“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.”– Marissa Mayer (Co-Founder, Lumi Labs)

I’ve been thinking….

Here in Michigan winter lingers on (and on and on it seems!) and we are still under some restrictions due to Covid-19. Spring is dragging into our lives, with some new growth and new direction but a lot of clean up still needs to be done. While raking in the garden last weekend, it occurred to me that there are lots of other areas in my life to do a little clean up: how about exercise? Nutrition? Finances? Sleep? And, really, aren’t we really talking about taking care of ourselves? We’re coming out of a year of forced personal change, of enforced restriction, solitude and perhaps a bit of unrecognized (or even acknowledged) stress.

However we choose to look at the “gifts of Covid”, certainly there is one thing for sure: It’s time to reclaim the balance in our lives – whatever that new balance looks like. I challenge you today to reassess yourself and your daily living schedule. Being AWARE is the first step to being ABLE to change.

What are your top priorities? How is your daily energy? What do you do daily to renew yourself? How is your support system? Are you in constant overwhelm and stress? What is one thing that you can joyfully do TODAY to help yourself? Pick a category: physical – mental – emotional – spiritual – and reward yourself with a plan to do something in that category for yourself today …… and it can be small, incremental, granular. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A BIG HUGE UNDERTAKING to begin this path to self-renewal.

In my work with individual clients we begin by recognizing the areas for self-renewal, and then we methodically begin to help ourselves by learning to set boundaries, to feel physically healthy and mentally strong.

I would love to chat with you about the direction you are taking for your own self renewal. Please contact me so we can have a complementary conversation at www.tinyurl.com/callwithlynette

Below I’ve included for you a great light recipe to try for lighter spring/summertime eating – Spring minestrone soup – as well as a simple cleansing yoga pose – supine spinal rotation – to add into your practice.

If finances are an area for you to focus on, I’m including a link to a FREE virtual workshop on getting your finances together hosted by my dear friend Angela Wilson. Angela has been teaching and leading women in finance for over two decades and has put together a virtual course with a free “look” coming up Saturday May 15. If money is ever on your mind, please give it a look.

Until we speak again,

Love

Lynette

 

 

Recipe of the Month:
Spring Minestrone Soup

This soup is so colorful, delicious and packed with nutrients from all the veggies. While it is easy to make, it does require forty minutes to cook and about twenty minutes of prep time. Try making this soup for you or your family this month and experiment with the different types of vegetables you could add!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 green onions

2 green garlic stalks, or 2 large garlic cloves

1 pound baby potatoes, or Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks

1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock (use vegetable stock if cooking vegetarian or vegan)

Salt

1/2 pound artichoke hearts (fresh or frozen), chopped roughly

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 cups greens (dandelion, chard, spinach, kale, arugula, etc), sliced into thin ribbons

Up to 1/4 cup pesto

Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese for garnish (omit for vegan version)

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Prep green onions, green garlic, potatoes, artichoke hearts: Chop the green onions and green garlic and separate the white and light green parts from the green tops. If you are using regular garlic cloves, put them with the white parts of the green onions. Scrub potatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Either trim fresh artichokes down to their hearts and chop the hearts or chop up defrosted frozen artichoke hearts.

Sauté white parts of green onions and garlic, add potatoes
In a large pot set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the white parts of the green onions as well as the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, and cook 1 minute more.

Add tomatoes, stock, salt, then simmer. Add the diced tomatoes with their liquid and the quart of vegetable or chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts (if using fresh) and cook another 5 minutes

Add the chickpeas and green peas and cook another 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and artichoke hearts (if using frozen), then the greens. Add the asparagus and artichoke hearts (if using frozen artichoke hearts). Cook 2 minutes. Add the greens and the green parts from the green onions and green garlic, if using. Stir well to combine and cook 1 minute.

Add pesto, salt, pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the pesto. Add black pepper and more salt to taste (depending on how salty your stock is, you may need to add 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt).

Serve topped with grated cheese.

Link for Recipe:
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spring_minestrone_soup/

Yoga Pose of the Month:
Supine Spinal Twist

Instructions
Lying on your back, bring your arms out to the sides with the palms facing down in a T position. Bend the right knee and place the right foot on the left knee.

Exhale drop the right knee over to the left side of your body, twisting the spine and low back. Look at the right finger tips.

Keep the shoulders flat to the floor, close the eyes, and relax into the posture. Let gravity pull the knee down, so you do not have to use any effort in this posture.

Breathe and hold for 6-10 breaths.

To release: inhale and roll the hips back to the floor, and exhale the leg back down to the floor.

Repeat on other side.

Link for yoga pose: https://www.yogabasics.com/asana/knee-down-twist/

Link for picture: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/yoga-pose-supine-spinal-twist-pose-gm1050888788-280992373