around here

there is color.

serious color.

i hope your world is just as colorful.

wherever you go, there you are

“mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and equanimity right here and right now.”

-jon kabat-zinn

i forget

sometimes i forget how magical a spring morning can be.

sometimes i forget to not get caught in the dehumanization trap.  and that it is the same divisive process at the core of hatred and killing (re:  dzhokhar tsarnaev).

sometimes i forget that love does not always come instinctively or easily.

sometimes i forget that inside of me there is this incredible power to center, balance, expand, release, forgive.  breathe.

sometimes i forget that grace and equilibrium are those things i'm working toward.  it's so easy to be triggered and allow myself to be agitated.

thank you home, husband, friends, dogs, mother earth for helping me remember.

spring clean

april.  it's the month when we all want to shed the emotional and physical heaviness of winter.  nature is telling us to start anew and we are listening.

it's the month when i can easily get discouraged that despite an organic, plant-based diet, i'm still overweight.  (i get it universe, my body will never be lithe, but seriously why is it that the more i move toward body acceptance, the fatter i get?  ugh...)

it's the month when i realize that every year i really take that whole winter-rest-and-hibernate thing a bit too seriously and i need to jumpstart my activity level.  gorgeous mountain trails are calling my name.

it's the month to spring clean our homes; the physical structures we inhabit and the flesh and blood bodies that house our spirits.  it's time to release the grime and create clean space for new experiences. it's time to reset.

the components of a good (spirit house) cleaning:

• clean day salad (pictured above and recipe below).  honestly, it is so so good.
• green juice with a tablespoon of superfood (daily)
• rainbow quinoa
• lots of filtered water
• kombucha and yogi tea skin detox tea
• coconut oil-pull daily (in addition to incredible detox benefits, this also helps keep sinuses clear)
• nightly skin brush and salt bath
• gentle yoga
• walks outside
• deep breathing
• good deep sleep

clean day salad
(based on whole foods' detox salad)

two cups organic kale leaves (de-stem and roughly chop)
three or four organic carrots (rough chop)
one bunch organic parsley leaves (some stem is okay)
zest of one lemon (always use organic citrus if you are zesting)
juice of half lemon
one-half cup sunflower seeds (or chopped pepitas)
one-half cup organic raisins
one cup organic dried blueberries, cranberries or goji berries (or mix)
one tablespoon olive oil
one teaspoon kelp granules or dulse
chia seeds

pulse greens and carrots in food processor to the size of confetti, careful not to make a pesto of it.  mix all ingredients together except for the chia seeds.  sprinkle a half teaspoon of chia seed on each serving just prior to enjoying (if you mix the chia into the salad and let it sit, it will absorb the moisture in the salad and get a bit gel-ish).

i pulverize the remainder of the parsley leaves and stems and add a spoon to the pups' food daily.  they love it.

i feel sparkly and new just writing this post.  happy cleaning!

sprouted

hooray!  the beans have sprouted and are really to eat.  just in time:  i need more protein.

(you know they are ready when they make a break for it through the cheesecloth.)

an extra whollop of protein and energy added to falafel with tzatziki.

embrace the process

"life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. this is a kind of death."
-anaïs nin