Feed the yogi cooking class

I am very excited to be holding a cooking class at Kitchen to Table here in Yamba.
It will be on Friday 15th February 2013 at 6pm.

The course is $60 per person and includes the cooking class, tastings, recipes to take home and 10% discount on purchases made in the store that night.

The recipes will be taken from the food I prepare for my yoga weekends. The class will include a three course menu that is seasonal, wholesome and easy to prepare.

Throughout the night we will also discuss traditional methods of food preparation and theories such Ayurvedic cooking and how to help your body to gain the maximum nutritional benefits of the food you eat. A simple example of this is that vegetables contain fat soluble vitamins, so serving them with fats such as olive oil, butter or ghee is not only delicious but ensures the vitamins are absorbed efficiently.

If you would like more information on the class contact me or call Kitchen to Table on 02 6646 1577. Please note there are limited spots available.

Throughout January I will be holding an extra class.
It will be on Thursday mornings at 7.15am at the Surf Club. The first one will be Thursday 3rd January.

Merry Christmas!

 Image sourced from Get Your Yoga On.

Wishing all my lovely yoga students a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Please note that yoga won't be on from the 24th December until the 1st of January.
The Wednesday 5.30pm class on the 2nd January will be the first one back.

Yoga intensive with Sarah & Alicia

Alicia and I are going to do a combined yoga intensive. 

Alicia will be teaching Ryoho yoga which is a Japanese style. It is very stable and strengthening, and is perfect for preparing the body for the more classical hatha yoga postures.

Once again the food will all be vegetarian, homemade, locally sourced produce where available and suitable to Summer. This time, on the Sunday after yoga we will all go Lane Seven for breakfast which will be lovely!

Another difference to take note of: You will have Saturday night free this time - it's so close to Christmas and there's sure to be lots of people with Christmas parties on!

So instead of dinner Alica will show everyone how to do a ginger compress. They feel amazing. Alicia will tell you more but basically we will soak a towel in hot water and ginger and place this on areas of the body to stimulate circulation and relieve tired muscles.

This is the timetable for the weekend:

Friday morning 14th December
Optional beach shuffle before yoga
6.15am - 7.15am. Ryoho yoga class with Alicia
Breakfast at the Surf Club

Friday evening 14th December
6.15pm.Yoga with Sarah
Meditation with Alicia
Dinner at the Surf Club

Saturday morning 15th December
Optional beach shuffle before yoga
6.15am - 7.15am Morning yoga practice with Sarah
Breakfast at the Surf Club

Saturday afternoon 15th December
4.30- 5.30pm Gentle, restorative class with Sarah
5.30 - 6pm Ginger compress with Alicia

Sunday morning 16th December
Optional beach shuffle before yoga
6.15am - 7.45am Alica and Sarah both teaching the class combining Ryoho and Hatha yoga.
Breakfast at Lane Seven Coffee. 
We will be served delicious bowls of their homemade bircher muesli and a pot of chai (or coffee as you won't be able to resist the aroma!)

The cost for the weekend is $140 per person.
Please contact me if you would like to join.
 

Orange, Cardamom and Sesame Treats

There are lots of recipes around for raw treats like these. I'm always changing what I add.
I made this version for a yoga weekend recently.

Also, a lot of people are giving up sugar at the moment - or at least fructose. If you are, you can leave the honey out and rely on the spices for the 'sweetness' or you can use brown rice syrup which is made by culturing rice with enzymes to break down the starches, and is then cooked down to syrup. The sugars are maltose and a little glucose so no fructose.  Make sure the syrup you buy has only rice in the ingredient list. It isn't quite as sweet as honey but the same texture.

Please note this is a rough guide as I throw ingredients in as I go along! Add more nuts or seeds if it is too runny, and more tahini, coconut oil and honey/rice syrup if it's too dry and won't stick.

Orange Cardamom and Sesame Treats
1/2 cup of almonds
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds 
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1/2 cup of tahini
Zest of one orange
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom (Use pods and grind your own for the best flavour)
1 tablespoon of honey or rice syrup
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt
Sesame seeds to roll. You can toast them or keep them raw.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined and sticky. I like to keep it a bit chunky as opposed to really smooth.
Roll into bit sized balls and coat with sesame seeds.
Keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Nadi Shodana

Image sourced from daily health articles

Nadi - 'channel' or 'flow of energy'
Shodana - 'purification'

If you've been coming to my yoga classes you will be familiar with this pranayama exercise. I've been including it in most classes as it is so balancing.

Nadis are energy channels which flow through the body. There are three major nadis - one which travels along the line of the spine called shashumna, one which enters in the right nostril called pingala nadi and one which enters the left called ida nadi.  
Basically, pingala nadi is the solar nadi and is associated with extroverted, masculine, heat, fire, yang energy. On the other hand ida nadi is lunar and is responsible for the more introverted, feminine, cool, moon, yin energy of our bodies and minds. Nadi shodana works to balance these.

On a physical level, nadi shodana clears the nasal passages and sinuses allowing for a deeper, more full breath to enter the body. If there are blockages in the nostrils, use a neti pot first to help clear. If you have a cold or are particularly blocked, it is recommended not to perform nadi shodana.

Nadi Shodana.

Sit in a comfortable cross legged position. 

Using your right hand, close the right nostril with your thumb. The first two fingers can either be placed between your eyebrows on the third eye centre, or folded into the palm.

Inhale slowly through the left nostril.

At the top of the breath, release the right nostril and close the left nostril with the ring finger.

Exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right nostril.

Block the right nostril and exhale through the left.
Inhale through the left.

And so on.

Ideally, you would do nadi shodana for around 10-15 minutes every morning. Stay mindful of your breath and watch it closely. Once you have finished, pause and observe the calm feeling over your body. You may feel that your third eye centre is clear and open.

I have mentioned Dr Claudia Welch before here. In her book there a numerous examples of cases where nadi shodana was prescribed to assist in balancing hormones and therefore improving overall health.

The yoga text Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha states that nadi shodana ensures that the whole body is nourished by an extra supply of oxygen. Carbon dioxide is efficiently expelled and the blood is purified of toxins... It also induces tranquility, clarity of thought and concentration, and is recommended for those engaged in mental work.

Sweet potato and aubergine lasange

This is a regular of mine! If I've had you to dinner you have probably had this before...

While the title says lasagne, it's more a 'stack' as there isn't any pasta in this. You can make it with pasta instead of the aubergine if you wish.

During yoga weekends I like to serve a lentil soup first or serve a side salad with legumes in it for a bit of protein.

Sweet potato and aubergine lasagne

3 sweet potatoes, chopped

1 large eggplant, sliced

2 leeks, diced

2 cups of spinach, chopped

Goats cheese

Parmesan

Rosemary

Oregano

Sea salt

Cracked pepper

Olive oil

1 tablespoon of ghee or butter

Arugula, basil and flat leaf parsley to serve

Tomato sauce

2 tins of whole tomatoes

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Sea salt and cracked pepper

Coat the sweet potato with olive oil and sprinkle with some chopped fresh rosemary. Add some sea salt and cracked pepper. Roast in the oven at 180C for about 30 minutes or until just soft.

While the sweet potato is cooking you can prepare the other ingredients.

Eggplant:

Lay the sliced eggplant pieces on a chopping board and sprinkle with sea salt. Let them rest for about 15 minutes. Then give them a little rinse under the tap.

To make the sauce:

Drain the tomatoes and place in a saucepan with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.

Allow to simmer for around 10-15 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. 

Prepare the leek and spinach

In a pan, melt the ghee or butter. Add the chopped leeks and cook, stirring occasionally until softened.  Add the spinach and stir just until it has wilted slightly.

Once the sweet potato is cooked, mash lightly in the same baking pan. It's nice to leave some chunky bits for some texture so don't mash too much.

Cover the sweet potato with the leek and spinach. 

Then place the eggplant over the spinach mixuture.

The next layer is the tomato sauce. Spoon over the eggplant.

Finally dollop on the goats cheese, add some shaved parmesan, chopped rosemary and oregano.

Cook in a 180C oven for about 40minutes.

Serve with arugula, chopped basil and flat leaf parsley. Drizzle with a good olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Spinach, beetroot & quinoa salad with mint & za'atar

 

I made this for lunch today with bits and pieces I had in the fridge. I had some beetroot, spinach and snow peas from the farmers market so they are all in season, local and organic which made it even better...

It's really starting to warm up so raw food and salads are becoming relevant. It's what we are starting to feel like! Keep in mind that your body has to work harder to digest raw food so eat them in the middle of the day and don't go overboard just because they're vegies! As always listen to your body.

I had in mind to serve with a dollop of goats ricotta but there wasn't any left :)

This is isn't really a recipe - the title pretty much says it all.

I love the look home grown beetroot!

Spinach, beetroot & quinoa salad with mint & za'atar

About 1/2 cup cooked quinoa. I used white as I had some handy, red would look great.

A good handful of finely chopped spinach

1 small beetroot, grated

Some snow peas, diced

About 1/2 cup of mint leaves

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon of poppy seeds

Juice of half a lemon

Olive oil

1 tablespoon of za'atar

Salt and pepper

Toss together the quinoa, spinach, beetroot, snow peas and mint.

Lightly toast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet until golden. Add the poppy seeds to the pan and toast for a couple of minutes.

Dress your salad with lemon juice and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with za'atar and add salt and pepper to taste.

This serves one or two, so adjust accordingly for a crowd.

Za'atar 

1/2 cup sesame seeds (I toast mine in a dry skillet but you can keep raw)

1/2 cup sumac

2 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried oregano

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake well.

Mulligatawny Soup

I served this ayurvedic soup at my Spring Yoga weekend.

While I served it as an entree to the main, in an ayurvedic diet this would be dinner. They promote a larger, more hearty meal at lunch time and a lighter dinner, such as soup. This is because they believe that our agni, or digestive fire is strongest in the middle of the day when the sun is at it's highest. So this is the best time to eat foods that are heavier and harder to digest.

Mulligatawny Soup

1 tablespoon of ghee
1 brown onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 diced carrot
1 diced green capsicum
2 diced potatoes
1 diced tomato 
4-5 cups of water
1.5 cups of chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked
1 cup of shredded coconut
1.5 cups of coconut milk
Lemon wedges fresh coriander and salt and cracked pepper to serve.

Heat the ghee in a saucepan and fry onions until soft and golden.
Add the spices and stir. 
Next add the tomato and let cook for a few minutes.

Boil the water in a kettle so it is ready.
Add the carrot, capsicum, potatoes and salt to the saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes. The vegetables will start to stick. When this happens add the just boiled water.
Bring to the boil and cook the soup for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.

Add the shredded coconut, coconut milk and the chickpeas and cook for about 5 more minutes.
Transfer the soup to a food processor and blend until it is smooth.

Serve each bowl with a couple of wedges of lemon (lots of lemon juice is the key!), a handful of  fresh coriander and salt & pepper.

Abhyanga

Henri Matisse
Odalisque with Green Sash
Image taken from flickr

In western culture we seem to view massage as an indulgence, or something to do if we are injured or in pain. However according to Ayurveda massage is an important part of maintaining health.

As well as regular massages from a professional, Ayurveda recommends abhyanga, or self massage as part of the daily routine.

Basically it is the practice of massaging warmed oil over your body before bathing in the mornings.

I know - I can hear you saying how rushed your mornings are already and there’s no chance of giving yourself a massage every morning!
However it really takes no more time than applying moisturiser, and if you’ve massaged oil over your body then there’s no need for moisturiser anyway.

The benefits of abhyanga include:

Sleeping soundly
Increased suppleness and flexibility of the joints and muscles
Helps to reduce cellulite
Improves skin texture and assists its ability to protect it from sun damage
Improves circulation
Calms the nervous system

Another important thing about abhyanga is that it allows you time for being mindful of your body and giving it some much needed attention. Like we always say in yoga, it’s important to consciously release any tension held in the body before it becomes and injury or an illness. After all - it always starts as tension or stress.

All these benefits sound appealing, however after reading this book by Dr Claudia Welch, I started to understand just how important abhyanga is on our overall health. Dr Welch, who specialises in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine believes that abhyanga is one of the most effective practices in balancing hormones and the nervous system. In her book, Dr Welch writes that many health problems (particularly in women) stem from hormonal imbalances.

To quote Dr Welch:

"The skin is the largest organ in the body. We feel sensations on our skin because of the nerves that enervate it. When we cover the skin with warm oil, it calms the nervous system, making it less hypervigilant and and oversensitized. When the nervous system is less jumpy, it is less likely to trigger the release of stress hormones, which we have seen over and over again to be the cause of hormonal imbalance. With the release of fewer stress hormones, our endocrine system may, little by little, be able to regain a healthy balance. This may lead to the resolution of various maladies that have their roots in hormonal imbalance."

How it’s done:

Warm your oil by placing the glass bottle in a mug of hot water. Leave for a couple of minutes to ensure it’s warmed through. It is recommended to use an oil that suits your dosha (more on this later!).  I use extra virgin coconut oil, sesame oil or sweet almond oil. Always use cold pressed, extra virgin oil.

Sit or stand on a towel you don’t mind getting a little oily.

Apply the warmed oil all over your body, then start massaging from your feet and work your way to the centre of your body.

Pay particular attention to the areas of your body which are prone to fat build up. You can really work into them.

You can massage your scalp too if you like - just wash your hair if you don’t want the oily look.

Massage your self mindfully and with love!

It's nice to sit for a few minutes to enjoy the calm and let the oil soak in.
Take a shower after your massage, but don't soap off the oil, just let the water wash it off.

It is recommended to massage yourself for up to 20 minutes, but around 5 or 10 minutes is fine if you are pushed for time in the mornings.
If the mornings are really too difficult, you can try it in the evenings. It's a lovely way to prepare for bed.

Give it a go and see how you feel!

Gomasio

Gomasio is also known as sesame salt. It is a great digestive to have over vegetables, rice, curries or salads. It is delicious!

I used the recipe from a recipe booked called Warmth: The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Nadia Marshall, Kester Marshall & Sensei Michael Doko Hatchett from the Mudita Institute in Byron Bay.

In the note they have beside this recipe, it explains that as the oil from the sesame seeds coats the salt,  yin envelopes yang. Such lovely imagery! They also say that gomasio is an excellent way of getting good salt deep down into the belly where it enhances digestion, absorption & assimilation of nutrients.

Gomasio is regularly used in the cooking at Japanese Zen monasteries.

Gomasio

Ten parts raw unhulled sesame seeds.

One part good quality sea salt (I used Celtic sea salt)

Roast the salt in a pan for around 3 minute, or until the salt seems quite dry.

Use a mortar and pestle to grind it into a very fine powder.

Next roast the sesame seeds in a pan with a tight fitting lid. Listen for some crackles, then take the pan off the heat and shake the pan up and down a few times.

Add the seeds to the salt in the mortar. There will be a little bit of smoke, but you don't want it to smell burnt, as it will mean the sesame seeds are over-toasted.

Grind the salt and seeds together, but with a fairly light hand. Grind until about three quarters of the seeds have broken open. Don't grind too hard.

Keep it in an airtight container. It will be fine away from direct heat but it keeps well in the fridge.

Recipe taken from

WARMTH: The Ayurvedic Cookbook

By Nadia Marshall, Kester Marshall & Sensei Michael Doko Hatchett

Why We Should Meditate

Image from Devi Wears Prana

Have a look at this article by Jo from her blog Words by Jo.

What makes us decide that our life is best spent being busy? That our biggest contribution to the world is a completed spreadsheet, an inbox of zero, or a social calendar so bursting at the seams we barely have time to enjoy each moment? 

Excerpt from Words By Jo: Why We Should Meditate

Sweet potato and berbere dip

Berbere is an African spice mix which is normally made into a paste to rub onto meats before before roasting or barbequing. I used the recipe from Spice Notes and Recipes by Ian Hemphill from Herbies Spices. It's nice to make your own but you can buy their mix online here. If you are in Yamba they sell Herbies Spices at Kitchen to Table.

It adds exotic spiciness to sweet potato here.

Sweet potato and berbere dip

1 cup of cooked chick peas (either cook your own or you can use canned)
3 small sweet potatoes
3 teaspoons of berbere spice mix
Zest of one lemon
Juice of about half a lemon
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Toasted sesame seeds and extra berbere to serve

Berbere spice blend. 

Taken from Spice Notes and Recipes by Ian Hemphill

2 teaspoons whole cumin
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ajowan seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3/4 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon of allspice

Roast these lightly in a pan, then grind in a mortar and pestle before adding

1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 teaspoons of sea salt

Blend thoroughly and store in a jar.

Directions

Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven for about 45 minutes or until soft. You can just pop them in whole and you can easily peel the skin off when they've cooled down.

Place the peeled sweet potatoes in a food processor with the other ingredients and blend until smooth.
Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and a little more berbere.

Easy!

Serve with crackers or warm flat bread. It can also be combined with cooked lentils and served with rice to make it into a meal.

I had it for lunch today on sprouted bread (we have a great locally made sprouted bread here in Yamba) with goats ricotta, parsley and olive oil.

Almond Milk

Some people find cows milk difficult to digest. If that's the case for you, you may find goats milk easier. Nut milks are another option. I don't replace dairy with nut milk, but use it as well and as a change. You can use it wherever you would usually use milk.

This recipe is for almond milk, but you can use any nut or seed you like!

Almond milk

Soak 1 cup of almonds in water for at least 8 hours or overnight

Drain and rinse the almonds

Place almonds and 3 cups of fresh water in a blender and process until smooth.

Line a jug with a nut-milk bag or muslin cloth and pour the liquid into the jug.

Pull the muslin or nut-milk bag out and squeeze all the liquid into your jug. You can keep the pulp to use for other recipes.

Pour the almond milk into a bottle and store in the fridge. It will keep for a few days.

'Chocolate' Hearts

These delicious little morsels have a great texture - like chocolate fudge. I served them with strawberries that had been soaking in rosewater.
They are quite rich so eat slowly and consciously!

I used 'activated' nuts, which means they have been soaked in water over night then dried in a very low oven. These are much easier to digest!

'Chocolate' Hearts

1 cup of raw cacao
2 cups of walnut
2 cups of pitted fresh dates
1 cup of chopped hazelnuts (or macadamia nuts or almonds)
A pinch of sea salt

Lightly toast the walnuts in a saucepan or in the oven until golden. You don't need to do this if you have used activated walnuts.
Grind the walnuts in the food processor.
Add the cacao and pulse to combine.
Slowly add the dates one at a time while the motor is running. The mixture will start to stick.

Tip into a bowl and stir in the chopped hazelnuts and sea salt.

Press the mixture into a pan lined with baking paper. Pop in the fridge until ready to serve.

Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out your chocolates.

Serve on a pretty platter with some strawberries soaked in rosewater dotted around.

Food for the yogi

I thought I would share the menu from my last private yoga weekend...

Recipes will come soon!

4 Things Yoga Taught Me About Investing

Have a look at this article written by my clever sister Jo.

It's amazing how we can use our yoga practice to discover truths about other areas of our lives.
It makes a lot of sense!

 

Image source: Yoga Wellbeing

Yoga weekend to welcome spring

Everyone loves Spring time!
Emerge from your winter hibernation with a weekend of yoga.

This yoga weekend will focus on morning routines. While we only have two to practice together, the aim is to continue with a morning routine which is beneficial to your health but also realistic with your lifestyle.

According to Ayurveda, morning routines are important. When the body adjusts to a routine, it starts to rely on it, which in turns means the nervous system relaxes. Routines also mean your body is ready for food when it expects it and therefore can digest it properly.

I will provide more information on this prior to the weekend, but some of the routine you will do at home before you come to yoga (of course this is optional). So it means you have to get up early - I'm sorry!

As a guide this is roughly what our routine will look like:

Wake early
Use a tongue scraper, clean teeth
Sip a lemon and ginger tea, or just warm water
Use a neti pot to clear nasal passages
Meditate, or sit quietly for about 5 or 10 minutes
Apply warmed oil to your body. This self massage is known as Abhyanga. (I will blog about this soon)
Shower or bathe

Then we will meet for a brisk walk together.
Yoga class
Alternate nostril breathing.

Finally it will be time for a well deserved breakfast!

Class times are:
Friday 14th September 5.30pm
Saturday 15th September 6am for walk, 6.30 if you would like to join just for yoga
Saturday 15th September 5.30pm
Sunday 16th September 6am for walk, 6.30 for yoga.

The cost for the weekend is $135 per person for yoga and meals.
I will have neti pots and tongue scrapers available for you to buy. We can organise this once you're booked in.

 Send me an email if you would like to come.

Back in Yamba...

After lots of amazing yoga in New York and Nicaragua I am back in Yamba!
Yoga classes will be back on this week.

Monday 6.30pm
Tuesday 6.15am
Wednesday 5.30pm

Looking forward to seeing you!

New York

 image taken from elephantjournal.com

Yoga Vida have two lovely studios in Manhattan. The style is vinyasa flow, with upbeat tunes in the background and gorgeous instructors!Before the flow sequence begins, the teacher gives a little 'intention' or topic for the class. This is a really nice way to consider mental and emotional qualities of yoga, and seems to be a gentle reminder to the Lululemon clad New Yorkers that yoga is beyond creating a svelte physique.

One of the teachers spoke about Rajas, Tamas and Sattva. Basically, these three qualities, or gunas, make up all creation; so physical objects, food, people, thoughts, weather, environments, places are all made up of these qualities, usually one dominates, but they can be ever changing.

Rajas is fast moving, active, energetic.
Sattva is calm, cool, clear, peaceful and harmonious
Tamas is inertia, dull, sluggish.

Yoga reflects our lifestyle. Sometimes your practice may feel heavy, dark and sluggish (tamasic), other times you feel revved up (rajastic), and then there's the days when you feel light, calm and open (sattvic).

A city like New York could be described as Rajastic. People need a certain amount of Rajas to survive or succeed here. Determination, drive and motivation are all part of this city. Rajas isn't necessarily a negative quality, it's what keeps motivated, but in general there is too much rajas in Western lifestyles. The intention for this class was to bring more sattvic qualities into the practice, and of course into the rest of the day.

Keep balance on and off the mat and consider the gunas next time you do yoga.

I'll be away for a little while...

I will be away from the 7th June until the 26 July, so classes won't be on during this time.

I'll be in New York and Central America doing lots of yoga, as well as a level one Thai massage course. So I will come home with lots of new inspiration!

I'm going to blog about different yoga classes while I'm away, so keep visiting my blog.

If you would like to be included on my email list to make sure you know when classes are back on, contact me with your email address and I'll pop you on.

Timetable change.

Please note my timetable has changed slightly for a little while

The Tuesday evening class has moved to Wednesday evening at 5.30pm at the Surf Club.
The Thursday morning class won't be on over winter.

So the current timetable is:

Monday 6.30pm at the Yamba Wellbeing Centre
Tuesday 6.15am at the Surf Club
Wednesday 5.30pm at the Surf Club.

Autumn Yoga Weekend

It's time for another yoga weekend!

Once again the weekend will be held at the beautiful Yamba Surf Club, with some lovely morning Autumn sun on Main Beach (hopefully!).

Friday 5.30 - 7pm Yoga

Followed by dinner

Saturday 6.30am - 8am Yoga

Followed by breakfast

Saturday 5.30 - 7pm Yoga

Followed by dinner

Sunday 7.30 - 9am Yoga

Followed by breakfast
 
During Autumn as it is starts to cool down, vata (air element) increases in our bodies. If vata is aggravated your skin and hair may feel dry, you may feel bloated, and possibly start to feel anxious or flustered.


To balance this, we need to eat warm, grounding, nourishing, seasonal foods. Think slow cooked root vegetables, warm herbal tea, porridge and warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger. This also means we have to avoid raw, dry, cold food. So leave the raw crunchy salads for summer!

Our yoga asana practice also needs to balance our vata dosha. Our postures will be grounding, relaxed, slow, opening, yet warming postures.

Hope you can come to my autumn yoga weekend! 
Please contact me if you have any questions.

Sarah

Feed the yogi

Inspiring morning practice.

This video is beautiful...

Lululemon - Great Excuses Not to Go to Yoga

 

http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/dont-go-to-yoga/