Soba noodles.

One of my favorite Japanese foods. Makes me happy to be Japanese!

Delicious HOT or COLD:)

You are what you eat.

「人は結局、食べたものの性質を受け継ぐ」

Very true.

Yesterday was a refreshing day for me. Just be-ing. Releasing. Letting Go.

 

Made chapati at night with some unique dahl fry:)

I didn't put enough water, so it became a very pasty moong curry,

but it made it easy to catch with the chapati!

Although, gourging in sweet potatoes I recieved as a gift, AND with the large amount of beans (and garlic!)...despite the hing in the recipe, I feel it right now this morning in my stomach.

 

Let it rest. (sipping hot water...:))

 

Cloudy night of the full moon

Yesterday's full moon was a bit fuzzy, with suspicious clouds floating over now and then. Still, it gleamed peacfully....!

 Made some quinoa and veggies with split moong, my rendition of kitchari:)

 

 Open the rice cooker pot....stir it up for a pasty texture!

 Accompanied with steak tofu (a dash of soy sauce to flavor) and green & white asparagus.

 Topped with grilled avocado!

 

Going back to basics.

Behavior and daily routines.

The yamas and niyamas.
Non violence, non stealing, truthfulness, continence (study and train), non greed/non hoarding
Cleanliness, satisfaction & contentment, self study, spiritual effort, surrender to universe

Chai today tasted different today, a flavor of complexity...just what my mind was today while making it.

Meusli toast with cottage cheese for a evening snack yesterday, while watching the sun set:)

lily of the valley bagel

Whole wheat with fig and walnut.

Change mind set. Be positive. Be happy. Have compassion and give it my all.

 

New moon to full moon (two more days, 26th). Time of waxing switching over to waning moon.

A full moon gives us lunar energy, to a woman, a sense of energy, creativity, indulge in aromatherapy, eat richer grounding foods, be bolder! The support is with you! Write down ideas and inspiration that have been summoning on your mind.

 

More zucchini!

Grilled with organic olive oil and herb rock salt.

Juicy and sweet:)

Calabacin=Zucchini

"Calabacin" it is in Spanish as we talked about it over in class today:)

I found a plump fresh zucchinni yesterday at the market which instantly caught my eye! Used the rice cooker to make some original kitchari style Moong with Quinoa and Zucchini!

Absolutely scrumptuous!

This afternoon after a nice reunion with friends over some french galettes, I picked up some fresh coriander at the farmers market. Hmmm what to make today?

meusli porridge

Just soak the meusli in hot water for a few minutes...makes a wonderful porridge for winter.

I like to choose ones with lot of oats, fruits and nuts, unsweetened...so that I can add as much cinnamon sugar as I want at home:)

Connecting

本当に感謝。すばらしいつながり。友人から知り合いから、出会う人。

愛を込めて。笑顔でつながる。

I am so thankful for the connection of people, people who surround me, support me, friends, acquaintances and wonderful encounters.

With love.
Feeling the connection with smiles & laughter.

Changes

Going through many changes.

Realizations.

Surrounded by people who give me support and advice for the better.

Break out of routines, 

Enjoy every minute and second...notice each breath of life.

Sweetness in the morning and evening time

For breakfast, and just around 3 or 4pm, I start to crave some "sweetness":)

1. Granola (maple flavored with chestnuts and fruits with oats): I like to soak it with hot water for a few minutes so the oatmeal becomes nice and moist. Vata pacifying. Also, top it with pumpkin seeds, which are a great source of oil and nutrition for Vatas as well!

2. Natural bread with jam: Toast the bread! The yeast is hard-to-digest, so the toasting process will stop the bread from further fermentation and makes it lighter-to-digest. Enjoy with some naturally sweetened jam. (homemade rhubarb jam and rasberry jam!)

New faces and places.

MC work for a wedding today. Lots of love in the air.

Heartwarming people, lovely music, casual sphere, talking & mingling...leading to new ideas and oppurtunities!

36th floor, time flew as we saw the sun set and mt.fuji appeared:)

grilled veggies in cheese sauce, with champagne tonite!

Cocohana

Is the name of the new organic market that recently opened by my house.

It means heart & flower, and its their first shop in Tokyo, coming all the way from Okinawa.

I am just ecstatic that such a place opened so close by! (my friend literally lives next door to the place...lucky!)

I was in shock! in a very positive way, at their selection of products, and if I didn't need to think about the slightly more-than-average prices, my cart would have been more than full.

Today I bought some corn biscuits, raw pumpkin seeds, ginger powder from Okinawa, and some buckwheat soba noodles!

Lovely! I couldn't help but register for a members card:)

Looking forward to shop for dashi, veggies, natural breads, grains & legumes...!

And despite the rain and gloominess today actually turned out to be a 'blossoming' day, the flower from cocohana...and sakura from starbucks!

At my favorite starbucks/bookstore collaboration shop, enjoying a sneak peak of probably exclusive to Japan, sakura design cups.

Beautiful!

My magenta umbrella match:)

Days of Low Barometric Pressure...

Causes headaches, stomachaches, indigestion, vertigo, joint pains, bloatedness, ear ringing...

all imbalances of the autonomic nerves (sympathetic vs. parasympathetic)...

 

Really a pain, but dealing with it through restorative yoga poses

1. Supta Baddha Konasasana

2. Viparita Karani (legs up the wall)

 

And also diffusing aroma which calms the nerves

1. Majoram

2. Geranium

 

Lastly, worked around the house using a natural cleaning spray and wiping, dusting...

followed by intense vacuum cleaning around the whole house!

 

To finish up, purified the air by opening the windows and lighting up some SAGE leaves:)



Whole wheat couscous

Up in the morning and my stomach is feeling a little funny...hmmm wondering if I ate the couscous last night too much and too fast (it happens!) because it was so delicious:)

It was actually my first time to cook couscous, and although I may have added to much water, it was quite simple to my surprise. All you need to do is boil water, add some salt, pour in the couscous at the boiling point and close the lid for 20 min. Fluff it up with herbs and olive oil (and corn in my case) and its done!

Along with some cabbage (and broccoli) subji. Remember to add the hing, since both are drying (gas forming) vegetables!

 

Since yesterday morning, I've been feeling slightly dizzy and weak. Is it the air pressure? Relaxing this morning while working on translation with a cup of tulsi ginger tea...:)

Greens!

1. Avocado with olive oil, soy sauce, fresh coriander leaves!

2. Moyashi bean sprouts, green bell peppers, broccoli

Recipe:
1. Heat ghee and add mustard seeds. When you see sizzle on the outer shell, add the cumin seeds
2. Add a pinch of hing and any amount of ginger (diced or grated)
3. Put in the vegetables and stir
4. Throw in some turmeric, salt and garam masala
5. Pour in just a spoonful of water and let it cook with the lid halfway shut
Delicious with some warm rice!

 

Still warm soups.

pumpkin soup from Breeze of Tokyo

black sesame zenzai soup from Tocho

Both relieves vitiation of vata.

You create your own happiness.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Feb 10th marked the new moon. Until the 25th, its an active time to initiate new things, act and be creative, meet new people, discover!
Open your heart and chest, get flexible in the feet and legs:)

Be honest to yourself and others. Appreciate.

Grain, nuts, whole-wheat wholesome pancakes!

and chai.

 Off to teach yoga, after my perfect saturday breakfast:)