DAY 8~ Spark your Flame

DAY 8: MISSION: SPARK YOUR CORE FLAME



Since yesterday was about maintaining your freedom in the midst of life's random chaos, today I want to take it a step farther.

I want you to Spark your Core Flame. The Core Flame is Sadie's phrase for that in you, which needs nourishment to stay vibrant, inspired, and full of life. It's our balance, peace of mind, heart and 'joy of living'. How I personally keep this inner fire bright is a fun, interesting, sometimes very challenging practice that requires daily, hourly, even moment to moment vigilance.

At the start of each day, whether my schedule requires it or not, I rise right before the sun. I make my lemon detox (w/an added tea bag because it has now completely replaced my coffee... & anyone who knows me, knows that is a surprising replacement, as I was a die-hard coffee feign just weeks ago!) and I head to my deck to watch the sunrise. This tiny bit of time, to myself, each morning is an absolute must to keep my fire burning bright. On days that I oversleep and my kids wake me up, my entire day is off. I feel as though I am playing catch-up all day, never quiet getting where I need to be, which is centered and in control.

Once I am completely awake and the sun has peeked over the mountain, I move right into my morning yoga practice. I've attached, at the bottom of this post, the yoga video I've been doing for the past week. This morning, I gave myself an extra treat and brought the laptop to the deck and did yoga on the deck with this beautiful sunrise.

A few years ago, when nothing in my life was working, I saw the consequence of living in ways that stifled my flame. When I reoriented my priorities from worrying about lighting other people's flames over my own, my life finally began to move forward. I could clearly track the path of the damage I caused to myself and others, damage by not loving myself first for so many years. After 10 years of being stuck both figuratively and literally, I made the brave changes necessary that were in the best interest of myself and therefore, my family as well.

Not to say that everything in my life is perfect, by any measure. I am still a work-in-progress, just like you. Sometimes, life brings people into our path that are master 'drainers' or 'flame-blower-outers'. We may not, always, be able to completely rid ourselves of said energy-suckers at the drop of a dime. However, it's not healthy to give all your energy to others. It doesn't even help them. If you allow yourself to go dim, get depleted and and become unable to shine in the process of 'loving' someone, that's not love. If you are unable to rid yourself, completely, of people who drain you, at least learn to Spark your Core Flame.

It's not just other people that dim our core flames. We can all sit home, day after day, stressing and obsessing about a million things, and hey, rightfully so--life is crazy, random and chaotic. Yet, the question is: is all that worry and extra work really serving you at your highest? Is it easier or harder to reach your ultimate goals and be in a state of balance when you participate in behaviors that leak your most precious resources--your time and energy? Wouldn't you feel so much more light, free, and able to live in peace and joy if you spent that time and energy maintaining your center instead?

To Spark your Core Flame you must serve yourself, your loved ones and the world from a healthy, fit, happy, balanced place, you must do the present-moment 'mastering' it takes to avoid the things that deplete you and gather around those that put more fire back in your flame. So, for me personally, I avoid oversleeping and feeling behind each day. I avoid spending too much time or giving too much attention to the people I know drain me and more importantly do not reciprocate the attention, energy and time I spend on them. To keep the fire burning bright, I eat healthy as often as possible, workout in some way every day and if possible or if needed, more than once a day. I read and write as often as possible. Basically, I do whatever it takes to keep my mind, body and soul feeling good, balanced and centered. In doing so, I am better able to care for those who need me.

You are the Master of Your Universe. Truly, whatever you are thinking and believing inside your mind will, in fact, manifest itself into your outer reality. So, what are you bringing forth into your body, your heart, your relationships, your day? The time is now to reframe, re-light and re-act from your brightest core, no matter what else is going on, and no matter who else is frustrating you or pulling at your attention.

To experience the power of this practice for yourself, for this one day, and hopefully beyond, practice a simple but powerful technique, one that has led me so far into my wildest dreams: say yes to the things that feed your flame, and no to those that would try and snuff it out. What happens when you become the master of your universe and spend your time and energy igniting your core flame? Total transformation!!


TODAY'S HEALTH TIP:

POWER UP WITH PROBIOTICS

If your gut is unhealthy and lacking good bacteria, weight loss will be a constant battle. Today we're going deeper into the core, literally, to get to your digestive function and help it help you burn fat and process your food like the powerhouse it is meant to be.

Plus, focusing on your intestinal balance will keep you healthier! A whopping 60% of your immune system function lies within your gut--so enhancing its natural flora daily is optimal to both stay healthy--and maintain a healthy weight.

To do this, eat a lots of yogurt!! Yogurt is not only an excellent source of probiotics, but also protein packed and usually fat-free as well. Remember that tid-bit of protein I gave you yesterday? Protein burns fat. So, if you're eating fat, you want to always make sure it is closely balanced with the same amount of protein. However, if you find foods that have a higher protein count than fat, you've hit the jackpot!!

I like to start each day with fresh fruit and yogurt. Depending on my mood and the amount of time I have to prepare and eat breakfast, I either enjoy a fresh fruit and yogurt smoothie or a divine bowl of fresh berries topped with vanilla greek yogurt.

However, if you have an issue with dairy, you could try using a powder or pill version of probiotics, the bacteria you require to have a happy belly. While it's true that yogurt can be a good source of probiotics; people who usually need extra digestive bacteria also may have issues with dairy. Eating too much yogurt just amplifies this.

Remember.... "to get out of your rut you've got to start with your gut!"



TODAY'S BONUS RECIPE:

Banana-Oatmeal-Date Drops

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
2 cups rolled oats or quinoa flakes for a gluten free option
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
3/4 cup pitted dates
1 tsp vanilla


Mash bananas, and then stir in oats, flaxseeds, dates and vanilla. Mix well.

Drop onto cookie sheets, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Voila! Pure yum!


TODAY'S YOGA TIP:

MOVE FROM YOUR TRUE CORE



What many people think of as the "core", are really the abdominal muscles that wrap your body from the side to front of your torso. The rectus abdominis, or 'six-pack' muscle, helps you do a crunch. Your obliques are diagonal muscles that make you sidebend and twist. And the Transverse Abdominis is a girdle-like muscle that holds your abdominal organs in and helps you eliminate. The issue with using these muscles as primary generators of your core strength is that, well, they have certain side effects.

For one thing, if you tighten your abs too much, you can't breathe. That's because these muscles also help you inhale and exhale. They should be able to expand on each breath in, and then contract on the breath out. And, if you just grip your belly area in, say, a Plank Pose (top of a pushup) to stabilize the spine from going into too-deep of a low back curve, then you're squishing the abdominal and pelvic organs back against the spine to do that. Double ew!

When you recruit the deeper spinal core muscles that run along the sides and near the back of the low back (lumbar spine), then you get spinal stability from really close to the spine, so your organs are free to work and detox, not be compressed, and your abs are available to help you take full breaths in and out.

Add these two areas to the Golden Flame Breath (pelvic diaphragm), and you've got yourself a triple threat that will create major strength, lightness, heat, detoxification and safe flexibility in all your poses.

Today, when you do the yoga video below, aim to keep the front and back of your low back spine moving into the body and upward toward the center of the chest at all times. On your inhales, you can think about creating a wave of length from your low back spine that lifts and supports it, while you let your belly relax more. On the exhales, you squeeze and lift the pelvic diaphragm muscles (golden flame) up the spine and tone the low belly in and up too to keep the spine long and help you exhale more fully.

This is a skill that may take you a while to master, as I am still working on this one myself daily both in and out of yoga. However, if we can do the really hard, emotional, work with our core then surely we can support that work by physically strengthening and supporting our core as well. Right?


TODAY'S JOURNAL ENTRY:

Imagine a time in your life when you were the most 'on fire' or 'alive'. This memory can go back as far as adolescence or even childhood. Using your visualization technique, go back to that time and remember how you felt when you were the most energetic, alive and 'hot' from your core to your toes. What specific memory arises? Write, in detail, what it felt like when your core was burning its brightest.

TODAY'S HOMEWORK:

Today, think about what causes you to lighten and brighten up! What are the perspectives, adventures, outside-the-box actions and choices you need to make to do things differently, move away from drama and anxiety and toward the freedom ride of being totally in alignment with your inner fire?

Write them down and post them somewhere you'll see them daily. Then get going to do more nourishing behaviors that spark your inner light.

TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION:

My inner flame burns bright with love and appreciation for all that I do to spark it"


Good luck w/ your Day 8
~Stephanie Chasles

DAY 7~ Freedom

DAY 7:

MISSION: SET YOURSELF FREE



When it comes to finally becoming happy and satisfied with yourself and your life, just like driving, there is a fast track, a slow track, and the potential to become stalled by the side of the road.

What many people don't understand, however, is that which one you are currently experiencing has nothing to do with the road itself, or even the car. It has everything to do with the driver: YOU!!

Thankfully, it's all about you. Just as the ability to victimize yourself and view life as a series of dream-busting excuses or a clear path to your greatest visions is up to you, so is the quest for freedom. We don't have to like or agree with other people's unskilled actions in order to keep our happiness and health as our first priorities.

If you're taking this challenge, than I can make an educated guess that there's probably something you would like to change. Maybe you want to lose those stubborn pounds, or gain higher self-esteem. Perhaps you're looking to be inspired out of the rut in which you find yourself, or, like me, you've gotten a taste of the glory of mastering your own experience and you want more of the good stuff you've been able to manifest.

Regardless, all along the way of any self-transformation process, there are roadblocks that will pop up. That's the nature of any progression. Remembering that they are self-created is important, because even if a blockage is something you seemingly can't control--say, your spouse leaves you and you feel completely knocked off center--the way you choose to deal with it (moving forward faster, slower, or staying stuck) is totally under your power to decide. Notice how we never say "He took my heart." We always say "I gave my heart away." That gives you a clear hint about whose responsibility it is to take it back.

Every experience is a teaching, and every person who steps into your path and affects you in some way is your teacher--yes, even if you want to kick them in the shins, or worse. Even if they act horribly. Even if they hurt you badly. Even if, conversely, they're a positive influence in your life and you love them and never want them to leave.

The key to unhappiness is to link together your experience of anyone or anything else outside of you, and even your own inner perspective on a situation with being happy. For example, if you lose 10 pounds, you'll be happy, but if you gain 10, you'll be unhappy. The Buddha said that suffering is caused by wanting things to be farther away or closer than they actually are. So if the weight goes away, poof! Happy. If the man comes closer, happy. If not: unhappy. So many people spend a lifetime wildly veering between the two, never realizing that one has nothing to do with the other.

You can claim your inherent state of deep peace, satisfaction, love and joy right this second. You don't have to do anything to get it, either. Instead, it's a simple but profound shift--from resisting your natural state to allowing yourself to be what you already are and always were: FREE!!

Love yourself first and people who come (and sometimes go) into your life second and you will be well on your way to freedom.



TODAY'S HEALTH TIP: BALANCE

BEING HEALTHY IS ABOUT BALANCE, NOT PERFECTION

Today, give your idea of eating the 'perfect' diet room to breathe.

Instead of focusing on whether or not you had a perfect day of eating, then giving up if you haven't in an all-or-nothing mentality, bring your attention to adventuring into the wide variety of healthy foods out there to try, and the fact that you are committing to do the best you can, and give yourself a break if you don't.

I use the 80/20 rule of being smart with my food. 80% of the time eat only nourishing, fresh and supportive foods and the other 20% of the time, enjoy a few indulgences. The key is not getting carried away...but in being just hedonistic enough that you enjoy some of your favorite things, like wine and chocolate, without busting all your progress.



TODAY'S BONUS RECIPE:

There's a Zen saying: "After enlightenment...the laundry." We say: "After chocolate...the soba." This recipe will bring you back into balance after a foray into that 20%.

Kale and Sesame Soba Noodles

1 large bunch green or black kale
1 227g / 8oz package soba noodles *
2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. sesame seeds - lightly toasted
1 large clove garlic, grated or pressed
black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. While the water is heating, prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the thick stems, tearing them into bite-sized pieces and washing them thoroughly. Discard the thick stem ends.

Add noodles to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add kale to the same pot and stir it in. Continue cooking until noodles are al dente.

Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, oil, seeds, pepper and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Drain and transfer noodles and kale to a large bowl. Pour dressing on top of noodles and kale, toss gently and serve immediately.

* Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles and are found in many large grocery stores and health food stores. You can use these or any Chinese noodles for the above recipe.




TODAY'S YOGA TIP: JUST BREATHE

Krishnamacharya, the man who originated many of the yoga poses you see in classes today, taught his students one primary fact of health. He said that each of us is already healthy, happy and free.

He continued that we don't need to go out and get something someone else has in order to be more, but rather to seek out the obstacles on any level that we have thrown in front of our freedom--and remove them. Then what's left is an unimpeded flow, and the faster you can get back to being as your true nature intended, the faster you'll self-generate the satisfaction you may be seeking from elsewhere.

This makes it much easier to gain a happy, healthy body, mind and heart. In your yoga practice, you can find muscle tension or weakness, release the first and strengthen the second. You can root out the limiting beliefs, habits and stories that rise up and cause us to toxify ourselves with anxiety, or act from insecurity.

Most of all, you can begin to move from freedom instead of fear. When you do, you will see everything in your inner and outer world begin to revolutionize.

Today during your practice, I want you to learn to be in two places at once. Be in the pose, noticing all the sensations that arise, and the stories you tell yourself when the challenges come. But at the same time, circle back inside, to make the breath, and keeping your awareness on it, your primary focus. Let it remind you of the ocean of calm, that inner equilibrium and calm place you always have access to. Even though, like life, your outer body will often try to constrict you and build areas of stress, counteract it by maintaining slow, even, deep breaths through your nose only. If you really need to catch your breath, feel free to open your mouth, but return to the nose breathing as soon as you can.

This action creates a resistance and pull so you will tone your cardiovascular system, help you hold the poses longer, center your mind, strengthen your breathing muscles (abs and back), gain more lean muscle mass and burn more fat as as your muscles and whole body gets the oxygen they need to spark the strength and fat-blasting process.

Now that's true freedom!

TODAY'S HOMEWORK:
1. What are some 'roadblocks' to your happiness or growth?
2. Being the master of your life, how can you successfully remove these obstacles and continue on your path?

TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION:

"I will not allow obstacles in life to throw me off track. I am free to move forward at every moment and so I shall."

DAY 7~ Freedom

DAY 7:

MISSION: SET YOURSELF FREE



When it comes to finally becoming happy and satisfied with yourself and your life, just like driving, there is a fast track, a slow track, and the potential to become stalled by the side of the road.

What many people don't understand, however, is that which one you are currently experiencing has nothing to do with the road itself, or even the car. It has everything to do with the driver: YOU!!

Thankfully, it's all about you. Just as the ability to victimize yourself and view life as a series of dream-busting excuses or a clear path to your greatest visions is up to you, so is the quest for freedom. We don't have to like or agree with other people's unskilled actions in order to keep our happiness and health as our first priorities.

If you're taking this challenge, than I can make an educated guess that there's probably something you would like to change. Maybe you want to lose those stubborn pounds, or gain higher self-esteem. Perhaps you're looking to be inspired out of the rut in which you find yourself, or, like me, you've gotten a taste of the glory of mastering your own experience and you want more of the good stuff you've been able to manifest.

Regardless, all along the way of any self-transformation process, there are roadblocks that will pop up. That's the nature of any progression. Remembering that they are self-created is important, because even if a blockage is something you seemingly can't control--say, your spouse leaves you and you feel completely knocked off center--the way you choose to deal with it (moving forward faster, slower, or staying stuck) is totally under your power to decide. Notice how we never say "He took my heart." We always say "I gave my heart away." That gives you a clear hint about whose responsibility it is to take it back.

Every experience is a teaching, and every person who steps into your path and affects you in some way is your teacher--yes, even if you want to kick them in the shins, or worse. Even if they act horribly. Even if they hurt you badly. Even if, conversely, they're a positive influence in your life and you love them and never want them to leave.

The key to unhappiness is to link together your experience of anyone or anything else outside of you, and even your own inner perspective on a situation with being happy. For example, if you lose 10 pounds, you'll be happy, but if you gain 10, you'll be unhappy. The Buddha said that suffering is caused by wanting things to be farther away or closer than they actually are. So if the weight goes away, poof! Happy. If the man comes closer, happy. If not: unhappy. So many people spend a lifetime wildly veering between the two, never realizing that one has nothing to do with the other.

You can claim your inherent state of deep peace, satisfaction, love and joy right this second. You don't have to do anything to get it, either. Instead, it's a simple but profound shift--from resisting your natural state to allowing yourself to be what you already are and always were: FREE!!

Love yourself first and people who come (and sometimes go) into your life second and you will be well on your way to freedom.



TODAY'S HEALTH TIP: BALANCE

BEING HEALTHY IS ABOUT BALANCE, NOT PERFECTION

Today, give your idea of eating the 'perfect' diet room to breathe.

Instead of focusing on whether or not you had a perfect day of eating, then giving up if you haven't in an all-or-nothing mentality, bring your attention to adventuring into the wide variety of healthy foods out there to try, and the fact that you are committing to do the best you can, and give yourself a break if you don't.

I use the 80/20 rule of being smart with my food. 80% of the time eat only nourishing, fresh and supportive foods and the other 20% of the time, enjoy a few indulgences. The key is not getting carried away...but in being just hedonistic enough that you enjoy some of your favorite things, like wine and chocolate, without busting all your progress.



TODAY'S BONUS RECIPE:

There's a Zen saying: "After enlightenment...the laundry." We say: "After chocolate...the soba." This recipe will bring you back into balance after a foray into that 20%.

Kale and Sesame Soba Noodles

1 large bunch green or black kale
1 227g / 8oz package soba noodles *
2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. sesame seeds - lightly toasted
1 large clove garlic, grated or pressed
black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. While the water is heating, prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the thick stems, tearing them into bite-sized pieces and washing them thoroughly. Discard the thick stem ends.

Add noodles to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add kale to the same pot and stir it in. Continue cooking until noodles are al dente.

Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, oil, seeds, pepper and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Drain and transfer noodles and kale to a large bowl. Pour dressing on top of noodles and kale, toss gently and serve immediately.

* Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles and are found in many large grocery stores and health food stores. You can use these or any Chinese noodles for the above recipe.




TODAY'S YOGA TIP: JUST BREATHE

Krishnamacharya, the man who originated many of the yoga poses you see in classes today, taught his students one primary fact of health. He said that each of us is already healthy, happy and free.

He continued that we don't need to go out and get something someone else has in order to be more, but rather to seek out the obstacles on any level that we have thrown in front of our freedom--and remove them. Then what's left is an unimpeded flow, and the faster you can get back to being as your true nature intended, the faster you'll self-generate the satisfaction you may be seeking from elsewhere.

This makes it much easier to gain a happy, healthy body, mind and heart. In your yoga practice, you can find muscle tension or weakness, release the first and strengthen the second. You can root out the limiting beliefs, habits and stories that rise up and cause us to toxify ourselves with anxiety, or act from insecurity.

Most of all, you can begin to move from freedom instead of fear. When you do, you will see everything in your inner and outer world begin to revolutionize.

Today during your practice, I want you to learn to be in two places at once. Be in the pose, noticing all the sensations that arise, and the stories you tell yourself when the challenges come. But at the same time, circle back inside, to make the breath, and keeping your awareness on it, your primary focus. Let it remind you of the ocean of calm, that inner equilibrium and calm place you always have access to. Even though, like life, your outer body will often try to constrict you and build areas of stress, counteract it by maintaining slow, even, deep breaths through your nose only. If you really need to catch your breath, feel free to open your mouth, but return to the nose breathing as soon as you can.

This action creates a resistance and pull so you will tone your cardiovascular system, help you hold the poses longer, center your mind, strengthen your breathing muscles (abs and back), gain more lean muscle mass and burn more fat as as your muscles and whole body gets the oxygen they need to spark the strength and fat-blasting process.

Now that's true freedom!

TODAY'S HOMEWORK:
1. What are some 'roadblocks' to your happiness or growth?
2. Being the master of your life, how can you successfully remove these obstacles and continue on your path?

TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION:

"I will not allow obstacles in life to throw me off track. I am free to move forward at every moment and so I shall."

DAY~6 Master Mentality

TODAY'S MISSION: DEVELOP A MASTER MENTALITY



When it comes to making changes for the better, I've heard every excuse in the book as to why someone can't. Some of the more common ones:

"My kids take up all my time and energy."

"I'm just dealing with relationship/family/friend drama right now."
"My job is just so crazy right now!"
"I can't seem to find the time."
"I'm super stressed and can't add another thing."
and my favorite: "I'm totally going to start...next week."

The problem with excuses is that there is always another one lined up to stop you from reaching your goals or taking action toward your dreams.

I'm someone who used to be a victim of life, wanting so badly to get out of my dysfunctional situation, but never seeing how I could do it, as sick, tired, heartbroken and stressed out as I was. Then I asked this one question:

"What if I stopped trying so hard to find the time for me, and made it instead?"

This simple but profound shift suddenly put me in the driver's seat, where before I was being taken along for the ride by everyone else's needs, and also by my own doubts and fears.

When I started looking at my days differently, I realized there were many things, like friends' dramas, or my own, or saying yes to things I didn't really want to do, that I actually didn't need to participate in. I started small, making notes of what I would take care of the next day instead of taking those worries to bed and causing insomnia. I told an acquaintance I wasn't available to cat-sit, once a week and sometimes I wouldn't pick up the phone when the drama queens called. I realized: drama voicemail is much shorter.

Then, when I saw that instead of that energy drain, I could not only conserve my life force, I could use it toward something that nourished me and moved me farther along my own path, I began to get excited, empowered...and thinking big.

"If this works," I said to myself, "then what else can I turn to my advantage?"

Honestly, I got a little Master Mentality crazed. I started transforming everything--I lost 30 pounds, let go of toxic friends, wrote and published a book when everyone said it was impossible, became a wellness teacher, and now am a paid blogger, making money off of something that I love and did happily for free!

It's amazing how much more effectively life works when you take matters into your own hands, engage with your own process and stop letting so-called 'reality'--yours or other people's-- get in your way.

I said many of those same excuses back then, too, and I truly believed they were Gospel. Nowadays, as busy as I am, you will never hear me utter an excuse. That's because I have come to understand that there is nothing blocking me from my most incredible path. There is only me, choosing to walk it or not.

When it comes to making the changes you seek, you can look and see resistance. Or, like the people below, all of whom also have busy schedules, families, and fatigued days, you can view your possibilities in a new light.

I have witnessed thousands of clients celebrate every kind of personal victory you can imagine. One woman gained the courage to quit a job she detested, and start a yoga studio, which she absolutely loves. Another left an abusive relationship within which she couldn't seem to get pregnant, met her gentle soulmate the next year and had two gorgeous children with him. My biggest success story is my client that lost over 100 lbs in less than 6 months and after years of being single, met her soulmate and is now planning her wedding!

Wow. I'm in awe when I see the power of dedicated intention put into consistent action. And guess what? You can do it too. Just look around, and question every excuse until it burns in the fire of your newfound fierceness to do what you must to live with no more regrets. No matter who else makes a choice to act a certain way, your choice can, and should always be toward your greatest good.



TODAY'S HEALTH TIP:

DEVELOP AN IRON WILL

If you've been following my suggestions thus far, you are already including a good source of lean protein with your meals. However, are you still concerned about iron deficiency?

Dark, leafy green veggies - like spinach, kale, collards, chard and bok choy - contain a high amount of vitamin C, which will enhance your body's absorption of the iron in a lean cut of beef or other iron-containing foods. Iron is one of our foundational nutritional needs. Keep your iron levels up and you will maintain maximum oxygen flow through your bloodstream, which in turn helps you burn fat, build lean muscle density and keeps syour body detoxified for total health.



TODAY'S BONUS RECIPE:
Grilled Honey Yogurt Chicken with Pineapple Rice

Makes 2 servings
3/4 cup organic chicken broth
1/4 cup pineapple juice from canned, organic pineapple
1/2 cup organic short grain brown rice
1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
1 tbsp honey
Pinch salt & pepper
2 skinless, boneless organic chicken breast, halved
4 canned organic pineapple rings

Preheat grill. Boil the chicken broth and pineapple juice in small saucepan. Add the rice and stir once. Cover, lower the heat and simmer 40 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is soft. Meanwhile, stir together yogurt, honey, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with the yogurt sauce and place on a heated grill for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Place the pineapple rings on the grill during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Turn once. Chop two of the rings into chunks and toss into rice before serving. Serve the other rings on top of the chicken breasts, which you can place on a bed of rice.

**Add a side of steamed greens with a little garlic to this dish to create a fat-blasting trifecta of protein, Vitamin C and iron!

TODAY'S YOGA TIP: FIRE YOUR FOUNDATION

Today, you will begin to use your time more wisely by setting resistance aside, and saying yes to the actions that make your own transformation paramount.

You can trigger more fat-blasting benefits for the time spent on the mat by doing one thing: using your foundation to your advantage.

The 'foundation' means whatever's on the floor: feet, hands, sitting bones, whatever. When it comes to your foundation, my Core rule of thumb is: don't hang out on it--fire it up! Or, down, in this case.

Anatomically, your foundation is the first priority in any pose, something to be firmed into and aligned properly before you even come into the next move, because when you work what's on the ground optimally, it will cause your whole body to amplify in strength and results. The core activates and other muscles join in to support the movement better so you're building strength and whole body sculpt, not muscle tension or joint pressure. Your entire body will balance better when any movement comes first from the root underneath it. You'll burn more calories by adding in the inner body activation too--so more mindful foundation equals doing twice the yoga!

Here's a little foundational anatomy refresher. Your feet have three points: the ball of the foot under the big toe and pinky toe, and the center of the heel, that must always be grounding in any moment they are on the floor. When your hands are down, dig all 10 fingertips into the mat, and press through the ring of your outer palm. Watch that thumb and index finger pad--they like to lift up, which can twist the wrist. If your seat or legs are down, root them down strongly. Press any of your foundational points down all the time, whether you're coming into, are holding, or are coming out of a pose--a moment when most people just forget about continuing the active press into the earth. The only time you let your foundation relax is when you're lying on your back resting at the end of class or in a totally released restorative pose. Otherwise, it's like cutting the legs off a table and expecting it to stay standing. You want to avoid inner body collapse, so keep your 'table legs' standing.

Specifically, engaging the foundation sparks the Deep Core line of muscles that runs through the inner body, and brings more power and lightness to your pose. It also amps up your metabolism, since you are now using the inner and outer body more fully, and building more lean, dense, muscles per move.

During your practice today, pay particular attention to maintaining a strong foundation, and enjoy the rush of stepping onto the fast-track toward your best body goal!

TODAY'S HOMEWORK

1. Have you noticed a change in your energy levels since the start of this challenge?
2. Are you happy with the changes you've made?
3. Can you push yourself further? How?

TODAY'S JOURNAL ENTRY

Imagine, using your visualization technique, a situation that you have the ability to demonstrate the Master Mentality. Imagine you are saying no to something you really don't want to do. Instead of spending time serving others, you can do anything you want. What do you do? Be descriptive.

Begin your journal entry like this...

Having said no to, ______________, I finally had time to ________________________


TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION

"I, alone, control my time & from this day forward, I will use my time, solely, towards my own great good."

DAY 6~ Master Mentality

TODAY'S MISSION: DEVELOP A MASTER MENTALITY



When it comes to making changes for the better, I've heard every excuse in the book as to why someone can't. Some of the more common ones:

"My kids take up all my time and energy."

"I'm just dealing with relationship/family/friend drama right now."
"My job is just so crazy right now!"
"I can't seem to find the time."
"I'm super stressed and can't add another thing."
and my favorite: "I'm totally going to start...next week."

The problem with excuses is that there is always another one lined up to stop you from reaching your goals or taking action toward your dreams.

I'm someone who used to be a victim of life, wanting so badly to get out of my dysfunctional situation, but never seeing how I could do it, as sick, tired, heartbroken and stressed out as I was. Then I asked this one question:

"What if I stopped trying so hard to find the time for me, and made it instead?"

This simple but profound shift suddenly put me in the driver's seat, where before I was being taken along for the ride by everyone else's needs, and also by my own doubts and fears.

When I started looking at my days differently, I realized there were many things, like friends' dramas, or my own, or saying yes to things I didn't really want to do, that I actually didn't need to participate in. I started small, making notes of what I would take care of the next day instead of taking those worries to bed and causing insomnia. I told an acquaintance I wasn't available to cat-sit, once a week and sometimes I wouldn't pick up the phone when the drama queens called. I realized: drama voicemail is much shorter.

Then, when I saw that instead of that energy drain, I could not only conserve my life force, I could use it toward something that nourished me and moved me farther along my own path, I began to get excited, empowered...and thinking big.

"If this works," I said to myself, "then what else can I turn to my advantage?"

Honestly, I got a little Master Mentality crazed. I started transforming everything--I lost 30 pounds, let go of toxic friends, wrote and published a book when everyone said it was impossible, became a wellness teacher, and now am a paid blogger, making money off of something that I love and did happily for free!

It's amazing how much more effectively life works when you take matters into your own hands, engage with your own process and stop letting so-called 'reality'--yours or other people's-- get in your way.

I said many of those same excuses back then, too, and I truly believed they were Gospel. Nowadays, as busy as I am, you will never hear me utter an excuse. That's because I have come to understand that there is nothing blocking me from my most incredible path. There is only me, choosing to walk it or not.

When it comes to making the changes you seek, you can look and see resistance. Or, like the people below, all of whom also have busy schedules, families, and fatigued days, you can view your possibilities in a new light.

I have witnessed thousands of clients celebrate every kind of personal victory you can imagine. One woman gained the courage to quit a job she detested, and start a yoga studio, which she absolutely loves. Another left an abusive relationship within which she couldn't seem to get pregnant, met her gentle soulmate the next year and had two gorgeous children with him. My biggest success story is my client that lost over 100 lbs in less than 6 months and after years of being single, met her soulmate and is now planning her wedding!

Wow. I'm in awe when I see the power of dedicated intention put into consistent action. And guess what? You can do it too. Just look around, and question every excuse until it burns in the fire of your newfound fierceness to do what you must to live with no more regrets. No matter who else makes a choice to act a certain way, your choice can, and should always be toward your greatest good.



TODAY'S HEALTH TIP:

DEVELOP AN IRON WILL

If you've been following my suggestions thus far, you are already including a good source of lean protein with your meals. However, are you still concerned about iron deficiency?

Dark, leafy green veggies - like spinach, kale, collards, chard and bok choy - contain a high amount of vitamin C, which will enhance your body's absorption of the iron in a lean cut of beef or other iron-containing foods. Iron is one of our foundational nutritional needs. Keep your iron levels up and you will maintain maximum oxygen flow through your bloodstream, which in turn helps you burn fat, build lean muscle density and keeps syour body detoxified for total health.



TODAY'S BONUS RECIPE:
Grilled Honey Yogurt Chicken with Pineapple Rice

Makes 2 servings
3/4 cup organic chicken broth
1/4 cup pineapple juice from canned, organic pineapple
1/2 cup organic short grain brown rice
1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
1 tbsp honey
Pinch salt & pepper
2 skinless, boneless organic chicken breast, halved
4 canned organic pineapple rings

Preheat grill. Boil the chicken broth and pineapple juice in small saucepan. Add the rice and stir once. Cover, lower the heat and simmer 40 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is soft. Meanwhile, stir together yogurt, honey, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with the yogurt sauce and place on a heated grill for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Place the pineapple rings on the grill during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Turn once. Chop two of the rings into chunks and toss into rice before serving. Serve the other rings on top of the chicken breasts, which you can place on a bed of rice.

**Add a side of steamed greens with a little garlic to this dish to create a fat-blasting trifecta of protein, Vitamin C and iron!

TODAY'S YOGA TIP: FIRE YOUR FOUNDATION

Today, you will begin to use your time more wisely by setting resistance aside, and saying yes to the actions that make your own transformation paramount.

You can trigger more fat-blasting benefits for the time spent on the mat by doing one thing: using your foundation to your advantage.

The 'foundation' means whatever's on the floor: feet, hands, sitting bones, whatever. When it comes to your foundation, my Core rule of thumb is: don't hang out on it--fire it up! Or, down, in this case.

Anatomically, your foundation is the first priority in any pose, something to be firmed into and aligned properly before you even come into the next move, because when you work what's on the ground optimally, it will cause your whole body to amplify in strength and results. The core activates and other muscles join in to support the movement better so you're building strength and whole body sculpt, not muscle tension or joint pressure. Your entire body will balance better when any movement comes first from the root underneath it. You'll burn more calories by adding in the inner body activation too--so more mindful foundation equals doing twice the yoga!

Here's a little foundational anatomy refresher. Your feet have three points: the ball of the foot under the big toe and pinky toe, and the center of the heel, that must always be grounding in any moment they are on the floor. When your hands are down, dig all 10 fingertips into the mat, and press through the ring of your outer palm. Watch that thumb and index finger pad--they like to lift up, which can twist the wrist. If your seat or legs are down, root them down strongly. Press any of your foundational points down all the time, whether you're coming into, are holding, or are coming out of a pose--a moment when most people just forget about continuing the active press into the earth. The only time you let your foundation relax is when you're lying on your back resting at the end of class or in a totally released restorative pose. Otherwise, it's like cutting the legs off a table and expecting it to stay standing. You want to avoid inner body collapse, so keep your 'table legs' standing.

Specifically, engaging the foundation sparks the Deep Core line of muscles that runs through the inner body, and brings more power and lightness to your pose. It also amps up your metabolism, since you are now using the inner and outer body more fully, and building more lean, dense, muscles per move.

During your practice today, pay particular attention to maintaining a strong foundation, and enjoy the rush of stepping onto the fast-track toward your best body goal!

TODAY'S HOMEWORK

1. Have you noticed a change in your energy levels since the start of this challenge?
2. Are you happy with the changes you've made?
3. Can you push yourself further? How?

TODAY'S JOURNAL ENTRY

Imagine, using your visualization technique, a situation that you have the ability to demonstrate the Master Mentality. Imagine you are saying no to something you really don't want to do. Instead of spending time serving others, you can do anything you want. What do you do? Be descriptive.

Begin your journal entry like this...

Having said no to, ______________, I finally had time to ________________________


TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION

"I, alone, control my time & from this day forward, I will use my time, solely, towards my own great good."

DAY 5~ Perseverance

DAY 5

TODAY'S MISSION:  PERSEVERANCE




The 4th of July is my favorite holiday, by far. I love the simplicity of gathering with friends & family, watching the fireworks, drinking cold adult beverages and eating a variety of classic american barbecue treats. As my daughter's boyfriend so bluntly pointed out, as only teenagers can do with grace & humor simultaneously, "What about the DIET??"

I personally detest the word "diet". For me, it conjures up images of sweating bullets at the gym for hours, eating nothing but twigs and bark, and looking with envy over the table at people who are eating real food that tastes good as they actually enjoy their lives.

The last thing you should do if you are interested in having your best body and life ever, is to give up the things you love and turn into someone who has lost all enjoyment for moving, eating, or living. I'm Italian, and in my heritage, nothing is more important than passion for food, for love and for family.

I am far from perfect when it comes to my food vices. However, I have learned the simple art, that all European women seem to have mastered at birth, of enjoying small ecstatic bits of enjoyment out of one or two glorious bites of said forbidden food.

So, last night I enjoyed half of a wholesome home-grilled hamburger with a side of toasted chickpeas & lots of fresh fruit. In one of her many not-so-random acts of kindness, Mother Nature made it so that you can actually eat more when what you're eating is whole and fresh, than you can when your choices are of the processed kind. 

To 'cheat' so to speak, I took a few small bites of oreo chocolate cake. I even ate a few potato chips. I know that I've been working hard, my metabolism is burning fast and it was a special occasion that deserved some tasty forbidden treats. Not to mention, once you make the complete switch to eating 'right' everyday, one or two bites of 'junk' is all your tummy will be able to handle!!

Don't beat yourself up if you indulge on special occasions. Be sure to make your meal as healthy and wholesome as possible, as often as possible. When you cheat, make it worth it and only savor a few bites. Please, stop ingesting any fake sugars or chemicals to substitute completely!!. It's only hindering your weight loss efforts and harming your body.

Did you know that 'diet' soda and any other sweet tasting processed food that claims to be sugar free, is made with fake sugar-tasting chemicals that actually trick your brain into thinking that you are hungry!! Ever wonder why meals ingested with your diet soda never leave you satisfied long? I really wish that everyone knew this insane scientific fact & could save themselves countless hours at the gym or starving themselves in the intern trying to make up for all that over-eating!

Today, I invite you to apply this model to your quest to look and feel amazing. Instead of "giving up" anything, choose health and love for your body. Pick fresh, whole foods because you're becoming passionate about eating simple, beautiful and healing things, and get excited to taste a cornucopia of nature's treasures, and to revel in the benefits of increased energy and decreased flab.



TODAY'S HEALTH TIP: LEARN TO BE OKAY WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

Any level of change is going to have its ups and downs, whether it's with your food, exercise routine, or anything else. But it's holding steady as you persevere through the moments of wanting to quit or to stop and resist thinking of any excuse as to why you can't continue that is the mark of someone who becomes their ultimate self.

Maybe you don't like greens, or your palate has to go through a period of adjustment from processed to whole foods. Some days you forget to eat, and your hormones are driving you straight to the pasta bar. Can you sit in discomfort long enough to look yourself straight in the eye and remember your soul's deepest desire of health and happiness above the siren song of things you know will sabotage your hard work?

Develop the skill of feeling intense sensation, then moving forward anyway in the direction of your integrity.

Whenever you feel like giving up, instead, return to the belief that you are worth 21 days out of your life to give yourself a true opportunity at change--then make your next decision from the Core.



TODAY'S BONUS RECIPE:

Here's a sweet, rewarding treat that's also chock full of goodness. So, if you feel like reverting back to old ways that don't serve you by, let's say, diving deep into that pint of ice cream, reach for this first. I guarantee you will emerge truly satisfied.

Purple Haze Smoothie

1/2 banana ½ cup frozen blueberries
Handful spinach
1/2 cup almond milk plus ¼ cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Tbsp ground flaxseed
1-2 ice cubes





TODAY'S YOGA TIP: PLAY THE EDGE

You have probably noticed this already, but the type of yoga I shared with you in the beginning of this course, the kind that changes your body quickly, is intense. For every 20 minutes you do, it's like doing 40 minutes of many other styles.

That's the reason that my clients who stick with it totally transform their bodies, and the ones who resist working that efficiently--and strongly, get fewer results. I hear from the latter group regularly, and it's always the same mantras: "I don't like being hot", "I don't like feeling uncomfortable," and my favorite: "I'm too tired to do this today."

If you're too tired, take a nap, then move vigorously when you're more refreshed. But it's not going to serve your goals to do this practice halfway, or not at all. If you stay backed off from your edge, in full temporary comfort, you will not trigger your Core Growth Principle, and you will leave the mat not having gotten the full reward from the time you spent there, all because you didn't like the feeling of intensity.

Today, I say, go play at your edge. In every pose, don't push, but press a little farther into what I'm asking you to do. When your mind says "well, that's good enough, time to get the heck out of this pose", stay for three more breaths. Yes, you will feel sensation in your muscles, and your mind, since you're confronting your very human desire to stay comfortable and safe all the time. But playing it safe and never asking more of oneself has been the death of many a dream.

Yogis learn to dance with discomfort, and realize that this is the very feeling that gets them where they want to go. If you have knee issues, or are building strength, for example, you can take a wider or shorter (or both) stance in the standing poses, and put one or both knees down when available. Rest in Child's Pose sometimes or dance around if you can't do a pose. Adapt the practice, but keep it at a level that shifts you. Find a way. After a while, it becomes not uncomfortable, but powerful, as we reframe the meaning, and with it, our perception of what yoga, and life can do for us, if we meet it with courage, offering our full potential to every challenge.


TODAY'S HOMEWORK:

1. Today, how can you re-empower yourself to no longer deny yourself, but instead, to choose health--instead of the opposite--every chance you get? 
2. Make a list of things you can switch from BAD to GOOD

TODAY'S JOURNAL ENTRY:

Being a person with integrity armed with perseverance is not easy, but I believe you are that person. Using your visualization technique, imagine a situation where you are faced with poor choices (whether that be a day faced with potentially not moving/pushing your body in some form of exercise or a situation where you are faced with poor eating choices). How do you handle this situation with integrity to yourself and your health? How do you make good choices? Be descriptive.


Begin your journal entry like this...


Surrounded by my temptations, I persevere toward my set goals by.....


TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION

"I am a person with integrity armed with perseverance!"

Good Luck with your Day 5

~Stephanie Chasles 

DAY 5~ Perseverance

DAY 5

TODAY'S MISSION:  PERSEVERANCE




The 4th of July is my favorite holiday, by far. I love the simplicity of gathering with friends & family, watching the fireworks, drinking cold adult beverages and eating a variety of classic american barbecue treats. As my daughter's boyfriend so bluntly pointed out, as only teenagers can do with grace & humor simultaneously, "What about the DIET??"

I personally detest the word "diet". For me, it conjures up images of sweating bullets at the gym for hours, eating nothing but twigs and bark, and looking with envy over the table at people who are eating real food that tastes good as they actually enjoy their lives.

The last thing you should do if you are interested in having your best body and life ever, is to give up the things you love and turn into someone who has lost all enjoyment for moving, eating, or living. I'm Italian, and in my heritage, nothing is more important than passion for food, for love and for family.

I am far from perfect when it comes to my food vices. However, I have learned the simple art, that all European women seem to have mastered at birth, of enjoying small ecstatic bits of enjoyment out of one or two glorious bites of said forbidden food.

So, last night I enjoyed half of a wholesome home-grilled hamburger with a side of toasted chickpeas & lots of fresh fruit. In one of her many not-so-random acts of kindness, Mother Nature made it so that you can actually eat more when what you're eating is whole and fresh, than you can when your choices are of the processed kind. 

To 'cheat' so to speak, I took a few small bites of oreo chocolate cake. I even ate a few potato chips. I know that I've been working hard, my metabolism is burning fast and it was a special occasion that deserved some tasty forbidden treats. Not to mention, once you make the complete switch to eating 'right' everyday, one or two bites of 'junk' is all your tummy will be able to handle!!

Don't beat yourself up if you indulge on special occasions. Be sure to make your meal as healthy and wholesome as possible, as often as possible. When you cheat, make it worth it and only savor a few bites. Please, stop ingesting any fake sugars or chemicals to substitute completely!!. It's only hindering your weight loss efforts and harming your body.

Did you know that 'diet' soda and any other sweet tasting processed food that claims to be sugar free, is made with fake sugar-tasting chemicals that actually trick your brain into thinking that you are hungry!! Ever wonder why meals ingested with your diet soda never leave you satisfied long? I really wish that everyone knew this insane scientific fact & could save themselves countless hours at the gym or starving themselves in the intern trying to make up for all that over-eating!

Today, I invite you to apply this model to your quest to look and feel amazing. Instead of "giving up" anything, choose health and love for your body. Pick fresh, whole foods because you're becoming passionate about eating simple, beautiful and healing things, and get excited to taste a cornucopia of nature's treasures, and to revel in the benefits of increased energy and decreased flab.



TODAY'S HEALTH TIP: LEARN TO BE OKAY WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

Any level of change is going to have its ups and downs, whether it's with your food, exercise routine, or anything else. But it's holding steady as you persevere through the moments of wanting to quit or to stop and resist thinking of any excuse as to why you can't continue that is the mark of someone who becomes their ultimate self.

Maybe you don't like greens, or your palate has to go through a period of adjustment from processed to whole foods. Some days you forget to eat, and your hormones are driving you straight to the pasta bar. Can you sit in discomfort long enough to look yourself straight in the eye and remember your soul's deepest desire of health and happiness above the siren song of things you know will sabotage your hard work?

Develop the skill of feeling intense sensation, then moving forward anyway in the direction of your integrity.

Whenever you feel like giving up, instead, return to the belief that you are worth 21 days out of your life to give yourself a true opportunity at change--then make your next decision from the Core.



TODAY'S BONUS RECIPE:

Here's a sweet, rewarding treat that's also chock full of goodness. So, if you feel like reverting back to old ways that don't serve you by, let's say, diving deep into that pint of ice cream, reach for this first. I guarantee you will emerge truly satisfied.

Purple Haze Smoothie

1/2 banana ½ cup frozen blueberries
Handful spinach
1/2 cup almond milk plus ¼ cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Tbsp ground flaxseed
1-2 ice cubes





TODAY'S YOGA TIP: PLAY THE EDGE

You have probably noticed this already, but the type of yoga I shared with you in the beginning of this course, the kind that changes your body quickly, is intense. For every 20 minutes you do, it's like doing 40 minutes of many other styles.

That's the reason that my clients who stick with it totally transform their bodies, and the ones who resist working that efficiently--and strongly, get fewer results. I hear from the latter group regularly, and it's always the same mantras: "I don't like being hot", "I don't like feeling uncomfortable," and my favorite: "I'm too tired to do this today."

If you're too tired, take a nap, then move vigorously when you're more refreshed. But it's not going to serve your goals to do this practice halfway, or not at all. If you stay backed off from your edge, in full temporary comfort, you will not trigger your Core Growth Principle, and you will leave the mat not having gotten the full reward from the time you spent there, all because you didn't like the feeling of intensity.

Today, I say, go play at your edge. In every pose, don't push, but press a little farther into what I'm asking you to do. When your mind says "well, that's good enough, time to get the heck out of this pose", stay for three more breaths. Yes, you will feel sensation in your muscles, and your mind, since you're confronting your very human desire to stay comfortable and safe all the time. But playing it safe and never asking more of oneself has been the death of many a dream.

Yogis learn to dance with discomfort, and realize that this is the very feeling that gets them where they want to go. If you have knee issues, or are building strength, for example, you can take a wider or shorter (or both) stance in the standing poses, and put one or both knees down when available. Rest in Child's Pose sometimes or dance around if you can't do a pose. Adapt the practice, but keep it at a level that shifts you. Find a way. After a while, it becomes not uncomfortable, but powerful, as we reframe the meaning, and with it, our perception of what yoga, and life can do for us, if we meet it with courage, offering our full potential to every challenge.


TODAY'S HOMEWORK:

1. Today, how can you re-empower yourself to no longer deny yourself, but instead, to choose health--instead of the opposite--every chance you get? 
2. Make a list of things you can switch from BAD to GOOD

TODAY'S JOURNAL ENTRY:

Being a person with integrity armed with perseverance is not easy, but I believe you are that person. Using your visualization technique, imagine a situation where you are faced with poor choices (whether that be a day faced with potentially not moving/pushing your body in some form of exercise or a situation where you are faced with poor eating choices). How do you handle this situation with integrity to yourself and your health? How do you make good choices? Be descriptive.


Begin your journal entry like this...


Surrounded by my temptations, I persevere toward my set goals by.....


TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION

"I am a person with integrity armed with perseverance!"

Good Luck with your Day 5

~Stephanie Chasles