Potato Beer Leek Soup

4 leeks

6 red potatoes, washed and chopped

Olive oil

1/2 cup raw cashews soaked in water for at least an hour or longer

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Bottle of Beer (we used an organic heffeweizen called Pinkus)

Water

Salt and Pepper

Trim dried tops and root bottoms of leeks. Take off the outer layer. Slice lengthwise and wash. Chop leeks from white to green. Coat cast iron pot/skillet with olive oil. Cast iron adds great flavor and iron, you can use a regular pot though.  Add leeks and sauté with 1 tbsp high quality salt. Add potatoes. When leeks are close to soft, if in a skillet, transfer to a pot. Add beer. Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Boil till potatoes are soft. Pour some broth or water into a blender with cashews and nutritional yeast, blend till creamy. Add the soup to blender and blend till creamy. Add pepper as desired and voila. 

This was modified from another recipe. I modify most recipes.

New Classes!

I started teaching a couple more classes this week. I thought I would share the class descriptions here. Come join in the fun!

Foundational Yoga Thursday at 6pm: This class places the focus on discovery and exploration. We take an in-depth look at styles, philosophies, history, alignment, breathing, and postures. We try different things and see what works for us in preparation for experiencing other yoga classes. Experienced and novice are welcome.

All Levels Flow Tuesday at 6 pm: Everyone is welcome to come practice this basic yoga flow. In this class we connect the body with breath and movement. Through this connection we look to quiet the mind, relieve stress, expand and strengthen our tissues, and let go of that which does not serve us.

Yin Yang Yoga Tuesday at 7:15: An intermediate level class. The first half of the class moves through an energized flow to prepare the body for holding deep opening postures for the second half of class. The first half of class invites strength and stamina. The second half of class invites meditation and release. Some previous yoga experience is recommended.

Prenatal Yoga Thursday at 7:15: Prenatal Yoga fosters a relaxed and nurturing atmosphere where you can deepen the bonding process with your baby while you balance and strengthen the body, mind, and spirit. The breathing and postures practiced in this course are meant to aid you through your pregnancy as well as prepare you for labor.

Logan's Run

I went from a Jeff Bridge's quote to a Jeff Bridge's movie reference. A theme is emerging. Anyschmoozle, I have moved! I am now living it up in the Cache Valley. I have found a wonderful community through the newly opened Natural Philosophy Yoga Studio. I am teaching a beginner class Thursday night at 6pm. There will be more classes to come. Those who are in the valley or who know people in the valley, send them over to check out the studio and organic market. Here is their website: http://www.naturalphilosophy.biz/

Okay, so I would guess many of you are asking, why move there? Well, Rich and I decided we wanted to own our own place and we began looking around the Salt Lake Valley for homes we could afford. Unfortunately the homes in our price range could not fit our needs. With Rich working from home we needed an office, we needed a bedroom for Leo and London, and a decent yard for Abe. Plus, neither Rich or I are super knowledgeable in home repair so we needed a place that wasn't much of a fixer upper. We looked at many homes and didn't like any of them. On one of our many visits to Providence to visit Rich's family I joked that we should just move up here. Out of curiosity I looked at one of the builder's websites and found we could build a customized home on a good chunk of land for the same price as a clunky home on no land in Salt Lake. We thought about it and thought about the fact that we are both at home all day every day. We wanted a home we loved to live in. So we went for it, and here we are. We are on the hillside within walking distance of the Canyon, a couple blocks from family. Who knows how long we'll stay or where the future will lead, but for now it is delightful to experience owning a brand new home built for us.

Jeff Bridges and Yoga

I really loved this quote from The Dude and the Zen Master. I actually loved the whole book, but this quote references yoga in particular:

"It's like yoga. I'll say, Put your head on your f**king knees, come on! And you know what? I get hurt because I can't do it and I'm not patient or kind to myself, I pull a muscle. I don't respect where I am. I push it too hard, I hurt myself, and that turns me off the whole process. But I could do it more gently, you know. Like, row, row, row your boat--gently.
     Sometimes I feel that my relationship with you[Bernie Glassman] is a bit of a yoga pose, too. You expand faster than I want to, so it can become uncomfortable. The relationship is always about opening, jamming, digging what it is to be intimate and generous. It's asking, Who are you? What are you? These are the same questions that I ask myself in different situations in my life, and the challenge is not to judge myself or my answer but to just notice. One of the things that I notice is that there are limits, and limits are a cool place in which to hang."

A New Student Experience

After the Partner Restorative Workshop I taught last weekend, one of the participants shared her experience with me. I love hearing about a person's experience with yoga. It is especially validating when someone else has a similar experience to what I have found with yoga. One of the reasons I became a teacher was so that I could attempt to share some of the amazing benefits I have received, and when that happens, it is intensely heart-warming. Here is what she had to say about the workshop:

"I wanted to take a minute to share my experience in your couples restorative yoga class.  I'm not a yoga person, but my husband is interested in it, and he's so good about trying things I like that I figured I should give one of his things a try.  I went into the class very nervous, but felt comfortable pretty quickly.  I have a very hard time turning my thoughts off, being quiet, or looking inward.  The thing that made this class work for me was that my focus was on my partner, not myself.  We tuned in and focused on each other, and learned about each other.  I was able to feel my husband's breathing, feel his skin, look at his eyes, all the time being encouraged to observe.  I learned so much about him.  I don't really have words for how I felt, but I can say that it was intense, and at the same time my anxiety level was lower than it has been in years.  I love my husband, we are the kind of couple who really get along and who do everything together, but I have never felt close to him like I did in this class, and even after.  At the end of class it was hard to come out of that intimate space of just the two of us and realize there were actually other people around.  Both of us had an amazing experience, and now, days later, I still feel changed from it.  We plan on taking this class again, and for myself I'd like to try a restorative class working without a partner, to build some tools to relax and slow down from every day life.  This class made me feel so healthy, inside and out.

Thank you, Reina!"

Please share your experiences with yoga in my class or others, I'd love to read about them. Namaste.

Upcoming Workshop!