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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.