YogaGlamGirl's Weblog

Yogaglamgirl counts down to VACATION!

I’m leaving in less than 2 days. Off to a sunny tropical place ~ Bali. Nourishing food. Warmth. People with big hearts and smiles. Rest. So excited to re-charge and prepare to welcome the coming year with arms wide open.

Yogaglamgirl’s tidbits on How Food Makes You Feel Good

I’m reading Candace Pert’s latest book, Everything You Need to Know to Feel Go(o)d
Candace has a Ph.D. in pharmacology and is a pioneer in the field of emotions and the bodymind connection. She is often known for her appearance in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know. I just came across the following paragraph in the book that really resonates with me:

I believe that the whole point of good nutrition is for us to feel good. This may seem blunt, but if you eat crap, you’ll feel like crap. That’s what I’m calling any food that you buy today that wasn’t on the market before World War II, when all farming was organic. During WWII, large chemical companies made munitions for the war, and when the fighting ended, those corporations switched over to making herbicides and pesticides, chemicals needed for mass food production. Commercialization of agriculture since the early 1950s, while fueling the baby-boomer population, has turned much of the food that you and I buy in the supermarket into a collection of chemicals.

Yogaglamgirl's Three Eagles

While I was driving to work today I saw 3 eagles.
The first flew down and landed on the side of the highway.
Ten minutes later, I saw the second one, circling in the sky above.
Another ten minutes passed and I saw the third on the top of a street light.

I know this is a sign.
Not quite sure what it means.
Feeling touched...

Yogaglamgirl on Iyengar Yoga Teachers in SF

One of San Francisco's fabulous Iyengar yoga teachers, Tony Eason, talks about the benefits of pranayama and Kathy Alef, who is a senior teacher at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco (IYISF).
I highly recommend classes from both Kathy and Tony. Tony's class schedule in San Francisco can be found here. Kathy teaches at IYISF and BijaYoga in SF.

I began my teacher training at IYISF a few years ago. Their 2-year teacher training is thorough and challenging and it helps maintain the integrity of teachers who teach Iyengar yoga.

2007 Training Dates: Zen Bodytherapy® in California

The dates have been chosen for the next Zen Bodytherapy® Training in Albany, CA (2007).

Feb 9 (7-9pm),10 (7:30am-4pm),11 (7:30am-4pm)
Mar 2 (7-9pm), 3 (7:30am-4pm), 4 (7:30am-4pm)
Mar 10 (7:30am-4pm), 11 (7:30am-4pm)
June 1 (7-9pm), 2 (7:30am-4pm), 3 (7:30am-4pm)
June 9 (7:30am-4pm), 10 (7:30am-4pm)

The training will be held at In Motion Center
813 San Pablo Avenue, Albany, CA 94706

ZEN BODYTHERAPY® HAS FOUR GOALS:

* To continue the removal of pain, stress, trauma, and energy blocks from the connective tissue of the body.
* To organize, balance, and align the human structure within itself and within the universe.
* To have the vital energy (ki) circulate freely and unobstructed throughout the body.
* To extend and amplify the importance of zazen and hara training in the Zentherapy® training.

You do not have to be an experienced practitioner or have experienced this work in order to attend. The training is an opportunity for new people to experience the work as well as a chance for practitioners to sharpen and hone their skills. You can read more about the class format from a previous post on the Triggerpoint Training that happened this year.

If you'd like to register for this training, please drop me a note and I will send you the 3 registration forms. There is more information about Zentherapy® on the Zentherapy website and I have commented on the work in several different posts

Yogaglamgirl on Disenchantment

As I was driving to work today, I watched as a beautiful flock of birds fly past, not quite fast enough...and one was clipped and struck by the truck in front of me. I watched as it fell, barely flapping, yellow belly up, smashed to the side of the road. Tears spilling down my cheeks. Today's buzzing technology meets nature. and Nature is struck to the ground.

I continue driving on.
To my fast-paced-high tech job mechanical world.
Leaving nature behind
Dead in the tracks.

Yogaglamgirl is a Flower Child

One of the most interesting Zen practices to me is Kado, Zen flower arrangement. I played a little with flowers this weekend to fuel my practice.

My teacher has shown me that it is important to breathe, be steady, and let go of the mind (sound familiar, yogis?) Let the flowers, stems, be themselves. It’s not about me, and my ego, it’s about letting the flowers BE. Also keep in mind that the practice is not just putting the flowers in the vase, the practice is everything~ picking the flower, cutting, placing the vase, placing the stones…and then the practice continues ("off the mat" as we say in yoga) or after the flowers have been arranged.

Yogaglamgirl finds Yoga Girl!!!

I adore this video from Yoga Girl (nice name too!). Kudos to Yoga Girl for teaching yoga in the Tenderloin…one of the roughest neighborhoods in San Francisco. Isn’t this what yoga is all about!?

Yogaglamgirl Plays with Carrots and Kabocha in the Kitchen

I made some orange things in the kitchen last night.
Carrot soup (look how little 5 cups of shredded carrot makes!)
Made with shredded carrots, little butter, water, soy milk and orange juice.

&
Steamed Kabocha Squash (last one from our garden) served over azuki beans

Update, 12/9/06:
Here’s the full recipe for carrot soup. Recipe is compliments of The Yoga Cookbook: Vegetarian Food for Your Body and Mind(I love this book!)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
5 1/2 cups grated carrots
2 1/4 cups water
2 1/4 cups orange juice (I added about a cup of soy milk and a little less of both the OJ and the water)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1) Melt the butter or margarine in a large pan and sauté the carrots until they begin to soften. Add the water, half cover, and simmer over low to medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft.
2) Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Place the carrots and cooking water in a food processor or blender, add the orange juice, and puree the mixture until smooth. Alternatively, press through a large strainer.
3) Return the soup to the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper, and reheat without boiling. Serve garnished with the chopped mint.
* Omit the orange juice and double the quantity of water. Replace the chopped mint with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

Yogaglamgirl and Acupuncture

I am a bit worn out today. I had a 2-hour acupuncture session yesterday and I think a lot of blocks and toxins are being released. I am in awe of the work I received and excited about the parallels I’m finding between it’s principles and the other forms of healing/natural medicine that I’ve experienced. I'll be drinking a lot of water and hope to be feeling lighter in another day or so.

What fun….it looks like I’m not the only one who just had acupuncture. My friend Regina just had it too and even took pics to show how it is helping her injured knee.