One Last Laugh

Each year that has gone by before 2014 has come and gone with equal speed, grace, change, love and wonder that I’m always blown away by the time it’s over. Taking one chance to look back on last year has sent me into a sort of up-ness, or lifted-ness. The feeling is a knowing that time can, and will, go on but there is an underlying rootedness that keeps each one of us constantly the same as it goes by. Each day we go to sleep and wake up as the same person in the same body for our whole lives. We live through profound change and transformation but we’re ALWAYS THE SAME! So thank you to 2013 for a completely inspiring year and let’s get ready for what happens next.

I’d also like to thank every person that I’ve seen, spoken to, heard, practiced with, traveled to, thought about, read about, walked by or sat next to for their being and spirit.

Moving to the New Year brings me to a few new things, and mostly more of the same. NEW: My Website!!! www.chrissylefavour.com is up as of 1/1/14 as a new place to find my blog, yoga class & workshop schedule, photos, and who knows what else as days go by! Please enjoy the site and continue to check back for new-ness and awesome-ness. Speaking of new and awesome the next Kids Yoga session starts next week! Also I have an Ashtanga workshop coming up on Saturday 1/18 at Studio Zenith at 1:30 pm: Intro to Ashtanga, all levels welcome. More info on the new site :)

This is the posture I resolve to practice in 2014.

It is called Eka Pada Sirsasana and the variations run A-C in the Intermediate Series (C is the lifted one). I picked it because right now it feels like it will take at least 25 years get down. Check out this sweet break dancer Arthur, if you haven’t already or again if you like doing more of the same stuff sometimes like me. Click here to see his stuff on youtube.

Here’s a video I put up last week:

 The headstand is called mukta hasta sirsasana B, headstand is always challenging but this month has called for heat, fire & up-ness so I guess that's where it started.

And in honor of doing more of the same things again,  I’ll leave you with a quote from an old classic I’m re-reading:

                I felt trapped and broke out in a cold sweat. Azure drops ran down my entire body, and wherever, I moved my foot, a pool formed. Water trickled from my hair and in less time than it takes me to tell you, I was changed into a spring. 

                                                                            -Book V, line 634, Metamorphoses by Ovid

So Sweet

It's Friday morning and I'm burning incense and drinking tea before work. These quiet mornings spent at home are some of my most treasured times, they are few and far between but peaceful beyond compare. The wildness of September keeps my home dark this morning, rain spitting and wind ripping outside the windows. The spider that has been living on the other side of one of our window panes, Tito, has really started to pull at my heart strings. I keep thinking of Charlotte's Web and I just know that one day I could wake up and he'll be gone. The other day I came home in the rain and Tito was in the very center of his web. I'm not sure if it was a gesture of pride, domain, change of view or if he was just capturing a bug... Whatever it was I'm grateful for Tito and he has helped me realize an even greater respect for all living things. AHIMSA.


This week marked week one of KIDS Yoga! The first day was an overwhelming success and a very humbling experience. I was given the greatest gift of all, words filled with honesty, sincerity and truth. If I had more words, I would write them down... SATYA.

 Classes at the studio continue to bustle with new faces and old spirits. Fall is a tricky time for many of us while we hold on to the sweetness of summer. I am trying my hardest to find a yoga class for Every Body at the studio. Whether it is 15 minutes or 17 hours a week no practice is more powerful than another. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, give yourself the gift of practice. If you're not sure where to start, ask me! Teaching is really just sharing; be true to yourself, give yourself, the work will follow. ASTEYA.

  The fresh food world in Vermont EXPLODES this time of year. Harvest season is the greatest example of APARIGRAHA I've found so far. Everyone shares their bounty. Squash, carrots, kale, herbs, garlic, beets, beans and so much more continue to find a way into my home. Family and friends do not hoard their goodies, but share the crop with those who can use it. It's an energetic offering, so much time and love goes into each garden that grows, thank you. I've got tiny tomatoes to share if anyone's interested! I've also harvested lots of calendula so stay tuned for homemade calendula salve sometime this fall...

And finally a note on love. Intimacy is something to be cherished, not paraded around town or plastered on the internet. So be proud, be strong and be true to the ones you love. If you've found a life partner be happy, keep things simple, cuddle, and laugh. If you've found true love in yourself be happy, keep things simple, cuddle, and laugh. Have confidence in your passion and find joy in knowing that love comes from and will always reside in the deepest of your heart. BRAMACHARYA.
 

YAMAS:
Ahimsa- non-harming
Satya- truthfulness
Asteya- non-stealing
Aparigraha- non-hoarding
Bramacharya- moderation/celibacy

The yamas and niyamas of Ashtanga yoga have been taking on more and more power in my day to day routine. In class we've been talking about them and their manifestations in our own lives. They are constant reminders of what it means to be a human in the world today. I've listed the 5 yamas above because yoga is more than doing forearm stands on paddle boards (wink, wink), getting legs behind your head or learning your first sun salute. The light that yoga shines one the world is not hidden by even the darkest of clouds or the heaviest of rains. Namaste.

JUNE-TASTIC!

Summer has started like a wonder whirl of adventure, sunshine, hard work, laughter and the great outdoors! June was one of the busier months I've had in a while... I've always loved traveling, but the more time I spend in Vermont the more I enjoy every day. To kick off June I spent the weekend in Long Island for a Capobianco family wedding. Jayson's cousin got married so we all drove down, took the ferry and spent the weekend together. Summer love and lots of family fun, we spent time at the beach, the pool, eating yummy food, giving hugs & kisses and taking lots of family photos!

Next was a trip to NOLA to visit the one and only Emma S-E. For five days we shared memories, drinks, outrageous scenarios, crawfish and loud music. Luckily we came up with an anthem, as we always do, listening to Blurred Lines enough to drive anyone crazy. I simply can't resist Pharell, and spending time with Emma was like traveling through time. I'm grateful to have such great friends, where picking up right where we last met is natural, full of love and a blur of happiness. We spent most of our time beating the heat, eating awesome southern cuisine (like fried chicken, ribs, crawfish, daquiris, etc), and enjoying an amazing vacation. New Orleans was perfect; full of life, lights, loudness, and love!

The ingredient of the month for me has been quinoa. On the next adventure of the month, Wanderlust, I brought a Greek inspired quinoa made with lemon juice and anything freshly local; peppers, cucumbers, garlic, onion, carrot, radish, feta?! I was lucky enough to spruce mine up with some freshly pick lemon-thyme from my brothers garden, yum. I also made another batch of black bean burgers using some quinoa to add nutrients an texture (I did not follow the recipe but used it as a loose outline)! Served up with kale and sweet potato it make a super-dinner that is so sexy and satisfying....

  

With not enough time or words to reflect yet on Wanderlust, I will leave you with some photos and lessons learned from one of the must amazing weekends of my life.

• Teaching Yoga with Horses is inspiring, exhausting, exciting, fun, invigorating
• Doing Yoga with Horses is breathtaking, challenging, uplifting, fun, beautiful
• Horses + Yogis = Harmony

We had a gorgeous weekend together in Stratton at the festival. A special thanks to the entire Yoga Vermont family and the horses! I can't wait to do it again... Lots of Love and Light.

Om shanti shanti shanti

Contemplating Paradise

After a nice vacation to Boca Raton, some promising weather of summer ahead and recent new of Maho Bay closing, all I can think of is white beaches, blue skies, clear water, sunshine and green, green life. This shores up next to a vision, notion or experience of what I like to call paradise. Whether or not your own paradise is lush, warm, bright and breezy I think most of us can appreciate this sense of vastness. Something about being by the water and under the sky brings on a certain sense of freedom, joy and vigor. Since my vacation in Boca Raton was filled with beach days, long walks, yoga, eating and drinking out, more long walks, I found a lot of time to turn inward and be quiet. The serenity and calm that go along with this rejuvenation is what I see when I look at pictures of Paradise.

So a few yoga photos from the beach... These are for you, MOM! She isn't on Facebook so she hears/sees these things second hand on a smartphone at work, it's just not the same.

And here is a memory of my first paradise, Maho Bay, St John, USVI. After a family vacation in my middle school years introduced me to this particular Slice of Life, I was hooked. The eco-friendly campground offers screened in bungalows connected by miles of boardwalk amidst the natural beauty of St. Johns hillsides; seriously , this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever experienced. After I graduated from high school, my best friend Laura and I both decided to take a year off. In September we flew to the Virgin Islands to volunteer at Maho in their work exchange program. We would do laundry, clean cabins, plunge toilets, pressure wash boardwalks for about 4 hours a day in exchange for a cabin for two. We were 18 years old.

I could go on for another 17 pages but I think I'll save it for my memoir... The most memorable times were spent on the beach enjoying the pure bliss of such a small piece of paradise which has now been sold for close to $14 million. Phew, that feels good to get off my chest, something I will continue to sit with for a long time. Contemplating Paradise.... To wrap things up with Maho I thank you for the skills I probably wouldn't learn anywhere else: hitch hiking, drinking warm rum, living on an island, windsurfing on the ocean, and loving every bit of every thing every where.


















In my life today, I'm spending time in the garden and planting seeds, my favorite thing to do this time of year. The newest to pop up are arugula, basil and thyme. I've also started some tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and various flowers scattered around my tiny lawn and porch.

Yoga continues to thrive in my life, thankfully. I teach ten classes a week at the studio now, which is proving very fun and exciting every day. Students are so inspiring, and as a self-proclaimed "inspired student" it feels very right to be spending lots of time in the studio. And I'm heading off to class in just a minute so I'll finish things off there. Simply trying to fill my life each day with whatever comes my way.

Don't eat more than you can carry.
~Miss Piggy

Embrace Everything

It is supposed reach 70 degrees today and the sun is shining so I am struggling with the notion of sitting here (in my living room------windows open) in front of the computer. Every time that I hit a wall I need to write something down, and today I found myself home from class waiting for the next one to roll around this afternoon feeling stuck in place. So I looked at my last blog post and read that final thing I mentioned Yoga Sutra #48 from Book Two, "one is not disturbed by dualities".... OH yea, sometime in our lives we wake up one day and find our head swimming with thoughts. Whether it is clear what those thoughts mean or not, whether it's emotional, practical or total nonsense, we have to find ways to push through the mud and ruts. Take a break, do something you love, and be with your thoughts. Then go on with the rest of your day and enjoy the freaking sunshine!!!

Jayson and I take off in 6 days to Boca Raton for a week! A much need break for the both of us, working opposite schedules and always keeping projects going on the side proves to make our time together sporadic but also very special. For his birthday we spent the day together, drank mimosas and had cheesecake! Jayson loves cheesecake so I took upon myself to make it happen, duh. I made my first ever cheesecake from scratch with ricotta cheese and a graham cracker-cashew crust. And I topped it off with some rhubarb I had in the freezer and fresh strawberries stewed with liqueur! There's nothing more to say.

I think Springtime always brings up nostalgia of things we love, embracing life, growth, goodness and sunshine. I even moved some of my plants outdoors for the daytime, check my avocado tree now! My herbs are a bit more tricky. I need to buy a good quality grow lamp because my windows just don't get quite enough sun this time of year (especially not everyday) but things are coming along nicely.

When I get back from vacation I will be teaching 9 classes at the studio each week and Emily and I will have our second workshop! I think I am still getting used to using my body every day all day, but besides being a little tired sometimes, classes continue to excite and inspire me. I also had the opportunity to ride horses and talk yoga in Stowe with friends from Yoga Vermont this week. We will be going to Wanderlust together (horses, too!) and I am simply overwhelmed with happiness and love. So in an effort to embrace this overwhelming emotion, I thank you for checking in and wish you sunny afternoons for eternity.


xo

PS I'm not even proofreading :) #sunshine

A is for April, Asana, And, Awesomeness...

I know ignorance is something to stray far from, but is it OK to "ignore" April? Welllllll, no. You would miss too much Awesomeness! This breathy Adrenaline is a by produce of the workshop Emily and I held at Studio Zenith last night. We had to greatest number of people doing Ashtanga in the studio thus far and the air in there was completely electric. So thank you to everyone who came out, we can not wait to see you again soon, and thank you to Anyone who does yoga Anytime, Anywhere.

A very different part of my weekend was spent cleaning out the "other" room in the upstairs of our apartment. Since we moved in (a year and a half ago) the room has Accumulated a wealth of stuff, and in an effort to begin the inevitable Springtime cleanse Jayson and I went to work. Luckily we've decided to remove the weight bench and desk we never use and there is actually space in there! I've put my herb starts in the window and vacuumed and voila:

An in-home studio space! An April miracle! I'm excited!

Another April must-do is celebrate Jayson's birthday, which is tomorrow. We went out on Friday starting with an afternoon at the Stoweflake spa and evening massages. It was my second visit to the spa last week, Emma and I spent an afternoon there on Tuesday getting aromatherapy body wraps and pedicures. The spa offers service for 50% off one week in the spring and fall each year. I highly recommend checking it out! Friday evening we ate out at Crop Bistro & Brewery just across the street and had an Amazing meal. The weather was sleeting and blowing all day but the mild temperatures allowed us to brave the night out. It was well worth the free birthday dessert and spectacular service, we will definitely return to Crop.

Alongside busy days and lush behavior, we've been eating out of the freezer at home! No more lentil soup, but there is still pie crust, pizza dough, homemade bread and plenty of other soups to choose from. I think a may start a soup-making-binge tradition every winter, it's especially nice for these drizzly and dark spring days. The black bean burgers I made months ago are almost used up and have become one of my faves. And yes, those are leftover fiesta fries and HLBs....


I can't resist posting this photo, Lola and her seven-toed paws...

46. sthira sukhamasanam
asana is a steady, comfortable posture (or asana is a stable, happy presence)

47. prayatna saithilyananta samapattibhyam
by lessening the natural tendency for restlessness and by meditating on the infinite, posture is mastered

48. tato dvandvanabhigatah
thereafter, one is not disturbed by dualities

Yoga Sutras: Book Two by Sri Swami Satchidananda

Smells like Spring! Cilantro, Snowmelt and More...

It's April 1st and the weather has been mild and forgiving in Vermont. All except for the massive snow meltage that has turned the back roads into a continuum of swirling mud. Last night Jayson and I dined at my mom's house for Easter with her boyfriend, Wayne, and my brother! The road was so nutty we parked my beetle at the elementary school and my brother shuttle us to the homestead, yeehaw! We had ham, baked pineapple (!!!), scalloped potatoes, roasted asparagus, cheddar popovers and pink bubbly.... wow. My mom also presented me with an Easter bag full of treats and love. Spring time is a great time to be reminded of family and abundance with the new life it brings. It also presents looming days of rain. Today remains dark even at noon with heavy clouds and showers in the forecast, a perfect day to spend in practice, both in the studio and out.

With Intermediate Series calling me I am trying to reshape my weekly yoga routine. Last Friday I went to the Friday morning class at YVT to start training towards the next series in the Ashtanga tradition. It's nice to be learning new transitions and movements along with the seasons, sometimes things just start to click. Today I teach Kids Yoga, attendance has been low but the kids really love to do yoga, so that's great! I've also been obsessed with watching videos of Pattabi Jois teaching the Primary and Intermediate Series. I warn you that the videos are lengthy, extremely inspiring and intensely powerful. Anyways, practicing everyday in the studio(s) feels excellent.

And beside that I've got a regular busy life at the restaurant and in my kitchen. This morning I made hummus with fresh cilantro, lime and garlic. I've been into buying fresh herbs so CILANTRO has been the pick of the week. Yum. Tacos, I even put it in the meatballs I made with mushrooms and onions, and there is still some left to be used! Keeping it fresh and waiting for spring!

A newer obsession has been unearthed in baking my own bread. I find it therapeutic and exhilarating all at once, very much like my physical yoga practice. There are such subtle changes in the recipes of breads that amount to very substantial disparities in the finished product! Now I'm not trying tog et all philosophical and yogic about bread making, but I do recommend giving it a try if you've got the time and capacity to make it happen. Here are a few ideas:

Free Form Sundried Tomato-Garlic-Basil Loaf

Pumpkin Oat Raisin Quickbread (in background of bagel boiling photo!)

Hand Rolled Onion (Mini)Bagels w/ Rosemary

And perhaps one of the more exciting things, mild temperatures have warranted OPEN WINDOWS! This is great for keeping things fresh AND entertaining the kitty who has never had such awesome exposure to fresh airs, smells, sounds, sights and squirrels! These pictures are mostly for you Laura!

Ending with a quick shout out to my and Emily's upcoming Ashtanga Workshop!

Namaste, may spring come in waves of sunshine, xo