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- How To Make A Delicious and Healthy Vegan Eggplant Stew
  
  Posted at 1:01 am by Lisa K, on October 16, 2017
  Hello lovely people!! Today I would like to present my first guest blog post ever, and it is by a talented lady whose blog I have been enjoying for some time now. Her name is Kasia and she is a savvy digital media marketer, writer and a health enthusiast. She is the owner, content creator and blogger at The Savvy Dreamer healthy lifestyle blog. On the blog she shares her unique recipes, travel stories as well as beauty and fashion tips. Be sure to visit her blog The Savvy Dreamer to read more excellent healthy lifestyle content at:
  
  Home
  
  I have included Kasia’s social media links as well at the end of the post.
  
  Kasia does share some very delicious recipes and that is why I asked her to share with you all a fabulous Eggplant Stew recipe which is also VEGAN. Below is Kasia’s wonderful recipe.
  
  Guest Post by Kasia
  
  How To Make Delicious and Healthy Vegan Eggplant Stew
  
  Last summer in an effort to reduce my intake of meat I was looking for some interesting recipe ideas. I also really wanted to add more vegetables to my diet. I remembered a wonderful dish I tried on a recent trip to Jamaica. It was a spicy eggplant stew. My boyfriend and I absolutely loved it and have been craving it ever since. I quickly started looking up recipes online to try to re-create this tasty dish. After looking at a few different recipes I realized that I wanted to put my own spin on it. So I created my own version of an eggplant, onion and tomato stew.
  
  What I love about this version is that it’s super easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. It’s also not that time consuming. You only need to chop a few things, add a bunch of spices and cook it all in one pot. The total time commitment including prep time, chopping veggies and cooking shouldn’t take you longer than an hour.
  
  Did you know that there are certain benefits to eating eggplant, tomatoes and onions? Eggplants contain lots of vitamins and minerals your body needs. They’re rich in vitamin C, K and B6 as well as thiamin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorous, and copper. In addition they give you dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, and manganese.
  
  (https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-eggplant.html)
  
  Just like eggplant tomatoes also contain a healthy dose of vitamin C and K as well as biotin and molybdenum. They also contain beta-carotene (vitamin A), which is amazing for your skin, mucus membranes, strengthens the immune system, and is good for your eye health and vision.
  
  (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44)
  
  On the other hand onions contain phytochemicals as well as vitamin C. These nutrients help to improve overall body immunity. Onions also contain chromium, which assists in regulating blood sugar. So now you don’t have to be afraid of onions because they’re really good for you. Throw them in your stews and soups and get a healthy dose of great nutrients.
  
  (http://foodfacts.mercola.com/onion.html)
  
  I’m delighted to share my healthy and homemade recipe with all of you. I hope you enjoy it as much as my boyfriend and I do.
  
  Bon appetite!
  
  Eggplant, Onion & Tomato Stew
  
  INGREDIENTS
  
  2 eggplants (medium, unpeeled and diced)
  
  2 tomatoes (small, diced)
  
  1 onion (small, diced)
  
  680 ml of strained tomatoes
  
  1 cup veggie stock
  
  2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
  1 tablespoon ground cumin powder
  
  2 pinches cayenne pepper
  
  1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
  
  A bunch of basil for decoration (optional)
  
  DIRECTIONS
  
  Dice the eggplant, tomatoes and onions in small cubes. Set aside.
  
  In a large saucepan add the strained tomatoes, cumin, pink Himalayan salt, cayenne pepper and stock and stir well. Add the veggies and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 – 25 minutes or until the eggplants are tender.
  
  Add additional liquid if you want a thinner consistency. Serve plain alongside your favorite side dish such as rice, quinoa or pasta.
  
  This recipe will make 6 small servings or 4 larger servings.
  
  End of Guest Post
  
  Thank you Kasia for sharing your tasty and simple vegan recipe with me and my awesome readers. What do you think about this recipe? Is it one you would like to give a try? Please let me know what you think in the comments below. I just love to hear your thoughts😊
  
  You can also find Kasia on social media here:
  
  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesavvydreamer/
  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesavvydreamer
  Twitter: https://twitter.com/@KasiaMikola
  Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/thesavvydreamer/
  
  Best Wishes,
  
  Lisa xo
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  Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized | 31 Comments | Tagged easyrecipe, Food, health, healthyfood, lifestyle, Recipes, vegan, vegetarian, veggies
- Our Guiding Light
  
  Posted at 7:11 pm by Lisa K, on October 1, 2017
  I write poetry when I feel inspired by an internal emotional experience which needs to be expressed in some way. The feelings we have as human beings can be so overwelming and powerful, both the joyful and the sorrowful. Writing is meant to be interpreted by our own experiences and life. I would love to know how this poem speaks to you💖
  
  Our Guiding Light
  
  Sometimes I feel lost,
  And a little bit scared,
  Like I am invisible,
  And no one could care.
  
  I’m closed and down,
  With a lump in my throat,
  I see no escape,
  Like this path is my fate.
  
  Suddenly I look up,
  The sky is so magnificent and blue,
  Something inside me unfolds,
  It has a radiant golden hue.
  
  My breath begins to settle,
  The fear quickly subsides,
  Like I’ve been touched,
  by an angel inside.
  
  I feel it around me,
  It has such strength and grace,
  It helps me to realize,
  I am worth more than I could embrace.
  
  When sadness feels raw,
  There is a place within me,
  That lets the emotions run clear,
  And allows me to be free.
  
  It is soft and yet powerful,
  The essence of our soul,
  Flowing around all of us,
  Gently guiding us to become whole.
  
  By: Lisa Michelle K
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  Posted in Poetry, Uncategorized | 21 Comments | Tagged beautyoflife, emotions, heart, inspiration, life, love, poems, Poetry, release, writing
- Autumn Equinox: The Change of Season and Yoga
  
  Posted at 12:13 am by Lisa K, on September 25, 2017
  This year, it hasn’t really felt quite like the entrance into autumn. The weather is more like a beautiful July day. Today we took one of our usual walks down to the dog park and pond near our home. In the months when it is warm enough, we just love going down this path to enjoy nature and the beauty of the earth right next to our bustling subdivision. The swans come in the summer, they are magical creatures. There is a majestic heron who we are lucky enough to witness gracefully floating down into his watery home on many occasions. The ducks, the geese, the beaver, bunnies and the dragon flies are around us when we slowly walk around the loop. Our little quick bunny friend I snapped a picture of was so fast that it came out a bit blurry, lol.
  
  This evening was particularly beautiful. I knew that today was the equinox and as we walked, I thought about what that means for us in the months to come. The darkness will come, the cold and a change in our routine in many senses. Apple picking, pumpkin patching and crisp evenings are on the way.
  
  As an Ashtanga Yoga practitioner, I am keenly aware of the cycle of the moon. We observe the new and full moon and do not practice on these energetically potent days. Tied to the earth in so many obvious and more subtle ways, it is part of the practice to become cognizant of how these cycles affect our bodies in an acute fashion. The daily breath and movement I experience allows for this awareness to grow slowly over time.
  
  Yoga poses that were easier and more in tune with the vibrations of summer don’t feel quite the same. These are backbends and opening postures. The natural warmth of summer helps muscles to easily warm up and I find my more difficult postures come more readily. Autumn gives way to the strength and inwardness of folding forward and earthy poses like kurmasana and baddha konasana. Though we don’t change what we practice as do the seasons, poses feel different in my body.
  
  I find that as the cold and dark come, my body feels more stiff. I need to focus more deeply on my breath and creating the internal heat necessary for my practice seems to take longer. When Ashtanga first found me, it was 5 Surya Namaskara a and 5 surya Namaskara b which we practiced before the standing series. Later, it changed to 5 a and 3 b. I find that after the equinox, I generate more adequate heat by doing the 5 a and 5 b. In winter, as a home practitioner, this is what I do much of the time. I use a heater almost all year round, but I find it necessary as the weather turns cooler. A little added warmer!
  
  I do an evening practice sometimes, when my day is too busy to find a morning time. This week, I did an evening practice and was disappointed by the lack of evening sun. I had to close my blinds so my neighbours behind me wouldn’t wonder what was going on over here, lol. Because it was a couple of weeks since my last evening practice, it was very noticeable how much had changed in our daylight hours.
  
  Soon it will be time for pumpkins and Halloween costumes. Every year the changes are more or less the same. I welcome our new autumn season and look forward to the beauty and rhythm of change to come in the months ahead. Best Autumn Equinox and season to all, enjoy this time of earthly change. Winter is coming!
  
  Love & Light,
  
  Lisa xo
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  Posted in Life & Yoga, Uncategorized | 19 Comments | Tagged ashtanga, autumnequinox, life, lifestyle, Yoga, yogalife
- Ashtanga Yoga: A Moving Meditation
  
  Posted at 4:03 pm by Lisa K, on September 17, 2017
  Ashtanga Yoga is known as a practice which follows the same sequence of poses every day. We build on more poses as strength and flexibility grow in our bodies and minds. The very first time I experienced an Ashtanga style class I thought it was unusual that between sun salutations there was a five breath hold in downward dog. All the vinyasa classes I was used to doing did all sorts of movements in the sun salutation and it was just so much different. I thought it was a bit boring to be honest. The difficulty level and the feeling I got after concentrating so much more on breathing still left me intrigued. Why the hell would anyone want to put themselves through this? I wanted to learn more about it and more strangely, I wanted to experience it further. That is how it began.
  
  So what is it about Ashtanga, why is it so captivating?
  
  I believe it is the Trishtana as it creates harmony within, that grasps our desire to go further than dipping your toe in the water…
  
  The Tristhana in Ashtanga is a focus on three places of attention. These are breath, drishti and posture.
  
  Breath
  
  The breath literally guides movement in Ashtanga. Even moving between poses have assigned inhale or exhales to maintain the deep methodical breathing utilized, creating heat and focus. The breath is what gives rise to our ability to create effort. When I am doing a very difficult pose, my teacher will remind me to breathe so that I may continue to do the work necessary to continue on. On to discover the next place where I will challenge my limits.
  
  Drishti
  
  The drishti is the gazing point. Each pose has a gazing point but the eyes are not really focused on any particular place. There are nine different drishti and it depends on the pose as to which is used. As the pose sequence, the drishti do not change and are practiced with each pose daily. When I am using drishti, my attention turns inward and my meditation becomes firmly planted in that moment in time. I feel and hear my breath. I feel more deeply into my body. Where do I feel the earth beneath me? I notice the effort I am using. Gosh, I forget how much it takes until I bring it back into my awareness. As much as my practice can be physically exhausting, the soulful bond I restore with my internal being is continually nourished and invigorated with each and every breath I take.
  
  Posture
  
  The third of the Tristhana is posture and it includes the asana and also the bandhas or energy locks. Particularly mula bandha and uddiyana bandha. These refer to the muscles of the pelvic floor and the low belly. Mula bandha has often been described to me as the muscles which stop the flow of urine. My teacher has another way to describe it, which is to squeeze the anus. Graphic right? Honestly, I have been able to connect more with this squeezing than the pee thing, lol. The uddiyana bandha is activated by drawing the low belly in. The strength created by utilizing these two muscle locks is the seat of power for every pose. Having a background in ballet dancing, I recognized the same feeling in my body when I danced. It is like the entire inner line of the legs from the base of the big toe right up into the solar plexus is involved in this energetic synergy. The grace that is made to look so effortless in both ballet dancing and yoga comes from this place. Perhaps it is the familiarity of remembering something I loved very much that solidified my love for Yoga from the very beginning.
  
  Together these three points of attention are what bring Ashtanga Yoga practitioners into a state of moving meditation. Our gaze turns inward and the magical awareness of the moment in time being experienced ~ Right. Now.~ is sometimes like slow motion Matrix movie perception. Everything slows down, breath is deep and rhythmic, sweat drips slowly down onto the mat, muscles flex and the body moves through space like a graceful and perfectly orchestrated dance. It may not look as such but it can feel this way on the best of days. Other days, I can feel like an old rusty tin man trying desperately to locate the nearest oil can. But that is the nature of being human. We fluctuate, our bodies and minds fluctuate.
  
  The Yoga Sutras of Patanjail states in the Samadhi Pada:
  
  योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥२॥
  1.2 yogaḥ-cittavr̥tti-nirodhaḥ
  
  This is translated to mean that yoga is the removal of the fluctuations of the mind. This is really an ideal with which we are working towards by practicing yoga. For me, the seemingly short distance of just under ten years has already provided some impressive breakthroughs in my own personal journey. Knowing how tiny that really is actually serves as a motivation! If my experiences on this level have been so profound to me, I can only imagine what could be ahead for my soul in the wide expanse of time.
  
  Every day, when I step onto my mat and look down to my feet, I feel gratitude. I am grateful to be alive, a being on this earth. I have been fortunate enough to find the gift of Ashtanga Yoga among other powerful gifts in my life. It is a blessing to be here and it is a privilege for me to share this gift. I know now that I am truly ready to teach yoga. I want to create a place for others to see that glimpse of light that I caught and then watch them nurture it and see it grow.
  
  Taught my first class on Thursday in a few years and I’m in such a great place to teach from now. Years ago when I first taught, I thought about how difficult my class should be and if people will like me. These were not the right things to be worrying about. I then went to Thailand and learned so much that I felt humbled to the point of feeling like I should not teach. I felt that I knew so little that it would be wrong to try and teach anyone else. Now that I have had some years, around seven have passed, I am feeling more confident that I have something to share with others. It feels right and my first class back at it was totally fabulous! Wishing you all joy and happiness always😊
  
  Love & Light,
  
  Lisa xo
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  Posted in Life & Yoga, Uncategorized | 30 Comments | Tagged ashtanga, ballet, dance, inspiration, life, meditation, philosophy, trishtana, Yoga, yogainspiration
- My Top 7 Ways To Unwind Your Day
  
  Posted at 4:17 pm by Lisa K, on September 10, 2017
  We’ve all had them. Those days when you wish you could have stayed curled up on the couch watching Netflix all day and eat chips. Sometimes it is so difficult to unwind after the mind has been racing all day to just keep your head above water. I have had many a night where falling asleep was all I wanted to do, but I just couldn’t calm my thoughts down and relax enough to get there. Well, I’ve got some techniques which have helped me to calm down. These are exactly what you need- simple, easy and most likely to work for you too!
  
  1. Sit down, close your eyes and take 10 deep and slow belly breaths. The physiological research surrounding the power of breath demonstrates the validity of this practice. If you are on the train home from work or sitting on the couch you can do this. It doesn’t happen that often, but when I get super stressed out, it can sometimes end up in an anxiety episode. Deep breathing is the way out of that stressed and panicky feeling for me. It’s a tried, tested and true way to unwind.
  
  2. Give yourself a temple and neck massage. If you have someone to do this for you, even better. I find that simply massaging my temples and working the back of my neck and down the sides with my hands helps to take tension out of my body. By relieving tension, a natural feeling of relaxation will follow. Doing this for five minutes is great. If you’ve got more time, as long as you like:)
  
  3. Something I have done since I was a child, who had trouble falling asleep, is to take a piece of paper and right down every thought that comes to my mind. Sometimes it ends up like a list, other times it is like a story. Periodically the thoughts are just chaotic and others they make sense. It doesn’t matter. The act of writing things out is like therapy for me. When I was younger I could write pages and pages but now it seems to take less time to find the calm by doing this. Seriously, if you aren’t the type to keep a diary, you can benefit from writing and then just throw it away.
  
  4. Go for a walk. Take yourself out of the stressful internal time you are having by physically removing yourself. Walk around the block, through a park, anywhere. Breathe in the fresh air, look up into the forgiving beauty of the sky. Notice the birds or squirrels scampering around. I use this when I am stressed but it also does wonders to quell anger. I tend to feel anger physically and walking it off is not just a figure of speech for me, lol.
  
  5. Take out your old pictures and go through them. Every time I look at old pictures, I get positive feelings of nostalgia and have fond memories enter my mind. Trying to just take my mind off of what is making me feel stressed doesn’t work for me. It’s the emotional engagement that helps, I believe. So I take out those old pictures, ones of vacations, family get togethers, my old high school get-ups, photos of when I used to dance…just dive into those pictures and see how it works for you.
  
  6. Listen to your favourite song or music by your favourite group. The reason why you like the song so much is because it stirs emotion within you and you enjoy that. Let it take over and just listen to it. Close your eyes even, dance a little bit if you like to dance. I adore Enya and have listened to her voice since I was a girl. When I am stressed, I put her familiar angelic voice on and I just feel calmer.
  
  7. Get yourself an essential oil diffuser and some top grade Frankincense essential oil. This is so easy- just put water and 5 drops of that oil into your diffuser, turn it on and lay down nearby. Inhaling frankincense calms the nervous system. I kid you not, I have put this oil on and within 15 minutes I feel a huge difference. The power of plants and their biocompatibility with our bodies is a force to be reckoned with. You could also combine this one with some of the techniques listed above to enhance the experience.
  
  I truly hope you find these ideas to be helpful, maybe you have success doing some of these already. I would love to read your favourite techniques in the comments! The more ideas, the less stress we are all bound to let hang around in our lives.
  
  Love & Light,
  
  Lisa xo
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  Posted in Uncategorized | 31 Comments | Tagged Destress, essentialoils, feelgood, healthy, healthymind, inspiration, lifestyle, music, relax
- Time For School, My Baby Girl
  
  Posted at 12:34 am by Lisa K, on September 4, 2017
  It seems slightly comical to me that even though my daughter is only 4 years old and starting JK this week, I feel like it is such a big step in growing up. As the summer started, I thought, no big deal, she’s ready, she’s got this. As we made our way into August, my heart really changed tune! So in expressing my thoughts on the moment she leaves me for many years of school, I would like to share a poem. Maybe some moms out there can relate to my feeling too💖
  
  Time For School, My Baby Girl
  
  It seems like just yesterday,
  I looked down at my little girl,
  Just a baby sleeping peacefully,
  Without a care in the world.
  
  It’s only been four years,
  But so much has changed,
  I almost can’t remember,
  How my life’s been rearranged.
  
  So bright and animated,
  With eyes blue like the sky,
  A smile that captures my heart,
  Her little giggle is a piece of art.
  
  With a memory like an elephant,
  She really keeps me on my toes,
  An old soul is inside of her,
  There is so much she already knows.
  
  A gift of light to my heart,
  She’s like a thunderbolt in the sky,
  Our souls have always been together,
  And I have never wondered why.
  
  My baby girl is going to school,
  The first big separation,
  I’ve shed tears of sadness,
  But for her it’s another equation.
  
  She’s bright and ready to shine,
  So inquisitive and smart,
  I can’t wait to see her blossom,
  And life without me is about to start!
  
  By: Lisa K
  
  Best of luck to all the little ones who start school this year. Hugs to all the mommies who will miss them when they go! xx xx
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  Posted in Poetry, Uncategorized | 29 Comments | Tagged emotions, happiness, inspiration, life, poem, Poetry, School
- Food Is Magic!
  
  Posted at 12:20 am by Lisa K, on August 28, 2017
  After writing my post about the yogic diet, I thought it would be a good idea to share a story about how much diet can really affect health. This is the story of how I healed my son’s full body eczema by changing his diet. The old adage that we are what we eat really stands true and this narrative will demonstrate how the foods we eat can really hurt or heal. I am not an expert on the topic, but I am speaking through my own personal experiences and let me tell you, food is akin to magic. For my son and his eczema, it really was bippity boppity boo!
  
  Some Background Discussion
  
  In this world we are constantly bombarded by chemicals in our household cleaners, our cosmetics, on items in our homes from carpet to paint to mattresses. The worst part is that chemicals are also in our food. Even fruits and vegetables have pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and more. There are so many genetically modified foods, synthetic additives and food dyes in what we eat too. The truth of the matter is that our bodies can only take so much of this constant insult. When it comes to young children, their bodies are still developing and are even less well equipped to handle it.
  
  There is something I have read about called bioaccumulation. This is when there is a higher amount of toxins coming into the body than what can be metabolized or they are materials that the body cannot metabolize at all. A well known example of this is mercury in fish. When fish higher on the food chain eat fish that have eaten mercury contaminated phytoplankton, they accumulate mercury in their bodies. They are not able to metabolize it. When these fish are consumed by us, that mercury then builds up in the human body. There are some types of salmon and tuna which are not recommended to be consumed frequently (among others) for this very reason. So you can imagine that there are all sorts of foods that carry toxic burdens of different kinds, even plant based foods. A good example is soy. It has been farmed so heavily, seeds have been genetically modified, the plants have been sprayed with numerous chemicals and then they are consumed by us. Soy is a product found in so many packaged foods that it is very difficult to avoid unless you select whole foods instead. I have experienced this personally and have had to become more “chef-fy” in the process.
  
  I am barely scratching the surface on this topic and could go on, but I just wanted to give some background as to how eczema may come about in the first place. If you go to a doctor, they will give you a steroid cream and tell you to apply it to the affected areas. I am not in a place to judge what anyone else thinks is right for their child, but I didn’t want to put a steroid cream on him. Topical creams only treat the symptoms of something much deeper. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that there are genetic and environmental factors that may affect the susceptibility of a child to develop eczema. However, in the experience I have had with my little guy, there is far more going on diet-wise that can be done to make a difference.
  
  What do naturopaths say about eczema?
  
  Naturopathic doctors say that eczema is associated with inflammation in the gut tissues. This inflammation permits spaces to develop between cells in the intestines and this allows proteins and bacteria to pass through which causes immune inflammatory responses in the body. This is known as leaky gut. The immune response can cause autoimmune problems which manifest as things like food intolerances and eczema. Eating trigger foods which a person already has some sensitivity to, but doesn’t necessarily know about, can contribute to the problem. This was the case for my son.
  
  I do my very best to buy organic foods, and whole foods are my first choice. My children started out their lives eating only whole foods and were actually vegetarian at the beginning. But my daughter at around the age of 2 yrs and my son after her, at 2 yrs both developed eczema. My son’s case was far worse and he basically woke up one morning with a full body eczema rash which was itchy and patchy. He was very uncomfortable. I cried when I looked at his soft skin with this horrible itchy red rash on his little body. He didn’t sleep well and seemed irritated. Right away I cut wheat and the small amount of dairy he was eating. I put him on a dairy-free probiotic and began giving him kombucha to drink exclusively everyday. These tips I got from a family member who experienced something similar.
  
  What is kombucha?
  
  Kombucha is a fermented drink. It utilizes a microbial organism called a scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). The bacteria found in kombucha is healthy in colonizing the gut and maintaining healthy tissue.
  
  I got calendula oil from the health food store and applied it to his skin. It really helped to moisturize and reduce the inflammation. I had a food sensitivities test done for him to find out why after 3 weeks of taking these foods out of his diet and making these changes, there wasn’t too much improvement. Turns out that he has high level sensitivities to peanuts, soy, rice, oats, pea, wheat, dairy and cashews. My little vegetarian became a meat-etarian shortly after finding this out because these very foods were what I gave him in his diet. It’s no surprise that soy, rice, oats and wheat are known allergenic foods because of the chemical sprays and genetically modified strains used even in some organic farming. Within 2 weeks of cutting all these foods, my son’s skin had a drastic improvement.
  
  ~Bippity Boppity Boo!!~
  
  I couldn’t believe my eyes. Now his skin is back to its beautiful and soft texture. He is healed. It will still take up to 1 year for his gut to heal completely, but I can see that we are well on our way.
  
  It is no easy task to watch out for things like soy- which seems to be in everything from meatballs to protein bars. We went away to a cottage for a week and when he accidentally ate some foods on his sensitivity list it showed up right away on his skin. Now that I see how having his diet strictly watched can make him eczema-free, I will continue to do my best to provide the foods that help him be healthy and well.
  
  I hope that for anyone out there who may be experiencing something similar or know someone who is, you find this helpful. Please share it with whoever you feel can benefit from this story. Perhaps it may help another and that would be fulfilling my purpose. If you have a story similar, I would like to hear about it in the comments😊
  
  Much Love To All and Thank You for reading!!
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  Posted in Uncategorized | 34 Comments | Tagged diet, eczema, Food, health, healthy, kombucha, lifestyle, naturopath, wellness
- An evening of Yin Yoga, Nada Yoga & Chakra Healing with the Sacred Sounds of the Sitar
  
  Posted at 8:04 pm by Lisa K, on August 20, 2017
  My Thursday evening was spent in a tranquil yoga studio called The Yoga Mat. I had the privilege of attending a yin yoga class taught by my very first yoga teacher ever, Tania. Her class immediately brought back many fond memories of which I had the pleasure of experiencing for the first time, many years ago. It was my introduction to yoga with Tania that got me hooked into this journey from the very beginning. Her ability to read her students and her overall energy captivated me as completely as I remember it happening those years ago. From the moment she began speaking I was taken away to yoga-land, to thoroughly enjoy each moment and movement on my mat. I don’t usually do yin style yoga classes or have someone speaking to me during my practice and haven’t for some time. I was sweetly reminded how comfortable and pleasurable the experience can be. And after the deep stretching we did in Tania’s beautifully crafted class, we were prepared to move into our Nada Yoga meditation with the one and only Ram Vakkalanka.
  
  ~Me in a yin pose breathing deeply~
  
  What is Nada Yoga?
  
  According to Ram, who is a teacher of yoga philosophy, Sanskrit, meditation, A Sitar performer and Kirtan singer, Nada Yoga is:
  
  “A combination of philosophy, medicine, metaphysics, and physical yoga, the premise of Nada Yoga is that all things in the Universe, including living beings, are made of sound vibrations, called Nada. It is believed that Nada is the building block of the cosmos and that this energy brings everything together. This connection with sound means that Nada Yoga is often associated with music, harmony, chanting, and how these things can bring beings closer to oneness with the cosmos. Nada is also often used to bring focus to ones energy centers, or Chakra. The use of sound in this way can have a vibrant healing effect as well as psychological benefits. It is believed that there two types of music: internal and external. External, of course, being the music that we consume through our sense of sound. Internal music, however, consists of the vibrations within us. With a strong focus, one can hear their own inner music. Additionally, when the internal and external come into harmony, the effects are beautiful”~ http://www.aksharayoga.com
  
  Ram used his sitar to bring mesmerizing melodies to our ears as we were lulled into a state of meditation.
  
  What is a sitar?
  
  The sitar is a sophisticated large and stringed instrument which is thought to have developed to its current state around the 1500s. When I first saw it, I was amazed at how detailed it is with lotus flowers on some of the tuning pegs or Kunti. In fact, Ram informed us that the sitar was created to resemble the human spinal column. The 7 Kunti which are found at the top of the instrument are meant to represent the 7 chakras or energy centres believed to exist along the spinal plane in human beings. There are variations of the instrument but Ram’s has 24 frets just as the human spine has 24 veterbrae. I think the symbolism of this instrument is artful and fascinating. If a string is bent down gently as it is played, it will be in tune with lower notes. This allows for the notes to be rolled and it makes for some very entrancing sounds ~ perfect for Nada Yoga.
  
  In his meditation, Ram uses particular tones which he improvises each time he plays them to bring about focus and healing to particular chakras in his sessions. In our session we worked on three chakras. We began with the first one which is the root chakra or Muladhara. It’s location is at the perineum and it is visualized as a red lotus flower with 4 petals. The seed sound associated with this Chakra is LAM. We chanted the seed sound before Ram began playing his sitar. We were also shown a mudra or hand position associated with the root chakra and we held this mudra gently in our laps during our musical meditation. We had a different seed sound and mudra for each of the chakras that we focused on.
  
  ~Learning mudras~
  
  The next meditation was on the third chakra which is called Manipura or the solar plexus chakra. The seed sound for this one is RAM and the colour is fire yellow. It is visualized as a yellow lotus at the solar plexus with 10 petals. The final meditation was on the heart chakra or Anahata. The seed sound is YAM and the colour is emerald green. This time we were instructed to lay down on our mats with our heads pointed towards Ram and his sitar.
  
  At the end of the session, we were all in such a state of peaceful relaxation. I remember getting up and wishing I could just curl up again with the blanket I had over me and go to sleep, LoL. I enjoyed the whole evening so much and I really look forward to the next time Ram and Tania will lead us again. I will be there, maybe you should come too☺️
  
  ~ Me with Ram & The Sitar~
  
  Websites for these soulful human beings
  
  http://www.theyogamat.ca
  
  The Yoga Mat has teacher trainings, workshops and retreats for students and teachers alike. Tania and her sister Samantha grew up practicing and living yoga from a young age. With many years of experience, these beautiful human beings teach straight from the heart. Tania’s studio has a very welcoming atmosphere and you will find yourself at home while you learn her many offerings.
  
  http://www.aksharayoga.com
  
  Ram Vakkalanka is a travelling teacher and if you check out his website, you may find a workshop in your neighbourhood. I highly recommend going to one or more of his sessions as his wisdom will assist any serious yoga practitioner in learning more about yoga, the supporting philosophical texts and much more.
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  Posted in Event Reviews, Uncategorized | 21 Comments | Tagged chakra, chant, meditation, mudra, music, nadayoga, philosophy, sitar, yinyoga, Yoga
- Diet of a Yogi
  
  Posted at 12:37 am by Lisa K, on August 14, 2017
  What Influences Diet Choices for The Ashtanga Yoga Practitioner?
  
  This question is not just a matter of nutrition for the Ashtangi. Philisophical principles, interpretation and personal experience will influence diet as much as it does any other part of yoga. This post is not meant to say what is right or wrong, it is really just some food for thought☺️ Seriously though, I know that everyone makes food choices based on their own bodies and beliefs and I wholeheartedly respect those decisions when they are well informed.
  
  In Ashtanga, there are eight limbs that make up the basis of the practice. In the West, modern yoga is known best by Asana, which is the third limb and refers to the physical practice. This being only one of the eight, you can see that there are several other aspects to the practice of yoga that will deeply influence the life of any serious Ashtangi.
  
  The first limb is Yama. I have written an entire post on the Yamas. If you would like to learn more about all of them, please check out this post: https://mysocalledyogalifeblog.com/2017/05/29/3rd-edition-using-the-yoga-sutras-of-patanjali-to-enrich-life/
  
  For today, our main interest will focus on the first Yama called Ahimsa. This particular Yama means to cause no harm or pain. For many, when discussing a yogic diet, it has been interpreted as not harming animals by killing them for consumption. Killing an animal to eat it is viewed to be wrong.
  
  Vegetarians and Ahimsa
  
  What is a vegetarian? There are many forms of being vegetarian, but a true vegetarian does not consume eggs, meat or fish. Vegetarians do consume dairy products.
  
  In the world of yoga, it is most common to find people who are vegetarian. I have read that many yogis consume diary products, specifically in the form of ghee or clarified butter. How far one may wish to take this interpretation is individual, in my belief. What does it look like to go further with ahimsa and your diet? Well, since ahimsa also means to cause no pain, one may decide to be more strict with their diet and become vegan.
  
  Veganism
  
  Vegans do not consume meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. Basically, no animal products of any kind will be found in their diet. Generally speaking, the conventional dairy industry and their treatment of animals, is basically why vegans refuse dairy as well. Many vegans will extend their protest of animal cruelty by refraining from wearing leather or any other animal products. Some will only wear vegan make-up and use products not tested on animals.
  
  How Do You Be A Good Yogi?
  
  I think the ethical part of veganism is very noble but there are many factors that can make this lifestyle difficult for some. It isn’t really important how far you can go to respect Ahimsa in your life. If you are being mindful and making decisions that allow you to do your best, you are doing your part. Do your best. That’s it. I have, many times, beaten myself up because I made this choice or that, but at the end of the day, it has to fit into your life.
  
  I will give you an example to illustrate what I mean. When I became pregnant with my first child, I was vegan. With my pregnancy came several food aversions. I hated many of the foods that I relied upon for calcium and protein. There was really no messing around when I had a baby developing inside me so I began to eat some dairy and later on, eggs as well. These are not decisions that were easy for me to make but when it came down to my health, they were justified.
  
  It can also be difficult if you live in a family that is not supportive of your lifestyle choices. I have heard many silly things from people about being vegan, and if you are not strong and able to stick to your choices because of the opinions of those close to you, it is easy to become derailed. It is helpful to find a community of people who are also vegan and have similar views to yours so that you have some support.
  
  Another issue that may confront you is meeting the dietary needs of your immediate family. My personal example of this is my son. He has several food sensitivities to soy, rice, peas, wheat, peanuts, oats and a few other foods. To meet the requirements for a growing child, I find it far too difficult to maintain a vegetarian or vegan diet for him. With just small exposures to these foods, he gets eczema rashes on his body. When he first got the eczema, it was all over his whole body and it was red, itchy and very uncomfortable. Under the advice of a naturopath and some research, I was able to clear him completely. Without these foods, his skin is clear and wonderful. He eats meat. I feel no shame that he does, but I am responsible in where I buy the meat for him to eat.
  
  So you see, yoga philosophy is just that- philosophy. It does not mean that if you cannot practice it to the full extent, you are not doing yoga properly. It is a series of suggestions or a moral code by which we strive to be mindful of and act with awareness to observe it to the best of our abilities. I absolutely love to say ‘Do Your Best.’ Because there is really little else that you can do. It gives me peace of mind to remind myself that doing my best is good enough. My family is healthy, I am healthy and I am thoughtful in the decisions and choices that I make to maintain that. I feel that I am doing my part to be a good Yogi.
  
  So my advice to anyone asking these questions of themselves?
  
  Do Your Best
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  Posted in Uncategorized | 31 Comments | Tagged diet, inspiration, knowledge, life, lifestyle, mindful, philosophy, vegan, vegetarian, Yoga
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