Category: Uncategorized

a therapy – a jet lag fix.

Mission accomplished, we window shopped 4th street where we had to stop and take note:

To me, a new restaurant on this row… Used to be Ochame??? – it’s now a lovely looking restaurant called …Iyasare… in Japanese means, to find comfort; to feel healed and refreshed…basically the heart of “restorative yoga”…

A restaurant with such name got us to stop and take note. Looked at the menu – no, not vegan but… inviting.
We will have to come back…For dinner time, the place appeared to be more of a special occasion eatery so … note to self.

Then we headed to a casual family style Thai restaurant… here too, symbolically named we come to learn.
“Sabuy, Sabuy” means – relax with not a care in the world.
The lovely Thai lady next to our table explained – “you know, it’s like you are on the beach – just relax with no worries – that’s ‘Sabuy, sabuy’…
that’s what it means, sabuy – sabuy”. She held out her hands as to say, “see ? just like that.”

ahhh, we get it; we looked at each other, smiling, recited,

Sabuy

Sabuy

Words just roll off your tongue and come alive when we know the meaning!

It’s what we all need – deserve – at the very least, once a week:) Sabuy, Sabuy as we desire “Iyasare”… we all seek the same thing.

Sabuy sabuy owner made a light crispy Thai omelette – off the menu – fresh off the pan – ah, so savory and airy …

Their Tom Ka Gai was just the right spiciness to help ward off any onset of sinus congestion …and anything with eggplants – my fav veggie and curry … delicious.

Sabuy, Sabuy.

Gochisousama-deshita.

(is this turning into a food blog? pics to follow…)

Never really suffered from a jet lag of this debilitating level until this time. My entire frontal lobe feels constricted and my shoulders tight and neck stiff as a hard block of stone… a severe pounding headache and acute body aches, Day 1. Luckily, I have yoga tools in my toolkit to deal with this. I am treating myself to restorative yoga sequence and self-care I have read zillions of times but never actually tried on myself since I did not suffer … before, I bypassed the suffering and misery – I would have just popped Advil – today, I have various therapy techniques to try out on myself. I am the guinea pig:) If it were not for this headache, I would been doing so much much more tackling everything on my TO-Do list that piled up during my 2 weeks absence; but because of this headache, I am laying low. I am unable to … work… or play. Even reading, fav pastime gives me nausea…sad.

I take this as a message. Practicing a real message of yoga – Just practicing Being instead of Doing today.

Surely, it’s a blessing in disguise.

If you attend my Sunday evening classes, you know I incorporate aromatherapy in my practice. Having studied with a licensed aromatherapist and floral designer & herbalist, Mari Kato sensei, I feel, I have the fundamentals necessary to share the knowledge she imparted responsibly. Mari sensei has a lifetime of experience in all things flowers and herbs, having founded Foliage over 20 years ago, having started her service in Tokyo then migrating to Los Angeles, then to Berkeley where I spent my college years. Foliage blends are exquisite… reminiscent of our longings for nature and all things beautiful.

I have always been very sensitive to scents… and believe that olfactory coding goes directory to our brain, influencing our mood and perceptions. True to my cultural heritage, I will be designing various scents to complement the season we are in. Will be trying out Autumn scents in the coming recharging station – I mean, classes.

You need not call it therapy but part of life, aroma has been used from time immemorial. Incense has been used ever since dawn of humankind – in offering to the dead, incense is burned; in meditation practice at temples, incense in burned, aristocrats and noblemen had a practice called “Kodo” where guests were invited to play games based on fragrances passed around to smell during the party. Some of the scents were considered to have healing properties, treated like medicine. In Europe, if you trace the history of aromatherapy, flower power had medicinal properties and they were used as homeopathy treatments in alternative medicine. Unlike Japan where there was dominant bathing culture (hot springs country!), perfumes were invented to mask the stench when one was unable to take showers and baths; whereas essential oils of highest quality was treasured like medicine. These practices are not unique to the Orient and Europe. For instance, Native Americans, North and South, used various incense. It is said that Native Americans used natural scents derived from Mother Earth, such as sage, sweetgrass, juniper, cedar and pine to clear the air of negative energy and instead invite positive energy which was especially important before their ceremonies and rituals.

If yoga practice is to promote natural inborn healing powers, then, naturally, we are drawn to aroma, fragrances that bring about relief, calmness, clarity, and positive outlook. I never found colognes and perfumes I truly liked – man made chemicals and artificial scents are no match to what Mother Earth provides – yes, then with essentials oils, I realized the difference between the natural and the authentic vs. the artificial. When scents are “real”, you will realize you have no allergies or negative reactions. Pure goodness, that’s real. That’s all I use.

* Please note however, not all things “natural” are necessarily good for you. Bear in mind, depending on special conditions such as pregnancies, some scents should be avoided or at least not consumed directly.