Yoga: I Actually Enjoyed It

Something amazing happened this morning.

I took a yoga class and actually enjoyed it.

Yogi Julie

(You have my permission to point and laugh at the above picture. I posted it solely for your enjoyment. 😉 )

In the past I have not enjoyed yoga. At all. Not even a little bit.

I’ve tried to get into it, but I have a hard time keeping my mind quiet and enjoying the poses and stretching. I’m sure the fact that I’m terribly inflexible doesn’t help, either.

In past yoga classes, I feel like I’ve always been next to someone from Cirque du Soleil or something. Of course their extreme flexibility makes me feel insecure as I wobble around and strain to simply touch my toes.

Today’s class was different.

I took a power yoga class and before the class began, I approached the instructor to express my concerns about yoga, but also my desire to incorporate more stretching into my fitness routine.

In my previous attempts at yoga, I’ve tried to blend into the class.  This time, however, I found that talking with the instructor ahead of time made her more aware of the presence of a “beginner.” Throughout the class she offered modifications to the more difficult poses, which I really appreciated.

I left the class feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and even elongated. My back and hips really appreciated the extra stretching!

Namaste

(Thanks, Mama, for my new green sweater!)

BodyPump

I actually took my typical BodyPump class before yoga this morning, which was a great start to the morning. After only a week off from the class, I am already feeling more sore than usual. There’s no substitute for the ‘Pump, I guess!

Breakfast

Breakfast today was a W-I-N-N-E-R.

I started by making French toast strips by tearing apart a Joseph’s Lavash Bread and dunking it in a mixture of egg whites and cinnamon.

French Toast Strips

I warmed up a sliced Gala apple in the microwave to add on top of the French toast strips for a fruity punch of flavor.

Apple

After layering the French toasts strips with the apple pieces, I topped everything with nutmeg and syrup.

My Plate

Come Closer!

The addition of nutmeg really made this dish for me. I flippin’ love that spice!

Question of the Day

Do you enjoy yoga?

French Toast Strips

Have you ever tried French toast sticks? The fried French toast-like sticks they offer at Burger King and often serve at breakfast buffets? Well, they’re pretty darn delicious, but also pretty terrible for you from a nutritional standpoint.  

Today I created my own French toast sticks… but they were more like French toast strips. 😉  

They tasted nothing like French toast sticks, but were still tasty in their own right and were made with nutritious ingredients. That’s gotta count for something, right?  

I made my French toast strips by pulling apart lavash bread (you could also do this with a whole wheat tortilla) and dunking it in a mixture of egg beaters and cinnamon before cooking the strips on the griddle.  

Egg Beaters + Cinnamon

 

While the French toast strips were cooking, I combined 1/4 cup of cottage cheese with 1/4 cup of frozen raspberries and a dash of Almond Breeze almond milk. I used my immersion blender to blend everything together to create a creamy, fruity filling.  

Raspberries + Cottage Cheese

 

Pink!

 

Once the French toast strips were done, I spread the filling in between the strips, sprinkled them with nutmeg and smothered the strips in syrup.  

French Toast Strips

 

French Toast Strips with Raspberry Filling

 

The Finishing Touches: Nutmeg + Syrup

 

I love weekday breakfasts that remind me of weekend breakfasts! They make me happy.  

This particular breakfast actually reminded me a lot of my raspberry ricotta stuffed French toast. Deeelish! 

Workout 

Before breakfast, I headed outside with Sadie for a 5.25 mile run.  

On our run we saw lots of baby ducklings and goslings. It’s definitely spring!  

The weather in Central Florida is still great for running and I hope it doesn’t get too hot too fast.  

What is your ideal temperature?  

I think mine is somewhere between 78 and 80 degrees. I like it nice and warm, but not sweltering.