Flex Friday Day 4

~Jeanna

Meditation Monday

I'm sharing a guided meditation that focuses on helping you if you are struggling to sleep. It is 26 minutes long.

Sleep

Sweet Dreams
~Jeanna

Flex Friday

Here is round three of poses to give a try.

~Jeanna

Meditation Monday

Here are two more apps that you can look into for meditation. The first is Chakra Meditation. It has calming music that is free. There is also in app purchases. The second, is Sleep Pillow. It has calming sounds that you can play for free, but also has in app purchases.

If you would prefer a podcast link with a guided meditation sequence I've included it for you.

Relax Episode 2

Flex Friday

Here are a few more yoga poses to try.

~Jeanna

Healthy Party/Snack Recipes

It is party season!  Everywhere we turn there is a new party/event that we need to bring a treat to.  As yummy as everything is, it is nice to have a lighter and healthier version to take!  Here are some of my favorites:

Caprese Salad.  

It is one of my all time favorite things to eat and my first go to for parties!  It is so simple to make but is so easy to change up.  For dinner, I simply cut my tomato, salt and pepper it, add the mozzarella slice, throw on basil and top with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and either balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinegar glaze.

For parties, I like to spruce it up a bit.  Some fun ideas include putting mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, and basil leaves on a skewer.  Or, you can use a slice of artisan bread (today I used sourdough) and top with the tomato, cheese, chopped basil, EVOO, and balsamic vinegar glaze.
Another fun variation is using avocados!!    

"Banana Ice Cream."  

EASIEST thing to make in the world!  Mash a frozen banana (made easier with a wonderful blender!) with vanilla.  Eat.  The texture really is like ice cream.

Hummus.  

Can't go wrong here.  The nice thing about hummus is that you can make your own or buy it.  Every grocer has it these days.  Pairs nicely with any veggie as well as pita bread.  It also is a nice condiment for sandwiches!

Salsa. 

Here is my favorite salsa recipe:

Cranberry Avocado Salsa
courtesy of Martha Stewart

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 TBSP fresh lime juice, 2 TBSP honey, 1 minced jalapeño (seeds removed for less heat), and 1/4 cup chopped red onion.  Add 2 ripe avocados, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, 3/4 cup halved cranberries, drained well on paper towels, and 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss gently to combine.

Snacks:

I just found a recipe for dipping grapes into melted white chocolate.  Haven't tried it but it sounds delish!!

I have just found this cookie recipe that I love!!  Beware: because it does not use flour, it is a very soft cookie.  Plan on eating these cookies within 24 hours for best taste!

Apple Spice Cookies
courtesy of Tone It Up

SERVINGS

12 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2
  cup oats
• 1
  scoop vanilla Protein powder
• 1/4
  cup ground flax seed
• 1
  egg
• 2
  medium apples, diced and peeled
• 1/4
  cup coconut oil, melted
• 1
  banana, smashed
• 1
  tsp. vanilla
• 1
  tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4
  tsp. salt
  
  
  STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350° degrees. 

STEP 2: Mash banana in medium bowl. Add egg, coconut oil and vanilla and stir. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Combine wet mixture into dry and stir until fully incorporated. Peel & dice apples. Fold apples into batter. 

STEP 3: Place parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Use a spoon to place cookie batter onto baking sheet. Makes 12 cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Note: I did not have flax seed on hand and used chia seeds instead.  Worked perfectly!!

Meditation Monday

Happy Monday,

I hope that you had an enjoyable weekend. Today for Meditation Monday I wanted to share some apps I use for meditation. Some are free and others have a small expense.

The first is an app called Headspace. There is a 10 day free section and then there is a monthly fee. I have only used the free section. I like this because there are some mindful videos that take between 1:00-1:30 minutes. Then 10 minutes of guided meditation.

Another app I like is Naturespace. It also has some free sections as well as purchases. It is just peaceful sounds like the ocean or a birdsong. You can set a timer for a specific amount of time.

~Jeanna

Flex Friday

Here are some yoga poses to try to stretch out those tight muscles that teachers so often have.

~Jeanna

Thoughtful Thursday

You only have control over three things in your life- the thoughts you think, the images you visualize, and the actions you take.

-Jack Canfield

Happy Thursday

~Jeanna

Tone It Up Tuesday

For my workout this week that I will be sharing we will be doing a very simple yoga sequence. It's even called a couch potato yoga. I think everyone could do it. All you need is a couch or chair and access to YouTube. We will be meeting in the conference room at 3:40, if you would like to join us. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

Here's the link if you would like to try it on your own:

Yoga with Adriene

Meditation Monday

One of the things that has really helped me over the past year with the stress and anxiety of teaching is meditation. I would like to share with you some of the resources I have tried. Sometimes just taking a quick moment to focus on your breathing can really change your mindset. If you have more time, there are guided meditations and then there are some that just play sounds or music in the background. You can see what you like best.

This week I'm sharing a guided meditation podcast that I use frequently. It only takes 10 minutes. Let me know if you try it.

Meditation episode 146


Jeanna