What is Vinyasa really about?

I love the full and firm explanation of what Vinyasa is about by Tim Feldman. Specifically, that he talks about the importance and integration of body locks (bandhas) in your class.

Postures are linked together through flowing movement (vinyasa). Vinyasa means breath synchronized with movement. In Ashtanga Yoga the movement is always synchronized with the breath and there is never a separation between the two actions. When the synchronization of movement and breathing is an integral part of the yoga practice and the three body locks (Moolabandha, Udiyanabandha and jalandarabandha) are applied, an internal, purifying heat is generated in the body. Unwanted toxins are released and disposed of, vital hormones and minerals flow into the bloodstream and the nervous system is purified. The result is a light and strong body.

Text written by Tim Feldmann and approved by Pattabhi Jois, and his grandson, Sharath Rangaswami.

Need Fiber? Get Barley!

Here comes Sunday Recipe post from my kitchen to yours with love!
This barley mushroom pilaf is one of the easiest, heartiest and still healthiest weeknight dinner option. Try this delicious recipe with an Eastern European twist.
Comparing fiber content in one (1) cup of conventional carbs we eat for dinner, barley is the most healthy (!) and filling one.  [Fiber Content in Grams: Whole wheat bread  - 2 ; Brown rice  - 3.5 ; Oatmeal  - 3.9 ; Whole wheat spaghetti  - 6.3 ; Barley  - 13.6]

Barley Mushroom Pilaf

barley mushroom pilaf by -LK-

• 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2 tsp olive oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 3 cups vegetable broth 
• 2 tbsp chopped green onions
• 1/4 tsp crushed dried rosemary
• 2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast - for a vegan twist. (I used sour cream, instead).

Preparation:

Saturday Quote

"Striving to turn our dreams into reality, we end up turning reality into a nightmare."

Prabhuji

From Core work to Firefly

She is my inspiration - her strength and flexibility rocks!

Ready to come closer to Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose)? Benefits of the firefly pose are inner groins and back torso stretch;  arms and wrists strength and belly toning. But without the intensive core work (which I love to teach in my classes) we will be far from the goal...

Love you body, mind and yoga and enjoy a beautiful flexible and strong body in the demonstration below.

Sneak Peek for tonight's Candlelight Yoga

I'm so excited about the Candlelight Yoga Event tonight! Check my favorite song from a 90-minute playlist for sneak peek! Her style is defined as jazz, rock, pop and psychedelia. So you choose what is closer to you... Enjoy the music and see you tonight!

Live in This Moment

Yoga means union with the authentic, with the real… Our experience of life as thinking beings is from a past and towards a future, ignoring the present. We live from the yesterday and towards the tomorrow, from what no longer exists, towards what does not yet exist. But we lose the now. We live from that stale world of the known, towards a world of hopes, expectations, fantasies, dreams and illusions, which draws us into an interminable search for aims and results.

Mondays are no Fun, unless...

Love this! The Vampire Diaries‘ star Nina Dobrev stopped by Conan Wednesday night and used him as a human wall for her yoga demonstration. Things got a little bit footsie…

Sunday recipe: Almond Milk Drink

This almond milk recipe definitely is in my to-do list. I found it on one of my favorite chef gourmet blogs: Oggi. The place where I borrow inspirations into my home.
Besides the fact it looks elegant, smells pretty and tastes refreshing, the every single ingredient from this recipe works great for you.

• --> Rose water - nourishes skin & hair cells.
• --> Almonds -  a rich source of vitamin E (a beauty vitamin) and manganese (bones)  - more than 40% of DV each. And  of course, high in healthy fats & protein.

Almond Milk Drink

Almond Milk

• 1½ cups blanched whole almonds
• ¼ cup sugar, or better to say to taste (!)
• filtered water
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ teaspoon rose water
• 1 cup cold milk (or water - for vegans)

Instructions:

Saturday Quote

"We cannot do anything to change what happens around us; we can do a lot to change our way of interpreting it..."  - Prabhuji

Candlelight Yoga on the Roof

Can't wait for the next Sunday, May' 20th!

We will start at 8:30. Sunset is perfectly on time, at 8:18pm; temperature is 81°/ 64°! Candles are just ordered! A special music compilation and smoothing yoga sequence write-up is in my plan for the week! Oh, and treats... will be a secret surprise to my guests ;-)

The event is open to friends and family members of 425 Mass residents only. Pre-booking on the reservation site is a must, is free and donations are welcome. Contribution will go to YoKid nonprofit  that helps to bring the benefits of yoga and meditation to under-served children in DC-MD-VA.

3 minute Office Yoga

Start or finish your busy working day with a 3-minute office (i.e chair) yoga, showed by the celebrity yoga instructor Kristin McGee at CBS News. Enjoy the twists and hip openers! ;-)

And for a 60 min journey see you on the Rooftop soon.

Your,
Liana

Saturday Quote

The practice of patience protects us from losing our composure. In doing that it enables us to exercise discernment, even in the heat of difficult situations. It gives us inner space. And within that space we gain a degree of self-control, which allows us to respond to situations in an appropriate and compassionate manner rather than being driven by our anger and irritation. - Dalai Lama

Are You a Yogi Fashionista?

Cultivate the beauty on and off the mat! Find a note, quote or a visual object which will remind you about bringing a bit more care and love to yourself and others!

photo credit to yogaenmouvement©

What does your favorite pose say about you?

Handstand on the Rooftop Pool

Do you know that your favorite poses can give you valuable insight into your personality?
My favorites are forward bends and inversons. No wonder why many people told me about my creativity... What are yours?

If you like:

• Forward Bends… You prefer to keep your own counsel like a smart ostrich. At those times when life gets overstimulating—too many choices and too much responsibility—forward bends seduce you with the sweet serenity of folding inward and retreating from the world.

• Twists… You like to know who and what's going on around and behind you. You don't see things in black or white but are stimulated by multi-dimensional situations and are not afraid of tension. Twists are a natural draw for those who find nourishment and joy from connecting to people and places while staying firmly grounded.

• Backbends… You find it refreshing to reverse the typical schlump of desk, car or depression. It feels good to rest your soft, open front on your confident, flexible spine and take in a big breath. Turning yourself inside out is quite extra-ordinary! For shy types this is scary and a true victory. For extroverts, it's a natural as a sensuous morning stretch.

• Balancing on One Leg… You are more curious about precision than perfection. For you, nothing is more fun than figuring out how to sway like a tree and still stay upright. You don't even mind falling over because you always get back up and try again, understanding that is truly the heart of practice anyway. 

• Inversions... You've learned to include fears in the mix of a total experience. Perhaps you've started to blur the distinction between upside down and right side up, allowing for a vibrant sense of nowness wherever or however you are. Creative types who see things from all sides are drawn to inversions and so are those of us who just like to shake things up!

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