Cheryl Thomas, RYT
www.cherylthomas.com yoga@cherylthomas.com 415-308-3377 |
Winter is upon us in a big way. It's the time for warm things, like the wooly, red and green striped gloves we got from Santa, the knitted leg warmers worn scrunched above your boots or the ultra light down vest for only $60 from Uniqlo. But that's the outside. We need to keep our innards warm also.
Winter is is the time to nurture ourselves and get more rest eat well and stay warm. It's the time to drink tea. No, not peppermint ice tea or Long Island ice teas, but warming, spicy, fulfilling, immune boosting hot tea.
According to an article by Scott Blossom writing for Yoga journal, "
"You can drink most teas during any time of year, but some are more effective during winter. Licorice tea, for instance, has a bittersweet flavor and cooling energy that can help soothe a dry or sore throat and aid digestion. Hot lemon and mint also help digestion as well as clarify the mind, senses, and emotions."
Owner of YogaOne and Ayurveda educator and consultant, Deacon Carpenter, offers that, "What many people don't realize, is that if you're taking tea with spices, you are actually getting some pretty incredible health benefits . . . This is the time of the year where teas with spices like cinnamon, clove and ginger are all ideal."
Just like food, it can make a difference when and what tea you drink. Here's a rough guide: Morning: Drink warm and spicy tea with bitter and astringent flavors, like chai (below). If you're congested, try ginger tea with lemon, raw honey and (yikes!) a touch of cayenne.
Mid-Day: Lemon (it's in your backyard) is a great digestive tea and if you're too warm, you can add some mint. Licorice tea helps a scratchy throat and if you're cold or weak, drink ginger or tulsi tea.
Late Afternoon-Early Evening: Avoid stimulants and choose teas with sweet, sour or salty flavors like Yogi Tea or Vata Tea or Tulsi/Gotu Kola (cooling) with honey, hot almond milk and maybe a pinch of nutmeg.
Bedtime: This is the time for soothing and calming teas, like tulsi or chamomile.
I'm a fan of Chai Baba Chai (made right here in Sebastopol), but I love making my own at home with the chai tea spices from Taylor Made Farms. I brew the spices in some water for 10 minutes or so, then add an equal amount of good whole milk and some Gipson's Golden local honey.
I asked Mr. Carpenter to share his favorite chai tea recipe. I can't wait to try it. Thanks, Deacon! Here it is:
3 cups purified water 2 teaspoons of Rooibos (herbal) or black tea 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 6 pods cardamom (cracked) 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger 1/4 teaspoon of cracked black pepper 1 cup of 2 milk (can be cow or goat)
In a saucepan, bring all ingredients (except the milk) to a boil and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then add the milk, and bring back to a boil, making sure the mixture doesn't boil over. Pour mix into a glass measuring jug, then strain into a teapot.
I also get the Tumeric Tea blend from Acre Coffee, made and sold by Samovar Tea in SF or online. It's neon yellow and (very) spicy with tumeric, ginger, lemongrass and licorice. Of course to yummy-it-up, I add a splash of cream and plenty of honey. According to Samovar's website, "it's perfect for soothing nerves and warming your belly".
There you have it. This winter choose warming teas to stay healthy, warm and balanced. Why not grab the cinnamon and pepper from your spice drawer, head to the market for a hand of ginger and some cardamom pods and make a homemade pot chai tea.
Want to read some of my past articles?. They're archived right here. Enjoy.
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One Dollar, just $1. I have not raised my Yoga in Graton class rate ever or never, whichever is correct. January 1, the 10-class pass rate goes to $11 per class or $110. Drop-in inches up to $13.
Tony Briggs and Liz Levy will pair up and offer Anatomy & Yoga Therapeutics starting in February. These two topics from these seasoned and brilliant teachers are a must for not just teachers, but students alike. Go to Westside's site for info.
New Class Added!! First Saturday of every month starting Jan 2. 11-1230pm at Thrive Yoga, Hediyeh will be breaking down the basic sun salutation including Tadasana, chaturunga, updog, downdog, warrior 1 & 2. Hediyeh says this class is great for beginners as well as for someone ready to take your practice to another level.
On Feb 7, the lovely, Iris Lambert, will offer a free intro to her Irie Yoga Teacher Training program at the Dhyana Center in Sebastopol. There will be chanting, pranayama and asana. Hi, Iris!
We're lucky to have Judith Lasater in Northern California. She's offering a small group, Advanced Restorative Yoga series on 4 Wednesdays in March in Marin. I'm signed up!! Go here for more info.
Know about Yoga in Graton? It's hopping! Find 5 classes a week ranging from Gentle to Slow Flow to All Levels, featuring me, Corina Stoicescu and Denise Hammond. Time and places at YogaInGraton.com.
My weekly schedule is below (scroll down or click here!). Or, you can always go to my website and click on the always up-to-date calendar to find where I might be.
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 The Psoas
You may have heard your teacher use the word psoas (sounds like so-as). It's usually thought of as the hip flexor, bringing the thigh to the pelvis. This muscle gets tight/weak from sitting and we stretch it with lunges in yoga.
This article in Yoga International beautifully and thoroughly explains the function of the psoas and offers some movements to help stretch, release and strengthen it.
From the article:
"The psoas (when functioning optimally) supports the healthy alignment of the lumbar spine, meaning it plays an important role in maintaining good posture. And when it's not functioning optimally, it can be a major culprit behind back pain and discomfort".
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 The Adult Nap
Thanks to your interest in this important practice, I'm offering a a Restorative Yoga on Wednesdays from 5:15 to 6:45. at Yoga Studio Ganesha on the Square in Sebastopol. Pricing - Buy a 4 class pass for $54 ($13.50/class) or 8 classes for $100 or Drop-In of $16. Yoga in Graton students can use your punch card ($11 per class)!!!
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Lymphatic System and Mental Health
I recently did a couple of articles on the lymphatic system,which I knew and still know little about. Dr. John Douillard, Ayurvedic Practitioner, offers up some research about the link between the lymphatic system, inflammation, and mental health. Very, very interesting, I say.
Here's a bit from Dr. Douillard's article. Also, the video is above
"The relationship between mood and inflammation, now thought to be linked to poor lymphatic brain drainage, was recently studied in a meta-analysis which suggested that when serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors, such as Prozac, were given alongside low-dose aspirin or ibuprofen, there was a significant reduction in the need for psychiatric care."
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Star Wars Movie - It's the Karma
I think Ethan Nichtern is the new face of Buddhist teachings and mindfulness matters. He's young and his messages are contemporary. He's reviewed the New Star Wars movie. Here's a clip:
"In all seven of these movies, including this one, anytime a Jedi enters anything resembling a meditative state, I feel like I am watching a bad new age spiritual infomercial. It makes me wish George Lucas spent a little less time with Joseph Campbell, and a bit more time with Joseph Goldstein. What are the Jedi doing to connect with the light of the force? Is it metta meditation? Visualization? Mantra? Qigong? What? Maybe they should hire Sharon Salzberg as a spiritual consultant for Episode 8."
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The Power of Intention
I remember the 2006 best-selling book The Secret about the law of attraction and that positive thinking can create life-changing results. It seemed like some hokum at the time.
Ayurvedic Doctor, John Douillard, writes in this article that our intention is powerful, whether a wish, meditation, prayer or thought. The regarding the placebo effect he writes:
"Perhaps since this effect is so powerful, we should be spending more time researching the power of intention instead of drugs, which are more often than not out-performed by dummy pills."
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Schedule of Upcoming Classes
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Class Schedule - Week of January 3, 2016
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Tuesday
5:00 - 6:00
Private, Healdsburg
Wednesday
Yoga Studio Ganesha, Sebastopol
Restorative Yoga
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Club
All Levels
Thursday (subbed)
5:00 - 6:00
Private, Healdsburg
Saturday
All Levels Flow
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Wednesday
5:15 - 6:45
Yoga Studio Ganesha, Sebastopol
Restorative Yoga
Thursday (subbed) 8:45 - 9:45 Saturday All Levels Flow
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Graton Yogis Info:
Did you know your class pass (get these from your instructor) are accepted by all yoga teachers at Yoga in Graton?
We Gratonite Yogis have a place to call our own. It's www.
yogaingraton.com. There is information about current and new yoga classes offered in Graton.
Don't live in Graton? No problem. We want you to come anyway.
Quotes I Like
You cannot be lost if you don't care where you are.
Judith Lasater
When people ask me what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes.
Ansel Adams
"Not to have what we want is stressful; to have what we do not want is stressful."
Buddha
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
Dalai Lama
"Everything will be alright in the end. And if it is not alright, it's not yet the end!" The Magnolia Hotel movie
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