Showing posts with label yoga renewal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga renewal. Show all posts

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Favorite Recipes from Yoga Renewal 2014

roasted veggies with avocado
For the last few years I have offered a Yogic Renewal Retreat in my home studio. It's a small intimate group. We chant, do yoga, meditate, let go of the old year, eat and prepare for the upcoming year. Of course, what we eat is a big part of the program. So here are the recipes for those who are eager to replicate them.

Roasted Veggies- Choose any of your favorite veggies. Clean, peel, chop. Root veggies and those that need more time (potatoes, winter squashes, beets, etc), I put in a bowl with 3 T olive oil, 3 T balsamic vinegar, 5 or 6 chopped cloves of garlic, ground rosemary (I love freshly dried from my herb garden and I grind it with a pestle and mortar), salt and pepper. Toss root veggies and put in olive oiled 9 X 12 pan. Roast uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. In a container I put the rest of my veggies, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, eggplant. Toss in a similar mixture of olive oil, etc. Place in fridge. When the time goes off, I add these veggies for another 30-40 minutes.
Sometimes I eat this by itself with a sliced avocado as shown in pic above.

Polenta Dome adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates
4 c water 
bowl for polenta dome

2 t salt
1 T olive oil
2 c chopped onion
6 cloves chopped garlic
2 c cornmeal (I liked medium size)
1, 2 lb butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and shredded)
1 t ground sage
2 t ground fennel
.5 t ground black pepper
1 c grated romano cheese

Bring water and salt to boil. Slowly add, stirring constantly, cornmeal. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Be sure cornmeal is cooked and not grainy. You will need to keep an eye on this and sit regularly. Olive oil a rounded, bowl. See pic.

Heat olive oil and cook onion, garlic, and 1 t salt until browned. Add shredded squash and cook for 5 more minutes. Add water if it sticks. Stir veggies into cornmeal when the cornmeal is done. Add cheese. Scoop into prepared bowl, cover and let it cool. I place it in the fridge until just before heating to eat. I like that you can make this up to a day ahead of time.

Carefully place on a cooking tray or platter (oven safe). Bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve with roasted vegetables. It's very attractive and very filling.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad
1 apple of your choice chopped
10-20 grapes cut into 4's
1 medium-sized shallot sliced thinnly
1 c roasted walnuts (350 degrees on cookie sheet for 5-8 minutes)
1/2 c goat cheese diced

Dressing:
3 T olive oil
6 T balsamic vinegar
1 T mustard
salt and pepper

Toss ingredients with dressing and serve.

Roasted Pears/Apples
1 pear or apple per person (sometimes I slice sweet potatoes too)
1 t ghee or butter (melt in pan before adding fruit)
Sprinkle with 1 t ground ginger, cinnamon and/or cardamom 

Walnut-Date Balls 
Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Looking for some clarity and guidance in planning your year, check out my Desire Mapping Workshops. The next one in SLC is January 17-18, 2015. My first virtual one begins on February 1st.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

To BE Present or THE Present -- which makes us happier?

Be Present or The Present
"When asked what gift he wanted for his birthday, the yogi replied, "I wish no gifts, only presence." Unknown

We all know how commercialized all of our holidays have become around the world. What is it that is truly important to each of us? Which makes us happier--presents or presence?

I have 2 boys who both have December birthdays. Now that they're in their teens, they have more input about their gifts. Learning to make choices, serve the community (they volunteer at the local food bank with their dad), and work towards what they want has been key. I have to put a shout out to my family for instilling these values in me so that I could pass them on. Thanks Mom, Dad and Step-Dad. 

I'm not saying that we don't get sucked into buying more than we need. We do.

Being present to what is in front of us IS more important than giving or receiving a gift, BUT gifts are not bad. I love to give little (and big) gifts and I love to receive them. The key is that I need to feel it's a choice and not a requirement. I also need to feel that the gifts I give are useful or needed. A beautiful trinket, a day at the spa, a new set of skis, a great book, all have their place. I think of the yama, aparigraha. We don't want to grasp for more than we need. 

Let's remember to BE present in our gift giving and even more importantly, let's BE present with each other. Ultimately, we'll be happier for a longer time and feel better about ourselves for our presence.

If you live in Salt Lake, each year I offer a Yoga Renewal in my home studio. A day-long reprieve from the holidays where you can let go of any baggage of the year and shift your energy towards being open to possibilities in the new year. I hope to see some of you.

Being Present makes us and those around happier and feel more connected. Here's an interesting infographic on being present.

Please share your experiences of being present below. May you all have a healthy, joyous and peaceful holiday.

"Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked." TKV Desikachar
#bepresent #holidaytradition #yogarenewal