NZ Yoga Centre – AOTEAROA

We are officially half way through our 40 Day Challenge! Congratulations and well done to our Challenge participants, and thanks to everyone who supported us this far.

“The first 20 days of sattvic living has been as sweet as butterflies drinking nectar!”

Over the last 20 days we have practiced the primary codes of yoga …

The yamas:

• ‘Ahimsa’                      Non-harming – Acting with kindness & compassion (see Day 15)
• ‘Satya’                         Truthfulness – Honesty to self & others (see Day 12 continued)
• ‘Asteya’                       Non-stealing – Looking after personal belongings (see Day 6)
• ‘Brahmacharya’          Countenance – Self-control & self-restraint (see Day 14)
• ‘Aparigraha’               Greedlessness – Sharing food, not overeating (see Day 16)

The niyamas

• ‘Shaucha’                    Personal purity– body, thoughts, actions (see Day 9)
• ‘Santosha’                   Contentment – Not complaining, acceptance (see Day 4)
• ‘Tapas’                         Ability to withstand hardship, personal strength (see Day 5)
• ‘Svadhyaya’                Self-study – Looking at your actions and reactions (see Day 17).
• ‘Ishvara-prandhana’   Devotion – Emersion of self into the sacred life (see Day 10)

This first half of the 40 Day Challenge has shown us that Yoga can be far more integrative than just practicing asanas (physical postures).

Over the next 20 days we will integrate the 8 limbs of Yoga and report back our findings…

There are essential benefits available for anyone who applies the full 8 limbs of Yoga:

1. yamas (moral codes) provide social responsibly
2. niyamas (personal codes) provide self discipline
3. asanas (physical postures) provide health and wellbeing
4. pranayama (breath control) provides vitality and clarity
5. pratyahara (sense withdrawal) provides restful introspection
6. dharana (concentration) provides mental focus and cognitive strength
7. dhyana (meditation) provides insight and mindfulness
8. samadhi (complete absorption) provides union with collective consciousness

Next, Shiv our honorary Challenge member shares his favourite recipe:

 Shiv’s ‘totally delicious Rice Pillau with chickpeas, lentils, and caramalised onions (mujaddhara)’. 

 painting by Ali

Maybe this combination of Ganesh and food-related cancer will remind us to be fully conscious next time a colleague or family member tucks into a bacon butty or sausage roll.

Sadhana Yoga’s 40 Day Challenge participants have been invited by Terese McLeod (fellow yogi) to visit her wākāinga on Matiu Somes Island, Wellington Harbour. This fabulous outing, celebrating the end of the Challenge will happen on the 6th June 2015.

Terese reports: “some of my island whānau you will meet are” …

Tuatara                                     Moko Kākāriki                             Korora

Kākāriki                                                         Wetapunga

As the host, Terese says that the food theme will be ‘Organic Island Bounty’, consisting of:  Organic soup made from the islands vege garden.  Organic Island kumara brownie.  Island Kawakawa water or tea with island honey. 

Matiu Somes Island has a fascinating Māori and European history. Animal and people were quarantined on this island during war time .

In more recent time the island has been under a reforestation programme and now is a sanctuary for endangered species.

For general information see the Department of Conservation DOC Matiu Somes Island

ttp://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/wellington-kapiti/wellington/matiu-somes-island/

Simone’s vegan cheesecake used a combination of recipes from 2 web pages:

Jenny reports:

“The 40 Day Challenge has made me aware of so much more than just healthy eating. It’s true, by eating fresh, simple and healthy food I am feeling energetic, clear minded and in excellant health (and a bit thinner!). But what has also become apparent is that this personal improvement and wellbeing extends beyond me into the enviroment around me. Over the last 14 days I have produced less than half of the amount of rubbish. No packaging! Just more compost. Good for me, good for the landfills and the world around me, good for the garden. A sattvic lifestyle is win win!”

Ali reports: An important principle of yoga is self-study (svādhyāya). Svādhyāya is one of the niyamas, part of yoga’s personal code of conduct. Self-study means we take responsibility for our thoughts and actions, carefully disentangling society’s influences from our own motivations and behaviours. Through self-appraisal, we become more aware of how economic pressures and environmental factors sway us to act in certain ways.

The principle svādhyāya (self-study) involves us using the moral compass of yogic understanding to guide us towards truth and self-control.

Svādhyāya also means we pay attention to how our individual agency affects others, being mindful of the way we act both in public and private. As a result of keen self-observation, we can see the amount of time and energy we spend in social engagements, in relation to the time allocated for everyday responsibilities (like yoga practice). We make sure time and energy expenditure works in our best interests, as well as the best interests of people and causes that matter.

Over the last few days and weeks of our 40 Day Challenge, I realise just how much extra time I spend in actively managing and publishing on my ‘social media’ sites: website blogging (sadhanayoganz.com), editing ‘Sadhana Yoga’s new Facebook page, adding posts to Google+, checking signatures on my online petition, researching facts on yoga and yogic texts.

On the one hand this creates a robust and interactive online community, which means interesting people, interested in yogic healthy living, can share information, ideas, and photos. On the other hand, when too much time gets eaten up, important projects (such my new yoga book and art work!) fall by the wayside.

Ali says: It is important to balance time, in order to balance life.

Good cause: Stop problem gambling in Wellington:

Gambling is explicitly anti-yoga, and can lead to social dysfunction and financial ruin. Moreover, gaming machines, such as slot machines, are potentially on the increase in Wellington. Wellington City Council’s policy on “non-casino gaming machines – or pokie machines and gambling at TABs” is currently open for public input. The opportunity for written submissions will close at 5pm on Friday 22 May 2015.

Public Input – Review of the Gambling Venues Policy 2010

Wellingtonians can have a say on the Council’s policy on gambling venues and Pokie machines, helping to prevent the broad spectrum harm that arises from problem gambling and associated behaviours.

Because yoga – as a lifestyle choice – helps people release stress and overcome depression, people suffering from addictions, such as gambling and excess alcohol consumption, can gain recovery by forming a more positive relationship with one’s self.

Last night, our 40 Day Challenge potluck dinner featured a stunning Sattvic Mexican banquet, hosted by Simone!

 Not one person on the Challenge is missing eating meat … why?  Because sattvic food is delicious, nutritious and auspicious!  Also, these once-a-week sattvic-themed dinners allow us to eat far more healthily and lavishly than if we were preparing foods for ourselves.

Our banquet included: lightly seasoned kale chips by Simone, vegan ‘chorizo’ by Ali, vegetarian burritos and guacamole by Jen; red quinoa and wild rice by Annabelle, roasted peppers with toasted sunflower seeds by Viv, tangy fresh salsa by Andy, red cabbage and carrot salad by Maree. Maree also made exquisite roasted figs drizzled in honey for desert. Simone complimented this with a stunning vegan berry cheesecake. Terese offered us hydration with sparkling water, mint and lime to drink, to which Ali added a fresh fruit syrup.

The over all effect was amazing!

Terese reports on Day 15 of the Yoga Challenge: Tamarind, Trees, Time & Tuatara

Today most of the challenge class tried Tamarind for the first time, courtesy of Andy whose penance for breaking some challenge rules was to bring fruit to class.

It was an inspired bag of penance, tamarinds, strawberries and purple flowers.  I saved my tamarind to try and enjoy in a special place, Zealandia, where I went after Saturday’s challenge class to do my weekly 2 hours of meditative silence.  I decided to do a combo deal and do a 2 hour bush walking meditation.  I was compromised several times with several people passing by extending bush courtesy greetings.  The first, a tourist, wanted to talk about the tuatara we were looking at, I smiled warmly nodded and moved on quickly, feeling a bit stink as engaging with people in nature is a big role in my life!, however, on a bush track I couldn’t not respond to those saying hello twice so I said x2 hello’s and self penanced by doing 20 extra minutes of silent bush walking!

One of my favourite plants is Rangiora (bushman friend/loo paper), its so versatile, I learnt this many years ago on Outward Bound when loo paper was scarce!  Its also good to cover cuts, mop up blood, and if you have a pen you can write on it, and, today I had a slightly runny nose so used it as tissue.  There is plenty on the ground so you don’t need to take any still alive!  After two hours of silence and a ‘bush bath’, the main thing I noticed is that the benefits were like a vaccuming, dusting, cleaning of my mind.  I’m off to buy some tamarinds now!

Maree reports:

Today, due to an infection I am having trouble ridding myself of I had a craving for something comforting and sweet but also fresh and green.  I remained true to the sattvic diet while also satisfying those needs and nourished myself with buckwheat pancakes topped with slice green apples sautéed in a little butter and cocoanut sugar and drizzled in manuka honey and sliced almonds.

With a mind fogged with painkillers and a body starting to feel quite weary with chemicals I decided that the benefits of a yoga class would outweigh and discomfort I might experience and I was right.  Nothing eases mental and physical discomfort like a series of beautifully guided asanas, the skill, authenticity and care of your teacher and the combined energy of your yoga community.

The Guru Sessions Mind Mapping 2015  – by Terese Mcleod

In Ali’s Guru Sessions at the start of 2015 we mind mapped our ways to what we wanted our 2015 to look like.  I used the solar system to map the different goals I wanted to achieve this year, so each planet became a specific goal.  I’ve landed on one planet and hovering close to some others, and, some are still in the distance! One distant planet I want to land on at the end this year is Iron Māori http://www.sportsground.co.nz/site/10827/35993/. A quarter marathon in Napier.

The Tool Kit (Kete) – The 40 Day Yoga Challenge

My map in place, I now went looking for tools to get to my destination planets.  Not long after The Guru Sessions, Ali created The 40 Day Yoga Challenge.  The challenge has many elements, the foundations of which are to eat sattvicly, practice yoga daily and keep a daily diary of food/fluid intake, daily rituals and participate in weekly challenge classes, etc. What I’ve noticed is that the huge benefit from these elements is that they are keeping me actively conscious, mindful and aware of my actions and choices.  Some other tools I’ve found are websites with information, finding sattvic food recipes and food outlets.  Some websites like Toi Tangata http://toitangata.co.nz/ and Tri Poneke http://triponeke.webs.com/ have been interesting tools as I head toward Planet Iron Māori.

Pure (a ritual incantation)

The practice of opening and closing a day with an incantation or karakia was normal when Māori lived traditionally.  Today it’s practiced when we stay at marae but doesn’t often get practiced in our day to day home life.  I’m learning a very complex one which sounds beautiful and has the rhythm of a gently moving river.  This is a morning pure to be recited as the dawn breaks, I’ve done it some days and it really does anchor my day ahead.

Meditation and the Moon

A challenge requirement is to spend 2 hours weekly in silent meditation.  My first meditation I decided to do at night under the full moon on Seatoun Wharf wrapped in a sleeping bag on a deck chair.  The Moon light felt like a Moon bath, soothing, cleansing and refreshing.  I tuned into the soundscape of Tawhirimatea (the wind) and Tangaroa (the sea) with my beloved islands, Matiu Somes, Mokopuna and Makaro Ward in silhouette.  I also naturally found myself tuning into the smell-scape, seaweed and salt being carried on the wind.  It was amazing how productive and restorative this silent space was.

Daily Yoga Practice

I attend three classes at Sadhana Yoga a week (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) and the rest of the week I use and at home yoga programme chart Ali created for me, throw on a yoga DVD or attend the Victoria University Rec Centre yoga classes.  It’s not ideal, I would prefer to take Sadhana Yoga classes daily!

Te Herenga Waka @ Victoria University

Te Herenga Waka Marae at Victoria University is probably one of the most ascetically beautiful marae I have seen in New Zealand.  It hosts an enormous amount of events.  Core business are lectures, tutorials and seminars in the wharenui (pictured above).  Classes from across the university may hold overnight experiences there, graduations, tangihanga (funerals), international guests are hosted there, including the family of Mahatma Gandhi.

Part of the complex includes a wharekai (dining room) which caters for all marae events and also provides a cooked lunch every day for $5 to students and staff. My sattvic eating plan has been embraced by the marae cooking staff who have been catering my lunches, they also cater for halal, vegan, paleo, vegetarian and many other dietary requests.  The food is more than, what everyone else is having, with the meat taken off, but a considered meal plan.  I’ve had a range of salads, coleslaws, couscous, lentil and chickpea recipes.  My favourite has been Farali Pattice, a fasting food of the Gujarati’s. Faral means ‘fast’.  The patties are made with an outer covering of mashed potatoes and filled inside with spiced dry fruits mixture, coconut and peanuts and are baked.

Making Meals a Ritual with beautiful eating vessels

I love beautiful things and love ritual.  I love using things like these pretty eating sets to give a bit of flair to my meal rituals and I typically like eating with my right hand Indian styles.

The Lab @ Victoria University

The Lab specializes in cold pressed fresh juices and smoothies.  It’s amazing to have food retail on campus with fresh food options!  My favourite juice is Red Aide, a blend of apple, beetroot, carrot and ginger, this juice reminds me of the one we had in Haridwar, India.  Here is the stunning Himalayan fresh juice recipe jam packed with flavour and vitamins.

Ingredients:

1 large carrot + Handful of grapes +1 apple + piece of fresh pineapple +handful of fresh mint +

1 small beetroot + ½ orange + chunk of fresh ginger (not too much!).

My favourite smoothie from The Lab is The Avocado:

The Avocado

Avocado, banana, kale, cinnamon, vanilla with soy milk.

Closing remarks – a few weeks in

What’s struck me is how bright my eyes are and my body is reacting so positively to the challenge.  As a person who grew up and loved meat, chicken, fish and pretty much everything non sattvic, after two weeks of ruling them out of my diet and I don’t really miss any of it at all, in fact, I have been wondering if I will ever go back to that food!  I find that I am never hungry and my energy levels have improved remarkably.  The sattvic food is so interesting and can be full of flavour, I’ve started treating eating like a ritual rather than mindlessly and speedily eating rubbish kai.  The challenge is providing me with so many tools and we are learning how to use them within our 40 days and beyond.

Ngā mihi mahana

Terese Mcleod