The Flavors of Africa
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Each lunch and dinner began with the most incredible soups and almost always included a stew option. Here are three of our favorites from our favorite Tanzanians, who shared them with love.
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Spring Veggies - 5 Ways
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No matter where you live - in the city or in the country - summertime in the Upper Midwest is a time to enjoy the weather, not to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals!
Read MoreMarcia’s Musings: The Lion Sleeps Tonight
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Finding ourselves surrounded by lions in the heart of Tanzania, we held our collective breath. Here’s what happened next – you can’t make this up – and what I learned from the experience.
Read MoreThe Power of Platonic Relationships
/…my life was forever changed. The life-coaching program emphasizes tapping into your feminine side and women supporting women. These ideas led to being introduced to the concept of a Power Partner. A Power Partner is an intentional platonic friend who you support and who feels supported by you.
Read MoreMarcia's Musings: What's Holding You Back?
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Inner wars and conflicts never pass without struggle. Whether the focus is on love, relationship, food, exercise, money, or anything else, once the inner struggle begins, we easily bog down, mired in the mud of indecision and inaction. Ask me: I’m expert on this one.
Read MoreIs Mindfulness Stressing You Out?
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When I am in a mindful place, I feel free to witness my thoughts by labeling them as simply a type of thought (i.e., future, past, fear-based), and release them, connecting back to my breath and body. This practice of being in the moment allows me to distinguish between what’s true in that moment and the stories that sweep me away for minutes on end.
Read MoreWhat Brings You Alive?
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One day the question “What brings you alive?” caused her to sit up. Her immediate response was, “Not a doggone thing.“ With eyes brimming and a knot in her throat, she wondered, “When did I become so small? I need more! I want to LIVE!” she proclaimed aloud.
Read MoreMarcia's Musings: The Heart as Guide and Messenger
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Trusting your heart demands not only deep listening but also deep feeling. You cannot think your way to discovering your heart’s deepest longing. You must hear and feel it and then give it voice, clearly and compassionately….
Read MoreCelebrating the Season with Crystals & Stones
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Crystals and stones can lend support and provide energetic balance during this time. Each stone has a unique molecular structure and vibration, one created as the stone forms. It is the vibrational frequency of the stone that gives each its properties….
Read MoreA Gift For You and For You to Share
/Whether we share our family recipes, our own creations, riffs on classics, or recipes informed by traditional medicine, our hope is that our recipes and food stories provide nourishment of both body and soul. They are sent with love and warm wishes.
This holiday season we’re sharing some of the “golden-oldie” favorites…
Read MoreImages of Light
/In the dark days of winter, around the Winter Solstice, we long for the light of the sun. Our wintertime traditions with stories of bright stars, traditions of Yule logs and candles, and decorating with twinkling lights all serve as reminders to look toward the coming light in all its forms.
Read MoreMocktails & Cocktails for Your Seasonal Celebrations
/When I was a girl, the Christmas holiday was a weeklong gathering of my mom’s five siblings and all of their children in my grandparents’ house. We all cooked, baked cookies, strung popcorn and cranberries to hang on the tree, played cards, and sang together in the days leading up to Christmas.
Read MoreVeggie Curry: Spiced to Ignite Your Digestive Fires and Soothe Your Soul
/If you have not prepared Indian food, this vibrantly yellow curry is a great place to start. Once you have these spices on hand, you can use them in varying combinations to prepare a variety of Indian dishes in addition to various curries including biryani, korma, and vindaloo.
Read MoreDIY Aromatherapy Body Butter
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This all-natural, skin soothing body butter is easy to make with just a few ingredients that can be found at a natural food market or ordered online.
Read MoreMarcia’s Musings: My Love Affair
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I started to examine how the repetitive, mundane tasks of life – whether working on the farm with all it entailed or, later, attending to my own home with its demands for care and payments – felt in my body. The more I focused on the chore, the more aware I became of the emotions and sensations emerging.
Read MoreCommon Bond
/During this time of year, when we are reminded to pause and feel gratitude for our good fortunes and blessings, I realize that “thanksgiving” has not been an annual event for me in a very long time. The practice of yoga, mindfulness, and healing brings gratitude front and center – a daily pause kindled by the observation of life’s victories, no matter how small.
Read MoreThe Action of Inaction: A Closer Look at Viparita Karani
/Viparita karani: You probably know it as Legs Up the Wall pose and, chances are, you’ve enjoyed this relaxing pose at the end of a gentle or hatha yoga class. This posture may look simple – and even feel simple; however, there is much more to it than meets the eye.
Read MoreMeet Yoga Teacher Casey Cashman
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Casey discovered yoga in 2009 while searching for a path towards healing. After feeling disconnected for years, yoga provided the space and tools needed to befriend her own body and release past trauma. As her practice deepened, she experienced how the power of breath, movement, and present moment awareness can lead to a more embodied life. With a background in victim advocacy, she wanted to learn more and be able to share this healing practice with others. She completed her RYT 200 training through Core Power Yoga in 2013 and has been teaching in various settings since. Casey has additional training in Yin yoga, trauma-informed yoga, and Reiki. She strives to create a safe and welcoming space for all students to explore movement and reconnect with their body and breath. Casey lives with her family near Northfield and in her spare time enjoys reading, cooking, paddleboarding, and puzzles.
Meet Yoga Teacher Isabel Theobald
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Isabel fell in love with yoga in high school and has been coming back to the practice ever since. She completed her RYT-200 teacher training at Green Lotus in 2019 and has done continuing education in trauma-informed and addiction-recovery approaches to yoga practice. Isabel has a strong background in dance and the arts and loves to bring movement and creativity into all aspects of life. Isabel's yoga and meditation practice has taught her how to navigate difficult times with grace and courage. Her mission is to help others deepen their inner connection and find more balance and joy in life.
Meet Yoga Teacher Jennifer Saunier
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Jennifer became dedicated to her practice in 2012. She was looking for a way to manage stress and anxiety, deepen her spirituality with meditation, and help heal from a past knee injury. Through yoga, she also found that her practice taught self-love, gratitude, forgiveness, and kindness for all beings. Jennifer has a decade of experience in the Human Services field helping clients with basic human needs. Combining her passion for yoga and humanities led her to get certified as a RYT 200 through the Green Lotus Teacher Training program in 2022. She is currently studying to be a RYT 500 (advanced) SomaYoga Teacher at Yoga North’s International SomaYoga Institute. This experience will help deepen her therapeutic approach to teaching yoga. Helping others create balance through different styles of breathwork, asana, and loving self-talk is a way for Jennifer to give back to the community. She has a passion for wellness, and believes that love is a basic human need. Finding freedom in movement, showing yourself and others love, and mantra are some of experiences you may find in Jennifer’s class. Off the mat, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking trails, cooking, and making jewelry.