My New Year Lost It's Shine

It's only the 7th of January and I feel weary, as if my brand new Christmas clothes were worn and threadbare. Mind you, I'm not a big fan of the Roman calendar new year, it's just a tidy date chosen to keep everyone in line. I'm a Chinese new year person, when the ever changing new moon decides when we begin the shiny, bright new year. Yet, subconsciously I still fall aslumber on December 31st with hopeful sugar plums in my head, expecting to wake up the next day in Pleasantville. All will be better this year just because the New Year fairy waived her wand and spread her magical dust. Which could be true if the dust contained LSD.
Why did I lose the fleeting hope so quickly? Don't I know that only I can enact positive change in my life? When did I become so jaded? Shouldn't I be grateful for each day and have that be enough?
Admittingly, we were steamrolled into a deep, dark crevice by the real estate meltdown. Clawing our way back to mediocrity is no enviable task, and it gets wearisome at times. Many of us are work weary, burned out from too many working weekends, afraid to take vacations lest our clients go elsewhere and searching for our power sticks.
Rekindling my sparkle feels like trudging through a knee high mud bog on a blazingly hot desert summer day, but I slog on. Hope melts into my dimmed soul as I lazily soak in the warm winter Arizona sun during my first day off in three weeks. The sobering news of a friends' new battle against cancer whiplashes me back into everyday gratitude. Restarting my daily meditation practice fires up my brain's limbic system, sparking positive thinking.
In yoga, tapas (no, not the delectable spanish appetizers) is one of our ethical observances. It translates into fiery discipline, commitment to spiritual learning, heating up our practice. Burning off the dullness to reveal a shiny, improved self.  There's my New Year''s inspiration after all!

My New Mantra

Before you speak ask yourself: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Even if it's two out of three, keep your lips sealed. You will be grateful you did.

Beet Juice NOT Beetlejuice

Beets...not one of my favorite vegetables, although I watched TV chef Alton Brown roast baby beets with lots of garlic and olive oil. That looked yummy. The B in beets is for B vitamins, lots of folate in this crimson root, as well as a good source of A, C, calcium and iron. If you can purchase inflammation fighting beets still attached to the leaves, juice the leaves, too. They are even more nutritious than the beet. Look for green, healthy leaves and juice right away. Beets with rounded bottoms are sweeter than flat-bottomed ones and smaller ones are as well. One medium to large detoxifying beet is enough and always include other veggies when juicing this garnet gem.  Carrots or apples counteract the bitterness, and lemon juice is always a great addition. There's a reason beets were used to dye clothes centuries ago, drink it through a straw to avoid staining those pearly whites. Expect "other" red surprises as your body processes this vitamin packed juice.
My recipe for constipating-fighting beets:
1 medium to large beet, peeled and cut in half. 2 lbs scrubbed carrots. 1 head of celery, ends trimmed and scrubbed. 1 lemon, peeled, cut in half. Divide all veggies into 2 piles (cut them to fit in Breville feeder if needed). Add an apple if desired. Juice all of them on high. Should yield about 64 oz. Finish all juice by day 4 or freeze.

Marie's 10 Rules To Live By

1. Choose people who exude empathy, compassion AND kindness. Two out of three is not enough.
2. Live by the Golden Rule. Every day. Even when it sucks. To be good.
3. Question authority. Maybe not straight to a cop's face. Handcuffs are uncomfortable, take my word for it.
4. Jump in a fountain. At least one. Especially in the summer. In Italy.
5. Spend time with a child.
6. Right speech, Right action.
7. Laugh until you cry. Cry until you remember something to laugh about.
8. Meditate 5 minutes a day. In your car, closet, at your desk, in the forest, by the ocean. Just DO IT.
9. Do something for someone else without expectation. I teach yoga and meditation, it's my seva (service).
10. Material possessions tie us down and create suffering. Promise yourself that when they do, you will get rid of them. This applies to people too!

To clarify #3: I'm not advocating revolution or anarchy, just mindfulness over mindlessness. So you can put your muskets down, no need to run for the hills...yet.