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The past is behind, learn from it.

The future is ahead, prepare for it.

The present is here, live it.

-Thomas S. Monson

 

This poem reflects my thoughts about the pose, Tadasana. You may even hear some of my often repeated instructions. :D  

 

 

Past, Present, Future

by Fion Lim

 

Don't get stuck in the past,
Where you linger on and on in familiarity,
And replay old memories over and over again.

 

Don't overindulge in the future,
Where you daydream about leading a grand life endlessly,
And imagine the sweetest days you could ever live.

 

Don't neglect your present,
Where true life begins to unfold and pass you by silently,
And you wonder about missed opportunities and lost moments.

 

For lessons, quietly contemplate about your past,
And you might realize life has cleverly placed you in situations,
That demanded you to raise up to the challenges and to grow.

 

To reduce your anxiety and panic attacks, make plans for your future,
And you might see that your dreams and goals are acting like guiding lights,
Shining the path for you to follow through and learning to overcome your fears.

 

To avoid the state of merely existing, be aware of your present,
And you might notice that you are part of a grander scheme,
Where the past is long gone and the future has yet to come,
And that your present is the most precious moment you could ever feel.

 

Your past and your future both lie in your present,
Where your present wields the power to influence and change,
The way you think about your past either with gratitude or with regret,
And shape your future to either a success or a failure.

 

Live totally in the present,
Enjoying each and every moment,
Where it is all happening,
Where it truly matters.

 

 Photo of a sculpture by Michael Patrick Garman: Down Dog Art

April 2011 Workshop Features Jehangir Palkhivala

Jehangir Palkhivala returns to Kona Yoga, April 8-11, for yet another fascinating workshop filled with his knowledge of yoga, and many years of experience with the healing wonders of the human body. Jehangir travels annually to the U.S. from Mumbai, India, where he lives with his family and teaches yoga.

 

WORKSHOP

The Prasarita Sequence
Saturday, April 9: 9am-12noon, 2pm-5pm
Sunday, April 10: 9am-12noon, 2pm-5pm

The Prasarita (The Open Heart) Sequence offers practitioners a great sense of joy and freedom. This practice opens out the body, helps the mind become expansive and allows the heart to blossom. Jehangir will start by taking students through the 'Ujjayi Effect' and help them experience the 'Nada of Enjoyment' - “to settle the mind happily in the heart”. Jehangir will take students through a fresh sequence with their focus on an open body, and expansive mind and blossoming heart. He will also take them through a step-by-step experience of heart purification in the light of Patanjali.

The intention is to free our hearts with Patanjali's beautiful concept of Sorrowless Flame and the Being beyond Attachments. These allow our spirits to open up to the source of infinite joy. (Much depends on the heart of the practitioner – its willingness to surrender, its desire to bloom).

Please carry writing material with you.

TALKS

Komalan Shariram
Friday, April 8
5pm - 7pm
A unique technique that originated in the Mumbai Advanced Class, where the participants group into sets of five or six and with the help of bolsters and each other, learn to soften and ease the nerves and muscles into a state of intense relaxation. The aim is to eventually, replicate and achieve this state without the use of external aids.

Healing with Food
Monday, April 11
5pm – 7:30pm
This talk is based on new information, research and experiments collected through the course of the year. If you've ever attended any of Jehangir's workshops, you'll remember his numerous suggestions and recipes for all types of ailments through the use of whole foods.

 

FEES

Entire Experience: Workshop + 2 Talks $300.00

Single Classes $ 65.00

Friday 4/8 Talk $ 40.00

Monday 4/11 Talk $ 40.00

Both Talks, no Workshop $ 70.00

Workshop Only $240.00

Workshop + 1 Talk $270.00

 

 

REGISTRATION FORM

The above information, as well as a Registration Form, is available in PDF format as a 2 page, tri-fold brochure.

 

CONTACT

[email protected]

 

Hugs

The best gift you can give is a hug: one size fits all and no one ever minds if you return it. -Anon.

Hugs. We give and receive them all the time but did you know there's a health benefit to hugging?

Read "How Hugs are Proven to Help Your Health" and make sure you get at least a Hug A Day.

Watch the Free Hugs video, if you haven't already.

Get Up and Hug someone, right now. If you're alone, wrap your arms around yourself and hug!

 

 Photo: Reminiscence

 

Take It Off Hawaii

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

-Jim Rohn

"Take It Off Hawaii" is getting ready to launch this year's ten-week challenge. Between September 6 and November 10, participants will have the chance to rack up Lifestyle points by creating healthy habits in eating, exercise and stress reduction.

Teams of 4 to 10 participants will begin the challenge by registering their starting weight and blood pressure. Team members will then be able to earn points based on a pre-determined list of "good" lifestyle habits such as eating a minimum of 5 vegetable and fruit servings per day (1 point) and taking 10,000 steps (5 miles) per day (2 points). For the complete list, see Lifestyle Points.

"Last year, more than 1,000 pounds were shed by the participants of Take It Off Hawai'i," said Robin Mullin, executive director, Five Mountains Hawai'i," but there are many other benefits that "outweigh" the weight loss. Participants reported higher energy levels, lower blood pressure, and overall profound changes in their lives. This was accomplished through programs that focused on nutrition, activity/exercise, stress resilience, and a bit of friendly/healthy competition."

I'm a board member of Five Mountains Hawaii and this year I've decided to form a Kona Yoga team. I'll be creating and teaching some flowing yoga sequences that could be used to gain physical activity points, as well as  organizing walks and weekly support meetings.

If you're interested in joining us, please send me an e-mail: [email protected]. Teams are limited to ten participants and I have five spots remaining. If you live off-island, you can still participate online with all of the forms and resources made available by Take It Off Hawaii.

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It's late. Do you know where your hamstrings are?

Watch a quick yet informative presentation on the Hamstring muscles by Olympic Massage Therapist, Geno Ortiz, LMT. Geno is co-principal and and also one of the instructors at KM Massage Training Center in Kailua-Kona (map).

The First Medical Revolution of the 21st Century

Imagine that one medical advancement held the promise to conquer cancer, perhaps within your lifetime. Now imagine that same advance has the potential to also end more than 70 of life's most threatening conditions, affecting one billion people worldwide. This is the promise of angiogenesis, the first medical revolution of the 21^st century.

-Dr. William Li

You can imagine how excited I was to share an article with my teacher, Jehangir Palkhivala, that contained a list of cancer preventive foods. Since he often suggests specific foods to heal physical (even psychological) issues, I knew he'd be interested in this! That was in early February and I have been waiting for Dr. William Li's talk on TED to become available for viewing.

Released last week, Dr. Li's twenty minute presentation is described by TED:

William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer and other diseases: anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor. The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that cut off the supply lines and beat cancer at its own game.

If you're interested, watch it by clicking here. If you're wary of links to videos, this is the entire URL which you may copy and paste into your favorite browser:
http://www.ted.com/talks/william_li.html The talk lasts exactly 20 minutes and 02 seconds. Watch it with a cup of green tea or a glass of red wine (both on the  list of beneficial items) and be prepared for the most optimistic cancer solution to date.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~
More resources:

List of AntiangiogenicFoods: http://blog.ted.com/2010/02/dr_william_lis.php

Understanding Angiogenesis



Photo: Wired.com

Rooting New Habits

Cultivate only the habits that you are willing should master you. ~Elbert Hubbard

It's been a little over three weeks since my teacher Jehangir Palkhivala was here. Time enough for a bare stalk of sugar cane, set in water, to start growing roots and shoots. It's been in my kitchen since the day we  headed out toward Hamakua after a discussion on the benefits of jaggery and raw cane juice.

Armed with a machete we bought in Waimea, Jehangir chopped several stalks growing by the roadside near Honokaa and once back in Kona, he peeled and cut them into bite sized pieces so we could chew and suck on raw cane. That's when I decided  to grow one of the dark, deep purple canes.

As I was holding the growing stalk in my hands today and wondering if it was ready to be planted, it illustrated Jehangir's teachings: given time and faith, it grows and transforms. The exchange of notes and experiences among other workshop participants also continues to grow and folks are making subtle, yet dynamic changes.

The foods and eating plan that Jehangir suggested as a way to balance body energies, weren't difficult at all for me to follow for the requisite 21 days. I had no physical ailment I was trying to cure but lost five pounds, my skin feels well hydrated and I've fallen in love with different foods and tastes. Clean, unadulterated, straight up from the ground stuff. No animals. What I'm hoping to plant along with my purple sugar cane is the habit of eating clean and save the unconscious eating for another, oh maybe...21 days.

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.-Viktor Frankl

"Thank You", from my Heart.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

Thanksgiving is almost here and I'm anticipating the smell of poultry seasoning and the warmth radiating from my oven. The scent of Thanksgiving is an annual sense of pleasure for me, and a quick survey of friends affirms that this is THE holiday of the year for most of us. It warms our bellies and our hearts.

In the next few days, as you sit back and think about all that you have to be grateful for, you may want to consider writing Thank You notes. It could lower your cholesterol. Two separate studies examined the difference between those who wrote down affectionate thoughts about friends and family against those who just described their daily activities.   Results showed significant lowering of cholesterol levels for the first group after only 25 days.

So why am I suggesting that you write Thank You notes? Because those who wrote their words of affection directly to someone, showed greater reductions in cholesterol than those who just wrote about someone.

One of the strengths of this study was that it specifically examined the benefits of expressing affection. Other studies have found evidence for the benefits of expressing affection but have had difficulties separating the expressing from the receiving. This is because when you express affection towards someone else, they are likely to reciprocate. Expressing is, therefore, tightly bound up with receiving.(1)

I have your attention, I can tell. But you're probably having second thoughts about handwritten notes in this day of cell phones, e-mail and text messages. Let's see if I can guess what you're thinking and offer more suggestions:

1. Can I just buy some pre-printed Thank You cards and sign my name? Nyet. I think it should come from the heart if you want your heart to benefit, right? Read The Simple Dollar's "How To Write an Effective Thank You Note for Any Occasion".

2. No one can read my handwriting! The importance of legible handwriting is perhaps underrated but some have found ways around it, such as writing all in caps: "How to Write Legibly..."

3. Write a letter to my boss, are you serious? Remember, it's good for your health! How-to do just that and more, from Buzzle.com.

4. Pfft, I can turn my handwriting into my own font, I don't have time to write on paper note cards! Ah, well, some very busy people do and recommend it too.

Ready to give it a try? If you'd like some practice, go ahead and write me a note. I'll send you a note back since I need a little practice too. It's good for our health!

Barbara Uechi

77-6425 Kuakini Hwy., C2, PMB#121

Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Source: (1) Affectionate Writing Can Reduce Cholesterol, Psyblog

             (2) Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)

Photo: delongrj

Submitted to: Prevention Not Prescriptions for Tuesday, November 24, 2009.

A Natural Tooth Powder

Turmeric has been piquing a lot of interest lately as a pain reliever (Read one doctor's opinion), weight suppressant, anti-inflammatory,Alzheimer preventive supplement, and the list goes on. (See this collection of articles.) So far, I haven't read anything about the way I use it as a tooth powder!

My yoga teacher, Jehangir Palkhivala told me about it a couple of years ago. These are the ingredients:

Turmeric and sea salt.  Salt for cleansing and turmeric to strengthen the gums. Buy the best quality ingredients you can find,

mix equal parts in a glass container or jar (keep it airtight),

blend it well and dip a slightly damp toothbrush to coat. Then, brush away.

I'll spare you the sight of me brushing my teeth but I will warn you that your toothbrush will turn yellow after the first use. I even fill my wash basin with a little water to keep it clean, although any discoloration cleans up right away with a little cleanser. At first I was a bit concerned about the porcelain crowns I have, but they haven't yellowed.

So what's the benefit? I've had some challenges with my gums because I'm a mouth breather when I sleep (another photo I'll spare you). Everytime I got my teeth cleaned, my gums bled, a lot. Well, after a few months of brushing with this mixture, there was hardly a speck of blood during my last cleaning.

Aside from stronger gums, as I keep reading about all the positive nutritional benefits of turmeric, I think the anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin are doing wonders for my body. True, I'm ingesting very small amounts through this tooth powder but I'm definitely not swallowing all of the additives found in most toothpastes. Are you?

This post has been submitted to : Prevention Not Prescription.

Another Reason to Go Forward with Yoga

A study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has determined that people who eat mindfully tend to weigh less than those who eat mindlessly (eat when not hungry and/or in response to anxiety or depression). They also found a regular yoga practice to be highly associated with mindful eating (1)  because of an increased sense of body awareness.

True, even someone new to the discipline might find themselves quickly aware of how they smell, digest, sound or move, as my old  "How to Prepare for Class" suggestions cover:

The ideal way to prepare for a yoga class would be to shower and dress in tights or bike shorts and a t-shirt. Your teacher should be able to see the position of your knees, so no baggy pants. You may be bending forward, raising your arms over head and twisting, so wear something that will stretch along with you.

Conscious breathing through the nose is always encouraged in class, so please refrain from using perfumes or after shaves. Heavy or clanging jewelry may inhibit your joint movements so use your best judgment.

  If you're hungry, eat something light and easily digestible. Remember, you'll be bending forward, raising your arms, etc. Always let your instructor know if you're experiencing any back, neck or knee problems or if you're recovering from an illness. There may be alternate poses to help your condition.

  Most of us come to class after a full day at work and so it's important to spend the first part of class with a routine sequence of sitting, connecting with the breath, closing your eyes and releasing the sounds of the outside. If you are late, please know that you are still welcome but try your best not to disturb the quiet and calm of the rest of the class. Please wait at the door until the instructor waves you in. Generally, it is okay to enter after everyone has opened their eyes and arms are stretched overhead. While you're waiting, take a few deep breaths, forget the fact that you are late and leave your cares under your shoes, at the door. 

We learn to be self-referential yet respectful of group energy. In time, the non-competitive nature of yoga must send a message throughout our bodies, "take what you need, and leave the rest". If there's no need to hoard, then, why weight?

Sources:

(1) Regular Yoga Practice is Associated with Mindful Eating. Science Daily (8-16-09).

(2) Regular Yoga Practice May Help Prevent Middle-age Spread. Science Daily (7-21-05).

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