Well, Hello again all my beautiful yogis! Can you believe it's August already? I hope that you all have been enjoying your summer so far. Actually...I'm pretty sure you have been since I've seen so little of you all lately It's so hard to get back into the swing of things with so much happening and trying to savor every last bit of the sunshine the summer sun has to offer all while enjoying as much time as we can with our amazing kiddos for summer break. In the midst of all this fun, we miss out on our yoga practice, thinking...well I'll go later this week or next and before we know it weeks have passed! But let me tell you that getting to class is always the hardest part of having a yoga practice. Finding time for just you sometimes eats away at us mentally with feeling of..I have so much to do, or the kids might need me to do this or dinner needs prepping. Sometimes taking that time for yoga almost feels selfish right? Because let's face it... we all know how awesome we feel after a class Keep this feeling in mind right now and compare it to how you are feeling right now at this moment. I'm sure you are feeling a bit tense/stiff or struggling with the mental checklist we all constantly have going on. I swear it's how I fall asleep at night haha I count how many things I didn't get done that day and add it to tomorrow's list. Counting sheep? Who needs it when we have the never ending daily mental list!  Anyways... Back to thinking how awesome we feel after class shall we? Ok , so here, we let go of that list and stretch and strengthen our bodies and help it fully relax in Savasana (Story time!) while hopefully having a genuinely enjoyable hour. Remind me why we don't do this everyday? Oh wait....I do do it everyday Now, after class we go home and back to life we go right? But the question is how is it different from say 3-4 hours ago? Does the 'rush' seem a bit slow? Are you more patient with the kids? Are you more attentive to your partner? You see, when you take that short time to help benefit yourself (mind & body) you exude the 'shine' everywhere else in your life.

There's never any doubt whether you can do a full class of yoga (even if you've never done it before), it's getting to that class that's the hurdle. Building a new commitment to something and finding the discipline for those new priorities is a really challenging step, but I have faith that if your time on the mat is something you really want to become second nature, you'll make it happen and I'm hoping that I can help you with these few steps.

So remember in last months newsletter I talked about 21 days of doing something is habit forming? Well again we will go by this standard. So break out your calendars people! Yep, right now! We are going to pick out 21 classes right her and now! Use your family calendar that has everyone else is doing. Take that and this.

Now write out the days and times that work for you and then write it down on your calendar. This will show not only to you but also to your family that you are committing that time to you just you do for them. Keep it simple and easy to start, maybe 1-2 times a week. Consider these times as dates with yourself (because you're awesome and even you want to date yourself ;))

Next up, treat yourself to a new mat. Now I know I have mats here, but trust me...buying your own mat that you love will help motivate you. Also keep your new cherished mat by the door you mostly use or in your car where you will see it all the time. Seeing it is a great reminder that it needs to be used and that you enjoy using it!

Step 3 Find a yoga buddy! Sometimes having that other person will help keep you motivated and get you to class even when you don't feel like and you can also do the same for them in return. and guess what? You've both made it to class! Yay

Step 4 Pay for your classes up front, whether with a monthly pass or a bulk pass, but with this logic you've paid for it, so now you have to use it. We all hate to pay for something and not use it right? So let's not waste it. Once you've paid for your classes you'll commit that much more to it.

Lastly....Getting there! It's literally the hardest part of the whole process. Finding that extra bit of energy. We're tired at the end of the day and just want to relax right? But remember.... We do that here!! So get in that car of yours and get over here and I will congradulate you every time you walk through that door, because I get that sometimes it's a massive effort to do so. And I want you to know it was worth it, you're worth it, and I appreciate you, and that you're here

I hope that this will help keep you motivated and focused that this not only benefits you but also the others around you. Not just because you're awesome, but you're a commited practising yogis

So moving on to the pose of the month. This month I have choosen to focus on Downward Dog.

This pose is an awesome transition between other poses and provides strength and flexibility where you need it. This is also a good resting position inbetween a flow series. Remember a few months back I wrote about the Half Series? You can use downward dog to rest and regain control of your breath before going back and repeating the series a few more times.

Ok, so getting into the pose. Starting in child's pose, reach forward with your hands and press them into the mat with your fingers spread out wide. From here, lift your hips up into an inverted V. Push back through into the balls of your feet. Keep your head between your arms and relax your neck as you lift your tail bone towards the ceiling. Then sink your heels to the floor without rounding your back. If this happens, try bending your knees a little. If you're feeling a bit tight in the legs you can pedal the feet slowly, helping to bring the heels closer to the floor while not over stretching right away. Do what feels good and don't push yourself. When your finished holding the pose, come back down to your knees and rest in child's pose.

All this talk about yoga is making me hungry!! Ok, so who doesn't love Lasagna? It's just so yummy..I can already feel how full I get everytime I eat it.

And let's get this out in the open now, it's not often I make, because honestly....It's just too time consuming, and separating those cooked noodles... Ugggg no thanks.

But what if I told you there was a faster way, and you didn't have to deal with those darn sticky annoying noodles! Well my friends..I hope you have a crock pot, because this will change your pasta lovin' life! Let me introduce you to... Crock Pot Lasagna

Oh Crock Pot, how I love thee

Ok moving on Here's what you're going to need

1 pkg ground beef

1 jar pasta sauce (29 oz or more)

1 pkg lasagna noodles (uncooked)

2 cups cottage cheese (i love this stuff so I usually get 2-500g tubs)

4 cups shreded cheese (save 1/2 cup for the end)

You can add in spices and/or salt and pepper to your liking. I tend to add some Soya sauce while cooking the ground beef. But you choose.

In a skillet on medium heat,brown the ground beef. Add in any spices you are using. Once it's ready, add in the sauce, stir and remove from heat.

Layer 1- Take 1/4 of the meat sauce and spread on the bottom of the crock pot

Layer 2- The take some raw/uncooked noodles (yes you read that right) and cover the sauce. Some overlap is fine

Layer 3- Combine the cottage cheese and 3 1/2 cups of shredded cheese together and spread 1/3 of it on the noodles.

Repeat Layers 1-3 Two more times.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of cheese on top the last 10 mins of cooking.

Let stand for 5-10 mins with the lid off before serving. You can slice it up and scoop it out with a large spoon to serve.

MMMMM so good and your house will smell so yummy for hours with minimum effort. How great is that?

I know.....You're Welcome So start serving this delishiousness up and devour it already!!

So that brings us to the end of this months letter/blog. I hope that I get to see you all very soon and more often

xoxoxo Shannon Hawman

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save