Archives for 2019

Bliss Balls

Happy Saturday! Here is the recipe for the protein ‘bliss balls’ that have been served in the meditation classes. Blissful to taste, blissful for your body … on a chilly day like today just pair with a hot cup of herbal tea!

Ingredients

½ cup brazil nuts

½ cup almond nuts

½ cup goji berries

½ cup pitted fresh medjool dates

½ cup coconut

1 Tbsp tahini

Large pinch sea salt

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cardamon

2 Tbsp raw cacao powder

Method

Process nuts in food processor or Thermomix.

Add remaining ingredients binding with approx 1 tablespoon of water until mixture becomes lumpy.

Roll into small balls. You may like to roll them in extra coconut or leave plain.

Print friendly version – Bliss Balls

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Personally I like to use all organic ingredients and these balls are great as a snack to give you a boost mid-afternoon or whenever you need it!

Note about cacao powder – I always source the Arriba Nacional variety as this is nutrient rich as opposed to CCN51 that is fast grown cacao to satisfy demand but does not have the properties of established cacao trees. As with so many of these nutrient rich foods you need to be wary of hybrid forms that come about because they are faster to grow, resistant to disease when farmed and consequently far less nutritional. It pays to do your homework.

The meaning of Aum

At the end of my yoga classes now we finish by chanting three ‘Aums’. You may have wondered: why do we Aum? Is Aum a mantra and how might we benefit from this practice?

I introduced the chanting of Aum at the request of a student. I then asked my other classes if they too would like to explore finishing the class with three Aums as the resulting vibrational effect was so profound. Some of my yoga students enthusiastically chant and others sit and feel. Regardless of the participation, which is absolutely voluntary, the classes finish with a stillness and connection that is amplified by the three Aums.

Connecting to the Universe

Aum, or Om, represents the universal consciousness, the origin of all other sounds and is considered to be a mantra on its own. Mantra comes from ‘man’, meaning ‘mind’, and ‘tra’, to transcend, so a mantra, when repeated with a heart connection, can help us to transcend the busyness of our minds. You might think of Aum as a nameless, formless, divine presence honoured through the symbol of sound. It is the truth and energy of the universe. As energetic beings we are affected by the vibration of the mantra as sound is energy.

The chanting of sacred sounds has been embraced by traditions all over the world and the accumulative effect can be felt in many places of worship: that silence and reverence you feel as you enter and sit. It is the repetition of the chant that creates the effect deep in your cellular structure, permeating your whole being and even the space around you. You see this practiced often with the use of prayer beads or malas as the mantra is chanted into each bead as a form of practice.

When we chant Aum at the end of our classes it is broken down into three parts with equal time given to each part. Ah is chanted from the region of the navel, oo from the sternum and mm from the throat as we close our mouths and let the vibration be felt all the way to our lips.

If we chant the mantra of Aum with open hearts and mindful intent it is a vibrational experience that, to my observations, assimilates all that has taken place in the class. It is as if it pulls all the intent of the day’s practice into our hearts and then vibrates out collectively for the benefit of all, leaving you in a still, connected state of being. When you surrender to the mantra and the connected state it creates, you connect with the vibration of the universe. It is powerful.

I look forward to seeing you in class soon to share the power of Aum together.

Namaste

Sarah

Your Yoga Kit

As we go into the cooler months of winter many people in classes start to bring more things to keep themselves warm and comfortable during relaxation. This has prompted me to write about how valuable owning your own yoga kit can be.

If you are attending classes in a fully equipped studio you get away with not having to do this however I strongly recommend that if you love your yoga then invest in a few valuable items. At the very least it is a good idea to bring along a large towel or cloth mat to go over the studio mat. As you know I teach in a couple of venues outside of my private studio that aren’t yoga studios. They are not equipped with anything so students attending those classes have to bring all their own gear.

The Mat

Standard Mat (the vinyl or rubber one we are all familiar with that provides cushioning on the floor)

Firstly you will need a yoga mat and these vary hugely in price depending on what you like and how eco-friendly you wish to be. You can pay anything from $10 up to $150 and probably more. Choose a mat to suit your budget and get one that allows you to feel comfortable and supported. Keep in mind when buying your mat whether or not you intend to place a towel or a cloth mat on top of the vinyl/rubber one as this might determine how thick you want your mat to be. Remember there are no right or wrongs here but purely personal choice and comfort. Yoga mats come in many different types of material so be sure to check the materials if you have any known allergies, such as latex.

Cloth Mat/Towel

Many yoga students choose to place a towel or cloth mat over the standard mat. This adds thickness and softness, provides additional warmth when in prone or supine positions, and gives you an alternative grip that may be better for some postures when the standard mat is a bit sticky. A towel or cloth mat is also easy to wash. If you are only doing yoga in a specialised equipped studio, it can be nice to use a towel or cloth mat over the standard studio mat as it gives you a sense of personal space and you can wash it whenever you wish.

Yoga Blocks

A couple of yoga blocks are a very useful addition and light to have in your bag. They can be used to assist in resting in poses where you can’t comfortably reach the floor. For example, they are great to use under your heels in downward facing dog pose, or to rest your hand on in the triangle poses. I have seen them used for sitting on and also to prop up a bolster for restorative practice. They have many and varied uses.

Yoga Straps

A yoga strap is really handy for stretching and for restorative work, easy to have in your bag and doesn’t take up much space. I prefer the ones with metal D-rings as they are easier to work with than the plastic buckles.

Blanket

A yoga blanket is a great addition and so versatile that you will use it again and again as you find more and more uses for it. In fact I recommend having two in your bag as you will use them. Sometimes when we are doing some body preps it is really nice to put a blanket out over your mat so that when you reach and stretch you have the blanket under you and are not touching the floor, especially when it is a cold tiled floor in another venue! Plus it gives you extra softness to lie on in relaxation. Pop the other one over you to keep really warm.

For warmth in relaxation or to add softness, any type of blanket will do, but wool blankets are best for restorative poses as they are less squishy and provide more support. You can buy yoga/camping blankets from the army surplus shop in Bunbury for around $15, take them home and give them a good wash and you’re all set to go.

Bolster

A bolster to put under your knees during relaxation can be really helpful and you can find them in a variety of sizes to suit you. They don’t have to be the huge restorative type of bolster, although I personally do love them. You can get smaller ones that are soft and perfect support for your lower back when placed under your knees.

Water Bottle

A water bottle is essential and I recommend one with a leak proof lid so you don’t have any leaks in your bag! If you get an insulated one you can have warm water in it in the cooler months.

Eye Pillow

A eye pillow is an optional extra but nice for those who like them and again doesn’t take up much space in your bag. Alternatively a scarf can be used the same way and is a little lighter if you don’t like the weight of the bag on your eyes. Drape a scarf over your eyes instead.

The Bag Itself

Now all you need is a very large bag and there are plenty around. I have a huge kit bag that I got on sale at one of the local camping stores (wait for the 40% off sales, they happen often) this will fit everything in for you. Alternately you can get yourself a good mat bag that goes over your shoulder and a smaller bag for the rest. It really is a personal choice but I do suggest you get organised and have a bag that is ready to go. It might live in your car or can be easily carried anywhere to make your yoga practice work for you.

Your checklist:

Large bag
Standard yoga mat
Cloth mat or towel
Blocks x2
Strap
Eye pillow
Bolster
Blanket/s
Water bottle

A very worthwhile investment in your health on so many levels. Having everything in one place easily transportable means if you go away for the weekend you can easily throw this in the car as well.

Have fun putting your kit together.

Namaste

Sarah

Further reading: Why You Should Invest in Quality Yoga Equipment

Chocolate Bounty Bars

The May Flower Blue Moon Soul Spa was special as we were directly under the influence of the full moon.

We enjoyed the nourishment of Chocolate Bounty Bars at morning tea time which, contrary to what the name might suggest, were packed with powerful antioxidants from the chocolate. The dates provided a good source of iron, nuts for protein, vitamin E and healthy saturated fats for good heart health and zinc to boost the immune system. Eaten with gusto and guilt free!

90 g macadamia nuts

90g cashews

100g shredded coconut

4-6 medjool dates (I used only 4 as I don’t like things too sweet)

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (I used pure vanilla essence)

1/4 cup coconut milk

200g dark chocolate

Place all except the chocolate into blender and blend until combined adding a little more coconut milk if too dry.

Shape into little bars and place on tray lined with baking paper into fridge to firm up.

Melt chocolate in double boiler and dip each bar to coat using a fork so you can let the excess chocolate drain off. Place on tray, sprinkle with extra coconut if you like and place back in fridge to set.

Delicious and won’t last long!!

Print friendly version: Chocolate Bounty Bars

Recipe from Lisa Guy and found in Wellbeing Eat Well Magazine

Meditation and Mindfulness: what’s the difference?

Since the mindfulness trend, I have noticed many people conflating the terms ‘meditation’ and ‘mindfulness’, but there is, in my opinion, a distinct difference. To put it simply, meditation is a learned process where you withdraw your senses and go within. It is not that you are trying to quieten your mind but more that you go into a place of acceptance. Acceptance that there will be distractions in your external environment both in the room you are in and outside the room in the distance. Acceptance that there will be sensations in your body as the body rebels to being kept still. Acceptance that your mind is going to play scripts but instead of hooking onto each thought you notice, you learn to be a witness to the process and allow them to flow through. A thought comes and goes and doesn’t become a train of thought that gets so long you run off with it.

Mindfulness on the other hand is about engaging with your senses to really be present. To be present to the touch of how something feels textually, the feel of handmade paper for example. To the smell as you inhale and savour the fragrance of the moment, which might be walking past a coffee shop and smelling the freshly ground coffee beans. To soften the eyes and allow a sight to be held and absorbed letting it come to you. To hear with exquisite detail the birdsong in the bush; listening intently right there in the moment. To taste with your eyes closed and full attention being on the herbal tea you are about to take into your mouth, the warmth, texture, sensation and every aspect of that cup of herbal tea.

Mindfulness is a great way to develop your concentration, a vital skill to being able to meditate effectively. This quote by Mark Nepo is a lovely reflection of mindfulness.

“Mysteriously, as elusive as it is, this moment – where the eye is what it sees, where the heart is what it feels – this moment shows us that what is real is sacred.”

This quote by Paramahansa Yogananda is one of my favourites that reminds me of the essence of meditation.

“My sense of identity was no longer narrowly confined to a body, but embraced the circumambient atoms.”

Like any new skill it takes practice to become proficient. Mindfulness and meditation are skills that will be invaluable to you in finding peace. Once you taste the vastness of meditation it will call you back again and again. Start with small steps and regular practice and you will not be disappointed.

I close with another favourite quote by Paramahansa Yogananda.

“By the practice of meditation you will find you carry within your heart a portable paradise.”

Namaste

Sarah

P.S. If you live in the South West of Western Australia and would like to join a meditation class or mini-retreat, you can find my events here.

How to find a safe yoga teacher

Yoga has become popular and is the preferred cardio, strength and flexibility exercise with 2.18 million Australians participating in yoga in the year to December 2017*. With the surge in available classes comes the dilemma of how to find a yoga teacher who will keep you safe and ensures your experience is one that serves you.

As yoga is an unregulated industry, pretty much anyone can call themselves a yoga teacher. There are an ever-increasing number of online yoga courses now being offered as well as month-long intensives that offer the opportunity for people to become “qualified” yoga teachers. Without industry regulation, not all yoga teachers are alike in experience. So where does that leave you when you are looking for a credible instructor? Here are some points that I recommend you follow to ensure that you are choosing as well as you can:

First, check if they are registered with one of the peak bodies in Australia

Yoga Australia
IYTA International Yoga Teachers Association
Yoga Alliance

Being registered with one of the above will ensure that certain levels of requirement are met and that the course they have attended is recognised.

If you have concerns, talk to the teacher first and ask a few questions. Credible teachers:

will ask you to fill out details about your current level of health and wellness
will ask permission to come into your personal space and adjust you
will honour your choice to say no to any hands on adjustment
will ensure the class is paced to suit everyone they have allowed in
will offer modifications or stages of practice to suit everybody
will ensure adequate warm up or body preparation is carried out before attempting certain postures
will encourage you to work at your own level of ability and allow you to take a break as you need to
will encourage you to drink water and keep hydrated
will demonstrate appropriately where required so that you can see what you are being asked to do
will not point you out for not “performing” as they think you should be
will honour your time by starting and finishing the class at the stated time

Unfortunately there are injuries occurring in yoga classes and it is important that you take responsibility for yourself by not following the rest of the class around you. Instead, stay present within yourself and notice your range of ability. Quite often less is more and taking the time to feel into your body is a very important aspect of yoga practice.

Yoga is non-competitive: it doesn’t matter what is going on next to you, you are there for YOU. Yoga is also so much more than a physical practice and it is important that you honour the fact that each time you come to a class and step onto the yoga mat, you are not in the same physical, emotional or mental state that you were the day or week before. Take the time to check in with these layers of your being and adjust your practice to suit what you need at that time. Yoga is very personal and therefore you need to ensure you find a class that allows you to be true to you.

Namaste

Sarah

*Roy Morgan research data

Anahata Breath: Compassion in Action

Hello, Kel here and today we have something a bit different—a video! A little while back Sarah wrote this post about the heart chakra and mentioned a couple of different asanas or components of Dru sequences, one of them being the Anahata Breath. We thought it might be good to offer a refresher of how to do these asanas or movements for those of you practicing at home.

Anahata Breath is one of Dru Yoga’s signature techniques, bringing movement, breath and heart alignment into one simple action. At its core, yoga is simply the alignment of the body and soul (and everything in between), and the Anahata Breath is a beautiful way to achieve this alignment.

Once you have the motions and breathing synchronised, reflect on the mantra: “May all my actions be filled with compassion”. What does this mean to you? Compassion for other people? Compassion for animals? Compassion for the planet? Once you have a baseline of peace to draw upon, consider more challenging ones: compassion for someone you may be at odds with. Compassion for the driver that cuts you off on your drive home. Compassion for a spider or cockroach caught where it shouldn’t be. And for some of us, perhaps the most challenging: compassion for ourselves.

Bring this practice into your every day life and see what happens. Note that by bringing it into your every day life, I don’t necessarily mean you have to stop and physically do the Anahata breath every day. I mean simply bring the experience of compassion into every day. Yoga as practice is the foundation that teaches us what is possible. Yoga as a way of life is what happens when we allow those possibilities—infinite love, compassion and joy—into our daily lives because we understand that these things are internal processes, not the products of external events.

So enjoy Sarah’s demonstration, try Anahata Breath for yourself and let us know how you go with your practice of compassion and living from the heart.

Namaste

Kel

Making ‘Connection’ a self-care theme

As I sit in the café at the Dolphin Discovery Centre, I am surrounded by the happy sounds of people enjoying the café: the open space, families enjoying time together, and in some cases the celebration of a birthday with generations of the family together. Happy gatherings of people wait for the next cruise to take them out to see dolphins in their natural environment. As I observe all this it reinforces my focus word for 2019 and that is “Connection”.

As many of you know, over the past few years I have taken a word and intention to journey the year with. Last year was my year of Extreme Self Care and upon reflection, I find it is an ongoing journey as I realise how challenging it is to put oneself first in the area of self-care! I used the word extreme because I personally felt I needed to take extreme action due to a long absence of any meaningful self-care. When reflecting with a wise friend we discussed the use of the word extreme. My friend felt it was a bit harsh and that we don’t need any extreme of anything, rather balance being more the order of things. I pondered this and came to the conclusion that at the time I needed to take extreme action in the area of self-care to make it meaningful after so long neglecting myself. Now that I have had a year of exploring that and what that means I have found a balance in what I need and how that might look as I embark on bringing that self-care into my daily life in 2019.

My self care begins this year with a renewed connection to silence. This means that I spend Monday mornings in silence so my morning walk or bike ride will be in silence by myself, followed by some study of sacred teachings. I had this practice well established a couple of years ago but it got eroded away until it vanished completely.

My self care will also be:

Regular connections with my family
Regular connections with nature
Regular connections with creative activity

Connection came up for me during last year and I had a feeling it would be my focus for 2019. If I needed any signs to confirm that feeling I got them many times with the most recent being at Christmas when my son gave me a book with the title “Connect”. That was it! The final confirmation that I was on track.

Connection, for me, is part of this self-care process as I realise how much I benefit from connection to nature, connection to my family, connection I feel when exploring spirituality. I felt the deepest connection recently to my exploration of the Patanjali Yoga Sutras as I studied for my final yoga therapy assignment, a sense of wonder and joy in profound learning that will carry on past my graduation this month.

I look forward to sharing with you the many aspects of connection in our lives as we continue the journey of exploring our deeper selves in our ongoing yoga practice.

Namaste

Sarah