It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Or is it? I don’t know.

 

I always loved the atmosphere during Christmas Holidays and I do not mean religious-wise. I love the scent of burning wood, the ornaments on the Christmas trees, the smell of Christmas goodies baking, the Christmas lights and music on the street, the presents, the family and friends gatherings. I was always looking forward to all the small luxuries I could indulge in during these holidays: small trips in the country, going for skiing or ice skating, visiting hip clubs and bars, drinking champagne, eating a bit more, working a bit less and the list goes on. You get the picture.

How to Make your own Zafu Meditation Cushion.

Having my upcoming Vipassana Meditation Retreat in mind I decided I would invest in a meditation pillow. I will have to sit formore than 10 hours each day and it will definitely come handy after I come back from the retreat. However, after researching I found out that a zafu pillow costs anywhere between 40-60 euros, an amount of money that seems a bit too much to me. Being good with crafts since I was a little girl, I thought I should search for a tutorial and make my own pillow. And then I came across this article here:

"The following information was originally published by the Zen Center of Los Angeles and was found in one of their fine books, entitled “To Forget the Self: An Illustrated Guide to Zen Meditation” by John Daishin Buksbazen. Unfortunately, this book is now out of print. It is gratefully presented here as a help for those getting started on their own. 

SUGGESTED FABRIC
A sturdy material such as a cotton/polyester blend

SUGGESTED FILLING
Kapok fiber, although buckwheat hulls can be used for those who prefer a firmer seat

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.