How Not To Go On Vacation (plus some easy spring eating tips)

Tulum last night restaurant sceneSo I was cruising for the finish line. I’d worked. Taught classes. Pitched articles. Visited my in-laws and extended family for holidays and emergencies, checked on my upstate house. I had 5 days to work hard at the day job, teach more classes and get everything organized and packed and set up so nothing fell down around my ears while I was away with family in Mexico when…BAM, the flu. Or something very like it. Yeah. That kind of knee-capped me. READ MORE >

Going West, in Pictures

Did you miss me? Aww, glad to hear it! I’ve been away and it’s been soul soothing and wonderful, but it’s also nice to be back.

The BHH, delectable Dad and I all took a trip west to visit my brother in Tahoe this week, and wow, it was wonderful. Not being a fabulous photographer, I missed many great shots. We ate some amazing food and drank some amazing wine I just wasn’t able to get right! But here are a few shots that kind of capture the feeling of the trip. READ MORE >

Landed (Plus, a sweet recipe)

Payasam Overnight OatsI’ve been home for over a week now, and yet I feel like I’ve just landed. For the first bunch of days, I just felt like I wasn’t quite here. My timing was all off. I wasn’t sure what to eat. I felt all floaty, sort of. And, it was delicious. READ MORE >

How far would you travel for a hug?

I interrupt this regularly scheduled Indian food post to bring you my thoughts on the perfect hug.

Here I am in Kovalam, India waiting for the taxi to take me to the airport. I’ve been meaning to write this post for about 2 weeks, and I finally have the mental space, here in the wee hours of the morning. Though it feels a little, hmmm, vulnerable, to put it all the way out there on the internet. READ MORE >

Picture This–Padma’s Cooking Class

Today we had a lesson in Keralan cooking. 6 yoga students, one chef and one assistant in a tiny Indian kitchen, resulting in the best meal I’ve had yet. Ooof. Good thing it was early. We devoured everything! Uttapam, Dosa, Coconut Chutney, Beet Thoren, Paneer Butter Masala. A feast!

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Perfect Meals, Part I

All the food is good here. In the weirdest way. I’m not eating anything that I would normally eat. The things that feel safe and clean and healthy are things I would try to avoid in the US. And yet somehow it works. Maybe even better than at home. READ MORE >

Chill Zone

lilly padsThere is a sign I pass every day that says Chill Zone. I’ve never stopped. But I always wonder what goes on there. Do people just magically feel all relaxed? In America it would likely be some weird pod place where you plug yourself into a chair. But here I suspect it’s an ice cream shop.  In any case, I love the name. It’s part of what I hoped to do here. Chill. Get the vrittis to stop spinning so fast. Let the extraneous mind chatter go in order to make space for some important stuff. READ MORE >