Om Hop Yoga

Curious about Gratitude

Have you ever just Googled a random word for the sheer curiosity of what comes up?  I Googled "gratitude" today mostly because it's been on my mind lately.  While I know what it means and how nourishing it is for our souls I was curious about what would come up.  Of course nothing too out of the ordinary appeared except for the Psychology Today quote below that made me think, but it made me wonder how many people in the world are thinking, reading, talking and writing about "gratitude" and how that changes the vibrational freqency around us.  (Have you ever encountered one of those digital art installations that shows floating baloons with data on the number of people with sad, happy or angry emotions in certain parts of the world at a particular time?  It made me wish I could see how many people are feeling grateful at this moment in time, and whether it increases during parts of the year like around Thanksgiving or Christmas.  But I digress.]  Have you ever been around someone whose energy is so positive it raises your spirits and makes you want to be around them?  And alternatively, have you ever encountered someone who is so negative or angry that you all of a sudden feel as they do? Imagine if you could motivate yourself to cultivate gratitude for someone or something everyday.  How much more positive would you feel?  And I'd be willing to bet that you would also rub off on others.  

Psychology Today has the following definition for "gratitude:"

Gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for what one has—as opposed to, say, a consumer-oriented emphasis on what one wants or needs—and is currently receiving a great deal of attention  as a facet of positive psychology. Gratitude is what gets poured into the glass to make it half full. Studies show that gratitude not only can be deliberately cultivated but can increase levels of well-being and happiness among those who do cultivate it.  In addition, grateful thinking—and especially expression of it to others—is associated with increased levels of energy, optimism, and empathy.

I think that's pretty awesome!  It actually reminds me of a quote by Zig Ziglar on motivation, "People always say that motivation doesn't last. Well neither does bathing.  That's why we recommend it daily."  It's so right on.  Replacing motivation with gratitude yields a similar insight.  Routines and habits form when there is a reward.  If we can cultivate positive habits such as expressing gratitude or feeling grateful on a daily basis (just as we have developed the habit of showering on a - I hope - daily basis), imagine the reward for your well-being and for others' well-being if we all like being around positive people!  What a challenge!  

I'm going to find time to be grateful everyday no matter how difficult it may be to think of something! Again, I'm just curious!  

Reflecting on the meaning of success

I stumbled upon this quote by Marianne Williamson recently.  Ponder it a while and have a beautiful and meaningful week!

"Success means going to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others."

 

Making the morning a little more special

How often do we wake up in the morning and simply roll out of bed, brush our teeth, eat or skip breakfast, get dressed and run out the door?  Where's the fun in that routine?  Of course there are days when we have an early meeting or are rushing to take our kids to daycare or school after a long sleepless night, but when possible a special morning ritual, whether just fifteen minutes or an hour and fifteen minutes can truly set the tone for our day mentally, physically and spiritually. 

When our days are consumed with deadlines, obligations and being tethered to all forms of communication technology we forget to allow ourselves to stop and smell the roses for a brief moment and give ourselves a little love.  I'm talking about real love in the form of a few moments of pleasure whatever that may mean for us.  The morning is the perfect time to embrace this because it's when our minds are most clear after a deep sleep.   Garnering just enough willpower to wake up a tiny bit earlier can give you something to look forward to at the start of the day.   The peaceful tranquility of a meditation, the warming citrusy water stimulating your digestive juices, or the invigorating run or yoga practice with which you gift yourself can make all the difference for the rest of your day.  And who knows, perhaps you'll kick more ass in that business meeting or let the stress of one roll of your shoulders a little more effortlessly!

Drinking warm water with lemon and a yoga practice (and lately physical therapy exercises due to a hamstring injury I'm still nursing) has become part of my morning routine and I honestly believe that my days are so much more fulfilling and productive now than they were when my mornings were more mundane and less thought-out. Why warm water with lemon?  The warm water helps stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and lemon helps flush out toxins.  (For more info on the benefits of drinking warm water with lemon, check out this MindBodyGreen article). Then, the physical yoga practice/ workout gets the blood flowing and wakes me up.  I used to dread waking up earlier than I had to, but exercising a little willpower and sticking to the routine has made it easier especially because I look forward to it.  I feel immense gratitude the entire day when I perform this ritual because I know it makes me healthy from a variety of different reasons. 

So I encourage you to think about how you can envelope yourself in a little self-love and stimulate your mind, body, and spirit for the next month or longer.  The ritual should bring a smile to your face and have positive effects that make you look forward to it every morning.  

For a little inspiration, here are some fun ideas:

- a glass of warm water with lemon,

- a 10 minute meditation after a 20 minute yoga practice

- rolling over next to your partner and giving him a warm loving embrace

- breakfast in your living room or outside on the porch or balcony to experience the sun rise

- reading a news story in the morning paper while drinking a cozy and stimulating cup of coffee or tea

 

Feel free to share yours!  

Enlightened Bread-Making

I work in sustainable investing and part of my job is encouraging companies we own to be more transparent with their operations, workplace practices, supply chain management, etc.  A transparent, environmentally and socially responsible company creates greater value for itself and its employees as well as its stakeholders.  Meeting the baker of the Berkshire Mountain Bakery, Richard Bourdon, on our recent trip to the Berkshires made me contemplate the real value of transparency and honesty when it comes to running a business.

The approach the Berkshire Mountain Bakery takes in running it's business is simple:  it's bread-making with integrity.  It is evident the process is authentic and based on the way bread was traditionally baked before mechanization.  Further, they explain exactly why they use this process and break it down in layman's terms for any interested customer.  You also get to know Richard.  His bio is a story at the end of which the reader feels like she knows him.  Here's a short excerpt:

"If you have the opportunity to meet Richard Bourdon you will be struck by his energy and drive. You can find him on any given day doing any of the following: mixing the dough, shaping the loaves, stretching the pizza, sweeping the floors, bagging the cookies or helping out a customer at the counter. If you are lucky enough to have him help you, you will discover a man who still speaks with a gentle French accent who is passionate about the food he produces. His knowledge and enthusiasm will leave you wondering if this man is a baker or a teacher and philosopher. For those of us who know him well, we know he is all of the above. We invite you to taste the bread baked by a man who is truly committed to bringing better food to this world."

Even in the brief moment that Aran and I met him, I can attest that every word of that bio is true.  I think every business, service, product, or idea has a story and this website made me realize the importance of sharing it.  Since I've become more attuned to how I nourish myself I love knowing what it took for the food to arrive on my plate.  Who picked the apples, or raised the animals?  Did they raise them in a humane and sustainable way?  What is the story of the farmer or baker or chef?  This knowledge enriches my experience of eating because food doesn't just give us strength and energy to go about our days, it supports our life force and has incredible healing properties.  

Richard helped me realize that perhaps I am not allergic or sensitive to all bread.  Perhaps I can actually have bread when it's made as it should be - using the sourdough or fermentation process that makes the whole grains in the bread digestible.  When I look around, most of the business ideas and start-ups these days are centered around solving our environmental and social challenges, making our lives easier and more productive or efficient, and bringing together people who are driven to make a positive impact.  And those creating these ideas, for the most part want to do so with integrity and many are even radically changing out-dated workplace practices and being mindful of the dynamics of the business as a whole - the operations, employees, community, environment, and products or services being offered.  It's not just about the bottomline anymore.  The approach is more holistic and more and more companies that are operating this way are finding they achieve greater successes and find more market opportunities than those who are less transparent and more narrowminded about what they do and offer.  In this way, this little bakery out in the Berkshires enlightened my thinking around what is good for my body and gained a loyal, supportive customer who has been telling all her friends and family about this gem.  

Thank you Richard and Berkshire Mountain Bakery for your authenticity!

 

Food for Thought. Quite Literally.

I am off sweets/ fruits for a little while for a reason related to my health & well-being.  Naturally, during the day I wish I could have a date or a piece of dark chocolate or even a tangerine!  Thankfully, I've strengthened my willpower muscle enough over the last couple of years that I can resist the temptations, but tonight's dinner made me realize something else. 

Aran made a divine grass-fed burger (to which he mixed in aleppo pepper, a jalapeno and of course some salt and pepper).  He laid it on a bed of beet greens that he sauteed in sherry vinegar and some-left over root veggies from last night.  He completed this intense flavor profile with a spicy calabrian chili yogurt.  I honestly didn't want the meal to end.  I ate it as slowly as I could savoring every succulent mouthwatering bite.  While I was washing the dishes he offered me a date.  It typically would make me cringe knowing I can't have something I really want especially when someone is offering, but this time, somehow, it was much easier to turn it down.  Perhaps it was my willpower, but perhaps the meal was so incredibly satisfying, that my psyche, brain, body, whatever is triggered by temptation wanted to keep luxuriating in the flavor complexity of the dish I just had.  

I think there are studies that indicate we reach for sweets or simple carbs because we are not satisfied in other parts of our lives or we're stressed out. These sudden bursts of sugar in our bodies trigger a chemical reaction in our brains that gives us that much needed boost of stimulation.  What if we can learn to cook (and lead our lives!) in a way that doesn't lead us to succumb to these habits of reaching for things so perfectly salty, sweet, and fatty that we cannot resist their temptation, and then end up suffering health consequences?  What if we learn to cook (and again lead our lives!) in a way that truly satisfies us so that unhealthy, addictive food is not a constant substitute?

I dream of being able to make a difference in someone else's well-being by changing the way they look at food and everyday living, as much as this process of reading, experimentation, and curiosity about food and health has made in mine.  

[Photo from a day trip to Governor's Island.  Thos cocunuts were darn good and the left over coconut meat we blended into a delicious smoothie the next day!]

It only takes a moment to feel connected again...

This is a scenario I've watched myself experience in New York City: I leave work, and begin to walk briskly to a friend's apartment.  Before I know it, someone seemingly deliberately bumps my shoulder and doesn't apologize; I feel angry.  A taxicab driver cuts off my path as he turns onto the crosswalk; I give him a irritated look.  I walk faster to escape the cacophony of honks, stares, and immaterial chatter.  Moments later I see a child's angelic face, his simple smile radiating as he gazes at something with pure innocence and curiosity.  He is simply absorbing information around him without projecting judgement or analyzing what he sees through a filter of life's experiences.   Immediately, my heart lifts and my body relaxes.  Just a glimpse of his face had a positive energetic effect on me.  I smile in admiration of him and of my ability to notice how quickly my state of being changes.  Inevitably, I feel connected again.  

Perspective

I lost my pre-tax unlimited ride subway card this past week and because of a very antiquated/ unnecessarily complicated system, I am unable to get a free replacement.  This has happened before, but not so early in the month.  My first reaction: Oh no!!!  A couple hours later: frustrated that I was so negligent and careless.  A couple days later: why don't I take this opportunity and look on the bright side.  So I did, and so far it has made such a difference in my conscious and unconscious state of being. 

Since I knew I couldn't just walk everywhere I went ahead and bought a $20 subway card which yields 8 or 9 rides. This has lasted me all week and I may still have a couple rides left on the card.  My "bright side" perspective is that I no longer have an excuse not to walk to and from work, unless it's raining, I have to be somewhere quickly, or I'm traveling farther than say 30 blocks.  The thought of essentially losing $100 and having to have to pay more to use public transportation was extremely disheartening, but choosing to walk to save a little money is not such a nuissance after all.  I realized I actually take pleasure in it because it takes me out of my usual routine.  I can be stimulated by taking a new route to and from work everyday and maybe call someone on the way or stumble on a new restaurant or store.  

It made me think how attached I am to certain routines and when they seem to make life easier, like this one, how adamant I am about sticking with them.  But when reality shifts and I am forced to take an alternate path, those habits, both mental and physical, are broken and a new door is opened that allows me to see better.  The world feels more spacious and possibilities more abundant this way.  

Here's to letting go of attachment and allowing the universe to open our minds and hearts in funky, unexpected ways this new year!

 

Happy New Year!

These are my wishes for you this new year.  Thanks for making 2012 so special.  Here's to 2013!   

When a new year compels us to look ahead setting new goals and garnering the motivation to fulfill new year's resolutions, it's also an opportunity to look back and see how much has happened and how much we've evolved.  I love looking back and pondering on the adventures, heartbreaks, mistakes, meet-cutes, lessons, memories, new friendships and pursuits that filled my year.  Even if life felt a bit mundane there are always fresh and enlightening experiences to point to. It's just that perhaps at the moment we didn't notice.  

I particularly love thinking about these little and simple transpirations.  Sometimes I catch myself realizing that something I truly wanted to happen or accomplish actually came to be without my realizing it until much later, as if it were meant to happen at an appropriate time allowing me to take-in the lessons of the journey in the meantime.  Of course this is impossible without a proactive attitude and will, but when when I am able to manifest whatever my heart needs I know I am on the right path.  

Take a moment to ponder...Who crossed your path and opened your eyes to a new perspective or a book that enlightened your outlook on life?  Where did you travel that opened up your heart or created an incredible new memory? Did you fall in love?  Or perhaps out of love?  Or did you fall more deeply in love?  Did a new song or album strike a chord and made you cry or dance or did it touch your heart like no piece has in a long while? Did you taste an effervescent wine or liquor that took you somewhere unexpected? Did you have a baby?  Did you lose a loved one?  Did you make a fearless leap toward a career you've dreamt about or reach a new height in your current one?  It's these little things that become special when we notice them.   

While resolutions may be broken or forgotten, when we look back at a year, so much happens and in one way or another we are not the same people we were the year before.  A beautiful thing.  

This Christmas...

This Holiday season, whether we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, Baha'i, or any other religion, faith or value-system, may we all find time to look into our hearts and discover or rediscover their tenderness and love.  We all too rarely take the time to reflect on what we truly need, deep inside of us, to feel fulfilled, free and at peace.  It's all part of us.  If we allow ourselves to sit quietly without any distractions or even just to pause for a brief moment when we're surrounded by our family, friends and people we love and notice the state of our being at that moment, we can learn what we're missing and help cultivate it.  

When searching for an inspirational and thought-provoking quote to help further illuminate my thoughts, I found a truly beautiful one that also resonates so well for this season.  It is by the son of the Founder of the Baha'i faith, Abdu'l-Baha. [If you'd like to learn more about the beautiful Baha'i faith you can start here www.bahai.com]

"My home is the home of peace. My home is the home of joy and delight. My home is the home of laughter and exultation. Whosoever enters through the portals of this home, must go out with gladsome heart." - Abdu'l-Baha

For me, Christmas-time has always reminded me to retreat and ponder.  For you it may be Hanukkah, the unfolding New Year, the Winter solstice, or simply the spirited coming together for the holidays.  Whatever it is, let yourself take a moment to reflect on how peaceful, delightful, joyful, welcoming and caring your "home" is. Let it be as pure and truthful as the spirit of this season.  

Wishing you all a warm, joyful and peaceful Holiday!  

Juicing with a Vitamix

Last month, I was sick with a fever and chills for an entire week and by the 3rd day a green juice light bulb popped over my head - I realized my Vitamix could yield a wonderful juice and I actually did not need a juicer!  Not sure why my brain had blocked this obvious idea before, but perhaps there's a perfect time for everything and I wasn't ready for this incredible possibility before.  That week I began to make green juices with our Vitamix to get as many vitamins, antioxidents, and virus fighting nutrients in my body as I could and doing so first thing in the morning, after a night of fasting, felt like a brilliant idea.  While a smoothie would have been wonderful as well, my body needed as much hydration as possible.  Also, adding all the ingredients into a blender versus a juicer I retained all that wonderful fiber that would have otherwise been discarded. 

So, whether you're sick or just craving a healthy, nutritious and hydrating juice that will give your immune system a boost, here's a wonderful recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen blueberries/ strawberries

1 cup chopped parsley

3 leaves of kale or swiss chard

Juice of 1 lime or 1/2 lemon 

1 teaspon honey

3/4 to 1 cup water 

Optional: 

1 table spoon blueberry powder

1/4 cup organic unsweetened cranberry juice

 

Directions

Put all ingredients in the blender, blend for 30 seconds, et voila!  

 

To your health!