Yo-greeni smoothie

Cheers to good health and glowing skin:


Try this when you dust off your juicer! 


one bunch Kale - any kind (dark, curly)
Spinach if you have any
An apple
1/2 lemon
big chunk ginger


wash everything - I add vinegar to the water to get rid of any lurking germs and sand
I core the apple and slice the ginger
stuff it in and juice


now, a couple of times there were small spatters and one outright explosion so don't wear white clothes :-)


enjoy,
Rana

A Warrior’s Mind by guest blogger Rachel Stroud of Alive in the Fire

Please welcome my friend, Rachel Stroud, as guest blogger.  We are doing cross-border blogging and she has graciously hosted my words on her blog, Alive in the Fire is colourful and inspirational whether you are a yogi(ni) or not...Read on and enjoy, Rana

A Warrior’s Mind

By Rachel Stroud of Alive in the Fire

Winter is pressing in. The cold settles, chilling me. At home, I layer on fuzzy socks and warm slippers, and get out a blanket for my legs when I’m on the couch.

As I bike to work in the wind and snow, I meditate myself away from the freezing temperatures and focus on my breath. In, out, in, out: the mantra I must use as I pedal along the frozen streets.

On the mat at home, my body feels cold and stiff. But I persist through the first few sun salutations, and I return to deep pranayama to warm myself up from the inside out.

In order to survive the cold of winter, I must be a warrior. I must set my mind in springtime.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how it’s easy to let ourselves hibernate a little throughout this season – both on and off the yoga mat. For me, the effects of winter manifest in simple ways that undermine my yoga practise and healthy habits: I want to stay cosy on the couch after dinner instead of going barefoot for a vinyasa flow in the living room; I crave filling comfort foods instead of clean, green juice; I hardly ever make it to my local Bikram studio; and in general, I feel the effects of SAD creep in when the cloudy days go on for a week or more at a time.

So how do I make it through a full winter season doing yoga while I feel lethargic and uninspired?

I don’t. I re-set my thinking. I make myself the warrior, instead of the sufferer.

I remember that it’s my choice to enjoy my life instead of wasting the little moments.

In wintertime, the meditative aspects of yoga actually prove more important than the physical postures themselves for me.

Instead of getting down on myself about what I can’t do, I try to focus on the positive. Instead of saying, “I’m so tired,” or “My hamstrings are tight,” or “I really don’t want to have to wear a face mask in order to bike today,” I think, “I can manage 20 minutes of yoga,” or “My hips feel amazing after I do pigeon pose, so I’m going to,” or “I am saving money and helping the environment by going car-free.”

And once I’ve put in the time on my mat, or pulled up to work breathless from the bike ride over, I realise: I am OK, and I feel good, and what’s more – I’m proud of myself for setting my mind to something I can do.

I’m grateful for the blessings I do have, and that gratitude makes all the difference. Especially when it’s -10˚ outside.

Photos in this post via GetWags, Tranquil Hearts, Flickr user aubergeinn, Flickr user davidfreiheit, and Something Sweet Pea on Tumblr

Yoga Breathe, Yoga Relax, Yoga Stretch

Yoga BREATHE…studies show that diaphragmatic breathing is associated with the relaxation response.  Learning to breathe properly can lengthen life span, slow the heart rate, decrease blood pressure, and help you maintain a calm inner state during stressful situations. 

Good breathing increases energy.

Good breathing helps overcome headaches.

Good breathing helps restore emotional/mental balance.
Good breathing helps decrease anxiety and sleep disorders









Yoga RELAX…. studies show that regular practise of relaxation has numerous benefits:

Smoother heart rate, reduced blood pressure, stronger immune system, feelings of peace, satisfaction, tranquillity and improved performance in all aspects of daily life.

A relaxed mind is a centred mind,

A relaxed mind is able to observe without reacting

A relaxed mind is able to let go of worry and open up to creative thinking,

A relaxed mind is open to the present moment.

Yoga STRETCH. …Studies show that Hatha yoga, the yoga of the body has amazing health benefits.

A fit body is the home of a fit mind.

Yoga creates a flexible body

Yoga builds a resilient and strong body

Yoga can help with cardiovascular endurance.

Yoga therapy can address special needs such as back pain, insomnia, headaches, hypertension, prostate/fertility concerns, psychosomatic illness, anxiety....

so...find your calm and yoga on....
Rana

Do You Need a New Mirror? Self-Study 2012

"Yoga teaches that everything placed before the mind is a mirror: the mind takes the shape of what is perceived.  For modern man and woman, that mirror is progressively a window upon electronic images from elsewhere - the computer or television screen.  While not intrinsically wrong, such imagery possesses a power to numb and pacify as well as to awaken and stimulate.  


Self- study engages the action of the mind..by study of texts; by closing the eyes and chanting, prayer, or meditation; or by seeking out and engaging in the company of the gifted, the elderly, and the wise. From the experience of others-through the spoken or written word-we may find the example and wisdom that lead to our own self-discovery and inspiration"      
-HEALTH, HEALING & BEYOND - T.K.V. Desikachar

"Self-study deepens your communion with your image of the divine" 

-YOGA SUTRAS 2.44 - Patanjali

Something caught my attention on twitter the other day.  It was a 2 line tweet by a woman who basically said that she did not see what self reflection was about because she did a bit over the holidays and it was depressing.  

My Yoga Teacher radar went off immediately, because in my understanding of the verb to “self reflect” does not = buy one litre of Hagen Daas, a Club Price bag of potato chips, stay in your bathrobe and have a pity-party.  I do not in anyway mean that this last form of entertainment is a bad thing.  Is it what you need to do as a stepping stone on your path to THE OTHER SIDE of whatever issue you are working through? If so, at least buy the best quality junk food, set aside a fixed amount of time to cry and feel your feelings, get it all out, and then put on your inner strength, your positive outlook, perhaps a bit of lip gloss, (gentlemen: shave?) and move forward. Someone once said to me “better out than in” which, in retrospect may have been advice about sneezing, but it seems appropriate to fit it into this conversation.

In fact, the Yogic system recognises that suffering is part of the human predicament, and awareness of this is the foundation to change. In this context, suffering is at the level of the mind. For example, if you are going through a break-up, and you become so lost in the negatives, the inadequacies, the failures that you become THAT, you are allowing yourself to become suffering embodied. On the other hand, if you perceive that every obstacle is a blessing in disguise, you free your mind up, and are able to let life move through you, you identify with the BIG picture not the temporary drama.  This radically changes outcomes in your life.

How to go about this? Yoga is a practical methodology; an action plan for wellness, if you will. As humans, we can either reinforce conditions which maintain frantic or which awaken calm within us. Hence the "plan" is three-fold, called in the Yoga Sutras, Kriya-Yoga, transformation through Practise.
These three aspects are to:
Purify the body and mind (Tapas)
Self-reflect (Svadhyaya)
Recognize our Source (Isvara pranidhana).

The word, Svadhyaya translates as Gary Kraftsow says, "to move forward to one's self". If a wave were looking in the mirror, it would see itself as the wave but also as the ocean...poetic!? Yes but also practical. If you see only the small self, your journey can be mired by insecurities, and stress.  When you elevate and nourish the perception of Self, you are likely to feel that everything on the journey happens for a reason. I call it 'research and development'.  You will likely cultivate objectivity, friendliness and an empowering attitude to nourish and adopt behaviours and strategies to further peace, positivity, and clarity.

A new year is always a new beginning.  If you can start to make a few healthier choices (food, beverage, meditation, yoga postures, nature, weed out toxic relationships and behaviours) your inner life will reflect these changes, and when you self-reflect,  your vision will no longer be distorted. Elevate and you will be elevated. Embrace and cultivate the inner dimension, and the outer will follow...

TOP 10 REASONS TO START YOGA

Here are a few well-recognised reasons to start YOGA

STRESS RELIEF:  Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body by encouraging relaxation and lowering the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.  Related benefits include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion and boosting the immune system as well as easing symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.

PAIN RELIEF:  Yoga can ease pain!  Studies have demonstrated that practising Yoga asanas (postures), and meditative techniques reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases and hypertension, as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions.

BETTER BREATHING:  Yogic breathing techniques help improve lung function.  Learning to breathe slower and deeper triggers the relaxation response in the body

FLEXIBILITY:  Yoga helps to improve anyone’s flexibility and mobility, increasing range of motion and reducing aches and pains.

INCREASED STRENGTH:  Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in the body, helping to improve overall cohesiveness and physical strength, relieve muscle tension and strong body encourages strong mind.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT:  Yoga, (even less vigorous styles) can aid weight control effects by reducing cortisol levels, burning excess calories, reducing stress and improving overall metabolic functioning.  Yoga encourages healthy eating habits, and promotes heightened sense of inner well-being and self-esteem.

IMPROVED CIRCULATION:  Yoga helps to improve circulation,  a  result of regular practise is that the oxygenated blood moves more efficiently to the body’s cells, helping with growth and repair

CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING:  Even a gentle Yoga practise can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering heart rate, increasing endurance, improving oxygen uptake during exercise

BETTER BODY ALIGNMENT:  Yoga helps to improve body alignment, resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems

FOCUS ON THE PRESENT:  Yoga helps centre the mind  in the present moment,

Opening the door to improved memory, coordination, reaction time, mind/body health.

Awareness cultivates a joyful, free spirit and positive gratifying outlook.

FEEL BETTER           THINK BETTER         LEAD A BETTER LIFE

RANA WAXMAN             514.407.1005

www.ranawaxman.com

HAND BOOK 2012 for health and happiness

I have been getting this every year by email, so am sharing the 2012 version; it is always nice to go through the list, see what we can add/subtract/ignore from the choices we are currently making.  My dear friend Syvie said she wished me "the grace of manifestation" and I share these wishes with you!

HAND BOOK 2012 

• Health:

1. Drink plenty of water
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s – Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy
5. Make time to practise meditation, yoga and prayer
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2008
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day.  And while you walk, smile

• Personality:

11. Don’t compare your life to others’.  You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12.  Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.  Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13.  Don’t overdo.  Keep your limits.

14.  Don’t take yourself so seriously.  No one else does.

15.  Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.

16.  Dream more while you are awake.

17.  Envy is a waste of time.  You already have all you need.

18.  Forget issues of the past.  Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past.  That will ruin your present happiness.

19.  Life is too short to waste time hating anyone, don’t hate others.

20.  Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

21.  No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22.  Realise that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23.  Smile and laugh more.

24.  You don’t have to win every argument.  Agree to disagree.

• Society:

25. Call your family often.

26.  Each day give something good to others.

27.  Forgive everyone for everything

28.  Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

29.  Try to make at least 3 people smile each day.

30.  What other people think of you in none of your business,

31.  Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

• Life:

32.  Do the right thing!

33.  Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

34.  GOD heals everything.

35.  No matter how good or bad a situation is, it will change.

36.  No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37.  The best is yet to come,

38.  When you wake up alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39.  Your inner most self is always happy. So, be happy.

 LIVE AND LET LIVE