Eyes Closed Yoga

We were exploring the sixth chakra tonight in power yoga, ajna, the mind's eye. So to give us a push in the right direction Kim, the instructor, told us that tonight's practice is to be performed with our eyes closed. I wasn't scared by any means, as for one I feel very comfortable and safe at the yoga studio and I close my eyes off and on during each practice anyway. The surprise wasn't my ability to keep my eyes closed. Even poses like crow and half moon came rather naturally. Well my first crow I almost fell on my face and was a bit wobbly in tree, but over all I got myself into each asana without much trouble. No, what surprised me was how in tune I was with each pose. With my eyes closed there was nothing to look at, no fellow yogini to compare myself to, no ticking clock, not even a cracked brick wall to examine, no un-pedicured toenails to judge. With my eyes closed balance, posing a new challenge, took most of my attention, so I couldn't plan the pedicure I so desperately need, or even decide which load of laundry I need done most, without risking crashing to the floor, or worse ending up in an unexpected split. So not only was I masterfully focused and present in every asana, the shaky balance forced my core to engage more than ever before. Except for the balancing poses, each felt more stable, more grounded and more comfortable than ever before. I felt like I was gliding through my vinyasa, even lifting from lunge to half moon happened rather gracefully. Since balance was the main focus, I was taking my time, not only to get into a pose but also to settle into it. Without sight I couldn't quite compete with my neighbors, I also couldn't judge the depth of each pose, allowing me to experience the asana individually in addition to the flow from one to the next.
Quite a turnaround from my regular practice, where instead of being in a pose, I was striving to be better in the pose. I have no intention of practicing blind yoga from here on out, but closing my eyes will definitely become more integrated into each practice. I highly recommend it.
Namaste.


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Gulasz with wine

Cooking a hearty, meaty meal tonight. This is extremely rare in this household where vegetables, served over vegetables with a side of fresh veggies, so I decided to document it.

Gluasz (goulash) is a polish beef stew, usually served with mashed potatoes or pasta and a pickle.

Ingredients:
Beef (cubed, for stewing)
Flour
Onion
Mushrooms
Carrots
Pepper

Method:
Cube the beef:



Roll beef in flour:



Add wine:



Sear beef on all sides:



While beef is on the pan, chop onion:



Chop mushrooms:



Coarsely chop carrots:



Add wine:



Once beef is seared add to clay pot, regular pot will work, too. Add water for the beef to stew:


Sauté onions, until almost translucent, then add mushrooms and continue to sauté until onions are translucent and mushrooms are limp. Add pepper to taste.



Add wine:



Add onion and mushroom to clay put, and stir:


Add carrot to clay pot, and stir:



Add wine:



Simmer until beef is soft and tender:



Enjoy!! With a glass of wine of course!

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