Yoga, Health and You

Mid-December, 2008

Dear Barbara, Do you command the wheel or does the wheel of life command you? Join me as often as your schedule permits for ninety-minutes of wheel-free peace and quiet. And, remember, you may join me anytime for a short wheel alignment session by clicking on the Yoga Stretches link to the right. Namaste - Barbara Balancing personal and planetary welfare Being green does not have to be complex or expensive.  The greenest things we can do are often the simplest: buying used furniture and clothes, recycling, turning off the lights, and taking our own cloth bags to the grocery store.  Instead of spending money in organic restaurants or buying packaged organic foods, try cooking with produce grown in your garden or purchased at a local farmer's market.  Eat at least three more vegetarian or vegan meals each week - to cut down on the environmental devastation caused by livestock.  Contrary to popular belief, going veg can reduce your monthly outlay; sources of protein like tofu and beans are 30 to 40 percent cheaper than their animal-based counterparts like beef and chicken. Look to green other areas of your life, too. Greening your transportation doesn't have to cost a lot.  Instead of buying a Prius (the manufacture of a car releases more than four tons of carbon emissions), try carpooling, riding a bike, walking or using mass transit. If we focus on the basics, we can achieve much of the good we intend.  Have you mastered Down Dog?  We often get carried away trying more advanced poses instead of deepening our practice with the basics.  As with yoga, focus on the basics of planetary welfare, and watch your pocketbook thrive at the same time. - Yoga Journal, September 2008 Don't Get Mad, Get Yoga Yoga and meditation build awareness. And the more aware you are, the easier it is to break free of destructive emotions like anger. Studies suggest that chronic anger and hostility are as strongly linked to heart attacks as are smoking, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol. Yoga appears to reduce anger by increasing feelings of compassion and interconnection and by calming the nervous system and the mind. It also increases your ability to step back from the drama of your own life, to remain steady in the face of bad news or unsettling events. You can still react quickly when you need to-and there's evidence that yoga speeds reaction time-but you can take that split second to choose a more thoughtful approach, reducing suffering for yourself and others. Yiddish Proverbs The wise man, even when he holds his tongue, says more than the fool when he speaks. What you don't see with your eyes, don't invent with your mouth. A hero is someone who can keep his mouth shut when he is right.

Yoga Schedule Monday 10 a.m.  - BelAir Monday 4:30 - Michael Kohn Monday 6:15 Michael Kohn Saturday 9 a.m. - Michael Kohn Class Information Quick Links Yoga Stretches Barbara's Yoga CD Filtered Tap Water OK A recent study found that bottled water does not necessarily contain fewer contaminants than filtered tap water, despite costing about 1,900 times more. Join Our Mailing List Vitamin D Prevents Fractures Women with low blood levels of D are 70% more likely to fracture a hip than those with high levels, according to a new study.  While sun exposure makes the skin produce vitamin D, the safest way to get it is from milk and other fortified foods, fatty fish such as salmon, and supplements.  Most people should aim for 800 to 1,000 IU a day. - UC, Berkeley Wellness Letter, December 2008 Sleep is Good According to new research at UCLA, losing just a few hours of sleep can increase inflammation in the body.  Delicious Cauliflower Toss the florets from a head of cauliflower with 2 Tbs. of extra-virgin olive oil and (no more than) 1/8 tsp. of salt.  Roast at 450 degrees on a large baking sheet, turning once or twice, until tender and golden, about 30 minutes.