Month: January 2016

Categories
Beautiful Rituals Beautiful Things Yoga

First New Moon of 2016 … What’s in your heart?

It’s not so much about following the heart but … give it the attention or as the case may be, the TLC it deserves. It’s your truth; it’s your essence. Petal by petal – he loves me; he loves me not – who is that “he”? Who is that “being” that loves or loves not?
roseheart

Looking deeply into a flower we see that the flower is made of non-flower elements. We can describe the flower as being full of everything. There is nothing that is not present in the flower. We see sunshine, we see the rain, we see clouds, we see the earth, and we also see time and space in the flower. A flower, like everything else, is made entirely of non-flower elements. The whole cosmos has come together in order to help the flower manifest herself. The flower is full of everything except one thing: a separate self or a separate identity.

new moon

The flower cannot be by herself alone. The flower has to inter-be with the sunshine, the cloud and everything in the cosmos. If we understand being in terms of inter-being, then we are much closer to the truth. Inter-being is not being and it is not non-being. Inter-being means at the same time being empty of a separate identity; empty of a separate self.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Categories
Healthy Food

Exploring the Art of Cleansing

Like many of us, perhaps there were many excesses during the holiday season? Did you have one too many chocolate kisses? A slice of or an extra slice of that special cake ? Rich foods you normally pass up – did you make an exception last week because it’s … the holiday season ? Did your yoga practice or exercise program get off the track because … it’s the holiday season? It’s a celebration feast or you were traveling or … you had out of town guests? They are all valid reasons/excuses … it was the holiday season ! We are lucky to even have this “problem” as sadly, unlike the reports in the mainstream, many had another kind of a problem – a bit of hunger, yes, in USA, supposedly the richest country in the world.

So for the lucky ones who truly experienced if not the spiritual, at least the physical “abundance”, we come back to the mat, the studios, the gyms, the tracks, the weights … with all kind of New Years Resolution – most typically to lead a more healthy lifestyle and on the superficial level, to many lucky ones who got to indulge (I did not say gluttony!) – that means – weight loss.

In that vein, it is noted that if you slip into the excesses, the binges, the let go and eat whatever comes your way during the last 30+ days, most are feeling a bit of “guilt” and go into shaking off that guilt by setting unrealistic New Years Resolution. Guilt is not a good way to start the year – Let go of Guilt, Shame, Fear …

To lose weight – isn’t it simple ? You exercise more and you eat less. Simple, No? Actually No. You can eat more and exercise “right” with intelligence … That “exercise” does not just mean mindless workouts but a work-in to better balance the nervous system and the hormones, glands/chemicals in our body – and for our internal organs to function with more effectiveness and efficiently to keep disease at bay. Seemingly counter-intuitive, yoga style such as Restorative Yoga actually aids in weight management as another name for this style is called a “Rest & Digest” yoga and it’s about not only digesting in a physical sense but in a psychic sense as well … No surprise, I lost 10 lbs once I was doing regular restorative practice – Before, I was burning enough calories and I was eating less calories but … Our body is not based on simple arithmetic of calorie count – it’s more complicated. We are each, complicated but the solution is surprisingly … simple.

So … one thing we do want to do is give our digestion a little break – meaning, it’s been worked to overdrive during the holiday season to digest digest and eliminate and your GIT is a bit … tired. In fact, so tired from the irregularity from travels or excesses from indulging and no longer functioning to digest optimally nor eliminate properly. It’s like after too much partying, one is … tired. Let’s give our GIT a little break the first 2 weeks of 2016. It’s in the Japanese tradition as well to PAUSE 7 days after the New Year by cleansing the system by eating a very simple plain food, “Nanakusagayu” – seven herbs porridge…

It’s not dieting but cleansing… so difficult living in the regular world where “celebration” is synonymous with eating – nothing wrong with that as long as it’s truly nourishing. EAT, Eat, eat … it’s okay after pressing that PAUSE button. Then that REFRESH button.

Apparently Americans on the average gain 5-10 lbs during the holiday season – gasp ! And as I fearfully got on the scale I had avoided, I am an “average” – from 116lb to 121lbs. I am so … normal? I indulged in MOCHI too much … it shows.

So … what to do?

Exploring how to do it without losing my energy and level of activity…
or some might say, “sense of humor”:)
Researching. Just cutting out refined white sugar and any kind of meat may have to do for now.
Kushi’s Macrobiotic-ish meals to start as soon as I finish these wonderful biscotti baked by a student.
Barbara’s Biscotti, Bravo Biscotti is delicious … sharing:)

Thank you Barbara for such a sweet gift ! Your Biscotti is delicious. I love the scent of cinnamon – such a treat.
Thank you !

Reminded, cleansing and purifying is not about austerity but … nourishing and loving everything that was made with love and care – which includes none other than …YOU. When food is made with love and care, it’s all good.
The energy in bedded in that food is that of … love and care. How could it not be …
GOOD.

photos to follow …

Categories
Uncategorized

Happy New Year !

osechi

It’s Year of the Monkey…
Been too busy making Japanese New Year foods for the family, even though I am not even doing the annual Osechi, an elaborate traditional New Year foods in a jewel box like lacquered bento-likr boxes “Ojyubako” stacked to three. The above is an example and our’s was far from the elaborate 3-5 layered bento boxes. In fact, I am still making the black beans (traditional new year dish) … found the needed rusted nail… (you simmer with rusted nail for the glossy deep black shine…who knew? Rust is good? It’s the Iron – The ancient wisdom:)

For the busy modern families, Osechi is something you can special order at Nijiya or pre-order from some Japanese restaurants and catering companies – BUT you can make some of the dishes yourself. Making them yourself, in my case will mean, not being able to fit in any yoga so … it’s a trade-off for special occasions. Sometimes all you can manage is a home practice and that’s when I am grateful that I am a pretty well trained instructor (I say this with humility). I can instruct myself, being my own teacher, being more fully aware of my needs and what I can do to relieve the discomforts to prevent the worst (which I have experienced) from reoccurring. It does take discipline and I do prefer the group class where I am simply led and allowed to just feel with fresh discovery … but sometimes “this” will do. It’s enough. Just following my inner-guru at times when I am not afforded the luxury to learn from those teachers I admire so much.

Setting intentions which will manifest into an affirmation that carries throughout the whole year of just for that moment, that day.
Will share at our weekly classes or message over at wagayoga@gmail.com
to go over your very own with the practice that fits your particular needs.

***** Confession for the New Year’s Eve morning ****************

* To help with ringing in the new year, broke down my resolve to cook and went to a special yoga workshop with M-san. Will share soon – it’s about taming the fire while still harnessing the energy for balance of all elements. I love learning from this acupuncturist, practicing Qui-Gong and Yoga – all combined and fused into a teaching I also intent to explore more deeply. I believe in the benefits of each discipline. It’s about … HARMONY. That is my intention for 2016 as I tune out the discord.

Yoga came to Japan about 1000 years ago – brought by a Japanese monk named Kukai, who also brought many teachings from China as he was a seeker not afraid to journey far to learn and attain knowledge. The great early civilizations are all from regions near the river banks – Egypt, Mesopotamia/Persia, Indus River, China … Japan is pretty much covered with rivers but being an island country of little size, its petit civilizations is dismissed vis a vis greater regions of the world but … there’s evidence that there was very early indigenous culture that dates back as far back – What Kukai learned in China, he brought back to Japan, his teachings blended and merged with already existing native indigenous “ways”, to produce a unique interpretation of “yoga” and Buddhism. That original yoga in Japan may have been a bit of fusion. Nevertheless a method, albeit different from the today’s fitness oriented yoga – with the same intention to bring about the harmony of body-mind-spirit, to access that tranquil state of effortless being – “nothingness” said to rid of all human suffering. Very wishful.

That’s my intention.