After giving him a BIG hug, blessed to find the ritual of grounding with Charlie …to be so energizing.
Opening the heart during shinrinyoku after Wanowa’s “no salt macrobiotic” cooking class hosted by Shinobeau. It was a mini-get-away to breathe in forest fresh oxygen and eat purifying foods… I consider as my self-care retreat. BTW, will show you the restorative version of this pose one day … it’s SOOOOO delicious. Why? because we feel so safe and secure, letting go. It’s about surrendering to the softer side of yoga; balancing so much of the efforts and all that “it’s not good enough”striving we put ourselves through, that self-flagellation – Here, it’s ENOUGH – surrendering of that ego to find the effervescent light within. 
While of course I care about Men’s Health (mag title isn’t it?), for the research paper due in June, I am doing one on Women’s Heath. That in itself is too huge a topic so I will have to key in on just one aspect of it. Influenced by a book called “Yoga for the Three Stages of Life” by yoga master, Srivatsa Ramaswami. I will be piggy banking on his way of approaching a huge topic and just focus on one stage even though there are many many stages in one’s life. In this case, it’s more about the major turning point us women experience at a biological, hormonal level I am talking about.
While doing research, came across this utube video While I do not enjoy the tone of anger in her voice, I empathize with the feelings of mistrust or frustrations. Western medicine is highly effective for acute issues but sometimes for the more chronic issues, depending on the care system, one may feel a bit abandoned. That’s why the interest in alternative medicine – and one has to be educated enough to be able to distinguish horse so-called-doctors from the real medicine man … not easy.
Yoga Therapy is not an “alternative” but supplemental, augmentation or that humanity that fills the gap …the unifying force so that we may feel more integrated, whole and fearless. Learning – We just have to be more responsible for our own health and not be okay with popping pills for every malaise we experience for a quick cure. There is no real quick fix without unwanted consequences, i.e., side-affects and mental and emotional abandonment. More alarmed that sometimes these practical quick fixes can turn into a “dependency” over time and who wants that?
One of my earlier and wonderful yoga teachers, Jean & Brenna used to say something like, best barometer of health is how much we are able to forget we even have a body. That’s the total freedom we enjoy when we have holistic and complete health. We can thank yoga practice for that but even then…. even the healthiest have some days when she is not feeling her/his best (I for one gain and lose 10 lbs like a yoyo directly tied to whether I am doing restorative yoga for myself or not. If I don’t practice, the weight creeps up along with stress, blood pressure, noise and mind clutter) All I know is that we get in trouble when we don’t know who we are … It is surprising how much I knew about other topics, newsstands and textbook “knowledge” we get graded or evaluated or judged on all these years but … remained so ignorant of myself. I mean, for example, who would have known what my Dosha might be or what my purpose may be … Learn, grow … ultimately to share. What could be better. Wanting to live Consciously and Conscientiously.
Heeding our inner wisdom and honoring our inborn, instinctive, intrinsic power to self-correct & heal, when we know how to best take care ourselves, women are NOT defective. We are NOT a “basket case” – We are the mothers, daughters, sisters and friends … We oftentimes are the caretakers of others. We are WHOLE and STRONG. We are not flawed but rather, each perfect and divine. We don’t need to be fixed – just need to be understood and valued. Gratitude and respect always for the women in my life, doing their best to care for others sometimes even forgetting to care for Self in the process. Allow that time to just “abide” in self sometimes – Judith’s books can start the process of self-discovery. First from the physical superficial exterior and then layer by layer to explore deeper layers … to ultimately reach at the core, your true source.
