| Mailbag |
This comes as a response to my article on sunscreens from last Friday.
Dear Sarah,
In trying to avoid the oxybenzone in sunscreens, particularly for kids, I was directed to Blue Lizard which is a physical block (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) which was available at CVS last time I bought it. The consistency is fine. Does make you shiny, but most of them do.
Liz
According to data at the Environmental Working Group's sunscreen study referenced last column, Blue Lizard received a "3", just one point below the top rating as they had some other chemicals in the mix. Caution: some of the Blue Lizard formulations DO contain oxybenzone, but not the Baby version. Thanks for your input! This does look like a good choice that is readily available, as all of the top-rated products are normally found only in specialty stores or via the Internet. |
| Yoga Study Books | |
In February, we began our study of the original yoga knowledge, and building a bridge to our JudeoChristian traditions. The 196 yoga sutras, or little lessons, were compiled some 500-800 years before Christ. You can find many translations and interpretations on the Internet for free if you'd like to follow along. Sanskrit is hard to translate into English. However, I enjoy these two translations as the commentators often set the lessons in a Christian context. Here are my picks for the best two:
How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali
by Swami Prabhavananda by Vedanta Press & Bookshop
Paperback 
List Price: $10.95
Our Price: New and used from $6.25 Buy Now
Below is a brand new translation/commentary--the one above was written in the 1930s I believe. The cover is a bit scary for Westerners, but the commentary makes the sutras, well--rather enlightening!
The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra
by Ravi Ravindra by Morning Light Press
Hardcover
List Price: $14.95
Our Price: $11.21 Buy Now |
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Spiritual Formation |
Yoga Sutra I.33 Peace of mind can be obtained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.
Easier said than done! "Peace of mind" here means the ability to quiet the mind without allowing disturbing thoughts to distract you from Godliness. Too often we pick the exact opposite reaction to the types of people listed above, which only causes us harm. People can become jealous of the happy, indifferent to or disgusted with the unhappy, irritated with the virtuous because they make us look bad, and angry and vindictive toward those who have harmed us or our loved ones. Christ cautions us not to make these incorrect choices, or be overcome by evil. These bad choices separate us from God.
Key Bible passage: Matthew 20:13-16
13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Many times, it is difficult to approach God because our minds are too agitated by some real or imagined injustice. I'll bet the first round of vineyard workers in the parable above will be complaining about this for days! I know some people so infected with bitterness from some perceived injustice in their past that it destroys their present happiness.
TODAY'S CONTEMPLATION
Review the four parts of the yoga sutra above. Of the four, what are you having the most difficulty with? Take action this week to make this sutra come alive for you. Spend time around enthusiastic (God-infused) people, help someone in need, celebrate the virtues of a special friend, or just get over the bitterness that disturbs your peace of mind. |
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| Finally--A Diet that Makes Sense! | |
Every time I turn around, I see another person following some zany diet to lose weight, which makes me nuts as all the research shows that they don't work. Two particularly bad diet choices I've seen lately are the weird lemon detox diet which HAS to be bad for your health, and people who still cling to the Atkins (aka heart disease) diet. There's no magic key to lasting weight loss--it's just simple math: burn more calories than you take in.
Last month I got to eat dinner with one of my favorite people. He exercises ALL the time. He was telling me how he was looking forward to this year's 50 + 100 event--a fifty-mile walk in 100 degree heat. Yet I was alarmed to see he had developed a significant paunch. Plus, he confessed, dangerously high cholesterol. Not to be overly judgmental, but at dinner he ordered the fried seafood platter. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "A fried seafood platter has about 2,200 calories and two days' worth of artery-clogging fat." I remember my own case where I got the math wrong. Chuck and I went to a tennis camp (a LOOOONG time ago) and sweated in the heat and humidity six hours a day hitting balls. When I got back, I was so sure I would have dropped five pounds, but NO! I realized that it was probably because we were sucking down gallons of tasty fresh-squeezed citrus juice at courtside instead of the wiser choice--water.
I saw The Amazing Soup Diet touted on a couple of blogs and was prepared to blast it, but after closer scrutiny, it makes a lot of sense. It takes a page from the Volumetrics and also the Low Glycemic Index eating plans, where you bulk up with low calorie foods that are rich in nutrition. You basically eat a sensible breakfast and lunch, but at dinner you eat a hearty soup. This is NOT a redipped Magic Cabbage Soup Diet. Each night, you doctor up the basic soup recipe with a different kind of protein and spices for variety. Unlike other diets I've seen, this soup is highly nutritious and with the added protein, contains all the nutrients your body needs for good health. Plus, it looks very convenient for busy working people as you make a week's worth of the basic soup recipe and then just toss in a few extra ingredients nightly.
This is the first time I've endorsed a diet plan other than "more fruits and vegetables" but I think this one is worth a look. You can find a complete description and recipes at the Good Housekeeping website.
As with any modification to your eating plan, the most important criteria should be to become more healthy, not skinny. In my experience, you cannot achieve long-term weight loss through diet alone or exercise alone. Move more and eat less. Don't overdo one or the other if you want lasting results. Everything in balance!
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Table Balance | |
This is the simplest of the yoga balance poses, yet it offers significant benefits no matter what level you are at. A good variation for stretching and toning the shoulders is Thread the Needle. On all fours, lift the right hand and stretch it under the left arm, palm up, as far as you can. Hold and stretch! Repeat on the other side. Below is student Joyce Chaffin.
If you'd like a more structured way to practice yoga, try the new Redeeming Yoga Workbook and Journal, now available for sale on-line. It contains an 8-week program of meditations, health tips, Bible study, plus room for journaling. Click here to order now! |
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Thank you so much for spending time here today. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to E-mail me at sarah@redeemingyoga.com. I'm obligated to say that none of the information contained in this E-letter should be construed as medical advice. Before you modify your diet or fitness regimen, please check with your doctor.
Sincerely,
Sarah Riehm
Redeeming Yoga |
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