May 2020 Yoga Cross Trainers: The birds of hope are everywhere, listen to them sing

[yogapam]

Hello everyone!

Yesterday’s workouts:
~Neighbourhood walk
~Ellen B streaming: Natalie’s Powerful Presence - second time for this one & I modified the knee intensive segment with pulsing lunges....much better! It has some really good balance work.

Today’s workouts:
~Jessica’s Feel Good Fusion: Flow Cardio - This is really nice! Kinda reminds me of an Ellen workout but at a brisker pace which I prefer.
~Ellen’s Ballet Sculpt With Weights - This is a fave, I prefer her toning & yoga-ish workouts to her cardio.
~MFML: Release Tension in the Upper Back

Pat - I think a lovely outdoor walk is definitely better than a weight workout!

Margot - I have wide bands similar to Pat’s & they are much more comfortable & easier on the skin than the thin ones.

Waves to Sherry, Kate, Jackie, & anyone who stops by!

[sherry7899]

I am sorry for not posting.

I took an unplanned rest day on Friday. I was up for almost three hours during the night-ugh! I did get over 13,000 steps the day before, so I probably neeed the rest day anyway.

Yesterday I did:
-30 minutes of an NIA class and 30 minutes of a Soul Sweat with Maria
-Yoga Upload Side Body Yoga 20 minutes

Today:
-Body Combat 82-the first body combat I ever disliked! Oh, well...
-Yoga Su-yoga reset 15 mintues

I will come back and post personals later.

Sherry

[yogapam]

Hello everyone!

Today’s workouts:
~Neighborhood walk....just missed the rain
~15 min rebounding
~Jessica’s TBB: Cardio Dance Sculpt
~Jessica’s Gentle Yoga: Neck & Shoulders - This was nice, all standing, more active than I was looking for but I enjoyed it.
~Headstand, back & neck stretches with my “torture devices”

Sherry - Never worry about not posting, (((hugs))). Sorry insomnia continues to plague you!

Waves to all!

[cyana]

I've been pretty dull and boring this past week - walking and meditation. I was just getting ready to go out for a walk and it started raining, so I need to come up with a Plan B. I worked many long hours, as I am off this coming week - hooray - so time to spend more time working out and not just working at my desk!

Hoping to "see" everyone a lot more in the coming week since I've been such a deadbeat of late!

[Pat58]

Happy Moan Day! I still haven't been on the yoga mat but really need to get my butt there. This weekend I had a severe allergy attack and headache on Saturday - the pain was so bad I had to dig out a Vicodin from my foot surgery stash. But I managed to plant six bare root perennials (not hard to do) and forced myself to stroll around the neighborhood in the evening.

Yesterday I broke all my walking records since starting to wear a Fitbit. I was feeling much better and it was so glorious out we decided to try a hike. I found a trail that was labeled 1.8 miles and beginner. Well unbeknownst to me there is a "blue loop" and a "blue trail," the trail leading from one point of the nature preserve to the other. Somehow we missed the intersection where you get the option turning on the short loop or continue straight on the long trail. We walked all the way to another state route, then got lost doubling back. Finally we met a couple who know the place inside out and they directed us out. I walked 18,200 steps and 7.7 miles yesterday. I had to pull up many rocks and stumps to rest on, but the reward was all kinds of song birds in a varied habitate from swamp to woods to prairie like conditions. It would have made more sense to mark the two with different colors.

Have a great day everyone!!!

[sherry7899]

Pat, wow!!! That is an impressive hike! They should have named/marked those trails differently. I could never walk that far! I am so sorry about the headache. Hugs!!

This morning:

Soul Sweat with Lucy-Riding the Waves class-53 minutes. I may do yoga and a short cardio later. I'm dragging today.

I did a bunch of cooking yesterday. I made a batch of steel cut oatmeal and chick peas in the Instant Pot, and three kinds of roasted vegetables. Then I made homemade Sicilian pizza for dinner. It was my first time making Sicilian crust. I made the dough on Saturday since it had to rest for 24 hours, and made the sauce yesterday. It was delicious! I put the baking pan on a baking stone so the crust would get crispier. I forgot I even had the baking stone. My MIL had bought it for me at a Pampered Chef party probably 20 years ago, and I never used it! I'm glad I saved it. I will definitely make this again. Our favorite pizza place closed down ages ago, and my DH has been wanting Sicilian pizza ever since.

Has anyone made hummus from scratch? I cleaned out my pantry and found a jar of tahini from Trader Joe's that expires the end of June, so I'd better start using it! I found a roasted red pepper hummus recipe that I am going to try.

I'll check back later.

Sherry

[cyana]

Last evening's Plan B work-out since Mother Nature rained on my parade and I didn't get out for a walk:
45 minutes on the rebounder (while having Leonid & Friends on You Tube - the time has never flown so quickly)
MFML - Evening Calm Yoga - Adam Houcke (I've grown quite fond of Adam)
YT - singing bowl meditation, supposedly for relaxation/sleep (don't remember the exact name, but not one I'd recommend. I was looking for something quick and thought this would fit the bill, but found it wasn't my cup of tea.)
YT - Quick 11 Minute Chakra Tune-Up - TempleSounds (this is the one I've done and linked multiple times - one of my "comfort food" meditations)

Speaking of Temple Sounds on YT - I see he's posted several newer singing bowl meditations for troubled times. He has some beautiful antique singing bowls. Here's a link to his playlist in case anyone is interested: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...lY&app=desktop . In addition to working out daily, I plan to zen out with meditations, as well.

Pat - Seriously, not sure what the rationale was on naming those trails, as I can see where most people (and that likely would include me, in the interest of full disclosure ), wouldn't have caught "loop" versus "trail". DH and I had one of those trail adventures some years back - we were near end of the trail and there was an option to take a second trail and we thought "Oh what the heck, why not go a little farther?" thinking it would be comparable in length to the first trail and it ended up being pretty comparable to your distance. Sounds like you were rewarded with a nice walk. I have some new plants to get in the ground - lettuce and cucumbers - gifted to me by one of my farmer's market vendors. That band looks really interesting. I like the concept of bands, but dislike the way most of them roll up and end up being like an annoying twisted up rubber band around the leg - ouch!

Sherry - I make hummus from scratch pretty regularly as it is so much cheaper than buying it in the store and you can control what goes into it. It used to drive me bats to pick up a container of really yummy sounding hummus in the store, only to read the ingredient list and discover some sort of nasty oil that I didn't wish to consume. These are good "base" recipes that are good just as they are, or you can always toss in things like the roasted red peppers, top with paprika or smoked paprika, etc., to suit your mood on any given day. I go back and forth between using freshly minced garlic and garlic granules - depends on my mood and how much time I have to spend in the kitchen.

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans, or 2 cans
½ cup sesame tahini
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 to 3 cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt or Herbamare, or to taste
¼ cup bean cooking liquid or water to desired consistency

Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. You will want to taste the hummus to see if it needs more lemon, tahini, garlic, or salt. Also, add more water for a thinner consistency and process again. (nourishingmeals.com - http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2008/...mus-lunch.html)

And here's a slightly different recipe from Lisa at downshiftology.com that's also very good - https://downshiftology.com/recipes/3-minute-hummus/ :


30 oz canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained with liquid reserved (I use two 15oz cans)
1/3 cup chickpea liquid or more, as needed
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons juiced
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

1. Add all the ingredients to your Vitamix or high-powered blender and secure the lid. Remove the lid cap and insert
the tamper.
2. Turn the blender on high for 30 seconds (or more for a creamier texture) and use the tamper to push the
hummus into the blades. Add more chickpea liquid (aquafaba), if desired, for a softer hummus.
3. Add the hummus to a serving plate and garnish with olive oil, paprika and fresh parsley.

I thought of you last night - I woke up around 2AM and probably didn't get back to sleep until close to 6 AM. Yuck!!! I still have one of those Pampered Chef pizza stones that I haven't used in years.

Pam - I always chuckle when you reference your various "torture devices". I'm thinking of pulling out my YTU balls today as the back of my right shoulder (lower scapular border and just below) could really use some work. One of my goals for this week is to do some yin - my body and brain could use a steady diet of yin right now. Calling Norman Blair....I foresee some "dates" in our future.

Margot - Which bands did you end up ordering? I've discovered I have a wellness benefit at work that will reimburse up to a certain dollar amount and equipment is included in what qualifies for the reimbursement. I've been wanting a new heart rate monitor, but don't really need/want one with all the fancy bells and whistles. I loved my old Polar basic heart rate monitor which served me well until it literally fell apart from old age! My hair grows really fast - which means my roots are showing big time. The funny thing - it doesn't bother me at all, and I actually find it to be rather amusing. Good luck with your plan for 30 days of meditation.

Waves to Kate and Jackie. I'm planning to do my work-out this afternoon.

[yogapam]

Hello yoginis!

Today’s workouts:
~Taught Essentrics on zoom
~Lovely walk through the orchard at a local cidery. We went for a drive and outdoor visit with DS1 & family.

Cyana - I hope your brother is healing.
I quite like Norman & Adam too, although I admit some ongoing frustration with the website’s search feature. It never offers me many results and I find the filters quite limited. I’m not sure I’ll renew when my sub is up. I like to try new practices and I waste a lot of time finding something that suits.
Thanks for the recipes. DH makes hummus that is quite similar to your downshiftology.com one. He adds a little heat with chili infused EVOO or sriracha.

Sherry - Your pizza sounds amazing! My DH has been making bread during isolation, he’s made some very tasty loaves.

Pat - Ugh, that headache sounds like doozy! Wow that was quite the marathon walk, an impressive step count! I hope your tootsies aren’t sore today.

Waves to all!

[Pat58]

Morning everyone! My terrible headache tried to come back yesterday, but I went for a walk at the beach to get away from the pollen and it helped. Also Winsor 20 Minute Workout, and meditation group in the a.m. My car is covered in chartreuse pollen this morning.

Sherry, I haven't had a slice of Sicilian since we lived in NYC. How do you handle the chickpea skins? I've seen videos where you are supposed to rub each individual bean.

Oh Cyana I love that chakra meditation from Temple Sounds - thanks for the reminder. The Sling Shot hip circle band does not ride up or roll at all, that was one of the reasons I went with it.

Pam your orchard walk sounds so nice.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

[Margot]

Hello everyone!

Sorry to be MIA again. I have so many projects going on and by the time evening comes when I usually post, I'm pooped!

Yesterday was:
- JS Cardio Dance Sculpt
- epilates Toned Arms and Tight Tush
- Neighbourhood walk
- MFML Clive's Prepare for Sleep

Today:
- BG House Party
- CS 1314 Body Shaping. A few days ago, I did Alexa's new relaxation workout. I really enjoyed it.
- 2 hours gardening. The weather has been warm and sunny the past couple of days, so it's good to get outside for some Vit D. I can't believe how everything has grown so much since I last got out in the garden, especially those blinking weeds!

I'm planning on some restorative yoga in a while.

Pat - So sorry you're suffering with allergies at the moment but am glad the beach walk stopped your headache from returning yesterday. Oh boy, that was a long hike. You'd think they would have named the trails more clearly! It sounded well worth it though, despite getting lost.
I can't imagine rubbing the skin from each chickpea! I soak and sprout mine, put them in the pressure cooker and they're ready to go.

Pam - Your orchard walk does sound lovely; even better that you were able to get together with your DS1 and family. Our house was built on what was an apple orchard in the early 1900s. We have one apple tree remaining and the poor thing isn't in the best shape and the apples are so small and not very good to eat. However, we'd never cut it down because of its history, besides which the birds love it.
I've been thinking I may not renew my subscription to MFML either, as I just don't use it that much. I agree, the search filter isn't the best.

Cyana - Hope you enjoy your week off and are able to catch up on your sleep. I'm not sure if the bands I bought are available in the US but I bought these on Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I love them! They're comfortable, don't slip down the legs and are great for stretching too. I would have bought the one Pat recommended but I couldn't get it here.
How is your brother doing? Hope the surgery goes well.

Sherry - Your pizza sounds wonderful. That would be my DH's favourite dish. He'd eat it every day if he could! My hummus recipe is similar to the one Cyana posted. Sometimes, I sub the tahini with other nut butters and add different herbs and spices. The roasted red peppers would be great I'd think.

Waves to Kate and Jackie.