One of my absolutely favorite things to do after a hard day of work is take myself out on a date: I get to relax, there’s no conversation to keep up with, I can try all the food I like, I get my meditation in, I can make some phone calls and return e-mails, and I don’t have to share! 🙂 After I finished up at The House today, I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before, and my favorite NoHo Vegan Restaurant: Lotus Vegan, just opened up another location. Perfect!
 
I got a 3 mile (one way!) walk in on the way there, which was so pleasant.  The Noho Arts District, where I’ve been privileged to live for a year, is pristine, the location is convenient and their outdoor seating is just shady enough for a nice read! The inside really surprised me: they have a much larger space now than their last location and it’s a setting perfect both for dates or business meetings! I took a seat outside.
 
I ordered the Chicken Satay (soy) and had a Gingerade Kombucha. Their Kombucha/Synergy selection is really vast, though! And they have a great menu. The staff was super friendly and checked on me far more than I needed: but in a good way! Very smiley and genuine, and they will answer all of your questions about what the food is made of. I recommend their Satay as a starter to absolutely everyone! It’s really, phenomenally cheap for how good it is! I am huge on texture in my food and you couldn’t pay me to tell the difference between this and chicken, and the peanut sauce and cucumbers are delightful! And, of course, Kombucha is my favorite! 🙂
Overall, I had a truly pleasant experience and would recommend it to everyone who visits the NoHo area if you’re looking for cheap, great, healthy food! I can’t wait to bring some friends!
I read a lot today about the idea of acceptance. Whenever the weather changes my JRA acts up, and it’s been hard, even after 20 minutes of stretching in the morning, to continue my day around 5 p.m. 
as if my muscles aren’t cracking. If the past year has taught me anything, it’s that there is a tremendous connection between one’s mental state and one’s physical health. So whenever I feel some pains coming on, I take a long walk – it’s absolutely essential to get your body and muscles up and moving in order to not feel stiff. And then take out my Epsom Salt and Lavender tea, and make myself a bath:
It works absolute wonders for pain, and while I’m in there, I get my Yoga on! I know it sounds CRAZY that if you come into my bathroom, you will find me doing Yoga, but it’s the only place where my muscles -can- be in a complete state of relaxation besides a steamroom, and it works so well!! It has absolutely changed my life to do Yoga in the Bathtub, and let me be the first to recommend it to you! I start off in Utkatasana (Chair Pose), after about 5 minutes I switch to Dandasana (Staff pose), and end up in Buddha Konasana (Butterfly or Cobbler pose), and take deep, meditative breaths for a good 25-30 minutes. I also read some Autobiography of a Yogi in there today, while listening to the Heart Meditations Pandora station. I do some singing meditations, too – which I’d like to write an entire post about in the future.
I am feeling really great after my bath: about to cook a Raw meal for the family.
Namaste.