It’s been raining here in central Oregon, off and on over the last two weeks. Listening to rainfall has to be one of my most favorite ways to meditate, unwind, and just be. Really, anything that involves water in its many forms will move me, speaks to me. The grasses are green, the trees chartreuse, flowers a kaleidoscope of candy colors. Birds are nesting over the garage door, and frogs are singing the songs of their people in the pond. It’s fresh, new, and so energizing.
“We are living in what writer and cultural critic Daniel Quinn calls the Great Forgetting. Many of us have forgotten that we’re a part of an ecosystem, a watershed. We’ve forgotten that we’re kin to all the other animals. We’ve forgotten that we need each other. We have forgotten what I call the “commons of the soul.” –Francis Weller
Let Spring remind you that we are all part of an ecosystem of connection, gathering around the fire or table, sharing meals, dreams, and fears with those close to us. Go walking in the rain, let it soften you, drench you. Dare to open up like a flower budding in the sunlight.
This month I invite you to connect with me on my new teaching platform–Arketa. I continue to offer two yoga classes a week; and, if you are looking to jumpstart a summer of better wellness, I also offer online coaching sessions. Drop me an email, and we can discuss options!
Meanwhile, in this month’s newsletter I am offering a zesty fresh gazpacho recipe, and the newest exercise video of the month–Bridge to Leg Curl using a stability ball. Scroll down for recipe. 👇🏿👇🏾👇🏽👇🏼👇🏼👇🏻👇
“Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.”
–Lilly Pulitzer
🙏🏼🙏🏻🙏🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿
CHILI-PEACH GAZPACHO
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute in Cleveland found that people who regularly eat chili peppers may be 26% less likely to die of heart disease and 23% less likely to die of cancer than everyone else. It’s thought that capsaicin–the compound that gives peppers their heat–can lower inflammation in the body. This Chili-Peach Gazpacho recipe is a good hit for your heart!
- 2/3 cups water
- 1 lb peaches, pitted & quartered
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded & quartered
- 1/2 English cucumber, peeled & chopped
- 2 scallions (green onions), sliced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (de-seed to cool it down)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or basil
- 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Add the first 11 ingredients (thru black pepper) to a food processor or blender container. Blend together until well combined. With the machine running at low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil through the top feed tube. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Makes 4 servings.
Claudia Fountain Fitness + Yoga 