Benefits of Yoga

An email I received from a student:

Had to share some good news. For years I have been taking cholesterol and triglyceride meds. And even with the meds the blood work ran high.....genetic I guess. Was having some problems with the cholesterol lowering med and they took me off it a few months ago to see what would happen....how high it could go and see what to do next. I met with my doctor today....she looked at the labs, frowned, took my blood pressure, said "hmmm" took my blood pressure again....Looked up and simply stated "what the hell are you doing?!" with a smile. Blood pressure down(110/58) ....cholesterol is normal with the good kind way up ( No meds) and triglyceride levels in the normal range (still with that med but had always been double normal even with the meds) When I told her Ashtanga Yoga ,,,,she laughed and said that burning candles and stretching could not do this...I set her straight...So YES yoga has definitely changed my physiology for the better...Thanks!!! What a life saver!!! :)

Sometimes you have no idea what yoga is really doing for you. Sometimes we think that because we're not flexible or having trouble with poses, that yoga is "not working". It's working all right, and often in ways that you can't imagine.

A few years a go a friend of mine who teaches in California had a student who had a serious heart attack. The cardiologist found that the student had an extensive secondary capillary system to the heart which probably saved his life. The cardiologist attributed such an extensive development to the student's long-time Ashtanga practice and told the teacher, "Make sure your students know what yoga is doing for them!"

Oil Massage Instructions

A massage with a heated oil appropriate to one’s dosha is highly recommended prior to bathing. In the Ashtanga Yoga system, a weekly oil bath is recommended, especially if you are having any kind of persistent soreness or stiffness. As we start to get into the dry, cold time of year, oil bath becomes important.

Recommended oils: coconut, sesame. Other oils can also be used for various purposes (mustard oil for pain, castor oil for deeply-entrenched pain or injuries, almond oil, oilve oil, grapeseed oil, etc...), and you can add essential oils for aromatherapy or therapeutic purposes. I like to add a few drops of rose oil, sandalwood and lavendar oils. You can also purchase ready-made oils for particular doshas or therapeutic needs. Oil should be fresh.

Place the oil in a plastic container and hold under hot water, or put a smaller bowl of oil in a larger bowl of warm water. We don't recommend heating in the microwave. Begin at the head: pour a stream of oil onto the brahmarandra (8 fingers up from the third eye). Massage oil at the crown of the head and occipital ridges, then all through the scalp. Massage the face and work your way down the body. Pay special attention to the head and feet. Place a few drops of oil in each ear and the navel, and a drop on each finger and toenail. Let the oil soak in for a few minutes then shower and shampoo.

Pattabhi Jois did this frequently and he had beautiful skin - smooth like a baby, and he always smelled like sandalwood.

More Recipes

This is a wonderful, highly-recommended food which is soothing, nourishing and replenishing. The ingredients can be purchased from Indian-Pakistani grocery stores.
½ cup rice
½ cup mung dal (a small yellow split pea having a mild flavor)
1 tbsp ghee or olive oil
1 dash hing powder (asafoetida)
1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
½ tsp tumeric powder
1 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger
1 cup chopped vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, bok choy, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or squash.
Salt to taste
6 cups water
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
Wash and sort the rice and dal. Heat the ghee or oil is a large sauce pan and add the hing. It will bubble and turn fragrant. Add the tumeric and cumin seeds. When the cumin begins to pop, add the washed dal and rice and stir to coat the grains with the oil and spices. Add the ginger and vegetables, then add the water. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to Low and simmer until the grains and dal are cooked (15-20 minutes). Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with whole wheat chapatis (flat Indian bread) and Raita (recipe follows).

Raita
1 cup yogurt, stirred until smooth
½ tsp whole cumin seeds
½ cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber and/or chopped tomato
1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
salt to taste
Combine all ingredients.

Chai Recipe

Chai - Yogi Tea
I learned this recipe from a yoga correspondence course when I was a teenager, growing up in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee. There were no yoga teachers, no yoga books, no other yoga students except for a college student friend of mine who was taking these lessons from Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Waters). One of the lessons contained this recipe.

Per cup, use:
10 oz. Water
3 whole cloves
3 peppercorns
1 slice fresh ginger
4 cardamon pods
½ stick cinnamon

Boil together for 15 minutes. Add ½ cup black or jasmine tea. Add ½ cup milk and honey or brown sugar to taste.

Sour Cereal Recipe

It's not really sour, but it's not a sweet cereal. This cereal was served every morning in my Guru’s ashram, and we serve it at all our retreats. This is my version of the recipe.

3/4 cup of any kind of grain or mixtures of grains like millet, bulgar wheat, quinoa, steel-cut oats.
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp of fresh grated or dry shredded coconut (not the sweetened kind)
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tbsp grated ginger
½ cup any other finely chopped vegetables, such as celery, cauliflower, carrots, tomato
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt or to taste
6-8 cups water
Combine all ingredients except cilantro and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer until grains are cooked. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Hymn from Gandhi's Ashram

O Thou, dweller in my heart.
Open it out, purify it,
make it bright and beautiful,
awaken it, prepare it, make it fearless,
make it a blessing to others,
rid it of laziness, free it from doubt,
unite it with all, destroy its bondage.
Let thy peaceful music pervade all its works.
Make my heart fixed on thy holy feet,
and make it full of joy,
full of joy,
full of joy.

Believe in Love (2000 South Fallsburg, NY) Now out of print.