Mad Ramble Rambled Out.

The mad rambler seems to be rambled out. I have nothing clever to say, nothing too crazy to report, and no new recipes. Usually this time of year is travel entry after travel entry after travel entry -- so I'm sorry to those of you who look forward to these adventure tales...they will be continued sometime when life allows. But for now the very exciting news is that I'm certified in Thai Yoga Massage! I have been massaging up a storm (2 a day!) and I'm loving it. It feels so very natural, and when people tell me that I have the "healing" touch, I believe them - because I can feel it pulsing through me. For those of you who don't necessarily 'speak' this language, I know it must be difficult to understand how one person has a healing touch and another doesn't, so you'll just have to take my word (or really, the word of my clients) as truth. If anyone is interested in a massage it's $80 for 90 minutes and I come to you! There is a hot towel for your feet, a cushy shiatsu mat (thanks mom and dad!), mellow music, and ginger tea afterwards! Today I journeyed to Brigantine to work on one of my yoga students from Margate, Gina. She loved the massage, and not only did she give me an amazing tip - but she also fed me!! I'm going to try and pry her 'vegetable meatball' recipe from her so that I can share it with all of you - because they were DELICIOUS. Anywho, that's all for now. Love you all <3

I realize that I haven't blog-blogged in a long time. So here's whats been happening with me...

On the TWILIGHT front: My friend Kylee has been house/dog-sitting so I spent a night hanging with her: cracking out on Twilight and cuddling with "Lola". There is NOTHING better than cuddling with a dog...nothing. We watched the first Twilight, and Twilight Eclipse, I made some dinner, and we ate lots of Oreo's (thats all her fault, shes a junk food queen). And since we both like to read, we spent lots of time just reading. She turned me onto some serious crack: Stephanie Meyer had written the first Twilight book from EDWARDS perspective a few years ago, but after it got leaked she became frustrated and said that she made no plans to finish it and publish. But because her fans are so die-hard, once they got wind of this they began searching the web for the illegal never-released book. SO, she finally just posted it on her website. It cannot be printed out, you can't "copy and paste", you can ONLY read it online. But it is well worth it. The unpublished novel is called MIDNIGHT SUN. For all of you Twi-Hards out there, you can check it out HERE. It's A-MA-ZING.

On the YOGA front: I'm teaching 4 classes a week at Surfside Fitness in Avalon, and 2 classes a week at the amazing Zen Den in Margate. Ari Green is the owner of the Zen Den, and she is just a spectacular person. She makes me feel so welcomed and appreciated, and she always makes me feel as if when I'm in the studio that its MY studio. She gifted me these beautiful Mala beads (that I'm wearing in the picture above)...they are so beautiful and definitely bring me happiness every time I put them on!

On the FAMILY front: Saturday was family day ALL DAY LONG. I taught a vigorous, loud, energetic yoga class in the morning and then quickly rinsed off and headed to lunch at Lucky Bones down in Cape May with Mom, Dad and LP. The food was delicious, as always, and the cocktails were pretty dang good too!! New to their menu is fried zucchini with lemon aioli which is so so so yummy. After our long leisurely lunch we headed home. Dad and I both took LONG naps, while Mom and LP hung out downstairs. We watched 50/50 together, reheated leftovers, sipped on some wine, and then watch Barneys Version. Two movies, the whole family, lazy day, good food. All in all, a great day.

50/50

I just watched the movie "50/50" and was totally blown away. Laughing out loud and shedding tears, this movie really hit the nail on the head. Gratitude to my mother for being so selfless in her quest to take care of my dad...never making this 'about' her, and giving without asking for anything in return. And big ups to my Dad, who remains positive and strong throughout this shit ass situation that he's been handed. Watch this movie if you have some spare time. <3

South Jersey January Sunshine

Enjoying this lovely weather that we had all day. Nearly 60 degrees, sun shining bright. Hung out with my friend Kaitlin today and her dog Paisley at the beach, and then she made me a yummy summer salad!! So grateful for the mild winter. <3

kurt

Corn and Crap.

I'm a junky for information. When I became interested in Kundalini yoga, I went up to Massachusetts for a 4 day immersion, and ordered 6 books. What I'm trying to say is that I fully immerse myself in whatever I am interested in. And why I haven't known more about my food is beyond me...afterall, we ALL know that I live to eat food, prepare food and share meals with friends. Now- I never thought that I'd say this...but I'm going vegetarian. Yep, I said it. BUT, there are some specifications that I should make: I will continue to eat game, especially that that is killed by my friends and family. Venison, fish, home-raised pigs...all good. Also, if a restaurant KNOWS about the meats that they are selling then i would feel comfortable eating this (example: chef Gordon at La Medusa not only knows the name of the local farm his meat came from, but chances are that he was most likely present at the slaughter). These types of proteins are environmentally friendly, humane, and are about as natural as it comes. My generations life expectancy is actually going to be LOWER than that of our parents...all because of what we eat. And even if you don't care about losing a few years, at least have some respect for the planet, for the sake of the generations to come.

Take a minute to inform yourself...it is your obligation as a human being.

Who's down for some partner yoga...?

Xie Xie

LP and I grabbed some epic sushi tonight at Sushi Ocean View. Again- amazing meal, amazing service..Faith is the best. Learned how to say "thank you" in Chinese...it's pronounced "shay shay".

3 Bean Soup with Kale

This was probably one of the easiest soups that I have EVER made, and definitely one of the most delicious.

• Can of Garbanzo beans
• Can of Kidney beans
• Can of Black beans
• A bunch of Kale (the more the better...it is soooo good)
• Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
• 2 shallots (or one small yellow onion)
• 1 clove of garlic
• Dried oregano + basil (one teaspoon each)
• Cayenne pepper (to taste)
• Salt and Pepp (to taste)
• Vegetable Broth (I prefer BETTER THAN BOUILLON concentrate as opposed to the boxes)

In the pot that you will be making the soup in, drizzle a fair amount of EVOO. Dice the shallots and the garlic and throw into the pot to sautee. Put all of your beans in a colander and rinse, rinse, rinse. Once they have been rinsed throw them into the pot. Pour in vegetable broth and seasonings. Dice a huge handful of fresh parsley, add to pot. Pull the kale off of the ribs and dice, add to pot. Enjoy!!!

I like EXTRA kale in mine, and I like it extra spicy. So before I would heat up each bowl I would add an extra handful of kale. It doesn't need to "cook down" or anything, it tastes great just as is. Also, those beans just so happened to be what I had around the house - use whatever you'd like!

Go Go Gadget

Here's some cool gadgets that I came across these past few days and have fallen in love with...

TO GO WARE : sold in Whole Foods Markets, as well as online...this nifty, eco-friendly food ware should become an essential to everyones purse/backpack/car/office/you-get-where-im-going-with-this. The utensils are made out of bamboo, and the holders are made out of recycled plastic bags. The company is fair trade and they are very involved in the process of production - from start to finish. All in all, an amazing company and an amazing (and cheap!) product. www.to-goware.com to order yours now and to see about all the amazing things that this ambitious company is doing!

For all of you tea snobs out there, this CuisinArt electric tea kettle has several options so that you can best enjoy your mug of tea:

• 160 degrees : Delicate
• 175 degrees : Green
• 185 degrees : White
• 190 degrees : Oolong
• 200 degrees : French Press
• Boil
  

And finally, for all of us smoothie loving vagabonds out there (or for any of you 9-5ers that like a smoothie in the a.m)...a travel sized blender that also seconds as a travel cup. Also, you create less waste because you are consuming the beverage in the container that you made it in - one less dish!

...and so the journey begins!

The crew: Sara, Me, Jennifer, Josh, Alan, Ashley <3

I finished up my level one training yesterday, and now the true journey begins!! I could get into detail about my full 75min massage to the public, and how she could feel my love and energy with every touch- and I could tell you how excited and anxious I was- or how proud I was to complete- or how outstanding my teacher was, and how much I loved my 'neighbor' Sara, but instead I'll just leave you with this: Let your intuition be your guide, and when the universe points you in a certain direction...follow it, with an open mind. I have loved surfing more than anything or anyone, for my whole life. If a few years ago you had said that teaching yoga would become my passion, I would have laughed at you. If you told me a week ago that I would find a home in Thai Yoga Massage, I definitely would have rolled my eyes. How silly we are to think that we have any say in the matter! Blessings to my teacher, Jennifer Yarro...and to her assistants (boyfriend & great friend) Josh and Nikki for their patience and knowledge, to my 'neighbor' Sara for giving me constructive criticism along with encouragement to help me grow, and thank you to Daniel Orlansky for the e.p.i.c. hospitality!

Figured that I'd reward myself for a job well done....Yummy (local) "Happy Sol"....

"Do you think I know what I'm doing? That for one breath I belong to myself? As much as a pen knows what it's writing, or the ball can guess where it's going next." - Rumi

Fam Florida Fun

I'm so excited to be here in Cambridge, but I gotta say that there is a little tug at my heart because my parents are down in Florida!!! My Dad wanted to see his mom (who is that short, glamorous lady in yellow in the picture) so his cousin, Pat Levitt, scooped up my parents in her private jet and flew them down!! The level of comfort he was able...or should I rephrase, the level of DIScomfort that he was able to avoid, was significant...and made the trip much easier than it would have been if he had flown commercially. God bless Pat, yet again, for her humble generosity- it means so very much to everyone in our family. Here are two pictures that make me smiled: one of my parents, grandparents, aunt nelly, pat, and uncle sean and his hubby terry having lunch down in key west. I wish I could have accompanied them but am just so stoked that this was all possible. But more than anything, I am happy for my mom. She hasn't taken a second to breathe or a second for herself in over two years now. So ENJOY MOM!!

Day 3

Day 3, and I am just flying high ( as well as being totally exhausted ). Still overwhelmed with gratitude...stoked to be participating in such an amazing training with a great group of people and an ammmmazing instructor. Thai Yoga Massage is way more powerful and amazing than I had originally given it credit for. I'm super excited to be on this path and definitely plan to take this much further (hopefully continuing under the tutelage of Jennifer Yarro and hopefully some of that being in Thailand!). Speaking of Jennifer, she is a multifaceted pretty spectacular human being, and her boyfriend Josh is extremely special as well. Jen is a yoga instructor, dula, body worker, healer an oh so much more. Her Josh lived as a monk in Thailand for over three years, and his peace and serenity will seep into your soul...instantly making you a better person. Seriously. No lie. He has a deep, soothing voice that reaches just above a loud whisper. Compassion oozes from his being. And him and Jennifer together...well they're something special. And all of us are sharing one roof, with the gracious Daniel Orlansky who has opened up his home (and kitchen) to us wandering nomads.

Anywho- another long day, but I was thankful for a smaller group (only 8 of us in the full certification program, but about 20 people for the two day weekend immersion). It was nice to have more individual attention, less distraction, and a more intimate group. We added a lot more onto our flow today, which was mildly overwhelming but all in all will become second nature in no time.

After a full day we headed home for leftovers, hot tea and some great company. Aaron stopped over with his kids, which was more than entertaining. His youngest son Jasper came right in the house, stripped off his clothes, and sat in front of the wood stove. His oldest (7), Body, came wearing slacks, a button down shirt, a tie, and a argyle vest. Aaron declared that this has been his style since a school Christmas party. Both little kids had very Big personalities...it was great to have them in the mix for a bit (and then to send them on their way). Excited and nervous and a tad bit sad about tomorrow being my final day. Studying my notes now and listening to some Chris & Thomas to soothe my nerves. Hasta Mañana troops!

Thai Yoga Massage Training Day 2

Having a little lunch after a long morning...

The 10 major SEN lines in Thai Yoga Massage...

Jennifer and Josh demonstrating techniques....

Yeeew! Day two...and just wanted to report that I have fallen truly madly deeply in love with Thai massage. It is NOTHING like the Thai massage that I received in the touristy towns of Thailand. It is a spiritual practice and an intense body work that is deeply integrated with your energy. Powerful shit...and a bit too much for me to get into at this moment. So here are some photos: some of the osho books I've been borrowing from Daniel (he has a whole Osho library!), a few of us enjoying lunch together, an illustration of Thai "SEN" lines (similar to meridians), my amazing teacher Jennifer showing us some technique, and then a typical evening at Daniels house. Namaste my friends!

Back at Daniels, just lounging, some massage...

Cracking out on the Osho collection...

Sweet Sleep.

I get to lay my head down tonight in the most beautiful home in all of Boston, and probably the most beautiful sacred living space that I have ever entered, ever. Daniel Orlansky is a teachers' teacher, and I studied Kundalini yoga with him a while back at the Kripalu yoga center in Massachusetts. Through him I heard of Jennifer Yarros Thai Yoga Massage training, and he has been so kind as to offer up his home to me while I'm here for the training (he also scooped me up at the airport!). All in all an amazing individual. Day one of training is complete, and I'm still in sensory overload, so I'll have to digest that for you all at another time. But I WILL tell you THIS: Thai massage is amazing, and very powerful form of bodywork. This will definitely become a life long journey for me, an infinite student and practitioner. Namaste my friends, write more again soon, but now I am going to rest up for what tomorrow will bring!

Rockin' at the Zen Den

I taught my 4th class at the Zen Den last night. At most I've had 5 people come out to the other three classes, but I was grateful for even just that- afterall, it's quality not quantity. So five minutes before class, when there was already a dozen people in the room, I was surprised that they just kept coming in! All in all there was 20 of us in a huge, intimate circle. The class focused on Forgiveness, the 6th chakra, and the Urinary Bladder meridian. We all come touched our palms together, locking in the circle, and began with chanting one round of OM. We ended class with a reclined twist, connecting arms with our neighbors. And not only did I have everyone touch, but I took it a step further...everyone looked at their neighbors and said "YOU'RE AMAZING!". And then on a bit more deeper level we then said "I see you"...and through saying this we offered up our love, support and forgiveness to the rest in the circle. All in all a super empowering class, and one of the highlights of my journey as a teacher. Again- infinite gratitude for being able to share my passion with others. Thank you to everyone who came out last night, and a huge thank you to the Queen B, Ari Green (owner of the zen den, and amazing teacher) who has offered up her space to me!! Namaste!

The Best Gifts.

"the best gift is not given, it is shared."

I love teaching yoga...it just feels natural, like breathing and walking and talking. Yoga has changed my life; physically, emotionally, spiritually - and honest to god, I can't quite imagine my life without it. Just as some people live a 'Christian life', I feel like I am on the 'path of yoga', and it is a damn fine path to be on. The fact that I get to share this passion for yoga with others is amazing - an honor that I am all too grateful to have. But what makes this even better is that the people that I'm sharing it with seem just as excited about this path as I am, and as a teacher - this is the most rewarding feeling in the world.


After class the other day, one of my newer students (who JUST started practicing) approached me with a little story. I was surprised that he'd even come to class - his first bout with yoga was on Thursday evening and he'd written to me about how sore he was -- and then to have him show up for Saturdays sweaty, high-intensity vinyasa was a shocker! He acknowledged that it may be a bit fast paced for his skill level and he was still very sore, but he just didn't want to miss a class! Anywho- He said that for years he was a nature photographer in Arizona. Countless mornings he would see the sun rise through the epic canyons, and he would be stunned by how amazing this experience was. No matter how many times he had seen the sun rise, it was just as magnificent and magical as the time before. And every morning he'd turn his gaze alongside him and say "Isn't this amazing"? But there no one there with him, no one to share in his passion for this beautiful moment. He ended by saying that yoga is my passion, and that he is so grateful to be able to be that person alongside of me, replying "Yes, this IS amazing". It took me a while to digest this. Afterall, it had just been an intense class and my mind was all aflutter with this and that. But as I drove back to my house, the depth and sincerity of his compliment really hit me. So thanks Jim, it is my PLEASURE to share this passion, my gift...especially to a group of amazing, receptive, compassionate individuals.

Remember: the best gift isn't given, it's shared. Namaste.

Broccoli Gribiche

Me and Dr.J @ La Medusa in Seattle.

The lovely J-Ngan gifted me two Heidi Swanson cookbooks when I was in Seattle. Dr.J is always cooking up the most epic dishes ever, and she takes a lot of inspiration from Heidi. J cooks like me...never following the recipe line for line, but playing with it and making her own. That's exactly what I did last night. On the menu for my two guests was Steak and Broccoli Gribiche. The (venison) steaks were marinated only with salt and pepper, and then I cooked them Pittsburgh style.....hot pan, high heat, short amount of time. So it's got a crust on the outside and is rare/medium rare inside. It cooked them in a skillet in butter, and put a pat of butter ontop right before serving. The broccoli gribiche was outstanding, I gotta say - I impressed myself! I made it my own and only used the recipe for inspiration, but for all of you recipe followers out there, here is her exact recipe. Also, I did a mixture of broccoli and broccoli rabe. Sooooo tasty!!!

Broccoli Gribiche

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of fingerling potatoes
• 1/2 cup EVOO
• sea salt
• 12oz broccoli florets
• 4 large eggs, hard cooked and peeled
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon-style mustard (i used like 4 times this amount! sooo yummy!)
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (I didn't have tarragon or chives, so I used a huge heaping handful of fresh flat leaf parsley and the green tops of scallions)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Use your hands to toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon of EVOO, sprinkle with salt, and turn out onto a baking sheet. Roast until they are cooked through and starting to brown. About 15 min before you think the potatoes are done, toss the broccoli with EVOO, sprinkle with salt, and arrange on the baking sheet with the potatoes. The broccoli is delicious if it has a slight char. To make the dressing, mash just the yolk of one of the eggs in a medium bowl. Very very slowly add 1/2 cup EVOO, beating constantly; the dressing should look smooth and glossy. Whisk in the vinegar, then mustard. Stir in the capers, shallots, herbs and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Coarsely chop the remaining eggs and egg white, and fold them into the dressing. Put the warm potatoes and brocccoli in a large bowl and gently toss with the dressing.

Satya Yoga with Cailin Callahan

Whether the class I am instructing is Vinyasa, Yin, Kundalini, or Slow Flow...one thing will remain the same - the Authenticity of the practice. Spiritually, physically, emotionally - we all need something a bit different from yoga, and amazingly enough Yoga has the capability to MOLD TO US. What's important is that the practice fits the person rather than the person trying to fit the practice. My goal is that each person who walks into my class will walk out the door feeling better than when they walked in...with a smile on their face and some happiness in their heart. As life evolves, as we evolve - our practice evolves, and I hope to be able to offer up authentic variations for physical, spiritual and emotional growth along the way. "SATYA" is a sanskrit term translating to "truth, one who's nature is truth, authentic, sincere"...and that is what is reflected in my teaching: being true to our Authentic bodies, and replying to that with a sincere and Authentic practice.

I created a SATYA YOGA WITH CAILIN CALLAHAN page on facebook to promote my classes and my approach to yoga. If you are on facebook, please take a second to "Like" my page. And even if you aren't on facebook, you are able to view the page and see the latest happenings. www.facebook.com/SatyaYogaCailin

Namaste.

" The only thing that can be done is enabling people into experiencing. A Moment. This moment. The miracle of life happening in us as a breath."

"You are life happening here. There is not much more to be said. What is life? You are whatever it is altogether.... You don't have to find yourself, because you never lost yourself, and all the power and intelligence of life is appearing in you, as you. Yoga is both the relaxation and participation in your own life."

--MARK WHITWELL

"There is immeasurable power and connectedness here. It can only be felt in you, as you. Nature does not work in models. We share the same condition but each one of us is utterly unique, standing in our life. The attempts to duplicate culturally prescribed spiritual models rob us of our unique presence and power. We each have our unique process. What has worked for one great person is not necessarily right for another... If there is any absolute condition of being, THIS IS IT. And this ONE is here, presently and powerfully available. It's not a question of "Be Here Now" - because you ARE here now. Yoga is the movement of the natural state of being." -- Mark Whitwell