Month: October 2016

Chunky Applesauce

In late summer, we spend two weeks at my mother-in-law`s Orchard in Colorado. It`s an old centennial farm surrounded by an apple and a pine tree plantation in a remote area nearby Telluride – an absolutely magical place! Since the apple business is no longer up and running, the trees were loaded with apples when we arrived and we tried to pick as many as we could while we were there. Three boxes filled with Jonathan, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious made it back to Los Angeles with us – roughly 100 pounds! – and since then it`s all about apples in our home. Even though we don`t really like to part with our apples – the apartment smells delicious since they are here! – we had to get creative about conserving our apples and making homemade applesauce has become a great way to keep them around a little longer 🙂 It`s a really fast and easy recipe, especially if you get a peeler/corer/slicer, which you can buy for very little money on amazon. Applesauce …

Be gentle, be kind.

In my last post from the Monday Mantra series Speak Your Truth I was talking about the importance of learning how to address your concerns and desires in a way that opens the space for truthful, yet kind conversations. Especially if your personality is such that you find it hard to speak for yourself or to take the lead in important conversations, you may have experienced this: by the time you actually manage to address something, you have brooded over it since a while and hence the outcome is rather eruptive and anything but kind or gentle. As a matter of fact, I even used to get upset with the people around me because I would blame them for bringing me in a situation where something needed to be addressed – like they should really have been more considerate in the first place, or something. I projected the discomfort I had with confrontations right onto them instead of trying to figure out where it came from and how I could outgrow it. Then I experienced …

Low Cobra

Over the course of my life I have developed lot of strength in my upper back and arms, something that started with surfing and swimming and found its continuation in yoga. This is great for Plank Pose and Chaturanga Dandasana and also helps in soft backbends like Low Cobra aka Bhujangasana, since the muscles along the spine are responsible for the lifting of the head, shoulders and chest in this asana. If you suffer from backpain you should work on strengthening the muscles along your spine to support a strong back and healthy posture. A few Low Cobras as part of your morning routine will awaken your spine and leave you feeling energized throughout the day. How to get into the pose: From Chaturanga Dandasana, lower all the way to the ground. Rest your forehead on the ground, keeping the neck long and relaxed. Align your wrists with your lower ribs alongside your torso and spread your palms and fingers. Find a 90 degree angle between your wrists and forearms as well as forearms and upper …

Playlist October

October has always been a special month for me. It is the month of my birthday. It is the month when the sun makes a last warm appearance. Where golden leaves rustle under bare feet. Where the morning air is fresh and crisp and filled with just a hint of good-bye. Where we begin to build our nests and turn inwards. In my home practice I have mostly practiced in silence throughout the last months. Then, all of a sudden, music had me back… oh how I enjoy to flow to the sound of soulful tunes. Everything in life comes and goes in waves. Enjoy ♡    

Gazpacho

Another one of my all time favorite summer recipes. And even though we have oficially entered the season of fall, it continues to be hot here in L.A. so this Gazpacho still makes for a nice lunch or dinner. I usually have those ingredients at home so I can make it anytime without much preparation. It`s also really easy to make and if you have a lovely soul helping you with the chopping it won`t even take long. Gazpacho is originally from Seville, Spain where the summers get very hot. It`s a perfect dish that provides you with important nutritients, minerals and salt when you need to eat but it`s too hot for a warm meal. Try to use the best ingredients only and choose a fine olive oil that will give your Gazpacho a heavenly taste. Gazpacho ∼ 35 ounces / 1 liter ∼ 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes 1 long, light green bell pepper such as Cubanelle or Anaheim 1 cucumber 1 small, mild onion 1 clove garlic 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar 1/2 cup olive …

Speak your truth.

My zodiac sign is libra and I fully live up to it by embodying all stereotypes and traits that are connected to that sign. I am indecisive, I despise conflict and I have a hard time adressing my concerns and desires. Which is tricky, since I often have a very precise idea about how I want things to be and sometimes find myself getting irritated when other people`s ideas differ from mine – especially when dealing with the people I am closest to. My family and friends became somewhat good at reading my mind and guessing what I may desire in a specific situation or moment – however, this doesn`t always work and definitely isn`t a recipe to go by when I`m surrounding myself with people I am less intimate with. So throughout the course of my life I have been working on a rather challenging task: How do I get to say, what I need to say, and how do I get to say it in a way that isn`t irritating for others. We …