Made it to the Finish Line! :)

Good DAY!! How are you today? Are you okay?  I hope you are!  How does your mind feel?  What about your body? 

Are you fighting bad weather? Obstacles due to the weather?  I would love to hear from you readers out there!!!

As for me?  Well the Veg888 blogger met her goal!  The Venice Christmas run was a SUCCESS!!!  It was a wonderful event!

DAY BEFORE THE RACE

Friday - I made sure to have a smoothies with Spirulina and berries ALL DAY!  I also maintained a HIGH RAW menu for the day.  I had Tabouli, Green Salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, romaine lettuce), Hummus, and some eggplant (in the form of BABAGANOUJ – the cooked part of the meal). 

Once we got home, I squeezed some FRESH O.J. and mixed it with E3 Live.  I had two mushrooms stuffed with basil, tomatoes, nut cheese, and spices.  Made it to bed by 11:00 pm.  (This is quite early for me.  I am usually in bed at like 2am…) 

Put all of my running gear together: RACE BIB #61, my tennis shoes, my (2) POWER BALANCE bracelets, socks, shorts, shirt, exercise bra and jacket.  I also had a Gear Bag ready for the day.  I had extra socks, some band-aids, a change of clothes, lotion, sandals and some various odds and ends.  I plugged in the Garmin to charge and went to bed. 

I set the alarm for 5:45 and 6:00 a.m.  I knew I wanted to get a Yoga set in before we left for the race AND I wanted to meditate before the race as well.  I felt I needed to visualize positivity and love.  I can get a bit snippy when I am unsure of certain aspects and feel pressured.  I didn’t want that energy to be part of my day so I knew I would need to meditate!

5k DAY

Saturday – The alarm was set for 5:45 and 6:00 am.  Eventually got out of bed at 6:10 am and headed to the living room for some yoga asanas and meditation.  I just tried to breathe and focus on my goals for the day.  I made sure to say thank you for the use of my legs, the opportunity to be alive and the wonderful experience  at hand!

Got into the shower at about 7:10 and tried to stay positive.  My mantra for the day was – Just finish the race and enjoy the experience!

We left the house about 8:10am.  I was starting to get butterflies in my stomach and just tried to breathe.  There were moments when my mind would wander and I would start saying…”You are 20 minutes off schedule.  The race starts at 9:15 am and you are barely leaving…I would then come back to breathing and remained calm. 

We got to the beach at about 8:30am.  We found parking pretty easily.  I put my bib on and headed to the race. 

There were SO MANY PEOPLE there! It was amazing!  The people were all SO POSITIVE!  There were elves, and reindeer, Santa Claus and all types of other costumes I had never seen.  We started right on time.  The gun went off at 9:15 and I didn’t get to the start line until about 9:18 or so.  I didn’t feel the need to jock for position at the start line.  After all, I wasn’t there to try to win.  I was there to run and finish. 

For the last month my pace has been a 14 minute mile.  I kept thinking – “Well I said I would complete the 5k in 45 minutes when I registered.  Technically I should finish within that time frame. Right? As doubt attempted to wander into my mind, I heard a women YELL OUT – 14:58!  I looked down at the Garmin and I noticed that I had already passed the 1 mile mark!  Good Job I thought!  Whew!

Up the hill and then the turn around, still feeling good.  The Garmin beeped at mile 2 and I was still feeling strong.  There was a table set out for water, but I passed.  Along the entire course there were people CHEERING FOR ALL THE RUNNERS!   SO POSITIVE!!  I heard people yelling “Go Runners!” there was even a guy out there yelling with bells and reindeer antlers! He just kept yelling “GO RUNNERS! YOUR MORE THAN HALF WAY THERE!”  YOU GOT UP THIS MORNING AND YOUR GONNA DO IT! GO RUNNER! GO RUNNERS!” He was so animated and hilarious!  I picked up the pace and continued to run! I was laughing and quite happy at this point!  Just then a woman appeared to be passing me.  Now the key to this visual is this.  Imagine for just one moment: A tall woman about 5’10″ or so.  Now the clincher is this next visual!  She was pregnant and pushing (2) toddlers in a rather large stroller!  I thought … “What?”  Am I seeing what I am seeing?  Oh hell no!  If this woman (WHO IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE I MIGHT ADD AND MY NEW HERO) is passing me…that is not a good sign!!! So I picked up the pace even more and headed to the finish line!  I got to the finish line with a time of 38:20!  That is a 12+ minute pace!!! WOO HOO!!!!

Went to the meeting place I had set up with my “taste tester”!  WATER!  Where is the 10ph of water?  He had everything ready for me and we walked back to the car.  I felt good and we headed off!

More race recap and pictures tomorrow!  Having trouble with my computer again!

Love and Light!

Namaste!

RAFFLE WINNER & A Mediative Note

CONGRATULATIONS SEAN

FOR WINNING THE

VEG888 SPROUT KIT!!!

I have been meditating about life and all of it’s angles.  Sprouts growing in my kitchen, little birds learning to fly in my backyard, the life of the veggies I eat during a RAW meal, ETC.

Sprouts Update#1 – 050410

I soaked sunflower, radish, and peas for 8+ hours.  Did their first rinse at about 10 am.  Tonight I will rinse them.  I am excited to see what they have done, if anything…

The Quinoa was a really fast sprout!  From what I read so is the Radish Sprout.  It is a blend of Daikon and China Rose from Sprout People.  Since I would like to sprout the sunflower seed for it’s greens, I have 10+ days to go.  I will definitly need to begin a rotation of growing the sprouts and various types.

I will update with pix tomorrow!!!

Live Soups and Live sprouts with Live crackers sounds delicious!!! Especially since the heat has begun to rise here in Los Angeles.  Seems like the perfect time to make some FIREWATER!!!  (Stay tuned…)

I thought this was a great story to read before meditation.  I hope you all take the time to Meditate or Recharge or Pray or just be still and alone for at least 10 minutes during the day.  Inhale and Exhale. Rethink, Reorganize what is going on throughout your day.  Just take the time to really be grounded in your spirit and in your life.  It can only help us and those around us!

Once upon a time, before the sea existed, there was nobody living here, except Shiva and Shakti. Shakti is the most beautiful of all goddesses, and Shiva is her husband and lover. They love each other so much that even a short moment of separation is terrible for them. They are like wetness that is never separate from water, sweetness that is never separate from sugar, and warmth that is never separate from sunlight.

Once, Shiva went away to Mt. Kailash, to live as a hermit for awhile, and Shakti was not allowed to go with him. She stayed alone, below in the mountains, and felt very sad. Her longing for Shiva was so strong that she didn’t know what to do with herself. Everything around her seemed to be boring and purposeless, and she felt very restless. Shakti is inseparable from Siva – just as heat from fire, light from the sun, night from the sky, or a reflection from the mirror.

So, Shakti went around to all the Gods to ask for advice, but they couldn’t help her. When she was most desperate, she even went to Yama (the God of death); but he refused to see her, as she was not on his list of expected visitors.

Finally, she went to Indra (God of rain) and told him about her difficulties. He listened, and then said: You will meet Shiva again. In the meantime, you must practice Sadhana; this will serve two purposes. First, it will help you to progress spiritually, and will decrease the time you have to live without Shiva. You will also feel a certain inner contact with him, as he is practicing Sadhana, also. Secondly, your restlessness will disappear. The practice is to meditate on Om, the beginning-less sound. This practice will take you very far on the spiritual path. Just sit down for meditation, close your eyes, and repeat Om loudly, every time you exhale.

So, when the evening came, Shakti sat down in Padmasana and started repeating Om loudly. She found so much peace in this simple practice that it was impossible for her to stop. She sat in deep meditation for days, months, and years. Very heavy rains poured down on Shakti, but her meditation was so deep that she didn’t notice it at all. In a short time, the ground around her was covered with water. Soon, the water level had reached her waist. It rained and rained, and still Shakti didn’t notice anything. Finally, her whole body was covered with water, but her meditation was unbroken. She was still repeating, Om, Om, Om…

This is the sound of the sea, even today. At the bottom of the ocean, Shakti is still sitting deep in meditation, repeating her mantra. Every time she breathes in, the waves go back; every time she breathes out, they come forward again. So Om, the mystical eternal sound we hear in the ocean, is the voice of God. And so the ocean will go on roaring Om, Om, Om… until Shiva and Shakti are united again. And the sea is the best storyteller in the world. Just listen. You can learn everything from it, for everything is the sound of Om. This is the word which is powerful in silence.

See you tomorrow!  I will post the next Raffle Giveaway tomorrow as well!!!

Thanks for reading!

Namaste!

Day 13 of 30 – 17 to go!

Today was the first time in a little over 2 weeks since I wanted anything cooked.  It was a simple craving, that although is still there, I will not give into.

A Flour Tortilla.

When you grow up in a household like I did, you get used to certain foods.  My mother made most all dishes from scratch.  If we went out to eat it was usually because she felt we needed to be exposed to other foods besides what was being served in the home.  Although my father didn’t like that idea to much we still went.  Middle Eastern, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Persian, Basque Cuisine.  The list could go on and on.  If it wasn’t for this exposure to various cuisines I don’t think I could have been so open to various foods when I decided to become a vegetarian.  (15+ years ag0, btw)

And from a vegetarian to vegan I am here.  Here in this RAW for 30 day quest of cleansing my body.  Although I had a craving I knew at that moment I needed to clean my mind.  In meditation I thought of a process taught in Raja Yoga.  Cleansing the mind and preparing the body.  I think in addition to what I have been doing I will do a long meditation session to clear my mind field.  The mind field can trick you and it if full of ego.  I would like to be open to all the wonderful energy this food and lifestyle had to offer.

Yesterday for lunch I had a salad and a smoothie.  I also had a few pieces of fruit, which was nice and refreshing.

I made a smoothie and added some Vega to it.  I didn’t like the sweet taste at all.  I didn’t take a picture of it eiether.

For dinner I made pesto and a marinara sauce.  I decided I was ready for zucchini pasta with two different toppings.  It was very delicious I might add.  But again no picture. (I will update the picture later.  I can’t seem to load pictures today???)

I made three piles of the zucchini pasta.  On top of each pile I put a different pasta sauce.  Each was adorned with a different topping.  The Pesto had a black olive tapenade on top of it.  For the marinara I put a few mushrooms that I had marinated on top.  The white macadamia cheese I added I put Basil and Black Truffle oil on top.  It was a damn fine meal I would say.

Marinara Sauce

3 Cloves Garlic

2 Tomatoes

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (soaked)

1/4 cup olive oil

Dash of Cayenne

Diced Green Olives

Preparation: Place all ingredients into the Food Processor with the S blade.  Turn on and wait until it makes a paste.  You can add water if you would like it a bit thinner.

Pesto Sauce

4 oz Fresh Basil

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup pumpkin seeds

Juice of 1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic

Preparation: Place all ingredients in the Food Processor with the S blade.  Turn on Processor.  Scrape sides every few moments and finish to desired consistency.

Update: Physically I feel great.  Sleeping really well.  The pesky cough is gone for the most part and I have my voice back.  I feel as though the cleanse is going from the top of my head down.  Almost 14 days into the cleanse and I feel like it is now is the area of my solar plexus.  By the 30th day it should have passed Muladara (Red Chakra) and reached my feet.  No pain in my elbow and No pain in my knees.  I feel alert from the moment I wake up to when I go to sleep.

I wish you well!  Sweet Dreams!

Namaste!

Day 8 of 30 – 22 to go!

When you enjoy each second of your existence, you have achieved the state of self-realization.

This morning I woke up quite rested.  It had been some time since I was able to really acheive a restful sleep.  This is due to the die off of the parasites. Ick!

I wanted to take a moment to talk to you about something.  It is called Sankalpa.

This powerful sanskirt word means resolve.

“The purpose of Sankalpa: Influence and Transform the whole life pattern, not only the body, but also the mind, the emotions, and the spiritual forces. These forces are normally dissipated by inner conflicts, or confusion, or by various external demands and responsibilities of life. Sankalpa is a tool to focus the energy, the Prana – the life force, so that it becomes like a laser beam.” Dr. Rita Khanna

This was a really powerful hit to my ego recently.  If you think about it, that is what is keeping us from all kinds of things in life.  Whatever struggles we go through in life.  The ego is our biggest barrier.  We decide to make the decision rather than listen to what our inner self tell us. We think we want something because it feels good or tastes good or looks good.  But is it?

I encourage you to find a quiet space and close your eyes.  Focus on your heartbeat and your breathe.  Begin to visualize what you are struggling with and what changes you would like to make.  Be still and know you are loved and you are beautiful. Decide what it is you are willing to do to meet your goal.

For me?  My goal is wellness.  To feed my body live food.  This began as a Raw for 30 days mission.  For all I know I will be Raw from this point forward.  I am learning and I am loving.  Thank you for reading this blog.

Today’s Smoothie was adapted from Gone Raw a wonderful resource that I found!

2 bananas

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

A few Almonds

Handful of Hemp Seed

1 Head of Romaine

Oxygen Water

This smoothie is pretty good!  Sorry no picture.  I ran out of charge! ;(

Last night I had a salad topped with a salsa recipe I really liked and a beautiful avocado!

SALSA

1 Jalepeno Pepper

2 Tomatoes

1/2 of a brown onion

2 cloves garlic

2 handfuls of Cilantro/Fresh Coriander

Preparation: Place all ingredients in the food processor and process until chunky.  CAUTION-DO NOT PROCESS UNTIL IT LIQUIFIES! THIS WILL HAPPEN PRETTY QUICKLY IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL!

I also began to prepare a falaffel recipe and a wrap!  I will post pictures tomorrow so you can see the final plating.  It is Dehydrating at the moment at 105 for the next 8 hrs.

Updates tomorrow!

Namaste!

Happy Holiday Solstice Wish and Healing Excercise!

Meditation & Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive!

There is no cost, just a lot of reward.

May today be all you need it to be.

May the peace of the Beloved and the freshness of Spirituality rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears.

May the Beloved manifest himself today in ways you have never experienced.

May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered.

I hope faith enters a new height for you;

I hope your territory is enlarged.

I send you peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy,

True and Undying love for The Beloved.

In meditation this morning I felt the need to send love and wondorous wishes to those that read my blog and to those who need it.  The Beloved works in the most mysterious ways at times.

Namaste!

Along with love and spirituality, I also wanted to share some yoga poses to keep the body strong, the immune system stimulated and overall care for your body (temple)!

Immune System-a diffuse, complex network of interacting cells, cell products, and cell-forming tissues that protects the body from pathogens and other foreign substances, destroys infected and malignant cells, and removes cellular debris: the system includes the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes and lymph tissue, stem cells, white blood cells, antibodies, and lymphokines.

Chest opening upper back bends will activate the primary organ of the immune system, the thymus gland, located in the center of the chest. The most beneficial postures are

Cobra (Bhujangasana), Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana), Fish (Matsyasana),Boat (Navasana, Bow (Dhanurasana, Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Since the thymus gland is located at the fourth chakra center, chanting “yum,” this chakra’s bija mantra, while performing these poses can further activate the thymus gland !

Inversions increase the passive circulation of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for the production and circulation of the immune cells to defend the body from the viruses and bacteria.

lymphatic system-the system by which lymph is returned from the cells to the blood and by which white blood cells are produced in response to inflammation or presence of antigens; in mammals, the system includes the lymph glands, vessels and sinuses through which lymph is carried, and lymphoid tissues, as bone marrow and the thymus.

Inversions such as:

Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana), Headstand (Salamba Sirasana), Plow (Helasana), Legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani)

All poses will all help improve the flow of lymph and immune cells through the body.

Twists and hip openers activate secondary organs of the immune system: the spleen and the lymph nodes in groin and armpits. These organs are the production sites for the immune cells, so using yoga poses to target these organs during a cold or flu would be especially beneficial.

Use twists:

seated twist (Marichyasana III) & prayer twist (Parsvokonasana)

Hip openers:

bound angle (baddha konasana) & pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) to activate these organs to keep them healthy and strong.

Lion pose is a specific yoga posture that activates the immune glands of the tonsils and the lymph nodes in the neck. Performing lion pose at the very beginning of a sore throat can dramatically stop and prevent the sore throat from progressing.

Another specific yogic technique that helps prevent and cure colds, especially sinus related infections, is Jala Neti (nasal irrigation). Jala Neti is the use of a Neti pot to pour water through the nasal passages, flushing out the bacteria or germs that can cause infection.  I generally place a drop of essential oil in the wash.  Lavendar is usually my favorite.  It is earths natural antiseptic!

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

~My Internal Fire~

Hatha Yoga

The component, “Ha”, means sun in Sanskrit. It represents the “positive” part of the whole, and consists of:

Sun

Light

Heat

Energy

Passion

Activity

Creativity

The right side of the body is positively charged electrically. The main channel of energy running through the right side is called the pingala nadi in Sanskrit. Working with this channel we can stimulate our left brain activity.

The component “Tha” means moon in Sanskrit. It represents the “negative” part of the whole, and consists of:

Moon

Cool

Receptive

Reflective

The left side of the body is negatively charged electrically. The main channel of energy running through the left side is called the ida nadi. Working with this channel we can stimulate our right brain activity.

Asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation are practices that help us to continuously balance our positive and negative components. Working with both energy channels we can balance our energy, mind, emotions, moods, brain activity, and the processes in our bodies. When in balance, the prana in the body travels through the sushumna nadi, which is situated between the ida and pingala nadis. This is what is referred the raising of the kundalini shakti, or energy which leads the yogi to samadhi, or enlightenment, the eighth limb of yoga. (Pantanjali)

In the yoga shastra it is said that God dwells in our heart in the form of light, but this light is covered by six poisons; kama, krodha, moha, lobha, matsarya, and mada. These are desire, anger, delusion, greed, envy and sloth. When yoga practice is sustained with great diligence and dedication over a long period of time, the heat generated from it burns away these poisons, and the light of our inner nature shines forth.

After studying the above; I have found that it is quite helpful to what I would like to find within.   Maybe a lot of time goes into thinking and not doing.  Recently, each day has felt better and better.  My load is lighter and lighter each day.

“When yoga practice is sustained with great diligence and dedication over a long period of time, the heat generated from it burns away these poisons, and the light of our inner nature shines forth.”

This is the last part to the above mentioned quote.  The word that rings in my mind is -DILIGENCE-.

diligence¹n

1. steady and careful application

2. proper attention or care

3. (Law) Law the degree of care required in a given situation

1. Steady and careful application – During practice there is complete and steady application to the poses.  I love the way I feel.  The way my body feels and the way my mind sort of goes within.  Careful application to the poses.  This way I don’t hurt myself or my body.

2. Proper attention and care – In any pose there must be proper attention to what you are doing.   But If I am honest – is there proper attention to my goals and practice?  Is there proper care for my body and lifestyle?  Maybe I should stop doing some of the responsibilites I have taken on?  Is it possible that I am not seeing divine intervention? Maybe I am being told to relieve myself and not worry about various issues.  Who knows?  THE DIVINE KNOWS!

3.Law the degree of care required in any given  situation-this is the mose interesting part.  The degree.  What is the degree within?  and What should the degree be?  Thinking of degrees I must turn back to meditation and pranayama.  Meditation and Pranayama change your mind, your attitude, and the degree of your position in any given situation.  To delve within and do my work inside.  This shell that my soul lives in.  This shell that holds my soul to may body.

And ultimately BREATH!  We are nothing without our BREATH!  It is the most important element.  And we are full of elements.  Fire,Water, Air, Ether and Earth!

May I burn the bad to receive the gold.  “Sweat is an important by product of, because it is only through sweat that disease leaves the body and purification occurs. In the same way that gold is melted in a pot to remove its impurities, by the virtue of the dirt rising to the surface as the gold boils, and the dirt then being removed, yoga boils the blood and brings all our toxins to the surface, which are removed through sweat.”

~ Diwali ~ Diwali ~Beautiful Diwali ~

Diwali Lamps Burning

Diwali as the Festival of Lights. They light diyas—cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil—to signify victory of good over the evil within an individual.

On the day of Diwali / Deepavali, many wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks. Some North Indian business communities start their financial year on Diwali and new account books are opened on this day.

While Diwali is popularly known as the “festival of lights”, the most significant spiritual meaning is “the awareness of the inner light”.

Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this inner light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one’s true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (inner joy or peace). *

So for this wonderful new beginning I practiced this musdra during meditation:

Mukula Mudra

The Mukula Mudra’s appearance resembles the bud of a lotus flower. Represents new beginnings or start up a new enterprise.

This is a beutiful mudra to practice on this day!

Namaste!

Diwali as the Festival of Lights. They light diyas—cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil—to signify victory of good over the evil within an individual.

Why Yoga?

Why Yoga?

It is the first thing in a long long time that I truly enjoy on a physical and spiritual level.

It can be spontaneous, soothing, enlightening and inspiring all at the same time.

Sometimes it forces me to remember I must shed my ego, other times I am bowed in humilty for days, and then other times I get out on the road and forget all of that.

Seriously, I go through a day and forget to meditate and lose sight of the divine, depending on how busy I got.  The goal is to serve the divine 24 hrs. a day.  But I am a human learning about my spiritual and attempting to shed the physical.

Unfortunatly the physical takes over and I forget my spiritual side at times.  I get caught up with my shop, or I get caught up with my cooking business, or I just get plain LAZY.

Urgh! I don’t even like the word lazy.  But I have to be realistic in what it is.  Some would say I actually need to train my sub concious and release my concious state.  That is probably true.

What is even more amazing is over 4,000 years ago there was a being on this earth named Pantanjali.  Pantanjali is the author of what are called Sutras. The  Yoga Sutras to be specific.

Sutra – . (Non-Christian Religions / Hinduism) Hinduism Sanskrit sayings or collections of sayings on Vedic doctrine dating from about 200 ad onwards

2. (Non-Christian Religions / Hinduism) (modifier) Hinduism

a. of or relating to the last of the Vedic literary periods, from about 500 to 100 bc the sutra period

b. of or relating to the sutras or compilations of sutras of about 200 ad onwards

3. (Non-Christian Religions / Buddhism) Buddhism collections of dialogues and discourses of classic Mahayana Buddhism dating from the 2nd to the 6th centuries a.d

Here is some information on Pantanjali:

Patañjali (Devanāgarī पतञ्जलि) (fl. 150 BCE^[1] or 2nd c. BCE^[2][3]) is the compiler of the Yoga Sutras, an important collection of aphorisms on Yoga practice, and also the author of the Mahābhāṣya, a major commentary on Panini’s Ashtadhyayi.

In recent decades the Yoga Sutra has become quite popular worldwide for the precepts regarding practice of Raja Yoga and its philosophical basis. “Yoga” in traditional Hinduism involves inner contemplation, a rigorous system of meditation practice, ethics, metaphysics, and devotion to God, or Brahman.  At the same time, his Mahābhāṣya, which first foregrounded the notion of meaning as referring to categorization, remains an important treatise in Sanskrit linguistic philosophy.

Yoga Sūtras

The Yoga tradition is much older, there are references in the Mahabharata, and the Gita identifies three kinds of yoga, and it is also the subject of the late upanishad, Yogatattva. The Yoga Sūtras codifies the royal or best (rAja) yoga practices, presenting these as a eight-limbed system (ashtanga). The philosophic tradition is related to the Samkhya school. The focus is on the mind; the second sutra defines Yoga – it is the cessation of all mental fluctuations, all wandering thoughts cease and the mind is focused on a single thought (ekagrata). The eight limbs or the Ashtanga Yoga propounded here are

1. yama, ethics, restraint and ahimsa,
2. niyama, cleanliness, ascetism, etc.
3. Asana, posture
4. prANAyama, breath-control
5. pratyahAra, sense-withdrawal
6. dhAraNa, concentration
7. dhyana meditation, and
8. samAdhi, oneness with the Pranava of the Ishvara.

Expanded as this:-
Yama – non-violence, truthfulness, brahmacharya, non-accumulating/non-coveting
Niyama – Tapas (Discipline)- Svadhyaya (Self Study) – Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God/Higher Self) – Contentment/Acceptance
Asana – Discipline of the body
Pranayama – Breath Control
Pratyhara – withdrawal of all senses
Dharana – Concentration/Expand awareness beyond oneself
Dhyana – Meditation
Samadhi – oneness with the Pranava

Sundaze Adventures – Both Musical and Culinary

Nishat Khan - USC - 10/11/09

This Sunday we went to USC to see a sitar player.  Sundaze are usually our time to go and check out muzic.  We are usually tired after we close the store and it just seems like the thing to do on Sunday evenings.

It was a pleasureable performance and I really enjoyed the visual representations of art in the background of the stage set up.

Nishat Khan explained and played Ragas.  I enjoyed that he took the time to explain what a raga was.  For those of you that don’t know here you go…——>

raga [ˈrɑːgə]n (in Indian music)

1. (Music, other) any of several conventional patterns of melody and rhythm that form the basis for freely interpreted compositions. Each pattern is associated with different aspects of religious devotion

2. (Music, other) a composition based on one of these patterns

Since we were going to see Indian music, I decided to use some Indian flavor for my clients.

For anyone who knows this blog you know that I cook on Wednesdaze and Sundaze.  I make vegan/vegetarian food.  Both cooked and raw.  On this weekend’s menu:

1) Saffron Sweet Potato & Garbanzo Bean Stew

2) Madra Masala

3) Quinoa with Slivered Almonds, Red Onion and Parsley

4) Raw Ricotta and Kale Roll Ups

5) Quinoa with Hempseeds

I hope that everyone that ordered food this week will enjoy their food.  In the future I will be adding more vegetables to the salads I provide with the meals.  Carrots, Zucchini, Beets, and Sunflower Sprouts.

Which reminds me. Anyone know a good place to buy Hemp Fabric Salad Bags? Info and weblinks appreciated!

Namaste!

October 9, 2009

Meditate!!

Happy Friday to all!

This last week everytime I opened a letter, bill and or public correspondence envelope~even flyers for various businesses, I was surrounded by Yoga.

At the moment, the very thought of Yoga brings tears to my eyes. My goal of practicing has taken a back seat to various other issues in life. AGAIN!

Sticking to my practice, sticking to healthier eating, sticking to various areas in organization does not turn out to well. The very instance of repeated action seems to stop at some point. (Depending on what it is, I suppose)

Since the age of 19 I have been a vegetarian. I haven’t had a hard time sticking to that.  EVER.  There has never been a time in my life since that I have slipped or missed flesh.

Once I made the decision, I stuck to it.  So I ask myself~”Why can’t you stick to your practice?”

Sure there are a lot of excuses I could come up with.  I could also do a lot of blaming, but is that right?  Is that really how I will overcome this hurdle in life?

So I ask myself a few things.  IF I enter my mind and go within myself what will I find and how will I solve this?

First – “The Spiritual Path”- My practice has led me to a much deeper place in my mind.  A spiritual place I had no idea existed until recently.  Since April I have taken my meditation to a different place.  The power that lies within is what will help me lead the life that I want.  It will help me confront my hurdles and tap into a power so great that anything will be possible.

Second-”Slacking”-This is the hinderence.  Slacking from any order of thought.  Any order in the plan for goals and Slacking in my daily diet.  Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t settle for a greasy cheeseburger, or decide to throw out all reason when it comes to food and binge on sugar.  It is more like-I didn’t take my own lunch to the shop today. or I ate more cooked food than RAW FOOD. or I ate after 9:30 and didn’t get to bed until 1 am.   I didn’t eat as many greens and I should have. Things like that.

Three-Overcoming obstacles through Meditation and Practice. So I have been doing some research and I came back to a passage that reads: if the yogi, being deluded, makes mistake in life, he should burn away his/her sins and impurities by prayer and meditation. This yoga of prayer and meditation is the only way of atonement.

Not finishing what you set your mind to is negative.  Without meaning to be negative,  still nonetheless~NEGATIVE.

There is also an article about too busy for your practice.  You can read it in this months (October 2009) edition of YJ.

I feel positive about practicing Yoga, I suppose I just haven’t made time for it.  It is always on my mind.  Quiet, calm, breathe, life!

I will go to practice tomorrow.  I will update and meditate! Accomplishing practice daily is the way to stay sane.  If I could apply all my desires to just practice then I believe all will come….

DEDICATION, PRESERVERENCE

OM OM OM OM OM OM OM OM OM OM OM….