Category Archives: Vivian Law

Live From Daryl’s House

Attending the Daryl Hall and John Oates concert this month was a major source of inspiration. I joined a dear friend and her mom to enjoy music they have been long time fans of. I knew some of the music of Daryl Hall and John Oates having owned their Essential double cd for many years. She’s Gone was a favourite on first listen and they mention in the album jacket that the song is the finest they wrote together.

Before the concert, I took the time to watch Behind the Music and discovered many interesting things most important being the internet show Live From Daryl’s House. The claim was the duo have benefitted more that any other 80s act from the internet. This piqued my curiosity and clips of the show were aired at the concert as well. In addition, Daryl Hall formed a friendship with Pat Monahan of Train as a result of the show and are touring together, performing songs together.

I got on my computer the next day and checked out http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com

The show is so brilliant in how it showcases creative collaboration and musical talent new and old I couldn’t stop watching and wondered where I had been the past decade to miss it!! I have always been interested in music and even more so now that I’m teaching indoor cycle regularly. For many years now I have felt that most pop music I hear on the radio is made in a lab and I prefer older music. Live from Daryl’s House is a statement that music made by humans together is very much alive and appreciated.

What has inspired me the most from my journey into the musical world and story behind Daryl Hall and John Oates is the unwavering dedication they each have to their craft. Here I am celebrating 18 years of being in the field of health and wellness and I aspire to continue and dedicate myself for the rest of my life. We all need to make our music in making life good-

 

Recipe: Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins

A classmate at school introduced me to these delicious lemony bites, a healthy treat. It took some repeated experiments and here is the recipe I like most:

2 eggs

Juice of 2 lemons or slightly more, depending on size and juice

2-3 tablespoons honey

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, lemon juice, honey and coconut oil. In a small bowl, mix together coconut flour, poppy seeds, baking soda and lemon zest. Add flour mixture to liquid ingredients, mix with a wooden spoon until blended. Spoon into a silicone mini muffin pan. Bake for around 20 min or until tops of muffins are light gold. Allow to cool and enjoy. Optimal lemon flavour is usually the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

 

Recipe: Creamy Hummus

Hummus is a great healthy snack to have on hand at anytime. Being so busy balancing school and work, I had to set a goal to prepare food for myself, otherwise it is a diet of too much pizza and other takeout. Hummus is really helpful to have on hand as a satisfying small meal.

Hummus can easily be purchased at any grocery store, however, homemade from scratch is so much better. The key is cooking the chickpeas yourself, which delivers superior taste and texture. I have no idea how to make tahini, so I buy jars of tahini. I have no attachment to organic tahini, I use both types. In my experience so far, the tahini that is made from imported ingredients and sold in ethnic shops makes for a smoother hummus.

Here is the original recipe that inspired me to write and share another hummus recipe:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/creamy-hummus-with-cumin

Creamy Hummus

For Chickpeas: 1 cup dry chickpeas (soaked overnight in water with 1 tsp baking soda)

2 cloves garlic, jalapeno(whole with top cut off), bay leaf, 1 sprig rosemary(optional)

After chickpeas have been soaked overnight, rinse in a strainer and place chickpeas into a pot with water covering by about 2 inches. Add garlic, jalapeño, bay and rosemary. Bring water and chickpeas to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer until chickpeas are soft, 30-45 min. Discard garlic, jalapeño, bay leaf, and rosemary. Drain and rinse chickpeas, reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid.

For Hummus:

1 clove garlic, slivered

Juice of 1-2 lemons and 1 lime

1/2 cup tahini

Cooked chickpeas(approx 2.5-3 cups)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

Place lemon juice and garlic in food processor and allow garlic to sit in the lemon/lime juice for about 5 min to soften the bite of the raw garlic. Add tahini to lemon juice and garlic, 1/2 of the salt, process until smooth. Add chickpeas, cumin and remaining salt, process until smooth, stopping to scrape sides of the bowl as needed. Check that the texture of the hummus is smooth and creamy. If it seems thick, add a little cooking liquid to improve texture. Adjust salt and or lemon juice to taste, enjoy with crackers, vegetables, in a sandwich or in a bowl as a sauce garnish. Hummus will keep in the fridge for up to a week. This hummus also freezes well.

 

 

 

Chasing Excellence

My great friend Kathryn is a Crossfit enthusiast. The book Chasing Excellence caught my eye at her house, and she gave me a copy for my birthday. Little did I know it was a book written by Crossfit coach Ben Bergeron and my curiosity was piqued enough to watch every event of the 2017 Crossfit Games.

My exercise habit and program took on a new level of commitment when I was told this summer: ‘You need a trainer’. I took on the challenge and the effects have been immensely positive for my strength and well being in every way. This week I watched this video, which contains some of the best training advice I have come across:

Training with Intention  Ben Bergeron

I have inadvertently followed Ben Bergeron’s recommended ratio of 45% practice, 45% training and 10% competition and have seen amazing progress in my training as a result. His book Chasing Excellence was a great read that places building character first. I agree with him wholeheartedly. It is so important to know what kind of person you want to be. Our physical attributes and accomplishments can change all the time-it is how we handle challenges that build our character.

 

 

Halloween-Who will you be?

I have so many feelings around Halloween. I love seeing little kids, babies and adults in costumes. I love the enthusiasm that people have in anticipation of dressing up. I loved getting lots of candy as a kid. I saw some awesome decorated houses on my walk home and felt a little magic in the air. This year I started colouring a skull drawing in celebration which helped me realize the creative potential of Halloween. The occasion can bring out our creativity and is a great opportunity to ponder the awesome life question of who do I want to be-what kind of a human do I want to be?

As a health professional, I love sugar more than most. I do not view sugar as a villain, and I openly share my love for sweets. However, I quit halloween candy about 10 years ago. I developed an innocent Halloween candy addiction when I bought some for our studio, clients brought in their extra candy and there was a bowl right by our door. I started eating little pieces of chocolate and candy around 10am and every couple hours until the end of the day. After a couple weeks I noticed I had a habit of eating candy that was hard to break. Most importantly, I noticed I was eating a lot of candy that I didn’t really love. It was a simple choice to make when I considered what sweets I truly enjoy eating, so Halloween candy has been off my list. I will eat a piece if a child offers me some from their stash and just the one piece. I had almost forgotten that I quit buying/eating halloween candy until I started reflecting on halloween. What memories do we choose to hold onto?

A couple nights ago, I came across these powerful words in a Paulo Coehlo book:

[It’s not a question of hope in the future. It’s a question of recreating your past.

If you have a past that dissatisfies you, forget it now. Imagine a new story of your life, and believe it. Concentrate only on those moments in which you achieved what you desired, and this strength will help you accomplish what you want.]

 

So on Halloween or any given day we can be who want to be-

 

 

 

Work Life Balance

During a recent conversation with a client on work life balance, this client asked: ‘Vivian, you seem to work all the time and are still full of enthusiasm and energy, how you find the balance?’

I almost surprised myself when I answered my work life balance is completely tilted to fulfilling what I know is my life purpose of helping others to be their best through health and fitness. I have the energy to balance work, going to school for traditional Chinese medicine, family and friends, and staying fit myself, only by living my purpose which aligns with my spirit.

I made it a goal a couple years ago to teach more yoga to share the practice of meditation with more people-teaching is immensely fulfilling. I have benefitted so much from practicing yoga, it has opened so many doors of growth for me that I must pay it forward in helping bring others to the meditative space…so they may be closer to their truth, intuition and life purpose.

Work life balance is a challenging aspect of life that many people come across. I’m sharing my perspective of living life with purpose through work that I am hugely passionate about. It’s a life devoted to being of service. This may not be for everyone, however, every person has their unique gifts to contribute to our world for the better. I am sure the world can improve behind our imagination if every person is able to tap into their unique purpose. Those of us that know better need to do better, raise our vibration and those around us-making life good!

Canada Day

Tomorrow marks 150 years of Canada, the country of my birth. The country existed well before 150 years ago and this is important to acknowledge. We are all descendants of immigrants that came to a land of raw natural beauty, abundant resources and space for everyone.

This week I have been ending my yoga classes with a moment of appreciation for Canada. I am delighted to be teaching a yoga class on Canada Day, which feels like the perfect way to celebrate the occasion for me. Canada is the place where I have been able to grow up in a diverse environment amongst many cultures, which taught me tolerance and compassion for others. ‘Canadians are nice’ is a great value to live by. There is a real level of consciousness we can tap into in this country-every one of us can make a difference in the world by giving our unique talents and gifts. Canada is the place to do this.

What does Canada Day mean to you? How are you making life good?

 

Habits for better sleep

This spring in Toronto has been full of rain and one benefit I noticed is a cloudy rainy morning can help me sleep a little extra if I manage to allow myself. Being a student of traditional chinese medicine has me experimenting with various herbal formulas to balance my health. The unexpected benefit of these formulas has been improved sleep. I would say my sleep has always been pretty good and this spring I have experienced a whole new level of high quality sleep with trying chinese herbs and getting into a beautiful new bed. Sleep and rest is an extremely important component of health-we regenerate ourselves with sleep. In the spirit of sharing my good news of great sleep, I would like to share some habits that help ensure a good night’s sleep:

-No television or computer time after 10pm. Keep electronics to a minimum near your bed if possible.

-No caffeine intake after 3pm.

-Keep the same bed time ritual, such as reading, tea, brushing your teeth, so your body knows to wind down. Sleep is process of letting go, so develop your own routine to let go of your day in preparation for rest.

-Develop a meditation practice. One benefit is should you ever experience insomnia, you can observe yourself and what thoughts or feelings you experience while awake.

-Keep a gratitude journal to reflect on things you are grateful for at the end of your day. This practice has a life changing positive effect-

 

Recipe: Carrot, mint and date salad

My trip to Morocco was a unique experience in terms of culture and food. I will never forget the meals that came with many plates of salads, one of which was carrot salad. I am not a fan of raw carrots at all. However, once cooked and seasoned, I like carrots enough. This salad is inspired by the salads I had in Morocco and more recently by the opening of my friends’ restaurant Atlas.

5-6 carrots, peeled and sliced thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

sprinkle of cumin to taste

juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

honey to taste

handful of chopped fresh mint

5-6 pitted dates, chopped

Bring salted water to boil in a medium pot. Add carrots and boil for 6 minutes or until desired tenderness. Drain.

In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, honey and cumin. Add cooked carrots and dates, toss together gently and top with mint. Enjoy slightly warm or at room temperature

Take time for yourself-DAILY

This winter I have found myself giving advice ‘to do something today that makes you happy’. Upon further reflection, what is really behind that thought is the truth of taking time for yourself to take care of yourself on a daily basis helps each and every one of us to be our best. I have often wondered what it is that makes a person leave a yoga class feeling ‘better’, as I have received many a ‘thank you, I feel great’ at the end of classes I led. I am quite certain that taking the time to enter a relaxed meditative state is like a medicine to help is feel more positive by connecting with ourselves. Meditation is medication.

There is plenty of expectation and judgement with meditation and many of us feel we should try to meditate to better ourselves. The practice of meditation is open and available to all of us anytime, anywhere. In the end, meditation is the simple act of taking a moment to take notice of what is happening for us at the present moment. From that present moment, our awareness of ourselves within and our consciousness can expand. What we go through in our daily lives can leave us frazzled and racing, which makes it even more important that we get into the habit of taking time for ourselves daily. What does taking time for yourself mean to you? Is it a walk, a bath, reading something you enjoy, an activity, practicing yoga, meditation, being inspired by art…it really could be anything, and the conscious action of taking time for yourself is a great act of self care that benefits yourself and all around you-making life good