I'm here now and that's all I know

Not concerned with what I was suppose to do last month, last week, or last night

I'm here now and its a good place to be

I've come a long way to get here and gone nowhere at all

I've shed a lot of tears and rose from the fall

"but Dear God I'm here, I'm here!"

I look around me as the sun sets and I wonder who needs to go to an art museum when its happening in real time all around us.  I look at my surroundings and feel like I'm in a painting sometimes.  

I've been absorbing so much information the last few months so now I'm like how do I to convert that to action.  To be continued...

Inna Di Red Stephen Marley

Namaste

LoveLee

Upward Facing Dog - Take 1

           


Take 1?  O.k. so it was more like take 50.  I re-recorded this video so many times because I wasn't able to position the camera the way I wanted.  Even though I'm not happy with the quality of the video, I am happy that I completed & posted it.  I usually obsess about things being perfect before  I move with it and that sometimes causes those things to never happen.  Practice being o.k. with being here, wherever that may be and whatever that may look like.  Then from here we progress to there and so on.

Blessings,

LoveLee

Chia Seeds

           Who knew? Who knew that one day the plant pets that we know & love so much, would one day be such a powerful nutritional resource.  So as you can see I picked up a bag from Trader Joe's & it cost around $4 something.   

 

I started incorporating them in my diet by throwing the seeds in my eggs and other random dishes like lentils.  Then I decided to do the "porridge" recipe.  I don't know if it really constitutes being a porridge but that's what I like to call it.  I just soaked some seeds in almond milk for about 30ish minutes and it started to become gel-like.  I didn't add any spices or sugar and it was surprisingly good.  Next time I'll add some fruit but its a good base to add almost anything to.  Loving it!

           I'm transitioning to a more plant based diet and Chia seeds are a great source of protein, containing 3grams per tbsp. They also provides 2.9g of Omega-3 fatty acids and 6g of fiber.  Studies are also being done to determine the potential of using chia seeds to treat type 2 diabetes.   Good stuff.  

Enjoy!

LoveLee

Cleanse / Detox

Isn't she beautiful!

I'm in love with my new juicer.  I've conjured up every reason to not buy one sooner, the #1 reason being that I've been nomadic for so long that I figured I would buy one and not be able to take it with me to the next place.  I feel like I'm mastering the art of efficient downsizing.

I decided to do a cleanse where I eliminated meat, dairy, rice, grains & caffeine. So I pretty much just ate fruits & vegetables but I did have lentils.  I juiced, ate raw & cooked veggies along with 2-3 fruit servings a day.  I did it for 5 days and on the 6th day the only modification I made was I had a cup of decaf coffee and regular coffee - no dairy included.  I would say the first 2 days I wasn't feeling it but definitely after the 3rd I was good.  It's definitely a mental thing because as soon as my mind realized there were things it couldn't have, it started craving them.   

This is Day 1 - I used all the ingredients shown in that amount.  I like the earthy taste of beets but I think I'm more forgiving because I love the pretty color it produces.  

This is the preparation stage which is building the foundation.  

I decided to focus on Ahimsa during this week because part of its meaning is Kindness, Friendliness & Thoughtful Consideration of others as well as yourself.  When we feed our bodies the goodness it needs we are expressing an act of love towards ourselves and others because it flows to your consciousness of how you interact with others. Everything is connected. We all are connected. Live Life Like it.

LoveLee

Connecting Flight to Self

I'm tired but the fatigue reminds me to go Further 

Blessed beyond belief but because I'm a Believer I Breathed this into Existence 

Everyday I wake up Energized because the possibilities are endless and I'm gonna exhaust them to the end

I can feel that I'm Connected again and this surge is my Source of Energy

For the last few months I felt like I had flat lined energetically.  I was just here but not really "here".  Now that I've been in L.A. for almost a month I feel alive again.  It's not for everyone and I guess that's the point.  You have to feel connected to where you live and from your environment you draw inspiration.  I remember the moment on the plane when it really hit that I was moving to the other side of the country, with no physical support team.  I didn't know how I was gonna do it but I knew that I had to do it.  Now, two part-time jobs later and a semi-permanent but breathing room apt to live in, I'm that much closer to materializing my dreams.  Which is to build my LoveLee Yoga health and wellness empire...to be continued. 

Peace and Blessings,

LoveLee

Welcome to Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

         

            O.k., so I'm not sure if I've said this before but My LoveLee Yoga is a peak into my life; which is now, and may always be, random.  I am now in the beautiful state of California and for me there couldn't be a more foreign reality.  I felt less oriented when I lived in Ghana just to get a gauge on how I'm feeling.  I'm staying in a hostel in Hollywood just off of Hollywood Blvd.  I'm here to do what many have come to Los Angeles to do and that is to "make it", whatever that means.  Since I'm a Yoga teacher this is a great place to improve my personal and professional practice and to sync up with the health conscious vibe that permeates out here.  Within my first week here I'm staying at my third hostel, have seen more crazy people, homelessness, hipsters and tourists than I care to recall.  For anyone preparing to move here, make sure you don't forget your skateboard, that is apparently the go to mode of transportation.  And since we're on the topic of transportation I just want to say that I rocks with LA's metro system.  I was gonna say love but so far New York's transit is the only place that gets a love rating but I really dig it.  I've gotten to my destinations quickly and inexpensively.  You can ride the bus/train all day for $5 dollars which is actually better than NY since they did away with the Fun Pass (I still haven't gotten over that).

I say that my life is random because in the last year span I've lived in Ghana, West Africa and enjoyed the beach, had a pit stop in Bethlehem, PA (my hometown) which I've recently been reminded is the "fake" Bethlehem by someone who is from the "real" Bethlehem.  O.k. we all know Jesus wasn't born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...or was he?  I then jumped down to Allen, TX and worked in a Austrian/German restaurant and got my schnitzel on.  This was probably my least favorite place because public transportation is extremely limited.  I've now hopped over to Los Angeles, CA and started a new chapter.  Everyone here has a story and they are more than willing to share it with you.  Yoga is not just our presence on the map, its the way we live our lives.  And now I'm continuing to make space to create and share my lovelee yoga.    

Peace & Blessings

The Importance of a Guru

           The word guru can be defined as "that which dispels darkness".  I can understand that translation because there are questions that arise and I wish I had someone to go to that would shed some light on the situation.  Of course I understand the need to go within but a little help from a trusted adviser never hurts.  When a guru enters our life we don't always recognize this person as our guru but as we begin to awaken it becomes more clear. 

I've been grappling with the fact that I don't have a guru but I feel like I need one.  When I think of who my guru would be the first person that comes to minds is Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati whom I learned about when I went to visit the Ananda Ashram.  The first time I went to visit this ashram in upstate NY I felt at home and every time I return I'm met with that same feeling.  Joan Suval, who is one of his senior disciples, said you have that feeling because you've been here before.  Shri Sarasvati passed away long before I even knew about the ashram but I feel a connection to him and his teachings and although I'm not sure of what the outcome will be I feel like he is the first step on my quest. 

Even if it is not a guru that you seek, an ancestor/spiritual guide, or adviser is important because  “The blind cannot lead the blind,” said Paramahansaji. “Only a master, one who knows God, may rightly teach others about Him."

          

 

LoveLee