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Love Her Blog !

Feast for the eyes! An edible microcosm on an obon world …

My girlfriend started a blog – it’s SO CUTE reflective of her love for her husband. She journals her meals she cooks and places on “obon” which means a serving platter. It’s quite a common practice in Japan to serve on a tray as from ancient times, the lords and kings were served their food on a lacquered tray (usually there would be a servant who will have to taste test everything to make sure the master does not get poisoned !)

Here it is. Her blog gives me ideas so I appreciate her sharing. But I must say what I come away with is – how lucky is her husband to have someone so caring to put him on a diet like this! It’s so fun with all these little plates, little touches. Now all he needs is a yoga session!

Dear Friend – he needs a yoga session! Then your obon diet will be even more successful !
Had I mentioned that when I had no time for yoga for myself, I gained 15 lbs? And now slowly getting back to the former normalcy by reducing the cortisol level … with restored self-care. Dropping down to 115lb …what a relief. Lighter and free.

Many dishes are served on “obon” in Japan so I will share those that I came across when I was in Japan when I get more or less caught up with my Yoga Therapy assignments. Or maybe I should be dishing up yoga poses as a daily diet of yoga therapy, lol.

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Uncategorized

Sturgeon Moon ?

sturgeon-moon (1)(from Farmer’s Almanac)

Full moon in August is called “Sturgeon Moon” among Native Americans.
Makes me think of sushi …or Caviar, lol … Caviar is sturgeon fish eggs – did Native Americans eat them? No, I don’t mean sushi, that’s distinctively Japanese but I mean, fish eggs? Considered food to bless a woman with powers of fertility. Women with fertility issues – besides yoga for fertility, try some foods for fertility such as …yes, fish roe on a full moon night. It works. Really. Pair with champagne … I kid you not. Allow yourself to ripen and burst in radiance.
White-Sturgeon-Caviarthat’s tonight’s full moon, named by Native American tribes. The “sturgeon moon” in North America because they knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were more easily caught during this Full Moon. Other names for August’s Moon are “Full Green Corn Moon”, “Wheat Cut Moon” (San Ildefonso, and San Juan), or “Moon When All Things Ripen” (Dakotah Sioux) or “Blueberry Moon” (Ojibway).

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Yoga

New Normal in the Labyrinth…

Thank you for covering for me – I love yogini peers who so willingly subbed during my 3 weeks in Japan … So indebted … Arigato!
IMG_3683(This is a photo from the labyrinth circle on which we practice on at Niroga Institute. Institute sounds rather institutional but it’s actually a very low key church/auditorium. It’s nothing fancy and that’s why I love the vibe there for we create it. I love the yogis I share this journey with. Teachers are all excellent and the anchoring founder, B.K.’s presence is felt by all. So blessed to be part of this!)

***

Almost back to normal – full-ish schedule teaching four public classes coming up this week. It’s enough as I balance the “other” parts of my life. I don’t want to teach from a place of chaos and discord. I want the harmony – the rhythm of vibrancy steeped in balance. As for privates, they are … private. Shhhh:) Why privates? Some people have personal trainer – same idea – a yoga instruction customized for your specific body type, constitutions and thereby, differentiated needs. It’s individualized and customized to reflect one’s specific goals and desires and so it’s truly… therapeutic. That’s my current training. Again, I wish I had a yoga therapist to myself when I needed one ! Supportive caring soul who acts as a Sherpa on the healing journey trekking uphill to recovery or full vibrancy – from darkness to light.

Had underestimated the energy and time commitments required for the 500/800 hours certifications. One month of absence has really costed me – so paying the price now with intense focus. Homework & assignments have piled up and I still have so much to makeup in terms of assisting hours in a yoga therapy setting as I find my mentors in special areas of expertise. Then there’s the “other” “real” life outside of yoga – wouldn’t it be a dream if all my worlds, real and imagined all just merged into supporting my passion…

Then next week, I will join a team of very dedicated yogis to assist our teacher, Judith Lasator, PhD/PT, at her week-long teacher training titled “Level 2/Therapeutic Application of Restorative Yoga” with a guest instructor/scholar, Roger Cole, PhD. I myself took this TT few years ago with maybe 60-70 other cohorts. So honored to join on the teaching side this time, as an assistant to a great teacher I admire and respect so much. The opportunity will serve as a review on the material covered and ingested few years ago. Very much looking forward to be with the like-minded, dedicated to the practice of yoga. This particular kind of yoga sometimes overlooked by the mainstream … so healing. So luscious and … yummy:)

* Pure Yin vs. Vin/Yin? – Vin/Yin just means Vinyasa followed by Yin style of yoga practice. It’s sometimes called “Yin/Yang Yoga” or Yoga Fusion. Then one might ask – What is Yin Yoga? Here’s a post on that from a while back. While I enjoy the dynamic flow class, the yang style, I really benefit from the serine stillness found between the breath in yin sessions. As Judith would say about that kind of practice – it’s a “refuge”. Yes? We have to prove ourselves so much to be worthy of this life, sometimes, all we need is a refuge. A refuge where we can integrate the body and mind to find the inner light that leads us to spiritual awakening. I love this beautiful practice so underestimated.