What I can't get enough of right now: Garam Masala Apricot Rice

My VitaClay is a life saver, especially in the winter, when it's cold, you don't feel like doing anything but eating delicious yummies. I have had my VitaClay Chef slow cooker for a while now, it works like a tagine, a terra cotta pot is heated for a long period of time at low temperatures to create fall apart meat textures and when set to the rice setting: sticky rice. This recipe can be done with any rice cooker or over the stove.

I am offering two different ways to cook the same recipe.

I've been tired of plain old rice so I jazzed it up! 


Recipe will create 10-14 servings. 

Ingredients: 
3 tablespoons Garam Masala
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup ghee
2 cups basmati rice
4 cups chicken broth or water 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions: 
Chop the apricots before doing anything else, set them to the side.

Heat a large deep skillet and melt the ghee, once melted add the garam masala, pepper, salt and apricots. Lastly add the rice and coat until it becomes slightly transparent and toasted.

To continue cooking in the skillet, treat it like a risotto, adding the olive oil and small bits of water and stirring constantly.


If you don't want to be over the stove for 35 minutes, transfer the pan into your slow cooker. Add the olive oil and water, cover and let sit for 2 hours. If you have a rice cooker use that instead and set for .4.

To make this meal more exciting and complete, add almonds (or other favorite nut), stir fried beef/chicken/lamb and sautéd spinach.


Enjoy!
This is our favorite treat right now!
Until next Monday's Munchie
-Liz

Building Your Immunity

Hi folks!
Cold and flu season is in full gear. I have felt some chills and aches begin to creep up, but so far have been able to keep them at bay. I have never had a flu shot and I don't take over the counter medicine when I do feel down. I try my best to use home remedies to keep the blues away, but will resort to CVS and the Doctor when I have too (temperature that won't go down, etc). Thankfully this has not happened to me in the past 8 years and I would like to think it is because of the immunity that I am building.

When I do feel like I have a tinge of something brewing, here are some easy at home practices that I use:

Supplements that I take daily: 
Zinc Poloquin Brand
Multi-vitamin (Iron free) Poloquin Brand
Vitamin D 2,000 IU Carlson Labs.
Biotin 
B12
Probiotic 2Bil. PU
Fish Oil SFH Brand
Apple Cider Vinegar- 2 tbsps, with water or a straight shot- helps to keep the body alkaline: even though it is acidic tasting, it creates alkalinity which helps to keep our bodies in a healthy balance. Our bodies need a slightly alkaline pH balance to be healthy but Western diet usually will push an acidic pH so this will help to balance it out. My great-grandfather drank apple cider vinegar every day from 20 years old, he swore by it and rarely got sick despite living in frigid Bath, ME and Tamworth, NH. For more info on Apple Cider Vinegar, click here.

When I feel that I am starting to get sick:
BONE BROTH- this has been the single most effective thing when I get sick. I pressure cook a chicken carcass or buy some bones from Whole Foods (Grass Fed Beef). Add sea salt, thyme, pepper, bay leaves, boil and then strain. Use this to create a soup or just drink as is. You will begin to feel better almost upon swallowing.

This is because a lot of our immune system lives in our bone marrow. Simmering bones allows ligaments to release healing compounds like collagen, proline, glycine and glutamine. Researchers have found that bone broth contains minerals in forms that your body can easily absorb: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulpher and more. Click miraculous bone broth to learn more!

Elderberry

Honey- Buy from a local farmer who uses bees to pollinate and is pesticide-free, raw and free or grown in an apiary. 

Magic Tea (Portuguese olive leaves, sea salt, honey)- This was taught to me by my step-father's mom, she says that these leaves heal anything. So far they really do seem to work. Olive oil is used as a cure-all for almost anything in the romance regions of Europe. They do live a very long time, perhaps they are on to something :) You can find Olive Leaf Extract at the herbalist or Whole Foods, it doesn't taste quite as good, but it does the trick. 

Sleep- A lot. That ALWAYS helps. 

Here's to YOUR health!

XO

Liz

Listen to Your Body, It's Smarter Than You.

How closely connected to your intuition do you feel? Are you aware of physical sensations and cues while you are amidst conversation or decision making?

Most people feel that they have some ability to follow their intuition, even less feel aware of messages from the physical body while they going about their day. Yoga teachers will stress the importance of being in the moment, but this can seem like an overwhelming task without some strategies on how to achieve this. Our bodies are an incredibly smart system that can guide us through the practice of living in the momement. We just have to listen a bit closer.

Through any smart physical practice, we begin by becoming hyper-aware of physical sensation that we can create and modify. Once that becomes second-hand, we start to listen a bit deeper, tuning in to what is our emotional status when poses are called out? Or when we are in the pose itself?

Our bodies are constantly trying to send us messages about how we could better be serving ourselves. Even in the midst of stress, family tensions, chaos, immense pressure to perform- our bodies are there softly and gently (at times, not so gently) trying to guide us in the right direction.

It seems that when people begin the practice of listening to the inherent wisdom of their bodies, they become more confident that they are making the right decisions and trusting in the world around them. This is because whem we pay attention to this wisdom, it brings you to exactly what you need.

As a yoga teacher, I sometimes play the role of a therapist. When I first started teaching privately it was at times challenging to separate myself from my clients. I would feel as if I would sometimes live into their stories (this is very tiring). It made it very difficult to stay energetic, enthusiastic and grounded in the work that I was doing. Often times it would lead to feelings of burn-out and resentment.

I knew that this was what I wanted to do, I found tremendous joy in helping others and allowing them to also help me in return. I learn the most from my students, whether they know it or not. I made it my goal to find a way that I could stay in the moment, appreciative of my clients and able to see their story clearly as separate from mine.

As I became more closely aware of the messages from my body, I realized that I needed to create some boundaries. The signals my body sent me: anxiety, stomach pains, tight shoulders, headaches. These are all defense mechanisms. When someone would say something that made me upset, I physically had sensation in my gut almost like a subtle tap. I knew my body was telling me to DO SOMETHING!

The bubble method (great if you work with people often):
Visualization helps me but there are other methods you may find work better for you. To start, I would create a transparent sparkly bubble around myself, it keeps me grounded but I can allow things out of my bubble when I choose too, I can also choose what I let in.  The bubble is a great reminder for me, that not everything that was being told had to be accepted as my reality. It allowed me to differentiate what was mine, and what was theirs, and where I could help out- allowing some energy out of my bubble.
Pose for you: Halasana (Plow pose)


The Grounding Method (for people who have experienced a traumatic event or who tend to feel scattered and flustered):
When working with people who have traumatic experiences, it can be difficult to help them find grounding. They often will have trouble remaining in the present moment because energetically they are fleeing for safety. These people will claim to feel very flighty, anxious and unsure. If you feel that you are beginnning to leave your body energetically, create a safe space. Excuse yourself and leave the room if you must, close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths in and out through your nose, exaggerate them as much as possible. Take a quick body scan, run up and down your body in your minds eye and feel what is happening. Touching an object near you might help you to feel grounded (other things that work are lying belly down on the floor or in the fetal position).  Tell yourself you are safe, you are wise, you are protected. Bring yourself right back in to your body feeling the confidence that allows you to protect yourself and defend yourself when needed. Find a mantra with your breath inhaling: be, exhaling: present. 
Pose for you: Balasana (Child's pose)



Self- induced relaxation (for those who feel they are not heard- often threatend or angry):
When people feel that they are not being heard it can manifest in one of two ways: they shell up and don't share, or they lash out and become angry. Believe it or not this method could work for both of those people.

Start by focusing in, when you are speaking with someone and they cut you off, or you feel like you are not being heard (often linked to feelings of being disrespected), what happens in your body? Reactive people will experience feelings of rage, heat starts to build in the core, blood pressure starts to rise as the heart beats faster, feelings of fight start to enter the body as adrenaline levels heighten. On the other end of the spectrum you might be come quiet, introspective, slightly depressed. You physically may feel a shrinking happening, a rounding of the shoulders and a hunching in. When these feelings start to arise, create a safe space. Stop your conversation- decide here if it is a conversation that you wish to still remain a part of, or if it is not beneficial for you, don't be afraid to walk away. Not everyone will always be worthy of your thoughts.

If you decide the conversation is important and you want to be a part of it, recognize the ego versus your truth. The words that roll off the tongue quickly are probably not your own. Separate yourself from this, and focus on the desired outcome. Are you both in this together? Where do you want to land after this conversation. Realize that whatever words are coming out of the other persons mouth are not to be taken personally, they are a reflection of how they are being triggered inside, the same as you feel in that moment. We all have parts of our bodies and psyches that feel vulnerable. We will either avoid these areas by vacating the body and hiding, or by locking them down in muscle tension which leads to explosive behavior when you reach capacity. We need to reconnect to these parts and integrate them back into the cycle of the whole. Suzanne Scurlock-Durana calls this "healing the internal resistance to life".
Pose for you: Ustrasana (Camel's Pose- practice allowing the head to drop back and throat to open) Move slowly and deliberately here.



Nourish your soul (for all ya'll):
Our bodies tell us when we are thirsty, when we are hungry, when we are tired, when we need to burn off stress. Delve a little deeper, and your soul will tell you when you need to take a walk in nature, when you need alone time, when you need to travel and explore and what you need to do in pressing situations.

Our job is to beg the question, what do I really need right now? It might not be what your ego thinks or even wants, but it is what will allow you to feel fully present. By setting an intention to take in only what is nourishing to the whole you create an entirely new sense of being grounded and satisfied in the skin you are in.
Pose for everyone: Savasana (even if it isn't post practice, take time for supine or seated relaxation, allowing mind to flow freely and easily)



"When you're really in your body, you're more present for everything in life. You're grounded and connected to healthy resources that fill you. By staying connected to your body's wisdom you're able to notice when something drains your energy. When it does, just take a moment to ground and refill. Full body presence is about this. About letting the flow of life go through you. As we learn how to do this we will create a more loving and respectful world...  Making decisions that are supported and guided by your body's wisdom is synergistic and effective because you plug into your deep integrity and the inherent knowledge of the universe"- Suzanne Scurlock-Durana 

Really, it's not you.

Ever feel on edge? Most of us do from time to time, it is part of our natural reaction to stress. Do you feel on edge all of the time? If you answered yes, like most people, that's where things are not normal. 

Let's call this the disease of the industrialized nations: disconnected from spirit. 

Today I want to talk about getting off the edge. This can be achieved through many practices, yoga and beyond.

I hear from many students that they are concerned over their ability to manage stress, which makes them even more anxious. Problems that I work with clients on are: restlessness, anxiety, lack of confidence, poor self-esteem, depression, fatigue, IBS, insomnia, chest pains, shortened breathing- all of the feelings that we don't want to feel. 

I am here to tell you, there is nothing wrong with you and that you are not alone. If your counterparts tell you that from time to time they do not feel the same, they are likely hiding the truth for fear of appearing weak.

What is WRONG, is the way we have been told to live. The way we are seemingly very strongly connected with eachother through social media is leading to greater gaps in our ability to hold relationships. The fear mongering news leads to a sense of hopelessness and international chaos.  Our electronic devices hold the entire world in their sleek silhouettes. 

Banksy's Artwork

This is overstimulation. We believe that we need to produce more work, create more opportunity, build more strength, and become UNSTOPPABLE. Can you imagine that pressure? Well, we live it every single day.

We need to minimize (read The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris). 

This is not what we were created to do. This is what is making us sick and anxious. We are living in a society based on fear- fear of not being enough at someone elses financial benefit. 

However, if we boil down all of these fears, they really always come back to the inevitable event of our own death. This is largely because no one can actually prove what happens to us after we die, and we are extremely uncomfortable with the unknown.  

As a society we should be embracing the unknown- and be satisfied with sometimes not knowing. Consider how much we dislike not knowing, for instance technological advances. We dislike not being able to control our enviroment, diseases, transportation- we are constantly try to bend the rules of nature. We must start asking, just because we can do something, does that mean we should? We must look at all the implications- not just the band-aid "this solves that problem" instantaneous solution.

With being uncertain of outcomes, aren't those some of the moments that are most exhilarating? That first moment you set your eyes on a potential mate. The first time you try something new, travel someplace foreign, whenever you take a leap of faith. 

Faith is what we are lacking. We must develop faith as a society. Faith that there is more and that it is going to be great. Be okay with not knowing for certain what it is just yet. 

Most indigineous people celebrate death as a passage into the next stage of existence. We are not going to be able to cure ourselves of these ailements truly unless we can adopt these ideas. We need to shift the entire way that the we are doing things altogether. This is going to require unity, something that is quite foreign to a competition driven society. We need to return to our roots of simplicity and divinity.

We could start to change our perspective on how we think about loss and our own deaths as simply a beginning to a new adventure.

This human life is not all there is, and though the world and universe seem dark and scary, there is so much more light than there is darkness. Always remember that. 

Once you accept that your time will come to an end on a deep core level, you can actually start living and appreciating each moment. If you live your entire life in the confines of your fears, you will never live at all. Imagine if when we saw people, we only saw their soul. How different would our definition of beauty be? We need to start loving that way. True peace comes when we see ourselves in every single thing that surrounds us, including not only our friends and our family but also our enemies and our enviroment.

It breaks the walls of protection down, it knows only compassion and empathy, where we are able to treat each living thing with the respect and divinity it deserves. We essentially are crapping all over life itself. We glorify war, destroy our rainforests (the lungs of our planet), defy nature- our entire source of existence, we compete for prize, and all of these things are a continuation of a life lived in our primal instincts. Desperate times call for desperate measures, well we created that phrase. 

We can together create an alternative perspective on this life. We honor each day in this body as a chance to share and love. We work together to find sustainable solutions that will benefit all other living things. We are no longer the center of the universe, but a neccessary small part of it. Use your practice to honor the source that connects us all, our breath. Take walks in nature to remind yourself of the simplicity and spectacularity of life. Remember that you are a part of the cycle, like all things that have come before and will come after. As yogis we are constantly trying to give up the past and give up the future so that we can fully embrace this moment. Living in the moment, not concerned so much for figuring out an inevitable event that will come in the future. When you surrender to faith, that everything is going to be alright, it will. Believe it, live it, create it. 

**In the remote Amazonas region of Peru, shamans are greeting thousands of ex-professionals each year for a special ceremony. This ceremony is not for the faint of heart- you will purge and possibly have very vivid encounters with your darkest fears. So why would someone do this to themselves? 

Because- as best as we may try, it is extremely difficult to live in this society any other way than the way that is dictated by control and dollars. When we can't get out of our own way to make a change, we need to turn to the universe and ask for a figurative kick in the ass so we can get our shit straightened out. This ceremony is in a way meant to scare you out of the way you are currently living, so that you can return to your true nature. A spiritual, kind and loving being. 

In that same ceremony in the Amazon, people are shown and comforted through experiencing and observing their own "death" through psychedelic Ayahuasca. What fuels fear of dying? Mostly it is because we are afraid of the unknown.