Rutabaga is the Word

Gratitude is a beautiful thing.  If you truly take it in...you can light up all that surrounds you.  Just feel it in your face so you can smile, feel it in your veins so you can glow, and then feel it in your heart so that you can react and act with love.  Thanksgiving can get overplayed like any other American holiday but in the end, it's such a special, low-key day where all we have to do is show up in gratitude to share with our family and friends, and then try to let it last us til the next year.  :)  

Playlist for Thanksgiving Week in Yoga:

1. The Album Leaf

2. Dido:  If I Don't Believe in Love (from her latest album "Safe Trip Home")

Tracks 3-14:  Sin Fang Bous

*He is the optimistic, creative, spirited Icelander who started up one of my fave bands ever, called Seabear.  I play Seabear a lot, and am excited now that he came out with his first solo album, called "Clanglour."  So, I put every single track on here and it makes me so happy and joyful that I just couldn't not share it with you all during class.  So...check it out.  ;)

15.  Dido:  Look No Further

16.  Dido:  Burnin' Love

17.  Dido:  Northern Skies (Remix)

18. The Album Leaf

19.  The Album Leaf/Explosions in the Sky remix

My family came to my cozy apartment this year.  We usually have a big, extended family shindig to chow down...but this year it was different.  My older bro is married (and lives way down south), one of my sister's is expecting and with her other half's family, and the rest of the relatives were scattered about.  So, I jumped at the chance to host my parents, my other sister, my younger brother, and our family dog!  My parents (who are not yogi's mind you) joined me for my friend, Chanel's thanksgiving donation class in Davis Square!  It was so joyful for me to be able to practice with them and share some yoga-love with them.  It was a beautiful offering of love to a Peruvian orphanage that Chanel works with.  Very special.  

Then we spent the rest of the day taking it as it came...and having a very relaxing and lovely day in my apartment.  I made butternut squash soup as an appetizer, my parent's cooked a turkey breast, and I made lots of yummy vegan-friendly side-dishes with the help of my mom and sister.  We had green bean/sun-dried tomato salad, sweet potato salad with a mustard vinaigrette, rutabaga (a favorite word of mine)/turnip mash, cranberry relish, corn, red wine, and vegan pumpkin pie!  We ate off of Nazarene's reiki table (thanks gal!)...nothing like impromptu creativity to gather everyone around...and we became silly and thankful and happy with all that we have.  It was such a joy for me to be able to share a bit of my life/way of living with them.  It's nice to feel more understood and loved just for being who you are.  We took walks with Cali (our awesome family dog), listened to music of all kinds, talked of all things, scouted around all my fave local squares, went to the North End, to the Celtics game, and simply took in the couple days together.  They dropped me off this morning before teaching, and as I now re-assemble my apartment...I miss them!  My family has very different personalities, shapes, feelings, but in the end when we are together, we are one.  We are strong as a unit and always have each others' backs.  It can be hard to please each attitude, but I suppose that could be what we miss in the end?  How hard we try to show our love by making each other happy, or satisfied, or just noticed.  Hmm.  Yeah.  I look forward to Christmastime.  :)

And on a final note about Thanksgiving...it also fell this year on the Sagittarius New Moon!  This one brings up words like:  courage, verve, optimism, flexibility, CHANGE, elegance, rebirth, and shifting perspectives.  Asking us all to be thankful for our hardships and challenges because they are what allow us in the end to see our divine, true nature.  We can radiate that "realness" if we want to.  If we trust ourselves and stay open to our true capabilities.