Do you have a special event coming up? Maybe it’s a bridal shower or bachelorette weekend! Or perhaps a girls’ weekend, spa-day, brunch, restorative…
Do you have a special event coming up? Maybe it’s a bridal shower or bachelorette weekend! Or perhaps a girls’ weekend, spa-day, brunch, restorative…
As originally posted on June 16th, 2018 on LifeThroughtheOtherLens…
There’s a ton of talk everywhere about what you can’t eat! I’m really sick of it! Whenever there’s a social media post about summer, you’re immediately bombarded with diets, get fit fast plans, and then lists of everything you can’t have! I don’t know about anyone else, but the constant onslaught of what I can’t have is exactly what makes me think about those things and then want them all the more, even if I never did in the first place. This was very true while I was modeling in my early twenties. I was modeling in Europe and New York and I was constantly being told to lose five or ten more pounds. It’s the only time in my life where I think I’ve had an issue with food. And inevitably, I ended up gaining weight, losing it again, and having an unhealthy diet/binge attitude towards food. The minute I stopped that, feeding my hunger for life and for active fitness, and thus fueling my body to be able to do what I wanted to do, I developed a healthy mind and a healthier body.
Even with a healthy relationship towards food, we can get into routines, or be short on time, and fall into habits or forget to try new ideas. With my activity level, running, parenting, and the stress of life, I think that I could always use a little extra help. I have battled anemia off and on my entire life, and as I get older I find I’m short on minerals and other nutrients with my running and workouts.
Back then when I was modeling in my twenties, I was also working in a gym for martial artist Billy Blanks, I went back to school to study for my certification in physical training and nutrition. I had the idea that if I was going to battle the modeling industry in dieting, or at least a few model roommates with eating disorders, I was going to have the knowledge to back it up. Since then, I have wholeheartedly maintained the beliefs in food and nutrition that my Danish mother raised me with, eat whole foods, listen to your body, don’t get swept up in fads, and don’t eat anything that you can’t pronounce (chemicals. Not for example, “quinoa!” haha!)
With these things in mind, I am currently obsessed with the cookbook, Run Fast, Eat Slow, by NY Marathon Winner, Shalane Flannigan, and her running-chef co-writer, Elyse Kopecky. It is exactly what I love, fueling and nourishing your body with the whole foods that it is craving! I couldn’t believe when I flipped the pages, it was filled with every food that I can’t get enough of, beets, nuts…. I think I’m doing a Julie and Julia type day-by-day page-by-page trial of the entire book! Stay tuned!
These Teff Pancakes are the most delicious pancakes I’ve ever had! Teff, a whole grain flour made from the smallest grain in the world, has a much higher percentage of bran and germ, a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, and iron. A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports and Nutrition concluded that the regular addition of teff to the diet of female runners “showed significant improvements in total iron intake and modest improvement in iron status.” I chose to fill my pancakes with dried cranberries, craisins, something I thought was an odd option in the recipe, but turns out to be amazing! I’m not a pancake person, but these are delicious. And… my picky gourmet food-crazy Charlie, gave them a thumbs up! Growing kids can always use extra iron and fiber! These will be a weekend staple from now on! Focus on what you can eat, what’s nourishing your body and soul, you’ll end up thinking of those foods, listening to your body, and feeling great!
Serves: 2
Adapted from Run Fast Eat Slow by Shalane Flannigan and Elyse Kopecky
Ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk together:
3/4 cups teff flour
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
In a separate bowl, whisk together:
1 egg
1/2 can pumpkin puree (I choose organic)
3/4 cup milk-alternative (I use oat milk, you can also substitute milk or almond milk)
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I use Oat or Cashew yogurt)
1 tbsp. honey
Fold together the dry and wet ingredients, and add:
1/4 cup dried cranberries or “craisins.”
Directions:
Cook on a hot pan as you would regular pancakes, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side. These pancakes are darker in color naturally, so be sure to cook thoroughly through, the color can deceive you in thinking they are burning. Serve with a good maple syrup, and add some fresh fruit to top!! Yummmmmmm!!!
I was going to write something else today, something probably boring (& science-y, like the other post 🤓)… but I was so touched by a post of a student, now friend, I’m swelling with gratitude and feeling in awe of the universe. And in a group text, a few of us are marveling at how people cross paths, lives change, journeys divert and suddenly you look up and you’re in awe of where you ended up! Like I do ramble on and on about in class 🤪, if you get out of your head, out of the preconceived ideas of what is or what should be, once you live in the present, free from your internal dialogue, and you look at what the universe has presented you, you may see it’s beyond anything you ever conceived. The present!
I had other plans for my life, different education, had other careers, other plans for my family, that changed, life changed, my body changed, so my athletics changed, then another career… and now here I am absolutely loving what I do, and who it has me meet. I’m so grateful for every chance I get to share what I love on the mat. And so blessed for those who come to class and become my true friends!
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And yes I will have to repost @greg.matos ‘s post because it’s gonna be my digital card now 🤣🤣
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#heartisfull #sappyyogateacherpost #feelingblessed
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#yogaclasses #yogateacher #venicebeach #losangeles #yoga #LifeThroughtheOtherLens
#yogainlosangeles #yogastrong #yogastrength #yogabody #recoveredathlete #rebuiltspine #yogaclass #yogapractice #yogalife #longevity #health #yogacommunity #marinadelrey
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Did you know… 5-10% of your lifespan is genetics, 15-20% is medical intervention, the remaining approximate 70-75% is LIFESTYLE! The #1 factor of lifestyle is movement. Full stop! MOVEMENT!
Furthermore, your attitude towards aging can mean a 30% decrease in brain longevity… or a negative attitude of aging can take 8 years off your life! 🤯
What is your attitude towards aging? Do you ever catch yourself saying, “I can’t do that, I’m not 30 anymore.” Or, “everyone gains 20 lbs in the forties.” Or “I’m too old to start yoga!” STOP! All untrue! And, this negative attitude towards aging could be deadly! New science is even showing brain capabilities increase in the fifties! (Forward-thinking companies are even having a hiring boom of 50+ folks!!)
Check your inner dialogue. Get moving! And… strong bodies make strong bones… strong bones bring calcium to the brain… better and longer brain health! It’s in the science!
I could go on! Don’t get me started! 🤓
Just do some yoga! 🧘🏼♀️or in the infinite wisdom of Peter Pan, NEVER grow up💫💪🏼
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#yogaclasses #yogateacher #venicebeach #losangeles #yoga #LifeThroughtheOtherLens
#yogainlosangeles #yogastrong #yogastrength #yogabody #recoveredathlete #rebuiltspine #yogaclass #yogapractice #yogalife #longevity #health #yogacommunity #marinadelrey
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My yoga practice has been my sanctuary, sometimes my “terrordome ” (as with Rocket 😂), sometimes my place of fire (tapas), and self-study (Svadhyaya)… sometimes welcome, and sometimes not. My practice is my school, the never ending lessons of presence, of acceptance and of rejection, often of just quieting the mind. Everyday I feel my road ahead has yet so far to go, and still, I can’t believe my broken and repaired body is giving me what it is now. Every single practice is a journey I’ve come to live for! I’m grateful for those who teach me and for the community of yogis I’ve become part of! 🙏🏼🧘🏼♀️💪🏼
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#yogaclasses #yogateacher #venicebeach #losangeles #yoga #LifeThroughtheOtherLens
#yogainlosangeles #yogastrong #yogastrength #yogabody #recoveredathlete #rebuiltspine #yogaclass #yogapractice #yogalife #yogagirl #yogacommunity #marinadelrey
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Tomorrow, Tuesday 6pm, is the last of our September Sunset Sand Yoga Sesh’s!! It’s been such a beautiful way to spend our evenings moving into fall and celebrating our #endlesssummer!! I’m so grateful for all of you who have been joining!! Be sure to come tomorrow, near Driftwood in MDR/Venice Beach, for our final one… for now! 😉🌅🌴 ...
Over the last 2 decades my life has taken such turns and led me down paths that had me take leaps into neuroscience.
When I started to hear that I was experiencing massive injury to my spine, I called one of my best friends from a hospital exam room,
“They say I have all these things broken in my spine!” I told her.
“I’m putting you on the phone with my husband,” she said.
“But he’s a neurosurgeon! There’s nothing wrong with my brain!” I exclaimed!
“It’s the spine, too, dummy!” Haha… little did I know!
And even before that, having a child with autism and learning absolutely everything I could about sensory integration, vestibular and proprioceptive senses, organizing the central nervous system, and neurology. It’s taken me on an incredible exploration of neuroscience that only re-ignited my learning in yoga!
These days, I’m studying health and longevity and staving off long-term diseases using our yoga practice, like those of the brain, dementia and Alzheimer’s. (More about this in another post!)
It’s such a vast fascinating field I know I can only touch the tip of the iceberg. But I try to incorporate this in my flows. Here was a bit from this last week. Let me know what you think of these tricky revolving Asanas that cross the midline on opposing ends of the body!
If you’d like to hear more, if you’d like to learn which poses can be a real neuro-workout in addition to physical, why Ekapada Khoundinyasana creates new pathways in the brain, or if you’d like to learn how to create the longest life full of activity and mental vitality, starting now, whether you’re 25 or 75… join me on my #yogaretreat in the Turks and Caicos in December where I’ll be going into depth on this topic!
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@massoudik @farzadmassoudi 🙏🏼#Forevergrateful
#yogaclasses #yogateacher #autismmom #asd #autism #neuroyoga #venicebeach #losangeles #yoga #LifeThroughtheOtherLens #yogainlosangeles #yogastrong #yogastrength #yogabody #recoveredathlete #rebuiltspine #yogaclass #yogapractice #yogalife #yogagirl #longevity #alzheimers #dimentia #yogacommunity #marinadelrey #neurology #revolvingasanas #neuroscience
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Having had such a massive injury to my spine and hips, multiple surgeries and then a spinal fusion, I have to work consistently every single day to not only continue to move but to try to increase my flexibility… but also, more importantly, internally, to turn off the negative narrator which likes to remind me of my perceived limits and tell me I`m a fraud teaching yoga. #impostersyndrome
Value as a yoga teacher doesn`t come from an ability to do any pose but rather the effectiveness of reaching your students both in asana and in life. Students don`t walk out of a class feeling good because you can demo a pose, they walk out feeling good when they`ve moved the energy in their body, felt a safe space to explore, unlocked a pose they never did before, or let go of a limiting belief! I try to impart this in every class. Yes, there are still poses I can`t do, or poses I could do but can`t do since my spine rebuild, like any backbend! (Even sitting upright in split is hard on my sacrum and lumbar spine and hip). This teaches me perseverance and patience. I offer my knowledge gained in my experience, on and off the mat, on a variety of topics, through our yoga practice.
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What`s a yoga pose you can`t do? Share in the comments. Let me know your thoughts.
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*Note* To work on splits, we work daily in class on: 1. Anjaneyasana to Half Split (flat low-back) 2. Lizard to modified Pyramid 3. High lunge to Pyramid 4. Ending with Supine splits, straight and Supine Padangustasana 2 & 3.
Hope this helps!
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#yogaclasses #yogateacher #visvamitrasana #venicebeach #losangeles #yoga #LifeThroughtheOtherLens #yogainlosangeles #yogastrong #yogastrength #yogabody #recoveredathlete #rebuiltspine #yogaclass #yogapractice #yogalife #yogagirl #longevity #yogacommunity #marinadelrey
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