 For weeks I've been craving Vietnamese Spring Rolls and just haven't gotten around to ordering them. So, I finally decided to try to make them for the first time. I'm writing this after my happy dance of mindfully devouring the rolls pictured above, for which I'm excited to share the recipe for here. After skimming a couple of vegan recipes online, I tailored this one to the ingredients I had at home at the time and for a healthy balance of greens, not too much rice ingredients.  Here are the ingredients I used:
STEPS:
 4. Soak one spring roll paper in a large bowl of warm water for 10-13 seconds, until it becomes more pliable but not too soft. Then, drizzle some peanut sauce over it.  5. Place the rice paper on a dry plate and add on top, across the diameter: a large leaf of butter lettuce, 2-3 strips of tofu, 3-4 avocado strips, 5-6 carrot strips, a large pinch of broccoli sprouts and a few leaves of each herb to your taste preference. Drizzle a love-squeeze of the lemon half over this, to your taste preference. 6. Tuck each opposite end of the rice paper inward, and tightly roll the paper as if shaping a burrito. As you can see, I need some practice working with the sticky rice paper! Feel free to share your comments below on your techniques for doing this neatly. 7. Finally, add some peanut sauce on a separate saucer for dipping.  To tame the pitta dosha, or fire-dominant mind-body, as categorized in Ayurveda, yoga's sister science of holistic health, cooling foods like these fresh vegetables can be helpful. I see it as a salad in a wrap, perfect for summer. Thus, I named this version Summer Rolls. I hope yours moves you into a happy food dance, too! Buen provecho!
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You Are Going to Be OK. by Michelle Chua
8/19/2021
 Right where you are standing or sitting, how many miracles can you appreciate around you? Honestly, I invite you to give yourself a moment to see them, feel them and remember that however difficult a given moment might be, you are so deeply unconditionally loved. Perhaps by your partner or family or friends.
AND an even greater infinite love exists beyond all forms, that you and I are inseparably a part of. This I believe, even though the human me sometimes forgets. This weekend, however, I got a huge reminder. Friday night began with chills, aches, fever and sharp stomach contractions. So I called off all my Saturday yoga classes, to not spread anything, just in case. Saturday it all continued as I stayed in self-nursing, eating to heal, lying in restorative yoga, practicing breathwork and meditating. Fearing that C word, I got tested. I canceled performing in a big show for Sunday. Through it all, however, a persistent voice kept reassuring me, "You are going to be ok." Sunday the fever subsided. That evening as I was cuddling with a dog I had grown so fond of that my partner had been caring for. I gave it a hug not realizing it had softly growled. It bit my face. I spent the next 9 hours in the ER. Box breathing and meditation made the hours pass more quickly with peace. I was greeted by one nurse after another with such lighthearted comforting care. I felt like I was with relatives (They sounded like my aunts). The surgeon, who looked like he was 23, felt so grounded and skillful. Compassion came from all directions that I could feel that formless love in all of those beings. This weekend was a big reminder that adversities can be opportunities to reawaken to the daily miracles we can become desensitized from appreciating when we're going about our usual patterns. (PS--Both COVID tests were negative.) This reframing of our daily perspective is a huge focus of our upcoming online series, Daily Yoga Habit, starting jan. 1, 2022. |
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Michelle truly lives out what she teaches. She is so much more than a yoga teacher - I learned this when I went on her exquisitely curated trip that she organized to Costa Rica this past June 2018...Hopefully like me, you'll be delighted by her effervescent love of movement, nature, and all people! Michelle clearly stands out with her beautiful and bright energy. I love how her practice and teaching encompass body, mind and spirit. She not only teaches yoga but lives and exudes it. Michelle not only teaches 'yoga', she embodies it fully with her heart and soul... Michelle is by far one of the best instructors I've ever had, period. Patient, clear in her explanations and demos, and so encouraging... My first yoga class was with Michelle years ago. You can have the best (yoga pose) sequence and not teach from your heart. With Michelle, I also feel her passion when I'm in her class. I can see she loves what she does, and she inspired me to want to teach yoga, too. |
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I'm so grateful to have met Michelle! Her kind energy opened up my interest in pursuing yoga and meditation. She is such an incredibly light and soul. She starts with grounding ourselves through mindfulness and breathing exercise. She brings the most authentic energy to the class by sharing the history and understanding behind poses, names, and techniques. I truly appreciate her work and impact on my well-being! I’ve had dozens of instructors over the years, but Michelle is far and away the best yoga mentor I’ve ever practiced with. She epitomizes grace during these difficult times. Michelle has saved my sanity and my back while working from home, keeping me grounded with her sharing of yogic teachings and meditation techniques. Her repertoire of physical asanas is encyclopedic, and I’ve loved learning new poses and stretching my boundaries. Jump in, all. You’ve got this! |
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