news

last night i treated myself to a soothing facial .sometimes i think my husband James wonders what he has struck

i go in to the bathroom looking normal and come out looking like something  from a horror movie!
the things us girls to for beauty he he!  we watched a bit of telly and went to bed i thought i would have a good nights sleep but boy was i wrong.
James and i are now up at sparrow fart {4:00am } so i have made us both a hot drink James is going to try to get some sleep while i am going to roll out the yoga mat  i havint done yoga for a couple of days and i have missed it. i like to do yoga every day , i came out to make James  a cup of warm milk and honey and it is light already ! Harriet is sleeping blissfully in her bed  amongst all the  chatter  she doesn't mind all  the noise going on around her because that is the way we brought her up. she is such a lovely little thing, we love her  to bits  it is a shame she has been so sick this year we nearly lost her if we had waited  more than a day we would have. her liver was  poisoned  by something she had  eaten while on her walk which was toxic .
after spending a week in hospital with antibiotics  bloods taken three or four times a day Harriet is home now
and is  on a bland diet, a daily dose of milk thistle, and a pill called Sammy x 6  which are all natural remedies to help with the liver  and to create more bile she needs on going blood tests to monitor her liver levels she has had a retro haircut on her side and tummy where they had to shave for the ultrasound of her liver. Her liver levels were 6 thousand which is dangerously high and now they are 5 hundred still high but they are coming down.
we have had a hell of a time all round  and so we are now taking this day by day it has been a big hit to our hip pocket {finances }  but to us Harriet is priceless  i am now off to start my day with a yoga workout  at 6:17am way to early for me and us but hey why not! while James tries to have a bit of a sleep so i will chat to you after my yoga workout and i will tell you how i went.
i have finished my yoga workout and i feel that i didn't do well, like i have been, my balance was really off so i am not happy with it today. but James says you cant be good every day  i know people have good days and bad. it just shows we are all human after all and we shouldn't put to much pressure on ourselves  so just go with the flow and just breathe .




NAMASTE.

Halloween already

well it is that time of year again Halloween a day of creepy fun an excuse to play dress ups for all ages

 to eat loads and loads of lollies and candy .
but Halloween didn't start out that way.
Halloween or hallow e'en  also known as hallows eve is actually a time for remembering the dead such as martyrs, saints and our dearly departed.
Halloween originally  was started by the Celtics and pagans Halloween dates back to about 1745 it comes from the Scottish term for all hallows eve and was known to be the first and most important days


 in the Gaelic calendar
it was introduced  in america by the Celtic and Gaelic communities that had immigrated there Halloween has noting to do with witches as it is to be believed. i all this time believed it was  the witches new year  and they dressed themselves up to fool the spirits  that were after them the humble jack-o'-lantern represents the spirits  or the goblin they were common in parts of Ireland and the Scottish highlands as well as somerset in the 19th century.  in the 20th century it had spread to parts of England and became known as the
jack-o'-lantern

happy Halloween!



NAMASTE.

yoga how much is to much

my mums worried about me doing to much yoga!
you know how mums are,how they worry about their children no matter how old you are,
in their eyes you will always be their baby. so i thought i should research her question
how much yoga is to much and what i have found will put her mind at ease.
i choose to do yoga everyday but if i am busy twice a week.
they class yoga as a sport these days which is completely absurd  and people treat it as such this is where the danger comes in when people push themselves to far and cause injuries to such an extent, where it is
lifelong and may need medical intervention in the future.
there are yoga classes held in rooms that are heated this is extremely bad for ones health it is also  not advisable  to use weights while doing yoga
now this is too much !
yoga is not meant to be like this the yoga i know and love is hatha yoga.
what people seem to forget is that yoga is to help not to hinder
not to wreck your body but to sculpt and bring balance to you and your body
yoga is not a punishment .
yoga is not a competition .
yoga is meant to be done peacefully and gently
yoga is not meant to hurt you in anyway
yoga is meant to repair you from the inside out,
there is only one true form of yoga and that is  hatha,
accept yoga for what it is  it just is.




NAMASTE.

for the love of yoga

well iam coming along nicely with my journey with yoga.
i am feeling more alive than ever, my joints are more flexible and i am feeling more peaceful by the day
i still have trouble with some asanas/ poses which i find rather frustrating, but i have to remember it all takes time.
and practice, practice, practice, as they say!
 and that is exactly what i do Harriet  is even joining in our shih- tzu  Maltese x  .
we use a  collection of yoga reference  books and DVD's , the  DVD  i frequently use and love is
 spirit of yoga {beginners/ intermediates} it is just right for me
i have learned so much about my body with yoga and how to listen to it and be more in-tune with myself,
i have learned to be more patient with myself and that i just cant jump in and start at an advanced level of yoga. the beginning is always best  . i have also learnt  to move with my body not fight against it go with the flow as they say.
there is a lot more i have to learn for example
recently a friendship has been lost this was a curve ball i didn't see coming and i have been evaluating
how i should be, i have been feeling sad, alone, and so extremely flat.
being chewed up and spat out is a horrible feeling to have it is a total betrayal of what friendship is.
and has only made my depression worse. but there are some things  i have forgotten ! iam not alone. i have my wonderful family and some dear friends and yoga which will always be there in my life and will teach me things more and more each day, yoga not only is for the body and mind it is for your overall health
and eventually  you will be at one and at peace with the self .

yoga is forever learning

yoga is nurturing
yoga is strength
yoga is love..



NAMASTE.


                                                                     

{photos taken by James and chelle green }

yoga and oesteoprosis

yoga is good for so many illnesses it is incredible , yoga is a miracle .which cant be bottled.
and is now  finally being recognized  medically as a natural treatment, in other words
yoga is an all rounder. i have recently researched how osteoporosis is helped by doing  yoga
and have found some great results, but you must be careful of which yoga poses you  do or you can cause yourself  a dreadful injury. the main problem with osteoporosis is balance which in turn causes falls , thus more bone breakage and increased bone weakness.. yoga recognizes this  and works on helping prevent
further injury and improves your balance and bone strength .
 the vitamins that are good for osteoporosis are :-
vitamins D3, K2,  and vitamin D
also fish oil, krill oil, magnesium and caltrate with vitamin D. bear in mind to always ask your health care professional before starting any form of health supplements.
to increase  your vitamin D level the sun is the best source of vitamin D but must be used carefully
for example. for fair  skin in summer
expose arms and legs mid-morning - mid-afternoon    {5-10 mins}

in winter expose arms and legs
mid-morning - mid-afternoon {7- 30 mins }

for darker skin in summer
expose arms and legs mid-morning or mid-afternoon {15- 60 mins }

in winter expose arms and legs

mid-morning or mid-afternoon {20 mins -3 hours }

here are some gentle yoga asanas/poses that will benefit you.
the warm up and warm down poses/ asanas are

knee to chest pose

back stretch

relaxation pose

your yoga workout asanas are

mountain pose
improves posture, strengthens thighs

upward salute
fights fatigue, relieves indigestion, alleviates back aches,
stretches abdominals, stretches shoulders and armpits, relieves mild anxiety.

chair pose
strengthens lower back  and quadriceps ,stretches chest, shoulders ,arms and hamstrings
relieves stress and tension reduces flat feet

tree pose
strengthens thighs, calves, ankles and spine.
strengthens groin inner thighs , chest, and shoulders
improves sense of balance relieves sciatica, reduces flat feet

warrior 1 pose strengthens arms, shoulders, thighs, ankles and back, strengthens hips -
flexors  , abdominals expands chest, lungs  develops stamina , improves sense of balance.

warrior 11 pose
strengthens legs and ankles stretches legs, ankles,groins,chest and shoulders.
stimulates digestion increases stamina, relieves backache  relieves carpal tunnel syndrome
relieves  sciatica.

triangle pose
strengthens thighs, knees,ankles,hips, groins , hamstrings, calves  , shoulders , chest, spine
relieves stress stimulates digestion, relieves the symptoms of menopause, relieves backache.

be sure to do your warm down poses after each yoga workout






NAMASTE.

yoga and greif

there are many forms of loss that causes grief, such as
bitter feuds,moving away, and watching loved ones deteriorate from a debilitating or terminal illness
. month by month year by year seeing this for the well members of the family  is a heartbreaking thing
a constant grief . when the end is near  for the  family member who is ill
make sure you make your peace and say everything you need to say before the person passes
i did this and am so glad  i did. we all think we are prepared but actually we are not .
you see it is like a waiting game  a vicious, evil one  that plays with your mind,body and spirit , yoga can help and does. and  no i am not capitalizing  on grief , this as the other posts i have written in here are all from personal experience
yoga makes you stronger emotionally ,physically, and mentally so you can cope better in tough times
such as these so when you think you are alone you are not .
it makes me think back on my life and i wonder why did it take me so long to find yoga
i would  have coped so much better with life's little surprises  it likes to dish out if i had yoga in my life
back then ! but  obviously  it was not  meant to be .
i had to go through all  these  experiences  to find yoga
now that i have yoga in my life i wouldn't be without it , yoga has helped me through so much
over the years  knowing yoga is there and how it makes me feel is wonderful
it helps you live in the now! i cant describe it how or what yoga is it just is
don't they say your life has already been written out for you.








NAMASTE.  

stop and smell the roses

i haven't  written in here for quite a while because my depression has not been good
and i had lost interest in most things due to recent events which have been very traumatic
for all concerned  i am nearly there and have started going out and enjoying walking
Harriet again with my husband , which has helped tremendously, going to a support group
and trying new things and i have friends who have given me support and they don't even know it
and i thank them for that.
the funny thing about depression is you forget about everything  that is good and about the people around you while you are in a depressed state.
i have been given some good advice lately that has made the world of difference

1. to stop worrying about things i cant control
2. enjoy what i have live in the now
3. i am exactly where i am meant to be
4. stop worrying about what others think of me and just be me

 as of tomorrow i am upping  my daily routine,  with yoga in the morning

and getting myself into a better sleep routine

also to pamper myself  more.

pampering yourself doesn't mean spending loads of money infarct sometimes it doesn't cost you anything

1. walking on the beach
2. give yourself  a manicure,pedicure, even a facial ,a foot spa
3. have a soak in a warm bath.
4. or a warm shower with your favorite smellies 
5. sit out and watch the birds in your garden
6. sit  back with a good book and a warm drink
7. watch your favorite TV show
8. listen to music
9. have some quiet time with meditation do a yoga workout with the oil burner on.

you see  it is simple all you have to do is stop and smell the roses

take a step back and enjoy life

relax and breathe.,

the universe has your back.

i was once told your life has already been written out for you

{NAMASTE}

{photos taken by chelle green}.

yoga there is only one

There are so many different forms of yoga when really there is only one

What I don't like is they are dissecting this beautiful form of exercise
with the likes of facial yoga,foot yoga,eating yoga, knee yoga etc the list just goes on
it is ridiculous  all these forms of yoga are part of the regular yoga routine, as my husband says  you cant take bits out of yoga, why fix it when it ant broken .
yoga brings you to a place of peace of ones body and mind a sense of unity of oneself.
now if you dismantle yoga piece by piece then yoga is nothing and loses it's sacredness to me this is exactly what is happening to yoga .
the human race can't leave well enough alone and only sees dollar signs , yoga is a gift to humanity, but a lot of people don't see this  and has to chip away at the very core of yoga till there is nothing left
we need to concentrate  on our inner selves  and use this gift all in one.
and you will soon see and feel the difference in yourself ,if  yoga is  practiced regularly

be true to yourself, be kind to yourself,

{NAMASTE}

    

Rheumatoid / oesto - Arthritis and yoga

Rheumatoid Arthritis  can affect  your whole body  overtime , it is is a horrible illness to have.
so when I found out about a family member  having this dreadful thing I decided to look into
how yoga fared  with surprising results .
yoga surprises me every day , studies are being done as we speak , and so far so good ! they cant do a placebo  because there is not one  of course! so far they have found  people  with Rheumatoid  Arthritis  are in less pain while doing yoga and can handle and cope with their pain better than those who weren't doing yoga  so as i said before so far so good there are yoga exercises out there  for Rheumatoid Arthritis and here they are!

• single leg stretches

• shoulder stretches
• standing side stretches
• wrist bends
• ankle bends
• the corpse pose

• fish oil
• Caltrate { calcium supplement}
• evening primrose oil
• magnesium
• Multi  Vitamins such as centruim   
• vitamin B complex

the dosage of the vitamins should be on the packaging 

also a zinc or copper bracelet may help for the wrists .

you should try and sit outside for 15 mins a day in the sun

exposing your arms and legs  to help with your vitamin D levels 

avoid these foods because they can inflame your arthritis and cause you pain.

• paprika
• tomatoes 
• potatoes
• eggplant
• peppers 

these are all part of the nightshade family also they say in the drinks department to avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee i will also add  cola at it has caffeine in it. also i was told to stop drinking cola to save my teeth so i did with great hardship.

you can never hurt yourself in yoga it is one of the safest forms of  exercises out there . Yoga is not about  pushing yourself it is about having a great relaxing  time all the while helping your joints become stronger.

yoga is never about who comes first because we all get there in the end  and yoga is not all chants or om's  or hums , you don't always have to twist yourself  in half either. as some people like to believe.  it is about having our own  relationship  with yoga , looking after yourself for a change instead of shoving yourself to the side all the time. yoga can change this and  does. thus  having more energy so you can give more time to the family and have a better quality of life.

James my husband  says don't be a Marta and dare i say it he is right , he says  the less pain i am in with my oesto arthritis the better i will  be {and the same applies to you!}

i should shut up now or he will get a fat head and won't be able to fit through the door .

James doesn't mind me writing this because he is the editor after all !

some people have know idea where to start  to look for a yoga class  or how to go about it  like i did when i first started  i just decided to  try yoga i knew nothing about it this was years ago  i did some things right and some things wrong. here is what you do. 

•   go to your Dr and ask for his /her advice on what you can or  cant do
• look for a yoga class in your area   
• tell your instructor about any health problems you may have and they will help you accordingly don't be embarrassed that is what they are there for .                 

I didn't feel comfortable  in a yoga class  so i stopped going and stopped  yoga altogether  until 2007.

as i didn't realize what was out there . i had no idea  there was such a range of DVD's from beginners to advanced when i  received my first yoga  DVD i was in heaven! and it was a beginners one!

i started off slowly and have never looked back And Yes! i asked my Dr first who would have thought you can do yoga in your  own home, i never would have.

to get the benefits of yoga set yourself a program.

my Dr recommends three times a week  but that's for me even if you start gradually that is fine but stick to it.set the scene.

• shut the curtains/ blinds 
• put your oil burner on with lavender oil or whatever is calming to you 
• wear loose clothing.
• and always use your yoga Matt  if you don't have a yoga Matt use a blanket or towel  in the meantime

   

(NOTE after your yoga routine  have a warm radox bath or shower

yoga is not a cure it eases your pain 

if you have arthritis or oesto arthritis, rheumatoid      
arthritis keep warm 

never go barefoot  anywhere without some form of footwear 

your feet must always be kept warm

sandles for summer , closed in shoes for winter

always consult your Dr before doing any form of exercise }

                                                                                                                   

NAMASTE.




{photos taken by James and chelle green)

Easter baby

well Easter has come and gone, all the chocolate nearly eaten, we have eaten so much chocolate;
I think we look like a family sized block.
the meaning of Easter has not been forgotten by any means , but gee it has been nice.
Iam now  paying  for it acne wise , but hey ! it's  worth it as indulgences  like this is rare for us.
James and i have been bringing up a budgie from a pinky {no feathers} this budgie was approx a week old
when he was  kicked out of the nest by his mother , he was so small  that he fitted into the palm of my hand
and I saw him open his eyes for the very first time. You know he  couldn't even  lift his head!
I was so worried  he wouldn't survive, he took the syringe instantly with the formula called egg and  biscuit  from the pet shop , hells teeth  what a racket he made  when he was hungry every 2-3 hours which was when i had to feed him even throughout the night.A week later he had feathers  developing and could lift his head, he lived in a shoe box for the first 3 weeks of his life with a small towel  inside the tissue box for warmth .He still  has his formula and has developed before our very eyes  and faith is now 5 weeks old,he is now starting to nibble on seed and loves his cuttlefish .
James and i don't know whether faith is a boy or a girl as yet, because the part where the nostrils are above the beak is called the cere  faiths colour is a rose pink when this changes from this  it will either be blue for boys or brown for girls , faith is a beautiful  smokey grey round little fat thing  and is just gorgeous .
faith doesn't stop chattering  which is great  where as girls  in the budgie kingdom  don't chat as much weird eh?  so we think faiths a boy.
faith is now flying faith flew at exactly 1 month old so right on target  faith loves to sit on our fingers,nibbles on my hair  and makes a beeline for James's beard . faith is also quite the acrobat  and loves to be busy.
and now is sleeping he is a constant surprise and an absolute joy. and just in time for Easter,
our Easter baby now  we can  go back to our daily  routine and our yoga workouts which we both love.







NAMASTE.







{photos by james and chelle green}
except one  which is anonymous

yoga and meditation are they the same

My journey with yoga so far has brought me to a lovely place ,  a place of  peace and love.
I cant describe how i feel it is just beautiful., i feel as if i am walking on air.
I had no idea  yoga could  do such a thing !
In the beginning   i thought yoga was just a natural  way  to get in shape, but as i see now yoga is so much more.
i have thought for a while now that yoga and meditation are one and the same, so i researched this and discovered in a way they are,  they both have the same target   to reach . but  in entirely different  ways, this target is to self enlightenment . Meditation shapes your spiritual self , where  as yoga shapes, sculpts your body  on the outside and massages your internal  organs and muscles  on the inside.
I tell James Iam going to do a yoga workout, i say i am going to pamper myself for a while because  in the end that is how i feel, all that i need after my pampering is a good old fashioned facial which i do at home and then i feel fabulous.
I hate waiting for that hour to pass after i have eaten   to do yoga  because i want to get straight into it.
I didn't wait for that hour once  and i felt my meal coming  up  my throat  so never again  it was so uncomfortable ! it taught me a lesson a big one
don't rush!

Here is something to ponder on.

No one is enlightened
________________

" Enlightenment is the spontaneous recognition
that there has never been anything as a "you" or a "me"
instead there is only the unfolding of Buddha- nature
the persistent idea of being a "me" obscures our true
impersonal identity. the illusionary  separate self
is  no more than a passing  cloud
traversing the great open sky
of our deeper being."


NAMASTE.

(photos by James and chelle green}