Inspiration Saturday: Om my mind

Habits, rituals, customs, routines.  Whatever you call them, I love them.  I'm not a surprise type of person, I like to plan things well ahead of time and take as much pleasure as possible in looking forward to them.  Whether it's something that comes once every year, like Wimbledon (starting Monday, I already have some strawberries and 'cream' to watch with), or once a week, like froyo Fridays with my fellow knitters, I love expected pleasures.

And one of those more frequently occurring expected pleasures is Wednesday evening yoga practice, followed by Indian dinner at Tarka with my dad.  Along with the weekly coffee klatch with my coworkers and the fact that it is, after all, Hump Day, yoga and a veggie curry makes Wednesdays one of my favorite days, and almost certainly my favorite workday.

So even though this is called Inspiration Saturday, here's some inspiration from earlier in the week.  Just random thoughts, projects, and tastes:

All Twisted Up Yoga Socks by Bonnie Pruitt

Photo credit: Bonnie Pruitt

I know I already mentioned one pair of yoga socks last week, but these caught my attention because of the yarn they're knit with.  I love the colors of self-striping yarn like Felici, but I'm not always sure how I want to use it to make best use of the stripes without being overpowered by them.  I like the way this twisted rib breaks up the stripes just a bit without losing them totally.  Plus, like having bright pink running shoes, having ridiculous rainbow yoga socks will make me smile even as I'm pushing my heels down just a little bit more in downward dog.

Slouchy Cabled Sleeves by Lime Scented

Photo credit: Lime Scented

I think it would also be nice to have some wrist warmers that could, like the yoga socks, keep my extremities a bit warmer while not impeding my grip.  There are plenty to choose from, but I like the idea of the slouchy cables on these, and making them long enough to start above my elbow.  That way I can wear my tank while I'm running on the treadmill before yoga, then when I'm leaving my shoes in my locker I can grab these and stay warm as I cool down and stretch.

Finding my happy place

At the end of every practice, we go into 'final resting pose', which is basically lying on the ground, relaxing all of your muscles and your mind for about five full minutes.  The instructor, in her very soothing voice, tells us to think of a place where we were happy, and to let your thoughts drift in and out like clouds, not to hang onto them.  So I've started making Kefalonia my go-to place in my mind. It's a Greek island that I've been to just a handful of times when I was younger with my grandparents.  Here's a photo that I took back in the days of film and scanned in a few years ago:

It's probably pretty obvious from this photo why my mind would go there when instructed to think of a relaxing time. I particularly like to imagine that I'm floating in the sea, just being taken by the current, and any random thoughts that pop up from the day I just let pass me by on the waves.  It's also perfect because I can concentrate on the sensory details of warm sun, salty sea water, and softly crashing waves to try and keep the random thoughts at bay.  Or on shore, as it were.

Tark-ya very much

One of the thoughts I have to let pass me by in my Greek daydream is deciding what I'm going to eat at Tarka.  I think my favorite dish is Chana Saag, a chickpea curry with a kind of creamed spinach.  So good especially ordered with extra veggies and a side of roti bread.  No need for rice.

Photo credit: Budget Bytes

One of these days I think I'll try and make this myself.  This recipe from Budget Bytes seems relatively simple.  The only ingredient that I don't usually have on hand is the fresh ginger.  There's even a recipe for homemade naan, but I still haven't quite ventured into cooking with yeast.  Maybe a flatbread is the right place to start.  My dad always orders garlic naan with his curry.  While I like to rotate around various veggie curries (aloo gobi, vegetable vindaloo, chana masala), he almost always sticks to his usual chicken tikka masala.

So while I continue to enjoy the weekend and dread Monday morning, at least I can still look forward to Wednesday.

What's your favorite day of the week?  Why?  Have you ever tried yoga?  Is final resting pose your favorite part as well?  How about Indian food?  Lots of questions for you to choose from today!  Don't forget to check out the patron blogging saint of Inspiration Saturdays, Woolen Diversions.