Rain Dancer

June 6, 2022December 12, 2022 / Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Happy Monday friends!

I love weekends! I feel that the more self-centered I am, self-focused, the most healing happens. I am literally still vibrating over my beautiful weekend. I had a great Saturday morning at the farmers market and I’m so grateful the rain held off. Since there’s been so much rain lately in my area, I had been hiding inside but during a particular rainstorm last week, I was driving and pondering about how to enjoy my new gloomy, wet environment and at that moment at the stop sign I saw 2 girls kicking at the street rivers gliding towards the storm drains and they started dancing. Wow! I’m going to learn how to dance in the rain again!

I love how situations play out right in front of you and it’s only if you’re paying attention and asking the right questions that you get your answers in real life. Seek and you will find…. literal chills. So, you see two kids dancing in the rain. What do you think? I guess it depends on what situation you came from. Did you just hang out with a friend you haven’t talked to in a while, and it made you think of your childhood memories? Did you just get in an argument with your family, and you don’t even notice the kids dancing and splashing?

My dogs didn’t even notice this frog, so it lived.

I find myself so curious into this new ability to enjoy myself in any weather. I can weather any storm. So, on Sunday I craved to dig in the dirt but guess what…yup, rain. LOL! It was a mist, so I grabbed my basket and decided to take cover under my maple tree and pick white clover flowers. This was so rewarding in the sense of me literally grounding my whole body to the earth but knowing I am collecting medicine to keep me sane through this wet Spring and into the hot summer days.

I also did get a chance to play in the garden and pull weeds and plant my herbs and tomato plants. I cannot wait to harvest my summer tomatoes. Right now, my kale and lettuce are great to harvest, and we’ve been enjoying all the salads. I also planted daikon, turnips, and radishes. Yum! I decided to take all the daikon, turnip and radish greens and cooked them down with bacon, onions, and garlic with a splash of cream and boy were they delicious!

My yoga practice is going to be more consistent because I rejoined my favorite calorie torcher hot yoga class. I am ecstatic because it starts this morning and I’m probably going to die and take forever to come back to my body. Why would I do this to myself, you ask? Well, I enjoy the heat and how limber I become. I enjoy the sweat and I know it’s clearing out toxins and it seriously glows up my skin. We hold our poses so long our minds are telling us to get out of the pose, but we focus on breathing and keeping our Drishti focused. I love this class!

I hope you had good medicine from your weekend healing. Or maybe you work weekends, but I really hope you find the messages hiding in everyday life. I found that learning to cope with uncontrolled circumstances and finding a way to be ok with things I cannot change to be powerful. I do not like the rain only because it hinders me from the sun and being able to dig, take a walk with the dogs. I am learning to find ways to enjoy the rain and be in it, so far, my list consists of picking white clovers and dancing 🙂

Namaste!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

Kapha, Kapha, Kapha

May 26, 2022December 12, 2022 / Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hello friends!

I have been struggling! This weather has been chilly, rainy, gloomy and I’m feeling it in my soul. Yes, I do agree one day of hearing rain hit the swollen puddles, the overcast sky void of sunrays is inviting to stay inside and pull out a good book. I can only take so many days of gray hibernation. My bones are sad.

Exiting home and exploring is my sanity.

After many months of exploring and getting to know myself, I find that doing the opposite of my dosha, Kapha, I will be balanced and able to stay active and happy.

Rain, rain, go away…. but thank you for nourishing my beautiful plants.

First, I find being by myself exhausting because I am a needy, easily distracted person. I need other people around me and working from home kind of misses that attraction. I will get out of the house and see my friends. Even if for a few hours of chatting over tea or going to lunch. I need to vent or listen to my friends vent, I love human interaction and feeling my serotonin release 🙂 I’m telling you there is nothing like feeling the love you have for someone and knowing they feel the same and makes you attentive to the care you put in those relationships.

I do love being outside and find myself working on my back deck most afternoons enjoying the sun’s rays. I love to sit and meditate surrounded by the sounds of the bird joyous songs. I just adore the wind blowing its energized currents through my hair and enveloping my body with Earth’s pranayama. I feel so loved and cared for by the beauty of life available for free. This my friends, is true oxytocin release. Explore your nearest tree and sit, total game changer.

She was bragging, hanging in the sun rays while I worked last year.

This is weird to write and even worse to know that I enjoy it, but I explore my hunger. So, when Kapha is high outside, like right now because it’s spring (think cool, wet, damp, ew) I tend to want to explore hunger. I will typically skip breakfast unless my stomach noises are hurting me. They usually don’t on these days, so I’ll eat my lunch at noon – 1pm. It’s really not that bad as it sounds. I do listen to my body and have so much respect for it, I’ll test its limits though. But, at lunch time I will make it a taste sensation. I utilize all six tastes: sour, sweet, pungent, astringent, salty, bitter. I look forward to my lunch and when it contains all 6 tastes you will feel satisfied and an added bonus of dopamine.

The quickest way for me to get all my nutrients is to wrap it up and dip it.

One of my last Kapha balancing techniques is yoga. Yes, my favorite self-healing practice. So typically, the last thing I want to do in this sad weather is move and groove. What I want is not what I need. So, I will get out of my head and get onto my mat. I need a challenge and challenge I will get. I yoga stretch, twist, chaturanga, bend my way into endorphin euphoria. I find myself always getting better in positions and strength which brings me such a release of endorphins that keep me going into the next pose.

These are my most healing practices to help boost my brain chemicals and keep me sane. It’s been raining constantly for 3 days, and I do not feel like being mean to people or feel like staying in bed and pouting. I am feeling useful, healthy, and balanced. I would suggest you explore your world and use it as medicine to heal. We have exactly what we need, right where we are, the first step is exploration and curiosity. I’m so blessed to be here in a safe place and with the best headspace during these rainy days. Stay blessed, friends!

Namaste!

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

Abhyanga (Self Massage)

May 25, 2022December 12, 2022 / 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…

May 9, 2022December 28, 2022 / 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.

Life Asanas

May 7, 2022December 12, 2022 / Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hello my yogi friends!

This was created 5/7/22 but in my pending file😅 I’m not 100% sure where I was going with this. Maybe a week in the life? Enjoy❤️

Tuesday was the day I began my new morning yoga practice and practice I did! Post meditation. I started with exploring slowly sun salutations. I connected fully and held the positions for 5 breaths. I pushed myself to all edges even beginning in mountain pose (standing pose). I spread each toe and meticulously placed them down in perfect formation. I could feel each ridge in my foot and felt completely grounded and ready to begin my practice.

I allowed myself time to practice shoulder stands, plow, headstands, crow pose. I’m definitely loving the time I take to explore each pose. I do find if I record myself, I have something to help guide me into the correct alignment if I’m doubting myself or at least away from hurting myself. Safety is number one always. Especially when you are by yourself.

Idk about you but I always love to make time for a long savasana. I do love to meditate either guided or silent but it’s such a great intunement time. I appreciate lots of opportunities to meditate, especially in the morning. I am blessed to enjoy a free symphony of birds in my backyard. They serenade me while eating their seeds.

It’s Wednesday and I didn’t do a morning yoga session. I instead walked my dogs by the river and let them frolic in the tall grass. They literally had smiles the whole time. They really love being dogs. I was going to get my paddle board out and float at the lake with my dogs but I had some things around the house I needed to get accomplished and there will be a whole season devoted to such days 🙂

I found myself studying my herbalism lessons and organizing my kitchen. There were lots of little tasks to complete and I’m proud to announce they were all completed. This was definitely an accomplished day for me, and I was able to stay grounded and focused on my goals.

It’s crazy how fast Thursday showed up, but it was another day of no yoga. I’m kind of lost on how to begin my journey into Ashtanga. I have a book, “The Power of Ashtanga Yoga” by Kino MacGregor, that I love but I need to reread it to get me motivated on how to start. I can also pull up a practice on YouTube. A full Ashtanga session is 90 min of amazing breath practice and amazing human forms. So beautiful!

After dinner, I had to work on my weekend farmers market plan and measurements on how much to prepare. I’m also exploring ways to utilize my lemon and limes after I squeeze them besides composting them. I feel like it’s a waste to just compost them when they have such good medicine left. I can’t wait to see how this turns out!

Fun in the sun 🙂

My last day of the typical work week, Friday, is among us. I had to wake up early and begin juicing my lemons. I decided to soak my lemons in vinegar to create an amazing kitchen/bathroom spray. I love the benefits of vinegar which disinfect and clean with no streaks and then to combine with my used lemon carcasses and added extra scent and antimicrobial benefits with thyme and rosemary. I literally cannot wait! I juiced 20 lbs of lemons this morning. Winning!

Namastè 🙏🏽

All pictures by Lenape Spiritual Yogi Awakened.

A day in a Yogi life while Spring cleaning

April 5, 2022December 12, 2022 / 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!

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

March 20, 2022December 12, 2022 / 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!