Category: Healthy Living

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Beautiful People Healthy Food Healthy Living

From last summer … review time for spring Ayurvedic cooking.

I’ve been lucky to grow up with wonderfully healthy Japanese cuisine surrounded by family and friends who are excellent cooks. It’s my roots and source BUT it’s always great fun to discover cuisine from other countries and cultures. From each unique culture, there’s a age-old wisdom about healthy foods that is fitting to the geography and climate of that particular region of the world. There’s a common thread, and at times, great differences but when put in context of the difference in climate, land and history, it all makes sense. Characteristically, Japanese food is all about quality of WATER and UMAMI (& I would add delicate knife/cutting skills – it’s the samurai sword thing 🙂 according to a renowned Shojin cuisine chef; and so far I am discovering that Indian food is all about … SPICES, HERBS and might I say … ghee:) I love the medicinal wisdom behind their delicious dishes as I had misunderstood that Indian food was all about curry and … curry – what a misunderstanding. So wonderful to experience the diversity and to learn from different cultures.

IMG_7863_smallSpices most commonly used in spice trayIMG_7887_smallSome books recommended by the teacher; but we receive a binder full of recipes and helpful references.IMG_7895_smallIMG_7947_smallIMG_7935_smallIMG_8045_smallIMG_8012_smallLooks a bit like Matcha – green smoothie – smoothies are selected based on individual’s dosha and desired effect:)IMG_8048_small
Great cooking class for not only the actual cooking and eating (!!) but for the Ayurvedic philosophy behind the cuisine was very fascinating. Here’s the testimonial from some of her students.
Chef Jyoti Jain’s class, from The Art of Living was excellent. What and how we eat is so important.

For her next session, you can contact her at: jyoti@jainfamily.com

Categories
Healthy Living Yoga

Tat Tvam Asi

IMG_8270_smallMaster Srivatsa Ramaswami’s workshop …the entire class laughed when I asked him “how can you keep track of the breath count.”(it was pretty complex 3×8 L&R and so on – ) He looked at me matter of fact-ly (probably had an internal eye roll) -then smiled and replied – That’s why I’m the teacher, you know – been doing it for a long time. Right. Other than for TKV Desikachar, not too many student can say that he directly studied with Krishnamurthi, and that, for over 30 years. A living legend… We are so lucky to be in his presence. A master-teacher emeritus, with so much knowledge and skills he shares with such humble fatherly manner. Sweet.
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“Tat Tvam Asi”
How is yoga philosophy applied in Yoga Therapy … homework and assignments that I actually enjoy doing !

The Self – in its original, pure, primordial state – is a manifestation of the Ultimate Reality and is the source and origin of all phenomena. Our seemingly single separate experience is actually inter-connected to the whole experience of Oneness.

What does this have anything to do with Yoga Therapy …

People may wonder why I am so into yoga therapeutics – it’s because I have been so helped by yoga first hand.   There was a time tight and stiff neck and shoulders was a norm; routine bouts of headaches; routine digestive problems … on very little sleep to get so much done.  Of course lack of self care can lead to a serious health issue but as serious as it was, with surgery – western fix and eastern self-care, recovered. Especially, with yoga therapy, fine today. In a way, I see the unforgiving lifestyle that paved the way for malaise to find lodging in my body and then healing from it as a blessing – that it could have been even more serious BUT because it wasn’t, it taught me a lesson and since then, I have been interested in integrative holistic and alternative medicine. It’s a bit too late to look into becoming a doctor at my ripe age (& I hate the sight of blood) so I am taking up studies of yoga as a healing modality one can incorporate at ANY age or condition.

Its as though the divine had given me a chance to make right the wrong and allow a soulful journey to return home as a repentant prodigal daughter. That un-welcomed guest who took up lodging in my body, allowed me to take a break, allowed me to backtrack my steps and deconstruct what lead to my suffering. (it is said that pain is inevitable; suffering is a choice:) Then it was a lesson of Gratitude for certain people in our lives who brought me the homemade healing nourishment everyday; Gratitude for the family who did their best to support; and Gratitude for this practice of yoga to overcome fear and face myself squarely to really reflect. The wisdom of healing abides within each of us and all of us are capable of tapping into that power within. We are the ultimate source of our own healing, never forgetting that we are all inter-connected manifestation of the Higher Ultimate Consciousness.
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It was fun showing my mom yoga moves in Tokyo last month. She still wants to learn – no one is ever too old to learn. She was one of the best students I ever had for her eagerness and receptiveness, openness to learn and practice. She’s a rather cute senior:) I deeply respect her because she’s all about self-care (I too learned some techniques from her) so that she may better care for others – or at this point in her life she says – I don’t want to be a burden to my children and others. Don’t worry mom – it’s not a burden. It’s Joy:) Not the sparkly type but nevertheless, JOY to see you overcome hip surgery, subsequent rehabilitation whilst dealing with various assault of aging. Hope you continue your meditation practice so that your grey matter remains intact. That way you can still recognize me for who I am no matter how old you (I) get.

We are all invited to learn from the inner wisdom embedded in our being like dirt-covered unpolished gems. They were passed down from our fore-bearers before us, our collective ancestors …and it is our dharma to discover the buried treasures – and to polish them and to bring out the brilliance to be cherished in reverence.

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Beautiful Places Healthy Food

Easter is next week …

It’s about the balance getting across the stream …Stream of conciousness runs through you like this flowing stream … it’s a constant unstoppable reality.sm_IMG_6520Restorative on a tree?Feel the energy in reposesm_IMG_6584Blossoms are everywhere – it’s spring:)sm_IMG_6600
It’s been 2 years since … the pilgrimage to the wonders of Nature here in Northern California.
Devoid of Shinto shrines, maybe Mt. Shasta, is a nature’s shrine that evokes that spiritual feeling where one can tap into the earth’s energy.
It’s very grounding to feel the mountain’s energy and drink its spring water. BUT if one can’t go, one can find that earth’s energy in the herbs harvested by hand …by Yasuko.
Yasuko-san has a beautiful line of products, hand-made… of course, hand picked from either wild woods and meadows at the foothills of Mt. Shasta or grown in her garden overlooking that majestic mountain … she painstakingly makes tinctures, ages them
under the New Moon light for good luck and fortune.
Her craft brings you that
essence of Nature and Harmony:)
Here is her site: click here:)

Our last discovery while staying with Yasuko was …
Most amazing – that there’s an authentic Indian restaurant tucked away in Weed – very funky next to an American BBQ.
Glassy Junction … feels so funny to walk in and the waiter or the owner looks like an actor from a Bollywood movie.
He has a general look of disinterest and boredom watching some Indian version of soaps. This kind of unfriendly service which makes the place even more surreal as we were the only ones showing up – Yet the food was delicious! Yummy Chai:)
naturehahaha … you need a good guide on any journey:) Mt. Everest can’t be climbed without a sherpa; can’t really see the ancient city of Kyoto without a good guide … otherwise, its all a tourist trap …All the apps and GPS I will trade in for that guide who has gone a step further to find what’s unknown to me – far far ahead of me for that authentic adventure.