Beautiful Foods

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Here are a couple beautiful little videos about the art of food. I love them! Such gorgeous colors, graceful movements, and whimsical text.


See the above for something sweet, and below if you're in a more savory mood.


And if you haven't checked it out yet, Kinfolk is all the rage in the blogosphere right now. A magazine and artist collective dedicated to small gatherings. I love that they recognize the wonder of sharing a table with friends.


Compassion

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Photo via Lululemon.
Pigeon pose is a great posture for practicing active compassion. As sensation fills up the hip joint, turn your thoughts to those who suffer from chronic pain. Allow yourself to love others and yourself, despite any momentary discomfort.

Learn to apply this off the mat, and you begin to change the world around you.

A practice that can lay the groundwork for drawing wisdom from our own sufferings is to be present to other people’s suffering. To witness. To see how many are the ways people dealing with suffering. To learn how suffering can elicit creativity or deepen hope or resilience or understanding. 


Some people recoil from others’ suffering—don’t like to visit hospitals, don’t know what to say, wish they were somewhere else, or could just send flowers. 


But a willingness to show up, even in our uncertainty about how to behave, may not only be a gift, it may help us learn to enter the places of darkness with confidence and trust, not needing to know how, or to predict outcomes, but to be fully present to whatever the moment calls for.
-Marilyn Chandler McEnryre

Sight

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I got glasses!

It's interesting how things are a little different from behind my frames. I love that they bring clarity, they honor my inner bookworm, and they provide me the chance to freshen up my look. 

Reminds me of a quote I read over at Julia Lee Yoga a few days ago:

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.
-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


Where the Heart Beats Hardest

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Here's a video to get you thinking about your art, your purpose.

My favorite lines:

"It's a simple act that keeps my grinnin'."

"This is where the heart beats hardest."

What a beautiful short!

Solitude & Summer Thunder

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Summer is a great time for knowing your own strength.

Last night, I experienced the sound of a thunderstorm rolling in and passing through. The deep bellows reminded me of the greatness of the earth. The way things can be wide, expansive, open in the summer. 

The way things change. They heat up, hover. Carry on. There is new movement, new air, new circulation. 


Summer is a time when we can experience the peace of solitude.

Being alone -- it's so often thought of as a burden or a weakness. My challenge to you is to linger in your time alone -- let it be light, effortless. Let it be purposeful.

Give yourself time to be with yourself -- here, in the moment.

You may find you hear your body speaking to you, asking for rest or silence. It is worthwhile to listen.

Enjoy the feeling of being strong, alone. Not isolated, but whole.


I spent today enjoying a relaxed balance of solitude and togetherness. Being surrounded by people and friends at the Evanston farmer's market gave me energy and reminded me of the wholeness in food that comes from real people. It was a beautiful start to the day.

I shared yoga class with three other yogis. I enjoyed the silence of the room as we transitioned between postures, the sounds of people walking by on the street outside, the quiet of my mind in meditation.




The stillness opened up new possibilities for writing. New thoughts. New stories.

And one majorly awesome outline on my living room floor :)


Alone time can be lonely, but it is also useful. Out of solitude and summer thunder come peace.

Namaste.

Summer in Full Swing

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Photos from Nevada, taken by yours truly.
Hey there, yogis!

Happy summer!


I'm a little behind on the blogging front, but I believe when the sun is out, it's best to get outside and escape the screen for a bit :)

What have y'all been up to? Any fun 4th of July plans in the works?


Here are some other summery adventures I'm looking forward to: 
  • Doing yoga in Chicago's beautiful Grant Park with friends from work as part of Wanderlust's traveling yoga fest
  • Helping out on the set of an independent feature film (you should all check it out and support the film -- it's hilarious!)
  • Visiting with my mom while she's in town in August (pedicures, anyone?)
  • Cooking new summery recipes, making fruit smoothies, and dipping my toes in the fountains around Evanston
  • New bike rides, new tan lines

    • Listening to thunderstorms
    • Continuing to write like crazy for the book project
    • Attending weekly classes at Grateful Yoga in Evanston as part of their summer intensive (the relaxing and restorative poses have been helping so much!)
    Happy summer, all! I hope you are well.


    Congrats to all the 2011 NU Graduates!

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     Photos via the Northwestern broadcast of today's graduation. Check it out: Stephen Colbert!

    Northwestern's class of 2011 is graduating today! A big hug goes out to all you hardworking grads who are now free to live, work, and play in the world. Get out there -- enjoy it!

    I can't believe it's been a year since I walked the stage. Feels like forever ago :) It's fun to remember back to that day and to celebrate again with everyone who's earned their degree this year.

    A heartfelt namaste to you all!

    The podium.
    Go grads!
    NU President Morty Schapiro.

    The Quiet of the Day

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    Photos by yours truly. Check out these beautiful Vegas digs!

    I'm enjoying a blissful vacation so far in Las Vegas. It's been so relaxing lounging around in the pool, walking slowly everywhere, enjoying this beautiful house, sipping green tea, and spending time with my lovely friend Ash and her mom.

    This morning we did a little kundalini yoga in the living room and then went for a swim. There is something so calm about the space here -- the way you can see the rolling outline of hills in the distance, the warmth of the sun on your skin. I breathe deeply here, and do very little.

    Isn't it wonderful when you can leave empty spaces in your day and do nothing but be present to the moment?

    Peace abounds. :)




    It's the Fear

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    All photos in this post via Fashion Toast.

    At some point in life, we choose who we want to be. Some choose by not choosing. Others race ahead and wait to see how things will shake out.

    Seth had a really great post yesterday about some of the ways we hold ourselves back. 

    Sometimes it's fear of judgment from others; sometimes it's lack of knowledge or power.



    For me, more often than not, it's the fear.

    Buzzing at the edges of my consciousness. Deeper down than thoughts, emotions, sensation.


    Tonight on a bike ride, I wondered what it might feel like to let the sun set on my fear. How free could I be without it?

    Free as a little bird.

    From behind my new sunglasses, I watched the world blaze by, seeing the possibilities.

    We'll see what tomorrow brings.


    namaste,
    rachel

    Changes

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    Welcome to the new 
    Alive in the Fire.

    I've been listening to a song by the Weepies lately. It's about the way things shift over time -- and yet stay the same. When I listen to it, the song makes me think about how there is a steadiness to life if we live it through love.

    Do you live actively, with compassion and balance?

    I'm starting to, and I feel more at home within myself than ever before.

    The lyrics of the song go like this:

    And everyone says
    This love will change you
    Well I ask, does anything ever stay the same?
    No, no, no
    Just same.... changes
    -The Weepies, "Same Changes"
    click the link to hear the song :)

    In an effort to keep my blog aligned with who I am and where I'm coming from, I've changed the tagline from "at home within the hot room" to "at home within the self."


    I believe yoga helps us discover who we truly are -- in our deepest corners of the heart, at the very foundation of who we are meant to become. Yoga encourages us to be patient and kind people not on our mats, but in the world in which we live.

    It opens doors so that we can escape into the open -- and live according to what we truly believe.

    I believe in peace and in love. Through the love God has given me, I can truly love others. As I do that, I am at peace with myself and with the world around me. 

    That is the true meaning of my namaste.



    Photos via Coffee and Yoga, Age Old Tree, Dudes Doing Yoga on Tumblr, and Tyler Branch.

    Happy Saturday!

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    Happy Saturday, yogis! What are you up to?

    I'm enjoying a laid-back day of hanging with friends and wandering around in Evanston. I had fun finding some apple butter at the farmer's market this morning, then sipped iced green tea and chatted with some friends over lunch. I'm also making some beef stroganoff for dinner in the crock pot while I work on some writing. And tonight: a student film premiere over at Northwestern!


    Tomorrow: more writing and yoga (possibly with my sister over Skype!).

    It's been a lovely weekend so far, and I can only see it getting better. :)

    Hope you are having a relaxing Saturday. Namaste.


    Friday Night Sketch Comedy in Chicago: Cause and Affection at Second City

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    Hey Chicagoans, have any plans on Friday night?

    If not, I've got something fun for you to check out. Tonight -- or on any Friday night this month -- you can check out this hilarious sketch comedy show at Second City. Buy tickets here.

    See you there for some deep belly laughs :)

    Happy Friday, all!

    Tattoos in the Blogosphere

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    All photos in this post courtesy of Alive in the Fire readers who are inked. 
    Many thanks to all who shared!

    Ever wondered what sorts of tattoos yogis have? I posed that question a while back on the blog and through Twitter, and received some fascinating photos.

    Take a look!

    Just as we are on our mats, these yogis are a diverse and colorful group.




    I wanted to share some great links from around the web, too. I read some other blogs written by those who share a passion for body art :) You can find tattoos all over the place...
    • The blog Sometimes Sweet runs a weekly feature called Tattoo Tuesday highlighting some incredible bloggers and their tats. I love reading the meaning behind certain symbols and seeing all of the close up shots.
    • Tattoologist is a tattoo blog with an artful approach. Most of the tattoos I've seen there seem to have an effortlessness and a lightness about them (not a whole lot of sleeves or intense color). If you're into tattoos with text or interesting typeface samples, be sure to check this one out. 
    • Needles and Sins is a tattoo blog that tracks news and trends. With a wicked name like that, it's hard to resist swinging by :)
    • Even on some wedding blogs, such as A Practical Wedding, you can find posts about how tattoos are everywhere.
    • So Fawned is another of my favorite blogs. When I spotted these sleeves, I ooohed and aaaahhhed at the screen. Aren't they breathtaking? 


    • A post from the cooking blog Sweet Paul featuring the funniest guy tattoo I've ever seen. You've got to be a serious crafter to sport that tat! Do you guys know anyone with comical tattoos?
    • A post from Not Your Average Ordinary on script tattoos. Elegant and eloquent. If you got a word on your wrist, what would it be?
    There's always a story behind getting inked. Coming soon: my story on the new tattoo I've got big summer plans for! :)