Yoga in Practice

“As I move through the layers of

other people’s beliefs and opinions,

I see within myself a magnificent being,

wise and beautiful..

I love what I see in me,

..that I am part of all I see..”

by Ms. Louise L. Hay

Many thanks, to Ujie, for making our Yoga teachers aware of this very deep writing by Ms Louise L. Hay.

Eating Wisely, Weight Loss and Yoga Training

Please bear in mind that I am not a dietician or a physician and my opinions are those of a Yoga teacher and life-long student of Ayurveda. Always consult with your family physician before changing your diet.

With Spring in the air in North America – Many of you wrote me, to request a few more tips in relation to weight loss, eating wisely, and improving health through weight control. This is a follow up to that article I wrote in December 2004. You may want to refer back to that article to catch up with this one.

It may be generally agreed that eating wisely and weight loss do not often agree. Just look back that the parade of “fad diets,” that didn’t seem to work over the long term and, in retrospect, were not wise from the onset.

This article will be a “union” of ideas from Ayurvedic principles, modern fitness concepts, and overall strategies for better health.

It goes without saying that a vegetarian diet is healthy. Only a decade ago, there were many reservations among local physicians in New England, in regard to this concept. How rapidly knowledge, insight, and opinions change.

Marie, my wife, exposed me to the vegetarian diet. Before that, I ate what is now called the “Mediterranean Diet.” The diet I eat, to this day, is a combination of the two. The combination of these two, “classic” diets, are easy for me to live with and it is not an effort, at all, for me.

That is the biggest hurdle for most people. Many of us take on a radical dieting change, that we cannot live with. Most of us can afford to make a few small changes at a time, instead of changing everything at once – unless you are dieting under the guidance of your doctor or dietician.

Therefore, I propose a few small changes to your eating habits that will make sense. You do not have to change them all at one time.

  • Sit down and focus on eating your meal.
  • Avoid television, reading, heated conversations, etc.
  • Thoroughly chew your food at a slow pace and do not put more food in your mouth until you have swallowed the previous bite.
  • Be aware of how hungry you are before your meal.
  • Try to avoid too much time between meals, as this leads to over consumption and your stomach should never be more than three quarters full, after a meal.

Exercise tip: All of you practice Yoga and understand the many benefits of Sun Salutations, but have you ever tried weight resistance?

Strength training increases energy expenditure during a weight resistance training session. The high intensity of strength training indicates a high utilization of carbohydrates during a training session.

During the post-exercise recovery period, energy expenditure is elevated for a period ranging from two to fifteen hours (1). The increased energy demands are obtained by burning more calories, and a good portion of the calories are coming from fat stores.

Reference (1) – Melby C, Scholl C, Edwards G, Bullough R. Effect of acute resistance exercise on post exercise energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate. Journal of Applied Physiology 75(4): 1847-1853, 1993.

Even if you work every body part just once a week, this method of cross training will effectively burn calories. When you combine this with any aerobic activity, you have a powerful combination. Rowing and bicycling are good substitute forms of resistance too.

Strategies for results: Get help from a qualified Personal Trainer, Dietician, or a Life Coach. You could do it all yourself, but how much time do you have to “spin your wheels.” without any progress. These services exist for those who don’t want to waste time and want solutions now.

There is also the option of online Personal Trainers for a reasonable cost.

Side Notes for Yoga Teachers

Many students approach their Yoga instructors seeking answers to weight control and reduction. The reasons for this are not always obvious. Physical Yoga training is not as intense as other forms of exercise. However, it is the lifestyle that leads to weight control. Rather than an up and down calorie intake (Yoyo diet), Yoga and Ayurveda propose steady, moderate, and healthy eating habits. It will take some time for studies and research to catch up with the reason why Yoga training helps practitioners maintain healthy body weight, but when the dust clears, it will be noted that living a Yogic lifestyle is the reason for controlling one’s weight.

Yoga Teacher Training Question of the Month

Q: Is a Correspondence Yoga Teacher Training course comparable to on-site Yoga certification?

A: Yes, Yoga home study certification courses are not a new concept. Written Yoga teacher training courses have been around for years. Yoga teacher training online (with technical Email support) is a new method of teaching. When you add Yoga and meditation videos to the audio CD’s on the chakras, you have a powerful combination.

We still use many written materials, because they are so valuable, but Yoga teacher training videos and CD’s make learning how to become a certified Yoga instructor much easier than it used to be.

Many reputable universities have correspondence courses and “night school” classes. Graduates of those same programs are always very successful “self-starters” in life.

Being an independent self-starter is a key ingredient toward becoming a successful Yoga teacher. This is why we produce quality Yoga instructors, who believe strongly in the concept of continuing education.

Based on the number of calls we receive from spas, health clubs, ashrams, etc., there are a large number of employers eager to hire graduates of our correspondence Yoga teacher training courses.

Recipe of the Month

Vegetable Lasagne

Yes, I know it is Spring and this is a baked dish, but I never bake in the Summer, so this is the “last hurrah” before the warm weather.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound dry lasagne noodles
  • 6 cups high quality tomato sauce
  • 2 cups chopped portabella mushrooms
  • 1 pound low fat ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups cooked spinach
  • 1 pound low fat mozzarella cheese sliced thin
  • ½ pound mild provolone cheese sliced thin

There are some lasagne noodles that don’t require boiling. They save a lot of time. If the lasagne noodles do require boiling before use, do this first.

  • Follow the instructions on packet, add some olive oil to prevent sticking, and then set them aside to cool slightly.
  • Bring the tomato sauce to a boil, stir in the mushrooms, and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Lightly wipe the inside of your lasagne pan with virgin olive oil or spoon in a little sauce to prevent your noodles from sticking to the pan.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit
  • Place lasagna noodles in the pan to form a single layer. Alternate the pattern with each layer. For example: run them width ways for the first layer and length ways for the next. This locks them into place, when you slice it.
  • Place one third of your ingredients between each layer of noodles and repeat twice more with noodles in between each layer. Spread more tomato sauce on top, if needed.
  • Bake for approximately an hour and avoid burning any cheese.

You could use cooked grated carrots, garlic, onions, zucchini, broccoli, or eggplant to substitute for the spinach and mushrooms I used and you could also add a few olives.

There are substitutes for cheese, but that’s your choice.

Mangi e goda! (Eat and Enjoy)

Announcement: Yoga Teacher Certification Clearance Sale

Postnatal and Prenatal Yoga teacher training courses are in the process of being revised. Therefore, we have a $50.00 off clearance sale on the Postnatal and Prenatal Yoga certification courses while they last. We currently have seven of these Yoga instructor training courses left.