Coming Back To Life Through Yoga

It’s absurd (in my humble opinion) to think that when one experiences physical trauma, there would not coincidently be emotional levels to resolve. 

In the last three weeks since my car accident, while my body has been diligently working on healing, I hadn’t felt the need for much emotional release. 

While I have been conceptually thankful to escape an accident with such minor injuries, I can’t say I’ve experienced an emotional overwhelming sense of gratitude. Until today.

This morning I was back to practicing yoga in a class setting. Every movement and each pose carried my body through the experience of being alive. Living was no longer a concept but a feeling. Life force in those moments translated into happiness and it was engulfing me from both inside and out. 

Catharsis came in a twist following my deep backbend, a heart opening pose that I have physically not been able to access in these past few weeks. 

The tears started flowing and through the vibration of the quivering body, a huge surge of tension found its way out of the system. 

When I was a kid I felt weaker for crying and as an adult I’ve learned not only the strength of tears but their necessity. We are all vibrational beings; a good cry or a good laugh are the response of a vibrational process. Preventing that vibration by 'holding on' creates accumulated tension, hence creating dis-ease.  

Swami Kripalu called crying “one of the highest devotional songs. If you can cry with a pure heart, nothing else compares to such a prayer.”

The practice of yoga has taught me (perhaps above all) how to feel alive. 

Aligning With The Summer Season

Summer is nature’s season of growth and maturity with an abundance of fruits and vegetables ripening in the sun. Nature’s energy is effervescent, making it the season for us to engage in outdoor recreation and soak up solar power. We must learn to flow with the rhythms of the seasons. Otherwise tension is created and disease can be born. 

Since summer is more hot and active, we need a diet that is more cool and light. It is no coincidence that nature provides us with an abundance of locally grown fruits and vegetables. A diet of primarily raw fruits and vegetables (ideally organic) will help us feel lighter, aid in weight loss and keep our energy strong. Enjoy multicolored salads and vegetables, fresh fruits and juices, some seeds, nuts, and grains, and fewer dairy and meat products. 

If you are feeling sluggish or low energy during summer, your meals might be too heavy for this time of year. You might be choosing too many foods of density or perhaps eating too many heavy foods at night. Try having your heaviest meal in the middle to late afternoon to provide better digestion and more restful night’s sleep.

Summer is not the time to overburden the liver, the main detoxifier of the body, with fried foods, processed and chemical foods, alcohol, or too much caffeine. 

While barbeques might take a center role in our social gatherings this time of year, they do not have to reflect in abuse to the body. Offer to bring a big salad or some home made guacamole to be sure you have something nourishing to eat. You can create a more conscious and meaningful experience by enjoying friend’s company when you are not channeling your energy through too much beer or excessive amounts of hotdogs or chips. If you are reliant on alcohol to enhance your feeling of connection or pleasure, you are affirming the disconnect with every sip. 

Balancing The Fire Element in You: 

In Chinese medicine, the summer is governed by the fire element. As individuals, we are all different in the way that we are governed by the different elements. 

People with increased fire may be hot types, full of energy, with red complexions, usually very busy, love to talk and socialize, and may find it hard to slow down or connect to feelings. With summer heat adding to their already excessive fire, a cooling diet of primarily fruits, vegetables, fresh juices and water will be most balancing. 

For people with a weak fire, a more warming and cooked food diet will be beneficial. Spices like cayenne, ginger, or curry will add some fire as well as heat building whole grains such as buckwheat and millet. 

One of the tools to assess the state of the fire element in your body is by looking at your tongue. The tongue should be moist and pink. If it is red, the heart energy might be too strong. If the tongue is pale, it may be a sign of weakness in circulation of oxygen and nutrients via the bloodstream. A coated tongue usually indicates poor digestive functioning.   

Summer is a time to recharge the batteries with solar power. Drinking water should be a primary focus and keep the body loose through movement and stretching. 

This is a time to shine from the inside out.

Summer Cleanser and Sweet Treat Recipes

Post Party Liver Flush

Overdid it at a party last night? Start your day with the following recipe on an empty stomach:

1-2 lemons squeezed

1 Tbs cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced (may substitute with ginger)

4 ounces of warm water

Blend and drink. 

After drinking, wait a short while and then enjoy a cup of herbal tea of fennel seeds, fenugreek or peppermint. You can eat breakfast half an hour after the tea. 

'Chunky Monkey' Ice Cream (serves 2)

4 bananas

2 tsp vanilla

handful of walnut peaces

4-5 pieces of dark chocolate squares (or preferably 1 Tbs of raw coco nibs)

optional: 1 Tbs maple syrup.

Preparation: peel and cut bananas into chunks, spreading chunks on a plate (or parchment paper) and freezing with some space between each piece. (Once frozen, they can be piled in a container in the freezer.) 

Blend the frozen bananas until creamy with the vanilla. Add in the nuts and chocolate. Top with sweetener if needed. 

Variations: Blend with cocoa powder/ Blend with cinnamon/ Switch nuts and chocolate for berries.

Mango Pudding (serves 2)

3 ripe mangos

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup berries + extra to top

Mix in food processor (add enough coconut to make mixture thick). Place in small cups, sprinkle berries and/or coconut flakes on top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and serve.