The Yoga-Food Conundrum

Today we start the Birmingham Yoga Beginner's Level 1 Ashtanga Workshop. It seems a bit intimidating, but, ultimately, I think we are ready. It will certainly be a challenge.

The physical aspect alone is daunting. The classes are scheduled for an hour and a half. We are used to mostly hour long classes... The biggest challenge, however, will be the time commitment. We both work full time and Sean is still in school. The classes are scheduled on the days that Sean is out of class, and neither of us should have much of an issue getting to the downtown studio after work. The real problem is what I like to call the Yoga-Food Conundrum. The more yoga classes we attend, the less likely we are to cook. We end up going to a restaurant because by the end of class it's 7:30 or 8:00 and we are exhausted and starving. Even if there is a full meal waiting on us at home, we are always drawn to restaurants. It is almost a hobby for us. I don't eat fast food, so our choices are semi-healthy, but I know that we can make healthier and cheaper meals at home. We have agreed to only go out to eat after class if it is with a group, but we will both have to resist the urge to be the cheerleaders for the restaurant crew.



This week I have made Greek Pasta Salad to have on hand for us after class. We are also going to keep a few Clif Mojo Bars in the car, in case of low blood sugar. The pasta salad is always a favorite for us and our co-workers (since it's almost always our go-to for office parties). We special order our salad dressing by the case from Gazebo Room in Pennsylvania. Yes, it's that good! The recipe is one that I created from several recipes from my childhood, my mom's pasta salad and my dad's Greek salad. It's pretty simple to make, but the prep work can be time consuming. Forgive my recipe writing skills. I don't generally measure when I cook, unless I'm trying something new. I just go with what looks right.

Greek Pasta Salad
24 oz Olivieri Four Cheese Tortelloni
3-4 large cucumbers, diced
4-5 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
8 oz crumbled feta
Salad Dressing to taste
Greek Seasoning to taste

Cook the tortelloni according to the package, then rinse until cool.  Combine all ingredients in large bowl, then you're done!  As I mentioned before, we use Gazebo Room Salad Dressing (all 3 types are wonderful), but if you can't find it you can substitute your favorite Greek dressing or balsamic vinegar and oil.  As another variation, you can also slice the cucumbers and onion and just cut the tomatoes into large chunks (shown).

All in all, I think it will be a great experience. I'm anxious, but excited. For a while, I have aspired to be a part of the Birmingham Yoga crowds, but their class titles always looked so intimidating. I'm interested to see exactly how "beginner friendly" the beginner class actually is.