Fall and food!

Fall is here and with that comes the holiday seasons.   I find myself craving food that sticks to my ribs. Especially after a good early morning hot yoga class.  This past Sunday I had some family over for brunch and tried out a new recipe on them.  And it was a huge success!  Huevos Rancheros  the simple way!!! I thought this would be a great recipe to share, its easy and is very filling.  Play with the spices to suite your palate. My family and I love spice, but for this recipe we kept it mellow for the little tummies at the table.  I included some photos of my process for this dish.  Enjoy and I wold love to hear about your take on this recipe!!

Stay Full!

What you will need
large baking dish 13 x 19
3      large cans of pomadori tomatoes
1     green bell pepper
1     Anaheim pepper
5     garlic cloves
2     shallots on 1 large yellow onion
2     TBS cumin
2-3  TBS of chili powder
1     TBS of chipotle chili powder
1     tsp cinnamon
6-8  eggs
1     cup of shredded cheese
3     cups cooked polenta
1     can of black beans
salt and pepper to taste


Pre heat over to 350 degrees

Chop and saute pepper and onions till soft in your favorite oil.  I like olive for this recipe

Crush or chop tomatoes, you can use your hand or if you like it less chunky use food processor.  Add tomatoes and their juice to the onion pepper mix

Add all your spices and simmer for 20 min.  Taste it and adjust with salt and pepper

Once the sauce is cooked, ladle 3/4 of the sauce into your baking dish.  Carefully crack the eggs into the sauce making sure they do not touch.  Cover the eggs with remaining sauce and top with cheese.  Place in the oven for 15-18 min for soft runnier eggs.  20 for a more hard cooked egg.

While the eggs are cooking prepare your polenta. Add a little cheese to it for a creamier texture.  3 cups of water to 1 cup of uncooked polenta.  Drain 1/2 of the water from the black beans and heat.  Make sure to add a little salt or pepper to the beans or even a little canned mole sauce is nice too. 

Serve the Huevos Rancheros over a scoop of polenta and some black beans.  Eat and enjoy!!!! 

 

Yogis on water!

It has been a little while since we last blogged. So many amazing things have been happening for Yogaglyphs, it's been hard to keep up. The last few months have been a whirlwind of travel and trade shows.

We were in Laguna Beach, California to shoot our latest look book. It was a lot of work, and an amazing experience. Laguna Beach is a beautiful place, and the book turned out just as we had hoped.

From there we went to Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Recreation trade show. It was our first time there, so we felt a little bit like the new kids on the block. But, the reception was great and the show was awesome for Yogaglyphs. It was a place to not only practice but to work with some experienced yogis on some new poses. We even had the opportunity to teach a class! It was a great turnout, and some of the teachers asked if they could sport pieces from our new line in their classes. I felt so blessed and honored to be included in that experience.

One of the new things I witnessed was yoga being practiced on paddle boards… Yes, there were floating Yogis at the OR show! I was so impressed with their grace and balance. Not one of them fell in the water. They had asked if I wanted to try, but I graciously declined. I knew for a fact that I would end up downward dogging right into that pool. 

Lastly, this recap would not be complete if I didn't mention the opportunity I had to check out some of the local studios, many of which were featuring guest teachers in town for the show. I took a really challenging class taught by Rachel Brathen. I experienced some deep connections with parts of my body I didn't know existed. She really taught from the heart and guided me to new, uncharted territory in my practice. It was a great way to expand my time on the mat. 

The show and the experience in Salt Lake was amazing. I managed to capture a few pictures of the show. Take a peek. Not only was it an awesome time, but we also did a great job with the line. Be sure to keep an eye out for Yogaglyphs at a store near you.

Stay free!

Tiffany

Co-founder of Yogaglyphs

New Year, New Recipe

Kindy (http://thechicpeacateringco.blogspot.com/) is back with us this month with a delicious dish that will comfort you on those cold nights!



Greetings of a Happy New Year filled with enlightenment, new experiences and peace.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! 

I am currently on day 4 of a 14 day cleanse, so today I bring you an extremely simple but flavorful dish that is cleanse friendly.  This one is great to make ahead of time and have on hand for lunch or dinner.

Rotisserie chicken with roasted sweet potatoes & green peas

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken

1 large sweet potato, cubed

1 small bag of frozen sweet green peas

2T really nice butter (I used Kate’s, which is amazing!)

Bragg’s amino acids

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher or Sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and cut your sweet potatoes (skin on, if organic) into cubes.

Place the cubed sweet potatoes on the baking dish and drizzle olive oil over them, adding salt and pepper. Place the sweet potatoes in the oven until they are toasty and tender.

In a medium sized pot, add your bag of frozen peas, a tiny bit of water and butter and cover with lid at a medium-low heat.

Take your rotisserie chicken and pull apart the meat from the bone, putting aside the carcass to make chicken stock.

Add the chicken to the peas along with as much Bragg’s amino acids as your heart desires (I used a couple of squeezes in mine and it was a perfect blend with the butter!).

When the sweet potatoes are finished, add them to the pot, mix together and add your salt & pepper to taste.

Very simple, very nourishing and very delicious.  Please enjoy and remember to eat slowly, and appreciate what is going into your body.

Good luck to all of you who are taking on cleanses, diets and other resolutions and most importantly, remember to treat your bodies well.

Namaste.

Kindy Girdley 

A Note From Kindy:

Hello!  My name is Kindy Girdley.  I live in Nashville TN and have a personal chef and catering company.

I began cooking at a very young age as assistants to my parents and grandmothers.  I enjoyed everything from planting and picking to cooking food right from our garden!  You just can’t beat that kind of freshness.  I am originally from Indiana and I remember traveling with my parents to our Kentucky property they rented out to a cattle farmer.  They were able to use the land for a minimal price and we received local free range beef in exchange. Only in the last few years have I remembered how important it is to keep my ingredients as local as possible.  Not only to lower my carbon footprint and for better health, but also to help support our local farmers and communities. Cooking has always been and still is my favorite creative outlet.

Now I get the pleasure of being a part of Yogaglyphs.com as a guest food blogger each month and I am very excited to share some wonderful recipes that are healthy and delicious along with some other useful information.  I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

A Fitness Class Like No Other - Studio MDR

http://www.thestudiomdr.com/

When I lived in Santa Monica, a dear friend of mine invited me to a "pilates-esque" type class. I was reluctant at first (I'm not typically a fan of group exercise).....and then I met Ky Evans. And for a year and a half, I would re-arrange meetings, coordinate who was responsible for signing up, and even stay in on a Saturday night, just to sign up for his classes. My arms became toned.  I met my abs and actually built muscle in my legs.

His workouts will transform your body in 3-6 months. His energy is contagious, and at the end of a grueling workout, when you think you will die, you just want to hug him for everything he's just given to you.

Each workout is done on a megaformer, a machine inspired by the machines used in pilates. Classes are 50 min in length, and when you are finished...you will feel a sense of strength that you've never felt before.


On my last trip to LA, I asked Ky and Lisa Hirsch (owner of Studio MDR) to tell us more about the workout, the studio, and the one and only Ky Evans:

Ky Evans (lead trainer, megaformer guru):

How long have you been doing this? Give us a little background on yourself.

I have been a student, athlete, and scientist of the body for over 25 years.  Embracing all aspects of fitness and expression from martial arts to ballet to the most extreme fitness and cardio vascular training.  

Never being satisfied with just one method, I tried to learn everything I can about every fitness system, method, sport, and dance style.  Knowing full well that there is no one right way to truly expressing the body.  Growing up, my idols were Mikhail Baryshnikov and Bruce Lee.

What is it about your classes that has everyone in LA scrambling to sign up for? 

My classes transcend fitness and are about truly expressing the body and expressing who YOU are and taking ownership for who you are.  And knowing that the best YOU is better than any idea of who you think you are.  

 What do the machines do that the weights don't?

Sebastien Lagree's Megaformer, in my opinion, is the perfect piece of fitness equipment.  It has no limitations and allows for a complete total body training without any impact on the joints and the spine and specifically focuses on training your slow twitch muscle fibers.

You have a website (kyevans.com) that has workouts people can do at home. How do these movements integrate with what you teach in class?

The website is designed for fitness anywhere.  All you need is the floor and a towel.  The routines are similar to the classes in that I will pull from all disciplines of fitness with no impact on the joints.  

        

How do you motivate people to loose weight and get healthy? 

I create an experience, an escape, and a trust that you are already perfect. Through the class you learn how to own your truth, and by doing so, your body changes, and in turn, your life changes.  

When fitness becomes about expressing who you are, when having fun becomes more important than looking good, when feeling beautiful outshines looking beautiful, than all the results you want will come.   

What do you do for your own workouts? 

Like the body, I am continually evolving my science of exercise so I am training in all forms of exercise, but my main discipline is practicing at The Studio (MDR) several times a week.

Give us a quick sample of what we should be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If you are training properly and more importantly resting properly, your diet should consist of 4 - 6 small meals higher in protein and veggies and lower in carbs.  I like the paleo idea, but it is not for everyone.  Then again, fitness is very personal and so is nutrition.  You must listen to your body and you must give to your body what your body needs and do what works best for you.  

What is your fav "cheat" food?

Pepperoni pizza

Lisa Hirsch (studio owner)

How did you and Ky meet to join forces?

I was in a high pressured job in entertainment and training at several gyms when I stumbled upon Ky Evans at a small studio in Venice, CA. I remember my first day meeting him…I walked into his class and went right up to him and told him about a snide comment my boyfriend at the time had made about my arms and how they were getting fat (the nerve of him!).  Ky just looked at me and said "get on the bed, be quiet and listen. Give me 3 - 6 months and I will change your body!" At first I rolled my eyes, because I had heard it all before from other trainers, but once the music started playing and the class got started, I was sold!  Six months later, Ky had kept his promise and I had a completely different body and kick a** arms!  

What do you want people to know about the studio? Workout?

That this is not a gym…this is a place to escape, change, join a true community of like minded people who want to change the world through their bodies.  This studio is all about empathy.  It’s about becoming the best “you” and knowing that it may not be a size 2 but that's okay.  It’s about learning to love oneself and in turn, how to love others more.

Has working out always been a way of life?  

Yes.

Fitness is becoming a lifestyle like brushing your teeth and putting on your shoes.  It is a proven fountain of youth…the body takes care of us every second of every day, so it's time that we give back to it.  I am 41 years old and my body feels better than it did at 30. 

How do you balance your own workouts with running a studio?  

The only way I can run this studio, take care of all of our clients and think of opening others, is by taking care of myself first.  I make sure to jump into classes 3 x's a week and if I can escape, I try to make a spin or yoga class 1 – 2 x’s a week as well. 

Favorite "cheat" food?  

Big bowl of spaghetti with tons of tomato sauce, parmesan, and basil and then a slice of NY cheesecake. 

 Strong Foundation for Unlimited Creation: 

What do you Want to Create for 2013?

Every day when I wake up, I ask myself one question: What do I want to create today? Some days, it may be as simple and broad as I am going to create a stress free day. Other days, it might be as complex and specific (and written out in list form), such as I am going to create a day of health, happiness, and productivity by running 7 miles (or attending a yoga class), accomplishing abc and xyz tasks at work, and writing for 30 minutes in my journal. (Notice that after answering the question of what do you want to create then switching to and stating the affirmative of “I am going to create” so as to set the intention of doing.)

            At the beginning of each year, I ask myself a similar question: What do I want to create this year? Then, I make a list of what I intend to accomplish, without necessarily focusing on the how, but rather on the end result. I have learned that are infinite ways to get from point A to B and the means somehow magically manages to appear.

This year, I have decided that I am going to start with and focus on five basic foundations and build what I am going to create from there.

Every year, my dad sits my brother and me down and shares with us his points of wisdom of what he believes to be the most important things to keep in mind to create a life of fulfillment and happiness:

1.     Family and friends: Have a handful of people whom you love and who love you.

2.     Strong relationship with God: Have faith in God and a higher power.

3.     Honor, integrity, and character: Be true to yourself and others in your words and actions.

4.     Health: Live a life being physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight (to

5.     Peace of mind: Do all you can to think and act positively.

He’s right, and these make sense. By focusing on these, then everything else should fall into place. That’s not to say that I haven’t created my goals and New Year’s resolutions for 2013. I have, but by maintaining  a strong foundation, then there are really no limits as to what you can accomplish.

Happy 2013! What do you want to create this year? Begin with a strong foundation and start today. Think about it. Write it down. Picture it. Do it!


Namaste!
Trey Harwell
Co-Founder, YogaGlyphs
Live, Love, Wear Your Asana

It Only Takes 7 Minutes

Here at YogaGlyphs, we believe in a healthy lifestyle. We believe in moving our bodies every day, whether it be at yoga, spinning, or working out with weights. We also realize that life happens and sometimes it's not that easy to "get  moving."

Resident blogger Joe Powers, Powers Fitness Group, takes us through a 7 minute circuit that will be sure to get your heart pumping.

I always love training my clients during this time of year.  Their energy changes during the holidays and it’s interesting to see and feel so easily.  There energy picks up a tic or two.  Sometimes it’s stress related because of all the things we add into our lives during the holidays.  Most of the time though I see and hear their sense of accomplishment for the year they just had.  And for whatever reason they work out just a little bit harder, we laugh and dance more(well I dance more, they just laugh at me more).  I see, hear and feel their gratitude and they each know mine explicitly.  As 2012 gives us one last dance, I like to do a personal inventory with them.  We look at the year in the composite and ask:

·         Are you healthier and more fit than you were a year ago?

·         Are your relationships with yourself, friends, family, food, co-workers, etc. healthier than they were a year ago?

·         Are you more comfortable in your own skin than you were a year ago?

·         Is your life more balanced than it was a year ago?

·         Do you have more space in your body, mind, spirit than you did a year ago?

·         Has your lifestyle given you more positive energy and, if so, are you radiating that out to the world?

During the year we all set our short term health/fitness goals.  I will attend 30 yoga classes in 30 days.  I will have 14 percent body fat by July 1^st.  I will do 40 atomic pushups on the TRX by Valentine’s Day…you get the drift.  We all set them.  They are tangible, they are measurable and they are important.  As the year ends, I like to take some proverbial deep breaths and review the legacy goals.  Those short term goals are the building blocks for achieving the bigger, life enhancing  experiences that shape who we are.  We don’t get up at 6am to go sweat and move our bodies simply to see a desirable number on the scale.  We do it because it makes us feel better.  It makes us healthier, smarter, more kind and patient.  It makes us feel in tune with our physical vehicles.  It makes us better in every aspect of our lives.  It helps us love ourselves and others even more.  That’s why it is our lifestyle!   So let’s celebrate like the rock stars we are.  Celebrate your lifestyle by continuing to live it throughout the holidays and New Year with love of self and love for others.  Do that and you won’t have any problem with the food you choose to eat or how you will find the time to move your body.      

I intended my initial blog to have the traditional “Here are 7 Ways to Avoid the Holiday Love Handles” list.  Google it and you will find so much good, common sense info.  Execution on the other hand…there lies the challenge, right?!  The motivation to execute is different for each of us, but it exists in all of us.  Motivation is simply Internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy to be continually interested and committed to act.   

So get your booties motivated, here is an efficient, effective circuit that will get your heart moving and your pores dripping.  All you need is a set of dumbbells and about as much space as a yoga mat.  Do all three movements without rest.  Take the minimal amount of time necessary to get your wind back and heart rate back down (usually 1 to 3 minutes) and hit it again…..and again and again, if you like!

1.       God/Goddess Makers

2.       Super Crunches

3.       Roll Ups

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPajBeRhnog

Have a beautiful holiday and Happy New Year.  Share the love.

Joe Powers

Powers Fitness Group

About Joe Powers:

Joe Powers is a private fitness consultant. His expertise is helping people change their mind, body and spirit through physical and mental conditioning. Believing that we all have an inner athlete just waiting to shine, he trains all his clients like they are an elite athlete. Each workout is efficient, challenging and different so the mind is always engaged and the body is moving in every direction possible. The main tools used are the human mind and body, TRXs, resistance bands, dumbbells, kettle bells, medicine balls, BOSU and physioballs, jump boxes and good ol’ gravity. He has a unique ability to balance a positive yet intense environment where people achieve things with their bodies that their minds never thought possible. Joe eliminates the mental barriers we’ve all placed on ourselves by facilitating action and celebrating achievement.

What are you looking at?

Resident blogger Gillian St. Clair, owner Steadfast and True yoga in Nashville, TN, asks us a very important question. Beware - the answer is not as easy as you think!

 What are you looking at? This question is a doozy.  When I was in India practicing the primary series, I really didn't have a lot of knowledge of yoga. My teacher was very hands on. I thought that’s how he taught - with very physical adjustments and praise when the pose looked right. I didn't realize until a little later that was mainly because we had a language barrier. I didn't understand his words, so he had to use touch. I would get "right, right, right" if a pose "looked" good.  That’s how it had to be. I didn't get to practice with him for years. We didn't talk about injuries or reasons why I was practicing yoga. It was "take the pose" and go.
But I was 22. I liked it being simple -- mentally and physically. It was very hard, but a pose I could do. I was a dancer. I could make shapes. I was also young enough most of the shapes didn't hurt. YET.

Flash forward 10 years -- shit got real.  Married, house payments, 2 businesses, 1 six year old and a lot of yoga under my belt. My focus has changed. Things can't just be pretty anymore. I can't practice only for fun or even to feel good. I HAVE to practice to be okay. People don't realize once you teach yoga it becomes a job. You don't have as much time to practice (unless you’re one of those teachers who demo's the whole class so you can get your practice in, having people pay to practice with you, but that’s a whole other blog grrr....)

   

I find that Drishti is the key to a practice that doesn't just make you feel better about yourself but to be better in yourself. When I talk of Drishti, I'm not just meaning what you see with your eyes like as in physical point of gaze, but  talking of  your intentions for practice. What are you giving your attention to? We need to know why we practice yoga and know that it is allowed to change and should change.

My first yoga class was because my sister asked me to go with her. My second was because I didn't like sucking at something. My first week ended up being a challenge to get through salutations without completely hating them.  My next 3 months were trying to get through them without losing my tempo and breath. My first week in India was remembering I wanted to be there....the list goes on.

Here's the deal. What we look at, what we direct our gaze to, what we focus on takes our attention or intentions. This is good and bad. People who covet what others have will never see what they have. One who only sees the shape won't notice the internal work. People that practice for other people's praise will be less likely to see themselves.

What I am asking is what are you looking at and why are you here? If you don't revisit or revise your intentions for practice I suggest you do sometime.

I hear people all the time say "I can't practice Ashtanga yoga. I get bored". You'll get bored with it if you look at it only from one angle, if you practice it to achieve it on a purely physical level. The thing is it’s never the same. You won't ever get that specific practice back, you won't have that pose ever again. The next time you practice it's different, you’re different, the person next to you might be different. Why are you looking at it like it’s been done before? Why do you think you need more if you haven't finished with what you have?

Now I am not saying everyone go out and practice Ashtanga yoga. I was just using that as an example. I practice many forms of yoga for many different reasons. I always practice for what the day is or what I need the day to be. I don't practice without reason anymore. It’s not always about the challenge. Life is hard.  Your yoga shouldn't always have to be.

What you give your attention takes your attention to or away from. So what are you looking at? Really. Where is your Drishti?

Blessings, 
 -Gillian St.Clair

About Gillian:

I’ve been dancing all my life but from my first yoga class in 1999 to the present day, I step on the mat and I am home. That’s the feeling I try to convey in my yoga classes. Here you are safe to explore and are supported in your journey. Having extensive background in Ashtanga yoga, and a passion for dance and music, my classes fuse creative sequencing with powerful movement. They will require only a few things of you; quality of breath, physical honesty, and mental focus.My Ashtanga classes aren’t as strict as most but I won’t stray from the principles that were clearly given to me. I firmly believe every yogi needs a strong foundation and Ashtanga is my rock.I fuse everything into my Vinyasa classes including daily life experiences. I feel like if we are trying to live in the present than our yoga should reflect that. Which is why Vinyasa resonates so strongly with me and changes daily. I am not going to share anything with you I haven’t experienced on my own.I traveled to Mysore, India to train in Ashtanga yoga under V.K Sheshadre whom I consider to be my first inspiration. His love for life was astonishing, his devotion to family was humbling, his attention to detail was such a blessing and his devotion to the 8 limb path was always evident. I hope to honor that within this studio.