Solstice Yoga in Times Square

Over 8500 people gathered to practice throughout the day on June 21st in Times Square. Giving thanks to the sun for providing us with energy and light. What an inspiring photo!

Tomato Cream Chicken Pasta

Every Thursday night, while I'm at teacher training and Kevin plays superparent, I try to have something ready for him to feed the kids. Often, the crockpot comes into play, as it did last night. However, what I makes isn't always as good as what they had last night. Super easy, somewhat healthy, and the littles loved it!

Here's what you need:
2-3 large chicken breasts. Boneless/skinless.
1/2 cup chicken broth
Chopped garlic
Green Pepper
Onion
Salt
Pepper
1 can basil and oregano diced tomatoes
1/4 cup cream cheese with herbs and chives
1/4 cup cream


Around 9:30 or so, I put the chicken in the crock pot, poured chicken broth over it, added garlic, salt, and pepper, about half a green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces, and sliced up about 1/2 a white onion. I let that cook over low heat for 6 or 7 hrs, then just before I jetted out the door to YTT, I shredded the chicken and dumped in the tomatoes, cream and cream cheese.

Kevin served it about 90 minutes later over pasta and the kids DEVOURED it. I had a couple bites when I got home (at 11:15- oy) and I have to say- it was pretty delish. Actually, it was so good, I would even entertain with it. Enjoy!

Love.

Love is such a pretty word. It rhymes with dove, creates images of peace and happiness in our mind's eye, and is the main lyric in dozens of songs. Ok, millions of songs. Love is both over and under celebrated, depending on who you ask. It's such an incredibly powerful emotion, and can make us humans do powerful things. I believe that when we focus on what we love, we are inspired to be better, do better and bring about better things for others.

I read a quote on Twitter today that spured this blog post and thought I'd share few of the things I love. I turned 32 (gasp!) this past weekend and figure it's good to be on the safe side and over-celebrate love during this annual solar return. Besides, my kids are both asleep, and I just brewed a new pot of coffee, so I figured I'd get caught up on blogging. Feel free to add yours, or better yet, start your own list. :)

My kids and my husband to the core of my soul. The love they return to me is so complete and natural and real.

I love our home, it's energy, the life we live and the memories we create here.

I love my yoga practice for how personal and tailored it is to me and my needs during each practice. I love the thought of helping others find their own practice in the same way, which is why I'm going through YTT.

I love my girlfriends- each for their own personalities and gifts. I feel incredibly blessed and lucky to have a network of a dozen or so women who I can share good times and bad with.

I love candles and I love burning them for no special reason throughout the day.

I love to cook for others. There's something about preparing nutrition for people - such a simple form of showing care and I appreciate the simplicity of ceremony in breaking bread with a group. The same goes for wine and dessert. :)

I love the feeling after a good physical workout.

I love my flower gardens. The science and cooperation of the soil, sun and water that sustains them.

I love my community. The architecture of the homes, the enormous trees that line our streets, the park and golf course a few blocks away, the proximity to downtown, the coffee shops and restaurants, the neighbors, and the rich history and character of the area.

I love my extended family. My parents, step parents, in laws, siblings, grandparents, and so on... Each of these people have at one time or another impressed upon me their special stamp on life. They've played a role in helping me see things as they are, or will play a role doing the same for my children. I'm thankful for their presence.

Ok, between lots of interruptions, several phone calls, making a dinner for friends who just had a baby and downing several cups of said coffee, nap time is over and I am out of blogging time. My list feels pretty incomplete, so rest assured I'll be mentally adding to it the rest of the day.

Wishing love to you and all of humanity....

Peace & Power in Pranayama

In Teacher Training, we are currently talking in-depth about pranayama, or breath work. Simply put, Pranayama is the practice of consciously controlling our often hurried, shallow, or taken for granted breath. It's necessary for Prana, vital life force, fights disease, brings freshly oxygenated air to our organs, and clears our bodies of some seriously nasty toxins. Our homework assignment for this week was to develop a breathing pattern practice consisting of an inhale, pause, exhale, pause, determine whether it promotes Langhana or Brahmana, and then clearly explain and lead it for our class.

At first glance, I found myself to be a fan of a *very slight* pause between my inhale and exhale. Just as in life, I'm a bit of a forcer and don't like to wait. I don't sit well. Chronic monkey mind. Meditation is a challenge for me, and so it goes with pranayama. I have to wonder, if I'm not either inhaling or exhaling, what am I doing? What's my goal? Where are we going with this? Isn't time wasting? Perhaps that's exactly the point.

The best pattern (for me) that I've found to be helpful- especially just before bed- is one that begins with an 8 count inhale, 2 count pause, 8 count exhale, 2 count pause. Do it with me: Inhale for 8, just be for 2, exhale for 8, just be for 2. What happens during that place where we can just be? That brief moment where we're neither inhaling, nor exhaling, where nothing at all is expected of us, where we can journey deeply inside to find some stillness. What goes through your mind? Does the world just stop? Does time pause with your breath? For me, it kinda does. And while I'm going on a week of practice, I have to admit that it feels simultaneously powerful and peaceful. Bliss like. Almost enough to make me want to add a longer pause. ...Almost.

JUST IN CASE!

Hey, turn off that family radio and listen up! People get ready- Jesus is comin.' In the unlikely event you haven't been online lately- this rapture is all over the internets. And the internets, as we well know, are full of crazies and solid info. You just don't know which is which. So, let's take a look at what is being discussed.

Enjoy this link full of advice from Gawker:"What to do when the raptures doesn't happen."
http://gawker.com/5803950/
Really, "act casual" might be the best advice.

A *personalized* rapture survival kit:
http://www.rapture-survival-kit.com/
A letter to your loved ones will let them know where to find you!

ABC is on board:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/slideshow/rapture-2011-pop-culture-signs-doomsday-us-13638601

And so is the Centers for Disease Control. Yes, the CDC.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp


Tonight we are headed to Henrypalooza in case it's our last Friday night out. Ever. And tomorrow, I boldly made plans to meet up with about 10 other gals for a GNO @ Chuck and Birds, our locavore hangout. However, the way I see it is this: the rapture is scheduled for 6pm in every time zone. (Sorry, New Zealand.) So us sinners on EST have about 16 hrs to get right with Jesus if shit goes down. If not, I'm totally whooping it up @ our GNO by making fun of the rapture believers.

What are your rapture plans?

Belated Mother's Day wish...

It isn't easy to find words to express what being a mother to Preston and CeCe means to me. Their smiles, their snuggles, their whiney/needy/clingy times, their smart/independent/ornery times. Their need for me, my need for them, and the beauty that makes up our family. Preston is alert, creative, a thinker, deliberate, and sweet; and CeCe is funny, outgoing, clever, inquisitive, charming, and bright. And "they" got me a gift certificate to Woodhouse for Mother's Day. So thoughtful. ;)

My wish for them is that they are always as carefree as they are today. May they seek to find the joy in life and may they be genuinely surprised at how easy it is to find. I wish for them peace, both in the world and in their hearts. I wish for them to surround themselves with healthy and positive people, to love those they are with and to always give as much as they are able. I want their future to be pure magic- full of possibilities, happiness and love.

A Tisket, A Tasket

Ok, first of all, yesterday I finally replaced my Macbook that CeCe killed a couple of weeks ago. Greetings from behind the keyboard of my new MacBook Pro. This time, I got the triple-extra-supermatic-black tie "accident protection" insurance. Which of course, really only insures that I will never need to use it. As much as one can argue that you really "need" a computer these days, we can safely chalk up another challenge on the Bramacharya front. More on that later...

I have great news: it's MAY DAY! I love this day as it always holds fond memories of celebrating spring with that tradition of leaving baskets full of flowers and treats on neighbor's doorsteps. So this is it- my gardening season commences. Yay for free therapy.

My lovely mother in law and I went up to Amish Country (not far from where I grew up!) last week for our annual flower shopping trip. My favorite greenhouse in the entire universe is located in New Paris, Indiana. Aptly named "Country Garden Greenhouse," this 9-house operation was started by 8 amish sisters less than a decade ago. True story! The girls have turned what was once just a few rows of petunias and perennials into a thriving little business that now has an 800 number. I like to imagine their father being overcome with pride these days as he once probably panicked about the lack of help he'd receive on his farm with 8 daughters and no sons. Now, I've been to a lot of greenhouses in my day, and let me tell you- you've never seen anything like this. Simply gorgeous, healthy, and an enormous variety of annuals, one sole house for perennials, and this magic potion called "duck mulch" that they sell for $2.99 a bag. Duck much is a fine mulch made of peat and well... shit from cleaning out the duck pens at their farm. Slightly gross, but amazing for soil nutrition and keeping the weeds down.

All this to say, I cannot wait to get out and dig. There is just something about that gentle toil of preparing the soil, the smell of the earth, and giving these living things a new home. I usually crank some Bob Marley on my headphones, and definitely sneak in some yoga while gardening. Hunching over in Malasana, I reach, I dig, I grow... thoughts lost in earthy bliss, this is my meditation practice.

Check out some of my loot from this week's trip: