Describing Dharana

The sixth limb of yoga is Dharana - concentration.

Having drawn the senses inwards practicing Pratyahara (see last week's post), the mind has no distractions and therefore isn't resisting settling down and becoming quiet. The state of Dharana is the beginning of meditation. 

You sit comfortably, at ease but alert.  
Be content to sit quietly for a while. 
Notice the stillness that is present.
Bring your attention to one thing. It could be anything - an apple on the table in front of you, a candle flame, the sensation of the palms of your hands resting on your thighs - but the easiest thing to bring your attention to is your breath. It is always there, ready and available, soothing and rhythmic. Follow the journey of the breath into the body, through the nostrils and throat, filling the lungs. Then follow the journey of the breath out of the body. Repeat. And again. And again...
You become absorbed in following your breath.
That's it - there's nothing more to do except to keep your concentration directed to this one thing. It's simple but not easy - your mind might want to jump away and start thinking about something else, but keep focusing. Stay steady and clear, aware and peaceful. 
This is Dharana.

This week I am visiting ... Triyoga in London www.triyoga.co.uk

Triyoga offers yoga classes and wellbeing treatments at three locations in London.  This weekend I visited the Chelsea studio and the Primrose Hill studio to do some classes. It's good to be taught by different teachers - each one has something new to offer.  

Triyoga offers 270 different classes each week, so there is one to suit every body and every ability. To find out a bit more about the different styles of yoga offered at Triyoga click here and take a look at the weekly schedule. 

The three venues (there is one in Soho too) have a reception area, a small shop selling books, cds, and a small selection of yoga clothes, plus changing and showering facilities with lockers. Classes take place in large light and airy practice spaces. The Chelsea and Primrose Hill venues have cafes too, offering healthy lunches, juices and snacks. 

One of the practice spaces

The reception area at the Primrose Hill studio

Triyoga has a fabulous introductory offer - 2 weeks of unlimited classes for £20. Why not expand your yoga experience and visit over the Easter break?

This week I am making... Zingy Citrus Salad Dressing

This recipe comes from a favourite website www.kriscarr.com. This inspiring lady is passionate about eating clean, wholesome food to enable you to live your life with optimum health and vitality. Her website offers some really interesting recipes - click here if you'd like to take a look.

Many salad dressings you buy in the supermarket contain too much sugar, salt, thickeners, flavourings and colourings. It's easy and cheap to make your own and you can be sure you're not eating any hidden ingredients that you'd rather not be putting in to your body. 

To make the dressing you will need:

• juice of 1 lemon + 1/2 teaspoon of rind
• juice of 1 lime
• juice of 1 orange
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• a pinch of black pepper
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1 pitted medjool date

The instructions couldn't be simpler:

• Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  
• Pour a small amount over your salad and toss the leaves to coat them all, adding more if required.

The remainder of the dressing can be kept in a lidded jam jar in the fridge. The consistency of the dressing is quite thin so if you wanted a thicker dressing you could use half the amount of citrus fruit juice and add extra olive oil.

This week I'm growing... more Hardy Annuals

It's prime time for sowing Hardy Annuals. As mentioned in my recent post about growing Calendulas, Annuals are plants which grow, flower, set seed and die in the space of less than a year, and Hardy ones are those which won't be killed by the frost. The Half-Hardy Annuals are those which are tender and will be damaged by frost - these don't need to be sown for another few weeks.

Here is my list of 5 Favourite Hardy Annuals that, for very little money and effort, will bring maximum colour to your garden this summer (photos from www.sarahraven.com):

Salvia viridis "Blue Clary" - Clary Sage (purple blue for the front of the border)

Centaurea cyanus "Blue Boy" - Cornflower (bright blue and taller for the middle of the border)



Escholzia - Californian Poppies (prolific orange flowers with feathery foliage for the front of the border)

 

Malope - Mallow (in pink and white, lots of seeds in the packet, grows to about 2ft so good for the middle of the border)



Echium vulgare "Blue Bedder" - annual Viper's Bugloss (bees love this, good for the middle of the border)

All of these annuals are easy to grow and flower best in full sun, so don't plant them in a shady spot. They all make good cut flowers to put in a vase too. 

You can sow all of these seeds straight into the ground now as long as you have dug it over and raked it so the soil is fine and crumbly. You can either sow the seeds where you want them to grow and then cover them with a fine layer of soil, or you can sow them into seeds trays and plant them out in their final position when they are a bit bigger.

Growing your own plants from seed is extremely satisfying. There's nothing quite like watching tiny green shoots uncurl from the soil and grow towards the light. And there's nothing quite like picking your own flowers and thinking "I grew that!"