Good afternoon! I hope this message finds you well amidst all of the changes of spring. I was talking with my acupuncturist earlier this week and she explained to me that spring corresponds to the wood element in chinese medicine - providing us with the energy and vision we need to move forward. It's also a time that asks us to grow and change, which isn't always easy. Over the past two months I've been working on living in the moment and actively choosing how to spend my time - and it's led me to some unexpected new loves. I joined a new moms group and have been inspired and amazed by the comfort this new community provides. I've also made it a priority to take walks with Caroline on every nice day - the fresh air and time with her outdoors has been incredibly rejuvenating. They may be simple things, but they've provided me with new perspectives on what's important and have helped me to discover what grounds me during this time of constant change. I hope you'll find the time to try something new this month - it could be something you've been meaning to do for a while or it may come to you at an unexpected time or place so keep your eye out. Challenge yourself to take a little leap (or a big one) and see what may shake out for you this spring. In the spirit of trying something new, I hope you'll join me for a yoga class - I'm offering a special Yin Yang Yoga class at 11am on April 12 at the Washington Yoga Center. It's the perfect way to gently stretch into spring. You're also welcome to drop-in to my regular Thursday noontime Strengthen and Restore class at Crossings which runs through April 21 or join a new session of Prenatal Yoga at Circle Yoga beginning this evening. And since I've been getting so many kind e-mails checking in on Caroline, here are a few pictures: I can't believe she's already 4 months old!
I'm hoping you'll take on the challenge of trying something new this month in the spirit of this spring season. Perhaps you'll even find something unexpected along the way. Please reach out if there's any way I can help you in this transition to spring! With Love, Elizabeth
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Welcome Spring! Even though the official start of spring is still a few days away, I'm loving the daffodils, sunshine, and spending more time outside. As our tomato seeds sprout on the windowsill I can almost taste the abundant harvest of summer. Last month I practiced being fully present in each moment. It was a challenge, and some aspects were very eye-opening (try having only one browser window open at a time- so hard!) while others were easy (like reading a great book while curled up with a sleeping baby). But the most surprising aspect was the reminder that I have the choice of what to do in each moment. I stumbled across this little gem, which sums it up perfectly - So, in addition to being fully present in the moment, I'm working to make each moment count. Less Facebook scrolling. More time to be creative in the kitchen. That's the new focus - actively choosing to spend my time in the way that best supports my family, my health, and my happiness. Even though it means sending my March newsletter on the 16th.
Of course, we all have commitments and can't usually spend all day doing whatever we want. However, in the precious free moments, I'm actively choosing my priorities and saying yes to what's best for me and my family. Because most of the time taking a long walk with friends beats out doing the laundry. But occasionally clean sheets make getting into bed at the end of the day so much better. Don't worry, I'm not going to iron them- I'd much rather be outside! I hope you'll find ways this month to choose your free moments wisely - to see if the things you "don't have time for" are truly not priorities or if you need to make a little room for them. Like taking a yoga class! Please reach out if there's any way I can help you in this transition to spring! With Love, Elizabeth Welcome to February! I hope you are enjoying the snow and sunshine of this winter season. Over the past week, I was working on this e-mail in bits and pieces - between breastfeeding, cooking, watching Mozart in the Jungle, teaching yoga, baby wearing, and playing in the snow... and it never came together. It was disjointed and didn't really make sense. I was trying to write about my biggest lesson of the month - being fully present in each moment. Right. So I stopped multi-tasking, found a quiet moment with baby Caroline sleeping wrapped up on my chest, and am going to write it all at once. Because that is my lesson. It's one I learned through my yoga practice and am (clearly) still working to apply to my life. Be fully present in each moment. We're drawn in a thousand different directions. We try to squeeze it all in - mainly by doing two (or three) things at once. And never is that more clear then when you have a newborn baby in your life. She wants your full attention. She soaks it up, smiles, laughs. Distracted by a text message? Waaaaaaaah... Mom I'm here! Right in front of you! So that's my challenge this month - being fully present with my daughter, with my yoga students, with myself. I invite you to join me. Instead of TV, texting, and browsing instagram, choose one. Dedicate your full attention and see how it feels. I'm warning you, it's hard.
It's also rewarding. Each moment is complete. There is less rush and less stress. Your mind calms and focuses. You can actually complete a task, or be fully present for another person. Caroline is waking up so I'm off to soak up her smiles. I hope to see you in a yoga class this month! With Love, Elizabeth I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season filled with friends, family, laughter, and love. As the year comes to a close, we often look forward to new beginnings - a chance to start fresh with a new perspective and the best intentions for a great year ahead. Just one month ago we welcomed our daughter, Caroline June Brandt, into the world. It was an incredible new beginning! The day was filled with the challenge of labor, gratitude for our health, and incredible love for this tiny being. Having time to settle in as a little family has been a wonderful holiday gift and the support from our community of friends, family, students, and colleagues has been extraordinary. I'm looking forward to the New Year with a full heart, open mind, and curiosity as I explore the growth of my family and my desire to continue to teach, learn, and positively impact the world we share.
To start, I'll be easing back into teaching yoga over the next few months. In January and February, I hope you'll join me for special class series including prenatal yoga, introduction to yoga, and strengthen & restore yoga. I'm also making space for coaching and mentorships to work with entrepreneurs, yoga teachers, and others to set and reach their 2016 goals. Further out on the horizon are new programs, retreats, and more. If there is something I can support you with over the coming year, please reach out. In the meantime, I hope you fully enjoy these last days of 2015. If you feel inspired to, take a little time to choose what you would like to begin as the new year approaches. Wishing you the very best in 2016! With Love, Elizabeth Happy October!
I hope you are enjoying the start of the fall season! What are you most looking forward to? Personally, I love sleeping with the windows open, sipping hot apple cider, and wearing cozy scarves. I’m also overjoyed by the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at farmer’s markets - the inspiration behind Harvest. It’s the perfect time of year to develop healthy habits and learn how to cook delicious seasonal produce, before the temptations of Halloween candy and pumpkin pie take hold. I hope you’ll join me for this transformative 3-week program. With a completely virtual format, you can start anytime this fall. I’m in my 8 month of pregnancy and am getting really excited to meet the little one! I have been so fortunate to keep up my yoga practice and teaching schedule through this time of growth and change, and to be sharing it with other mamas-to-be. I'll be hosting a special prenatal yoga workshop at the end of this month for women in any stage of pregnancy. Perfectly timed with the cooling days and longer nights, I’ll be taking a pause from days filled with teaching and coaching. Sometime in November, I’ll be starting my new job as mom and laying low at least through the holiday season. Stay tuned for news on baby's arrival and when I'lll be back. This season, I hope you’ll find time to eat delicious local meals, move and breathe in the crisp fall air, and maybe take a little pause of your own. Enjoy this month of abundance! With Love, Elizabeth I first tried microgreens from Little Wild Things City Farm after meeting Mary Ackley at RootingDC. I was hooked! They are the very nutritious and delicious first sprouts of a plant, and are good to throw into any recipe - a seasonal grain bowl, on top of tacos, or on any salad. I love them so much, they're one of the seasonal vegetables featured in Harvest.
Sometimes you just want a chip. When you’re pregnant that might be more often. So when you see both sweet purple potatoes at the farmer’s market, you can’t help but buy a half pound of each and make your own chips at home. Or maybe you just buy a bag on your way home… but seriously these are worth trying.
You may be surprised at the soaking step - this actually helps to remove some of the starch, allowing the potatoes to crisp better. This is especially important for the purple potatoes, as I find them much starchier than the sweet potatoes. It’s also a bit tedious to flip every single slice over, but I found it helped immensely to create evenly-crisped slices. You’ll want to use a separate baking sheet for each type of potato as the cooking times may also vary. I found the purple potatoes took about 5 minutes longer. I know you’re hungry mamas to be! So without further ado -
The food we eat - what fuels us to get through every day - is planted, nurtured, harvested, and transported to us by people. Sure, there are machines that assist in much of the work, but behind every meal there are farmers, workers, harvesters, packers, drivers, and others who keep our food system humming along.
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