Challenge: Yoga Journal Strong Core

The last few weeks have been tumultous trying to kick my over-dependence on the interwebs. I've had some good days, when I've squeezed in some yoga, and some bad days where I've been glued to my monitor, too lazy even to make decent meals.

To kickstart my path to recovery though, I've signed up to the Yoga Journal's Strong Core program. I've had a great time with YJ's fitness programs in the past, particularly the 21-Day Fitness challenge, so I'm hoping I'll be self-motivated enough to complete this.

Are you ready to sculpt your core?
(Source: Yoga Journal Strong Core)

The program begins Monday 8 April, which is next Monday! If it's anything like their other programs, there'll be fitness tips, recipes and a daily video which is generally 20-30 minutes long.

Will you be taking on the challenge?

Hump Day Yoga Inspiration

More for me than you, really, considering the rut that I've been in. Inspiring yogis to follow.....

Fran Miller - 91 year old yoga teacher 

Yep, you read right, she's 91 years young! And she only began teaching yoga in her 50s! As they say, you are never too old to yoga (or maybe I just made that up just then :P). Here's a lovely interview with her on Yogadork.

Photo from Yogadork

Adam Levine, Maroon 5 frontman 

I'm going to be honest, I hate really dislike Maroon 5's music. But I do admire Adam Levine as a yogi (yay, I'm glad I can now separate the man and the music, unlike my 16 year old self). My favourite quote?

"There’s a very specific yoga cliché. Eat these foods, wear these clothes, believe only these things. I don’t want to be that."

Plus, Adam knows his asanas.

Borrowed from Yogadork, check out the full article on Adam there. 

I have tried this asana a few times... let's just say I'm not quite there yet.



Sadie Nardini, yoga teacher

I just love Sadie, I think she presents herself well, and I feel that she appeals to a younger demographic. My favourite Sadie quote?

"Being hurt in love doesn't mean you should shut down, or defend. In fact, be proud that you trusted, and loved with an open heart, even if someone else decided to act unskilled with you, or your path was not theirs. Be discerning, set calm, healthy boundaries--but keep your heart available and trust unless shown otherwise. Do not make future people pay for the actions of the past."

Visit Sadie's website for free yoga videos and information

Alanis Morrisette, musician 

What can I say... I was a child of the 90s. I loved Alanis Morrisette during her angsty days of being a Former Infatuated Junkie. And then, she faded into oblivion for a while or I grew out of adolescence (pick one), and she faded from memory until one day, who should graze the cover of my Yoga Journal, but the one and only Alanis!

And looking mighty fab. She also appeared in Weeds round about the same time, and she looks amazing! I'm going to put it down to all the yoga. I think she looks younger now than she did 10 years ago.

My inner schoolgirl leapt with joy when I saw this cover
(Source)

And I think I'ma end this post with a quote from Alanis.

"The mat just stays there, and I just keep coming back to it."

The Internet Detox: Update 1

You may have read that I attempted to take a break from the internet.

(Source)

The synopsis of that story: My computer breaks, gets sent for repair, and I decided hey, why not use this time to cut down on my online time? Then, I got my computer back, and that was when things started to get pretty hurdly! The first couple of weeks went well, I kept my computer off most of the time, and I went for runs, read, did some yoga, only browsed Facebook and reddit occasionally. 

It was going so well. 

And then, I have no idea how it happened... but what with researching uni courses, and then uni applications... and gaming... somehow, the computer just crept back into my life and ousted out my yoga and running. That has not happened since the end of uni, 3 years ago. I'd never stopped doing yoga before... it feels weird, even now, especially since I haven't gotten back into it. I have to admit, shamefully, that my computer dependence is now much greater than before. I've been introduced to DotA 2, I've discovered this terrible yet addictive online game called Wartune, and I recently discovered Duolingo which is a fantastic and free language learning site. It's also the only product I will link to because it is, at least, educational so getting addicted to it isn't so bad. :P

I suppose I realized I had hit a low when I purchased a jar of ready-made curry simmer sauce. I know, it's a really bizarre thing to trigger an epiphany, but I haven't eaten any processed foods in a very long while. I make all my own curries, soups, stews, etc when I'm not eating out. Why did I buy that jar of sauce? So I could have more computer time, why else! 

I can't believe this jar showed me just how far I had fallen.
(Source)

The disappearance of my yoga practice and fitness regime has changed a lot in my life. For starters, I have a lot of free time that I just don't know what to do with, which then gets spent on the computer (terrible neverending cycle that one...). I have lost weight... about 5kg. I am much weaker physically. My shoulders ache all the time, and I get constant headaches that simply won't go away. I wake up every morning vowing to do some yoga, but what I think will be ten minutes on Duolingo ends up being a few hours. 

I just have to ask myself... what happened? What went wrong? I've always been so disciplined in my fitness routines. How did I lose the plot when my intentions were all in the right place? 

I wanted my internet detox to be along the lines of Susan Maushart's The Winter of Our Disconnect. Instead, I seem to be on a road to Netaholics Anonymous. 

I'm not even sure what my next step is. Besides the obvious of trying to get my yoga and running back on again. I'm not even sure I know what I wanted to achieve with my internet detox... I think my original goal was just to cut down on dawdle time on the internet. 

So, there you have it. I wanted a hiatus but instead got a face full of internet. I've never really failed in anything before, this is a first. What a downer of a post, I guess it's possibly from the lack of yoga :P Hopefully, the next time I update, there will be better news. 

Review: The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you would know that I have taken up ayurvedic traits in my diet. So, I was delighted when I was kindly sent a sample copy of The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen to review, and I have to say that I am impressed by what I have read so far.

Talya Lutzker is a professional Ayurvedic practitioner and Nutrition counselor as well, so you know all the information in the book comes with good authority. She decided to create an ayurvedic book with a difference, that one difference being that all the recipes are vegan! (Just in case that didn't have the impact I desired, most ayurvedic diets are big on dairy, which hasn't made it very vegan-friendly).

Beautiful photos to really inspire you

It's a little bit more than just a cookbook. The book opens with a brief introduction to ayurveda, including general dietary requirements. No cold drinks, no late meals... among others. Then, comes a brief chapter on taste, or rasa (in Sanskrit), which I found really interesting. Who knew that taste could be so complex and even be connected to emotions! An example she gives is that eating sweet foods may make you happy... assuming you like sweet foods of course.

But the biggest selling point would probably be the way the recipes are presented (see below). All the recipes have a dosha section that tell you if it increases, or helps to settle a dosha. It makes searching for recipes for your dosha that much easier, and it's also quite interesting to see what other dosha diets are like. If you would like to learn more about doshas, you can read my previous post about it.

A sample page from the Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen (click to enlarge)

Perhaps the only downside to this recipe book is that the recipes are fairly complex and time-consuming. If like me, you live alone, work full-time, and have to basically eat the same meal over the next 2 days for lunch and dinner, then it may be something to try on the weekend. If you have the time though, there is nothing better than crafting a healthy meal for your family.

If you are vegan or lactose-intolerant and are wanting to try ayurveda, then this is definitely the book for you. I am very fond of my dairy though, so the recipes in this book will probably just be the occasional alternative.

Pros: Great easy-to-understand information about the ayurvedic diet, beautiful pictures, and easy to locate dosha information for every recipe
Cons: Recipes require a lot of ingredients (some that may not be easily accessible), most are time-consuming recipes, so not suitable for the busy!

RRP: USD$9.99 (Kindle store) or AUD$18.88 (the Book Depository)