• Monday 7:30 p.m., Hatha II, Beth:  Class # 26 – Tonight I had the most amazing practice I’ve had in a while, very strong and very intense.  We did more wild thing (flipping the dog), and now that I’ve done it I felt much more comfortable going into it and was able to really sustain the pose and maintain correct form.  Even more exciting, for the first time EVER I was able to do bow pose!  AND grab my foot with my knee bent in pigeon pose.  My hamstrings were cooperating more than they ever have, and I felt like an incredible badass.  We wrapped up class by working more on crow pose, which I was able to do for a couple seconds and fell out of pretty hard, but I couldn’t have cared less by that point – I was elated and glowing.  With as blah as I’ve been lately, this was exactly what I needed.  Endorphins are definitely at work!  :)
• Tuesday 5 p.m., Hatha I/II, Kalena: Class # 27 - Another class full of delicious hard work!  Kalena had us move through a series incorporating down dog, plank, and lunges. We used blocks under each hand to support us in the lunges and the planks.  I LOVED how I was able to hover so well in chaturanga with the assistance of the blocks.  By the end of class, my arms were quivering and noodley – such amazingly hard work.  I continue to appreciate the diversity in the teachers at the studio – each teacher brings their own special flair to the practice that makes each trip to the mat a new beautiful experience – different challenges, different strengths, all contributing a fun piece to my yoga journey puzzle.
• Wednesday 7:30 p.m., Hatha II, Zelinda: Class #28 - Zelinda was in a silly mood tonight and was full of hilarious little quips that kept us giggling throughout class.  We did some serious hip work, so the laughter breaks were quite welcome.  Zelinda was the first person to tell me that the hips are the “junk drawer” of the body, and deep hip work can bring emotions to the surface.  I have definitely been on the emotional side of the spectrum lately, and honestly the hip work was just what I needed.  We spent a good deal of time in pigeon.  The work was strenuous, but less in a cardiovascular way and more in a pose deepening, soul touching kind of way.
• Thursday 6:15 p.m., Hatha II, Randy: Class #29 - I was pretty distracted during this class (had a heated discussion with someone just prior that had me all riled up).  Randy can be quite talkative, and usually I appreciate his insight into the poses, but tonight I just couldn’t focus on what he was saying so I let my mind wander and focused on really bringing strength to each pose.  We did a lot of flow work which was a welcome distraction from my running mind.  When he asked if we wanted to set an intention, the first word that came to mind was forgiveness, followed quickly by restraint.  I kept coming back to the idea of restraint (of my words and of my mind), and by the end of class I was much more relaxed and much less wound up.
• Friday 5 p.m., Hatha I, Beth: Class #30 – In what felt like the most fitting way to end the challenge, tonight’s class was all about support.  We practiced various poses using the support of the wall, my favorite being side plank.  With my feet braced against the wall I could really support myself well and get my top hip sky high.  We also partnered up for several poses and stretches, my favorite of which was The Rack – one person lied flat on their back on the floor with a person standing at their head and another standing at their feet.  The person on the floor grasped the ankles of the person by their head, and that person walked back until a stretch was felt along the side body.  Then, the person at the feet grabbed the ankles of the person on the floor, raised their legs a couple inches off the ground, and provided a bit of gentle traction.  It felt SO GOOD.  Having felt supported by so many through my yoga challenge journey, this class brought perfect finality to the end of the challenge.

I can’t believe the challenge has come and gone!  First and foremost, I am proud of myself for completing it.  I often start things without finishing them, so the simple fact that I actually made it happen makes me feel amazing.  I feel dedicated and committed, and I hope to carry that feeling into my continuing practice.  I’m especially proud too considering the obstacles that arose – my car breaking down, being sick for a week; despite these hindrances, I persevered to meet my goal.

I truly feel like a different person, inside and out.  I feel stronger physically, for sure.  I can see and feel that my arms and legs have better muscle definition, and I can sustain poses longer and with more control than before.  I feel that my overall structure has been affected on a very deep level as well – that my hips can achieve a greater sense of openness, as well as my shoulders; that my chest is able to achieve better expansion in breath and that I stand taller.

The mental aspect of yoga cannot be denied as well, and I have really developed a greater understanding and connection between my body and my mind.  I am more conscious of my body and what its doing – little voices in my head constantly reminding me to sit up straight, tuck my tail bone, open my shoulders, pull my chin back; I have achieved a greater sense of alignment.

I am a highly emotional person, and the challenge definitely played a part in accentuating some strong emotions I’ve been dealing with lately and really brought them to the surface. I have been really down about my dad and some other personal issues I’ve had to face, but rather than bury those emotions inside and try to hide from them, they are at the forefront of my mind.  Some days that meant simply acknowledging those emotions were there even though I didn’t actively choose to deal with them at that moment (last Saturday was a good example – I watched Hoarders and Intervention on Netflix most of the day – I know, super inspirational programming right there; I trimmed the dogs’ toenails and called it a productive day), I still had to recognize them for what they were instead of ignoring them. I truly believe this has kept me from falling into a full-fledged depression – that’s powerful stuff.  I am still working through some things now, but I know that with time I will gain the clarity I seek.  This too shall pass.

Another aspect of the challenge I came to greatly appreciate is the sense of community and camaraderie it invoked among my fellow yogis at the studio.  As we all attended class together night after night, it was inevitable that we would begin to grow closer.  We all encouraged each other and patted each other on the back, and I have made some lovely friends that I look forward to getting to know even better.  The studio’s morale has always been high, but there is a buzzing energy that can’t be denied contained within those walls – it is really special. The Yoga Room is a safe haven, a place without judgement and with beautiful acceptance, and each practice is an opportunity to garner love and beauty and truth in spirit, that I try to harness and carry with me and pass onto others.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to the instructors for their unique approaches and consistent guidance, to my fellow yogis for the energy and spirit they so willingly share, and to everyone who was so incredibly supportive of me (in life and in the challenge) during this time.

I am truly grateful for this experience.  My passion for yoga is ever-growing, and this challenge has ignited an even deeper fire within me to continue to pursue my practice, to approach each trip to the mat with an open mind and an open heart.

Namaste.

<3 C

We’re closing in on the home stretch of the yoga challenge!  I was only able to attend three classes this past week – I was sick for the beginning of the week with a sore throat and fever, finally able to return to class on Thursday. I intended to go to class Saturday morning, but I came out to my car to find I had a flat! By the time we were able to get it to the shop to get patched, it was too late for me to go.  Here are my observations from the past week.

• Thursday 7:30 p.m., Relax and Restore, Emily: Class #23 – My first trip back to the mat since my illness, and my first Relax and Restore class in AGES.  30 minutes of light movement, followed by 30 minutes of yoga nidra, guided deep relaxation.  As she called attention to each part of the body, I again was experiencing the twitching I often feel when guided through relaxation, but intensified.  Each body part twitched greatly, and I felt an uncomfortable sensation in the soles of my feet, sensory overload in a way, so much that I had to touch my feet together to get it to stop.  I also felt more comfortable with my hands folded over my belly rather than palms up at my sides.  Everything felt sensitive and weird, and I kind of felt like a freak, so much so that I approached my teacher after class to ask about it.  Apparently this is not uncommon, and can be a symptom of energy blockages or buildups in the body and their subsequent release.  She said this would get easier and less frequent if I practiced yoga nidra more often.  I guess I need to make Relax and Restore a more regular part of my practice!
• Friday 5 p.m., Hatha I, Kalena: Class #24 – We had a lot of fun in class tonight.  It was a small class, only 3 of us and the teacher, and we practiced in a circle facing some LED tea light candles.  We did a breathing exercise called breath of joy that felt silly in the beginning but ultimately left all of us smiling.  We also did a pose called “flip the dog” where we go from downward dog, open up to the side, and come down so we are kind of in a back bend.  I didn’t think I’d be able to do it, but I did and it felt so freeing.  At the end of class Kalena asked us to visualize a flower bud over our hearts.  She asked what kind of flower, what color – for me it was an orange gerbera daisy.  With each breath we envisioned it blooming which I really found calming and a good point for meditation.
• Sunday 9:15 a.m., Hatha I/II, Emily: Class # 25 – Quite a few of us were suffering from allergy symptoms this morning, so Emily had us do some breathing exercises (alternate nostril and one where we breathe out sharply through our nose and contract our bellies), before which she passed out tissues, knowing we’d all be pretty snotty afterwards.  :)  It was actually really helpful in clearing my sinuses.  We were then led through a very warming practice – core work, thigh work, and it was definitely generating a lot of internal heat by the end of class.

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We are now entering the final week of the challenge, and so long as I’m able to attend every class this week I’ll make it to 30 on Friday, the final day!  Between my car being in the shop a week and a half ago and my illness that followed, I missed more classes that I originally intended.  It was a humbling experience, and I hope that I can indeed make the 30 in 40 after all.  This coming weekend I’ll write up my final post on the yoga challenge and the many ways it has had an impact on my life.

I haven’t been blogging as much lately.  My brain is full of blah and I’m really uninspired right now, so rather than force myself to throw some crap on here I’ve been taking a little break.  I’m hoping to feel more like myself soon.  In the meantime, here are some things that have been entertaining me on the internet.

• This ridiculous ad from Big Dairy taking a stab at non-dairy milks.  I’ll stick with my almond milk – thanks anyway.
• This sweet story about a surrogate doggie mama.
• If you have Facebook you may have seen this album of underwater dog photography.  If not, it’s totally worth your time to check it out.
• Mindboggling art made from old books carved with surgical tools.
• THIS.  Salad is funny. (NSWF, kind of.  Large font bad word.)

Being in bed as much as I was last week, I caught some hilarious Lucy photos. She was actually sleeping like this.  Out cold.  For an extended period of time.

Often times I get annoyed with the slight delay from the time I click the shutter on my camera phone and when it actually captures the photo, but I got this little gem the other day that made it totally worth it.

And some Rambo photos, for all of his admirers out there.

<3 C

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Yoga Challenge, Week 4 -

• Monday 7:30 p.m., Hatha II, Beth: Class #19 – Beth announced last week that we would be working on crow pose for the month of February – different poses to help lead into it, poses to help sustain it, etc.  Tonight’s class was full of arm strengthening exercises and balancing.  I was definitely less stable in some of my balancing poses but still able to maintain pretty well.  My hamstrings were cooperating more in certain poses – especially my forward folds – than they normally do, and I felt a great sense of length about my body tonight.  As far as getting up in crow, I was barely able to sustain the pose tonight, but I could really feel my arms engaging and they felt strong – the balancing part was just off.
• Tuesday 5 p.m., Hatha I/II, Emily: Class #20 – Emily led us through an awesome class focusing on lower body – hellllooooooo calves (and hamstrings!) – with some crazy balancing flows and a revolved half moon pose that was really intense.  My right neck/shoulder was bothering me before class (levator scapula muscle all in a tizzy), and even though the class was focused on the lower body, I felt a lot less tense in those spots after class.  The coolest thing happened to me after class this evening.  I saw some old friends of mine – one friend came up to me and said, “You know, you look like you haven’t aged a bit in the 4 1/2 years that I’ve known you,” which I thought was sweet but didn’t think much of.  Shortly after that, another friend approached me and said “I swear you look younger.”  That really got the wheels in my head spinning – yoga much??  I’ve often noticed that regular practitioners of yoga (and recipients of massage!) look younger – smoother skin, less fine lines and wrinkles, overall glow – and to think I might already be reaping those kind of benefits for myself is AWESOME.
• Wednesday 7:30 p.m., Hatha II, Zelinda - Class #21 – Zelinda led us through a fun, high energy class tonight.  One of my favorite parts of class was when she had us go through sun salutations, everyone at their own pace, for a good 5+ minutes.  I moved slowly with lots of deep breathing, opened my hips out to the sides on one pass through, lowered my chaturanga in a 4-count once, and really tried to feel the muscles engaged in each stage.  Something that has really become apparent to me over the last couple of classes is that there are definite deep changes going on within my body, particularly my hips and shoulders.  I feel like there is a rearranging going on at a muscular level, maybe even a fascial level.  Not even necessarily that I’m more flexible – I am in certain things, but not in others – but that years of conditioning are being re-woven within me.  It’s hard to describe.  Tonight I was particularly feeling it in my shoulders – my arms move differently, my shoulders lay differently on my back.  It’s intense, and taking note of the new sensations is almost overwhelming, but in an interesting and neat way.  Towards the end of class we partnered up to give each other assistance into deeper forward folds (palms on the lower back, gently offering pressure if warranted), and I was able to get deeper into a forward fold than ever before.  These changes are staggering and totally welcome.  :)
• Saturday 9:15 a.m., Hatha I/II, Zelinda: Class #22 – I had a hard time in class this morning.  Every pose felt like a tremendous effort, and I just couldn’t hold poses like I normally can.  I found myself in child’s pose often, just trying to find my breath and relax; it was tough but I just tried to listen to what I needed and honor my body.  When class was over I felt more tired than anything.  (ETA: Turns out I think I was beginning to get sick and this is what I was feeling in class.  I am now in the grips of a full-fledged cold/flu like thing.)

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Last week I was only able to attend four classes at the studio.  My car was in the shop from Thursday morning to Friday evening (though hopefully the issues it has been having are resolved!), and Sunday morning when I woke up it felt like I had swallowed a million burning razor blades.  I am still very sick today, having started with a fever to 100.4 this morning around 11 a.m. and still going.  Missing yoga tonight and tomorrow is frustrating on me mentally, especially because I was really feeling some DEEP changes in yoga last week that I was really excited about, but I am trying to take it easy on myself and will just get back in the swing of things when I’m able.  I think all the stress I’ve been dealing with, especially with my dad, finally just caught up to me.  On that note, I am going to take some more Nyquil and get back in bed.  

<3 C 

I set out to make a delicious chocolate-y dough base and shocked myself with just how tasty it was – secret ingredient, Hershey’s Dark Chocolate cocoa powder.  I also used almond butter (Barney Butter, to be exact) instead of peanut butter this time since the almond butter has a more subtle flavor.  After I had created my dough masterpiece, I split the dough in half to make two decadent sets of cookies.

Smores.

And chocolate mint.

I started with the smores because I knew I would be adding peppermint extract to the dough for the mint cookies.  I only had these huge square marshmallows (Ghiradelli smores, anyone?), so I cut them into more manageable pieces.

Those are dedicated kitchen shears – no junk drawer germs on these marshmallows.

After I had my chocolate dough assembled in the food processor (and after sampling a few small bites, and then using all my willpower to not eat it all), I scooped out half into a bowl and added the marshmallows, the Enjoy Life chocolate chunks (so huge!), and crushed graham animal crackers (sorry little fellas).

Shaping these cookies took a bit more time – once I had the various bits folded in, I scooped out each cookie with a cookie scoop, but then I flattened these out  rather than leaving them in balls and took the time to make sure the marshmallows were on top of each cookie so they could all brown in the oven.

Taking that extra step was well worth the time spent.  I kept a close eye on these guys and when the marshmallows were perfectly browned I took them out of the oven, around 13 minutes at 400°.

Each bite was full of melted marshmallow, crunchy graham bits, and giant chunks of chocolate.  I couldn’t have planned for these to come out better!

From there I went back to the dough in the food processor and added a teaspoon of peppermint extract.  (This made them extra minty, which I liked, but Alex wasn’t as big a fan.  Feel free to scale back the extract to 1/2 tsp.)  I then scooped the rest of the dough into a bowl and folded in some mini chocolate chips and Andes mint chocolate baking pieces.  I did the same flattening move to these cookies that I did to the smores version and really liked the results.

Chocolate Mint Chickpea Cookies

When photographing cookies on the floor, be warned you may have furry visitors.

Sorry Lucy, not for dogs!

Heather, I’m fairly certain these will do the trick to fulfill your chocolate mint cravings.  ;)

If I had to pick a favorite between the two, I’d be hard pressed to do so.  I know I pretty much say every new chickpea cookie is better than the last blah blah blah, but seriously – if you’ve been on the fence about making any of the recipes so far, I encourage you to make either of these and report back to me about how much you are in love.  :)

<3 C