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Overwhelmed with opportunity?

How common is it that we look at our situation by its limitations?
Really, we are faced with so many opportunities in life that we rarely see as opportunity.  I try to remind myself daily that I am in control of my actions in our world around me and I can choose the path that I take.
I have recently taken responsibility at a second, part time job.  I have fears of failure, so I do the only thing I know how to stay afloat; work - A LOT.
This will take a toll on me in time, yet I cannot be happy with minimal activity in my life.  Any suggestions for me?  If you pay attention to the time this post is published, you will know that its past my bedtime and I should be in bed asleep. <wink>  I really know what's good for me, yet I rarely follow my own good advice.

Seriously, I am open to suggestions about self-acceptance.   I realize it in myself and can see it lacking in others around me.  Lack of acceptance can look like denial of pleasure, lack of self-care, self-discrimination and put-downs, shall I continue?  

Is the answer more exploration, or more simplicity?  With all the different information and opinions in front of me it's hard to tell.  I keep coming back to the idea that I am individual and there's a right way for me, but that is going to be different than someone down the street.

I just have to remember Alice, and how she knows she has good advice, but when I hear that voice in my head I will follow it!

Thankfulness

Ah, it's good to be back.

I've spent the last 10 months or so turning inward and focusing on what I really want out of life and what I already have in my life.  Such a powerful feeling to know where you stand on a daily basis.
I finished a 200 hour yoga certification program at my local studio and I can say that while it was so much fun getting to know all my classmates and yoga all-day every-day, it was pretty tough.  I've simultaneously worked and gone to school pretty much through my whole adult schooling and this was trying!  I am definitely grateful of being more aware of my patterns and what I need to focus on to keep myself healthy.
Those things are:

• Adequate rest/sleep/quiet time
• Whole foods
• Exercise (but not as much as I previously thought)
• Friends and Family
• My garden

One of our assignments during my yoga training was to write down one thing each night that I am thankful for.  Who knows why, but this creates a MAJOR shift in the way our minds work.  Just try feeling sorry for yourself or depressed when you have to choose only one thing you are grateful for in your life.  Sometimes when I'm journaling this at night I feel like a broken record.  How many times can I say that I am thankful for my friends?!  It's true and worth repeating.  I've gotten around this my isolating the reason I'm thankful for my friends.  For example I'll say something like, "I am thankful for the ability to take time to have lunch and talk about when we were in middle school."

Check it out and see what you are thankful for.  You might surprise yourself!

Peace~ 

I count my blessings

If you read my last post, you know about City of Hope.  Today was the yoga event benefitting this research hospital and I attended with two co-workers.  We hope to have a to have a bigger group next year to represent our lab (ah-hem).   This was an incredible day for yoga on the green in Seattle Center. Imagine: 69 degrees, sunshine, green grass, the International fountain and the ringing of bells surrounding you on a Saturday morning and you are about to begin daily yoga practice with friends surrounding you.  Blessing number one.

Dustin has been trying to introduce me to his friend he met at the gym, Ty, and his family.  After the long wait, we met and walked around our neighborhood's street fair.  Ate goodies, gawked at crazy dancers, chatted with neighbors and met new ones and finished the day with JERF-ing (ask me or Ty if you don't know what that means).  So happy to expand my circle of friends with such energizing folks. Blessing number two.

Thank you to my mother-in-law for stopping by to see my grandma.  I think she really enjoys the company.  It's nice to know that my loved ones can connect even when I'm not in the equation.  Blessing number three.

My last blessing is that I have a supreme bed to lay my body to rest on because it's been a looooong, fun but exhausting day.  I'm going to treat myself to day two of sleeping in.
Peace!

I love beets more than you do...

You might be thinking, 'well, that's not hard.  Beets are gross and they taste like dirt.'  At least that's what my husband says to me.
Others might be thinking that I just presented a valid challenge.  I've found that those who like beets generally love them and vice versa.
Well if you do love them, I've found something wonderful for you.  Besides being great for your gut health, blood circulation and making your poo red, this smoothie is good for athletic performance and recovery from sustained exercise.
Breakfast today was a cherry and beet smoothie and it blew my mind how good it was.  I drank the whole thing before remembering that the recipe was for two servings!  Found this one via the Nourishing Meals cook book this weekend.  They also have it posted on their blog.  I really love these resources because you can tell they refine the recipes if they don't work the first time and kudos to the chefs for constantly trying new combos.
Try this recipe even if you think you don't like beets.  You may be converted to the red side.

Cherry-beet smoothie
1/2 cup grated beet root
1/2 cup grated jicama (their recipe calls for a small pear, but jicama is what I had on hand)
8-10 frozen red cherries
1/2 cup water
1 tsp ground chia seeds (for good health measure)

Put everything in the blender and blend, blend, blend.

Sip, sip, away!

Let's help one another

Have you ever joined a fun run or an organization because you believe in the cause?
Or done it because someone you know invited you?
Or because you were just looking to do something good for someone else?

I remember the first fun run I participated in was benefiting Chrone's and Colitis, both irritable bowel diseases.  This was the first organized run I did since running cross country in high school.  As it was my first experience with running for a cause, I dedicated my run to my grandma.  It takes a lot out of a person to deal with this kind of issue because so many things can contribute to an abdominal 'flare-up.'  I was learning bits and pieces about it as my grandma was going to one doctor appointment after another, trying one type of diet after another to minimize the symptoms.
In any case, I was rusty as a runner and wanted to get back into the groove for my own health.  It was very fun, and I felt good about being around all the other people there for the same reasons.

Coming up next weekend in Seattle is an event called Yoga For Hope which donates to a research hospital called City of Hope.  They have been researching the effects of yoga and other integrative therapies on patients who have cancer.
My co-worker has created a team for us and other co-workers at CellNetix to join to help support this great event.  I believe that not only doing the practice increases my own self awareness about health, but I hope that this will be an opportunity for me to learn more about City of Hope or possibly meet other people who are interested as well.
I invite you to join the team and come out to support this cause and have some fun doing yoga.  If you want to donate, you can do so online and click on the pink 'DONATE' button.  Please understand, I am in no way asking you for money or support.  This is something I think is great and am interested in sharing the heath benefits with you!

Taste of Thai!

This weekend we were super enthusiastic about planning meals for the upcoming week.  Preparing meals ahead of time is a surefire way to make sure you have something healthy on hand when you are busy during the work week.
I know the feeling at about 3 o'clock when my mind begins wandering to what we will have for dinner (instead of keeping my mind on work like I should be).  I always think, what's in the fridge, what meal/cuisine haven't we had this week, what will Dustin want for dinner and how many times will he change his mind between now and 5 o'clock?
Last thought; 'Let's just go out for dinner.'
WRONG!
Well, okay. Somedays you just have to throw up your hands and say "It's a Taco Time night!"

Not this week!
A very taste-of-thai dinner we had with leftovers for tomorrow and the rest of the week.  Tom Ka Gai (coconut/chicken soup) and Som Tam Thai (green papaya salad, pictured below).

Garnished with shredded carrot and green cabbage and raw peanut pieces, this dish is refreshing with a lime dressing.

This soup is relatively easy to make...

IF...

... that is a big if, you have all the ingredients.  We made a trip yesterday to Viet Wah in Chinatown for the galangal, lemongrass, thai chilis, cans of coconut milk and lime leaves.  But it is so worth the trip for the special ingredients.  If you've ever ordered this creamy, citrus-y soup from a restaurant you know what I mean.

We are very satisfied, and ready to settle into bed and watch a couple of episodes of Portlandia after all that work in the kitchen!