Yoga

Bouncing Back After Vacation

Yesterday was a tough one.  My body was tired from traveling, still on West Coast time, and  still feeling the vacation blues (mentally and physically).  With all of that said, the best way to feel better is get back on routine!

This is what needed to happen.

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I started my day with a nice black iced coffee from Starbucks, half a banana, and a handful of almonds.  It worked out that today was catered lunch at work.  They actually provide some great healthy lunches about twice a month and always include a huge salad bar spread! Today I filled my plate with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, a few slices of steak, a couple of slices of grilled chicken, and huge heaping mound of avocado!  I drizzled it all with just plain balsamic vinegar that’s always stocked in the office.

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After work, I headed to a 7:30 yoga class.  Since moving to Connecticut I’ve really only been practicing in the mornings so it was a nice change-up to go tonight.  The temperature cooled down, the room was breezy and peaceful, and it was a great way to end my day!

On my way home I realized I would be passing a Trader Joes!! I haven’t been to Trader’s since I moved out of Boston. I was super excited to take advantage of the opportunity.  I didn’t get much since I have a pretty short week but did stock up on a few staples since Trader’s is super cheap!

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Dinner

Since it was about 9PM by the time I got home to cook dinner I made a super simple meal that I could also take for lunch tomorrow!

Bacon, Mushroom, Spinach Scramble

2 Servings of Trader Joe’s bacon pieces and ends

Mushrooms

Spinach

4 eggs

Pepper to taste

Saute the bacon until almost cooked to desired crispness.  Break up the mushrooms and throw in with the bacon.  Add the spinach to the pan on top of the bacon and mushrooms.  Cook over medium heat until mushrooms and spinach are cooked.  Add in 4 scrambled eggs and cook for about 5-7 minutes.  Dash some pepper to taste.  Ta – da! That was easy!

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Weekend Round-Up – Picnics, Poses, & Paleo Muffins

I can’t believe Labor Day weekend is already here and gone!  I swear summer goes by faster and faster every year but lucky for me Fall is my absolute favorite season!  Even though I love fall I tried to soak up as much little bits of summer that are left.

I started off Friday with a nice cold Sam Adams beer on my deck.  I love that my new apartment has a deck – so nice just to be able to sit out there and get some fresh air.

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PICNICS

 

Saturday, we took a trip to Long Island for a family party.  We took the ferry over, which I haven’t done in a really long time.  It was fun – a little windy – but fun!  We played a few games of corn hole, drank lots of coronas (fresh and cool thanks to this post on cooler bags), and tried not to over eat all the great picnic food. The key: don’t sit next to the food!

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POSES

 

One of the Yoga teachers I follow on Instagram, Rachel Brathen (@yoga_girl), had announced a 10 – Day yoga challenge that started on September 1st.  I’ve never done one of these so thought it would be fun to try.  I’ve probably even in the past made comments about people who post all of these types of pictures – but I’ve realized some times you just have to say f*c* it and do what makes you happy!  Focusing on a different yoga pose each day really makes you take a look at your practice and realize what you like, don’t like, are good at or need to work on.  This challenge is called #AimTrueChallenge.  Day 1 was for a pose that empowers you and Day 2 one that challenges you.  I had fun playing around with this and I’m sure Andy loved being my photographer 🙂 Here were my poses:

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PALEO MUFFINS

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We played around with a paleo bread recipe this weekend and came out with some delicious mini paleo muffins!  They’re a great treat to have on the weekends with my go-to omelet.

1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
¼ cup golden flaxseed meal
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5 eggs
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients and spend a few minutes mixing together, making sure to get out any chunks that the coconut oil forms.  It would probably be better to use a food processor if you have one.

Pour batter into a greased (we used some coconut oil) muffin pan.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes

Finding A Yoga Studio in Your New City

I recently just moved from Boston to Stamford, CT (about 45 minutes from NYC).  This might sound silly, but one of my biggest challenges was finding a new studio.

I started practicing yoga in Boston almost two years ago.  In the beginning I was what I called a “studio hopper” or “Groupon hopper.”  Strapped for cash, I would just try to find the best deal for studios around the city.  This led me into studios all over Boston and allowed me to try out different teachers and styles – which worked out pretty well.  But after a couple of months of “hopping” I found my fit.  Two studios owned by Lynne Begier called Sweat and Soul and Back Bay Yoga.  They had me at hello….or should I say Namaste.  I could go on and on about my love of these two studios, but we’ll save that for a later post.

The point is that it was really hard moving to a much, much smaller “city” and finding a yoga studio that clicked with me.  And I swear that’s the best way to explain it….sometimes it just clicks.  I’m happy to say that I have found a great studio in Norwalk, CT called Saraswati’s Yoga Joint.  While different from my first love in Boston, it’s the perfect place for me to explore the next phase in my yoga practice.

So here are my tips on finding a yoga studio after making a move to a new city:

  • Ask Your Current Yoga Teachers to Help:  One of my teachers in Boston was nice enough to post on her Facebook page and ask about studios in the area I was moving to.  Yoga teachers have huge networks and many are connected on social media.  She got about 5 responses and Saraswati’s was one of the suggestions!
  • Take Advantage of Introductory Offers:  Almost every yoga studio has an intro offer.  I took advantage of this for two different studios.  If you’re lucky enough you will find studios with a month unlimited for about a fifth of what they normally charge!  This is a great way to try out a few different studios without dishing out hundreds of dollars.
  • Yelp: I might be a little biased since I am a pretty avid Yelper, but you really can’t go wrong with Yelp.  You get real opinions from real people. It gives you a good sense of what the community and culture of the studio is like.

When it comes down to it, it’s really just about giving a few studios a try.  Everyone’s preferences vary in terms of what styles they like, type of teachers, etc.  These are just some of the ways that I was able to find a studio that just clicked!2013-08-29 18.58.51

And just remember, if you don’t find the perfect fit…..the best thing about yoga is you can do it anywhere!

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