Categories
Beautiful People

Thought-Body Connection per Yoko Ono

I realized that if my thoughts immediately affect my body, I should be careful about what I think. Now if I get angry, I ask myself why I feel that way. If I can find the source of my anger, I can turn that negative energy into something positive.  Yoko Ono

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Last time I visited my mother in Tokyo, despite her less than ideal predicament of recovering from a surgery and undergoing a challenging physical therapy, she shared that she decided to smile everyday.  It pains not only those who are weakened but those around to see someone once vibrant to be in a wheel chair or laid up on hospital bed.  But it is also amazing for someone like her to tell me that despite the physical pain, she is making a “choice” to smile and laugh each day.  Then, she told me that she was letting go of anger as she cited this story of a lady neighbor who became blind (really) after she became too angry with the way someone treated her.  Okay, “mis”treated her.  Indignant, she was furious and that caused her blood pressure to zoom up, triggering some glaucoma-effect.  The following day, she woke up with no vision in one eye.  Hard to believe, I said, NO! That can’t be.  To which my mother said, Yes, it’s true, she absolutely lost her sight on her right eye because she lost her temper… she goes on to say, “so you need to train and tame yourself with your hot temper.  Unless, of course, you want to go blind.”

whhattt?

That was my latest lesson from my mother … While it bothers me that her style of teachable moments tend always to be based on some fear – as long as she lectures and teaches, she’s still a mother… once a mother, always a mother.  I am glad that she hasn’t lost “it” yet.

* “it”= fear tactic. Yes, that.

Categories
Healthy Food

Sharon Gannon’s Chocolate Mousse Recipe

I admire Sharon Gannon. Founder of Jivamukti Yoga school in NYC. I love her teachings, I love her voice, I love her music, and … I love her food:)  Locally, her protege-like advance student, Giselle Mari teaches at several premier yoga studios in the San Francisco Peninsula. Her class is always full of joy and light. Giving this Mousse a try and will upload a photo of it soon – Too busy taste testing:)

INGREDIENTS

1 box extra firm tofu
1 box firm tofu
1 bag Vegan chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon Raw Cacao powder
1 can (13-14oz) full fat canned coconut milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

My dream would be to go to New York and taste this at her very own Jivamukti Café! Unfortunately, no plans to visit NYC anytime soon so with this recipe, we can make it in our very own kitchen whenever we crave … chocolate mousse decadence:)

Sharon Gannon, describing this mousse: “The mousse is light, smooth and airy and at the same time deep, dense and rich. Yogis embody a balance of both the terrestrial and celestial forces. Yogis are deeply rooted and aligned with the earth and because of that connection they are able to transcend the binding heaviness of physical existence and soar into heavenly realms of spacious delight. So the mousse is light and heavy at the same time—I think that’s really cool! Also, just fyi, I recommend using a hand mixer and saving your arms for practicing handstands!

Put tofu into a food processor add a pinch of sea salt and blend, then add maple syrup, coconut milk, vanilla extract, cocoa and cacao powder and blend again. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler. Add to tofu mixture the melted chocolate chips and coconut butter and thoroughly blend. Then transfer the mixture to a large bowl, using a spatula to scrap out all of the mixture. Now using a hand mixer whip for 3-5 minutes at high speed—this will lighten and more add air. Using a large spoon—spoon into serving cups or crystal champagne glasses and refrigerate till cold about 1-2 hours.

Optionally you could serve with a dollop of vegan whipped cream on the top. Makes about 10-12 servings depending on size of cups. ”

Calling for both, this recipe made me realize that there’s a difference between:

Cocoa powder vs. Cacao powder (it’s RAW)

Categories
Healthy Food Uncategorized

A Golden Gift of Apitherapy

Few weeks ago, a couple who frequents my Thursday evening yoga class gave me a gift unexpectedly.  Honey!  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this is no ordinary honey off a store shelf as It wasn’t purchased.  To my amazement, it came from their own beekeeping.  Wow.  In the middle of Silicon Valley, I did not know you can collect so much honey – I did not know you can harvest honey in Silicon Valley from local flowers.  Such a city girl that I am -it’s a discovery that beehives can be kept privately and harvested on your own. I heard that chicken cooping for your eggs was popular among Silicon Valley types (almost said geeks) but now, may beekeeping also be something on the rise among them?

As yoga students, these two beekeeping yogis have been very dedicated with virtually never miss attendance record for my Thursday night yoga class. It’s so lovely to see a couple practice together, side by side.  There’s just something very heart warming in watching these two lovely yogis’ backs as they head out after a class, together slinging a yoga mat.  When they say goodbye or good night, there’s a look of peace, maybe some relief and a gentle smile.  You see the Before and the After effects of a yoga practice first hand.  Having a partner or a friend to share a yoga practice with always makes it more special – and when it becomes a routine part of the schedule, all the better.  Watching them take off into the night, I am happy they yoga together to deepen what already must be a special relationship – after all, they are partners in bee keeping – and that’s pretty special.

Their hand-made label in the back of the bottle is full of fun honeybee facts:  “Bees need to provide 70,000 loads of nectar, and travel 50,000 miles to produce a single pound of honey.  Darker honey has higher mineral content and antioxidant potential.The queen bee can live to 3-5 years. Honey should not be fed to babies under the age of 1 year.”

Only few months ago, I had bought a jar of bee pollens from a local honey purveyor – In fact, these yellow mini fuzz balls of a pollen in smoothies fixed my allergies as I now breathe freely.

IMG_3288 IMG_3287Did you know that honey, aside from being a great natural sweetener is wonderful to use as an ointment to heal cuts and burns?

Apitherapy is the term given to the medicinal use of honey, bee venom, as well as honey bee products. This is a very old form of medicine that can be traced back to ancient Greece and Egypt. In the ancient times, honey was treated as medicine.This golden nectar…is precious.

Thank you Margie and Steve.  BTW, did I ever share the beehive meditation?  It’s a way to turn inward into your own beehive=brain…It really clears your mind …You two would love it:) – probably already a master at it!

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