Moksha Challenge

Truthfully, the daily yoga is not difficult to manage. The toughest part is to roll out the mat and get going.
The Blissology DVDs are fantastic - they remind me of the workshop we did with Eoin Finn back in January. Now, getting there by 6 a.m. was challenging - although well worth the effort.
I really enjoy Thursday's sequence AND the music.
(Thursday's Trailer)

As for sugar:
today I had to grab a bar before my spinning class - sweetened with honey.
I wish I was clearer on the rules: is it sugar/white sugar or anything that the body processes as sugar, i.e. all the -ose (sucrose, fructose, etc.) It was poor planning on my part: did not get a chance to eat breakfast before.

Vegan meal of the day:
Kichari (sp?)

Sweet Craving - Chapter 2

Of course, it hit again...  near the same time, too:)  - close to 7 p.m.

So, my answer today was....
... a Banana-Espresso-Cocoa smoothie, made with unsweetened Almond Milk.
Perfect!

I have already talked about my thoughts on Detox. This is not a Detox. It might serve a similar purpose though as it makes us aware of
- what we are taking in
- how our  bodies respond to that
- how do our bodies respond when that particular food is NOT available
- what we can do ? (anticipate  and prepare  a healthier option)

Sweet Craving!

What to do when you are staying off sugar and at the end of the day you are craving SWEETS?

Make something quickly that is sweet, has no sugar added:

Home made Lara-type bar.

It does the trick.
(Mine had apricots, raisins, walnuts and carob powder)

Morning Yoga

I love morning yoga...
come to think of it: morning is my best time for any exercise.
It just starts the day off right.

In the summer, when I go for my long runs, it's always in the early morning hours. It needs to be, as I don't do too well in the heat.

But, back to yoga.
The Blissology DVDs are working out really nicely for me.  The "Quickie" sequences take a little less than 30 minutes but they are "oh-so-good" and I can feel the difference all day.

I used to enjoy Kate Potter's Namaste like this. That was another good series for the morning.

Vegan meal of the day:
Pasta with Rapini (aka Broccoli Rabe) - I won't add cheese (:()

A New Challenge

Did I mention that I LOVE challenges?

Well, here is my next one:
http://www.mokshayoga.ca/lym.htm

I started this one today.
As I am a vegetarian already, I need to have one vegan meal a day. Not that difficult.

Now, the ultimate challenge: no sugar?
I guess, no sugar added. I try to avoid  foods that have a lot of sugar as is.
However, there is sugar even in bread... very difficult to avoid it altogether.
I will do my best and see where that takes me.

I did my yoga practice with Mr. Bliss himself:) (DVD)

Long Run

... and I declare, the Running Season has officially begun.
I went for my long run today.  Back to my favourite trail: the Beltline. For those who are not familiar with it:
the Beltline is a wonderful trail in the City of Toronto. It covers former railway tracks. In some spots where the soil has eroded, parts of the tracks become visible. Sunday mornings, the trail is ALIVE with walkers, joggers, cyclists, people with dogs, people with kids, old couples, you name it.
I am excited to have my little pocket camera with me this year.
Right now, the colours are a bit drab but there is fresh air and it feels SO GOOD to be back after that long winter. I have no idea what distance I covered, my Nike Ipod had to be reset during the run but I was out there for 1,5 hours.
It's great to be back:) Maybe I'm repeating myself but I LOVE this trail so much that during the winter, whenever I drove by it, a smile came on my face. Wait till the colours return - it's going to be so beautiful.

This little guy kept staring at me
while I was taking pictures

Longer Days

It is so much nicer to come out of the gym and there is still daylight out there. I took this picture last night, at about 6:30: