1. When you wake up in the morning (or anytime throughout your days or nights) and the nagging sense of loss and directionless despair appear, get ye to the yoga studio. Welcome a sense of direction.
2. When dressing for yoga, be sure to wear your diamond earrings (for me it’s pigtails). Now you feel desirable again. (Bonus: you’ve found a healthy distraction.) But do not wear makeup (or cologne). That would be ridiculous.
3. When asked to state your intention at the beginning of yoga class, do NOT state this: “I wish to gain the ability through yoga to crush my ex (work/boss/mother…) with the psychic powers of my mind alone.” Instead chose this intention: “I wish to love and respect myself.”
4. When doing the chair pose (or the splits, oh they hurt so good), bend as deep as your legs will hold you. Let the lactic acid build up in your thighs until you want to scream. Realize there is a pain worse than a broken heart.
5. Breath. Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t worry about breathing through your nose or mouth specifically. Those restrictions are for the whole-hearted. Just respirate. If you can continue long enough, you won’t die. If you’re alive, then you are forced to accept that your heart isn’t actually broken. It’s functioning as normal and the other stuff is just a figure of speech.
6. When given the choice between vinyasa and child’s pose, take child’s pose. You deserve a rest. Rest. But do not stay there for long. You are better than that.
7. When in warrior’s pose, realize that you are a warrior. Applaud your inner strength. You are awesome. Repeat your intention. The loving yourself one, not the other one.
8. (When doing a backbend, try to breathe and feel your heart open. Feel love for all the other relationships and situations in your life that you are blessed with that nurture you.)
9. When the exercises are over, listen to the wise words of the yoga instructor. Realize that everything she says about letting go and about having nothing to do or UNdo and about not having anything missing in your life, all that is true. With or without a romantic interest, (job, friend, lover).
10. When in shibasana (corpse pose), imagine your consciousness as a tranquil sea (perhaps resembling the set of Cirque de Soleil’s O). When the sadness and regrets and anxieties rise up and distract you from the sea, imagine those thoughts as little flash-paper boats. Set them sail, and just before they dip over the horizon, set them on fire and watch them flash and disappear. Enjoy the tranquil sea. Repeat.
11. At the closing, when you say “Namaste,” remember what that means: That the divine in me salutes the divine in you. Remember that you possess the divine, too.
12. Go forth in peace. And do not check your cell phone until you’ve gone forth at least 30 yards from the yoga studio.

Yet, amidst what could have built into a stressed out roxtar, there were some great moments too. I got to say a final goodbye to my grandmother before she passed away. I got to be with my family during a difficult loss. I spent 2 days breathing in the fresh, clean mountain air in Colorado. I enjoyed dinner with friends, working with inspirational yogis, and practicing yoga on my travel mat. I saw an Elk. There’s always the other side of the coin, eh?

I have decided that my next “career” step should be to complete my 200 hour yoga certification with Shiva Rea. I have already studied 100 hours with her, and she is the kind of teacher that rocks my world, that takes me outside of my box every time I practice with her, that inspires me to be more than just a yoga teacher, but a living embodiment of something sweeter. I have to read 6 books, practice with her for 180 hours, and record 30 minutes of a class. I look forward to becoming a better teacher.

Wait, I have so much to say! I have also found renewed love for Kitcheree recently. Now that fall has landed, SLO is seeing it’s first rain in 9 months, my body is loving this warming, balanced dish. I shall remind you of it’s simplicity. If you work in the MINDBODY office and have wondered what that glorious aroma coming from the kitchen is every Monday, look no further.

Roxtar Lunchtime Khichdi (Kitcheree) Recipe
Yummy, heatlhy, ancient Indian comfort food. Who wants Lipton rice packets, Ramen noodles, or other instant food when you can make this? I make little dry packets of this and leave it in my office for those days when I don’t bring lunch. If you can’t cook at work, it’s a great dinner that turns into lunch leftovers kind of meal.

Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Ready In: 25 min
Yields: 1-2 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup white basmati rice
1/4 cup lentils (split mung beans are good too)
1/2 veggie bouillon cube, preferably the sea salt variety
1 tsp to 2 tbsp dry ginger root (latter amount if high pitta)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves, italian seasoning, braggs dry seasoning
1/4 tsp ground cumin
pinch fennel seeds
dash powdered garlic (omit if high pitta)
1 1/2 – 2 cups H2O (at cooking time)
(optional) random veggies scrounged up from wherever you can find them

DIRECTIONS:
1. Put all dry ingredients in a cute little baggie. Tie the top in a knot. Hide it in your desk or cupboard for future consumption.
2. When ready to chow down, add 1 1/2 to 2 cups water, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cover and simmer. As rice and beans are cooking, chop and add veggies such as carrots, zucchini, broccoli, if you have these goodies around. I use this as my opportunity to eat the leftovers from my weekly veggie farm share.
2. Cook for approximately 25 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed but the consistency is smooth, not mushy and sticky.
3. When done, take the pot of of heat and add ghee (clarified butter), or whatever butter like product you eat, salt, braggs liquid amino acids to taste. I like garlic pepper, or lemon pepper too.

FOOTNOTES:
Adding 1 cup of frozen peas right at the end of cooking is really good. I like to top it with a bit of feta and eat it with pita and hummus. I have also seen it made with fresh cilantro. Yum.

For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8