my people

Hello friends! Well, by now we’ve all made it through one of the busiest weekends of the year and I don’t know about you guys, but I am plum worn-out! I worked the dreaded “black Friday” (yes, I am in the retail business for now) and all day today (Saturday) so I am really enjoying plopping my feet up on the couch for a bit to write this little blog.

I’ve decided to do a section called “my people” each week featuring a different kick-ass person in my life who has made (and is making) me who I am. Just a little glimpse into my world and the amazing people in it.

Today I want to talk about one of my all-time favorite people and best friends, 

Eric Earl Aycock.

Eric hails from the same little city as I do, Meridian, MS. I honestly don’t even know how to begin describing him to you because he is pretty indescribable. He has one of the largest personalities I have ever met. Along with one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen. Eric is amazingly brilliant and to watch his little mind work is incredible. However, one of the things that has always united Eric and I together are our unquenchable thirsts for adventure. This is both good and terrible.

Eric loves people and has truly never met a stranger. Everybody knows Eric. And either people love him or hate him. But hey, even Jesus had haters. He is the smoothest and most charming guy I have in my life. It is an understatement to say that he is a ladies man.

Eric has lived a very colorful life and I know that he would tell you that he is qualified to tell you what NOT to do in life. He can also tell you what to do because he’s done just about everything in his short 35 years of life. He’s worked as a set dresser on many films in L.A for years. He has a precious 5 year old little girl, Ava Marie Sadie Rose, who is the apple of his eye. He is forever writing music and poetry and playing around with so many electrical/musical gadgets that I can’t even tell you what they are. He is an artist, a warrior, a musician, an entrepreneur, a lover, a rebel, and a saint.  I read this quote about Bob Dylan a few years back and it reminded me so much of Eric. “The minute you try to grab hold of Dylan, he's no longer where he was. He's like a flame: If you try to hold him in your hand you'll surely get burned…….Dylan is difficult and mysterious and evasive and frustrating, and it only makes you identify with him all the more as he skirts identity.”

Eric is the person I call when I don’t know what I think. He’s also the person I call when I have a lot to say. He always listens to me no matter how trivial or unimportant or dramatic I am. Nobody makes me laugh like Eric. Nobody says things where I can understand them like he does. He has a gift for making people feel good about themselves. He always has a different hat on everytime I see him. He’s more stylish than anyone I know (girl or guy).

Eric means an awful lot to me and my family. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed countless days and nights together. We’ve cried, laughed, and driven eachother crazy. We’ve helped eachother in times of distress, feast, or famine. Eric is like the big brother I never had.

This past Thanksgiving weekend, Eric came to visit me. He wrapped up working on the B.P oil spill and is headed to New Orleans to begin work on a movie Monday! It was amazing to get to spend a little quality time with him. We went with a group of our friends to dinner at Underground 119 Friday night where Eric presented me with a beautiful hand-made scarf for being there for him and helping him and just being his best friend. I was shocked. And about cried. It was truly the sweetest thing. And I LOVE my scarf.

Eric has been sober for almost a year. I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am of him. God is truly doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Eric Earl Aycock, you are my people and I love you so much!

Dresden, TN

Dresnden, TN

Yep folks, that’s where it all started. For my Dad anyway;) My father is 1 of 7 children who was born in the teeny-tiny town of Dresden, TN. It’s very close to Martin (if you even know where that is) and both of my parents attended UT Martin. My precious 89 year old grandmother, Doris, lives on Doris Lane and my family still owns quite a bit of the town. About the only time my immediate family makes the nearly 7 hour haul to Dresden, TN is on Thanksgiving. I wish we got to see that side of the family more because we have LOTS of cousins. But sadly, we usually have to make the most of our annual Thanksgiving trip and try to soak up as much as possible.

This year was very special. Partly because I love my grandmother so much and I never get to see her but also because it was my nephew’s FIRST Thanksgiving. I never ever thought I would love my little buddy as much as I do but I cherish every moment with him. 

and of course, i captured lots of moments. mainly of the baby.

aunt jen jen and Irwin

irwin and mommy (my baby sister)

Irwin and his uncles

chilling before dinner

brian and his precious girlfriend, wendy

sisters

me and granny!

lauren, mom and dad

aunt rita and mom

me and mom

me and my pops!

irwin wanted to eat too!

chowing down on some amazing food

sweet cousins, elizabeth and sara

my dad's brothers, sisters and mother

cousin sara and me

caroline and i sure do love wendy! (hint hint brian)

cousins and granny!

my brothers and sister and granny

couldn't help myself;)

as you can see, i am so blessed! i feel so honored to be apart of such a healthy, beautiful, kind-hearted family. 

from our house to yours,

happy thanksgiving!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald 

i am thankful

How could I not give thanks for this amazing life I have been blessed with! I try to write down 5 things i'm grateful/thankful for everyday. or at least verbalize them because life has been too kind to me not to give constant thought and attention to all that i have been blessed with. 

i am thankful for my second (or third, or fourth) chance at a new life. i'm thankful for waking up every morning with a clear head. i'm thankful for all my senses that allow life to take on so much meaning. i'm thankful for the air i breathe and the bed i sleep in. i'm thankful for mangoes and good art and delicious food. i'm thankful for the color green and whoppers. and sour patch kids and candles and mums. i'm thankful for yoga and used books and the ability to laugh at myself.

BUT, most importantly, i'm thankful for the PEOPLE that make my life so amazing. Here is a small glimpse into the many wonderful amazing people in my life. and if you don't see yourself or picture below, please know it's not because i excluded you. it's only because i didn't have a picture of you to post and/or ran out of space.
i'll start with my newest blessing, my nephew.

my oldest and bestest friend, Cath

the beautiful Lydia Grey

the charming Mr. McLain

my beautiful and wonderful roommate, Mac

the adorable and lovely, Jess

gorgeous richard

bill and christy

mischievous but precious eric

libby, virden, and max

sweet friends, A and E

doll-face Sarah

my roommate AND her dog, Dauber

my precious siblings and my dog, Mr. Buckley

my wonderful, amazing, adorable parents

the list could go on and on. i am so blessed.


Enjoy your blessings this Thanksgiving and all the year round.

As always,

~Jennifer

Dosha what?

Greetings friends! The holidays are quickly upon us! Yikes! It’s always hard to believe that we’re almost done with yet another year. I’m trying to figure out how to get everything done before I head to Tennessee with my family tomorrow afternoon. I thought I should do a little blog before I left. And although a Thanksgiving post would have been more appropriate, I’ve decided to write about Dosha types! And some of you must be thinking, “this chick only writes about weird new age yoga stuff”. That is probably partly true, but I do best if I write about what my passions and interests are then what I’m “supposed” to be writing about. So, instead of writing about our family’s Thanksgiving spread or cool new receipes….here’s a bit on Dosha types.

Ayurveda, ancient medical/holistic system from the vedic civilization of India, teaches that health is maintained by the balancing of three subtle energies known as Doshas - individually they are Vatha, Pitta and Kapha. 

This system teaches maintenance and protection of the whole person (mind, body and soul). Ayurvedic medicine is based on an individual's characteristics and body frame rather than oriented toward treating disease or sickness.

Each of us are made up of a combination of the three types of doshas. The three doshas are comprised of these five universal elements:

1.             space

2.             air

3.             earth

4.             fire

5.             water

Vatha is a combination of air and space.

Pitta is mostly fire with some water. 

Kapha is mostly water with some earth. 

Overall well-being and striving for longevity depends on keeping your doshas balanced. Any imbalance among the tridoshas causes a state of unhealthiness or disease. Factors that can bring about balance of the tridoshas are diet, exercise, good digestion, and elimination of toxins.

After taking this quiz, (and also studying about it for years in yoga classes) it is very apparent that I am a Pitta!

What is Pitta?

Pitta is made up of the two elements fire and water.
The most revered ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, defines the characteristics of Pitta dosha: hot and a little unctuous (sahasnehamushnam); sharp, burning (tikshnam); liquid and acidic (dravamlam); always flowing in an unbounded manner (saram); pungent and sharp (katuhu). Pitta contains fire, but it also contains water. It is the source of the flame, but not the flame itself. Compare Pitta to gasoline--it is not hot to the touch, but it can be the source of flames.
People with more Pitta in their constitutions tend to be of medium proportions, with a frame that is neither petite nor heavy, warm skin that is very fair or ruddy and may be sensitive, and fine hair that tends towards premature graying or thinning. They are sharp and determined in thought, speech and action. There is an element of purpose to their step, an intensity to their voice. Ambition is usually their second name. They are moderate sleepers and gravitate towards cooler environments. Self-confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit are hallmarks of balanced Pitta.
For those of you who know me personally and are reading this, I’m quite sure you were shaking your head in agreement with my Dosha type. I am a little unctuous at time. (hehe).
What are the signs that would indicate that I am “a Pitta out of balance?”

• Are you constantly critical, impatient, irritable?
• Do you feel obsessed by work or a project, unable to stop for a break?
• Do you wake up in the very early hours of the morning and then find it difficult to get back to sleep?
• Is your skin feeling irritated or more sensitive than usual, breaking out or feeling inflamed?
• Is your hair falling when you shampoo or comb it?
• Do you have problems with heartburn or excess stomach acid?
• Is your tolerance of other people or provoking situations lower than usual? Do you have temper outbursts over minor aggravations? Do you often feel frustrated?
• Do you feel hot even when you are indoors? Do you feel thirsty all the time? Are your eyes red?
• Is your speech often biting and sarcastic? Do you find yourself getting into arguments easily?

Whoa! It would seem that this Pitta has been out of balance lately. More than likely due to school stress, holiday stress, people stress, just in general, living life on life’s terms causes me extreme stress and I easily get out of balance. If you took the quiz (or already knew your Dosha type) and are a Pitta out of balance (like me!) then here are some ways we can try and balance our lives so that we will be a Pitta in balance!

Dietary recommendations
Include a few dry foods in your daily diet to balance the liquid nature of Pitta, some "heavy" foods that offer substance and sustained nourishment, and foods that are cool to balance the fiery quality of Pitta. So what exactly does this mean in terms of foods you should choose and foods you should stay away from? Here are some specific dietary tips:
1. If you need to balance Pitta, choose ghee, in moderate quantities, as your cooking medium. Ghee, according to the ancient ayurvedic texts, is cooling for both mind and body. Ghee can be heated to high temperatures without affecting its nourishing, healing qualities, so use ghee to sauté vegetables, spices or other foods.

2. Cooling foods are wonderful for balancing Pitta dosha. Sweet juicy fruits, especially pears, can cool a fiery Pitta quickly. Milk, sweet rice pudding, coconut and coconut juice, and milkshakes made with ripe mangoes and almonds or dates are examples of soothing Pitta-pacifying foods.

3. The three ayurvedic tastes that help balance Pitta are sweet, bitter and astringent, so include more of these tastes in your daily diet. Milk, fully ripe sweet fruits, and soaked and blanched almonds make good snack choices. Eat less of the salty, pungent and sour tastes.

4. Dry cereal, crackers, granola and cereal bars, and rice cakes balance the liquid nature of Pitta dosha, and can be eaten any time hunger pangs strike during the day.

5. Carrots, asparagus, bitter leafy greens, fennel, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, green beans and bitter gourd(in very small quantities) are good vegetable choices. They become more digestible when chopped and cooked with Pitta-pacifying spices. Vegetables can be combined with grains or mung beans for satisfying one-dish meals. Avoid nightshades.

6. Basmati rice is excellent for balancing Pitta. Wheat is also good--fresh flatbreads made with whole-wheat flour (called atta or chapatti flour and available at Indian grocery stores) combine well with cooked vegetables or Pitta-balancing chutneys. Oats and amaranth are other Pitta-balancing grains.

7. Choose spices that are not too heating or pungent. Ayurvedic spices such as small quantities of turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom and fennel offer flavor, aroma and healing wisdom.

8. Drink sweet lassi with lunch to help enhance digestion and cool, not ice-cold, water to quench thirst

Lifestyle recommendations
1. The primary lifestyle recommendation for balancing Pitta is to stay cool--both physically and emotionally. Avoid going out in the heat of the day, especially on an empty stomach or after you have eaten tangy or spicy foods. Avoid exercising when it's hot. Walk away from situations that make you see red.
2. Do not skip meals, do not fast and do not wait to eat until you are ravenously hungry. Start your day with cooked fruit, followed by some cereal. Eat a sustaining meal at lunch, and a lighter meal for dinner. For snacking, choose sweet juicy fruit--fully ripe mangoes, sweet pears and sweet juicy grapes are excellent Pitta-pacifying choices. Delaying meals can cause excess acidity, so eat on time every day. The Amalaki Rasayana helps enhance digestion without aggravating Pitta dosha. It also helps balance stomach acid.
3. Daily elimination is very important to prevent ama from accumulating in the body. Triphala Rasayanahelps promote regularity as well as toning the digestive system. Since Triphala is gentle, not habit forming and not depleting, it can be taken indefinitely to maintain regularity.
4. To soothe sensitive skin, to balance the emotions and to nourish and tone muscles and nerves, indulge in an ayurvedic massage every morning before you bathe or shower. Use coconut oil for your massage. If you like, you can add 3-4 drops of a pure essential oil such as lavender or rose to 2 oz. of massage oil. Mix well before use. Two or three time a week, massage your scalp with warm oil, and let the oil stay for an hour or two before you shampoo. After your shower or bath, apply a pure, gentle moisturizer all over your body or spray  your skin with pure rose or sandalwood water to keep your skin feeling cool all day long.
5. Protect yourself from the heat. Stay cool in warm weather by wearing loose cotton clothing. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes when you go out. Drink lots of room temperature water.

6. Water-based activities are ideal exercise for Pitta-dominant people. Try swimming or aqua-aerobics to stay fit but cool. Strolling after sunset, especially along a waterfront, is also a soothing way to fit some leisurely activity into your day.
7. If Pitta dosha is out of balance, you may find that you can fall asleep without much trouble, but you wake up in the very early hours and find it difficult to get back to sleep. It is important to get to bed early, so that you can get adequate rest each night. A cup of warm milk, with some cardamom, can be helpful before bedtime.
8. Balance work and play. Set aside some time for R&R everyday, and do not get so absorbed in a project that you are unable to detach from it.
9. Set aside about 30 minutes each day for meditation, to help balance the heart and emotions and to enhance body-mind-spirit coordination.

Whew! That’s quite a bit to read. Some apply more than others for me but I do believe that knowing about your Dosha type and learning about foods and activities that are good for your type is very helpful and insightful. I mean, who doesn’t want to learn more about becoming a better balanced person?? I know I do! Balance is one of the hardest things for me personally and something I’ve been thinking a lot about. Hmm….maybe a good topic for my next post;)

At any rate, I do hope everyone has a wonderful, beautiful, and bountiful Thanksgiving!

 My Family last Thanksgiving (2009)

As always,
Jennifer