~Today's Menu Special

Mellow Yellow Squash Soup

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet onions~chopped

8 yellow squash~chopped

1 leek~chopped

7 garlic cloves~chopped

5 sprigs lemon thyme

6 cups low/sodium-free chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/2 - 1 tsp. Celtic salt to taste

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Goat Gouda cheese shaved, pine-nuts and chopped parsley for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil~medium heat.

Add onions, leek and cook; stirring until onions are translucent and soft.

Add squash and leaves of lemon thyme~cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high; add broth, salt and garlic.

Cook with partially covered pot at low boil for 25 minutes until the squash is soft.

Allow soup to cool and puree in covered blender; return to pot and heat.

Add lemon juice.

Garnish with cheese, pine-nuts and parsley.

Makes 8 cups

~ Mmm, Tasty Little Nuggets

When making a conscious shift in life, meditation creates a connection to one's internal, wise teacher. Intuition is a neon signpost pointing you in the right direction.

THE FLIP SIDE

It seems as though in our society we're into the rush of the quick fix. In my reality that state-of-mind creates horizontal, emotional stagnation. Trying to move away from the discomfort is only placing a band-aid on the present challenge.

The other day in my tai chi class one of my amazing students mentioned how she was feeling frustrated when she forgot a movement when practicing at home. I know this feeling intimately from my early journey in Tai Chi Land when I was in my twenties. After many years, (yes, I wrote years... I was a slow learner) I had what Alan Watts penned as an "AH HA Moment" when I finally understood that my judgements and attached, negative "glommers"* were creating energy blocks. Those emotional traffic jams were also jamming my mind. And I felt frustrated.

I asked my student to think about what the opposite word or feeling was for ~ frustration. I assured her she didn't have to come up with her answer at that moment. But she responded that "contentment" was the word.

I requested she take a few minutes each day and think about what contentment truly means; then progress to how it makes her feel. Eventually whenever she begins to feel frustrated she'll travel through the "FLIP SIDE" to contentment. I assured her that her tai chi will unfold effortlessly and she'll also discover a quiet, sense-of-ease with everything she does.

And as MOM says "Try it... you may like it."

*Glommers is how I describe what happens to our souls as we grow-up on Planet Earth. As children we often accept negative descriptions and/or actions from others and adopt them as our own truths. These "glommers" are like sticky scales that attach one by one onto our psyche. (When in this state we look as if we're related to armadillos.)

Through daily practices like: yoga, tai chi, mindfulness, moving, sitting and laughing meditation we can begin to release each glommer... the gift is the incredible lightness of being and BE-IN one with yourself.

~ Mom's Stress Busting Tip

We often forget to breathe deeply during the day. The full breath is an easy way to release stress and the harmful effects of the fight or flight syndrome.

In my Mind Over Matters Workshop I teach my students Nadi Sudi, the “alternate nostril breath”.

Nadi Sudi is a beautiful breath allowing oxygen and prana (energy) to flow evenly to both hemispheres of the brain. We tend to favor one nostril as we breathe during the day producing an uneven balance in the energy flow to the brain. When breathing through the left nostril the brain’s right hemisphere is being nourished. The right hemisphere houses emotions and creative thought. When breathing through the right nostril the brain’s left hemisphere is being nourished. The left hemisphere houses linear and logical thought. This is why it’s important to establish an equal balance during the day. Nadi Sudi will calm the nervous system and create a crystal clear mind.

Before you begin please blow your nose…so there’s a clean, open passage for the breath. One again, sit comfortably with a straight spine and chin parallel to the floor. Close or soft focus the eyes. Bend the right elbow and allow the right arm to rest comfortably on the chest.

Take the 2^nd & 3^rd fingers with the pads facing your features; place the fingers above and between the eyebrows and midway up on the forehead.

1) Allow the thumb to gently close the right nostril and slowly exhale (chest down to abdomen) to the count of 8 through the left nostril).

2) Inhale (abdomen up to chest) to the count of 4.

3) Allow the 4^th finger to close the left nostril (both nostrils are now closed).

4) Release the thumb and SLOWLY exhale to the count of 4 (chest down to abdomen)

5) Inhale through right nostril for 4 beats.

6) Thumb closes right nostril; both nostrils are closed.

7) Release left nostril, exhale for 8 beats… inhale for 4 beats.

8) Close both…hold breathe.

9) Open right nostril, exhale 8 beats… inhale for 4 beats.

10) Close both…hold breath and continue.

When you practice Nadi Sudi, keep the face relaxed. The breath is quiet and soft. If your right arm tires, take your left hand and support your right elbow.

~ The MiGhTy Little Neti

Spring has sprung and so have the allergies associated with this season of cleansing and rebirth. I never had allergies before I moved to Northern California where we're blessed with seven micro-climates and it seems as though Mother Nature is alive and well.

The plant allergies affect my eyes more than my sinuses. I would take Wellesley (our mascot) for his daily walk and we'd often find ourselves in town. I would constantly be wiping the tears from my watery eyes. If you have read my other posts you probably realize I'm pretty friendly. I actually like to speak with people waiting on line in my local coffee shop. I would find myself beginning the conversation with " I'm really happy and my eyes are weeping with joy" as I dabbed away the tears.

Since using the neti pot first thing in the morning ~ I'm tear free. It's a miracle attaining relief without prescription drugs. And by flushing out your sinus cavity you're helping your immune system fight off colds.

All you need is:

• Distilled water
  
• Neti pot
• Sinus/saline solution (easily found on internet or health store)
• Sink
• Tissues
• Sense-of-humor

You can view a demonstration on how to use your Mighty Little Neti by clicking on the above title.

And remember what MOM says...

"It couldn't hurt!"