vinegar

2Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp mayo, or any vegan substitue

1 Tbl canola oil

2 tsp dill pickle relish

1/8 cup chopped onion

Mix hamburger with Worcestershire sauce and black pepper, separate into 4 patties, Grill to desired consistency.

Sauce(Internet-Allrecipes):

Combine onion, oil, and 1 tbsp of ketchup in medium sauce pan.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring until onion is softened - about 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, uncover and cook, stirring occasionally until very soft - about 5-8 minutes more. Transfer to bowl and let cool. Combine remaining tbsp of ketchup, mayo, relish, and vinegar in a small bowl and add to cooling ketchup mixture. This sauce is seriously awesome!

Serve burgers with lettuce, onion, tomatoe, and sauce. (I buy organic whenever possible)

Un-Fried French Fries (Courtesy of Rosie Daley)

3 large baking potatoes

Cooking spray

2 large egg whites

1 Tbsp Cajon spice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice potatoes into matchstick pieces. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the egg white and cajon spice in a bowl. Add the potatoes and mix to coat. Spread on baking sheet into a single layer.

Place the baking sheet in the oven, turning every five minutes in the beginning to seperate the fries, cook until crispy, 30-40 minutes.  Pete and Jayne request these all the time now. 

Patanjali on Mean People.

•    We all run into mean people during our lifetime.  Sometimes it is a co-worker or a fellow parent; those are the easy ones. What do you do when you have someone in your family that consistently treats you badly?  I was recently told by a very wise woman to keep showing them how to do the right thing, but my inner voice is a bit of a petulant teen and always pipes up, "why do I have to keep doing the right thing when they keep doing sucky things to me?"  The answer is because I am looking for peace and peace is not found through retaliation.  I know this deep in my heart and am working in this lifetime to cultivate a peaceful mind and loving heart.  Love is not found through hateful speech, but how tempting it is to respond in a like fashion.  So, what to do about this dilemma?  As always, ask and you shall receive.....I picked up Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and began to turn the pages, I figured what I was looking for would leap off the page at me.  As I turned the pages I noticed one of the sutras had hand written notes beside it; some years ago I had done a workshop on the sutras and must have notated this particular sutra then, and it was perfect for this situation. The sutra is 1.33 and is loosely translated as:

                                          The mind becomes peaceful and free
                                           when the qualities of the heart are cultivated:
                                           friendship toward the joyful,
                                           compassion toward the suffering,
                                           happiness toward the pure, and
                                           disregard toward the impure.
     This sutra has been immensely helpful for me and my perspective on "mean people".  If one has a peaceful mind one does not lash out at others, yet when the mind is in turmoil we suffer and we want others to suffer with us.  Do I want to lash out and hurt someone who is suffering?  No, that goes against the true nature of who we really are.  I believe we are each pieces of God having a human experience, sometimes we are just more human than others.  I am trying to follow this sutra and embrace the joyful, to find compassion for those who suffer, to find happiness in that which is pure, and to disregard that which is impure - those mean people in our lives.  At the end of the day do you really want to spend your time and energy fretting over the mean things people do to you?  I don't.

Thursdays Juice of the Day

1 orange, 1 grapefruit, 1 whole cucumber. The taste of the cucumber is tempered by the citrus. Makes 2 servings.

Is it Possible to Give Without Expectation?

   Giving without expectation? Is it really possible? This has been my latest rumination, much to my families consternation, I'm always on some new philosophical bent. This question arose recently for me when I was approached for money at a Sam's Club. As I backed out of my parking space, top down on my beetle so I was an easy target, a woman in nursing scrubs suddenly appeared beside my window seemingly very upset. She proceeded to tell me her story, and if it was to be believed she was really having a bad night, and my intuition told me she was telling the truth. After hearing her story I pulled out my wallet, seeing a twenty in my wallet was a small miracle in itself, so I took this as a sign from the universe that she was meant to have it. I gave her the money, she shook my hand, gave me a very sincere thank you, and we parted ways. Driving home I began to question the validity of her story, that little voice in my head that says “you were just scammed”. Then I thought, do I really care? I gave her the money instinctually, I gave it to her because it felt like the right thing to do, initially I gave it without attachment.

   The Buddha says when we we give without expectation of reward, when we give freely, we practice release of greed and self-clinging, but this is a tall order for a mere mortal. As humans we have expectations for almost everything; I myself have only begun to scratch the surface in regard to my own expectations and the suffering they have created for me. We give a gift to make someone feel good, to make someone love us, we give to make ourselves feel magnanomous through our generosity, we give out of guilt, we give in hopes that the world will perceive our wonderfulness, for we are lacking in the confidence that we are already enough and that we can give to simply give. I feel gratitude for the nurse who approached my car in need of money because she gave me the opportunity to practice giving without expectation. Whether she went to the bus station to make her way home or to the liquor store to purchase cigarettes and booze is of no matter to me, in the moment I connected with another human being and gave freely without expectations.    

Lisa's Juice of the Day:
1 carrot, 1 green apple, 1 orange, 1 stick of celery, 1/4 inch fresh ginger. This was refreshing and the ginger adds a little zing. Happy Juicing on this Tuesday!

Everybody needs a place to just Be

   I figured out today that there are definite advantages to cooking dinner in your pajamas. I woke up last night at three am sick with an upset stomach and a fever. I stayed home and nursed this very strange stomach bug, even though, all in all, I don't really feel that sick. On occasion my daughter asks me to cook her something special and I tend to do it. She requested chicken curry and I had planned it for tonight. Jayne is a Junior in high school and planning on going off to college soon, so our time together feels more precious then ever before. Hence the reason behind my getting out of bed in my pajamas and cooking dinner tonight. I had promised Jayne this meal and I was not going to skip a chance to give her a memory that she will carry with her. I can imagine her at college telling her freinds something like “my mom makes the best curry, just don't tell her friend Mina I said that.” Not that she would notice if I threw a pizza on the table instead, but I would know the difference and I know I'm bringing smells and taste into our house by making this meal that will someday be comforting for her.

  So why is it so good to cook in your pajamas? I should first tell you that my pajamas consist of multi-colored long johns and big t-shirts, no matching silk frocks for me, I am still a bit of a small town Missouri girl at heart. I skipped my apron tonight and noticed that as water splashed up on me while I washed and cleaned veggies, garlic sprayed out from the garlic press, olive oil sizzled as I dropped the chicken into the skillet, and coconut milk somehow swirled its way around the pan and onto my shirt, I did not have any concerns about the condidtion of my clothes in the fall out that inevitably ensues when I cook. I also realized how relaxing it is to spend a day in your pajamas with no concerns for your appearance, even though I'm pretty sure June Cleaver would not agree with this philosophy. It's wonderful to have a place that you can Be without pretense, a place where you can cook in your pajamas and no one questions why.