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Juicing for Your Health.

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In this case it is actually, DRINK. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are one of the best things that you can put into your body. Fresh juices are a wonderful source of vitamins, minerals, live enzymes and phytochemicals. By juicing rather than eating you are giving your body all the life giving benefits of the plant without having to work so hard at digesting. Therefore, the results of juicing are felt almost immediately. It’s a great way to get an early morning burst of energy and a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. You might not be able to eat 6 carrots, an apple, a beet and some ginger for breakfast, but you can easily juice them. Already, you have knocked off the equivalent of 4 servings of fruits and vegetables in one easy to drink delicious glass. So why not just grab one of those new “all natural” juices in the easy travel plastic containers off the shelf? The major reason is that these juices are all pasteurized. While pasteurization may kill unwanted potential bacteria, it also kills everything else along with it. You are left with none of the vitamins minerals and enzymes that naturally occur in fruits and vegetables; you are left with sugar water. Do yourself and your body a favor invest in a juicer. Start incorporating just one juice a day. You will look better, feel better, and have more energy almost immediately. Happy juicing!

Red Sky at Night

6 carrots
1 apple
½ beet
1 inch knob of ginger

Juice together and drink immediately. If ginger is not your thing you can omit it. Yum!

Ted’s Green Juice

3 large leaves of Swiss chard or Spinach or Kale
1 cucumber
¼ lemon
A handful of parsley
1 apple (quartered, seeds removed)

Juice together, and then drink immediately.

Check out:

Amazon.com for a great selection of juicers at prices for every budget.

Dharma Mittra: Maha Sadhana. The Great Practice On DVD.

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When you can’t get to the guru, the guru has to come to you. We are fortunate that we can practice at home with Dharma Mittra with Maha Sadhana (The Great Practice) levels 1 and 2. These DVD’s are comprehensive. They include many options for Asana practice in both length and difficulty. There are wonderful lectures by Dharma, guided pranayama and meditation and a special asana workshop. There is no one quite like Dharma, his humility and deep love for the practice of yoga shine through the screen. I am not usually a fan of practicing yoga with a DVD but in this case, it is almost essential. It is as good as it gets without being in his presence.

To preview or purchase the dvd go to:

Pranamaya

http://www.pranamaya.com/products/dvds/mittra-ms1.html

Or purchase from:

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Dharma-Mittra-Maha-Sadhana-Level/dp/B001GXMU7Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1283702927&sr=1-1

Niyama Of Yoga: Santosha.

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Embrace the concept of Santosha, one of the Niyamas of Yoga.

It is the feeling of contentment with what we already have, in all aspects of our life. Focusing our energy on what we have rather than on what we are lacking. These things can be material like a new car or more conceptual like a better relationship with a family member. There will always be someone who has a bigger car, a more lavish house, the seemingly perfect relationship. These “things” are not our concern. We can take refuge in knowing that we already have all that we need. However, Santosha is not to be confused with complacency, it simply means that we are at peace with where we are right now. We can be content where we are while we are working toward something.

Be content, be grateful, and be truly happy.

Delicious Young Thai Coconuts.

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The young thai coconut is one of my favorite things to eat. In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning “tree which gives all that is necessary for living” Both the liquid and the meat inside are very different from a traditional brown skinned mature coconut. The liquid is almost clear with a faint scent of almonds and the meat can vary from thin and soft to a thicker meatier texture. Coconut meat is an excellent source of medium chain fatty acids, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fresh coconut water contains lauric acid, b vitamins, potassium, and electrolytes. Eating a coconut can prevent heart disease and lower cholesterol. It can instantly rejuvenate you when you are feeling dehydrated.

Where to find them? That can be the tricky part. If you live in a city you are in luck as they are readily available in any Asian market. Whole Foods and Fresh Direct are now carrying Young Thai Coconuts every day in the produce section. Most major grocery stores can order them for you if you ask. You can also order on line, but the shipping cost due to the weight of the coconuts makes ordering this way extremely expensive.

Do something wonderful for your health, drink fresh, delicious coconut water. Use the meat in smoothies instead of dairy or soy for a rich creamy consistency. Seek them out, it is worth the effort. Happy coconut hunting!

Jai Uttal and Masood Ali Khan. Great Music for Yoga Practice.

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Sometimes practicing in silence is just perfect. Sometimes you want a little music. A little inspiration. A little elevation. It is difficult to pick a favorite, so I won’t. I will just say that the following CD’s are favorites of this moment, in heavy rotation in and out of the studio. Music has the ability to transform and inform. The vibration of these songs, these chants, these musicians is pure and powerful.

Masood Ali Khan The Yoga Sessions

“With his heart in a pure place of Bhakti, Masood composes and performs his music with the greater intention of helping humanity. He creates storytelling compositions with captivating melodies to inspire the spiritual being within the human. This record features Masood’s mastery of the enchanting new percussive instrument, the Hang (pronounced “Hung”). The Hang looks like a flying saucer, and indeed sounds like it is from another solar system. With its ethereal resonating overtones and a harmonic minor scale it is an instrument of relaxation, joy and hope.

Combining the power of the heart and mind’s healing potential for humanity, Masood’s Hang becomes a medium, transferring positive intentions within the sound vibrations of the recordings. The listener senses this and feelings of love, creativity, passion and compassion come alive within them.”

For a listen go to: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bhakti-gita/id322480810?i=322481019&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach Music for Yoga and Other Joys

“Jai Uttal, a veteran of world fusion going back 15 years and a devotee of kirtan singing teaming up with multi-instrumentalist Ben Leinbach for a series of extended improvisations. Leinbach creates a shifting back drop of chilled, Indian-derived grooves and textures like liquid mercury dipped in a fractal swirl. It’s a perfect modal backdrop for Uttal, who improvises freely on an Indian stringed instrument called the dotar, electric guitar, and even banjo. Pieces like the 26-minute “Govinda” extend in a free fall until a rhythm loop drops in. Uttal swaps to a fuzzed out electric guitar solo that eventually merges into an improvised kirtan, his voice coiling in note-bending spirals like soul singing from the east. This may be music for yoga, but it’s the other joys that will keep you coming back.”

For a listen go to: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/surya/id41446322?i=41446320&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Dharma Mittra and the Dharma Yoga Center.

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There really aren’t words sufficient to describe Dharma Mittra. He is more than a teacher, he is an example. He is the real deal. He is “yoga”. In an era where yoga has become a business, Dharma quietly teaches and practices with the humility of the new kid on the block. The only difference is that he has been teaching in New York since 1967. One of the first classical yoga teachers in New York City, Dharma has been inspiring students for more than 40 years. He can still be found Monday through Thursday at noon teaching his Master Class. There is nothing quite like being in the presence of Dharma, with the look of an eye or the touch of a finger he has the ability to bring you into a pose you never thought possible. His kindness and love for all beings is what yoga is all about. Expand your practice. Expand your heart. Expand your consciousness. “Be receptive.”

To learn more about Dharma Mittra and The Dharma Yoga Center go to: http://www.dharmayogacenter.com/welcome.php

Practice. Eat. Live. All Things Yoga.

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Welcome.

Welcome to Ahum.

A weekly blog where we will discuss all things yoga. On the mat and off the mat. Here you will meet great teachers or discover a new pose. Find recipes for yummy nourishing food. Discover the perfect pair of yoga pants or an excellent new book.

Thank you for joining me. I look forward to our travels along the path and welcome your feedback.

Namaste.

(The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. “Nama” means bow, “as” means I, and “te” means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means “bow me you” or “I bow to you.” —Aadil Palkhivala

PRACTICE

“Practice and all is coming.” —Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

EAT.

“Relate to your food so that you can relate to each other.”—Eddie Robinson

LIVE.

“Dance as though no one is watching you, love as though you have never been hurt before, sing as though no one can hear you, live as though heaven is on earth.” —Souza