Rest Here

I am not going to yoga today... I just don't feel like it. That is the truth. There are no reasons why, and although that is usually the time you need it most, I will probably just do a gentle flow at home by myself. Sometimes it is okay to not push push push. I don't really want to make the hour drive to Athens followed by the 3 hours of yoga and another hour home. Sometimes home yoga is when I really need it the most. That is what I will do. My mind is tired today and I just want to rest and enjoy the evening. Hope you all do too. Give yourself  a break today. It seriously could be the best thing for you.

Don't you worry. I will be back tomorrow and ready to take on the world. :D

Juice Loves

So far my juicing adventures have been kinda few, I pretty much mix up whatever I have in my fridge, not really planning it out. I have come up with a couple of different ones that have been my favorites so far, so I figured I would share. These juices seem to fill me up, satisfy my sweet tooth, and can even be subbed for a meal. I would love to hear any of your ideas on which combinations are great!

kale: low in calories, has zero fat, vitamin packed, anti-inflamatory, and high in calcium

celery: anti-inflammatory, great for recovery after working out, lowers stress hormones

apples: high in anti-oxidants, can help to lower blood sugar, and add a great taste to the juice

ginger: improves absorption, helps with nausea, can also help with cramps

cucumber: excellent source of silica helps with construction of tissues, high in vitamin C

carrots: lots of Vitamin A, can decrease cancer risk, flushes out toxins, improving hair, skin, & nails

strawberries: high in antioxidants, helps to boost your immune system, great for your vision and eyes

pineapple: helps with intestinal issues, can also reduce water build-up in the body

celery: anti-inflammatory, great for recovery after working out, lowers stress hormones

mint: natural decongestant, calms digestive issues

These are just two of my favorite juice recipes that I have come up with so far, and I look forward to sharing more in the future! They are so bright and pretty and you can't help but love drinking them. I have found that I can't consume too much at once, especially the one that contains pineapple, as it makes my stomach ache a little, probably all the sugar. But I usually make enough to freeze for later too. 

Let me know if you make any of these! Tag me in your pictures on Instagram and be sure to follow me @saramontanasays.

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Be blessed!

A Recipe and Good Wishes

I think it is pretty safe to say I have mastered the one(two) skillet meal. Since becoming a partial vegan, it seems to be the easiest and quickest way to get all the vegetables I am constantly craving into my mouth. This is just a little something I stirred up on a whim the other night and it turned out pretty fantastic. 

Two-Pot Veggie Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

lentils

vegetable stock

tbsp coconut oil

2 cloves garlic

1 vidalia onion

1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes

1 can whole kernel corn

1 cup broccoli florets

Directions:

Cook lentils according to package using the vegetable stock in one pot, meanwhile sauteing the chopped garlic and onions in coconut oil in a large saute pan. Once the lentils are almost finished, add broccoli and cook until fork tender. Drain lentils and broccoli. Add corn and tomatoes to the saute pan and heat through, allowing them to get a little color from the pan. Once you are satisfied with them add the broccoli and lentils to the large saute pan to combine all the flavors. Allow them to cook together for about 5 minutes before serving. This could be served with rice, toast, or how I had it... all by itself. It makes enough for 2-3 portions depending on how much of each ingredient you add and can be made in advance. Pretty sure my leftovers were even better for lunch the next day.

This meal is all kinds of healthy. Lentils give you great protein, while the coconut oil is a great fat for you to substitute in. You are getting lots of nutrients from the variety of vegetables along with a healthy starch from the corn. It is full of flavor, but you can always add a little sriracha or red pepper flakes for a more spiced up version.

I would love to know if you tried it out. Email me a picture or show me using the hashtag #findinglavana.

Happy Thursday happy people. Smile today. Tell a stranger hello. Live in a good mood. 

Sweating it out.

Hot yoga and I have a love/hate relationship. Love:

• sweating with the music
• getting deeper into poses
• removing toxins from my body, bad things I have eaten, drank, or just feelings of sickness that are coming along
• stretching my muscles in the heat always makes me feel longer, leaner, more in control of my body. 
• dropping into savansa feeling like I really accomplished something great.
• knowing i left it all on the mat, pushed through each hard moment, breathed through the tough poses and made the most of the hour I had.
• all that sweat on my shirt afterwards, feeling of pride when I leave the gym, knowing I am strong, happy, blessed.

Hate:

• my cold, wet body afterwards.

So you see, the love outweighs the hate. Lots. I love hot yoga. It is a combination of my favorite things and just right for my Monday nights. I encourage each of you to reach out and try it. It is my favorite form of yoga so far, and I just can't get enough. 

happiness

After reading the book "Happy for No Reason", lots of different random thoughts have come to mind and I just wanted to share them all with you. This will be scattered, but I have figured out that in order to come across like my most personable self, I must write like I am. And I am scattered.

-Happiness is something that everyone is capable of, no matter where you are in life. I truly believe that happiness is a choice, one that is sometimes easy, one that is sometimes very hard. It is hardest when you feel low, hardest when we don't get our way or we feel like the world is against us.

... which brings me to my next thought... 

- The world is not against us. The world is for us. Our God is for us. I think that if we all take a step back and look at where we really are in life, we truly got to that moment for a certain reason. It might have been hard as hell to get to, or still be in a really rough place, but he brought you through it so that you can be better, you can be more appreciative of what you do have, what you will have.

 - Sending out happiness brings happiness back to you (this was a point in the book that I truly enjoyed). It really is so true if you think about it. Smiling at someone causes them to smile back at you (usually), there you go. HAPPINESS. It is something so easy, something that literally takes a second and it could change another person's whole outlook that day. Sure it is fine to just go about your daily tasks without a care for anyone else, but what is the point? What is the point of not being nice? ... on to the next thought...

-Be nice. Always choose being nice. Yes, yes, yes... I understand about having differences, not agreeing about things, and having a moment when you let your feelings get the best of you, but if you look back on that moment, how are you truly going to feel about screaming your head off at that lady, or shooting the bird to someone that wasn't driving fast enough... not the greatest (been there, done that). So be nice, kill them with kindness, smile when it is hard, laugh when you want to scream... but be sincere. Being nice helps you to be happy, you are putting out good vibes into this world, and we sure as shootin need those. 

- Be kind to your body and your mind, let go of the negative, take care of your health. You are going to want it one day, maybe even now. But don't wallow in a bad choice, make the best possible choice at the moment, but make it a conscious decision. If you make a decision you regret, do your best to make it better, and if it is as good as it is going to get, let it go. Make a better one next time. Learn from your mistakes.

- Find something you are passionate about and go for it. The happiest people seem to be the most passionate about life when they find something that makes them smile, every single day. This could be a hobby, sport, and if you are really lucky, your day job. This is something I am still working on, but finding my way has been a journey. A journey I am proud of and one that I am happy to still be working on.

-Be grateful. Every. Single. Day. Lately I have made it a point to say it out loud the entire reason I am thankful, either for that particular moment or for a certain thing. Grateful people are happy people and ones that acknowledge their thankfulness are even more fulfilled when it comes back to them again. Noticing even the smallest things can help you be more mindful and in the moment when it comes to your happiness.



Love, Light, Laughter.
Montana

a frank look at my eating this weekend

Okay, so here is the real truth about this weekend. I ate. A lot. I ate all the things I shouldn't, I drank all the things I shouldn't, but you know what? I am totally okay with it.

And you know why? Because sometimes you just have to give yourself a break, not be so hard on yourself, because this is your life, and even though we all want to be healthy, we all want to have a good long life, we all want to feel our best, sometimes we just want to eat. That is where I was this weekend.

This diet has been hard, one that I still can't believe I have stuck to as well as I have. Sure I have a nibble every now and then, but for the most part I am really strict throughout the week. It surprises me when I feel bad about taking a nibble, because I want to be proud of myself, proud of how far I have come and how much different I feel since starting yoga and this journey of teacher training. I came home Sunday, and got right back on track, eating great all day yesterday, and starting this Monday off good as well. This week will be a tough one, with tailgating at the Braves game tomorrow and a NASCAR camping weekend coming up, but I have already come up with some great ideas and can't wait to share my healthy eating plans with you all later this week!

So moral of this story is... LIVE! Be okay with a couple choices away from your diet, it will help you stay on track in the long run. Be okay with where you are right now. 

Be in the moment, because these moments are beautiful. 

ps: I am so proud of these guys and all their hard work! Be on the lookout for the next BBQ champions!

Rest

Resting seems to be something that I struggle with. Something I am definitely not good at, but is it something you can practice?

This weekend I planned on trying. I don't know what it is, but I am constantly going, from work, to yoga, to blogging, to spending time with those I love, to going somewhere, doing new things, I must stay busy. Always. I have found this to be both a blessing and a curse. I don't know where it comes from, maybe my mother, but I just enjoy life more being busy. I do enjoy watching tv in the evenings or just hanging out, but I need to learn to be quiet in my own stillness, to take a break or a nap instead of cramming in just one more thing.

Because here is the thing about being busy, you eventually get tired. Studies all over are always saying how good rest is for you, how much you need your sleep, and I completely agree. I guess when we just get down to it, I like to be awake more than I like to sleep. I like to do, to go, to be active, both in my mind and with my body.

I am learning that in order to be more productive, I need good rest, not necessarily a nap, but go to bed at a decent time. I just have so much that I want to do and see when I get off work that it doesn't always end up as I had planned. Once I hit the pillow I am always out though, it is on the rare occasion that I don't sleep soundly. That is definitely a blessing. So that is where I am now, working on resting, being more productive with the time that I have and gearing up for warmer weather, later nights outdoors, and really busy weekends.

a vegan dessert

recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

Chilled Double Chocolate Torte

Crust ingredients:

1 cup + 6 tbsp whole grain spelt flour

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

 1/2 cup sugar + 1/3 cup stevia

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp kosher salt

4 tbsp + 2 tsp canola oil

1/2 cup almond milk

3 tbsp pure agave syrup

Filling:

2 cups avocado flesh (approx 4 medium avocados), pitted and scooped out

1/3 cup almond milk (revised amount)
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tbsp chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

Directions: Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, sift together the dry crust ingredients (spelt, cocoa powder, baking powder, arrowroot powder, sugar and salt). In a medium bowl, whisk the wet crust ingredients (oil, maple syrup, milk). Add wet to dry and stir well.

In a 10 inch springform cake pan, scoop on the crust batter and spread out with a wet spoon or wet hands. The batter will be very sticky so you will have to keep wetting your spoon/hands. Spread out as evenly as possible and bake for 25 minutes at 375F.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by placing all filling ingredients (except chocolate chips) into food processor. Process until smooth.

Once the crust is done baking, remove from oven to slightly cool off for about 5-10 mins. Now melt your chocolate chips in a small bowl and place melted chocolate into food processor mixture. Process until smooth. Scoop this filling into cake pan on top of crust. Smooth out as much as possible and then place in the freezer for 1.5-2 hours to firm up.

Remove from freezer and allow to sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes before serving chilled. Serves 10-12. Place leftover torte in the freezer wrapped and placed in a seal container. I’m not sure how long it lasts in the freezer, but I would guess 1-3 weeks if sealed properly.

I highlighted the things I changed, substituting arrowroot powder for flour, sugar for stevia, maple syrup for agave. All together it turned out pretty well.

This was my first actual attempt at making an all vegan dessert. My diet is also pretty restrictive on the amount of sugar I can have so I probably broke a few rules, but the amount of sugar in this recipe is pretty low, especially depending on the amount you eat. This torte is rich and best served almost frozen. I love cooking and baking when I have had a stressful day and this was just perfect for that. The avocado works wonderful here, creating a creamy filling that is both delicious and good for you. Believe me, I will be looking for and trying out more of these kinds of recipes soon. Can't wait to share! 
Much love to you all! 

eat your vegetables!

Those were the words we always heard at the dinner table. I have always been a big fruit and veggie eater, growing up my grandparents had a produce stand, and there was nothing I loved more than chowing down on a tomato like it was an apple or having fried okra with our dinners. Now that I am out on my own I love finding new ways to eat my vegetables and getting on board with these vegan diet has expanded my love for food even more! Below are some simple ways to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck and eating all the green stuff you can!

1) I stock up on veggies once a week, this ensures they stay fresh and are much better eaten when you can plan ahead. I always pick up tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, lettuce, avocado. Most of these can be turned into any kind of meal, my go-to is usually something with a little spice, or a Mexican flavor.

2) If I have a few meals in mind, I will add to that corn, a frozen gumbo mix, brussel sprouts, carrots, squash and zucchini (if they look good and are in season), etc.

3) I love a good salad, especially for a quick and easy lunch. I am still working on planning out salads to bring from home during the week, but it has become so easy to run to the grocery store and fix a salad from their amazing salad bar. Mine usually includes the darkest greens available, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, black beans, almonds, dried cranberries, and some type of vinaigrette. 

4) I try to always buy the tri-colored pasta that has veggies in it. I am not to sure if this is a full serving of vegetables, but I am starting to like it just as much as regular pasta, and it is particularly good if it is cooked in vegetable broth.

5) Pile your veggies on a pizza, I have learned to enjoy them all on there. Sometimes we saute them before to make sure they are cooked, but you just can't beat the taste of vegetables with tomato sauce.

6) I am a one pot wonder kind of girl. I love to just put different veggies together, saute them with a little oil, and then add some type of starch (lentils, pasta, rice). I always add something


These are just a few of the ways I love to add veggies to everything I am cooking! Easy dinners have always been my go-to and I enjoy cooking even if it is just for me! Making an effort to make a home cooked meal always pays off in the long run! Take care of your body now, it will thank you later!

How do you eat your veggies??

An Update.

Hi all! Just your newly turned, vegan eating, yoga machine here, excited to tell you about where I am in my practice and get you caught up on how my recent movie night went.

Not so well folks. Not so well.

But first, eating. Well it is getting better, I am finding more and more things that I both like and can eat. I struggled at first with getting enough protein in my diet, but feel I have that a little more down pat these days. My headaches have finally subsided and my skin is clearing up. I think my body has somewhat adjusted to the changes that took place.

Now on to the fun part. Kidding.

( I am going to say here that I am a just a person. A person that has personal views, one that grew up in, went to school for, and now works in the agriculture industry. I don't expect anyone to agree with my personal views, but I do expect you to respect that I have them.)

Last night I had the pleasure of watching the video "Earthlings". It is a film narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and you can read more about the film here. This film claims to be the "vegan maker" so going into it, I was of course hesitant and in all honesty a bit scared. I had heard before of films like this, backed by vegans that were spreading the word about animal cruelty among other things. This film turned out to be exactly what I thought it to be. 

It was graphic, from dying animals, to slaughter houses, abuse, puppy mills, etc. it was all there. They showed the killing of whales, the processes of slaughter of cows, chickens, and pigs, among other animals. They showed rodeo animals that got hurt, they showed horse races where horses were knocked down and trampled over, they showed elephants being beaten by their circus owners. There was blood and guts, sad faces, dirty fish, puppies in gas chambers, all of it. It was everything I expected it to be. 

I want to stop here and say, I do not think that animals should be mistreated. I do not think that animals should have to undergo painful deaths. However, I also do not look at animals as our equals. I look at them as creatures that God put on this Earth for us to care for, to look after, to use, to eat. That is where the biggest difference in myself and the creators of this movie lies. 

Now I want to tell you what they didn't show, and some things they showed that I have rarely heard of happening. I have never heard of dairy farmers chaining their cows all day. From my experience, these cows are brought in twice a day, they are fed, milked, and taken care of if ill during that time. They are grazed for the largest part of the day. I have never heard of chickens being de-beaked. From the people I have talked to, whose families are in the chicken business, that just doesn't make sense. How would they pick up their food? (Also if you look closer throughout the movie, you can tell that these chickens do have their beaks.) They fail to mention all the research done by people like Temple Grandin and others who devoted their lives the figuring out the most humane ways to handle and slaughter animals. They didn't show the love that goes into taking care of a horse. The time and care given to the rodeo animals, the people behind these actions. I understand that cruelty to any living thing is wrong, but you can't just group together the bad findings of certain people and make it seem like the norm.  Yes, things like what were shown have happened and I am sure that they still do, however, it is not always the case. And more often than not most of the people handling these animals do so with the utmost care. Those animals are the way they make their living, the way they feed their families and keep clothes on their backs. There is so much more that I could say on this topic, but I am going to stop here.

Growing up, going to school for, and now working in the animal industry I have learned and witnessed many things. I have decided to believe what I see with my own eyes. To trust my own instinct and to stay as true to myself as possible during this phase of my life.

I am feeling much more confident about this experience after getting through my first two videos. I feel confident in who I am as a person, what I believe in, and the experience that lies before me. I can do it. I can make it through.

Do something today that scares you. Do one thing that makes you think.

Happy for No Reason

Good morning world! 
After a rough start to the week, filled with a headache and lots of super cold weather, the past few stays have been great ones. Class last night was wonderful, and although I am still working on being "still" in the moment (both mind and body) I am getting more into the routine of the drive and the classes.

Did I mention earlier on that I was required to watch movies and read books to complete this course. The books and movies listed below are supposed to stir some sort of feelings up for each one of us. This particular studio focuses on non-violence and living a peaceful life, where some may be more connected to the act of doing yoga, others on the more spiritual side. I am still unaware of how most of these books and/or movies will affect me, but I am going to do my best to understand that the media can portray most anything in the way that they want to, and I must stick to my guns when it comes to knowing what these types of things mean to me.
Books: The Razor's Edge, Somerset Maugham
True Meditation, Adyashanti
Bhagavad Gita
The China Study, T. Colin Campbell
Happy Yoga, Steve Ross
Yoga Body, Mark Singleton
Healthy at 100, John Robbins
Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer
Slaughterhouse. Gail Eisnitz
Happy for No Reason. Marci Shimoff
Eat to Live. Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
The Longest Struggle, Norm Phelps
Movies: A Crude Awakening* Short Road to Nirvana*
No Impact Man*
Food, Inc**
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead 
Earthlings***
Forks Over Knives**
Home***
Crazy, Sexy Cancer
Ashtanga, NY
The Matrix**
The People Speak
I am currently reading "Happy for No Reason" and listening to "The Razor's Edge" on CD while in my car. "Happy for No Reason" has been informative so far, as it reads as more of a self-help book. It will get into stories later on, and I feel that will be more what I will enjoy. "The Razor's Edge" is quite compelling, making me think deeply about the reason's that we all do the things we do. I also have found similarities between characters in the book, with those in my real life, so it is helping to understand their thoughts and actions as well. 
I am still in a place of not knowing where this process will take me. Will I one day teach yoga? Will I offer help to those who need it, for the sole reason that I know it can make a difference? All of these thoughts are ones that cross my mind. I want others to understand that I am not a looney, that yes. it may seem difficult to make certain changes in your life. Yes, some others may not get it, but when you feel a push to do something, you should just go for it. Try it out. I didn't really feel like I had anything to lose when I just jumped right in. I am thankful for those that support me and doubt me, you are both pushing me further than you think.
I am so blessed to be able to share a few words with you before work this morning. It is raining out, and getting out of my warm bed is not going to be easy. Stay safe today. Smile. Tell a stranger hello. Make life different. Start now.

One weekend down...

Well it is over. 

via thewriting

The first weekend of my vegan eating that is. I ate great, and although I have had a slight headache for the past two days I am feeling great! I have slept like a rock the past few nights, and with all this cold weather moving in it just has been super hard to get out of the bed in the mornings. 
I went to my first official "adventure club only" class on Sunday. I enjoyed all that we learned, but feel like I still might slightly stick out like a sore thumb. I make jokes when I get nervous and I am not afraid to talk to strangers, but these people don't know my personality so they might just think I am awkward and weird. Regardless, I did well with the calling of the salutations and my timing was pretty spot on. I am excited to get more comfortable with the others in the class and understand their personalities. I still feel like a fish out of water around these people that have complete 180* different views than I, but I still hope to find more out about them and the way that they think.
The further I go in this, I hope to share easy recipes that can be eaten by both vegans and non-vegans with just little tweaks. Last night we had an easy stir-fry and while everyone else had chicken added to theirs, I enjoyed only vegetables. I think the hardest part of my diet will be figuring out what I can and can't have, and although it takes some time to figure out what to eat, I have yet to feel hungry at all. 
Hopefully I will share my "charting" with you this upcoming week along with the books I am reading and movies I must watch. I am anxious about the views they have towards animals, agriculture, and the way of life I have always known, but know that media can portray most anything, and I will always trust my own instinct. 
Hope all you had a wonderful weekend. Stay warm tonight! 

What's a girl to eat?

Well day one is down. And it was easy. WHOA... seriously, probably the only time you will hear that. The eating part was easy, I wasn't entirely hungry and I only had a craving when someone opened a NutterButter in front of me. RUDE. The grocery shopping part. That was the devil. What exactly is one supposed to eat when you can't have the following??
milk cheese butter  any kind of dairy eggs meat  fish sugar alcohol
So yeah, the grocery store was a doozie, but it will get better. It has too. I am going to be a better planner, going to cook huge meals in advanced and eat on them throughout the week. Stir-fry veggies and rice, vegetable soup, ... that's all I got for now.
On to the more yoga side of things... I officially met my teacher tonight. He is totally blissed out, so at peace with everything. Very let it be kind of guy. I am excited. He doubts me, I can hear it in his voice and see it in the way he looks at me. I want to prove him wrong, I want to prove myself right. I can do this. This meat eating, agriculture loving, God-fearing woman can do this. I will do this.  Charting started today too and I will share more about that as I get further into the program.
I am tired tonight though. Tired and confident.  Goodnight all. Blessed to be here. Right here.

Finding Lavana

Greetings!  It sure has been a while, so the amount of people that are still around this place has surely depleted. It's a brand new year and I have made it my goal to begin documenting the craziness that is about to go on for the next 5 or so months.  As I have made it known from previous posts, my life changed for the better last March sometime. I became extremely interested in yoga and the way it affects your body in the most amazing ways. I expanded my practice and pushed myself to go daily over the summer, slowed down at the beginning of fall and have struggled through the holidays. It has been in my head recently that I wanted to push my practice even further, so the time has come to begin a teachers training. I am unsure of where this will take me in the future, whether it will lead to leading classes on my own, or just be an extension of my personal practice, but I am excited. 

and here comes the scary part...  In order to complete the program, there are a series of guidelines that I must follow, the hardest including becoming a vegan and giving up alcohol. You can read more about the program here, but all in all I will begin charting tomorrow.  I must keep up with various parts of my life and chart daily. It is going to be a struggle. I KNOW THAT. But I am also confident that I can make it through. I am also quite sure there will be a few mess ups. A few drinks had and a piece of steak or two eaten, but I am excited. And also scared. Growing up around agriculture, I don't have a problem eating meat, drinking milk, or chowing down on a bowl of cheese dip from the mexican restaurant. I don't find eating meat to be a form of animal cruelty, but rather as a way that things are. The way that things were meant to be. That being said, I also respect that others have beliefs that differ from my own, and that is perfectly fine. Great in fact. Who wants everyone to be the same? Not I. Life is much more fun and interesting when there are different folks around.  With all that out there in the open, I am super excited about pushing myself past my new limits, learning about new food, and finding some great new recipes. I plan on sharing it all here. The ups, the downs, the cravings, the stories of new friends, weird ideas, things I don't agree with and the things I do.
I will explain more as time goes on, but for the time being I am off to down my last bowl of cheese dip. Happy New Year yall! Excited to be back and sharing my life in this space.