Do Yoga—Be Happy! Be Happy—Do Yoga!

Where does the time go? Why doesn't it sit quietly and patiently next to us until we have finished what we set out to do? ONLY 17 DAYS LEFT for my Rescuegirl giveaway (see post below). Also, please do consider donating a wee bit o' gold to http://causecommandos.com and you'll get a FREE yoga deck for a $50 donation! (Image from new iPhone app, YogaBeauty ©2010Amy Luwis)

Yoga on the Go iPhone Apps!

26 days left for my fabulously awesome giveaway--Yoga to the Rescue yoga decks to over-sized organic Rescuegirl totes to my new YogaBeauty app (see photo) that will make you more beautiful, inside and out. Just become a facebook fan. Already a fan? Send me a message--easy peasy details in last post!

The Greatest Contest in the Galaxy...and the Easiest!

What do women love almost as much as chocolate? FREEBIES!
RescueGirl is celebrating the new decade with a fabulous giveaway...

Here's the nifty loot that will be given away!!!

3 copies of RescueGirl's bestselling yoga deck, Yoga to the Rescue ($19.95srp)
3 RescueGirl organic boat totes ($36srp)
3 RescueGirl NEW YogaBeauty iPhone Apps ($3.99srp)
3 RescueMe! Flashcard Sets ($9.95srp)

Contest Details:
1. Become a Rescuegirl Fan on Facebook, it's simple, costs nothing, and has no calories: http://www.facebook.com/OriginalRescuegirl and click "Become a Fan." If you are already a fan, just send me a message and you'll be included in the contest!
2. Contest expires: February 28, 2010.
3. Random Drawing and Winners announced March 1, 2010.
4. Prizes will ship as soon as the winners spill the beans or send us their address.

Namaste and Good Luck!

Simple, Fun Tarot

I just bought the niftiest tarot card set by Kat Black (can that really be her real name?). I've wanted to buy a set for years after a friend did a reading for me; I finally got around to it yesterday (I always need a little extra "kick" to do something and the "kick" this time was an article about Tarot in my local Pathways magazine (Metaphysical Tarot and the Law of Gratitude by Geraldine Amaral). This is what caught my eye: "NO KNOWLEDGE OF TAROT REQUIRED." OK, I'm in!

Geraldine shares a simple and fun game called "Gifts & Gratitude." You can play this with 2 people, but 3 or more is ideal. Using 1 Tarot deck, shuffle the deck and then give each person 5 cards, including the dealer (face down). Look at all 5 cards. One person starts and the rest follow, one at a time for each card:

Card 1: Pull 1 card and let the imagery guide you, ask yourself, "what am I currently grateful for in my life?" Explain what you are grateful for to the group (group can add their thoughts too). Place card in front of you. Player 2, 3, and so on...take their turn.

Card 2 (wild card): Focus your energy inward and shuffle your remaining 4 cards. Pick one card with eyes closed and show it to the group (you don't look at it). The group then tells you what they see in regards to your life.

Card 3: Give one of your remaining cards to anyone (even someone you don't know) in the group (using your intuition) tell them how this card reflects their gifts and talents and why you appreciate and admire them.

Card 4: Pick one of your two remaining cards and give this to someone in the group and explain why you are giving it to them—something you wish for them? a gift you intuit for them? something you think they need in their life at this moment?

Card 5: Choose any of your 5 cards. Let it guide you to answer this question, "how can I best use my gifts to contribute something positive to the world?". Other players can add their comments.

Last bit: Once everyone has had a turn with their five cards, lay all your cards in front of you (the first card you kept at the beginning and the cards that were given to you); see which one draws you in and speaks to you the most. This one card should suggest an affirmation that will keep you focused on gratitude in your life. Consider this your tarot reading for the day!

Just have to share....
Eckhart Tolle said, "If the only prayer you ever utter is 'thank you,' that will be enough."

"As a person thinks, so she is. Negative thoughts will draw in negative experiences. All that you accomplish or fail to accomplish with your life is the direct result of your thoughts." —James Allen
Illustration, Queen of Wands by rockin' Kat Black from her Golden Tarot Deck which took 1500 hours to complete!

Who Needs CarrotsWhen You Have Donuts?

Carrot or Donut? This will be the big question as I crawl toward 2010 in a sugar coma, hopefully soon my kale salads will beckon me once again (kale, cut very finely is amazingly delicious in salads and packed with magical goodness). Happy, super nova New Year to everyone!

This is the Season of Giving.

Let's give these shelter dogs a second chance...
URGENT - Foster Homes NEEDED!! (If you live anywhere near Virginia)

We've visited the shelter. The shelter is not only full, but cages are overflowing with dogs.

Hard decisions will have to be made that shouldn't have to be made at this time of year.....

Please share this information with ANYONE who can help with fostering

ANY BREED of dog as this will open up one of our kennels for a pit bull or another dog.

Please contact us IMMEDIATELY if you can foster or know someone who can.

Bully Paws and Rescuegirl thanks you in advance for considering opening your home to a dog in need.

www.bullypaws.org

bullypawsrescue@gmail.com

Legs up the Wall Pose for Sanity & Serenity!
(I'm going to be doing this pose a lot through the stressful holidays & I cannot recommend it enough).

I love my life, I love my family, I love my snowflake earrings (but already lost one), and my smashing new nail color (gunmetal grey), and my bills are paid (sort of), but somehow stress seems to always creep into the picture this time of year. I thought I could bypass it by getting gifts early and writing holiday
cards in November, but the universe still ushered in heaps of chaos and
stress. William James said the most profound thing he ever learned is that if you change your outlook, then you can change your world. So, I am determined to do Legs up the Wall Pose for at least 20 minutes a day until January 2010 and this will transform my stress into serenity.

I need this pose now more than ever, holiday stress coupled with pitch black darkness by 5pm and frost on the end of my nose beckons fatigue, anxiety, and sadness all of which will be alleviated with this simple pose. Exhausted? Freaked? Sad? Overwhelmed? Go upside-down I say and melt this stuff away!

This pose has such profound restorative qualities that it has gained the nickname "fountain of youth" and few poses actually have the dual magical effects of soothing and energizing like this pose does.

Use a bolster or several folded blankets on top of a sticky mat for this pose (your derriere should hang off the support a tiny bit, but if you have any tension in your tummy or lower back you are hanging off the support too much). The sticky mat is key because you can tuck your shoulders a little underneath your back and relax without them sliding out of position—this action will help open your chest which is key to diminishing depression.

It helps to strap a belt around your thighs just above your knees before getting into the pose—this allows you to surrender more fully into the pose and relax more completely rather than focusing on keeping your legs together.

While in this pose:

• Eyes closed.
• Release any tension in your face.
• Release any tension in your body.
• Lengthen your spine.
• Sink into the floor.
• Calm and even breathing.
• Point heels toward the sky.
• Let go of anger and worry.
• Only loving, kind thoughts.

May your holidays be full of laughter and joy and Legs up the Wall posing!
(Illustrations from my new iPhone app, YogaBeauty...coming soon)

EXFOLIATE! DETOX! GLOW!

I'm a voracious reader of self-improvement books. At the moment I have a stack of books next to my bed that, if toppled, could break my nose. I'm reading about everything from, cholesterol and the heart (I'm starting to believe statin drugs are just another slick pharmaceutical campaign--more on that later) to growing my own pharmacy (I started with wormwood, not sure why...maybe I should figure out how to make my own absinthe?).

Anyway, when I read the same thing 3 or more times from different reputable sources, I start to really prick up my ears. Recently, dry brushing kept cropping up all over the place, so I bought myself a Sisal body brush and have been religiously dry brushing my body for more than 30 days every morning. At first, I thought I was just imagining all the great benefits, but after 30 days of observation, I'm a believer and I'm hooked! Dry brushing my body is like brushing my teeth now; it energizes me in the morning, makes my skin über soft, my leg hair grows more slowly and comes in more soft AND the best part, my jiggly bits are a bit firmer.

I now refer to my Sisal brush as my magic wand and I plan to travel with it!

Dry brushing (not to be confused with wet brushing and scrubbing in the shower) stimulates your lymphatic system (the system responsible for eliminating toxins) and it encourages new cell growth.

Skin brushing 101:
Economical spa treatement—you can get a good quality body brush for under $10 dollars.Dry brush in the morning before getting dressed.

Start at your toes—brush with firm, sweeping strokes toward your heart. Always brush toward your heart which encourages blood and lymphatic flow.

Spend a little extra time brushing over your lymphnodes (located at the back of your knees, the groin area, your armpits and your neck).

Also spend a little extra time on your jiggly bits (if you have any)—brush in a circular motion on these parts. I pretty much attack these areas like I'm scrubbing a burnt, greasy pot or pan. The experts say over-brushing causes skin to turn red and become irritated, but I'm not one to ever do something carefully or in moderation and I have sensitive, fair skin, and I brush like a maniac and my skin is fine. I don't, however, brush my neck or face which need a softer brush.

Unless you get a brush with a handle or enlist your partner, reaching your whole back will take some limber arms. I could ask my husband to brush the wee bit of my back that I miss, but there is something a bit too geriatric about it, so I don't.

When I feel like skipping a day because I'm in a rush or just plain lazy, I remind myself that my dear, little lymph nodes filter out all the dead bacteria, viruses, and other dead tissue from the lymphatic fluid and eliminate it from my body, so stimulating them with a dry brush is the least I can do. And it will only take you about 2 or 3 minutes.

Brush shown is the one I have—the bristles are a bit more stiff than other brushes, so I can get a good scrub!

HOLIDAY HELPER!  

We all need a boost of energy and sanity during the holiday season....

I don't know about you, but my mom has been baking cookies like a Keebler elf (only much better tasting) and I'm finding my energy dropping like a lead balloon because I'm tasting each one of them more than once!  Thank goodness for the Spinal Roll, doing this simple yoga movement is a good morning wake up and also a good nightcap for relaxing before bed.  It is also a cheap way to get a massage on your spine...perfect for a recession.

I love the fact that it is so simple a child or gorilla could do it (and they often do!).  It is also great for keeping our bodies youthful, a must for those of us pushing 40 or past it. 

Here is how to do it:

1.  Sit at the end of a well padded surface (thick carpet, exercise pad, folded blankets, a bed of marshmellows-anything to cushion your spine).  

2.  Bend your knees and clasp your hands under them.

3.  Bend your head forward.

4.  Keep your spine rounded and gently roll back and forth (straighten your legs a bit as you swing back and then bend them again as you swing forward--this will keep you rolling!).

Don't roll back too far on your neck and don't rock too slowly.

Do the spinal roll 4 to 6 times, then stop and lie down on your back and take a few deep breaths.  Notice how invigorated your spine feels.

Here are a few of the Benefits from this marvelous and fun exercise:

• Massages ALL the vertebrae in your neck and spine.
  
• Makes the spine more flexible, lively, and youthful.
  
• Washes away morning drowsiness and stiffness.
  
• Relaxes the whole nervous system-great for insomnia!
  

Illustrations from my upcoming Christmas iphone app, YogaBeauty.

'TIS THE SEASON TO STOP PUPPY PIMPS!!!
NYC residents please download/print this flyer and give to anyone planning on buying a puppy this holiday season-ADOPTION is the only way to go!!! Don't live in NYC? I can customize this flyer, please contact me.

Holiday Madness!!! In the spirit of one of my most favorite holidays (truth be told I love any holiday), Rescuegirl.com is offering limited edition Life is Messy & Magical pins FREE (and you get a bunch, not just one or two!) with any purchase and all of my greeting cards are 1/2 price.

Yahooooo! An award!
RescueGirl iPhone / iPod Touch Apps receive "Hottest" medal award on iPhone Apps Plus!

"Hottest" medal is awarded to applications which are of good quality and are major topic of discussion in a certain period of time.

Got Facebook? Click the little "become a fan" button to connect with RescueGirl here:
RescueGirl on Facebook


I've also updated the sidebar to include all of the fabulous RescueGirl apps available on iTunes, to make them easier for you to find! You can also check them out directly on iTunes here!

OK, so it has been 30 days between posts, but I've been lost in the world of the Natalia Rose program. I juice a lot, but not as much as Natalia says you should (she suggests you start each day with fresh pressed veggie juice which would be fine if I lived on a farm). I start each day with hot lemon water and manage to start a few days of the week with fresh veggie juice. I've never been one to follow anyone's program to the letter and Natalia is no exception to my stubborn rule. She inspired me to think a lot more about what I put into my body even though my diet was already pretty healthy. I now eat vegetables for breakfast, have eliminated coffee (I thought this would be near impossible and it wasn't) and have swapped copious amounts of brown rice and breads for more vegetables! I've lost weight, but that isn't the thrilling part, the thrilling part is my new super-sized energy and zippy, positive outlook. I now look at people who drink coffee and quietly think "poor souls just wait for the 4pm crash"; I want to slap those cups of coffee out of their hands and urge them to see the light or at least see the herbal tea bag at the end of the tunnel.

I also love the fact that I can eat all I want of certain things (yes, I'm a foodie!). This recipe requires a juicer, but if you don't have a juicer buy some pre-made carrot juice. It is called Pumpkin Pie in a Bowl and Natalia says it is her customers' favorite and I see why (my husband loves it too). Put 4 cups of carrot juice into a blender along with 1/2 an avocado, 1 medium sized peeled, chopped sweet potato, 4 pitted dates, 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Blend until thoroughly mixed. It tastes divine and you can eat as much as you want...jackpot! It is loaded with fiber and enzymes and so much goodness. But wait!!! Since I don't follow anything to the letter, that means I also don't follow recipes, so to the above I add about 2 Tablespoons of ginger (I juice it but you could mince it and put it into the blender). I also add a whole avocado because I know the other half will sit in my fridge and get brown (it gives the soup a real creaminess). Also, I think Natalia has a major sweet tooth (she puts stevia in EVERYTHING which is insane), so you don't need 4 dates, (I thought it was too sweet with four), so I only add 3. And if you are wondering, it really does taste like pumpkin pie without the crust! Sprinkle graham crackers or ginger snaps on top if you want more of a pumpkin pie taste!

Hello fabulous Rescuegirls! As I stare at this blank screen and watch the flashing cursor, I realize that I have not written in so long and I just don't know where to begin!!

I've been working on Yoga to the Rescue II and helping my brother revamp his website; he founded a nonprofit children's adoption organization, so it is hard to say "no" to him even though I'm so busy and often tired.

But I have a new plan and this is where I will start! Saying "no" to amazing things like helping my brother and trying to find homes for rescue dogs would break my heart, but I'm totally nackered (British for being f-----g tired as hell), soooooo I need to supersize my energy throughout the day in order to accomplish more--brilliant! After researching and reading for weeks, I stumbled upon the "guru" that is going to truly turn me into superwoman. Her name is Natalia Rose, a clinical nutritionist with a great spirit and a pretty awesome approach to food and living: www.detoxtheworld.com. I just bought her book, Raw Food Life Force Energy, and I'm going to start her 21 day plan on Friday.

What I love about her approach is she's laid back. Unlike other raw foodies who think cooked food is toxic garbage, Natalia incorporates sprouted breads, baked yams, lovely dark chocolate and even goat cheese! But this isn't the only reason I will be worshipping at the alter of Natalia for the next 21 days, Natalia also has this food combining thing that makes so much sense. She combines food to make it easily digestible, as well as PH balanced. I didn't realize that most of our diets are highly acidic (sugars, processed foods, animal products) and acid is a breeding ground for disease! So Natalia keeps you nice and alkalized, keeping your PH happy! She also makes sense with food combining. I always wondered why I would feel tired or bloated eating certain foods together and now I know why! Yesterday, I did as much of her suggestions as I could and for the first time I was not tired by 5pm. She does have a fondness for the scary "colonics", but hey, she makes a lot of good points, so many in fact that one day I may just go get one....maybe.

One last awesome thing, is you eat your biggest meal at night. I have always tried and failed to make my evening meal light like many experts say, but to me, dinner is a celebration, a time to unwind and share with loved ones....I cannot see doing this over breakfast. So that bit makes me really happy too.

On another note, my hubby won a shredding contest (I'm so proud!) and thank goodness he's abandoned the acoustic for the electric because it's much cooler:

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, magical Fall and I'll check in after a few days on Natalia's program!

I'm starting to think my brain is as hollow as a dried up coconut and I have nothing interesting to say or worthy of sharing. My dear Isabelle, is of course, taking up much free time and getting me off the computer which I think is very healthy. I think of my fellow RescueGirls, however, and I want to keep in touch and keep sharing! So here is the latest (in no particular order). I'm slowly finishing up Yoga to the Rescue #4 iPhone/iTouch app. I'm thankful to have this low-overhead option in this bare bones economy. My last printing of yoga decks cost $36,000 (gag!) and rolling a yoga app out costs nothing, but cleverness and time and I certainly have some of that! I may not even print my second yoga book which I'm working on, too. I may just do this digital stuff for awhile. I do love paper though and collect all sorts of nifty paper when I travel, from envelopes to ticket stubs, so I think I'll always be printing some RescueGirl bling onto paper!

I've been enjoying my summer a little too much. My husband, Bryan, has discovered how to make these amazing tiki drinks with rum. I'm calling him a mixologist instead of a musician now. Basically, alcohol is a poison, so whenever I drink it I feel guilty and apologize to my liver; I also load up on Milk Thistle which is a miracle helper for our precious livers.

I also must confess, I'm obsessed with my mini trampoline and yoga (for the time being) has taken a back seat. Why a mini trampoline? I created a set of healthy flash cards a while back and I made one of them all about bouncing. Bouncing is a wonderful way for your one-way valve lymphatic system to get rid of toxins that build up in the body. I read so much amazing stuff about bouncing (my favorite, it tightens skin!) that I went out and bought my trampoline. I also have to be very frank, just 5 minutes of bouncing on a trampoline is the equivalent of 15 minutes of jogging and to me this is music to my ears. I learned this tidbit from one of my favorite health gurus, Gillian McKeith, from the show, You are What You Eat. A show that makes you throw the donut in the trash and drink kale juice. Here is a copy of the Bouncing flash card I created.

And here's just a quick blurb on the benefits of trampolining: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Trampoline---Incredible-Health-Benefits&id=133206

Oh, and I forgot to mention one of the best things about bouncing up and down...it reminds you to not take life so seriously and to let your inner child out!

Have a happy, bouncy weekend!

Hey fabulous Rescuegirls! I just wanted to share that Bully Paws, the amazing organization that I adopted Isabelle from is going to build a kennel which they are in desperate need of for our fellow furry friends. They need to raise $35,000 and if everyone can give just a tiny bit then their dream will be realized. I don't know if you know this, but pit bulls get the very short end of the stick at many shelters, often they are not even allowed to be adopted out, so Bully Paws is providing an incredible service for these special dogs. It only takes a second (I just did it and I feel the good karma flowin'), so please stop by and throw in a few dollars if you can. The link is http://www.firstgiving.com/bullypaws and their website is bullypaws.org. With much gratitude, Amy

Wow! Here it is already July 20th. I have been completely preoccupied and my fab blog slid to the bottom of my Dead Sea scroll length "to do list." Why the preoccupation? I have been up to my eyeballs in gorgeous adoptable dogs. I searched the website I co-founded (so cool!) AdoptaPet.com like a stalker on crack. And then I walked through packed shelters and after rivers of tears, my husband and I are now the proud parents of a lovely girl named Isabelle. Thanks to the amazingly compassionate founders of Bully Paws (check out their amazing dogs: http://bullypaws.org/) my Isabelle was rescued from a dog fighting ring; she was rescued by Bully Paws just before the shelter was going to have to put her down, aka, kill her!

So now I'm running around picking up leashes, collars and cozy beds. Since she is a pit bull (a largely misunderstood breed with the most gentle and loving hearts you will ever find) I am purchasing many items in the tranquil color of love, pink!

I feel like I'm waiting for the stork to come with my delivery...hee! Isabelle arrives on Thursday and she will be spoiled for the rest of her life and showered in kisses and hugs and tummy rubs! Photo: Isabelle Luwis-Aspey.

Photos:
My friend Skye's fabulous shop in Battle, The Green Grocery Store! Glorious geese outside Arundel Castle (oops! that's right, I visited a castle, too!). Me in lots of black at Borde Hill Garden.

My trip to England is starting to feel like a distant hazy memory as I get knee deep in life in good ol' Virginie, so I need to blab about it a bit before I forget stuff. Here is the Mini Cooper version of my 16 day trip to Britain: Visited five fabulous gardens, a bird sanctuary (didn't see any birds), walked along the seafront and among the birds every night (it was light out until 10pm!), stayed in a very old manor home that I believe is haunted by some unpleasant spirits, drank cider and buckets of tea, ate too many crisps, cut the ribbon for the grand opening of my dear friend's fabulous new shop in Battle, visited old friends in Eastbourne and in London--got the grand tour of Hampstead Heath and zipped by Geri Halliwell's abode (should I care?), had a gastly meal at Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Cafe in Knightsbridge, stared at Mayan statues at the British Museum, bought glitter eyeshadow at Boots, watched Wimbledon on the telly--feel bad Roddick lost and feel even worse that Michael and Farrah are gone—people shouldn't die, they should transfer to a different galaxy where you can post an occasional salutation. Photo: Wellies at South Lodge Hotel, Horsham, West Sussex