Spring Clean

May 16, 2013

making kale saladIn the timeline of life according to Ayurveda, spring—and all new growth—is kapha. More specifically, since spring falls between the sleepy, damp kapha season of winter and the hot and passionate pitta season of summer, some might refer to it as a kapha-pitta season.

It is when the kapha that’s accumulated over winter warms up and begins to liquefy. Kapha turning liquid may become problematic for those of us prone to spring colds, sneezing and allergies. And since the liver and gallbladder are activated at this time of year, some of that liquefying kapha reveals inflammation, irritation and other pitta symptoms having to do with the realm of fire and oil. Our goal is to help kapha along; to allow it to flow through us as quickly as possible so that symptoms remain for as short a time as possible.

This natural liquification process is exemplary of why it’s such a good idea to cleanse in the spring. Nature is on your side; kapha is already moving as a result of spring warmth. Ama, or toxic build up in the body, naturally wants to express, expectorate and detoxify. It’s nature’s version of “out with the old, in with the new.” Knowing which foods will help to accelerate and support this process helps us feel better while it’s happening. Detoxification can be uncomfortable. So we want to focus on foods that lessen the discomfort while strengthening our immunity—also known as ojas, or vital fluids—so that our path to summer is a strong and vibrant one.

Kapha is increased by excessive amounts of heavy, oily, damp foods. This includes all fried foods, foods that are laden with table salt and cooked oils, leftover foods that have lost their pranic “glow,” and excessively heavy, sweet desserts. If you are a person of the kapha persuasion, this is not new news.

Overeating and under-exercising will also increase kapha. And what we want to do is balance kapha. So, the tastes to avoid (in excess; remember that everyone has their own unique constitution so there are variants to this general rule of spring) include sweet, salty and sour. The tastes to focus on are bitter, pungent and astringent.

Here are some examples of what you DO want to eat right now:

My favorite food-for-a-spring day looks something like this: Start off the day with a large mug of hot water and the juice of half a lemon. Maybe add a dash of cardamom, turmeric, tulsi (holy basil), or cayenne pepper for a little more stir to the digestive fire. For breakfast, a room temperature green smoothie really can’t be beat. It’s light, hydrating, alkaline-forming and easy to digest. Especially when that smoothie is rich in greens (which could come from fresh kale, spinach, or a green superfood powder like “Vitamineral Green” from Healthforce Nutritionals), fiber from foods like flax or chia seeds, astringent fruits like organic red grapes or pomegranate juice and a dash of pungent spice like fresh minced ginger root and ground cinnamon.

Fresh seasonal fruit make good spring snacks but it’s better to avoid snacking between meals and treat yourself instead with fresh ginger tea and raw honey. Tulsi tea is also excellent. Lunch could be a bountiful spinach salad with grated carrots, grated beets, radishes and steamed artichokes with lemon-olive oil-garlic dipping sauce. Perhaps dinner can consist of some coconut-roasted asparagus for dinner with a bowl of steaming quinoa. Add a hunking tablespoon of raw sauerkraut and you’ve got probiotics to help move that ama out.

In terms of avoiding sweet, salty and sour, there are a few exceptions. Really good quality, mineral-rich salt like Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt on your food provides electrolyte minerals and flavor that cannot be replaced or replicated by any processed food. Cooking at home whenever possible gives you control over what goes into your meals. I recommend doing it as often as possible. Simple sweet foods like red-skinned potatoes, parsnips, white sweet potatoes, and gluten-free whole grains (like amaranth, quinoa, and millet) and pearled barley can provide fiber that aids the removal of ama.

For more food ideas, any Ayurvedic cookbook can lead you in the direction of kapha-reducing recipes. The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen is filled with vegetable-based dishes that nourish the body, mind and soul. I also love The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar.

Here are a few of my favorite spring recipes for nourishing vital ojas while balancing sweet kapha:

 

Kale Salad

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

1 small bunch dinosaur kale

1 tsp. Celtic sea salt

2 cups organic spring salad mix

1/2 cup sunflower sprouts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup raw hempseeds or sunflower seeds

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs. whole fennel seeds

Wash and chop the kale into very small pieces. Place in a large serving bowl with salt. Massage the kale and salt for a minute then add the remaining ingredients and toss.

 

Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

2 Tbs. melted ghee or coconut oil

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash Celtic sea salt

Melt the ghee or coconut oil over low heat. Remove from stove, add the lemon, garlic and salt and serve with artichokes, baked red potatoes, cooked whole grains and/or steamed asparagus.

 

Fresh Ginger Tea

Ginger is an invigorating tonic for warmth, digestive regulation and general vigor/circulation.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

4 cups water

2 inches fresh ginger root, cut into thin slices

Boil the water and ginger, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and drink at any temperature.

 

Talya Lutzker is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, nutritionist, chef, and yoga teacher, and the founder of Talya’s Kitchen. Her latest cookbook is The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen. Learn more at TalyasKitchen.com.

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A Practice for My Mom

May 10, 2013

momhike

My mom, Kimberly Gibson, on one of her favorite hikes in Carmel Valley.

by Hillary Gibson

As I sat in Virasana (Hero’s Pose), my palms pressed into Anjali Mudra, the teacher invited us to dedicate our individual practices to whomever, or whatever, spoke to us. My mom floated into my thoughts. I pictured her sitting in the same posture as me, connecting to the same mental space as me, 3,000 miles away in California. I immediately felt a rush of comfort, a peaceful feeling of grounding. At that moment, I realized the profound impact that yoga has had our relationship.

That was last September, the beginning of a four-month internship in Washington, DC, during my senior year at University of California Berkeley. Going was a welcome and exciting opportunity, but I was surprised by the magnitude of my homesickness during the first few weeks. After dedicating that day’s practice to my mom, my anxieties quickly subsided and I felt the comfort of home. I was settled.

My mom and I have been practicing yoga together for a little over a year, though she’s been a badass yogini for as long as I can remember. I have spandex-filled flashbacks of reluctantly going to yoga class with her when she couldn’t find a sitter. Today, we have an awesome friendship, united by our mutual love of yoga, hiking, and everything related to nature.

But our relationship wasn’t always so healthy, and yoga helped it to transform. Like for many adolescent girls, the high school years were rocky ones in my house. When I was 14, right after my older brother moved away for college, my parents went through a less than amicable divorce and I found myself caught in the middle. Throughout high school, my mom and I lived mostly as roommates in our three-bedroom house and saw little of each other. We tried talking with a therapist, but ultimately agreed that it didn’t help to have a mediator. Instead of looking for someone to blame or hold responsible, we needed to find a place of mutual understanding. Yoga helped us find that place.

It’s also helped me learn perspective and empathy. In my relationship with my mom, this has meant viewing her as an individual human being enduring equal suffering, not simply as my parent.

When she came to visit me in D.C., I took her to my yoga studio where we sipped herbal tea and snacked on ginger cookies (my mom’s favorite) set up in the sitting room. We practiced side by side, and again I dedicated my practice to her. That time, though, my thoughts only had to travel a few feet.

Back in California and a week away from graduation, both of us about to begin new chapters in our lives, I continue to dedicate my practice to my mom. She introduced me to yoga, and has always been there for me, even when I wouldn’t accept her guidance.

This Sunday, for Mother’s Day, I’m going to make a surprise visit home and a bring my mom a much-needed new yoga mat. And I dedicate this post to her, and to all the other yogi moms out there.

 

Hillary Gibson has been the Web Editorial Intern at Yoga Journal and graduates this month from the University of California Berkeley.

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Mirror, Mirror, Why Are You Here?

May 1, 2013

yoga classby Hillary Gibson

I’ve always been intensely competitive, constantly challenging myself to meet goals and comparing myself to others. When I began practicing yoga a little over a year ago, I felt I had found a place of community, a space where competition vanishes. Yoga studios filled with moving bodies exude an air of “we’re all in this together,” a treasured space in a world where a survival-of-the-fittest mentality usually prevails.

So, why do some yoga studios have mirrors?

For me, yoga has become a place to turn off all the competition. I practice yoga to strengthen my physical body, quiet my mind, and for a little while, forget about the ultimate goals I’m constantly working toward. For one hour, my present movements aren’t the means to some end.

But when I step into a studio enclosed by mirrors, I immediately feel restricted. Even if I waltz into class feeling every bit my inner goddess, as soon as I see my reflection I know I’m not going to have the liberating practice I hoped for. I know, I know, I’m supposed to love my body and embrace its beauty as is, but let’s face it: In a society where people are trained to meet unreasonable standards of body image, practicing non-judgment is really hard. And it’s difficult to tune out the yogini executing a flawless Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) to my left and not wish I could perform it as gracefully.

But yoga is about empathy—toward oneself and others—and recognition, not competition. It’s when mirrors intrude on a yoga space that I have to consciously remind myself of this.

I suppose some people want to see their reflection to help them with alignment. That’s a sensible argument, but I’ve found that feeling the posture rather than seeing it induces more beneficial muscle-memory type responses. I also suppose (and have frequently witnessed) that some people really admire their reflection and use that front and center spot to strike a few model faces. I’ve yet to see any photographers around, but I guess there could be some yogi paparazzi looming in the shadows.

For me, mirrors promote a competitive visual atmosphere that otherwise wouldn’t, and shouldn’t, exist in a yoga studio. Maybe the irritation I feel toward mirror-lined walls comes from my own inability to turn off self-judgment in certain situations, but I think there’s also something to be said for their interference with yogic practices like drishti. In a room lined with mirrors reflecting teetering yogis or amplifying visual sources of self-consciousness, it’s challenging to tune out the distractions and keep your focus soft.

When mirrors are present, I find myself significantly less rejuvenated and self-loving after a yoga practice. I treasure the opportunity to turn off criticism and appreciate my feelings and bodily sensations without judgment. During my yoga practice, I want to focus my reflections inward, not on an image in a mirror.

Hillary Gibson is the Web Editorial Intern at Yoga Journal and studies English at University of California Berkeley.

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Learning Self-Awareness

April 26, 2013

woman meditating

by Jessica Abelson  

 

I’m in Kauai for a week with my family, my mom, dad, and sister. We swim, hike, play tennis, and eat great food. It’s wonderful and exactly what I anticipated. What I didn’t expect was to be able to practice yoga. Yes, yoga in Hawaii—not bad.

Returning from a walk one day, my mom tells me she saw an outdoor yoga class happening nearby. Very aware of my new-found love of yoga, she suggests we go the next day, and I eagerly agree. We wake up at 9 am, throw on some spandex, and walk a few minutes until we reach a grassy area filled with people on mats. There is a range of participants:  young and old, men and women, big and small.

On the grass, the wind is softly blowing, and the wide expanse of blue ocean lay in front of me. The teacher is in her 60s, fit and strong, without an ounce of fat on her bones. I’m already impressed.

She begins with some side stretching, rolling of arms and wrists, and a few seated twists. This is simple, I think. I’m in the back of class, able to look at everyone and their postures. It’s immediately clear that the class has a range of skill levels. While side stretching, some people—like me—try to keep their shoulders down, their quads engaged, and their breathing steady and deep. Others take a more literal side stretch—pushing their bodies out to one side with force and determination. I know they are simply less aware of the subtleties of these poses. They don’t know yet that a side stretch works so much more than the side body, if you let it.

But it’s OK. We’re here to stretch, I think, not to win a yoga competition. But suddenly class revs up. Before I know it, we’re flowing between poses. I attempt to get my hips aligned, my shoulders down, my legs engaged, and my arms strong. Assured in my even alignment, I take a quick gaze at the class in front of me and am shocked. There are arms in every direction, hips jolted out to the side, shoulders crunched up to ears, and twists and turns that look entirely painful.

Simply looking at these people, including my mom, I know they are misaligned. They are most likely feeling a stretch, but not where it counts, and most importantly, not where it is healthy.

As a beginning yogi, I sought the strongest stretch and pushed my body into positions beyond my range. I thought that’s what it meant to do yoga. Now I know it is not. True yoga is compassion, and that means being nice to your body. It means staying in a restorative Bridge when you’re not ready for Wheel Pose. It means taking Child’s Pose when you need a breath. It means observing your body.

The Sanskrit term, svadhyaya (self-study) comes to mind. I realized during this class that I had reached a new level as a yoga practitioner. By noticing the misalignment in my classmates, I was really noticing the awareness I had gained in my own body. Originally I practiced yoga poses for surface-level results: stretching the hips or toning the abs. Now I know that every pose and every breath is fuel for my body as a whole.

While it was hard for me to watch other people make the same beginner’s mistakes that I did, it was also a great moment for me. It was in this yoga class in beautiful Hawaii that I realized I was becoming aware of my Self. It is from this perspective that I now love alignment-based yoga classes, which focus on the anatomy and the body as a sacred center to nourish and praise, not push and pull.

I’ve also realized that that with every piece of wisdom I gain, I will likely have two more questions in return. But I welcome this whole-heartedly. I would rather live every day in the light striving to be a better me, than to stay in the dark where there is no self-observance at all.

Let there always be light, let there always be wisdom, and please let there always be yoga.

Jessica Abelson is the Web Editorial Assistant at Yoga Journal. She loves practicing yoga on the beach.

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Goddess Power: Invoking Shakti in Your Life

April 12, 2013

By Sally Kempton

I adore Hindu deities. At one time or another, I’ve been in love with all of them: Durga, Krishna, Shiva, Lakshmi, Hanuman.

But I especially love goddesses.

That wasn’t always the case. When I first started meditating, and for years afterward, I couldn’t see the point in deities. I wasn’t a Hindu, after all, and goddesses just seemed like a cultural “extra”—too religious for a world where everything interior could be understood as the play of neurons and dendrites. Myths are one thing, after all. But, actually invoking and praying to goddesses? Weird.

Then, about 20 years ago, I attended a workshop on Saraswati, goddess of learning, writing, and music. As we meditated on a Saraswati mantra, I “recognized” the particular feeling that the mantra evoked in me. It was the same feeling that, all my life, has shown up when I’m writing in an inspired state. At that moment, I had a kind of epiphany. Was it possible that the energy of a goddess could be connected to my literary inspiration? Did those moments when an idea arose from “nowhere” come from the energy of a transpersonal force, an actual goddess? I’ve come to believe that, yes, it does. Strength, wisdom, and intuition are natural to us, as they are to every sentient creature. But they don’t belong to us. Our gifts and powers and talents are aspects of the divine energy that moves through everything in the world. We can exercise them, master our gifts through effort. But they are never ours. Tantric masters recognized that fact. They understood the power of archetypal energies. Their greatest insight, however, was to realize that all power could be traced back to a subtle sacred source. They called that shakti, or cosmic power.

To understand why you might want to get into a relationship with a goddess, it helps to know how tantra views deities, especially goddesses. Deities are archetypes, of course. Many of us, knowingly or unknowingly, carry specific deity archetypes within us: Durga the warrior, Shiva the ascetic, Saraswati the poet. But in tantra, goddesses are not simply archetypes. They are powers. Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Durga personify energies that are always at play in us and in nature. They are really present, they are really accessible, and they are, above all, helpful. In tantra, there’s a recognition that all the energies in a human being and in the natural world are aspects of shakti. They are intrinsically divine. When we recognize and name these specific shaktis as goddesses, we literally activate their powers within us. When you name the energy of abundance as Lakshmi, or repeat a mantra to Lakshmi, you touch into the energy vortex she represents. You bring that energy more alive in you. You get access to it. When you call on Durga, you bring forth your own deepest reserves of strength. When you call on Saraswati, you call on inspiration.

These energies may already be playing in you. All of us have aspects of the goddess inside us. But when you start to see how your personal gifts, your love, and your strength are connected to transpersonal qualities in the universe, two things happen. First, you stop identifying egoically with your gifts. And second, you realize that you can connect directly with the divine sources of your energies.

The more you contemplate these subtle, luscious archetypal beings, the more they come alive in you, the more you feel guided by them, and the more your life becomes irradiated by their sparkling, shimmering presence.

I love that.

 

Sally Kempton is Yoga Journal’s Wisdom columnist. Her new book Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga and her audio program, Shakti Meditations, explore the power of invoking the goddess energy into your life. 

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Cleanse from the Inside Out

March 14, 2013

016 I don’t see cleansing as a sacrifice; I see it as a profound (and albeit challenging) opportunity to look closely at my cravings and habits in regards to food–not to mention as a tool for feeling great! It’s a lot like attending an alignment-focused yoga class where I learn to focus on matters like stretching my pinky toe deeply into the ground to see if the action makes a difference to my tight outer hip.

In the last few years there’s been a lot of attention on cleansing in the yoga community, but if you’ve never tried it you might not fully understand what it’s all about. So, what is cleansing, really? It’s a way to rinse the body from the inside out. Just as you would take a bath to wash your body on the outside, cleansing is a practice (much like yoga) of clearing out the dirty, unavoidable residue that accumulates on the inside from living, eating, and breathing. Cleansing stimulates the removal of toxins that build up in our bodies over time. It can also “re-set” metabolism, and make us more sensitive to true feelings of hunger and the effects food has on our mood, spirit, well-being, and physical enjoyment.

When we cleanse, we eat a plethora of foods that digest easily, contain little to no toxins or preservatives, and that actually stimulate the removal of toxic waste or undigested food particles that have remained in our guts. This phenomenon of built-up toxic waste is referred to as “ama” in Ayurvedic medicine. When we allow the digestive system to rest, freed up energy flows more powerfully to other parts of the body, including the liver, kidneys, skin and even the brain!

Gaining more energy, improving body awareness and improving elimination are among the many benefits of cleansing. Spring, a season of shedding winter in exchange for new beginnings, is one of the most natural times of the year to cleanse since the body is ready and willing to shed what has come before.

This from-the-inside-out approach can yield amazing health benefits such as clearer skin, weight loss, increased energy, better sleep, and even reduced pain. Regular cleansing may even help reverse diabetes, lower cholesterol and help prevent diseases like cancer and heart disease. In essence, cleansing is one of the best places to start taking action towards greater health and vitality – no matter where you are at with your health.

The simplest way to approach a cleanse is by simplifying and purifying your diet. More than anything, a clean, clear diet supports the body’s natural inclination to purge, waste and detoxify. A foundation of internal health and healing is restored when the body gets an opportunity to rest. Because cleansing foods are easy for the digestive organs to utilize, absorb and assimilate, the body doesn’t have to work as hard to digest them.

Ayurveda rests on the premise that the digestive system is at the root of vital health. A clean and clear digestive system equals greater health, clarity, consciousness and vitality. To cleanse even for one day can make a difference to your overall well-being. But the longer you cleanse, the more powerful the effect. Perhaps Hippocrates said it best: “Let medicine be thy food; let food be thy medicine.”

Ready to get started? Here are a few easy suggestions:

  • Focus your diet on as many fruits and vegetables as possible – especially vegetables! Enjoy them in fresh juices, smoothies, salads and soups: think baked, steamed, boiled, and poached when considering how to prepare cooked vegetables. Eat fruit by itself – don’t mix fruit with your meals unless you’re making a smoothie.
  • Eat lots of slippery fiber like flax seeds and chia seeds that are also amazing sources of Omega 3 and protein.
  • Eat foods that lubricate your digestive tract such as sweet potatoes, spinach, licorice root tea, fresh olive oil (not cooked), and ghee (clarified butter).
  • Put spices on your food. This is an Ayurvedic tool for removing “ama” (toxic waste) and for strengthening “agni” (digestive fire). About 1/8 teaspoon of some spice – such as cumin, coriander, rosemary or basil – on top of your food at each meal can work wonders for digestive function.
  • Eliminate foods sprayed with chemicals, hormonally injected and pesticide-ridden foods and all genetically modified foods (GMO’s) such as corn, soy, white potatoes, canola oil and tomatoes.
  • Say YES to organic produce, organic cultured dairy (like organic yogurt), organic gluten-free grains (like amaranth, quinoa and millet), and eat only eggs or meat that come from cared for, organic, grass-fed animals.
  • Avoid all processed foods, fried foods, flour, and sugar.
  • Try replacing coffee, even one cup of it per day, with more rejuvenative caffeine sources like yerba mate, green tea, and maca root powder as a tea.
  • Sweeten your meals with healthy sweeteners like fresh dates, raw honey, and pure maple syrup.
  • Start your day by hydrating your body with water or a hot morning drink like the ones below.

My Favorite Cleansing Morning Drink

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

16 ounces hot water or ginger tea

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Tbs. ghee or expeller pressed coconut oil

1/2 tsp. cinnamon, turmeric, or cardamom

To Prepare

Put everything together in your favorite mug and drink first thing when you wake up in the morning. This concoction warms the body, sets your hydration for the day, stimulates liver function, lubricates the digestive tract and strengthens digestive fire. What a great way to start the day!

 

Warm Saffron Nut Milk

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk, hempseed milk, oat milk, or rice milk

4 saffron strands

1 tsp. cinnamon or cardamom

1 tsp. raw honey (optional)

To Prepare

Place the milk in a saucepan over low heat and gently simmer with the saffron and cardamom. Add raw honey to sweeten if desired. This drink promotes deep hydration and good sleep.

Talya Lutzker is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, nutritionist, chef, and yoga teacher, and the founder of Talya’s Kitchen. Her latest cookbook is The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen. Learn more at TalyasKitchen.com.

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Applying Yoga to Running

March 8, 2013

woman running

by Hillary Gibson

 

I’ve been running several miles a day since my early teenage years, always pushing myself to go further and faster. When an injury, side-stitch, or burning desire to just stop already arose during a run, I responded by turning my music up louder to get my adrenaline pumping. Instead of digging to the root of the problem, I pushed through the pain only to apply ice and balms after the damage was done. But when I badly strained my Achilles tendon over a year ago from over-exertion, I realized my “burn calories now, deal with it later” attitude wasn’t working. I knew I needed to find a different way to replenish my body. At the urging of my mom, a seasoned yogi, I decided to give yoga a try. She had taken me to classes when I was younger, but I always found the words and poses so funny that I had trouble containing my girlish giggles. Older and just slightly wiser, I decided to give yoga a second chance and immediately became hooked. Not only has my yoga practice kept my Achilles tendon free from strain, but my entire perspective on running has also changed.

I realized that instead of acknowledging what my body was telling me and adapting, I was trying to cover up the pain and fatigue. Yoga gave me an entirely new perspective rooted in simply listening to my body. My first move was to ditch the iPod. How could I listen to my body’s natural rhythm with Top 40’s blaring in my ears? I stopped telling myself “just one more song,” and conforming to a beat my body wasn’t feeling, even if my pumped-up mindset was. As a result, I now feel present in my runs, no longer dreading what’s coming next.

In every yoga class I’ve taken, I’ve been invited to check in with my body and ask myself– How am I feeling today? What is my energy level? My mental state? If I take the time to evaluate my body and my mental space when I’m on the mat, I thought, why not extend that awareness to my runs? My mind free from noise, I began to infuse my runs with elements of my yoga practice.

My shoes are tied, and I’m out the door. I start by scanning my body from the feet up, first becoming aware of the sensation of my shoes against the ground. Then I begin to ask myself the same sort of questions I hear in yoga class – Am I distributing my weight evenly throughout my feet, or am I relying too much on the outside edges? I listen to my breath, taking deep Ujjayi inhales and exhales to create heat and rhythm. I then slowly work up the body, focusing on one aspect at a time until I feel grounded in my posture. As I run I focus on aligning my torso by slighting tucking my tail and engaging my abs. I feel strong and rely less on my legs to propel me forward when scaling a steep hill. I reach the top of the climb and let out three big lion’s breath exhales by opening my mouth wide, sticking out my tongue, and exhaling with a big “haaa!” With it, I acknowledge conquering the slope and reset my breath.

Then it’s on to my shoulders and arms. I envision the quietness of a Tadasana (Mountain Pose) posture with my shoulders rolled down my back. I allow my elbows to rest at my hips with my arms bent at a slightly obtuse angle instead of bringing them up toward my chest. I keep my hands only slightly furled to avoid creating tension from clenched fists.

The result of my yoga-inspired runs? I now feel sustainable, grounded, and I’ve doubled my distances. While I used to start fading after two or three miles, I now log at least five just about every day. I’m entirely absorbed by the sensations in my body and am able to turn inward, tapping into an almost meditative state. Incorporating techniques I’ve learned from yoga into my runs allows me to take care of my body without compromising my love of running.

Hillary Gibson is the Web Editorial Intern at Yoga Journal and studies English at University of California Berkeley.

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Let Yourself Fall

February 27, 2013

Crane PoseA few months ago I attended an arm balance-themed yoga workshop, and before the class had even begun, we were told to  place a blanket at the end of our yoga mat and practice falling onto it a few times so we could get used to falling over. Suddenly a small chill went up my spine. What? We’re going to fall? Oh boy, that’s not what I signed up for. Even though we were only like 6 inches from the ground, it could still be painful, especially on my face; and worse, it’s embarrassing! Plus, I thought, falling must mean somewhere I’ve made a mistake, and I hate making mistakes.

Then I remembered.

Back when I was about 8, I was out skiing with my dad. On this day, I was petrified because I wasn’t the best skier in the world and the slopes were pretty icy. As I stood there looking down the steep, slippery mountain, my dad yelled over at me and said, “The worst that will happen is that you’ll fall, and that’s OK!”  I took his advice and started skiing down the mountain with a freedom I cannot describe. If I fell, I would still be OK, and that comforted me. Now, whenever I’m in a situation where I’m afraid of making a mistake, I recall that day; that fleeting moment where I realize, “Who really cares what happens? If I fall, I’ll deal with it.”

The truth is, the things that happen to us in reality are often so much less dramatic than the thoughts we put around them. We often prepare for catastrophic outcomes that never even happen, and the anxiety we generate, building a kind of buffer from the anticipated disaster, is actually doing more damage than the pain it’s intended to protect us from. It doesn’t really matter if I fall out of an arm balance, but it does matter if I walk out of a yoga class in a state of stress.

Off the mat is no different, especially when the stakes get higher and we find ourselves reluctant to make important life decisions because we’re afraid to make a mistake. The question is, why are we so afraid? Is it because we’re afraid of letting other people down? Will there be serious consequences at the end of whatever road we choose? When we question these thoughts and scrape them like a rubber spatula all the way down to the core, what are we left with? Usually an earthquake of much less magnitude than we think, and to our surprise, one that’s filled with a support system of family, friends, co-workers, even our enemies to help us along the way.

We will deal with setbacks, because whether we know it or not, it’s what we do best, we’re just not tuned into that part of ourselves because we’re too busy prepping for the storm. Do we ever stop and think that maybe the storm will be beautiful, and that little rainbow that comes afterward is that moment where we look at ourselves and see a stronger person?  With that in mind, are mistakes really wrong?

Recently during a different workshop, one on inversions workshop, I clumsily fell out of a Headstand and, what do you know, ended up in a beautiful arm balance! Wrong workshop, but it was a damn good arm balance that I’ve yet to give a name to.

 

Karen Sherwood is a registered yoga teacher, holistic health expert, and creator of  Nutritiousyogi.com. She combines yoga, fitness, nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle counseling to provide  sustainable health and weight-loss programs in the Boston area, and long distance. She is a contributor to several online health and fitness publications and is the resident nutritionist at the Sports Club LA in Boston. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

 

 

 

 

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Stay Warm and Nourished

February 22, 2013

soupby Talya Lutzker

Not all of us are created equal. Some of us run hot, while some of us run cold and dry. When the winter season is upon us, nature levels the playing field by providing us with freezing winds, frosty mornings, and steady days of rain, snow, and ice. The call for warmth in our bellies at this time of year tends to be universal, and nothing warms the body like a hot bowl of soup.

In Ayurvedic medicine, a 5,000-year old science rooted in the elements of ether, air, fire, water, and earth, and originating from ancient India, winter represents the elements of earth and water. It’s a time when hibernation comes easy (bears do it) and it’s natural to eat a little more than usual, to put on a few extra pounds and to insulate the self against the rough and tumble go-go-go of the outside world. In Ayurveda, this is referred to as the kapha time of year, and lasts a little less than three months, from late December to early March (only one month to go!).

Kapha is one of the three doshas, along with vata and pitta,  in Ayurvedic medicine. The doshas are a simplified expression of the five elements. Vata embodies air and ether, pitta represents fire and water, and kapha encompasses the elements of water and earth. The doshas are essentially forces of nature that accumulate, and go out of balance easily when concentrated, agitated or exposed, both in the natural world and in the body. During the winter months, when kapha dominates, there is a natural accumulation of water and earth —and the associated qualities that manifest within us as feeling heavy, slow, dense, full, sluggish, and cool.

Ayurveda’s main premise is to bring balance to the body, mind, and spirit. Since winter is a time of year when stagnancy tends to build rapidly in the body, it’s important to counter this  tendency with activities and practices that warm your core and keep your blood pumping. This is particularly important if you are someone who already tends toward feeling cold, heavy, or slow. To combat common winter-induced sluggishness, Ayurveda recommends warming the body by moving it regularly (i.e. engaging in a vigorous yoga practice or taking a brisk walk in the snow) and by fueling digestive fire with foods like well-spiced soups and stews.

Every dosha will thrive on a slightly different spice palate. Vata, which tends to be cold and dry, needs warming spices like cardamom, basil and ginger to fill their soup bowls. Pitta’s natural heat tends to sustain throughout the year, so this dosha does best with anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric, peppermint, and coriander. Because of its slow and sluggish nature, kapha requires the most stimulating spices, like cayenne, black pepper and rosemary.

Kapha also craves foods that are warming, energizing, nourishing, hydrating, and that support strong circulation and the elimination of toxins. This dosha rules the “water-works” of the body—the kidneys, bladder and the lymphatic (immune) system—so it’s especially important to eat foods throughout the winter season that nourish these organs and systems. Teas, hot broths and stews will do the trick. Chamomile tea, for example, is known for its especially nurturing effect on kidneys. Simple herbal broths—like miso or vegetable—can easily be infused with immune-boosting additions like garlic and ginger. And since dairy can lend to an increase of mucous production which is already at a high in winter, dairy-based soups can be easily substituted with non-dairy base alternatives like coconut milk. All kinds of stews, provided they are warm and filled with as many fresh vegetables as you can get your hands on, warm the belly—and perhaps more importantly, the spirit!

Here is one of my favorite kapha-balancing winter recipes:

 

Carrot-Squash-Sweet Potato Soup

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

 

Ingredients

8 cups purified water

1 pound organic carrots

1 pound butternut squash, or any winter squash variety

1 large sweet potato

2 teaspoons high-quality, mineral-rich salt such as Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt

3 dried bay leaves

1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil

½ bunch green onions, roughly chopped (use the whole stalk)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch fresh ginger root, washed and minced

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried parsley, basil or tarragon

1 tablespoon miso paste (any variety)

Dash of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice

 

To Prepare

In a large stock pot, bring the water to a boil. Chop the carrots, squash and sweet potato into 2-inch chunks. Add them to the water along with the salt and bay leaves. Cover. If you use butternut squash, it’s fine to leave the skin on. For other winter squashes, you may want to peel them first, before adding them to the boiling water.

Allow it to cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until you can easily pierce the vegetables with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a separate medium-sized saucepan, sauté the green onions, garlic and ginger in ghee or coconut oil over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add this mixture to the soup. Remove the soup from heat, remove the bay leaves and then add all of the remaining ingredients.

Puree the soup in a food processor or high powered blender and serve hot.

 


Gluten-Free Soup “Cookies”

Preparation time: 30 minutes

This recipe is my take on a savory, gluten-free scone that just happens to taste amazing with soups.

 

Ingredients

1 ½ cups brown rice flour

1 cup garbanzo bean flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. xanthan gum

2 tsp. dried sage or 1/4 bunch fresh sage, chopped fine

½ tsp. brown mustard seeds

1 small red onion

2/3 cup maple syrup

½ cup, plus 1 tsp. ghee at room temperature

½ cup almond milk

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract or other flavor extract

½ tsp. celtic sea salt

 

To prepare

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tsp. ghee over low-medium heat.  Add chopped red onion, sage and brown mustard seeds.  Sautee for 2-4 minutes, until onion is slightly soft and brown mustard seeds start to pop.

Whisk the onion mixture with other wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in stages.  Blend thoroughly.

The batter should be dense.  If it is too dense, add teaspoons of almond milk until all the flour is mixed in and the batter is still rather stiff.  Form Soup Cookies into 2-3 inch mounds, shaping them with wet hands.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes, until Cookies form a thin crust and a toothpick comes out clean from its center.  Cool on a rack before serving.

 

Talya Lutzker is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, nutritionist, chef, and yoga teacher, and the founder of Talya’s Kitchen. Her latest cookbook is The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen. Learn more at TalyasKitchen.com.

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Date Night Yoga

February 13, 2013

young woman putting on perfumeby Hillary Gibson

It’s 6 o’clock. My boyfriend is picking me up in an hour to celebrate two years together with a dinner date. I had a long, stressful day at work, just got home, and now have to rush into the next activity without pause. Father time did not permit me to practice yoga today, and I’m feeling tense, frustrated, and in no mood for romance.

He calls to sweetly say he’s excited for our night out, and I respond in a rushed and somewhat annoyed tone. Frustrated with my inability to move past the day, I hop into a hot shower, asking the water to cleanse it away. But it’s not enough. I feel trapped inside my own body, unable to relax into my surroundings. In short, I need some yoga.

With no time to unfurl my mat, I start to do some simple poses as I shower. I fold over my legs, letting the tension release from my hamstrings, bending one knee and twisting my opposite hand high to the sky. I create a simple cycle of standing forward bends, half lifts, and radiant extended Mountain poses, stretching my arms high and allowing a small back bend. I’m clearing my mind as the water rains down, releasing the tension created by sitting at my desk all day.

I step out of the shower, put on my robe, and grab my makeup bag. Instead of standing hunched over the counter and peering into the mirror as usual, I take a cross-legged seat on the floor next to my full-length mirror. As I add some color, I move from Bound Angle to Hero and finally into Half Lord of the Fishes Pose, applying my mascara over my left shoulder. Maybe it’s not as mindful as my normal practice, but it is effective.  My spine enjoys a sweet release.

Coming back to standing, I reach for my hair dryer and begin in a Wide-Legged Forward Bend, letting my head fall heavy—and adding volume to my do at the same time. Coming back to standing, lifting my right leg into a deep Tree Pose for what I’m expecting to be a rather routine asana. I quickly realize that the hot air from the blow dryer feels like an island breeze. I shake my hair and dance my free arm back and forth. Suddenly I am a palm tree swaying in the tropical wind on a deserted beach somewhere in Hawaii. I feel beautiful, present, and, finally, excited. My pre-date practice is complete.

I hear my boyfriend knock at the door and instead of anxiety for want of time, I feel grounded and happy. My heart is open, I’m ready to give and receive love.

 

Hillary Gibson is the Web Editorial Intern at Yoga Journal and studies English at the University of California Berkeley.

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