website coming soon!

I am working on turning my blogging into a website! I have been so busy working on my website, I have not had time to sleep! I'll let you know the new site name when it's up an running. I'm going to an Aerial yoga class on June 12th in Detroit. I can't wait to try it!

Sugar craving tamers

I found a product called Yeast Cleanse it is mfg, by a company called Solaray. Better Health carries it, I'm sure you can get it at most health food stores. Yeast lives in your body and craves sugar, the more sugar you eat, the more the yeast multiplies. Yeast Cleanse reduces the amount of yeast in the body and the sugar cravings stop. This really works!

The get a sugar fix, eat an orange, apple or banana. Don't even buy the cookies! Scroll down on the right side and check out the oatmeal cookie recipe.

Agave nectar is available at Better Health and Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, it is like honey but doesn't spike your blood sugar.

Ways to transition into healthy eating

Be realistic and set small goals for yourself that are achievable. Transition your diet as you run out of a conventional item, replace it with a healthy version. Begin by avoiding the 6 evils of processed food:

No white sugar
No white flour
No high fructose corn syrup
No hydrogenated oil
No artificial colors or flavors


Try to avoid juices, chips, cookies and the vice of your choice (mine is chocolate). These "snacks" are empty calories and add a lot of sugar to your diet.

Eat more:
whole grains
fruits
vegetables
lean sources of protein (beans, tofu) (If you eat meat: turkey, fish, chicken)

Try to eat 6 small meals a day that are balanced (salad, olive oil dressing, lean protein, and a fruit).

Allow yourself to eat some of your favorite foods, just cut the portion back and really enjoy it (be present).

Good snack foods

Almonds, small hand full
apple slices and peanut butter
carrot and celery slices and ranch dip
salad rolled up in a lawash or pita
PB&J
Banana and a glass of almond milk
bagel and cream cheese or soy cheese
chips and salsa
hummus and pita chips
raw date and coconut bars * recipe in noteworthy blog section
oatmeal cookies *
hummus wrap sandwich *

I'll add more when I think of them

Canoeing

My sister and I took the kids to Proud Lake and rented canoes today. We are so glad that we choose the short trip. It was one and a half hours upstream to a dam where we parked our canoes and went for a swim. It was so nice and peaceful, until a million kids from camp showed up and screamed...a lot....I mean loudly....really scary stuff. Our downstream trip back with the little boys paddling in front took a lot less time and was a lot easier. I am so whipped! Take a break from your regular routine and do something different. Find a local park or campground and live on the wild side (spiders, fish and birds of course).

Ooh bad blogger!

I have been an absentee blogger this first week of Summer vacation. I have thought about a lot of things to say, but have not been able to get to the computer. Our garden is flourishing! Can't wait to have the first beans and tomatoes! Classes are going well and I'm excited that the donation classes are growing. We've had such a great group of people sharing a great practice, what more can I say, I'm a lucky girl! I've got a case of Jade Harmony Yoga Mats coming in next week in a rainbow of colors: orchid, slate, sage, purple, red, orange, navy and black.

Is Yoga enough to keep you fit?

There is an article on the Yoga Journal site that proves that yoga is enough to keep you fit. Read it yourself:)

http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/739

Almost the last day of school

We went to the library and picked up a gaggle of books, games, cds and videos. Both boys joined summer reading programs and we have new incentive to read at home too. They have to read a book to earn xbox and skate park privileges. I have two classes tonight and I am looking forward to having a little time off from teaching 6 days a week. I really need some time to get things settled at home and want to have a streamlined life. I clean the house, the counters and floor are clear and somehow (Alex and Garret) they get filled with curious bits and peices of stuff. I feel like I am always going backward. Maybe it'll get better when they go to college?

Impulsivity strikes 2

A few months back I mentioned how I impulsively decided to switch Garrett's room and the guest bedroom. Actually it was not an impulsive thought, as I had planned to do so for a while (actually planning and getting around to doing it were another thing all together). My gardening itch started up and I went on the prowl. I scoped out some massive railroad ties at Home Depot and lots of veggies begging to be planted. I called Vic and thankfully he was tired and not in a mood to debate. We both wanted to put in a veggie garden at some point and now is the perfect time. We ate dinner and went to Home Depot, we bought 2 ties at a time as they are so heavy and barely fit in our Expedition (come to find out they are around 200 lbs each). My awesomely terrific husband pulled them out and through the side of the yard himself. I am so glad he is strong! Yea!! A few massive nails and the boys and I can set to work filling it up. Garrett and I started beets, lettuce, corn, zucchini, sunflowers, cukes and beans. I'll sprinkle in the radishes later. I have 6 massive tomato plants already in pots and they are over 3 feet tall, I'll put them in there too.

We will have to put up a little rabbit fence as they eat everything! We started about 25 sunflower seeds last Spring and I had them in peet pots in the front flower bed. B the time they were 4" high the bunnies sheared them off. We were so mad, but felt sorry that they were so hungry too. I have sunflower sprouts all the time and they are amazingly delicious, go figure. I'll post pictures as the process unfolds.

Good news about Bill's son, he is recovering well and is home! Prayers answered!

The Donation Yoga classes in Northville have an addition of 8pm on Wednesday.

My summer schedule at Commerce LTF is changing a bit, Wednesday at 11, Friday at 11 and e/o Saturday at 11. The Saturday class is the biggest change, it's now 75 minutes earlier! The Poolside Yoga class is on for 8pm on Thursday night, it will be a beautiful series.

Kenzoil and Cibatta

We had this at teacher training breaks. Amazing flavor and works on pasta too. I use brown rice pasta.

Quote of the Week

An evil person is like a dirty window, they never let the light shine through.
William Makepeace Thackeray

This one is just too good!

Coconut date raw energy bars

At the conference, there were samples of these raw vegan energy bars. They were very tasty but very oily. We were joking that just holding the package negated the need for hand cream as the oiliness was on the outside of the package too. I took the basic set of ingredients and made my own, non-oily version. These are packed with energy and protein and are very easy to digest.

coconut date energy bars
1 cup raw cashews (Trader Joe's)
7 dates (Trader Joe's)
Agave nectar (Trader Joe's) like honey but from blue agave cactus
Let's do Organic dried coconut (Whole foods and Hillers)

Coating
almond meal (Trader Joe's)
Let's do Organic coconut

***night before*** soak 1 cup raw cashews in purified water, in the morning rinse well several times to remove digestive inhibitors (I learned this from the Thrive book).
Soak 7 dates in purified water overnight, rinse well and drain in the morning too. Remove pits and place in food processor with rinsed and drained cashews. Pulse a few times, add in some dried flake coconut (maybe 1/3 to 1/2 cup) and agave (few tablespoons) until mixture forms a medium density dough like consistency. Pulse a few more times and scrape out onto wax paper. Press into square shape and sprinkle and press in a mixture of almond meal and coconut (so they are not sticky). Cut and press sides into almond coconut mixture. Store in fridge.

You could always add other ingredients in like: vanilla, almond extract, soaked sunflower seeds.
If you can't eat cashews, sub out with raw almonds. Just soak the same way.

Favorite songs

One of our friends inquired about the songs I play during class. By no means is this a complete list. I will add to it when I come across new goodies.

All Moby albums!
Lovers Lounge cd
Paint the sky with stars cd- Enya
Perfect balance :music for healing vol 2
Sanctuary cd- Magna Canta
Come away with me and thinking about you- Norah Jones
Simon and Garfunkle’s greatest hits
Music for yoga cd
Prana cd
Boys and girls Ingrid Michaelson
Life for rent cd-Dido
Mantra girl cd
Mysteria
David Gordon has lots of songs and cds
Vast
Starlight- Muse
Mezzanine Cd-Massive Attack
Bloodstream-Stateless
Ever so Lonely-Shelia Chandra
Quelqu'un M'a Dit- Carla Bruni
Let it Be me- Ray LaMontagne
Devotion-Steven De Ruby
Unlike Me (remastered)-Kate Havnevik
All I want from you is love-Let's go Sailing

Newer songs I added recently (thanks to Cindy and Kelli's awesome playlists):
P.M. Dawn –Set adrift on memory bliss (not radio edition)
Breathe- Telepopmusik
Breathe you in (Eric Kupper Remix)- Samantha James
Focus on Sight -Thievery Corporation
Swadisthana-Vive
Rise-Samantha James
Big deal- Everything but the girl
Trouble me- 10,000 Maniacs
Don’t you evah -Spoon
I found you (feat Celso Fonseca) Samantha James
Time steals the day- Milosh
So far away –Donovan Franken
Humming- Deva Premal and Miten
Shanti (Peace out) -Mc Yogi
Let go –Frou Frou

Twigim at Cosmo in Kerrytown

Yum!!! Twigim is a combo of potato, green bean, carrot and onion that is tempura breaded, seasoned and fried. It was relly good! We also went to the artisan market and I got a necklace with an octopus on it. It's really cute, Ann Sheppard made it. Her company is http://www.suchprettycolors.com/. She hand makes polymer clay shapes then puts photo transfers on them. She sells different styles online than at the Kerrytown Artisan Market. Get out there and support local farmers and artisans! We went to Urban Outfitter and I found some really cool clothes, they own Anthropology my favorite clothes store. Gar and I met Vic and Alex and we all went to South University and got bubble tea and went skate shoe shopping at Launch.

Susan enjoying the Three Minute Egg block

Susan and many others this week had the opportunity to "play" with these blocks. Many people really enjoyed them! I feel a big difference when I use these rather than conventional blocks.

Now for a happy post

I needed to get that stuff off my chest. Vic and I celebrated out 15th anniversary on Thursday. I taught classes until 8 so we celebrated on Friday night. We went to the Red Pepper Deli for dinner and then to the Tipping Point Theatre to see Shakespeare Abridged. It was so funny my stomach hurt until Saturday from all the laughing. We really needed that after the gloomy week we had. It was nice to spend some time together, without having to do anything.

15 years ago if you would have told me that we would have had a vegan raw dinner to celebrate our anniversary, I would have been like "yea right." Wow how we have changed, for the better!

Check out the http://www.tippingpointtheatre.org/. Saturday between classes I popped into Twelve Oaks and picked up some white jeans and a cute cutout tank top. We had my sister's family over that night and Susie and I went into the hot tub. I felt so relaxed, the glass of chardonnay helped too. We're off to Ann Arbor now. Get outside and be present!

What a week!

We had a very emotionally draining week. We have received news of the death of one of the fathers in our football family. Another friend of the family lost a daughter and her fiancee to a drug overdose, two young fathers we know are in the hospital from cycling accidents and a dear fellow yogi's son had a terrible accident on his motorcycle and is still (thankfully) in the hospital. All this tragedy and pain reminds me to be more thankful for our health, and all the blessings of love life and family. According to the yoga community, karma is played out to take the soul where it is supposed to be. Accidents, deaths and tragedies are hard to accept and harder to cope with. Just knowing that there is a plan and that we are not in control, that we can't really make decisions because life has a funny way of seeping in is a bitter pill to swallow sometimes. All my thoughts and prayers go out to these families in their time of need. All my classes this week sent their positive energy to Christopher who is thankfully recovering from his motor cross accident. Gratitude for the goodness and the shadows that make us grow is necessary. It's about the balance in life.

Good karma

What does it mean to give or have good karma? During the karma flow class at the conference, Seane Corn said that karma exists to take a soul to it's path through this lifetime. What happens is supposed to happen. Not easy to understand or accept sometimes. Good karma is the act of kindness, forgiveness or loving. Non-judgmental acceptance and an ability to see the right where we find wrong is a gift. She shared many amazing stories and really inspired me to be more active in human rights movements. She said that she continues to do activist work to keep her good karma flow coming. Greed and hoarding stop karma and we become a smaller version of ourselves. Checkout the work she is doing www.offthematintotheworld.org.

Give some good karma today! A smile, hug or a prayer for someone spreads this goodness.

Thanks for the suggestion Jen, the pic I took does look good as the header for my blog!

Hmmmm, nice day to garden

A pic of a sunset that we enjoyed last night. How gorgeous.

I should correct myself, I actually pulled weeds and trimmed everything. I managed to finish my planting yesterday so all my annuals are in. My perennials are really blossoming. Gardening was my first real joy in life, followed by cooking, my husband, antiquing, then my kids, then yoga. I still have special affection for all my "attachments," especially the human ones. My flower children are my most forgiving, as I have not been as attentive lately. Oh if they could talk..."she forgot to water us, when is she going to put more humus and manure on us, why are all these weeds soaking up our water.?" My families long term goal is to have some land and a small "farm" actually a goat to eat the grass and chickens to eat the bugs in the gardens. I love animals and would love to have some space to let the dogs run wild. Green Acres...hmm...interesting.

Cool cleaning products that I love!

Mrs. Meyer's lemon verbeena is so awesome, got the shower spray too. The caldrea counter cleaner and dish soap are basil blue sage. I also got the dishwasher powder. These products are natural, safe, and smell amazing!!

Mark Whitwell

I had the luck to meet this amazing yogi at the conference and I can finally say that there is a video to recommend. You can get his video at Amazon.com or other online sources.

goodies from Lush

My latest trip to Lush yielded a new face mask called The Sacred Truth. It has neroli oil and is made for nurturing my kind of skin, not young or old. It smells so good I did not want to take it off! It left my skin feeling so soft! I also got another seanik shampoo. I love it, it leaves my hair so soft! I got a sample of gorgeous face cream, it also smells divine, and is so silky! I finally got Garrett to use his honey bee bath bomb, he was saving it because he loved how it smelled. He had a blast in the tub!

Three Minute Egg

I got a set of these ergonomically designed yoga blocks yesterday. The kids tested them and loved them. I placed them under my lumbar and laid back for a while to relax after that 5 hour ride. I did feel a sense of support that allowed my muscles to relax. Can't wait to play with them in class!

Where to begin?

Cindy, Mark, Gretchen and moi

Lilas Folan

Paul Grilley, he gave us Yin Yoga and so much more.

Oh my, I look terrible in that photo. My eyes were so puffy! I slept good but could have used another hour or two. I got home late yesterday (7:45), was so incredibly happy to see my family! I had to decompress for a little while, a long car ride does wonders on your lumbar! I was so saturated from all the information that I could barely contain it in my brain. I was debriefed on all the male bonding that transpired over the weekend (dinner and games at Lucky's, the boys' friends came over on Saturday for play dates and then more guys over on Saturday night to watch the Wings, way too much junk food, pop and Xbox). As I sat on one sofa conversing with my husband who was on the other sofa, he looks over at me and very sweetly said " I really understand how important balance is. Without you here we ate terribly, had way too much activity (the poor puppies were having fits, way too much stimulation for them) and I would never make the house this pretty. As I was watering all the flowers you planted, I thought "I would never do this, the house would be so ugly." He went on the say "this is your house, you worked so hard to make it so beautiful. Without you the house is so imbalanced." I looked over, smiled and nodded. He had a yoga moment. Balance. They were starving for home made food. I was exhausted but happily made them dinner, knowing how much they missed the love I imbued into my cooking. We cuddled, finished up homework and got to bed. The puppies look relieved, they have barely moved this morning (such a testosterone hangover)! Now on to the conference. Where I can, I include web links so you can check things out for yourself and to help spread the word for the amazing people that I met this weekend!

As with everything I have been introduced to through my teacher, I was pleasantly surprised and totally overwhelmed by the depth and richness of the experience. Not knowing what to expect and not wasting energy thinking about it I simply accepted what transpired and appreciated it.

I was graciously adopted by Gretchen and Cindy when Nikki backed out at the last minute. Gretchen drove us and I am so appreciative! We spent a lot of time learning, eating and singing together. We started out together on this yoga journey and I am so lucky to know them.

We arrived at the hotel at 11:00 Thursday night and was wiped out from the drive. I went to bed quickly knowing that I had an early morning.

I attended a 7am meditation session with Johnnie, he had us go through a brief asana to warm and stretch. Afterward I spoke to him and told him that I had given up coffee for good. He asked "how long? " I replied "6 weeks," and that I had only done so for three people, him and my two boys when I was pregnant. I told him that his constant reminders sank in, and it wasn't until I asked myself why I needed coffee, that I was able to understand my habit and break it. A big hug and huge smile affirmed that he was happy that I listened. Then I went onto a class with Seane Corn, she is amazing. She tailored that class to the teachers, as there were so many of us in the room. So much information streamed out of her it was like a river! She encouraged us to sequence classes with substance and not flash. Everything resonated with me and I am so inspired! I had another class with her on chakra flows and how the chakras that are blocked can affect the body physically, another amazing class. Then I went to Paul Grilley's Yin yoga class, got the lowdown from the man himself! He is funny and really pragmatic. He kindly posed for a picture as I told him that he is a celebrity in my house, and that the kids didn't believe that I was meeting him. We watched the bone anatomy video a few times during teacher training and the kids call him the bone man. His information really changed and enhanced my understanding of how bones and anatomy affect postures. His inspiration was Pauly Zink, who was a yogi who was "never hurt." Check him out at www.Pauliezink.com. I met Jason from http://www.threeminuteegg.com/ who developed a ergonomically designed yoga block. He gave me a set to share, along with a video so I can learn how to use them to help others deepen their practice. Friday night wrapped up with a Kirtan concert with Steve Ross.

Saturday morning began with a "start the day in a sacred way with Lilas Folan, Queen of Yoga on PBS. She shared a Native American dance, song and light ceremony with us, she is so funny, nice and a generous soul. Went onto Saul David Raye's Life Bliss Meditation class, amazing! I got the CD to use at home. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced and it really made sense too.

Now for the revelation that the universe aligns us for the path we are chosen to take. I jumped classes to attend Mark Whitwell's because I felt like I needed to, in some strange way. It was difficult for me to choose classes in February not knowing what to take, so I trusted my intuition. Wow am I happy I did. I was honored, blessed and just lucky to be in this man's presence. His wisdom, basic belief in the power of love and unity settled in like never before. I can honestly say that he affirmed my belief in what I have found yoga to truly be, and what is really important. I have found my anti-guru! Buy his video, listen to him as he speaks the truth! http://www.heartofyoga.com/

Another Seane Corn class, Karma flow...more amazing information and a quote I will never forget " Ignore the story, see the soul, love always and never regret" Billy S.

Wade Morrisette delivered an amazing Kirtan concert and we had a blast! I got some great hugs to pass around! We had a nice discussion with Mark and Raj (an Oncologist attending the conference) after the concert.

Sunday morning began with the Swami (formerly known ad Rama Birch). She taught us the proper technique for saying Om. You can practice it so it resonates all throughout your body. It was very moving and beautiful. I went to Annie Carpenter's relax deeply class, it was very yin oriented and just what I needed. I wrapped up the day with Vinnie Marinos' arm balance class. Whew! Lots of headstand to bakasana, and so many others. Got a few new cool ones! I got a super cool tank top and headband from http://www.iloveyoga.com/. Moses designs the shirts and they are a one of a kind work of art. He doesn't sell the patchwork styles online because they are one of a kind but if you contact him he will make one for you and send it to you. Check mine out in class. He is so nice, and talented. I also got a cool shirt from http://www.beloveforall.org/, check them out! Mine is black with pink sprays of flowers and the words "my life is my message."

Before leaving for work today, Vic looked at me and repeated his appreciation for my presence and the balance that I bring to our home and lives. I am so thankful for his ability to see what is, and what has to be. His request was for a vegetarian week as he overdid it this weekend. I said" no problem!"

That sums it up! Live in love for when you do everything else falls in place. Namaste, Tricia