♥Hi Friends!
I have to say, this post is about something that I’m a real newbie at. But something for a long time now that has spoken to my SPIRIT, my BODY and my MIND. It’s yoga. Stay with me now! Over the last few years I’ve come to identify myself as a ‘conservative hippie’. And all that really means to me is that I’m a daughter of God who desires to love and serve my family and others, while showing righteous stewardship for all that God has created, with respect and reverence. I don’t think that sounds too far out there. It just sounds right, to the very center of my heart. And I think the reason I’ve felt this SPIRITUAL nudge to make yoga a part of my life is because it is truly a whole body HEALING practice that promotes reverence and respect for…well…everything good really.
Yoga originated in India and can be traced back over 5,000 years ago. But somehow, amongst all the Eastern philosophy, lies some very real Christian roots that originated much earlier, since truth is eternal. I know that line of thinking can’t be found in any history books, but all things that are truly HEALING come from our Heavenly Father. In his article entitled “Yoga and Christianity: Loving with All Your Parts”, Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati says “Jesus said his most important teaching was that you should love the Lord ‘with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30) Yoga means ‘to unify’ and is the art and science of increasing access to heart, soul, mind and strength.”
Yoga is for everyone! The goal during a yoga session is to bring your SPIRIT, BODY and MIND together, each movement building on the next, and ending with Shavasana. Shavasana is a state of total relaxation and a quiet mind. I won’t try to list all the benefits of yoga in my post but click here for a link to a great article that lists 38 HEALTH benefits for the SPIRIT, BODY and MIND.
Yoga is all about the core. And after years of UNHEALTHY practices and birthing 5 babies, I am in great need of improving my core strength. From an article on yogajournal.com entitled ‘Plug Into Your Core Power’: “Surely there are no more-evocative words in the practice of yoga than these two: core strength. They point you to the vital force that holds you steady in your asana, keeps you upright in your standing poses, lends vitality in backbends, and enables you to maintain balance. Without a strong physical center, every pose you do is in danger of falling apart from the inside out. Core strength is what lets you keep it together.” This is true not only in yoga but in all areas of our lives. When we have a strong core, the SPIRIT/BODY/MIND connection communication greatly improves.
Yoga is not easy but it is for everyone. There’s a definite learning curve and it takes some time (sometimes a lot of time) to be comfortable and steady with its tricky positions, or asanas as they are called. But it is the best PHYSICAL exercise to help HEAL our SPIRIT, BODY and MIND. It even elevates performance in all other exercises and sports. I talked to a yoga teacher once who said that yoga made him a better athlete. And that’s because excelling in anything is greatly enhanced with a strong SPIRIT/BODY/MIND connection.
I’m slowing learning about all the benefits yoga has to offer and just how it fits in with my own SPIRITUAL practices. I found an article on Christanitytoday.com that gives some interesting and fun interpretations and insights from the author. I really encourage you, no matter what stage of life or HEALTH you are in, to look in to this amazing HEALING practice.
♥Love you!
P.S. Click here for a very basic introduction to yoga with brief instruction videos. It’s a really good way to get started if you are new to yoga. Focus on learning each pose, then put them together, and then build from there. I like to do yoga at home because I do better without distractions. (Ha! Sounds like an oxymoron!) What that means is I have to do it when everyone’s asleep, or distracted for while, or they are gone for the day. But at home I’m not concerned with all the people around me in a classroom setting and I can move at my own pace. If you like the classroom setting, that’s great too. Do what is most comfortable for you.
P.P.S. Here’s a link to Kimberly Snyder’s blog post ‘5 Reasons to Start a Yoga Home Practice Today!’. Her ‘The Beauty Detox Power Yoga Series’ just came out and I’m excited to get one for myself. Click here to read about it.
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My #5 loves all things cold in the summer. She loves popsicles, ice cream, and much to my joy and happiness, green smoothies (especially when I’ve made one with a higher fruit to greens ratio!) But when I read what’s in the store bought brands, even the juice bars, I cringe! So I put together a quick and HEALTHY recipe full of purifying raw whole foods, phytonutrients, healthy fats, and electrolyte supporting ingredients (great for the summer heat)!
STRAWBERRY LEMONADE POPSICLES OR SORBET
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1 banana
- 1/2 lemon (all of it)
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 cup raw honey or less/more to taste
- 2 cups coconut water*
- 1 cup purified water
- 4 cups frozen strawberries**
- popsicle molds***
Place all ingredients in Vitamix and blend for 45 seconds. Place in molds and freeze. Makes almost 7 cups. You can also eat right away, like a sorbet.
*Feel free to omit this and replace with water. Coconut water (and bananas) are a great way to keep your electrolytes up in the warm summer months. I buy the ‘Vita Coco’ brand from Costco.
**I get my frozen strawberries in a big bag from Costco. Sometimes I freeze my own. When I do, I spray them with vinegar, let them sit for about 5 minutes, rinse well, and then place in a freezer bag in the freezer. Leave the green tops on for extra nutrients!
***You can put them in any popsicle molds. I found some at Costco not long ago that look like sailboats and fireworks that stand up on their own while they’re freezing. I also have a push-up version that you can purchase here from Amazon. (They have a wide selection of different molds.) I put them in a tall plastic saver dish to keep them upright while they freeze.