drama & choices...

Truth: I've been struggling recently with a particular situation in my life. I've been resistant to the changes that are occurring. I've felt stuck and helpless (woe is me!). I've created drama and, not surprisingly, I've been a wee bit grumpy - okay, a lot grumpy.


And then I read this, shared by one of my beautiful friends:

There is freedom that comes with awareness. Rather than thinking we are stuck in a repetitive cycle with no escape, we begin to see that we very much play a hand in creating our lives. Whether we are aware of them or not, our behaviors and choices are ours to make.

Madyson Taylor

Sigh... but of course! The situation I'm in is not the cause of my grumpiness. It's not the source of my stress (more on stress very soon). My struggles are caused solely and completely by my resistance to the ebb and flow of life, my shitty 'tude and the way I've been behaving. Crap. I did it to myself.

BUT, here's the power in the realization, the freedom in the awareness: the only thing that needs to change for me to feel differently is me... just me!

It's amazing how much drama we create in our own lives and how much things can change when we change how we look at them... and how we respond to them!

Happy Thursday!
mxo

relish...

Tummy full of delicious dark chocolate banana treats.
Body full of post-yoga heat.
Heart full of joy.

Tonight, while I waited for my beautiful friend at an amazing new (well, new to me) yoga studio in Toronto - Breathe Yoga - I stumbled upon this:






Relish the ride, not just the accomplishments.

Matthew Sanford

 

 

 

 

 

 

The perfect reminder to read his book, Waking, which I bought, placed on a shelf and completely forgot about.

Happy Wednesday!
mxo

fear...

From the time we're kids, we're taught not to be afraid. It's the one thing we all pretend not to be and it's probably the only thing we all are. I wonder what it would be like if we had never learned to bury our fears but instead, we were just taught to admit them.

Sexy Patrick Wilson's character in Life in Flight

I'm afraid of missing out on all that life has to offer, of arriving at my end regretting things I didn't do and counting the opportunities I passed up.

I'm afraid I won't have enough faith in myself and in life to walk away from situations that no longer serve me.

I'm afraid of not having love in my life. 


That was frightening... but also strangely liberating.

So much love!
mxo

time...

I had the most lovely lunch date today with a good friend.
We had the most lovely conversation about time.

It seems we both realized something profound recently. Mr. Einstein said it best...

I think this is especially fitting with March right around the corner. March is the month most people in Toronto really grumble about. We're sick of winter, it's not quite spring, it's grey and damp. But it's there - we can't fast-forward through it. It's there so that winter can calmly surrender to spring. It's there so that we really, really enjoy what comes after (April... and May flowers... and patios!).

spring!

So as opposed to fast-forwarding through everything and trying to do everything at once, what can you surrender?  What can you save for another day?

My only suggestion - keep the truly important things because there may not be another day.

Kind... to yourself... please be. 
mxo

growing up and making soup...

I fell asleep reading last night. At 11pm.
This has become my new weekend routine.

A few years ago, I used to start my Saturdays at 11pm. I'd stumble into bed at 6am, praying that I'd fall asleep before the sun rose and confirmed by zombie status. Around 2 the next afternoon, I'd roll out of bed, maybe work on an essay for a few hours, and then repeat.

It was great while it lasted and I was very ready for it to end when it did.

Fast forward five years to this morning when I woke up with a slight twinge of remorse for the days that once were. I think that's natural - we all tend to romanticize the past. But whenever that happens, I let myself really stew in those memories until I remember all of the less-than-glorious aspects.

And then I quickly realize that I really, truly love where I am now. I love being a grown-up... and aging is fun! Whether we choose to mourn the past and dread aging OR we say, "that was fun, what's next?!" is totally up to us.

  

Blah, blah, blah... onto soup! :)

I made two delicious pots of soup this week. I made my mom's Sweet Potato Carrot Soup (yum, yum) AND I made a un-creamy broccoli soup (it's vegan) inspired by the most beautiful blog there ever was: Green Kitchen Stories.

 

Here is my interpretation of their recipe, my un-Creamy Broccoli Soup:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil 
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 
• 1/4 tsp dried chili flakes 
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into smaller florets and slice the stalk 
• 4 cups water or veggie stock to cover 
• 1 x 400 ml can coconut milk 
• 1 tbsp tahini
• Big pinch or two of salt, to taste
• 1 tsp curry powder (optional)
• 2 cups of fresh spinach (optional)
• 5-10 of fresh basil leaves (optional)
• Garnish: roasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro. 

Heat up the oil on medium with the red chili flakes and garlic until fragrant - you don't want to burn the garlic! Toss in the onion and reduce the heat so that the onion sweats (rather than being fried crisp). Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broccoli, cover with stock/ water, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 20-30 minutes. Remove a few cups of the broth (you can always add it back in). Add coconut milk, basil, spinach, curry and tahini. Blend, blend, blend until creamy (hand blender is best but my food processor works well too, it's just messier). If it's too thick, add in some of the removed liquid. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Serve with garnish. Enjoy!

It's vegan, gluten-free and totally yummy.

I froze a big jar-full for a quick weekday meal. Also, freeze the leftover water! It makes for an awesome stock for future soups. I can't wait until their cookbook hits the shelves!


Be kind to yourself!
mxo

P.S. I do wonder if we ever feel like grown-ups...

why we breathe...

I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.

Hafiz

P.S. What you're looking for, you already have...

               

advice epidemic...

I woke on Sunday compelled to box up all of my self-help books. All of a sudden, I had this super clear sense that they were doing more harm than good. Those seemingly helpful words were actually distracting me from listening to my own inner voice.

Then today, serendipitously, I watched this:

        

Minute 14:40 on REALLY hit home.

We are suffering from an epidemic of too much advice. The internet is chock-full of articles, videos and blogs (like mine, ha) with tips and tricks on life, love, fitness, happiness - everything! The self-help business is booming - Oprah has built herself an empire on it. Most of these resources come from people honestly trying to be helpful BUT the sheer volume can be absolutely overwhelming.

Here's the thing: there's no cookie-cutter solution. We are all unique and we all need to live our lives in our own ways. You're never going to know if you're on your right path until you get so quiet that you can hear yourself think (and feel!).

Two bookshelves, packed almost exclusively with self-help books!

Take it all with a grain of salt and set a goal to regularly tune out the world. Tune inward instead. That's mine big goal for the next long while - all I'm allowing myself to read and watch is fiction. Period, of end story. :)

Happy Tuesday!
mxo

P.S. The ironies in this post aren't lost on me... :)

family secrets...

Happy Family Day!

Today's lovely, sunny day off has started with...

... lemon water
... a glorious green juice (curly kale, cucumber, celery, parsley, and a pear)
... yoga with Kathryn Budig on yogaglo.com
... 15 minutes of "time-out" (a.k.a. lying on my foam roller) (a.k.a. meditating)
... avo toast from Crazy Sexy Kitchen 

Avocado smooshed onto Ezekiel bread, topped with olive oil, sea salt and chili flakes.

...  and lots of mulling over my grandpa's way of life.
                                                                                                  
Decades ago, my grandpa figured out the secrets to health, longevity and living life well, and has been applying them religiously ever since. He'll be 84 in March and every time I hear about his recent escapades, they blow me away.

Despite the winter weather, he walks a minimum of 6km each and every single day. Then he rides his stationary bike for 30 minutes. Each and every single day. "It's the most boring 30 minutes of my day, but I do it, and then it's over". Exactly.


His tips for health are simple:

1. Never over eat, but eat everything in moderation. 
2. Exercise, always. End of story.
3. Be consistent with eating, sleeping, exercising, etc. 
4. Throw in the towel on all of the above once in awhile. On occasion, have a extravagant dinner and dance the night away (two weeks ago, he was dancing until 4am!) 

The key, of course, is to practice 1-3 regularly so that you can thoroughly enjoy 4 and not pay for it with your health. You have to work at it and you have to commit... but he's living proof that it's worth it!

My grandpa, Witek, on his 80th birthday.

So on this Family Day 2013, I am channeling the energy of my grandma yet again. :)

Be kind to yourself!
mxo

chapters...

Good morning!

I'm sitting in my pjs, just as I have been for the past several hours, enjoying my tea and the sunshine that's pouring in. After these last few weeks of dreariness, it's perfect.

I am learning how healing these moments of stillness are, even if they seem uncomfortable at first.

I hit the "best before" date on a number of life situations over the past few months and yet I find myself still there, still "stuck", and very frustrated. I've been frantically searching for the fast-forward button.

It doesn't exist.

And then this morning, I stumbled upon this article on the art of unfortunate events + living in the unknown by one of my favourites, Kathryn Budig.

In the same way that you don't want to read the last page of the book before you begin, you have to trust that the story of our lives is taking us to the end of each chapter so it can begin an even more rich and exciting progressive one. There will be acts of our lives that are dreary and frustrating, but these pass onto the third act that introduces new characters, themes and opportunities. I've been wanting to skip this chapter when I forgot that I won't understand the next one if I don't pay attention to the one I'm currently in.Kathryn Budig

To that,  I will add this:

 

Happy dreaming! Happy marinating! 

mxo

snowy quote...

It's absolutely stunning outside - white, crisp and so perfectly sunny. Days like this are why I adore winter.

SNOW!

On this beautiful day, I leave you with this gem:

We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It's a death trap

Anthony Hopkins  
(Source: that kind of woman)

Much love,
mxo

flu remedies...

Cough, cough, sniff, sniff. Yup, it's that time of year. Half of my office is out with something or other.

I came down with some sort of bronchial disaster this weekend. Late last week, I started to feel woozy. By Sunday night, I was a fevery, coughy, sniffly mess.

A few years ago, I was very prone to a lovely combo of bronchitis + pneumonia + nasal infections. I'd be out for a week and overly-medicated with antibiotics and puffers. Sometimes they were necessary, sometimes they were not, but always they destroyed my stomach for months to follow.  I desperately wanted to avoid antibiotics this time around... so I got to work.

I cured myself (almost!) with these very simple, natural remedies.

Nature's medicine cabinet.

Lemon Elixir: 

• Lemon - juice from 1 whole lemon 
• Ginger - big piece finely chopped or minced 
• Honey - 1 heaping tbsp, the more natural and raw, the better
• Hot water - 1-2 cups
• Cayenne pepper (optional, it can be a bit much for a sore throat)

Place all ingredients in a mug, stir, let sit for a minute or two, and drink! 

This is pretty much all I drank for days. Lemons are packed with vit C, ginger is nature's antibiotic, and honey has awesome antimicrobial properties. Best part: this is delicious! Drinks lots and lots of it!


Grandma's Onion Cough Syrup (version 2.0):

• One whole onion, peeled and sliced into thin, long pieces
• Lots of honey (or traditionally, sugar) - I used raw honey and coconut sugar

In a mason jar, layer onions then a glob of honey/ sugar, onions then glob of honey/ sugar, onions then glob of honey/ sugar, etc. Seal and let it sit on the counter for 6-8 hours (or overnight). Drink 1-2 tbsps as needed to calm the coughing. Use it up in a few days as it's got to be fresh.
 
If you have a Polish grandma, you have probably tried (a.k.a. been subjected to) this deliciousness before! You'll probably also remember that while it smells horrendous, this syrup actually tastes quite nice (I hate onions and even I like this syrup) and it works like magic. Onions contain a compound which helps reduce bronchial constriction and they help eliminate mucus (gross). Sugar is ok but honey is far better as it'll kick bacteria to the curb.


Chicken Soup + Less Junk:
When you're sick, it's important to avoid the foods that cause inflammation (as your body is already trying to fight inflammation). So, no alcohol, coffee, dairy (mucus-producing), sugar, processed stuff, etc (sorry!). Instead, you need lots of green veggies and chicken soup.

Why chicken soup? Chicken contains compounds that thin out mucus so it's easier to cough out (how many more times can I say mucus in one post?!) :) If you're veggie, just have broth with lots of anti-inflammatory ingredients like onions, garlic, carrots, etc. Oh, and did I mention garlic? Yes, eat LOTS of it.

Truth: I'd be feeling much better if I had avoided the home-made cake and chocolate truffles left over from my hubby's birthday this weekend!


Rest:
Ha, betcha didn't see that one coming! :) But really, it's the most essential one. You need to slow down, sleep ridiculous amounts, and stay in your pjs until they start to smell a bit suspicious. The main reason I'm not 100% better is because I made the "daft", to quote my British colleague, decision to go into work today. Don't be me - no one wants sick coworkers around. You're not a brain surgeon and even if you are, you need to rest! I certainly don't want a sick brain surgeon coughing into my open skull!


That's it! And here's the thing, if you try all of the above and they don't work, no harm done. You can always go to the doc after, but I suspect you won't need to.

Happy healing!
mxo

winter...

I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show.

Andrew Wyeth 

ease...

As I was saying in my last post...




... except she said it better. :)

Much love,
mxo