This morning my boyfriend woke up earlier than usual and was awake and up for my morning routine; deep breathing, a cup of tea, the occasional oil pull, and asanas and pranayama. 


His comment got me thinking how taking care of our bodies is our job we need to do every day.  I believe that the body is a temple; it is home to our mind and our soul, the true significance of our life.   It is our duty to exercise our body so that we can improve our mind and nurture our soul to continue our development as spiritual beings.  Our bodies are not to be abused or neglected; they should be treated as something that is sacred and the house to life.

Yoga is my way to keep my body a healthy temple.  The idea of the body as a temple stems make to the earliest stages of yoga; respect for all, including the body.  Through the practice there is constant evidence that yoga is a way to treat your body as a temple.

Asanas work to keep the physical body healthy and strong.  I look at daily asanas as daily upkeep, keeping the house clean is a daily task and so should your body.  Practicing ayurveda gives us a little more than asanas and makes for a routine of self-care. 

Through daily yoga practices and a healthy lifestyle we can achieve the four purusharthas; dharma, living life’s purpose; artha, the prosperity and wealthy needed to live well; kama, the enjoyment and pleasure; and moksha, the spiritual liberation. 

We are born into untouched bodies that experience every stage of life with us.  If we do not take care of that, our experiences stop and we can no long evolve our minds or our spirit.  The way you treat your body effects your soul and who you are as a human being. We shouldn’t just focus on keeping our body active and physically healthy, it is equality as important to nourish the body with spirituality and wholesome nourishing food.  Surround yourself with people who life your spirits and challenge you.  Stay positive and your body will thank you.

Your body is your temple, take care of it.

Namaste.
Anita

Some days ago my partner and I went to our friend’s child’s graduation party. 

It is such a celebratory time when someone accomplishes something so great. 

She has just graduated from high school and is planning to attend the University of Southern Florida.

I am sure she will do great things while she is there. 

To celebrate the special day, my friend had a party at their home.  It was really fun meeting so many people.  We only knew the hosts so we met a lot of new people.  It was also fun seeing and chatting with their daughter's friends that had just graduated as well.  I love hearing about all their plans for the future and how they want to make their mark on the world.  Listening to the excitement in all of their voices gave me a sense of hope for the future. 

As part of the party, we were asked to bring a dish to pass.  It was an easy choice for me, I know my friend loves shrimp dip and I am assumed her daughter would as well.  It ended up being a huge hit at the party.  It was all eaten before the main course even came out!  I was very pleased that everyone enjoyed it.  Some people even asked me for the recipe, so I thought I would share my EASY shrimp dip recipe with all of you.

Special Shrimp Dip Recipe

Ingredients-
• ½ lbs. small-medium size shrimp
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• ½ avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• ¼ cup minced cilantro
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced


Instructions-
• In a large bowl mix the shrimp, tomatoes, onion, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic together.  Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour to let the flavors combine and enjoy this wonderful shrimp dip.

It was so great meeting new faces and getting to know them while celebrating such an accomplishment. 

Namaste.

Anita

My partner has been really stressed with work and hasn’t had time to relax so I am planning a romantic night this evening.  I believe it is important to surprise and do special things for your significant other.  There is no need to wait for a special occasion to romance them.  We plan “just because” evenings so keep our love burning strong.

I have put in quite an effort into creating a romantic evening my partner will be astonished.  I have transformed our home into a romantic getaway.  I put lit candles, incense, and flower petals around the house to set the mood.  I have set the radio to play his favorite jazz music in the background all evening too.  I am even going to get dressed up to make it seem like we are at a fancy restaurant in the comfort of our own home.

I am going to cook a romantic dinner for us complete with chocolate covered strawberries and champagne.  I just put our main course in the oven, herb-crusted salmon with roasted tomatoes.  It smells great already.  Here is the recipe I am using from Better Homes and Gardens.

Herb-crusted salmon with roasted tomatoes

Ingredients-
•    2 tbsp. golden raisins
•    1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
•    2 tablespoons capers, drained
•    4 tbsp. olive oil
•    ¾ cup packed parsley leaves
•    1 clove garlic
•    ¼ tsp. salt
•    ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
•    4, 4 oz. frozen salmon fillets about 1 inch thick

Directions-
•    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with foil and set aside
•    In a small bowl soak the raisins in hot water until softened and plump. Drain and set aside.  In another small bowl mix the tomatoes and capers and drizzle with 2 tbsp. of olive oil, toss to coat.
•    In a food processor, combine the parsley, remaining olive oil, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper.  Process until smooth.
•    Remove the salmon from freezer and place in prepared pan.  Spoon the parsley mixture over each salmon fillet and spread to cover.  Then spoon the tomato mixture around the salmon on the pan.
•    Roast uncovered for 14-15 minutes.  Remove pan from the oven, add raisins, stirring into the tomato mixture.  And put the pan back into the oven, and roast for another 14-15 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
•    Transfer the salmon to a platter, spoon the tomatoes, capers, raisins, and remaining pan juices over. 
•    Enjoy!

Besides a wonderful main course, I got creative and on the strawberry plate wrote I love you with chocolate drizzle.  It is the little thoughtful things he loves the most.


Hopefully after this romantic and stress free evening he will feel rejuvenated and release his tension.  I don’t see how he couldn’t with all the relaxing and romantic surprises.

Having a romantic evening with your other half for no reason other than love, is a great way to bring extra passion into a relationship and release stress.  I am sure our romantic night is going to be incredible.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Namaste