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It's 1:18 and I cannot sleep.  The light from the McDonald's street sign is seeping through my curtains like that green smog you see in every Goosebumps novel or Scooby Doo mystery.  Outside my window an intoxicated male undergrad is harassing a homeless man over the sound of hemis driving by.  This is my reality. 
This post also probably belongs in a more appropriate place like my journal, but if using the internet for self exploitation or indulgence is wrong then I don't want to be right. 

Needless to say, if given the opportunity, I would get the hell out of here.  Every Thursday-Sunday I am; and I do.  As I write these words, a pocket-sized angel Ainsley hovers over my shoulder saying this will be "bad for business" and frankly might piss some people off.  So to ameliorate my predicament, I am not going to advertise this post; I trust the right people will (a) come across this and (b) continue reading. 

Good 'ole Rocky Top, right? For me, wrong.  In most (definitely not all!) aspects, very, very wrong.  There are more fast food chains within a ten mile radius than local restaurants, little to no recycling, air pollution, creeks near playgrounds with toxic chemicals aplenty...I will stop myself there.  In my fifth year as a Volunteer, ironically I find myself being held here against my will.  Until February 27th I am taking 19 hours and teaching 3 classes, leaving me with very little time to relax, be with friends, and take some f*cking yoga classes!! (Do you hear me, UT 'schedule builder' gods? Pick some new times!)  I may be a yogi, but I am (obviously) far from perfect. 

So here I am.  You know those maps that have it all laid out for you with a star that reads "YOU ARE HERE" in red? Oddly enough, the fact that I am P.O.UTK (get it?) is the very thing keeping me afloat right now.  Coming back to Knoxville in January from a Memphis/Bikram/family&friend high was a moderately depressing change of pace for which I knew I was not ready.  However, just like those maps, I know the roads that lie before me will take me to where I want to unfold the unique mystery, or "maya", that is my path. 
Sure, I'm not happy here.  But I have amazing friends, a wonderful yoga studio, and the strength of mind to know that all suffering is temporary.  I can also choose to sulk and complain about where I am, only to shorten my life and  wrinkle my complexion--add that to the list of shocking discoveries: as a 23 year old, I go above and beyond average wrinkle precautionary measures.  OR, I can know that while listening to rocky top, funneling beers and dayglo orange isn't necessarily "my bag", being a happy, healthy and conscientious human is.  By choosing to find the good, I am surrounded by good.  By choosing to be free, I am free. 

Each moment we are faced with a choice to be completely bound or completely free.  Which do you choose? Either way, "YOU ARE HERE". 

In light and love (and lack of sleep),
Ainsley

What if?

    Okay, so I haven’t been a faithful blogger these past few weeks because frankly I needed to observe and absorb the world around me to better understand my place in that world. 
    Oh yeah--happy new year, everyone!! I love this time of year because of the hope and opportunities that come with each new year.  Not so much turning over a new leaf but, to stay with the metaphor, an opportunity for that leaf to grow and expand.  I will be the first to admit that while I love change in most aspects, certain leaps of faith can be quite frightening.  For instance, lots of times I find myself limiting my growth and/or resisting change in a subconscious, masochistic way.  At the root of this problem lies fear; not so much of the change itself, but of stepping out of my emotional/psychological "comfort zone"--fear of allowing myself to experience more joy, success, love, happiness, etc. than I am accustomed to.  After this eureka moment (followed by a what the hell moment), I wondered what it was exactly that made me content with this glass ceiling I continually run up against.  We all have our different reasons for this habit (surely I am not alone?), but what if we started asking that very question--what if?
    What if we allowed ourselves permission to experience the liberation of breaking out of our emotional/psychological comfort zones and let in more joy, success, love, happiness, and all those other pleasures of being alive?  What is the worst that can happen? Let in the light, people!  Lord knows it’s scary sometimes, but isn’t it worth it in the end? What if from this moment on you chose to be completely free? What if?

In light and love, Ainsley

Power to the Pita!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Still on the baking high from the past few weeks, I thought I'd share a recipe for one of my favorite staples, pita bread.  I love pita bread because it is not as heavy as other grain choices and is incredibly versatile-- at the risk of sounding like Bubba from Forrest Gump; you can dip it, stuff it, make pita chips... the list goes on and on!

For the website version, click here.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of yeast, or quick rising yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water

Preparation:

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy. (*tip: test the water temp. on the back of your wrist; it should match your body temperature.)

Combine flour and salt in large bowl.

Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression.

Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until elastic.

Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded. 

Before... (thanks for modeling, mom)

After! 

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated.

Allow to sit in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size. 

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to also preheat your baking sheet.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick. 

My interpretation of a circle

Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.

Voila! 

Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags. 

Enjoy! 

In light and love, Ainsley 

Trust creates peace

Happy holidays, everyone!

Trust creates peace.
I came across this mantra while brewing some of my favorite Yogi tea.  I love discovering each tea bag's mantra like this one because I believe the tea bag, in some cosmic way, chooses me.  (**Blogger's note: Upon revision, I do realize how crazy that sentence sounds.  In my defense; however, I am quite superstitious and through experience have found things have a way of finding you when you most need them.)

This particular mantra, like most others, came to me at the exact right time.  With graduation (thankfully/hopefully..) in sight and the holiday season in full effect, I find myself in the midst of loose ends, uncertainty and questions.  While I do find joy in the mystery of it all, I also find myself exploring every possible question/outcome over and over again.  Which brings us to the mantra...

Trust creates peace.  Okay, now read that again... powerful, isn't it? Trust in the future, trust in the universe, trust in others, and most importantly trust in yourself.  It is easy to assume that uncertainty in our lives is a result of something we are lacking or are incapable of doing.  However, isn't there always  some level of uncertainty in each day?  With cultivating a sense of trust to replace doubt, life transforms into your own wonderful mystery, unfolding before you one day at a time.  Instead of thinking it will work out, know it will.  Have faith in yourself!  After all, you've come this far, haven't you? :)

Okay, now read it again: trust creates peace.  Say it to yourself.  Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.  Ahhhhh.  Feel better?  Give yourself a hug.  Feel the peace.  Trust creates peace.

And because you can never say it too much... "You is smart, you is kind, you is important."
(If you don't know where that's from, click here.)

In light and love, Ainsley

FREE YOGA!

Who doesn't love free ish??

This is the PERFECT chance to come check out everything the Glowing Body has to offer!

This coming Sunday, enjoy FREE 30 minute samples of our classes and healing arts demos, too!
Discounts on class cards, books, yoga props, mats, and apparel to help fill those stockings with the gift that keeps on giving: YOGA!

Click here for the schedule.

(Can you tell I had coffee this morning?)

In light and love, Ainsley

Broccoli-Edamame Soup with (optional) Jumbo Cheese Croutons

December is here!  Unfortunately, that means cold weather is too (remember, I'm a heat-aholic).  The good news? It is soup season!!  Along with salads, I love how pretty much anything can be turned into a warm, delicious soup. 

This recipe- taken from Vegetarian Times  magazine, is sure to warm you and your loved ones up with healthy deliciousness!

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 1 lb. broccoli, trimmed, stems and florets chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 8 1/2-inch-thick slices from skinny whole-grain baguette
• 4 oz. aged goat cheese, shaved

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sauté 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup broth, scraping bottom of pot to lift off any brown bits. Add remaining 51/2 cups broth, edamame, broccoli, and garlic. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes.

 
 **Optional step! I enjoyed my soup sans cheese croutons, although a little crunch does balance out the texture.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet, and bake 6 minutes, or until crunchy on both sides. Remove from oven, and arrange cheese over toasts. Return to oven, and bake 6 minutes more, or until cheese has softened.

3. Working in batches, transfer soup to blender, and blend until creamy and smooth. Return soup to pot, and warm over low heat. Ladle soup into 8 shallow soup bowls; float 1 cheese crouton in center of each bowl. 
(Note: I left a little chunk to my soup by not blending it all the way.  You can, too! Just leave ~ 2 cups unblended, or choose the "chop" option and pulse until soup reaches desired consistency.)  

Bon appétit!

In light and love, Ainsley 

"Dear ____, thank you for ______. Sincerely, ____"

Happy Thanksgiving, bloggers!

It seemed to be a no-brainer that I write today...

Call me oldfashioned, but I believe there is no better way to express yourself than through the written word (hence the blog). To me, letter writing is a lost art and, when the opportunity presents itself, there is nothing more appropriate or appreciated than a thank you note. Remember the days of thank you notes with "dear ______, thank you for the ______. sincerely, _______"? I used to dread the task; however, in my not-so-old age I've come to really enjoy writing (and receiving) thank you notes.

I love this holiday because it is an entire day dedicated to giving thanks in the company of family, whatever form that might take. Especially in the busy world we live in, it is easy to lose sight of the everyday miracles and blessings in our lives. For example, I often catch myself focusing more on what I can improve rather than the many things for which I am thankful. Nothing brings me back to center more than a good old-fashioned thank you note, whether it be to the universe, others, or myself. Taking time to write out exactly what you are thankful for is a great meditative, centering practice. For example, today I am lucky enough to spend the holiday with my famiky in the beautiful Appalachain mountains. During a morning walk with my family, I "wrote" a mental thank you note, starting with the obvious (family, friends, health, etc.) and moving into what I observed (the creek, fresh air, animals, nature in general..). For me, it is a spiritual practice as well; although, it certainly does not have to be!

I hope that in sharing with you we can give thanks together and work with one another to live our lives as one long, meaningful thank you note.

Thanks for being YOU! You are light, you are love, you are perfect just the way you are! :)

In light and love,
Ainsley