The Eight Limbs of Yoga

Image from We Heart It

For most westerners yoga is physical movement, with a little bit of relaxation and meditation which is beneficial for the mind. For some people this is enough - and that is fine!

However there are eight limbs of yoga and each one needs to be achieved before reaching spiritual enlightenment.

There is a lot to each one, but here is a short summary of each in layman's terms for you.

1. Yama

Yama refers to self restraints, or how we behave in relation to other people. One way of thinking of Yama is to consider the rule we have all heard as children (perhaps in scripture!) "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". The areas of Yama include non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, abstinence (meaning not using sexual energy to harm others) and non-possessiveness.

2. Niyama

Niyama is self-discipline or observances. Niyama includes personal cleanliness, contentment, spirituality, self study and the surrender to God (whatever God may mean to you. It doesn't necessarily have to mean a God from a particular religion, but any higher power - such as the universe).

3. Asana

This is where most Westerners began their study of yoga. Asana is the physical postures we think of when we say yoga. Through Asana we take control of our physical body, which allows us to sit easily in meditation.

4. Pranayama

Pranayama is control of life force, or prana. In a yoga class you will often perform breathing exercises such as this one which help to purify the body. In yoga the breath has strong connections to the mind and emotions. Pranayama is the last limb which is related to the physical body.

5. Pratyahara 

Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses. This is when yogis begin to sit and move their awareness to their inner world, and away from external distractions or senses.

6. Dharana

Dharana is when we start to steady the mind. As you will be aware, your mind becomes extremely active when you try to think of nothing! Yogis may use a single point to focus on, such as the breath, and object or a mantra. Practicing extended periods of concentration leads onto meditation.

7. Dhyana

Dhyana is the stage of meditation of contemplation. When starting to learn meditation, we may think that dharana and dhyana are very similar. The difference in that dharana is a single-pointed focus or concentration, where dhyana is moving beyond this, to a state of being without focus. Here the mind is still without thought.

8. Samadhi

This is the final stage of yoga, spiritual enlightenment or pure bliss. It is said that at this point, the yogi merges with their point of focus and transcends the Self altogether!

Asana this week: Navasana (boat posture)

Image from befairbefunky

How gorgeous it this yoga platform!?

Navasana or the boat posture strengthens the core, hip flexors and the spine.

Some points to remember: To perform Navasana, you want to feel as if you are sitting just at the edge of the sit bones, towards the tail bone. Focus on lifting and opening the chest and heart.
Extend the spine, feeling that you are creating space in between your ribs. Check that you aren't hunching the shoulders, or holding your breath. If you are, take a more gentle variation until you develop strength. Many people feel Navasana in their core. While it definitely is core strengthening, it is also very strong on your deep hip flexors. Think about this while in the posture - by grounding the the thigh bones and pelvis and lift and lengthen away from this anchor.
The abdomen will engage due to the position your body is in, but see if you can breathe into the belly rather than hardening it.

As you come out of the posture, roll back to your sit bones and hug the knees towards the chest. Allow the belly to soften and notice the warmth spread from the centre of your body.

Variations: Keeping the knees bent is an easier variation. If this is still too strong, keep the toes lightly touching the floor but continue to lean back slightly towards the tail bone.
For a stronger posture, take ardha navasana by leaning back further, so you are now sitting more towards the sacrum (however make sure your back is still off the floor) and lower your legs a little. As with any yoga posture, make sure you don't compensate a part of your body simply to feel you are taking a more advanced posture.

Children's yoga and mindfulness

As some of you know, I am a primary school teacher as well as a yoga teacher and have used yoga and mindfulness in my own classroom. I have mentioned children's meditation before here, and strongly believe in its benefits for children's wellbeing.

Kids yoga is so much fun. As you'd imagine, it is far more playful and energetic than with adults! It helps kids to develop strength, flexibility and focus - but in a non-competitive environment.

Meditation is such a valuable skill to learn for life, so it makes sense to teach it to children. It allows time to just 'be' which is becoming increasingly rare in many children's busy little lives.

I currently teach a children's yoga class at Prana Space in Rosebay, as well as private classes around the Eastern suburbs of Sydney.

There are a couple of options for the private classes. These can be tailored to your child's needs. As well as yoga and mindfulness, I also include a 'mindfulness and homework' option. After stretching and strengthening with yoga, and practicing stillness and focus through mindfulness, we will then use our relaxed and focussed state to work through homework (or it could be extra reading or maths) together. Another option may be to focus on learning resilience and coping strategies through mindfulness and discussion.

Options:

1. Group yoga and mindfulness. 2 - 6 children. 45 minutes

2. Private yoga and mindfulness. 45 minutes

3. Private tailored classes. Yoga, mindfulness, home work, resilience, leading a healthy balanced life.  45 minutes to 2 hour sessions.

If you are interested, or would like to know more please contact me.

Raw honey.

Image from For the Love of Food (beautiful pictures!)

Firstly - read this lovely precise post on honey by my sister Jo...  It's a refreshing, positive point of view without any preaching or diet talk!

Well put wasn't it! Anyway...

You may have read about the recent research about the negative effects of sugar - or more precisely fructose. You may have even given up sugar - including fruit, honey, maple syrup and fresh dates. It is often recommended to remove all fructose for some time to get the body back into balance. This seems to makes sense. We are definitely not meant to be consuming as much sugar as we do. Unfortunately sugar is in many packaged foods. Even foods like bought tomato sauce and mayonnaise which aren’t even 'sweet'. It is these hidden sugars and trans fats which are in processed foods that we need to avoid. 

Honey is a sweetener that is recommended to remove from your diet if you quit sugar. I find this a little sad! Raw honey has been collected by humans for thousands of years. Of course not in the quantities that it is now, so keep this in mind when you use it. Make sure it's unheated or raw honey, as most supermarket honeys have been heated at very high temperatures which destroys the natural goodness, leaving behind only the (fructose) sweetness without the nutrients. Raw honey may cost a little more, but I often find this makes you more careful and appreciative.

Raw honey contains all the nutrients found in plant pollens, as well as enzymes that digest carbohydrates. Sally Fallon writes in her book Nourishing Traditions that this makes honey ideal to eat with porridge as the enzymes help digest the grains. No wonder it tastes so good!

Ayurveda has a more balanced view of sweeteners. It certainly doesn’t condone refined white sugar, but natural sweeteners such as raw honey, maple syrup and jaggery are part of the Ayurvedic diet. It does however, depend on your constitution. Read this article on the trend of giving up sugar by Nadia Marshall from the Mudita Institute in Byron Bay. 

If we prepare and cook our own food, and do use a sweetener, at least we are aware of how much we are adding. And the act of cooking and preparing allows you to be more mindful of your food!

Feed the yogi muesli in stock at Causley's

If you would like some Feed the Yogi muesli, you can pick up some Causley Fresh Deli in Yamba. There's only a limited number of bags!

Bee pollen. Our local superfood!

Image from Kitchen Apparel.

This morning during my cooking class, we sprinkled bee pollen on our porridge!

Bee pollen is a super high-energy whole food that is said to supply us with nearly every single nutrient the human body needs to survive. It is loaded with enzymes which help us to break down and digest food. Read more about its benefits here.

It has an interesting floral flavour and texture.

Bee pollen is a superfood I like to use as it's collected in Australia - rather than coming all the way from Peru like lots of other superfoods.

If you are in Yamba, Kitchen to Table stock it,  Or try this one.

How to use it...

- Do as we did today and sprinkle it over porridge

- Add it to smoothies

- Sprinkle on yoghurt

- Sprinkle over muesli

- We made white chocolate coconut truffles with bee pollen during my raw chocolate class

- It looks great sprinkled over cakes. It would go well over this coconut loaf recipe.

Due to its connection with honey, we think to use it in sweet foods. However I think it could go well in a warm rice or quinoa salad, or sprinkled over soups perhaps?

Sea salt, cinnamon & smoked paprika macadamias

We all know that nuts are good for us. They are rich in minerals, have high levels of vitamin B and are full of 'healthy fats'. 

However nuts, legumes, seeds and grains contain phytic acid, or enzyme inhibitors which basically stop the seed from sprouting and growing into a plant! When we eat raw nuts or legumes which haven’t been soaked we are also eating the enzyme inhibitors, which prevents our own enzymes from breaking down the food in our digestive tracts, inhibiting absorption of vitamins and minerals.

This is why some people feel very heavy and bloated after eating handfuls of raw nuts.

The best way to eat nuts is to buy them raw and activate them yourself.

Activating refers to long soaking and then drying out the nuts. This method breaks down the enzyme inhibitors. They are also more crunchy!

To make regular activated nuts, simply soak in water overnight. In the morning rinse the nuts and spread on a baking tray and place in the oven on the lowest temperature possible for 12 - 24 hours until they are completely dry.

This recipe is a simple variation.

Sea salt, cinnamon & smoked paprika macadamias.

Soak 2 cups of macadamias in clean water for 7 hours or overnight.

Drain and rinse.

Sprinkle a desert spoon of celtic sea salt (or any high quality sea salt), a desert spoon of ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika over the nuts and coat well.

(I sometimes also add a sprinkling of coconut sugar which is delicious! - up to you)

Turn the oven as low as it goes.

Place the macadamias a baking tray and dry in the oven for 12-24 hours. Turn occasionally.

Leave in the oven until they are dry and crisp.

Store in an airtight container.

Yamba classes next week... and muesli orders!

Just a reminder that I will be in Yamba next week.

Yoga classes will be on at the Surf Club.

Monday 8th July 5.30pm
Tuesday 9th July 5.30pm
Wednesday 10th July 5.30pm
Thursday 11th July 6.30am

See you there!

Also, if you would like some muesli, just let me know. I will also bring some along with me to yoga classes so you can collect it there.