Fantastic Fall Days

It has been a wonderful fall season for our family.

To start off, even though we were a little late, we did get to build our sukkah this year. Last year, we were in Austin for my husband's sister's wedding during Sukkot, so we didn't put it up. The girls were so excited to get it out this year!


As you can see, they were a huge help.
They wanted to eat as many meals as possible in there once it was up. Unfortunately, the weather during Sukkot was pretty crummy this year. We left the sukkah up for a few extra days, and ate in it after the weather turned more pleasant, even though Sukkot was officially over.

Yesterday we celebrated the Halloween with our friends. This was the first year that D&G actually put some thought and creativity in their costumes. Also, we tried to repurpose materials we already had, and make as much as we could. D's costume is from clothes she already had, combined with scarves from her bubbe. We did purchase the "pirate accessories" of course. I made G's clown costume, and paired it with a shirt she already owned. I did purchase the bow. We already had the face painting kit - you may not be able to see it, but D has a skull and crossbones painted on her cheek.
We went to our friends' house in Bexley for trick-or-treating this year. We love going with our friends on Halloween! This is D's friend, who is demonstrating his best ninja pose.

The whole crew (mostly, except for the crying ones). Don't they look great!? This is so special to me, because these kids have been celebrating Halloween together since before their first birthdays - my oldest was six months old in their first Halloween group shot.

And here it is! D is in the carrot (it looks like a pumpkin) costume, on the far right, the one screaming and raising her hand. Not happy. The one sucking his thumb, wearing a devil costume, is the ninja pictured above, and the lion, partially obscured by her dad's arm, is the cheerleader with D in the next picture. The kids are still friends with most of the other babies in this picture too, they just weren't at last night's trick-or-treating.

D was thrilled to see her buds!

The husbands stayed at the house and passed out candy ... and drank beer. Don't judge - we were walking with the kids, carrying our plastic cups of red wine!

We had a great time, and the kids gathered tons of loot. D was a little sad because she lost her hook and her pirate earring, but she got over it. G's clown make-up was completely smeared by the end of the night ... there were a few tears shed, but overall, they had fun!!!

Today the weather was really just perfect. My husband got off work early, my mom came over, and we all just spent the afternoon hanging out in the backyard! G was having fun playing "boat" with Nana.

Don't I have a handsome boy? He looks perfect for fall in his orange shirt amid all the leaves in our backyard.

D's hair was still a little crazy after sleeping on the braids leftover from trick-or-treating the night before. She was having a great time making piles and jumping in the leaves!

I was surprised to find that R can hold his own on the tire swing. He is really starting to get around on the playground - next year he will be all over it!!

I am so blessed with such a beautiful, healthy family! I hope the rest of you are enjoying your fall season as well!

Today's workout: (had to work off that candy, right??!)
45 min. run w/ strides (5.53 mi)
25 min. resistance training
15 min. hill elliptical (1.82 mi)
60 min. yoga

Ole! Veggie Tacos

Our family keeps a kosher style kitchen, which means that there are certain restrictions in our at-home diet, the two most prominent of which are no pork or shellfish and no mixing of milk and meat. In order to keep within these guidelines, I am constantly thinking of creative ways to substitute dairy or meat products in recipes that call for both.

Our family loves tacos, which traditionally include both meat and cheese. We have tried a variety of ways to substitute, such as using soy cheese or soy meat ... both of which we found unsatisfying. Tonight, I changed it up a little and instead of ground beef, used a mixture of lentils and a vegan soy meat mixture. The result was a delicious and healthy meal!

Lentil Tacos

1 onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 cup lentils, dry
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup salsa
1 package Fantastic World Food taco filling mix

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in a pan with olive oil until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add the lentils and the spices and mix well, 1 minute. Add the stock and simmer, covered, on low for 20 minutes, adding additional liquid as needed.

While the lentil mixture is cooking, prepare the taco filling mix according to the package directions in a separate pan.

Uncover the lentil pan and cook for another 10 minutes to thicken up the mixture. Add the salsa and the taco filling mix. If needed, this can be prepared ahead of time, refrigerated, and reheated when you are ready to eat dinner.

We ate the tacos with tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, salsa, avocados, and rice. It was a nutritious and yummy meal enjoyed by all!

Today's workout:
30 min run (4.0 mi)
60 min. yin yoga class
60 min. yoga @ home

Everybody loves a haiku

Running and yoga
Balance, focus, peace, and ease
Different path, same way

Today's workout:
45 min. hill sprint run (5.50 mi)
50 min. ballet body class
60 min. yoga

Healthy Decisions

The other evening when I was volunteering for Girls on the Run, we talked about healthy decisions. The girls honed in on micro-choices mostly centered around food ("I only ate 2 Oreos instead of 5"; "Today I ate breakfast, but I usually skip breakfast", etc.), whereas the coaches were attempting to get them to focus on a more holistic view of an entire healthy lifestyle. I got to thinking about some healthy decisions that I hope my children will make during their lifetime:

1. I hope they keep a healthy attitude about food. That is, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, small amounts of "junk" food, keeping portion sizes moderate, not obsessing about food, finding enjoyment in selecting and preparing healthy meals.
2. I hope they integrate physical activity into their daily routine. I hope my daughters and son discover a sport or other physical activity in which they can thrive and practice on a regular basis. I want them to challenge their bodies and find joy in athletic expression.
3. I hope they develop deep and abiding friendships. Sharing your ups and downs with friends is an important part of living a healthy life. I hope all of my children find friends with whom they can laugh, play and explore.
4. I hope they find happiness without the abuse of drugs and alcohol. While I know that experimentation is a part of growing up, and I enjoy social drinking myself, I hope that my children will approach these substances sparingly. There are so many horror stories about binge drinking among college students, and the television show "Intervention" highlights the dispair and heartbreak that drugs can bring to a family. I hope that my children can navigate their teen years and early adulthood without falling prey to these temptations.
5. I hope they use wisdom and restraint with sexual expression. At this point in their young lives, I cringe to even think about them reaching this point in their development where I have to deal with these decisions. But as countless news stories are constantly warning us, children are engaging in a variety of dangerous and promiscuous acts at younger and younger ages. I hope that my children can wait until they have some maturity and discretion before embarking on this chapter of their lives.
6. I hope they will stand up for themselves in difficult situations. That's what all of these healthy decisions come down to, right? I hope that my kids have the strength of character so as not to yield under peer pressure and to derive courage and fortitude from the values they have been taught from their family, their school and their synagogue.

Today's workout:
60 min. hill interval elliptical (5.61 mi)
25 min. strength training
75 min. primary series yoga

Uncover your Power

Horror of horrors, I forgot to look at my running training schedule this morning to find out what type of run I am "supposed" to do today. So when I got to the gym, I just decided to fake it - I picked the hill interval button on the treadmill and just decided to go for it.

In the fabulous book I just finished, Born to Run, McDougall writes about how the ultrarunners adjust their running speed to meet the challenges that they face at the moment ... that is, on treacherous terrain they are going to slow their speed down compared to running on smooth, flat surfaces. Obviously, the treadmill presents no dangers to me (!), but varying incline levels does present something of a challenge - particularly since I generally run at 0%. So instead of pushing through at a lower speed that I would maintain throughout the whole run, I varied my speed with the hill intervals, taking the speed up when the interval went down and vice versa.

As I was running, I noticed my interval voice telling me, after thirty minutes, why don't you take the speed down a few notches and give yourself a break? But, I realized as I was running that this voice was there - even though I wasn't fatiguing. Strange - it was like I was subconsciously trying to sabotage myself. The more I run, I discover that I have this odd inner fear of running that is competing with the enthusiasm and joy that I find when I run, and the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when I complete a run. I have to be aware of that negativity, and take time to evaluate how I truly feel and whether I really need to take a break, or whether I can continue to work at the same level.

Today's workout:
50 min hill interval run (5.78 mi)
25 min. resistance training
45 min. yoga

Workshop Wednesday

Tonight I was able to attend the first of a three-part workshop on integrating the yamas and niyamas (guidelines for ethical living) with Non-Violent Communication. According to the Center for Non-Violent Communication, one of the purposes of this type of interaction is to "create human connections that empower compassionate giving and receiving".

As yogis, we are highly attuned to bodily awareness. Through this communication method, we learn to focus on the physical sensations that accompany our emotions and use these cues to help us identify our feelings.

To adapt our communication styles using Non-Violent Communication, we were given three steps:

1. Observe and identify any feelings.
   
2. Identify what needs we have that may not be being met, giving rise to the feelings identified above.
3. Explore strategies for meeting those needs in a non-judgmental fashion.

We did some role-playing to address one class member's specific situation, a conflict that arose for him at work. Through our discussions, we were able to identify feelings and needs that he had not realized he had experienced, empathize with the feelings and needs that the other participants in his confrontations may have been experiencing, and help him find alternative responses and reactions that he could have used in that situation. It was useful to remember that in a situation, we cannot control the other people involved, we can only control ourselves and our reactions to other people.

Our homework this week is to identify two feelings in ourselves - one where our needs are being met and one where they are not - and then track those feelings, our physical sensations when we experience them, our discourse, our thoughts. The two feelings on which I will focus this week will be: impatience and contentment.

Today's workout:
5.26 mi run w/ strides

Barefoot Running

The book I am currently reading, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall, is a fascinating running tale with all kinds of crazy characters. The stories inspire me to throw down the book and take off running right out the door.

One of the interesting points being made about running is the benefits of running barefoot. According to McDougall's research, because shoes separate our feet from the surface, encasing the feet completely so that they lose the ability to move naturally, they create more running injuries and problems than runners had in the past, before sophisticated running shoes became available. He writes that when you run barefoot, your body naturally absorbs the shocks, creates a softer impact, and adapts as needed. Your feet and legs sustain fewer injuries. Not only is running barefoot more healthy than running in expensive athletic shoes, but apparently running in cheap, flat, or worn-down sneakers is better for your feet than using the latest technology.

Here is some more information about running barefoot. It makes me feel better about my raggedy shoes ... and unlikely to replace them anytime soon!

Today's workout:
35 min. run (4.0 mi)
60 min. private yoga session
45 min. yoga at home

Running Secrets

From this amazing book that I am reading right now, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall:

"That was the real secret of the Tarahumara: they'd never forgotten what it felt like t love running. they remembered that running was mankind's first fine art, our original act of inspired creation. Way before we were scratching pictures on caves or beating rhythms on hollow trees, we were perfecting the art of combining our breath and mind and muscles into fluid self-propulsion over wild terrain. ...You had to love running, or you wouldn't live to love anything else. And like everything else we love - everything we sentimentally call our 'passions' and 'desires' - it's really an encoded ancestral necessity. We were born to run; we were born because we run."

Find the joy, find the passion! I love it! Check this book out - it is UNBELIEVABLE!

Today's workout:
30 min run (3.95 mi)
20 min. resistance training
55 min. ballet body class
60 min. yoga

Searching for Santosha

One of the niyamas (a set of guidelines for our internal self) is santosha, which can be described as contentment. In Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit, Donna Farhi writes about santosha:

[it] is the ability to feel satisfied within the container of one's immediate experience ... it is a sign that we are at peace with whatever stage of growth we are in and the circumstances we find ourselves in ... we practice patience and attempt to live as best we can within our situation until we are able to better our conditions.

This is a difficult quality for me to capture and something that I really need in my life right now. In my yoga practice, I can see how the asana practice can help me learn to live santosha in my daily life. As I accept the physical limitations of my body, I can likewise peacefully acknowledge the challenges and stresses I experience each day. And just like I continue to stretch and develop my muscles and flexibility and strive to extend my physical abilities, I can take measures to overcome any obstacles in my daily life as well. It comes down to a matter of attitude. The challenges will still be there ... but why not meet them with contentment and peace rather than aggression and anger?

Inhale: contentment
Exhale: judgment

Today's workout:
50 min. specific endurance run (5.88 mi)
75 min. primary series yoga

Opening my Heart

Tonight I did a heart opening sequence from YogaDownloads.com. It was the perfect balance that I needed tonight of challenge, flow, balance and rejuvenation. The sequence included lots of twists and binds, like revolved side angle (with bind), revolved chair (with half bind), bird of paradise, and supine spinal twists.

Some teachers will say that twists will "detoxify" your body and "wring out the spine" ... and I am not quite sure I am on board with that. I will say, however, that after that practice, I feel more open and my body feels freer. My heart has opened metaphorically as well - I feel happier and lighter. In his book Yoga: The Poetry of the Body, Rodney Yee writes about twists:

"[Twists] are good for releasing tension in your spine, breaking open the outer bindings of your hips, and squeezing and releasing the sponge of the body. Twists allow you to be soft, fluid and organic in your body movements. When you use force in a twist, it reveals how your mind is often directed and determined, reminding you to lead more from your center - your belly - and simply observe with your mind.

rising energy from the earth
spiraling spine from the legs
opening chest to the sky
surrendering mind to the breath"

Today's workout:
60 min. progression run (7.71 mi)
25 min. resistance training
60 min. yoga

Getting my Groove On

With the colder weather setting in, my seasonal depression comes right along with it. Being cooped up inside, the darkness in the morning & early evening, hauling around all the coats & various accessories, getting the kids ready, everything just seems so much HEAVIER.

So today, when an acquaintance suggested that I try her "dance jam" class, I took her up on it. She didn't realize that my secret dream profession is to be a fly girl - the dance jam class was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits! While I couldn't necessarily follow all of her advanced choreography, the ability to let loose and just rock out a little bit shook off some of those impending winter blues.

As the season progresses, I have to remember to actively seek out ways to bring the sunshine back into my life!

Today's workout:
45 min. run (5.04 mi)
55 min. dance jam
75 min. primary series yoga

Random Thoughts

No real concrete ideas for posting today, but a few random thoughts from the day:

• Inspiration

A friend of mine, also in her early/mid-30s, just completed the Chicago Marathon. She trained hard for the event and was so excited to participate. She brought her whole family from Columbus to Chicago to support her and they made a mini-vacation out of it. It is wonderful to create new challenges in our life all the time, to keep us fresh, active and innovative. She is an inspiration to me, and a great role model for fitness and joy for her children as well.

• Three Dimensions

The instructor in my ballet body class today took the group in a contemporary/modern direction today, rocking out with new music and introducing new moves. He emphasized the importance of remembering that our spines and bodies move in three dimensions. This helped me to bring awareness to my body and improve my alignment. By moving in all three planes, we strengthened our muscles and joints and created more functional movement.

• Finding Balance

In that same class, we spent several minutes doing back leg raises, which the instructor suggested were reminiscent of a modern dance style inspired by Horton (whose work I am unfamiliar with). These were variations of what, in yoga, we would call Warrior III pose. We stood on one leg, raised the other behind us to be parallel with the floor, and lowered our body so that it was level with the leg, forming a "T" shape with our entire body. We did several repetitions, with arms at our sides, out like an airplane, reaching out in front, and alternating sides. Not only was this an exercise in balance and form, it also strengthened our supporting leg and lower back muscles. The class inspired me to focus on balance in my home yoga practice this evening.

Today's workout:
45 min. run + strides (5.52 mi)
60 min. ballet body class
60 min. yoga

Looking Forward

I am very excited ... I got to schedule a yoga retreat for myself in February. It's just a weekend and it's a while away, but it's definitely something to look forward to. It has put the extra "oomph" in my practice that I have been needing! The details are not finalized, but I will definitely post when things are for sure.

Today's workout:
65 min. hill interval run (6.87 mi)
20 min. resistance training
75 min. primary series yoga

Looking at the World Upside Down

I recently started a headstand practice ... which I had avoided for a long time just because of laziness and fear, and the kind of woozy, bloodrush to the head feeling that it gave me. After encouragement from my yoga teacher, though, I have decided to add it to my practice a few days a week, and it is getting better.

I have been having kind of a rough patch lately in general, feeling kind of out of it, and in a funk. While I was upside down tonight, I had a few thoughts about how being in a headstand is like life.

New perspective

The most obvious insight that headstand provides is, literally, a new perspective. Your view is completely upside down, and everything looks different. It reminds me that sometimes I need to view other situations in my life in a new or different way, to look at the same things I see everyday "upside down" for a fresh point of view.

Looks can be deceiving

From the look and name of this pose, you appear to be standing on your head. In actuality, however, the vast majority of your weight should be supported through your shoulders and arms. In life, I should remember not to take everything at face value, but to probe deeper and find out what is really going on. Sometimes I jump to conclusions without finding out the truth ... here, I realize that my initial impressions might be completely off base.

Finding balance

In the photo accompanying this post, the model appears to be upright, strong and stable. In headstand, your strength and stability comes from hundreds of tiny adjustments that your body is constantly making to keep yourself in balance. For a someone relatively new to headstand, like myself, these adjustments make me look wobbly - but even though I am a bit wobbly, I am able to remain upright in the headstand for at least a minute. A more advanced practitioner has refined these adjustments so that they may not be visible to an outsider, but they are happening continually within the core. Similarly, I need to learn to constantly adjust myself to my life situations to maintain balance and peace.

Today's workout:

30 min. hill run (3.66 mi)

20 min. resistance training

30 min. hill elliptical (4.15 mi)

50 min. yoga

Yoga Discussion Continued

Check out Rainbeau Mars' response to the continuing discussion regarding yoga and the corporate world. I find this quote interesting:

"What I choose to support is a reflection of who I am."

I think I'll post more later when I have a little more time.

Today's workout:

45 min. run w/ hill sprints (5.57)

25 min. resistance training & plyometrics

50 min. yoga

Physical Benefits of Yoga

I started doing yoga for fitness, and am now exploring many of the other aspects of the practice. However, the health and fitness aspect remains important, and continues to be a strong draw for many people.

Check out Sadie Nardini's tongue in cheek Huffington Post article, Top 10 Reasons Not To Do Yoga
- which, as you might expect, actually gives us ten very compelling reasons to do yoga to support our physical health and well-being.

Today's workout:
60 min. power yoga class

Inspiration

Lots of inspiring stories in this month's Running Times ... thought I would share a quote from Joe Burgasser, a 71-year-old master runner:

Uncommon desire, dedication and sacrifice are necessary to produce the high levels of training necessary to be successful at excelling in any sport. There are no shortcuts and no miracles. Racing is about having the training fitness to push to the limit of your physical and mental abilities. Creating effort pain is mandatory as the race progresses. Try to run even pace or negative splits, not slowing near the end because of a too fast start.

Today's workout:

35 min. progression run (4.08 mi)

60 min. private yoga training

60 min. yoga practice at home

Push-Ups

I've been focusing so much on my running training schedule and immersing myself in learning more about yoga that I realized that I have been neglecting (somewhat) the toning part of my general workout regimen. As a result, I've decided to purposefully spend more time focusing on push-ups, pull-ups and core work. To avoid getting bored, I am using this post to brainstorm different variations and modifications on push-ups.

Of course, you can start with the traditional military push-up (pictured here), which can be modified by putting your knees on the ground if necessary - make sure that your body remains straight (don't push the butt in the air).

Arm Placement
You can modify hand/arm placement - shoulder width, wider than shoulders, hands together. You can bring your elbows in closer to your body for more tricep work. Place your hands on a step or other elevated surface and then push-up. Of course, you can always try one-handed push-ups for a real challenge! Depending on the placement of your arms, the push up will zero in on different muscles in your shoulders and back.

Leg Placement
You can also modify the legs. Generally, the feet are close together. You can widen the stance, raise alternate legs, or put the legs on a step.

Balance Challenges
Work the core more by adding a balance challenge.
Put on hand on a medicine ball while doing the push up, complete all the reps and then switch sides. To increase the difficulty, move the ball back and forth between your hands and alternate single push-ups with the medicine ball.
Put one hand on a BOSU ball and the other hand on the floor, push-up, then move over so the other hand is on the BOSU and the alternate is on the floor, push-up and repeat, continuing to change sides each time.
Do push-ups with your feet on the BOSU.
Do push-ups with your feet on a towel. Do one push-up, then slide your feet forward into a downward dog position, and back out to a push-up position. Do another push-up and repeat.

Leg Movement
Another variation on the push-up is the "spiderman" push-up. Get into a traditional push-up position. Bring the right leg forward, near the back of the right hand and then push-up. Take the leg back, and do the same on the left.

Additional Exercises
You can also make the push-ups more challenging by working in other exercises.
Alternate single push-ups with side planks.
Add a weighted bar, and do five push-ups, five lat raises (from a push-up position), five push-ups, and then another five lat raises on the other side.
Add a little cardio in by doing mountain climbers. Begin in a push-up positions. Bring the right knee in towards the chest, resting the foot on the floor. Jump up and switch feet in the air, bringing the left foot in and the right foot back. Continue alternating the feet as fast as you safely can for 30-60 seconds.
Another cardio push-up based exercise is called burpee. Start in a push-up position. Jump your feet to a squat position, then leap up as high as possible from the squat position and return quickly to the push-up position. Continue as fast as you safely can for 30-60 seconds.

Hopefully, these push-up ideas will help you keep your workout fresh too!

Today's workout:
60 min. progression run (7.0 mi)
25 min. strength training
50 min. yoga

Workshop Saturday!

Today I had the pleasure to attend a 3 hour workshop at Yoga on High here in Columbus, Ohio, taught by Marcia Miller. The workshop was entitled "Rodney Review" as it was a chance to re-visit some of the techniques and concepts taught by Rodney Yee during his summer workshop in Columbus. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to attend that original workshop, but I was truly looking forward to whatever insights that Marcia might have to share ... and she had many! I was disappointed by my own absent-mindedness that I didn't bring a pen and paper to take notes, because I found myself realizing that there was so much valuable information that I wanted to remember.

Here are a few of the key points that stand out in my mind:

• Relaxation is the foundation for pranayama. Instead of defining pranayama as "breath control", try "breath awareness".
• Yoga should not be a struggle. We should not be in conflict with ourselves when doing asana practice. Know and listen to your body and do not fight your body in yoga.
• Yoga is balancing our natural habit.
• In tadasana, teachers are always saying to bring our shoulder blades down the back. Marcia pointed out, however, if our arms are reaching upward and our shoulder blades are not, this is called "dislocation" - not good. She pointed out that it is okay to raise our shoulder blades when we reach up in this pose, but not to scrunch and tighten up the neck.
• Search for the counter-pose within each pose. Work each muscle a little bit to assist the primary working muscles, to create more ease within the pose. Be aware of your whole body while in the pose, not just the "obvious" muscles.
• In trikonasana, I had always been told to envision myself as placed between two sheets of glass. However, Marcia suggested that this was not the best way to get into this pose. Instead, the back/outside hip should turn inward slightly, the front leg turned out completely. When I bend over the front leg, the ribs (but not the hip) rotate upward .... and she does not consider this pose to be a backbend. I am not doing a great job of explaining her instructions, but it was a completely new way for me to go into this pose that I have done hundreds of times. I can't wait to practice some more.
• In Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose), rather than instructing us to raise our tush in the air (which tightens your gluteal muscles), she told us to bring our hips toward and over our heels and our hearts over our shoulders. In this way, you are spreading the work throughout your body. The same focus can be taken when doing Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose), which we practiced with the help of a partner.
• We also worked on Hanumanasana (monkey pose), a very difficult pose requiring flexibility that I don't possess. I used three blocks. In this asana, we focused on bringing our back hip forward and our front hip back to be in proper alignment, even if it meant we couldn't go down as far. To get out of the pose, we used the strength of the back leg and hip to float forward gracefully.

It was a fantastic workshop and I can't wait for the next one I am taking there, which will be focusing on the Primary Series.

Today's workout:
60 min. interval elliptical (5.5 mi)
60 min. home practice yoga

More Soup

With cold weather encroaching and busy schedules changing our food preparation times, our family will be eating lots more soup! Tonight I made a delicious variation on the traditional Moroccan Harnina soup.

In Columbus, we are supporting local farmers and raising awareness of the importance of eating healthy, locally produced foods this week. Try to use as many local ingredients as possible when creating this dish.

Typically, this soup is prepared with lamb stew meat, but Giant Eagle was out of lamb during our weekly shop, so we substituted beef stew meat and it was still quite yummy. For a vegetarian version, you could omit the meat altogether or substitute chunks of tofu.

Ingredients:
EVOO
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds beef or lamb stew meat
3 tomatoes, chopped in large pieces
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
1 turnip, chopped (this was not in the original recipe, but I had it, so I threw it in!)
1/2 tsp. turmeric (heaping)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (heaping)
1/2 tsp. cumin (heaping)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 can chick peas, drained
1/2 cup lentils
4 shallots, sliced

Directions: Coat the bottom of a heavy stock pot with EVOO and heat. Saute the onions and meat for 5 minutes at medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and turnip and salt and pepper to taste. Stir occasionally for another 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, herbs and spices. Bring to a boil. Add the chick peas and lentils, turn the heat down to very low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add the shallots about 30 minutes before serving. Stir occasionally while simmering. Add more stock as desired to thin out soup as needed.

We served this soup with a green salad and naan bread. Delicious and nutritious!

Today's workout:
75 min. Fartlek run (7.54 mi)
45 min. yoga

Yoga for Fitness?

There has been a spirited discussion on the blog It's All Yoga, Baby of an "Adidas Yoga" class, taught by celebrity yogi Rainbeau Mars, which will be offered at an upcoming Yoga Journal Conference. Additional posts on the topic can be found here and here.

People are talking about the rise of celebrity yogis, the commercialization of yoga, yoga as a sport, the true values of yoga, and so many other topics. I find this whole conversation fascinating, and respect each person’s right to his or her own views and opinions. To me, it seems like this whole issue crystallizes over the question: what is yoga? at what point does a practice cease to be yoga and become simply a physical exercise?

As yoga becomes more and more widespread, extending beyond ashrams and yoga studios and into gyms, community centers and church basements, the teachers and students are going to be more and more diverse, approaching yoga with different expectations and intentions. While many are introduced to yoga because of its physical benefits and learn to appreciate the philosophy, values and lifestyle of yoga, many others have no desire to go beyond the asanas and get a tight “yoga butt”.

This is where I believe the Adidas sponsorship comes in …. they are jumping on the bandwagon because they are identifying a particular audience, a group of people who are expressing interest in yoga because of its fitness benefits. As a sports/fitness brand, Adidas wants to associate itself with these physical benefits of yoga. As far as I am concerned, you can’t blame a corporation for seeking out additional ways of making a profit – that is their mission. I guess the conundrum arises when the yoga community is faced with whether we accept this connection between yoga and fitness as a “legitimate” yoga practice.

It also seems to be a natural human impulse to try and create meaning and interpret our own experiences for ourselves, including yoga … which leads to many different styles and practices of yoga – including yoga as sport or for fitness. Yoga for sport/fitness seems to be one way of meaning making for a certain group of people – for them, they interpret yoga as a way to attain their health goals without delving into the spiritual side of yoga.

So, to me, as a person relatively new to the “serious” yoga world, it appears that discussions such as this thread point to the desire to name, capture, categorize the concept of yoga … which is, by its very nature, an elusive process as yoga tends to be inclusive of different viewpoints and adaptive to different situations.

I don’t have any answers by any means … I am enjoying reading others’ opinions and left wondering …. where does yoga fit into the fitness world, if it does?

Today's workout:
50 min. run (5.39 mi)
90 min. primary series yoga