Swimming is Similar to Yoga? Breathing, Meditation and Relaxation in the Pool.

Swimming is my first big love. I used to train in a big team when I was younger for many hours every day, I was actually living most part of my life in or around a pool.  As life’s responsibilities grew more and more I had to quit since there was no way I would find so many hours to train daily. That is how I kissed my big dreams to enter the Open Sea category and participate in international events goodbye.

Well, this year I decided that since I won’t be running during winter time I should find a pool and go for  a swim 3-4 times per week. And I did. Going back after all these years was great but at the same time felt so different. 

New Food Blog

That's a really quick note to inform you that I have decided to move all my food related posts to a different blog since it seems I will be doing a lot of experiments with cooking and trying out a more vegetarian way of eating. I will keep the once-in-a-week-meat plan I have right now till I feel ready to drop meat and fish 100% and I will be publishing recipes and articles on the other blog. Any suggestions and recommendation are more than welcome.
The link to the food blog is Eat, Love, Yoga. See you there as well!

Yogic Kitchen: Nutritious Vegetarian Diet for Yoga Practicioners

The yogic diet is mainly vegetarian, with a small amount of dairy products, namely milk, yogurt and cheese.  Based on fresh and organic plant foods as much as possible, avoiding preservatives and chemical additives. What are the benefits of such a diet? What do we gain by including the combination "rice, sabji, dhal" in our daily eating habits? 

The dhals are legume dishes (usually beans, red lentils etc) cooked with a specific combination of spices (basis) which assist and accelerate our digestive process.

The sabjis are vegetable dishes, cooked also on the same basis spices.  The vegetables used should be mainly seasonal since they are the fresher, cheaper and easier to find. 

Acceptance is the Beauty of Yoga.

I love Fridays. Although I am really worn out from the whole week that has just passed, the evening led class is such a wonderful way to end the week. The effort I need to put in my practice is greater than any other day due to physical tiredness but the energy in the shala is lifting everybody up. 

So, last Friday we had another full primary series led class at the studio. It was probably the most demanding one I had so far since all the week was crazy. Christmas holidays are just around the corner and the daily work load has increased dramatically. To be completely honest, when I left the office I was really thinking to drop the class and just go home to rest. I had a debate with myself, one part of me was trying to get me home and the other one was convincing me to go to the studio which I fortunately did.

Switching to a Vegetarian Diet?

All my life my diet has been Mediterranean style with a little more meat (well I live in Greece, duh?) and I never ever intended to change it. I really like it. Or should I say liked it? If someone told me that I would stop eating meat I would definitely laugh at their face. No way, you can’t say that to a meat lover! Until recently, a common week would consist of 3-4 days of meat, 1-2 days of fish and 1-2 days legumes. All meals include plenty of vegetables and olive oils, fruits are part of the plan too. Then a few times per week there are eggs, dairy, pasta or rice.

30-hour Yoga Asana Immersion.

Photo from here.

Lately I have taken some private lessons with my teacher as I am really concerned on learning more about yoga philosophy and history while deepening my asana knowledge: what is the correct alignment for each asana, which muscles are active during each posture, what are the benefits if done correctly, what are the risks if done incorrectly, what modifications can be applied for different needs etc. Although I am not new in yoga and most of the primary series asanas are more than familiar to me, I didn't have a teacher that could provide this kind of  information to me in the past. My teacher not only helped me with all the above but also gave me directions on further book reading and even gave me some of his own material that he used in previous workshops.  

Easy Sun Salutations. Beginners' Tips for Suryanamaskar A & B

Sun Salutation A.
Photo from here.

Sun Salutations can be difficult when you are a beginner but there are some tips my amazing teacher has shared with me that have been valuable to me and helped a lot. It's fun how sometimes just a small tiny modification can make things easier.
As my teacher always says in each and every practice "You must not suffer when practicing Ashtanga. You must feel that your body is working but not too much, you do not want to make your life harder than it already is, you want to make it easier and better. So bring your intelligence in the classroom and modify whatever asana you need to or rest in child's pose whenever appropriate".

Yes! You Can Make A Difference! The Inspiring Story of Lou Xiaoying.

During a conversation a colleague asked me "How can I make a difference when I am just one person?" A numerous examples came to my mind but the one I chose to reply with was the story of Lou Xiaoying which came to the surface somewhere in the middle of the summer. I happened to re-read it a few days ago and although I was familiar with the story, tears filled my eyes.

For those who may not know, infanticide and infant abandonment is very common in China due to the harsh policy that allows only one child per urban family. Poverty and political pressure force the Chinese to abandon and even infanticide babies, especially if their first child is a girl since they think a boy would financially assist better the family when it grows up, something that is believed to be the main cause of China’s gender imbalance. There are every day incidents of forced abortions, infanticide and baby abandonment in dumpsters. There are hundreds of articles and shocking photos on the web and I could go on but my point is not to make you feel angry or ashamed for the mankind. 

The Saviors of God: Spiritual Exercises by N. Kazantzakis E-Book

Writer, philosopher, traveller of the world, banned by the Vatican and condemned by the Greek Orthodox church, Nikolaos Kazantzakis is one of the most important and spiritually restless Greek writers of all times. Very influenced by Homer, Dante, Henri Bergson, Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche, he has written more than 50 books while his work has been translated in more than 40 languages. He travelled around the world, countries including France, Russia, England, Japan, China, Spain, Germany, Italy and spent prolonged periods in some of them, has even written numerous books about his travels.

Progress Requires Courage, Faith And Sacrifice.

“To reach a port we must set sail –
Sail, not tie at anchor
Sail, not drift.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

This is the quote that came to my mind a few days ago when, after having finished our Ashtanga yoga practice with relaxation in savasana, our teacher asked us to sit in a comfortable position and close our eyes guiding us through a visualization exercise which was something like this (me paraphrasing): "You are on a sailing boat at the dock, ready set sail. Straight in front you lies an exotic island where you have never been before. The scenery is so beautiful and the mystery of the undiscovered place feels you with a strong urge to get there so you prepare the sails and turn the engine on. The boat starts moving forward but a few seconds later won't go any further. You look back and realize that you have not untied the rope from the dock. At the moment you look back you are filled with hesitation. You love the place you are right now, you have explored it and know it well, you feel comfortable and safe there. Then you look ahead at the undiscovered island’s direction again. It seems so beautiful and you want to explore it. You have no idea what you will encounter there but you know that for a long time you will not feel as secure as you do in the place you are now. The decision is yours to make." In my visualization I cut the rope and set sail filled with joy. And when I get there what I discover is more beautiful and thrilling than what I have left behind.