"The highest form of spiritual practice is self-observation without self-criticism." – Swami Kripalu
This quote from Swami Kripalu is one of my favorites. It encapsulates the essence of what the journey of yoga is all about. It is a journey into ourselves. It is a long, and sometimes arduous journey, full of great joy and many sorrows, but it is, I think, always a worthy adventure.
Can you pause now in your day? Take a moment with me?...
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Observe the breath moving in and out of your body. Make the offering of this mantra to your self:
In this moment I breathe, in this moment I am perfect. At all times, in every way possible, I have everything I need.
As you move into your evening keep these phrases in mind, and take some time to contemplate the words of Bapuji (Swami Kripalu). How can you move along this great adventure of life making it an inquiry of self-observation, without entering into the harshness of self-criticism?
I would love to hear the ways that you do this! Leave a comment, or drop me a line.
Jai Bhagwan my beloved. A quick post for you this morning.
If you've been reading this blog you know I am a huge fan of Kundalini yoga (Kripalu actually comes from this lineage, Swami Kripalu was a major Kundalini Yoga practitioner.) I encorporate a lot of it into my teaching, and I practice many kriyas as part of my sadhana every morning. When I want to take a Kundalini class and can't get to one, I do this DVD:
It is SOOOO great and only 60 minutes long. The exercises completely clear and balance my energy and always set me on the path for a great day. I was feeling so tired and scattered this morning (results of a poor night sleep, because my poor Michael has got a terrible cold and was tossing and turning like mad) and now I feel focused and 100 % better.
Her book The Eight Human Talents is one of the most beautiful and useful books on yoga I have ever read. She also does amazing prenatal yoga classes, and DVDs. I have taken her classes at Golden Bridge in New York City, and they are transformational.
Kundalini Yoga is an invigorating tradition of yoga. It will get your prana flowing, leaving you energized and cleansed. I include Kundalini kriyas as a part of my morning sadhana every day (check back soon for a post detailing my favorite kriyas.)
The exercises may look at little funny, but let me tell you they are amazingly effective, and not easy! Don't be discouraged if you find them challenging; they are well worth your time and commitment.
Yogi Tea is SOOOO good. Once you start drinking it you will want to drink it all the time. It is so nourishing and calming to the body. All of the spices in the tea, following the Ayurvedic tradition, have a health building, medicinal quality; and many of the ones mentioned in this post – like ginger, cardamon and cinnamon – are very warming and appropriate for autumn and winter. They cure what ails you, and even better, the help to prevent the ailing in the first place.
Tea is comforting, and it can be used as a part of wonderful daily rituals that cultivate mindfulness, and foster gratitude for each small moment. Tea after yoga class is often used as a way to build sangha (community) by giving people a reason to sit down together to talk and share.
YOGI TEASThese recipes came to me through a Kundalini Yoga yahoo group I belong to. Thank you, and Sat Nam, to RUTH SALDANHA, who posted them to the group. I have added some of my own notations as well.
This recipe comes from Yogi Bhajan, who introduced Kundalini to the west in the late 1960s. Yogi Bhajan is also the founder of the "Yogi Tea" brand, which is easy to find in health food stores.
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts water
- 15 whole cloves
- 20 black peppercorns
- 3 sticks of cinnamon
- 20 whole cardamon pods (split the pods first and be careful with the
tiny seed sticks that come from the inside)
- 8 fresh ginger slices (1/4" thick, no need to peel)
- 1/2 teaspoon regular or decaf black tea leaves (approximately 1 tea
bag)
Preparation:
Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add cloves and boil one
minute. Add cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and ginger. Cover and boil for
30 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for two to three hours. Remove from heat,
add black tea, and let cool. Strain and store in the refrigerator. Reheat
when you want a cup and add milk and honey to taste.
Spiced green tea
- 1 tablespoon organic green tea leaves,
- 3 pods black cardamom (green cardamom will do if black cardamom is
unavailable), crushed
- 1 piece of ginger, crushed
Makes one large teapot. Do not brew for more than three minutes, as green
tea becomes bitter after that. Black cardamom has a slightly smoky taste,
very different from that of green cardamom. This tea is good for digestion,
but it is heating, and both ginger and cardamom are said to be aphrodisiac,
so don't have it before bed, unless you are planning not to sleep immediately.
Chamomile and ginger tea
- 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
- 1 piece of ginger, sliced timely
Chamomile is a relaxing herb, calming to the nervous system. Add a teaspoon of honey and sip slowly before your evening meditation.
Thyme and mint tea
- 1 pinch dried thyme, or better, a few twigs fresh thyme,
- 1 pinch dried mint, or better, a few leaves fresh peppermint
- 1 small twig rosemary (optional)
- 2 pints boiling water
Mint can be grown in any garden, and even in pots on a window sill. This tea
taste much better with herbs freshly picked from the garden. Brew for a few
minutes.
Liquorice and fresh mint tea
- a few leaves fresh peppermint
- 1 piece of liquorice stick (it's actually the rood of the plant, and
looks like a twig), about 1 inch long
- 1 pint boiling water
Pound the liquorice stick with a mortar and pestle. Brew with the mint for
at least five minutes as liquorice take a while to release its delicious
bitter sweet flavour. A great digestive tea, excellent for Pitta constitution.
Spicy pink tea
- 1 large pinch of dried hibiscus flower
- 1 large piece of ginger, crushed
- 1 stalk lemon grass, chopped
- 1 pint boiling water
Hibiscus flowers give this tea a reddish colour, as well as a distinctive
tang, which complement very well the fieriness of ginger. Brew for a few
minutes.
Indian Chai
- 1 tablespoon organic black tea leaves
- 5 pods green cardamom, crushed
- 1 piece of ginger, sliced
- 2 cloves
- 1 small piece of cinnamon bark
- 2 pints of water
- 1 cup milk
- 3 teaspoons organic cane sugar
Put all the ingredients in a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer for
five minutes. Strain and serve piping hot.
Clare island punch
- 1 large pinch of dried hibiscus flower
- 1 small pinch Bancha tea (black tea can be used as a substitute)
- 6 pods green cardamom, crushed
- 1 thumb size piece of ginger, finely sliced
- 3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 3 seed black pepper, crushed
- 1 piece of liquorice root, crushed
- 1 sprinkle of allspice powder
Put all the ingredients in a large tea pot, cover with boiling water, and
keep on the stove for 10 minutes before serving.
SIDE NOTE:
One interesting, and to me VERY surprising piece of information I came across regarding cinnamon: "Coumarin is a flavouring which is found in higher concentrations in the types of cinnamon grouped together under the name “cassia cinnamon”. Relatively small amounts of coumarin can already damage the liver of particularly sensitive individuals. However, this is not permanent damage."
You can read more about it here, and find out more about Ceylon cinnamon that evidently does not have this component here.
Now cinnamon has been shown to be a very effective assistant in lowering blood sugar, and has many other healthy benefits, so I wouldn't get to panicked about the coumarin issue. This article discusses the health benefits and the coumarin issue as well. Like all of these issues it is going to take some research to get to the bottom of. I will try to get back with some posts with my findings, I welcome any information readers may have to offer.
This site has a lot of useful information on the medicinal uses of herbs and spices. And this one as well. Here is a site for buying organic herbs.
Format: 
