Yogilife

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.

Life Asanas

/ 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.

Mr. Baby loves yoga.

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.

Lemon Ginger Gut Buster

/ Self-Diagnosed Yogi / Leave a comment

Hello Friends!

I am busy in my Spring cleaning! I decided to make my annual gut buster to keep my flora thriving. A few years ago, I only experimented with dandelion greens and cabbage. It was ok tasting…very cabbagy and fermented tasting. Honestly, it wasn’t my favorite morning chore. This year, I decided to add a few of my favorite flavors to the party. Ginger and lemon. You can definitely add your favorite flavors as well and we can all be friends! 

Dandelion greens, nettles, cabbage, ginger, and lemon are going to make a healing gut buster shot.

I was hanging out at my local health food store and the prices of gut flora shots are shocking! Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the benefits. I also enjoy the benefits of having money in my pocket. You can make your own, it just takes planning since it takes up to 7 days to ferment. Plus, the cost is a head of cabbage, time it takes to forage for good medicine, and any flavors you want to add to the mix.  

I decided on using nettles, dandelion greens, and cabbage as my base. I went to my mother in laws house and foraged for nettles and dandelion greens. She had a lot! She also said she was about to mow them over 🙁 I promise you that these amazing plants have a host of benefits and taste so good! I am also planning on tincturing it to get the benefits in the wintertime. 

I had to blend this in batches.

I cut up my cabbage and wash my dandelion greens and nettles. My nettles need a hot bath for 90 seconds to rid them of their sting. I quickly add them to an ice bath, and they keep their bright green color. I add all to a blender and whirled them with spring water, ginger, and peeled lemons. I placed it in a jar and added saran wrap on top of the liquid and tucked it in a non-drafty area to sleep for 5 – 7 days. 

My gut medicine is sleeping. Shhhhhh…..

This gut buster will replenish any lost gut flora lost from winter and get your digestion back. I need this and look forward to my morning routine. I love my lemon ginger G.B. (gut buster) and may add honey,adaptogens, and fizzy water for a fun attempt at a mocktail. The sky is your limit, add your favorites and let me know what flavor combination to try next! 

Enjoy! 

Recipe: 

1 C. cabbage cut up. 

1 C. Dandelion greens 

1 C. Nettles 

1 hand size ginger (I did not peel but peel if you like to) 

2 lemons (I cut off the peel and pith) 

5 C. Spring water 

Directions: Whirl all ingredients in a blender. Place in a glass jar and place saran wrap or a breathable milk bag/screen over the liquid. Check each day and I lightly swirl the ingredients. After day 5 I will begin tasting and stop fermenting to my taste. I wouldn’t recommend going over 7 days just because I never have. 

When it’s done fermenting you will strain it in a nut milk bag or double layered cheesecloth, twice. Bottle it and place in the fridge up to a year.

Enjoy a shot or 2 a day!

**Take note with how you feel and journal. Remember food is an experience and taste is so super important. If you don’t like an ingredient I shared then replace it with your favorite(s). Food is personal and if you can tweak this to fit your tastes then I have done my job. I love to share my experiences and most importantly if what I’m eating will pay me and my body back with health and nourishment then I will try it all!**

This information is for education purposes, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Life Asanas and Pranayama Mama recommends that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional before using any recommended herbal products, particularly if you take other medications, or if you are nursing, pregnant, or expecting to become pregnant.

Photographs are created by Life Asanas and Pranayama Mama.