Sun Salutions Literally: Mysore Style Practice Week 1

Photo from Here

I have been meaning to start a Mysore practice for a while now. Unfortunatelythe office I work is located at the other side of the town which takes me more than 1 hour to get there and I have to wake up every morning at 7(plus the yoga studio is about 45-60 minutes away) so  I thought it would not be possible for a while. That is why I chose the led primary series practice in the evenings. However, during the Christmas holidays when the studio was closed some evening and I was supposed to practice at home, I caught a nasty flu and I could not even breathe when I was sitting on my couch so I let practice aside for what I thought it would be a few days. That flu stayed with me for 3 weeks though, really frustrating. Last 2 weekends I attended the 30 hour asana immersion seminar and all this talk about yoga and practicing made me miss it so much that I decided I would give Mysore style practice a try even if I had to squeeze my mornings and wake up at 5 every day.

Back from Holidays and got myself a new crafting hobby

I’m back. After a long time of Christmas “vacations” which turned out to be more demanding than the normal days. Too many friends and family to visit, chores to do, cooking, housework etc. Good thing is I took a break from all internet and at the same time learnt a new craft, yay me! I was into crafts ever since I remember myself. In the course of years I did a lot of drawing and painting projects, sculptures, jewelry, scrapbooking, projects with plaster, sea shells, rocks and many other materials. One thing I never got my hands into though was anything that had to do with fabrics and clothes making like sewing, crocheting or knitting. For some reason I was always intimidated by these crafts and although both my grandmas were really great in them I kinda thought these activities would be boring.

Well, things change when a cute little baby girl comes into your life. My soon to be goddaughter was born in October and this was her first Christmas and New Year holidays. As a godmother-to-be I wanted to give some present to the baby but I also wanted it to be something special. And then it hit me. On my way home after the last working day before Christmas I stopped to a local craft supply store and bought baby yarn and knitting needles. Went home, watched some Youtube videos, read some basic information about knitting and dived in. I finished a baby hat, 2 pairs of baby booties and 1 baby scarf in 2 days and LOVED it! I do not have any photos since I gave them the same day I finished them but they were so tiny and beautiful. Knitting is a wonderful craft and it is so meditative, I would never have guessed! In fact I have started more projects. I am now knitting a scarf for my dad, gloves for my best friend and a dog sweater for a lovely Chihuahua. I usually knit either on my way to work or during the cold evenings when I am home and really enjoy it.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Or is it? I don’t know.

 

I always loved the atmosphere during Christmas Holidays and I do not mean religious-wise. I love the scent of burning wood, the ornaments on the Christmas trees, the smell of Christmas goodies baking, the Christmas lights and music on the street, the presents, the family and friends gatherings. I was always looking forward to all the small luxuries I could indulge in during these holidays: small trips in the country, going for skiing or ice skating, visiting hip clubs and bars, drinking champagne, eating a bit more, working a bit less and the list goes on. You get the picture.

How to Make your own Zafu Meditation Cushion.

Having my upcoming Vipassana Meditation Retreat in mind I decided I would invest in a meditation pillow. I will have to sit formore than 10 hours each day and it will definitely come handy after I come back from the retreat. However, after researching I found out that a zafu pillow costs anywhere between 40-60 euros, an amount of money that seems a bit too much to me. Being good with crafts since I was a little girl, I thought I should search for a tutorial and make my own pillow. And then I came across this article here:

"The following information was originally published by the Zen Center of Los Angeles and was found in one of their fine books, entitled “To Forget the Self: An Illustrated Guide to Zen Meditation” by John Daishin Buksbazen. Unfortunately, this book is now out of print. It is gratefully presented here as a help for those getting started on their own. 

SUGGESTED FABRIC
A sturdy material such as a cotton/polyester blend

SUGGESTED FILLING
Kapok fiber, although buckwheat hulls can be used for those who prefer a firmer seat

Swimming is Similar to Yoga? Breathing, Meditation and Relaxation in the Pool.

Swimming is my first big love. I used to train in a big team when I was younger for many hours every day, I was actually living most part of my life in or around a pool.  As life’s responsibilities grew more and more I had to quit since there was no way I would find so many hours to train daily. That is how I kissed my big dreams to enter the Open Sea category and participate in international events goodbye.

Well, this year I decided that since I won’t be running during winter time I should find a pool and go for  a swim 3-4 times per week. And I did. Going back after all these years was great but at the same time felt so different. 

New Food Blog

That's a really quick note to inform you that I have decided to move all my food related posts to a different blog since it seems I will be doing a lot of experiments with cooking and trying out a more vegetarian way of eating. I will keep the once-in-a-week-meat plan I have right now till I feel ready to drop meat and fish 100% and I will be publishing recipes and articles on the other blog. Any suggestions and recommendation are more than welcome.
The link to the food blog is Eat, Love, Yoga. See you there as well!

Yogic Kitchen: Nutritious Vegetarian Diet for Yoga Practicioners

The yogic diet is mainly vegetarian, with a small amount of dairy products, namely milk, yogurt and cheese.  Based on fresh and organic plant foods as much as possible, avoiding preservatives and chemical additives. What are the benefits of such a diet? What do we gain by including the combination "rice, sabji, dhal" in our daily eating habits? 

The dhals are legume dishes (usually beans, red lentils etc) cooked with a specific combination of spices (basis) which assist and accelerate our digestive process.

The sabjis are vegetable dishes, cooked also on the same basis spices.  The vegetables used should be mainly seasonal since they are the fresher, cheaper and easier to find. 

Acceptance is the Beauty of Yoga.

I love Fridays. Although I am really worn out from the whole week that has just passed, the evening led class is such a wonderful way to end the week. The effort I need to put in my practice is greater than any other day due to physical tiredness but the energy in the shala is lifting everybody up. 

So, last Friday we had another full primary series led class at the studio. It was probably the most demanding one I had so far since all the week was crazy. Christmas holidays are just around the corner and the daily work load has increased dramatically. To be completely honest, when I left the office I was really thinking to drop the class and just go home to rest. I had a debate with myself, one part of me was trying to get me home and the other one was convincing me to go to the studio which I fortunately did.

Switching to a Vegetarian Diet?

All my life my diet has been Mediterranean style with a little more meat (well I live in Greece, duh?) and I never ever intended to change it. I really like it. Or should I say liked it? If someone told me that I would stop eating meat I would definitely laugh at their face. No way, you can’t say that to a meat lover! Until recently, a common week would consist of 3-4 days of meat, 1-2 days of fish and 1-2 days legumes. All meals include plenty of vegetables and olive oils, fruits are part of the plan too. Then a few times per week there are eggs, dairy, pasta or rice.

30-hour Yoga Asana Immersion.

Photo from here.

Lately I have taken some private lessons with my teacher as I am really concerned on learning more about yoga philosophy and history while deepening my asana knowledge: what is the correct alignment for each asana, which muscles are active during each posture, what are the benefits if done correctly, what are the risks if done incorrectly, what modifications can be applied for different needs etc. Although I am not new in yoga and most of the primary series asanas are more than familiar to me, I didn't have a teacher that could provide this kind of  information to me in the past. My teacher not only helped me with all the above but also gave me directions on further book reading and even gave me some of his own material that he used in previous workshops.