Full and Starving
When I was little, my legs were just my legs. I never thought about them. My arms were just my arms. They helped me hit a tennis ball, to win a match. I never thought about whether they were toned, thin, whether they fit into the “right” size of clothing.
I never thought about food, either. Except for the habitual question: “Mom, what’s for dinner?” food wouldn’t cross my mind, unless the Good Humor ice cream truck was driving down my street in Lake Bluff, Illinois.
How is it that our culture has become so obsessed with food, so hyper-aware of our physical bodies?
Since our body is really just “the home of our spirit,” why do we obsess so about it and what we put into it? And how can we stop?
The dichotomy is astounding: droves of people mindlessly, automatically and obsessively shoveling food into their mouths on a regular basis, not paying attention—not listening to what their bodies are telling them in the form of fatigue, illness, pain, depression, anxiety (“It’s 12:00? Time to eat!!”) Vs. the epidemic of eating disorders or “eating concerns” as we so politically correctly called them at Harvard University, where I worked as a doctoral candidate therapist-in-training.
Most of us have lost our ability to judge real hunger, and to feed it.
A world full of over-processed, non-nutrient dense “food” products has caused our culture to become over-fed and undernourished. People are full–and starving. Starving for real nutrients, real love, and light.
Our bodies are starving for nourishment, as they consume hundreds of pounds of sugar, additives, and chemicals every year, all in the name of “health food.” Have you seen it? We now have “organic junk food,” in shiny, pretty packages that call it “healthy.” “Well, it’s organic!! It must be healthy!!” “I bought it at Wholefoods; it must be good for me.” People want to be healthy and want to feel good, but they are lost.
And it’s no wonder. A culture and government that pushes junk food, meat and dairy products, pharmaceutical consumption and medical procedures doesn’t help.
And if you choose to think and live “outside the box” or cultural programming, you’re labeled “weird.”
Where did it all go wrong?
Bill Cosby once said “I don’t know what the key to success is, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.”
I can’t pinpoint where or how it all went wrong, but I can say how it shifted—“went right” for me.
Four words: yoga and raw food.
With a daily yoga practice and a vegan raw food lifestyle, the mystery is solved, and life is good.
I have a ton of energy, feel happy pretty much all the time, feel and look ten years younger than when I was eating “healthy” cooked foods from health food stores and working out at the gym, need less sleep, have more clarity, focus, and patience, and am a better parent, wife, and teacher.
I am better able to be of service–to my family, my yoga students, my teaching staff, the person on the street who needs help, the world.
Many people ask me: “Is it really that simple?”
Yes, it is.
**For more information on the raw food lifestyle, visit the following websites, check out these suggested books, and stay tuned for more articles from Taylor with hints on how to feel the best ever!!**
Books:
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:16 am
Taylor, In a previous article you mentioned that your little boy has never had any cooked food. What does Pheonix’s diet consist of? Did you make your own baby food?
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Thanks Super-mom Jill.
Yes, our 17-month-old, Phoenix, is 100% raw. You have a good memory!! He has never had any cooked food—even while I was pregnant.
He craves and loves green juice so much that when we’re making it he calls out for it until we give him a sip!!
In fact, today I was shooting a segment for “Abundant Living” at the pink house, and Adrienne Martin was interviewing me as I was making my green lemonade, and Phoenix stole the show, as every 17-month-old should, calling out for the green juice and drinking it in a wine glass on camera.
Yes, we make all of Phoenix’s food ourselves, which is SUPER EASY.
I know it sounds like a lot, but believe me, it’s not.
Actually, it takes more time and energy to drive to Wholefoods and buy some Earth’s Best (what I fed Madison when she was a baby and I didn’t even know about the raw food lifestyle yet) than to make food for Phoenix in our high speed blender (we like the Ktech blender best).
Phoenix eats many, many things—too many to list here. He basically eats whatever we’re eating, unless it has nuts in it. We are postponing giving Phoenix nuts until he is two, following the advice our pediatrician Wendy Wornham gave us. Wendy suggested waiting till he’s two to give him nuts in order to be super careful around allergies since nuts are so important in our household (we eat them frequently).
Phoenix eats all fruits, veggies, seeds, and grains. When he was really little, we blended everything. Now he can eat little pieces of fruits without the skin and veggies. We also soak and sprout seeds and grains and then blend them with fruits/veggies/Himalayan crystal salt/agave/etc.
The concoctions we make vary daily and that’s good for baby—and us!! It’s so healthy to vary what you eat all the time. So often we get habitual about our eating and our body does not thrive on habitual eating. So switch it up—in baby’s and your foods!!
This past weekend we had a raw dinner party at the pink house and served: sweet potato corn chowder, nori rolls, sun-dried tomato and carmelized onion pizza, and strawberry apple cobbler. Phoenix sat with us at the table and ate everything except for the dessert (because the cobbler had nuts in it). Our friends were AMAZED at how much he ate. He ate more pizza than my girlfriend could!! The cheese of the pizza was made from sprouted sunflower seeds and a few other simple ingredients.
Just as an example, three staples we make Phoenix are:
1. Banana Oatmeal: soak and sprout oat groats—about a cup– and then blend them with a banana and ¼ tsp Himalayan crystal salt. Delicious!!
2. Sunflower blend: soak about a half cup of sunflower seeds for a minimum of two hours and then rinse well and blend with an apple or two, ¼ tsp Himalayan crystal salt, some water to taste and for desired thickness, and a handful of greens—your choice. You can also add strawberries, pears, soaked figs or apricots, etc.
3. Pumpkin seed blend: soak about a half cup of pumpkin seeds overnight and then rinse well and blend with an apple or two, ¼ tsp of Himalayan crystal salt, some water to taste and for desired thickness, and a handful of greens—your choice. You can also add strawberries, pears, soaked figs or apricots, etc.
Phoenix eats a wide variety of foods and because he is 100% raw, he gets 100% of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in the foods he eats—unlike children who eat cooked food who get only 20% of the vitamins and minerals in the foods they eat and 0% of the enzymes.
Phoenix also gets excellent nutrition from breastfeeding.
People comment all the time about how calm, happy, and easy Phoenix is and we think his raw food lifestyle plays a part in this. Of course it is also just who he is.
I have lots more to say but this is already very long to read.
We are writing a book about raising a baby on raw, so stay tuned!!
Have the best day ever!!
Namaste!!
Taylor
June 24th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Hi, Taylor.
I have been reading your articles every week and I just love your stories and advice! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas. I am extremely interested in this raw lifestyle and I have read several recipes on the websites that you suggest. There are so many ingredients that I have never heard of and I have no idea where to buy them. Is Wholefoods a store where I could buy ingredients like sprout oat groats and Himalayan crystal salt, for instance? I live right near the Newton studio, is there another store nearby where I could buy these ingredients?
Thank you!
Laura
June 25th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Taylor,
Thanks for this post! I have been eating about 80%-90% raw since my big “life change” and I have never felt BETTER! Not just physically but mentally/emotionally. I do credit much of this to my shift diet, and I credit ALL of it to the combination of yoga and raw foods. I am so excited to say I just ordered a dehydrator and I think that is just the appliance I need to take me to 100% raw. I am so grateful that I have met you and of course it came just at the “right” time!!
Blessings to you and your family
sue
June 26th, 2008 at 2:48 am
Thanks Laura for your kind words.
Congratulations!!
Your interest in the raw lifestyle is wonderful and will lead you to a healthier life (even if it’s super healthy now!!).
Try not to get overwhelmed.
That’s a normal response when a lot of new information comes into the mind, but just take it a step at a time and take what you want and leave the rest.
As far as ingredients, you can now get some of them at the Wholefoods on River Street in Cambridge. For example, they have Nama Shoyu (a raw soy sauce), agave, and Himalayan Crystal Salt. If you can’t find these ingredients, just ask—they’re there. They have a little raw section, in fact, where they also have some packaged raw treats as well—bars, macaroons, cookies, crackers, nuts, seeds, etc. We go to that Wholefoods regularly and stock up. As far as oat groats, we buy them online at sproutpeople.com. The oats you get in the bins at Wholefoods are not raw. They have been processed.
Four years ago, when I went 100% raw, I couldn’t buy Nama Shoyu, agave, Himalayan Crystal Salt or any raw treats locally—I had to order everything online at rawfood.com or eatraw.com.
I paid a lot of money in shipping!!
I remember first going to a raw food store in the East Village of New York City called High Vibe, and being amazed because it had so many products on the shelves that I was having shipped to my home!! I said out loud “You are so lucky to have all of these products right here…I need to order them online!!” and this woman said “You know he makes those chocolate macaroons” (I was holding some chocolate macaroons). She then introduced me to Mathew Kenney, who had just written and published Raw Food Real World. We connected and he invited Philippe and I to eat at his restaurant that night—Pure Food and Wine (on my top picks list). We then found our Prana Power Yoga studio space two blocks down from his restaurant and now eat at Pure Food and Wine every time we teach at Prana NYC.
Anyhow, slight tangent there
but it shows how everything happens for a reason—even the challenge of obtaining raw ingredients for recipes!! LOL!!
Stay with it, experiment, have fun and have the best day ever!!
Namaste!!
Taylor
June 26th, 2008 at 3:10 am
Thanks Super-mom Sue and congratulations on eating 80-90% raw!!
You will keep feeling better and better every single day. It only gets better!!
Isn’t it amazing how our food so affects not just our physical body but our mental and emotional bodies as well?
Yoga and raw food is a powerful combination and healer, as you are learning.
I’m so glad you are getting a dehydrator. Ours is on all the time, creating raw treats daily which our whole family munches straight from the dehydrator so they are warm!! We make things like crunchy cereal, crackers, breads, pizzas, carmelized onions, dried fruits, cookies, brownies, blondies…the list is endless!!
The universe provides everything we need when we need it, and so our meeting was at the perfect time, of course.
Have the best day ever!!
Namaste!!
Taylor
June 26th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
oooh. I’ll definitely want those recipes!!
xo
sue
June 26th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Taylor,
I am so glad that you started this website! It is just the inspiration I have needed to set myself and my family on a new path. My daughter is 5 and is very much a sweet tooth. She loves all things with pink frosting and if it comes in a shiny package, all the better! I also have a 10 month old son who loves fruits and veggies and is willing to try anything that I give to him. This “no fear” attitude is sparking my girl to try new things too-it’s a beautiful thing! Your advice about the baby food was great- I just purchased a baby food mill and he LOVES the fresh food instead of the jarred organic stuff.(I tried it too and mmm…it’s much better!) So thanks for your continued education and dedication to bettering the lives of others! Jill PS. Are there any good Power Yoga Studios on the south shore? How about Prana Plymouth?
June 28th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Thanks Super-mom Sue.
Here’s one of the recipes—super easy and so delicious!!
Kamut bread:
Soak and sprout* kamut and add a touch of olive oil and Himalayan crystal salt & agave to taste, making a dough.
Form dough into round patties about ¼ inch thick.
Dehydrate at 105 degrees F until soft and chewy on the inside but firm on the outside, about 8 hours.
*For more info on soaking and sprouting go to sproutpeople.com. Buy your kamut there, too!! Nice people.
Have the best day ever!!
Namaste!!
Taylor
June 28th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Thanks Super-mom Jill.
I am so happy you’ve been inspired to set yourself and your family on a new path.
I have a sister who sounds like your five-year-old daughter re. the sweet tooth.
I joke that to my sister, doughnuts are a food group.
And she is very particular about the doughnuts she eats!! They cannot be over two hours old.
It’s so interesting, though, because I never had much of a sweet tooth when I ate cooked food. Even though my sister and I grew up in the same house—one of us ended up loving sweets and the other not so much. I could take it or leave it and usually I left it and opted for more healthful foods.
But now that I’m raw, I love desserts!! And I eat them daily. The funny thing is that when you’re a raw vegan, you can eat dessert for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner and it’s actually healthier than a “healthy” cooked food meal. I think this is why I like desserts now that I’m a raw vegan. I think that my body knows the difference–it knows that a raw brownie is “real” food and will energize and strengthen me.
Remember, a raw dessert is made with only raw fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, and/or grains. And a raw dessert has 100% of its nutrients and enzymes in tact, while the cooked meal has only about 80% of its nutrients and 0% of its enzymes.
This is challenging for many people to swallow, though–no pun intended
. On Wednesday night we had friends of mine from Brown over for a raw dinner and I had a bunch of beautiful fruit out on the kids’ table along with mini carrots, heart shaped blondies, cut up Lara bars (an easy and yummy thing to put out at raw dinner parties), and coconut date rolls. My friend was telling her kids they couldn’t eat the “desserts” till after they ate their “dinner.”
So I said: “Those desserts are better for them than what I’m serving them for dinner!!” (Which was cooked…I serve some vegan cooked food for the kids at dinner parties but the adults get all raw).
She didn’t quite understand, and her kids were really confused!!
I am so glad that your son is inspiring your daughter to have no fear re. food. It’s interesting how kids develop fears about foods. We are helping our ten-year-old work through hers.
And I am so happy that you are making him fresh baby food and you are both enjoying it!!
You are so funny about Prana Plymouth!!
What a nice compliment to Prana and our Prana family of teachers. Thank you.
I know someone named Richard who has power yoga studios on the south shore called Open Doors.
I like Richard very much and so when we were asked by a real estate developer to open a Prana Power Yoga in a space he was offering to us for very little rent in Braintree, I declined the very generous offer, explaining that the space happened to be very close to one of Richard’s studios, and I just don’t operate like that.
The real estate developer was stunned. He said “In all my years of real estate, I’ve never seen anyone operate from where you are operating from. No one in real estate comes from integrity like that.”
I said “That’s the yogic path.”
I have actually never been to Open Doors, but there are a few on the South Shore, so check one out and have the best day ever!!
Namaste!!
Taylor
June 28th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Hi there. I have taken classes at Prana Power yoga in Newton, and I have tried Super Greens – and both are great!
I do have to comment though that sometimes nothing is more satisfying than breaking the rules and eating junk food.
There is something so child like about eating ice cream on a hot summer day or sipping hot cocoa with extra whipped cream in front of the fire on Christmas Eve. Or participating in my child’s easter egg hunt, and then sneaking some of the Easter candy.
Yoga is awesome – I love it, and I even love Bikram, Forrest yoga and more. BUT sometimes there is nothing like putting on a pair of sneakers and running outside, being part of nature, with the sound of the birds, the beautiful scenery all around, and trying to run like the wind. I love long power walks on the beach and getting sand in my toes. That IS living!
I know this may sound harsh, but not all of us are lucky enough to have gone to Harvard or to be at stay at home mom – nor do some of us even have that as a goal.
Though there is no competition in yoga, your studio IS competing with other studios (and coming out on top!) – so you are in fact competing on another level.
What about those of us who have food allergies – to nuts, seeds, grains and even some fruits, etc? It is VERY hard to eat raw. What if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia? Again, VERY hard to eat raw!
I guess some of us might not be super in your eyes, but we still live super fun filled lives!
June 29th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Wow lulu. pretty mean there. “I guess some of us might not be super in your eyes” –that’s a stinger. This is more like a personal attack, you obviously don’t know taylor. Lulu, you never become competitive if you believe in ABUNDANCE which is the mission of our studio (I am Jacqui, the newton manager.) If raw doesn’t work for you, so be it. Taylor is just a person that no matter what allergies, etc. raw can work for everyone, she really believes that–as do a WHOLE LOT of other people. taylor, you’re doing a great job, not everyone is going to agree (we know that) but it’s another thing to be mean, and you just need to let that go.
June 29th, 2008 at 8:24 am
I love this site and what the overall message is. Each article is a variation on what that larger message is: Be who YOU are. Don’t just go through the motions, don’t sit back and complain about life. Instead, take the time and figure out for you what truly makes you happy.
For Taylor, that has been her kids (clearly!), yoga, and a raw food lifestyle that works for her. What I love about Taylor is that she’s not telling us to be like her. Instead, she’s saying there is another way – YOUR WAY. Your own personal way. And it’s up to each and every one of us to find that way for ourselves. She’s empowering the individual journey.
How cool is that?
We live in a world where women (and men) are so used to comparing, contrasting, and judging, that we don’t even realize we’re doing it. This all comes from a fear of not being good enough. And no matter who you are, there are elements of that fear in you, from conditioning over time.
Taylor is reminding us, through her own personal journey, that there is another path, that’s not fear-based. The message is so simple and clear, that it’s hard for us to digest sometimes because we’re so used to drama and judgment.
She supports and believes in the ’super’ essence in all of us. Now, we need to do the work and believe in it ourselves, too
June 29th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Well Lulu, a supermom like Taylor NEVER judges any other supermoms because Taylor knows that moms are just doing the best the best they can. So your comment “I guess some of us might not be super in your eyes”- that’s COMPLETELY false.
And about Prana Power Yoga, I a 10 year old, have been to my fair share of classes at Prana and I know that it is a place of NO competition. Thats what all of the teachers say at the beginning of class. This yoga studio’s whole environment is about no comparison so why would Prana be competing with other yoga studios?!
Another thing is, people who do yoga don’t just do yoga 24/7.
I do yoga every Saturday, but I, like anyone else, I love a good walk through the woods, a trip to the beach, or a nice long bike
June 29th, 2008 at 8:38 am
ride (continued from above). I like to do many things and yoga is one of them. Same with Taylor. To say loving and doing yoga means that you don’t love other things is totally wrong in my opinion.
Taylor actually knows how to make the best raw hot chocolate that is soooooooo yummy and the best raw ice cream ever so she finds a way to enjoy all those things, but she feels good after them instead of getting a hangover. I am trying to be healthier but I still sometimes like like the pleasure of ordering an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck. And that’s ok. But it’s all about balance. If i have a chocolate chip cookie, i just make sure to have some raw ice cream with it. That’s how i live my life. Now you can take this “little” 10 year old’s advice, and learn how you can live yours without all that anger.
June 29th, 2008 at 11:36 am
I think it’s easy to be intimidated by someone like Taylor, to compare ourselves, judge ourselves, and project that judgment outward. I have to admit to experiencing some cognitive dissonance when I finally gathered the courage to set foot into the studio last November – I did not expect to like Taylor as much as I did.
For my part, I practice “intuitive eating.” I am vata dosha, and I’ve always felt dizzy on a 100% raw diet, but I still manage about 80% in spring-summer and 60% in fall-winter. I do the “raw until dinner” thing and it works for me. That said, while I’ve made my own accommodations, I am so glad there are people doing the 100% thing, because it’s where I find my inspiration. If people like Natalia Rose and Taylor, etc., weren’t describing their journeys to health and well-being, where would I find my inspiration? I think Natalia Rose is a bit whacky when it comes to cleansing, and I’d waste away on so little food, but nevertheless, I have really appreciated her food-combining advice, to say nothing of her inspiring presence – the path she’s chosen is not an easy one.
The most successful vegans I know are those who bring to it an ethical commitment. It’s a commitment I don’t share, so this is not my path. Still, Taylor’s story inspires me to live my own truth – which includes rice, lentils, and an occasional omelet.
I think Lulu, you are living your own truth, and I don’t feel you are angry. It’s just possible you’re feeling judged and I really don’t think you are being judged at all for having found a way of eating, living, and exercising that works for you! There’s nothing to defend against. I for one applaud your courage to eat an ice cream when you feel like it. We all have too much guilt around eating – I think that’s where the article is coming from.
I remember when I discovered I was gluten intolerant – it’s something I’d known, intuitively, for years, and I’d given up wheat on and off, just because it made me tired. But then I’d be at some yummy bakery in Portland and would go and have a scone, whatever. Well, once I knew that stuff was poison, I was never tempted again – to eat wheat. Beer was another story. I knew it had gluten, but for many reasons, I didn’t want to give it up. It’s not that I drank it often – every couple of weeks – but I had an emotional connection to it. I kept drinking it, once a month or so, and each time, as my body was cleaner and cleaner, the beer made me sicker and sicker.
Funny enough, I’ll still have a beer every few months or so, and had some Dogfish Head Beer only last week. I paid for it by not being able to write a sentence for two whole days.
I’m pretty stubborn, I admit. I also can’t stop running(!) even though it means a lot of yoga poses may never come to me.
June 29th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I am not quite sure why there seems to be such a need to admonish Lulu for expressing her opinion. I did not find her comments mean, false nor intended as a ‘personal attack’ in the least – they just happened to differ from those expressed by others in this forum. I would suspect that Taylor is a big girl indeed, and does not need friends, co-workers, and offspring to jump to her defense and wag a disapproving finger every time a comment is written that may not align with their own opinion or experience with her. While I understand that they do so unbidden, I saw this same thing happen when Taylor wrote her MIsstropolis Super Mom article, and it makes one think twice before expressing any disagreement. I would hope that squelching differing perspectives was not the intention when this site was launched, as I personally enjoy visiting tremendously, and would be sad to see something so helpful devolve into that. Admiration is one thing, being sycophantic a whole other. Respect to all and a call to seek and question respectfully.
June 29th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Hi there everyone.
I was not trying to be mean at all – just speak the truth. Perception is reality in people’s minds. I have never been good at holding my tongue.
As I said, I think Prana Power Yoga is a great place. I have taken Taylor’s class and Jacqui’s and enjoyed them thoroughly. Your yoga classes are thought provoking and physically challenging. I DO sometimes leave class feeling bad about myself – not good. It can come across as an ideal to live up to, and if you don’t, you’re not doing yourself any good. I am just telling you how it can make ME feel.
I am still learning, and I still am an ice cream eater, a runner, a lover of life, a lover of yoga, lover of my hubby and child, and so many other things. I love life! Sometimes my abrasiveness comes in handy, sometimes not. I guess we all have something to work on.
Thanks to Elizabeth who seemed to really understand my point. And thanks for all the criticisms too – I can dish it out, so I can take it too!
June 29th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Can you recommend a dehydrator? And a juicer? Ones that are affordable? I’m a stay at home mom living on a budget now that I decided not to return to work. My hubby and I live very modestly, but would like to be healthier – if we can afford it!
To be honest, it is much easier and cheaper to buy pasta and sauce. Sigh…..
I’m not one who likes to cook – AT ALL, and I need motivation. I need motivation to be healthier with food too. I am in great health – have plenty of energy, and not overweight at all, so sometimes it is hard for me to put more effort into what I eat. I know, excuses, excuses.
I love fruit and eat it all the time. I HATE veggies – except mushrooms and tomatoes, which makes it hard. I do not like nuts, coconut, broccoli, peppers, onions, garlic, radishes, beans, scallions, OR corn.
I can deal with carrots and celery, and do love potatoes of any kind.
I’m so fussy!
Dried fruit is not my favorite either. I’m not much of a meat lover, so I basically eat a lot of fruit, I LOVE bread, soups, pasta, potatoes, cereal, yogurt and sometimes fish.
I am breastfeeding myself right now, and my little girl was colicky, so no dairy, no soy, no nuts, no citrus fruits are allowed!
I am getting so bored with food, I thought some of this raw stuff might help out – but again, I’m fussy!
I’d love some suggestions.
June 30th, 2008 at 8:02 am
we all must remember that taylor is a person tooo.she is not a thing
June 30th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Hi all!
It is great that we are all here to say what we would like, be who we are and live life to the fullest as we see fit. I think Taylor wants that for all of us. Taylor wants us all to be abundantly happy even more than she wants it for herself. Her standards are high, I think, because she believes in YOU! And that YOU can have EXACTLY what YOU want. We all want different things. That is what makes our world go round. It’s pretty cool.
I did want to just mention one thing that Lulu said ~ diabetics can TOTALLY eat raw and it often cures them of there disease. Check out treeoflife.com for more info on that. They have done studies and have a movie about it as well.
I think what is important is that we all eat really well for ourselves. And that means different things for different people. The more fruit and veggies you eat ~ the better! This should not be hard, painful or stressful. It should be fun! I tell my clients and people who take my classes ~ LOVE what you eat. Life is too short. No matter WHAT you are eating…LOVE IT! This goes a long way for our health and longevity. Especially as women we have spent FAR too much time beating ourselves up for our food choices. So enjoy! Raw ice cream, regular ice cream, raw doughnuts (oh, yeah it is true), krispy creme doughnuts ~ LOVE IT! Just know that the more wonderful ‘good stuff’ you put in your body, the more you will want it.
Alrighty, just had to add it my humble opinion to the mix. I love it here! Thank you Taylor for creating this site.
Love,
Adrienne
June 30th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Hi there!
I have to write a quick note…I was reading with mixed emotions this particular forum. Many good points are raised on all sides, however the one thing that I am seeing a trend in is the commentary regarding being 100% raw. I have seen so many “I can’ts, and here are the reasons why”. How about, “I don’t want to be 100% raw” if it does not work for you, mentally, physically or emotionally. If being 100% raw is for you then rock on! It is OK to eat the way that your body tells you to, and to make no apologies. Food is clearly a loaded issue for so many women, however apologizing for how one chooses to eat perpetuates that disordered thought pattern. I hear so many people say “I blew it and had a cookie”….that bums me out! How about “I had too many cookies, ahhhh, man”. Another day a better choice for your body, right girls????
So many of Taylor’s posts have been focused on creating acceptance for all Moms, raw or not. I guess viewing the world with an open mind is the way to go! I will most certainly not (note that I did not say never..because who knows), be 100% raw anytime soon, however, I will be glad to enjoy a yummy raw brownie that Taylor has made, because to me it is just a brownie made by a friend!
P.S. Suzanne, you are one great writer, your post made the readers truly (without so many defensive emotions),see both sides of this equation! That and I learned a new word!
Chrissy
June 30th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Hi…we met on the boat today…I was very fascinated by your web site. I have not practiced yoga since my pregnancy, about 10 months. I am motivated to at least start again. And I am intrieged by eating raw…
June 30th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Suzanne,
I could not agree more! Again, you write with both intelligence and eloquence, and many of the points that you have raised in the previous post are dead on. It is difficult to read some of the posts because they seem so hyper sensitive!
I agree that it is great to stir the pot (respectfully), and to open up dialogue; For me, I love to learn and am open to many things, provided the subjects of which I am learning are not forced….quite frankly though only I can make myself feel forced about anything! I am a take it or leave it type of gal, however my best advice about advice is to take what you can use and use it wisely, and to leave what does not work for you with a smile…:).
If a person is confident, they should not feel threatened by how others eat, where they went to school and all of the other semantics that our society focuses too greatly upon! JEEZ! Just shine on, or as my sister says go on with your bad selves! Laugh, and have fun!
What a boring world it would be indeed if we were all the same!
June 30th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I hope there was nothing obsequious in what I wrote above. I do not know Taylor personally, only through this blog and the *handful* of classes I’ve taken at her studio since November.
I merely wanted to make the point that whatever path we’re on, whether it includes ice cream or not, we this blog can be a source of inspiration, encouragement, not something with which to reprimand ourselves because we’re not 100% raw or we don’t have a daily yoga practice.
We all make choices, about what to eat, what not to eat, including (in my case) the occasional unhealthy choice. When deciding what to eat, and when, I tune into my inner guidance. I’ve learned, over many years, to ignore the inner critic and projections from others. I know how great life is when I pay attention to my inner knowingness, how bad it is when I don’t.
I wrote what I wrote in a spirit of encouragement, nothing more.
July 1st, 2008 at 9:27 am
Thanks again Chrissy. No matter whether it’s yoga, relationships, business, or food, taking oneself too seriously does not seem to be a particularly healthy road to walk. I am eternally grateful that this ol’ mind of mine, at 56, has chosen to remain wide open to any and all, and celebrates new input and lessons learned on a daily basis. The fabric of this singular life is multi-colored and textured, and laughter is the strong thread that keeps it together and and functioning with joyful cohesion.
Speaking from my own viewpoint Elizabeth, there was nothing remotely obsequious (another really happenin’ word-LOL) about your post. I truly appreciated all that you had to say, as I do with everything I read here, whether in agreement or dissent. Your open, genuine spirit shines through your posts, and all of this great dialogue is manna from the universe for growth and enlightenment.
Meanwhile, on that note, I sincerely hope that my last post did not offend, as it seems to have been deleted off this comment section(?) My comments were made with respect and a kind, yet questioning spirit, and I apologize if they were interpreted otherwise. Like Lulu, this mind tends to, with kindness, speak its own unfiltered truth, but I’m hoping that I have found a forum where that is most welcomed and encouraged. Peace and a strong mind y’all.
July 1st, 2008 at 9:58 am
I saw nothing in your previous post that was in any way out of context. Respectfully questioning a position is why these places are called “discussion forums”. Without varying opinions, there would be no discussion. I think that when approached with an open mind and spirit there is no dumb or “wrong” question. I enjoy reading everyones viewpoint because they all make me think for a different reason. I am also learning not to jump the gun and be so defensive because I am apt to do so!
I really do have that “Mama Bear” gene, and that has served me mostly well in my own 34 years (as well as in my almost 11 years of Mommying), however, learning to take a step back to reflect has been my greatest lesson in life. In my opinion we could all learn a bit from one another, no matter where we stand on certain issues!
July 1st, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Hi Super-people,
I am on Nantucket for a week and was only able now to respond to your many wonderful posts.
A big shout out and gratitude to you all–Lulu, Jacqui, Madison, Sara, Elizabeth, Suzanne, Gigi, Adrienne, Chrissy, and Adrienne(Brock’s mom)–for your heart-felt responses.
When Philippe and I opened Prana Power Yoga Newton six years ago, I knew that I was “putting myself out there,” so to speak. When you teach yoga, you literally “put yourself out/up there” in front of many people (with very little clothing on, no less–LOL), and open your heart to deliver the best class you can at that moment. Students in our teacher training programs are often stunned by how challenging this is to do when we ask them to teach their first sun salutation A. We hear “I had no idea it was this challenging” a lot.
Then when we opened Prana NYC, I again knew the position in which I was putting myself, and I wholeheartedly committed. Same for Prana Cambridge and Prana Winchester.
And with Super-mom.com, it is no different. In fact, it may even be a bit more intense since I put up new words every single day on my site and blog and anyone can look at these words at any time of any day and respond… vs. me teaching a 90 minute class in one of our four studios and chatting with students before and afterward.
So I fully took on, accepted, and owned the responsibility of “putting myself out there” when we opened all four of our Prana studios and when I launched Super-mom.com on Mother’s Day, and I still do.
What this means is that when I make a statement, describe an experience, share an opinion, and open up my heart, people can choose to agree or disagree. Sometimes there are strong emotions around the agreement or disagreement, sometimes not. My work has been to learn how to let it go and come from a place of non-attachment to results and/or approval.
So I speak my truth, I share my words, and I let go.
Sometimes it is more challenging to let go than others (like when I see a post from my ten-year-old daughter who is clearly upset by something that’s been said and is being protective of her mom) but in the end, I always let go and every time it gets easier–as with anything.
I smile when I hear someone say “Oh, Taylor, I am a people-pleaser. I want everyone to like me.”
Who doesn’t?
It’s human nature to want to be loved/liked/appreciated/accepted. And that’s OK. What can be painful is to require this for joy. The more you “put yourself out there,” the more you will be asked to let go.
The purpose of Super-mom.com is to inspire, connect, and support Super-people of all “types.” This means you!! So whether you agree with what I say or not, if you are feeling good/better/more connected/more inspired/ more supported/more knowledgeable after reading my site and blog, rock on!! Come back again–often. If you are not, then that’s totally fine too. Take what you want, and leave the rest. Who knows, maybe you learned something.
The Buddha said: “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.”
Of course I do not expect that everyone will agree with every single thing that I write/feel/live/talk about. That’s not the nature of the universe!! We are all beautifully different creations and we are all on different paths. My path has lead me again and again to teach. This is what my spirit loves and I listen to my spirit, Sistah!! I teach no matter where I am/what I am doing, and I do so without thinking or trying. It’s like breathing. Writing is also like breathing to me. Very natural and flows quite easily and joyfully.
I also love to learn, and I am learning all the time. I am always listening, noticing, watching, wondering, asking…and taking it all in. I learn so much from my children, who are like sponges. I aspire to soak up as much as they do and with a totally open heart and mind.
And I am learning from each and every one of you. Every time you write. I love responding to your posts, and want to be able to respond individually to every post, and so far I have, but as a sweet Super-mom wrote me in an email recently, this may not be possible at some point and it’s not necessary and/or expected (her words).
It seems that time has now come since I am on Nanucket this week with our family and my husband’s parents and so I’m not going to be online much (and am writing this now from a clunky computer that I’m not used to). So seeing all of your (wonderful) comments, the universe has now made it clear that I can no longer respond to each and every comment.
Now to speak directly to Lulu, since she raised some interesting and thought-provoking points, first let me say that girl, when I wrote this article I knew it would push buttons!! So it took a fair amount of courage to put it up, since I believe that people are way more sensitive about the food they eat than they are about religion, politics or sex. No doubt. But my spirit channeled this article, and I follow my spirit’s guidance, so up it went.
It makes sense, by the way, that food is such a sensitive subject. It’s very intimate!! We are consuming food many times per day (especially if you’re a grazer like my entire family) and food is often times connected with family and love from an early age. It’s all about nourishment–and survival (literally).
So on that note, it’s REALLY REALLY important to never feel restricted. Re. food or anything in life. The purpose of life is joy and in order to experience joy we must feel free. Freedom and joy come hand in hand. And OY, if anyone of you reading this has ever had an eating disorder, or maybe you have one now, it’s just awful. Talk about a prison.
So back to Lulu’s post, from reading your words, Lulu, I think that you may be confusing choice with restriction in the case of my raw food lifestyle. I do not restrict nor do I believe in restriction. Girl, been there, done that, chose not to buy the tee shirt. Or ever go back.
I explained it to a student once like this: You can make a choice to do something or you can restrict yourself from doing something. These feel very different energetically. When I make a choice not to step out into the middle of a busy street in NYC with cars whizzing by, I am not restricting myself, I am choosing something that I know is the best thing for me and that will make me feel the best overall. One could argue, “Well, you are restricting. Because you haven’t stepped out in the middle of the street you are not free.”
Just as someone can argue “Well, the fact that you don’t eat cooked food means that you are restricting and therefore, not free.”
But in my experience, after four years of the raw vegan lifestyle (I use the word “lifestyle” because I don’t like the four letter word d-i-e-t), I don’t have any desire to eat cooked food–it doesn’t even appeal to me–just as I don’t have any desire to step out in the middle of a busy NYC street. I am not of course saying that eating cooked food is like walking out in the middle of a busy NYC street–LOL, it’s just one way to explain the difference between choice and restriction.
There are always so many things going on in this universe and we are all making choices all the time re. what to do, not do, watch, buy, eat, say, listen to, etc. We are choosing. It is necessary that we choose one thing over the other since one cannot do everything simultaneously. And if we are coming from our calm, clear center–from our spirit-we always make the right choice. We always choose the right path. With integrity and grace.
If I felt like eating a (cooked) spinach calzone, I would eat it. I haven’t had the desire now for over four years. If that desire hits (or if I want to snag one of those chocolate Easter eggs from my child’s Easter basket and chow it down), I’m on it!! I listen to my body and my spirit in each moment.
So Lulu, I hear you and rock on with your hot chocolate with extra whipped cream(Quintessence in the East Village of NYC makes a great raw one), your Easter candy, and your ice cream (Pure Food and Wine in Union Square NYC makes a raw mint chocolate chip ice cream to LIVE for…we bring many pints home in a cooler!!). Enjoy and continue listening to your spirit.
Elizabeth, if you are dizzy when you eat all raw then it’s not right for you at this time and may never be. I don’t know–only you do. You should always feel amazing. That said, yes, there are times when you may detox a bit and not feel great for a short period of time…but more often than not, you should feel energized, satisfied, and clear while eating raw–any percentage of raw. So again, I think it’s awesome that you’ve found what works for you now–brewsky and all.
Again, it’s not about labels or 100% or not…it’s about how you FEEL. Always. Not just with food, of course. How do you feel when you are doing what you are doing? Spending time with whom you’re spending time with? Reading what you are reading? Always pay attention and shift when your emotions and spirit indicate to do so.
I can create whatever I want–with raw food and also in my life. When I choose to create something, I do. And so do you.
Lulu’s statement “Though there is no competition in yoga, your studio IS competing with other studios (and coming out on top!) – so you are in fact competing on another level” does not resonate with me, and that’s OK. I remember having this conversation with a reporter from the BBJ and she kept talking about “the competition” and how does Prana “compete” and I kept saying over and over again: “That is not my reality. I believe in abundance and I compete with no one.” She didn’t really understand what I was saying, but she was a good sport about it all, and I got her to try my class.
In my reality, I don’t compete with other yoga studios, as competition is a mindset—an energy—and one that I do not buy into or reflect. Competition is based upon a scarcity mentality in my opinion. I believe in abundance, not scarcity, and if I believe in abundance then competition can not exist. Competition means there is a scarcity of resources. And that is not the reality i choose.
The Tao says: “Because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.”
I have come a long way from when I lived at the Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy in Sarasota, Florida in 1979 at age 12, where I was literally trained to COMPETE and WIN. Period. It was a very painful way to live and be and I am never going back. The truth is that you never “get there.” There is always another hoop. Yoga brought me out of that lifestyle, and I am eternally grateful.
Staying with this idea of abundance, I, like Lulu, love to be outdoors—to walk, run, swim, and bike with my children and feel the air and smell the trees and the flowers—total bliss!! I also love to hike in the mountains with my children and just lie on the grass and take in the energy of the universe. My children and I also spend a lot of time at the beach, playing in the sand and splashing in the waves. Just wonderful!! There is nothing like the sparkle of the sun on the ocean…I wrote about that in my article “All That Glitters.” Loving my yoga practice does not mean that I don’t love other things as well. Again, I live my life with a strong belief in abundance. I don’t believe in scarcity (i.e. if I love my yoga practice then that is all that I love and so I must not love walking, running, biking, swimming, hiking, etc.).
And Lulu, while I totally support your path and opinion about the raw lifestyle, it is not my reality that it is hard to be raw. In my reality, it is easy. But we all have different paths and different realities and I create mine and you create yours—that’s the power and the beauty of deliberate creation.
In the four years I’ve been raw, I’ve shown many the raw path who have found it to be easy as well, but that doesn’t mean that that is your reality. I am celebrating everyone’s lives and choices on Super-mom.com. Thank goodness for variety–it’s beautiful. The point is to support each other’s choices—whatever what they are. In food choices, parenting, relationships, academic and spiritual growth, exercise, etc. That is the point of Super-mom.com. I believe that all moms are super-moms and we should all treat each other as such, even if our realities look different.
I was actually hypoglycemic and pre-diabetic before I went raw and my raw vegan lifestyle healed me, as it has healed countless others with these and other even more “serious” and debilitating health issues. There is a lot of information on the healing effects of the raw food lifestyle in many of the books in my Super-foods section–there is way too much information to get into here. Adrienne also touched on this point in her post.
I think that all of this dialogue is a good thing—because if we are all open to each other, we can hear each other’s words and take what we want and leave the rest. And learn and grow from every single experience.
The Buddha said “Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.”
Have the best day ever!!
Namaste!!
Taylor
P.S. Suzanne, I also wrote you an email about this but when I’m not on my own computer, I’m never quite sure if my emails actually arrive where I send them, so I’ll tell you again here that one of your comments was accidentally “SPAM-ED” before I even had a chance to read it. I saw your post where you noticed your comment wasn’t up and I wanted you to know why.
I have been getting about 100 “trackbacks” to my site daily for the past several days and so I go on to my site moderator (Word Press) daily to put these trackbacks into a SPAM folder (trackbacks are not from a person, they are automatically generated from sites and the ones my site has received have had nothing to do with Super-mom.com and contain inappropriate content). While I was in the process of putting 70 trackbacks into the SPAM folder–one at a time–one of your comments was put in the SPAM folder accidentally, and I don’t even know how. I knew it went in but don’t know how to access my SPAM folder yet to get it out/read it. I intended on emailing you right when it happened to let you know and ask you to re-submit the post, but got pulled from the computer by my three kids–till now. I would love to read what you wrote, as would other Super-people, so if you can submit it again (if you somehow have it saved), I would be super-grateful. I’m so sorry–I am just learning about trackbacks and SPAM, and it’s a process. I am going to talk with my web designer when we are home to understand more. I am looking forward to reading what you said and yes, this is a forum for many opinions and thoughts–so rock on Sistah!!
P.P.S.S. Super-mom Gigi, I recommend a Breville juicer and an Excalibur dehydrator. Other Super-people please chime in because Dan from Quintessence in NYC told me he prefers the Jack Lalane juicer to the Breville. We have the Breville and love it but I’ve never owned the Lalane.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Hello friends-
Alas and alack, I did not save my late, great post that now resides in the digital Bermuda Triangle, as it was typed directly into this comment section. Taylor, I very much appreciate your response, as censorship, in any form, sends shivers up and down my spine, and is the polar opposite of an encompassing mind and questing spirit. I do recall respectfully requesting that perhaps those who know Taylor might consider refraining from viewing every disagreement as a personal attack on her. Words are tremendously powerful in their ability to illicit strong reaction, and challenging provocation is very different from being mean or purposely cruel. I would venture to put out there that there are few, if any, who come willingly to this site with the intention to inflame or provoke inappropriately. Sp, please know that those of us who probe ‘the white underbelly of dissent’, do so because we know we will get some spirited dialogue cooking from some oh so happening super-women (alright, alright, and super-men too ’cause Mother Nature hates reverse sexism-LOL). Viva free speech!
From that standpoint, I find myself wondering if all of this emphasis on food choices, whether healthy or un, raw or cooked, is somewhat the flip side of disordered eating. While passion born from experience is a wonderful thing, and it feels empowering to share that which informs us in a positive manner, I almost start to feel like there is a tendency towards allowing food, whether raw or vegan, to define and label as opposed to enlighten and enhance. Just a thought. Discuss at will, or dismiss and on to the next subject. Celebrate your inner fireworks, and rock your 4th.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Suzanne!
Again! I could not agree more! I really do not discuss what I eat, and do not label my diet. I have dealt with my personal foray with disordered eating (I never had a full blown ED, but man, my over focus on food was not healthy), and do not wish to share that prison, as Taylor so perfectly describes it, with my 2 daughters! It is out of love for them that I had to find respect for the body that birthed and nourished them! Never do I want to hear my girls ask if their ass looks fat in a dress, knowing that such stuff, is in many cases learned from Mommy. I want my girls to love their “whole” selves, no questions, no labels.
Again, food is way too loaded an issue for way too many people. Why be this or that??? Why let food define us??? Should we really be walking nutrition labels??? It had taken me all of my twenties to get the food static out of my head and boy do I feel blessed to have been able to carry 3 healthy babies (all born 1 month shy of my 28th Bday…WHEW), even though I had spent that decade (sans pregnancies) abusing my body, mind and spirit with grueling workouts and calorie counting! BLECH, talk about prison!
This all being said, I love learning about all “lifestyles, etc”, because I enjoy absorbing info. It is about choice! Balance, means many different things to many different people. What Taylor considers balance in her world, I may not and vice versa. We all have to exsist in the lives that flow for us personally and for the families that we have created!
It is fun though to step into someone’s world through all of this brilliant writing. While some may focus on the “differences” in lifestyles, seen in this blog, I choose to focus on how cool it is that we all have very different voices and lives, yet we are coming together and connecting!
Happy 4th Everyone!
August 6th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Cleansing The Body Detox…
Please keep these excellent posts coming….
August 11th, 2008 at 12:31 am
foods to eat for clear skin…
A great post, I learned a lot from it….
August 13th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I’ve learned a lot from this great post. I love it here and I come often. It’s wonderful that we can come here and be ourselves. I think we’re all super. I don’t know Taylor very well but have taken her classes at Prana Newton and sat in one of her raw food talk and just wanted to say that Taylor to me is a WONDERFUL person, even if you just know her a little she will always talk you and has a warming smile always (my experience). Taylor you inspire me to eat healthy and practice yoga and it makes me feel GREAT and HAPPY! That’s really important to me. Thank you for beeing an AMAZING teacher!
PS – I need to add that I’ve taken my share of classes at Prana too and agree with Madison before the class teacher tell you to do your best and not to compare yourself with your neighbors. I always feel amazing when I leave Prana, it’s my therapy. hehe…
August 16th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hi Charlene and thanks for all of your kind words.
Putting clean, healthy, organic food into my body and getting on my yoga mat every day makes me feel great, too, and I am so glad that my words and yoga inspire you.
That makes me happy!!
I am simply following my heart and my dharma, and that is why things flow easily and joyfully.
And that’s what Prana Power Yoga and every instructor who teaches at Prana Power Yoga encourages you to do–follow your heart (not your ego and competition and fear).
We all deserve to feel happy and great, so rock on Sistah!!
And please introduce yourself next time you take my class.
The next time I teach is Tuesday August 19th at 9:30am at Prana Newton.
Have the best day ever!!
Namaste!!
Taylor
August 19th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Arn…
What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind….
July 19th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Nice post. I believe that this will certainly help many people, and in particular those who are younger and are loooking for some solid couple of tricks.
Continue the excellent work!
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