Tantra

Title get your attention?

pervs.

Let me begin by saying I study Kadampa Buddhism.

On Fridays I attend a meditation class- we meditate and learn a little lesson on Buddhism.



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Now I know I am not the best Buddhist
because of things like this:


and this:

But its a journey...

 I thought I would share tonight's lesson:

Tantra

Now i know you are thinking some dirty thoughts BUT

tantra really means

to bring a future feeling (or enlightenment)  into the present moment by realizing oneself as having that feeling (or as being a pure and enlightened being).

Tonight our teacher talked about PURE LOVE and asked us:

how would you view people if you had pure love and an unshakable peace in your heart?

Would you view them as a mother views her child?

The purpose of tantra is to feel those feelings now of pure love and then in turn give that pure love to everyone right now.

2 part Meditation
1- Bliss Boost- meditate something that makes you happy- that fills you with love and happiness. then let the "vision" of this happiness fade away and just focus on the feeling
2- With this feeling of Bliss inside- picture everyone in the world around you. Think of their suffering
think of those who are
dealing with an addiction
 grieving
at war
depressed
dying
sick
think of their suffering and give them the love you have. see this love as a white beam of light that radiates from your body into everyone else and imagine them having unshakable peace and pure love as well.
Homework:
this week give love

How?
Give things (if possible)
Pray
Give of your time- Listen. Be there.
Say “what do you need? What can I give?

Namaste!

Today's Eats:

• bfast- mini ww bagel with almond butter, tea, 1 peach, 1 banana
• Snack - Starbucks vanilla soy latte tall, Mary's crackers with hummus
• Lunch- mini ww bagel with turkey, carrot and sweet potato chips, green sludge
• Dinner- plain sweet potato
• Snack- popcorn and wine- friday night favorite!
• workout - no workout
• fruit/veggie count- 4

Babies, Friends and Wine- oh my!

Last night I went to visit my friend Anna and her beautiful family who are in town from Sweden for a couple of weeks.

(Simon behind the camera)

Being the kick-ass aunt that I am, I brought my little man Adrian a huge slice of this- 

(I know the way to a man’s heart)
this should keep him at 90mph for Anna all day tomorrow.

I got to meet the newest member of their family Emma.

How sweet are these pictures- seriously?

It was nice catching up and making plans for the next 2 weeks. A girls night out is soon to come!

Yesterday’s Eats

• Bfast- ww mini bagel with almond butter, strawberries, 1 banana, tea
• Snack- Mary’s crackers with hummus
• Lunch- turkey on WW bread with hummus, carrot/sweet potato chips, and Odwalla superfood sludge

• Dinner- homemade quesadilla on a WW wrap, shrimp, spinach, bit of cheese, 1 tomato, ½ avocado
• Dessert- large slice of cake (I couldn’t resist) and 2 glasses of wine
• Fruit/Veggie count: 5
• Workout- No workout today

Today is Abbie's birthday!

I've got this together for his celebration

Unfortunately the birthday boy is working late so I have had plenty of time to kill

so I did a little shopping because my $50 Express card was burning a hole in my pocket

and ran 3.5 miles

Red Face= great workout

I've been doing most of my training for my 10k (this weekend) indoors on a treadmill because I've been getting home so late. Running outdoors is so different. I felt great though- I'm ready for this weekend.

Today's Eats:

• 
  
  Breakfast- birthday french toast (on whole wheat)
• 
  
  Snack- Mary's crackers and hummus
• 
  
  Lunch- organic corn chips/tomato/cheese/1/2 avocado, salsa
• 
  
  Dinner- salad
• 
  
  Dessert- hopefully cake!
• 
  
  Workout: 3.5 miles
• 
  
  Fruit/Veggie- 2 (tisk tisk)

Weekend with my solemates

My BBF Jen came to visit me this weekend which was perfect because it was also mine and Abbie’s 2 year anniversary. Jen was there the night abbie and I met

 and 2 years later we all meet again (minus these dudes).

To celebrate our 2 years abbie and I had some sushi (no rice for me though)

and Sake

He also bought me my favorite flowers.

With Jen in town we hit up the beach and drank many bottles of wine.

I love ya Bestie- can’t wait to see you and Stephanie in Texas this summer!

Today's Eats-

• bfast- 2 veggie sausages one ww mini bagel, tea
• snack #1- coffee with biscotti
• Lunch- Turkey on WW bread, hummus,carrot chips and Green sludge

I pity the fool

This day has been full of embarrassments- beginning with an awesome spill I took in the hallway this morning on my way to work. (thank you Claudia for the slippery ass gold shoes!)

Followed by and incredibly awkward business conversation and a stupid LinkedIn misunderstanding.

Is there really anything worse than feeling embarrassed? Especially at work. I don’t like to be embarrassed and most of all I don’t want others to be embarrassed around me.

www.someecards.com

Fortunately most of my humiliating moments are not Cosmo worthy- they are usually just bad enough for me to harp on them all freaking day. Is anyone else like this?

As bad as today was though- nothing beats the time a potential investor called the office mistaking me for an Ashley he met the night before. We continued to have the most confusing conversation-

With him thinking I am a girl he met

And me thinking he’s asking very strange questions

Did I sleep well? Yeah, Um, I guess.

 I was so embarrassed for the both of us that I couldn’t muster up the courage after 3 minutes of uncomfortable conversation to tell him that he had the wrong Ashley. I just got off the phone as soon as possible.

Minutes later we received a call from the Marriott wanting an address to deliver a dozen roses to “Ashley”.  When we told Marriott it was the wrong Ashley the Investor called back to apologize.

He was a really good sport about it all in the end. I still get red in the face thinking about it though.

2010 Ashley

Sometimes I get so frustrated with how far I have to go that I forget how far I have come.

Example:

My Subway (eat fresh) order

 Ashley of yore:

6” Italian Herb and cheese

American Cheese

Turkey

Pepperoni

Lettuce

Tomato

Cucumbers

Mustard

Mayo

Oil

Vinegar

 Ashley 2010

6” Wheat

Turkey

Lettuce

Tomato

Cucumbers

Pickles

Vinegar

Something that will probably never change: Doritos with Sandwich. (they are my weakness)

Give it up for progress yo!

Today's Eats:

• bfast- ww mini bagel with almond butter, 1 coffee, strawberries, 1 banana, 1 kiwi
• Snack #1- Mary's Crackers with Hummus
• Lunch- Subway (above)
• Snack #2- nothing
• Dinner-
• Workout- BodyPump
• Fruit/Veggie: 3

See Saw Six? I don't think so

This was the scene in my house this weekend. 

Two games on. Brackets on the table.

I have a lot riding on this. If I win I get an hour long massage.

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If he wins I have to watch Saw VI.

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So as you can see... basketball has never been more important to me.

This weekend we also had a nice little date night- we went to see Cirque Dreams.

All in all it was a great weekend.
****
So I found out that I am a week behind on my training schedule. So now I have to run 5 miles this weekend instead of 4.5.
Also- word the wise
Never, ever, ever
map out in your car how far you have to run. I mapped out how long 6 miles is now I am scared out of my mind! I did the same for the half marathon.
A half marathon is the same as me driving all the way to work. It takes me 30 minutes to get to work by car! holy heck what did I get myself into?

Today’s Eats:

• Bfast- 1 egg white, ww mini bagel, ½ slice of Horizon cheese, 2 coffees, organic applesauce
• Snack- handful of whole cashews and handful of PB Puffins
• Lunch- Turkey sandwich, mayo, lettuce, tomato, kettle bbq chips
• Snack #2-  Mary’s Crackers
• Dinner- ½ spaghetti squash with sundried tomatoes, little bit of olive oil and glass red wine
• Fruit Veggie count: 4
• Workout: 45 min spin class