Tips for healthy living

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The moment, I saw the images my sister Yanna emailed us from her yoga training experience in Aukland, New Zealand, I knew I had to share with you some of her teacher’s tips for healthy living.

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The goal of yoga is peace not power. Peace cannot be obtained through power, yet power is the result of peace.

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Tips for healthy living

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1. Relax, breathe, smile.
2. Have a regular Yoga practice (4-5 days a week). Things will inevitably begin to change. Ashtanga Vinyasa Master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois when asked by his students what to do for this that and the other his response was always the same: “Practice and all is coming”.
3. Good food is the basis for good health. Eat lighter, become conscious of what you feed your body.  Eat what’s compatible with your constitution. Adjust your nutrition gradually. This may simply mean reducing something from 3 days a week to once a week. You’re bound to experience increased vitality.
4. Practice daily meditation. Start with 5 minutes and build up to 30 minutes over a period of one month. Only when you close your eyes and breath deeply you become conscious of your thoughts. Breath, relax, watch and allow. Only by becoming conscious of your thoughts you begin to notice patterns and then you can begin to make peace with messy emotions.
5. Become mindful of your thoughts, words and actions. Practice love and kindness to yourself and the world around you.
6. Connect with nature. Can be a brief walk to the park or the beach – whatever is near you so that you can do often.
7. Take time to hit the personal pause button; rest melts stress away. Taking a 10-15 minute cat nap is a powerful way to rest and recharge.
8. Share your life with others. Pay attention to who your friends really are and respond with kindness and respect.
9. Let go of the pressure to be happy. Accept natural emotions such as fear, sadness, or anxiety. Rejecting our emotions leads to frustration and unhappiness.
10. Activate your sense of humor: laugh-out-loud on a daily basis even if it means tuning into the lighter side of social media such as Youtube or Facebook.

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Quote of the day

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Watch your thoughts for they become your words.

Watch your words for they become your actions.

Watch your actions for they become your habits.

Watch your habits for they become your character.

Watch your character for that becomes your destiny.

Upanishads

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Recipe of the day

Brazil Nut and Rocket Pesto

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Inspired and slightly modified by a recipe found in the cookbook Deliciously Ella.

Come home from work and have a meal served that’s really tasty and super nutritious within minutes.

Ingredients

120 g Brazil nuts

50 g pine nuts

50 g Rocket leaves

1 ½ avocados

30 g basil leaves

Juice of 1 + 1/2 lemons

9 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Grind the Brazil nuts and pine nuts till they are completely crushed. Add avocados, rocket, basil, oil, and lemon juice. Blend till smooth.

Serve over pasta with steamed vegetables, or just over steamed vegetables for a non-carb meal. You can also use on toast with salad or as a dip with corn chips. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days.

Health benefits

Brazil nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats and selenium. Both these compounds help prevent coronary artery disease by lowering LDL cholesterol levels. Pine nuts slow down the aging process as a result of their high antioxidant content.

Books

1. The Wisdom of Healing – a comprehensive guide to Ayurvedic mind-body medicine. by David Simon
2. Seeking the Heart of Wisdom – the path of insight meditation by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield
3. Don’t Be Nice Be Real – balancing passion for self with compassion for others. by Kelly Bryson

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Images – Auckland Yoga Academy

Have a lovely Day!!!