Tag Archives: bees n blossoms

Home Yoga Practice + Raw Banana Ice Cream

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yoga

Julia14Starting a new routine is hard! Since I’ve gotten back from Foundations of Yoga Therapy Training with Gary Kraftsow, I’m determined to (finally) make my home yoga practice a regular part of my day.

This has not been easy.

It kind of reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom wanted me to wash my face every night. I used to tell her I had done it when I really hadn’t. She always knew I was lying – I found out later that she would feel the faucet to see if it was warm and when it wasn’t she knew I hadn’t washed my face.

Today I can’t imaging NOT washing my face before I go to sleep!

And so it is with my home practice. Every morning I am getting up at 6am and dragging my butt to my yoga mat where I practice asana in the Viniyoga tradition for 30 minutes or so. I love the practice, I always feel good afterwards, and I know it’s helping me to become a Yoga Therapist. So WHY then is it so hard to do??? I’ve been averaging 5 practices per week which I guess is pretty good. I just thought it would be easier, something that I couldn’t imagine NOT doing. They say it takes 21 times before something becomes a habit. It hasn’t happened for me yet!

Eats

I was flipping through a raw “cook” book a few days ago and was reminded of an amazingly simple and delicious treat – Banana “Ice Cream!”

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Here’s what you do:

  1. Cut up two bananas into 1 inch chunks and toss into a plastic bag. Store the bananas in your freezer for at least three hours
  2. Put the frozen bananas into your food processor and whirl away for about 4-5 minutes.
  3. TA DA! Now you have a creamy, low cal, low fat, raw, vegan, delicious treat for two! I added a few blueberries and a drizzle of Bees n Blossoms honey. You could also mix together agave + cocoa powder for a chocolatey topping, or my favorite -  pb2!

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Revenge of the Bees + Why I Do Yoga

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I just got stung by a bee in my backyard! OUCH! At least I think it was a bee – I’m really not sure since it stung my BOOTIE! Wow that really hurt. It’s a good thing you weren’t near me when it happened cuz I was cussin’ like a sailor! I bought a jar of honey this morning from Bees n’ Blossoms at the Reston Farmers Market - could this be revenge? Maybe this bee misunderstood because Bees n’ Blossoms treat their bees really well, using only organic and natural methods.

Eats

Anywho, this morning I had….a SMOOTHIE! Yes, surprising I know. Here’s what I had:

  • vanilla rice milk
  • banana
  • baby spinach
  • Spirutein vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tablespoons of Better n Peanut Butter

And just now I enjoyed my current rave for lunch:

DSC_0004DSC_0003That would be:

  • 1 cup cooked oatmeal
  • 3/4 cup fresh blueberries from the Farmers Market
  • 2 tablespoons Chocolate pb2 (you can see it peeking out of the top left side in the second picture)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • pinch of cinnamon

SO YUMMY! For those of you who count, it’s 6 WW.

yoga

Yesterday I spent some time with a yoga teacher friend and she asked me “What do you want from your yoga practice?” I didn’t’ have an answer right away but I’ve been thinking about the question. During my practice this morning it came to me. I want to feel connection.

Connection with my mind.
Connection with my body.
Connection with my breath.
Connection with my True Self.

This is why I practice yoga.
During my regular non-yoga practicing hours, I move through my day running errands, talking on the phone, surfing the internet, teaching, cooking, exercising, eating, etc. My mind jumps from one thing to the next. I am not thinking about my body or my breath. I associate with whatever it is I’m doing in the moment – I’m a wife, I’m a daughter, I’m a yoga teacher, I’m a customer.

But during my practice this changes.
I quiet my mind and bring my attention to my breath, and I feel…whole and…happy.

Why do you practice yoga? Or…why don’t you practice yoga?

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