Demand It Courageously

Make some room for yourself, human animal.

Even a dog jostles about on his master's lap to

improve his position. And when he needs space he

runs forward, without paying attention to commands

or calls.

If you didn't manage to receive freedom as a gift,

demand it as courageously as bread and meat.

Make some room for yourself, human pride and

dignity.

The Czech writer Hrabal said:

I have as much freedom as I take.

By Julia Hartwig

Seasons Greetings ~

I'm quite fond of the old yogic saying, "it's never too late, or too early, to consider sequencing your life today for a healthier tomorrow." Because I really believe it to be true.

Everyday you get opportunity to restate your intentions and purpose, which helps align your prana so you accomplish your goals. Every morning is considered the springtime of the day, a time for renewal and planting seeds. What routines and rituals are you using this spring to foster physical health? And where in your day is there time for you to be like the dog in Julia's poem and run forward without paying attention to commands or calls? Take the freedom you need to healthy-you deserve it!

The 6 am to 10 am time window is considered a kapha time of day; this means it's cooler and more stable. The body may also have more mucous moving during this time of day than desired since mucous is ruled by kapha. In order to get yourself warm and align with the larger solar forces out in nature, Ayurvedic practitioners will encourage you to do practices in the morning to help alleviate kapha symptoms, especially during the spring season. Simple kapha-reducing practices include drinking warm water with a squeeze of lemon; dynamic, rhythmic, warming asanas that include twisting, simple inversions, and prone backbends; walking or jogging; and kriyas like kapala bhati uddiyana bandha. After the movement practice, eat a warm light breakfast appropriate for your constitution. Visit the spring section of Art of Sequencing Volume - Volume Two for more asana and lifestyle ideas for the season.

Until next month, I hope you all have a wonderful April and appreciate the ever-changing qualities of nature for its offering of wisdom, medicine, and healing that foster health and longevity.

Om,

Melina

After co-teaching the Spring Seasonal Ayurveda Yoga Immersion with Dr. Scott Blossom this weekend, I feel inspired to highlight the importance of the earth element this month while we are in the kapha-aggravating phase of spring. The kapha dosha will typically accumulate in late fall and early winter, so when the earth begins to warm up in the spring, it gets aggravated. The water and earth elements then move with greater force until early summer when they dry up as we enter the pitta season.

Doshas occurs when our natural state of health is out of whack, often due to improper eating, overuse of our senses, not enough sleep, or misalignment with the seasons. From the Ayurvedic perspective, when the earth element is balanced, a person will typically have a stable constitution, good stamina, and a strong mind that does not fatigue easily.

So you might be wondering how can I stabilize my earth element or increase my awareness of what the earth element is? For the month of April, consider trying a few of these practices to help you see, feel, taste, and touch the element of earth. Befriend what is essential to your well-being.

Read more: www.melinameza.com 

From: Kitchen on Fire via Chef Doug Grue

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large Fennel bulbs, cut into thin wedges
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• � tbsp Lemon Thyme, minced
• 3 tbsp Champagne Vinegar or Meyer Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp Honey
• � cup Olive Oil
• 2-3 medium Oranges, peeled & cut into segments
• � small Red Onion, shaved thinly with a mandolin or very sharp knife
• � cup            Parsley, minced
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

 Preheat the oven to 400 F

Toss the fennel with the olive oil, lemon thyme, & salt & pepper to coat well. Place onto an oiled sheet tray & into the oven for about 25-35 minutes (flipping the fennel over half way through the cooking) until tender & nicely browned.

Toss the fennel, oranges & onion with the vinaigrette. Divide amongst the serving plates.

Garnish with the parsley.

To experience a more intimate understanding of the creative process, last year I embarked on a project called Photo of the Day. For this, I committed to taking one photograph each day for 365 days and sharing them with my Facebook community and friends. In order to complete the project, I recently designed a coffee table book, which is now available for purchase on Blurb.com. The book is available in both hardback or via eBook version. You can preview several pages from the book by clicking on this link. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do! Thanks again to all of you who "Liked" or viewed my pictures throughout the year. It wouldn't have been the same without you!

Click here to order or preview the book: www.blurb.com