ILLUMINE Winter2016

VOL. 3 NO. 2

WINTER 2016

ELEVATING COMMUNITY

New challenges, new twists in yoga asana

Mindful Fitness ISSN 2330-2860

Cultivating awareness in your workout

Meditation 411

breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. lululemon athletica lululemon athletica ambassador chantal o’sullivan

grounds for happiness

YOGA. LOVE. RUN. PEACE. 2

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contents features

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Meditation 411

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Healing the Whole Body: Integrative Medicine

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Asana 2.0

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Your Moment of Zen: Mindful Fitness

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Community

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Artist Profile: Zoe Rose Wolf

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Sutra in the City

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Illuminating the Spirit

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Studio Feature: Yoga Loft

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Traditions

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Vedic Astrology

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Ayurveda

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Architecture

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Sanskrit

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Escapes

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Fresh on the Fly

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Defining Your Authentic Style

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Fearless Food Gardening

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Contact Us:

Submissions@illuminemagazine.net Subscription@illuminemagazine.net Advertise@illuminemagazine.net

Cover photo: Jill Jerome in ustrasana, photograph by Josh Darr

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with love “Measure the progress of your asana not by the complexity of what you can do with your body, but rather your relationship with your motherin-law,” advised Gary Kraftsow in one of my trainings with him over 15 years ago.

Reflect on the inner space and regain balance.

I didn’t have a mother-in-law at the time, but I understood that he was referring to the quality and harmony of possibly the most difficult relationship as an accurate indicator of the progress of our on-the-mat yoga practice.

What does asana do for us? Over my years of teaching, I have seen asana strengthen and condition bodies to be strong and capable, and open and stretch areas that feel tight and over-used. I have witnessed practitioners accessing their breath, resulting in feeling more awake, alive and calm, appreciating the space and ease in the body and mind.

As practitioners go through job transitions and dating sagas, marriages and divorces, tragedies and bliss, travel to places around the globe and to places deep into the soul, they continue to come back to the mat as a way to connect with their breath, their body, their lives.

Our personal practices—whether they be practicing asana or meditation, going to church or keeping a gratitude journal, celebrating religious holidays or sentimental anniversaries, faithfully scheduling workouts and weekly dates—are all ways that help us become more present in our lives and live more fully. Over the years, yoga has become a common access point to this state of mind.

ILLUMINE’s editorial conversation for this issue focused on the idea that “It’s not just asana anymore.” More fitness classes are integrating the body and mind. Through the use of more reflective, yoga-inspired language, these classes highlight the “flow” state of mind that results from any prolonged and uninterrupted time spent doing something we love. By specifically emphasizing the “zen” quality of fitness, whether running, pedaling a bike or lifting weights, there is a more universal encouragement to use the mind to focus on speed, intensity, endurance and stamina.

We explored other practices that get people quieting down and turning inward. We’ve entered into a culture that uses physical effort and doing, no matter what that may be, to get to a more centered and still place of being.

As such, ILLUMINE will become more expansive in addressing the fitness and wellness community, and the myriad of ways to live an inspired life.

In ILLUMINE’s Winter 2016 issue, our writers explore how and what we do what we do with more attention, awareness and insight. We are more curious about the results of quieting the mind than the asana itself, and we trust that our relationships (with our mothers-in-law and others) are our most precious works of art.

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847.480.0300 Lourdes Paredes, Founder and publisher

WINTER 2016

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contributors

Volume 3, Issue 2 WINTER 2016 Founder and Publisher Lourdes Paredes Managing Editor Abby Hart

WHAT WILL YOU DO TO MOVE THROUGH THIS YEAR WITH MORE GRACE AND EASE? For me, communication is always something I look at refining and elevating in my life. Can I be a better listener—to my body, to my husband, to my children?

I’m also looking cultivate more patience with myself during this time of transition in my life.

-Tracy Bleier, Musings from the Mat

To move through this year with more grace and ease I will continuously display an attitude of gratitude. I will work to be grateful for each moment, each breath, each opportunity.

-William Dawson, An Illumined Life

To move through the year with more grace and ease I will grow; I will grow as a mother and partner, grow a sunflower and grow still, instead of spending all my free time exercising.

-Julie Deardorff, Your Moment of Zen

I'm learning to let things flow more, which means letting go, accepting certain things, and having unwavering faith that good is always here and on its way. And I'm drinking more water.

-Ashlee Piper, Fresh on the Fly

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Editorial Consultant Heidi Schlumpf Editorial Board Abby Hart Jim Kulackoski Lourdes Paredes Heidi Schlumpf Print Design Graham Ebetsch Jason Campbell Web Design Laura Fairman Artwork Jillian Schiavi Writers Tracy Bleier Katie Bogey Vicki Browdy Debi Buzil William Dawson Julie Deardorff Fredda Teresa Gale Jim Kulackoski Sarah Landicho Ruth Diab Lederer Mark Anthony Lord Pamela McDonough Linda Mura O’Toole Ashlee Piper Dr. Meggie Smith Katie Wilkes Zoe Rose Wolf Monica Yearwood Photography Jake Kosten Distribution Saba Haider Abby Hart Amy Multack Gayathri Raghavan Claire Stillman WINTER 2016

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Community

ARTIST PROFILE

Zoe Rose Wolf My paintings are inspired by my study of Buddhism and my meditation practice. They ask deep, spiritual questions, such as “What would we look like if we were our own best selves, free from suffering and motivated by feelings of connection and love rather than by anger and fear?” and “Can the images we look at increase our feelings of ease and well-being?”

My influences range from Kamakura-era Japanese sculpture to the paintings of Rothko and Michelangelo, and from the visionary art of Tibet to the Fayoum paintings of second century Egypt.

In my work, I experiment with color theory, which uses the color wheel to categorize and understand the effects of mixing and juxtaposing colors, and I explore the meanings of materials such as gold leaf, preserved leaves and twigs.

I often use the golden ratio, a mysterious mathematical ratio found in nature, in music and in the proportions of the human body, to organize my canvas. Since ancient times, the golden ratio has been known to create a pleasing visual rhythm and proportion, and this resonates with my desire to create more well-being in the world.

As we are changed by what we see, I hope my paintings make you feel calm and clear, balanced and spacious, and at ease.

Zoe Rose Wolf is a Chicago artist and yoga teacher at Shri Yoga Center in Highland Park, Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, and Cancer Wellness Center in Northbrook. Learn more about her art at zoekaufman.com.

Artwork Photographed by Sam Levitan

above: “Inhale/Exhale” oil and gold leaf on linen 72” x 48” right: “How to Be In the World” oil and gold leaf on linen 32” x 80”

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SUTRA IN THE CITY

Community

Debi Buzil, photographed by Robert Sturman

The Sleet and the Flute

by Debi Buzil

The Sutras teach us the grounding power of yoga asana

H

elp! There’s a sleet storm out there and I need to get home! Chicago weather can be crazy—today we had weather advisories and blinding hail. I left the house only because I wanted to keep the commitment to see a dear friend visiting from out of town. We decided to meet at the Art Institute.

Art has a way of healing. Time and circumstance melt away as we wander the New Wing— modern art set in spacious halls filled with light.

The hour speeds by. Now I need a moment to settle into my skin to face the challenge of getting home through a storm at dusk with eight-foot whitecaps crashing over Lake Shore Drive. The circumstances are epic. What can I pull out from my yoga backpack to see me through?

First, we leave the bustle of the New Wing and step into the exhibition “Gates of the Lord,” featuring 100 paintings inspired by Lord Krishna.

Entering these galleries, I understand how art and devotion are intertwined. I hear the recorded sound of the bansuri, the wooden flute played

by Lord Krishna. It is said that Krishna blows life or prana into our bodies, and we are simply his instrument. I am standing in front of a

WINTER 2016

painting from the late 19th century, with Krishna surrounded by dancing women, palm trees and lotus flowers. It’s night in the painting, and there is a full moon. Here I take a few moments to stand in tadasana, or mountain pose, and simply breathe. On or off the mat, the practice of yoga lets us be secure and satiated in our own skin. There is no disconnect: our inner and outer worlds are easy, and this paradigm holds wherever we are.

Sthira Sukham Āsanam (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 2.46): The connection to the earth should be steady and joyful.

Hatha Yoga is a complete system, working to harmonize breath, body and the senses. Each of us encompasses both male (Ha) and female (Tha). We feel whole when we are balanced.

Sthira Sukham Āsanam lets us know that the pose should be “steady and joyful” in both the hold and the transition of coming in and out of the posture. When our body is in alignment, our breath can flow and our awareness reflects the Divine Light. We are comfortable in who we are.

Mountain pose is the very first pose of B.K.S.

Iyengar’s Light On Yoga. A simple standing pose.

At the Art Institute I am feeling rooted and connected to the earth, accepting of her elements of challenge, namely the weather.

Sthira sukham āsanam has been pivotal to my practice and finding my edge, discovering my nature. I love yoga because its timeless wisdom is embedded so clearly in its practice. Although the practice of asana, or poses, is barely mentioned in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, just enough information is given to make the poses right. The pose should be steady, firmly rooted and cultivate a sense of joy.

My departing friend had to chase his hat all the way from Michigan Avenue to Wabash Avenue, only for it to end up in a puddle of slush. But I am prepared, joyful even. I am ready to leave downtown, comfortable and fully present, with the sound of the bansuri and deeply rooted inner strength guiding and protecting me.

Debi Buzil is the leader of Chicago-based Kirtan group Devi 2000. She is a longtime teacher and student, and a mother of two.

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Rise. Return.

Repeat.

by Tracy Bleier

Finding the beauty in beginning again

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ast week I found myself in an entirely different kind of yoga class. Which was not so unusual given the fact that in the last few months I have found myself in an entirely new part of the country. A new neighborhood. A new grocery store. A new life.

The class involved intense heat, hand weights and Justin Timberlake music. It demanded stamina. It demanded that my eyes stay wide open and my body stay in constant motion even if I didn’t always feel like it. At the final transition of the class the teacher encouraged us to take pause and to think about how that moment could be a chance to begin again.

Again?

For the first few weeks in my new town of Chicago, life was all about beginning again, literally. I didn’t have time to long for the convenience of what once was. It was like learning to walk again, to reorient myself to the simple act of just paying attention, to get lost and found multiple times a day.

Newness was my atmosphere. As my body and mind adjusted to breathing in this new life, I had the sweetest whiff of appreciation not only for what I left behind but for what I carried along with me. To begin again meant I could summon the ever-present wisdom of “you can do this.”

Tracy Bleier, photographed by Alley Maher Photography

Every day we have a choice to begin again. We can look at those we wake up to and recommit to seeing them, before we forget that they won’t always be there. That it won’t always be like this. We get the choice to change our viewpoint and our attitude. We get to tell a new story. We get to inhabit our bodies in more elevated ways. We get to have the do-over. The higher conversation. We get to wake up every second and be better people.

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Community

M U S I N G S F R O M T H E M AT

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We do not need a big move to do this. We can be moved daily because of the awareness we have harvested throughout our lives. One of my favorite meditation teachers has said many times, it doesn’t matter how much you go away from the moment, what matters most is that you choose to return.

Choose to return.

Choose to begin again.

Choose to participate in your own unfolding over and over again.

May we be introduced to the part of ourselves that revels in the chance to feel the beauty of beginning again every day.

Tracy Bleier is a teacher and community leader/builder. She recently moved to Chicago where, in addition to teaching yoga and writing, and caring for her family, she is writing her first memoir.

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I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E S P I R I T

Your Best Year make 2016 the year you love yourself

by Mark Anthony Lord

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t’s that time of year again, when many fervently struggle with keeping new resolutions and big goals. We create lists of things we are not going to do again…only to find ourselves, once again, doing those very things. By February, if not sooner, our desires become mixed with confusion. Our goals are often geared towards perfectionism. Our dreams become fogged over with fear.

I have been a big goal setter, an ungrounded dreamer and a man who put my desires on a big vision board thinking that will make them all come true. Even if you’re not that kind of person, wherever you find yourself on the ocean of wishing, wanting and trying to manifest your wonderful life, those waters contain some real big sharks of self-rejection, disappointment and inadequacy.

How about this year, you stop the insanity, once and for all?

What if you had one audacious goal, which would simply be to love and accept yourself every single day, come what may?

Want to have the best year ever? Set the intention to appreciate yourself, be your own champion and

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pick yourself up off the ground with kindness and even a bit of humor—no matter how many times you fall.

Decide that you are worth all the love, compassion and patience that could ever be given, and that you’re done expecting anyone else to give it to you.

Give it to yourself.

Dance when you’re alone, sing out loud in the car, and if you’re going to eat two pints of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting (I’ve eaten three pints. No shame.), do it with joy!

S

ometimes we can get addicted to feeling inadequate, frustrated, angry, not good enough, guilty, rejected or abandoned. These can be core wounds from our childhood, or maybe they are common emotions in our family that we started learning when we were beginning to walk and talk. Negative emotions and beliefs about ourselves can, over time, begin to feel like our very identity. Almost like, “Who would I be without feeling like (fill in the blank)?”

Changing your beliefs about yourself in the midst of a negative pattern can feel hard, but it’s doable.

You can, over time, become your best support system. It begins by letting yourself off the hook.

This year, you’re going to screw up. You’re going to say the wrong thing. You’re going to look stupid, oversleep, run late, overindulge and maybe make one of the biggest mistakes of your entire life. Yes, it really could happen.

How will you prevail over these challenges?

Love and accept yourself, as you are, right there by changing your inner dialogue. It can sound something like this: “Hey, relax. It’s totally cool.

You absolutely look like a fool right now, but I’m here. I’m on your side, and I love you!” Give yourself the words you need, and do your very best to mean them. If not you, who?

Does this sound cheesy to you? So what! Cheese it up.

Your fantastic 2016 begins with the commitment to loving yourself. Decide to be your own best friend, and make it happen, finally.

Mark Anthony Lord is a world-renowned spiritual leader, teacher, author and coach/counselor. He currently speaks and teaches at Unity in Chicago Monday evenings. For more information visit: markanthonylord.com

WINTER 2016

Randi Lattimore, Mind Body Director

With beautifully designed yoga studios, instructors who take your experience personally, and a philosophy that nurtures a feeling of community, it’s our way of making sure you never go to the gym again. Upgrade from gym to club in Bannockburn, Chicago, Palatine, and Willowbrook.

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Community

S T U D I O F E AT U R E

A Refuge from the Hustle and Bustle River North’s Yoga Loft offers mindful wellness community for all levels

by Katie Wilkes

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Photography by Josh Darr

WINTER 2016

S T U D I O F E AT U R E

Community

I

n early 2012, Yoga Loft founders Jill Jerome and Tim Ceurvorst saw an opportunity to fill a yoga lifestyle gap in the River North neighborhood. Now, many of its students are calling it Chicago’s best-kept secret.

Affectionately called “YoLo” by its regulars, Yoga Loft is a boutique studio that has grown to be a well-rounded health and wellness community for advanced and beginning practitioners alike.

Nearby residents and out-of-towners flock to Yoga Loft to seek a refreshing refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday city life.

The space remains true to its name. On the fourth floor of an old brick loft building nestled in the thick of Hubbard Street bars and restaurants is an intimate two-studio space lined with original wooden beams. Barely visible from the street in a high-traffic area of town, its nondescript entrance is easy to pass, shared with multiple other businesses in the building.

Originally slated to open a block east above Andy’s Jazz Club, it took months of space hunting, lease negotiating and remodeling woes to open what is now Yoga Loft. Since then, the orange shag carpet has been replaced with rich wooden floors and walls that encourage flow from one studio to the next. But the charm of the original building’s craftsmanship is still largely intact.

“Like any other new business, we had a slow start at first,” explains Ceurvorst. “Class sizes were small and the word took time to get out. Now, it’s a different story.”

The main studio at Yoga Loft

looked back. “Yoga has literally changed the way I see myself, others and the world around me,” she says. “The physical and mental benefits are vast and limitless, especially if you have a daily practice. It doesn't matter what type of yoga you do, just do something with consistency and you will notice a difference.”

Mirrorless studio walls encourage students to learn by feeling for alignment rather than looking for it. Instructors are chosen based on their ability to read the room, infuse creativity and originality and, most importantly, be authentic, say the owners.

More than 15 types of yoga classes are on the weekly schedule, from a flowy vinyasa practice

“Yoga has literally changed the way I see myself, others and the world around me. It doesn’t matter what type of yoga you do, just do something with consistency and you will notice a difference.”

–Jill Jerome, co-owner, Yoga Loft Jerome’s goal was to create a wellness community focused on a healthy balance of movement, not just exercise. The studio offers unique, intentionbased classes that complement one another.

Students can rev up with a short bootcamp class, then cool down with restorative yoga.

Sidelined by a running injury years ago, Jerome tried yoga as an alternative workout. She never WINTER 2016

to mindful meditation to a sweaty high-intensity workout. Office dwellers can even slip in a “busy people class” on their lunch break. New classes are also added often to the schedule based on student interest and feedback. All classes are designed to be just as fulfilling to the mind and heart as they are to the physical body.

“We are serious about helping people make

real lifestyle changes,” says Jerome, adding that both owners want to offer a safe space for the community to feel comfortable evolving their practice, whatever style that might be.

“Can't touch your toes? That’s OK here. Want to sweat like a maniac? You'll find a class for that too,” Jerome says.

Many of studio’s instructors also consider themselves regulars of Yoga Loft’s community.

Yoga teacher Cassi Stuckman led the opening night class in May 2012 and has taught weekly at Yoga Loft since. “I’ve stayed because of the closeknit vibe and freedom to be creative teaching a range of workshops and training sessions,” she says. “It’s definitely helped strengthen my own practice, too.”

For Yoga Loft student Laura-Ashley Burnside, the studio has become a familiar place during her transition to Chicago. “I’ve been practicing for several years in various cities, so I know what I like in a studio—inviting, warm, easygoing, friendly, balanced,” says Burnside, who moved to Chicago a little over six months ago. “The moment I stepped through Yoga Loft’s door, I knew I had found my place. My yoga ‘home.’”

Yoga Loft is located at 15 W. Hubbard Street in Chicago. Check out Yoga Loft’s latest class schedule, pricing, upcoming teacher training programs and workshops at yogaloftchicago.com.

Katie Wilkes is a marketing professional, yogi, foodie and devoted rescue pup mom. illuminemagazine.net

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The Moon-Mind Exchange Exploring the link between Vedic astrology, ayurveda and mental health

by Pamela McDonough

O

ne of the more fascinating elements about the ancient astrological science of Jyotish, or Vedic astrology, is its total integration with the other sciences of India, particularly ayurveda, the natural medicine of India. Traditionally, an ayurvedic physician trained in Jyotish would first analyze the patient's horoscope for health before seeing the patient.

A Vedic astrologer can also analyze one’s horoscope for physical health as well as mental health. For the former, Jyotish can shed light on the likelihood of certain kinds of illness; for the latter, it can help explain emotional tendencies.

Once empowered with this health knowledge, one can visit an ayurvedic or traditional physician to begin preventative treatment, or a healing protocol.

The moon in Vedic astrology is a key planet of the horoscope and can be assessed for emotional constitution. The moon connects to the mind, emotions and intuition. By knowing its placement and condition, we can better understand our emotional well-being.

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The transiting planets (where the nine planets are at any point in time in the zodiac, past, present or future) can determine physical and emotional health during certain times in one’s life. According to Vedic astrology, people are born with a certain set of emotional patterns. As they experience the planetary transits relative to the moon, they can undergo shifts in their emotions and exhibit changes within their ayurvedic constitution, or dosha.

When certain planets, by transit, connect with the moon in your horoscope, you may go through a range of positive and negative emotions. For example, transits from Saturn to the moon in your horoscope can be emotionally heavy and create melancholy. Saturn also carries with it the air element, or the vata dosha type. Vata (wind) dosha is responsible for all movement in the mind and body. When Saturn connects to the moon or mind by transit, it can manifest as scattered thoughts or difficult emotions such as anxiety, panic attacks and severe depression. It’s helpful, especially when experiencing an emotionally difficult transit,

to understand when that planetary influence is going to pass.

A Vedic astrologer can assess the strength of the planets in your horoscope. For example, the severity of the influence of transiting Saturn (and other planets), can be determined by how strong the moon is at the time of one’s birth.

Jyotish helps assess health issues, both mental and physical, and ayurveda provides the cure.

By understanding key planetary transits and the condition of the moon at birth, people can be better prepared for emotional influences, both positive and challenging, and make decisions accordingly. Such knowledge allows people to develop a plan, and if necessary, create a support system for particularly difficult times, and overall, to be more effective and productive in life.

Pamela McDonough is a Vedic astrologer and artist.

Learn more about her work or schedule a reading at yantramandala.com.

V E D I C AST R O LO GY

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Yoga & Ayurveda: Two Arms, One Body

by Monica Yearwood

that emphasize movement and strength can be helpful at this time of the year. Summer season is hot and wet. Sheetali pranayama, a yogic breathing practice for cooling the body, or extended meditation can help cool the mind.

AYURVEDIC CLEANSING CLEARS THE WAY FOR PRANA

Ayurveda's morning routines create a daily awareness practice through interaction with the physical self. By observing our physical body and mental quality, we cultivate an inner knowledge of our overall state of being. The seven gates refer to eyes, ears, nose and mouth—or the seven openings into the head, and there are specific practices that help to keep them clean. In so doing, we ‘open the gates’ and allow the full magnitude of prana into our being, and prepare ourselves for our yoga and meditation practice.

Some of the more common aids for cleansing the seven gates include neti pot for sinus cleansing and a tongue scraper for cleansing the mouth.

Additional practices include placing a few drops of oil in the ears and cleansing the eyes with herbal wash. One teaspoon of eyebright, a common herb, can be steeped in one cup of hot water. Strain the water after it has cooled and use it in an eye rinse.

STRENGTHENING IMMUNITY THROUGH ASANAS

Monica Yearwood, photographed by Kristie Kahns

Y

oga and ayurveda are regarded as the right and left arms of the same body.

They are sister sciences, part of the same family, with roots deeply entrenched in the Vedas. Ayurveda recommends integrating practices such as meditation, cleansing and asana into one’s daily routine for optimal health and mental clarity.

Yoga asanas keep the body limber, vital and strong. The poses are detoxifying and can be used to support physiologic function and repair.

Ayurvedic practitioners are able to customize yoga asana sequences that will work to pacify or stimulate bodily functions. Pranayama (conscious breathing) directs the way prana (life force) moves through the body, and is practiced in conjunction with yoga and meditation. It purifies

the physical body—specifically, the energetic channels, called nadis, which transport prana— and prepares the mind for meditation.

AYURVEDIC PRACTICES, SEASON BY SEASON

Ayurveda teaches the importance of seasonal augmentations on our yoga practice. In general each season possesses qualities that can be reduced through specific yoga practices. Typically, fall and early winter practices emphasize warmth and rejuvenation. The dryness and mobility that we observe in our environment can be countered by practicing fewer asanas and holding them for longer periods. Late winter and spring is wet and cool in the Chicago area, and ayurveda emphasizes heat and detoxification. Kappalabhati pranayama, a yogic breathing practice that enhances internal heat, vinyasa, and sequences

Digestion is the epicenter of our immune system, according to ayurveda, and keeping it strong ensures health. Specific asanas and breathing practices influence digestive function, and can be used to reduce or prevent imbalance. Twisting postures can regulate jatharagni—the mother fire of all the fires in the body—that exists in the small intestine and influences digestive function.

Kappalabhati pranayama increases heat and stimulates the digestive function. Breathing in and out of Ida Nadi (the left nostril), while laying on the left side reduces agni (fire) and can help to prevent hyperacidity or fast digestion.

A

yurveda is a lifestyle practice and a medical system that emphasizes our alignment with nature. Collectively, the yogic practices that are part of an ayurvedic lifestyle restore us, and rejuvenate every vital tissue in the body. They are the heart of ayurveda. These practices help to strengthen the herbal medicines, detoxification strategies, and other concentrated practices used in ayurvedic medicines. In addition, yoga aids the development of inner awareness and knowing of one’s individual purpose—both of which are regarded as foundational to health.

Monica Yearwood is an ayurvedic practitioner, author, speaker and founder of Hamsa Ayurveda & Yoga.

AY U R V E D A WINTER 2016

Traditions

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Traditions

ARCHITECTURE

Vaastu Has a Corner on Positive Energy Designing Your Home According to the Elements

by Ruth Diab Lederer

A

ccording to Vaastu Shastra, the ancient Hindu system of architecture, every part of your home vibrates with energy.

The corners of your house and their respective sections are especially important. That’s where the elements of air, fire, water and earth reside. Air is in the northwest, fire is in the southeast, water is in the northeast and earth is in the southwest.

Most importantly, the locations of the elements play out in your life in powerful ways.

Air is transient, and all matters of life that benefit from this temporary element are best served in the northwest section. This includes the bedroom for out-of-town guests and the bedroom for the eldest child in a family—usually the one who leaves the family nest first. Air also acts to keep things fresh, which is why storing grains in the northwest section is an ancient tradition.

Fire is transformative, and all matters that benefit from this purifying state are best served in the southeast section. This includes all cooking activities, all creative activities, home gyms and a short-term home office. It is never appropriate for

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a bedroom or an activity of any duration because the intensity of the space will be detrimental to a good night’s sleep or a peaceful state of mind.

Water is tranquilizing, and all matters that benefit from this pacifying state are best served in the northeast section. In a traditional Vaastu home, this is the location of the puja room— the worship or meditation room. It is also an excellent location for asana. A bedroom for an elderly person or a person living a monastic life would be perfect for this slow-moving and lifegiving section.

Earth is stabilizing, and all matters that benefit from this restful state are best served in the southwest section. This section promotes deep sleep as well as the quality of dominance in the household, so the master bedroom should be in this location. It’s also useful for a home office for the head of the house or for a family room.

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hile each corner and section is imbued with characteristic elemental energy, there is also fundamental energy, such as

“blessedness,” that comes from the design of a Vaastu house. Of the seven varieties of blessedness, the most interesting one is enjoyment. Blessedness on its own is a state of well-being and contentment. When it is further enhanced by the sense of enjoyment, the experience is deeper and more meaningful.

Visualize your asana practice in your northeast section and imagine a sense of blessedness.

Explore the enjoyment of your asana practice as it enhances your well-being and contentment in a way that is powerful and elevating. While the qualities mentioned here are best experienced in a Vaastu-designed structure, living in such a space may be merely a dream for many people. Instead, harnessing the power of our minds to imagine these harmonious effects for the purpose of asana may provide powerful benefits.

Ruth Diab Lederer is the principal of Vaastu Partners LLC. Contact her at ruth@vaastupartners. com for more information or to visit a newly built Vaastu cottage in Lake Bluff, Illinois.

WINTER 2016

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Sanskrit by Jillian Schiavi. Jim Kulackoski, photographed by Todd Rosenberg.

Traditions

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SANSKRIT

Traditions

ASANA The Cultivation of Grace and Ease

by Jim Kulackoski

T

he word “yoga” may conjure up images of Indian gurus in far-off places or crowded classrooms of devout students in fashionable but comfortable clothing, contorting their bodies into bizarre poses. This once obscure Sanskrit term has become a staple in the English language, with connotations spanning health, fitness and spirituality. Despite its popularity and recognizability, the definition of what “yoga” actually means is still largely a mystery.

“Yoga” means “to bring together, coalesce or connect.” It refers to a system that aims to cultivate unity between oneself and ātma, the singular entity of consciousness that forms the basis of the universe. Numerous methodologies, such as meditation, seek to accomplish this transcendence of personal identification.

Another of these is āsana.

Although the path of self-realization can take myriad forms, āsana is the practice most identified as yoga. Āsana means “seat,” and it refers to the cultivation of the physical body as the proper seat of ātma. In other words, āsana allows one to experience wholeness or oneness within a state of activity.

Still, the practice of āsana or yogāsana, is only one of many ways to attain that state of transcendence that is yoga. For instance, in the Yoga Sutras, a treatise on the process behind yoga, āsana is only mentioned twice. In its first mention, author Patanjali states that the practice of āsana is “…steady and comfortable.” His second mention discloses the actual experience of āsana being “…when effort relaxes and the individual merges with the experience of the infinite and eternal.”

Although āsana is increasingly popular, its aim of transcending effort is rarely achieved.

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Surprisingly, in many of our modern yoga classes, effort seems to be the point, while the attainment of transcendent yoga goes by the wayside.

This is because āsana is generally thought of in terms of an exercise with a desired end result.

However, as with anything else, āsana’s magic lies not its end result, but rather in how it is executed.

In stretching or exercise, the end result is the achievement of a particular level of flexibility, the accomplishment of a certain challenging pose, the attainment of a certain level of physicality, such as toned arms or a yoga butt, or even an apparent state of short-lived euphoria or inner peace.

As appealing as those results of āsana are, the true purpose of āsana is the cultivation of grace and ease through physiological integration.

To understand physiological integration, it is important to understand “physiology” from a yogic perspective.

T

he physical body is only one aspect of physiology, the end result of a series of consecutive levels of the body from subtle to gross. Each level, or kośa, is the result of a more subtle level; the most subtle of which being consciousness itself (ātma). In yoga philosophy, consciousness is coalesced into a form of attention (budhi), which is directed by the mechanism of the mind (manas). This attention is synonymous with prāna, . the energy inherent in all sentient, living organisms. This prāna . inhabits a complex web of channels (nādī) or meridians that underlie and unite the trillions of cells of the physical body. Āsana works by stimulating certain integrative points within the body, called bandhas, and aligning them with key points called marma

points, thereby creating powerful relationships between the different parts of the physical body. Alignment of these key points regulates and equalizes the flow of prāna . throughout the entire body, creating a state of harmony, balance and integration. The trillions of individually functioning cells become unified into a singular holistically-functioning organism. The process of integration occurs not only in the physical body, but also the other levels as well.

Moving toward integration requires confronting the aspects of dis-integration within each level and ultimately transcending them. This process involves the development of awareness of who and what one truly is at each level, ultimately arriving at the conclusion of their true nature, ātma, or unbounded consciousness.

The benefits related to physiological integration include a strong, flexible and healthy body and psyche. However, these benefits are really just byproducts of the actual practice, not the end result.

Each and every āsana is an opportunity to practice and experience physiological integration.

No matter the level of difficulty of a pose, if practiced correctly, the experience is of relaxation of effort and merging with the unbounded. In other words, āsana is the practice of how to be in the body in the most efficient manner in any situation. Therefore, the scope of āsana is not limited to a set of poses. Rather, it is a way to approach how to use the body in any situation, with grace and ease.

Jim Kulackoski has developed programs for and taught at Loyola University Chicago and Rush Medical College. He is the founder of Darshan Center, where he leads and develops programs such as teacher trainings, workshops and a healing clinic.

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Shambhala Chicago’s main meditation room. Photo courtesy of Shambhala Chicago.

Meditation 411 Meditation centers, workshops and classes help bring focus to your life

by Sarah Landicho

E

ven though meditation is part of yoga’s eight-­limbed path, how many yogis actually meditate? During a crowded yoga class last fall, the instructor asked students how many meditate. A few hands went up. But when she asked how many were curious about meditation or would like to start a practice, about half the room raised their hands.

The barrier seems to be rooted in preconceived notions about what meditation is—or what it should be. After class, students named a number of reasons for not meditating: they didn’t know how, they didn’t think they could sit still and empty their minds for a prescribed amount of time, and they didn’t have the time to start a

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regular practice. Yet these same students still wanted to try.

The good news is there are more resources than ever to help interested students build a meditation practice. Tami Robinson, a Chicago yoga teacher, coach and meditation instructor, says the best way to develop a practice is to drop any expectations. “It’s all about finding something to focus on,” she explains. “When the mind strays and you notice, it’s about bringing it back to that focus.”

Tom Adducci, executive director of Shambhala Meditation Center of Chicago, agrees. The focus at the Shambhala Center is feeling and identifying the breath, he explains. Although group meditation at Shambhala is often seated, the center also incorporates walking meditation to give meditators options for exploring their practice. Adducci says, “Here, [meditation] is very gentle. The idea is making friends with yourself.” He adds, “You feel what you feel, you know what you think, and learn about being in the present moment.”

If letting go and focusing on the breath sounds

similar to a physical yoga practice, it is—and it often sparks yogis toward a seated meditation practice. “Yoga was the path to meditation for me. It started with that moving meditation,” says Piper­-Lori Parker, co­-owner of Zen Yoga Garage in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. “After years of practice I learned seated meditation needed to be part of my life and an integral part of my teaching.” Parker now includes seated silence as a part of every class she leads.

O

ne way to get started is to visit a meditation center such as Shambhala (with locations in and around Chicago), or stop into a yoga studio for a meditation workshop or sitting.

Yoga Six, a nationwide chain of studios with Chicago locations in South Loop, Lincoln Park and Gold Coast, added 30-­minute guided meditation classes to all of its studios last fall.

“I think it’s one of the most important things we do here,” explains Jenny Kaufman, Midwest Regional Program Manager. “You can get yoga in a lot of places, but you can’t access a drop­-in meditation class in many places.”

Kaufman describes Yoga Six’s group meditation

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as very “user­-friendly.” Students can come during work or on their way home with no need to change clothes. Practice starts with some light movement to warm the spine, continues with preparing the body to sit and then centers the mind on a focal point. Students are encouraged to adjust their position or recline for comfort.

“The point is to focus on one thing, whether it’s the mechanics of breath or the image of a heart, instead of focusing on nothing,” Kaufman says.

Shambhala encourages meditators to explore a noontime drop­-in session at its West Loop location, one of its regularly scheduled sittings or a free open house. Students who want to travel deeper into the practice or down the Shambhala path can sign up for workshops or schedule a private session. The center also offers instruction in a variety of contemplative arts and also does corporate trainings.

If sitting seems daunting, Yoga Nidra is another meditative option. While the body is comfortably reclined, the teacher shifts the students’ awareness around the body and to different images and emotions, leaving them relaxed and energized. The guided yogic sleep (during which the student is taken into a state of deep relaxation but awareness) can last between 10 and 45 minutes. Zen Yoga Garage offers Yoga Nidra the first Sunday of every month.

If you’re enjoying the clarity and peace of meditation, consider taking your practice off your cushion to work for peace at Awaken Chicago. Co­-sponsored by Shambhala Meditation Center of Chicago, this three-­day event takes place from April 29­–May 1 on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus.

This city­wide program aims to harness the power of Chicago’s people to tackle the city’s many problems, explains Tom Adducci, the center’s executive director. “[This event] brings people from all over Chicago to work on what we can actually to do change these circumstances that cause joblessness and violence in some of our neighborhoods,” he adds.

Robinson suggests starting small. “Even a few minutes have a positive effect,” she advises. “And detach from any expectation about what meditation is, what you ‘should’ feel or what you are supposed to experience.” Robinson also recommends practicing often and during any available time. “Make it a part of your routine, like brushing your teeth,” she adds.

Keynote speakers for the event include Sakyong Mipham, head of Shambhala, and Pema Chödrön, author of best­sellers like Practicing Peace in Times of War.

Adducci notes that meditating frequently can lead to mental stability. “You are able to place your mind where you want it to be,” he explains. “As a

For more information or tickets to this event, visit peaceinchicago.org.

Tami Robinson, photographed by Damon Claussen

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result, you become able to see things a little more clearly, the colors are a little brighter—food might even taste better.”

Meditation apps such as Headspace, Calm and Omvana can also create an instant place to meditate with the tap of your smartphone.

meditation in savasana at the end of yoga class.

To be in the present—to be here now, it’s helped me to do that,” she says.

Remember that meditation isn’t a one-­style-­ fits-­all practice, Robinson adds. “Try different techniques until you find one that works for you,” she advises. Different teachers use different focal points. A Japa-­style (mantra-­based) meditation, in which a practitioner touches each bead on a mala strand and recites a meaningful word or phrase, creates a tactile method of keeping the mind focused. Watching a candle flame can offer a visual meditation for those who prefer to practice with their eyes open.

Additional tips for meditation: Start each practice as a beginner, set the body up properly (sitting up on a cushion can help, and allowing oneself permission to adjust is key), and don’t try too hard. “Allow your practice to be what it is, each day, each moment,” Robinson says.

“I learned you don’t have to have a perfect place or time to meditate,” she says. “It’s really very basic. And if I can do it, anyone can do it.”

Kelli O’Connell, one of Robinson’s students, says meditation workshops have been transformational for her. “I’ve been able to focus and meditate at my desk, and it’s improved my

Zen on the Go

Sarah Landicho teaches yoga in and around Chicago. Always a student first, she loves to write about how the different aspects of practicing yoga weave throughout life.

These popular apps are just a sampling of what’s available to get your zen on the run.

Omvana is a free app that includes a “6 Phase Meditation” (a 20­-minute guided relaxation) and “Deep Rest” to settle the mind. The Omvana store sells additional meditations for everything from better sleep to motivation. Additionally, users can mix the background sounds behind any guided meditation to fit their mood. A training track explains how it works.

Headspace helps users track their meditation progress and lets them buddy up with friends. The app offers a series library of various meditation packs, as well as a variety of single meditations that range from two to 60 minutes. Another section titled “More” offers just that: a place to manage downloads, set reminders and get answers to commonly asked questions.

Headspace is free to get started, and additional meditation series and membership options are available for purchase.

Calm is another free app that includes a seven-­day intro to meditation package as well as guided meditations. Users can purchase subscriptions to meditation programs on subjects such as gratitude, nonjudgment, concentration and commuting.

The app also offers different scenes for a visual focal point for meditation. i­Qi is a free and simple meditation timer app, available on Apple devices only. Users select how long they want to meditate.

The app offers a free cymbal chime that indicates the sitting has ended, and additional sounds are available for purchase.

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M Y YO G A V I E W Within me lives the lotus Within the lotus lives the I AM Within the I AM lives the self This is my yoga view Within my yoga view I am a warm smooth sturdy floor I am a space that holds a space I am the harmony of OM I am community

I am inspiring and inspired I am a celebration of shared breath I am quiet particles of joy and the continuousness of peace I am the pulse of possible I am both old and new I am grateful for life Grateful for my yoga view -Vicky Browdy Vicki Browdy is an artist, fashion designer, wellness coach and a grateful student and teacher of yoga. She received her yoga teacher certification from yogaview.

WINTER 2016

Good Vibes Yoga, photographed by Mary Carol Fitzgerald

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Healing the Whole Body Integrative medicine blends Western and Eastern science to treat patients

by Katie Bogey

F

ifteen years ago Nancy Bechtol learned she needed to lower her high blood pressure. She could take the route of most patients and start prescription blood pressure medication, or take the less traveled path and heal her body using a more holistic approach.

“By the time I actually got to see my primary care doctor, I would be so wound up, no wonder my blood pressure would be high,” Bechtol recalled.

A calm corridor (above) and the patient reception area (right) inside the Raby Institute for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern. Photography courtesy of the Raby Institute.

Bechtol decided it was time to learn the root cause of her elevated blood pressure, not just take a pill to lower it. Alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and yoga, had helped her previous chronic back pain.

A search for a solution to her high blood pressure led her to Dr. Theri Griego Raby, who is affiliated with Northwestern Memorial Hospital. However, Raby is not your typical primary care provider.

Raby practices integrative medicine, which combines the most recent scientific breakthroughs in Western medicine with ancient medicine from around the world to optimize the health of patients.

Integrative medicine physicians not only look at people physically and physiologically, but also inquire into an individual’s energy level, mental status, spirituality and biochemical measurements.

By looking at all aspects of the human system, an integrative medicine doctor can come up with a plan to treat a patient on all dimensions.

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In addition to looking at an individual’s current health, integrative medicine practitioners also look back into the patient’s history, sometimes going all the way back to the beginning of life, when a patient was in utero, to find out why a patient is not at optimal health.

“Just today I had a patient with adult acne and gastrointestinal issues, who I wanted to know if she was born via c-section or vaginally because that plays a role in your well-being and it determines the microbiome in your gut,” explains Raby.

This detailed approach of integrative medicine drew Kimberlee Ovnik to Dr. Robert Feely, an osteopathic doctor at the Feely Center for Optimal Health. At 45, Ovnik gave birth to her son, Kenny T., who was born with Down syndrome. Having a son with special needs motivated Ovnik to seek out a more balanced approach to healthcare for her son and herself.

“If my knee hurts, I want to find out what is making my knee hurt. Don’t just treat the knee,” says Ovnik.

“It’s about getting to the root of the problem.”

Ovnik takes Kenny T. to Feely for cranial sacral therapy, treatments that work to untwist the muscles, membranes and tissue that are behind the eyes and around the ears to allow cervical fluid to flow more freely. Ovnik says this therapy has diminished Kenny T.’s physical characteristics of Down syndrome, making his eyes more symmetric. Ovnik also likes that integrative medicine empowers the patient to be a part of the process.

“People are so busy, and it’s easier for some people to just take a pill and be done with it. The integrative approach takes work on the patient’s part to be educated,” says Ovnik.

Raby agrees that educating patients is a big part of integrative medicine.

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“We don’t practice ‘alternative medicine.’ We don’t use that term,” Raby says. “When you talk about integrative medicine, I like to say that it is part of an educational, academic process, so education is really, really important to what we are doing. We empower you to understand what we are doing and decode what we do when it comes to understanding tests and a diagnosis.”

Beyond regular, routine primary care appointments, integrative medicine practices can be a safe haven for “gap” patients—individuals Western medicine does not know what to do with, typically those with chronic fatigue and chronic pain.

“A lot of it has to do with their stress, their sleep and their nutrition,” says Raby. “We look at functional medicine tests. We can look at food allergies. We look at intercellular vitamin levels and in the T-cells.

There are a lot of in-depth things we do.”

Raby hopes all physicians will go back to practicing good medicine, and the terms “integrative” versus “internal” medicine will go away. It’s not about how many patients you see in a day or how many you many patients you get in and get out, but about really understanding what is at the depth of a person’s illness, she says.

acupuncture acupuncture acupuncture + herbs + herbs herbs

Today Bechtol is proud to say she no longer has high blood pressure and she does not take any prescription medications. She believes integrative medicine and the approach that physicians like Raby offer have helped her to reach her optimal level of health.

Katie Bogey is a patient experience consultant at Rush University Medical Center and recently completed Yoga Six’s 200-hour yoga teacher training.

pain pain pain stress stress stress fertility fertility fertility There are plenty of integrative medicine providers in the Chicagoland area. Here are a few starting points to aid in your exploration of holistic medicine.

Raby Institute for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern 500 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL Phone: 312.276.1212 rabyintegrativemedicine.com NorthShore University Health System (locations in Evanston, Highland Park, Glenbrook, Glenview and Skokie) northshore.org/integrative-medicine/ our-practices

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Feely Institute for Optimal Health 150 E. Huron, Suite 1104, Chicago, IL Phone: 312.266.8565 20303 S. Crawford, Suite 140, Olympia Fields, IL Phone: 708.747.8565 feelycenter.com Osher Center for Integrative Medicine 150 E. Huron Ave., Suite 1100, Chicago, IL Phone: 312.926.3627 ocim.nm.org Whole Health Chicago 2522 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL Phone: 773.296.6700 wholehealthchicago.com

Second comingsoon soon Second location location coming Second location coming soon to Winnetka to Downtown Downtown Winnetka

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312.335.9330 312.335.9330

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River Winnetka River North North •• Winnetka 27 illuminemagazine.net River North • Winnetka

Pain into Presence Creating awareness in your body may help decrease chronic pain

by Dr. Meggie Smith

O

ne of the best parts of my profession as a chiropractor is reevaluations. After about a month of providing chiropractic care, I sit down with patients. I pull out the notes that I took on their first visit. I ask them about the symptoms that brought them into my office. At least half the time, patients look at me confused when I ask them about those symptoms.

“Did I have back pain?” they ask me.

“Yes,” I say. “It’s why you started chiropractic care.”

People heal. Some heal so fully and completely that just a few weeks after seeking chiropractic treatment they have forgotten they ever had pain. These people forget that they couldn’t turn their neck far enough to parallel park. They forget that they couldn’t get into downward dog without pain in their wrist. They are healthy again.

And then there are people like Jennifer*.

Jennifer hobbled into my office in 2008. Unable to stand up straight due to intense pain in her low back, Jennifer was almost in tears from taking the train to my office. In her mid-20s, she exercised as often as a person with a toddler can. She had been seeing chiropractors and massage therapists since college. Her back pain flared up from time to time, and when it did, she could barely walk, care for her young son and get out of bed.

I provided her chiropractic adjustments, and after a few days, the pain went away. Temporarily.

Jennifer has continued to hobble into my office, unable to walk, nearly in tears, a few times a year since 2008.

On one occasion she called me from the hospital, begging me to give her a chiropractic adjustment in her hospital bed. A few days later the pain went away, but it keeps coming back.

Jennifer does yoga a few times a month. She runs and bikes. She eats a plant-based diet. She chases around after her kids far more than she sits in front of a computer. So why does Jennifer keep having pain? If she had a more rigorous and deep yoga practice, would that help?

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I

’ve noticed that those who have deeply committed to a long-term yoga practice are more resilient. Skilled yogis, the ones who have made their practices a part of their life, heal faster and more completely than other patients in my practice.

They know how to heal because they have a deep awareness of their bodies. They recognize that communication, acceptance and understanding are all as vital on a physical level as they are on an emotional, mental and spiritual one. People who heal better and faster have an intimate relationship with their bodies, and they have cultivated that relationship over time.

These yogis listen when their bodies speak. They are not scared of the dialogue, and they do not seek to control what their bodies say. They notice a tight muscle, a contraction in their chest, a restriction in their knee. And rather than pushing past it, they feel more deeply into it.

This may sound metaphorical, but it is actually neurological. Pain and healing are, at their core, neurological processes. Your brain and your nerves create, process and experience pain. Your brain even decides how strongly you will experience pain.

D

ecreasing pain requires increasing awareness of the body. A 2007 study in Clinical Neurophysiology suggests that people with less awareness of their bodies experience pain more acutely. Another 2008 study in the Journal for the International Association for the Study of Pain has shown that when people increase their body awareness, their brain actually processes pain less strongly.

Improving awareness simply requires curiosity. It can be done by noticing your balance in a pose. Is it even on both sides? Which muscles do you notice engaging in the pose? The process of increasing awareness requires listening: to hear your body and to accept what your body is telling you. Is one side always tighter? Does your knee always tighten, or sometimes does your foot tighten more?

Do not rush in immediately to fix the problem or create symmetry in the pose. Notice what your body is doing, then ask your body what else it wants you to know. You may be surprised by the response. It may tell you that tightness in your foot is due to dehydration, or anger at your colleague. It may be trying to get your attention about something seemingly unrelated to your foot. It may take days or weeks to get any sense of why your foot is tight. You are embarking on the conversation of a lifetime. Do not feel like you must get all the answers immediately.

That said, do not stay in an uncomfortable position for too long! Proper alignment is important to prevent future injury. There is a balance between feeling into pain and disregarding pain. If your body tells that you are harming it, listen. However, if it is telling you about tightness, ache or restriction, get more information.

Getting answers from your body is far less important than having the conversation. When you start the conversation, you start a neurological process of your body relaying information to your brain. This process of relaying information will actually reduce your pain levels in three different ways: First, when your brain is more aware of your body, it processes pain less strongly. The more nuance you can feel in your body, the less pain your brain will create.

Like a child who cries every time his mother is out of the room but is calm whenever he can see her, your brain is more calm when it can feel your body.

Secondly, the more awareness of the position of your joints, the less pain. Again there is an inverse relationship between awareness and pain. When your nerves are communicating about the movement in your joints, they cannot communicate about pain.

It’s almost like your nerves are a phone line. They can only have one conversation at a time. They prioritize a conversation about joint motion over a conversation about pain.

Thirdly, when you have pain, the muscles in that area turn off. You must turn them back on, by noticing and using them, or risk re-injury. If your nerves aren’t communicating with your muscles, your muscles can’t engage. If they can’t engage, they cannot provide the structure, safety and support that you need in your practice.

Becoming pain-free in your life and in your yoga practice does not come from more flexibility or less arthritis. It does not come from more strength or less age. It comes from awareness of your body. It comes with deep presence and engagement. That's where the magic happens.

Get to know your body. The simple process of listening will help you heal. *Name and minor identifying characteristics have been changed.

Dr. Meggie Smith practices chiropractic and energy medicine at Chiropractic First in Evanston.

WINTER 2016

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Yoga asana evolves and takes new forms with aerial and Bowspring

by Linda Mura O’Toole “Now comes Asana, posture. Until you can get a firm seat you cannot practise the breathing and other exercises.

Firmness of seat means that you do not feel the body at all. In the ordinary way, you will find that as soon as you sit for a few minutes all sorts of disturbances come into the body; but when you have got beyond the idea of a concrete body, you will lose all sense of the body...When you have succeeded in conquering the body and keeping it firm, your practice will remain firm, but while you are disturbed by the body, your nerves become disturbed, and you cannot concentrate the mind.�

- Swami Vivekananda,

The Complete Works of

Swami Vivekananda In his captivating lectures at the parliament of World Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda was one of the first to introduce Western audiences to the philosophy of yoga in 1893. Nearly a century later, in the mid-1980s, Chicago witnessed the rise of the yoga studio. Today, you can find one studio, or even two, on any major city street, with a wide variety of classes offered daily.

How has this growth affected the practice and teaching of asana? On the one hand, more people coming to their mats has resulted in greater research on safety and alignment. At the same time, the popularity of asana practice among mainstream fitness buffs has created concerns among long-time practitioners on how to preserve the philosophical history of yoga.

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Understanding that “one size does not fit all” has been the biggest change with teaching asana, according to Pam Udell, founder of Healing Power Yoga in Highland Park and co-director of House of Shanti Teacher Training. “When I started teaching, we went through

“Yoga is so highly personalized and requires such a guidance or self-awareness to understand how asana is impacting you in a healthy or unhealthy way.”

–Mitchel Bleier teacher training, read a book or watched a video that explained how to teach a pose. Today there are many more studies on yoga safety and alignment about what’s safe and what’s not.”

Noah Mazé, owner of YogaMazé in Los Angeles and former prominent Anusara teacher, also points to the increase in articles and books with evidence-based studies. “I want to read evidence-based studies, not something that comes through on Facebook. If a writer isn’t a physical therapist or doesn’t have a Ph.D. in biomechanics, I don’t want to read the article,” he says.

Mazé grew up in Boulder, Colorado and began his yoga practice at age 14. He credits his parents’ interest in South Asian spirituality for making the philosophies and practice of the yoga tradition part of his upbringing.

Richard Freeman, a nationally recognized yoga teacher, was Mazé’s first hatha yoga teacher. In fact, Mazé received high school credit for taking yoga classes with his mom at Freeman’s studio.

Early on, Mazé was classically trained in the Krishnamacharya lineage of Ashtanga. Then he met John Friend, who was a certified Iyengar instructor and founder of Anusara. “Fifteen years ago it was a creative time, partly because I was positioned so closely to the conception of Anusara,” says Mazé. “We were not just trying to preserve an established lineage, we were interested in evolving the conversation. We were updating things about the presentation of yoga to make it more fun, make it an uplifting celebration rather than something a bit more like a discipline—something much less serious.”

Mazé says his practice has shifted quite a bit and believes that’s natural as an individual’s interests shift. “What I like about the practice of asana is that the more we learn about our bodies, we adapt the asana to our bodies as much as we are training and adapting our bodies to the asana,” he says.

Jessica Gonzales, co-owner, Yogi Barre.

Photograph by Jake Kosten of Dublite Productions.

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“When people hear ‘yoga,’ they think of postural practice, which is certainly not the case historically,” he says, pointing out that in the Yoga Sutras, asana prepared students to sit in meditation. Mazé views the changes

in asana as exciting but expresses concerns that some people lack the facts about yoga’s origins and history. “As we are updating the asana practice and doing something different, I’m passionate about educating people about where it has come from. The yoga tradition, lineage and philosophical movements are so important that we don’t want to lose them,” he says.

Gabriel Halpern, founder of Yoga Circle in Chicago, expresses the same concerns. Halpern, who studied with B.K.S. Iyengar and was trained at the Iyengar Yoga Institutes in San Francisco and Pune, India, points out that Iyengar viewed asana as a stepping stone to a higher place.

In his book Light On Yoga, Iyengar explains that the asana practice is important but is not the end goal.

“The purpose of asana is to align and harmonize the physical body and all the layers, or sheaths of the subtle emotional, mental and spiritual body. This is integration.

But how does one align these layers and experience integration? How does one find such profound transformation in what from the outside may look simply like stretching or twisting the body into unusual positions?” Iyengar writes.

Halpern believes transformation begins with awareness.

“It’s the integration that has to do with relationships in your life. You ask, ‘How can I be a better parent, husband, wife, father, daughter?’”

Having practiced yoga for 45 years, Halpern notes that his asana practice is not the same as it was in his 30s or 40s. “Thinking you’re going to be a yoga hatha practice master, for instance do all the poses in Light On Yoga, shows the greed and exhibitionism of Western students,” he says. “The long-range goal of yoga isn’t the pose you can do, how fancy it is, what I call the ‘Hollywood façade.’ It is much more about the realization that comes through asana.”

THE BOWSPRING METHOD TAKES SHAPE

After 20 years of practicing asana, Mitchel Bleier began to question how asana is practiced and taught. “Yoga is so highly personalized and requires such a guidance or self-awareness to understand how asana is impacting you in a healthy or unhealthy way,” he says.

This realization led him to question his practice and caused him to take a “radical departure” from the teaching of traditional Vinyasa. Along with Desi Springer and John Friend, co-founders of the Bowspring method, Bleier is at the forefront of a form of yoga that he describes as “a dynamic posture that helps selfregulate the body’s natural balance.”

“The practice is new, but the shape of the Bowspring is primordial,” explains Desi Springer. “It is the way we naturally align when we experience joy, beauty, freedom, love and triumph. The heart and ribcage are instinctively full and whole. The Bowspring is curved rather than illuminemagazine.net

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yoga mat than anywhere else.”

After college, Pickert began working at yogaview in Chicago, completing two teaching trainings to deepen her practice. “It showed me how to become more deeply connected with myself and with others around me,” she says. “I wanted to share that connection, so I began teaching.”

Pickert thinks her generation lives a technologyfocused lifestyle with much of their connection coming from a handheld device. “We need to get up out of our chairs and reconnect with ourselves and the real world,” she says. “I have people come into my class and say I just need to learn to meditate, how to sit still and calm down.”

Jessica Gonzales (left) and student Genebry Kumiga at Yogi Barre. Photograph by Jake Kosten of Dublite Productions.

straight, and open as opposed to closed.”

Throughout the practice, each posture becomes a dynamic expansion of the Bowspring in which the spine is actively decompressed and lengthened. “Bowspring works on many different levels,” says Bleier. “It’s strongly based on biology working closely with the nervous system. Internal biology is water, external is air.

Bowspring works to balance the two.”

One of the most pronounced differences between Bowspring and Hatha yoga is the fact that the knees are bent. “After practicing Bowspring, my injuries started to go away,” says Bleier. “I couldn’t ignore how good I felt. I wasn’t sore, my hips stopped hurting and I lost 30 pounds.”

In the two years he’s been teaching Bowspring, Bleier hasn’t experienced any hamstring injuries, and his students who had previously complained about back issues appear to be pain-free. “I’m not saying Bowspring is the only way, but it’s my awakening into my habits.

It’s made me focus and pay attention,” he says.

ASANA TAKES FLIGHT WITH AERIAL YOGA

While Bowspring focuses on finding the body’s natural balance, another new take on asana seeks to challenge that balance by taking traditional yoga asanas off the mat and into the air, using silk hammocks. It’s called aerial yoga.

The hammock might be the ultimate yoga prop. Able to hold up to 300 pounds, it acts like a swing, holding the hips for forward folds or back bends. It can also work to support certain body parts when performing standing poses like Warrior II. Jessica Gonzales, founder and co-owner of Yogi Barre in Winnetka, says brightly colored hammocks draw students in. “It lifts you off the ground, and 32 illuminemagazine.net

that experience gives you a new perspective,” says Gonzales, who completed aerial yoga teacher training at Air in Chicago.

Students come to class to become more flexible, but then discover the spiritual aspects of the practice, Pickert observes. “As their physical being is awakened, so too are other layers of their being. They might not even be aware until they find their own thoughts and habits have been shifted.”

“The future is open. I’m doing my part to share my view, but there is room for a lot of different approaches and interpretation.” –Gabriel Halpern The hammock can act to support or challenge, so it works for both beginners and advanced students, making certain poses more accessible, she says. “I love it because I think some people are fearful of doing inversions. In the hammock you’re close to the ground, and in our studio there are rubber mats lining the floors, just like carpet, throughout the studio.” The rubber mats provide a safe, cushioned flooring for getting in and out of poses in the aerial hammocks.

MILLENNIALS CONNECT WITH ASANA

The intensity of aerial yoga could be the perfect fit for millennials, the next generation of yoga practitioners and teachers. Futurecast, a millennial marketing firm, explains that millennials are an active generation that values experiences and adventure, and as a result, they are moving away from traditional gym memberships.

But how does the millennial generation view asana? Will they help to preserve the philosophical and historical integrity of the practice?

Lisa Pickert began practicing yoga 13 years ago while she was still in college to manage her chronic anxiety. “College was a pretty dark time. I didn’t feel very alive,” she says. “I tried a variety of anti-anxiety techniques and nothing seemed to work, but I always felt good on my yoga mat. I felt more alive on my

Pickert would like to see more studios and teachers teach pranayama and meditation. “Students might learn asana, but if they don’t know how to sit still or they don’t have an understanding of breath and breathing technique, they won’t feel the full benefits,” she says. “This will give students more access to more than a physical practice. It becomes emotional and philosophical.”

With millions of Americans practicing yoga, can we reflect and examine these changes taking place with a sense of non-possessiveness or non-attachment? Halpern is hopeful. “The younger generation has better ideas than I have. I hope they come to me, see my kind of commitment, listen to what I have to say and then find it in themselves to take it to a higher level,” says Halpern.

“The future is open. I’m doing my part to share my view, but there is room for a lot of different approaches and interpretation.”

Visit illuminemagazine.net for aerial yoga resources, and learn more about Bowspring Practice at breathandbodyyoga.com.

Linda Mura O’Toole is a registered yoga teacher and received her certificate of training from House of Shanti.

She has been practicing yoga for more than 15 years, and she currently teaches at Reach Yoga in Glencoe.

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Mitchel Bleier, in Bowspring’s side chair in the air pose. Photograph by Chris Bartlett.

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Your Moment of Zen Adding a mindful twist to your workout may help boost your performance by Julie Deardorff

E

ric Lieb was just hitting his stride during a recent 5-kilometer road race when—aargh!—his shoelace came undone. Lieb considered stopping to tie it, but he really wanted a good race time. So he pressed on with the flapping lace, invoking an excellent tool for crisis management: mindfulness.

It worked even better than he expected. First he caught up to the leader.

Then, pushing thoughts of both winning and fatigue out of his head, he crossed the finish line in 18:40, winning the race overall and posting the fastest time of his life.

The equipment failure “forced me to pay even more attention to the moment,” says Lieb, 34, co-founder of a youth gymnastics program in Evanston and a mindfulness coach. “I also let any doubts and fears about tripping or losing my shoe pass through me. Consciously staying ‘open’ seemed to help me sustain my speed and even move a bit faster.”

Mindfulness training, long considered a secret weapon for Olympic and professional athletes, is trickling down to amateurs. Fitness classes are incorporating elements of mindfulness, zen-like language and mantras into group workouts, including spinning and boxing. Some youth physical education programs have mind-body components. And coaches like Lieb use visualization and other mindfulness techniques during practice and competition.

Though more research is needed, proponents say that enhancing the mind-body connection can help athletes of all ages and abilities get in the zone, improve fitness levels and perform better. While mindfulness is a tool athletes can use on the field or in the gym, the real benefits come when it spills over into daily life.

“Most people haven’t been taught to exercise their bodies in a way that’s truly health-promoting,” says Amy Saltzman, a physician and founder of California-based Still Quiet Place, a mindfulnessbased stress reduction program for children, teens and adults, as well as athletes.

In addition, mounting evidence suggests that mindfulness training can promote “flow” and concentration. A four-week program called “Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement” was found to be “a promising intervention to enhance flow, mindfulness and aspects of sport confidence,” in golfers and archers, according to a small 2009 study, published in the Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology.

Other research suggests meditation and mindfulness have health benefits; there’s evidence that it may reduce blood pressure as well as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and flare-ups in people who have had ulcerative colitis, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The agency also says meditation “may ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, and may help people with insomnia.”

George Mumford, one of the most influential, but largely unknown, mindfulness trainers in the country for the last two decades, recently published a new book called The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance.

Mumford, who has worked with everyone from NBA stars Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to U.S. National soccer team captain Clint Dempsey and Olympic silver medal figure skater Sasha Cohen, shares strategies in his book that he says can transform the performance of anyone with a goal, whether they are an Olympian, weekend warrior, a youth athlete or artist.

“A lot of athletes think the trick to getting better is just to work harder,” former NBA coach Phil Jackson wrote in the foreword of The Mindful Athlete. “But there is a great power in non-action and non-thinking. The hardest thing is just being fully present in the moment,” concludes Jackson.

I

n its simplest terms, mindfulness, a form of meditation, is about tuning into the present moment without judging it.

“Mindfulness is about letting go of the distractions and negative thoughts so they flow through you and don’t linger.”

It’s an unusual idea in health clubs and fitness centers, which often rely on distraction as a way to help participants through a hard workout with television monitors and magazine holders on cardio equipment.

-Eric Lieb

“Some people treat the body as just a vehicle for the head; others learn the “no-pain, no-gain” athletic model and are taught to override the body’s signals,” explains Saltzman. “There’s a sweet spot in the middle. We can be fully in our bodies, listen to our bodies, and learn how to push to—but not past—our limits, to improve performance.”

The rising popularity of mindfulness in sport is fueled in part by professional athletes and their coaches who tout the benefits. After the NBA’s Golden State Warriors broke the record for the best start to an NBA 34 illuminemagazine.net

season last November, coach Steve Kerr recently reminded his players of the team’s core values: joy, mindfulness, compassion and competition.

But some studios have started integrating body and mind by encouraging quieting the mind in order to focus on speed or intensity.

Some instructors use “zen” language or end with the hands together at the heart or a “namaste.”

Samira Shuruk teaches belly dance and Bollywood in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. When she’s coaching other professional dancers, she uses visualizations such as “Imagine the light in your chest is radiating out to the very back of the room, and filling every nook and cranny” to help with projection and charisma.

“I feel there is a strong connection between visualization and storytelling, WINTER 2016

and both have great strength, even in short phrases,” Shuruk says. “By using positive phrases with imagery and intention, we help students realize their own goals. They fully utilize their imagination, and this has the benefit of creating a space for them to be entirely present.”

New York City Peloton Cycle instructor Christine D’Ercole incorporates mindfulness in every class. Towards the end of a ride, she asks everyone to shut their eyes and be mindful of their breathing and thoughts.

“Her mantra, ‘I am, I can, I will, I do,’ has a cult-like following,” says Erin Spain, who streams Peloton classes from her home in Chicago.

Spain loves the competitive nature of the class. At the same time, she notes, “It is very nice to shut your eyes during a song and have Christine remind you to connect with your intentions and your motivation for working out so hard.”

BBEEAAUUTTYY IISS I INN TTHHEE DDEETTAAI ILLSS

L

ieb, a competitive gymnast through high school, first realized the power of mindfulness after he spent more than a year practicing it for 16 hours a day in a California monastery.

When he returned home, he found he could execute several new elite gymnastics skills, even though he hadn’t been in a gym for months.

“My body was moving with so much more ease,” he said. “I had the same amount of strength but more agility from the mindfulness training. I did a lot of releasing, loosening and relaxing of the body.

There was less constriction and tension and I had more body control.”

That experience prompted Lieb to incorporate mindfulness into his coaching, both at Kit Gymnastics in Evanston and his mindfulness training company, Mindful Strides, where he works with everyone from children and college coaches to professional athletes.

“A lot of the pain in sports comes from distractions, doubts and fears, which lead to constriction and restriction,” said Lieb, who hadn’t run in more than a month before entering the 5K, but had practiced yoga and meditation. “Mindfulness is about letting go of the distractions and negative thoughts so they flow through you and don’t linger. It’s not necessarily getting rid of them but lowering the volume.”

For mindful fitness class resources, please visit illuminemagazine.net.

Learn more about Eric Lieb’s approach to mindfulness and performance at mindfulstrides.org, and for more information about Amy Saltzman’s stress reduction techniques, visit stillquietplace.com.

Julie Deardorff is a writer, certified personal trainer and media relations specialist for Northwestern University. Before coming to Northwestern, she spent 23 years as a reporter and columnist with the Chicago Tribune.

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f/LoleSouthPort e Shou lf @ L/oLol leC i cath gPoor t l @ Lol e Ch i c35 a go illuminemagazine.net

#sheisillumined TESS STAADECKER Ultimate Party-starter Fearless Magic-maker

She is authentic:

"Current mantras: Crack open to love. Do not compromise who you are. Unabashedly present yourself as 100% you."

Manager lululemon athletica Halsted Street, Chicago

She makes healthy choices:

"I feel on top of my game when I eat healthy, nutritious food, and I aim for eight hours of sleep per night; it makes for an impactful next day."

She reaches out for perspective:

"My dad, Charlie, consistently gives advice that takes my personal and professional life into consideration in a very balanced way."

She creates connection and community on the go:

"My phone keeps me accessible to the most inspiring people in my life. A quick text or five-minute phone chat can immediately shift my mood."

She values taking care of herself:

"I book incredible vacations in advance, and I look for the 3 Cs in any vacation: culture, climate and calm."

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Share a photo or tweet using #sheisillumined and we'll share it on our social media.

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WINTER 2016

BEAUTY

Escapes

Fresh on the Fly Eco-friendly products that take you from sweaty to ready in a flash

by Ashlee Piper Few pleasures are as delicious as greeting the day with a restorative workout followed by the everpopular Chicago tradition of brunch or tackling errands. That said, if you’re really rocking your practice, the transition from sweaty studio to chic street can require a little primping. These picks stash lightly in your bag, are eco- and animal-friendly, and will help you maintain that post-Savasana refreshment without a lot of fuss.

PACIFICA PURIFY COCONUT WATER WIPES

Wipe away grime smudged makeup and freshen up sweaty bits with these do-it-all, everywhereappropriate wipes infused with caring and deodorizing coconut milk. Bonus: The naturally clean and unisex scent will transport you to a sunny beach and these badboys can even be used to wipe down your well-loved mat. Pacifica Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes, $6. pacificabeauty.com

ROSE LIP TINT IN CORAL ROSE

Mondays 12:30-1:30pm

Maintain that dewy Vinyasa glow with this coconut oil- and Bulgarian rose-packed sheer tint. Imparts a Jane Austen movie-freshness when tapped on lips and cheeks, yet is sheer enough to moisturize cuticles and dry patches. And for the gents or color-averse, there’s a non-tinted option. Herbivore Botanicals Coco Rose Lip Tint in Coral Rose, $24. herbivorebotanicals.com

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SKINNY SKINNY ORGANIC DRY SHAMPOO

Manage a sweaty mane with this all-natural, heavenscented dry shampoo. Sprinkle on palms and rub into scalp for instant refreshment and volume (perfect for that polished post-class topknot). And, it’s so gentle, it can be used on the body and shaken into stinky shoes for a refresh. And the rose and black pepper scent is clean and gender-neutral.

Skinny Skinny Black Pepper and Rose Organic Dry Shampoo, $10 travel size, $32 full size. skinnyskinny.com WINTER 2016

Even a ruddy complexion, hydrate, and protect against the elements with this sheer skin tint packed with juicy botanicals and fruit stem cells. With colored and non-tinted options, this is the one moisturizer worthy of stashing in your bag (it even works as a beautiful anti-aging handcream!). And the bright fruity scent is perfect for feeling fresh and energized.

Juice Beauty SPF 30 Tinted Mineral BB Moisturizer, $29. juicebeauty.com Ashlee Piper is a national eco-lifestyle expert, TV personality, writer, and Editor-in-Chief of vegan site, The Little Foxes (thelilfoxes.com) who believes that sustainability and style go hand-in-hand.

(847) 786-4211

w w w. r e a c h yo g a g l e n c o e . c o m or contact Linda at (312) 375-9735 for in-home or in-studio private lessons. illuminemagazine.net

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Escapes

STYLE

Photograph by Von + Fredda

DEFINING YOUR AUTHENTIC PERSONAL STYLE by Fredda

“E

llen” was in her mid-40s and was strikingly beautiful, with sunstreaked wavy blonde hair and a curvy physique.

In one of my Image + Style classes, she explained that she had overflowing closets, but nothing to wear. Using shopping as a distraction from loneliness, Ellen often bought what was on sale or what the salesperson said was the current trend.

Her wardrobe was a confusing montage. It looked not like clothes for different occasions—which we all need—but rather clothes for different people.

Ellen was influenced by external forces to find her look, instead of focusing inward to discover it. To define her authentic personal style, she needed to connect to her true self and her natural physical attributes.

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YOUR STYLE IDENTITY

“Style” is about understanding who you are and expressing your point of view in a consistent and recognizable way.

Real style is authentic. Authenticity comes from accepting yourself, not modifying who you are to resemble some imagined, better person.

When you express your authentic self, you will attract the people and opportunities that are right for you.

Your style identity consists of your design palette—essentially the physical traits that you came into the world with—and your essence, the vibe you project and the way you show up in the world. Your aesthetic is your essence made manifest to the world.

You were born with hair, eye and skin colors, bone structure and WINTER 2016

STYLE

For example, wavy hair and curvy features look best paired with organic shapes (such as the irregular or curved lines found in nature) for clothing, jewelry and hairstyles. Angular features are best accented with graphic lines and sculptured silhouettes.

In Ellen’s case, she described herself as “soft and classic with feminine, flowing lines and an artistic flare.” With this description and her natural attributes in mind, her ideal wardrobe would include cool, pastel colors with soft intensity and curvy shapes to complement her coloring as well as her curvy figure and naturally wavy hair.

Looking like the best version of “You” is the goal. If you are short, for example, wearing high heels does not make you look taller. Instead, wear petite cuts, and use color, line and proportion to look your best.

“Authenticity comes from accepting yourself, not modifying who you are to resemble some imagined, better person.

When you express your authentic self, you will attract the people and opportunities that are right for you.”

CREATE YOUR STYLE AESTHETIC Clearly defining yourself is essential to developing your personal style. Create a sentence using adjectives to describe how you feel inside and how you want others to view you. For example, if you have wavy hair and a curvy physique then two of your adjectives might be “curvy” and “flowing.” If you are in an artistic profession then you might choose “creative.”

Style adjectives can be organized into three categories: personality (e.g. bohemian, classic, sophisticated), shape (e.g. curvy, structured, tailored) and physical (e.g. athletic, boyish, sensual). Visit the extended version of this article on illuminemagazine.net for a full list.

Use language that can be expressed visually. For example, you may think of yourself as kind or compassionate, but it would be challenging to find a “kind” looking blouse or purse.

Choose adjectives from each category or substitute your own.

Arrange your adjectives according to what is most important to you. An example might be: “Classic, stylish and elegant with clean, structured lines and a dramatic flair.” Or, “hippie-chic with an organic, flirty style.”

Your sentence will give you a starting point for discovering and refining your personal style.

Fredda, photographed by Marc Hauser

body shape. Using complementary colors and shapes in your personal appearance will enhance those natural traits and create a harmonious effect.

Escapes

REFINING YOUR STYLE IDENTITY

Using Ellen’s newly defined style parameters, the process of editing her closet could begin.

Into the “out” pile went clothes she never wore, sentimental items, gifts that didn’t complement her coloring or style, and things she bought just because they were on sale. Bright colors, boxy shapes and frumpy, sexy and overly conservative styles went into the pile as well.

In the “keep” pile were feminine forms with flowing lines that resonated with her coloring and expressed her personality. After editing, what remained was a harmony of color and style.

Looking at her wardrobe, chosen with care from items she already owned, Ellen’s eyes welled up. “This is how I want to look,” she said. “This is me.”

Fredda is a visionary creative director, life stylist and empowering speaker. Her work in style and identity moves image consulting into the field of personal identity. Learn more about Fredda’s work at freddastyle.com.

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Escapes

F L AV O R

Fearless Food Gardening

by Teresa Gale

W

e hope that the urban gardening tips Teresa Gale has shared in Fearless Food Gardening have inspired you to grow your own food, or helped your existing garden thrive. In the last installment of this feature, ILLUMINE offers some of the top recipes from the book.

Sugar Snap Peas with Edamame Hummus Nothing compares to the sweet crunch of a sugar snap pea. Our favorite way to enjoy them is raw–plain and simple. But you can pair them with hummus dip for a little something extra.

This recipe calls for edamame (young soybeans) in place of the traditional chickpea. Serve this dish again later in the season with bell peppers, cucumbers, or other “dipping” veggies you have on hand.

Ingredients: 1 cup cooked edamame 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste) 4 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon) 1 garlic clove, peeled 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons olive oil Sugar snap peas for dipping Instructions: Wash peas and pat dry. Remove fibrous strings that run the length of the pods; break off the stems and pull downward, and the strings should come right off. Or use a knife to cut off the tips of the pods, then pull downward to remove the strings. Set peas aside.

Combine edamame, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add olive oil and continue to process until oil is fully incorporated. Serve in a dipping bowl alongside peas (and other raw veggies, if you like).

Makes about 1 1/4 cups of hummus.

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A closer look at author Teresa Gale’s urban garden. Photography by Teresa Gale

Mixed Green Salad with Strawberries Nothing says summer like strawberries. Mix them with fresh greens and a tangy dressing for a side dish or light main course. Strawberries sliced crosswise make a lovely presentation and release their juices quickly.

Ingredients: 6 cups mixed salad greens 1 sprig fresh mint or tarragon 1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced crosswise 3 tablespoons slivered almonds 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Salt to taste

Instructions: Remove mint or tarragon leaves from stem and tear into pieces; add to mixed greens. Rinse and drain greens. Set aside.

Toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Stir a couple times to ensure even toasting. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, and a dash of salt. Add greens and almonds and toss until even coated. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 entrée or 4 side servings.

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F L AV O R

Zucchini Bread What to do with all this zucchini? Make zucchini bread, of course! This recipe makes two loaves.

Enjoy one now and freeze the other for later.

Home-baked goodies also make great gifts.

Ingredients: 2 teaspoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons + 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 cups shredded zucchini 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup honey 1 cup canola or safflower oil 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped 1 cup raisins (or substitute chocolate chips) Instructions: Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease and flour two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans.* Place a teaspoon of softened butter in each pan; spread butter to coat interior of pans, using a small plastic bag or piece of wax paper to keep your fingers clean. Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour in each pan, then tilt and tap pans so flour distributes over entire greased area.

Dump excess flour in the sink or trash.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir well. In a separate bowl, combine zucchini, eggs, sugar, honey, oil, and vanilla. Pour liquids over flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Gently fold in walnuts and raisins. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center of each loaf comes out clean (a small crack down the center of the loaf is normal). Allow loaves to cool in pans. Remove from pans and slice when completely cool. For 9”x5” pans, reduce baking time by 10 minutes.

Makes 2 loaves, with about 8 slices per loaf. *Greasing and flouring the pans will ensure that the breads release easily from the pans once they’re cool.

Escapes

Cornbread Muffins with Poblano Peppers Cornbread ranks high on our list of comfort foods. We like to mix in some sweet corn and peppers for added flavor and texture. Poblanos give a touch of heat. If you want to turn it up a notch, substitute serranos or jalapeños.

Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup medium grind yellow cornmeal 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 cup milk 1/2 poblano pepper, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup) 1 ear fresh sweet corn Instructions: Preheat oven to 400˚. While oven is preheating, cook unhusked corn in microwave for 3-4 minutes. Wearing oven mitts to protect your hands, remove corn from microwave and place on cutting board. Cut the bottom inch off, then shake to release cob from husk. Run cob under cold water or set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; stir well. In a separate bowl, combine butter and sugar; add egg and milk, and stir well. Pour liquid mixture over flour mixture and stir until lumpy.

Position corn on cutting board, cut side down.

Start at the top and saw downward to remove kernels from ear. Fold corn and peppers into muffin batter until just combined. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into 12-cup non-stick muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and cracked on top.

Makes 12 muffins.

Excerpt from Fearless Food Gardening in Chicagoland. Reprinted with permission from the Peterson Garden Project. The book is available for purchase at petersongarden.org.

Take a page out of Gale’s book and add personality to your garden with painted signs or vibrant wildflowers.

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An illumined life M A NIFE STO

To change yourself: Ask "What was I thinking?"

Take time to fully answer that question Focus your energy Guard your energy To change the world: Recognize the need for change Commit to the change you seek Gather all the tools and resources you need Stay on the path My mission is to help positively transform lives and empower greatness.

From starting every court proceeding by asking everyone to stand and take three deep breaths, to teaching programs about emotional intelligence and teaching yoga to offenders in my courtroom, I seek to find a common ground with people and break the cycle of violence and incarceration in my community.

An illumined life regularly features the manifesto of an inspiring soul. Send your nomination to Submissions@illuminemagazine.net.

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Photo courtesy of William Dawson

Judge William L. Dawson is the administrative and presiding Judge of the East Cleveland Municipal Court in East Cleveland, Ohio. Judge Dawson was born in the city of East Cleveland, attended local schools and then returned with purpose and passion as its Judge.

WINTER 2016

www.jillyink.com

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