namaste monday

For years my Monday mornings were kicked off by teaching two yoga classes at 8:30 and 10am. I'm not much of a morning person. However, these Monday morning students managed to get me talking earlier than I'd normally prefer. I looked forward to seeing them walk in with sleepy eyes, many of them also not morning people, and hearing about their weekends and fielding questions about what strange drink or breakfast I was hurrying to consume before class started.

In class they were so focused and intent on starting their week off on the best foot. I was lucky that a little of that energy rubbed off on me and always inspired my week to start in a similar fashion.

In an effort to keep that Monday magic around, here are some things that are inspiring me this week.

quote:

"Show me your worst,"
said the earth to the storm,
"and I will blossom anyway."

-Pavana

read:

"Even now, 70 years later, more than 2,000 tons of unexploded munitions are uncovered on German soil every year."

I found this article fascinating and had no idea that there were still unexploded bombs in Europe from World War II. Also, something about the work that now goes into finding and deactivating these bombs made the yoga/philosophy/geeky side of me wonder about the more abstract things we hide under the surface that need to be attended to.

practice:

photo from Yoga Journal online - Back to Basics

I don't know about you, but in my own practice the repetitive, familiar postures are often the ones that suffer.  I'm guilty of flying through a halfway lift or an up dog without really thinking about it. Over time, though, repetition is what can lead to injuries OR be an opportunity to build more strength and presence. Last year Tiffany Russo wrote some amazing articles for Yoga Journal (with the best diagrams) about postures like this. It's so worth slowing down, becoming more alert to the small transitions and intricacies, and asking yourself: what's the rush?

(LA yogis: if you've never taken one of Tiffany's super smart classes, find them here. I always learn something new when I practice with her.)

eat:

Curried Couscous with Roasted Cauliflower

Maybe it's all the curry and spices in India, but this recipe has been on my brain, and this list is turning out to be very LA-focused. Maybe I'm missing it a little?

If you live in LA and you've never had the curried couscous at Mendocino Farms, you're missing out. It's such a favorite that the LA Times published the recipe a couple years ago, and it became a staple in my kitchen. I like to make it gluten-free with quinoa or sorghum instead of couscous. It's also easy to cut down on the vegan mayonnaise (or make your own) and substitute maple syrup for sugar.

...

Lastly, when I was leaving the States in December the consensus seemed to be, "you're lucky to be leaving now!"  And as grateful as I am to be in India, my heart and brain hurts reading the daily news from home.  Even on the other side of the world it's what people - from everywhere - are talking about.  I know TONS are action ideas are making their way around social media and the web, but this excerpt from a Rolling Stone article really resonated with me:

Dear fellow introverts, I also avoid making phone calls of all kinds (especially in India over wifi), but if that's an extra step that resonates with you, I found this website particularly helpful:

5 Calls: Make Your Voice Heard

That's it for today.  Happy Monday.