Yoga Mama in Minneapolis

The Final Closing of a Chapter

May 12, 2013 yogamamampls

This is where I worked for a little over 8 years. They are closing their doors this coming week because the property managers would prefer to put in ANOTHER chain restaurant. Dinkytown used to be about small business and now it is beginning to look like someone picked up a dinky suburb and plopped it next to campus! I am sad about this turn of events for many reasons but on a more personal note… it feels like the final end of my hair industry days. An industry that I loved very much and always wondered if I would someday go back to.

When you are a hair stylist, you get to know people in a very personal and unique way. After doing hair for almost 15 years, I had a very full and amazing clientele. I got to know them through their college years, I was honored to be a small part of their weddings, and towards the end I started seeing my clients with beautiful pregnant bellies, even giving their little ones their first haircuts. People put so much trust in you when you are a stylist… secrets to keep, knowledge of their true selves and helping them show to the world who they are. I used to tell people that when you see someone for a long time, it is like a never ending conversation. It gets picked up where we left off at the end of the last haircut. I loved having the opportunity to meet and know so many awesome people.

When you are a hair stylist, if you are lucky, you get to join a “hair family”. This family changes through the years like any other, but you know that you can cross any of those bridges that you have built and be greeted with a welcoming smile and maybe a hug. It is a very fun and creative profession that typically draws open, imaginative and loving caretakers to it. I was blessed to have had two wonderful hair families in my career.

Often a salon is filled with very strong personalities…. if you are lucky, as I was, you will find yourself in a salon home where those strong personalities are cohesive and celebrated. I loved my time at HCX, I loved the people that I had the opportunity to work with. We celebrated weddings, babies, new beginnings and mourned together loss and frustration. I met some of my best friends in this industry. I have known many people that I look forward to greeting again with a smile and a hug. Goodbye HCX… thanks for the memories!

Life, Meditation, Minneapolis, minnesota, Music, Yoga, Yoga Playlists

Yoga Playlist-5/4/13

May 7, 2013May 7, 2013 yogamamampls

We spent last Saturday trying to find our Tranverse Abdominis. It was fun to spend a class working on one pair of muscles, and interesting to me to discover what else needed to be worked to get to the target region!

So important and so hidden.

Here is the music that was playing, thanks for a great class!

The Greatest Cat Power
Coldest Days The Rural Alberta Advantage
Clara Punch Brothers
Time to Move On Tom Petty
Grace Jeff Buckley
Fire it Up Modest Mouse
Cursed Diamond The Black Crowes
Bouncing Around the Room Phish (studio version from Lawn Boy)
747 Kent
Try to Sleep Low
The Fireside Yo La Tengo

Join us this Saturday for our celebration of Mother’s Day! Last year, we celebrated with Kali…. this year, I think we will explore Saraswati.

Food, Life, Minneapolis, minnesota, Parenting

As promised…

May 4, 2013 yogamamampls

Here is a picture of the Corn Chowder we made today. Both June and Elliot gave it thumbs up, hooray!

Food, Life, Minneapolis, minnesota, Parenting

Whew, it has been awhile! Future Foodies Friday-Corn Chowder

May 3, 2013May 3, 2013 yogamamampls

I have to be honest, with the dreariness of MN these days… I have been feeling uninspired. So instead of forcing myself to do a post, I decided to wait until I was ready to post something worthwhile.

It is May 3rd, and yes, it is snowing… again. So we are making soup this afternoon. Turning to my favorite soup book for a recipe we decided that Corn Chowder would be tasty on this cold day.

We just finished prepping the corn and in a bit I will start rendering the salt pork. I will try to get a decent picture of it after it is done!

For this recipe, we like to add crab meat. Get the good stuff, it is worth it. Stir it in with the reserved kernels. We also used frozen organic corn unless it is corn season in MN. I do NOT want to be feeding the kidlets pesticide soup. Tonight we will be eating it with a crusty rosemary olive oil boule.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

10	ears corn (medium), husks and silks removed
3	ounces salt pork , trimmed of rind and cut into two 1-inch cubes (note: I used regular bacon, which worked out fine)
1	tablespoon unsalted butter
1	large onion , preferably Spanish, chopped fine
2	medium cloves garlic , minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3	tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3	cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2	medium red potatoes (about 12 ounces), scrubbed and cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1	small red bell pepper (optional, my adaption)
1	bay leaf
1	teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
2	cups whole milk
1	cup heavy cream
2	tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1½	teaspoons table salt
	Ground black pepper

Directions

1. Stand corn on end. Using chef’s knife, cut kernels from 4 ears corn (you should have about 3 cups); transfer to medium bowl and set aside. Following illustrations below, grate kernels from remaining 6 ears on large holes of box grater, then firmly scrape any pulp remaining on cobs with back of knife (you should have 2 generous cups kernels and pulp). Transfer to separate bowl and set aside.

2. Sauté salt pork (or quality thick-cut bacon) in Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, turning with tongs and pressing down on pieces to render fat, until cubes are crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, stir in butter and onions, cover pot, and cook until softened, about 12 minutes. If using, add the chopped red bell pepper in the last five minutes of cooking the onion.

Remove salt pork and reserve.

Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.

Whisking constantly, gradually add stock. Add potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, milk, grated corn and pulp, and reserved salt pork; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add reserved corn kernels and heavy cream and return to simmer; simmer until corn kernels are tender yet still slightly crunchy, about 5 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf and salt pork. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Life, Minneapolis, minnesota, Music, Yoga, Yoga Playlists

Yoga Playlist- 4/6/13

April 8, 2013April 8, 2013 yogamamampls

I woke up on Saturday feeling super energetic and having planned a slow flow hip opener class… I had some work to do. I made a new playlist and we still worked on hip openers but it was much more energetic than originally planned and I had all female students that day so we were able to talk about Lady Power, holding so much emotion in our Sacral Chakra region and getting watery and fluid for spring! It was a super fun class…. here is the playlist. (side note: I regret using the LOTR song for savasana, I was thinking of Galadriel when I chose it, but as it played, it seemed a little too… Epic. Ah well, we can’t win em all!)

Enjoy!

Food, Life, Minneapolis, minnesota, Parenting

Future Foodie Friday- Pineapple Muffins

April 6, 2013 yogamamampls

We have been on Spring break for 3 weeks!!! Lots of eating, baking, sleeping, playing and adventuring as happened which is why I have been a been MIA here on Yoga Mama. Here was our favorite baked good from our break, we also experimented with making granola but I think that I will save that for next week.

In the first week, there was a request made by June to bake muffins. It was an unplanned baking venture so I had to take a moment to take stock of our kitchen before agreeing. We had the usual necessities and in addition we had greek yogurt and a fresh pineapple that needed to be eaten STAT. So I started searching for a recipe and while I didn’t have the perfect ingredients for any one recipe, we enough to make a go of it. This is the recipe that I used as my base. http://www.madeinmelskitchen.com/2009/02/pineapple-muffins/

Pineapple Muffins

6 oz Greek Gods Strawberry with Honey yogurt
1 egg
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup of chopped fresh pineapple
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp of vanilla

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter/grease muffin pans (or line with paper liners).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cartons of yogurt and egg. Mix until combined. Add the oil, brown sugar and pineapple to the bowl and mix until combined. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

They turned out delicious even without the glaze! Both June and Elliot gave them 2 thumbs up.

Enjoy!

Life, Minneapolis, minnesota, Yoga

Creating MY yoga- Getting to This Moment

April 3, 2013April 3, 2013 yogamamampls

Recap- Here: https://yogamamampls.com/2013/03/20/creating-my-yoga-adhikara/

I KNEW!

Yea right.

I started my Anusara Teacher Training in January of 2012, I studied with Martin and Jordan Kirk in Scottsdale. It was two weeks, one in January and one in February. It was a great option for me because I was able to stay with family while I was there. I walked into the first of the two weeks excited, confident and a little terrified. It was also the longest I had been away from my family since June had been born. I knew this was going to be a great training.

Day 2, I missed most of because I had been up vomiting the whole night. I was able to soldier through and learn, if not participate physically the next couple of days. On Day 4, I heard something I had never heard before while I was Demo-ing a sequence. Whispered by I don’t know who, ” She has such a beautiful practice.” Who me? I almost started crying in the middle of the demo… maybe I wasn’t a beginner anymore. On Day 5, my husband’s grandfather passed away, and I had to choose not to come home, as the funeral was scheduled for when I would already be back. During this week, even with the distractions, I learned so much. I learned to be a passionate teacher from Jordan, I learned to be strong, fierce and technical with Martin. I learned to sequence, to get over the fear of speaking in front of others as I led my first “class” through some warm ups, and I started to learn the benefit of a beautiful theme.

I went home to a funeral, and to soak all this in before the next week of training, which was three weeks away. The week before we were to go back, Anusara Yoga EXPLODED. Here is the story if you are curious, I will not go into details… It has been done over and over and over again. http://yogadork.com/news/running-timeline-of-anusara-controversy-updates-and-teacher-resignations/ I was floored, but really didn’t really know yet how it would affect me, I was a “third generation” Anusarian… I studied with John Friend once, in a room full of 200 other yogi’s. What brought me to Anusara and to finding my love of yoga were my teachers… Laurel, Sarah, Ali and the Kirks. My teachers on the other hand were deeply and personally affected, that, is what trickled down to me.

The first day back, we were all full of nervous energy, we had hopes that Martin and Jordan would have answers for our pent up questions, I was at this point wondering if some good could come of it. Martin started the class saying that he was teaching this week with a broken heart and Jordan told us that she was teaching from a place of rage. They were as honest with us as they could legally be (Martin was on the Ethics committee) they taught us that week with love, from deep knowledge of their own yoga, and with their whole beings. That week. Was my teacher training. I themed and taught my ass off and it felt good. I feel like I really connected with my fellow students. I think I knew flying home after graduation, that I would no longer be following the Anusara path. The next day, Jordan resigned her certification with a beautiful letter. Frankly, I was a little angry at myself at this point for being such a follower, which is not my usual MO. I felt like it led me to be lost, with no other certification to lean on I was in a really awkward middle ground. Within months, NONE of my Anusara teachers were aligned with Anusara anymore. I was both proud of the lineage of my education and embarrassed to tell people how I was trained. In fact, though trained through Anusara, I could not call myself an Anusara instructor as it exploded in my face before I could get my two years of teaching in. What the heck did I call myself?!

I just started teaching. I taught in the way that all of my teachers had shown me. I told my students in those first months that I was learning as much from them as they were from me. It went well, they didn’t ask me what brand of yoga I taught. It was just yoga… and from that, I learned that going forward, I don’t need to rely on ONE school of yoga to make me a great teacher and yogi. I can pick and choose and take the best from them all. In January, I finished my Level 1 Prenatal instruction from Blooma, which brought my love of birthing and yoga together even more solidly, I hope to do Level 2 in the next year.

I love what Anusara taught me, I still teach the Universal Principles of Alignment and with heart themes. I also look forward to exploring all schools of yoga and am working on creating a list of people I would love to study with. So, if you have any recommendations… please comment below! My plan is to continue MY yoga story with you on this blog, and see where the conversations take me.

Next on my list is Christina Sell at Yoga Garden the beginning of June.

I didn’t realize in the beginning that you had to wade through so much mud to get to the Lotus!

Namaste!

Life, Meditation, Minneapolis, minnesota, Yoga, Yoga Playlists

Welcoming Spring- Yoga Class 3/23/13

March 26, 2013 yogamamampls

A big thank you to my teacher Laurel who introduced me to this poem years ago! It has stuck with me and was a joy to share with my students on Saturday. At this transition from winter to spring I am always seeking bright colors and reminders that soon the snow will be melted and we will see color.

When watching a child play, you know that they are still filled with and exuding their highest self. Even if you are not a yogi, you are aware of their wonder and joy. It is something that we are all born with and sadly, forget. We then spend the rest of our lives trying to remember it.

Remembering spring, remembering our highest selves and remembering Sri.

In the time of daffodils

Who know the goal of living is to grow

Forgetting why; Remember how

In the time of lilacs

Who proclaim the aim of waking is to dream

Forgetting seem; Remember So

In the time of roses

Who amaze our now and here with paradise

Forgetting if; Remember yes

In the time of all sweet things

Beyond whatever mind may comprehend

Forgetting find; Remember seek

And in mystery to be

When time from time shall set us free

Forgetting me; Remember me

~e.e. cummings

In our class we starting with a short and sweet Yin-like practice and continued with a slow flow Vinyasa. Tree was our apex!

This was the soundtrack:

http://garthstevenson.com/music

Namaste!

Food, Life, Minneapolis, minnesota, Parenting

Future Foodies Friday- Soft Pretzels

March 22, 2013 yogamamampls

I love baking with the kids! Cookies, breads, cakes… all of it. Baking gives them many opportunities for them to actually do the work. It is fun to let them get their hands dirty and create something delicious. It is also a good opportunity for me to practice, letting go!

One of our more recent favorites is Soft Pretzels. The kids help with the mixing, the kneading and have a great time making the pretzel shapes after I get them rolled out.

We have made them now three times… the first time following this recipe exactly. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buttery-Soft-Pretzels/Detail.aspx

They were delicious, but then I started reading the comments, where there are always good hints on tweaking the recipe. This is the version we have landed on and loved! If you have your own favorite pretzel recipe I would love it if you would share it… we love to try new things!

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
4 cups of flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the melted butter and yeast mixture.
Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each
piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the
baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

After they are baked, we brush them with melted butter and sprinkle a couple of them with powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon for an extra special kitchen helper treat!

Enjoy!

Life, Meditation, Minneapolis, minnesota, Music, Yoga

How Lovely

March 21, 2013 yogamamampls

These films look they will be beautiful!

http://onmeditation.com/home

The music is lovely as well!

http://garthstevenson.com/music

Meditation is definitely something that I struggle with. I seem to be stuck in the “too busy” mentality, blaming time and space. This made me think of my matra for 2013, Be Mindful. Meditation would certainly help, perhaps it is time to revisit.

In the Thich Naht Hahn book You are Here, he talks about walking meditation. Stopping where you are and breathing in your surroundings. “I breath in, I know that I am breathing in… I breath out, I know that I am breathing out.”