Things That Have Been Handed to Me in the French Quarter

∞

What if, for an entire day, we did everything without regard for time? How long would that day last?

Unity

I am ever more in awe at the way we as humans fit together. We are mere manifestations of elemental components which have been combined to create a harmonious process of being. I was first exposed to this idea upon an introduction to Thai Yoga Therapy practices, and felt a sense of inner illumination when shown how the arches of one's feet create a perfect seat for another's sit bones. I have always been eager to embrace mental connection, and I now see how physical connection completes the bond. Now I am experiencing this in acroyoga, too. It's possible to dissipate the energetic walls that so often find themselves creating gaps in our connections with others. We all do it or have done it at some point. There is sometimes a disparity between what we think, feel, and say, and this inconsistency limits the extent to which we can interact with humanity. I've learned only somewhat recently that reaching out tends to help me more in times of distress than does retreating. And maybe this is because reaching out allows one to interact with the greater being of humanity. Through speech, we can extend thoughts and fears to the greater web, and suddenly not everything we think is so daunting. There is comfort in the relinquishing of thoughts. Even speech, though, can become a barrier. Speech is the mind element - it's the way we navigate and communicate energy, but it does not necessarily engage the physical being. In order to create balanced connection, we must engage the mind, body, and soul proportionately. Why is it that when we are feeling down, sometimes we say to a friend, "I just need a hug"? Perhaps it is because we are longing for the physical connection, and have likely been too caught up in the mental realm. The imbalance creates a physical need, a basic comfort we know can be satisfied with a simple embrace. Physical interaction dives right in, eliminates linguistic articulation, and gets right to the core of human interaction. The notion of personal space does not quite apply, and instead we open ourselves up with trust and acceptance and allow for shared space. By assembling parts of our bodies together such that they operate as one, we create a shared experience of energy and movement. Mind and body are so intricately connected that a lesson learned in the physical realm is translated with ease to the mental realm. Using the physical body to learn lessons of the mind is putting to use the vehicle of life we have been granted, and in doing so, we become strengthened mind-body beings. Our bodies are organic, and our vast interconnectedness is apparent in our basic skeletal organization. We are meant to intertwine, we are made for connection.

Perpetual Creation

We create and recreate. You've immersed yourself in new energy and now the familiar place yields new sight. We experience and ignited sense of purpose in one place, and that purpose follows us everywhere because it exists as a never-ending stream of fuel in our minds. The passion makes things look different. It was always there, causing us to tilt our heads or ask a question, but now it enables us to construct complex observations, to analytically observe, to both feel and articulate the implications of a more fertilized mind. And how exciting it is that we can count on something new all of the time? There is no beginning, there is no end - our existence is a stream of inconsistent constants. Memories, thoughts, emotions, experiences...they are gone as soon as they happen. We are mere moments linked together. It's no wonder I feel the need to do, actions are what propel the flow of being. We create and recreate.

Just Be Nature

Nature is the quintessential example of pure existence. Or so it seems from my current knowledge of how nature works...there is likely far more, but I am observing from the outside. Humans are nature, but we have, to a certain extent, separated from it in its conventional sense. We've built homes, we've banished dirt from the floors, we've expelled animals from our living quarters. We live in nature, but we don't live among it. Nature flows. It is resilient, but it does not defy change or resist growth. It just is. Nature is content with being. Growth corresponds with environmental fluctuations, and there is beauty in both blossom and wilt. We all wilt sometimes, though we tend to only embrace blossom. A plant may retire for a season, but this retirement is not failure - it returns again with newfound rejuvenation and life. I am learning the value of allowing respite to recharge. A flower does not run from the rain, but is instead rooted and grounded in the soil, having committed to an unadulterated experience of earth. I want my roots in the soil, too. Bathe me in the elements, I'm ready to "just be".

Round 2 on the Tea

New Orleans may not be the greatest at recycling glass, but old kombucha bottles can easily be turned into new green tea bottles.

An Energetic Creation

Gratitude

After an invigorating yoga class today, I walked out into the rain feeling a sense of complete contentment. I made my way over to Whole Foods, and upon walking in, spotted a twenty dollar bill on the ground. I picked it up and took it to the concierge, unsure what exactly to do. The concierge told me that they could page me if someone came looking for it, but otherwise it's just my lucky day. I immediately started thinking about the power of gratitude, and how in the midst of the contentment and appreciation I was feeling, the universe brought me a reminder. I don't find these kinds of events to be mere coincidence or luck, because had I been in a lately all-too-familiar frenzied state of stress, I would have been moving far too quickly to notice what was right in front of me. The fact that my state of mind was that of peace allowed me to be present, looking around with consciousness of my surroundings. No one came looking for the money, and the rain calmed down a bit by the time I made my way outside. I started biking home, and as the rain picked up again, I found myself smiling as I was pedaling home, feeling grateful to the rain for showing me that not every storm brings pain.

Vriksasana

I was practicing yoga the other day, intent on letting everything but the present moment occupy my mind. A calm serenity surfaced as I moved into tree pose. It had just begun to rain, and the sound resonated with me in an elemental way. When the instructor encouraged us to close our eyes in the pose and feel how our body works to balance itself, I became conscious of the basic ease there is in achieving balance. When I shut my eyes, my feet naturally, by way of reflex, shift my weight to maintain stability on the ground. The body and mind naturally balance themselves. Forced balance is unnecessary because balance is innate. When you let go and allow the mind to be still, the body naturally gravitates toward a state of equilibrium. Balance is an intuitive response to any sense of unsteadiness. It's a transitive concept that I am grateful to have grasped. The shutting of the eyes is analogous to letting go of trying to achieve a contrived sense of perceived stability, and the pose creates a parallel between the practice of yoga and the practice of life.

Magical Tree

To where does the ladder lead?

Spiralization & Marination

What's currently chillin' in the fridge: spiralized zucchini, chopped portabello mushrooms, fresh kale - all tossed in a mixture of lemon juice, agave, olive oil, and ginger. The spiralizer I used is like a big pencil sharpener, and when the zucchini is all gone, you are left with the core thats been carved. I could see using the leftover cores as a garnish if I used more zucchini and had several left over. So simple, and all raw!

The Ground

There lives solace in chilled mud.

Now Ease

What’s next? What’s happened? Rewinding and replaying, it’s fast-forwarding and foretelling. Effort expended to spite the now ease. Extended. But not comprehended. The current is far too flowing. Past and future predominate. Where is now? All eliminate. Time insatiate.

Know

Awe. Aren't all things a surprise? What makes the moments that call for contemplation such compelling material for rumination? Why that one thing...why not everything? Perhaps we know the course of life to some extent. We move about with a certain uncertainty, this underlying current of calm order. I am not surprised that the song playing right now is saying "you know what's going to happen...". I should have known that would happen. And then "what do I do now?" arises. Dissect and accept. Then do. Because what's next you already know. Right?

This is true.

"The world can be amazing when you're slightly strange."

Colorful Showers

I love the rain.

Thrive

Questions I Have & Answers I don't Know

1. What is certain? Nothing is certain. There is no way to know if anything really ever happens.
2. Does the world look the same to all of us? No.
3. What is that noise? People upstairs.
4. Why do we do what we do? It's what we've done.
5. What is thought? Linguistic feeling.
6. What is stress? Imaginary.
7. Is what I study true? Truth is not certain, but I don't mind guessing.
8. What do we have? Boundless questions.
3. Why did I end with 3? I am bored with order.

Wrap

Gluten-free tortilla, homemade walnut-basil pesto, daiya mozzarella [vegan] cheese, and fresh spinach.

Teanoa

Organic white tea rose melange rishi + quinoa = teanoa.

Castle

I took this picture while I was in London with my mom and sister a few years ago. We were standing on a bridge over the water and could see this elaborate castle in the distance. Amazed by the image, I snapped a picture, and we proceeded to walk towards this castle. We did a bit of walking only to find out that the castle simply did not exist. The only explanation for what we saw was that we must have seen what looked like one castle, but what was actually a combination of various parts of several castles. 

I prefer to think that this castle really exists. I decided a while ago that at some point in my life, I will live in a castle. I don't want the whole castle though - that would be excessive - I just want to call a single turret my home.

I could admire pictures of castles all day. While I did not take any of the above pictures, I am making it a personal goal to one day have my own collection of original castle photos. 

Cosas Hermosas

Tapas? I opened up my big box of tea today and thought, "hmm, this loose-leaf tea might be really good in food". I researched it, and it turns out that people cook with tea all of the time! I've seen zucchini used as a plate for all kinds of spreads and was really inspired. So I stacked on some beets, macadamia nut cheese, basil, and topped it with a dijon-agave-rooibos sauce. I will most definitely be cooking with tea more often! I think it'd be a great addition to nut cheeses.

Also, I want to learn French. While I don't have the time to formally study the language right now, I have been making it a point over the past few months to learn and master the pronunciation of some sentences (with some help from un cher ami). It may not be all that practical, but I like being able to say beautiful things.
1. Le monde est un place merveilleux.
2. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.
3. This third sentence is my current project - I am working on pronouncing and memorizing it. 
Eventually this list will be long. 

Rainbow

Classes started and it's been an incredibly busy couple of days. I haven't stopped going, but I am glad to say that everything I have been doing has only further fueled me. I am busy with all the right things, and even while running around like crazy, I am able to notice the small things that make each moment unique. Monotony is an easy pattern to fall into, but it's not an inevitable reality. Sometimes it's about taking a different route, looking in a different direction... taking the time to think rather than simply observe. Like this morning, as I was walking to my first class, I saw a rainbow. Okay, well it wasn't a real rainbow, but as the sprinkler was watering the quad, the combination of sunlight and water cast what looked to me like a rainbow.

You can't see the rainbow in the picture which, at first, disappointed me. But thinking about it now, it doesn't matter if what I saw is captured by a lens. I stopped right then and there to look at it, and the rainbow served its purpose right then and there. The image doesn't have to be suspended in time to mean something. It made a difference at that moment - it made me stop and appreciate something that was visually restorative. The rainbow was present. It's no wonder I couldn't project it into the future. 

Kaleberry

For my last night in Chicago: a vibrant plate of steamed kale, blackberry-dijon-balsamic sauce, topped with walnuts. Kale and blackberries are two of my favorite foods, and I must say, they make a lovely couple.

Word

What is it called?
I don't know if there is a term for it.
Terms are empty.
I think I would say so much more.
To explain.
If nothing were understood.
No two words meant the same.
All things born once.

Tower

Tonight: an artfully stacked tower of mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and homemade, raw macadamia nut cheese - all topped with some balsamic vinegar. The nut cheese was so good with the balsamic!

Winter Welcome

I have been wanting it to snow before I go back to school in New Orleans, and I finally got my wish! It started yesterday, and I woke up to a winter wonderland. The year just doesn't feel complete without true evidence of winter. I'm satisfied now.

So, upon waking up to this, I thought I'd make a festive, classic, winter breakfast. Now, I have only recently discovered that I like oatmeal. I was not a fan as a kid, but I tried it a couple of weeks ago and it has slowly made it's way onto the routine breakfast menu. I briefly skimmed some oatmeal recipes online, and when I saw pumpkin, I knew that's where I wanted this morning to go. So, I got out some gluten-free oats, organic pumpkin, cinnamon, and agave.

I went ahead and cooked the oatmeal, using just water, and then added two spoonfuls of pumpkin, one spoonful of agave, and some cinnamon...a lot of cinnamon.

A lot of the recipes I looked to for inspiration used some kind of milk, but once I got in the kitchen, I totally forgot. Next time I think I'll use rice milk, but even using just water, this was delicious! Great start to a snowy day.

Chaos

When I am stressed, all I see are "to-do's" floating around like millions of little stars in my head. They spin out of control, and my mind becomes chaos. Then an image of space, stars, and a vast universe presents itself as a mental image. It's so beautiful. With millions of stars floating around, I see nothing but the light from the stars and hear only the silence and stillness of space. The image in my mind merges with what is out there in the world. The "to-do's" I see spinning in my head are no longer contained within my own mind - they become part of this celestial realm we inhabit. My chaos is a shared chaos.

Beety Zucchini

I have been making this beet salad with balsamic, agave, and dijon dressing that I absolutely love, but today I decided to mix it up a bit. I wanted to keep the beets and the dressing, but play around with the base of the dish. So, I shredded some zucchini, mixed in the agave, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard, and added a bit of salt and pepper.  I topped it with some beets and raw pecans, and it was ready to go! An almost completely raw dish, it was easy to throw together and tasted fresh and uplifting.

Moon

Last night I got home late in the evening, and when I stepped out of the car to go into the house, I noticed how light it was outside. My first thought was, "huh, I didn't know there were so many streetlights around the house...", but then I looked up only to find a sky filled with stars, and [what google later helped me to understand as a] 98% visible moon. I took a second to just stare at the unbelievably bright moon, taking it all in, paying attention to the aura-like ring of light surrounding it. The song "Flume" by Bon Iver came to my mind, and I was reminded once again of the mesmerizingly cryptic nature of the lyrics. I have analyzed the words time and time again, and I have read various interpretations, but there has never been a moment where I have thought, "yes! that's it!". But I think that is what makes the song so captivating - the elegance of the words just is, and the why is irrelevant. It's easy to get caught up in understanding why something is so compelling, but sometimes the wonder lies in the ambiguity. I don't why it is those words elicit such a unique reaction, and I don't know what it means. But I like it. And the moon reminded me of that.

Food Reel

Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. It is well known by my family and friends that Whole Foods is a second home to me, but I don't go just there for the (eco-) friendly people, the extensive food bar, the kombucha teas, or the comfort of organic produce. I am a vegan, and I also have food allergies. I first found solace in the allergy-friendly products at Whole Foods, but have since been inspired to experiment in the kitchen on my own. I didn't know there were so many gluten-free, soy-free, and even raw vegans out there, but I am happy to say that after a great deal of exploration, I have mastered the art of refining google searches and tailoring my recipe inquiries to my dietary needs. I have been working off of recipes I have found through these searches, but I am hoping to eventually take some off-book risks. I hope my blog works it's way to the screens of other individuals like me who are investigating and discovering innovative, natural realms of wellness. 

Since I have been contemplating creating this page, I started photographing some of the things I have been cooking (well, also because I am very proud of my latest achievements). Highlights include:

the timeless avocado sushi

almost-raw vegan pumpkin pie

raw cashew cheese

Tonight's feature was brown rice pasta with avocado pesto. At first, it seems counterintuitive to mix avocado with pasta, but I have learned to trust the foodie blogs and websites (who knew agave and balsamic vinegar make such a wonderful pairing in rice dishes?). It turned out wonderfully. Next time I think i'll use a spiralizer and try it with raw zucchini pasta.

That's all for tonight. I must say, I am eager to share these pictures with more than just the photo album on my phone.

Beginnings

First post. There is so much I want to share, but I don't know where to begin. Beginnings are always uncertain because we have nothing to compare them to - every beginning is unique in that it has never existed and cannot be replicated. My goal is share and explore everything and anything that elicits intuition and generates new thought...or a new view of an old thought. I may even share perceptions of the thoughtless. I want to share all things relevant to my passion for and interest in this world. I want to share the beauty I see.

Driving home today, I stopped the car because this looked beautiful to me.