Category: Healthy Living

Categories
Healthy Living Yoga

Fasting for what?

There is more to life than increasing its speed.

– Gandhi

I learned of a book called “If Buddha came to Dinner” and picked it up for a good read as I am surrounded by very conscientious eaters who remind me of our diet and how that choice affects everything … so I had to be amused with Lizzie Lasater’s blog post I just discovered TODAY, in which she talks about the same book and throws out a supposition, suppose… what if Buddha came to yoga class… I do have lots of thoughts on that. But to make this post entertaining, taking off from the chosen quote above, for our need to slow down … here’s what if Gandhi came to your yoga class… hilarious.

I hope this does not offend anyone – it’s just that I’ve lived in LA (Los Feliz area) for few years in the past and used to visit Orange County a lot as well – was hooked on Bikram yoga in my past life – and so, somehow, it reminds me of this gym I used to go to. In a way, its good to see an instructor who does not even deal with memorizing yoga poses in Sanskrit as I used to beat myself up with that need. In fact, maybe we got tested on them… ? cannot recall but I remember on the white board was a name of a pose in Sanskrit and I had to instruct it to which I was like ??? turned out to be a bridge pose – “Betu Bandhasana” – hello? a test? Shamed. Test me again; I am pretty sure I will pass except for the pronunciation:)


“Don’t worry; you’ll learn the terminology.”

AND … reminded,

Laughter is the best medicine.

Let’s not take things so seriously.

Categories
Beautiful Places Healthy Food Yoga

Sleep deprived …

sm_IMG_0369Pushed away the desire to sleep in this morning to make it to my fairly weekly class over in East Bay… crossing the Bay Bridge is so easy when there’s no traffic. I mean, who is crazy enough to get up no different than weekday hour to cross the bridge just to get to a yoga class on a ZZZ sleepy weekend morning – most would rather opt to stay under warm covers in the comfy bed I imagine since it’s only on Sundays we get to sleep in … I normally do not care for Iyengar classes due to its austerity and sternness I used to find way too serious, dry and boring – but he keeps it light with humor and does not even call it an Iyengar class – it’s a “Fine Tuning” class; Yay, just what this yogini needed, i.e., fine tuning of the fundamentals:) I love the fact that I have to focus and thoughtfully embody my body with each detailed cue.

You really have to put on that “pair of glasses” for your internal eyes to see what your body is up to … command your body to move in a certain way rather than in a habitual automatic pattern. Normally I avoid male teachers* having felt mangled in the past but when my legs were pulled up to the sky, reminded that it takes a lot of strength to adjust/correct/improve someone’s shoulder stand…would be tough to do for a petite willowy yogini of an instructor (because WE can hurt ourselves while spotting if we lack the strength and the right stance) so they don’t usually mess with that kind of spotting … So happy I was spotted which allowed me to get into a much better shaped shoulder stand – legs vertical so much more than I could have ever done on my own … haahhh – the vertical “lift” upward felt so nice:) (used 5 blankets! Manduka wool blankets tend to run thin- but nice and smooth:)

sm_IMG_6112 Miso Ramen ordered by M.
sm_IMG_6115 Veggie kakiage tempura. I can eat this!
sm_IMG_6113What a treat of crab & salmon roe bowl ordered by M – had a little morsel to taste … so this is why becoming completely Vegan is a bit hard and I am a Pescetarian. Giving up meat is not hard for me but … seafood? sushi? Will be Pescetarian but end up being a Vegan as sushi is rather a rare treat anyway- maybe 4-5 times a year at most? It’s all about moderation …per Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara living legend of a doctor, age 103.
sm_IMG_6114 Edamame! I can eat this:)
sm_IMG_6116 Mojito ordered by the other M – took a sip – minty!
@ “Iyasare” Bekeley. Iyasare means to “to heal” so these are healing foods from Japanese perspective, probably not meeting the criteria for other health food definition but to me, SOUL food IS healing. Yet do hope that your soul food is not bacon for your health – recall a Bikram yoga instructor who kept on talking about BLT sandwich, apparently her favorite food – during class – as though the yoga practice was so that she’d be allowed to eat that BLT. Funny.
*****
When I see a student who seems to have considerable amount of energy escaping – a bit Vatta, maybe a bit anxious – like to give some grounding props so not all her energy we are harnessing dissipate into thin air … yet it is too bad that modification is not made possible for someone with limitations – something to think about going forth. BTW, Who would not know Judith Hanson Lasater, PT & PhD or Roger Cole, PhD, if we are talking Restorative Yoga that’s science based? Yes, there are so many types of so called restorative yoga styles out there but … hope it’s not called restorative and turns out to be something else like just nap and stretch. And yet, as the guru says – ALL yoga is restorative as in restoring your “chi”, prana or life-force. All – yep, all – which gives me the license to be more creative? Perhaps.

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Realized I was in Berkeley/Oakland Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week … perhaps we should move over there at this rate?
* could be a top ranking profession in that “15 Professions you don’t want your future husband to work in” – that article offended so many…

Categories
Beautiful Rituals Healthy Living

The Elixir

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In Native American or in many shamanic societies, if you sought out a shaman or medicine man due to inexplicable ailments, it is said that they would ask one of four questions.

When did you stop dancing?

When did you stop singing?

When did you stop being enchanted by stories?

When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?

Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experienced the loss of soul.

Dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves. I find all four elements within my own yoga practice and add-on few other elements… Feelings of gratitude for blessed are those who find the way to navigate that territory. Sweet.

sm_IMG_6718The BEST Chai at the most unlikely remote place…
sm_IMG_6459Shiva rides this peace loving white cow named Nandi:) Nandi is therefore also sacred as she is the vehicle, Shiva’s vehicle, as Shiva passes through the gates to that temple alter…love these stories. I am definitely “enchanted by stories”:) Love the narratives of these folklore and mythic stories passed down for centuries.

AND

Today, We all have a story to tell…enchanting narratives are abundant as we share our humanness.

OR today, how about a recipe instead? Experiment with spices … some complement each other, some do not…it’s chemistry:)

Chai

3/4 cup water plus 1/4 cup almond or soy milk (making your own almond milk is not that hard – learned in Mt. Shasta)
Dates, agave or maple syrup to taste
Roughly ~2 teaspoons per cup loose black tea leaves (Ideally Assam or Ceylon tea if traditional but if herbal, found this to be good.)

Some or all of the following (measurements are per cup or per medium-sized mug):

2 green cardamom pods
2-3 whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1-2 pieces cinnamon (“real cinnamon”)
Fresh ginger (2-3 thin slices)

Heat water and milk. Before it comes to a boil, add fresh ginger and any or several of the following: a few pods of green cardamom, Cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, peppercorns and/or cinnamon. When the milk / water mixture boils, add loose black tea. Turn off the heat and let steep for 2 minutes. Pour into a cup through a sieve to strain out tea leaves and spices. Add sweetener of choice to taste.