CSA: Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs are gaining speed in the organic farming world.  Great news for farmers, the environment, and us eaters!

So what is it exactly?  It is a program that you can join at your local organic farms where you pay a set membership fee in return for a "share" of their yield.  Each week you pick up your box of various veggies just picked from the farm.  The make up of the box varies week by week which adds to the excitement!   Some farms even include other products like eggs, milk, etc., depending on what type of farm it is.

So why is this so great?  First of all it supports local farmers which is always a good thing!  The more local organic farms, the more organic food for you.  It is great for our environment too because it cuts out the pollution caused by shipping produce to your local organic grocer as well as eliminating the waste from packaging.   And the greatest benefit, though unmeasurable, is how CSAs truly strengthen the community and create a connection between people and their food.  Some farms even let you work a few hours at the farm each week to get a discount off your subscription cost.  It is so important to see where your food comes from, to see the work that goes into it, to know the people that grow it. We have lost that in our culture today, and food truly is the soul of every community.

So get into a CSA with your family, your roommate or join on your own.  Get to know your farmers, your farm, your community.  Cook together, eat together.  That really is the good stuff in life.

My new love...Yin Yoga

After coming home from a wonderful and crazy weekend with friends in Steamboat, I wanted to get to a yoga class but didn't have the energy to go to a fast-paced vinyasa class.  I was exhausted, sick, and run down so I decided to go to a yin class instead.  Typically, I like really physically challenging classes that make me sweaty and sore after (sounds sick when i put that in writing!), but after this last Yin class my perspective has TOTALLY changed!

Yin yoga, for you new yogis, is a more passive form of yoga where you hold poses for minutes at a time, stretching deep into your body's tissue.  It is the balance and compliment to yang (or more active) styles of yoga.  Yin classes are very meditative, where the instructor typically reads passages, comes by and massages the students, and plays very calming music that puts you in a relaxed/trans-like state.  Most of the postures are practiced while you sit or lay on your back...not a down dog in sight!  It is heaven!  The hour and a half flew by and it felt as if I was in a semi-consious state the entire time while the postures massaged and nurtured my body.

I totally now understand how necessary this style is to compliment more active yoga styles, or active types of exercise.  Your moods, energy levels, and physical and mental needs constantly change and fluctuate, so it is great to alter your yoga practice accordingly.  After taking this class on Monday I felt rejuvenated and excited about this new addition to my practice.  I encourage everyone to add a yin practice to their lives, and its perfect for new yogis...a lot less intimidating then most styles and your body and mind will thank you for adding it to your life!

Put down the crack...I mean coffee

Ok I feel like this topic may anger some people.  Coffee is heaven...bliss...life...I get it.  I love coffee, have been completely addicted for years now, but that word"addicted" was the red flag.  I would wake up in the morning, stumble to the coffee pot, and pour myself a heaping cup and slowly wake up with each sip.  When that cup was done I would feel incredible, full of energy, ready to take on the day....until exactly 3pm when I would CRASH.  I would feel terrible after that and start the cycle again the next morning.

I actually had no intention of giving up coffee until I read something about green tea one night and decided to try it the next morning.  And it stuck...haven't had a drink (of coffee :)) in the morning since.  I don't think its supposed to be that easy, but it was.  And it is really amazing how much BETTER I feel now.  No 3pm crash, no addiction.  I'm awake even before I have my cup of tea, which was never the case with coffee.  I just feel good.

There are so many benefits of green tea, too.  It's said to prevent cancer, raise the metabolism, reduce the risk of heart attack and so much more.  Stores like Teavana have awesome tea combinations and are getting more and more popular.  And if you really feel like having a cup of coffee some days then have one.  It will taste that much better.  Why not give it a shot!

Spring time: a time of sunshine, life, and new beginnings

The sun has been shining, the weather is getting warmer, and the garden is blossoming with veggies, tulips, and daffodils.  Spring is definitely here! 

Spring is a time of renewal, change, and hope.  The world comes alive after the sleep of winter.  It's a perfect time to start something new, make healthy changes in your life, and reevaluate your goals and priorities.

I've been trying to figure out the next steps in my life and what it is that I really love to do.  It's scary sometime to venture off of the beaten path and follow whats in your heart.  But the most rewarding things come from the most unlikely and unknown places.  Decided to apply to a yoga teacher training program....eeek!  No time like spring  to take a leap of faith and go for it...however little or big that "it" may be!