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Archive for May, 2015

Shredded Beef – Crockpot Cookin’

Posted by terrepruitt on May 30, 2015

We have these roast in our freezer. HUGE chunks of meat I have no idea what to do with. I am not a “roast” fan. The hours of cooking so the fat can melt and seep into the meat, just does not appeal to me. I have never liked the texture of roast and one day while flipping through channels I paused on America’s Test Kitchen (love that show, especially back in the day when it hadn’t yet been “glammed up”). They were cooking a roast. One reason I love that show is they explain the science behind the cooking or at least the reasons why you do what you do. So they explained that the reason a roast is low cooked for hours is because the fat needs to melt into the meat. It makes it tender and flavorful. Yeah, snort! I didn’t like it before and that REALLY made it unappealing to me. But . . . . this beef is more lean, I believe. I have also grown a little bit more tolerate of roast and have actually had some that were yummy. But, cooking one? Another story. I can’t remember exactly how I came across a recipe for Cuban Beef. I wasn’t looking for it, I think I might have just happened across a blog and it was on there? I don’t remember, but I have had a recipe for Cuban Shredded Beef on my desktop for almost a month now. So I decided to try it. Well, not really. I had read through the ingredients but not the instructions. I started to read through them the night before I was going to cook the roast and I decided I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to throw the thing into my crock pot and let it cook. So, I started with her list of ingredients and went from there. I bet it would help a lot if I were more familiar with the science behind cooking a roast.

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Shredded Crock Pot Beef – “Cuban Style”

3.5 pounds pounds of roast, trimmed**
salt
1 bottle lime beer
2 T sherry
1 cup orange juice
juice from 1 1/2 lime*
zest from 1/2 lime
3 teaspoon garlic
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 of an onion

You will use some of these ingredients in the crock pot and some in the oven.

Coat the roast with salt and let it set while you prepare the crock pot liquid.

For the crock pot:

1 lime beer
2 T sherry
1/2 cup orange juice
juice from 1/2 lime
zest from 1/2 lime
2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
a small portion of onions, sliced thin

(Salted 3.5 pounds pounds of roast, trimmed)

Mix the above ingredients together, pour them into the crock pot, then put the salted roast in the crock pot. If the liquid does not cover the roast and you have a few minutes, let it sit, then flip it over. Then put the sliced onions on top. Let it cook on low for three hours.

Then flip it over and turn it to high for an hour. Then turn the heat to low and let it cook for another two hours.

**this was a grass-fed roast. Grass-fed beef tends to cook quicker so keep that in mind.

For the beef after cooking in the crock pot

1/c orange juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic
juice from 1/2 lime
onions

Mix all the ingredients. Shred the beef (I used my blender), spread on cookie sheet, pour the liquid over the beef, stir it so all the beef can get some of the liquid. Then put the cookie sheet in the oven for 20 minutes on 425° F. You might want to cook it a bit longer if you want those crispy bits of beef. You decide.

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I served it on bread. A sweet submarine roll for my hubby and sliced sour dough for me. I don’t really know how you are supposed to serve Cuban Beef. I don’t know what Cuban Beef is. I just made a “regular” sandwich; cheese, mayo, and onions. I put quartered limes on our plates and we both ended up squeezing it on the meat.

*I am going to use more lime in the recipe itself next time.

This was very good. I like the lime flavor. It is zesty and a step away from our normal flavor palate. It was nice. I will probably do it again with one of the other roasts we have.

So . . . what is “Cuban Beef”? Do you have a recipe for Cuban Beef?

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: America's Test Kitchen, crock pot recipe, Cuban Beef, dinner recipe, grass-fed beef, lime and cumin, Nia Technique, roast beef, roasts, sandwiches | 2 Comments »

Following Up, It’s A Tradition

Posted by terrepruitt on May 28, 2015

Sometimes I post things that are not in the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or even what inspires me. Some things I am just sharing. Some things I may write about, because of that “thing”, when you write about it and the act of writing is like therapy. Sometimes, once I bring something up I feel that it is good form to post a follow up of said “thing”. In April I wrote a post sharing that I was kind of sad because I was ending a tradition that had been going on for about fourteen years. It was a collection type of tradition. Where I was a subscriber to an annual ornament. The ornaments were spectacular when we started buying them in 2000, but since then the quality has gone down considerably. In all fairness, I do believe that the price has remained the same or close to it, so I guess that is something. But, the way they are made, now, it is no longer worth the price. I had been thinking of cancelling for a few years, but I was reluctant to let the tradition go. Our Christmas tree is full of Lenox ornaments and it was a joy to collect them. So I was sad to feel the need to stop, but the last ornament I received was THAT bad. I sent the company a letter of cancellation explaining how I used to love their product and I thought it was well made, but that stopped being true years ago.

Here is the reply. They acknowledge having received my request for cancellation. But then the letter goes onto say they are happy that I am still interested in their company and product. They extended an invitation for me to visit them online to view thousands of gifts and things. Ha, clearly they didn’t read the reason for my cancellation. I don’t think that I would be interested in buying something from them for a gift considering I think the quality is bad. If I bought something from them for a gift, I would hope the receiver never read my blog otherwise they would know that I bought them a gift of poor quality. I believe, sadly, that they just have this form letter they send out no matter the reason for cancellation. So, I guess it all goes together. The quality of their product has declined over the years and it seems pretty obvious that they do not care what their departing customers think.

I can imagine that they know the quality has declined so they don’t even bother listening to people expressing that opinion. Of course, that is just a thought. I don’t know. All I know is that their reply did not address my opinion on the quality of the ornaments I have received from them in the past few years.

Oh, well, there are many, many, many other companies that make beautiful ornaments. So . . . that is where I will go to spend my money for gifts and ornaments.

Well, that is it, I was just giving you the update.

Have you ever been the recipient of a form letter that seems to indicate your communication was not actually read?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: Christmas ornament, collections, Lenox, writing therapy | 2 Comments »

Our Version Of Taco Salad

Posted by terrepruitt on May 26, 2015

What do you put in your taco salad? Do you eat taco salad? Taco salad is one of my favorite meals. It is probably one of my favorite meals for several reasons. One reason is it is raw veggies and meat with tortilla chips, that is just a winning combination to me. Another reason is when we have it, it usually translates into at least two meals — you know I love leftovers. And another reason is, usually when we have it my husband has made it. I had taco salad with my friends once and they laughed at me because the only thing “taco” about my taco salad is the tortilla chips and the “taco seasoning” in the meat. Since I was the one that started making the taco salad in our relationship I have “infected” my husband with my idea of or the way I make taco salad. We do it a little different.

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Taco Salad

1 lb Ground Turkey
1 package of taco seasoning
tortilla chips
lettuce
shredded cheese
olives
onions
pickles
bell peppers
cucumbers
broccoli
carrots
sour cream
salsa

Cook the meat with the seasoning. You can use the directions on the package or not. I don’t, I saute some onions then add the meat. While the meat is cooking I put in the seasoning. My hubby follows the directions on the package. Whatever works for you.

The lettuce is chopped or the kind from a bag. The olives are chopped or sliced, either by you or that is the way you bought them. The onions . . . I like red, but whatever color will do, even scallions. Whatever they are they are chopped.

Pickles are chopped. So are the bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, and carrots.

Then you just layer it in your individual bowl. My husband and I do ours individually since we both like different things in our salads. We also do our layers differently. Then he adds salsa and sour cream. I don’t add any of that. We both crumble our tortilla chips on top. One time I forgot them. I remembered them after I was half way through eating my salad.

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As you can see there are no beans. I don’t like beans, so I have never put beans in my “taco salad”. And, like I said, since I have always made it like that my poor husband doesn’t get beans in his salad. I don’t know if he would like them, but we don’t think to get them. Also, I believe pickles are a weird ingredient for a taco salad. I cannot tell you how that started. It might sound odd, but it works really well . . . I think. For me it is a MUST, the pickles are a source of moisture for my salad since I don’t add any dressing, salsa, or sour cream.

I believe we have had tomatoes in our taco salad before. Basically any veggie that we would put in a salad we could add to our taco salad. The first nine ingredients on the list are the “must-haves”.

Do you eat taco salad? What do you put in your taco salad?

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: easy dinner, leftovers, pickles, raw veggies, salad with meat, Taco salad | 2 Comments »

Outside Yoga – Easier Said Than Done

Posted by terrepruitt on May 23, 2015

I decided to go outside today to do some asana. I needed to get some sun on my hair because yesterday I put developer on it. I thought that I could get two things done at the same time: sun on my hair and yoga practice. Usually I think to do this when it is way too hot and my preparation for going outside takes longer than I actually last outside. Today, I kept that in mind. But I could tell there was a breeze outside, so I thought it would be ok. Also, it was the latter part of the day so the sun wouldn’t be beating down on me directly or for that long. So, I went outside. I had a list of yoga poses that I was going to do. It went pretty well, except for a few things.

The list starts out with standing poses. I realized that our windows would serve as a mirror in case I wanted to do some X-Ray Anatomy and check my alignment. Both proper alignment and improper alignment. Sometimes it is helpful for me to do the pose incorrectly so I can sense it and see it, and then teach to it better. So, the reflection was great today.

But . . . . my mat got hot. I would move to step into a pose and the mat was too hot. I could stay, it cooled down eventually, but it would leave my foot burning. A distraction I decided I didn’t want after a few poses. So I got a towel. Ok. Solved that little issue.

I did good on the standing poses. I was aware of the unhappy birds. I would see one come flying into the yard, and swoop out. I figured they had their eyes on the feeder and were heading in then they saw me and would pull up at the last minute. There was a bunch of tweeting, chittering, and squawking going on. I even managed to stay in Anjaneyasana longer than I intended. I was just about to move out of it when two little birds landed close to me. One on the bird bath and the other on the brass ornament we have out there. I stayed because I didn’t want to move and scare them. This was a momentary distraction. But I managed to stay pretty much focused.

The list of asana, then goes over some prone poses. Again, not too bad. I was able to ignore the bugs crawling around on the ground, while I was on my belly. . . for the most part. They were just ants. I was even so focused that I only allowed the multitude of strawberries to distract me for a moment. There are A LOT of strawberries out there. So tiny and bright red!

Then I got to the supine poses. As I was lying there looking up at the sky I noticed the wispy clouds. So I just stayed there a moment in Supta Baddha Konasana looking at them. As I watched they disappeared. I thought, “Well, that was so pretty, but I better get back to my poses.” Then I realized I could just stay in the Reclined Bound Angle and enjoy the sky for a bit. So I did. Then a cloud started to form and I thought, “Ooooo, what a cool video that would make.” So I jumped up to get my phone. I came back to my mat and got back into the pose and waited. Then I felt like I really wasn’t doing yoga or getting the point to it, if I were in a pose but holding my camera. So I put it down. I finished my list with focus.

THEN, I shot more video.

I am gonna share, you might not be able to appreciate the beauty of the day, but perhaps. The first one might even be able to be used as a little respite from a busy day.

The other two are me just pointing the camera in the general direction of the bird. I couldn’t actually see what I was videoing because of the sun. But it turns out in the second one, I actually captured the hummingbird on top of the stand. You MIGHT be able to see him. Then he flies toward the lemon tree, I think he was not happy that he had not intimidated me enough to go away. Then he flew off in a huff! Or he could have been upset because I moved one of the feeders.

I enjoyed my yard and got some yoga in. Oh, and let’s not forget, hopefully the sun helped my dingy hair color! Hopefully you will enjoy a bit of my yard, too.

Do you ever manage to get any yoga done outside?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: asanas, developer for hair, hair product, Hummingbirds, Low Lunge, Nia, prone poses, Reclined Bound Angle, standing poses, supine poses, X-Ray Anatomy, Yoga, Yoga Practice | 2 Comments »

Exercise For Migraine Sufferers

Posted by terrepruitt on May 21, 2015

Just yesterday I was visiting over on Twitter and I saw a tweet about cycling helping with migraines. That sounded very interesting to me. I, thankfully, don’t get migraines, but I feel as if I know a bunch of people who do. And a migraine is not just a headache, so I have great sympathy for migraine sufferers. I rarely get headaches and when I do, I do not like it. It is so uncomfortable. When I get a headache, since I rarely get them, I know there is a REASON. I don’t just GET headaches, there has to be SOMETHING that is making me have a headache. Most of the time I can figure it out and fix it. Sometimes I can figure it out but I can’t fix it, but at least I know why I have a headache. Headaches are awful. I know that migraines are WAY worse than headaches. Some have very severe pain, more than just “headache pain” and some migraine sufferers have additional symptoms like dizziness, blindness, vomiting, and more. So, as I said, I thought that “cycling for migraines” sounded interested. It was a video report.

First of all, I would call it “spinning” not cycling. But . . that is perhaps just me. I think of cycling as riding a bicycle and riding it outside. The video was about what many people call “spinning” as in riding a stationary bike in a spin class and the video does actually call it “indoor cycling”. I think that riding a bicycle outside is way different from riding a stationary bike in a class. One reason that spinning might be a good form of exercise for migraine sufferers is that the head can remain pretty much stationary. On a bike ride outside the could possibly be bouncing involved and jolting of the head might aggravate a migraine. So it makes sense that stationary would be better and could be good. It could be just be called “spinning” at the gyms and venues that I am familiar with.

So basically the video said that 36 million Americans suffer from migraines. Now I am guessing that the number stated are reported migraine sufferers. I bet there are a lot more people who don’t even go to the doctor or report to anyone that they suffer from migraines. So I imagine that is a low number. It also said that low impact exercise is good for migraine sufferers, because their head doesn’t move and there is not jolting.

The video also said that there was a Swedish study in 2008 where most of the participates showed improvement after being in a 3 month cycling program.

It ended the spinning segment by saying no one is saying that cycling (spinning) is a cure, but they are suggesting it can help people who suffer from migraines cope with the pain. Often time exercise helps people cope with pain and other things that are affecting them. It is a matter of finding the RIGHT exercise. Something that does not exacerbate the issues they are having. But movement helps so many areas of our being. I am always one to suggest Nia as an aide, but in the case of migraines I can understand how one might not want to move their head. I have never actually tried spinning. But I know in Nia we move the head a lot.

Do you suffer from migraines? Have you ever taken a spinning class?

Posted in Exercise and Working Out | Tagged: CNN, cycling for migraines, Group X San Jose classes, migraine sufferer, Nia, Nia Classes, spin class, spinning for migraines, Twitter | 12 Comments »

A New Goodie Jar

Posted by terrepruitt on May 19, 2015

So, so, so many things to go into my Goodie Jar. I think the last mention of it was in March. MARCH! Here it is, MAY! Well, I have been busy filling that jar. So much so that I had to move it to a different container. And I think since it is only May this one won’t last long. Perhaps when this container gets full I will put the papers in the original container, the pitcher and we will just put things in the new container. It is AWESOME to have to have more than one container to contain the good things! Wahooo. This time it is really exciting because my husband has been putting stuff in. He put things in the pitcher the previous years, but this time he is putting stuff in more often . . . . hence the need for a different container.

My hubby is using some of the ticket stubs and things of that nature as his documentation of the good things. But he doesn’t just put the item in the jar he writes on it to state why the ticket/used gift card/parking pass/whatever made him smile. He is doing a great job. It will be super fun this December 31, 2015 because it will be more stuff from him and not so weighted towards me and my smiles.

I have had a lot of “student” stuff to put in the Good Thing Jar. Good things keep coming to them via movement . Today one woman told me that she is sleeping about two hours longer since starting Nia. Exercise is often praised for the help it brings to people regarding sleeping. Some times the help is in the form of better sleep and sometimes it is in the form of more sleep. I love that she recognized that her sleep benefited from Nia.

I have also had yoga people say this or that has improved. And, yes, again it is the exercise, the yoga that is helping. That is what is so awesome. Hearing people reaping the benefits of movement is definitely Goodie Jar Material.

Recently I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with my three girlfriends AND my hubby. That was a special treat. Our friend that moved away came down for a visit and spent the day with us. Spending time with my friends is ALWAYS a good thing . . . . so it goes in the jar. Ya know, anything that makes me smile.

After that, one weekend we dog-sat my husband’s “co-workers” for the weekend. That was a treat. That type of thing is a Goodie Jar item.

Oh . . . .just writing about the Good Things in the Goodie Jar is making me smile. I can’t wait to read it all . . . . but then, I can because that will mean the year is gone. I will stick to thinking about the smiles in the container.

Well, this is a share and a reminder. You can start a Goodie Jar anytime. If you are doing one, have you added to it lately?

Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: good things jar, Goodie Jar, Nia class, Nia students, Yoga class, yoga students | 2 Comments »

Lemons Out Of The Jar

Posted by terrepruitt on May 16, 2015

You might have read a little over a month ago that I put salt in a jar and filled it with lemons. (Click here for that post.) I had heard about it from a friend on Facebook. When writing the post for my blog I did a really quick search and learned that preserved lemons are a “gourmet food”. Also, after I posted about it two of my friends told me that they had seen jars of them at Trader Joe’s. So this is not a completely unique food. It is actually common in Moroccan and Middle Eastern recipes. I sealed my jar on April 7th so the schedule was to open it 30 days later on May 7th. Well, I was making something on May 6th and decided to use the lemons for it.

I was making chard. I think of chard as bitter so I usually use a lot of seasonings when cooking it. I didn’t read the instructions when I prepared the jar, and true to form I didn’t read, or more accurately, I disregarded the instructions when cooking with them. I did not rinse the lemons. And on top of that I salted the chard as I was cooking it. So two huge errors. I used a lot of lemons because I wanted the greens to be very flavorful. But it is imperative that the lemons be rinsed! The chard was actually too salty to eat!

I was a bit sad because I thought these lemons were going to be a new “thing”/flavor I could cook and prepare food with. I did hold out faith that it was my bad decision not to rinse the lemons that made the lemons icky.

A few days after my chard disaster I made some rice. This time I rinsed the lemons thoroughly then cut them up and put them on top of the rice in the rice maker. Success! YES! It was sooooo yummy. The lemons gave just enough flavor but did not over power. It was good. Yay!

Since I had had success with the rice a few nights after that, I made some broccoli with the lemons. I used a tiny it of oil and a couple of slices of onion. I didn’t want to overpower the lemons so I didn’t want to use too much of anything else. Again, I rinsed the lemons really well, cut them up and then put them in the pan with the broccoli to cook. Again, yummy!

One thing about the lemons is they are so slimy. I don’t care to touch them because they are so slimy, but once you rinse them they are ok.

The information I’ve seen is that lemons, salt, and water is more common for is recipes in North African and Indian cuisine. The recipe I followed is just salt, lemons, and the juice of the lemons. No water.

As I said in my original post about this, I used a small jar. I was thinking after I tried it, if I liked it, I would make a larger jar, but, I don’t see the need for a larger jar for us. The small one is fine. If I were to start a new jar now, we would probably finished with the present jar by the time it is ready. I think I might try that, but this time add some other flavor.

Have you ever had preserved lemons? Have you have made them? What do you think of them?

Posted in Food | Tagged: Facebook, gourmet food, Preserved Lemons, Trader Joe's | 2 Comments »

Legs Up The Wall Pose

Posted by terrepruitt on May 14, 2015

There are poses and moves that I love to do that I don’t get to do in my classes. Some of the poses or moves require a wall. While there are walls in the venues where I teach, they are not always accessible. Some walls have mirrors and most venues ask people to NOT TOUCH the mirrors. Some walls have chalkboard, white boards, cork boards, and other types of boards where announcements are hung. It is not feasible to use the walls with the boards, because we would be touching and possibly damaging the announcements. And some walls have cabinets and sinks, so that doesn’t work. Some walls aren’t really WALLS at all, but they are windows, that is almost the same as mirrors in that we shouldn’t be pushing on them and putting our hand prints all over them. And for some poses it wouldn’t just be hand prints — it just wouldn’t work. Some walls have ballet barres attached to them so they wouldn’t work for the poses or movements. And some walls just have too much stuff in front of them to be used. So in the majority of the classes I teach we don’t use the walls, which is a bummer. One pose that I have been doing a lot lately on my own is a great one, but it requires a wall. The name is actually “Legs up the Wall Pose” or the relaxed version of Viparita Karani.

Basically for this pose you lie down on your back with your buttocks up against the wall and your legs straight up on the wall. The benefits of this pose touted by practitioners of yoga are many. Including calming the mind, easing anxiety and stress, relieving tired feet and tired lower legs.

According to Yoga Journal:

“good for most everything that ails you, including:

Anxiety
Arthritis
Digestive problems
Headache
High and low blood pressure
Insomnia
Migraine
Mild depression
Respiratory ailments
Urinary disorders
Varicose veins
Menstrual cramps
Premenstrual syndrome
Menopause”

I find that I am comfortable in this position for about 15 minutes. If I am going to stay in this position longer than 15 minutes I like to lie on something, like a folded towel. I place the folded towel under the lowest part of my back.

This is a relaxing position and should feel very comfortable, so adjust your body in order for it to be comfortable for you. That could mean moving your body away from the wall, so your buttocks are not touching it. Move as far away as you need to in order to relax and still be in the pose. Or it could mean using a bolster under your buttocks and lower back or a towel under your lower buttocks. Move and adjust yourself and any prop you are using to find something relaxing and comfortable for you. You may even want to put a rolled towel or something under the arch of your neck for support. Stay in this position as long as you are comfortable. Be aware of your feet and any sensation you may have. I usually roll out of the pose when my feet get tingly.

In some styles of yoga Viparita Karani is done with the legs in the air and a support device or your hands supporting your lower back with elbows bent. This version gives you the benefit of the legs being higher than your heart, but it is not as relaxing and restful as with your legs against the wall.

If you are in good health and cleared to do yoga and inversions, I would recommend this pose. It is great for relaxation. I have been doing it before I go to bed.

Are you familiar with this pose? Have you ever tried this pose?

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: Legs up the Wall Pose, relaxing pose, San Jose Group X, stress relieving pose, Viparita Karani, yoga classes, Yoga Practice | Leave a Comment »

Hotdogs Making Me Laugh

Posted by terrepruitt on May 12, 2015

I had started writing a different post, a post about a yoga pose I am enjoying lately and wish I could do in my classes. But as I was cooking dinner my husband came into the room laughing and saying that Hulu finally had a good commercial. I totally judge commercials. Since I am forced to have them play, I sometimes watch them. When I watch them, I judge them. Currently I am convinced that a specific car company thinks it has very unintelligent owners/drivers – or that is at least the way the commercial portrays them. And Jack-In-The-Box is brilliant! Sometimes I enjoy commercials, and now, on Hulu there are two commercials that are super funny – at least to me and my husband. The commercials are for hot dogs.

They are old commercials, uploaded to Youtube in 2012, but I am just seeing them now. Applegate – Natural and Organic Meat is the maker of the commercials or, more accurately, the product that the commercials are advertising is hot dogs.

The one I saw first was this woman sitting at her dining room table interviewing a cow. The “cow” was a man, a huge muscle man in a cow costume. They call him Mooscles. She tells him she is looking for a natural hot dog made of beef without hormones. He claims he does not use hormones. She asks him if he uses growth hormones and he says no. She then tells him there is a needle sticking in his haunch. He looks at it and say it is not his.

In the other one a woman is in the store holding a package of hotdogs and the cow approaches her and ask her if she is looking for quality meat and she says she thinks she found it and he says, “Yeah, you did,” while flexing his pecs. She says her family prefers all natural beef. He says his does too and he points to his kid. The “calf” is the same guy in a shopping cart. And the “cow” says, “They grow so fast.” This one is not as funny to me, but the point is funny, I think. Especially since that is what growth hormones do, make things grow larger than they normally would and at an accelerated rate. When the commercial shows the product name it states “The cleaner wiener”. Too funny!

I told my husband that I thought the commercials were so funny I was going to write a blog post about them, but I changed my mind. He thought they were funny enough for a post. So I changed my mind back!

That is one icky part of Hulu, so far it seems that they run the same commercials for ever break for a few weeks. I am so tired of a specific insurance commercial, yet, I honestly couldn’t tell you the company. Ha, annoying advertising is not always effective.

Do you ever pay attention to commercials? Do you like some more than others? Do you have a favorite commercial?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: Applegate - Natural and Organic Meat, Hulu, Jack In the box, Moocles, Yoga, yoga classes, Yoga Pose, Youtube | 4 Comments »

Light On Iyengar

Posted by terrepruitt on May 9, 2015

Some of you may have heard of Iyengar yoga. It is a form of Hatha yoga created by Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar. It was borne from hours and hours (equating to years and years) of practice. Iyengar yoga focuses on doing the asanas in a precise and exact manner with mindfulness and specific breath. The poses are also held so that the practitioner can have “microscopic awareness and inner penetration” and not just mechanically do the pose without thought. I never knew Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja (B.K.S.) Iyengar’s story and having just learned it, I find it very interesting.

His brother-in-law was a “respected yoga scholar” and he asked B.K.S. to move to his city to help his sister with running the house. B.K.S.’s brother-in-law, Tirumalai Krishnamarcharya, was not impressed with B.K.S. suggesting he should practice yoga to improve his health. B.K.S. did, and after three years he noticed improvement. His brother-in-law ran a yoga school and during a yoga demonstration asked B.K.S. to execute a pose he was not familiar with much less able to do. But B.K.S. did it anyway and injured himself. It took him years to fully heal the injury.

This was the catalyst for his thoughts on progression and sequencing. He realized that one needs to work his way up to certain poses. One needs to prepare himself both mentally and physically for certain asanas. Poses should not be done without any preparation.

B.K.S. married during the time when yoga was not very popular and his efforts to bring it to a wider audience did not help his family’s financial situation. It took 12 years for B.K.S. situation to change for the better and many more years for yoga to become popular. But as you may know yoga eventually caught on and is now practiced in many corners of the world.

In 1975, three years after his wife, Ramaamani Iyengar, died, the Ramaamani Iyengar Memorial Institute in Pune, India was opened. Thousands of people attend the yoga school to learn Iyengar yoga.

B.K.S. Iyengar died in August of 2014. If you consider 1934, when he moved to Mysore to help his sister, as the year he started doing yoga, he had been doing yoga for 80 years. He died when he was 95.

The title of this post is a play on the titles his books Light On Yoga, Light On Pranayama, Light on Astanga Yoga, and Light on Life. Having not read any of them, I am assuming the books shed light on each subject in the title. Since I just learned a bit about B.K.S. Iyengar I thought I would share, shedding some light.

I just received B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga The Path To Holistic Health, I am sure that I will be learning a lot more about Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar and Iyengar yoga so I am sure I will be sharing more about it. With the different branches of yoga and the many different types there is always something to learn and that means there is always something to share!

Have you heard of Iyengar yoga? Do you do yoga? What type of yoga do you do?

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, Hatha yoga, holistic health, Iyengar yoga, Light On Pranayama, yoga asanas, yoga poses, Yoga Practice, yoga school | 8 Comments »

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Terre Pruitt's Blog

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