Day 9 - Time to chill, talk about Studio 54 & observe the tulips

It might be Monday, but after such a busy weekend, it is time to take it easy and appreciate spring. The sun is shining and so I decided to walk over the mountain into the city for my first class. Downtown is about a 45 min walk from my house, and it's so beautiful to walk along the paths of Mount Royal. I felt like I was in the forest in the country. Very relaxing.

My inspirational 83-year-old student Max likes it when I do yoga with him, so he can see what I'm doing. We easily completed 27 sun salutations together while talking about his heyday frequenting Studio 54 in New York. Max is a holocaust survivor and the former owner of a big fashion house that is now operated by his daughter. He is incredibly active and lives in a large elaborate apartment with a painted living room floor, bronze statues in every room and furniture from his travels around the world. I enjoy talking to him about art, food, music and the history of Poland and the Jews. My mom is Polish and I speak a little Polish, so Max, being born there, and I often stop in the middle of a sun salutation or posture to try and remember what the Polish word is for whatever we are referencing at the time. Today we were stuck on how to translate 'sleeve.'

I took a leisurely stroll home, pausing several times to capture the beauty of spring flowers with my digital camera, which I am still learning how to operate. I love walking, especially by myself. I call it yoga walking: Breathing deeply, while observing the sun's warmth on my face, the songs of the birds above, and the oily texture of the young maple leaves. Soon all the trees will be fully covered in foliage, so everyday I am watching and appreciating their grow process. Today's photos are of the flowers and buds that caught my attention this morning.

This is a photo of Bossa & I practicing on the water at the end of Ste Anne St in Pointe Claire just a block down from my studio.


Surya Namaskar Recipe - Day 9: The Sivananda Salute to the Sun

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And a recipe for a smoothie I made for breakfast using the Vega Health Optimizer:

Banana Mango Vanilla Chai Smoothie
1 peeled banana
1 mango chopped (can be frozen)
1 - 1.5 cup of almond milk (can use rice milk too)
2 scoops of Vanilla Chai Vega Health Optimizer (vegan protein powder + greens + omega fats + fiber + probiotics)

Directions: Put it all in the blender and press 'ON.' Press the 'OFF' button when it's smooth and enjoy in a tall glass. (Makes two servings.)