Today is my tenth wedding anniversary! It’s amazing how time flies by. I can still remember my husband as a quiet 12-year-old boy with floppy hair and a blue wool poncho.
Earlier this year I made my first contribution to Real Weddings magazine and shared the story of how my husband and I met, our courtship, engagement and wedding.
[2016 UPDATE: Wednesday, June 8 is World Oceans Day! Visit worldoceansday.org for worldwide events and information, and vanaqua.org for activities presented by the Vancouver Aquarium]
I love the ocean. As a little girl growing up on the Alberta prairies, I dreamed of being a marine biologist. Many magical childhood experiences informed that desire, including family vacations to Galiano Island where my parents entertained my brother and I during countless hours of ocean discovery.
With net and bucket in hand, we’d head down to the shore at low tide and see what weird and wonderful creatures we could find. Then we’d hop in the row boat, in search of a tangerine-orange ling cod (I stand corrected, my dad says they were blue) or to check on the crab trap, with my father, the expert fisherman and outdoor educator, taking advantage of every teachable moment.
Fast forward a couple of decades and I’m participating in another form of ocean discovery, with ocean-loving yogi, surfer, and blissologist Eoin Finn.
World Oceans Day is an annual global celebration with over 600 events in 55 countries held this year.
The Vancouver Aquarium celebrated the day by organizing a series of events which included co-hosting the yoga class with SeaChoice, and co-hosting a dinner at YEW restaurant + bar in the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver marking the venue’s launch as a new Ocean Wise partner.
For the Yoga with Belugas event, over 75 eager participants packed the underwater viewing area, the floor tiled with a rainbow of yoga mats, and we began with a dancing warm-up led by Thea Gow-Jarrett, founder of Just For Fun Dance Party.
We grooved, bopped and shimmied to Big Blue Wave by Hey Ocean!, which has since become one of my all-time favourite songs. It’s impossible to listen to it and not be happy.
We Are Deeply Connected to the Ocean
Eoin Finn, in blue wig, leads an evolutionary-inspired yoga class. (Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)
Next, Finn led a yoga class where our movements symbolically evolved from that of single-celled organisms to crustaceans to mammals, and he pointed out the universal connections of all beings and the staggering importance of the oceans.
“I have a longing to merge the teachings of yoga with the ecological movement,” says Finn. “I wanted to create a yoga class with a theme that we have animals, and especially ocean animals, in our DNA. Where do we end and where does the ocean really begin? Every drop of sweat and every tear comes and goes from it. Our cells are made largely of water.”
And water is only one of the ways we need the oceans. According to National Geographic, about 70 percent of the world's oxygen is produced in the ocean, much of it by phytoplankton – single-celled organisms that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.
“The ocean is a shrine of interconnection, worship there often,” says Finn. “Feel that everything is connected. The key thing is to feel this and not just think it. This comes by accessing the still place inside of us daily.”
We Protect What We Revere
(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)
“There is a wisdom centre in all of us that takes the focus off us and our own selfish desires and connects us more to other people, the land, the ocean, and all the creatures that inhabit them," says Finn. "It's the essence of the sustainability movement that isn't talked about too much.”
“Cultivate a sense of awe for the ocean. If we can develop awe for the ocean, we will make choices to protect it. Ultimately, we protect what we revere.”
Yoga was a powerful conduit for the message of connection to our oceans, and Finn’s sentiments agree with David Suzuki’s. In fact, Finn shared a few quotes from Suzuki's book, The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature, which inspired me to read it – it was excellent.
In an article for the David Suzuki Foundation announcing the launch of their 30×30 Challenge, Suzuki says, “with more than 80 per cent of Canadians now living in urban settings, many of us lack a meaningful, regular connection with the natural environment that sustains us. Getting in touch with the outdoors has another great benefit: those who know and love nature work harder to protect it.”
So, what can you do to protect our oceans? The Vancouver Aquarium’s president, John Nightingale, says that overfishing is currently the number one issue for the world’s oceans.
“One of the key messages we hope guests took away is that Canadians can be part of the solution by choosing their seafood responsibly,” says SeaChoice national manager Lana Gunnlaugson, who worked with the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program and Finn to create the Yoga with Belugas event.
“By creating a demand for sustainable seafood from coast to coast, together we can ensure that fish are caught or farmed in ways that don’t harm the ocean,” she says.
Finn adds, “Be responsible for what goes on your fork and learn what fish are sustainable and which ones aren't.”
If you missed this year’s event, don’t despair – when I asked Finn if there will be Yoga with Belugas for the World Oceans Day celebration in 2013 he said, “Of course! The vibe has been created and who can stop it now?”
Considering how deeply I love breakfast, it's surprising that this was one of the first times I can remember ever poaching an egg. It was a little more difficult than anticipated but I think I've got the hang of it now.
This recipe was inspired by the leftover ribeye steak I had sitting in my fridge and the prime rib hash at Hub Restaurant and Lounge.
Despite struggling with how the heck to poach an egg (it seemed to spread tentacles once dropped into the water), it was pretty easy to whip up and was super duper delicious.
Ingredients
Serves 2
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup leftover roasted or boiled potatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp ketchup
piece of leftover steak, thinly sliced
2 eggs
1 tbsp white vinegar
Instructions
In large frying pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.
Add potatoes, onion and garlic, stirring often, and cook for about 5 minutes or until potatoes are hot and onions are translucent.
Meanwhile, in small saucepan, bring about 3 cups of water to boil.
Bring water to simmer and add vinegar.
One by one, crack eggs into small bowl and slide into water.
Using two spoons, carefully collect any tentacles of egg white straying from the yolk and shape the mass into a ball.
Reduce heat to low and cook for about 3 minutes or until whites are set and yolks are to your liking.
Remove eggs from saucepan and transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
While eggs are cooking, add ketchup to potato mixture, stirring well to combine.
Add steak to potato mixture, cooking just until heated through.
I love books, that's no secret! Often, when I hear about books I'd like to read, I put them on hold at the library and they usually trickle in at a reasonable pace.
But sometimes they pile up, as they've done now. If only I could steal away to a deserted cabin in the woods – with good lighting – and spend a few days disconnected from the world and surrounded by books.
I got this book for a little writing inspiration. I had the pleasure of meeting Amy on a press trip last year, and she's hysterically funny and an excellent writer.
My wonderful friend Caralyn gave me this book after learning that I wanted to go to Italy for my tenth wedding anniversary this summer.
Sadly, it looks like that might not pan out, but at least I can plan my dream trip so I'll be ready to jump into action when the time comes. For now, just keeping this book by my bed makes Italy feel a little bit closer.
Eagle Walz is one of those people who leaves his mark on your heart. He's a gentle and passionate wilderness crusader and, through the Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society (an organization he founded), has saved countless acres of old growth trees by building the 180-kilometre-long Sunshine Coast Trail.
This is a beautiful and inspiring picture book that "tells the fascinating story of the land the Sunshine Coast Trail passes through, as well as that of the people who have worked to protect the giants of our forests for future generations."
From left to right: Brian Mullins, Catherine Roscoe Barr, Lisa Oz, and Corin Mullins.
I got to meet Lisa Oz, co-author of You: The Owner's Manual along with her husband Dr Mehmet Oz, at a press conference following her keynote address at CHFA West (the annual Canadian Health Food Association conference), where she was promoting her new book, which I got a signed copy of.
Her appearance was sponsored by Holy Crap Cereal, a local company started by husband and wife team Corin and Brian Mullins (who appeared on CBC's TV show Dragon's Den with their gluten-free, vegan, and certified organic cereal).
I haven't dug into this one yet and can't remember who recommended it but it sounds like a good story and I like the cover. Here's a snippet from the publisher's synopsis:
"Stuck in a dead-end relationship, this fearless narrator leaves her metaphorical baggage behind and finds a comfort zone in the air, feeling safest with one plane ticket in her hand and another in her underwear drawer."
This is another one I haven't started reading yet but it sounded totally up my alley – I love self-help stuff. It's written in the form of a 12-week guide and activity book. Here's a snippet from the publisher's synopsis:
"The Artist's Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist's life."
This is a book that absolutely everyone should read. Here's what the publisher says: "Foundation training shifts the focus from the front of your body to the back. By strengthening the full posterior chain and correcting poor movement patterns, you will maximize power, flexibility, and endurance and say goodbye to back pain."
The video above is co-author Eric Goodman talking about Foundation Training and the video below is co-author Peter Park (Lance Armstrong's strength and conditioning coach) showing four awesome core exercises.
I test drove this book at the library and loved it so much that I bought it. Kris Carr is one heck of an inspiring woman! Here's what Carr's website says about the book:
"Crazy Sexy Diet comes on the heels of Kris Carr’s best-selling cancer survival guidebooks and her acclaimed TLC documentary. Infused with her signature sass, wit and advice-from-the-trenches style, Crazy Sexy Diet is a beautifully illustrated resource that puts you on the fast track to vibrant health, happiness and a great ass!
"Along with help from her posse of experts, Carr lays out the fundamentals of her Crazy Sexy Diet: a low-glycemic, vegetarian program that emphasizes balancing the pH of the body with lush whole and raw foods, nourishing organic green drinks, and scrumptious smoothies. Plus, she shares the steps of her own twenty-one-day cleanse, and simple but delectable sample recipes."
This is another book that everyone should read. I have this out from the library but have already ordered my own copy because it's so darn good. Seriously, who doesn't want to know how they can exercise better, train smarter and live long? And in only 20 minutes? Awesome!
Here's a snippet from the publisher's synopsis:
"With the latest findings about the mental and physical benefits of exercise, personal stories from scientists and laypeople alike, as well as researched-based prescriptions for readers, Gretchen Reynolds shows what kind of exercise – and how much – is necessary to stay healthy, get fit, and attain a smaller jeans size.
"Inspired by Reynolds's wildly popular 'Phys Ed' column for The New York Times, this book explains how exercise affects the body in distinct ways and provides the tools readers need to achieve their fitness goals, whether that's a faster 5K or staying trim."
This is a great cookbook and I have a long list of recipes I'd like to try from it. I've already made one, the Mediterranean halibut sandwiches, and they were divine.
Stay tuned for the recipe, it will be up on the recipe blog I contribute to at BCLiving.ca, called What I Made For Dinner, late next week.
Two of the Coast Mountain Cycling Club guys – about to experience a little pain in the name of fitness – headed out for a ride on a recent trip to California.
"As Canadian Ryder Hesjedal clawed back from a 31-second deficit in the final stage of the 3,500-kilometre Giro d'Italia to win by 16 seconds last weekend, the country was left to marvel at one man's ability to push through the pain. It's the intangible element that sets world beaters apart from the middling competition."
"In Japan, they call it shinrin-yoku – literally, “forest bathing.” Here, we might just call it a walk in the park. Either way, people around the world have an intuitive sense of the restorative power of natural environments. The question is: Why?"
"For more than a decade, Gretchen Reynolds has been writing about the science of health and fitness. Her weekly column, Phys Ed, is one of this paper’s most popular features, regularly appearing on top of the “Most E-mailed” list. Now Ms. Reynolds has distilled the knowledge gained from years of fitness reporting into a new book, “The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer,’’ published last month."
"The value of mental-training games may be speculative, as Dan Hurley writes in his article on the quest to make ourselves smarter, but there is another, easy-to-achieve, scientifically proven way to make yourself smarter. Go for a walk or a swim. For more than a decade, neuroscientists and physiologists have been gathering evidence of the beneficial relationship between exercise and brainpower. But the newest findings make it clear that this isn’t just a relationship; it is the relationship."
I don’t know where I got the brainwave from but I’m happy I did because not only does it make delicious, chewy French toast, it’s much better for you than the regular white bread that normally goes into this decadent breakfast.
I wanted to top the toast with some kind of fruit and I had a bunch of apples, so I decided to make stewed apples. They were pretty easy to make and totally worth the effort.
This breakfast has appeared on our breakfast table a few times now and once I didn't feel like peeling and chopping apples, so I dumped a cup of frozen, mixed berries into a saucepan until they were hot and poured them onto my French toast. Delish!
Ingredients
3 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon
3 pieces Silver Hills sprouted grain bread
3 apples, peeled and chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp butter
Maple syrup
Instructions
Add oil to large frying pan over medium-low heat.
In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk and cinnamon.
Dunk bread in egg mixture so that each piece is evenly soaked and all the liquid has been absorbed.
Add 1 tsp butter to pan and swirl to coat
Add bread to pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, add apples, 1 tsp butter, and cinnamon, stirring well to combine.
Cover and let apples stew for about 8 minutes, or until soft and bubbling.
Things have been a bit busy lately and sometimes any barriers to exercise make it seem a little overwhelming. I purchased a gym membership at the gorgeous Steve Nash Sports Club in downtown Vancouver but sometimes, with deadlines looming, it seems like too big an ordeal to get myself there for a workout – and that’s when I turn to my collection of workout DVDs.
There is no excuse not to spend 30 minutes or less in my living room, working up a sweat and preparing my mind for a creative and productive work day.
One of my best friends, Zenia Martynkiw, is a phenomenal physiotherapist and she gave me this DVD as a gift. I love it, it’s my current go-to workout. Core Conversion is a workout developed by the Gray Institute that trains the body in all three planes of motion using different variations of shoulder raises, lunges, squats and push-ups. It’s like nothing you’ve ever done and it’s awesome.
Power Yoga with Rodney Yee DVD
Yoga is a great way to prepare you mind and body for the day, and following a yoga DVD is a great way to get it done without leaving home and dealing with how disheveled you look. Rodney Yee is one of my favourite yogis and Power Yoga for Strength and Flexibility with Rodney Yee is a great DVD with two different workouts: power yoga for strength and power yoga for flexibility.
Vega Sport Pre-Workout Optimizer
The problem with many supplements is that they pretend to be health-boosting formulas but when you take a close look at the label they’re full of weird chemicals and unhealthy preservatives.
As a personal trainer and fitness enthusiast, I spent a lot of time searching for supplements that would boost my performance and supply my body with quality ingredients. I was never satisfied…until I found Vega.
Developed by Brendan Brazier, a vegan, former professional Ironman triathlete and author, Vega is 100 percent plant-based and has a range of products from meal replacement shakes to energy bars to the new sport performance system that includes my favourite, the Pre-Workout Optimizer (formerly Performance Optimizer) in lemon lime, endurance gel, electrolyte hydrator, recovery accelerator and more.
Under Armour ColdGear Tights
One of the keys to sticking with your workout routine is to be prepared, and having suitable gear – especially for inclement weather – is a must. It’s that time of year again when a chilly morning can leave me feeling iffy about my planned run.
Under Armour ColdGear Tights to the rescue! They’re cozy and warm, nice and long so that there’s no skin peeking out at my ankles, and the waist is high and snug so that my pants don’t migrate south when I'm pounding the pavement.
It was just my husband and I for Thanksgiving dinner last night so I made chicken instead of turkey so that we wouldn't be faced with leftovers for the rest of the month. But I did make a ton of mashed potatoes with one thing in mind: potato pancakes for breakfast.
In case you haven't already guessed, breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I do nothing, go nowhere, without a good breakfast in my tummy.
I made the mashed potatoes with a little cream and butter. This morning all I added was a dollop of plain yogurt and the leaves from a few stalks of fresh thyme, and then finished them off with a pinch of sea salt. Delicious!
Ingredients
Makes 4 pancakes
1.5 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp butter
pinch sea salt
Instructions
Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine.
Form 4 pancakes by rolling mixture between palms.
Heat oil in medium frying pan over medium heat.
Add butter, shaking pan to evenly coat, and then add pancakes.
Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and bubbling.
Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with a fried egg, piece of toast, and fruit.
I’m very curious about other people’s lives and relationships. You might even say I’m nosy, but it comes from a genuine desire to learn and grow. I love reading memoirs and watching biographies or movies about relationships and usually walk away with at least one piece of advice or lesson that I try to apply to my own life. I also try to pinpoint what I see as strengths (or weaknesses) in other’s relationships (yes, I am watching you, I just can’t help it).
I recently celebrated my ninth wedding anniversary and I’ve since done a lot of reflecting on relationships. What makes them work? How can they be improved? How do you maintain your sense of self and individualism while deepening the bond with your partner? How do you keep daily annoyances (like the freshly laundered and pressed shirt that’s now in a crumpled pile on the floor) from turning you into a homicidal maniac?
Beware growing distant
I finished reading Shania Twain’s memoir, From This Moment On, a few weeks ago and found it absolutely fascinating. If you’re out of the Shania loop, I’ll fill you in a little. She collaborated on all of her albums, except her first, with her husband and music producer, Robert "Mutt" Lange. They weren’t only a married couple, but business partners, creative partners and parents to one son.
After 14 years of marriage, he left Shania for his secretary – a woman who was also Shania’s friend and closest confidante. Ouch. But Shania prevailed, after much grieving and soul-searching, and married the love of her life, a man that also happened to be the husband (at the time of the affair) of the woman who had the affair with Shania’s husband. It’s a very inspiring and captivating read and she made some great points about relationships.
One that stuck with me was the importance of not giving your relationship with your partner the opportunity to grow distant. When you let space develop between you and your spouse, it provides the opportunity for damage to occur – and for others to take advantage of the cracks. Communicate deeply and communicate often.
Crazy, Stupid, Love
I really enjoyed the hilarious movie Crazy, Stupid, Love with Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gossling and Emma Stone. Crazy, Stupid, Love is the story (and cautionary tale) of a married couple, Cal and Emily (played by Carell and Moore), who’ve lost their spark, and a playboy, Jacbob (played by Gosling), whose life is thrown off kilter when he falls in love with Hannah (played by Stone).
Emily admits to an affair and as Cal is moving out of their home and about to drive away she says, “I don’t know when you and I stopped being us.” Perhaps there are couples who find that it takes no work to maintain a wonderful relationship, but I imagine that for most long term partners, myself included, it takes at least a little bit of work to stay “us”.
The stresses of every day, responsibilities at work, financial strain, and family life can take a front seat to the effort needed to keep your relationship special, especially as the years tick on and people settle into complacency and routine.
In the article “Crazy, Stupid, Love: Is this what divorce looks like?”, The Globe and Mail’s Dave McGinn asked divorce consultant Deborah Moskovitch: “Do you think that any middle-aged man who wears running shoes on a romantic date with his wife is headed straight to divorce city?” Her reply: “He’s not headed straight to a divorce, but he should head straight to Harry Rosen and work with a stylist.” Haha. Funny but, I think, true, and a sentiment that Jacob shared with Cal: “Your wife cheated on you because you lost sight of who you are as a man.”
This reminded me of a personal training client I worked with a few years ago who came to me because she wanted to lose weight. She said to me when I first met her, "you know how you gain about 20 pounds after you're married?" I was shocked by her attitude that it's okay to let yourself go after you've secured a mate "forever". I believe the opposite, that you should try to be your best self so that your partner is always reminded of what a great catch you are!
Celebrate the little things
When I was newly married I worked at a retirement home as the social director and fitness coordinator, and there were two couples living there who were great examples of enduring relationships that still had their spark. The first couple, in their late 80s, celebrated their “monthiversary” – once a month they would get dressed up and take a cab to a fancy restaurant for a romantic dinner.
The second couple (the wife 98 and the husband 102) often come to mind, as they were such an inspiration not only in their physical and mental health but in their complete adoration for each other after many, many years of marriage. Every day they walked to and from afternoon tea holding hands, and the husband once told me, with a chuckle, as they walked away that they were going off to “smooch”.
These two couples really had an impact on me and inspired me to make the extra effort to make my time with my husband special, as you never know when your time will come, and, as I often heard from the retirement home residents, life goes by too fast.
So unabashedly hold hands, celebrate your monthiversary, be slow to anger, quick to forgive, and always give each other the benefit of the doubt. Call me old fashioned but I love to have dinner ready when my husband gets home from work so we can talk about our day over a nice meal. But, I also love to get dressed up and go out for a date night (especially on our monthiversary), seated amongst the buzz of other couples at a cocktail bar with eyes only for each other.
Whoah, here’s an interesting article about going grey. I am going grey.
I foolishly dyed my hair in grade eight without my mother’s knowledge (or any knowledge of hair dye) and it came out the worst orange imaginable. It took about ten years to regain the desire to change the colour of my hair and I had it “expertly” coloured at a salon. It turned out a horrible purple-red.
Fast forward nearly another ten years and I decided to give it another go out of necessity – an ever-growing patch of hair right at my crown, of all places, is grey. Again, I had it coloured at a salon and, again, the colour is much to my dislike.
So I’ve decided (for the time being) to embrace grey. But this article suggests that I actually have some power in the matter. Researchers have shown that stress can lead to decreased levels of a protein called p53 which “protects cells from developing abnormalities and helps humans stay healthy.”
“This could give us a plausible explanation of how chronic stress may lead to a variety of human conditions and disorders, which range from merely cosmetic, like greying hair, to life-threatening disorders like malignancies,” says Robert Lefkowitz, a professor at Duke University Medical Center.
I tweeted about this article last week. Aren’t these findings great? There’s absolutely no excuse now. Anyone can do 15 minutes of exercise a day: turn on your favourite tunes and dance your heart out; go for a jog with your dog; drag a yoga mat to a quiet outdoor space for a few sun salutations. You can do it!
Got a picky eater? It’s probably your fault. But don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just relaying information from an article by Dr Helen Coulthard for BBC News.
“By relying too much on ready prepared foods, with their attractive packaging of fruits and vegetables, we may be making it more difficult for our children to eat fruits and vegetables when they are older.
“Packaged foods may seem to parents like a convenient and safe weaning option. But an over-reliance on packets and jars sets a pattern of using ready-made foods. And it denies babies the chance to try the variety of tastes, textures and appearance that fresh foods have to offer.
“Research shows that there is a window of opportunity for introducing tastes and textures to young infants, before the age of 12 months. After 12 months, infants become much more difficult to feed, and often become wary of new foods.”
Signing up for a charity event that involves physical activity is a great way to help yourself while helping others. Last week my husband and I participated in a charity bike ride in support of the Children’s Wish Foundation and Win4Youth.
It was a very small start – only 15 km – but we only decided to participate at the last minute to support my dear friend Lana who is the branch manager at Holloway Schulz, a professional recruitment company owned by the Adecco Group.
Adecco’s Bike Across America tour, with participating branches from Vancouver, BC to Jacksonville, Florida, is part of their Win4Youth initiative for which they donate money for every kilometre cycled to “support organizations that help prepare children for success in the world of work.”
In addition to Adecco’s charitable efforts with Win4Youth, each branch got to pick their own local, youth-oriented charity that also received a donation for every kilometre cycled, and Holloway Schulz chose the Children’s Wish Foundation, an organization for which Lana sits on the board of directors.
I had a really fun time on the ride through gorgeous Stanley Park and got to meet Adecco staff from Toronto, Ottawa and New York, local employees and clients from Holloway Schulz, and a few athletes from the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific. All that fun has me thinking about signing up for another event. What great motivation to get out there and train for a bike ride, run or swim, knowing that your efforts will also benefit others.
If you’re thinking of signing up for a charity fitness event, here are a few places to get started:
What it lacks in heat, this yoga session on the beach in Tofino makes up for in scenery.
I love trying new things, especially when it comes to food and fitness, so when I first heard about hot yoga I decided to give it a try. I hadn't done a lot of yoga before then, but I knew that I liked stretching and being really hot so combining the two sounded like something right up my alley. I liked it so much that I started going regularly, but the problem was my Type A any-stretch-you-can-do-I-can-do-better attitude, and after a short while I had myself a nasty hamstring injury.
Fortunately I was working at a fitness club and sports medicine clinic at the time and I went to see my friend the chiropractor about my injury. At first I hadn’t put two and two together and couldn’t figure out how I’d hurt myself. My new yoga practice couldn’t be the culprit, I thought, because yoga was just stretching. It turned out that I wasn’t the first, or last, injured hot yogi to walk through his door. He explained to me that the extreme temperatures, sometimes over 40 degrees Celsius, cause the muscles to become very pliable and increase the risk of over-stretching. And over-stretch I did. Sadly, it took over a year for my hamstring to completely heal but I learned that lesson the hard way: listen to your body, give yourself a break when starting a new activity, and never, ever push through pain.
I’ve since been back to hot yoga and absolutely love the crazy-sweat-inducing heat, challenging poses and post-class glowy skin, but I'm very careful to honour my personal limits and opt out of any poses that are more than uncomfortable.
If you're thinking about trying hot yoga or are already doing so, check out this recent Globe and Mail article, Thinking of trying hot yoga? Read this first, which comments on hot yoga-related injuries and fainting spells, and gives tips on safely preparing for a class.
Something about my British heritage makes me love fried bread. I don't have it often, but this morning I was really craving the double whammy of fried egg and fried bread. I updated it and made it feel significantly more healthy with a large leaf of fresh basil. It really hit the spot.
Speaking of British, are you following Will and Kate's North American tour? I love them so much I can barely stand it. I can't help but think of how proud Diana would be of her eldest son, who seems like such a genuine, down-to-earth and humble man, and who seems to have met an equally lovely soul mate that he's smitten with. Kate is incredibly stylish (and commendable on recycling so many pieces of clothing and shoes) and I've been following her tour wardrobe, with my favourite outfit of hers so far being the green Diane von Furstenberg "Maja dress" she wore on July 8. Gorgeous!
Ingredients
1 slice sprouted grain bread (I love Silver Hills bread)
1 free range egg
1 tsp butter
1 fresh basil leaf
pepper to taste
vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.
Spray skillet with oil.
Butter both sides of bread and cut out a hole, leaving about 3/4 of an inch around the edge.
Place pieces of bread side by side in skillet and crack an egg into the hole.
Cook for about 1 minute, sprinkle egg with pepper, top with basil leaf, flip over and cook to desired doneness (I usually remove the skillet from the heat right away at this point).
I mentioned in an earlier post that my husband always has great advice, and I have him to thank for letting me know about the following two awesome websites.
TEDTalks
If you ever want your mind blown by awesomeness, head to the TEDTalks website. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and started out as a conference bringing together people from those three industries. TED’s motto is "ideas worth spreading" and the talks are definitely ideas worth hearing.
Two of my favourite talks are below. The first is a fascinating and hilarious talk about nurturing creativity by Ken Robsinson, the author of a fantastic book called The Element featured in a previous post. The second is a captivating talk about a new way to think of “genius” by the author of one of my favourite books, Eat Pray Love’s Elizabeth Gilbert.
The 99%
According to their website, “The 99% provides insights on productivity, organization, and leadership – all designed to help creative people take action and push their ideas forward.” I’ve only read a few articles so far but they’ve all been great and it’s definitely a resource that I’ll go back to for inspiration.
Current neuroscience research confirms what creatives intuitively know about being innovative: that it usually happens in the shower. After focusing intently on a project or problem, the brain needs to fully disengage and relax in order for a “Eureka!” moment to arise. It’s often the mundane activities like taking a shower, driving, or taking a walk that lure great ideas to the surface. Composer Steve Reich, for instance, would ride the subway around New York when he was stuck.
Science journalist Jonah Lehrer, referencing a landmark neuroscience study on brain activity during innovation, writes:
“The relaxation phase is crucial. That’s why so many insights happen during warm showers. … One of the surprising lessons of this research is that trying to force an insight can actually prevent the insight.”
The ebb and flow of concentrated focus and total disengagement has been a subject of particular interest to the composer, musician, and producer Brian Eno (U2, Talking Heads, Roxy Music). Drawing on interviews from throughout Eno’s career, Eric Tamm’s book, Brian Eno: His Music and The Vertical Sound of Color, delves deeply into Eno’s “creative process.”
Another 99% article, called 10 Awesome Videos On Idea Execution & The Creative Process, lists some great, inspiring videos. Among them, the previously mentioned TEDTalk from Elizabeth Gilbert, J.K. Rowling’s commencement speech to Harvard’s 2008 graduating class, and a truly moving address from from Apple and Pixar co-founder Steve Jobs to Stanford University’s 2005 graduating class (see below).
From May to August for three summers while I attended university I led guided hikes on the natural and cultural history of the area for groups of up to 30 school children, park visitors and campers.
Leading an activity with a group of elementary students (left) and showing our love of trees with a fellow interpreter (right) at Beauvais Lake Provincial Park.
To be outside for nearly the whole day almost every day was truly awesome, even on my days off I was outside running, hiking, canoeing or just enjoying the view from my very own little house on the lake.
Having a paddle around Beauvais Lake with my little brother.
I haven’t done a lot of hiking since moving to Vancouver almost four years ago – it sounds so awful when I say it out loud. Four years? – so it’s time to get back to that wonderful activity that is deeply woven into the fibres of my being.
There is something so special about walking around in nature that goes well beyond the physical benefits of using your muscles and exercising your lungs. The smell of toasting pine needles heated by the sun, the buzz of hummingbirds foraging for nectar and insects, the sight of ground squirrels poking their heads out of their burrow, or discovering the incredible abundance of life in a quiet wetland does something magical to your soul.
I'm in my element leading a wetland discovery program at Beauvais Lake Provincial Park.
Experiencing the natural environment recharges your battery on a different level than food and exercise alone can do. With the soul-filling awesomeness of the great outdoors in mind, here are some resources for planning your own invigorating adventure in BC.
My husband and I recently attended the summer launch patio party at Dockside Restaurant in the Granville Island Hotel. Their newly renovated waterfront patio is absolutely gorgeous and the food is amazing – the lovely view of False Creek doesn't hurt either.
The renovation was a lengthy and carefully considered project, as owner Diamond Karim shared with us, from the double-glazed fireplaces that act as a heat shield while still preserving the view, to the huge, heated cabana that arrived in pieces and was welded together and painted onsite, and the elegant striped curtains made from durable, weather-resistant marine fabric.
I’ve really begun to shed my Alberta-girl palate and have been jumping on every chance to try BC’s amazing seafood. Before moving out west, my exposure to shrimp was limited to the frozen, round trays we’d thaw for Christmas and I’d only tried mussels once.
Judging by the company, the food was pretty fantastic even for Vancouver standards, as I was not alone in swooning over the king crab legs, shrimp and mussels. I never imagined that I'd like mussels, they were delicious. I also had two (or was it three) delectable creme brulees for dessert.
Dockside has an in-house brewery, and although I didn’t actually try any of the beer (I got distracted by the bubbly) the beautiful vintage-eque labels definitely have me intrigued, and the next time the sun peeks out from behind the clouds I plan on heading back to do some sampling. Plus, I'm really keen on brunch and I’ve heard their Sunday brunch is great and even has live jazz and blues.
Tina Fey talks to Google's Eric Schmidt about her new book, Bossypants.
I generally never buy a book without first test driving it through the public library. I adore the library so much, I want to write it a love song. Can you believe that you can read nearly any book for free? I’m not sure if I’ll ever get over that exciting fact, or the fact that with a little, or sometimes a lot, of patience you can get your hands on nearly any new book, and it arrives for pick-up on a special shelf and has your name on it. It gives me warm fuzzies just thinking about it. Following are a few books that I have on hold and am eagerly waiting to read.
The cover alone is enough to make me want to read this book. Currently at position 163 in the Vancouver Public Library hold queue, I’m not alone in wanting to read Tina Fey’s allegedly hilarious new memoir. Click here to read an interview with Tina Fey that appeared in the Vancouver Sun and includes a clip from her appearance on Oprah promoting the book.
This quote from a Vancouver Sun article by Randy Shore nicely sums up how I initially felt about Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook: “I was fully prepared to hate Gwyneth Paltrow's cook book, My Father's Daughter. But I can't. It's really quite good.” I’ve only flipped through it at the bookstore and heard reviews from friends but it looks beautiful and sounds good so I’m really looking forward to reading it and trying out some of her recipes. See below for a funny video of Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld talking to Paltrow about the book for Jessica’s website, Do It Delicious.
How do you get through finding out that your best friend and husband are having an affair? I have no idea, but Shania Twain shares her experience with such a scenario in her new memoir – which I know ends with marrying her best friend’s hunky husband, having her own TV show, and coming out with her first new song since releasing her 2002 album Up. See the video for Today Is Your Day below. I love this song. Go Shania!
Vegetarianism has been on my radar a lot lately. From my brother’s new adventures in veganism to my interview with vegan athlete and author Brendan Brazier, and the amount of information I’m learning about the environmental impact of animal-based food production, I am trying to make small changes towards a more plant-based diet. After reading a Globe and Mail article about this new cookbook, which calls it “one of the greatest vegetarian cookbooks of all time”, I am keen to read it and try out some of the recipes for the food blog that I contribute to at BCLiving.ca. See below for a video of the author making the recipe that appears on the cover, Aubergine with Buttermilk Sauce. Yum.
When you hear about someone twice in one day from different sources it’s enough to pique your interest. So when my husband sent me an article called Developing Your Creative Practice that mentions Lehrer, and a newsletter from Publication Coach Daphne Gray-Grant called Putting a Dollar Figure to Stories, which also mentions Lehrer, appeared in my inbox I was curious to learn more about this young neuroscientist and his new book which, according to the publisher, seeks "to answer two questions that are of interest to just about anyone, from CEOs to firefighters: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions better?" See below for a CBS interview with Lehrer about this book.
