Friday Fruit Juice

Boy was I GRUMPY PANTS today!  No reason in particular but I was not my normal self and that really bums me out.  As I was running errands I was dragging one foot after another and could not get any energy.  I can’t stand being like this!

I finally got home and decided to make myself a pick-me-upper.  Fresh juice is the BEST way to get natural energy into your body by loading up on vitamins and minerals.

While I generally try to juice mostly vegetables (keep in mind juicing too many fruits will load you up on sugar) I have a weakness for a fruity delicious juice in the middle of a hot day.  Being that I had my grumpy pants on today I decided I wanted a mason jar full of mouth watering green liquid to pick me out of my slump.

Makes two 12 oz mason jars of juice

I spy something…green.

Recipe:

2 Medium sized green pears

2 Handfuls of green grapes

1 Green apple (2 is pictured here but there was a lot of juice by the time I got to the apples and didn’t have room)

2 Sticks of celery

1 Large cucumber

I like to make enough so that my man can enjoy one too! Cut ingredients in half if you are juicing for one, or tightly seal up your 2nd mason jar in the fridge for you later on in the day (hint: juices are best consumed within 24 hours or less to retain vitamins).

Yummmmmmmy in my Tummmmmy.

❤

Happy Juicing!

What is your favorite grumpy pants juice recipe???

4 Strength Builders for a Forearm Balance

Oh, my favorite! Pincha Mayurasana.  “You want me to pincha my what?!”   In English terms: the Forearm Balance. :0

Pincha Mayurasana.

Because it’s my job as a yoga teacher to practice Santosha (truth) I will: this is a HARD ass posture! Which is most likely the reason why so many yogis want to learn it because it is such an empowering posture when you learn it….and also the reason why students attempt it, don’t succeed, and then believe “I’m not strong enough for that posture”.  YES, YOU ARE!  If you practice…

Guess what…practicing the exercises for this posture is in my opinion one of the best ways to build up arm, shoulder, and core strength even if you aren’t kicking up into the posture!  I worked for a good hot year before I could do a forearm balance with out a wall.  So keep in mind, patience is virtue!

I want to share 4 strengtheners with you that I practiced religiously to build up my muscles to conquer Pincha Mayurasana.   4 strengtheners that you will see VERY often in my classes when I teach because they are such foundational postures for everyone to practice.

 

1. Planks away! 

High Plank.

‘Ye old standby! Planks Planks Planks.  We all hate them when we are first introduced to planks (at least I did)..until we gain strength.  Planks build arm, shoulder, core and leg strength.  It’s a yoga buffet!  If you are a newbie, start practicing these as much as you can throughout your yoga classes to build up strength.

Wrists are shoulder width apart.  Do not let the tailbone and booty droop too low or stick up too high.  Think of scooping your tailbone towards your feet.  Keep the feet hip distance apart. Keep your head in line with your neck. Engage those gorgeous abs and HOLD HOLD HOLD!

Forearm Plank

Same goes for forearm plank.  Please take note of my arms and hands.  I always ask students to keep their hands elbow/shoulder distance apart with fingers spread wide because this will start to build strength in your fingers and forearms by gripping the mat prepping you for forearm balance one day.

2. Side Planks

Side forearm plank.

Begin flirting with side planks! They are challenging and AWESOME for taking a step farther towards forearm balance.

Keep the hips lifted and stacked. Continuously draw the bottom shoulder away from your ear.  Focus on all the muscles on the side closest to the floor; this is where your strength is coming from.

Full Side Plank.

Take it a step farther! Please note wrists will also take a toll on these exercises so please stretch them out when needed and take breaks.  Wrists will build up strength the more you practice.

3. Dolphin

Dolphin

This will be your first prep for forearm balance.  Take a regular forearm plank..then start scooting your feet closer to your hands.  OR, take Downward Dog and lower to your forearms.

Once in this position think about lifting your shoulders away from your ears and toward the ceiling.  Keep your core engaged and tailbone lifting up. I keep my focus about in between my elbows.

This is going to be HARD WORK!  Keep doing it over and over and over and you will notice tremendous results in your shoulder strength.

One Legged Dolphin.

Amplify this exercise by bringing one leg up to the ceiling.  This will add a great deal of more strength and also gets you comfortable with the prep for kicking up into your balance.

4.  Forearm Balance

Forearm Balance at the Wall.

I’m a little sunk into my shoulders (I had already done 2 classes so I was a wee bit tired!) Try to pull up out of the shoulders more than I am 🙂

Once you feel you have a good hold on the first exercises you will begin to practice kicking up into the balance using the wall.

From dolphin, a few inches away from the wall, begin to lightly kick up one leg.  Maybe both legs get up, maybe they don’t.  Just become comfortable with floating the legs up and down.

Keep your shoulders ENGAGED, tailbone scooped, core tight and grip the mat with your fingers!

Pincha Mayurasana

Pincha Mayurasana.

ONLY when your yoga teacher has given you the go ahead may you then safely start practicing away from the wall.  Always have someone spotting you when you are learning without the wall!

Ta-Da!

Always practice safety first please! Your teachers should always be willing to help you out after class.  At least at my studio they will 🙂

Take one plank day at a time, keep at it and one day you will be flying away in Forearm Balance!

Namaste ❤

The Facebook Detox

As yogis and health nuts we are constantly striving to rid our body of toxins.  In this context, toxins are the yucky-ness (yes, I like to make up my own words) that builds up in our organs from food, alcohol, sugar etc.   As a hot yogi I get a daily detox for my body and mind.  But what about a detox of toxins from Facebook?

I am a self admitted Facebook addict.  I am ashamed at the amount of times I open up my Facebook  App on my Iphone a day (sitting a red light? sitting in line at the grocery story? sitting on the toilet? :0 ) I mean REALLY? Is there ever even anything that important???? NO.

Yet I still do it.  And I know I’m not alone.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Facebook.  It allows me to stay connected with my friends that live all over the world and the most important one: I run my business through Facebook.  Social media is WONDERFUL!  Until it starts to run your life….

About a month ago I decided I was sick of myself spending 24 hours a day on FB.  I had become socially withdrawn when I was out and about and really just felt I was missing out on life.  I took a huge step and DELETED FACEBOOK OFF MY PHONE *GASP!*   I figured I wouldn’t last…but here I am a month later and still no FB on my phone and I LOVE it.

Facebook is still my lifeline…when I need it to be.  I use FB when I am at home and on my computer.  Now, however, I am more free to enjoy my days, to interact with people at the check out lines in stores, to pay attention to my surroundings etc….all without having my face stuck in my phone.

I am so proud of myself for detoxing from social media and I strongly encourage you to give a try if you are an addict too.  Don’t deny it any longer and do something about it! 😉

Another huge reason I wanted to cut down on my FB time was because of negative news feed comments, links, and posts.  Especially during election season: FB really makes it hard for me to find my compassion for everyone.  Too much hatred and division between our country and the human race….  But we will go into that another time..;)   I like to create as much happy time for myself as I can and lately that just doesn’t come from FB.

The other great suggestion I can offer is to do a Friends Cleanse!  *Gasp again!*  “You mean delete all these friends I’ve spent years acquiring?!”  YES.  I started noticing there were people popping up on my news feed that i didn’t even know. That’s just lame.  I started cleaning out my friends starting with the people I hardly knew….then moving on to the ones that continuously post negative, helpless comments/links.  Hey, it’s nothing personal…this is your life and you need to surround yourself with positive people.

Social media runs our world now and that’s an awesome thing for business owners like myself and for friends across the world.  However, there comes a time when we have to say enough is enough and get back to living a natural life.  It’s time to re-prioritize our lives before we self destruct and forget why it is that we are on this planet.  Spend your time doing something wonderful for yourself..not scrolling through your newsfeed 20 times a day.  I am so proud of myself for detoxing from social media and I strongly encourage you to give a try if you are an addict too.  Don’t deny it any longer and do something about it! 😉

Are you up for the challenge???

You Can Find Me In the Self Help Aisle.

This one is a tribute to all those who love self help books, and to those who knock them  😉 … After all, my dreams didn’t come true by the age of 28 by accident…

I have absolutely NO shame in broadcasting my love of the ‘self help’ aisle at the book store and library.  I am actually astonished that so many people either don’t believe in these books or have never indulged in one before.  I can understand the initial turn off to some of them (there ARE some that are a little too quacky for me)…but if you haven’t given the good ones a chance…you ARE missing out!

After all, how could we not need a little help as we try to coinhabit in this challenging society and troubled Earth.  I don’t know about you, but I sure need some encouraging words from time to time.  AKA “Stop complaining Brittani, and DO something about it!”  I have an entire book shelf of inspirational/spiritual/self-help books, but I will share with you the few that truly helped open my eyes and reprogram my way of thinking to produce a happier, more joyful version of myself.

You Can Heal Your Life- Louise L. Hay

The life changer for me.  There was a girl who I used to work with back in my dancing days and she always had the most amazing energy and zest for life and I was always captured by it.  I saw this book laying on her desk one day…I knew I just had to read it one day whatever it was.  A few weeks later I saw it in the bookstore by accident and bought it immediately.

This book taught me things about myself that I never knew.  It will take you to the roots of your problems, oftentimes all the way back to childhood experiences, and help you rebuild your confidence and personal love.  I always lacked 100% confidence in myself throughout my entire life.  As this book took me on a journey of self discovery I learned how to love myself, how to forgive people from my past, and how to heal my body. 

If you are someone who is regularly unhappy, has health issues that don’t seem to dissolve, or constantly thinking in a negative and helpless way please pick this book up. You don’t have to read it right away, but when the time is right, you will pick it up and it will become your best friend 🙂 This is a book that I have picked up many times since  I first bought it 4 years ago.   The greatest two things I will forever take from her book is remembering to say to myself on a daily basis:  ‘All is Well’..and ‘I Love You’.

A New Earth and The Power of Now–  Eckhart Tolle

I think Eckart Tolle has a great way of introducing the power of the mind in a very Westernized tongue.  These two books are a great way to break the ice as far as inspirational reading goes.  He provides such simple ideas for tapping into your mind’s power and helping you to begin reprogramming any negative thinking tendencies you may have.

Journey to the Heart- Melody Beattie

I read passages from this book all the time when I am teaching yoga.  So many times afterwards students come up to me and beg to know where I got the passages from.  This is such a beautiful book with daily passages/meditations to get your day started off with a positive energy.  This is the greatest book I’ve ever bought for inspirational quotes!

Ask and It Is Given- Ester and Jerry Hicks

Ok, I’ll be a pal here and go ahead and warn you the beginning to this one is a bit off the charts.  The book is basically written by a woman who is being spoken to from an ‘outer source’.  A little quacky for some people….but if you can look past that part and just absorb the ideas from the book, you will begin learning to manifest your dreams and/or the life that you want.  It truly did help me to understand and learn that all you have to do is just start asking the Universe for guidance and all will come your way eventually.  It did for me, at least. 🙂

Really, it’s all about having an open mind.  If you maintain your life long ways of thinking, how will you ever grow?  At some point, most of us have to indulge in new thought patterns.  Give em a try, or don’t.  But I for one would not be where I am today if I had not picked up these inspirational books that helped me create the life and dreams I am currently living out daily.  ❤

I am always looking for new motivational books so if you have any personal favorites I would love  to hear about them! Please leave a comment below!

The Big ‘O’.

Hopefully you’ve experienced it.  Hopefully it’s part of your daily life.  Hopefully you are a big fan of The Big O.  I am of course talking about…Organic food! :0

Like everything else in the world, I hear much debate and controversy about eating Organic food.  While I fully respect peoples’ concerns about the level of truth in organic labels, I get quite saddened when a person completely writes off organic and says it’s a ‘scam’ or a ‘rip-off’.  I do not wish to start a heated debate on this topic, because A) I don’t believe in negative/hateful content and B) I simply want to encourage people to think twice about their food purchases.

Whether you are an advocate for buying organic foods or you are still a skeptic of that little USDA organic green label, here are a few simple things I find helpful to remind myself when I find the urge to reach for the cheaper product on the shelf.

Just read the label! We have all heard the phrase “if you can’t pronounce it,  don’t buy it”.  Well, it’s true! Most organic labels have extremely simple ingredients, all of which are produced with little to no toxins in them.  It is unfortunate that our country has one of the lowest standards of what is considered ‘organic’…but by buying organic foods, you are still making a better choice than if you were buying the cheap chemical loaded products.  Sometimes I certainly want to reach for the product that is $3 cheaper..until I flip over the label and read what’s in it.  Your health is worth every penny!

Organic doesn’t HAVE to be expensive! I will fully admit, back in the day, I always used the excuse “it’s too expensive” as to why I did not shop organic.   Guess what?  Visit your local Farmer’s Market and you will get MAJOR bang for your buck! I am certain I can get almost twice the amount of fresh, farm grown veggies from my farmer’s market than I can at the grocery store.  Now I’m shopping organic without paying the extra $$ for the green USDA label.  The icing on the cake:  these veggies have come straight from the farm and into your hands without sitting on a truck for who knows how long and loaded with who knows how many pesticides and preservatives.  Talk to your local farmers and see how they grow their crops.  Become educated.  Support your local farmers!!

I always go to the Market Square Farmer’s Market. But there are plenty more in Tally!

Never EVER lecture someone on eating organic if they didn’t ask you about it.  By you reading this article, you have essentially ‘asked’ for more information.  Therefore, I can share as much as I want on the topic.  If you start to lecture someone on how bad their food or household products are, regardless of your best intentions, you will defeat all purposes.  You will most likely only make yourself sound condescending or worse yet, self righteous.  People have to decide on their own terms to become more educated…if you want to help, simply take it upon yourself to share your favorite recipes and ideas i.e. a blog!  Show people how FUN it is to be healthy and organic!

 

Moral of the story…don’t be so resistant to shopping wiser.  Show our producers that we want more and more healthy products on our shelves.  Our shopping trends will shape the future of our food.

If you still aren’t a believer, that’s OK.  Just make sure you are aware of your health….if you aren’t feeling well very often, it may be time to rethink your habits. I can assure you my tummy feels MUCH better these days due to my healthier shopping choices. 🙂

Cheers to safe and healthy eating habits and households!

Hot Yoga Towels-On a Budget!

QUICK TIP FOR A HOT DEAL FOR THE HOT YOGI:  Yoga towels on a budget at Marshalls.

It is no secret that I am obsessed with the original hot yoga towel, YogiToes.  I have been collecting them slowly over the past 2 or 3 years and have about 5 or 6.  They last FOREVER and work GREAT.  I have tried many different kinds and these are simply the best in my opinion.  However, they are quiet pricey.

YogiToes

Unless you are a guy, you have most likely made close acquaintances with your local TJ Maxx or Marshalls.  I have seen some knock off hot yoga towel brands at TJ Maxx before and recommended them to students…they bought them and said they were pretty good!

I was just in Marshalls today and found an entire shelf of hot yoga towels for about $15.00.  What a steal!  (ps- how PUMPED am I that there is a whole shelve dedicated to hot yoga now?! that definitely wasn’t happening a few years ago)

Found these at Marshalls for $15!

Now, I haven’t tried them out myself but I felt them and they feel just like the YogiToes except they don’t have the rubber knobs on the bottom like YogiToes.  I predict they would be pretty efficient!  If nothing else, you’ve got a towel that will get the job done and it only cost ya $15 😉   If anyone buys one, let me know how they work!

Love-

a hot yogi

Red Quinoa and Black Bean Vegetable Salad

Mexican Food Lovers:  Get excited!! You are about to experience the most delectable healthy Mexican influenced dish you will ever taste.

Full of protein and veggies with a wonderful tangy mexican tasty!

Over the past few months I have begun exploring vegan foods.  I am certainly not 100% vegan or even necessarily trying to be…but in an effort to lower my meat intake I have found glorious redemption in vegan recipes.  If I may just say: Vegans sure know how to cook a mean meal!

 

I stumbled across the original recipe from a great website that I have thoroughly enjoyed, OhSheGlows.  (hint: read her ‘my story’ section. Very inspiring)

I cooked this recipe about 1.5 months ago and have made it MANY times since.  My boyfriend (avid meat lover) even gets really excited when I make it!  I have gotten creative with it and thrown it over Blue Corn Tortilla chips for a Taco-Meatless Salad.  The best part: I don’t even need sour cream and cheese! And I am a BIG lover of these 2 indulgences.

Eden Organic found at Publix and other health stores.

Total prep and cook time: No more than 30 minutes.

*FYI: if your partner has a big appetite , double the ingredients below so there is plenty for the both of you AND leftovers the next day :0

For the Salad:

• 1 Cup uncooked Red Quinoa
• 1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped into 1 inch pieces

For the Dressing:

• Juice from 2 small limes
• sea salt and ground pepper to taste (i don’t like a lot of salt when I cook, so add as much or little as you need)
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions.

2. While quinoa is cooking, chop veggies and put in a large bowl.  Whisk together dressing ingredients in smaller bowl.

3. Let quinoa cool about 5 minutes after it is cooked. Add it to the bowl of veggies and mix well. *hint: i add the avocados on top of the salad last for visual effect 😉

4. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well.

5. Served cool or warm.  GREAT as a lunch leftover the next day 🙂

Wash and dry all your veggies for preparation.

 

Quick and easy to cook! Takes about 15 min. Finished product is light and fluffy.

 

Combine all your veggies in a large mixing bowl. *hint* add or substitute your favorite veggies!

 

Mix dressing well.  A great base dressing that I think I’ll try to use in other recipes!

 

Mix everything together and serve!

Party idea!!

I did this last night for a Margarita party and it was a big hit! There is nothing greater than sharing the wealth of healthy eating with strangers!

Line a large glass dish with blue corn tortilla chips.

 

Scoop in the salad mixture until satisfied.  Then top with avocado.

Add a margarita and you’ve got yourself a GREAT time!!

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite go-to vegan recipe???? Leave a comment below… I’d love to get more ideas from you!

Namaste food lovers!

 

 

 

Top 5 Things That Keep Me Blissful

There are many things in life I can live without (afterall, we all need to practice a little Aparigraha!)  And there are several things that I could not survive without because they literally keep me healthy, they allow me to improve as a yoga teacher, and they help me to escape to my happy place.  

Some of these are easily acquired.  Others take time and investment.  In the end, I highly recommend any and all of the following to incorporate as a part of your daily life.

1) Juicer- the love of my life (don’t tell my boyfriend).  I pretty much attribute my entire holistic eating turnaround to my juicer.  I should actually probably give her a name…let it be…Lucy.  That’s a nice compliment to my dogs name, Lilly 😉  Lucy works extremely hard for me, giving me a mason jar full of divine tasting vitamins and minerals daily.  In my opinion, juicing is one of the greatest things you can do for your body and your life.

I have the Breville Juice Fountain Plus juicer and could not imagine any other juicer being greater than this one.

2) Library Card- If you don’t have a library card for your local library, get one ASAP! I have more fun going to the library than books stores these days..because I can actually take home what I find and not burn a hole in my wallet! Don’t get me wrong, I LoVe buying my favorite books…but that’s just not realistic all the time.  I will share with you some of my favorite inspirational books here at MySoulBalm so you best get yourself a library card so you can go check them out :))  Free AND educational??? Yes please!

3) State Park Pass- If you visit your local state parks often enough, it is WELL worth it to buy an annual pass.  I believe mine was about $65 and worth every penny!  If you don’t visit your parks yet…maybe its time to start!  Nature is hands down the most therapeutic outlet there is.  My favorite park is Alfred B. Maclay…there are running trails, biking trails, a swimming lake, picnic tables and more.  Talk about my HAPPY PLACE.

Alfred B. Maclay Park

4) MindBodyGreen.com– I visit this online blog almost daily.  You can visit it at your own convenience or you can sign up for their email list and they will send you the weekly top posts.   It has been my inspiration to begin my own blog and you will see many references to it on MySoulBalm 🙂 

5) Yoga Journal Subscription- I’m like a little kid on Christmas Day once a month when the newest Yoga Journal arrives in my mailbox.  I’m a big dork I know, but it’s so refreshing to read each issue! If you have a few extra bucks to spare, order your subscription now!

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As I said earlier, some of these won’t be accessible for you right away.  Start with the free and easy ones….then start a coin jar and before you know it you can invest in your health with the other goodies!  Your health is the one place where you should invest your hard earned money.

‘Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one’ -Astrid Alauda

Hello world!

And so it begins…..my new adventure of which I know NOTHING about: Blogging.  I love to try new things and challenge myself to things which intimidate me.  Enter, ‘MySoulBalm’.  A tinnie tiny little voice in my inner yogi subconscious has been whispering to me over the past few months that I should start a blog.  I have been resistant to it because I am actually quiet intimidated at the idea of letting of my real soul be heard.

If you don’t know me I am a hot yoga teacher at my studio, Hot Yoga Tallahassee, that I founded in September 2010.  So, presumably yoga teachers are supposed to be ‘open books’, full of insight and wisdom flowing constantly right? Well, yes..and no.  The hardest part of being a yoga teacher for me has actually been ‘finding my voice’ and allowing myself to be comfortable enough to speak from the heart. Yes, I STILL get nervous when a class is packed!  It takes confidence to possess the beautiful quality of speaking eloquently and effectively.  Ironically enough, Confidence has always been my worst enemy..turned into my best friend. Yoga did this.  I have had an incredible journey since the day I attended my first yoga class.  And this journey continues to lead me towards new revelations, accomplishments, and self realizations.  I think something wonderful has happened to me in 2010 and I haven’t quiet put my finger on it yet….but I have overcome some very long term battles with myself which I am sure will slowly reveal itself on this blog.

To be sure I was starting a blog for the right reason I came up with 3 purposes that motivated me:

1) For myself.  Yes, I said it.  And I’m not ashamed by this. I love dedicating my life to my students and being their listener, confidante, and therapist 🙂 But even a yoga teacher needs a little TLC time.  I decided this would be a great outlet for myself when I need a listener.

2) For you. There is nothing I absolutely love more than guiding other people towards their true happiness.  For most of us, being joyful is a struggle and takes constant work, myself included!  There have been teachers and role models along my path that have helped me remember things that are so simple, yet so easily forgotten.  If I can help at least one person have that “Ah-ha!” moment, then I am complete.

3)Personal Responsibility.  Something I have realized lately is that having something to hold yourself accountable to is VERY effective.  As you get to know me you will learn that I have always struggled with healthy eating habits.  It is only this year that I have become an enlightened eater.  However, I still struggle BIG time with passing up that sweet tea or those krinkle cut salt and vinegar chips.  Through this blog I hope to keep myself motivated by being an example of healthy eating.

Take from MySoulBalm what you will, and leave the rest if you wish.  It’s yours and mine to enjoy.  Let’s Find. That. Joy. ❤