New Website Online!

I am happy to announce the launch of my new website. Please check www.samyama-yoga.com for updates and class schedules. This blog will no longer be updated.

Thank you for following my blog.

Lunchtime yoga in Westminster

Lunchtime yoga practice.

What: Beginner class
When: Thursday 11:45am-12:45pm
Where: Abbey Centre
34 Great Smith Street
Westminster
London SW1P 3BU
Cost: £70 10-week course

Kindly register in advance. Once we have a group of 6 people, we will start a course.

What's with Cold Water?

Someone forwarded this to me. It seems logical. I stopped drinking cold water years ago since I always felt bloated and sick afterwards. Although I am not a fan of drinking anything during or right after meals, this might explain why.

     

It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the  digestion. Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer.  It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal. 

3-Day Detox Plan

Taken from Yoga Journal

A week prior to your detox, observe your dietary habits. You may want to write down what you eat. Then choose three things—caffeine, sugar, and chocolate, for example—that you want to avoid or limit during the days leading up to the detox. It's important, too, to replace the "bad" stuff with more healthful choices; simply removing foods from your diet can leave you feeling deprived.

For the three days of the detox, you could eat just whole foods, grains, fruits, and vegetables, and ingest no stimulants in order to give your body a break, relax the liver, detox the kidneys and adrenals, and enhance digestion. If you eat meat, you might want to try a vegetarian or vegan diet for a few days. If you already eat mostly whole foods and have a balanced diet, perhaps you want to move in the direction of eating fewer grains and beans and instead dine on vegetables, fruits, and juices only.

Here is a suggested menu plan that anyone can follow.


Day 1
Breakfast: Water with lemon, Cooked quinoa, flax oil, nuts or seeds (for protein), and unsweetened dried fruit.
Lunch: Herbal tea, Kitchari,Steamed collards with lemon miso tahini dressing
Dinner: Half a melon or a bowl of mixed fruit,Broccoli, kale, onions, and chickpeas sautéed in olive oil,Baked sweet potato

Day 2

Breakfast: Water with lemon, Fruit smoothie or a large bowl of fresh fruit with yogurt, flax or hemp seeds, and spirulina

Lunch:Salad of mixed greens with grated or boiled beets and lemon miso tahini dressing or flax oil and balsamic vinegar Leftover quinoa tossed with any chopped raw vegetables and flax oil and balsamic vinegar, Black bean stew

Dinner: Carrot-ginger soup, Steamed spring greens with flax oil, Brown rice, Herbal tea

Day 3

Breakfast: Water with lemon, Leftover kitchari, Sauerkraut

Lunch: Kombucha, Leftover baked sweet potatoes, mashed, Mixed salad with grated carrots, sprouts, and lemon miso tahini dressing or flax oil 
and balsamic vinegar, Leftover black bean stew or carrot-ginger soup

Dinner: Ocean veggie stir-fry, Leftover brown rice, Herbal tea

Snacks? Of course! Enjoy them between meals or as needed to stabilize blood sugars. 

Almond milk, Fresh fruit, Homemade fruit smoothie, Baked beets, Vegetable juices, Oatmeal, Raw carrots, celery, cucumbers, and radishes, Steamed broccoli or other greens with flax oil, Salads with lemon miso tahini dressing.


* You can always substitute these with local veggies or fruits. Enjoy!

Yoga in Mainstream Schools

Teaching yoga to primary school children in after-school clubs and nurseries has brought me much joy. The kids are wonderful to watch especially when they are focused and attentive. Imagine 3 year olds slithering like a snake or barking like a dog! 

Yoga classes are a fun and interactive way to aid children's natural development, building self confidence, flexibility, motor coordination and strength while learning in a calm and relaxed atmosphere.  Regular practice increases children's concentration and focus as well as tackle child obesity, promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Please contact me at pat.olabre@googlemail.com or on 07962-993966 for more information. I possess an up-to-date CRB disclosure and a valid insurance.

** Easter Break - Kids Yoga **

For kids wanting to try yoga, this is your chance to join our nice group during the Easter break. The classes will run from 8th April to 27th May.

Working with a lovely Yoga teacher (that's me!), offering fun, creative sessions for children (& any parents who want to join in!), combining exciting adventures with stories, games and relaxing techniques designed to stimulate imagination and maintain flexibility.

Classes will be held at the Abbey Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU - just round the corner from Westminster Abbey/Parliament Square as an easy landmark.  If you're free on Thursday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30, we'd love for you to join us. It would be quite helpful to have an idea of how many people to expect, so please email Tammy at  pata_dn@yahoo.com if you're interested.

Balancing Our Doshas

According to Ayurveda there are three constitutions, each made up of two elements, which are responsible for the functioning of the human organism. When Vata, Pitta and Kapha reside undisturbed in their proper place, the body will be supported and is in balance. When disturbed, they cause disease and deterioration in the body.  

Each one of us are made up of a combination of the three types of doshas. People may be of a predominant dosha, but all doshas have the basic elements within them.  

Factors that can bring about balance of the tridoshas are diet, exercise, good digestion, and elimination of toxins.

Click on the link.

Yoga of Heart -- The Healing Power of Intimate Connection

I would like to share with you a video of Mark Whitwell's workshop. Having followed his classes on Sky TV, they served as a good revision of my teacher training course. We both studied in the Krishnamacharya tradition. He, from the source, Professor Krishnamacharya and I, from Marc Beuvain, a student of TKV and Kausthub Desikachar. TKV is Krishnamacharya's son and Kausthub, his grandson.

Incidentally Mark has www.heartofyoga.com registered under his name. I discovered it too late; I was already a few weeks into writing my blog. Hopefully, though, he won't have a an issue sharing the name with me since we both took it from TKV Desikachar's book, Heart of Yoga. 

Heart is Yoga is probably the first book on yoga I have read from beginning to end. It is so interesting and provides a good foundation on the study of yoga. Even as a non-yoga practitioner we can also learn a lot from using the principles stated in the book.

Please click on link to view video.

Yoga Spring Cleaning Practice

Relax and de-stress after work! New drop-in yoga classes starting 12th April.

What: Levels 1-2
When: Mondays 6-7pm
Where: OneKX
http://www.onekx.org.uk/contact.html
Price: £5 per session

Learn to still the mind through asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing) and meditation. Benefits include clarity of mind, improved strength and flexibility, better sleep patterns and physical/mental wellbeing.

Please wear comfortable clothing. Mats are available. Hope to see you there!

Guidelines for Reflective Walks

On Sunday morning, on the last day of our retreat, we have been given a set of guidelines for the early morning walk. As the rain started to pour, however, we were forced to spend that time in the garden instead. In any case, we can always refer to these guidelines for future walks.

* Enjoy and take notice of the scenery around you.
* Choose one particular object that strikes and resonates with you.
* Look at the strength, beauty and quality of that object and see how it applies to you.
* Think of ways to connect to that object.
* Stay in silence as much as possible.

By taking note of these, we will have a more purposeful meditative reflection while we enjoy the opportunity to go for a walk.

Yoga and Health Workshop

Yoga and Health - European Tour July 2010

With three specialist teachers
Dr N. Chandrasekaran - Saraswathi Vasudevan - Marc Beuvain

Deepen your knowledge and experience of yoga and its applications for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Venues and Dates:

Brussels, Belgium: 10-12 July
London, UK: 14-16 July
Turin, Italy: 19-21 July
Aix-en-Provence, France: 25-28 July

http://www.marcbeuvain.com/home-accueil/home-english/special-event/
Please quote my name when you register! Thanks!

Chanting with Nikki Slade

Last night after a stressful trek to Triyoga for the chanting session, James and I finally made it albeit 20 minutes late. Northern line execs thought it was a great idea to close the Edgware branch to do their engineering works on a Saturday night. On top of that, we were herded into replacement buses, which came every 5 minutes... yeah super!

There were loads of people there, must have been about 60-70 sitting on the bolsters and a few of us on chairs! I have been meaning to come to one of Nikki's sessions but Saturday evenings have always been a problem getting out of the house. People were swaying to the sound of tambourine and drums, clapping their hands or simply enjoying the sound of it all. Nobody cared how well or how badly we sang. At the end we were treated to chai tea. Lovely!

Here is a sample of one of the chants we did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTRHOqnGvMM&feature=related

It was an incredible experience. I never liked chanting; I thought it sounded freaky. Somehow in the past year or so I began to like the sound and started to have more confidence in making and hearing my own sound. I even started teaching my class to chant OM.

If you ever get the chance to attend a chanting session, please try it. Even if you don't want to chant yourself, just listen and feel the energy of the room. Surely you will feel something deep in you that is so pure.... you will feel so free.

New Family Yoga Classes!

This is an advert in the home education site written by Tammy, mom of my students, who's organizing the family yoga classes.

Yoga is going ahead in Central London!  We'll be starting on Thursday, 4 February; working with a lovely Yoga teacher, offering fun, creative sessions for children (& any parents who want to join in!), combining exciting adventures with stories, games and relaxing techniques designed to stimulate imagination and maintain flexibility.

Classes will be held at the Abbey Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU - just round the corner from Westminster Abbey/Parliament Square as an easy landmark.  This is about 15 minutes walk from Victoria Station or 5 minutes fromWestminster (Jubilee Line among others) or St James's Park (District Line) stations.  If travelling from Waterloo the 211 bus has a 5 - 10 minute journey over Westminster Bridge and drops you off nearly on the doorstep.  Other buses are 11, 24, 88 and 148.  There is a fairly reasonably priced cafe in the building for those that need it and St James's Park is just down the road for anyone who wants to play afterwards.

Cost will be approximately £6 per family per session.  First session can be tried with a single payment and then we'll work in 2-monthly blocks with payment up-front. (Can discuss different frequencies of payment if necessary, but to ensure our costs are covered payments must be made in advance.)

If you're free on Thursday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30, we'd love for you to join us.  It would be quite helpful to have an idea of how many people to expect, so please email pata_dn@yahoo.com if you're interested.

 

Tamlyn

Happy 10th Birthday Triyoga!

Half Price Classes + Juices + a Special Evening Chant + Chai 

triyoga Primrose Hill opened its doors for our first classes on the 19th February 2000. It was both the culmination + the beginning of the vision to create the highest quality centre for true wellbeing, combining 3 key elements of yoga, Pilates + treatments.

Our aim was and continues to be, to have the best teachers, teaching a broad range of truly authentic styles of yoga in a really great environment. So you could find a class that suited you + that yoga could and would be for everyone, regardless of age, size, fitness and what you eat or don’t eat.

At the same time we wanted to create a community of teachers + students + staff that felt like they belonged somewhere, that triyoga was their home.

The principle was to honour the tradition of yoga + create and give the experience that you were entering a sacred space + dispel the illusion about who yoga is for because it is for everyone – hence everyone triyoga.

So, as a thank you to everyone who has practised here, taught here or been here, we are offering all yoga + Pilates mat classes + juices on Saturday 20th February at half price.

In the evening at 7pm Nikki Slade will lead us in a celebration chant and free chai, tea + cookies. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. This chant will be by donation with all proceeds going to the Red Cross for Haiti.

Sat 20 Feb 2010
until Sat 20 Feb 2010
At All Day 


http://www.triyoga.co.uk/story.php?titleid=1654

Brahma Kumaris Tagaytay Newsletter

This is the February issue of their newsletter, giving insight to two of our participants' experience during our retreat. Enjoy reading! Shame, though, that our group picture never made it to the front page. Haha.

Please click on the link:   BK newsletter 02/10

NEWSFLASH....

My Friday class at OneKX will be moved to Wednesday starting 3rd February at the same time slot (6-7pm).

Brahma Kumaris Meditation Retreat

On my last weekend in Manila, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Solace for the Soul program at the Brahma Kumaris Centre for Spiritual Learning in Tagaytay with my buddies - Karen, Lei, Gretchen, Kristina - and new friends, who willingly came along without knowing what to expect. It took me almost five months to arrange the retreat. I can vividly remember how I emailed Sister Salud asking if I could bring a group with me and how we kept in touch all those months. 

We were greeted with a nice warm cup of salabat tea on our first night. I shared the room with Karen and Lei. From my experience staying at the Global Retreat House in Oxford, I knew the food was going to be awesome. But we never had veggie meat served there during our stay. To my amazement, the meals were so delicious and tailored to the Pinoy tastebuds! If only I could cook like that, I would join the BK and set up my own vegetarian cafe. Even the carnivores in our group were so stuffed!

On Saturday, waking up at 6am to practice before my hatha yoga class was a mean feat. 98% of the group were totally new to yoga. They had their yoga mats in hand and were roaring to start! We had a 40-minute practice before breakfast, which consisted of macaroni soup, BK-made oven fresh bread, strawberry jam and fresh fruits! I taught another class in the afternoon; it seemed that everyone were enjoying themselves. The rest of day was spent on lectures about getting to know ourselves, 1-minute traffic control meditations, group work, going for silent walks and getting tips on how to meditate. That was a long day! 

Sunday was our last day. We were invited to experience meditation at 4am, when the air is crisp; the energy is at its clearest and our soul at its purest. All the BKs were out and about, doing their meditation in the big hall while we were in the dome. 98 students, all wearing white, from Metro Manila were to arrive by 7am to attend this special day, the death anniversary of Brahma Baba. He founded the Brahma Kumaris. We, of course, were not part of this event. It was Sister Salud's oversight when she agreed to accommodate us on this weekend. Normally, they wouldn't have agreed to do a program around this time due to their celebrations. This was truly a blessing that we pushed through despite being informed of this problem two weeks prior to our arrival. 

More exercises followed like writing a letter to yourself, spending quiet time and introspecting. At the end of the program, Sister Salud and Sister Yugini gave us a sweet treat and an affirmation. I always look forward to these gifts after every session I attend at Inner Space. We did one last hatha yoga session before we made our way home. Sister Rajni gave us all a pin button to remind us of angels, that we are free and peaceful. 

This was a memorable experience for me. I learned that meditation is a constant learning process and no matter who we are and what we do, we can always benefit from being quiet and listening to our inner selves. Our spirituality will link us to the Supreme, whoever that may be in our lives.

Thank you to all who joined me on this spiritual journey of rediscovering ourselves. 

Om Shanti.

New Classes in January!

A Practice Beyond Asanas

This level 2 class will go beyond postures. We will explore more challenging poses as well as other tools of yoga such as meditation, chanting, pranayama (breathing techniques) and basic philosophy. Suitable for people who have yoga experience.

Dates: 25 January - 29 March 2010
Time: 7-8pm
Cost: £70 (10 weeks)

This year we will be moving to One KX, 120 Cromer Street, London WC1H 8BS, where it is better and more accessible. 

Please register in advance!

New Year - what does it bring?

This year I promise to eat less. Practice more. Go to the gym everyday. Does this sound familiar? We all make new year's resolutions only to break or forget about them by the end of January. So this 2010 I won't even make one.

These past few weeks have been difficult. I have had to make decisions if I should continue to nurture and sustain one-way relationships. Why do I say one-way? No give and take; only take, take, take. As I recall, a relationship needs to be a two-way street with both parties trying to make it work and actually getting a mutual benefit from it. We are so attached to our families, friends and lovers that we sometimes overlook how badly we may be treated. In raja yoga I learned that these very same relationships (attachment to a person) could be a cause of our unhappiness. I, for one, have been tricked into accepting behavior (one that I normally wouldn't accept from a stranger) by my emotions because I was very much attached to these persons. Fortunately, though saddening, I learned to let go of them and not feel guilty. No more drama. I simply refuse to be taken advantage of. No one deserves that. It may sound harsh to give up on anyone and choose to have nothing to do with them. But we should love ourselves first, only then can we give to others what we already have.

Wounds may take time to heal but life will go on. Life is beautiful; there is so much to live for. I always believed that if one door closes, a bigger window opens! Focus on the good things, strive to reach your highest potential and never forget to share your blessings. These are the things I learned last year. These I will take with me into the new year.