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nilambu notes Vol. 4 Issue 3 (November 2007)
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Free Holiday Yoga Classes
This month, nilambu yoga is offering free classes in gratitude to my clients for their patience during this time of mourning and recovery. In the spirit of the season, I'll be offering classes to alleviate the noise and stress of these dark winter weeks. Such quietness is hard to achieve amid contemporary
commercial
clutter. Traditionally, these weeks before the holidays are a time of watchful preparation, calm and quiet as well as a time of heightened awareness that dovetails well with yoga's year-round goals.
The following classes will be offered. Each will have a physical focus and a
philosophical
focus and, of course, all will start with
- a guided meditation to transition away from our busy lives and into our class (see below)
- sun
salutations
as we should worship what little we have this time of year!;
and
- standing postures to provide a foundation and prepare the body for twisting, balancing, sitting or backbending.
I will teach as few as one person or as many as four. Current clientele will be given priority. Email me to reserve your place. I look forward to seeing you.
Monday December 3rd
5:30 - 6:45 pm
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Tuesday December 4th
5:15 - 6:30 pm
Thursday, December 6th
1:30 - 2:45 pm
Monday, December 10th
5:30 - 6:45 pm
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Tuesday, December 11th 1:30 - 2:45 pm
5:15 - 6:30 pm
Ginger Clove Tea Can Warm You and Your Home
This tea is a favorite of mine, and more days than not, I've got it brewing on the stove. The first few sips can be strong. The ginger is an anti-inflammatory and can sooth stomach ails too. The recipe is an adaptation from the Ginger Tea I drank at my first yoga retreat at Parrot Cay. And I drank it constantly. For more on the benefits of ginger, click here. And my home always smells wonderful, too.
Here’s how I make it –
Ingredients:
A large piece of ginger root (a little larger than the size of your hand)
5 or 6 whole cloves
A gallon of water
2 limes
Honey (optional)
Instructions:
First, wash the ginger root. Don’t peel it. It's difficult to do and not really necessary. I dice up the ginger into about half inch pieces (about the size of a pinky nail) and put them in a pot with the water and the cloves. Sometimes as I'm dicing the ginger I find some more dirt in the , and I just rinse the piece off again. Then simmer and reduce the liquid until the brew is a nice caramel color. After you make it a few times, you’ll figure out what shade provides the strength of flavor you prefer. Adjust the amount of liquid or ginger accordingly. Sometimes I add more water when I’ve left it too long on the stove and start the reduction again (but by then my home smells wonderful).
To serve, I either use a French Press to filter out the ginger pieces and cloves, or I scoop out the liquid, avoiding the ginger, directly into a mug. I add the juice of one half lime per mug. You can add honey to taste. I used to add the honey, but I don’t any longer. Agave syrup or maple syrup is fine to use as a
sweetener
if you prefer as well.
And voila! A winter drink that’s healthy and yummy.
Give the Gift of Yoga
This year, give the gift of yoga to someone you love. Sometimes, a free lesson is all one needs to get started and hooked. Do you know someone who might benefit from yoga?
And flexibility is NOT a prerequisite! I often hear that one "can't" do yoga because he is not flexible. (It's mostly guys I hear this from.) In fact, some who are flexible need yoga to build strength; others who are strong need yoga to promote flexibility. It's all about balance. And well, most people can benefit from the awareness that yoga brings. Special holiday rates for gift certificates or first time customers are now available...And current clients can give a gift to themselves
too!
Just check out the rates and contact me to order. Note that these gift certificates will NOT expire (unless I move, which is not foreseen), and will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time as soon as requested. You can also sign up a friend for nilambu notes, this e-newsletter, by filling out the box above.
6 Ways Yoga Can Relieve Seasonal Stress
- Stop and breathe. Simply taking a moment to consciously breathe can alter your nervous system. Try to breath into your belly which will help to release the diaphragm. You can do this any time any where any time during the holiday season when you are feeling tense or anxious. (The hard part is often remembering to do it!). Here are six common breathing mistakes and how to spot habits that aren't maximizing the benefits of the 'life force' - oxygen in the body.
- Enter the yoga pose called "Instant Maui" This marvelous creation is Judith Lasater's - the preeminent restorative yoga teacher in the US. You lie on the floor on your back and place your calves on the seat of a chair. You may need to raise the level of the chair if your calves are not
parallel
to the floor. You can do this with blankets or towels. The thighs should be perpendicular to the floor so that you have 90% angles at your hips and knees. You can place a blanket or soft pillow under your head and, if you have one, a sandbag over your shins. And a blanket over all of you. The restorative pose got its moniker because it "instantly transports you to Maui." Well, it does feel pretty good.
- Listen to music. I'd avoid the carols that pervade the stores and go for something different, different melodies that will catch your attention. Classical or opera can alter your brain waves (See Oliver Saks terrific new book, Musicophilia :Tales of Music and the Brain). Really listen to the music and don't just play music as background noise. Be mindful and try to limit the multitasking. See if you notice your breath altering to match the rhythm of the music. (This is why you might want to try calmer music).
- Put your legs up the wall. This yoga pose, also known as Vaparita Karani, is terrific to do after shopping. The action of inverting
 the legs improves the circulation. Don't worry if you're hamstrings are too tight that you can't get your butt to the wall. Just move your butt away from the wall. Also, if you don't have a yoga bolster, you can use stacked towels or even have the whole torso flat on the floor and still benefit from the pose. Yoga Journal offers a picture and complete instructions.
- Enjoy a guided meditation. At busy times like these, meditation can be challenging as lists of things to do dance as rambunctiously as sugar-plums in a child's head on the night before Christmas. One solution is to try a guided meditation which can help you keep your focus. Here's a whole page of free guided meditation that range from five mintues to an hour and guided by Tara Brach of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.
- Place a roll under your upper back. This is a modification of savasana or corpse pose, which you can read about here. The roll (which can be a blanket or a towel) goes under your back at the base of your scapula. The purpose is to counteract the forward curvature of the upper back and to open the front torso for the breath to move freely in and out of the body. The diameter of the roll depends on what you can tolerate. If the pain of unfolding your back muscles is too intense, try a smaller roll.
nilambu Yoga Suggests Books and Treats for Holiday Gifts
In nilambu's product gallery, I recommend and annotate the best yoga books available. You can choose from the rich history and literature of yoga, beautiful yoga books for your (or another's) coffee table, yoga living, healing and meditation and last but NOT LEAST - technique.
Check it out for some gift ideas or subscribe a friend to the e-newsletter above or forward this nilambu notes to a friend as a not-so-subtle hint!
Explore the nilambu product gallery...
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