This month we have a l'il three-pack of exercises to fit three levels of expertise: Newbie, Savant and Drill Sergeant.

Newbie: Pelvic Lift / Leg Lift: Lying on your back, articulate the spine up from bottom to top, one vertebrae at a time like a wave. Once up, without shifting the plevis, lift one leg up, and lower and lift it five times without letting the pelvis droop or move from side to side. Keep the inner thigh of the static leg activated so the knee doesn't tilt outward.

Cat-Cow, plus the Bow: This is a GREAT set of stretches when your back is feeling tight and your energy is sluggish. Get on all fours (if your knees are troublesome, make sure you're on a padded carpet or a Pilates/yoga mat) with your knees directly under your hips and your hands on the floor directly under your shoulders. Cat-Cow: Drop your chin towards your collarbone and drop your tailbone down towards the floor, while lifting the middle off your back up towards the ceiling. Draw your abdominals up and in with medium force (this will deepen the stretch). Exhale as you execute these moves, and hold for a few seconds, then inhale as you do the following: lift your chin up away from your collarbone and gently arch your back. Let your abdominal activation be a little more gentle during this move. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat the whole 2-part move 4-6 times, breathing deeply. The Bow: similar to cat-cow, but the motion is side-to-side instead of up-and-down. Same starting position. Inhale, then slowly exhale as you move your right shoulder back towards your right hip, and move your right hip foward towards your right shoulder. Do not force this move! Let to motion be slow and gentle. Inhale as you return to the start position, and switch to the opposite side and exhale that breath as you move the left shoulder back towards the left hip and the left hip forward towards the left shoulder. Repeat this double-move 4-6 times, breathing deeply. These stretches will limber up your back, stimulate your circulation, and calm and relax you. Dig it!!

As the cold weather approaches and our craving for water subsides, I am reminded to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Being hydrated is important for so many functions in the body not the least of which is to thin the mucous in our sinuses helping to move a cold through our system faster. It helps elimination too.

Anther powerful everyday tool I try to implement myself is to name 3 things I am grateful for when I arise in the morning. It can be as simple as "I am grateful for a good night's sleep or I am grateful for my loving husband/wife" If doesn't need to be too spiritual or creative just simple things. I find this helps set a nice tone for my day.

One saturday evening a few of us went to my friend Holly's house and cooked this delicious recipe together. There is nothing like gathering in someone's kitchen and chopping and stirring and sauteeing together. It is one of our favorite types of intimate social time. I only changed the recipe slightly.

Chicken Coconut Curry

-2 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter bought at a health food store but can use regular butter. Ghee has more butter flavor and less fat!)
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-1 tbsp tomato paste or 5 Tablespoons tomato sauce (can substitute a large can of tomatoes for the tomato paste and tomatoes)
-2 tablespoons prepared Curry Powder
-1 cinnamon stick
-1 tsp dried red chiles(red pepper flakes if you don't have chiles)
-salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk( I use light coconut milk to reduce the fat even though it's a good fat)
-1 cup chicken stock
-2 tomatoes, chopped
-1 zucchini sliced and quartered
-1 red pepper cut same size as zucchini
-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips, or skinless boneless chicken thighs or a combination
-1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish (can use dried)
-1 lemon, juiced
(you can add other veggies if you like -- chopped broccoli, finely chopped kale, more peppers or zucchini whatever)
 
1.      Heat the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, ginger, and garlic and cook slowly until the onions are very soft, about 15 minutes.
2.      Add the tomato paste, curry powder, cinnamon stick, and chiles and give it a good stir; season with salt and pepper.
3.      Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock and bring it back to a simmer; cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
4.      Add the tomatoes, chicken, cilantro, and half the lemon juice; continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and possibly more curry powder. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy over brown basmati or jamine rice.

Our pick this month is Haven in Pleasantville. Owner/Operator Dan Petrilli is a client of Janet's, but the reason we're recommending his place is that it features savory delicious food, thoughtfully prepared. It's also an awesome spot to hit before or after seeing a movie at the Burns (they're open until 10 p.m. Tues-Thurs and 11 p.m. on Fri-Sun, but as Dan told me "If somebody shows up at 10:46 on Friday we'll take care of them."). They just started up a Fall prix fixe menu (3 courses, $30) and they're doing a special Halloween Menu on the 31st. Head on over and enjoy -- and you can all discuss how much you love doing Circus Freak!

This month's question comes from HJ in Croton --

Dear Seamus: When my lower back is tight and bothering me, what can I do (other than enjoy quality time with Ellen & Tim of Conscious Body Pilates & Massage Therapy)?

Dear HJ: Since I just finished re-watching the Matrix Trilogy, and Trinity is by far my favorite character, I have three levels of solution for you here on this ever-so-crisp Autumn afternoon:

LEVEL 1 -- Do the Cat-Cow & Bow stretches, most capably enumerated above.
LEVEL 2-- Stretch your hips and Ilio-Psoas. "Illy-oh-puh-so-whats?" quoth you? What does that have to do with your lower back? Firstly, it's pronounced "Illy-oh-so-az" and it's important because this muscle group, a major hip flexor -- i.e., leg-lifter-upper -- originates on the lesser trochantor of the femur (inside of the thigh) and passes up and back through the abdominal wall and attaches at a couple places on the back of the pelvis and lower spine. If they are tight, they pull those areas out of alignment and cause the lower back kerfuffle of which you complain. To stretch 'em: put yourself in the position illustrated by my friend Helga of Roumanian PowerSports ("We put the 'Rue' in Roumanian!"), to wit:

Be certain that you keep your hips square (don't let the hip on the side w/the raised leg move forward) and push both hips gently forward. Peform the stretch on both sides several times. You should feel a pull that goes through your abdomen (as opposed to simply in the groin/thigh area). This ought to help quite a bit.
LEVEL 3--Get on down to Modell's or Dick's or google yourself up a foam roller. Its diameter should be 6 inches and stay away from fancy-pants varieties: just get the firm variety, "full-round" and preferably 36" long. But 12" will do if needs be. Lay the roller on the floor perpendicular to your body (i.e., across the spine, not along it) and lay yourself down over it (face up). Put your feet flat on the floor, lift up your hips and "walk" the roller up and down your spine. Do not do this if you have contraindications such as herniated discs (check with your doctor)!! This should stretch the living daylights out of those troublesome spinal extensors. Repeat as needed...
Hope this helps, HJ, and until next month I am your on-the-floor reporter, signing off!