Sunday Market Finds….

For the last few years my Sunday mornings have consisted of waking up slow, coffee, bike rides, surf, and always the farmers market.  The Sunday Farmers Market at the Newport Beach Pier is where you can find certified farmers rite next to the beach.  Every Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm tents are set up with a variety of organic and farm fresh vegetables and fruits, eggs, honey, seasonal produce, nuts and flowers.  There are also fun specialty items like small batch breads, Mediterranean dips, salsas, cold press juices, and tea blends.  

 There is so much to pick from.  Each week I go I have some usual go-to’s where I stock up on essentials.  There are three produce stands to shop from.  Avocados, berries, celery, carrots, kale, Swiss chard, onions, and potatoes are some of the usual suspects that I grab.  During the spring I always find asparagus here to make soup, and the strawberries in June are the juiciest ever.   

One of my all time favorite vendors at the Sunday market is The Bake Shack.  Here you can find fresh sourdough natural rise breads.  My ultimate favorite is the Super Seeded Multigrain loaf or the Sprouted Quinoa loaf.  My husband Blake needs a Jalapeno Cheddar baguette always!  My favorite way to enjoy the bread is to cut a slice, lightly toast, olive oil, smashed avocado, salt, pepper, lemon, and broccoli sprouts.  If I am feeling fancy I will even add a pasture-raised egg.   Or if I am feeling sweet then I love spreading almond butter on a lightly toasted slice with added fresh fruit. There is a lot to pick from between salt/savory and simply sweet.  The croissants are amazing to make egg sandwiches, and the baguettes are perfect when hosting a dinner party.  Definitely give this spot a try.  And get there early if you want anything specific, stuff runs out quick!  

A new vendor this year is the Hook and Line booth.  They are a Boat to Table family operation bringing line caught Alaskan salmon to the market.  They also sell Wild Halibut and prawns as well.  Hook and Line is apart of the Seafood Watch program.  This program, developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, helps consumers and business choose seafood that’s fished or farmed in ways that support a healthy ocean now and for future generations.  Just last week we made fish tacos with the halibut and it was amazing.  We grilled the fish in a tin-foil boat marinated with olive oil, lime, salt, pepper, garlic, and topped with cilantro and thinly sliced onions.  It was the perfect texture to leave out for people to make their own tacos.  I will be for sure stocking up on fish from these guys!  

I love how close we are to this special market and that we get to shop local every week.  It’s such a great spot for a family outing and to support local farmers and vendors while being at the beach.  Bring your reusable bags and shop local this Sunday.  Hope to see you there!  

Yin/ Restorative Legs up the wall Series

This is a simple restorative or yin series for legs up the wall that will help promote relaxation, decompression and opening in the legs, hips and chest.  Getting your legs up the wall is a great way to re-energize when feeling tired or to meditate and find steadiness. 

Start:

 Find a quite place in your home where you can lay with your legs up the wall.  Place a blanket or mat on the floor and have another blanket for under your head and possibly to lay across your chest for some pressure and warmth. 

To get your legs up the wall the easiest sit on the floor with your Right hip against the wall.  As you start to lay down, cartwheel your legs up the wall trying to keep your butt as close to the wall as possible.

 Simple Legs:

For the first 5-6 minutes start with both legs up the wall with a little space between your heels.  Place your arms down with the palms up on the floor and find a neutral position in your back.  As soon as you find a comfortable position that you can keep without moving too much start to focus on your breathing.  Simple inhales and exhales out of the nose while trying to stay gentle and soft in the body

Wide-Leg’s up the Wall:

Keeping your back soft against the floor start to separate the heels from one another until you feel a comfortable and tolerable stretch in the adductors or inner groin area.  If your back starts to peel from the floor try and bring the heels closer to one another and maintain a neutral position in the low back area.  As your ease into this pose you can challenge yourself and see if you can separate your heels without letting your back lift from the floor.  Once you find a position where you know you can stay still start to bring your focus back to your breathing.  Lay in this position for up to 4 minutes.

Frog Pose up the Wall:

Transition from a wide leg position into Frog Pose up the wall by drawing the soles of the fee together.  The lower your drop your heels towards the floor the deeper the stretch you get, but if you feel your low back peeling from the floor lift the heels a little higher until you can keep a soft back position. For some added depth in this pose you can lightly press your knees towards the wall with your hands.  Lay in this position for up to 4 minutes. 

Piriformis Stretch up the Wall.

Transition from Frog up the Wall to Piriformis stretch by lengthening the legs back up the wall.  Start first by placing the Right ankle across your Left thigh.  You should start to feel a stretch around the outside of the Right hip.  You can add some depth here by placing your Right hand on your Right knee and lightly pressing the knee towards the wall.  For an even deeper stretch you can stat to bend the Left knee and placing the Left foot on the wall.  The lower you drop your Left foot down the wall the deeper the stretch you will get, but stay mindful of the low back.  Stay in this position for up to 3 minutes and repeat on each side.

End:

End your session with legs going back up the wall again and lay there for about 3-5 minutes for a Savasana.  Bring both legs into the chest and roll to the Right or Left side and lay there for a minute before getting up into a seated position. 

Namaste…..