Mmmm Hot Cross Buns

I love Easter time, for lots of reasons. A predominant one is because it's the season for hot cross buns, yum!! And another, because it means holidays! Here I am, day 1 of a 5 day break, and I set my alarm for 9am - instead, I'm up bright and early and WIDE AWAKE at 8am.

I have trouble getting out of bed at 8:30 on a normal 'school day' - so why is it that I'm up so early today? Go figure, I must be excited or something haha! Or maybe it's the fact I know I'll be having afternoon naps every day till next tuesday, woohoo! Whatever the reason, I'm running with it : )

I'm glad I did get up though, because I checked my bank balance and my yoga pay has come through - and hoorah, I have a little more cash than I thought I would be getting, which means a couple of things:
a) I can get a massage and get out the soreness in my neck at long last!
b) I can afford to fully purchase the new jeans (see earlier post) that I need to get for winter
c) I can get the handyman in no problemo!
d) I can get the photo frames happening and sorted this very weekend
e) and I can enjoy the long weekend with a few coffees out, hoorah!

Great start to the day : )

So now I'm off to enjoy it all - and get started on the BB Awakening too. Big weekend!
Oh, and btw - have you seen this FABULOUS site? I Found Yr Camera. I love it!

Happy Easter dear friends xx

Hope

hope⋅less  /ˈhoʊplɪs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [hohp-lis] –adjective
1.providing no hope; beyond optimism or hope; desperate: a hopeless case of cancer.
2.without hope; despairing: hopeless grief.
3.impossible to accomplish, solve, resolve, etc.: Balancing my budget is hopeless.
4.not able to learn or act, perform, or work as desired; inadequate for the purpose: As a bridge player, you're hopeless.

While I was in the depths of depression, perhaps the scariest part of it was that I had no hope. Joy, happiness, love... all these emotions are vital and important but at least if you don't have them, and still have hope, you can get through the day. In my depression, I had no hope that I would ever have these things again - indeed, I had no inkling at all that things would change. It was a hard, heavy, very upsetting path to be on.

Hence I am so so so so over the moon and happy to say that things now are looking up. They're far from ideal but the turning point for me was that I now have HOPE again - Just an inkling of possibility that things might be different.

I had a mini melt-down this morning, just thinking about packing and moving and holding down a full time job and a part time yoga job all at the same time, all while having a cold.. but then spoke to a wise woman who said "just do it". Ha! That is so true! There is really no option but to just put my head down, and power through this upcoming week.

So here's to HOPE, to packing, to tissues and to YOU. Just do it!
x

photo credit: super hero journal

Organisation schmorganisation

I've come to believe there is some truth in the idea of being organised. So I'm giving the weekly meal planning thing a go. Small steps.

So far:
- I've got a mushroom, chickpea and tomato risotto on the oven which will last me a good few meals!
- There's pumpkin baking in the oven so I can make the yummy pumpkin, tofu and tomato meal with couscous
- I bought lots of veggies and stock to make up a vegie and lentil soup
- I also bought lots of vegies to make my all time fave dish from my Moosewood cookbook
- Finally, I've also bought some fruit. Comes in handy that.

And when all else fails or I become lazy and don't want to cook, there's frozen salmon fillets in the freezer, along with some frozen single serve vegies. Not ideal, but hey - better than takeaway.

Phew!

Noodle Markets & Fun

I've been really busy lately. It seems we all have. Seriously - I need to take a breath! There have been awards celebrations + working till late + airport pickups + gigs with 10 000 italians + egos + early morning starts + yoga classes + noodle markets + new haircuts + so much more.

Art & About in Hyde Park - artworks in the outdoors!!!

Good Food Month & Night Noodle Markets!

Day trips to Spotlight to make eyepillows for yoga classes!

Water fountains in Hyde Park - a 2 minute walk from my office. Sometimes life can be smiley.

: )

In a Nutshell

Well I had a great big recap of my week ready to post up here... but i can't seem to open gmail for some reason so here's a recap of things making my world turn at the moment...

Gaiam Yoga Club is something I'm starting this week. Rodney Yee is one of my fave yoga instructors and this is a great new club where you practice at home at your own pace. Best of all, the supply you with loads of meditation and practice podcasts.

Friends, I am becoming a runner. What's that saying?? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Well yes, I'm imitating my bella sister who is now a runner. Yes - my sister, who gave birth to a gorgeous little LaLa not too long ago. And she looks good! So I'm inspired to imitate her, and have joined a running group. First session was last friday (at 6.15am!!!) and it rocked! The gal who runs the running club (hehe) is a runner herself and also a sports massage therapist, and she's all about technique and how to do it safely. I have signed up for a block of 10 and now just need to buy a headband to cover my ears (it's cold in the morning!)

I'm also back on the goal of cooking a dish from every one of my cookbooks before the year is out. I love reading cookbooks - and dreaming of what I'll create. But then I become lazy and just stick to the good old faves. But I have some delish looking recipes and I'll create tonight!

Meditation is something I need to pick up this week too. I saw my lovely counsellor and then had acupuncture this week, and a LOT of stuff came up. I'm still digesting most of it but i need an outlet for it, and just a way of dealing with it. So meditation might be the key. Another way of dealing with it is by being active - the yoga is good, the running is good, but I'm also (on the recommendation of my therapist!) taking up kickboxing. I'm looking forward to it!

So that's me, in a nutshell. Hope you are keeping smiley too! x

Progress, not Perfection

Well the good news - I got $450 back from Medicare recently (yep, had a whole bunch of Dr and psychologist visits to claim), woohoo! And I had it all planned out and budgeted for this upcoming month. Then D'OH! I actually gave them the wrong account info to put the $$ into and instead of having it in my open (& accessible) account, I gave them the info to put it onto my loan repayments account.

This is actually all good in hindsight – my loan repayment is now under $4000, for the first time in about 5 years – woohoo!!! And I will be on an ultra-tight budget for the rest of the month but that is not a bad thing. I'm really really inspired to keep my debt going DOWN!

Speaking of all things money, have you heard about the movie MAXED OUT, the James Scurlock doco? I've not seen it yet although have wanted to for a while, and good news: a few sites have uploaded the flick including Single Ma right here. Check it out!

Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and Predatory Lenders
When Hurricane Katrina ravaged America's Gulf Coast, it laid bare an uncomfortable reality-America is not only far from the world's wealthiest nation; it is crumbling beneath a staggering burden of individual and government debt. Maxed Out takes us on a journey deep inside the American debt-style, where everything seems okay as long as the minimum monthly payment arrives on time. Sure, most of us may have that sinking feeling that something isn't quite right, but we're told not to worry. After all, there's always more credit! Maxed Out shows how the modern financial industry really works, explains the true definition of "preferred customer" and tells us why the poor are getting poorer and the rich getting richer. By turns hilarious and profoundly disturbing, Maxed Out paints a picture of a national nightmare which is all too real for most of us.


In other news, hobbies are taking off : ) I have kept up with Sunday Scribblings, I'm looking forward to going to a Stretch Class at SDC this coming weekend, and also kicking up the ante of my photography challenge.

Stay tuned - and happy Easter, friends. x

The Experiment

The Experiment is to restore my spirit.

Pretty simple really. I’m giving myself 7 days to find myself again. Easy ;)

YogaMum recently asked 'how would you begin again the story of your life?' - and me, well, I feel I’ve lost my way a little. I’m not really where I want or need to be right now. And the good news about the situation is that it’s definitely fixable.

YogaMum kinda gives us the rule book for this restoration thingy, where she says 'Each day, I can do more, be more, love more, than I have in the past. I can let go of the old, unhelpful ways of my life, and simply begin again.'

Each day this upcoming 7 days, I can love more by meditating. 5 mins every morning.

Each day this upcoming 7 days I can let go of the old by nourishing my body with home cooked & nutritious meals. No take away.

Each day this upcoming 7 days I can simply begin again by practicing yoga every single day. I look forward to getting the toxins out of my body by breathing deeply and stretching out. My head is always a little calmer after yoga.

I can't wait to begin again, and find my spirit nestled in some tissue paper again at the end of 7 days.

x

Grey skies

A few years back I really hit the depths of depression.

I remember sitting on the floor in my house, near the lounge, and just crying. I had been given some time off work and I just couldn't DO anything. Well, except sleep, and cry, and sleep some more. So my bella sister came up with a simple solution – sleep as much as I want to, don't eat, cry, sleep some more or whatever, just as long as once a day, every single day, I left the house.

Now if you've never had depression, you're probably thinking this is normal.. easy.. what, of COURSE you'd leave the house every day.. but when the black dog is perched at the end of your bed, it takes enormous amounts of strength to even get dressed for the day. And that doesn't include having a shower. Trust me.

But I kept that promise to her, and even if I just went to the corner store to get a juice, I left the house once a day.

It was during this time that $5 lunchtime yoga classes started near my house, so I became a regular. Monday to Friday, I'd try to go for the 50 minute class, and then would come back home and sleep, not eat, cry and sleep some more guilt free. And would you believe, this yoga thing really started to have some amazing effects on my body.

So now when I am once again feeling choked and heavy and sad and like I can't breathe, I am going to keep a simple promise to myself… that I will go for a walk or do some teeny tiny form of exercise every day. Even if it's just a walk around the block. I will do it, once a day, every single day.

Peace, Love + Brown Rice

I need a little more of all of these in my life.

Lately - for the whole last month, really - work has been intense. Intensely intense. For an example, my last week has been as follows:

Sunday worked all day at an outdoor festival (12noon to 11pm)

Monday had band in town, had work dinner at night

Tuesday has band in town, had work gig at night

Wednesday had band in town, had work gig at night

Thursday had band in another town so caught up on all my office work! Work gig at night

Friday.... sick at home

It's no surprise really that my throat is killing me today. My last week has been massively crazy and busy but I actually have enjoyed it - but the whole month has been full on. I'm actually feeling really on top of everything at work as well but yeh, rest sometimes is good.

I had a plan in February to deepen my yoga practice, but I've actually worked so much that yoga has taken a back seat.

pEaCe

So I definitely need some more yoga in my life. I need some more inner peace. When things are busy self-care flies out the window and it's a habit I need to break. So this month I'm going to go to a meditation class and up the yoga practice. Also going to jump on the treadmill so I can do some self-meditation.

lOvE

Self love, any love! Whatever falls under that banner, I need some of it. I need to do something this month, something to look forward to. Similar to an artist date, but just a date with myself. I am going to go to an art gallery, I am going to going to figure out some more things too. Stay tuned.

bRoWn RiCe

Food glorious food! I am going to eat proper meals this month. I'm gonna back off on takeaway. I'm going to cook with kate and quinoa and post foto evidence on here : )

x

Getting things done

"If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it." Priscilla Welch (who won the 1987 NY City Marathon at age 42)

We are so full of excuses, aren't we? A reason not to get fit, a reason to not do whatever it is we really should be doing.... so I had to giggle when I came across 91 Kicks in the Butt in the latest issue of Runner's World. It was literally 91 reasons to kick yourself out of your excuses to not exercise (run, in this case). The quote above just really stuck with me.

What am I holding back on right now? Well, definitely the healthy lifestyle thing. I used to eat really well - lots of water and fresh fruit and veg. And I keep telling myself that I'm having a little blip, that really, I do eat healthy. But truth be told, I haven't eaten that healthily for a while.

I know when it started, and why it started, but exercise and healthy eating aren't really regular parts of my life right now. So enough with the excuses - I need to START NOW. I have wondered about it for far too long and well, I need that kick up the butt and the Runner's World article gave it to me.

In an ideal world I will:
* Move my bahooti every day - seriously, how hard is it to walk around the block?
* Exercise 4 times a week - yoga, fitness class, personal training practice, treadmill
* Have 4 alcohol free days every week - because we only have one liver, and life is too short to have hangovers
* Eat fruit + veg every single day - hangs head in shame. You think this would be a given, yeh? Hmm not currently

Now.. it's time to make that ideal world a REAL world : ) I have a satisfying but hectic job that sees my timetable change week to week, but that is ok, there are still 24 hours in a day! This week I am planning:
Tues: 6.30am Yoga
Wed: am walk, 8.30pm Yoga
Thurs: am walk, at work conference
Fri: at work conference
Sat: at work conference, working at Good Vibes (so at least I'll do walking at the festival!)
Sun: travel down south coast, pm yoga

Fingers crossed for a productive week starting NOW! x

Operation 'Get It Together'

What I have been thinking lately:

I am really run down at the moment, really really run down. Not surprising though - I haven't had a holiday in a long time! I was teaching yoga full time for a year, then started work at a PR company for 5 months without a holiday, then worked at Field Day and Big Day Out for a month without a break, then worked at Chauvel for 9 months without a break, and now am at Red and have had no break at all during this time! My first 3 weeks at Red saw me sleeping every spare second I could as I had the head cold from hell - seriously - and now I've got work gigs and such (which I love)... and I still need that holiday!

So yep, time to Get It Together!! Obviously because I'm so tired I've just let everything go - eating, exercising, me time... I need to start going to the gym. I need to do a lot more yoga. I need to eat healthy food. I need to rest up.

working working working... but at least a lot of it is fun! I worked at Legs 11 on Friday evening at the box office, see all those tickets to give out? L - the view inside the office. R - the view outside the office! We were in the Domain so you can see the lights right in front of where we were, from the Art Gallery.

Mentally, I'm in an ok kind of place - the neurofeedback has really picked me up and I've noticed my moods improving greatly. Check out this wonderful and inspiring gal's journey out of depression, thanks to exercise. Food for thought.... so much so that I'm keen to participate in my own 12 week challenge!

Starting tomorrow I'm getting right into the Operation. This week I am committing to:

Monday - day after the ARIA's, rest/recovery day! (although I did manage to have a salad sandwich for lunch!)

Tuesday - gym before work, just half an hour. I really noticed after my cold that it has taken me a long time to get back into shape. Heck, not even getting into shape - but just doing anything! I have been completely out of breath and wiped out, so just doing half an hour of treadmill/bike. Night - a work dinner.

Wednesday - gym before work, teaching 1 yoga class.

Thursday - gym before work, work party at night

Friday - gym before work, gig at night

Saturday - Body Vive class at gym, travelling down the coast

Sunday - yay for parties!

Monday - teaching 2 yoga classes after work, will do half hour treadmill/bike in between them

driving back to sydney after spending time with my bella sis down the coast. definitely going to stock up on the 'me' time!

What I have been listening to lately:
I recently discovered Bat for Lashes and *woohoo* I love them. Also - Tunng, need to discover more of their music. An album coming out next year is by The Fashion, and I can't wait for that. Really really digging the album.






music music music... I've been listening - and attending. me and bron at the ARIA's last night







What I have been reading lately:
Frankie magazine, I love it - right from the first issue a couple of years ago, till this very day. One thing I discovered from the new issue is Mixtape Zine - and lots of other blogs too. Thanks PM, I'm in heaven!!


PS - oh daylight savings, how i LOVE you!
PPS - did you know that toothpaste on pimples really works to dry them out?!!
PPPS - why am I still getting pimples at my age?!!

Bless the Family Genes

You know, I really only realised this over the last few weeks, but I have my mothers thighs.

In fact, I have a lot of her body.

And perhaps I just noticed this over the last few weeks because as i’m inching closer towards the big 3-0, and haven’t changed eating habits too much, well, things aren’t bouncing back into shape as easily as they once did!

I guess I’ve been pretty lucky – I have never been way outta shape or anything, neither have i been model material. I happily sit in the middle. But now, well, as age catches up with me, I really need to start working on keeping myself fit and healthy.

So gym, welcome back to my life.

What's going on?

Movie to see: Shut Up & Sing, this is such a good movie!!! I was never a fan of the Dixie Chicks before... now I admire them SO much!

Thing to do: I'm teaching 3 classes this weekend, and looking forward to practicing as a student tomorrow morning, then running on the treadmill for 20 mins on Sunday.

Thing to eat: Lots of fruit and veg. I've just finished Day 2 of a mini-detox, with the help of the ever inspiring Dr Gillian McKeith. Sticking with it.. that is the trick! I'm definitely eating more than fruit and veg over the weekend (but yikes, I feel SO light and fresh right now) but still keeping wheat, gluten, caffiend and alcohol free.

Book to read: Am halfway through Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping, by Judith Levine. It's very inspiring!!

Task to complete: tax, yep, still gotta get all my tax stuff together. hmmm... procrastinating... procrastinating..

Stuff to cook: One of my 43 Things to do is to choose 5 recipes from the lovely Dreena Burton's Vive Le Vegan cookbook, and actually cook them. I've dog eared a few pages that caught my fancy, so I reckon I'll be doing some shopping for ingredients this weekend. Go and have a look at her site - I dare you to leave it without salivating!!

Cheerio for now, and hope yr all well! x

Low Impact Week

So over at Crunchy Chicken they're talking about a new month (already?!) and come June, it's time for LOW IMPACT WEEK. And me, I'm taking part in it!

I guess it's a good reminder for us to remind ourselves that even when we think we're doing well at things.. that really, we can probably do a little more for our beautiful planet. There is a great post with plenty of ideas about what YOU can do to take part: check it out.

Another thing to give snaps about is the World Environment Day events happening at the glorious Chauvel Cinema in Paddo, for you local kids. On June 4 and 5 there's going to be some fab films (Detour de France, and Crude Awakening) followed by some equally (if not more!) fab discussions and drinkies with local council members and other interesting peeps. Can't wait!

May Challenge

Yoga
* yoga x 3 a week (min), not including teaching
* spend some time researching and reading all things yoga! : )

Money
* $300 paid off debt
* $100 into savings
* stop planning and DO. Stop catching taxis, stop spending!

Fun
* watch at least 3 x movies at the Cinema
* have a dinner out with a friend/dinner in but with a friend
* do one thing interesting a week - sit in the park, go to the shops, do a dance class, go to the library, or just do something different.
* have one night tv free a week

Health
* at least 2 x alcohol free days a week and one AF week
* be aggressive - cut back on take out
* lemon & hot water each morning
* meds daily, vitamins daily, and epo daily

Turn, Turn, Turn

Well the seasons are changing and today it really is moving from summer into winter... it's been raining here in Sydney for the last few days quite consistently, I've pulled out my scarf and the boots are making a regular daily fashion statement, as is the flat cat umbrella. But that didn't stop me from starting off this public holiday with a big flyer drop around Chippendale this morning. Rain or no rain, it had to be done.

So I jumped on the bus, and walked along the streets dropping off flyers into letterboxes, and hopefully I'll see some numbers build in my Sunday classes at Queen St. I need to really build them as I can see this place working 100%, it is just a slow process. Got to keep the spirits up!

Now I'm jotting down some thoughts and a yoga update (below) whilst waiting for my friend D to call me. We're catching up to talk more yoga, and plan a workshop together. Woohoo! It's yoga go at the moment!

In more yoga news, I finally made it to Yoga Sanga yesterday for a lunch time class. Did I enjoy it? For the first 1/2 hour I have no problems telling you that all I could think of was, I'm not coming back! You see, there are so many different styles of yoga, but I'd been told from numerous peeps that the style I teach is very similar to that of YS, so I was expecting quite a dynamic, fluid class. This, dear friends, was anything but that. It was S-L-O-W.

But by the end, I was smiling. And I bought a multi-class pass. Yep, this little yogi is going back. Why the change? Well, you see, they say change is as good as a holiday. Coming into the cooler weather it's a time for a more yin practice, but also, this class just gave me time to think - time to really see my body in poses (and feel my hips creak!), time to really sink down and feel the effects that this different practice had on me.

I'm a dynamic yogi, through and through, and while this class wasn't physically challenging, it definitely was a mental effort. And to be sure, I think I need some help when it comes to that side of things. So I look forward to making this a regular practice.

Till then kittens,
xxx

ps - this sunday I start my anatomy and physiology training, part one. can you tell I'm on a yoga high? yay!

The list of tasks....

...to make discipline my friend this week: (Inspired by 43things)

Money
- I really want to Bake! I really want to Cook! And this is a good thing because it's all about money at the moment. That is, saving. Or, paying off debt.
- So doing a big grocery shop, and lots of home cooking with my new fave cookbook - La Dolce Vegan (see post below). Stay tuned for pics and updates!

Yoga + Health
- 1 x yoga class at Yoga Synergy, 1 x class at Yoga Sanga. Tres excited to try out Yoga Sanga in Surry Hills as have been wanting to for a while. I've heard the style that I teach is very similar to the classes here, and I can't wait. I've talked my manager into doing lunch time yoga with me so off we go!
- Run/walk for 1/2 hour down at Sydney Park.
- Regular classes this week.

Alcohol
- 2 alcohol free days (minimum). I am going well on this, just keeping it up..

Fun
- All work and no play makes Shiny a dull girl, but unfortunately I do this more often than not. Working on the depression thing is a bit of a struggle at the moment, so I need to commit to going out (of the house!), regardless of whether I want to or not. I always feel better when I do get out and about, I just need to get there.
- So in the spirit of this, I'm going to do a Stretch class at SDC, and also am going to catch up with Liora (coffee and yoga!), and Narelle (Anzac Day). That will do to start with.

What have you got planned for your week?
xxx

ps - dont' forget, biggest loser final this week! and new big brother starts tonight - jamie the nerd sounds funny. this idea could change in the next 5 mins, but at the mo, he makes me laugh :)

My foot isn't that big?!

Well, yes ma'am, it actually is.

I admit it - while I'm very much a fan of the environment and use my green bags to go shopping amongst other things, I still have quite a large environmental footprint. I love my clothes dryer. I catch (too many) taxis and eat too much take out that I bet a very small percentage of is locally produced. The list goes on.

So here is a bit of a committment (do you like that, a bit?) to start living in a more compact friendly lifestyle from now on. I have hesitated at making this semi-commitment before, because I know that I'll not be as great as some, I know I'll leave some of my habits open for ppl to pick at. But you know, like Ghandi says - Be the change you wish to see in the world. By doing one small change, hopefully it will make an impact somewhere along the line.

And if I slip up, so be it. I'm human - and I hope someone learns from my mistakes!

First baby steps:
* No spending this week - except for essentials (toiletries) and food. When purchasing though, it must be mindful. Oh, and this means no alcohol too.
* Cut back on using my clothes dryer. This will be tough. I live in a small unit, and have a busy life. But I've done it before and I'll do it again.

Stay tuned...

Cook once, eat all week

Isn't that a great plan? I need to start eating better, and I think a big part of why I don't is disorganisation. I have a pretty busy schedule, like most folks, so I think to plan in advance is the key here. I'm sure of it.

So I'm going to have a weekend of doing some shopping and prepping. We don't have much bench space at my work so I need to bring prepared meals, so I reckon even container-ing up meals for each day to just grab and go will be happening.

Does anyone else do this? Tips? Advice?

Some meals that are going to be prepared:
Bean & tuna salad
Chickpeas are Go!
Couscous & Roasted Vegetables
Grilled field mushrooms with fresh corn salsa
Ratatoille
Spicy lentil patties (with chickpeas)
Sweet potato + bean burger

It's all about Synergy

For the first weekend in a bit, I had a free Saturday. Yep - no teaching, no appointments, no nothing : ) So what did I do? Sure, I enjoyed a sleep in and an afternoon nap, but more than anything I enjoyed my 4pm yoga class at Synergy on Australia Street. I come back to my original feelings about bikram - I just don't see why you need to go in false heat when you can sweat like you're in the middle of a sauna by just working working working!

Yep, I was SOAKED at the end of the class! Sure, the humidity was a big factor, but this class got all of my muscles moving and working and there was a really great energy in the class. Even the teacher (Stu?) said thanks to everyone at the end of it all, because he could feel how positive everyone was.

A few new poses and sequences that I really enjoyed (don't you just love when a new teacher presents things differently?) and the deepest paschimottanasana (seated forward bend) I think I've ever done!!! When it's hot, heat is your friend - it really deepens your flexibility and you have this ability to go deeper into poses than you usually can.

So add this hot weather, plus Stu pressing me down for what felt like minutes and minutes, meant that my forehead was pushing down on my shins, my hands were wrapped around the soles of my feet and I couldn't have been any further flat if I tried!

OH MY GOD I felt SO elated as I was walking out of class! And mind you, this past week I've actually been feeling a little low. So this was just what I needed - to get the energy moving round, to get the endorpins all sparkly again, and to start to believe in my strength - emotional and physical - again.

Here's to a week of continuing with this energy:
* home cooked meals
* healthy and regular snacks (2 hours, protein)
* reduced alcohol
* 2 x yoga classes (apart from teaching)
* 2 x sessions walking/running
* 2 x spend free days