November Newsletter 2023

GRATITUDE…

 I feel truly grateful for my life every single day. I also feel self-pity and not enough-ness and overwhelm and jealousy and all the negative things that creep in every day. What I know to be true is that gratitude is a practice, not a given. We all have the capacity to feel gratitude but we don't always or regularly tap into it. 

So, what is a practice that we can use to tap into gratitude? For me it is my daily meditation. I meditate every morning as soon as I wake up. I first make a cup of Ryze mushroom coffee then I sit up straight in my bed, start my insight timer for 18-20 mins and I meditate. When the bell dings to announce the end of my meditation I repeat a gratitude mantra. My gratitude mantra touches on health, family, friends, abundance, how I show up in the world, and what I am calling into my life. I say it so often that I could quickly repeat if for you right now. At the end, I add any new tidbits I'm feeling that day. That is my gratitude practice...in less than a minute. Because it’s at the end of my meditation when I’m fully present and ready to receive, it’s potent. And it usually follows me throughout the day. Not always, but often. And I have to say, I'm very grateful for my gratitude practice.

What is your gratitude practice? If you don't have one, please try mine and tell me how it feels. There is so much pain in the world right now, it is often unbearable. We do not need difficult times to remind us to be grateful for what we have. We need to regularly be grateful for what we have so that we regularly show up from a place of wholeness and abundance which will in turn inform our actions and reactions in the world. 

I am grateful for you. 

With Love, 
Andrea

PRANAYAMA…

People often say to me something along the lines of "Oh yes but you're always so calm and Zen..." and my instant reaction is shock and awe. Like, how do they not know how crazy my mind is or how I'm prone to anxiety or how angry I can get at my kids or...because of this I’m reminded that the practice of yoga (all of it's aspects) is truly potent. It's never about being perfect or Zen all the time, it's not about not falling apart, it's about what we do WHEN we fall apart. What practices bring us back to ourselves, our center, our Zen. How do we feel, breathe, and move through what is difficult. The practice of yoga allows us to make our own tool kit of practices that keep us grounded and present. I have a well stocked tool kit that I tap into regularly when I fall apart and eventually I’m able to find my Zen.

We wanted to talk about Pranayama this month because it is such an incredible tool to use all day and every day. Pranayama exercises are ancient breathing techniques that originate from India. In yoga, breath is associated with prana, thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the prana-shakti, or life energies. Practicing pranayama nourishes our physical body by oxygenating our cells, promoting healing, and boosting our immune system. Simultaneously, it calms the mind, quieting the incessant chatter and allowing us to tap into a state of deep relaxation and peace.

There are many different Pranayama practices and all are accessible and powerful. For example, our breath is connected to the nervous system and when we are feeling anxious we tend to breathe shallow and rapidly probably into our upper chest. The act of lengthening the exhale to a 7 count, for example, can literally shift your nervous system from a state of fight or flight to a state of calm. 

Pranayama as a practice works with muscles that can support a deeper, calmer breathe. By breathing into different areas of our torso we are able to stretch and strengthen different muscles needed for a more expansive and fluid breath. By practicing different breathing techniques we create a new habitual breath.

PRACTICE: I learned this Pranayama practice, the 3 Part Breath, during my first ever teacher training in 2003 and I’ve been teaching it ever since.

FIRST: Place your hands on your belly. INHALE and allow your belly to balloon out. EXHALE and hug your belly in towards your spine. REPEAT 5 times, lengthening your inhale and your exhale.

SECOND: move your hands up to your rib cage, fingers pointing towards your midline. INHALE and create space between your ribs. EXHALE and gently press your ribs towards each other. REPEAT 5 times.

THIRD: move your hands to your upper chest. INHALE breathe into and fill your chest, lifting your shoulders slightly. EXHALE relax your shoulders and lower your chest. REPEAT 5 times.

I teach this to kids a lot because it’s a very accessible breathing exercise and they can do it while sitting at their desk taking a test or anytime they feel anxious.

We can all use it while driving, standing in line, listening, having an argument, dealing with frustrating situations. You don’t use the hand positions when out and about, you simply focus your breath into those different areas.

This can also be used when lying in bed at night if you can’t sleep or anytime you’re feeling nervous or anxious.

Try it and tell us how you like it.

RECIPE…

1-Pot Everyday Lentil Soup
The Minimalist Baker


I am obsessed with this soup at the moment. I swing by the farmers market at least once a week, grab needed veggies, chop, saute, and cook. I have it down to a 30 minute cooking situation and it nourishes me for several days. Don't be afraid to substitute or add veggies!

SOUP RECIPE:

  • 2 Tbsp water (or sub oil of choice // such as avocado or coconut)

  • 2 cloves garlic minced (or sub 2 Tbsp garlic-infused oil*)

  • 2 small shallots (optional // or 1/2 white onion as recipe is written // diced)

  • 4 large carrots (thinly sliced)

  • 4 stalks celery (thinly sliced)

  • 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper (divided // plus more to taste)

  • 3 cups yellow or red baby potatoes (roughly chopped into bite-size pieces*)

  • 4 cups vegetable broth (plus more as needed)

  • 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme (I used a bit of both)

  • 1 cup uncooked green or brown lentils (thoroughly rinsed and drained)

  • 2 cups chopped sturdy greens (such as kale or collard greens)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add water (or oil), garlic, shallots/onion (optional), carrots, and celery. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and stir.

  • Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until slightly tender and golden brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic (turn heat down if it’s cooking too quickly.)

  • Add potatoes and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more.

  • Add vegetable broth and rosemary or thyme and increase heat to medium high. Bring to a rolling simmer. Then add lentils and stir. Once simmering again, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until lentils and potatoes are tender.

  • Add your greens, stir, and cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes more to wilt. Then taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor, vegetable broth if it’s become too thick, or herbs for earthy flavor.

  • Enjoy as is or serve with rice, cauliflower rice, or a side of flatbread or rolls. I love garnishing mine with a little fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness (optional).

  • Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop and add more vegetable broth to rehydrate as needed.