Self-love and growth

Shoulder Stand Pose (Sarvangasana)

What is a Shoulder Stand Pose?
Shoulder stand pose, or sarvangasana, is an inverted posture wherein the weight of the body rests on the shoulders and the feet reach toward the sky. In the full posture, the arms rest on the floor. Shoulder stand pose brings a fresh blood supply to the brain and relaxes the mind.
Instructions
Lie on your back. Inhale and reach your feet up, lifting your hips.Support your low back with your hands.Draw your elbows toward each other. Walk your hands further toward your shoulders to lift your hips higher.Straighten your legs and relax your feet.Exhale and release your arms to the floor.Breathe normally while holding the pose.

Ayurveda Recipes: Apple Lime Smoothie with Ginger & Cardamom

Revive your body with this refreshing & life restoring smoothie that boasts a zing of lime and summer spices. The heat of summer seems to bake the electrolytes out of your body, making you feel tired and fatigued. Smoothies are a perfect way to rehydrate your body in summer.

Summer is a natural time of year to introduce more simple carbohydrates into your diet, such as the fructose found in fruit. These simple sugars restore blood sugar levels, which can be unstable after sweating in the heat. A pinch of salt can benefit dry Vata types.

Raw apples cool & refresh your body when the heat is strong due to their astringent taste (the rough feeling on your tongue). Lime, cardamom & ginger make this smoothie light and playful. The sour taste of the lime opens your pores helping you keep cool. Ginger & cardamom are a digestive aid.

Exercise moderation with fruit smoothies if you have high blood sugar levels or diabetes.

Ingredients

1 whole APPLE (RAW)

1/2 c WATER

1/4 whole LIME

1/8 inch GINGER (FRESH)

1 pinch CARDAMOM

1 pinch LIME ZEST

Instructions

  1. Core & chop the apple. Scrape the zest off of a lime with micro-grater, zester, or sharp knife. Grate the ginger. Grind cardamom in a coffee grinder.
  2. Add above ingredients to a blender. Squeeze lime juice over mixture. Add water and puree until smooth.

Serve immediately. Contents may separate quickly. To keep contents from separating, add kiwi.

Wild Thing Pose (Camatkarasana)

What is Wild Thing Pose?

Wild thing pose, or camatkarasana in Sanskrit, challenges both strength and balance. A relatively newer pose and commonly practiced in vinyasa classes, the yogi enters wild thing pose from downward dog, lifting one leg up and behind so that the heart opens to the sky.

Instructions

Begin in downward-facing dog pose.

Inhale and lift the right leg and hand off the floor.

Exhale and reach the right leg up and over so that the foot rests on the floor behind the left leg.

Inhale and reach the right hand toward the sky.

Breathe while holding the pose.

A Parable

Buddha told a parable in a sutra:
A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.
Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!

One-Legged King Pigeon Pose A (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana A)

What is One-Legged King Pigeon Pose A?
One-legged king pigeon pose A, or eka pada rajakapotasana A in Sanskrit, is a deep and challenging backbend that opens the chest and develops flexibility in the hips. From pigeon pose, the yogi bends the back foot in toward the buttocks, clasping the toes in a deep backbend.
Instructions
Begin in pigeon pose with the right foot back.Exhale and bend the right foot toward the buttocks.Inhale and reach the right arm (and left arm, if possible) up and back. Clasp the right toes with both hands.Breathe while holding the pose.