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Balanced Body, Balanced Mind

As busy mothers, yoga instructors and business owners, we are on the constant quest to live balanced lives. With young children to care for and multiple schedules to juggle, there’s hardly a moment in the day that isn’t pre-scheduled with children’s activities, meal preparation or work obligations.

At first glance, it seems counterintuitive to add a yoga practice to a seemingly never-ending list of daily tasks, but we realize that the intense focus required to maintain balance and alignment on the yoga mat is the same focus necessary to navigate life’s many challenges and obligations. Whether you have a pending deadline at work, an hour of traffic during your commute, or a house full of kids, your ability to manage stress and face the day will seem that much easier after an intense yoga class.

Practicing on the mat is perfect training for managing a stressful, busy schedule off the mat. Each balance pose requires an even breath and a commitment to focus solely on the current posture. A balance practice gives no thought to the poses that come before the present moment. Each balance pose, just like each life task, can be successfully performed with this strategy of focusing and dedicating one’s undivided attention to the effort. Test your own strength and hone your balance skills by practicing the seven poses below. Remember to breathe deeply, find a focal point in each posture to help maintain your balance, and practice on both sides of your body.

If you would like a complete yoga practice, the postures shown below are featured in our Downloadable Balance Practice class.

Tabletop Variation: Begin in tabletop position with shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees. Slowly extend your left arm and your right leg. Engage your core, find your balance, and remember to breathe. Return to tabletop position.

Modified Side Plank: From tabletop position, begin to shift your weight into your left hand and left shin. Bring your right foot in line with your left foot. Once you feel stable, slowly lift your right leg so that it is parallel to the mat. Extend your right arm toward the sky, and remember to keep your hips lifted.

Tiger Pose: From Modified Side Plank, return to tabletop position, and test your balance with tiger pose. In Tiger pose, opposite hand and opposite foot connect for a feel-good backbend. If your flexibility allows, try an overhand grip!

Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose: After testing your balance on the floor, come to a standing position with your hands on your hips. Begin to shift your weight into your right foot. Bend your left knee, and lift it so that your left hip is inline with your left knee. Wrap your “peace fingers” (index and middle fingers) around your left big toe, and seal the grip with your thumb. Feel free to balance with a bent knee. If you feel stable, begin to extend your left leg. Roll your shoulders back, pull your left hip back in space, and breathe deeply.

Half Moon Pose: It’s not easy to stack the shoulders and hips while balancing on one foot. Be patient, move slowly, and keep your gaze downward until you are able to balance with ease. If you feel stable, challenge yourself by gazing out to the side or up toward your extended arm.

Sugar Cane Pose: This is a challenging balance pose that happens to also be a great chest-opener and hip flexor stretch. From Half Moon pose, bend your top leg, and catch the pinky side edge of your foot with your hand. Kick your foot firmly into your hand to create resistance to maintain your balance. Enjoy the stretch, and then slowly transition back into Half Moon pose before lowering your leg to the mat.

Crow Pose: Most yoga students begin their arm balance journeys with this pose. For a step-by-step tutorial, click here.

November 7, 2014
Yoga Lifestyle: Remove Mental Clutter with a To-Do List

The longer I practice physical yoga poses, the more I come to the realization that yoga is a state of mind. It’s not just the Warrior 1 pose or the High Lunge or the Headstand that you can hold all day. It’s the stillness of spirit and peace in your soul that you can feel whether you are standing on a yoga mat or waiting on line at a department store. Yes, the physical yoga practice will train your ability to focus and find peace in uncomfortable situations, but don’t leave this valuable training on your mat. Begin to live your yoga by finding and creating peace in all aspects of your life. Create a yoga lifestyle.

The To-Do List
This week, build your yoga lifestyle by getting into the habit of creating a daily to-do list. In a previous article, I mentioned how important it is in my own life to create a to-do list before bed each night. By committing my list of tasks to paper, I remove the mental clutter and liberate my mind. This simple task of creating a list helps me sleep more restfully, and I close my eyes each night feeling organized for the coming day. Remember—If you are going to bother spending time on your yoga mat to clear your mind, it’s probably in your best interest to develop a few habits that will help you carry that peace and focus to other areas of your life.

Tips
Here are a few tips that I keep in mind when creating my list each night. See if you feel more organized, focused and productive as a result of creating a daily list!

–E-mail your to-do list to yourself. I used to be a big fan of paper lists—until I started forgetting my list at home. These days, I create my to-do list on my iphone’s notepad each night, and I e-mail it to myself as soon as the list is created. By doing this, I know that my list cannot be misplaced, and I can access it from my phone or my computer when I need it.

–Break down large projects. Do NOT write a task on your list that will take days to complete. Larger projects can be approached as a series of smaller tasks. If you need to re-organize your entire house, don’t write “re-organize house”. Instead, write line items like “sort and donate kids’ clothing” or “discard expired condiments/food from fridge”.

–Keep it short. Be sure that each item on your to-do list is a task that can be completed within 1 to 2 hours. Short, manageable tasks are most likely to get done. Don’t discourage yourself by listing a 5-hour task on your list.

–Include easy tasks. Include a few items on your list that you are sure that you can complete. These can be very simple tasks such as “make the bed”, “pack lunches for school” or “chop vegetables for dinner”. List those items first, and get them done immediately. It’s a great feeling to cross items off of your to-do list early in the day. It will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to continue tackling items on your list.

-Prioritize. Get through a few of your easy tasks, and immediately tackle an important task on your list while you are feeling fresh and motivated. If you need to create a marketing presentation for tomorrow, do it early in the day. Don’t wait for your mid-afternoon slump to kick in.

-Start fresh each day. Even if you only get through a couple of items on your list during the day, take the time to create a new to-do list each night. The act of creating a new list is like a mental reset button. Tomorrow is a new day, and you will have another opportunity to get it all done.

November 4, 2014
Harvest Salad with Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa

I like to mix grains and seeds into my salads. They offer an interesting texture and help fill me up. In fact, recently I attended an event where they featured a green salad and a quinoa salad, and I wondered why they didn’t just combine the two. So, I decided to make one beautiful salad with greens and quinoa — along with the addition of some nice seasonal ingredients.

This salad includes a blend of peppery arugula juxtaposed by sweet roasted butternut squash. I added cooked red quinoa, roasted pumpkin seeds for crunch and pomegranate seeds for some added texture and color! I also topped mine with some nutty shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, but that’s completely optional.

It’s a beautiful salad — perfect for the fall — and, I think, perfect for a holiday table.

Harvest Salad with Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa
Serves 4

5 ounces of arugula greens (I used half of a bag of pre-washed arugula)
1 cup of cooked red quinoa
2 cups of roasted butternut squash (which was salted, peppered and olive oiled)
1/3 cup of pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup of roasted pumpkin seeds (mine were salted)
1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup of shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese

In a large bowl, add the arugula greens, quinoa, butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows) and toss to combine. Top with shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Yields 1 cup

3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Add, to a mason jar or lidded container, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste — shake until combined. Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for at least one week.

October 30, 2014
October Yoga Challenge Winner!

We are excited to announce the winner of our first monthly Two Fit Moms yoga challenge on Instagram!

Congratulations to @catvaladezyoga for successfully completing all ten days of the challenge. Please contact kate@twofitmoms.com to claim your Gaiam Sol prize package that includes: a DryGrip Mat, two blocks, a yoga strap and a free download, from the Gaiam.com website, of our Yoga Rising series!

Thank you all for participating, and for a sneak peak of the November challenge poses, click HERE.

October 23, 2014
7 Tips for Eating Well…On the Road

Although it may seem like a daunting task to choose healthy meals while traveling, eating well on the road isn’t impossible. If you are away from the comforts of home, don’t throw in the towel. With a little bit of planning, you can hold it together and find healthy solutions. For the past month, I have been away from home, tending to my daughter and husband in the hospital. My meals have been limited to the cafeteria and nearby restaurants and delis. I know I haven’t been eating nearly as well as I do at home, but it hasn’t been a complete disaster. Here are some suggestions for you, based on my experience over the course of this past month. Take a look at these tips before you travel, and have a game plan so you can continue to eat well wherever you are!

Download the free AroundMe app. As soon as you arrive at your destination, check this app to see all of the establishments in your surrounding area. In addition to listing all of the nearby banks, gas stations and parking garages, the app lists all of the local restaurants, supermarkets and coffee shops. I think it’s very important to know what resources are available before you are ravenous.

Don’t Limit Your Search! Meals and snacks aren’t only sold at restaurants. Keep your eyes open to different possibilities. I stopped into a bookstore to buy a notebook, and I was shocked to find a vast assortment of healthy snacks at the café counter—hummus, fresh fruit, nuts, sunflower butter, unsweetened iced tea and all sorts of other options that I was not expecting to find in a book store. Not only did I buy the notebook, but I also stocked up on healthy snacks for the coming days.

Always buy unsweetened drinks. In the hospital cafeteria, the walls are lined with refrigerated cases filled with bottled beverages. Most of these drinks, unfortunately, are full of sugar. My advice to you is to skip the juice, soda and lemonade altogether. Find an option without sugar. I happen to love unsweetened iced tea. If you cannot find unsweetened iced tea, go ahead and brew a cup of hot tea. Any place that sells coffee will also have tea. If it’s an option, feel free to grab a cup of ice from the soda fountain and make your own iced tea by pouring your hot tea into the cup. Because I expected to be away from home for an extended period of time, I actually carried my own tea bags (and cold brew tea bags) in my backpack. Every day, I just needed to buy a few bottles of water for my tea bags.

Look for Unprocessed Foods. The guidelines for healthy eating don’t change because you are away from home. When you are shopping for your groceries in the supermarket, you may already be in the healthy habit of buying foods in their most natural form. The same rules apply when you are away from home. Don’t look for veggie chips. Look for veggies. Don’t look for fruit juice — look for fruit.

In the hospital cafeteria, there was always a roasted vegetable of the day. Even in airport convenience stores, you can usually find whole fruits, pre-packaged hummus (which is actually quite natural for a packaged product), nuts, and even vegetable crudité.

Try to create a well-balanced meal. Set yourself up for some sort of success. Don’t go to the deli counter every day if you are inclined to get a ham sandwich on white bread with a bag of cheese curls. You can do better! Trust me, I know what it feels like to be away from home and under tremendous stress with very little time for meals. You can still do pretty well if you stop for a minute and think before buying. Try to create your own balanced meal by piecing together a variety of food groups. Will it be perfect? Probably not. That’s not the goal. The goal is just to do our best while we are away from home. Start out by looking for some vegetables. Pick up a piece of fruit for later. Include some protein and fat so you don’t get hungry—this can be in the form of nut butter or lean meat. If you have the option between white rice and brown rice, always choose the brown. If you have the choice between grilled chicken and fried chicken, go with the grilled. If you are lucky enough to find a make-your-own salad counter, ask for your dressing on the side. Add some beans, chicken or nuts to the top of your salad to make it a heartier meal. You can do this!

Avoid the Kids’ Menu. If you are traveling with your children, avoid the kids’ menus at chain restaurants. Most of the items on these menus are devoid of nutrition (pancakes with fake syrup, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese on white bread, etc.) Instead of ordering from the kids’ menu, try the regular adult menu. Ask for lunch-sized portions or look at appetizers that may have vegetables. Your kids will surprise you if you give them the chance.

Look for Chinese Restaurants. This is such a great tip, and I have been using it since I moved out of my parents’ house to go to college. I still remember heading to the mall food court to find a Chinese food counter because I knew I would be able to find vegetables. If you are craving vegetables, and all you can find in the nearby stores are sandwiches and burgers, pick up the phone and order Chinese food. It’s the one kind of take-out restaurant where you can be sure to find assorted steamed vegetables. Most places prepare your food to order, so make sure to ask for simply prepared foods with sauce on the side.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the efforts you can take to stay healthy while traveling. It’s just a place to start! With your own ideas and routines, I am sure you will be well on your way to eating well-balanced meals, whether you are away from home for a day or a month. Good luck, and please feel free to share some of your own tips in the comments section below.

October 9, 2014
Make Ahead Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake

Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning — especially as the weather starts to get a bit chilly? But, who has the time to prepare oats in the morning — aside from the instant ones that tend to be full of sugar? If you want to get your oatmeal fix, but have little time to prepare them in the morning, consider making an oatmeal cake. You can make it in advance and enjoy it throughout the week. All you need to do is pop it in the microwave to heat it, and voila, a healthy breakfast is served!

I got this idea from Cooking Light that offers a baked oatmeal recipe. However, the Cooking Light recipe includes butter and brown sugar. I wanted to lighten up the recipe, so I swapped out the butter and the brown sugar, replacing them with safflower oil and maple syrup.

By now, you probably know that I use maple syrup a lot as a processed sugar replacement. Maple syrup is a natural sugar, and I find that I can easily replace an equal amount of white sugar (or brown sugar) with maple syrup. It works really nicely in this oatmeal cake recipe.

You can flavor the oatmeal cake any way you’d like. I decided to make a pumpkin oatmeal cake, because it’s fall, and I love pumpkin! You can also use mashed banana or applesauce in place of the pumpkin puree. If you don’t consume dairy products, try making the cake with almond or soy milk. I added raisins to the Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake, but you can throw in cranberries or currants or chocolate chips! You can also top it with a little extra maple syrup for some additional sweetness. It’s really a very versatile recipe. It’s also a great recipe for the non-oatmeal lover in your life.

If you happen to follow a gluten-free diet or have a gluten allergy, make sure to use oats that are labeled as gluten-free. While oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often cross contaminated with grains containing gluten during the growing process.

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake
Yields nine servings

2 cups of oats (not quick cooking)
1/3 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of maple syrup (grade B)
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons of safflower oil
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8 inch square pan. Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, add the milk, maple syrup, pumpkin, oil and beaten egg. Mix to incorporate and then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Stir well. Pour the oat mixture into the greased pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until firm. Serve warm or refrigerate it and enjoy throughout the week!

Helpful hint: You can make the oat mixture the night before, store it in the refrigerator and bake it in the morning! I found the cooking time remained the same, but all ovens will vary.

September 25, 2014
My Morning Routine

Just like other moms out there, I always feel like there is never enough time in the day to get everything done! It’s hard enough to get yourself ready, but throw two kids into the mix, and the mornings are chaotic, to say the least. I have never been a morning person. If I had my way, I would stay up late and roll out of bed around 11am! Once you become a mother though, that plan quickly exits the building. So here is a glimpse into my morning routine and how I get my day going!

5:30 am: Wake on up!

No…I do not jump out of bed for joy when my alarm goes off. There is usually some grumbling and moaning involved, and maybe a snooze button or two. But for the most part, my day starts around 5:30-5:45am.

6 am: Get my yoga on!

I do yoga everyday…EVERYDAY. Some days it’s for 30 minutes, other days I spend nearly two hours throughout the day. My main practice though happens in the wee hours of the morning before my minis get up. It’s just easier that way, and I don’t feel like a bad mommy for not paying attention to them later on in the day.

As for my yoga practice itself? Some days I wing it, some days I make up my own flows (such as the Two Fit Moms Good Morning Flow!). Other days, I take classes online so I don’t have to think too much. Unlike what most people think, my practice is done in the middle of my living room in peace and quiet. I do not practice out on my deck with a camera clicking away.

7 am: Make myself presentable!

I can’t lie, I love makeup! I will not leave my house without it! I know that probably sounds ridiculous to some people, but I feel completely naked without makeup. I do not pack on tons, but it’s a staple in my daily morning routine…foundation, powder, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner and lip gloss!

After my face is on? It’s time to quickly curl my hair with a 2″ curling iron. I get a lot of questions about my hair…I do not do anything special to it at all. I wash it every other night, and I never blow dry it because it takes like 30 minutes to do that.

7:30 am: Picture time!

It’s usually about this time that I’ll sneak out onto my deck and snap some pictures or videos for Instagram. Contrary to popular belief, I do not spend all day taking pictures of myself out on my deck. I usually have a list of what I want to shoot to make it easier and quicker. I use my trusty iPhone to take videos and my Nikon D5000 for the pics.

7:45 am: Coffee Break!

I like to save about 10-15 minutes in the morning to sit down and have my coffee and breakfast. I drink one cup everyday with agave and Vanilla Coffeemate. Yes, I know the creamer is not healthy…but it’s the only way I’ll drink my coffee. 🙂 Breakfast is usually in the form of a muffin and fruit.

8 am: Wake the minis up!

I’m pretty lucky right now. In my town, my kids do not start school until 9 am. My kids are sleepers too…so I usually have to wake them up around this time. This is where my rushing begins! I drag them out of bed, feed them, get them dressed and ready, and then get myself dressed and ready.

8:40 am: Out the door!

I leave my house, drop the minis off at school and head to the office on the days I work. Things will shift a bit once I am done with my office job, but for now, this is how my day begins.

XOXO

September 22, 2014
Living Your Yoga

There may come a time in your life when you are physically unable to unroll your mat and practice the beautiful yoga poses that you’ve come to know and love.

Maybe it will be an injury, a high-risk pregnancy, or a sick child that needs your attention. Maybe it will be a challenging time that you can’t even imagine right now. How will you handle this? Will your day be ruined because your routine has changed? Will your inability to physically practice destroy your spirit? What will happen to your self worth when you are unable to backbend or balance on your hands? Will you feel tremendous disappointment and anger because you have lost this part of your identity? Or will you tap into everything you know about the non-physical aspects of yoga and TRULY begin to practice?

I’ve had to face all of these questions over the past few weeks as my physical yoga practice came to a screeching halt. I didn’t want to give it up, but serious circumstances made it nearly impossible to continue.

Earlier in the month, I moved with my family to Philadelphia to be nearby the children’s hospital, where my 8-year old daughter received a kidney from my husband. Just imagine—two patients, two different hospitals, and lots of stress.

After the transplant, any free time outside of my daughter’s room in the intensive care unit was used to visit my husband in the adult hospital, take a shower and change my clothes. Arm balances weren’t happening; Inversions weren’t happening; Backbends or splits weren’t happening.

In the weeks leading up to the transplant, it certainly crossed my mind that I would probably lose strength and flexibility as I became a full-time caregiver, but once the surgeries began, these concerns slipped away. I was not struggling with a loss of identity as a yogi. On the contrary, I felt like I understood yoga in a new way! I didn’t realize it while it was happening, but over the past year, I internalized a thing or two about the non-physical side of yoga—particularly the yogic principle of non-attachment, or Aparigraha.

What is Aparigraha?
By now, you probably realize that yoga is more than a series of poses. It’s a lifestyle with a full set of philosophies behind it. Aparigraha, or non-attachment, is just one of of the principles of yogic philosophy. When we practice aparigraha, we practice the act of letting go. When we hold tight to anything (i.e., expectations, attachments, people, objects, etc.), the act of clinging weighs us down and makes us captive to whatever it is that we try to possess.

In the example of my own life circumstance, I have been able to move forward with my days peacefully, despite the loss of my physical yoga practice. I’ve been able to do this without disgruntlement or anger because I did not attach my self worth to my ability to practice yoga poses. I was able to enjoy my mat and experience it fully when it was there for me, and now that it isn’t, I’m okay. It will return. I understand that life isn’t static. It is dynamic, often changing, and always providing a new opportunity.

This week, I invite you to practice non-attachment. Let go of your expectations, and see what happens. Enjoy each moment, but do not become a prisoner to the joy of that moment.

-Can you function and thrive, even if your well-laid plans become derailed?

-Can you exercise without expectations for your body?

-Can you lighten your load by ridding your house of physical attachments that weigh you down—old clothes, textbooks that haven’t been used in years, kitchen appliances that don’t fit your lifestyle, etc?

-Can you enjoy your relationships and love fiercely without feeling the need to own or control the people in your life?

Begin practicing aparigraha, and watch your life transform. Good luck!

September 18, 2014
Apple Raisin Clafoutis

One of my favorite fall activities is apple picking. Not only do our kids love apple picking, but so do my husband and I. Needless to say, we end up leaving with tons of apples.

Apple pie, baked apples, applesauce and apple crisp are usually the first recipes that come to mind, but I like to use the apples to make a really delicious, light — and not too sweet — cake called Apple Raisin Clafoutis.

Clafoutis is a french baked dessert that involves fruit and a custard-like filling. Traditionally, cherries are incorporated, but my version is made with apples, raisins and topped with sliced almonds.

Generally, the cake is made with butter, white sugar and white flour. I’ve modified the recipe, replacing the white flour with brown rice flour, the butter with safflower oil and the white sugar with natural maple syrup. And, to be honest, you would never know the difference!!

The beauty of this cake is that it doesn’t require a lot of effort — not much more than peeling and slicing four apples and making a quick batter in the blender. It’s a no-fuss cake that’s perfect for any day of the week – but it’s also elegant enough for a dinner party or holiday gathering.

I like to serve the cake with whipped cream — or ice cream. If you are limiting your dairy, try cashew cream, or our Banana Maple Walnut Ice Cream! However, you can totally forgo a topping since the cake itself is so delicious!

Apple Raisin Clafoutis

Serves eight

4 apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of safflower oil
1/2 cup of raisins
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup of maple syrup (*I prefer Grade B for baking)
1/2 cup of milk
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup of brown rice flour
1/4 cup of sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-cup shallow baking dish or a 12-inch pie or tart pan.

Add the safflower oil to a large skillet on medium/low heat. Add sliced apples and cook until lightly browned and tender. Add the raisins, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Mix to incorporate; turn off the heat and reserve.

In the base of a blender add the eggs, milk, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, brown rice flour and vanilla extract. Blend on high for one minute. If you are using a Vitamix or other high performance blender you might want to reduce the blending time. At the end of the day, all of the ingredients should be well incorporated.

Spread the apple/raisin mixture in the greased baking dish/pan and pour the batter over the apples. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the cake. Bake one hour and serve warm.

September 17, 2014
Practice Yoga with Two Fit Moms!

We have some exciting news to share! Our new digital series is available today! It’s called, It’s Never Too Late, and it is part of Gaiam’s Yoga Rising series.

Now we can share our teaching with all of you!

All you need is a computer or mobile device and you can take our classes wherever and whenever it is convenient for you — whether you are on the road or at home!

Included in the series are five practices which we designed for ALL yoga levels. They include a Good Morning Flow, Balance Practice, Backbends Practice, Inversions Tutorial and a Good Evening Flow.

You can purchase them exclusively on iTunes now.

Thank you to Gaiam for giving us this amazing opportunity! We hope you download our yoga practices, and, if you do, please let us know what you think!

September 16, 2014