Fresh Perspective

The Pinnacle, Appalachian Trail

A few weeks ago my boyfriend of 5 years (and who I believed was my life partner) abruptly ended our relationship.  I was of course heart broken, shocked and depressed.  I went through my days miserable, suffering, unable to eat, and doing my best to distract myself through chores and time with friends old and new.  I ate unhealthy non-vegan food when I ate, I drank, I didn’t sleep much, didn’t exercise or practice my yoga.  Basically, I didn’t do anything a healthy, well-adjusted yoga teacher would do.

Feeling depressed and questioning all that I knew wasn’t enough- I had to add guilt to the pile.  I felt so much guilt for living (or not living) the way I was.  After a couple of weeks and an emotional phone conversation with a dear friend, I let go of that guilt.  After all, I was not currently a healthy, well-adjusted anything.  I was a human being going through a traumatic life change.  It was OK to suffer, to not take care of myself in my usual ways, it was OK to distract myself from the pain of suffering as much as possible.  This was a part of being human and I deserved to take part in it.

Once I allowed myself to experience this trauma without guilt, I discovered a new way of seeing things.  In the quiet the answers came.  I saw my relationship for what it had been.  I saw myself for who I truly am.  I wasn’t the person that he described.  I wasn’t necessarily who my peers, students or friends thought I should be.  I saw  truth.  Even in the bad I saw the good.  I grew leaps and bounds within days.  I feel relived to know that I was so terribly wrong and to know that I could let go of something so huge.  I feel so free and resilient.

By being removed from a situation I was able to gain a fresh perspective.  While it is important to see the positive in life, sometimes the negative needs to be in greater focus.  Let the bad in a situation act as an informer.  Don’t avoid it, don’t snuff it out, don’t dwell.  Just see it and learn from it.  Don’t become trapped by your beliefs or your loyalty.  Believe in yourself.  Be loyal to yourself.  The rest will follow.  Cheers to new beginnings!

Eat Salad! (the long awaited…)

Salads 28, 29, and 30! So it wasn’t 30 salads in 30 days, but what can I say?  I don’t follow my own rules.  I do eat salad almost every day, but I’ve not been great about sharing.  I hope you were inspired and got creative on your own and also enjoyed the salads that I have shared multiple times!  That’s the whole point anyway.  Salad isn’t boring.  Here is the last for some renewed inspiration, just in case it was beginning to dwindle (see, I planned it this way!).

28: Fresh from the farmers market sweet, crispy bibb lettuce and tomatoes combined with cucumbers, sunflower seeds and 2 delicious dressings purchased at The Fresh Market.  This salad is perfect by the pool on a hot summer day.

 

 

29: Fresh bibb lettuce, red leaf, and romaine make the perfect base.  Then to make it really interesting, add some sweet, tart dried cherries, earthy raw walnuts, raw pumpkin seeds (also from Fresh Market) and savory baked beans.  This is something to look forward to on your lunch break!

 

 

30: Back to those farm-fresh tomatoes! Add some cucumber for crunch, pumpkin seeds, and yes, baked beans.  Delicious.

 

 

And for a bonus- if you’re in a jam and didn’t pack your lunch, check out Starbucks for this tasty salad.  Kale and cabbage with butternut squash, brown rice, broccoli, peas, beets, tomatoes and a tasty tahini dressing!  Fast and filling is hard to find when you order your salad out, but this one did it- and 5 stars for creativity and flavor too!

I hope you enjoyed eating these, I know I did!

Salad #27

This salad consists of spring mix and spinach with cashews, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, and Robert Rothschild Raspberry Salsa as dressing.  I added goat cheese to this same salad and enjoyed it as a wrap as well.  So yummy!

 

A Salad A Day 24, 25, 26

Tortilla chips have been a reoccurring theme in these latest salads!

Day 24:

Romaine lettuce with salsa mixed with vegenaise, tortilla chips, and tofu baked with Harissa spice (chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and other spices).

Day 25:

I got lunch at Cal Tort the day after the 4th when I was still in a haze from celebrating and went to work unprepared.  I ordered the southwestern salad, hold the cheese and sub the chicken for black beans with honey lime dressing.  It was delicious! The only thing I didn’t love was the lame shredded iceberg lettuce, but for fast food, you can’t complain.

Day 26:

Inspired by Cal Tort I made my own tasty southwestern salad.  I made salsa with tomatoes, onion, avocado, corn, a splash of vinegar, chili powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt and pepper. I topped my spring mix with the salsa, black beans, and tortilla chips.

A Salad A Day 21, 22, 23

Day 21:

Romaine lettuce and spring mix with curried tofu, tomatoes, basil,  and homemade dressing: almond butter,  Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, rice vinegar, and water.

Day 22:

Dinner out and I had a super tasty salad! It was a bed of spring mixed greens topped with candied walnuts, apple slices, gorgonzola cheese (not my taste), and crab (in place of the chicken).  It came with a raspberry vinaigrette.  Yum! Unfortunately my iPhone was acting up and I didn’t get  a shot of it.

Day 23:

Today’s salad was made with romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries and currants, and a homemade dressing of vegenaise, hot sauce, and water.

and a picnic with the twins!

Salad Day 20!

Sorry for the delay!  Here is your salad: Spring mix, pumpkin seeds, clementine, avocado, sea sprinkles, and a new spin on my Asian dressing- almond butter instead of peanut butter (just whisk almond butter, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos soy sauce, splash of rice vinegar, H2O) – yum!

seitan wraps made by Jen 🙂

Day 19

Another sweet, fruity salad! Why not? This salad contains strawberries, blueberries, apples, nuts and seeds.  I made an avocado honey mustard dressing by blending the avocado and mustard with water and a little sea salt.  Enjoy 🙂