Soup-er
Last night reaffirmed an important life lesson: yoga is not like pizza.
Ashley had suggested a candlelight hatha class, and I thought it would be good to go stretch, especially after my fall. When we got there, there was a sub, which is usually NBD; subs have helped me to find new instructors that I really love.
Right away, we could tell that maybe it wasn’t going to be what we expected…. We almost got the church giggles, but tiptoed out of there after about 15 minutes of rolling around on the floor 😉 So, yoga is not like pizza. It’s either everything you could wish for, or not really at all. No in-betweens.
Before the almost-yoga practice, I had an awesome dinner with the fam.
Soup is one of those things that always seems to work out. I love how versatile and hearty is it, and it’s a guaranteed meal that Liv will love.
I cooked two chicken breasts in the slow cooker, and roasted some sweet potatoes and carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper.
When everything was finished, I sautéed some garlic in a large pot, added the chicken, veggies, deglazed with a little wine, and then added brown rice, chicken broth, 1 cup pureed pumpkin, 1/2 bag of spinach, salt and pepper.
It was kind of an interesting combo, but it worked.
I almost wish I would have written down the actual recipe, but it was one of those on-the-fly things that will probably be different next time.
This morning, I’m off to work, but I had to ask to be taken off my active classes and will miss track practice tonight :/ Fingers crossed a day off will help me heal.
Have a lovely hump day! See ya later on the Fashion page.
xoxo
Gina
Any fitness fails lately? What’s something you adore about your favorite yoga instructor? I enjoy instructors who help you get deeper into the poses, and one of our favorite teachers here in Tucson SINGS during savasana. It’s like a yoga angel swoops down to serenade us.
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I am not a soup fan at all but this one sounds so good! I need to remember how you made it.
One of my favorite Yoga teachers goes to every class member during savasana and gives a short&little head massage. That is BLISS.
I love when yoga teachers do a little something special during savasana! I had a teacher who used to rub essential oils on her hands and come and place her hands on either side of your head while you are lying down, the smells instantly relaxed me 🙂
Soup is always one of those things that seems to work our for me too. I guess you can’t go too wrong with roasted veggies ever.
I recently made some soup that was pretty darn awesome, so now I’ve been on quite the soup groove for a while.
I haven’t had a fitness fail in quite a while, so that’s a plus.
I am at a Giada level of excitement about this soup! :)<—times 1000 plus more cleavage.
I hope you feel better soon! It sounds like that fall was a major bummer.
Almost all of my meals have been made using the “little bit of this and little bit of that” method! And only later do I realize that they were totally blog worthy. That’s my fail!
That soup looks amazing- can’t wait to try it! Sweet potato and pumpkin in the fall- what can go wrong?
those roasted taters & carrots look so yummy!
That soup looks delicious! I wish I had the mind to just throw things together and they turned out looking that great!
Hi! I don’t usually comment to your posts. I enjoy the wide range of topics you write about, and have gained so many insights from reading here. Today though, I wanted to respond to this post about the yoga fail. Perhaps I am sensitized as I am a yoga teacher myself. With that info out there, I would like to share with you one of the teachings from my teacher. I saw the line about the class not meeting your expectations., And the AHA came. My teacher always says that expectations lead to frustration …. and then I read that you left the class Perhaps you left early because the poses aggravated the recent back injury you suffered from the tumble down the stairs. And I totally understand leaving for that reason. NBD. But, if you left because the instructor was doing a style that was new to you, or not as physically challenging as you’re used to OR less intense than you’re used to, it pushed you over your edge. Flight/fright reaction was engaged and you fled. Embrace what is (as long as you weren’t physically hurting from the class) and accept the class as it was offered…opportunity for the body to connect with the mind.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
awesome comment. i think my back injury contributed to it, but i was kind of looking forward to a new instructor and type of class. it just wasn’t my cup of tea. different yoga personality types and flows work well for some people, and not for others. i’m sure there were some people that really enjoyed it, but the voice, words being said, poses, energy… just wasn’t what i want from any type of yoga practice
I got so wrapped up in writing earlier that I neglected to ask if your back *is* better. Hope so!
Yoga is all about the energy – when you feel it you feel it. When you don’t you don’t. Feel better!
That soup sounds so good – would be a perfect way to use the rest of my pureed pumpkin! I love the way my fave Friday evening yoga instructor explains every aspect of a specific pose. I think it’s helped me improve my ‘practice’.
All the food looks SO good! I’ve been pretty on track with fitness recently, lots of running and yogalates! xo
I don’t go to yoga as often as I should. But I can honestly say that I have never had a bad instructor or bad experience. Knock on wood, now the next time I go I am doomed.
Whooaaaa that soup looks so good, and all the shredded chicken is beckoning me to eat it…lol, I sound weird. 😛 I too have a lot of “recipes” that aren’t actual recipes since I make it right there and then.
And I love yoga instructors that actually pay attention to everyone’s form and go around the room constantly, as they keep tweaking and perfecting the student’s posture just a bit more to make it better. It’s not only good for safety reasons, but it also shows they care about the student’s practice!
That soup looks good. I made a pumpkin turkey chili last night that was a total throw together meal. I had pumpkin and turkey left over and had to do something with it! Turned out very good. I Hope you start feeling better. I just went back to read the last post and cringed when you described what happened. That stuff happens to me waaay too often and I can recall the feeling of fear and pain easily. I slipped on loose gravel while hiking down a hill in the Chanel Islands last summer and it took me a full 20 minutes just to sit up in my tent the next day. So painful. But, my last fitness fail was when I was running past the soccer fields in my town and tripped on some heaved pavement. Total faceplant. :/
I hope you’re feeling better!!
A fitness fail…last night I went running with my dogs on a jogging path and dutifully scooped up all their bathroom stops with a baggy. Then I tossed said baggy and twenty minutes later, my bigger dog had diarrhea across the path. So I had to gather as many sticks and leaves as I could find and try to scrape it all off so other joggers wouldn’t hate me.
Soup is always my go-to on a cold work night! This slow cooker recipe is perfect and the roasted veggies sound amazing! Hope you are feeling better!
You being a fitness instructor I’m kind of surprised you walked out on someone else’s class. Must have been REALLY bad! I usually figure an hour or so out of my time isn’t that big a deal rather than walk out in the middle (especially a quiet class like yoga) & risk hurting someone’s feelings. 🙁
I have never experienced a teacher that walked around & corrected form, but I would LOVE that!
i pretty much never leave a class, but everything about this one was not what i wanted: the instructors voice, the things she said, the poses, the energy, just not my cup of tea. i’m usually all about staying to see how it goes, but i could tell it would have been a waste of energy and time since it was so late at night
I agree with how forgiving soup is! Sometimes while it’s cooking, I have a bad feeling that I just wasted so many ingredients because it doesn’t look like it will come out right. It ends up being the best freakin’ soup I ever made! Funny how things work.
That soup looks delicious! Uhhh a fail would be my spin class this AM. The instructor is an older guy and although he is nice, his music just sucks. It is all old and not motivating at all. I usually try and avoid his classes but he was filling in today and I had already committed to the class by the time I figured it out. Bust.
I had a similar yoga experience on Monday this week but mine turned out to be a huge success. It started out like yours…church giggles and all…but I was too chicken to leave cuz I was front & center. By the end the class turned heavenly! Amazing adjustments made by the instructor and a mind-blowing class. I will definitely be back next Monday!
Minor fitness fail the other day when I was trying to figure out which cardio machine to use at the gym. I think I got on and off like 4 different machines before I actually decided on one. I can only imagine what the people at the gym thought I was doing.
I love yoga instructors that know how to balance strength and flexibility. I’m usually looking for a bit of both when I do yoga and it can be hard to find a good balance.
I’ve never walked out of a class- if I get my butt out the door and make it I’m going to stick around and make the best out of it (plus I’d worry about being offensive). I’ve actually taken some “so-so” yoga classes- ones where the instructor was a little blah, ones where the music was bad, or ones that didn’t feel like the best workout. Guess it depends on the studio!
I’m currently in yoga teacher training and have thought about this a lot lately. There are several teachers at the studio I practice at that I absolutely love. One of them is a strong dude and he uses his body strength to help us go deeper in downward dog and it always feels like a massage. He’s the first instructor to help my naturally tight shoulders to open up and to give me the confident to do handstand. AND… he massages feet during savasana!!!!! I mean, really?? He’s just awesome.
Then some of the other ones just have a beautiful way of creating a gorgeous flow, effortlessly and flawlessly. Then they use essential oils at the end and come around and massage your head and neck. I’m pretty much in heaven at this studio…
Then there is one that is not my cup of tea. This person talks about themselves a lot during class and has the Bikram-type bossiness that I’m not a huge fan of. It’s their way or you’re doing it wrong. There’s no modification involved. Some people love this person, just not my style. 🙂
* confidence to do handstand…. oops
I love when the yoga teacher comes around during savasana and gives a little massage. I use to hate when they would adjust you…but now I like a little help in some poses.
Gina, this made me crack up! I recently went to a tai chi class with friends. It was nothing at all what we expected and we were the youngest ones in there by at least 30 years. Needless to say, a few of those church giggles surfaced before we could sneak out. By the way, that soup looks fabulous! I love cooking my chicken in the crock pot and then shredding it. I have never tried it in a soup before. Great idea!
I always forget to write down recipes! Then I taste the food and I’m like huh this is actually decent….why didn’t I write this down?!!! And lucky you for having an angel as a yoga teacher haha jealous!….but really.
Have you heard of Go W/The Flow? Described as “a unique Yoga and music collaboration designed to get you out of your head and into your breath. The beat guides the breath, you guide the music.” They partnered with lululemon (!) and I got to go to one of their classes (outside in the sunshine!)
Anyway, it was awesome. The live music makes such a difference! I can imagine how incredible the singing during savasana is <3
That soup looks so good! Some of my best meals have been ones made up on the fly, using whatever was on hand — plus it’s more fun that way 🙂
As a fitness instructor I totally know what it’s like to go BE a sub–and it’s not easy! But if someone doesn’t like my style, it is their class not mine. And so I think it’s cool to walk out if you don’t like a class. I’ve done it a few times myself with instructors that you can tell have no idea what they’re doing and/or are not prepared. Not wasting my time there!
And hence, why I try to be prepared & on the game when I teach & sub 🙂
I so need yoga more in my life.
And that soup! Yummmm!
What a bummer yoga class… I would’ve been too chicken to leave midway, and probably would’ve been super frustrated the entire time LOL.
Singing during savasana?! I would get so emotional! I typically cry gratitude tears during that time :’-)
the first time she did it, i had to give myself the “don’t cry” pep talk
I have tried and tried with yoga but I just can’t get into it so I don’t have a favorite thing to say about a yoga teacher but I do have a favorite pilates teacher (Tracy!). I love that she’s so focused on making sure you’re doing everything right so you keep your body aligned and injury free. Plus she is absolutely hilarious and I feel like her lunchtime classes totally boost my energy and help me get through the rest of the day.
I’m living in India right now. I found a gym, but it’s not air conditioned, so I get to work out in 95 degree heat every day:-) Plus the power goes out a lot, so I’ll be on the treadmill and it will suddenly stop, lurching me forward. Attractive. Especially since I’m the only white female and get stared at a lot.
I definitely agree about yoga classes being hit or miss…and I have most certainly had my fair share of misses. I hope you are feeling better after your little fall, I’ve found soup cures pretty much everything, and a cute Liv loving on you probably doesn’t hurt either. 😉
For me, Zumba is hit or miss. I was introduced to Zumba with an awesome instructor who did great choreography and loved it. Then I went to someone new and we shuffled back and forth to techno music. So I’m always wary of new Zumba instructors!
zumba is always hit or miss!
ahhh… yoga is so hit or miss! i hate going to a class and then realizing it’s super weird or slow. i like instructors that challenge you! and who tell jokes.
I had a Vinyasa yoga class “fail” recently. The class was just too slow for my pace, and I didn’t feel like I got deep enough into the poses. The teacher was nice, but it wasn’t for me. Better luck next week! 🙂