Organic Gold Coast Farmers Market – The freshest of the fresh

No one will argue that regular exercise, relaxation and a healthy diet will hep you to lead a more balanced life. Just as our cars need regular grease and oil changes and tune ups, so do our bodies. When buying products to maintain our cars, we ensure that we are buying the best for our money. Our most valuable possession, our bodies, also need such diligent care.

We are seeing an increasing amount of individuals and families switching to an organic diet due to the huge benefits, environmentally and physically. Buying from local farmers is another way to ensure that you and your family are guaranteed fresh and high quality produce.

Each Sunday, in Miami, The Organic Gold Coast Farmers Markets supplies many people on the Coast their fruit, veg, grains, breads, skincare, teas (you name it, the list goes on) for the week. A social highlight of the week for many, it is an opportunity to shop, eat, make friends and chill out. I have discovered veggies and herbs such as daikon radish, dill, dandelion greens and kale which I never knew existed.

Thanks to the committed growers and distributors that continually strive to offer the Gold Coast fresh, tasty and affordable organics.

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Yoga Aid Challenge

Join the Yoga Aid Challenge and raise money for the Save The Children charity. 108 sun salutes in 2 hours.

22 October 2008

Namaste! Join us as the sun rises on the 22nd of October for the 2nd Australian Yoga Aid Challenge. The Australian School of Meditation and Yoga team will join with other yoga schools on the Gold Coast to complete 108 sun salutes in 2 hours to raise money for local charities. You can participate by joining the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga Yoga Aid Challenge team or by contributing financially – even a tiny amount is appreciated, because everything helps. We are raising money for Save the Children Australia who work with children at risk to reach their potential through education, health and child protection programs in Australia and around the world.

To support our challenge by donating to Save the Children Australia:

Log on to: Yoga Aid Challenge Click on: Donate Now and follow the prompts.

To join the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga Yoga Aid Challenge Team:

Click here: Yoga Aid Challenge And then click on: Join this Team and follow the prompts.

And then join us on the big day!

Date: Wednesday 22 October, 2008

Time: be there 5:45 am to start at 6:00 am – concludes 8:15 am

Where: Queen Elizabeth Park, Marine Pde, Coolangatta

Bring: Yoga mat, drinking water, workout clothes, sunscreen, plenty of energy, a joyful heart.

Info: gold-coast@asm.org.au (07) 5554 5440

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Spring clean from the east

For many of us Gold Coasters, spring marks the end of the dreaded winter season and the beginning of fun in the sun. Outdoors, sunshine, magnificent scented flowers, beaches, picnics – these all go hand in hand with spring. But then so does hay fever, allergies, sniffles and sneezing. Find some relief this spring through the ancient principles of Yoga and Ayurveda.

1. Spring back with yoga

According to the science of Ayurveda, allergies are aggravated by a build up of toxins in your body. By gently stretching, twisting and massaging, yoga poses help to successfully remove built up toxins and wastes from your internal organs. After a yoga session you are less likely to crave the heavy, oily foods that dampen your immune response. Instead you will crave the wholesome and nourishing foods that revitalise the body.

Spring Yoga Pose – The Fish Pose
2. Try Neti

How’s that wonderful feeling in your sinuses when you dive under the waves! You can get that feeling every time you do neti – fresh and clear.
Neti is a nasal wash with warm, salty water. Its main benefit is in the prevention of respiratory disorders like colds, flu, sinusitis and allergies. However, it is also said to be helpful in treating various disorders – like glue ear, myopia, inflamed adenoids, nervous tics, muscular tension in the face, migraines, and even epilepsy.



3. Treat yourself to some rest and fun

Stress dampens our immune response, making our bodies more vulnerable to the allergies and hay fever of spring. Get plenty of rest, relaxation and meditation to protect the health of your immune system. Twenty minutes of Yoga Nidra is more rejuvenating than four hours of sleep. Or is can be as simple as slowing down. Give yourself the time to enjoy doing the activities that you like. With the sun out in the bright blue sky it is the perfect time of the year for a picnic, bushwalk, surf or hit of tennis. Balance the stress and responsibility of your everyday life with fun times spent with family and friends.

4. Spice up this spring

According to Ayurveda, spices are useful to counterbalance the side effects of spring. Ginger is famous for its warming qualities which improve digestion and burn up toxins. In a previous post I shared a great chai tea recipe that necessitates (for me anyway) a generous serving of ginger. Even herbal tea or hot water with a squeeze of lemon or lime will warm and nourish your body.
Other spices such as cumin, turmeric, coriander and fennel help promote and maintain heat in the body. You can experiment using these spices in your cooking, many of which a tasty Indian dish would call for. Turmeric is known to reduce inflammation associated with allergies. Taken as a supplement or in your food it can help to ease away the discomforts of the spring season.


Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Simply Delicious Curried Lentil Pie

This is my favourite recipe at the moment, so I thought that I would share it with you. It is delicious and quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

2 sheets of short crust pastry

2 400gm cans of brown lentils, drained or 3 cups of cooked lentils

1 Tbsp of olive oil

½ cup finely chopped onion or ½ tsp asafoetida

2-3 tsp curry powder

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp cumin, ground

1 tsp basil

2 tsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

¼ cup coconut

1/3 cup sultanas or raisins

3 Tbsp cornflour

1/3 cup water

Method

1. Place one sheet of pastry into a greased pie dish.
2. Heat the oil and fry the onion, curry powder, turmeric and cumin.
3. Add lentils, basil, light soy sauce, sugar, coconut and sultanas.
4. Mix water and cornflour together and add to lentil mixture and continue stirring until it thickens.
5. Put the mixture in the pie shell.
6. Place pastry over the filling.
7. Crimp the edges and pierce the top.
8. Back at 180 degrees C for approx. 30 minutes or until golden.

Lentils are an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of iron, high in fibre and low in fat.

Lentils do not need to be soaked over night, but any soaking time cuts down the amount of time needed to cook. Canned lentils are very convenient and need to be drained and rinsed before using.

This recipe can easily be frozen into single size portions and then cooked when required.

Asafoetida or Hing can be found in Asian spice shops. It can be used sparingly on fried tofu, patties, burgers, veggie dishes and beans. It is often used as a substitute for onion.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I have.

Visit our website to discover many more delicious and easy vegetarian meals.

Happy cooking,

Amara

Instructor

Let's eat to our bodies good health

For thousands of years yoga practitioners have recognised how their food choices have an effect on how far they are able to stretch, twist and focus.

As a yoga practitioner I have experienced how eating a healthy, well balanced vegetarian diet can be simple, invigorating and tasty. When I first starting eating more vegetarian meals I was surprisingly impressed by their flavour and simplicity. I felt full sooner, and a real, nourished full. Not bloated or as though I had overeaten. Over the last ten years I have been exploring a plant based diet and the array of endless ingredients that you can add to dishes.

If you are thinking of adding more vegetarian meals to your diet or cutting out animal products all together there are many good resources that can assist you in your quest. A well thought out vegetarian diet brings life to your body, literally. In your asana practice you will feel lighter and more limber. You’ll experience how your mind is more alert and attentive. And spiritually you will feel yoga qualities like respect, compassion and empathy growing inside of you.

“Until mankind can extend the circle of his compassion to include all living things, he will never, himself know peace.”

Albert Schweitzer

Let’s eat to our body’s good health.

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Join us in celebrating Australia’s second National Vegetarian Week

The 29 September is a day to mark on your calendar. This is when The National Vegetarian Week begins. From the 29 September to 5 October vegetarians across the country will be enjoying and promoting a healthy plant based diet. You can contact your local vegetarian society to discover a range of community events that will be held in your local area or you can visit The National Vegetarian Week forum. Around the country many will be sharing tried and true favourite plant based recipes that can be easily whipped up at home.

We would like to invite you and your family along to our Sunday Spiritual Gathering - the ideal balance of food for the soul and for the body. Each Sunday is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a fantastic vegetarian meal and make new friends. The Australian School of Meditation and Yoga volunteer chefs whip up a legendary vegetarian feast which leaves no one hungry. With no cooking or cleaning, this is the perfect way to finish or begin the week.

National Vegetarian Week

Australian Vegetarian Society

Vegan Society of NSW

The Vegetarian/Vegan Society of QLD

Vegetarian Network Victoria

ACT Vegetarian Society

The Vegetarian Society of South Australia Inc.

Join us on Sunday 5 October and you will be surprised just how flavoursome a plant based diet can be!

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

15 essentials of Hatha Yoga

Reading through some of my yoga notes, I came across some helpful hints written by one of my yoga teachers. It made me appreciate more the beauty of yoga, how it is so personal and well adaptable to every body. That is one of the things that I truly do love about yoga, that it really is for everyone. I hope that you find these tips as helpful as I have when practicing at home or at a class.

1. Allow yourself time to chill out and relax before a class. If you are attending a class at a studio allow yourself enough time to get there. If you arrive stressed out because you had to speed the whole way there you will need the whole class to calm back down. Instead leave 5 or 10 minutes early, enough time to drive there relaxed, not running every orange light, so that you can really benefit the deeply relaxing effects of the class. Then you won’t have to spend the whole class undoing all the stress you had put yourself through to get there on time.
2. Enjoy your yoga session. There is no rush. Take time between each pose to feel the sensations in your body. Feel, for example, how your back is warm after a twist, you have just squeezed extra blood flow to all the muscles in your back.
3. Don’t forget to ………. Breathe. How many of us forget to breathe until the instructor says ‘now count five more deep breaths’ or ‘make sure you are breathing deep into your abdomen’. Once you get into a pose, work on your breath. Give each stretch at least five good breaths.
4. In a class if you finish a pose early, try not to get distracted by the chatter of your mind. Instead just rest and enjoy focussing on your breathing.
5. In between each pose, rest and focus on the breath. Give your body this important time to recover from the work that it has just done. Feel your body assimilating all the hard work. Don’t rest too long though, your body will cool down.
6. Yoga is non competitive. Often after engaging in competitive sports most of our lives we bring a competitive attitude to our yoga asana practice. When we begin to compete in a yoga class we are losing the bodily awareness that we are trying to cultivate. So next time you find yourself comparing yourself with the person on the next mat, how far they are lunging or how you are so much more flexible than them in the Camel Pose, draw your awareness back to your own practice. This way you will get more from the class. You will be less likely to overstretch and injure your muscles. You can work with your breath more, moving deeper into the poses. Nothing is gained by comparing yourself to others. Yoga asana practice helps us to develop humility, patience, tolerance and respect.
7. Just stick at a level that suits you. Don’t feel pressured to move into a pose that you feel uncomfortable in. Instead gradually and safely lengthen and tone your muscles.
8. Keep your mind engaged. Use your mind in your practice. Instead of thinking about what you want for breakfast when you finish or how much work you have to do, just lend yourself this time and relax. Keep you mind focussed on your breath, the sensations in your body, your alignment and relaxing.
9. You can try counting your breath to stay focused. Remember to hold each pose for at least five deep breaths. So in your mind you can count each breath. If you are familiar with the poses, don’t let your mind wander. Even experienced practitioners can count the breath.
10. In each pose, no matter how basic, work on complete yoga breathing. I love this saying and try to remember it in my own practice and remind my students each class, ‘deep breathing and space creation’. Complete yoga breathing encourages your body to relax more into each pose. The more that you can deep breathe the more you will get from the class.
11. Take five minutes to rest for every half an hour of yoga that you practice. The Corpse Pose, one of the hardest poses of all. Our bodies need this time to assimilate all the work that they have just done. You may feel a little frazzlled if you get straight from you mat and back to your everyday duties. Often what stops us from relaxing is our mind. You can practice some pranay ama breathing or Gauranga Breathing Meditation to finish you session. This gives the mind something to focus on so that you don’t fall asleep or get easily distracted. Twenty minutes of meditation and relaxation is more rejuvenating that four hours of sleep.

    

12. If you are just beginning your yoga journey, you probably have experienced that there is a lot to focus on at once. Just focus on your alignment and practicing safely. Breathe normally and frequently. With practice you will be able to breathe deeper and in time with your body.
13. When working with your breath allow it to radiate throughout your entire body. Breathe through your Tantien (the area below your navel) and on the inhalation feel your entire body opening up and the feel the exhalation relaxing your muscles. Keep your abdomen soft and breath slow and deep.
14. In yoga we breathe in and out through the nose. A few reasons for this is that nostril breathing cleanses the air before it enters the lungs and breathing out through the nostrils slows the exhalation with helps us to feel more relaxed.
15. The general rule for each pose is relax and breathe. Relax the parts of your body that you are not using. Try not to block areas of your body with tension. Keep your body open and long. Monitor that you are relaxing your face, neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees and feet.
    

Even after practicing yoga for more that 8 years I often forget many of these. It is wonderful to have an instructor who has an appreciation for these basic essential of hatha yoga and can remind you when she or he sees you not breathing or tensing your shoulders. Develop your own bodily awareness in conjunction with this so in your own home practice you have a sense of how you are carrying your body. I hope that you can integrate these tips into ones you already use in your practice.

Each Sunday, The Australian School of Meditation and Yoga runs ‘An Introduction to Yoga’ session at Burleigh Heads. Margaret, our head yoga instructor introduces participants to yoga in a very down to earth, easy to follow manner that will give you a very solid yoga foundation. Perfect for beginners or more advanced practitioners. Everybody is welcome.

Enjoy your asanas,

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga