Yoga and Grape Jelly

First we picked a million grapes at Anne's house. 

Last week, I started taking yoga classes at a local studio. The way that my yoga teacher talks about Ashtanga yoga, I’m realizing that this is a perfect way for me to practice and prepare to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. The yoga practice is about finding the calm breath in the midst of the challenge of the pose. You are supposed to move into the pose (with the breath) just to the point of challenge. Moving beyond that can create injury, so it is good to know my own limits and not go beyond what I can do.

Yoga practice is about being okay with the challenge and the steady breath is a reminder that there is a strong, calm core within. 

With all that in mind, today I decided to embrace the challenge of making grape jelly on my own. It is a good challenge because it is something that I’d like to do, something that always feels so daunting, and yet something for which I have a recipe to follow. So I took on the challenge. 

Those bags are all filled with grapes!

Many times during the process I noticed my body tensing up. I’d hold my breath while waiting and wondering (and worrying) if the mixture was at the right thickness yet. (Like in yoga class when you can't bear another push-up pose) I almost lost it when the mixture boiled over, sugar burning on the stove, setting off all the fire alarms. 

Then I’d remember the practice and I'd remind myself to slow down my breath, take some deep breaths, focus on what I know and embrace the challenge and unknowing I was feeling. (I literally did stop and take a breath at one point.)

I moved forward, step by step. In each step pausing to remember my breath and my calm and to reassure myself. At one point (after 2 hours) I started feeling like it was taking too much time. But really it wasn’t any more time than I was planning on spending on yoga this week so it can’t really be too much time in the grand scheme of things.

Finally, I made it to the end. The jars filled. The stovetop cleaned.... 

My un-jelly. AKA yummy grape syrup!

And it didn’t jell right. 

I wanted to cry (okay, I did cry a few tears) and then I remembered about the practice. I don’t show up to a new yoga class and expect to reach perfection the first time. I expect (and am expected) to go slow, feel the challenge, accept it, and then appreciate that I went through the process with the ability I have now. 

So I stopped crying and lay resting a few more minutes, after all, resting is what happens at the end of a yoga practice too. Like yoga, I know I’ll try making jam again sometime- though maybe not until next year, and next time I’ll totally use commercial pectin. Anyone for grape syrup?

Boyd and I cooked and strained the grape
juice together on Labor Day.

Homemade grape juice!

Grape juice and gin cocktails (very welcome after the first
round of grape juice making)