NW YOGA + Life™ Magazine Summer 2017

pacific-northwest

nw the

DHARMA

COMMUNITY

AND THE MODERN YOGI

issue

OM SWEET OM IN BELLEVUE

SUP YOGA

LIFESTYLE, ENTREPRENEURS, TEACHERS, CULTURE, WELLNESS, EVENTS & MORE...

SUMMER + FALL 2017

FOR CORE STRENGTH & STABILITY

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nw NORTHWEST IS PART OF THE YOGA + Life™ FAMILY OF MAGAZINES.

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Juli Rathke - Founder/Publisher

NORTHWEST EDITORS Jennifer Van Zeipel Juli Rathke

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chelsea Connolly

CONTRIBUTORS

Danielle Sack, Britt B Steele, Raj Patra, Elizabeth Rae Kovar M.A., Allison Kirley, Anu Arora, Colleen Cash, Kimi Marin, Alexandra Franzen, Brandon Weeks

SUBSCRIPTIONS & BILLING

Please visit us online for a list of locations or to order a magazine, email billing@yogalifemagazines.com

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OPPORTUNITIES

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2017 NW YOGA + Life™ Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion may be duplicated, in whole or in part, without the written consent of its publishers. Every effort has been make to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. The publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of information or omissions from the material provided. Company cannot be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services rendered by the advertisers published in this magazine.

photo: flickr.com/nicholas_t | CC BY

contents

Summer/Fall 2017

CONTENTS

PROFILES 6

ALISON OLT KERR

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BRITT B STEELE

10 MODERN YOGIS

Living Purposefully in a Modern World | Realizing dharma for modern yogis - Raj Patra

LIFESTYLE

12 COMMUNITY

Old Bellevue Merchants: A New Place To Call OM - Elizabeth Rae Kovar M.A.

16 GRATITUDE

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Raise Your Vibration With An Attitude Of Gratitude - Christie Marie Sheldon

18 FAVORITE THINGS

YOGA

20 SUP YOGA

Staying Balanced: 7 Progressive SUP Yoga Poses for Core Strength and Stability - Elizabeth Rae Kovar M.A.

22 BREATHE

In Pursuit of Happiness - Anu Arora

24 MINDFULNESS

Off The Mat: Living Mindfully before practice Colleen Cash RYT, MAT

26 ABUNDANCE

Unwrapping Lakshmi’s Gifts: Open Yourself to Abundance - Kimi Marin

HEALTH

28 GOAL SETTING

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How To Set Goals & Commitments That You’ll Actually Keep - Alexandra Franzen

30 IN THE KITCHEN

Toasted Almond-Flax Granola with Banana Chips - Brandon Weeks

32 THE WAY YOGIS DO IT

Hit The Wellness “Reset” - Britt B. Steele

EVENTS

34 EVENTS LISTING

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Community Event Listing

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letter from the editor / Summer • Fall 2017

C You can't very well do epic shit with boring people.

photo by: Seppi Ramos

About the Cover Photo by: Jennifer Alyse Models: Jill Knouse, Kimi Marin, Leah Marshall, Stephanie Newark, Jamie Silverstein, Raj Patra, Jacquie Michelle, Liz Wilson, Sarita Vasquez, Pamela Sery Hair/Make Up: Emily Mercer Wardrobe: Think Positive Apparel Location: Eastbank Esplanade near Hawthorne Bridge. Portland, OR

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ommunity. Kula. Tribe. Family.

I’ve always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself.

I grew up as an only child. Both of my parents served in the military, so I spent my younger years living out of a footlocker and moving around with my folks from base to base every two or three years.

By the time I was in 9th grade, I had been in nine different schools. Flash-forward to adulthood, it wasn’t until my late 20’s when for the very first time I stepped onto the yoga mat and found my true hOMe. I’ll admit, it wasn’t love at first savasana. But I was instantly drawn to the idea that no matter where I put my mat down, I had this 24”x 68” rectangular area of personal space to practice being more peaceful and mindful. Since I needed a lot of practice, it was really great that I could take my mat almost anywhere. Of course, when you add in all of the other extremely well known side effects of yoga: strength and flexibility, improved sleep and digestion, increased energy, self discovery, the fascinating history and philosophy, yada yada yada… My mat became a space where I knew I belonged.

My journey to the magazine began with Yoga Rocks the Park and Yogi Nation.

Through working on some of those amazing events, run by Jen Johnson, I was invited to organize a series of Friday Night Yoga

Club events in Portland. I had arrived on the PNW yoga scene. So when our visionary and founder, Juli Rathke, called and asked if I wanted to be a part of a yoga publication for the PNW called Yoga + Life™ Magazines, I knew it would be my dream job. This has become my passion project. I’d never produced a magazine before, and I had no idea what the hell I was doing. But I haven’t let that stop me.

And yes. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but life has a way of happening and taking care of that. It’s messy sometimes. It’s dramatic. But you can’t very well do epic shit with boring people—and boring we are not!

I have practiced for many years now, in many studios, at many events and with many of YOU! Many of us come to yoga for different reasons, but we all stay on our mat for the same reason. Whatever it is you need in your practice, yoga has something to offer. Yoga is social, yoga can be healing and transformative. Yoga has an awesome connective power that binds us.

I want to thank all of those who made this first issue possible. So many of you have supported this project in some way or another since inception, it would be impossible to name everyone. Jen Johnson, you’ve brought so many of us together, stitching this community together one connection at a time. Juli, your incredible shine cuts the darkness like a beacon lighting the way, and has steadily guided me through unfamiliar territory. Chelsea and our creative team, thank you for lending your creative vision.

And finally, thank you to all my sister magazines across the country.

Someone wise somewhere once said, “The universe doesn’t make mistakes,” and I believe that her timing is always perfect.

This first issue is dedicated to my father, may he rest in peace, and whose untimely passing during our production taught me so many things about being patient, to the PNW Yoga Community who is my tribe and family in good times and bad, and also to my husband who constantly supports my wild and crazy schemes, and believes that I can do anything.

In peace and gratitude, Jennifer Van Zeipel Editor-in-Chief Northwest Yoga + Life™ Magazine

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Q +A

profiles / Teachers

ALISON OLT KERR

photos by: sukha design and photography

By danielle sack nw yoga + Lifeâ„¢ ambassador

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FIRST, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DO? The simple answer is: I am a naturopathic physician and a yoga instructor. The longer answer is that I help patients, many of whom are recently diagnosed and unsure how to proceed, identify areas in their life that may be contributing to their condition. I focus on identifying unsupportive patterns and chronic stress, and I guide and support patients as they put healthier habits into place.

A MORE ROUNDED PRACTICE TO YOUR PATIENTS? Oh, definitely a full, rounded practice! Pranayama is one of the single biggest tools in my practice - it's free and accessible! And sneaking in the Niyama teachings always happens. I may not use the word Santosa, but most of my patients can't touch their toes and being content with where they are is all part of the journey.

WHAT CAUSED YOU TO BECOME SO INTERESTED NATURAL MEDICINE? I took a class in medical anthropology during my senior year of college and studied cross-cultural medical systems, learning that medical practices vary across the world. At the time, I was struggling with my own health issues and wasn't receiving help from conventional allopathic medicine. The "treat the symptom" approach is not what I needed at the time and it was natural medicine that helped me heal. Thirty years later, here I am, understanding of how allopathic and alternative medicine can interact and complement each other.

WHAT 3 POSES DO YOU RECOMMEND DOING EVERY SINGLE DAY? I do recommend Viparita Karani to almost everyone who walks in my door, along with Surya Namaskar variations. People who've taken my classes know I love Malasana (with variations) for longevity. And Savasana, of course. Everyone I see needs to slooow dooown.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE EVERYDAY LIFESTYLE OF THE AVERAGE AMERICAN THAT’S MAKING THEM SO SICK? When I work with patients, I have clear categories to investigate. I call them "eat, sleep, breathe, move, create and connect." Most people aren't feeling great because there is some combination of poor quality food, poor sleep, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, chronic stress, boredom, and social and emotional isolation going on.

WHAT IS THE LINK THAT YOU’VE FOUND BETWEEN YOGA AND HEALTHY LIVING? Yoga is such a beautiful tool to support embodiment. When people can feel their body, inhabit it, they begin to feel the effect of the choices they make and the habits they create.

If they allow themselves to feel good, they will continue to make positive choices. Yoga creates a feed forward cycle and is one of the most powerful tools I know to shift health.

pranavismedicine.com ALISON OLT KERR of PranaVis Medicine is a Naturopath and Yoga instructor in the Pacific Northwest. She took some time out of her busy schedule to help readers of NW YOGA + Life™ Magazine understand how yoga and lifestyle changes can impact their lives. Alison helps her patients to overcome illnesses naturally through food and lifestyle enhancements. She regularly includes yoga practice for her students as part of treatment. You can find her at her clinic in Tacoma or get in touch with her online for distance care.

WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON ISSUE THAT PATIENTS COME TO YOU ABOUT? The truth is it is a rare day when someone doesn't cry in my office. People come for many different conditions, but stress is the thread that unites most. Many are simply relieved to not have to pretend the elephant in the room doesn't cause them pain. They may come in for eczema, IBD, or anxiety, but they usually come back because they feel witnessed and supported. +

Alison guides and supports patients as they put healthier habits into place with a focus on eating, sleeping, breathing, moving, creating and connecting.

DO YOU THINK THE BENEFITS OF YOGA ARE IN ASANA OR DO YOU RECOMMEND

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profiles / Teachers

or the cycles of the moon, not just in theory but in experience. I love showing people that nothing has to change on the outside for them to be happy; that what they seek is right here, right now. Happiness is their true nature, when they relax and let go.

NW Yoga + Life Ambassador

BRITT B. STEELE By jennifer van zeipel NW Yoga + Life™ Editor in Chief

WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT? I am passionate about yoga as a lifestyle. I not only want to do yoga, but I also want to guide students to potently integrate yoga into every single thing they do. Yoga isn’t just something you do, It is what you are.

You are already whole and complete; you need not “become” anything. You are already ALL THAT! It’s the asana practice that clears the way for us to realize that.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT TEACHING? I love shining light on the innate brilliance in every student and walking them step by step from the form to the formless. I love how a physical mat practice can take people into the depths of their hearts and allow them to sense their own heartbeat as the tides of the ocean

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WHAT SETS YOUR STUDIO APART FROM OTHER STUDIOS? Although I teach at three Portland locations, I’ll focus on the studio my husband and I own: Deva Daaru YogaFarm, our home and Retreat Center in the coastal foothills, just 30 miles from the ocean. What sets our studio apart is that it is built according to vastu principles (yogic “feng shui” for simplicity), has radiant floor heat, and natural earthen plaster walls made of ancient sea shell dust and limestone. The studio is filled with windows looking out at the towering evergreen trees, the gardens and the barn where the goats and donkeys romp. There is also a gorgeous crystal chandelier that hangs from the ceiling. When I say there is no place like it — I mean, there is really no place like it.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE YOGA INDUSTRY DOING WELL? The yoga industry is doing a stellar job of bringing yoga to the masses . Anyone can find yoga if they are called, and this entrance point to yoga is the first step to changing one’s entire life and health status.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE YOGA INDUSTRY? That’s a tough one. Maybe I would find a “magical way” to cut through the noise of

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photos by: Britt B. Steele

Q +A

WHAT’S YOUR TEACHER’S PET PEEVE? I wouldn’t call it a “pet peeve”, but what I wish for is that all teachers be true to who they are and not feel compelled to be all things to everyone. A teacher who is devoted to bhakti (devotion) need not be a master at asana, and a teacher who loves advanced asana need not know Sanskrit. Further, an ayurveda-based yoga teacher (the sister science to asana) need not master a certain style of yoga or sequencing, and instead can focus their entire heart on using asana as medicine. If we each attend to where our hearts are drawn and realize that as enough and complete, we will be powerful, impactful and potent teachers in all we do.

the industry and create a way for those who are seeking more than a yoga class to easily find those of us who are teaching from the subtle and pervading aspects of the practice. There is nothing superior about the subtle, energetic practices over the physical practices. it’s just that the lines for understanding and identifying these experiences are blurred, leaving students confused and lacking clear intention and potential outcome.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE YOGA/ INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE? Yat Bhavam Tad Bhavati. As you worship, so you become. Every single choice, in thought, word, and action shapes us. Everything matters. How we devote ourselves in time, energy, resources, conversation, and relationships becomes the reality we create. Choose love. Choose yoga. Not only on the mat but with every single prayerful breath. When you do, you will: discover an intimacy with something way bigger than you have ever imagined, recognize truth,

attract goodness and relax into your heart, discovering that you are the source of your own happiness and security.

HOW HAS YOGA CHANGED YOUR LIFE? This one is easy. Yoga has taught me that I am very, very powerful. And so are you. You are ALL that.

WHEN LIFE GETS TOUGH, HOW DOES YOUR PRACTICE CHANGE? My practice doesn’t change — but I do dedicate more time to it — especially the quiet aspects of my practice. Personally I use the easy times in life to lay a foundation that is deeply rooted and holding me during the tough times. Attempting to deepen my practice when life gets tough is like deciding to start building a house when the hurricane is rolling in. It's a great idea a little too late.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE POSE? Savasana. It is my “check point” where I am able to see how well I cleared the channels

and I simply get to rest back and enjoy the merit of my practice.

WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE POSE? I don’t really have one. The ones I’m least likely to choose in my practice are the ones that I “tag” so that I make sure to practice them. It’s all part of being comfortable with the uncomfortable parts in life, which is one of the most powerful parts of practicing yoga. +

www.brittbsteele.com BRITT B. STEELE is a thought leader, truth seeker, and yoga teacher in the Portland area. She is the author of "Pilgrim: Live Your Yoga Every Single Day" and its corresponding 108 Day online Immersion. She is a guiding light in the yoga and ayurveda worlds, dedicated to bringing their powerful & simple teachings to the forefront of life today. She works with students to discover the hidden depths of yoga and to be a guide in bringing these potent teachings into day to day life. Britt lives with her husband at Deva Daaru YogaFarm, an hour outside Portland, Oregon where she hosts yoga teacher trainings, retreats, and bases her online programs and teachings.

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profiles / Modern Yogis

By raj patra nw yoga + Life™ ambassador

LIVING PURPOSEFULLY IN A

Modern World

Realizing dharma for modern yogis

M

y first inclination was to challenge her; that is none other than my mom. Which, if you grew up in Kolkata in the seventies and eighties you knew better, let alone if the topic involved homework, musical lessons, or yoga practice. My mother was reading us a story from Mahabharata (an ancient Indian epic), where one of the noso-good princes cheated his way to sending his noble opponent, and heir to the throne,

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to fourteen years of asylum into an awful forest, along with his brothers. My question was simple, "what’s the point in living a virtuous life if it brings about suffering?"

Now if you grew up in India, this is not an uncommon event: each summer my parents took me and my sister to visit our grandparents from both sides of the family, where we’d spend up to a week. It was a lot of fun, although traveling in a stuffed train at over hundred degrees of summer heat for over

four hours would be considered now-a-days far from fun. And as it so happened, many of our uncles and aunts would also bring their families to visit grandparents, ending up in a giant gathering of family, countless cousins, sleeping under the stars, and listening to grandpa reading sections from a massive Mahabharata in the evenings under candlelight with everyone gathered around and periodic harassment from droning mosquitoes. As a pre-teen boy I loved the stories,

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but always wondered how those applied to my life, since I am not a king or prince, and do not ride around on horses with gods disguised as charioteers!

As usual, my mother’s response was designed to create curiosity. When living in this life, under the circumstances and within the world that immediately surrounds us, we are unable to see the “big picture.” Just like a fish swimming in a river has very little perspective on the origin, the meandering, and the delta of the river, we each have very little understanding of the path and purpose of our lives, and more importantly of our soul’s journey through lifetimes, based on what we see, do, and learn in our immediate present. Yoga talks about Dharma. Your Dharma is that bigger picture, the river-like confluence of your many lifetimes that continuously shapes the facets of your soul’s evolution.

I have always enjoyed the movie Red Violin. It is a collection of sequential short stories through centuries, where each story seems so discrete until you see that the threads of one weaves into the fabric of the other to make the journey of this violin.

Each distinct story brings different conditions, era, seeming fate and outcome of the violin, but the audience witnesses how each story is shaped by its previous, and ends up influencing the next. Similar to an individual story of the Red Violin, the life of the ill-fated prince sent to fourteen years of asylum may seem unfair and undeserving, but the prince has to have perspective of the bigger picture to make sense of the present and find peace under the immediate circumstance.

That is one of the key morals of Mahabharata that keeps showing up: following one’s Dharma and holding a perspective that there is a bigger purpose to the soul than what appears in a single lifetime between birth and death.

Today each of our modern lives is filled with opportunities and challenges. We are shaped by our likes and dislikes, and conduct our lives based on our individual belief system. Technology and profusely available information brings about emotions and reactions of harmony and conflict easily and abundantly. It creates opportunity to judge ourselves and others in the narrow and incomplete view, as if a momentary

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frozen snapshot is a complete indication of the entire video-stream of events. Unlike the world in India that I grew up in, the modern western world poses the incredible challenge where the speed of events, circumstances, news, and opinions bombard and compel us to forget that each of these experiences are limited in their scope and hence not a presentation of the continuum. In fact nothing can provide continuous picture until we pause to look at our belief system and try earnestly to understand through the very limited and individualized tool available to us, that is our mind, how

In the last chapter, the Red Violin ends up in a modern museum inside a glass case, after a gala auction. And even though visitors to the museum can appreciate the red violin, none can possibly fathom the journey and soul-evolution it has gone through without witnessing it all, and perhaps never without experiencing the same in its entirety. Only the movie-audience knows how much more there is to the story than what any museum visitor can possibly appreciate.

You may be thinking that the sum total of what I have tried to say above is no more significant than well-known adages: DON'T

Purposeful living is to live from the perspective that every thing, every event, every one, and all circumstances are going through an evolution and what we see is simply a momentary photograph in this timeline. to see the world and all beings without our colored and biased lenses as part of a continuous evolution.

Purposeful living is to live from the perspective that every thing, every event, every one, and all circumstances are going through an evolution and what we see is simply a momentary photograph in this timeline. Just as a moment is a small part of a day, and a day is a small part of the year, similarly this lifetime of yours is a small fraction of the many lifetimes that is the evolutionary journey of your soul. Just as a photo becomes richer when it captures a broader story of its subject, living from a place of harmony is to constantly hold the perspective that no matter how much you think you can see or capture in your experience, there is much more to it than what your limited mind and colored lens of perspectives can ever capture.

judge a book by its cover, or there’s more to the story than meets the eye. So I leave you with this challenge, next time you are drawing a conclusion, making a judgement, loving or hating any event, news, people, or experience, pause and ask the question: what is the belief system and the color of your lens through which you are drawing your conclusion? Then know that everyone else has similar and different lenses as a result of their own evolutionary paths in their lifetimes. It does not make anyone right or wrong, friend or enemy, good or bad. It is just that everyone is looking at a photograph, perhaps the photograph of his or her own life, and thinking that is absolute.

Just as the prince in asylum you may be able to breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that your soul, and everyone else’s, has a bigger purpose or Dharma than any singular set of events experienced in a singular lifetime. +

RAJ PATRA was born and brought up in India amidst intellectuals, yoga masters, and sadhus. With bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Mathematics in the US, he is a software project manager, yoga philosopher and yoga teacher. Founder of the Purposeful Living program, and co-founder of Hot Yoga for Life, you can find more about him on www.rajpatrayoga.com.

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lifestyle / Community

OLD BELLEVUE MERCHANTS:

m is a place for peace. Nestled between blue skyscrapers and modern apartments, rests the cute and quaint shops of the Old Bellevue Merchants. What may be old in history is new to the modern eye.

Once a small town surrounded by sweet-smelling strawberry fields is now an international shopping and dining destination built upon brick sidewalks. Lit by old lampposts, visitors can capture the essence of old-town Europe set amidst big city streets.

For an enjoyable afternoon or an escape from Seattle, take a walk down Main Street to eat, sip, shop or play at one of the many establishments. The best way to begin your journey is to start at the crossroads of NE 103rd and Main Street. Keep an eye out for the Old Bellevue clock and don’t be afraid about getting lost. Keep your eyes open for the map and let your heart and taste buds guide you through town.

THE CULINARY LIFE Don’t let the small-world charm fool you.

Old Bellevue Merchants offers big city

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traditional juice bars. tastes with an international flare. ContemThe atmosphere is clean and fuses old porary, chic and unique, every café and with new; something that is substantial bar is individually designed to show signs about Old Bellevue Merchant’s aura. Fine of the modern life. In fact, anything old marble tables are topped with has rebirthed into what people fertile green plants, all lit by seenow know the Northwest as – a By through light bulbs that dangle place to pioneer all things new. from the ceiling. The walls are But, old town charisma is still to Elizabeth neatly decorated with gold-rimmed be found. Street side cafés and Rae Kovar mirrors and picture frames. It’s as shops still hang on to old tradiif any last portion of old-Europetions and entry doors rest behind M.A. an charm still exists between the potted flowers or courtyards freshly painted walls. surrounded by bushes.

When searching for something On a sparkling sunny morning, unique, dive deep into the experience of it may be worth to sip a mimosa at 520 Bar the raw key lime cheesecake. A moist and and Grill or feast on brunch at the popular coco-nutty crust is the base to something Jewish Deli, Gilbert’s on Main. Alternative even better: a sweet yet slightly tangy eaters and people who love all things raw, seduction of flavors. The filling is a creamy vegetarian and vegan can find home at morsel that makes the tongue question Araya’s vegan Thai restaurant. this pie’s secret ingredients. Your mind But for something sweet, stop at will automatically transport to the beaches Jujubeet. Located next to Araya’s, this of Mexico celebrating all things delicious primarily vegan establishment offers and healthy. everything from an organic cup of joe to a But, for a true slice of Paris, head to granola-munching breakfast bowl. Known Belle Pastry where the macaroons and for its artisan juices, this newly open café croissants inspire your higher self. offers more lunch food options than their

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photos by: elizabeth rae kovar M.A.

O

A New Place to Call Om

Clockwise from left: Old Bellevue Clock, the counter at Jujubeet Cafe, Raw Key Lime Cheeseckae at Jujubeet Cafe, 520 Bar and Grill Patio Seating

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lifestyle / Community

Clockwise from left: The Jujubeet Cafe seating, Menu at The Jujubeet Cafe, Shopping is an afternoon well spent in Old Town Bellevue.

RELAXATION AND PLAY Now, the place to truly find Om is at Shakti

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Vinyasa, a local studio, which also has locations in Ballard and Redmond. It’s the place to feel powerful and alive as yogis practice Baptiste-style, power-vinyasa yoga.

Coincidentally, Shakti is located across the street from Araya’s and Jujubeet, so eating healthy and looking great is achievable.

With 13 health, beauty and fitness establishments, it’s not difficult to find a place to escape and relax.

The Massage Center of Bellevue, The Lavender Spa or Namaste Bellevue Healing Spa is the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon of massage, cranio sacral therapy or to sniff lavender eye pillows. Find your Om, center or Brahma as you enjoy special treatments such as a myofascial release

massage at the Massage Center of Bellevue, perfect for tired yogis who pushed it too hard at Shakti.

Old Merchants Bellevue sits near the Downtown Bellevue Park. If you want to connect with community and with nature, you can’t beat an afternoon (or thoughts of moving to the neighborhood) of perusing the streets fueled by the fresh juices of nature. Don’t worry, you won’t get lost. Just keep an eye for the downtown Bellevue map and keep posted to the Old Merchant’s Bellevue website for festivals, markets and events held during the summer months. +

visitoldbellevue.com

ELIZABETH RAE KOVAR M.A. is a Seattle-based yoga and fitness professional and author of "Finding Om," a travel memoir about backpacking and studying yoga in India. Kovar has studied yoga in seven different countries. To learn more about Elizabeth visit her health and vegan food blog: mindbodysoul-food.com or her personal website: elizabethkovar.com

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photos by: elizabeth rae kovar M.A.

GIFTS FOR EVERY OCCASION Whether you are looking for a rug to tie the room together or searching for some knickknacks, you can find everything new and luxurious. Here, you can window shop and inspire your altar with something fancy and new. It’s as if Old Bellevue rings to the heart and souls of modern yogis.

To say the least there is no shortage of luxurious and handcrafted goods on Main Street. Explore the good life from the meltin-your-mouth and finely decorated sweets at Fran’s to organic cotton sheets at Soaring Heart Natural Beds. It’s easy to spend a pretty penny on the wide variety of personal and home goods.

If you live nearby, ditch your car for a brand new set of hot wheels, known as a bike, from Gregg’s Cycle. Gregg’s opened their doors in 1932 and is one of the oldest businesses in the Seattle-Bellevue region.

The company is now in it’s third generation of family ownership.

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lifestyle / Gratitude

By Allison Kirley nw yoga + Life™ ambassador

RAISE YOUR VIBRATION WITH AN

I

Attitude of Gratitude

have spent a lot of time thinking about how to raise my vibrational frequency and manifest more of what I want into my life. I had heard about The Law of Attraction, by now everyone has, right? Remember "The Secret?" I used to think, Sweet! Just wish for something I want and it will appear on my doorstep. Well, not exactly. There is a bit more to it than that. The Law of Attraction basically states that everything in the universe

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is made up of energy, that all energy vibrates at a certain frequency, and that this vibration attracts like vibration. This energy includes not only atoms and molecules that make up all physical matter, but also our thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Feelings of joy, love and peace vibrate at a higher frequency and will attract higher vibrational feelings. Anger, fear, and resentment vibrate at a lower rate and will attract more of the same. The same goes for

thoughts and beliefs. Negative thoughts about ourselves and our lives will vibrate at a lower rate and attract lower vibrational thoughts. We eventually begin to believe these to be true and it can turn into a vicious cycle. We end up feeling bad, having long streaks of "bad luck" and not living the awesome lives that we are meant to live.

In doing some research on this subject, I stumbled across a book by Peter McWilliams:

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You cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought. Whoa. even the title really made me stop and think: How many times do we get caught up in the stories in our heads about what we are lacking or why we are not good enough? We run around thinking about these stories, focusing all our attention on them and believing in them. We give them so much power and all the while, we are unknowingly attracting more thoughts and feelings that vibrate at a lower frequency.

If you find any of this rings true for you, take action now. There are things you can do to stop this downward spiral! Doing any activity that brings you joy, practicing yoga and meditation, being outside and finding gratitude are just a few of the ways to go about raising your vibration and begin attracting more positive into your life.

Gratitude is a great place to start because it brings awareness to the positive that already exists in your life, rather than focusing on what you do not have. Plus it feels good.

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And feeling good raises your vibration. It’s like saying a big “Yes please!" and "Thank you!" to the universe and the universe likes it. So it gives you a high five back. Then you say “thank you” for the high five and the cycle goes on and on. You soon begin to shift your vibration to a higher frequency and attract higher vibes your way.

Learning how to find the good in our lives, even in spite of challenges can be a powerful tool. It’s similar to using the breath in yoga practice. When a pose is difficult, you can always come back to your breath.

When life throws you lemons, you can always come back to being grateful for what is good and look for the lesson that can come out of the experience. Being grateful opens up our hearts, raises our vibration, and allows us to learn and grow.

I invite you to begin a gratitude practice.

Keep a gratitude journal and write ten things you are grateful for every morning or every night. Perhaps try it as an experiment for a month and see what happens. Then breathe, open your heart and notice the shift that takes place. +

ALLISON KIRLEY is a nutritional therapy practitioner, massage therapist, yoga teacher, and a real food advocate. Allison is the founder of Delicious Life Wellness in St. Johns, where she offers therapeutic bodywork, holistic nutritional counseling, and yoga. It is her belief that nutrition, bodywork and movement are all integral parts of wellness, helping to bring the body into balance. She spends her time practicing yoga, hiking around Forest Park and experimenting in her kitchen.

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lifestyle / Favorite Things

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YOGALIFEMAGAZINES.COM

PHOTOS By JENNIFER VAN ZEIPEL NW Yoga + Life™ Editor in Chief

1. DHARMA YOGA WHEEL

The original and first wheel of it’s kind, the DWY is designed to help stretch and release tension and muscular tightness in the back, chest, shoulders, abdomen and hip flexors.

As you can see, it's one of our EIC’s favorite things! Use the code yogalifedyw for 20% off your online order. dharmayogawheel.com

2. LOTUS WRAP

This is an easy-to-use and versatile yoga accessory that lets you sit longer and more comfortably – in meditation, during yoga or just relaxing at the beach. The wrap cocoons your body, stabilizing your back and supporting your spine in proper alignment, while you relax, feel nurtured and go deeper in your meditation and yoga sessions. Not just for sitting, The Lotus Wrap is lightweight and portable, and is ready to go with you across town, or around the globe. earthtoethers.com 3. JILL KNOUSE TEACHER TRAININGS

Elevate Yoga Trainings provide aspiring and existing yoga teachers with a powerful combination of personalized mentorship, customized workshops, unique lectures, effective, practical, hands-on training, as well as peer group sessions taught and facilitated by Jill Knouse and featuring some of the most sought after yoga educators around the country. Jill also leads magical retreats in dreamy locations, and hosts the most incredible pop-up yoga events in Portland! Stay in the loop on Jill’s offerings at jillknouseyoga.com jillknouseyoga.com 4. LOVE BOTTLE

Love Bottle is all about bringing Love and Water together. Every bottle is made with several little love messages, because studies have shown that feelings of love can lead to reduced stress, longer life and improved mental well-being. And the love is contagious!

When you purchase a Love Bottle, you help to reduce the use of single-use plastic. We really do think everything tastes better in glass, especially when you drink with LoveBottles. lovebottle.com 5. THEO CHOCOLATES

Amazing, delicious, mind-bendingly wonderful chocolate. Ever since it’s humble beginnings in Seattle back in 2006, Theo chocolate has always come from only the purest ingredients grown in the most sustainable ways possible. Everything Theo Chocolates makes and sells meets the highest standards for organic, Fair Trade and Fair for Life. theochocolate.com 6. EAGLE ROCK WERKSHOP LEGGINGS

Designed for fitness and styled for fashion, Eagle Rock WERKSHOP is a line of performance wear that will make you look as good as you feel, both on and off the mat. We seriously always get compliments when we wear ours! Made with Italian triathalon fabric and printed/sewn in the USA. Use code NWY10 for 10% off all regular priced items in the web shop through 12/31/17. werkshop.com

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yoga / SUP Yoga

7 Progressive SUP Yoga Poses for Core Strength and Stability

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re you ready to progress your core strength and stability? Yoga on the SUP board presents many challenges. For most, the biggest challenge includes the ability to stay on top of the board. If you’ve conquered a basic SUP practice, these exercises can take your skills and core strength to the next level.

Without core strength, our movement is not fluid and can lack coordination. The stronger the core is the better the body can move in life and in exercise. One way to increase core strength is to eliminate a contact point, which would include a hand or foot off of the board. Adding and eliminating contact points will enhance or challenge balance while maintaining alignment.

Although the board is a stable surface, the body must stabilize to overcome the unstable surface and movement of the water. When unexpectedly jolted into a movement (say the a wave hitting the board) the core automatically fires and engages to keep the body upright.

Core strength and stability work synergistically. It’s difficult to have one without the other.

Thus, yogis must bear water/board movement and outside forces such as wind or perturbations (something touching or knocking into By the board) that will affect the practice. With all these factors, it’s no Elizabeth wonder why core strength is essential for SUP stability and fluid movement of asanas.

Rae Kovar But, stability is essential in all positions including seated, standing, kneeling and asanas that bear weight on the upper body. Asana alignment M.A. may differ on the board compared to traditional mat poses since yogis must maintain a wider base of support to keep the board level.

If you’re ready to advance your practice while gaining core strength, get ready to include these seven asanas on your next SUP adventure. You can include these poses into your practice or practice each asana individually. A thorough warm up is recommended prior to practice. +

ELIZABETH RAE KOVAR M.A. is a Seattle-based yoga and fitness professional and author of Finding Om, a travel memoir about backpacking and studying yoga in India. Kovar has studied yoga in seven different countries. To learn more about Elizabeth visit her health and vegan food blog: mindbodysoul-food.com or her personal website: elizabethkovar.com

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2. ONE-LEGGED PLANK From a downward facing dog, shift the body weight forward into a plank. The shoulders should be over the wrists. The feet should be on each side of the board. Draw the toes together and then lift your right foot off the board. Keep the foot at hip height.

Hold and repeat on the opposite side. Need to regress the pose? Keep both feet on the board.

3. ONE-LEGGED DOLPHIN Position the body into a high child’s poses where the hips are lifted above the heels. Place the forearms on the board with the hands flat. Elbows should be in and level with your knees. Curl your toes underneath and lift the hips into the air. Bring the toes together and then lift your right leg into the air, pushing through the ball of the foot. Repeat on the opposite leg. Need to regress the pose?

Keep both feet planted onto the board.

4. ADVANCED STABILITY BALANCE Position the body onto all fours with the hands under the shoulders and knees under the hips.

Engage the core and extend the right leg behind with the foot in level with the hip. Extend the left arm forward. Bend at the knee and reach the left hand to grab your right foot. Repeat on both sides.

Need to regress the pose? Keep the opposing arm and leg extended.

5. SEATED PELVIC BALANCE Sit near the middle of the board and place your feet on the board. Reach for the outside of the feet as you slightly lean back to find balance on your pelvis. If you can, begin to extend the legs into a “V” position. Need to regress the pose? Keep a 90-degree bend at the knees.

6. ONE-LEGGED BRIDGE POSE Lie on your back and place hands by your side.

Exhale, lift your hips and draw your feet together.

Slowly, lift your right leg toward the sky. Keep the left hip activated so the pelvis stays neutral.

Repeat on both sides. Need to regress the pose?

Keep both feet on the floor.

7. WHEEL POSE From bridge pose, lie on your back with your feet hip distance apart. Place your hands near your ears, elbows will point toward the sky. Exhale, slowly lift your hips toward the sky and hold for 30 seconds.

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photos by: Daniel Lupastean

Staying Balanced:

1. THREE-LEGGED DOG Start on all fours with each leg on one side of the board. Curl the toes underneath and lift your hips to the sky. Slowly draw the feet toward each other and lift one foot in the sky. Bend the lifted knee to 90-degrees and open the hip while keeping the chest parallel to the bottom leg. Repeat on both sides. Need to regress the pose? Keep both feet on the board.

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yoga / Breathe

By Anu arora

we ingest: air, water, food and perceptions.

We have a choice (for most part) of what we take in. If we compromise on the quality of our inputs, the digestion is compromised.

It is harder to feel happy with a constipated system. Compromised digestion is an irritant, sometimes in the background, other times in the forefront. You are what you can digest. Eat well, and stay happy!

A IS FOR AWARENESS. This one is about tuning into your own FM station to know your triggers and signs. Do you recognize triggers of discomfort, unhappiness and irritation? What do you do about them? Awareness is not just recognizing the triggers but also working on balancing them.

T

HAPPINESS

he pursuit of happiness is our fundamental right. We are all looking for it one way or the other.

Life offered me an opportunity a few months ago to put my learning of Ayurveda into practice; to stay happy in all circumstances. Life is shifting on a daily basis. Ayurveda emphasizes that true happiness is necessary for complete health.

That’s where I came up with the BREATHE formula and have been using it for some time. It is working for me! I shared it in my recent talks and it seemed to resonate well with people. Here it is for your pleasure and happiness! I encourage you to try it.

B IS FOR BREATH. Breath is what brings mind and body together. Conscious focused breathing in a certain manner calms the anxious nerves, brings more oxygen to the blood and nourishes the tissues and organs.

Two breathing exercises which are relaxing and soothing for our nervous system are also effective in our pursuit of happiness.

These are alternate nostril breathing and bumble bee breathing.

In alternate nostril breathing, you start with a breath in from left nostril (closing right nostril with your right thumb). Breathe out from your right nostril while closing the left

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nostril with the right ring and middle finger.

Inhale from right nostril (still closing the left side) and then exhale from the left (closing the right side). This is one round. Do a few rounds, keeping breath steady and effortless and inhalations and exhalations equal.

In bumble bee breathing, with your eyes lightly closed, close the tragus of the ears with your thumbs, forefinger on the forehead and the three fingers on the eyes.

Inhale deeply. On exhalation, make a long loud sound of a bumble bee. Keep your eyes closed to feel the vibrations of your own sound in the body. Do it a few times.

H IS FOR BEING OUR OWN HEALER. Every individual has the capacity to heal themselves. It can start small with very physical aspects of eating healthy, at the right times to resting well, to connecting the mind and body through breath and to keep moving.

R IS FOR REST. Exhilaration, excitement, adventure, non-stop fun will sure bring a smile to many. However, it is short-term and not-sustainable. It leads to the highs and the lows and the ups and the downs. The external stimulation will only go as far. The body and mind both need adequate R’s: relaxation, repair and rejuvenation on a daily basis. Nothing can beat a good night sleep for a lasting smile.

E IS FOR ENHANCED PURPOSE. We could live by the book and still not be happy. That is where the enhanced purpose comes in.

My mission in life is to help people in their pursuit of health and happiness. It brings me the energy, zeal and enthusiasm to make my life purposeful. It perks me up when the going gets tough. +

E IS FOR EAT. Eating wholesome, nutrient-rich, natural (not processed) and balanced diet leads to better absorption, assimilation of nutrients and daily elimination of the waste matter. There are four inputs

ANU ARORA is an Ayurveda Wellness Counselor and Registered Yoga Teacher. She gives talks, seminars and workshops on the powerful healing properties of Ayurveda. She teaches yoga for healing. She lives in Redmond.

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photos by: Julian Pradeep

In pursuit of

T IS TIMING. I have a bird-feeder in my backyard. Finches, steller’s jays, chickadees, wood peckers and sparrows chirp through the day feeding on the seeds.

Certain birds come during certain hours of the day. No one comes after it is dark. Birds seem to follow the rhythm of the nature.

Human beings also are the happiest when they are aligned with the rhythms of nature.

Eating at regular times, sleeping at a reasonable hour of the night and getting up at a reasonable hour helps us get aligned with nature. A brisk walk in nature helps us be a part of it.

special advertising section

A grassroots brand is giving yogis a choice they can feel good about ... on and off the mat.

Unlike many mass-produced yogawear brands, tanya-b is focused on building a connection with the yoga community. As yoga teachers themselves, Tanya and Anna wanted the line to inspire other instructors both on and off the mat. “I believe people are craving community and connectivity, which is why so many people are drawn to yoga in the first place,” says Tanya.

tanya-b The founders of a new urban-inspired yoga line are focused on building a brand with a sense of community.

By Heather Mikesell

A

lthough there is no shortage of yoga apparel on the market today, it isn’t always easy to find a brand that not only looks and feels great but also seeks to bring the yoga community together. Fortunately, that’s exactly what co-founders Tanya Boulton and Anna Chung set out to create when they launched tanya-b, a yoga lifewear brand, in December of 2014. The collection, inspired by the busy urban lifestyle, is designed for fashion-forward yogis who want their apparel to go from the studio to the streets. Made up of versatile pieces in limited-edition colors, the line features a variety of signature tie-dye halters, off-the-shoulder tops, colorful leggings, and more.

While the idea came to Tanya as she was living and teaching yoga in Hong Kong, the line didn’t truly take off until she teamed up with Anna, a former hedge fund executive. Unfulfilled by life on Wall Street and looking for balance, Anna enrolled in Pure Yoga’s Teacher Training. It was at the studio that she and Tanya first crossed paths and began discussing the idea of resurrecting the line, which had originally launched in Hong Kong to great acclaim.

Due to limited funds and distribution channels, however, it was unable to keep up with demand. Never losing sight of her purposeful calling to create a brand that revolved around community, creativity, and connectivity, Tanya joined forces with Anna, who shared her vision of creating a truly authentic and accessible line.

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URBAN LEGENDS It’s that same yoga community that tanya-b is relying on to help spread the word, as members share their passion for yoga. “We have reached out to our global community to build a team of Urban Legends, acclaimed teachers who we’ve selected as brand ambassadors to showcase not only their tanya-b style but also teach at yoga events and share their playlists and blogs through our website,” says Anna.

It’s a sense of community that visitors will find when they log on to the tanya-b website, which features profiles of the brand’s Urban Legends, Yoga Stories from the community, an opportunity to become their own boss through the Guru Program, top lists on everything from favorite poses to post-yoga thirst quenchers, and more. While the line appeals to yoga enthusiasts of all levels, it also honors those who devote themselves to guiding others on the yoga journey. As a result, tanya-b keeps it real by partnering only with yoga teachers to model the line. Who better to showcase the sexy yet functional styles?

GOOD DEEDS Living and breathing the yoga lifestyle, Tanya and Anna are intent on giving back. “We want people to look and feel great wearing tanya-b,” says Tanya. “And knowing they’re supporting a line that contributes to causes we believe in is

just one of the ways we achieve that.” The company has aligned itself with a variety of charities, including the American Heart Association and the Felix Organization, which makes dreams come true for children in foster care.

To benefit the Felix Organization, tanya-b held three OM THIS WAY events, which involved the brand’s Urban Legends teaching a yoga class set to a live DJ set and Run DMC’s Darryl McDaniels, cofounder of the Felix Organization, following with a special live performance. The money raised was used to help support Camp Felix, an overnight camp for children in the foster care system.

With events in New York City and San Francisco, OM THIS WAY has become so successful with Equinox’s collaboration that there are plans to expand to other cities nationwide in 2017. As tanya-b continues to gain momentum through its collaborative partnerships with individuals, brands, and charities that align with the company’s vision, the grassroots brand is giving yogis a choice they can feel good about while decking them out in style. “We have a deep-rooted passion in bringing authenticity to the brand,” says Anna. “This means we walk the walk and talk the talk. We teach yoga, we support our yoga ambassadors with their dreams, we give back, and we strive to make yoga accessible to as many people as we can.” +

www.tanya-b.com @tanyabnewyork @tbnewyork

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yoga / Mindfulness

By Colleen Cash, RYT, MAT

OFF THE MAT:

Living Mindfully before practice

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nce you hit the mat, your focus is clear. Every step, every breath, even your gaze becomes conscious, especially if you’ve been practicing for a few years. As yogis, we move from the gross (step your right foot forward) to the subtle (roll your foot down from heel to toe). We learn how to sharpen our attention through breath and movement. But what about before and after class? Do we rush into the room, bump-

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ing others? Do we gaze gratefully into the teacher’s eyes after class as we sincerely thank them? Do we smile at our fellow yogis or unwittingly scowl, spreading our own misery to others?

This is something I’ve been contemplating for the past few years as a yoga teacher.

I’ve noticed that what I do before I enter the studio has a huge impact on each class.

This is certainly true for adults. But as a kids yoga teacher, the importance of extending

my awareness “off the mat” is especially obvious. Parents will tell you that kids are like sponges; they’ll soak up their surroundings, including the emotional state of the adults and other kids around them.

A few years ago, I taught an especially challenging group of students in an after-school yoga class. There were a couple of “showboats” in the group, who could be unruly. Their high energy was challenging for an especially sensitive boy in the group. I noticed that this boy’s emotional meltdowns occurred during frenzied moments, when the class felt chaotic.

The next week, I arrived a half hour early, to allow time to improve procedures, to produce a poster showing class rules, and to breathe. The result? A definite improvement in the students’ behavior. Suddenly,

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these wiggly little creatures were open, calm, and ready to listen. Best of all, the sensitive lad never had a breakdown. As a whole, my preparation made for a peaceful, conducive learning environment.

I have even observed this pattern with preschoolers and adults alike. If I walk into class full of energy after a run, my adult students are chipper and lively. Or, if I meditate before class, my students reflect back groundedness. I recall one day where I practiced a half hour of pranayama (breath work) and meditation before teaching at a preschool in southeast Portland. I was astounded at how the kids behaved that day!

They spoke quietly, their eyes slid around the room slowly; even their body movements were more purposeful. They reminded me of my most experienced adult yogis, and these preschoolers were just three and four years old!

Certainly the teacher sets the energy for the room. Yet what each yogi does before class will also change the class dynamic.

We are social creatures; we can’t help but mirror the emotions of those around us.

Neurologists trace this to a certain type of brain cell, mirror neurons, that perceive and replicate the emotions of people around us.

We create the class environment together, as our emotions combine. And what you bring to class has a definite impact on your fellow yogis.

When I first started teaching yoga to adults and kids, just coming up with a sequence or a fun yoga adventure was enough. I didn’t have the brain space to think as much about my own behavior. As I grew as an instructor and as a yogi, however, I found myself noticing how my students reflected back own emotional state. As you continue to dedicate time to yoga, allow the process to unfold at its own pace. There is no rush on the long, enriching road of self-discovery (svadyaya) that yoga offers. But make space for your practice to change you, on and off the mat. If, after a class, you find the colors outside the studio more vibrant, let your refreshed eyes see others in a new light. If you find yourself rushing into class, notice how this changes your experience of the practice. Just as you pay attention to the transitions between postures, notice how you enter and exit the yoga space. You may be surprised how your practice changes once you see this aspect. +

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Here are a few ideas of how you can become centered on the way to class: Bumblebee breath.

Simple and easy, this pranayama exercise helps people of all ages calm down by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the “relaxation response”). To practice bumblebee breath, inhale deeply through the nose and exhale with a low humming sound, feeling the buzz of the lips. I often do this over and over again while driving or biking to class.

Vipassana practice.

Vipassana meditation focuses on the body sensation, with the idea that we don’t respond negatively or positively to external occurrences, but rather to the body responses they create. As you travel to class, notice all of the physical sensations— the pressure of your Sitz bones on the seat, the feel of the steering wheel beneath your hands, the air moving across the rims of your nostrils. Be equanimous with all sensations, understanding that they will change with time.

Leave early, arrive early.

Leave ten to fifteen minutes early. This will prevent unexpected delays (Parking! Traffic!) from ruining your good vibes.

Notice what you imbibe before class.

Most yogis learn early on not to eat a huge, honkin’ burrito before class. But this extends to what you listen to and watch as well. If you’re driving, consider turning off the radio.

Instead, appreciate the delicious silence as deepen your breath. If surfing the news or reviewing your emails will stress you out, don’t check your phone. Remember, you create your mental environment with what you take in.

Choose your thoughts.

If your day has been stressful, hit the mental reset button with affirmations. Sit in your car for a few minutes, or work on your mat in the moments before class. Create a positive phrase that expresses what you need in the moment. For instance, “I am calm even in the face of stress,” or “I can handle anything that comes my way.” For ultimate potency, speak or think affirmations in the present tense, and use several points of view—“I am happy and free. YOU are happy and free. COLLEEN is happy and free.”

The subconscious mind replicates what you feed it regularly. Affirmations are seeds you plant for positivity. They work best if you use them regularly and repeatedly.

Sages of every era have seen that peace begins with each of us. Whatever energy you contribute to the world will boomerang back to you. By allowing your mindfulness to extend to the moments before and after class you are cultivating a true yogic lifestyle. What’s more, you’re contributing to the positivity on the planet. To foster peace among your fellow students and in the world, take time to create a positive emotional starting point before taking a yoga class.

Writer COLLEEN CASH has taught yoga in Portland, Oregon for eight years. She is also a Physical Education teacher in Portland schools.

Connect with her online at BrightYogaPDX.com.

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yoga / Abundance

By Kimi Marin nw yoga + Life™ ambassador

UNWRAPPING

Lakshmi’s Gifts:

Open Yourself to Abundance

L

akshmi, the goddess of prosperity.

To have the Golden Goddess by your side, invites continuous wealth and good luck. Yet, when she gives wealth, or grants abundance, her gifts are often only temporarily appreciated.

Although Lakshmi, at her core, is about spiritual wealth and the ultimate connection to our divine nature, in today’s age most people commonly approach her in regards to material and personal goods. Many of us would like money, success, and personal power. Yet, if we dig below the surface most of us will discover we do not feel we are worthy of these gifts. When we begin to observe our reactions to money, success, and personal empowerment, we may find our actions are self-sabotaging. Our own success frightens us and we retreat back into a safe harbor of mediocrity.

We live in a society that always bombards

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us with images of beautiful people, a better vacation, a better job, a better life. We want more money, more dessert, more clothes, more information, more friends. The wanting of more exacerbates a feeling of less as we look outside of ourselves to feel whole and valued. We will only become truly content when we stop searching outside of ourselves for validation of our own self-worth.

Many of us live in fear that there are not enough friends, money, clients, or time.

When we live in the feeling there is not enough we start to covet what others have as well as hide and protect what we deem as ours. This is the opposite of how Lakshmi works. The more you give, the more she gives back. Your ability to truly give to others mirrors your own ability to give to yourself. You must be willing to be patient, compassionate, and honor yourself fully as well as recognize and give these same gifts of love to another being.

When I started to really get to know Lakshmi, the gifts she holds, both spiritual and material, I began to excavate the bones of my past. I can pray all day to Lakshmi, write about her, light candles honor, chant her name 108 times and this may help me to notice the beauty of a sunset, the smile of my son, or help appreciate dinner my husband cooked, but deeper, long-lasting inner work is up to me. To invite in beauty and abundance, she asks each of us to dig deep into our shadow side and start pulling up weeds.

Honoring Lakshmi, I began to take stock of how I felt at monetary exchanges. When I quoted private session prices to clients or received payments I realized at my core I felt I was not worthy of the money. When I would spend money on groceries or goods, I would have buyer’s remorse and become ashamed that I spent too much. After a while I understood this shame and embarrassment was an undercurrent in all areas of my life.

To open yourself up to receiving the abundance gifted by this Golden Goddess is to notice the way you react when you do receive her blessings. Lakshmi does not care about your race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, or gender. Rather she appears to those who practice gratitude.

When you cultivate gratitude you began to align inner and outer beauty. Show you care about yourself, the world around you, and the beauty in your life. Honor the gifts you receive and give from your heart and Lakshmi becomes a devoted friend. +

KIMI MARIN, founder of Yogic Lore Flow, is a Portland-based yoga therapist, storyteller, and writer. Through yoga and myth she helps people find clarity in their mind, body and spirit. She guides students through their practice by riding the waves of breath, energetically aligning breath and body. www.kimimarinyoga.com

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health / Goal Setting

By Alexandra Franzen

HOW TO

set goals & commitments that you’ll actually keep

A

ccording to one clinical psychology study: just 8% of us successfully achieve the goals that we set for ourselves.

That's an EIGHT percent success rate and a NINETY-TWO percent failure rate. That’s pretty grim; we can do better.

Here are my thoughts on how to create goals and commitments that you’ll actually keep, particularly when it comes to creative projects and writing:

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1. MAKE IT SANE & HUMANE Writing an entire book in one month? Not sane or humane for most people. Writing three blog posts, one newsletter and daily tweets, every week forever and ever?

Also not sane or humane for a lot of people. Writing just ten lines of poetry every Tuesday? OK. That’s doable.

Find the most sane and humane version of your goal. Think: one room, not the whole hotel.

2. FIND A REASON TO CARE “I want to blog twice a week because I read somewhere that it’s good for marketing.”

This is not a particularly compelling reason to care about your goal.

“I want to blog twice a week because thousands of people are grappling with problems that I know how to solve. It’s my responsibility to share what I know. It doesn’t matter if one person is reading my work, or ten, or two thousand. I will

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Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.

Here’s a micro-worksheet to pull it all together

operate like the whole world is already listening, and give it my all. Every time.”

OK. THAT’S a good reason to care.

Once you’ve identified your reason to care, write it down. See it and read it often Think of it like a wedding band a daily, visible, tangible reminder of your commitment.

If you don’t see your “reason” right in front of your eyes every day, you’re far more likely to forget it.

3. MISE IT OUT My sweetheart, Brandon, works as a professional chef. In the culinary world, there’s a French term "mise en place," which means “putting in place.”

If you’re a cool guy, like Brandon, you say: “Mise it out!” (say it with me: Meez it out!)

Meaning: Set everything up in an orderly fashion — ingredients, knives, herbs, oils, cutting boards — so that I can get down to business.

If you want to exercise, daily, mise it out.

Lay out your running shoes and gym outfit the night before, at the foot of your bed. If you want to start each morning by writing a letter to someone you love, mise it out. Put your paper, pen and stamps right next to your coffee maker.

If you want to finish your novel, mise it out. Charge up your computer, queue up your favorite music, get your headphones, block out the time on your calendar and treat it with the same level of seriousness as your best friend’s wedding or an urgent doctor’s appointment. Can not, must not, will not be canceled. +

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Mike Ditka

My commitment is:

If I was going to simplify it, and make this commitment more sane and humane, my new commitment would be:

I care about this commitment because:

To ‘mise it out’ and set everything up so that I can succeed, I will:

Start with love. Keep it simple. You can get this done.

ALEXANDRA FRANZEN is a writer based in Portland, Oregon. Her words have been featured in multiple bestselling books, in song lyrics, and stenciled onto fine art paintings. In addition to typing away at her keyboard, she also loves to draw silly cartoons, do yoga, and hang out with her sexy chef-boyfriend. Check out Alexandra’s latest writing projects at AlexandraFranzen.com - and check out her “other” life as one-half of the team behind HunnyMilk, a new brunch restaurant in Portland: HunnyMilk.com.

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health / In the Kitchen

Recipe contributed by Chef BRANDON WEEKS. WANT BRUNCH? HunnyMilk is a pop-up restaurant located inside La Buca (40 NE 28th Ave, Portland, Oregon) that serves brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9am - 2pm. Service is walk-in only - no reservations. Maximum group size is 8 people. You can also indulge in brunch delivery every Friday through the UberEATS app.

Visit HunnyMilk.com to stay in-the-know about special events

The granola shown in this photo is being served with cranberrybanana compote and a chilled, semi-frozen bar of Greek yogurt.

Just one of the many creative ways that you can serve this tasty granola!

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s a professional pastry chef, people often assume that I eat croissants and danishes for breakfast every single morning of the week. But that’s just not accurate; sometimes, I also have donuts! (Just kidding. OK, not really.)

While I love flaky, buttery pastries just as much as anyone else, I also love lighter breakfast options like green smoothies, spelt toast, and homemade granola.

This is one of my all-time favorite granola recipes. Lately, I’ve been having a bowl of this stuff nearly every morning. It takes a little time and love to prepare, but it’s well worth the effort. You’ll be rewarded with a big container of toasty, nutty, sweet, clustery granola that’s amazing with almond or hemp milk, with yogurt, with fruit, or all by itself. Also, your entire house will smell like a magical maple-syrup paradise and your neighbors will be like, “Whoa.”

I often catch my girlfriend sneaking big handfuls of this granola right out of the container, especially after she gets home from the gym or the yoga studio. Our granola-stash is rapidly dwindling. Yours probably will be as well. Better make a double-batch... and hide some for yourself before your sweetheart, kids, or roommates see (or smell) what you’re up to.

– Brandon Weeks

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photo by: BRANDON WEEKS

Mention YOGA+life magazine to your server when you stop by HunnyMilk and get a free caramel hot chocolate with toasted milk marshmallows.

Oh, happy day!

TOASTED ALMONDFLAX GRANOLA with Banana Chips

This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian. To make it vegan, simply omit the honey and use a little more maple syrup instead. ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar ⅓ cup canola oil ½ cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons honey 1 vanilla bean 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons salt 3 and ¾ cups rolled oats 2.5 cups sliced almonds ½ cup flax seeds ½ cup banana chips Step 1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

(If you have a convection oven, use the “low fan” setting.)

Step 2. Spray two large rimmed cookie sheets with a generous coating of pan spray.

Step 3. Combine the rolled oats, almonds, and flax seeds in a large mixing box. Set aside.

Step 4. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape out the vanilla bean seeds with the back of a knife.

Step 5. Combine the brown sugar, canola oil, maple syrup, honey, vanilla bean seeds, cinnamon and salt in a medium sauce pot. Whisk ‘em up so that they are completely combined. Bring the mixture to a boil—then immediately bring it down to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do a quick downward-facing dog.

Step 6. Pour the brown sugar-syrup mixture into the bowl of rolled oats, almonds, and flax seeds. Stir thoroughly to evenly coat. Work quickly while the brown sugar-syrup mixture is still warm.

Step 7. Divide your granola evenly across your two cookie sheets.

Spread it all out!

Step 8. Bake your granola for 2 and 1/2 hours. Every 1/2 hour, crack open the oven door and stir the granola a bit. This will ensure that it gets nice and toasty on all sides. While you’re waiting for your granola to finish baking, do some vinyasa flowin’ or read some Pema Chödrön.

Step 9. After 2 and 1/2 hours of baking, remove your granola from the oven.

Let cool completely.

Step 10. Once your granola is completely cool (like, for real, no rushing OK?) break your granola into clusters, dump into a bowl, and add your banana chips. Mix it up and store in an airtight container. Hooray! You did it! Nom nom namaste.

Chef’s notes: If you do not have a vanilla bean, you can substitute 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Whisk the extract into the brown sugar-syrup mixture after it has finished simmering.

If you like chewy granola, bake your granola for a little less than 2 and 1/2 hours. If you like really crunchy granola, bake for a little more than 2 and 1/2 hours. Every oven is a little different, of course, so you might have to just “wing it” the first time around!

If you don’t like banana chips, you can omit those or substitute something else. Once your granola has totally cooled, try adding: dark chocolate chips, dried cherries, dried blueberries, freeze dried strawberries, toasted coconut flakes, chia seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, or white chocolate shavings instead of (or in addition to) the ‘nana chips. Or, go bonkers and add tiny pretzels and peanut butter cups to create a decadent trail mix. Yum. The flavor possibilities are endless!

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health / In the Kitchen

By britt b. steele nw yoga + Life™ ambassador

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eather in the Pacific Northwest comes with a variety of challenges. Dark and dreary days in the winter can get the best of even the light-hearted and those crazy, dry, and windy spring/summer days can leave you ungrounded and frazzled. When you start feeling disheveled and off balance, consider calling upon one the most ancient recipes on the yogic path: Kitchari is a “reset” for anyone at any time seeking a boost in vitality and a bit more balance.

This protein-packed yogi style stew provides complete and simple nourishment for the body, and aids in healing digestion, with its epic spice combinations. It is an ideal food of choice during times of stress on the body, such as cold wet months, periods of heavy workload, when you are fighting off a cold, or when the seasons are changing. It is also an especially good food to use while on a mono-diet as part of cleanse.

There are several variations to a basic kitchari recipe and the one below is basic, easy to start with, and balancing to all three doshas or constitutions (vata, pitta and kapha).

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photo by: Raku Loren

Enjoy the benefits of this cleanse, as a single meal, a whole day, or up to seven days to bring grounding and rejuvenation to your whole system.

THE WAY YOGIS DO IT: Hit the Wellness “Reset”

The ingredients are readily available at most health food stores.

2-3 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds ½ teaspoon cumin seeds 1 clove garlic, chopped ½ cup green mung beans, rinsed well and drained 1 teaspoon himalayan salt 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 cup white basmati rice, rinsed well and drained 6 cup warm water 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon coriander powder 4-5 thin slices of fresh ginger root 6 tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 tablespoon toasted and lightly ground sesame seeds 2 tablespoon unsweetened shaved coconut

In a heavy-bottomed pot (stainless steel is ideal), heat the ghee on medium heat. Ghee burns easily, so be careful not to get it too hot. Sauté the mustard seeds and cumin seeds in the ghee until the seeds pop. Then add the drained mung beans, garlic, turmeric and salt. Stir until the mix almost starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Then add the rice, water, cumin powder, coriander powder and ginger. Stir well, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker or pot. Cover and bring it to a boil on medium high heat. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer until both the rice and mung beans are cooked through – about 20-30 minutes. You may have to experiment with how much water you use to find a consistency that you like. (The more water, the thinner the consistency). A thinner consistency is preferable if your digestion is weak. You will notice that kitchari will thicken when it cools and you may need more water than you originally thought.

In order to provide the best quality of energy to your body, kitchari should be made the day that you wish to eat it and served hot. Garnish with fresh cilantro, freshly toasted and ground sesame seeds, and shaved coconut.

www.brittbsteele.com BRITT B. STEELE is a thought leader, truth seeker, and yoga teacher in the Portland area. She is the author of "Pilgrim: Live Your Yoga Every Single Day" and its corresponding 108 Day online Immersion. She is a guiding light in the yoga and ayurveda worlds, dedicated to bringing their powerful & simple teachings to the forefront of life today. She works with students to discover the hidden depths of yoga and to be a guide in bringing these potent teachings into day to day life. Britt lives with her husband at Deva Daaru YogaFarm, an hour outside Portland, Oregon where she hosts yoga teacher trainings, retreats, and bases her online programs and teachings.

Join Us For The Premier Yoga Event

NORTHWEST YOGA CONFERENCE February 21 - 25, 2018 in Seattle, WA

Buy Your Pass Early to Save BIG! www.nwyogaconference.com

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Events / Listing

MAY

1-29: The Yoga Of Food Begins on May 1st and meets four consecutive Mondays from 6-7:30PM at YoYo Yogi. Join YoYoYogi + Eat with Zest for the month of May and learn how to eat intuitively for a healthy life. Meal Planning + Recipes, Yoga + Meditation $98 registration yoyoyogi.com 6: Vino Vinyasa With Kristina Coco-Hackenjos at Imagine Yoga Studio. Truly a multi-sensory experience! Yoga, live music, wine tasting, snacks, chocolate and community. Must be 21 years old or older to taste the wine. $25 advance tickets imagineyogastudio.com 14: Wanderlust 108 Portland at Laurelhurst Park 21: Wanderlust 108 Seattle at Lake Sammamish State Park 5k Run, 75min DJ-Powered Yoga Flow, 30min Meditation & More $21-$45.08 advance tickets wanderlust.com 21: 2nd Annual Empowered Event A day long experiential retreat on living a life empowered. Hosted by visionary photographer and speaker, Jennifer Alyse and featuring internationally renowned speaker and best selling author Sierra Bender, together they will host a 3-hour immersion workshop followed by an afternoon of breakout workshops. A percentage of proceeds benefit non-profit Girls Inc. of the Pacific NW. $250 advance tickets jenniferalyse.com/projects/

JUNE

2-4: BEING SEEN Retreat Experience inner connection and presence in a weekend retreat setting designed to explore the gifts of Being Seen, opening your heart and living fully. In the awe-inspiring backdrop of a private retreat center located 30 miles West of Portland, come together through the vehicles of creative expression, movement, journaling, and stillness in nature to experience renewed energy, ignited passion and clarity, confidence for life and more!

Limited Availability jenniferalyse.com/projects 9: Hot Yoga For Life 500hr Hatha + Vinyasa Teacher Training This Yoga Alliance certified curriculum is for current yoga instructors with 200-hr certifications, aspiring to become masterful teachers. This program is divided into three modules, each over five weekends. Here you will learn skillful techniques and principles of sequencing for hatha, vinyasa, and deep stretching classes, meditation techniques, Ayurveda, and other specialized modalities of yoga. You will develop deep, personal, external and internal practices rooted in lineages rooted in Tantra, Hinduism, and Buddhism. hotyogaforlife.com

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21: International Yoga Day International Yoga Day Portland takes place in the heart of Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square, an urban park affectionately known as the city’s “living room”. The event is a great opportunity for everyone to come and experience the benefits of yoga in a community-supported environment and to spread the positive message that we can come together to support each other in our efforts to grow and change for the better.

Free Event internationalyogadayportland.com and check seattleyoganews.com for updates on 2017 Seattle events too!

24: Introduction to Yoga with Rosalie This semi-private workshop at Kula Movement will bring more understanding, awareness, and catering to your needs. Whether you're new to yoga, rehabilitating an injury, or reconnecting to your practice, this workshop will offer pose modifications and a deeper awareness of breath.

This workshop will explore basic relaxation and strengthening postures, teach you to work with your personal needs or injuries, and deepen your breath practice. $45 Space is Limited kulamovement.com

JULY

7-9: Oregon Country Fair An annual three-day festival offering the finest in entertainment, hand-made crafts, delectable food and information sharing. The Fair takes place in Veneta, Oregon, about 15 miles west of Eugene. Started in 1969 as a benefit for an alternative school, the OCF has a rich and varied history of alternative arts and performance promotion, educational opportunities, land stewardship and philanthropy. The Fair enjoys a mutually cooperative relationship with their neighbors and a solid niche in the Veneta community. oregoncountryfair.org 10-14: Summer Yoga Camp for Young Women Kula Movement is offering a fun and inspiring summer camp for young women, ages 11-14, lead by yoga teacher and self-expression enthusiast Karina Brossmann. This is a week long camp for young women to experience the bliss of yoga, the fun of dance and the deep nourishment of expressing yourself with others. During this camp the girls will get the chance to practice yoga, meditation and mindfulness as well as get to dance, express and do some creative activities like drawing, journaling and improvisation. $275 (Get an early bird discount before 6/26/17!) kulamovement.com 26-30: Oregon Brew Fest One of the nation's longest-running craft beer festivals, the Oregon Brewers Festival is considered a destination, and 80,000 craft beer lovers annually make the pilgrimage to Beervana to drink up what the festival has to offer. Whether you prefer Belgians or Blondes, Pales or Pilsners, Saisons or Wits - come to the Oregon Brewers Festival and see for yourself why it’s one of the world's best loved craft beer festivals! oregonbrewfest.com

AUGUST

13: Bridge Pedal Portland is a city of bridges, and every year the Providence Bridge Pedal allows you to wind your way across six, eight, even 10 bridges, in lanes temporarily dedicated only to bikes. Each ride has a different registration fee, start time and starting location. providence.org/bridge-pedal/registration 21: Great American Eclipse Millions of people across the United States will see nature's most wondrous spectacle on August 21, 2017: a total eclipse of the Sun. It's been 99 years since a total solar eclipse crossed the country from the Pacific to the Atlantic. When the Moon completely blocks the Sun, daytime becomes a deep twilight, and the Sun’s corona shimmers in the darkened sky. greatamericaneclipse.com 23-27: Yoga + Beer Retreat in Bend OR Not your traditional yoga retreat, just like our Yoga + Beer classes aren't your traditional yoga class. Prepare yourself for five days of feel-good, beer-drinking, outdoor-adventuring, friend-making, yoga bliss. Come to recharge. To make new friends. To explore Bend. To recommit to your practice. To celebrate summer. Whatever your reason, your thirst will be quenched by this refreshing retreat. This detox + retox vacation will include two yoga classes per day with Mikki, all of your meals, lodging at McMenamin's Old St. Francis School, hiking, stand up paddleboarding, river floating, brewery tours and Yoga + Beer (obviously) at some of Oregon's most beloved breweries.

Various Room Rates cheersandnamaste.com/bend/ 25-26: Hood To Coast Race The 36th annual Hood To Coast Relay is an overnight, long-distance relay race and one of the longest and largest relays in the world.

Considered to be on the “bucket list” for many a runner and walker, Hood To Coast has filled its team limit for the past 26 years, and 19 straight years on “Opening Day” of the lottery. The course runs approximately 320 km, 200 mi, starting at Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood, the tallest peak in Oregon, through the Portland metropolitan area, and over the Oregon Coast Range, finishing on the beach of Seaside on the Oregon Coast. hoodtocoast.com 25-4: Oregon State Fair Unforgettably Fun. Originating in 1862, the fair has showcased Oregon crops and livestock, arts, and culture, and has hosted many food booths and vendors as well as judging competitions, horse racing and popular entertainers through the years. oregonstatefair.org

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