December & January

Sandra’s Snippets   I wish you all health and happiness in this new year.     Have Fun with Gravity By Judith Hanson Lasater, Yoga Journal Jan. 2019   Having an increased awareness of the effects of gravity can help you notice which muscles to use and which to release to move deeper and safer into a pose. When you practice asana (yoga poses), you are constantly and experimenting or dancing with the force of gravity and its effect on a pose. The term movement literacy is based on the understanding that the body is an orchestra and movements are the music it creates. For example; the action of raising your leg up in a standing pose like Hand-to-big-toe is created as you flex your hip joint bringing your thigh outward from your trunk. This uses the hip flexor muscle and part of the quadriceps. These muscles on the front of the body undergo a shortening contraction. This is hip flexion which is occurring against the force of gravity.       Speedy Vegetable Chili Warm up this winter with a quick and healthy meal that you can make ahead of time. Recipe from Uncomplicated: Taking the Stress Out of Home Cooking by Claire Tansley Heat 2 Tbsp canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 chopped yellow onion and ½ tsp salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly golden, about 4 minutes or until starting to soften and lightly golden. Add 1 chopped carrot and 1 chopped celery stalk. Stir in chopped red bell pepper, 1 chopped minutes zucchini and 3 minced garlic cloves;...

September, October, November 2018

It’s Been Awhile A lot has happened since my last posting. The photo to the left is from Burning Man. As soon as I returned, my mom had to go into the hospital. I had to prioritize and fit a bit more into my schedule. Spending time with my mom means a lot to me now. Visiting a care home most days and seeing the compassionate attention paid to my mom and others is uplifting. It reminds me to be grateful for healthy body and mind that can make plans, keep learning and enjoy every day. Following the Cycles of Nature Honor the cycles of the moon as it transitions from newness to fullness, become aware of how this cycle deeply affects you physically and emotionally. Our bodies are mostly water. Just as the lunar phases change the tides, you can fee changes happening inside you. When you tune in to the phases of the moon, you may notice that during certain times your creativity and activities are better supported. We are all unique beings and your cycles may be different from anyone else’s. Be open to discovery as you explore how the phases of the moon support your needs. The new moon is a time of beginnings. It is a time to experience rebirth and begin working on new endeavors such as welcoming a new relationship, starting a new project or job. The full moon is a powerful time to perform ceremonies and healing work. This is when the moon’s energy is strongest. There is an abundance of power. Ask for blessings in starting new projects or facing life...

July & August 2018

Saving Our Planet-It’s Up to All of Us Technology and innovation are constantly changing. The opportunities to make important and positive changes to our planet are everywhere. Just in the last week, Starbucks announced that they will be discontinuing plastic straws. Within a few days, Disney confirmed that same policy is in the works.  Just today I was out and heard a woman tell her husband, she hadn’t wanted a stray. Straws are considered the number one pollutant found on our beaches. Plastic bags are number two. With so many caring, intelligent humans on this planet, the global warming crisis is reversable. Of course, we need to act now! The new and very timely book titled, “Drawdown, The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming”, was compiled by Paul Hawken. The book highlights the 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world. I want to share an easy one that experts say is incredibly beneficial. Just one small, positive step makes a huge impact on the reduction of the greenhouse gas methane. It is over thirty-five times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Composting is the easiest and cheapest way for us all to participate in a solution. Currently the U.S. composts about 38% of its food waste. It is mandatory in San Francisco where compost is sent to the vineyards of Napa Valley to fertilize the soil without using chemical fertilizers. Denmark has not sent organic waste to landfills in twenty-five years. I have been composting for several years and can’t believe how much food...

May & June 2018

Finding Joy and Compassion from Yoga Journal article by Pema Chodron We tend to have an earnest seriousness about everything in our lives. A joyful mind is very ordinary and relaxed. When you aspire to lighten up, you begin to have a sense of humor. Your serious state of mind keeps getting popped. Another basic support for a joyful mind is curiosity: paying attention-taking an interest in the world around you. Happiness is not required but being curious without a judgmental attitude helps. If you are judgmental, try being curious about that. Curiosity encourages cheering up-So does simply remembering to do something different. We are so locked into the sense of burden-Big Deal Joy and Big Deal Unhappiness-that it is sometimes helpful to just change the pattern. Anything out of the ordinary will help. Just something against your usual habits. Walking a different path. Noticing a tiny creature in nature can be a meditative experience. There is magic in even the smallest creation.   Drowning in Plastic Many of mankind’s inventions tend to show their negative side over time. Plastic is one of those inventions. In the June issue of National Geographic, this disaster is destroying wildlife, ecosystems, and polluting our waters. The problem is worse in developing countries where dump sites and trash collection is not available. More than 40 percent of plastic is used just once. The working life of a plastic bag is about 15 minutes. There are about 9 million tons added to our oceans each year. Animals eat it, get stuck in it and die from it. Plastic is turning the ocean into a...

March & April 2018

  Welcome Spring   I hosted a spring equinox event last month. Our friends Mariscela and Theodore shared a Peruvian tradition of creating a Despacho with gifts of the earth. This ancient ceremony is a spiritual offering to our mother Earth. We ended our afternoon by burning our offering, drumming and chanting. For some of us it was a new experience. Let’s all be open to the magic that appears with an open mind and heart         One Simple Habit Could Help You Live Longer   That’s the conclusion of a recent study that looked at the daily habits of more than 3,000 adults between ages 70 to 90, over a 25-year period. Researchers divided the subjects into three groups, based on how often they left their homes: daily, 2 to 5 times per week, and less than once per week. When mortality was assessed in the later years of the study, researchers found that those who went outside every day were at the small risk of death, while those who rarely left home had the highest mortality risk. This finding was consistent even when factoring in health issues like diabetes, heart disease, visual impairment, and impaired mobility, notes lead study author Jeremy Jacobs, MD. Resilient individuals remain engaged, irrespective of their limitations,” he says, adding that the improved survival was observed to experience benefits. Although the exact reasons behind the findings weren’t included in this study, previous research has found that people who use more time going out may have and better mental health.  Are You Vitamin D Deficient? Known as the “sunshine” vitamin, vitamin...

January & February 2018

Strength in Numbers Studies have shown that New Year’s resolutions, especially as it relates to fitness, tend to last about six weeks. Don’t be a statistic. A surefire way to fail is trying to do everything on your own. That’s why we have built-in accountability here to keep you happy and healthy. There are many reasons why doing everything on your own tends to lead to nowhere. Training with a partner, with a personal trainer, or in a group of friends is the perfect system for accountability. When you train by yourself and don’t feel like working out, the inclination might be to skip out on that workout. However, when regularly attending a class setting, peers will notice your absence. Knowing this gives you that extra edge and thus makes it less likely to skip out on that same workout. Also, many times, peers will even reach out and make sure you’re there next time. Surely your trainer won’t let you skip out on workouts either… There’s so much more to working out with a partner in a group than just pure accountability. Research shows that training with a partner or group also can actually elevate your workout. This concept is known as synergy. The sum of individual efforts will never be as great as the sum of the efforts of a group. There’s a reason that elite athletes often train in groups or with a trainer. They know that to reach their potential, another individual will help them achieve higher levels of performance. Lastly, we as humans are neurologically wired for connection. Your genetic makeup to function within...