Category: Healthy Activities

Full Moon & Lunar Eclipse

Post author By Kay T. Ananda
Post date April 3, 2015

Golden Milk anyone? (use coconut, almond or soy milk & sweeten with honey if not vegan and with dates or Agave if vegan:) Here’s a nice blog with the recipe – not too different from mine… you can improvise a little but of course the key ingredient is the … turmeric.

Tonight … such beautiful full moon hanging so low, hinged to hover right above the skyline. Glowing like a big ball of a lamp lit to cast a shadow …In North America, the eclipse will begin at 3:16am tomorrow. Per NASA, it will only last for a little less than 5 minutes … happening before sunrise the morning of April 4th…(Per earthsky.org) Not sure if I could stay awake or rise that early…speculating the full eclipse would be more like 4-5am?

A full moon represents wholeness and empowers us with positive energy to overcome fears. It is said that the full moon is the time where we gather strength and courage in finding truth and fining life in its fullest expression. The divine truth becomes clearer as the moon’s light illuminates the darkest spaces and even brings into full view, what’s hidden in the dark crevices … the light brings into full view what had remained lurking, hidden, suppressed …and sometimes, that illumination can be disconcerting. Physically, mentally and spiritually, one is literally shown the “light” through the divine guidance. Full moon is said to represent the power of abundance, an offering of the universe … in all its glory.

When we feel the arrival of the full moon, it is said that our psyche undergoes a shift – often times, our emotions become volatile and one may experience mood swings; energetically, there may be a surge and bursts of stamina or feeling of wakefulness, to the point of feeling overwhelmed by such shift in your own intrinsic energy.

For the vigorous yoga style of Ashtanga, practioners traditionally refrain from practicing on the full moon day, calling it a day of rest. Yet for other styles, such as kundalini yoga practitioners, the practice is seen even more important and more needed on a full moon day. This kind of yoga helps us stay clear from the negative unstable effects and allows us to replenish ourselves with positive energy while staying grounded and calm. There’s a tradition of yogis who opt to cleanse the body and mind on the day the moon is full; detox practice, such as refraining from eating solids, helps sharpen our senses so that we can more deeply tune in to the sacred light of a full moon’s night – where all is illuminated, even what we do not want to see.

Turning to our yogic tools of meditation and lifestyle reassessment, we can use the full moon’s power to our benefit. Instead of relating on an emotional and chaotic level, we can devote ourselves to practice yoga more deeply through meditation… Some may also engage in making a dietary change… It can be simple as choosing one thing to cleanse yourself of; perhaps it is sugar, or salt, caffeine or nicotine …or maybe it is an emotion like anger and judgement. Whatever it maybe, taking the time to consciously eliminate what no longer serves you, you lighten your burden … empty … then allowing the universal abundance, the goodness to fill you up. Are you more grounded without the sugar? Less bloated without salt? Are you feeling more centered and breathing with more awareness and clarity? Does meditation help you uncover what’s toxic in your life?

Experience the gifts that a full moon brings; instead of dwelling in the negative or the past, dwell in our happiness found in the “now”, with a sense of gratitude we have for this life we were given. Realize, where your attention is directed towards, your prana (life force) flows. So let’s take a leap of faith and envision the darkness become the light and the light become the darkness, where the divide is no longer … where duality disappears and there’s just ONE … abundance … wholeness…we call truth or … love.

An herbalist shares this moon “medicine”:

Ingredients:

1TBS Edible Rose petals (fresh or dried)
1TBS Chamomile Flowers
1TBS Nettle leaf
Filtered water

Directions:

Fill the 32oz jar with filtered water about half way. Place all ingredients in the jar and if needed add more water until the jar id full. Close the lid. Place it under the full moon for the whole night. In the Morning strain and refrigerate up to 5 days. Drink either like hot cup of tea or cooled like lemonade:)

Or for those with compressed time, find a drink like this and place it under the full moon over night …(EASY:)
Reading about Ayurvedic healing (ironically in Japanese so the interpretation might be a bit different)… very interesting … a lot of commonality with what I grew up with …My mother was always doing herbs because she always suffered from a headache or a stomachache or … you name it, she had that ailment …acupuncture for this and that – that is Chinese medicine, however… every healing modalities seem to be adapted to the the culture and the people of that land… all good:) We are all earthlings:)
detox time…cleansing.

Teaching Lovely Souls:)

Post author By Kay T. Ananda
Post date March 25, 2015

“The teachers who get “burned out” are not the ones who are constantly learning, which can be exhilarating, but those who feel they must stay in control and ahead of the students at all times.”

~ Frank Smith

“To teach is to learn twice.”

~ Joseph Joubert

Love being a student – Rather by returning to being a student, there’s true learning taking place, when you teach. Confession – Lately, I have been feeling like just going away – I told a friend my dream would be to just check into an ashram (NOT asylum:) just about now and take a sabbatical from a daily “schedule” in general. But, real and ordinary life demands my attention and that I’d be super engaged. Be plugged in. I do want to be there for those I care. It’s an important time never to be repeated again. So restorative yoga time and my own yin/yang vinyasa flowish hatha yoga blend of a practice is how I balance – to devise my own “ashram” retreat here … a pilgrimage to my own soul whenever I find the need to attend to Self. With practice, you can transport yourself to any ashram without being confined physically to your own everyday realm.

Teaching on regular basis is nice but in some ways, sometimes I think I am not cut out for it … being too much of an Empath as I was called by a friend. So the whole concept of Ichigo-Ichie I referred to yesterday is what I am working on – it’s a tea ceremony of sorts, or that’s how to approach the class. It’s a tea party and guests come together for that ceremony, for the ritual just once – maybe to never to meet again.

These thoughts came to me because I was surprised myself that I felt this odd, something’s not right – a weird energy or lack of it, when a regular student for a whole year stopped coming first of this year- It is actually very disconcerting especially because he was like a fixture, very consistent, always at a same spot by the mirror every week, quietly sitting. Of course, he’s free to whatever and owes me no explanation – there is no commitment to be there – it’s just free will thing. And yet…So when that spot became empty … We felt the absence. There really was like an invisible “hole” right there on the floor- an emptiness – a hole where the communal energy leaked out a little – that mat space had been reserved by him, so it was hard to let go of the idea that now it’s available – when someone else took up the space, it even felt very weird to me – he was that stabilizing and part of the space.

So when he came back on the full moon day this month, it was nice. (Just when I got used to losing him – aghhh! just kidding – welcome back:) It was like this energy field was reclaimed and the room became … whole again, yes, restored. I really have to just let go of such concerns – just live in the NOW, from moment to moment with no expectation, no ego – no attachments that’s maybe even … gasp …could be – clingy – so uncool. I do get concerned when there’s a no show of someone who routinely showed up though – can’t help but wonder if that student is sick or injured or moved away or this or that when the spell of regularity is broken. So sometimes when a more regular student comes to tell me that she will miss a class next week because of this or that reason, I really appreciate the thoughtfulness. I used to not care and for that reason, it was so much easier being a sub who have no attachment at all. So free. Those who tell me their plans, I have a feeling must be a teacher too and knows what it’s like. Keeping a respectful distance but still caring with absolutely no expectations. Then, sudden no shows will not throw you off – let’s not get complacent with this spell of regularity… e – n – e – r – g – y – ! It’s all about energy.

Ironic to be at this party when I have not seen any of the films being nominated. Last movie I saw must have been “Life of Pi” or was it “Kung Fu Panda”? So out of touch when it comes to current movies – rather do yoga than watch movies but … some exceptions.

Fun still to just vote – luckily it’s multiple choice – playing along clueless with the choices on the ballot. Pure luck – Won a prize even:)

Nice mix of vegan and non-vegan nibbles. Considerate hosts – to give guests the choice.

Very creative hosts – must be film buffs – apparently into their 17th year hosting – such a nice warm family.

Red beats and yellow beats – vegan nibbles. Pretty colors.

Clueless … Who’s who? Help.
Does this help? No, not that kind of help.
What’s in this again? A creative mixologist here.
A great chef, Kerry, catered and he’s available for any kind of gathering ! Happy to refer:)
Here’s his website: www.chefkerry.com
He can customize and work with your budget … nice.