I hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far, despite the chilly temps! My days have been uneventful but productive, which is really all you can ask for, right? I've been working, doing yoga, and I actually went out for dinner both Monday night and last night. I will say it's been nice not having to cook!
With regards to yoga, most of you who read the blog know that it's the staple of my exercise routine. I think the reason for this is that I don't really view yoga as "exercise". Maybe some of you can related, but the word exercise is pretty loaded for me as I've had a love/hate relationship with it most of my life. I grew up dancing 6 days a week, which I loved with all my heart. I never viewed dance as an exercise, but rather a way of life. The girls I danced with and my dance teachers were like a second family to me. Sure, there were days that I didn't want to go to class; but ultimately, it was an activity that I thoroughly enjoyed for its ability to instill playfulness, discipline, strength, and self-awareness. I love yoga because to me, the benefits parallel those that I felt all those years dancing. Traditional exercise like lifting weights, running on the treadmill, or sweating it out on the elliptical or stairmaster have always been activities I forced myelf to do in order to control the size of my body. The key word here, people, is forced. If you love these activities do them! I know plenty of people who love the gym. It has taken me about 12 years to admit to myself that I, Sarah, Hate. The Gym. What a relief it was to get that out in the open!
Anyways, I love yoga, and I really do think that I fall in love with it a little more each time I practice. As with anything else in life, I believe that the instructor or manager "leading" an activity (whether it is work related or otherwise) can in a way make or break an experience. I don't regularly attend yoga classes due to time constraints and limited class availability where I live. Instead, I use a fantastic site called Yogaglo. One of the instructors featured on the site is Kathryn Budig (who I have mentioned before!). I have tried a few other instructors on the site, but Kathryn is by far my favorite. Her classes are challenging, but she continually relates the practice of yoga to everyday life. The way you handle unfamiliar sequences and challenging poses in yoga is often the way you handle difficult situations in everyday life. One thing that I have been working on lately (in yoga and in life!) is remembering that no feeling is permanent. For example, yesterday the class I chose included a lot of core work. I don't like core work very much, and I tend to cheat a little bit when my body starts to shake or burn. Well, yesterday Kathryn said (and has said in her other classes) that even though this pose is uncomfortable and tough, it won't last forever. Acknowledging this fact allowed me to push through the "I'm just going to collapse into child's pose because this is challenging and I don't want to do it anymore" thought and complete the sequence. Do you know how freakin' great it felt to get through it!? I started to think about situations in my life where I tend to give up too soon because the feelings seem overwhelming or uncomfortable. I'm trying to reframe my negativity towards these unfamiliar or annoying situations, and I'm actively striving to remind myself that uncomfortable feelings or unpleasant tasks are not permanent. Remembering that the feeling is not forever makes things a little bit more bearable, right?
Moving on to food, I made a delicious and simple meal on Sunday evening that I highly recommend ! I have added the recipe below.
Spicy Peanut Soba Noodles
(adapted from Candice Kumai's Cook Yourself Sexy)
Soba Noodles
1 cup quartered and thinly sliced Japanese eggplant (I used regular eggplant!)
1 tbsp roasted sesame oil
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 (80z) package of soba noodles
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (I only had green, so that's what I used)
1 cup arugula or mizuna greens
2 tbsp crushed peanuts (optional)
2 tbsp Thai basil or regular basil ( I used regular)
Vinaigrette
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp roasted sesame oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar which worked fine)
1 teaspoon of Sriracha hot sauce (I used 1 tbsp!)
1 teaspoon of honey
To Make Noodles
1.Saute the eggplant over medium heat in the sesame oil and soy sauce until just tender
2. cook the soba noodles as directed. Strain and rinse under cool water. Set aside.
To Make Vinaigrette
While soba is cooking, mix all the vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.
To Serve
1.In the same large mixing bowl, gently toss the cooled soba noodles in the vinaigrette, then add the eggplant, red pepper, and arugula.
2. Coat all of the noodles well and top each dish with crushed peanuts or basil, if desired.
I also had to add a pic of the fantabulous green juice that I made on Sunday. The juice included kale, spinach, lemon, ginger, and parsley. It was so refreshing and also very pretty, dontcha think?
Ok, I must be going! Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Be Well,
XO
Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment