In the Sanskrit language there is a the word, Sauca; {sow.cha} meaning, to be pure, to be clean The Bible mentions Jesus washing feet and receiving a foot wash as not only a nightly ritual, but an act of loving service. Showers, baths, brushing teeth, steam rooms, Hydocolonics, cleansing diets, these are the cleansing rituals of our modern culture. Cleaning our selves is part of being a living being because everyday,we get dirty. In Yoga teachings, we learn that being clean is part of the Yogic path. It is just as revered as breathing and the Asanas (Yoga Postures), or study of scriptures. What gets us dirty is a lot. First there is the environment. Walking to the bank this morning 5-6 people blew cigarette smoke in my face, 2 trucks released big bouts of engine smoke in my path, and I walked by a car with a gas leak that was creating some major smell pollution. These experiences have an effect on the health of our bodies.
We also have the pollution of what we put in our own bodies. Our food choices, non organic foods, packaged foods full of preservatives, meats with hormones and the outcome of miserable, suffering animals, alcohol, pills, chemical sweeteners, the list could go on and on. Not even to mention the harmful chemicals in beauty products and household cleaning products and laundry detergents. Then there is the deeper layer of dirt. The emotional stuff. The anger, fear, hate, sorrow, loneliness. These emotions can be cleaned out too. We don't have to carry them around, nor the other poisons.
There are ways, practices and techniques to rid ourselves of these impurities. In light of my upcoming Detox Yoga Workshop on August 22nd at COIL, I will be writing about the reasons and solutions for these cleansings and fresh starts for our bodies and souls.
If you have any information to share, or questions to ask, please share them here on Blogger, or email me at: sarahbadorineyoga@gmail.com For now, lets take a cleansing breath, long and slow in the nose, push from your belly, out the mouth. Now that is a good start.
"Meditation allows you to carve out a relationship with the inner presence that is the deepest part of yourself. Eventually, you find that you can rest in that presence through the storms of life and so that everything you do comes from the awareness of who you are." ~Sally Kepmton Multi-tasking, scatter brained, anxious, lots of energy, restless. This would be a good description of me before I started making Yoga and meditation a part of my life. I would even get panic attacks and have a hard time sleeping. The meditation practice, I always thought, would come after I had being doing Yoga for a while, when I was ready. But what I learned was that if one is focused in a Yoga practice, they are also practicing meditation; the beginning of it. It starts out as a natural high, where your sense of reality is a bit altered, and you feel as though you are hovering over the floor. My thought is that it is this feeling that Sages refer to as "levitating." My husband says it is human nature for us to want to alter our state of mind, showing an explanation for the high volume use of drugs, pills and alcohol in this world. Maybe our archaic desire stems from our brains wanting to go to that place meditation takes you. I think our minds crave it, but we don't always know how to feed that, so we grab what is easy. Meditation and Yoga are not activities I would call "easy." They do get easier in time, but I think it is also human nature to seek challenges and want to grow and change. This is not true for everyone, but that is a whole other topic that I may go into another time. But what I am trying to say is that when it does get "easier" most students seek a new challenge or learn something new to try and master. I feel that if something comes easily, it most likely isn't worth too much. Think about if you have ever wanted something really badly, but you couldn't afford it. Maybe you worked extra, went with out other stuff, saved and saved, and then you were able to buy it for yourself. To me that is a much bigger reward than if someone were to just buy it for you. You know what I am saying? One of the main reasons Yoga and meditation are so divine, amazing, powerful, life changing, is because it come with challenges that you learn to overcome. Getting to that magical place in meditation when not one single thought enters your mind, you are sitting in peace; in the space you created in and around you that is out of this world. To me, is a time of sitting right in the lap of God. What an amazing moment to experience. If you have ever thought about trying meditation blended with Yoga, there is an opportunity coming tomorrow night! At COIL Yoga Studio in Fresno, Ca July 23rd 6:45-8:45 www.coilyoga.com I hope you will come and try it out. You will be welcomed with love and gentle guiding. "Whether you are a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu, whether you belong to some other religion or to none at all, the source of meditation is always of a spiritual nature." ~Indra Devi
Today I have heard these words to describe the weather today, an oven, Hell, horrid, and as I have enjoyed saying lately, "hot as the dickens." Whatever that means. Yes, it is as Julia Childs would say, its "hotter than a stiff cock!" As I go about my day, repeating the mantra, "I am OK with being so hot," I smile to myself as I know the treat that awaits me at home. It is very simple, and I am going to share it with you so you can enjoy this sweet relief too. At a health foods store you can find essential oil of Peppermint. Buy it. It costs about $8. Take it home and splash it in your shower about 5 times, on the walls and the head and the door or curtain. Then, blast the hot water for a couple of seconds. Turn the water over to luke warm, and enter your naked, hot self. The Peppermint will now act as a cooling ,exhilarating personal air conditioner. Repeat as many times a day as needed and enjoy.
It takes a little more planning to go to the Farmer's Market than it does to go to the grocery, but the benefits from this planning are many.It is a lot of fun to go to the Farmer's Market. I love meeting the farmers who grow our food, talking to the keeper of the hens who lay our eggs.
She tells me about the hen's home in the Avocado grove, and how the only food they eat are the veggies that didn't sell at the market. On Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons on Blackstone and Shaw there is a beautiful FM, located under a shady courtyard.
Central Fish Co. comes to this one, so you can get super fresh fish, right there at the market. See photo below of the Scallop dinner I made, all with things I got from the Farmer's Market. (Well, all but the Arborio actually).
There they have local honey,(which helps with allergies), and chocolate, and jams and pickles. Fresh squeezed Orange juice, flowers, coffee, and tons of fruits and veggies. If you live on the South end, like we do, Saturday mornings on Fulton and Joaquin, the Farmer's Market is large and so cheap! Everything is ripe and plump and local.
This is what is so wonderful about going to the Farmer's Market. You and your money are supporting local, you are bringing home the best for your family's diet, and saving money. Why anyone wouldn't go is beyond me. Maybe they just don't know about it. So, tell a friend and remember to bring your canvas bags or reuse the old bags from the grocery. Your trip to the market is also good for the environment. Using your own bags to recycle, reduce and reuse,plus you are helping to cut down on the fossil fuel it takes to deliver foods from other places. Wow, and you thought you were just buying dinner. Find a Farmer's Market near you and make a difference for your budget, your family's health, and the Earth we share.
Have you ever read the ingredients on your toothpaste? For years, I had not, but I did know that I hated every toothpaste I used. Brushing my teeth was a horrid chore that I dreaded, due to the nasty taste and feel of toothpaste. After some investigation, I learned that the reasons for my dislike for toothpaste had a lot to do with what the bright blue paste was made from. Many mainstream toothpastes have harmful ingredients like detergents, synthetic fragrances, fluoride, Triclosan, and dyes. As humans we have choices, and if we don't want unnecessary ingredients, that could make us ill or plain just taste bad in our products, we don't have to blindly "consume." See these links for more info on harmful ingredients in toothpaste:http://www.downwithbasics.com/toothpastedanger.html
http://www.health-report.co.uk/triclosan.htmlSpeaking of choices, I would like to recommend the two pastes we use in our home. J/A/S/O/N Sea Fresh and Weleda Salt Toothpaste. Both can be found at Natural Health food stores like Whole Foods, Tower Health, Bee Alive, and Christina's (if you live in Fresno, Ca). Or at Good Earth Organic Market, if you live in Marin County. ;) My husband prefers the Sea Fresh, where I LOVE the Welda Salt. Both are really tasty, naturally. Both are free of fluoride, detergents, and neither are tested on animals. Which we like. Try them for yourself and let me know what you think! Brushing your teeth may become a fun and yummy part of your day, it has for me.
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes the racket in my head is too much to handle. Last night I had a lot on my mind before bed and I felt restless. In moments like this, I take refuge in one of my favorite Yoga postures, Child's Pose.This is a simple pose that you can try at home.Why would one want to try it? Because just coming into this pose can free you from bothersome aspects of everyday life. For instance, taking deep breaths in Child's Pose for just 5 min. Can:- stretch your hips, thighs, and ankles while lengthening the spine
- calm the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue
- help relieve back and neck pain
- comfort you when feeling overwhelmed
- lower your blood pressure
- help get rid of a head-ache
- free you from menstrual pain across the low back
To get into Child's Pose, sit on the floor (or your bed) on your shins and tops of your feet, inhale, and as you exhale, reach your hands in front of you and rest your head on the ground.Take slow, deep breaths, and focus your mind on that breath.Try it and let me know how you feel, or if you have any questions.
