Moderation Nation

So I'm almost three months into teaching Yoga. I'm loving every nano second, every breath, every moment in my classes. Even the moments that bring up ethical questions, or that fluster me at first...I laugh later and - it makes me love what I do even more.

I get to teach people how to make space in their bodies; how to make space for healing, creativity, for themselves. I get to encourage them to use their breath, {prana} their life force, to get them through any situation. And I get to help them reconnect to their spirits...even if only in savasana.

Lately, though, as much as I love what I do...I've been tired. Drained really. Exhausted. I also have aches and pains I've never experienced before.  It dawned on me that I need to practice what I teach.

"listen to your body. practice in a way that feels good.

take the up level/down level that you need. 

do not compare. do not push.

drop the struggle."

I aim to practice daily so that I may be able to speak authentically from my mat in my classes.  I practice inversions and arm balances daily to give my students the clearest/ most precise demos. 

But I've been sore, I've been achey, and I've had grumpy out bursts with people who are close to me and don't deserve to take the brunt for my self-inflicted exhaustion. 

Moderation.  Yup, that's the one word that's been flashing in my mind like a Las Vegas Casino sign. As I took a few days off last week to do absolutely nothing but sleep. I realized (as much of a no-brainer as this may seem) that moderation is key for sustainability. In life. Period. 

A couple weeks ago, after my first  Forrest Yoga Mentorship weekend I was explaining to a fellow Yogi that I took a real easy - no arm balances, no inversions, no advanced expression of the poses - approach to my practice, and I aimed to feel good in all my poses. "I haven't felt that amazing in months!" I told her. "Karmen," she said, "That's connecting to your spirit, that's being present on your mat" 

Hmm, not only is moderation key for getting proper rest...it's also instrumental for progress and evolution. 

Currently, I'm also pretty strict about what fuel (aka FOOD) I nourish my body with. I'm pretty gluten and dairy free. And that feels pretty good in my body. But I'm also finding the joy in indulging every so often...without the guilt that is usually attached to it. There is definitely something to be said for NOT sticking to every dietary restriction of your meal plan. For NOT saying no to cake every time it's offered. And for letting yourself  "go" every once in a while. 

Balance is key and moderation is essential for our well being, for our mental sanity...and especially for the sake of our loved ones who we intend to keep around us for a while!

Take a moment to stop and do nothing every now and then. Or take the down-level in your practice. Do things that feel good. Enjoy a slice of cake and disrupt your routine! It may seem lazy, it may seem "indulgent," but it's not...you're actually living in the present moment.

Here are some fun recipes I enjoyed this week...Yin and Yang of the health spectrum in food. 

http://www.aspicyperspective.com/2010/05/farmstand-fresh.html

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 Tb. lemon juice, divided
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 oz. plain or vanilla, Greek yogurt
12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan (10-15 cup pan.) Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.
3. Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Place in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.
6. NOTE: I've had a few questions on the texture of the batter in this cake. The consistency of the yogurt and the juiciness of the berries, greatly determined the consistency of the batter. Thick, (dryer) yogurt will produce a thicker batter, in which the berries won't sink to the bottom (top) of the cake as seen in the photos. Either way, it is a great cake--don't worry about the thickness of the batter.

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

Adapted from: Ohsheglows

 

Ingredients:

1/2 C. dry quinoa

2 C. vegetable broth

1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half

2 avocados diced

2 C. spinach

1 bunch cilantro

1/4 C. onion

2 small cloves garlic

For the dressing:

Juice of 2 lemons

zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. agave nectar

1/2 tsp. cumin

dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Make your quinoa first. Soak the quinoa in a pot in the veggie broth for about 15 minutes. After that, turn on the heat to medium high and let the quinoa come to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium/low and let quinoa simmer. Stir every so often, and cook quinoa for about 20-25 minutes just until the liquid absorbs. You don’t want it completely dried out, so when there is just a TINY amount of liquid left in the pot, remove it from heat and put a lid on it. Set it aside, and make the rest of the salad.

2. In a food processor, add your spinach and cilantro. Make sure to wash you greens. 

3. Process the greens until they are finely diced. You can do this by hand as well if you don’t have a food processor.

4. Add the greens to a bowl, and set aside. Next take your onion and garlic and finely dice those (I do this in the food processor to), and add to the greens mixture. Next add your chickpeas and stir until everything is combined and coated. If the quinoa is cooled, you can add it to the chickpea mixture next.

5. Make your dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Pour over salad, and mix until combined. Add in tomatoes and avocado and mix. Set in fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors set.