Yoga retreat recap

Tags

Bikram yoga, community, Mexico, Travel, Tulum, yoga retreat

The idea of recapping my recent yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico is daunting. How do I even begin to capture it?

There was yoga everyday and beautiful whole foods (mostly vegan) and unbelievably pristine beaches where you could plop yourself down on the sand and meditate on the vastness of the universe.

There were also oceanside hammocks where you could spend the afternoon in blissful semi-consciousness while rarely clothed, joyful people frolicked in the blue-green waves. We played with Synergy and swam in caves and visited the Mayan ruins.

We also practiced Bikram yoga every morning. We sucked in our bellies and locked our knees and did our 80/20 breathing. Francisco and Esak (lovingly) picked on us and challenged us and cheered us on.

The palapa where we practiced yoga every day

We did yoga in a palapa, outside, so the temperature was much chillier than us Bikram yogis are used to. Without the heat and without the mirrors, my familiar 26+2 yoga practice was transformed into something very different. It forced even more presence and acceptance. Backbends were not as deep, but grips were stronger. The heat didn’t exhaust me, but it also didn’t allow for the nice, sweaty sliding of legs in eagle pose. Without being able to see my alignment in the mirror, I just had to feel it, I had to tune into my body more and connect on a deeper level.

It wasn’t better or worse than a regular practice. It just was.

But the most significant part of the retreat for me, was the thing that I find most significant about Bikram yoga in general – the sense of community.

I’m really shy. I’m incredibly introverted and somewhat socially awkward, though I’m getting a little better. I was nervous about a “group vacation” with group meals and group excursions and just so damn much togetherness.

But it was such joy to meet this group of yogis. What fun it was to sit around at dinner and geek out on the nuances of spinal alignment and quad strength. How wonderful to share our passion and learn about studios in other parts of the world. What a great feeling to come home and have 20 new yogi friends.

Big pile of yogis

We were students, teachers and studio owners. Some of us had been practicing for decades, others had discovered the practice just six months ago. But we were all bonded by this love of yoga. We shared stories of how the hot room had healed our broken backs and broken hearts. It was a pretty special thing.

I think I’m still processing this retreat, so expect more stories to come. I HAVE to tell you guys about the sweat lodge…

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Yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico

Tags

Esak Garcia, Francisco Morales Bermudez, Mexico, Tulum, yoga retreat

Husband and I are leaving soon for our first yoga retreat.

I’m so excited I can’t stand it. Apparently, the place we are staying in Tulum looks like this:

Photo courtesy of Esak Garcia

We’ll be staying in a little hut, doing Bikram yoga in the morning, eating yummy, healthy food for lunch and spending the afternoon swimming in caves and napping on the beach. We will also be playing around with Synergy, which is a combination of Thai massage and partner yoga, which I absolutely love!

It sounds like heaven.

The trip will be led by Esak Garcia and Francisco Morales Bermudez, two devoted yogis and all around good guys. I am so thrilled to be able to learn from both of them.

The trip is not a yoga intensive, we’re not there to get competitive. It’s simply a way to share the spirit of yoga in an enchanting, meaningful place. Tulum was one of the last places inhabited by the Mayans, so it seems to have a bit of magic about it. There is very limited electricity at our eco-lodge, offering the chance to really unplug and focus on being in the moment.

I’m so excited to be able to have this experience – I promise to bring back lots of photos to share.

Have you been on a yoga/wellness retreat? Any tips?

Namaste, yogis!

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Fun 4th

Tags

Bikram yoga, Books, gratitude, simplicity

We stretched the 4th of July into five days. This Canadian embraced the American celebration and it was glorious.

We went to a pick-your-own peaches place.

I drank beer at lunch.

I watched fireworks and ate vegan sausage with fries.

I drank four cups of tea on my front porch.

I did yoga. (Once.) After yoga we sat on the studio floor talking with other yogis for so long that we had to move on to a bunch spot to continue the fun.

I read while lying on the couch until I fell asleep. Then I woke up and read more.

I made brownies and ate far more than my share.

While I admit that I did a little Sunday evening pouting about my blissful little stay-cation being over, there is something that was very invigorating about the whole thing.

I didn’t need to go anywhere exotic. I didn’t need to do anything terribly exciting. I just needed to slow down and notice the abundance that was already around me, and enjoy it.

That, I did.

If you celebrated the 4th of July, hope it was a lovely one.

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Social misfits: vegetarians

Tags

food, health, life choices, vegetarianism

“Vegetarians are assholes”

This was a comment on my friend’s Facebook wall.

Ah, yes. It’s barbecue season. Also known as picking-on-vegetarians season.

I don’t think I’m an asshole but I’ve felt that some meat-eaters expect me to attack them and throw red paint all over their meal.

Some vegetarians allegedly have a parade for themselves every time they order a salad, but all I’ve even seen is well-intentioned folks eating what makes them comfortable. All the vegetarians I know tend to keep their eyes on their own plates.

Yet, I have been relentlessly accosted about my choices at barbecues (among other places) while I quietly tend my own veggie burger. It’s usually some combination of the following:

• “You killed that vegetable, too, you know.”
• “Everything dies.”
• “We are biologically created to eat meat.”
• “Don’t you feed your dog meat?”
• “You are unhealthy because you can’t get enough protein.”
• “In the rest of the world, the only people who are not eating meat are the ones who are impoverished. They wish they could eat meat.”
• “Just have a little bite.”

They seem mad at me for not eating meat. I’m just lost on this one; I’m not mad that they don’t eat tofu. I would understand the hostility if I were forcing them to watch Earthlings while they’re eating a T-bone or something, but again — that’s never happened.

I’ve been vegetarian for practically my whole life…there are rumors that I liked baloney when I was two, but that’s all hearsay. Since I was 3 years old, no meat has knowingly passed my lips. (There was this one time when the server put down a small bowl of what looked like olive tapenade. After my first bite, I realized it was pâté. That resulted in gagging and spitting into a linen napkin, downing my entire glass of wine in one gulp and never going back to that place.)

Food choices are highly personal. What can be more personal that what you chose to put inside of your body? I don’t feel comfortable with the notion that an animal died for my meal, when I am perfectly happy with the non-sentient food choices available. It’s that simple.

What you do, is up to you.

But if you are one of those vegetarians who delights in detailing the final moments of the burger’s life to the person eating it; please stop. Leading by (quiet) example is always more effective, and you are making the rest of us look like assholes.

Bon appétit!

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Home sweet home

From the hallway of the Bikram studio in Palm Desert, CA

I’m back from California!

And, I have been flattened by jet lag. I never used to get it that badly, but this trip has flipped my brain upside down.

We had a lovely time, I attended two yoga classes (one Bikram, one “Hatha”) and had the best massage of my life. There was lots of chilling poolside with wonderful people and truckloads of foods I don’t normally eat. Top that off with a couple drinks at a gay dance club/tiki bar and you have a hell of a 60th birthday celebration for my mother-in-law. (Yeah, she’s cool like that.)

Since I am still too dizzy to be interesting or deep, I’ll just use this post to pop in and say hello.

I will also take this moment to let you know about something I am kind of hesitant to talk about, lest it seem like bragging; but I was recently profiled by Charlottesville Woman magazine. I’m honored that I was chosen for the profile and I thought I’d share it with you.

In the article, I talk about this blog, what it means to me and my writing processes. I wanted to share it because I’m proud of this little community we have created, where we can discuss the real, important things of life. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the minutia and forget the real reasons we are all here. This place helps me remember my priorities.

Alright. Now I am off to do some inversions so that I can try to find the right side up.

Namaste, my friends!

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Does yoga really change your eating habits?

Tags

health, juicing, life choices

Swiss chard. Yum or yuck?

I used to be able to eat a whole bag of Doritos for dinner and not blink an eye.

Now, I throw some garlic and olive oil on this leafy fellow and I’m in heaven.

Is it the yoga?

I know some yogis that still eat and drink like they did in college and they claim nothing has changed. But for me, my tastes are totally different; other than the occasional treat (mostly involving dark chocolate) my cravings have been totally turned around.

I love green juice now, something that even a couple of years ago I would have choked on. I also really enjoy cooking fresh, simple meals, whereas before I would have done anything to avoid my kitchen. I’ve always been vegetarian, but eat a lot less dairy these days because I just feel like it weighs me down.

Is this something physical the yoga is doing to me? Am I more sensitive to feeling like crap, because most of the time I feel so damn good? Or I am just falling into the stereotypical yogi lifestyle because I want to sit around after Bikram and debate the best kale recipes?

So, now I’m curious to know what it’s been like for other yogis….have you found a difference in your food habits since doing yoga?

And if you want to share your favorite post-yoga recipe or recipe site…I wouldn’t hate that…. 🙂

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I gave up drinking for Lent. Now what?

Tags

acceptance, Drinking, judgement

“The Great Way is without difficulty, just cease having preferences.”

– Third Patriarch of Zen

Despite being some sort of Buddhist/Hindu hybrid, I observed Lent this year and didn’t drink any alcohol for 46 days. It wasn’t that hard. It was fine.

And then I broke my fast with a margarita. That was fine, too.

I thought I would come out of this with a strong feeling one way or another, either I would have missed wine enormously or I would feel like a superhero without it. I thought I’d have a stance.

I used to have all kinds of opinions and preferences and beliefs in what was good and bad. I use to know so many things FOR SURE. I’m finding that to be less and less true.

I’m less interested in jumping on something and immediately judging it and giving it a permanent, 1-10 rating of goodness. I am feeling less need to cling to my opinions. Identifying with them and owning them no longer seems desirable because they feel more fluid these days.

Another example: I am not joining back up with my CSA this year. I’ve been part of community supported agriculture for the past five years and I would have said that was a major tenet of my identity. It was a difficult decision to let it go, but this year I wanted to go to the local farmer’s markets more often and support a wider variety of vendors. Maybe next year I’ll sign up again, maybe not.

Whatevs.

It doesn’t have to define my being. I don’t have to be that CSA Girl.

Of course, I still get super judgey sometimes and think something is just plain awful and that person is stupid for doing it. I just tend to catch myself a little sooner. Then I feel like a dog chasing her tail; it’s pointless, I look silly and know I’ll end up getting bitten in the ass for it.

Socrates said “The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know” but I think we tend to overlook the freedom in not knowing. My staunch opinions bind me up and place me in opposition to others. Letting go of my know-it-all judgements allows me to get back to the (way more fun) place of beginner’s mind and frees me up to explore the world more openly.

So, cheers to that.

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Just juice: fasting on moon days

Tags

juicing, mindfulness, moon days, yoga

I fasted for the moon day.

Wow – I’ve written some really hippy dippy stuff in my life, but I think that takes the cake. I really feel like I need to stop shaving and spend that extra time learning to play the sitar.

Once again, I am inspired by my yoga philosophy teacher. She fasts on moon days and says that the body is more able to detox at those times and the stomach benefits from having a rest from digestion. She says she feels more clear and calm when she fasts.

Hey! I want to be clear and calm, too!

Yesterday, I gave it a go. Here’s how it went.

7 am– Wake up. Remember it’s a fasting day. Go back to sleep for 30 more minutes so that I get an extra half hour of not being hungry.

7:30 am – Start the day with a big mug of warm water with lemon. Surprisingly lovely.

9:30 am – Mean Green Juice (kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, pear, ginger)

11 am – Feeling ecstatic. Thinking I should fast for 4 more days. Food is stupid.

12 pm – Apple juice.

1:30 pm – Headache hits. I’m likely detoxing. Or dying. Just want to lie down. In a bowl of fettucini alfredo.

2 pm– Carrot/orange juice. Perks me up a lot. Thinking I might actually make it through the day.

4 pm – Coconut water. Able to concentrate enough to get some work done. This ain’t so hard.

6 pm – Feed the dog. Room temperature Organic Turkey Stew looks really good.

7:30pm – Because he was proud of me (and felt some pity) Husband was kind enough to have a beet juice (beets, celery, apple, carrot, ginger) with me for dinner and not eat something delicious in front of me like a big fat jerk. For my part, I kindly pretended not to notice when he snuck away to inhale a peanut butter and jelly sandwich right before bed.

Interspersed throughout was lots of fizzy water and mood swings. It was kind of a roller coaster of a day. I wasn’t terribly productive and I spent an enormous amount of time thinking about the fact that I was not eating.

I did stick with the fast so that feels good, but I didn’t get the crystal clarity I was hoping for. I think I’ll try it again, just in case it’s something that improves with experience. I do really like this idea –  one day, twice a month, I am really mindful of my eating habits.

One other unexpected perk of fasting? Your kitchen stays really clean.

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Avoiding food-like products: how to eat a plant strong diet

Tags

Crazy Sexy Cancer, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, Forks Over Knives, health, Hungry For Change, jucier, Reboot Your Life cleanse

I’ve been vegetarian since I was three years old but that doesn’t make me a goodie-two-shoes when it comes to food; I’ve been known to eat half a box of Girl Scout cookies for dinner.

I’ve been trying to focus more on eating real food, drinking juices and adopting a plant strong diet. It’s hard to do sometimes, when you have yummy looking food-like products staring at you from shiny packaging. I need a little help and motivation.

I present to you, for your weekend viewing pleasure, some of awesome food films. These folks really inspired me to think differently about how I fuel my body.

When I eat well, I am more connected to myself and others, I am more grounded and focused. All that — just because I give my body something decent to operate on. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Hungry For Change is a new film I just saw the trailer for, via Healthy Girl’s Kitchen. (Thanks, Jenny!)

Crazy, Sexy, Cancer. I still think about this film, months later. Kris Carr’s website, Crazy Sexy Life, has lots of great information.

I watched Forks Over Knives twice in 24 hours. Once with Husband, once with my dad. It’s very convincing.

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Juicing revolution! This film reminds me that it’s really worth the effort to have to clean my juicer…

Happy eating!

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Juicing for the lazy

Tags

health, juicing, moon days

Over the last few days, I’ve been juicing again.

I was inspired by the woman who teaches my Yoga Philosophy class. She fasts on moon days (which I learned means the full moon and new moon) and drinks only fruit and vegetable juices. She said juices give give her stomach time to rest and recover from its constant digesting. Fasting makes her feel lighter, more connected, grounded and clear. After having done a five day cleanse a few months ago, I totally get that. I felt that way, too.

I thought it was an interesting (and reasonable) thing to consider; fasting for just one day, every two weeks.

It made me wonder why there was dust on top of my juicer.

I realized I stopped because I was lazy.

Well. That’s unflattering.

What does that say about my commitment to my physical and spiritual health? It’s true; juicing takes work. Sure, it’s fun to shove all your produce in there, but then after you juice you have to clean the thing and its many parts. Dishes might be my least favorite housekeeping chore.

O.K., but is this really work? Like WORK WORK? Like building a pyramid or digging a trench is work? No. It’s effort. And if I say I won’t put in the effort to allow myself to feel like a million bucks – which is how I feel after a big glass of green juice –  that just sounds pathetic.

I feel like any self-care gets so quickly and cruelly labeled “selfish” by our society. In the high speed world of Twitter and texting, anything that takes longer than 30 seconds feels like a pain in the ass.

I needed to change my mind in the way I thought about cleaning the juicer. So, I’m now trying to turn the whole thing into a kind of meditation practice because I am allowed to devote the time to take care of my health.

When I have to clean the juicer, I find myself a nice hippy-dippy chanting station on Pandora (I like the Krishna Das and Jai Uttal stations) and I acknowledge that my effort is a show of appreciation for my body. I try to remember that it is absolutely acceptable for me to take the time to do this for myself, rather than just whip up another peanut butter sandwich.

But this is a great excuse to slow down and be mindful. And now I’m all excited for the next full moon.

(ETA: Check out the comments for a revolutionary reader tip that has changed my juicer cleaning routine!!)

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