Tender Mercies

Last year I promised myself that I would enter a dish into the Naturally Nutritious Cooking Contest at our county fair. When it rolled around this year I knew I wasn't going to be able to get out of it due to my own stubbornness.  I've never entered a cooking contest, and while this one in particular doesn't have a ton of competition, my food was still going to be critiqued. I wasn't sure I was ready for that! I had decided to make my Indian butter chicken recipe with rice, and decided to make some naan to go along with it because naan is just plain delicious. If I had been planning better, I would have snapped a picture of my finished product, but this just goes to show how nervous I truly was.   My sweet husband was so great during the competition. He helped me carry the food to the entry table and tried to distract me by walking with me around the fair while the judges did their tasting (seriously the longest hour ever), but I was kind of a mess! I would

I was feeling completely under the weather today. All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and read or sleep.  It really is strange when I have days like this because I'm usually the girl who hates to sit down and loves her walks and yoga practice. My instinct is to feel guilty for not having any motivation whatsoever, but you could say that I am a recovering "guilt-addict." :-).  I'm reminded of Santosa, a term we use in yoga that means contentment. Contentment with oneself. It is a step towards inner peace and self-compassion. Santosa is accepting what happens, and it is also living in the present moment and feeling the satisfaction of having enough. Today I practiced santosa by giving myself some compassion and realizing that I am enough, despite my lack of motivation.  Actually, practicing self contentment and compassion today allowed me the freedom to do be kind to myself and give my body some space to rejuvenate without being worn down. I allowed mys