A little Hindu knowledge for the day . . .The 3 Gunas

So I'll be honest, I don't know much about Hinduism, but I do enjoy Yoga class. The teacher at my gym adds a little bit of meditation and reflective though in often, and I liked what she taught about this past Saturday.

The 3 Gunas

All material nature is made up the interplay of three energies or "gunas". The gunas are a great map for navigating your way through life. When you can recognize which of these energies is at play in your life, it makes it so much easier to bring about a state of balance. 

Tamas - the power of darkness, inertia, form and materiality.

Tamas is dull, insensible, gloomy and dark energy. The Sanskrit word literally means "darkness, dark-blue, black"People that are tamasic are gloomy, sluggish, dull and blinded by greed. Sometimes people who are tamasic can be characterized as lazy and slothful. If you spend the night drinking tequila in Margaritaville, the next morning you will find yourself deep in the heart of Tamasicville On the darker end of the tamasic scale, they can be unconscious of the needs others, dark and destructive. '


In Yoga this would be like "phoning in" your workout, you're hunched over in the pose but you're not mindful or working at it. 

Rajas - the power of energy, action, change and movement. 


Generally: is a passionate, frenetic, creative, tumultuous energy. People that are rajasic are full of desire, thirsting for worldly enjoyment, and even at more extreme ends of the scale, fueled by competition and ambitiousness. The Sanskrit root means "impure". It is also related to the root rakta, "redness". And raga, "passion." If you think of living in a bright red room or a woman wearing a red dress, you can feel the energy of Rajas.


In Yoga this is more like "running in place," you're expending a lot of energy worrying about being better than the person next to you, thinking about work, etc. and not actually focusing on your practice.

Sattva -  the power of harmony, balance, light and intelligence; higher spiritual potential.


Sattva is a calm, peaceful and clear energy. The Sanskrit word is based on the principle "Sat" or "being, as it should be, perfect". People that are Sattvic are calm, centered, compassionate and unselfish.


In Yoga this of course is the ideal place to be, moving forward.




--Overall I found this very interesting because I think I spend most of my time after work switching back and forth from being Rajistic (overthinking everything) to Tamastic (turning off my brain and watching TV). Understanding that I could hopefully move toward Sattvic tendencies.


Bonus-check out this website from Vancouver Yoga for a description of how the 3 Gunas relate to Star Wars :)

Pesto Pasta Primavera

Pesto Pasta Primavera

I found this recipe in Glamour magazine but made a few changes. Pasta Primavera is an American version of making an Italian Pasta with the fresh veggies of Spring. It's summer now, so I must be wishing for cooler weather?
(Cross-posted to It's a Keeper)

Makes four servings

1 zucchini-sliced
1 large handful of sugar snap peas-sliced in half
8 oz. dried spaghetti
1 cup prepared pesto
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic (you can substitute 2 cloves and chop yourself if you're ambitious!)
1 cup cherry tomatoes-sliced in half (I used half yellow, half red for color)
4 medium carrots-sliced into half then fours (and like my friend Kat says, don't use baby carrots, not as good!)
Parmesan cheese to top
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste


1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop the zucchini, snap peas, and carrots in; cook until tender, about 1 minute. Using a strainer or slotted spoon transfer the vegetables to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.


2. Stir the pasta into the still-boiling water. Cook according to the package (probably 8-10 minutes). 


3. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook 1 minute. Add the rest of the veggies and a pinch of salt, cook until warmed through.


4. Drain the pasta and place back in pan or in a large bowl, add the pesto and toss until combined. Add the veggies and toss again.


5. Add Parmesan, salt, and pepper and serve.


If you're lucky your husband will make the garlic bread :)

Project Runway predictions

So I'm making my early predictions for Project Runway finalists (Kat, Tom, and I are having a little friendly competition) . . .

1. Anthony Ryan (so far I have liked everything he's made! my favorite)

2.Olivier (I'm not sure I love his style, but the judges do)

3. Anya (sure she can't sew, but she has style and Heidi likes her)

Also funny on the show last night . . . Bert said Mae West never wore pants . . . so how do you explain this?  And Kim Kardashian talking about how in the Sound of Music they wore the drapes? That was totally Gone with the Wind!

Who do you think will win?

Ten things I dig this weekend

1. The art exhibit "In Your Head and Under Your Bed" at Modified Arts.


2. The song Hot Dog by LMFAO (Calm down you dirty minds! It's about the food-and I think vegan corndogs are my equivalent.). Click here to listen. 

3. Tuneupmedia.com so I saw this commercial on Saturday, and who can say no to the Biz? So I downloaded the free trial, it is pretty cool! But I don't have $50 right now . . . 

4. This nail polish tutorial from blog The Dainty Squid



5. The movie Waste Land. Vik Muniz is a photographer technically, but this movie is amazing to show how he creates his ideas and images.

6. Falling Skies-season finale is tonight! It may be the end of the world, but Sarah Carter has the best leather jacket ever.

7. Downtown Phoenix graffiti.


8. Crazy Stupid Love. 

9. Pixel People patterns from Wee Little Stitches, I'm working on this one right now, but it has a black background . . more like Space!

10. My new necklace which reminds me of the medallion in the Indiana Jones movie. This is the one from the movie: