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Beautiful Rituals Healthy Activities

Full Moon & Lunar Eclipse

Golden Milk anyone? (use coconut, almond or soy milk & sweeten with honey if not vegan and with dates or Agave if vegan:) Here’s a nice blog with the recipe – not too different from mine… you can improvise a little but of course the key ingredient is the … turmeric.
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Tonight … such beautiful full moon hanging so low, hinged to hover right above the skyline. Glowing like a big ball of a lamp lit to cast a shadow …In North America, the eclipse will begin at 3:16am tomorrow. Per NASA, it will only last for a little less than 5 minutes … happening before sunrise the morning of April 4th…(Per earthsky.org) Not sure if I could stay awake or rise that early…speculating the full eclipse would be more like 4-5am?
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A full moon represents wholeness and empowers us with positive energy to overcome fears. It is said that the full moon is the time where we gather strength and courage in finding truth and fining life in its fullest expression. The divine truth becomes clearer as the moon’s light illuminates the darkest spaces and even brings into full view, what’s hidden in the dark crevices … the light brings into full view what had remained lurking, hidden, suppressed …and sometimes, that illumination can be disconcerting. Physically, mentally and spiritually, one is literally shown the “light” through the divine guidance. Full moon is said to represent the power of abundance, an offering of the universe … in all its glory.

When we feel the arrival of the full moon, it is said that our psyche undergoes a shift – often times, our emotions become volatile and one may experience mood swings; energetically, there may be a surge and bursts of stamina or feeling of wakefulness, to the point of feeling overwhelmed by such shift in your own intrinsic energy.

For the vigorous yoga style of Ashtanga, practioners traditionally refrain from practicing on the full moon day, calling it a day of rest. Yet for other styles, such as kundalini yoga practitioners, the practice is seen even more important and more needed on a full moon day. This kind of yoga helps us stay clear from the negative unstable effects and allows us to replenish ourselves with positive energy while staying grounded and calm. There’s a tradition of yogis who opt to cleanse the body and mind on the day the moon is full; detox practice, such as refraining from eating solids, helps sharpen our senses so that we can more deeply tune in to the sacred light of a full moon’s night – where all is illuminated, even what we do not want to see.

Turning to our yogic tools of meditation and lifestyle reassessment, we can use the full moon’s power to our benefit. Instead of relating on an emotional and chaotic level, we can devote ourselves to practice yoga more deeply through meditation… Some may also engage in making a dietary change… It can be simple as choosing one thing to cleanse yourself of; perhaps it is sugar, or salt, caffeine or nicotine …or maybe it is an emotion like anger and judgement. Whatever it maybe, taking the time to consciously eliminate what no longer serves you, you lighten your burden … empty … then allowing the universal abundance, the goodness to fill you up. Are you more grounded without the sugar? Less bloated without salt? Are you feeling more centered and breathing with more awareness and clarity? Does meditation help you uncover what’s toxic in your life?

Experience the gifts that a full moon brings; instead of dwelling in the negative or the past, dwell in our happiness found in the “now”, with a sense of gratitude we have for this life we were given. Realize, where your attention is directed towards, your prana (life force) flows. So let’s take a leap of faith and envision the darkness become the light and the light become the darkness, where the divide is no longer … where duality disappears and there’s just ONE … abundance … wholeness…we call truth or … love.

An herbalist shares this moon “medicine”:

Ingredients:

1TBS Edible Rose petals (fresh or dried)
1TBS Chamomile Flowers
1TBS Nettle leaf
Filtered water

Directions:

Fill the 32oz jar with filtered water about half way. Place all ingredients in the jar and if needed add more water until the jar id full. Close the lid. Place it under the full moon for the whole night. In the Morning strain and refrigerate up to 5 days. Drink either like hot cup of tea or cooled like lemonade:)

Or for those with compressed time, find a drink like this and place it under the full moon over night …(EASY:)
sm_IMG_6306 Reading about Ayurvedic healing (ironically in Japanese so the interpretation might be a bit different)… very interesting … a lot of commonality with what I grew up with …My mother was always doing herbs because she always suffered from a headache or a stomachache or … you name it, she had that ailment …acupuncture for this and that – that is Chinese medicine, however… every healing modalities seem to be adapted to the the culture and the people of that land… all good:) We are all earthlings:)
sm_IMG_6344sm_IMG_6345 detox time…cleansing.

Categories
Yoga

Surrendering on April Fools

I am quitting yoga and taking up _______________ (fill in the blank) instead.

April Fools!

Here’s a memo to self ? Yes, a kind message to the fool I had been:
surrender

There’s a TV show in Japan called “ANO HITO NI AITAI” translates to something like “I want to see/meet you again”. The show will bring back interviews from the past with titans of the past era. Interviews with famous authors or scientists, musicians, artists, poets, entrepreneurs, teachers … two things these featured guests have in common are that one, they are famous (in Japan anyway); and two, they are all dead. Actually maybe not all famous as in well-known as some are totally unknown to me – so ignorant of me as some of the figures they bring back to life are artists I had never been exposed to, but once introduced to their life’s work and their charm, come away wishing I had the honor during their lifetime to know them …sincerely wish the paths had crossed with these enlightened beings, the travelers further along, who had journeyed before us.

So, ahhh, what thrill, when these amazing beings are brought back before our eyes through the replay of past interviews. So while they are no longer with us physically, it is as though their essence, their spirit is brought back. It sounds morbid but it isn’t. (okay, I’m only a little …strange in what turns me on?) Rather, it’s just SO spell-bounding – reminding us of the great minds before us as they are brought back to life before our eyes. Sometimes I am awe-struck, even if the visuals may be so-not-Hollywood black and white dated faded pathetic in its aged quality.

So as I rearrange the books I had picked up at Golden Bridge yoga, wished Yogi Bhajan was featured in a program like that. Have known him only through print but it would be amazing to actually hear and see him even in recording …It does not have to be a full blown documentary – just an interview or a talk, re-released. Too bad PBS/KQED kind of a broadcaster doesn’t re-release their archived recordings (do they?).

Dead people can be resurrected and can come back to be with us – you merely have to remember them. And for some of us, there’s no memory of that great mind as we had not been directly exposed to him and he was only found through print – Thoughts on rebirth, renewal, revival, resurrection, reincarnation … all these lovely “re” words…the theme of remembrance revisited as we approach Easter weekend.

easterbunnyfrom http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/easter-bunny-does-yoga/
BTW, I LOVE this blog I accidentally stumbled upon… reminds me of the days when we dropped in on Golden Bridge yoga studio in LA … such beautiful space for meditation and a yoga style so different from what I had been practicing… It’s all good whatever the style, yoga is yoga, whatever the style, wherever you are.

Categories
Yoga

“The Iyengar system is The ROCK”

On Maty Ezraty – “The Iyengar system is a rock in her practice and teaching” even though “She was one of a handful of women to complete some of the advanced sequences” (so young in the video:) taught by Pattabhi Jois, father of Ashtanga style. She integrates both styles … masterfully. Is that called a fusion or a blended style? Whatever it’s called, it works to make yoga more accessible to PT yogis (most of us are not dedicating our lives to yoga FT like these yogis in the video) and injury-free. Here’s a scene from a workshop by yet another Iyengar steeped teacher, Richard Rosen – he’s also very detailed and observant… that x-ray beam of a vision, the keen eyes, Judith Lasater also shares. (She would term the observations and body studies to be done with “soft eyes” though:)These masters all seem to “read” people’s body so well…learned a lot. sm_IMG_1547
Anyway, served as an emergency sub this morning – yay – so fun even though I had no idea what kind of yoga – never taken this teacher’s class nor did I know what style but … it didn’t really matter. I am no longer concerned – I am not trying to replicate that regular instructor as she/he’s irreplaceable and I am not even going to attempt to copy. I cannot respect copy-cats… unless it’s a sequence like sun salutation etc. that’s the vinyasa imprint itself. If there’s her signature blue print or sequence, then, I am doing something different – that’s the only approach I have now. We are all different and I am not even going to try to … match her class. Turns out it was an Iyengar class. No problem – so timely as 3 of the yoga teachers I so respect and trained under recently are all Iyengar style teachers – although had I known, I would have prepared something but it came up 9am and the class was 10-something so … no prep. Jump in – not really in my character as I used to OVER prepare… (a shift taking place within…)

Stereo system did not have the needed cable so … no music either. In the past, I probably would have gotten a nervous breakdown just about when ipod cable was nowhere to be found and realization hits that there will be no music … but… no big deal… having been at Iyengar classes where there’s this characteristic sternness with constant verbal cues (probably”music” to ears for anatomy geeks), it’s okay to not have any BGM. So in spite of things not being just “perfect” as in an ideal world, students actually came up to say thank you after class, one of the ladies even saying “this is just what I needed – Thank you!” and gave me a big hug. Never seen her in my life and who knows if I will ever see her again but such a big heartfelt hug – a bit surprised and touched. What a warm and receptive group of lovely souls. Ichigo-ichie feel. Arigato. I have no idea what kind of teacher I was subbing for but I sensed that she must be a very good teacher if reflected by the quality of her students – they were so present, SO flexible psychic-“wise”, willing to go along with the break in their regularity and routine, setting aside their expectations.
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Unrelated but scene from the intensive with Maty – that chin – that chin – So happy to have done that session that prepared me for this kind of no-prep sub stint with total confidence. I mean, when you know that you’ve learned from the expert, someone you worship, you can’t help but believe in yourself. You know you know it.(Still cannot levitate…or have the body do what the mind wants it to do all the time – which probably is a blessing in disguise – practice and training needed…always humbled.)

Then tonight, I got to go to my late-night class – another, yay (8:30 is not that late but it’s the only one around – here it’s not urban enough I guess) – thank you thank you thank you – all gratitude to be allowed to indulge in yoga at such time – I loved tonight’s class – Teacher K always introduces 1-3 new pose(s) and they were the ones I found fun exploring (still challenging)… but even more than the class itself, I actually loved the class because the girl next to me was so sweet – after class she offered to take my blankets to the back room for me – so to reciprocate, I offered to return her block to the front of the room – it seems like nothing – truly no big deal and it’s not as though we became BFF as a result … such a little thing but… I don’t know… it was a nice unexpected gesture … nice vibe – that kind of an exchange creates. I am also beginning to recognize the regulars as I too might become a regular at this rate where this is the only late night class I can get to … I don’t know what happened but all the sudden the class size mushroomed from last week and it was even more packed than usual. A treat to have a dedicated time to yoga when the practice does not break up the day… there’s no more to do other than a hot ofuro Japanese style. Haahhh, heaven:) Good night …I am so grateful for today. Arigato. Oyasumi ~
sm_IMG_1477 I MAY need this tomorrow though…really was prezely tonight. China Gel – a cream version of Tiger Balm.