Proteins are the most important macro for keeping you full and many other reasons that this article is about.
2022 Pantry
Probably like you, I’ve evolved eating habits and meal planning since 2020.
My meals are focused on healthy proteins, carbs, veggies, fiber, and healthy fats. My pantry reflects those balanced moves… and fewer sweets.
The bulk of sweets come from my weekly bakes, like poached cinnamon-honey pears or kiwi meringues.
Daily salty snacks are mostly from nuts that are a high source of protein (i.e. 1 ounce of almonds has 6 grams of protein).
Once in a while, popcorn (a whole grain) with a dash of turmeric comes on the scene for a good movie.
Or a dash of EVOO and white pepper that gives a savory umami buzz.
That’s important for a taste-o-phile. 😊
For most meal prep, the focus is on anti-inflammatory plant-based sources like legumes and phytochemical-rich fruits and veggies.
But I didn’t start off 2020 with my then-new pantry (in limbo transition)…
2020 Pantry
The first meal I remember cooking was a box of pasta. It’s not touted on the daily news, but there’s a reason why pasta takes up one side of the grocery store aisle.
For the low cost, it offers good value. It beats a junk food replacement that’s more convenient.
Pasta is fairly easy and quick to cook and is a filling source of energy great for lunches.
And then you can add your favorite protein and veggies on top for a healthy meal.
It’s also a good source of potassium, B vitamins, protein, fiber and has very low sugar. You can also get the tricolor kind with tomato and spinach puree.
But yeah, anything from a box with a barcode isn’t likely to be nutrient-dense polyphenol healthy.
Sometimes I make my own pasta with eggs (which btw, both egg yolks and whites are a good source of proteins)…
But any pasta isn’t gonna be as nutritious as a whole grain alternate or a pseudo-grain like quinoa (a complete protein) that has all 9 amino acids, including the ones your body doesn’t make.
The quinoa nutrition label won’t show that today, so all you see is the 4 grams of protein per half a cup (which still isn’t bad… but only half the scoop). You can add quinoa to your breakfast strategy!
Good to know, no matter whether you’re a natural Vata, Pitta, or Kapha Ayurvedic body type.
In case those terms are new… generally, Vatas are lean, Pittas are muscular, and Kapha body types are heavier set.
In all cases, protein is needed for functioning and is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals.
Some amino acids (the building block of proteins) needed for life, only come from food sources.
Proteins are also needed for muscle growth and tissue repair.
Plus, eating proteins helps with focusing on tasks other than eating all day.
This is especially true if you’re a Vata body type with lean genes and skinny jeans where energy crashes and feeling occasional lightheadedness from low blood sugar can come with the territory too.
All in all, proteins keep us feeling full longer, and being filled gives us energy. Healthy protein sources can come from legumes like beans or tofu (i.e. 6 ounces of tofu has 11 grams of protein).
The 5 Blue Zone regions in the world have the highest concentration of Centenarians (the young-at-heart people passing the 100-year-old mark).
Legumes carry across the board are part of their longevity plans.
Loma Linda, CA – mixed (black, kidney, pinto, tofu, etc.)
Occasional lean animal proteins and fish also help us to stay healthy.
Choosing a variety is going to give you the diversity of vitamins and minerals your body optimally runs on.
You can think of getting a balanced meal from building a grain bowl or wrap like in a Chipotle meal.
Here’s a grain bowl example you can try in your at-home meal prep:
Proteins lead the meal prep
Oh, and don’t forget the microgreens and chia seeds (I.e. 3 Tbsp chia seeds has 7 grams of protein).
If you’re like me who likes to boost her omega-3s with ground flaxseeds, you’re getting 6 grams of protein per 3 Tbsp.
While you may choose your greens first, for meal prep, proteins can still lead the meal choice. Here’s the healthy you could consider weekly:
1-2 cans of 15 oz beans or legumes (chickpeas/lentils)
Wild-caught fish and seafood
Lean Poultry (minimally processed)
Protein in egg yolks and egg whites.
Grass-fed or free-range meat
Uncured lunch meat
Here are some protein questions you can ask:
Which omega-3 protein-rich sources will I add? Examples: Salmon, eggs (enriched eggs), sardines
Which plant-based proteins? Examples: Tofu, beans, legumes
Which lean B vitamin-rich proteins? Example: Chicken (minimally processed), uncured meats (without sodium nitrates or added nitrite)
B vitamins are water-soluble. Since the body doesn’t store them, we need to keep replenishing. B-vits work together and are responsible for healthy growth, vision, skin, hair, nails, metabolism, immune system support, memory, prevention of many potential body issues, and so much more.
For healthy balancing and easy recipes, check out the search bar feature.
Himalayan pink salt relaxes the body and is soothing for feet and toes
Are you feeling as productive as you had been? If not as much, maybe this short article will help you to find more peace this season, do the things in your life that matter (and feel more relaxed!).
It’s okay to be uncertain, as we’re all pivoting in some ways. Embracing pivots is helpful for understanding a life of purpose and meaning.
And hopefully you’re still chasing dreams and desiring a better-than-you-started-future outcome, as your optimistic beliefs will carry you far. Believing today accelerates your getting to the other side.
These days you may have to work a little harder to break through the clouds for victories, but they’re there.😊
What could be helpful for you?
First, focus on the right things.
The better idea is to be daily productive and continually develop better ways than from your past. You’re a day wiser than you were yesterday and year wiser than last year.
Spend your time wisely, being conscious to not just take on anything or task put in front of you. We can change and design our paths.
We can remove old ways that don’t serve us anymore or we don’t want again. Evolving helps you grow. It’s a strength.
Sure, life can be easier in a routine and automatic existence, but trying to live in a predictable bubble is not the whole life.
It’s also unrealistic in our unpredictable world and can set up for disappointment.
…When you’re open, loosening the reigns allows you to explore and discover more about yourself and the world around you.
Letting go of the past makes life easier and makes you more nimble to be able to roll with the punches. Then the things that cause unrest can more easily roll off your back.
It’s also much healthier to not live with negative emotions, ongoing stress, anxiety, or irritation from situations or people.
Kind confrontation is better than showing anger, seething, or holding onto stress that no one else knows about.
I used to not like change because I’m a planner. That was the type of work I did too in food menu planning for events. But then I experienced situations where change turned out good so my “all change is bad” theory was busted.
And I realized holding onto the past was fearful thinking. When I let go of what I couldn’t change, life got better. And life is good. And that could be for you too.
And you probably know what that feels like.
Secondly, begin with the end.
From the time we were young kids, we were taught to think in a linear way and to look ahead at tomorrow (or at adult profession dreams when we were way too young to know the realities or what we really wanted).
Today as an adult, a better call is to look at the happiest outcome of your entire life… through the end.
Of course, your perspective will change over the years, but for now, you can consider the question: what legacy do you want to leave?
In other words, what do you want to be remembered for? When you look at it that way, you cut through the stuff you’re preoccupied with today that won’t matter or be as important in the end.
Here’s something you can do today if that’s something you’re trying to answer (or want to discover better ideas about your best life):
Be more relaxed.
You get your best ideas when you and your mind are relaxed and receptive to thoughts from your loving-productive channel.
You’re most relaxed when you’re sleeping, but you’re not able to process your thoughts then and there. Asleep, you can’t really work with those ideas that come in dreams even if they seem productive.
…Btw, I wanted to mention, this is a two-part post. The second part will be about changing, unproductive non-loving thoughts. I think it’s important because that’s where the daily brain can live a good chunk of the day and block out your good ideas if you’re not managing thoughts optimally.
So, getting back to productivity and being relaxed…
When you’re awake you can do two activities at once. Multi-tasking can be productive or counterproductive.
Maybe you’re a natural multi-tasker. That’s me too, my female-Vata side is wired that way, and to like variety.
But there are times when multi-tasking is counterproductive like when you’re trying to read and write at the same time, watch television or listen to a podcast.
Those competing activities create noise in your mind as you have to work twice as hard to drown out one to focus on another.
But when you pair a relaxing activity that you can put on auto-pilot, like thinking through an idea while taking a shower or making your daily tea, new ideas mysteriously and creatively emerge that weren’t there before.
That’s why it’s good too to take mindful breaks, switching up activities to recharge and let new ideas enter. One idea can set you off on a whole new path.
Recently over the past few years, people have changed their thoughts and perspectives on this life: seeing it more precious, valuing time more, and seeing how quickly it goes by.
In our western go-go-go society, it’s common to be unhappy in the corporate world. That’s where I came from.
The more you did and proved your value, the more you could be indispensable (although nobody really is).
The pressure was always there running as an undercurrent. Potentially losing a job for whatever reason was always a looming threat to job security.
And vacations were almost always too short and few. Relax was a bad word in those environments. Taking on stress was not described as life-shortening as it is these days.
Relaxing was associated with being lazy and there was no spinning the idea of laziness as productive.
Laziness was associated with old age, not working, and 4-legged furry pets. Today laziness is normal.
Unhealthy burning the midnight oil, drinking multiple espressos, sugary canned drinks, cramming food down, skipping meals to get more done, and eating junk to get us through, was a growing epidemic.
So hopefully those were our past ways. One good outcome from being more awake and slowing down (and maybe that’s how you are now) is people are taking the burden off their bodies.
We were never meant to have a 24-7-on all the time work-focused mind.
If the body doesn’t want to naturally do this, that’s a sure health warning. Now we’re reconsidering our lives and what we want now and in the future.
And you can leverage these evolving societal changes and reconsider time for your best use.
Finding time throughout the day to do nothing that needs broadcasting (like relaxed yoga poses, napping, meditation, or watching shows) is a good use of time that can lead you to new ideas. And then you can get back to being busily productive as part of the balance.
And if you’re a recovering 24-7 workaholic, you may never want to go back to a rat-race existence if that’s what you had.
You’ve learned some lessons and now know a better way. And you’re smart not to want to go back. You don’t get to redo any age.
Going back would be like wearing a worn-out and familiar old shoe that no longer looks right on you.
Today, you can retire those shoes, and run with a new pair to get to a better place. And don’t be too surprised when new ideas meet you there on your next move. 🎉
Bird yoga pose is one metaphor in life that can help you soar and help with your body balance, strength, and flexibility. Learn what these poses are below.
More about this “crouching tiger” looking photo below 🐯
Today I’m gonna share how bird yoga pose (and actually 4 bird yoga poses) can help you get some of the tight kinks out. Below I spend time on Pigeon Pose because I think it’s underrated for all the benefits (especially if your joints need some flexing).
And I believe everyone can use yoga no matter what profession we have or how active we are (as we tend to do repetitive actions that the body can get irritated with).
At some point, some part needs a stretch, and if you keep up with stretching, then the body cells remember the stretched feeling, and you don’t have to grease up the joints as much to get there.
I remember I took a season away from yoga at the beginning of my yoga journey and I thought I would have to start all over again.
I was surprised and happy to find that was not the case. I did lose muscle, but the time off actually restored certain smaller worn muscles. They appreciated the time off 😊
It’s like getting rest on the weekends. You probably need more self-care time than you initially think.
Like if you take a few days off, your body kinda can unwind but isn’t totally relaxed. It’s ready to jump back into busyness, but that’s not good for your body.
And if you take a purposeful year off like I did to discover, travel, and recoup, you may sleep like a hibernating bear (and bypass a mid-life crises later on if that still exists).
You could call it a gap year or sabbatical.
Then once restored and feeling like a million bucks, your body wants to get back in action.
Ignoring the body can catch up with all of us at some point, but the good news is we have a chance to make healthy changes along the way.
When we’re in a busy season, carving out time to work out is hard work, and so many of us don’t get to do it, or we prefer to spend our time with other fun or catch-up activities.
Plus, how exciting is it to talk to others about your workout instead of a fun outing event you had?
But like many good things for you, they are not exciting.
Like habits. But little by little (and in micro-habits) they make a difference and the sooner you do them, the sooner they stick.
Yoga fitness is one (less intense) way you can do and stay consistent with fitness habits.
And if it’s important for you to check off working out for your week, consistent yoga could be your savior… and you never know, could pivot you into other fitness areas as you discover more about your body.
You can do yoga anytime and anywhere without a change of clothing (or babysitter).
If I told you some of the places I did yoga, you’d probably laugh… like on a cold, swept restaurant floor and on a busy, warm sanded beach…
I found that adding fun challenges with step and move goals kept me motivated. And keeping the eyes on the prize helps… like staying energetically healthy as life progresses.
I think we all want that in our lives so we can have a high-quality life.
That’s where the bird yoga pose and poses I mention below can help. The poses can relax and stretch you (both body and mind). And since none of us can fly on our own (at least not today), this is the closest we can get to being a bird. 😁
An inspirational bird yoga pose (that can be goals) could help encourage you to work on all or one of these core yoga areas: strength, flexibility, balance (holistic fitness), and body alignment because one side is usually tighter than another.
Or, one slight tweak move in a muscle can be all you need for that nagging pain you or others have been complaining about in conversation.
Yoga isn’t a rigid practice (it’s individualistic), so you can call it stretching if it’s less intimidating and can stretch your imagination to wanting to give a GO.
The name of poses are really just to help you know which poses to get into, but your body and its needs are unique, so tweak the poses in a way that makes you feel good (and doesn’t hurt).
In case you’re new, yoga stretches should not give you a wincing pain or any agony where you’re biting your lip.
And if you’re not in alignment for certain poses (likes ones bearing the weight of certain body parts), you won’t necessarily feel the misalignment at the moment.
It could show up in a day or two, like when you work out with weights. So use good form in the pose moment.
Stretches should feel like you needed the stretch, and the longer you hold the stretch the less tight it becomes, wearing off the tight kinks.
Of course, if you have any injuries, avoid those areas until they fully heal.
But other than those caveats, yoga can solve most daily and accumulated nagging sore muscle issues! I’m living proof 😊
So here are 4 inspirational bird yoga poses to work on and towards (and btw, you won’t end up on all 4’s even if you start out that way, so you can test out your flying ability just a little).
Crane Pose – is a good mat pose for building strength in arms
In this one, you’re supporting your body with your arms. Your feet start off on the floor and then lift off.
You want to be careful not to twist your wrists (the good form is keeping them straight on your mat and perpendicular to your matching left and right shoulders).
When I went through a short season where I stopped doing my arm exercises like push-ups, getting in a Crane pose was like starting over.
I had to build back the arm strength that this pose requires. Your body may feel that way or may not have those issues, but instead other ones in other areas.
Yoga is a journey and that’s what I think keeps it interesting. You’re always working on something.
For you, it could also be strength and/or a combination of flexibility and balance (or all of the above). We all start somewhere with our one and only body, so keep trying.
Pigeon Pose – is a floor or mat pose good for developing flexibility in the hip, legs, knees, and butt(ocks)
When you have tight quads or hips, this pose can help get you outta that quandary.
As with most yoga poses, there are many variations and if you want to keep your arms and legs on the mat the whole time, that’s an option.
You want to find the body spots that are tight and sore and work on those. You can do this by moving around your pointed straight back leg after you get in the Pigeon Pose (that btw, your leg isn’t supporting the weight of other parts of your body so it’s OK to move it around in this pose if that doesn’t offer your body any pain).
Pigeon Pose can help with your largest muscle groups like your quads, your glutes (butt), plus the tight muscles surrounding your knees that you wouldn’t easily be able to get to in everyday positions.
We underestimate how much we need our knees to easily work to be mobile.
In Pigeon Pose, each side won’t necessarily be equal in terms of tightness and you’ll realize that quickly. So give more attention to the side that needs the longer stretch.
The easiest way to get in this pose is to start in Downward Dog (your “V” with all 4’s planted) and then hinge your body and arms forward with one leg you want to have in front.
Then sit down on the mat focusing on squaring (aligned) hips to your shoulders.
The opposite leg will rest straight (not bent) back behind you with the top of your foot on the mat. You should feel long and that can feel good in itself!
With this bird yoga pose, you can also work on opening your shoulders if you can reach back and grab your bent leg and foot. This is a chance to look up to the ceiling or sky.
It’s a nice break for your neck.
If you regularly cook, clean floors, or work on a laptop on your lap, you may not realize how many hours you’re looking down all the time, and that hurts your neck that supports your head, brain, and reminder… your mind control center.
Well, when it’s put that way!…
But anyway…
In this active Pigeon Pose, there’s a good opportunity to look up (and restore your neck).
OK, this reminds me of movie theaters… have you ever sat in the front row of a movie theater? I haven’t been to one in ages. But when I was a teen, movie theaters were often packed and we’d arrive later and not having a choice, had to sit in the front row just a few feet away from the big screen.
That felt like the worst movie scenario at the time. We had to crank our necks and gaze up for the entire movie.
Looking back now, we didn’t know the yoga neck-posture benefits we were deploying back then. You may remember me next time you’re at the movie theater 😉
So deploy that head up move in your active Pigeon Pose… or you can gracefully go into a more passive Swan Pose (like in the theater production Swan Lake).
This is almost like a resting child’s pose, but a great stretch all around as your arms are stretched long on the mat and your one leg behind you.
I love this bird yoga pose as you feel graceful as your body is stretched from one end of the mat to the other (maybe why ballerinas love it too).🩰
If you have tight quads or muscles you can’t seem to get to in your regular stretch routines, this pose can do the trick over time or days.
The longer you can hold the pose (like minutes at a time), the better the benefit. You feel the healing working when you ever so slightly move and the tightness eases up.
It feels good just talkin’ about it 😉
Here’s a Good Reminder!
Eagle pose – is a good standing balance bird yoga pose
On earth, eagles are harder to come by in the world. They were an endangered species and can fly higher than their prey and vultures.
That’s the meaning behind: “I can fly higher than an eagle” song verse in Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings” song.
This one takes a little body coordination memory. Just remember, the same side where one leg is lifted off the ground is the same side where the arm/elbow will wrap underneath the other.
Then in union (the definition of yoga), the hands will meet.
When you’re in this pose, you feel good for being able to stand on one leg in balance… and you can do this anytime and during commercial breaks.
Or even in regular clothes, like this photo of me below where I’m in a dress wearing big costume jewelry ready to go to a holiday event, but still getting the benefits of my eagle here 🦅…
Eagle Pose
Bird of Paradise – is a pose that challenges flexibility, balance, and leg strength (…and isn’t a bird at all. It’s a tropical orange flower that could be found in this type of paradise environment at the Miami Botanical Center).
When you can do this Bird of Paradise pose, then you can be thinking you reached yoga paradise
The Bird of Paradise pose is a complete mind-body pose (and not one in awareness where I want to be wearing a dress without showing too much of my flower if ya know what I mean!). So you’ll just have to trust me here and give it a try yourself.😉
And if you want to know the mind-body mechanics of the bird yoga pose, I wrote a past blog post on this great pose.
If you can do this pose, then you have a good shoulder opener, leg strength builder, and torso flexor, all-in-one. Plus your mind will be stretched in a good way (focused and in the moment).
Just something to consider especially if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and stuck in life… Bird of Paradise yoga pose can be a nice little goal to take your mind off for a brief moment.
You can change your outlook one bird yoga pose (and day) at a time.
When you get tears of joy (😂), your body is set in joy motion. You feel something and that can get you to move and take good action.
You get to experience freeing moments like you’re on top of the world, and your mind is joyfully elevated. This helps your mental health and outlook. And when your mind is happy, your body feels the connection. That’s Ayurveda in a nutshell.
Well… except it’s not that cut and dry (…I don’t think anything is these days). I wrote some personal notes below at the end of this post, from over a decade of intentional-balanced and healthy-minded living
I think it’s safe to say, we all have different body goals. One of mine is to stay looking young for as long as nature will let me. I can’t stop gray hairs from coming, but I can avoid the stressful grays that started in my mid-20s.
And our preferences are different, like in music…
For me and maybe for you, that can be in listening to a song that strikes a chord inside, like Adele’s emotional songs or the empowering words from a Lauren Daigle song.
Lyrics matter to me more now than they used to when I’d hum along to anything that had an upbeat vibe. It’s a good idea to be choosier about what we put in our minds (and body) if we want certain results.
And in modern Ayurvedic living, you choose as it’s not rules-based but certain practices work because the body is intuitive.
In other happy moments, seeing someone else happy can leave us smiling. Or when they have tears of joy, we do too.
And in another moment, that could be laughing out loud (does anyone even use LOL anymore…besides me? 😊).
And btw, I get a good laugh in watching The Great British Baking Show. I’ll spare you the witty, but clean jokes swirling in my head. But, that’s what sets it apart from every other baking competition. It’s standup (filmed) comedy or silly, tongue-in-cheek banter… oh, and beautiful bakes too.🍥
And it’s easy to love and relate to all the friendly contestants (and be glad you’re not under the pressure!). Read-dy?…Now Bake.
Just kidding. (I can’t say lol since I just called myself out on it).
But, anyway… in life, you’re usually witnessing your life from and with other people even if it’s through a computer or television. Even if we feel like we live in a bubble, our energy permeates through social media and our connections made. It doesn’t take a plane ride… it takes nanoseconds for our energy and atoms to travel.
And that’s the relational power we have in this life. Along with our connecting breath.
Next time you think about it, pair your tears of joy (or routinely adding daily eye drops) with a special breathing exercise called Pranayama, that’s a controlled way of breathing.
Here’s how you do Pranayama breath. Blow out all your air through your mouth. And then inhale breathe in a big gasp of air through your nose. Hold your breath for about 6-8 seconds. And then let out a big exhale through your mouth as you had started with. You can feel a burst of concentration/clarity in your mind. The mind fog is lifted (even if it’s temporary) and it can feel like you just had a shot of espresso or strong matcha tea.
In doing the breathing exercise, you’ve just relaxed and massaged your body from the diaphragm muscles to your vital nerves that impact your brain, breathing, and the body parts that regulate your stress. Sounds like a big deal… it is.
But we forget. And living in purpose is everything to intentional balanced living.
You get to feel alive! And that may be the that’s-what -I’m talkin’-about prescription you need, especially if you have constant stress in your life. You can try to find areas of life where you can shed tears of joy.
You can practice breathing purposeful daily wherever you are, so remember to do this regularly or when you next feel anxiety or a breather moment.
This can be another purposeful move where you step outside where you spend most of your day. Like when you’re out and see a work of art that moves your heart and stirs your soul. That can be from nature or something that is living and breathing like a baby-making cooing sounds or a dog with a wagging tail you see walking outside.
Pitta is a heated situation where you want to get back to love and peace. And a cooling off like ice cream can do just that. Easy chocolate soft serve recipe below. 🍦🍫
You may not be a Pitta type, but you may have others in your life who dominate in this dosha body (and mind-body) type. If they are unaware, they can be impatient, irritated, and annoyed. Or maybe that’s you. We’re all just one step away from a Vata, Pitta, or Kapha imbalance. Restoring the balance helps us operate optimally.
And btw, this avocado tree that started from a seed in the summer, is a calming addition. It’s looking a little like a Jack and the Beanstalk, but it’s healthy. And if a plant is healthy, then it’s happy.
Happy Jack and the Beanstalk
…As humans we’re a ‘lil more complex and want it all (and have more areas that need TLC). Plus from others, we want our preferred 5 love languages met.
And if yours happens to be Gift, then I have a nice giant healthier (but just as tasty) oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe below that you can bake and gift to that Pitta someone (or yourself 😋)… and you can decorate with frosting words if you like. Remember the big cookies you could buy in the mall?
Finding ways to be kind like gifting a cookie, helps when we have someone dominant in our lives and relationships who has a Pitta imbalance. And they act less than, well… desirable or pleasant.
…and that’s because they’re probably stressed about something in their life. If things aren’t happening as they had hoped, this can be a source of sour cherry or bitter thorns that subtly weaves their way into other parts of life.
And chronic stress buildup we know is the silent ager and gateway to health inflammation. Feelings of stress can be masked inside the body. And whether anger is acted out, it’s more a personality trait (and violence is more a male species trait).
And, panicking and anxiety is a heavy Vata trait, so if you’ve been wondering why people naturally panic and others don’t, that’s the way they’re wired. And experiences along their journey can trigger their emotional or uncontrollable body reactions.
The tricky part is you can have a combination of body things going on. It’s better to nip in the bud so undesired tendencies don’t settle in, and you can live optimally free of inflammation and discomforts. (You can learn more about this by taking the Body Balance Quiz).
Today I wanted to talk specifically about Pitta as just about everyone has a dominant Pitta in their life whether it’s at home or work.
If another person’s Pitta imbalance is spilling over to you and causing angst in your life, then you should especially keep reading so you can be aware (and moving towards getting your life back).
Let’s start with…
What if you could silently help the Pitta person (a loved one, a housemate, a boss, a co-worker, or your Pitta self) or people in your life without saying a word? I mean, no one wants to poke (or provoke) the bear.
First of all, most people are unaware they are misbehaving or creating noticeable havoc affecting others if they haven’t already learn to control how they act, at least in front of people. They are naturally that way and you are naturally your way. And probably no one has stopped them (and maybe even encouraged them because they don’t have to encounter them regularly like you do).
Even if you have mentioned their behavior in passing, it may not register. What they are experiencing internally can be louder than your words. It’s their internal turmoil. And the oil spill is damage passes onto you.
Most dominant Pittas love (or should I say live for) productivity. Emotional drama is not going to embrace them and they may even avoid those situations. They’re not going to stick around for the gossip (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing as they have better things to do with their time).
How it can hurt is they may not have a plug-in cord with their heart and surface feelings. (Even though they may feel even deeper inside than those who wear their hearts on their sleeves). Whatever the case, we shouldn’t fault them for what they don’t have and they shouldn’t fault us for our lacks they perceive.
Pitta managers (think the managing directors) can act like a typical Type-A in Corporate America. The tradeoff is they’re not often good with focus on living balanced or taking daily joy time out every day unless there’s a definitive goal assigned to what they’re doing.
Working out, running, or bicycling can be a better work-life balance time-off activity in their focused eyes.
So, to a Pitta, starting a conversation with having a better work-life balance probably isn’t going to win them over, lol. Those of us who are Vatas can find that interesting as we love to enjoy and relax.
Having a happy life discussion may even enter a downward spiral if you’re looking for a promotion. Getting the right things done is more the language you want to use, and this could also be with a relationship partner.
If you can present spreadsheets, logical conclusions, and rationale, this will go over better than anecdotal evidence. You may even want to get to the bottom line first and then explain the backup story.
Strong Pittas make great finishers and competitors. Professional athletes are usually high Pittas because they can stay calm under pressure, so they continue to score when others could crumble.
For a Pitta relationship, you may want to suggest joint leisure physical activities or yoga. Emphasizing more active yoga poses like Warrior or Mountain standing poses where hands and arms are in movement.
A lying down Knee Hug or Happy Baby Pose won’t do much for a Pitta. But a stretch in hamstrings will remind them of working out and not having sore leg muscles the next day (healthy productivity).
A quiet practice like eyes-closed meditation can be good for a Pitta since there is a clear beginning and end when the eyes close and open. And if there’s a clear goal like helping to reduce stress, then they can be all in. “Being more intentional in life” can be a little too obscure.
Whoever your Pittas are in your life, here are 5 ways you can bring in more love for each of the 5 love languages (from Gary Chapman’s book).
5 Love Languages for the Pittas in your Life:
Quality Time:
For a Pitta co-worker, if you can’t physically spend time with them, silent prayer for them is a proactive way that would help. No one ever refuses a prayer no matter what beliefs they hold or don’t hold.
For a romantic partner, working out together (mentioned above), or an engaging activity like cooking a meal together, ice skating, or playing a game could be fun. If an activity is mentioned, even if it’s not favorable to you, think about what would be a benefit in taking a few hours.
We can spend that much time, cleaning and piddling around doing nothing or watching television where the time just disappears. Or in feeling guilt for not agreeing.
What if you did something that meant a lot to the other person? It’s time you put into the relationship and quality to them. Think of it as an act of service (love).
Acts of Service:
Maybe your Pitta friend or spouse needs a vacation, but they can’t take one just yet. You could change the situation around you. This works for babies. O how a fussy baby can be quietly silenced, being held in the air, or with a ‘lil playful drops of water trickling down their heads that you release from a straw.
For an adult, that won’t work (and will probably get you in hot water!) but the same strategy works.
You can similarly change their immediate atmosphere. And create ambiance (that’s what we would say in a restaurant).
You can play Kenny G or jazzy tone music around them. Music has a profound calming effect. You can explore a bunch of music play suggestions.
You can light up or gift them with a lavender or musky scented gift. This could bath be salts, a candle, or tea. This can help soothe them back to relax mode.
This can be coupled with quality time activities but also when they’re most stressed out, like when they first get home from work or had chaotic travel.
You know when they’re relaxed because they won’t be acting irritated by what was or wasn’t done.
Gifts and Physical Touch:
Maybe make a homemade or thoughtful gift like an avocado smoothie or a photo memory displayed that may go over very well. You may need to dig a ‘lil deeper to find a gift to evoke feeling from a memory vs. giving a thoughtful gift, like…
Bake a carrot cake, prepare a Middle Eastern meal (lotsa astringent tastes that will help balance them) or order one in.
…Or you can make waffles or pancakes.
…Or this irresistible and versatile healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie (that can also be a breakfast idea). The printable recipe is found here 🍴.
Who wouldn’t love this cookie and if you hand frosted writing something nice?
2/3 cup oats
1/2+ cup whole wheat flour for a standard cake pan (this can vary depending on the size of your baking pan. Be sure you can cover the entire bottom of the pan for a whole cookie.)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup (for low-sugar)
1 Tbsp yogurt
1/4 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp chocolate chips (add on top like in my photo above if you don’t want a lumpy cookie. Then you can slightly heat the cookie up in the oven recommended for warm but intact chocolate chips when you’re ready to enjoy).
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 egg
Mix ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. I like to let the edges brown just a tad (for the crunchy bite). No muss, no fuss… just simple smiles.
Add milk and cocoa powder to a pot, and heat until you see a light boil (a few small boil bubbles). Then turn the heat off.
Take the pot off the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Add your egg yolks to a separate mixing bowl and beat with sugar to emulsify until pale or lighter yellow color.
Add slightly cooled mixture to egg yolks and constantly stir with quick motions (prevent curdling).
When combined, set in refrigerator to cool down for about 15 minutes or longer.
Prepare ice cream maker machine and bowl if you will be using one to set the soft serve ice cream. Take bowl out of freezer for about 30 minutes if it has been in the back of the freezer. Freezer temps vary but you want the bowl cold enough but e.g. not with frozen icicles on the sides but not water condensation. Tip: for the balance, have the bowl a little less cold because you can always freeze the ice cream back up in the freezer. And soft serve is more creamy, watery, and soft than ice cream.
Alternatively, if you are not using an ice cream maker/bowl, be sure to stir the ice cream every half hour or so to remove any forming icicles.
