Last week I wrote about Muladhara Chakra. Feeling the need to get grounded after the long flight from India, focusing on the Root Chakra (as it is otherwise known) was very helpful. In class we paid attention to our foundation, making sure there was a good connection between the ground and whichever part of the body was in contact with it. I shared an affirmation too - a positive, powerful phrase which helps cut through unconscious negative thinking and makes you more aware of conscious thinking. A couple of people have asked that I share this affirmation. It is a helpful addition to the toolbox of tools that yoga offers to help us steer a course through the sometimes challenging seas of life:
Bircher Museli
While we were away in Goa (I promise that's the last time I'll mention 'my trip to India'!) the most delicious little pots of Bircher museli were served at breakfast time. This no-cook porridge was created by Swiss doctor Maximillian Bircher-Benner, over a century ago. He created it to aid the healing process of his patients as it helps improve digestion and absorption. The oats are soaked overnight which gives it a chewy consistency and makes it a super-quick and easy breakfast that's ready and waiting for you after minimal preparation the night before.
You will need:
rolled oats, milk (or almond or coconut milk), apple juice, grated apple, and empty jam jar or tupperware to make it in.
You can add any of the following: honey, cinnamon, dried nuts, dried fruits, toasted coconut, berries, yogurt and anything else nutritious and delicious that you fancy.
I hope this article will encourage you to keep up with your regular practice....
"I am grounded and focused. I will not let incidents that may arise during my day knock me off balance or blow me off course. I am adaptable. I am secure."
This week we're moving up to the Sacral Chakra which is situated between the pubic bone and the navel at the upper sacrum. This chakra connects us to our feelings, emotions, sexuality and creativity. It has a physical association with the reproductive organs and the adrenal glands which are responsible for producing hormones. These include adrenaline and cortisol - stress hormones that are part of the body's 'flight/fight' response to danger. When Svadisthana Chakra is out of balance we may experience reproductive/sexual disfunction, or stress. When this chakra is in balance creativity flows freely and we feel fulfilled and connected to others.
The colour of Svadisthana Chakra is orange, and it's mantra is Vam. The affirmation is:
"I acknowledge my uniqueness, my sensuality and my creativity. I feel connected to others and feel alive, joyful and fulfilled'.
Bircher Museli
While we were away in Goa (I promise that's the last time I'll mention 'my trip to India'!) the most delicious little pots of Bircher museli were served at breakfast time. This no-cook porridge was created by Swiss doctor Maximillian Bircher-Benner, over a century ago. He created it to aid the healing process of his patients as it helps improve digestion and absorption. The oats are soaked overnight which gives it a chewy consistency and makes it a super-quick and easy breakfast that's ready and waiting for you after minimal preparation the night before.
You will need:
rolled oats, milk (or almond or coconut milk), apple juice, grated apple, and empty jam jar or tupperware to make it in.
You can add any of the following: honey, cinnamon, dried nuts, dried fruits, toasted coconut, berries, yogurt and anything else nutritious and delicious that you fancy.
Here's how I made it:
I filled my jam jar half full of porridge oats (the consistency turned out better with regular oats rather than the chunkier jumbo oats that I tried first).
I topped the jar up to about three quarters full with coconut milk and a splash of apple juice
I gave it a stir, put the lid of the jar on and placed it in the fridge overnight
In the morning, I added the grated apple, some chopped nuts, cranberries, a pinch of cinammon and a tiny bit of honey.
You might have to play around with the amounts to get the consistency right - mine had a little too much liquid the first time so I added some chia seeds which absorbed the fluid and made it thicker and creamier.
Whoop Whoop! It's time to get out in the garden again!
You might have to play around with the amounts to get the consistency right - mine had a little too much liquid the first time so I added some chia seeds which absorbed the fluid and made it thicker and creamier.
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| My new favourite breakfast - it's easy on the washing up too |
Whoop Whoop! It's time to get out in the garden again!
With spring growth emerging I'm feeling the urge to get outside and get the garden sorted. If you need a little inspiration and guidance to make your outside space a beautiful place to be this summer, I'll be sharing some of my gardening tips with you here on the blog.
As we move into March spring really begins and it's time to do a tidy up in the garden and start sowing some early seeds.
This week I've been ordering seeds from my favourite seed catalogue www.sarahraven.com. I ordered hardy annuals such as Calendula, Clary Sage, Malope (Mallow) and Sweet Peas, all of which can be sown now - the cold and frost won't hurt them. Here's a link to an previous post from March 2014 about how to sow them.
And here's a link to another post about tidying up the garden after winter. When faced with a whole garden full of dead plants and weeds it can seem an overwhelming task, but if you break it down into smaller chunks and tackle it one border at a time it's much more manageable. If you can find a spare hour on a sunny day, get outside with your secateurs and start cutting the old stuff away to make room for the new spring growth - you'll be amazed at how much you can get done in 60 minutes.
As we move into March spring really begins and it's time to do a tidy up in the garden and start sowing some early seeds.
This week I've been ordering seeds from my favourite seed catalogue www.sarahraven.com. I ordered hardy annuals such as Calendula, Clary Sage, Malope (Mallow) and Sweet Peas, all of which can be sown now - the cold and frost won't hurt them. Here's a link to an previous post from March 2014 about how to sow them.
And here's a link to another post about tidying up the garden after winter. When faced with a whole garden full of dead plants and weeds it can seem an overwhelming task, but if you break it down into smaller chunks and tackle it one border at a time it's much more manageable. If you can find a spare hour on a sunny day, get outside with your secateurs and start cutting the old stuff away to make room for the new spring growth - you'll be amazed at how much you can get done in 60 minutes.
I hope this article will encourage you to keep up with your regular practice....
This 100-Year-Old Yogi Tried Her First Yoga Class At Age 67 And She’s An Inspiration! via Yoga Dork
She’s been practicing yoga for over 30 years…and she just turned 100! And we heart her. Jean Dawson just celebrated her 100th birthday on February 20th and if you’ve done the math that means she didn’t even start her yoga practice until she was in her late 60s, which means you need to share this with your silver senior aunts, uncles, moms, and dads right now. (High fives if you’re reading this and you’re over 60!)
Dawson entered her first yoga class at the young age of 67 after seeing an ad about it in her neighborhood and she still attends weekly classes to this day. The UK-native practices the prop-intensive, static-pose-holding Iyengar Yoga and credits it for her health and longevity.
“I don’t know how I would be today if I hadn’t taken up Iyengar Yoga. It has given me good posture, balance, concentration, flexibility and stamina,” Dawson told Metro UK.
“It has really changed my life and has helped cure aches and pains,” she said. “I used to have trouble from a slipped disc in my back but doing yoga really helped me cope with it.”
She may not be doing wild things and eka pada whosiwhatsits, but that’s not what it’s about, anyway.
“You can only do what you can do,” says Dawson. ”A few years ago, I could do all the handstands and everything but I have to stop doing those now due to my blood pressure.”
Dawson says she’s met kind people and made good friends through yoga, one of which is her teacher Christine Tyson, whom she’s been practicing with for decades and who’s now 66, which we think is pretty darn neato.
Over 30 years of yoga and she’s still going strong.
“Doing Iyengar Yoga has helped me more than anything and I really enjoy the company every single week, so I think I can continue for a little longer,” she says.
And we say, happy birthday, Jean! Thanks for being an inspiration. We think you’re the queen of tree pose.
She’s been practicing yoga for over 30 years…and she just turned 100! And we heart her. Jean Dawson just celebrated her 100th birthday on February 20th and if you’ve done the math that means she didn’t even start her yoga practice until she was in her late 60s, which means you need to share this with your silver senior aunts, uncles, moms, and dads right now. (High fives if you’re reading this and you’re over 60!)
Dawson entered her first yoga class at the young age of 67 after seeing an ad about it in her neighborhood and she still attends weekly classes to this day. The UK-native practices the prop-intensive, static-pose-holding Iyengar Yoga and credits it for her health and longevity.
“I don’t know how I would be today if I hadn’t taken up Iyengar Yoga. It has given me good posture, balance, concentration, flexibility and stamina,” Dawson told Metro UK.
“It has really changed my life and has helped cure aches and pains,” she said. “I used to have trouble from a slipped disc in my back but doing yoga really helped me cope with it.”
She may not be doing wild things and eka pada whosiwhatsits, but that’s not what it’s about, anyway.
“You can only do what you can do,” says Dawson. ”A few years ago, I could do all the handstands and everything but I have to stop doing those now due to my blood pressure.”
Dawson says she’s met kind people and made good friends through yoga, one of which is her teacher Christine Tyson, whom she’s been practicing with for decades and who’s now 66, which we think is pretty darn neato.
Over 30 years of yoga and she’s still going strong.
“Doing Iyengar Yoga has helped me more than anything and I really enjoy the company every single week, so I think I can continue for a little longer,” she says.
And we say, happy birthday, Jean! Thanks for being an inspiration. We think you’re the queen of tree pose.
images credit: Lorne Campbell/Guzelian
Winding all the way back from 100 years to approximately 2, this video from James Corden made me laugh, so I thought I'd share it with you. It's a great example of creativity - they're obviously all very balanced in their sacral chakras :-)
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