springing forward

ah...we are moving into my favorite times of the year! i personally fare so much better when the weather is warm, the sun is out and little clothing is required! spring babies like myself take advantage of this season as it's fantastic time to clean out the closets, evaluate the progress of the year thus far and freshen up lifestyles.

seasonal change is also good time to freshen up your nutrition and take advantage of the changing weather. the warmer it gets, the less we usually need to eat!

here's a simple recipe for energy bites that provide just the right amount of pleasure and sustenance in your spring snacks. make a batch, pack two for when you need a little boost and store the rest in the fridge. a couple of these little drops of sunshine will certainly ensure a fresh outlook on your day!

4 pitted dates
1 cup walnuts
1/2 macadamia nuts
1/2 shredded carrot
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

pulverize the dates in a food processor until a paste forms (about 40 seconds). add the nuts and blend until finely chopped. while the blade is still running, add the coconut oil and stop as soon as its blended. take the batter into another bowl and mix in carrots and 1/2 of the coconut. form into small gumball sizes and then roll in the rest of the coconut. chill to harden. 

2013 greetings

i know i am not alone in feeling that the turn of our new year feels like it was more than just 10 days ago, but it really was just then! amazing. 

personally, 2012 yielded some extraordinary moments to it, and one of the more amazing gifts i recently received was being included in "rate your burn"'s top 20 list of pilates instructors in la! if you click here on the links at the end of the list, you will see that i am fortunate to be in such great company of mind/body practitioners, including jill miller, the creator of yoga tune up, the third "dimension" of the practice i share, along with pilates and dance/bar conditioning. i am so thrilled to represent the equinox brand in this well-known blog! 

of course, there were major lessons last year too, which prompts me to remind us of "adaptability". mind/body work (along with other forms of exercise) can arguably be about adaptability. we work on our shoulder flexibility to "adapt" and find a graceful way of putting on a coat at the conclusion of dinner during the cold season; we integrate our core so that our movements keep us centered and "adaptable" to directional change in activities like basketball or horseback riding; we strengthen our glutes so we can "adapt" to the constant sitting or standing that threatens to tighten our hips and overuse our backs; we manage our stress by learning to "adapt" through breathing and calming our minds along with our bodies; and the list certainly goes on...

my hope for all of us is that we do take what we learn in the studio (and the gym) and apply it to our daily lives so that we are better prepared for both the anticipated and unexpected moments that this coming year will present to us. 

here's to lucky 2013 filled with happiness and good health!