The Best Cookies Ever!

Martin Bullo and Denay Woodman are the owners of Sierra Nevada Camp Chef, an adventure hospitality and catering company based in Grass Valley, CA. They are catering the Self-Care for the Soul 2024 Retreat in North San Juan! Learn more about their business and story by CLICKING HERE to visit their website.

Denay has graciously shared her recipe for snickerdoodle cookies! These cookies were our wedding party favor gift. They are light, tasty, and a great snack. Everyone raved about them at our wedding and I enjoyed my fair share of them :) Please see the recipe below and let us know in the comments if you made the recipe.

Please Enjoy! 

With love, Sierra Nevada Camp Chef

For 24 Vegan Snickerdoodles

·      18 ⅔ T. vegan butter (block variety works best, at room temperature, I like Miyoko's)

·      1 ½ C. granulated sugar

·      ½ C. soft silken tofu or unsweetened apple sauce

·      2 T. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

·      3 C. plain white flour aka all purpose flour

·      2 tsp cream of tartar

·      1 tsp bicarbonate of soda aka baking soda

·      1 tsp fine sea salt

For the Cinnamon Sugar

·      4 T granulated sugar

·      4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions: To Make the Snickerdoodles

1.           Place the vegan butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream them together on high speed until smooth and fluffy (minimum 3 minutes). Alternatively use an electric hand mixer in a medium bowl. (260 g vegan butter,300 g granulated sugar

2.          Add the silken tofu or apple sauce and vanilla bean paste and beat again until smooth. (100 g soft silken tofu, 2 T vanilla extract) 

3.          In a separate small bowl, sieve together the plain white flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda, and fine sea salt. Add to the stand mixer bowl and beat on slow until just combined. (360 g plain white flour, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp fine sea salt)

4.          Remove the dough from the mixer bowl, cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5.          While the dough cools, preheat the oven to 160 °C and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Place the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. (4 T granulated sugar, 4 tsp ground cinnamon)

6.         Once the dough is cooled, remove from the fridge. Use a cookie scoop to scoop a heaped tablespoon of dough. Drop the ball of dough into the cinnamon sugar and roll gently to coat. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough, spreading the cookies out across the baking parchment and the two baking sheets to make sure they don't touch as they bake.

7.          Place the first tray into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. The dough will spread and crisp up around the edges slightly but will still look slightly under-done in the center. Don't worry - this is correct and will help the cookies to stay soft and chewy in the center. Remove the cookies and repeat with the second tray while the others cool.

8.         Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.

Why Vision Boards are important to me

How do you create your visions for your life? 8 months ago I entered the world called: wedding planning. People kept asking me what was my vision and what was my inspiration for the wedding. The truth is, I didn't know what people meant. I didn't want to sound too full of myself or pompous, but my idea was to create an event that moved liked the Yuba river, had the friendliness of the trees, and the elegance of a red rose.

I know I have a tendency to think big, abstractly, and through emotions and visions. The largest goal of my life and my work has been to take the non- linear and break it down in a way, where I can talk, teach, and communicate in a way where people understand me.

Every year I make a vision board for myself, so at the beginning of the wedding planning, I went to my roots and made a wedding vision board. I put it in front of my yoga mat. As the months passed by, I went back to my intentions on my vision board. Vision boards have a way of anchoring all the decisions of life. I looked at my wedding vision board when I needed help making a decision.

When I looked at my vision board of the photos of the Yuba, I thought about the wedding and how could I create an atmosphere of connection, just like the way the rivers connect the mountains to the ocean. When I looked at the pine trees on my vision board, I thought about how can I create a community through my wedding, just like the ways the trees communicate to each other. When I looked at the red roses on my vision board, I thought about how can I encourage each guest to tap into their inner beauty.

Now that the wedding is over, I look at the vision board and I feel happy that it helped me communicate my images into words. Each Spring, I make my yearly vision board and now I'm in the process of making my 2024 vision board!

Would you like to make your vision board with me too? I'm teaching a workshop: Making Your Vision Board+ Yin Yoga on Sat 3/23/24 at Inner Path Nevada City CA 3-5 pm. We'll set our intentions as a group, ground ourselves in yin yoga and then get a start on our 2024 vision boards! CLICK HERE to register and sign up

A day of Love in Nevada County

I got married this month. I got married after being with my partner for 19 years. Why get married now? Daniel and I get that question a lot. We don’t really have an answer for you, other than, it seemed like we shouldn’t wait any longer! If you’re reading this blog, I’m assuming you know me as a yoga teacher, but are curious about how the wedding went! First of all, thank you and I’m honored you’re here! Please keep reading to learn about the special day.

A day to give back to our family and friends:

Daniel and I both acknowledged that we had to get married for ourselves and our relationship. But we also recognized that we were having the ceremony and reception for the people that are our closest family and friends. We wanted it to be a special day for us and also for them.

My sister and I dancing down the aisle:

The ceremony was set up in a spiral setting and my sister, Jennifer and I danced down the aisle to the song “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. I picked this song because I wanted the ceremony to start on a light-hearted and fun note!

Making the spiral journey:

The spiral idea came to me because Daniel and I wanted to look at everyone and involve them in the ceremony. It was a blast to dance down the aisle and give people hugs as I made my way to the center of ceremony. Plus every guest got to walk under the arch and walk through the spiral. It’s about the journey! Thank you to DJ Vince for this picture!

No bridesmaids, just friends:

I didn’t want bridesmaids because it felt like too much pressure and too old fashioned for my taste. There wasn’t a bridal party, just friends, friends, and more friends. These ladies have been by my friends since 1986 and they always put a smile on my face!

It was a happy day for everyone:

The afternoon ended with an olive leaf toss while we exited the Nevada County fairgrounds. Thanks again to DJ Vince for the photo and all the great music and MC for our day! It was a lovely day had by all!

Our wedding soundtrack:

A gift for you! Click on the image to listen to our wedding songs

Embracing change

As we dive into the autumn season, I’ve been reflecting how the concept of change is a big part of my yoga practice.  

I was feeling under the weather last week, before that I was out of town, and before that I was extremely busy with work.  None of this is very spectacular or unusual for someone’s life, but it meant that my yoga practice was not as intense as I like it to be.  I tend to become agitated when I’m not practicing my yoga at my edge.

I am a yoga practitioner that enjoys the depth of daily practice.  Even though I like the challenge of a physical practice, sometimes my personal challenge is making space for my practice to change.  Which feels appropriate because, at its core, I see yoga as a practice of observing change.

My practice looks different at different times in my life. Instead of clinging to what I used to be, I make it a practice of embracing who I am becoming. I’m not saying this easy, it is actually very difficult for me! But I step up to this challenge because I don’t want to live in self-judgement, I do my yoga so that I feel freedom.

Sometimes we can’t unroll our mat and do our practice in the traditional sense, but the practice is still there.  Or our once vigorous practice needs to be slow and contemplative.  Or our therapeutic practice needs to push an edge.  Or maybe life feels like a lot to handle, and pausing to listen to the our breath is part of our yoga.

Just as the way the seasons shift from our hot summer to the crisp autumn air— how does your yoga practice flow and change during the seasons of your life?  As your yoga practice has developed over time, what do you celebrate about the ripening of your practice?

Would you like to join me on this yoga journey of becoming something new? I’m teaching a 6 week Yin Yoga series at Sierra College Grass Valley that starts November 1, 2024. Click here for more information and registration.

Why did I start AcuYogini Retreats?

There came a point in my yoga teaching, when I felt I wasn't sharing enough of my personal practice.  I was teaching yoga postures, and I was doing massage therapy, but the classes and sessions weren't a reflection of the way I actually practiced.  My personal practice was fusion of everything I had learned: from my massage school teachers, various yoga lineages I had studied, and my own kind of style of learning how to let go of stress.

I decided I needed to start teaching workshops that would combine yoga and acupressure.  Rather than focusing on the physical aspects, the workshops would focus on balancing challenging emotions that everyone faces.  Those workshops had titles such as: Step into Your Power, Step into Your Creativity, and Step into Your Joy.  

The workshops eventually transformed into a weekend event.  The first retreat in 2019 was called: Living Your Destiny.  I choose that title because I feel each of us has a plan and destiny to fulfill.  It's easy to get caught up in day to day life rather than seeing the whole picture.  I wanted to create a weekend for people to do yoga and acupressure and get in touch with their unique purpose.  

I wasn't expecting it, but I got in touch with my own destiny at that first retreat!  About half way through the weekend, I noticed the shift in the group.  Participants faces looked different.  They looked happier, lighter, and as if they had let something go. 

People were coming up to me and telling me this retreat was amazing.  At first, I thought people were just saying that to be nice to me, and I didn't believe them.  After many people said this was "exactly what they needed" and asked me when "would the next retreat would take place", I knew I had to try to create another retreat.

I had a contract signed and a plan for a retreat in 2020, which had to be canceled.  It was difficult for me to navigate what would happen next.  I thought about abandoning the project.  The facility where I was holding the retreats, Woolman at Sierra Friends, had a fire and part of the campus was in fire damage.  With the rules around the pandemic frequently changing, I wasn't sure if people wanted to gather together for a weekend event.

In Spring 2021, I went to the Woolman campus that is located on Nisenan land, and I had a heart felt conversation with the sky, the meadows, and even the fire damaged area.  The Woolman staff were supportive and encouraging me to create AcuYogini events again.  Past participants of the 2019 Living Your Destiny Retreat were forwarding their deposits to a Retreat that I hadn't even planned yet!
  
So, since perseverance is one of my strong points, I decided I'm up for the challenge and created a mini Retreat for 2021 and then a day Retreat for 2022.  Now this year, I'm pleased to tell you, I'm back to hosting the format of a 3 day/2 night weekend Retreat!  

I titled the 2023 Retreat Telling Your Story because these past few years have been so difficult for us all.  We have gone through so much.  At the same time, each of us has gone through something so different.  I believe it's compassionate sharing and listening that will create understanding in our world.  

The Telling Your Story Retreat will be about welcoming yourself, sharing your wisdom, and becoming grounded.  I'll be teaching classes in yin yoga, acupressure, and journaling.  There will be guest teachers in drumming, yoga nidra, and sound healing.  Retreat packages include all meals, classes, and accommodations!  Early bird pricing is available until April 30th.  >>Click here to sign up!<< 

Why is gratitude so powerful?

“KC…let’s do this,” says my Dad. I’m sitting in my parents living room, with my Dad across from me. I’ve returned to live at home after moving away for college. He’s been politely suggesting career paths these past few months, while I’ve been spending all my time at the yoga studio and working at the local health food store. It’s 2003 and I have a dream of being a massage therapist and yoga teacher.

The “this” my Dad is referring to, is going to massage school and yoga teacher training. The “let’s” is us: myself and my Dad. He’s an architecture professor, a business owner, a teacher and mentor. Although he had just helped me attend college, he looked at me and encouraged me to go on a new path. He made it clear, I wouldn’t be doing this alone, I always have his confidence and his excitement backing me up.

My Dad may have passed from this world—but I still feel his presence. When I think of him, I smile. I think of how grateful I am that he supported me in creating my own career. It was his sensibility, compassionate determination, and even his laughter that gave me faith in myself.

Gratitude creates a way of moving from lack into abundance. Even though my Dad passed away over a decade ago, I still have times of grief. When I shift into a sense of appreciation of our relationship—it helps me not be overwhelmed by sadness and instead go forward to do new things in my life and career.

Who are you grateful for? Do you have a friend, family member, or teacher that inspired you to be the person that you are? How does gratitude feel in your body?

I like to take these last few months of the year to focus on gratitude. It’s a way to give back to the people that have shared so much with me. It’s also a reminder during this “season of giving” that the best gifts do not need to be purchased. Acknowledgement, love, and recognition can be the most important gift we give each other.

Would you like to explore the theme of gratitude with me? I’m offering a workshop: Gratitude Yoga Hike at Woolman in Nevada City on November 5th 10 am to noon to explore this topic. This is a low impact hike for all levels and gentle yoga class to open to all the blessings of life!

What I wish I’d known before my first yoga class

After my first yoga class, I went to my car and cried. These weren’t tears of happiness or an emotional release. These were tears of embarrassment. I remember this day well, and I think of it when someone new comes to my classes. I never assume to know anyone’s story. I greet everyone with open mind and heart. There are a few things I wish I had known before I walked into my first studio. Whether you are returning to the practice after a break, or thinking about attending a yoga class for the first time, here are 5 of my helpful tips:

1.) It doesn’t matter what you look like. If it’s your first class, you might feel like you need to look like the other people in the room. Yoga is different from other forms of exercise, because the teacher may give an instruction and the result of that direction may look different from person to person. This is because yoga is a physical practice that moves from the inside out, instead of the out in. The teacher offers an alignment cue and that expression varies because each of us lives in our bodies differently.

2.) You can stop and observe the class. Now, I just said it doesn’t matter what you look like, but what if you honestly just don’t understand what the teacher is asking you to do? If you’re a visual learner, it may help to simply stop trying to move your body, and look at what the teacher is doing (if they’re demo-ing) or look at the class. I’m the type of person that is not good at doing two things at once. So I’ve found it helpful, when I feel confused about how the teacher is asking me to move, I can stop and watch, and then do the pose.

3.) Nobody is looking at you or judging you. If you’re in a group class, unless there is another new person looking around, no one is watching you. When someone does yoga, they bring their attention inward, so it is actually difficult to watch other people and do your own yoga practice.

4.) It’s ok to be confused. It may feel strange or confusing to move your body in a new way. In my first class, I remember thinking that everyone else seemed to know what to do, and I don’t like being the only one that looks confused. But being a little uncertain is part of the process of being a beginner. If you’re the only new person in a group of regular practitioners, everyone else in that room has had their first day too. They know what you’re going through. It is my guess, that everyone in that room is silently cheering you on, because they know how transformational yoga is!

5.) It takes time. If you’re new to yoga, commit yourself to the practice for a certain amount of time. This is an ancient healing modality that you can do your whole life, this isn’t a quick fix. When I first started yoga, I practiced 5 days a week for 3 months. (Yes, I was hooked right away, even after my horrible first class!) During those first 3 months, I found myself gaining confidence, my mood improved, and I started eating healthier. Commit yourself in a way that is sustainable for your schedule and see what happens!

There’s no need to be apprehensive about starting yoga, it’s a practice that is for everyone in all stages of life! Your first class may feel awkward, but that is because you’re trying something new. Go into your first class with a bunch of appreciation for yourself for being a “newbie”. If you commit yourself to the practice, you’ll find a whole new world and way of being!

Would you like to learn yoga at home? I have a free 5 Day Intro to Yoga course you can watch right now! Click here to register in my online studio and let’s do yoga together today!

What is energy anyway?

What is energy? Here is an easy way to feel your energy. Notice how you feel in this very moment. Do you feel heavy or light? Awake or sleepy? Still or jumpy? Now take a deep breath, and possibly another deep breath. How do you feel now? However you feel, you just changed your energy! It’s that simple. Energy is breath and awareness.

Energy is a word to describe the quality of your being. In yoga classes, it's called prana. In Chinese Medicine, it's called chi. This concept isn't esoteric. I believe it's something that everyone can feel, change, and nurture.

How do you raise your energy? I’ve created an easy way to help you raise your energy: ask yourself in every situation-does this add or take away from my life? Can you do more of the things that add to your life and less of things that take away your energy?

Each one of us is an energy consumer! We take in the world through our 5 senses. Asking yourself the question above may help you understand what you are consuming. Does staring at the ocean, trees, and the sky, add to your energy? My guess is yes. Does looking at a computer screen take away energy? My guess is yes.

But how do you raise your energy, when you have to do things that take away your energy? We live in a stressful world. Each one of us have the pile up of tension that accumulates by the end of the day. The question becomes: where do we put the tension? You can transform it. You might have to spend hours looking at your computer screen to make a living. This may take away energy in the form of eye strain, neck and shoulder tension, and shallow breathing. But you could counteract this energy drain by spending time in nature doing a meditative walk and positive thinking at the end of your workday.

Everyone can be a transformer of energy. Taking time to notice how you feel is the first step towards transformation. Then spend time doing activities that add to your energy, such as breaks to release tension build up. If you would like to learn how to incline your mind towards the positive and let go of stress, you’re invited to join me for the Yin Yoga Meridians course this August 2022! Click here to learn more!

3 reasons why you won’t regret signing up for online yoga

I was skeptical too. How can online yoga be as good as in person? But what I found is that online yoga is different…and better than in person in some ways! I’ve been teaching and practicing online since March 2020. I’ve seen the students that attend my online classes go deeper into their yoga practice — in ways that weren’t possible in person. My personal practice has also gone to another level by attending online recorded classes and practicing on my own. I believe, having in person and online will always be a part of my life now. If you’re new to online yoga— Here are 3 reasons why you won’t regret signing up for my Online Yoga Membership:

Consistency: When people sign up for my online yoga Membership, I sure see a lot of them! You see, it can be easier to turn on the computer or ipad, than it is to get in the car and drive across town. I’ve noticed that people stick with the Membership and people show up. I also have seen this in myself! Since I started practicing at home in 2020, my practice is way more consistent. It’s rare day that I don’t do a yoga class. Being able to practice at home, saves a lot of time. On most days, no matter what I’m doing, I have at least 30 to 60 minutes to dedicate myself to the practice.

Creativity: I’ve found that online yoga can be a creative space because people have more chance for exploration. You can modify a pose, do a different posture, stay in a posture longer or come out of pose—This allows more freedom of expression of what self-care means to you on that day. I’ve noticed in myself, that I’m more tuned into my body and my practice. Doing classes online has given me more initiative to create a practice that suits me best in the moment. I feel more in touch with myself doing online yoga.

Community: My online classes are small, and we get to talk more than we would in a larger in person class. I also get to connect to people through emails and text messages, and get to know people in a different way. Through my online teaching, I feel I connect with people more. We keep in touch and check in. Being online also gives us access to create communities—my chair yoga classes are attended by people that don’t live in my town. It’s given a way for my family members in different cities to attend my classes, and then invite their friends in different areas. The online yoga space gives us a chance to create our own communities!

Teaching online yoga and taking online classes has opened my world, and expanded my teaching and my practice! I bring all this up to let you know, I understand if you have some doubts about practicing yoga online. I did too, and now I’m so happy I took the plunge and started online learning! You can join me in the AcuYogini Online Membership and try it for yourself! I teach 5 classes a week of Yin, Chair, and Gentle Yoga, and you can attend Live or watch the Replay. I’m offering a new student special this month—CLICK HERE to sign up and use coupon code: FREEMONTH at check out for a free month of yoga!

Why go on a yoga retreat?

I remember when I was hosting the first annual AcuYogini Retreat, I thought to myself, “everyone looks like they’re having such a good time.” My immediate next thought as I laughed to myself was, “I ought to go on a retreat sometime!” This year, as I prepare to host the second annual AcuYogini Retreat next month, I took my own advice and went on a personal retreat last weekend. I definitely had some pre-retreat jitters—thinking to myself— “do I really have time to do this right now?” but I’m so happy that I set the time aside for myself because I feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and inspired.

Which got me to thinking about what I want to share with you……why go on a retreat? During my personal retreat weekend, I found 5 reasons why anyone would benefit from taking some time off to go on a retreat:

Distraction free zone: Most of my days are spent on my phone or computer—teaching, getting back to people, writing, taking photos, making videos. My phone is making dinging sounds all day long. The first day of my retreat, I kept having this feeling: "shouldn’t I be checking something?” And…the answer is no. A retreat offers a time to take a break from work. You can put an automatic vacation responder on your email and let everyone know you’ll get back to them later. I’ve found that a few days without my phone helped me concentrate and focus. It also gave me time to stare at the sky and trees and relax!

A new way of seeing: I did a few meditative walks around my house during my retreat weekend. All the familiar sights, that I see everyday, looked so different. This is because I was slowing down. I wasn’t rushing to rake up pine needles in my back yard, I was walking slow to feel the crunch of the needles beneath my feet. Before preparing my meals, I said a prayer of intention to infuse my cooking. I took my time to see the slices of apples I was cutting and a pause to taste the sweetness. It was almost as if I could see more because I was bringing more attention into each moment.

Re-centering the important stuff: Taking this time to slow down, helped me see things more clearly. There is only so much time during the day. Taking the time for a retreat made me think about what do I want to center in my life? It reminded me of what is important to me, and how I can spend more of my time with my highest intentions.

Process: During my personal retreat, for the first time in these past two years, I gave myself permission to feel the effects of our world changes. Time to just sit and be with all that is. To sit with the uncertainty. To be ok with grief. To be ok confusion. To be ok with anxiety. I made a vision board and rather than leading me into a concrete vision, it lead me into holding the uncertainty of our world in courageous compassion.

Ritual: I believe that creating personal rituals can be healing and creative. During my personal retreat weekend, I marked the mornings by journaling about my dreams from the night before. This ritual helped me transition from the dream world into the waking world. I let myself stay in this contemplative space without having answers so that I could hold the questions and the possibilities.

Oh yes, and I did yoga during my personal retreat too! A retreat can give you the time to dive into your asana practice and discover new insights. Would you like to join us for the Heart Beat Day Retreat in Nevada City on Sat June 4th, 2022? During this retreat, I’ll be guiding you in yin yoga and acupressure sequence for the heart. In the afternoon, there is a drum circle and hike around the Woolman grounds. Just a few spots left to join us in this day of heart opening!

What are the 5 Elements?

I watch the world through the 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine. I first learned about 5 Element Theory in massage school while studying acupressure and shiatsu. The 5 Elements is a system of checks and balances and is based on the idea that everything in nature is also within us. It is the theory that we are not separate from nature because we are a part of nature. The Elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water have a unique balance within us to create our constitution. I integrate yin yoga with the 5 Element Theory at my Retreats to help you connect with yourself and nature, and have a fun way to get to know each other. Continue reading to learn about each Element and how it relates to you…

Wood Element: The Wood relates to the Spring time of year. The Wood is represented by the plants, trees, and flowers. It is about expansive movement. The Spring time is about new beginnings. It is about action and taking the first steps towards growth. The Spring is also about hope. When you witness the new flowers beginning their blooms in the Spring—how have you felt? Have you ever noticed you have more energy in the Spring, in the northern hemisphere, when we have more daylight? Wood Element Journal Question: What do you want to create in your life? What is (at least) one action step you can take towards your vision? Remember-just as the plants are growing up and moving in the Spring, the Wood Element likes to move. Make a plan and take action to help your Wood Element.

Fire Element: The Fire relates to Summer. The Fire Element is what warms your heart. You need the right balance of the Fire Element to keep your passions burning. If there isn’t enough of the Fire Element in life, then you may not feel motivated or inspired. We all need Fire to make us excited for life. Fire is about joy, love, happiness, community, and energy. Fire Element is an upward movement. Have you ever had a good laugh and felt energized by it? That is the Fire Element. Summer time provides more sunlight, longer and hotter days, to gather, and have fun. Fire Element Journal Question: What do you enjoy doing? Make a list of things that are fun and exciting to you. If you are ever feeling low or down, go back to this list and do something that makes you happy, to keep your Fire burning.

Earth Element: The Earth relates to the late Summer time of year. The late Summer is when the plants and vegetables have been harvested. The Earth Element is about being centered, the movement towards center. Have you ever had a lazy summer day, when there isn’t much to do, and the evenings feel long? The Earth Element is about this sweetness of life. To enjoy the ripe fruits and vegetables. To take care of and nurture ourselves. Earth Element Journal Question: What does self-care mean to you? Could you take time to take care of yourself? The Earth Element is a reminder that Mother Nature is always taking care of us. How do you find that quality in yourself?

Metal Element: The Metal relates to the Autumn season. The time when nature is letting go. The Metal is about keeping the most precious part of ourselves. Just like a precious stone or diamond is the most valuable part of the earth, the Metal asks us to look for the best part of ourselves. The Metal Element is about contraction. This is the inward movement. Metal Element Journal Question: What can you let go of? What is holding you back? The Metal is a reminder that every letting go is also a holding on to something precious. What is the best part of yourself that you are holing onto?

Water Element: The Water is relates to the Winter time. Nature is now becoming colder, and animals are hibernating, for the most part, humans are inside more and outside less. The movement of the Water Element is downward. One way to think about the descending nature of the Water Element is the way water is located beneath the earth. Water flows down. The Water Element is about restoration, just as the way, you might naturally sleep more during the winter months. The Water Element is also about ideas, concepts, and the flow of the mind. Water Element Journal Question: Do you give yourself time to daydream? You can build up your Water Element by taking time out to do nothing, let your mind wander and relax.

Join me Sat June 4th 2022 for the Heart Beat Day Retreat in Nevada City, CA. This Retreat is based on the Fire Element and connecting your heart to your hands for a day of acupressure, yin yoga, and drumming!

4 reasons why Metta Loving Kindness Meditation will change your life

I practice Metta, or Loving Kindness Meditation, to take good care of myself, which then helps me take good care of others. Metta is a Pali word that translates as friendliness. Metta Meditation is about creating a friendly or a kind attitude towards yourself, people, and the planet. It often involves silently saying phrases such as “may you be happy, may you be well, may you be safe.” You can listen to a Metta Meditation I created by CLICKING HERE. I’ve found this style of meditation helpful these past two years. To cultivate feelings of compassion towards yourself and others can be a radical act.

How can Metta Meditation change your life?

1.) Concentration. Have you been feeling distracted? Overwhelmed? Life got way more complicated these past two years, with all the changes, twists and turns. Also, as technology continues to grow and alert us, there is more to focus on at once. Meditation is a way to let the mind focus on just one thing. It may sound simple, but that is different than the way most of us are being asked to engage in the world. In Metta Meditation, you let your mind settle on the words you are saying. Words create feelings and vibrations in the body. You might try it right now: say the word—PEACE to yourself a few times. How does that center your mind? How does it feel in your body?

2.) Re-Wiring. Us humans are creatures that are designed to look for the danger. That helped us out when we were running away from animals that wanted to eat us years and years ago. Times have changed and we don’t need to be in this state of sympathetic “fight or flight” activation all the time, but our bodies react the same way. I’ve heard so many people, myself included, start to say negative self talk when things don’t go as planned. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, words create feelings in the body. Why not change the narrative to a positive one and see what happens? The next time you feel you’ve made a “mistake” instead of talking down to yourself, try holding yourself in the field of Metta and say to yourself, “may I be kind, may I forgive myself, may I love and appreciate myself.” You can re-wire your negative grooves and go down a new positive path. I’ve found that to be freeing and been able to open to new ideas that wouldn’t have come to me otherwise.

3.) Community. We really are all connected. What happens in another part of the world effects us. When someone is hurting, we all feel it, because we relate to each other. As Maya Angelou is quoted saying, “The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.” In Metta Meditation, you send well wishes to people you know, to people you don’t know well, and to strangers. This sharing of good thoughts strengthens the bond between you and others. It’s a reminder we are not in this world for ourselves, but we are bound to each other, to lift each other up. Our survival depends on it.

4.) Protection. When I know that my intention is to share myself with the world from the place of Metta, Loving Kindness, I know my intentions are pure. This protects my heart because I’m confident that I’m moving from a pure place. If someone approaches me with an attitude that is less than kind, my Metta practice teaches me to be compassionate to myself and the person in front of me. I don’t let anyone else’s negativity effect me because I realize it’s the practice to be compassionate to people that are suffering. In this way, the Metta Loving Kindness Meditation helps me create strong boundaries.

Metta Loving Kindness Meditation can help you improve concentration, re-wire your brain to the positive, help you feel connected to people, and protect your heart. You can make it simple and say a few phrases to yourself whenever you have a free moment or take time to sit for a longer practice. I’ve found it a life changing meditation, that I use when I can’t sleep at night, when I feel stressed, or if I’m feeling that I want to do something to help others. It’s an active meditation that creates transformation. You can learn Metta Meditation in my upcoming online course: Meditate with KC- 7 day Meditation Challenge.

Summer solstice intentions

Happy summer solstice! In the Northern Hemisphere we are experiencing longer days and warm temperatures. It is turning point and sometimes called the official start to summer. I like to reflect on this day about previous intentions I set last December and where I’m heading next.

Do you like to journal? I love to free write to put on paper all the thoughts running through my mind.

Just like the way a good conversation with a trusted friend brings me to a new level of knowing myself, my journal writing is a dialogue with myself that helps me get to new places. These are places I could have never gotten to just by thinking, but the writing takes me on journey to a new land.

As the summer solstice marked our path to the sun, I have a few journal prompts that I've explored that you might like to free write about too:

• ️How have you changed in the past six months?

• What have you learned through this unprecedented time?

• Where do you want to head in the upcoming six months?

• What does it mean to to you, to take your experiences and create something new?

• How are you an inspiration?

• What are you inspired by?

• ️What do you need to support yourself to move into your vision this summer, this fall, this winter?

• What do you need to feel grounded?

If you would like to explore these questions through an embodied practice ~ I'm teaching a free online class: Yin yoga, poetry, & the SUMMER SOLSTICE on Tues June 21, 2022 5:30-6:30 pm PDT in the AcuYogini Studio. You can click here to register for this free class!

3 steps to bring the practice of yoga into your cooking

What does it mean to bring intention into your cooking this holiday? I see life as a form of creativity, an energy, and a state of flow.  Whether I’m doing yoga or holding acupressure points—I’m tapping into this power of connection between myself and the spirit of life.   One place, I love to express myself is through my food and cooking.    

Food is usually on my mind a lot during this time of year as a I prepare my holiday menu!  Also, I’ve been a vegan for 20 years, so I have a lot of experience creating plant-based holiday meals.  I incorporate the practice of yoga into my time in the kitchen. 

In this blog article you will learn how to be an intentional cook this holiday season by

1.) Pausing: taking a pause to reflect on your ingredients and the people you are preparing the meal for

2.) Self-Reflection: invite awareness of your body and mind

3.) Compassion: learn how my yoga practice inspired me to prepare more plant-based meals and I’ll share two of my favorite recipes from the cookbook Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau & you can purchase your copy of the cookbook on her website by clicking here.

Pause:  When you start a yoga class, there is a time at the beginning, which is sometimes called a centering.  This marks the start of the practice and transition from daily activities into the healing practice.  This same pause can be brought to the kitchen.  Once all the vegetables, spices, and oils are set on the kitchen counter, you might think about the journey each ingredient made to arrive at your house. 

Action step: Take a few deep breaths to ground yourself.  You might send a silent thank you to the earth, the rain, soil, and all the hands these ingredients passed through to make it to your kitchen.  Reflect on who this meal is for.  Is it just for you?  For friends or family?  What do you want to give to yourself and other people with this meal?  How can this meal be an expression of what you want to share?

Self-Reflection: Ok, now you’re in the middle of things in your kitchen, and you may have moments of feeling pressure.  It reminds me of yoga, how not every moment is serene—there are times when my balance is off or times when it’s difficult to focus.  But through it all, there is always a moment to deepen awareness.  If I’m feeling ungrounded on my mat, I slow down.  I do the same thing in the kitchen.  I bring awareness into the moment if it starts to feel chaotic.  What is it like for you? 

Action step: Take time to notice your body.  Could you soften your shoulders?  Adjust your wrists?  Bring a micro bend to your knees?   Being present in the moment helps your intention flow from your heart through your hands to your food.

Compassion:  Yoga practice changes people and opens the doorway to new ways of being.  When I first started yoga, my diet immediately changed, and I became a vegan because of my love of animals and the earth.  I felt a greater connection to nature, and I wanted to protect it.  Now, I feel grateful that the food on my plate is an expression of compassion for the planet. 

Action step:  Try a plant-based dish this holiday!  You can swap things like coconut oil for butter or used ground flax seeds instead of eggs in baking.  For the main event, you might try something like a lentil or nut loaf with mushroom gravy.  All roasted vegetable dishes are easy to make vegan—use ingredients like olive oil, lemon, fresh herbs and experiment and play! 

One of the cookbooks I use the most during the holidays is Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.  I recommend this cookbook to learn more about the compassionate vegan lifestyle and get recipes for many different holidays.  I have included two of my favorite Vegan Table recipes that will be on my menu this holiday.  *Recipes below copied with permission.  You can visit Colleen’s website JoyfulVegan.com to purchase her cookbooks and learn more about her online classes and events. 

Garlic-Glazed Green Beans

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. green beans, tips removed

2 tablespoons pressed or minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

¼ cup toasted walnuts or 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or sesame seeds (optional)

Pepper, to taste

Lemon, to squeeze at end

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large-sized sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add beans, and sauté until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.  The amount of oil you use is up to you; some may want less, some may want more.  The idea is to cook the green beans so they begin to brown.

Add garlic and marjoram, and sauté another minute or two.  Add tamari, maple syrup, and walnuts, if using.  Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until beans are desired tenderness.  In the last minute, add a dash of extra tamari, if needed, and toss.  Season with pepper.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice on the beans and toss.

Serve immediately while hot, though they are also good at room temperature.

Golden Mushroom Gravy

2 teaspoons nondairy, nonhydrogenated butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 lb. cremini mushrooms thinly sliced

3 tablespoons flour or other thickener

2 cups vegetable stock

2 to 3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat butter in a large-sized skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms over high heat, stirring frequently, until they turn translucent and a little golden brown and mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes. 

In the meantime, in a separate bowl, whisk four into stock along with tamari, thyme, and black pepper.  When there appears to be no lumps, add to onion mixture and cook over low medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.

For a smooth gravy, puree in a blender or food processor.  You may want to play with the flavor a little by adding more tamari or pepper.  If necessary, reheat mixture on low heat in a saucepan.

Conclusion:  This holiday season incorporate your yoga practice into your meal preparation.  Make your food a creative expression of your heart.  Take a moment to pause to set your intentions before cooking.  Even if your time in the kitchen gets hectic, remember your yogic breathing and intentions.  Let the meal on your plate be an act of love by trying out a new vegan dish this year!  I invite you to join me for an in-person event the day after Thanksgiving: Gratitude Yoga Hiking on Fri Nov 26th in Grass Valley, CA.  This is an event to connect your feet to the earth, your breath to the sky, and acknowledge the miracle of YOU. 

Acupressure for sleep

Did you know there is a power in your hands?  Self-care acupressure is something accessible to everyone and easy to learn.  It is a form of massage.  I integrate acupressure into my bodywork sessions, I teach classes on self-care acupressure, and I practice it on myself all the time!  During this unprecedented time, I’ve been having trouble falling asleep at night and I’ve found using acupressure to be a valuable tool to help me fall asleep.  I will teach you three acupressure points in this article that you can use for restful, peaceful, sleep tonight.

Acupressure is a healing art.  As with any artform use your intuition and creative flow to feel what is best for yourself.  A safety precaution is to not press on injured areas of your body.  If anything doesn’t feel right, trust that feeling and let go of the point.  When I hold points, I use light to medium pressure because I can feel more when I’m not pressing hard.  The acupressure points I describe below are on both sides of the body.  You can hold them bilaterally or just one side.  When holding acupressure points, treat it as a meditation, focus on breathing deeply and relaxing your hands.  Hold the following points for 1-3 minutes each or as long as you need to feel relaxed and sleepy.

Acupressure points for restful sleep:

Bladder 10 Heavenly Pillar: This point is located ½ inch down from the occiput and ½ inch out from the midline of the back of the neck vertebrae in the erector spinae muscles.  When holding this point, I like to hold both sides of the neck at the same time.  I have found it easiest on my shoulders to make my arms like butterfly wings and prop my elbows on pillows.  B 10 is also a point for headache relief and connecting to your 5th chakra, your voice, expression, and throat.

Pericardium 6 Inner Gate: This point is located on the inside of the forearm, 2 ½ finger width below the inside of the wrist crease, in the midline of the inner arm.  I usually use my thumb of the opposite hand to hold this point and rest my hands on my abdomen.  P 6 is also a point to keep in mind to relieve nausea and an emotional balancing point to help with issues of the heart.

Kidney 6 Calm Sleep: This point is located directly below the inside of the inner ankle in the small hollow.  Since I use this point when I’m in bed, and I don’t want to sit up, I use the big toe of the opposite foot to hold the point.  Yes, you can use your toes to hold points too!  K 6 will also help with ankle or foot pain and helps restore the body.

Hold any of these points: Bladder 10, Pericardium 6, or Kidney 6, any time you find yourself unable to fall asleep.  Take deep breaths and imagine any stress melting away in the earth.  Self-care acupressure is an accessible, safe, and easy tool to create relaxation and easy in your body!

I have a free/donation-based class ready to watch in my online studio called: Yin Yoga and Acupressure for Restful Sleep.  In this class, I teach these points and a few more!  Then I guide you through holding the points while you are in yin yoga poses.  This class is donation class to raise awareness for the Covid crisis in India.  Any donation I receive will be given to GiveIndia.  Click here to watch the class now!

I would like to thank my teachers for sharing the gift of acupressure with me.  I attended the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley CA from 2007-2014 and this time has shaped and created my love of this healing artform.

Mindful listening

I’ve always thought of myself as more of a listener than a talker.  I find that statement interesting because I’ve made a career out of standing in front of people basically….talking!  But I see my role as a teacher as someone to create dialogues.  I have found my job to be about listening. 

Developing my listening skills has helped me in all areas of my life.  At my yoga training at the Kripalu Center, there was a section on co-listening.  This was a technique we would use when we gave feedback on each other’s practice teaching.  Co-listening in our training was about taking the time to not speak while someone else was speaking, being a non-judgmental observer, and offering the gift of presence and awareness to another person.  I’ve been able to use this technique when in conversation with everyone—in the yoga room, and with friends and family.

I also learned about how to be a listener through my bodywork training.  I was taught in massage school, how to assess people’s tone of voice, the way people walk, and even to pay attention to the way people smell to gauge their strengths and imbalances.  I learned how to gather information about people by watching and observing so that I could be in service towards them.  What do people say, what do people not say?  What is important to them so that I can best meet their needs?

Through my time at my Kriplau yoga training and my bodywork training in accessing clients, I have learned that being a good listener is a practice, just like a yoga practice.  It involves focus, attention, body awareness, and compassion. 

I developed five steps to make everyday conversations a practice in listening.  Just as yoga is a practice of self-awareness and introspection, being in a conversation and sharing with others can be a mindfulness practice together.

5 tips for good listening skills:

Give space for people to talk.  Just as in yoga there is a pause after the yoga pose, which is a space for integration, wait for the pauses in your dialogue.  I think this can be difficult, because it is natural to start talking about yourself in the pauses.  Instead, sometimes I ask in the pause, “is there anything else you wanted to share” to see what comes up.  Your friend, family, loved one, may just be getting to the good part!

Listen to understand.  This may sound simple, but what is this person saying to you?  If you feel distracted by something, can you set it aside and give this person your full attention.  Take in their words and notice what they mean. 

Notice the person talking to you.  Start to listen with more than just your ears.  One of my massage teachers told me I was someone that speaks with my eyes.  Maybe the person you are talking to has a lot to say in their eyes, face, or expression.  Look at their face and see what their face is telling you.

Check in with your body.  Here is where your previous yoga & meditation practice come in handy.  Do a body scan as you might in yoga.  As your partner is talking, are you creating any tension in your body?  Extra tension can make it harder to digest and process what someone is saying.  Where can you soften to be more receptive in the moment?

Invite in kindness.  Or love, or nonjudgement, or the witness consciousness, or any other word that makes sense to you.  Listening is an act of metta, loving kindness towards someone.  You are giving someone the gift of being cared about. 

Through giving people the space to talk, listening to understand their point of view, using all of your senses to become aware of what they are saying, checking in with your own body, and inviting in kindness, you will be using your yoga skills to develop mindful conversations. 

This month I’m guiding yoga classes around the theme of being a listener of your practice. You are invited to join me online for Gentle, Yin, and Chair Yoga, first week is a free gift. Click here to sign up!

5 tips for a home yoga practice

Before the pandemic, I always had a home practice that was more of a supplement to my studio practice. Now that my home practice is my main practice, it has changed the way I do my yoga. I’m more introspective and in tune with my needs.

I feel more rejuvenated at the end of practice because my focus has solely been on myself. Instead of following the flow of a group class, I’m following my own rhythm.

Whether you want to practice totally on your own and watch what arises or follow a class on zoom, I have five tips here to help you set up a successful home practice.

5 tips for a home yoga practice:

1.) Write it in your calendar. I know, I’m starting with the basics here. But this is important so that you commit yourself to your practice. How often do you want to practice? Write down the days you are going to practice and make that time you have set aside for yourself non-negotiable.

2.) Make a space in your home. Carve out a space, even if you must move some furniture around each time you practice. Do you have a favorite painting you would like near your mat, or a plant or candle? Set up your space in a way that makes you happy.

3.) Turn your cell phone off when you are in class. If you are using a tablet or computer to attend your online classes, could you set your cell phone to silent when you practice? Treat your time in your online classes, just as you would in the yoga studio, put your cell phone in the other room or your bag.

4.) Move like no one is watching. One of the benefits of a home practice is that there is no need to keep up with the class. You get the time and space to be creative. What would it feel like to do a posture differently? Skip or substitute a posture? Make a loud exhale or sigh? A home practice gives you this freedom to make the class your own.

5.) Keep yourself inspired. Do something out of your routine: read a book from one of the yoga masters, study a lineage that you aren’t familiar with, take an online class.

Right now it is easy to study online and develop your home practice. I’m a Kripalu yoga teacher and I teach Gentle, Chair, Meditative and Flow yoga online five days a week. Kripalu means compassion and I teach heart centered yoga designed for empowerment. Click here to join me online for a free week of the Online AcuYogini Membership and start your home practice today!