Healthy Things to Remember

One of the wonderful things about teaching yoga is that I have the opportunity to come in contact with other like-minded individuals to learn other ways to be healthy and lead a joyful life.

A few weeks ago, I attended a women's luncheon where I was able to hear a chiropractor speak. She mentioned ways we could prevent disease instead of depending on healthcare to cover our problems in the future. She talked about taking charge of your own health.

Here were some tips:

• 3-5 % becomes genetic disorder-the rest is up to you.
• You can't get what you want by focusing on what you don't want.
• Strive for excellence not perfection.
• Take 7 hours of sleep, minimum, each night.

Practicing Yoga in Nature

Last Thursday, I taught my yoga class in my backyard. It was a beautiful experience. It was definitely challenging with the children and parents yelling in the school yard behind our home, but it was a great way to really practice "YOGA" in the midst of noise. The yoga students were focused in their practice. They seemed to enjoy having this experience in nature. I can't wait to have such wonderful weather again so we could have class outside again. It was a breath of fresh air!

Meditation with Dogs

My dogs, Zen and Rocco, have been inspiring me to write this article. Recently, I moved my meditation room to the N.E. side of our home, in accordance to Vaastu principles. It so happens that this N.E. sun room used to be my meditation room when we first moved in, but then became my dogs' bedroom for a while.

Every morning, as I start to prepare my seat for meditation, my dog, Rocco, gets all comfortable on top of my blankets. Zen, likes to sit on the area rug nearby. As I move Rocco off my blankets so I can sit to meditate, he decides to sit right behind me, making sure he can still touch me with his head to my lower back. So adorable!

My dog, Zen, unlike the name, doesn't stay so still as I start to meditate. He likes to sit in front of me and lick my face. Okay, so maybe this isn't exactly considered meditation for me, but at least they are happy and relaxed in the surroundings of my meditation room. It is truly special!

After a while of this, I decide to move them out of my meditation room so I can be still and present. They keep themselves just outside the room, lying down to sleep. Once I do my meditation and some yin yoga sequences, I walk over to my dogs to love them and pass the positive energy of my practice to them. It is a beautiful experience!

Finally a VEGAN

As of Thursday, April 2nd, I have converted to a VEGAN diet, and it isn't an April Fool's Day joke. I have been thinking about making this change in my diet for a long time now, and finally became strongly inspired after reading enough articles and information on endometriosis and how vegan diets are a strong recommendation for endometriosis patients. I also had an appointment with a vegan nutritionist named Dr. Pam Popper who truly inspired me to take this step. I am thankful for her guidance.

Let's see how it goes. So far, I am feeling great! My skin even feels better on my face already, and it hasn't been that long. I also feel less bloated. I have found it to be a bit more challenging ordering food at restaurants, but not impossible. I had a delicious vegan pizza at Northstar Cafe yesterday. Yummy!

If you have any recipes you would like to share, please do! I will need them.

What do you enjoy most about your yoga practice?

I would love to hear what you enjoy most about your yoga practice. I have to ask because when I see how much my yoga practice has done for me over the years, I hope that yoga has blessed all of you in many ways as well.

What I enjoy most about my yoga practice is the spirituality it has brought into my life, the calm it has brought to my mind, and the health it has brought to my body.