ayurveda

Abhyanga (Self Massage)

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Happy Wednesday!!

Whoa! Two posts in a row? Who is she? Well, I have a lot to share since my three-week hiatus! I rediscovered self-massage and let me tell you that there is nothing like it! Get you some body oil, lotion, coconut oil (yes, that one in the kitchen will work!), and let’s get this thousands of years old practice to work!

So, I made my own dandelion salve and had my masseuse use her magic fingers and hands to work this into my sore neck and legs and it was dramatically life changing. I decided to practice abhyanga or self-massage to tend to my sore muscles at home every night…. well, most nights.

I like to make me a hot tea and sit on a towel and rub away. I pay close attention to every inch of body. I feel like my endorphins are exploding with sheer pleasure when I practice my abhyanga. Especially when I’m sore. Plus, there are benefits of detoxification and preventing premature aging. My hand is raised, please sign me up!

I would love to try this before bathing so I can let the oil sit on my skin and penetrate the layers with detoxifying benefits of whatever herbs I decide to infuse. I’m thinking a lavender rose vanilla infusion with sunflower oil, jojoba, and coconut oil for its cooling benefits. I love, love, love floral scents with deep vanilla scents. I can’t wait to begin my infusion and it’ll be just in time for summer. I need to research more how this oil situation will be going down my drain. If it’s a no go I’ll just continue with my after shower/bath rub down. No biggie!

I like to concentrate on my head. I will use some vitamin E or jojoba oil and just a few drops and massage in with my fingers all over my scalp. I pay attention to my Marma points and stay firm with my movements. Next, I move onto my neck and shoulders then arms…you get the point. Think long up and down strokes on your bones and circles in both directions on your joints. I also “C” clamp my hands on my forearm and move in half circles back and forth up and down. I hope my night routine continues to support my self massage. I’m really feeling grounded and clear headed with my routine.

I hope this sparks some idea to begin your research on abhyanga. I truly appreciate my body and all it does for me. I want to treat it with all the respect and give my body the healing movements and treatments it needs to recharge. It gets me ready for bed which gives my body the rest it needs to begin another day. Please do not let not having organic, unrefined, cold pressed oil stop you from trying this today/tonight. Just get what you have on hand and explore. This is good medicine and I highly recommend.

Namaste!

Back to Yoga Basics…

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hello friends!

I have been yoga absent. I feel that work changes have consumed a lot of my time these past two weeks. I’ve become unfocused in my real life but it’s ok. I didn’t find the time to do yoga and now I’m ready to get back in the swing of things. I absolutely love yoga! The benefits are so amazing as well and I’m craving the outcome.

It’s Monday and I woke up early at 6 am to the sound of the birds. Gyana Mudra and Ohhhhmmmm that shit! I love that! Got to get in my morning Ayurvedic routine. I found myself very energized after this amazing weekend. I drank 46 oz of water really fast to get hydrated and in retrospect I should’ve added lemon…speaking of lemon, I had my first farmers market experience this past weekend and it was so much more than I could have ever expected! I mean this in the sincerest way because I sold out! I love my hometown, for real.

I find that if I don’t stay grounded that I will float and whirl around like a leaf in the wind. The only thing that comes to mind to ground me is yoga. Yoga is a combination of movement and lubrication of your joints while connecting to your breath and ending with a deliciously long savasana. Doesn’t that sound like a great ending to your workday? Or even a beautiful beginning to your morning routine? Count me in!

So, knowing myself, I need to get into a home practice and work up to daily yoga practices. I’m looking forward to starting this tomorrow morning at 5:30am. I find Ashtanga yoga so fascinating that this is my morning focus. I think I can do this, in fact, I know I can because I really want to practice. I also love learning, and this will be a feat of my head and my thoughts limiting what I can actually do. I guess a lot of inner fight. I’m so game! I’ll be like Bruce Lee mind strong. #goals

I did my evening Monday yoga class, and it was exactly what I needed. We did a lot of forward folds in different forms, and it released my neck and shoulders to gravity. My neck and shoulders have been heavy and sore from gardening and hauling around heavy bags. I had a massage, and she used my dandelion salve I created with my dandelions in the backyard. It really took the pain away! She works wonders but also, I think my salve helped. 🙂

I’m enjoying sitting on my back deck as the sun goes down. It’s peaceful and south wind breeze is so inviting blowing through the trees. The waxing gibbous moon is beaming down on top of me. The birds are beginning to quiet, and I think this is the best place to do a meditation. I can’t ever lose an opportunity. I hope you had a great Monday and plan to explore your boundaries and learn all things “you”. I really feel that I’m going back to basics…yoga basics.

Namaste!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

A day in a Yogi life while Spring cleaning

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Happy Tuesday!

The beautiful healing wonderland shared some much-needed medicine with me today. Wanishi! (“Thank you” in Lenape.)

I began my 1st day of my Spring reset yesterday and it was a beautiful jump into Spring! I woke up at my usual time of 5:30 AM and began my morning routine with a meditation and some yoga. I have been keeping my thermos full of hot water to sip on throughout the day. Per Ayurveda, the hot water moves the Ama out. Ama is the built up “bad stuff” that accumulates in our bodies. Especially, after the winter feasts and lazy body syndrome. It makes sense to me, so I do it.

It was a workday, so I had a late breakfast of mango and sliced pears. I finished my 1st thermos of hot water and heated up a refill. By my next break, I was dying to get out into the weather. Me and my dogs went for a leisure stroll.

Red lentils, corn, coconut milk, and spices make this a comforting and satiating meal.

Afterwards, I ate one of my favorite vegan meals. It’s a corn chowder and you can find the recipe HERE. It has Indian spices, and I didn’t have any chili powder this time, so I used chana masala spice and it tastes just as great as I remember. I also, had my matcha moringa latte later in the afternoon.

My favorite latte at the moment. 1/2 tsp. Moringa powder, 1/2 – 1 tsp Matcha powder. Mix well with hot water. Add almond milk. Enjoy!

My friend and I planned on meeting up this week to forage together. She showed me how to identify nettles and we began cutting and she explained to me where to cut so the plant can still thrive. I got a lot picked before we realized we’d be late for yoga if we didn’t book it. I didn’t mention that we climbed up a hill and went down a steep hill that we now had to climb up now and fast.

It’s mind-blowing how much food is out here in the woods.

Yoga class was a great finale to my Monday. We stretched and did A LOT of core work, but it was amazing! I was really connecting with my breath and enjoying the flow until I saw something fall off me. I looked down and it was a bug. I was going to pick it up with my hands but quickly realized it was a tick! LOL! I picked up my yoga mat as calm as possible and heaved its tiny body out the door off my mat. I proceeded back to my spot with my mat after I dropped off my arachnid friend outside. I love my Monday yoga group!

I couldn’t wait to get home and process my nettles in hot boiling water. That is what takes the “sting” out of them, so they are edible. I learned so much today and I’m planning on sharing my nettle recipes as they unfold. I’m feeling a pesto so stay tuned!

Bath time to ensure safe eating 🙂

I had a later than normal dinner at 6:45. No biggie. I whirled up some pineapple, spinach, ginger, and adaptogens in my blender and stirred up some bagged Asian sesame salad. Voila! I was satiated quickly and definitely before 7 PM.

My smoothie: 1 C. pineapple, 3 C. fresh spinach, 1 “thumb” of peeled ginger, water or ice. Blend.

Usually, after dinner I curl up with a good book. I’m currently reading “It Ends With Us” by Coleen Hoover and it’s a page turner! Tonight I needed to reflect on the days events and my upcoming week. It’s going to be pretty busy so I hope the ride is smooth and uninterrupted but even if it’s not I’ll be ok. One day at a time is all I can handle for now. Have a great rest of the week and enjoy some nature! It’s great for the body, mind, and soul.

Namaste, friends!

All artwork created by Amaia.

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

My introduction

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hi friends! 

Happy Sunday Funday! 

I have been thoroughly enjoying my journey into yoga, so much, that I decided to create a space to share my journey. I am hoping there is someone like me who enjoys hearing people’s triumphs in odd times of their lives. Or someone interested in a yoga filled life but intimidated by the stigma associated with poses and breathing and vegan or vegetarian lifestyles. IDK, maybe I will answer a lot of questions as I experience it in real life. 

Enter my blog: I have been wanting to do this for a few months and I just jumped today, this morning. I woke up my daughter who drew me my logo on paper and then she created it on her phone and voila! I then had to work on my website which was harder than expected or I would like to say, “Work in Progress”. Aren’t we all though? 

I have been working extremely hard on my selfcare as I am involved in an Ayurveyda class offered by my local yoga studio. I also try and practice yoga in class or by myself every day. I do not hit my goal every week as it is a work in progress (wink). 

I took a class back in 2016 at a local gym by my office. It was a 6:00 am class and was more of a retired crowd that liked floor yoga and more savasana poses (I love them too!). We always did slow asanas and easy slow vinyasas. I figured it was yoga and I liked it. One morning my teacher surprised me, and we did a sweaty yoga practice. I told her after class that I really did not know yoga could be so active.  

My yoga practice did not thrive from that moment though. I began going to yoga classes more local and one of my instructors said we could do home practice as well. I never thought about that. I mean I still looked at yoga as a workout and I never “practiced” bar bell curls. This was new but so, so exciting. 

Throughout the next few years, I joined in a few classes and until I read books on Ayurveyda, I did not ever look at yoga as anything else but a workout. Yoga is an amazing connection to align your mind, body and spirit. I feel everything and I’m so in touch with my breath. I mean think about it! Out of 24 hours in a day how many seconds, minutes, hours do YOU spend thinking about your breathing? 

Yes, I am guilty of trying to hold in my cough as I choke on water at work. Like the sound of my body trying to live is not worth coughing about. Like why do we do things for other people’s comforts all day and then shove our needs further back? I began a night and morning routine. I have my moments of stress knowing my bedtime is coming but when I am doing my routine I wind down. Talk about an amazing way to end your day. Again, I am not perfect but a work in progress on this as well. 

I also have learned a new self-care guideline, “BOUNDRIES”. I always, always would overcommit. I told people I was available even when I did not want to. I am not sure why this was so hard to do. I admit to being a people pleaser, but I really prefer my life doing things I want to do.  

I would love to connect with everyone! I am learning and perfecting what works in my life at this moment because we are meant to evolve. I am a 40-year-old yogi loving life. I hope to share as much as I can with you. This is such an amazing journey and I have grown so much in a brief period.  

So, this is a little back log on my yogie experience. I absolutely will be transparent in my experiences. This is also a personal accountability of my own. I was told by my Ayurvedic practitioner to begin my journey of being more grateful and wake up with purpose. That resonates with my soul. How could this advice be harmful or dangerous? Love is beautiful and so are you! 

Namaste, my friends!