Here are the things they don’t tell you about hot yoga:
Before your first hot yoga class, you should really paint your toenails. Trust me. You’ll want to have something pretty to distract you from the thought that this is how you are going to die.
It’s hot. I know you must have gathered that much from the name of the class, but it’s really hot. And when the room is that hot and the studio gets really crowded… it smells. Sorry to say it, but some classes make it hard to come back.
You can totally do it. If I can do it, you can do it. Promise.
I started hot yoga two weeks ago and have completed six classes to date. I am not a “yoga person” by any means. I do a couple of yoga classes at my gym here and there, but hot yoga was never something that appealed to me. Standing in one spot and dripping sweat all over myself? No thanks.
I started my hot yoga experiment to see if it would help alleviate my knee pain. So far I have had very positive results, which is one of the reasons why I have forced myself to stick with it. Hot yoga and I kinda have a love-hate relationship at the moment. I think we’re frenemies.
One of the things that I do enjoy about hot yoga is how it strengthens the mind and body connection. I usually make a point each day to try to listen to my thoughts and make the positive ones outweigh the negative ones. During my first class, it became apparent very quickly how strongly my body responds to my thoughts. For instance, I would think to myself “I am going to fall out of this pose.” And so I did. But, if I tried the pose again and thought, “I can hold it this time.” I did. Incredible.
In the studio that I go to, the room is long and narrow so everyone can see themselves in the front mirror. I find it very powerful to look into my own eyes for an hour and a half. Some days that takes a lot of courage and work to give myself love that entire time. I think for women especially this is really powerful because we learn so quickly to avoid mirrors or use them as means to critique ourselves. Before hot yoga, I don’t think there ever was a time when I looked myself right in the eyes and said, “You can do this.” Or, “look how strong your body is in this pose.” Or, “Wow, your arms look awesome today.”
Here’s one more thing they don’t tell you about hot yoga:
Even if you really don’t like it… even if you kinda hate it… even if you dread every class… you’ll kinda love it.
Here are the things they don’t tell you about beets:
Don’t ever eat them from a can. I’m serious. If you have a can of beets in your pantry, please compost them right now.
Buy beets when they are fresh, preferably with the greens still attached.
Don’t overcook them and if you are not a beet lover, don’t boil them. Roast them. Always.
Even if you really don’t like beets… even if you kinda hate ‘em… even if you dread the thought of eating them… you’ll kinda love this recipe.
Roasted beets are perfect in winter because they are in-season and full of Vitamin C. Roasting them brings out their natural sweetness which is why I recommend this method of cooking for people who say they don’t like beets. This recipe utilizes the beet greens as well as the root so you use the entire vegetable. I like to use different kinds of beets in this recipe for a more colorful presentation, but any type of beets will work. Serve this with some brown rice and lentils for a hearty and healthy meal.
Sesame Roasted Beets
Serves 4
2 bunches of beets
3 Tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 leek, ends removed and chopped
1 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
salt and pepper, if desired
sesame seeds for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the greens from the beets and set aside. Chop the beets. Toss beets with one tablespoon of sesame oil and lay flat on sheet pan. Roast for 25 – 30 minutes, turning twice, until beets are tender (but not mushy).
Chop the beet greens. Add one tablespoon of sesame oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté for two minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add the the greens and liquid aminos and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, until tender. Add salt and pepper if desired.
Drizzle beets with remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Garnish beets and greens with sesame seeds and serve warm.
More from For The Love of Food:
mmm. i am a beet lover. my favorite is my grandma’s pickled beets with goat cheese. yum.
and i’ve never tried hot yoga. i’m not sure that i’d like it…
I prefer hot yoga 100x more than regular yoga.. likely because I am unflexible and the heat gives the illusion I can kind of do yoga.
Your suggestions for beets are spot on – I adore them roasted!
love the photos!
hot yoga, ick!! no, sure it feels great, i just don’t want to go to a class with no clothing (well nearly no clothing)…….
but love the idea of doing it in privacy, except the monotony of the same class every single time!
I love sesame and I love beets, this sounds amazing!!
You may have finally convinced me that I might actually like beets – cooked the correct way (roasted). I’m one of ‘those’ that grew up with the dreaded canned beets. That’s my reference and have never liked them since. It’s time to reprogram my mind to be more accepting of new foods, and perhaps different ways to exercise…maybe even hot yoga???
That recipe seems great! I hope I can try it soon, I love beets!
I never had the chance to experience hot yoga. Not any yoga for that matter. There aren’t too many classes where I live and when there are, it’s really expensive. I would like to try it though, regular yoga that is. I don’t cope well with heat, so I’m just guessing hot yoga wouldn’t be my thing
super pretty for the beets..
eek for the hot yoga.. i cant take it!
Do you peel the beets?
@Spence
Great question! I scrubbed the skins really well when I washed them so I did not peel them. When they are roasted, I don’t even notice that the skins are still on. I suppose you could peel them if you wanted.
Is there any substitute for the Bragg’s if you don’t have it?
@Anonymous
Absolutely! You can sub soy sauce or tamari for Bragg’s.
Just posted this recipe on my fb page. Simple, yet elegant, which is how I love to cook. Can’t wait to browse through the rest of your recipes. Your photos are breathtaking, too!
@Dana
Thanks Dana!
I made this tonight. We used low sodium soy sauce instead of liquid aminos since we didn’t have any. So delicious!
Oh my gosh, this sounds amazing!! So far, I am loving everything I see here
SL
lovelygreenlifestlye.com
I can’t have soy…any other subs for the braggs?
I can’t think of a good substitute that would have a similar taste. Try leaving it out and if it tastes too bland you could use some rice vinegar.
Coconut aminos are my fav. sub for soy sauce
This sounds awesome! I have to try this!
However, I may pass on the Liquid Aminos.. That stuff is pretty processed with heat, and the the natural “salt” of it formed during the processing.
Something I read recently:
“The liquid aminos product is heat processed and made with hydrochloric acid. Salt apparently forms in its processing, plus
glutamic acid which is the same poison which is in MSG. Many many raw fooders have apparently been lied to and duped by the Bragg who have until recently stated that the product is all raw
and not processed with heat or chemicals. And many many folks like myself become ill very soon after ingesting”
Interesting, thanks for sharing! I’ve never heard that before and now I will have to look into it!