~Serenity Studio~Yoga, Pilates, Thai Massage, Reiki, Jewelry

Ohhh the holidays........cookies and pies and more and more oh my! As my husband reached under the christmas tree to hand me a gift, I felt so excited like a little kid again and couldn't wait to open my present. I took the box from my husband who wrapped it himself which looked like he crumpled the paper around the present a couple times and wrapped the tape along with it but that's not the point (he tried). So anyways I opened my present and it was a waffle maker! Yay I do love to cook and EAT, but I did promise myself back to eating a almost raw diet after the holidays. A waffle maker my almost 3 year old son Sage says Yay mommy I love waffles and how could i resist that while at the same time my husband has a big smile on his face just thinking about eating some yummy waffles. Oh well with the promises of eating raw and oh well that I had a baby just 3 months prior and wanted to finish getting rid of this baby weight which the holidays came right in time for! So I tweaked the ulmighty waffle reciepe and made it a little more figure friendly and healthier and enjoyed every bite and you can too! Here it is.......

Blueberrie*Almond*Chia*Flax Waffles
~2 large eggs (farm fresh)
~2 cups of flour (your choice)
~1 3/4 cups of unsweetened almond milk
~1/2 cup of canola oil
~1 tablespoon brown sugar
~4 teaspoons baking powder
~1/4 teaspoon sea salt
~1 tablespoon ground chia seed
~1 tablespoon ground flax seed
~1 cup of blueberries

*Preheat waffle iron.
Mix eggs until fluffy. Stir in rest of ingredients.
Pour in waffle maker,
Top with whatever you like. We spread a little earthbalance and pure maple syrup!

ENJOY!

At the end of my practice I've noticed lately I have been asking on a higher level for help with my goals. Like as of now I would like to manifest more patience. Patience with my family, my dogs, my practice, even little things like traffic, and the list goes on and on. True, true we can all use a little patience in all parts of our lives. 
 
 I would love to manifest many great qualities in life but patience is the one that keeps coming to me. Maybe because I am with a 19 month old everyday and want to be the best mama ever by getting down on his level. Have you ever tried getting on an 19 month old level? Well yeah it's really fun at times but as a 28 year old woman eventually you are calling for that good old patience:)

 That is just one example of where patience is needed in my life, there are many more areas I can use it. I guess I share that because my son is the most important part of my life.

 Anyways getting back to taking it off the mat.........

 As we step on our yoga mats we become mindful of our bodies, how we feel and how we think. As we take that first ujjayi breath, feel the feet ground to the earth, open our hearts and still our minds we are now living in the moment and healing from the inside-out.

 As we manifest patience on the mat, it is now a gentle flower blossoming with in ourselves. Gently opening to other areas within our lives that we can take with us as we step off our mats.
 
 Whether your goals are to manifest other qualities like, happiness, love, compassion, eating healthier, quitting an addiction, or patience etc. etc. Step off your mat and as you feel and listen let your breath take over clearing your mind and embrace life with your new outlook. Open your eyes and look around, take in every color, listen to every sound and feel the sensation inside and out with each deep breath. Be mindful of what you want and go and get it, it's waiting for you. Like the old saying goes the sky is the limit. Let your soul shine!

Spring is here with all the new sights and sounds. Re-birth and new birth is all around us. The bee's are buzzing, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and the sun is shining!
   
 We get to open the windows and let the fresh air flood our living space. Everyone's talking about "spring cleaning".........Yeah so we all do it for our homes.......but what about ourselves. A little spring cleaning for the mind and the body.
    
 As we step on our yoga mats we practice cleaning of the mind and body. We are nourishing ourselves and taking time out to give the gift of health. One of the most precious gifts we can give to ourselves.
    
 We are cleaning out our homes and making space for the new, getting rid of the old........and yes we become very proud and ahhhh it feels good. 
    
 So lets make some space for our minds to get rid of some old and make space for some new. Hey are minds deserve the ahhhh it feels good too. Getting rid of some old (thoughts), you know that clutter that has been bugging us. If we just learn to let those thoughts surface, acknowledge them with out judgement, and with out dwelling, we are letting go of the old. Now we have made some progress, Yay!  With this new space we have more room to tap deep into our truer selves and focus on our passions. Our passions equal our creativity. There are many pathways to bring all that's inside of us out and into the world....like music, writing, art, yoga, hiking, gardening, creating whatever your heart desires, hobbies, etc. the list goes on. Once we let go of thoughts that aren't truly serving us we then can feel lighter and more creative. Sometimes we have to dig down deep and sometimes is like BOOM right there in our faces. But whatever it is, it is yours and you deserve it because it will bring you closer to your true self and closer to happiness. Okay Okay the mind is letting go and cleaning out the old. ( Hey I know it's a working progress:))
    
 So lets put some energy into honoring the physical self as well. The physical self like the mind also has spacious awareness. The way we process things internally and the way we move externally, so give a little love to your physical self  ~ inside and out! Get your blood flowing, your circulation moving around, release those toxins, work that body and feel good. Wether it is a gentle walk with your dog to a challenging yoga or pilates practice........a stroll around the park with a friend to a marathon for a great cause.......a refreshing smoothie or healthy salad to a major intense detox cleanse. 
   
  The point is do something healthy for your mind and body working from the inside-out, making some space to get rid of the old and let in some new positive energy. Give your mind and body a spring cleaning and don't forget to lift the corners of your mouth through the process.......SMILE IT'S SPRING!!!!!!

Yoga practice is a great way to relax your mind and your body. But what about relaxing our expectations.

 Setting goals for ourselves and working towards them is a great way to step on the path towards our dreams. A great way to find our true self and to attract more happiness into our lives.

 So lets put it all together ~ in our lives as well as on our yoga mats. Striving for that perfect pose can lead to struggling, but learning to work with in our limitations will set our practice free, on and off our mats.

 If we take a look around there are limits all around us and that is a natural part of life. The days light has limit, the oceans vastness has limit, our energy and even our stomachs have a limit. Yoga is all about experiencing our limits and becoming liberated with our practice and our lives. The yoga postures exists to help us understand what's going on in our own body, to build healthy muscles and bones, to create a sense of well being, to improve joints and to clear our minds of all the clutter.

 So let's face it we all will have limits in life, we all are different ages physical condition, body size and proportion and have different attitudes. So if your looking at the person next to you in yoga class who is touching their nose to their toes......(LOL).......Then stop and bring your awareness back to you and your body, your mind and just be in the moment with respect for your limits.

 Lets try to relax our expectations on our yoga mats and in our everyday life. As we learn how to let go we can raise our sails and flow a little smoother, staying on our path towards our goals and dreams.

 Namaste,
Amanda Smolinski

People ask me all the time what is Pilates, and Pilates is a person?

Yes Pilates is the last name of Joseph Pilates!!!!!!! Joseph Pilates developed his method of training the body and mind in stretching and strengthening exercises over ninety years ago.

              ~A little history of Joseph Pilates......Very Interesting stuff~

In the early 1900's in Germany Pilates began inventing his unique exercise program. Pilates suffered from asthma and rickets as a child, which gave him a great determination to strengthen his frail and sickly body. Pilates was then interned during the first world war, he maintained his fellow internees health through teaching them his amazing method and through this they avoided the deadly influenza epidemic of 1918.

Joseph Pilates called his method "Contrology" or muscle control which simply means using the mind to master the muscles.

Later on in the war Pilates began to work with non-ambulator patients. Pilates and the doctors noticed the patients improving faster as he supported their ailing limbs by attaching springs to the hospital beds! These were the first spring based exercises that would later become the Pilates equipment.

Later in 1926, Pilates moved to New York City and set up his first official Pilates Studio. Since the late 1920's Pilates was the secret of dancers and performers. In the recent years the Pilates method has been practiced by athletes, models, and actors who swear by this remarkable method.

I personally love Pilates as it starts with the core, while reaching out to the whole body. Pilates mind and body techniques and concentration on using the breath work helps to still the mind.

If you haven't yet tried Pilates, have been wondering about it or your just searching for something special, I would definitely recommend trying a proven and amazing mind and body method........The Pilates Method ("Contrology").