One of the things that really helps me when my schedule is crazy is the chlorella tablets I carry in my bag.  I always try to take food with me when I will be away from home for a while; Not only does that guarontee me a healthy meal or snack, it is cost effective as I am not purchasing additional foodstuffs when it is unnecessary.  But Sometimes, I do not have the time to make a smoothie or I run out of my healthy foods and get hungry! 

Enter the chlorella tablets:

What is chlorella?  It is a sea algae that has a balanced ratio of protein (60% !), carb (19%), fat (6%), bio-available minerals (8%), and moisture (7%).  If you like spirulina, try chlorella!  It has ten times the chlorophyll of spirulina! Whoa!

So what is so great about chlorophyll?
Among many things, chlorella helps pull heavy metals out of the system, including mercury, lead, and cadmium. These metals can get in from our food supply and pollution, and can lodge all over the body, affecting everything. Chlorophyll also gives us tremendous energy, and can help balance the body, assisting with such functions as even fertility.

Chlorella also has around 92 trace minerals, vitamins, glycolipids, phycocyanin, sulfolips, carotenoids, superoxide dismutase, RNA and DNA, and is loaded with beta-carotene.

Because it is so high in minerals, micronutrients as well as macronutrients, it really helps keep me satisfied so I don’t feel weak when I’m working or on-the-go and have no access to good food. If you like you can chew them up.  Put 6 or so in your mouth and chew away!  You can really taste the plant protein so if this is noew to you, just go for it!  You can always justswallow the tablets if you don't like it!  But I recommend trying, and then trying again; You'll soon begin to enjoy the taste!

I keep them in my bag, and it is not uncommon for me to have a few between teaching and practicing yoga, on planes, and all similar types of emergencies. You can pick them up at health stores.

In Peace,
Kirsten
 
Cucumber Aioli 02/20/2010
 
Yummy, detoxifying salad!

3 Cucumbers
6 small cloves garlic or 3 large
crushed red pepper
1-2 Tblsp. hempseed oil
Celtic sea salt
fresh juice squeezed from 1 lemon (to taste)

Wash, scrub and peel the cucumber.  Use a vegetable peeler or spiralizer to turn the cucumber into long thin strips.  GO all the way to the seeds, then use the seeds for something else. (put in your next smoothie!)  Mince or crush the garlic.  Toss the cucumber strips with the garlic, pepper, oil and salt. Really do it up!  Sing a happy song while preparing and then serve right away.  If you let it sit, the salt will create a water-logged salad, so eat it right away or add the salt when you are ready to consume.

This simple salad is awesome.  Spice amounts can be adjusted to suit your taste!
Enjoy and in Peace,
Kirsten
 
Awesome Smoothie 02/17/2010
 

I have been eating more skin nourishing foods trying to help my skin heal from a rash that was exacerbated by a topical medication I used.  One of the yummy things I made was this amazingly tasty, skin plumping smoothie! 

Flesh and water from 1 young thai coconut
1 c. Almond Milk
1/2 small avocado
1 packet Acai
1 orange, peeled
1 banana

Blend and drink.  Awesome-ly good! 

Thai coconut water is full of potassium which facilitates cellular cleansing.  It's electrolyte content is very similar to human blood and has been used for blood transfusions!  Very easily asiimilated into our bodies, this hydrates you better than anything else. 
Almond milk adds creaminess!
Avocadoes have raw beautifying fat that is perfect for our bodies!    Full of minerals and fiber.
Acai can be found in most healthfood stores in the frozen section. Itis chock-full of Omega Fatty Acids that plump and nourish the skin as well as antioxidents.
Banana adds some sweetness!

Although I woke up the next morning and still have my rash :), I feel great!  Here's to trying new food!

In Peace,
Kirsten
 
Smart Snacks 02/05/2010
 
A couple of really smart snacks packed in your bag for the day will help keep the junk food out of your thoughts and out of your mouth!
So?  What are some smart snacks?  Not only are they healthy, satisfying and tasty, they should be a-plenty!  I mean you should have choices.  You never know what is going to strike your fancy when it comes to snack treats so it is advisable to have options with you at all times!  This may sound extreme or time consuming in preparation, or heavy for the carrying around; it isn't any of these.  It is fun and satisfying knowing that you have what you will want later in the day and will not have to resort to heavy, greasy, or refined sugary foods.

You may need salty, crunchy, moist (like cake), sweet, etc.  Here are some good ideas;

1. The old stand-by; cut-up veggies.  This may sound boring now, but add an amazing dip and you have gourmet.  Guaronteed, pasers-by will stare at it and want some. (Only the bold will all out ASK for a taste! Most will just ask questions: "Is that dip?  What kind is it?  Did you make it?  What does it taste like?")

2. Flax crackers.  These are awesome.  You can buy them in a health food store or make them yourself.  I recommend making them. The home made ones are far superior than the store bought. (Certainly no offense intended to those sold in stores. I am very grateful for their presence on the market,  I just like mine better:)

3.  Smoothie.  Always good to have one around.  I drink one in the morning and am sure to pack one with me when I will be out of the house for more than a few hours.

4.  Olives.  I love olives.  They are a wonderful snack to carry around; you only need a few and they satisfy the salt craving that may arise!

5. Easy Pecan Pie.  For when you want something rich, sweet, chewy, and out of this world.  When you spy a co-worker chowing down on a ding-dong and you start thinking along the same lines----make your pie!

6.  Some travel friendly fruit. Apples, clemetines, grapes, whatever you may have on hand.  Grab one!

These are just some ideas.  But, if you had each of these, then you would most likely have something that sounded great that you could definitely call a "smart snack"!

Tomorrow, when you go out for the day, take along a few smart snacks and call it good!

In Peace,
Kirsten
 
 
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photo courtesy of kumah.org
A wonderful gift yoga brings to the practitioner is the awareness that body and breath are connected and further exploration on that subject will lead the practitioner to experience the connection of the mind and spirit as well.   

A beautiful beginning exercise in fostering that connection of body, breath and mind is a walking meditation.  Walking meditation is profoundly beneficial and has been an exercise used in many traditions.    I will give you two examples of walking meditation to enjoy.  One comes from the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and another from Kundalini Yoga Teacher Gurucharan Singh from his book, Breathwalk.

I saw a video of Thich Nhat Hanh teaching a group of people a walking meditation.  His energy was as if he were standing right next to me.  He spoke of walking meditation and how to accomplish it.

You must walk with no goal.  So, no time frame, no destination.  Taking simple steps that contain happiness and joy.   Walk as if each footstep makes an imprint on the earth.  And within the imprint your foot makes, lies the feelings you hold inside of you.   Do it as if you are the happiest person on the earth! 
Because there is no goal, no destination, walking is not a means but an end itself. 

It is said that when you see with the eyes of the Boddhisattva, you can see within the footprints a person has made how that person felt when he or she made those footprints;  stressed, worried, serene, joyous...

Suppose I had a miraculous power to take you to the pure land of Amida Buddha, or for Christians to The Kingdom of God.  Once there, how would you walk?  Would you walk with sorrow and anxiety?  Would you place sorrow and anxiety upon the land? 

Make steps as if you imprint your foot on the earth and the footprint contains your happiness, joy, serenity, love and peace.  It can be done.  Walk and breath love into each step.  And with each joyous step you make, you create heaven here on earth.  You create the pure land here on earth.

Kundalini Yoga's Gurucharan Singh Khalsa has a technique of walking and breathing with mantra.  The walking can be at any pace, the breath: in 4 counts and out 4 counts.  The way you keep track of the counts is with the mantra Sa Ta Na Ma.
Sa Ta Na Ma can translate to birth, life, death, rebirth. 
On the inhale and with each step you think a syllable: (step) Sa, then (step) Ta, then (step) Na, and then (step) Ma and then exhale and likewise, with each step think a syllable: Sa, Ta, Na. Ma.
It is simple, energizing and renewing. 

Try one or both meditations and note how you feel before, after, during!  Take time to destress and renew your body, mind and spirit each day with breath and movement. And remember to train the mind as well as the body.  For if the mind is untrained and runs wild, then life is dramatic, traumatic and more painful than needs to be.

In Peace,
~Kirsten
 
 
In cold wintery days when the rain is drizzling down your windows and you need something warming, health-giving and full of flavor, opt for soup!


Here is a delicious stew that is sure to create a spark in your mouth!  (Kids love it, too.)


2 Tblsp. olive oil or grape seed oil
2 cups onion, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
2 Tblsp. Old Bay Seasoning
2 Tsp. Thyme, powder or leaves
2 c. chopped tomatoes 
4 cups water
2 cups sweet potato, diced
1 zucchini, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 c. cut green beans, frozen or fresh
1 c. fresh or frozen okra, chopped
2 c. fresh or frozen corn
before serving, add
2 Tblsp. Soy sauce, Tamari or Bragg's
2 Tblsp. Fresh lemon juice


Saute the onions in the oil, add the Old bay, Celery and Thyme, saute 5 minutes more (add a bit of water if you need to keep it from sticking) Add the tomatoes with their juices, and the rest. Cook on med-low heat for 20 minutes and then turn off the heat.  Add the Bragg's and lemon juice before serving.  Yummy! 

*If you want added protein, you can serve over cooked quinoa.  Delish! 
*Sprinkle some nutritional yeast for a cheezy flavor.
*Sing positive music or say a little mantra or prayer while cooking.  This puts that vibration into your food and it will pass on to others when they eat it!  You can play good music, too.  Be happy, smile and fill your food with love and life!
 
 
Here are a few tips on getting healthy and staying healthy!

1. When you get home from the grocery store or farmer's market, wash those vegetables immediately!  Get all the greens washed and prepped for salads and smoothies.  Clean greens are WAY more appealing when you are hungry!

2. Prepare the fruits and veggies for your morning smoothies and place all the ingredients for your smoothies in individual containers.  Make enough for 3-4 days of smoothies.  That way you can wake up, hydrate, do your morning routine and then empty your one container of goodness into your blender, add water and whirl! (You can do the same for salads if you like.  Pre-make the salads.  Mix them up and have them in containers ready to eat.  I often make one GINORMOUS salad and place it in a lidded glass bowl for the family to eat on for 2-3 days.)

3.  Have a good dressing.  Have two or three!  Make your own!  If you do not have a great dressing recipe, try this on for size; it is awesome!

1/3 cup raw tahini
1/4 cup flaxseed oil (coldpressed)
1/4 cup olive oil (coldpressed)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup Tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 garlic clove (optional)

Blend it all up and add it to salad or dip veggies into it. YUM!

4.  Do not stock junkfood in the house.  If you buy it for your kids, stop!  If you buy it for your spouse, stop!  It does no one any good!  If your spouse absolutely HAS to have the stuff, tell them how important it is to you that you not have the temptation of junkfoods and processed foods around while you are implememting new habits that serve your highest goals.  Ask if they can buy that type of food for themself and keep it at work or elsewhere.  If they STILL must have it at home. Designate a shelf in the cupboard for that person and place those processed items there.  If it is your children that say they have to have it, remember you are the parent.  Here are some guidelines that help children learn good eating habits.

5.  Take plenty of healthy snacks when you leave your house.  Make sure your have choice.  I find if I take one snack with me, say something mroe salty, I will end up wanting something sweet.  So, take raw niuts and dried fruits (dates and pecans are a great instant sweet-tooth fix!); veggie slices and maybe a dressing to dip them in, bring a green smoothie or fresh fruit.  It may seem like alot, but packing a small sack with plenty of choices will save you money and keep you smiling all around.

There are so many ways to help yourself when it comes to staying on track.  The most important thing to remember?  If you get off track, do not beat yourself up about it!  it is ok.  Just try to make a better choice for your next meal or snack!

In Peace,
Kirsten
 
 

We take in nutrients from our food, the body utilizes those nutrients and then the body rids itself of the waste-matter;  Solid, liquid.  Ideally we take in foods that give us what we need.  Proper foods that are fresh, living and full of life-affirming goodness.  Many times we take in foods devoid of these qualities and so our bodies suffer. 
 
Likewise in life we have experiences; Many experiences -from the moment we are born into our precious bodies until the day we leave our physical forms.  Ideally in life we process our experiences, learn from them what we can and then eliminate that which is not needed; Eliminate that which does not serve our highest purpose.   We store these past experiences in our unconscious and subconscious minds where they can overflow into our daily lives and our conscious living resulting in negative self image, negative patterns of behavior or thought.

We will explore ways to rid ourselves of past negativity and trauma in a future newsletter.  For now, we are going to focus on changing our everyday thinking habits.
 
Positive affirmation has been around for thousands of years and is nothing new.  Words increase in power through repetition and when those words are positive they increase at an even more rapid rate. Why? Because Life, which is found in everything, from you to me to the chair you sit on to the air you breathe began with thought.  Nothing exists that did not first begin with a thought.  And Life wants nothing more than to advance.  It is an intelligent substance.  

When you think or speak or act positively, Life becomes interested in you.  When you begin to make it a habit out of something positive, Life starts to really become interested and hangs around more, finding faster ways to help you advance as It wants nothing more than to see you grow!

Here is  a quick exercise in positive affirmation or mantra;

Think of something you think or say to yourself that is negative or keeps you down in some way...


...do you have it yet?  It can be something from this morning or something from your childhood that has been carried all these years.  You decide. 

Here is my example:  I am not good enough.   

Let's say I have had this thought for 20-sum years.  'I am not good enough.'  My mind my repeat these words thousands of times through-out the day and the problem with this is I am allowing my mind to control the situation and when I repeat this mantra thousands of times, I begin to shrink a little bit and believe it.  

My new mantra to replace the old one will be "I am good enough now".  I will use this mantra in the other mantra place whenever the old mantra tries to sneak in.  At first it will seem like you are CONSTANTLY having to replace the new mantra!  And believe me, the old one will be annoyed and try very hard to push it's way into the front of your mind, but you must not let it.  As soon as the thought begins to enter... push it aside with your new positive mantra.

"I am not..." *** "I am good enough NOW"


"But, I ..."  "I am good enough NOW"


"I am good enough now. I am good enough now"

The first few days are the most challenging.  But the old mantra sees the new mantra for what it is -a jack-hammer and it will learn to stay away.  In a matter of days or weeks, your new mantra will be the reigning champion and the old mantra will cease to exist. It is worth the effort.  Then you can move onto another negative pattern of thought and begin to replace one at a time until your mind is new and fresh and focused on all things positive.


When you are focused on the positive, you will find that more and more good things happen to you.  Because cause and effect are real.  A like cause produces a like effect.  Focus on the negative and that is what you'll get.  It is your decision! 


All thing can be ours, if only we stand up and claim them!

Try it.  I challenge you.  Begin now.


In Peace,
Kirsten
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Increasing energy in the body can be facilitated in so many ways! One wonderful yogic technique is by channeling the breath through the right nostril.  When we inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril it gives us a more focused, action-oriented mind as well as helps to minimize negative thinking.  Try this technique the next time you feel that 'afternoon slump'.  (You know...when you start thinking of coffee, sugar or chips to pick you up!)

Sat Nam
 
On beauty 01/05/2010
 
There is a famous quote that is often attributed to Nelson Mandela, but in fact was written by Marianne Williamson.  It is one poem from her 1992 collection entitled A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of  "A Course in Miracles"

So beautiful and so very, very true, these words ring loudly for us to hear;  To really hear.  To take in. To absorb, and to remind us to listen to ourselves and learn who we are and why we are here.


Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson

Be the biggest YOU you can be!
~Kirsten Baca