My Kale-icious Salad

For lunch today I enjoyed my Berry Salad. Packed with so many nutritions!! 

Sometimes I wonder what to say in these posts. I have tons of ideas in my head but no real direction. It's frustrating but I'm just going to roll with it and do like I do most things and figure it out, learn from it and speak from my heart. 

I'm not big on making my own salads. As a matter of fact I happen to hate it, which is crazy considering I LOVE salads! A great tip I learned from one of my employer/fitness and dear friend, is thats a great idea to prep as much as you can! Typically I will spend part of Sunday cooking different things for the week. 

I think one of my favorite things about this salad - besides having the berries in it - is the KALE!

There are so many benefits of kale. It's high in vitamin A, C & K, which helps against stiff joints and arthritis. Helps detox the body of free radicals and toxins. Loaded with fiber. Also helps make enzymes to detoxify cancer causing chemicals. Great for your skin and other fun and wonderful things! 

All around, kale is a power house food and will see it very commonly on my morning (and sometimes lunch) smoothies and salads. It's also packed with tons of protein! I don't think I can brag about kale enough. 

She's a beauty if a salad alright! On top of the berries and kale, there is, romaine lettuce, celery, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli and green onions. The dressing I used was a pomegranate vinegarette  dressing. 

Wonderfully yummy was what it was indeed. 

Love and lots of happiness! 

Finding the Brahmacarya in My Life

I'm not going to beat around the bush, I have been in a funk lately.  I've been hung up on where I want to be and unhappy with where I am at.  I have been upset about where I am job wise, I love me job, don't get me wrong, but my schedule can be challenging and not leave a lot of room for friends, family, and time for myself.  I do not resent my schedule, for it is the schedule I have set up in order to fit all my jobs (yes, plural, jobS) in order to pay my bills and get where I am trying to go. I am striving to work less, but make more.  I have a plan, it's the execution of that plan I have been having trouble with.

Lately, I have been reading a lot about Brahmacarya in one of the books I am reading called, Meditations from the Mat, which I recommend to anyone looking for a daily read. Brahmacarya is the 7th Yama which reminds us to practice moderations. Passionate moderation should be used in all aspects of our lives, from our thoughts, to our words, to our deeds. I have a lot of passions but lacking a lot in the balance and moderation department. The past few days I have been trying to practice more Brahmacarya, trying to silence my mind and all the nasty emotions it tries to impair me with.  You know, the things like insecurities, self doubt in myself to be able to achieve my goals or getting anxious about trying to find the time to do it all.

I have begun by taking the time to right down all the things I need to accomplish and prioritized again. I am one of those peoples who functions best of having lists, for everything.  I have my chores list, errands list, grocery list, goals list, etc.  Now that I went back to my lists, life already seems to be a little more organized and even have been able to check some of those things off. But more importantly, feeling a sense of balance again.

Having Brahmacarya in our lives leads us to a sense of calmness which in turn opens up our energy and allows our dreams to flow freely. Having freedom from unhealthy emotions gives us the strength to believe our dreams and begin to achieve them. Brahmacarya brings us courage to stop our minds from self sabotage. When you spend your days caught up in self doubt, anxious or stricken with sadness for no reason are precious beautiful days destroyed by your very own mind.

LET GO. BE FREE. If you can control your mind (which controls your emotions) you will become more liberated, have more energy and time for the positive things in your life. In Sanskrit, Brahmacarya means responsibility. So do just that, be responsible.  Get organized. Come up with a plan of action. Most importantly don't forget that just because the present moment might not be exactly what you want it to be, don't discredit the beauty that lies within it. Find the Brahmacarya in your life.


Let your inner light shine.

Namaste.

I Found Joy in Yoga

This year I found joy in yoga - I have been to yoga classes on and off since I was 15 (oh man, that was 11 years ago) but never really stuck with it or practiced on a normal basis.  This past January, I was having lots of lower back pain from picking up babies that were turning into not so light toddlers - good ol' nanny life! Every night I would stretch and do planks to alleviate the pain and build strength. I came across some yoga challenges on Instagram and started using my yoga app on my iPhone. As the days went by I was realizing that my pain was starting to disappear AND my attitude and spirit started to transform.

Months went by where I was practicing at home but knew that practicing at home was no longer enough.  I was lucky enough to know the owners of Sublime Yoga in Downtown Dunedin, and went in one day to talk to them about growing more in my practice.  They told me about the Mysore Ashtanga program that they were starting up soon and that it would work with my work schedule.  I was thrilled!

The first class I went too, Heather (the yoga teacher and owner of the program) welcomed me with such open arms and unlimited knowledge about the practice. She has an energy about her that makes  your insecurities of any kind flush away. I trust her with my practice and helping me deepening my stretches.  I have not been as often as I had been going being of my work schedule but nonetheless, I try to practice at least 5 times a week, even if it as at home.

Before my yoga adventure I have been on, I was filled with lots of emotional baggage, anxiety and attitude.  Eight months later, I feel free.  I feel at peace and I feel joyful. I am no where near where I want to be, but very proud of how far I have come.  I look forward to my practice growing not just physically, but as well emotionally and mentally.

One of the first photos I took back in January

Yes, that is my sweet kitty April. She loves to join in too!

Yoga has encouraged me to switch from paleo to vegan. I still avoid gluten as much as possible and avoid refined sugars. I also have learned to be more loving, gentle and positive. I am thankful, beyond words or reasoning, that yoga has touched my soul in such a beautiful way.  May this journey continue on for many many more years to come.

Let your inner light shine in all that you do!

Namaste.

Whip it Up Salad Wraps

Ahh!! I'm back in good ol' Florida. Where it rains almost everyday, the thunder and lightening is soul shaking exciting and the humidity clings onto your skin. And best part? MY KITCHEN!! Nearly 5 weeks without a kitchen it just entirely to long.  Needless to say when I got home I went on a cooking spree!

My whip it up Salad Wraps:

Romaine lettuce
Carrots - diced
Tomatoes - diced
Purple Onions - diced
Brocoli Sprouts

perfectly paired with my homemade Peanut Sauce & Cilantro and Lime Sauce

I think what I like about this so much is how much variety you can have with it. You can swap out any veggies or even fruits! And what ever kind of dressing you really like.  

It was kinda messy to eat, so I think next time I am going to use a different type of green leaf - possibly kale? 

My Dearly Departed

I have to giggle that the last time I wrote in this blog was when I started it nearly a year ago when I was caring for my G-ma. Sadly my beautiful grandmother departed in the early mornings of this past Monday to be reunited with rest of our angels in Heaven.  I will miss her terribly but I am at peace because I know that I will continue to feel her love in a new way.

The very next morning after her earthly departure, I woke up with this desire to start blogging again. So here I am. I wrote this on my Instagram and Facebook in honor of my Gma:

“Early this morning my Gma was called upon to the Heavens. It was her time to be reunited with my Papa whom she was married to for almost 72 years & rest of my family's angels. She was 91 years young & lived a life filled with adventure, friends, family & most importantly love. I have lost myself in sorrow before over the death of loved ones, but know that is no way to honor someone's life. So instead, I am choosing to carry her life & beautiful spirit by being happy & living life to the fullest. By being a strong woman in times of trials & tribulations, by continuing to have a love for nature & gardening. By having a desire to be healthy, by being tender hearted & open minded to all races & nationalities. By seeking adventures all over the world & loving my family. By being a woman filled with honor & respect, & by being a woman who knows how to love her man in a beautiful way. These are all things this inspirational woman has taught me by example & not just be her words. May you continue to watch over us Gma in a new way my sweet precious music loving Angel! ❤” 

The most spiritual animal for me is the dragonfly. I have always been drawn to dragonflies. When my Papa (whom I was extremely close too) passed away a few years ago there was about a hundred flying around us at his funeral and I took that as nature’s way of letting me know he was there with us. Every since then I have found even comfort when I see a dragonfly. I think of it as my Papa saying he is with me, and just stopping by to say “hi”. When they land on me, I think of it as his way of giving me a hug and what ever is going on in my life, everything will be okay.

Currently I am out of town for work for the summer and decided to go to the gym after I found out the news. Along my walk to the gym, I came across these turkeys. I believe that everything in nature has a meaning, not just it’s physical purpose but also a spiritual purpose. 

The meaning of coming across a turkey(s): life cycles happening, endings, beginnings and preparation. It is also a message to be mindful of our blessings. All extremely relevant to my morning.

Well, all of Monday, there were dragonflies surrounding me all day. It was incredible! Then what do you know, one landed on my shoulder. I wish I had been surprised, but I wasn’t. It always happens when I need a little encouragement or comfort. Just like Papa never failed me, neither have the dragonflies. I never knew what the spiritual meaning of this captivating creature was and decided to do a little research. My mind was blown.

I found my information on the dragonfly meaning so interesting. It represents change, transformation, adaptability, joy, and lightness of being. Native Americans believe that is a symbol of departed souls. So incredibly touching and powerful, especially since my Gma and Papa both have Native American roots.

All in all, the past few days I have felt so connected to nature and my precious grandparents souls. I give thanks for my faith and belief that even though their physical body is no longer here but that their spirit and love surrounds me everywhere I go. And that there, brings me peace and comfort.