1. I’m Injured/Sick. Injury can be a perfect time to begin or reassess your yoga practice. I have a friend who was bedridden for an extended period of time and he practiced pranayama (breathing exercises) and a few modified asanas (postures) while in bed. Yoga proved to be very helpful in his recovery. With a little guidance you can learn the proper modifications and techniques to practice yoga in a way that supports recovery from your injury or illness.

2. “I have bad knees, hips, back.” Arthritis and past injuries are common causes of achy joints. The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center Blog reports “Over 75 scientific trials have been published on yoga in major medical journals. These studies have shown that yoga is a safe and effective way to increase physical activity that also has important psychological benefits due to its meditative nature. As with other forms of exercise, yoga can increase muscle strength, improve flexibility, enhance respiratory endurance, and promote balance. Yoga is also associated with increased energy and fewer bodily aches and pains.”

Always let your instructor know of your injury and pain before class. If you want to build a deeper understanding on how to safely work within your body’s limitations, schedule a private yoga session or come to one of our workshops on pain. (We’ve got one this Sunday-Yoga for Hip and Lower Back Pain)

3. ”Yoga is ‘too easy’ or ‘too hard’.” There are hundreds, probably thousands, of asanas and pranayama (breathing) techniques. No matter your ability, there is a yoga practice that is right for you.

4. “I’m too old.” A 2006 study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine reported that 6 months of yoga intervention for seniors produced improvements in balance, flexibility, sense of well-being and energy. You are never too old to begin a practice.

5. “I’m not flexible.” – For real? This is like saying “I’m hungry, but I won’t try eating as a solution for my hunger.” Yoga is about learning your body’s abilities; being “right” where you are and finding ways to safely improve your mobility meet them. It’s about building awareness to your internal barriers, it’s about personal growth, it’s about uniting your body with your mind and spirit. As a yoga teacher I could care less about your body’s flexibility. All that is required is a little mental flexibility and willingness to learn.

6. I don’t have time. Read Ronnie’s blog and you will learn that You are the Source of Time.

So, no excuses… Give yoga a chance!

Regardless of whether you actively shared during meetings or if your transformation was more internal, there is an unwritten rule that this group of people is a new family. You were brought together by the will to be a better person, whatever that may encompass for you, and you will remain bound by the intimacy you’ve shared.

If you weren’t the most vocal or forthcoming for the past 40 days, that’s okay. We all come into our power when it’s the appropriate time. At some point, you may find yourself needing to share an experience or thought, so remember that you can reach out to anyone from 40 days as well as studio staff to receive feedback and support. Know that someone is there to listen.

With a community behind you to root you on, you’re not off the hook to hold yourself accountable. These new habits that you’ve created must stay strong. At the end of 40 days, the hardest aspects for me to keep up with were nutrition and meditation. I’ll just admit it, I love food. Once, in a blue moon I crave MacDonalds. But, I know the foods that fuel my body and the foods that make me comatose, so I commit to loving my body via the foods I ingest. That’s easy.

The hardest habit not to fall back into was having a drink after work on a regular basis. During 40 days, I realized that drinking to unwind was my crutch and it was was the one habit that I needed to break the most. I equated alcohol with unwinding, but what I really needed to understand was why I felt stressed in the first place and why I searched for a quick solution. At the end of 40 days, I realized that things aren’t actually hard. You make them hard, right? So I stopped making things difficult and rolling with punches.

Guess what? The other component of the perfect triumvirate that I struggled with – meditation – would help so much! Meditation brings clarity and ease and frees the mind of your crutches.

Be honest with yourself and determine whether nutrition, yoga practice, or meditation is your weakest link. Then, commit to devote extra energy to it. Tie a string around your finger, make declarations on Facebook, or write yourself inspirational notes. Remind yourself of the commitment you’ve made to perpetual improvement and transformation.

The actions to make change stick is to recognize that you have a community that will always be there to support you and to commit to yourself to work on the weakest link in your triumvirate.

You are awesome, and you are part of an army striving to do better!

As this 40 days experience comes to a close I would encourage you to ask yourself where in your life you can find opportunities to have that sense of victory and triumph. How can you cultivate that feeling of personal triumph on a regular basis?
We have learned through the past weeks the importance of mindfully living in the present. But there is great wisdom in setting up plans for your life. Life is moving forward. What you “do” is a small part of who you are, and it is responsible to be active in it but without losing the now!
Maybe that triumph is in knowing that there is personal relationship that you want to see growth in. Are you looking for opportunities and investing your time in cultivating deeper relationships that lead towards growth? For some of us maybe it is something deeply personal. Something you want to conquer or overcome—a fear or dream.

I also have a lot of goals. I love goals because they are a great marker for a day of triumph. I have met a few of my goals that have given me that feeling: getting my 200 RYT, hiking Half Dome at Yosemite, competing in triathlons, running my first marathon and, most importantly, seeing my boys becoming exceptional little men! I’m going to guess you have a list of goals and dreams that will give you that powerful sense of victory!
Reaching our goals and dreams requires us to put ourselves out there so we can have fresh experiences that lend to those opportunities. Know that the feeling of triumph and victory is worth the risk of putting yourself out there! Elation, great joy and a sense of accomplishment will cause you to shine, and like Baron says, “It’s not enough just to shine—we have to go out in the world and share the shine if it is to mean anything.”

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risks.
–Dalai Lama

With that…live in good health and shine on!

Namaste!

• Go to a yoga class (of course!)
• Buy a good book and make the time to read it
• Try a new form of exercise
• Do something outside
• Get a massage
• Buy a new piece of exercise clothing
• Buy a new piece of exercise gear

Also, take this opportunity to review your food journal and see what worked for you and what you want to incorporate into your new post-40 days way of being. What made you feel good – less caffeine, less sugar, more greens? Also, commit to continuing your awareness about eating healthful, seasonal foods and experiment with new greens and grains. (Quinoa recipe below.)

Finally, as Baron says, “Remember that your physical body is the vehicle that carries you through this life, and the more love and care you put into its maintenance, the sweeter that life will ultimately be.”

Now go and live a sweet and powerful life!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
Adapted from Gourmet | July 1994

1 1/2 cups quinoa (small disk-shaped seeds)

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed if canned

1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups cooked (or raw) corn (cut from about 2 large ears)

3/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper (color of your choice)

2 pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander (CILANTRO!)

For dressing

5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste

1/3 cup olive oil

Preparation

In a bowl wash quinoa in at least 5 changes cold water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear and drain in a large fine sieve.

In a saucepan of salted boiling water (or vegetable stock) cook quinoa 10 minutes.
Drain quinoa in sieve and rinse under cold water. Set sieve over a saucepan of boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary). [NOTE: I do not do the extra step of steaming the quinoa, but just keep it covered in a pot off the heat.]

While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool.
Add beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeños, and coriander and toss well.

Make dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking.

Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste.
Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

We are all the same. When I love myself, I am in love with everyone else.

Transformation is a process.

If I’m being right, there is something for me to clean up.

Slow down and notice.

It doesn’t mean anything about me.

Meditation is a great time to do nothing.

I can choose.

Practice yoga like a kid.

Perfection is a very small box.

Give of myself generously.

Looking into someone’s eyes and listening always gets me out of a bad mood. Gratitude is freeing.

My 40 Days friends will always be a special part of me. Take time to reflect on your 40 Days experience. Celebrate all you’ve accomplished . . . and be well!

In love,
Ronnie

I want to do something fun. Baron acknowledges that part of triumph is reconnecting with that childlike curiosity and joy. Remember when you were young? You were unstoppable and full of happiness. Everything was an event of fun, and your mind was so peaceful because you were in the present. I mean, I got so excited to see Sesame Street Live when I was a little girl that I broke out in hives! Why not approach everyday with the same enthusiasm? Here are 40 activities that you may or may not have done since you were little, but I’m going to spend the next 40 days doing at least one a day. I hope you do the same, and congratulations for taking the steps towards permanent transformation.

1. Fall asleep in the grass with the sun on your face.

2. Buy ice cream from an ice cream truck.

3. Make S ‘mores.

4. Find the biggest hill in your neighborhood and roll down it.

5. Do cartwheels around the yard.

6. Run through the neighbor’s sprinkler.

7. Write someone a poem or homemade card.

8. Take a long walk in the rain without an umbrella.

9. Wade through a creek.

10. Ride your bike with nowhere to go.

11. Visit a monument or museum in DC that you’ve never seen.

12. What was your favorite thing to eat as a kid? Eat it. (Mine was chicken patties and pickles.)

13. Do a handstand!

14. Try a new restaurant. Better yet, try a new type of cuisine.

15. Make your family or friends play baseball or touch football with you.

16. Play hooky from work.

17. Reread your favorite book.

18. Make a list of your goals.

19. Invite your friends over for tea or dinner. This time it won’t be pretend!

20. Plant a container garden.

21. Organize a movie night outdoors.

22. Go camping.

23. Climb a tree.

24. Remember “Book It?” You got a Pizza Hut personal pan pizza if you read four or five books in one month. Do that! Pick a number of books to read in one month and treat yourself to pizza if you reach your goal.

25. Give a friend or family member flowers.

26. Turn the music up really loud in the car.

27. Take a nap in a hammock … preferably a hammock on a boat in the middle of nowhere ☺

28. Kids love running around… Sign up for a race.

29. Go fishing and try not to freak out when you touch the worm.

30. Dance!

31. Here’s my favorite – Lie on the floor and listen to records.

32. Paint or draw a picture to hang in your house no matter what it looks like. This can include finger painting ☺

33. It is still okay to pretend, especially when it helps us dream big.

34. Take a neighbor’s dog for a walk.

35. Visit someone elderly in your neighborhood and bring him/her cookies.

36. Do crossword puzzles, Sudoku, or word searches instead of watching television.

37. Hold a firefly in your hands.

38. Stick your feet out the window when you ride shotgun.

39. Greet everyone with a smile.

40. In the infamous words of Donna and Tom from Parks and Recreation, “Treat Yo’self!”

Mondays are always packed to the gill, but today seems to be overflowing! First, there are mom duties to tend to: cook the unexpected pancake breakfast for Chase, help him eat, get dressed etc. Then, the list goes on…write this blog, a conference call with my business lawyer, meet with the general contractor at the studio, deal with my car (which broke down last night), deal with home-owner’s insurance about my mountain bike (which was stolen last Friday from the back of my car), order a new mountain bike (you know I can not be without one, right?), return my friend Todd’s bike before I drive to the studio (Bike Lane is the best bike shop in town!), call the loan officer, meet with the bank manager, call Mark White, answer student’s emails, answer staff emails, meet with Tara and Ashley, answer voice mails and text messages, do the dishes, cook dinner, fold laundry, put in groceries order (thank god for Harris Teeter online shopping!) And yes, somehow, amid all this, fit in meditation, a yoga practice and a workout of some sort!

Years ago, I would be freaking out with this list. Losing my bike Friday would have alone put me in a horrible mood and would have ruined my weekend. I would probably be going over all the details and be beating myself up for it. But, as Baron says, “Our willingness to be reinvented is precisely how we let go of our childish ways.”

Today instead of playing the blame game against others and myself, I chose to play a bigger game. I chose to play a game that is a lot more fun: the game of being responsible, in action and living life to the fullest. I understand that just like our asana practice, giving up what does not serve me, and the ones around me is a daily practice. I choose to give up fear, negative self-talk, judgment, control, and scarcity. Instead of having a sour attitude about the things that went wrong (like my stolen bike, or the car that broke down) and the many things I have to do today, I see things as they are and tackle things one by one. I chose a while ago to BE positive and feel that life is a lot more fun this way!

When I approach my life this way, I feel more as Baron says, “child-like” versus “child-ish”. I understand that Triumph is a daily practice. And, as with any triumph, it tastes a lot sweeter when the experience is shared and celebrated with others.

Namaste,

Paula

Baron starts week five by telling a story of a disciple and his master. When the master asked the disciple, where he put his shoes in relation to a bowl of rice the disciple simply did not know. He didn’t see the importance of that detail. But the master was teaching the disciple that being present and centered is seeing all thing and actions as important. “You are not living from your center, because you have no awareness of what is right in front of you,” says Baron in 40 Days.

Often we don’t think of centering in regards to our physical self. Probably because if we look closely we will see that our physical self is living in some form of resistance to being happy with who we are and how we were created!

In today’s society it is easy to stop seeing what is right in front of us because so many things seem to be pushing us to be something different—something the world sees as “better”. Just sit down and watch television for an hour and sit through the commercials. By the end of that hour you may feel as if you should: start a new diet so you can be thinner; change your hair color so you can be more radiant; get new car insurance so you can have more peace; buy Ego Waffles because that will make you a better mom and your life full of happiness at 7am! (I’ve tried that it doesn’t work. My kids don’t appear downstairs magically dressed and happily singing my praises.)

Yep! We could all look more attractive, have better bodies, live with more peace and generally be happier… the American epidemic!

In our culture, we spend too much time thinking about what could have been or what’s next and not enough time focusing on and valuing what is. Most of us have had or have some form of body image issue. Some thing (or things) we just don’t prefer about ourselves. That body image issue can quickly become a body image disorder when we focus our energy on changing that thing we don’t prefer in an unhealthy way. When it comes to our physical bodies, it’s easy to overlook our overall health and not be walking in gratitude for it.

Many of us push our bodies to the edge on a regular basis, hardly acknowledging aches, pains, and even injury. Stay present in yourself. Take note of your actions and your thoughts whether you deem them big or small. Don’t miss out on who you are now and what you have to offer what you’re capable of simply because you aren’t aware to who you are now and because you’re caught up with what is the perceived ideal.
Don’t be so quick to want to change things about yourself. Let the process of growth happen naturally and focus on centering your thoughts on who you are now—and how great that person is!

After all it was written long before you were born, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

In Good Health!
May

Now that you have given your digestive system a little bit of a vacation, you can focus on rebuilding it with healthy food. Your body needs both macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein & fat) are the big ones – because your body needs them in large amounts. Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), on the other hand, are only needed in small amounts – but they are important. This week’s eating “to-do” is to concentrate on high-mineral foods. Leafy green vegetables pack a powerful micronutrient punch because they contain both vitamins and minerals.

Spring is a great time to experiment with leafy greens, including:
• Kale
• Spinach
• Lettuces (romaine)
• Arugula
• Chard
• Mustard & collard greens

And, while you are eating these micronutrient dense foods, take Baron’s advice:

“When you eat, really eat. Really chew, really taste, really smell, really feel the food dissolve into and nourish your being.”

Here’s another kale recipe (yes, I really do love kale that much!) – use the dressing on any of the leafy greens listed above:
Garlicky Kale Salad

Prep time
15 mins

Total time
15 mins

Inspired by the Whole Foods salad bar
Author: Eating Bird Food
Recipe type: Salad

Ingredients
• 1 bunch raw kale, washed, de-stemmed and dried
• 2 Tablespoons tahini (start with 1 tbsp)
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or water)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos (tamari or soy sauce would work too)
• 4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (1 – 2 cloves of garlic)
• sesame seeds, to taste as garish (optional)

Instructions
1. Break or cut kale into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. Puree all ingredients except kale and sesame seeds in a blender or food processor to blend the dressing.
3. Pour dressing over kale and massage into the kale with your hands until all pieces of kale are coated.
4. Let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour or so to marinate. You can skip this step if you need to eat right away, but allowing some time to marinate will wilt the kale a bit and make it a little more palatable – particularly for those who are skeptical of eating raw kale.

Sprinkle on some sesame seeds before serving if so desired.

We’ve all been there, so please resist the temptation to berate yourself and consider whether you’ve declared a higher purpose for your wellness goals. Having a compelling intention and personalized statement of who you are at peak wellness helps you act consciously when making the moment to moment choices that add up to a lifestyle.

Take time right now to describe yourself at your best wellbeing. Are you vital and energetic? Confident, with a healthy self- image? Peaceful and able to manage your busy schedule with ease? An athlete? Declaring a wellness vision from your heart will give you an instant jolt of energy.

Next, explore how this vision supports what you value most in life. What good will come from adopting these new behaviors? Do you want to set a good example for your kids? Have the energy to start a new business? Reduce your risk for heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure?

Clarity about your wellness vision and motivators will ground you and help bring mindfulness to health-related actions. You’ll be more likely to notice the triggers for unhealthy choices. One of mine is coming home to make dinner after a long, stressful day. Without thinking, I can eat a day’s worth of calories while cooking! (Hence the Post-it with my wellness vision and motivators over the counter where I prepare meals.)

In 40 Days to Personal Revolution, Baron writes “This week is about learning to stay intuitively grounded, from where you place your rice bowl in relation to your shoes to how you interact with those around you. It is learning to relax and be present with everything in your life, both big and small.” I can think of no better application of this practice than your health and wellbeing.

Be well,
Ronnie