On my first trip to India (post Uni, pre- teacher training) I travelled from the south to the north of India on a tight budget over 6 months.

I dabbled – A Lot!

I enjoyed moon days (especially in Goa!)

… and I loved every minute!

Dabbling is good, wondering, exploring…
… then finding your path again and keeping your telescope aligned on the point is a great moment…
… with all those tools and tricks under your belt to keep you strong and confident.

♥

]]> http://www.wee-yogi.co.uk/reminiscing-new-moon/feed 0 http://www.wee-yogi.co.uk/the-studentteacher-relationship http://www.wee-yogi.co.uk/the-studentteacher-relationship#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:05:10 +0000 wee yogi http://www.wee-yogi.co.uk/?p=2288 om saha nāvavatu

saha nau bhunaktu

saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai

tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Translation:
May we be protected together,
May we be nourished together,
May we work together with great vigor.
May our study be enlightening.
May no obstacle arise between us.
Om peace, peace, peace.

This morning in the Mysore practice room I could feel there were many: ‘Ahh, Haa, I get it’, moments happening…

And then after the class I had a few of my own, some of which were brought on by the students today as we worked together, communicated and shared.

Cool!

February Food – Sunday 19th February 2012

7am
1 liter of warm water with 1 lemon juiced (skin and all)
3 teaspoons of raw honey
1 cup of white tea

10am
1 Cup of Pukka’s ’3 Mint Tea’
1 dessertspoon Manuka Honey 5+

12pm
1 punnet Grapes

1:30pm
1 cup of Pukka ‘Three Ginger Tea’
1 30g box of ‘Pacari’ cacao nibs

Later…
A small chunk of 100% stone ground cacao from my cacao man Steve

Green soup – containing

2 romaine lettuce,
2 salad packs,
1 bag of rocket
1/2 cucumber,
4 dessert spoons of hemp seeds (no shells!),
1/2 red onion
2 table spoons of cider vinegar,
*BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH*

3 NORI ROLLS – containing
1 Nori sheet per ‘roll’
1/3 salad pack per ‘roll’
2 table spoons of coconut aminos per ‘roll’
+ a wee spread of green soup

Garnish soup/noris with 2 bulbs of black garlic.

Later…
1 apple
1 cup of 3 mint tea

♥

PS – Camera is on the way so I can finally show you what this lot looks like!!!

The things I found challenging about this busy schedule:

1. Getting enough sleep.
2. The impact on my body physically (I feel new muscles forming from adjusting so much!).
3. The impact on my laundry pile and general house hold chores.
4. Fitting in my usual grocery shopping.
5. Timing eating right to ensure I wasn’t teaching/sleeping/practicing on a full stomach but with enough fuel to keep me going.
6. Finding time for me. Just Be-ing and not do-ing.
7. Finding time for others (friends. family. Steve)

The things I found made this week feel easy even with this challenging schedule:

1. When I put my head on the pillow – I slept – I mean really SLEPT!
2. Knowing that I was learning so much every day – immersing myself in my dharma of teaching yoga and being around such inspiring individuals.
3. My friends understanding and giving me a warming smile, a hug or some friendly encouragement.
4. Relaxing a little on how much gets done and focusing on the quality of what does get done.
5. My family – for understanding and helping out with simple things like a lift to the recycling bank!
6. A great diet – keep it simple and light so I had excess energy to do what needed to be done. This is the opposite of what many people do – (i.e. there is a notion we must eat more to ‘get by’ which I find has the opposite effect on me!).
7. Smiling. Laughing. Enjoying. Being grateful. Learning…

February Food – Saturday 18th February 2012

7am
1 liter of warm water with 1 lemon juiced (skin and all)

8:00am
3 teaspoons of raw honey
1 cup of white tea

10am
500ml coconut water
1 dessertspoon Manuka Honey 5+

12pm
Juice – 3 apples, 1 Celery, 1 cucumber, 1 bag of spinach

2:30pm
1 cup of Pukka ‘Three Ginger Tea’
1 50g bar of ‘Pacari’ 100% cacao

Later… 2 apples

6pm
Green soup – containing

1 romaine lettuce,
2 salad packs,
1 bag of spinach
1/2 cucumber,
4 dessert spoons of hemp seeds (no shells!),
2 table spoons of cider vinegar,
*BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH*

Garnish with 1 BULB of Black Garlic…

Before bed…

1 liter of Pukka ‘Harmonise’ tea

♥

This time last year I was living and ‘working’ (shhhhhh!) in a little town called Patagonia in Arizona USA.
I was teaching one yoga class per week and the rest of the time sitting at a desk job I didn’t enjoy….
Basically doing something I had told myself (and others) I would ever do (work a job I didn’t like).
There were many little things about this time in my life that left me feeling less than whole.
That which is not whole: simply is not yoga.

The past few weeks practicing Ashtanga yoga with Jill truly set my telescope back on the target.
I chugged away through primary and second series under her special teaching guidance for 6 weeks.
I had the time and the energy to go deeper.
Now, teaching 20+ classes per week I have less time to practice asana.
I am focusing on 2nd series and whatever comes up…
Early this week I felt something lift physically, right inside my pelvis.
I have had something that feels like a tummy ache for the days proceeding along with some new hip/psoas stuff .
Yesterdays practice around Eka Pada Sirsasana turned into me reclining on the floor in many strange shapes with my legs and hips in positions I’ve never seen before.
I was on a mighty exploration into my hips.
It felt indulgent to stray from ‘the sequence’ but so effective to lie and listen to what had risen and in the quiet of my private yoga practice I was able to listen.
… and today? I feel SO different. I am not yet able to verbalize what happened. All I know is that this yoga stuff works. Ashtanga Yoga works for me.
It has brought to the surface stuff that would have otherwise been left to fester – it gives me no choice but to look at the things I don’t even know are there.
All those days at the desk in AZ feeling less than whole, might just have crept up on me.
I am watching this process right now and responding with nurturing patient breaths.
Am I now getting the time to let it go?
In the 1.5 hours of quiet I get each day – (*gratitude*) – the dramatic difference in noise, stimulus and responsibility compared to the rest of my day – maybe that is what this is for?
Look out for those see-saws!
The ups, the downs, the highs, the lows – this life sure is an adventure and from each perspective on the see-saw of life there is something to learn, something to make you more conscious, something to take you closer to wholeness.

♥

February Food – Thursday 16th February 2012

5am
1 liter of warm water with 1 lemon juiced (skin and all)

6:30am
3 teaspoons of raw honey
1 cup of white tea

11am
50 chlorella tablets
500ml coconut water
1 dessertspoon Manuka Honey 5+

2pm
3 dessertspoons bee pollen
1 dessert spoon coconut oil
***EATEN JUST LIKE THAT – THIS IS YUM***

2:30pm
3 tablespoons raw Almond butter
1 dessert spoon maca (upping the dose)
3 dessert spoons cacao powder
3 apricots
1 teaspoon shilajit
a little pink salt
***ALL MUSHED UP – THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO EXPLAIN IT! SOUNDS WIERD BUT IS TOTALLY WONDERFUL***

6pm
250ml coconut water

7:30pm
4 X beetroot/flax raw crackers from real foods
Green soup – containing
1 romaine lettuce,
2 salad packs,
1 bag os spinach
1 cucumber,
1 bag of rocket,
4 dessert spoons of hemp seeds (no shells!),
2 table spoons of cider vinegar,
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 dessert spoon of non-GMO soya lecicin
*BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH*

Before bed…

1 liter of Pukka ‘Harmonise’ tea
2 prunes (a little sugar for my brain helps me sleep)

♥

108 Sun Salutations Fundraiser

In aid of the Special Yoga Centre, London

http://www.specialyoga.org.uk/

5.00pm – 7:00pm

Wednesday 13th February

Teviot – The Billiard Room – Edinburgh University

Bring a mat, £5 minimum donation.

6:30-9:30am Mysore Style *2 groups back 2 back*
12:15pm – Ashtanga:the Basics
1:30pm – Vinyasa Flow
5pm – Private group vinyasa flow
6:25pm – Ashtanga Beginners Course
7:30pm – Vinyasa Flow

A total of 7 classes, that’s 8.25 hours of talking and teaching yoga!

How did I do it?

Good fuel
A L♥VE for what I do
Gratefulness

Oh and my new 3 P’s…

• Patience
• Practice
• Perseverance

Question: Does raw food not make you too skinny, too tired and very weak?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yc7veMz1ss&feature=g-all-lik&context=G239d5ddFAAAAAAAALAA

Answer: …not if you do it right and have a great attitude!

February Food – Monday 13th February 2012

5am
1 liter of warm water with 1 lemon juiced (skin and all)

6:30am
3 teaspoons ofraw honey
1 cup of white tea

11am
1 cup of ginger tea (by ‘Pukka’)
50 chlorella tablets
500ml coconut water
3 dessert spoons bee pollen
a few pieces of raw chocolate

3:30pm
Green soup – containing
3 little gem lettuces,
2 salad packs,
1 cucumber,
1 bag of rocket,
4 dessert spoons of hemp seeds (no shells!),
2 table spoons of cider vinegar,
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
*BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH*

Some Kale Chips (made by me )

‘Yum Pot’ – containing
2 Table spoons of maca (this is a lot, start small! i.e. 1 teaspoon!)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1 teaspoon honey
*ALL MIXED UP IN A PASTE*

6:15pm
Drank 1 liter of water throughout the rest of the day
1 cup of white tea
a few squares more of the raw cacao from the morning

Before bed (9:30pm)
2 dessert spoons of bee pollen
1 cup of sleepy time tea
2 prunes (a little sugar for my brain helps me sleep)

***TODAY I LEARNED NOT TO HAVE 2 CUPS OF WHITE TEA – 1 IS ENOUGH!***

♥

Enjoy some time with your valentine today – FYI – raw cacao and maca is an excellent combo

♥

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6axxKkugOg

One million thank you’s for all that you are and all that you do.
You came along at just the right time bringing laughs, inspiration and “stretching and stuff“!
Until next time!
♥

How do you do the kidney cleanse that you mentioned is recommended
before doing a liver cleanse? I think that when I was ill recently it
was to do with my kidneys, though I'm not certain. I ached quite a
bit, but in particular was my lower back. I felt very thirsty and
didn't want to eat, the thought made me feel sick, my temperature
regulation went haywire and it felt unusually amazing to stretch my
lower back.
The lower back pain had started slightly when I was at my dad's at
Christmas eating meat and drinking, both of which I rarely do. Then
back in Edinburgh I had half a bottle of beer and the next day my
lower back was really uncomfortable. I drank lots of cranberry juice,
cider vinegar and ate garlic, I slept lots and each night I lay my
lower back on a hot water bottle and I got better quite fast. Does
this sound like a mild kidney infection?

Just in case you didn't know what they look like or where they are, the kidneys are the big red blobs, the adrenal glands are the yellow areas sitting on top, the yellow tubes are heading to your bladder.

Here’s what I said in response…
(NB. I am not a Dr. nor do I pretend to be!)

KIDNEYS:

Sounds to me like you were experiencing some kind of detox symptom from what you ate/drank and had to deal with over Xmas but there is no way I could ever know for sure. Pain/aches in the lower back area says to me you are lacking support – this could mean your physical daily ‘energy’, ‘chi’, ‘life-force’ (whatever you call it) is low OR you are lacking support in life in general. You were thirsty because you need to drink more water/herbal tea/juice (i.e. HYDRATE) that is what the kidneys need to clean out. Your adrenals sit above the kidneys. If you are burned out (constant squeezing of the adrenals) you are clearly needing more of that ‘support’ (in whatever way you translate it’) So – take rest, do less and remember your body is designed to heal…

It is so easy to cleanse the kidneys but a lot of the time it is made to be complicated by many ‘health gurus’.

Here is what I would do:

1. Take a weekend or if you have it 3/4 days of ‘down time’
2. Cleanse the colon (enema/colonic)
3. Drink as much juice as you can (not too much sugary juice – edge towards greens and less fruits and sweet roots)
4. Drink lots of water and teas (dandelion tea & nettle tea are the best and most affordable for kidneys)
5. Avoid solid food if you can – allow for lots of elimination – you’re also going to be pee-ing a lot!
6. REST A LOT – DO NOT DO THIS WHILE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH YOUR BUSY LIFE (get you boyfriend/friends on your side for support)
7. Stay warm, eat less, sleep as much as you need to
8. Avoid excessive stimulation (TV, computers, stress, annoying people)
9. REST MORE and the MORE AGAIN!
10. Think positive thoughts = Feel awesome 

Looking forward to more of your questions soon!
Stay well, stay happy
xxx S xxx

‘February’s Food’ – Monday 6th February

7:00am -
1 litre of warm water with lemon (skin and all juiced in the Omega 8006)
1 small cup of white tea
3 teaspoons of raw honey (not in the tea, just eaten off the spoon – WHY? see yesterdays blog!)

10am -
1 litre of JUICE (1 large cucumber, 2 apples, 1 large bag of spinach)
4 tablespoons of dried bee pollen
50 chlorella tablets

11am -
750ml herbal tea
2 teaspoons of fresh stone ground cacao (steve is experimenting with his stone grinder!)
1 table spoon stone ground coconut creme

Then… ~ Blended ~
More cold herbal tea with:
Hemp seeds, maca, shilajit, cacao powder, 4 dates, non GMO soya lecicin

Throughout afternoon -
1 liter bottled highland spring water

2 tablespoons of dried bee pollen
35g Kale Chips
1 x Raw Superfood bar from real foods (new line just released from St Ives)

Dinner -
Green soup (made a huge bowl – not sure on exact measure) containing:
1 bag salad mix
2 romaine lettuce
1 bag of rocket
2 Tablespoons of Hemp seeds
1 Tablespoon coconut creme
1/2 teaspoon chilli (this is a HOT n SPICY SOUP!)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar

~ PUT EVERYTHING IN THE BLENDER (PREFERABLY A VITAMIX) AND BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH and CREAMY ~

Later -
4 tablespoons of bee pollen
500ml Pukka ‘Night Time Tea’
2 teaspoons of raw honey

♥

Today was full moon – no yoga this morning and a long lie in – I had a colonic scheduled for today (full and new moon are great times for detoxing) so I modified my diet to suit the circumstances – less heavy solids, more juice and lots of water.
Yesterday I ate simply but nothing outrageously different to any other day.

8:30am -
1 litre of warm water with lemon (skin and all juiced in the Omega 8006)
1 small cup of white tea
3 teaspoons of raw honey

10am -
1 teaspoon of wheatgrass juice powder mixed in water (equivalent of 1 shot of wheatgrass = 1 kilo of veggies!)
1 litre of JUICE (1 large cucumber, 2 apples, 1 large bag of spinach, 1 large chunk of Turmeric Root)
50 chlorella tablets (I just got paid so can now introduce some more of my trusty algaes and super-foods – this is where I really start to feel super good -chlorella tablets also taste like little peanuts! Please read more down below…)
4 Dessert Spoons of Bee Pollen

1pm -
More JUICE… Beetroot, carrot and apple

3pm -
1 liter coconut water (needs must – I don’t like to drink the stuff in a carton but what else is a thirsty wee yogi going to drink? Here’s where I really miss Costa Rica and all her wonderful local fresh produce)

Between 6-9pm -
Water and herbal teas about 1 liter

Later after teaching around 9:30pm -
4 tablespoons of dried bee pollen
1 litre of JUICE (1/2 cucumber, 1 apple, 1 large bag of spinach)

There's up to 5 feet of large intestine (colon) alone - that's a lot of space for the stuff you don't want to build up, to hang around. Especially in all those bends and twists!

Interesting notes from the day –

I feel good after my colonic. I always leave feeling clearer in my mind, quieter in my thoughts and more balanced and positive.
The colon is like your second brain.
Naturally, if the colon is blocked, crowded and heavy as will be your mind and judgement.

I had good feedback on my health from the therapist but was surprised to hear I am a little dehydrated!
On that note… I do miss my fresh bee pollen and fresh fruits and I guess this is why I am a little dehydrated – too much dried stuff and not enough fluids – sometimes I don’t drink if I can’t get the best quality (i.e. coconut water).
hmm… time to re-strategize.

I have been working extra hard these past few months and I am glad to say finally my life is coming back into more of a balance in terms of my finances at least.
With that, I am hoping I can start to get back to my old ways of fresh bee pollen, algaes and wheatgrass. Having said that, I feel pretty pleased with managing to stay so balanced and nourished through a long tough winter in Scotland with little variety in terms of food and on a very low income!

I have had my fair share of colonics so I go about this in my own way, that works for me.
Please be sure to seek advice before you go ahead and do it.
One of the first things to consider is how you are going to prepare – i.e. eat light and be kind to your body.
I wouldn’t recommend having a colonic for the first time without any support (i.e. a friend who has done it before or on line support network for afterwards).
I also don’t recommend going right to work afterwards!
Take some time off to rest and reflect.
Be sure to ‘chase up’ your cleansing experience with lots of water and rest.

CHLORELLA INFO – taken from
www.earthrise-foods.co.uk

Chlorella is a detoxification aid for heavy metals and other pesticides. Numerous research projects in the US and Europe indicate that chlorella can help the body to break down persistent hydrocarbon and metallic toxins such as mercury, cadmium and lead, DDT and PCB, while at the same time strengthening the immune system response. Chlorella is comprised of a fibrous outer shell (20%) and its inner nutrients (80%). It is the fibrous material which has been proven to actually bind with the heavy metals and pesticides – such as PCBs – which can accumulate in our bodies.

A healthy bloodstream, with an abundance of red blood cells to carry oxygen, is necessary for a strong natural defense system. Chlorella’s cleansing action on the bowel and other elimination channels, as well as its protection of the liver, helps keep the blood clean. Clean blood insures that metabolic wastes are efficiently carried away from the tissues.

Chlorella gets its name from the high amount of chlorophyl it possesses. Chlorella contains more chlorophyl per gram than any other plant. Chlorophyl is one of the greatest food substances for cleansing the bowel and other elimination systems, such as the liver and the blood.

Haemoglobin is the protein in our red blood cells which binds with oxygen and gives blood its bright red color. Chlorophyll cells are nearly identical to haemoglobin, with one exception: Chlorophyll has a magnesium molecule at its centre while haemoglobin has an iron molecule at the centre of it. This is important because magnesium is essential for the heart to function properly. Every time our heart beats, it is utilizing magnesium to do so.

Interferon, produced naturally by the body, is one of the greatest natural defenses against cancer. Chlorella stimulates the activity of macrophages and T-cells by increasing interferon levels, thus enhancing the immune system’s ability to combat foreign invaders whether they are viruses, bacteria, chemicals or foreign proteins.

Many diseases can only thrive in an acidic environment, thus the vital importance of helping the body to maintain an alkaline/neutral pH of 7.2-7.4. Whole foods like Chlorella and Spirulina can help with this.

Chlorella also helps to normalize blood sugar in cases of hypoglycaemia, where blood sugar is too low. Proper levels of blood sugar are necessary for normal brain function, heart function and energy metabolism, all of which are crucial in sustaining good health and preventing disease.

High blood pressure is one of the major risk factors in heart attack and stroke, which account for more fatalities in the Western world than any other disease. Laboratory experiments have shown that regular use ofChlorella reduces high blood pressure and prevents strokes in rats.

‘February’s Food’ – Sunday 5th February

7:00am -
1 litre of warm water with lemon (skin and all juiced in the Omega 8006)
1 small cup of white tea
3 teaspoons of raw honey (not in the tea, just eaten off the spoon – WHY? see yesterdays blog!)

10am -
1 cup of white tea

12 noon -
More herbal tea…

2pm -
4 tablespoons of dried bee pollen
1 litre of JUICE (1 large cucumber, 2 apples, 1 large bag of spinach)

3:00pm – ANOTHER VERSION OF ‘Not Hot Hot Choc’

• 750ml Pukka – ‘Green Chai Tea’ brewed for about 30 mins – warm but not hot
• 3 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 4 dates
• 3 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
• 1 pinch pink salt
• 1 tablespoon of raw coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of NON GMO soy lecithin granules
• 1 teaspoon of shilajit
• 1 tablespoon of gelatenized maca root powder

~ PUT EVERYTHING IN THE BLENDER (PREFERABLY A VITAMIX) AND BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH and CREAMY ~

Throughout afternoon -
1 liter bottled highland spring water

2 tablespoons of dried bee pollen

Dinner -
Green soup (made a huge bowl – not sure on exact measure) containing:
1 bag salad mix
1 butter head lettuce
1 romaine lettuce
1 bag of rocket
2 Avocados
1/2 teaspoon chilli (this is a HOT n SPICY SOUP!)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar

~ PUT EVERYTHING IN THE BLENDER (PREFERABLY A VITAMIX) AND BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH and CREAMY ~

2 RAW crackers from Waitrose – ‘RAW – Deeply Dense Pitta’

Later -
4 prunes + 2 dates
250ml Mix of many Pukka Tea’s all in one jar (a la Steve)

♥