After much thought and reflection, I’ve decided to quit teaching yoga. I’m tired of getting up early and always having to “be on.” I’m over counting in Sanskrit, adjusting students, learning new names and faces, and hustling to teach class after class. Long gone are the days that I used to enjoy chanting OM,  and studying the Sutras and playing my harmonium. So I’m rolling up my yoga mat and tossing it in the recycle bin and that’s all folks. Have a Namaste. 

APRIL FOOLS!!!!!! I’m sure you’re not that gullible but when I was younger (and even today) I used to try and play tricks on my parents and see if they would fall for it or not. I did get them a couple of times but mostly they outsmarted me. One April Fools’ Day I called up my Dad and told him that my brother Andrew, then about five, had fallen off the swing set at school and they had just called to say that both his legs were broken but that he was going to be fine. My Dad was freaking out and I started hysterically laughing in the background, and the jig was up! It was really good while it lasted though!

I cannot imagine giving up yoga because like it says in the title today, “I bend so I don’t break!” No fooling! One of my favorite students (and they all seem to be named Bob!) came up to me before class yesterday with a big smirk on his face. He’d been traveling for work for the past three weeks and it was his first day back. “I feel like I’m gonna break. Bend me Niccola!” The students all started laughing and within the hour, Bob regained his posture, his shoulders un-hunched and he swears he “grew an inch taller!”

You probably know how Bob feels after being away from your mat for some or a little time, as do I! So I’m inviting you all to a FREE yoga class this Friday in hopes of inspiring you to hit the mat with me! I am sooooooo excited to announce that my all-time favorite yoga brand and company, LuLuLemon Athletica is opening up a showroom in San Luis Obispo and it’s happening this Friday! I’m “stoked” as the Californians would say! I have been wearing LuLuLemon for years now and I was an ambassador for their flagship store in Chicago on Halsted Street. For years I would teach a yoga in the park class over in Oz park and the turnout never ceased to amaze me!

Amen!

So here are the deets: The store opens this Friday, April 3rd and there’s a party happening all weekend! I’ll be teaching an all-levels yoga class on Friday from 1:30-2:30 p.m. followed by some cheese and wine! You all know how I do it by now don’t you?! The featured yoga studio this month is Spark Yoga where I teach a Vinyasa 2/3 class on Saturdays from 10:45-11:45 a.m. You come, you sweat!

That Friday class is with me!

   How cute is this shop?!

Check it out at 547 Marsh Street in SLO.

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Let’s get to some food shall we? I am officially a chef’s wife after giving myself a second degree burn while cooking on Sunday. Ouch it hurt! So I slowly prepared this dinner (this afternoon) being careful not to splash any coconut oil on myself this time! This is a recipe I tossed together today for my friend Erin who likes my blog because there’s not a lot of “meat” dishes on it. Honestly, I think some dishes have more flavor without meat, especially if you’re using fresh, clean and green ingredients!

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Baked Veggie Eggplant Boats- serves two or more 

Ingredients:

-1 large eggplant, sliced in half

-1 small tomato

-1 green pepper

-6 cloves garlic

-1/2 red onion

-2 T Herbs d’Provence

-olive oil and/or coconut oil

-salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Cut the ends off the eggplant and slice it in half, the long way. Then add some diagonal slits, being careful not to break through to the bottom skin.

3. Brush some olive oil on it and add some salt and pepper. Then place cut-side down on a baking sheet and toss it in the oven. Bake it for 25-30 minutes or until the skin wrinkles like this.

4. While the eggplant is baking, chop up all your veggies and place in a large sauté pan with some oil.

5. Add in the Herbs d’Provence and toss. When the veggies brown, take off the heat.

6. Using a spoon, scoop the center out of the eggplant and add into the sauté pan. Mix together with the other veggies. Then spoon the veggie mix into the middle of the eggplant.

7. If you want, add some tomato sauce or lettuce or herb mix on top and enjoy!

So good for you and to look at too!

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Lastly, I’m really enjoying these two books and I wanted to share them with you, of course! My Ma suggested I pick up The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant and so far it’s a light, quick read with lots of Boston history and I like where the story is going so far. I’m also throughly enjoying the audio version of Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth. Even if you have no clue who said band is, she is a fascinating lady. At 61 she has done it all! She dishes about her fashion line, relationship with Kurt Cobian and Courtney Love, and her 27 year marriage to band mate Thurston Moore that just ended last year after he cheated with a much younger woman. I love dirt!