Day 5: Awkward pose, Simple Coconut Milk and a new heater. boom. Boom!

Today (being yesterday), I took class with Monica, who owns the studio and teaches several classes throughout the week. Over the past few months, the heater at Open Door has been slowly dying...like my love of peanut butter, and hopefully the roaches that have moved inside to escape the cold weather.

Side Bar: you can take care of these pesky non-friends in a super safe, non-"that shit is super toxic" way. And you should. Better for you. Better for your children. Better for your pets. Better for the earth. Just better. Check out Toxic Free NC's tip sheet for some awesome pointers on tackling the most resilient of bugs, including recipes (posted at the bottom, too).

And back to yoga...this class was a great lesson in how to ease a cold and tired, early morning body into some deep stretches all with breathing and proper pacing. When your body is cold or stiff, usually just after waking...as you rummage for a glass of water or mug of coffee, your toothbrush and something to wipe the odd gooey bits of sleep-funk from your eyes, your body is not loose enough for the more advanced poses. Having a class at 9 am that I biked to (ahem, or full out COUGHIT'SCOLDCOUGH. 18 degrees...just sayin') left my body stiff from both the frigid temps and the early (kind of early? day off style early?) hour. Monica reminded everyone that, especially with the heater lacking serious oomph, to wake up your muscles slowly. Breathe into stretches smoothly. Don't. Do not overdo it in the beginning. The class was a great lesson in trusting my body; listening to the cracks and creaks and breathing into the tightness. Today was all about awareness. Awareness of my breath, my body and my connection to both.

Here's awkward pose (foggy in the studio, but that's a given):

I could obviously sit down lower. I could straighten my spine more. And I could tear this pose apart in a number of other ways, but I'm not going to. This is my point A. Better yet, my first draft. The next few months will start to fill in the picture, adding color and depth. A fullness to the picture, which can only come from time spent on the subject. Retuning, reworking, rethinking and retrying. This is a progression, not a snapshot. Point A.

Oh, and the studio is getting a new heater on Monday. Big ol' win for everyone. It will be warm and magical at Open Door once again...well, warmer and more magical. That place is magic with or without a heater.

Coconut Milk! I love it. It's fatty and delicious. It is chock full of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), those wonderful fatty acids that our bodies can digest and utilize without cranking the stomach, pancreas and liver into high gear. MCTs are great for maintaining a healthy weight (even helping you LOSE weight), providing quick energy and ensuring proper absorption of nutrients. MCTs. WIN.

So, in my quest for things that are healthy and magical, coconut rises to the top...too much? Cream jokes are funny, right? Saying cream? not so much.

Make your own coconut milk beverage instead of buying one with all those funky ingredients and thickeners. You can substitute this lighter version for making smoothies, delicious hot chocolate or just savoring right out of the bottle.

To Do:
Buy 2 cans of coconut milk (I buy Whole Foods Organic, Full fat can for 1.29. Cheap and wonderful).
Pour 1 can into a blender and add 1 & a 1/2 cans of plain tap water.
Blend.
Pour into large bottle (I use a carafe...easy)
Repeat with second can (split apart, since my blender is a little smaller than average...but still gets the job done! ha HA, awkward penis reference. baby boom?)
Optional: Add 1-2 squirts, tablespoons or mm...that looks right of Agave syrup.

Results? Creamy, delicious, magical coconut beverage that can stay chilled in your fridge for the whole week. Total cost? $3.38 for a large carafe of organic, plain, bullshit-free, vegan milk-beverage. Win!

Other Win: Least toxic pest control! Get those roaches up out of my house.
Make Your Own Roach Bait.
Recipe: Mix 1 cup borax powder, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup minced onion, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon water. Make a paste out of the mixture, and roll it into little balls. Put 2 or 3 of the balls into a little plastic sandwich baggie, and leave the baggie open. Place the bag(s) anyplace you have roaches, like inside cabinets or drawers or under the sink.  To be on the safe side, be careful not to put the bait anywhere that a pet or child could find it.