Edna sent this along to encourage us all to try her smoothie with dandelion greens… a vegetable that I have never once before purchased, but did show up in my CSA box one time and I had no idea what they were. Now I know!

Just a preview:

By Peter Gail

Suppose your doctor tells you, on your next visit, that he has just discovered a miracle drug which, when eaten as a part of   your daily diet or taken as a beverage, could, depending on the peculiarities of your body chemistry: prevent or cure liver diseases, such as hepatitis or jaundice; act as a tonic and gentle diuretic to purify your blood, cleanse your system, dissolve kidney stones, and otherwise improve gastro-intestinal health; assist in weight reduction; cleanse your skin and eliminate acne; improve your bowel function, working equally well to relieve both constipation and diarrhea; prevent or lower high blood pressure; prevent or cure anemia; lower your serum cholesterol by as much as half; eliminate or drastically reduce acid indigestion and gas buildup by cutting the heaviness of fatty foods; prevent or cure various forms of cancer; prevent or control diabetes mellitus; and, at the same time, have no negative side effects and selectively act on only what ails you. If he gave you a prescription for this miracle medicine, would you use it religiously at first to solve whatever the problem is and then consistently for preventative body maintenance?

All the above curative functions, and more, have been attributed to one plant known to everyone, Taraxacum officinale, which means the “Official Remedy for Disorders.” We call it the common dandelion. It is so well respected, in fact, that it appears in the U.S. National Formulatory, and in the Pharmacopeias of Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, and the Soviet Union. It is one of the top 6 herbs in the Chinese herbal medicine chest.

According to the USDA Bulletin #8, “Composition of Foods” (Haytowitz and Matthews 1984), dandelions rank in the top 4 green vegetables in overall nutritional value. Minnich, in “Gardening for Better Nutrition” ranks them, out of all vegetables, including grains, seeds and greens, as tied for 9th best. According to these data, dandelions are nature’s richest green vegetable source of beta-carotene, from which Vitamin A is created, and the third richest source of Vitamin A of all foods, after cod-liver oil and beef liver! They also are particularly rich in fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and the B vitamins, thiamine and riboflavin, and are a good source of protein.

Dearest yogis!

I can’t believe it’s already August. I grew up in the Sacramento Valley (read: 112 degree summers) so it feels like summer should be coming any day now, rather than ending in a few weeks. So, to celebrate the last third of my favorite season of the year, with bikinis on the brain, and because the instructors at Yoga Belly are easily the hottest people I know (except for my honey, of course : )), here’s the start of a little blog-lovin’.

I give you: the “What’s In Your Blender” series. For the next few weeks, I’ll be bugging instructors for their favorite bootylicious blended recipes, and sharing the nutritional wealth with you. Because I love you. And because you’re beautiful. And because, as Will so eloquently laid out, “I do yoga because I want to be hot forever.”

Kicking off this series is none other than our very own Edna Barr… take it away, Edna!

In her words:

“I pretty much throw whatever is laying around in the blender!

Kale Smoothie (can use dandelion greens as well)

water (can use coconut water for better hydration or half water/OJ)
lime or lemon (no skin, seeds ok )
parsely
mint
fruit – any combination will work: TJ’s frozen mango,pineapple, banana, tangerine, strawberries. Any fresh fruit getting over ripe; toss it in there!

Depending on how much frozen fruit you used, add a few ice cubes. I just have a low end cheapo blender that works fine; you just have to let it run for a good minute. Otherwise you end up chewing your smoothie. It really is fast & easy to make; no need to chop anything. Just throw it in the blender!”

Mmmmm… happy eating/drinking, and happy Friday!

During the summer, I find myself traipsing to and from vacations, weekend getaways, the occasional bender… not that I’m complaining! And, in the summer, my body confronts various maladies that don’t seem to affect it during the rest of the year: poison oak, sunburns, mosquito bites. They have kept me out of the studio for whole weeks! It feels like I take three giant steps backwards by the time I get back to the studio, even if I’ve only missed a few days. But, I don’t think saying no to adventure is the answer! It’s just that, even away from my Yoga Belly home, I need to take the time to stretch. To relax. To breathe.

In this spirit, I hope you all…

In honor of hump day…

A little “chakra-for-dummies” for those of us who could use a reference : ) Bigger-ize it to find out more.

Happy Tuesday!

Thanks to YogaDork

Again, not quite a manifesto. But wise words by Miss Emily Dickenson.

I’m off camping for the rest of the week… Happy early Friday!

Image via http://365daysyoga.tumblr.com/

Yoga Belly celebrates Oneness this month as we turn one on July 30, 2011. Come celebrate with us on Saturday, July 30th for a special day of Oneness: One Year, One-Hour Classes, One Price—Free for all! We will be offering six one-hour classes throughout the day starting at 9am. To see the full schedule and to guarantee your spots, register online now by clicking here.

To continue the celebration, come join your Yoga Belly family at the after party at Zen Lounge just down the street at 251 Castro Street, MV 94041 (650) 969-4847. Drinks and appetizers will be served starting at 6pm. Dancing starts around 9pm.

There will also be some changes around the studio as we celebrate this huge milestone… look for drinks (rumor has it that smoothies, coconut water, and kombucha will soon be available in the lounge), discounted YB apparel and accessories (one day only! July 30!) and the return of the elusive $85 special. Get it while the gettin’s good.

War and peace might be the ultimate ying and yang, so I never expected to see Marines busting out a full wheel or opening their heart chakras.

But, in Pensacola, Florida, they do just that. Soldiers find inner peace even in the midst of war.

Way to go, boys. Namaste.

Thanks to Will for the great find!

… is where it’s at. So they keep telling me, anyway.

Happy Monday.