A Lesson on Fear, Taught by My Dog...

Aston and my Sunday ritual is to go on a big walk as soon as we get up in the morning. Aston is a dog who, if given the choice, would walk for hours and hours. She is an Australian Cattle dog and I guess I am her slow moving cow. Chris and I used to hike with her 9km and she wasn't even tired when we got home.

This morning was so gorgeous out, you can really tell spring is in the air. It felt so good to be outside without a coat and I could feel my body becoming lighter, shedding some of the winter blues. Aston was feeling the same energy, pouncing through long grass looking for furry woodland creatures, running ahead and just giving me that Aussie smile all Aussie cattle dogs give.

Aussie Cattle dog smile, in case you haven't seen it before! So cute!!

I took a break on a park bench to finish my coffee.  It was nice to see kids playing outside and enjoying the beautiful weather. Aston didn't feel the same all of a sudden. There was a father and son playing with one of those extra large remote control air planes. It looked cool to me but to Aston it must have looked like an mutant sized pigeon or something, who she had harassed in the past. It must be coming back to seek revenge on her former innocent playful chases.  She was utterly terrified. I

Hanging On...

Here is another thought from  my lecture weekend on Tantric Philosophy. I am listening to the recording and still coming up with more and more fascinating things to share with you!


Think about how you hang onto your self-image, the thoughts that you are this kind of person or that kind of person. You've received some praise for it or attention of some sort. Perhaps you were a geek in high school or the class clown, the party girl, the jock, the smart kid or whatever. You were a pretty women or a good looking man in your youth. You received love for that or some consciousness, for consciousness is what everything boils down to, you thought people looked at me, acknowledged me, praised me or paid attention to me by this title.

And yet we are talking and living right now. Is that still who you really are? Is it really true, this self-image or title you are still holding on to? If it is still true for you then great, no problem. But if it is not true, notice in our society how we would rather hang on to an expired self-image, than face the fear of the notion that we do not know who we really are.

Not knowing who you are can be strangely liberating though! Because when you don’t know who you are or have some preconceived notion of who you are, you can technically be or do anything! You are not locked into this is who I should be or what I should do but instead you have infinite freedom in your life to be whoever you want to be.

I love this. By not giving yourself a "title" or judging your current self-worth on past achievements that you can no longer obtain, you give your present life the ability to be free!!

 

Namaste xo

The Most Astounding Fact...

Trish played this in her class last night during Savasana.  Whoa! Science and Spirituality come together at last!! Thanks so much Trish!

Namaste xo

Tantric Philosophy

Wow.  This weekend in training was magical! Christopher (Hareesh) Wallis, author of Tantra Illuminated, came in to lecture us on Tantric Philosophy and the history of where Modern Postural Yoga comes from, as we know it today. 

I am totally hooked on this stuff! I can't get enough!  I will probably be repeating some of

It Get's Better....

Another song I love! 

Namaste xo.

New Obsession...

I have discovered a new food obsession. Kombucha!

Kombucha is a drink made with fermented tea and the Kombucha skoby/bacteria culture or "mother".  Sometimes there can be sugar or fruit juices added for taste.

I originally bought it as a joke for my yoga teacher friend and I to drink on a Saturday night.  This is how yoga teachers party! I bet Kombucha would make a good alcohol mix come to think about it.....touch on that in another post I am sure.

Sceptical at first, I was pleasantly surprised it tasted like a mix between cider or really fizzy citrus juice. 

After doing a little research I figured this would be an amazing alternative to juice. I have a love for juice that I keep strictly forbidden!  Having juice is like eating 12 oranges without any of the fibre! Crime! I love it so but I never drink it. With a whole pint of Kombucha coming in at only 7 grams of carbohydrates and 2% sugar, I was excited. 

There are some articles on the Internet stating there can be some harm from drinking too much Kombucha.  Mostly cross contamination if the fermenting process is not done in sanitary environments. I think anything that deals with yeast and bacteria can have that warning.  You can brew it at home but I think I will leave it up to the professionals.

There also some articles on the Internet claiming so many health benefits including healing early stages of cancer.....really?? I don't know about that one.  There are some websites claiming it's the elixir of life and has been around since 200BC for medicinal purposes.

Here are some of the health benefits I could find:

• Boost the immune system
• Reverse the ageing process
• Protection against joint damage
• Contain antioxidants
• Aids in digestions
• Block the action of free radicals
• Improve the body’s defences
• Detoxify the body
• Help repair and balance the body
• Fight off disease
• Protect against stress
• Improve liver function

For me, Kombucha is just an absolutely delicious drink and I  drink it for that reason alone.  Yes it has 2000 years of tradition behind it but I wont be jugging gallons of it to improve my health.  When I am craving something sweet, a Kombucha is a great treat!  I find I can't even drink it that often or the whole bottle because it's just too fizzy.  It is also $4 a bottle...yikes!

 

This is the brand I get because its the only one I can find that doesn't add extra sugar of any kind besides fruit juice. All the other brands contain cane sugar.

It can be found at most organic stores and Whole Foods.  If you stumble across it, I encourage you to try it.  Unlike wine, Kombucha doesn't leave you with a wicked hangover Sunday morning!

Namaste xo.

Absent...

Sorry I have been m.i.a for a while.  Had a wrist injury and couldn't practice so that left me not feeling overly inspired.  I will be back soon to write some more yoga posts soon!!

Namaste xo.

Rain Grows Flowers...

Namaste xo.

Always be a Unicorn...

Amazing...

Namaste xo.