....And Just Breathe

Today is a good day to breathe.

The one thing about doing yoga outside is breathing. Yes. I know we breathe all day long, but we rarely focus on a single breath. 

When we take a deep breath, its almost as if time stops. Anxiety and tension melts. I feel my awareness sharpens. My senses wake up.

Take a moment to go outside or open a window and stick you nose close to the screen. Close your eyes and slowly take a deep inhale. Feel your chest rise. Hold that air for a couple seconds, feel the oxygen enter your lungs. Exhale slowly pushing bad air out. Cleansing your lungs, your body. Try it 3 times. 

How do you feel? What do you hear? What do you taste? 

Maggie found today's exercise very calming.

 

I tried a new video today.

Yoga For Complete Beginners

Yoga With Adriene is pretty nice. I like the way she calmly explains the poses. As I learn yoga, sometimes I get caught up in the correct way to pose rather than to relax into it and breathe. 

I'm definitely going to use this video and will check out more of hers in the future.

#TakeABreak Get on Your Back, Baby!

Remember when you were a kid during the summer and you would lay on your back finding animals in the shapes of clouds?

My friends & I would lay on the front yard, school ground, vacant field, beach, or dock  and "see things". Sometimes one of us would doze off due to being so relaxed. Don't you wish you could bring that feeling back? Well, you can.

I was on my back doing my morning yoga when I something caught my eye. (Other than Maggie's head).

I saw Shamu. A cloud looked just like a statue of the famous killer whale I bought at Sea Workd when I was 10.

As I lay there, I saw more.

Three shapes reminded me of koi fish. There was a koi pond in the middle of the hotel we stayed at during our honeymoon. The critters were literally came to the surface begging for treats from anyone who stopped to admire them. Three clouds "looked like" those fish.

My heart filled with warm fuzzies with the memories of our honeymoon. I rose from my yoga mat with a smile on my face. 

Take a moment and lay on your back, gaze at the clouds. Have a friend, a child or your honey join you on this exercise. 

What do you "see"? What do you think of? How do you feel? Did it wake up the kid in you? Is your heart full?

Come on...get on your back,  baby. 

I double-dog-dare ya!

Today's Yogi Tea Tag

A good day for a cup of tea on the porch. 

Sit a spell.

"The purpose of life is to 

know yourself 

and 

love yourself 

and 

trust yourself 

and 

be yourself."

 - Yogi Tea tag

Love On the Other-side of the World

My pilot hubby spends half each month "on the road" and many people ask how we "deal with him being gone". 

After being together for almost 30 years, I simply shrug and say it's not that hard, after all, it's like a mini-honeymoon when my fly boy comes home. Ooo...I love a man in uniform!

Capt. "Quast in his "office"

I've learned to take fix things such as a broken washer, flooded basement, power outage, etc. You see, things only happen when he's gone. But that train of thought is best left for another day.

Keeping romance alive goes hand in hand with creativity. Before he leaves, I hide things in his luggage such as a mini card, small gifts, candy, sex coupons... you get the idea. I highly recommend getting to know your local Hallmark shop owner and Lover's Lane managers well; they will keep you in the loop for unique items and sales. 

Right now he's in Hong Kong while I'm in Mid-Michigan.

I love the photos he sends and it's fun hearing the antics of the crews while they bond during down time.

The 12 hour time difference gives us a small window to chat but we celebrate morning greetings and bed time murmurs every day. Little texts throughout the day are nice but we have to be considerate when the other is sleeping. (These guys are Freight Dogs and often fly at night which is a challenge state-side.) A phone call often starts with the entire family on speaker phone but ends in private time. Sure, we miss each other, but we don't focus on how much it hurts to be apart. Ending the day while sharing something that makes us laugh makes our hearts full. 

I believe the key is to find laughter and romance everywhere.

If you had to break down your day into only a few minutes with your honey, how would you handle it? What would do to make it bearable?

Which Wine for Dinner Tonight?

A hot evening calls for a light dinner.

I prepared some tilapia filets with fresh asparagus spears. Neatly placed them in a shallow stoneware baking dish, I drizzled melted butter over all then added a bit a salt, pepper and chopped parsley from my garden pot. (Bake at 400 for 15-20 min).  Instead of a heavy starch, we had Michigan produced cottage cheese and chives from my garden pot.

A reader suggest I try Michcato from St. Julian Winery. This semi-sweet white is a perfect compliment to our dinner. Subtle flavors of mango, pineapple and lemon cool the pallet. Serve chilled. I enjoyed a glass after dinner instead of dessert.

The wine is made primarily with Traminette grapes grown along Lake Michigan and bottled in Paw Paw, MI. The Michcato is Michigan's version of a Moscato. 

A great wine with a light meal or just for summer sipping. Sip on a glass while your honey grills or enjoy together after a meal while the kids do the dishes. 

This wine is also available in a can; perfect for picnics.

Visit St. Julian Winery for more info.