Welcome to another edition of the Living Yoga Newsletter,
your source for the reliable information and support you
need to reclaim your health and energy, naturally.
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In this edition you will find:
Events and Announcements
Feature fruit: The Raw Plantain
Spring Recipes
Feature Article: Part I of My Fasting Story
Yoga Philosophy: The 3 Gunas
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Welcome Spring! It's time to get out in the sunshine as
much as you can, and replenish your stores of Vitamin D. It
is coming, truly, and Michigan raw fooders will be
delighted with the increasing selection of fresh fruits and
vegetables! I've selected spring-time recipes that combine
what's coming into season locally with what's still
available fresh from warmer locations. Our feature fruit is
the raw plantain. This rich tropical fruit makes a royal
treat, once you know how to eat it!
I'm excited to bring you the rough draft of the first
segment of my full fasting story. It's the introduction,
since just making the decision to commit to this adventure
became a journey in itself! It's sure to whet your
appetite for what's coming, as the story will unfoldswith
each successive newsletter . . . .
Finally, I've included a bit of yoga philosophy to deepen
your understanding and illuminate your path.
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Events and Announcements:
NEW! 8 week course: Learning and Living the 80-10-10 Raw
Vegan Diet and Lifestyle, 8 Monday evenings from 7 - 9pm,
March 31st - May 19th. Just a couple of spaces left, so act now!!!
Yoga Classes: Wednesday and Friday mornings, 9:30 - 11,
in my home studio, see the website for details. Join at any
time, first class is free! Save with a 10-class pass.
3rd Sunday Raw Food Potlucks - Next one on April 20th,
1 - 3 pm at 1801 Avondale Ave. Call 995-0875 for details
or visit www.LivingYogaNow.com.
FourthThursdays at Arbor Farms Market: Next talk on April
24th, 7-8:30 p.m. April topic: Springtime cleansing and
invigoration are the gifts of a delicious Raw Food Diet . . .
You can learn how! In May we'lllearn to makehealthy
salad dressings.
Please pre-register by calling the store, 996-8111. $10.
The Great American Meat-Out: Sunday, April 13th, 12 - 5
p.m. in Ferndale. Living Yoga will have a table, and I
will give a food demonstration at 12:30. Visit
www.vegmichigan.org/meatoutfor details and directions.
Bring the whole family and come out to support this well
attended, awesome annual vegetarian event with lots of
great vendors and speakers!
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Feature Fruit: The Raw PlaintainThe plantain is a species of the genus Musa and is
generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet
banana (which is sometimes called the dessert banana).
Many people don't realize that the plantain can also be
eaten raw, as long as it is firstallowed to completely
ripen.
The population of North America was first introduced to the
banana plantain, and the term "banana" is used in the U.S.
and Europe to refer to that variety. All members of the
genus Musa are indigenous to the tropical regions of
Southeast Asia.
In the tropical regions of the world, plantains are treated
in much the same way as potatoes, and have a similar neutral
flavour and texture when unripe. They are grown as far
north as Florida, the Caribbean and Central America, the
Canary Islands, Madeira, Egypt, and southern Japan or
Taiwan, and as far south a southern Brazil. The largest
exporter of plantains to the United States is Colombia.
The common plantain species has many varieties. Bananas are
a sub-species of plantains, and were formerly regarded as a
separate species. The species is likely native to India and
Southern Asia. It is assumed that the Portuguese Franciscan
friars were responsible for the introduction of plantains
to the Caribbean islands and other parts of the Americas.
The Spaniards, who saw a similarity to the plane tree that
grows in Spain, gave the plantain its Spanish name, plátano.
The plantain will flower only once, and all the flowers
grow at the end of its shoot in separate bunches. Only the
first few bunches will become fruits. In Vietnam the flower
is used raw in salads, and in the cuisine of Laos, the flower
is typically eaten raw in soups. Plantain leaves are similar
to banana leaves but are larger and stronger, and are often
usedas dinnerplates. Cut into strips, the leaves are plaited to
form mats and bags. The mature leaves of several species
yield a valuable fiber, the best of which is 'Manila hemp.'
The plantain will only fruit once. As the plantain ripens,
it becomes sweeter and its color changes from green to
yellow to black, just like its cousin the banana. Green
plantains are firm and starchy, and resemble potatoes in
flavor. Yellow plantains are softer and still starchy, but
sweet. Extremely ripe plantains are very soft, and their
deep yellow pulp is much sweeter than in the earlier stages
of ripeness. The peel of the extremely ripe plantain is
completely black, and the fruit can now be eaten raw. It
should taste like a very rich, creamy, sweet custard.
The fruit of the plantain is primarily carbohydrate, and
provides about 180 calories (at least twice that of an
average banana). Like the common yellow
banana, the plantain fruit is very high in potassium.
Buy plantains in any stage of ripeness, and leave them
out on the counter to finish ripening. Before peeling, be
sure the skin is completely blackened, and the fruit very
soft. Carefully remove the peel, cut the fruit into slices,
and enjoy a real treat!
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Recipes for Spring
Bananas with Carob Sauce, from The 80-10-10 Diet, by
Douglas N. Graham (italics added by Living Yoga)
1 lb. bananas (you can substitute plantain, just ½ lb. as it is
much more dense than bananas)
1oz. medjool dates
1oz. raw carob powder (this can be ordered at
www.naturalzing.com or other raw food sites)
Directions: Slice most of the bananas (or plantains) into a
bowl, reserving ½ of one banana for the sauce. Blend the
dates, ½ banana, and carob with just enough water to make a
sauce. Pour over the sliced banana.
Tangy Mango Soup, serves one
1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 cup flesh of ataulfo (champagne) mangos (the small yellow
kind)
2 stalks celery
1 cup diced mango flesh
Directions: Blend juice and mango flesh, then pulse in the
celery, leaving it course.
Pour into a bowl and stir in the mango chunks. Top with a
thin slice of lime.
Pineapple Macadamia Salad, from The 80-10-10 Diet, by
Douglas N. Graham (italics added by Living Yoga)
1 lb. green-leaf lettuce
4 oz. tomatoes
4 oz. pineapple
1 oz. raw macadamia nuts (can substitute pine nuts)
Directions: chop the lettuce into a bowl. Slice the tomato
and toss with the greens. Blend the pineapple and nuts for
a scrumptious dressing!
Strawberry Spinach Salad
1 lb. baby spinach
¼ lb. arugula
4 oz. strawberries, sliced
8 oz. strawberries to blend
4 oz. red bell pepper
Directions: In a bowl, toss sliced strawberries with baby
spinach and arugula. For a dressing, blend the rest of the
strawberries with the red pepper and pour over the spinach.
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Part I of My Fasting Story
By Ellen Livingston
For many years I knew that I wanted to undertake a long
fast, on water alone. Having suffered for more than twenty
years from a debilitating array of different maladies, and
having sampled an even wider array of treatments and
therapies, I knew I needed something big, something
powerful, to heal myself.
In 2001 I learned of natural hygienist Dr. D.J. Scott and his
fasting retreat center in Ohio. I spoke with Dr. Scott, and
learned that I was a good candidate for a fast of two weeks or
longer, with just water and lots of bed-rest. I was ready to go!
But what about my nursing baby? And it cost so much, and my
husband did not like the idea at all . . . there were too many
obstacles, it seemed. I stayed home and kept on struggling
to heal.
I soon discovered the world of raw food diets, and realized
I had found a kernel of the truth I was seeking. With much
excitement and commitment I began my raw food journey. I
hired a coach (who, unfortunately, led me down an
unsustainable path). I began to feel much better right
away, but I became unable to maintain a healthy weight.
In 2003 I was fortunate to meet natural hygienists Dr.
Douglas Graham and Prof. Rozalind Gruben-Graham. It wasn't
long before Dr. Graham suggested an extended, resting fast
for me, given my symptoms. As I insisted that situations
in my life precluded a long fast away from home, Dr. Graham
agreed to help me improve my diet and lifestyle. We both
hoped that healing could be accomplished without the aid of
a fast.
I participated in many, many months of personal coaching,
first with the Grahams' friend Dr. Timothy Trader, a most
compassionate healer in the natural hygiene tradition who
helped me get on the right track, and then with both
Rozalind and Doug Graham. I put on some healthy weight,
gained new vitality, healed many bothersome symptoms, and
learned to mostly manage my primary presenting symptom,
esophagitis. But painful and debilitating bouts of
inflammation did not cease, and it became clear that
complete healing was not being accomplished. Damaged
esophageal tissue presents a particular healing challenge,
as food of any kind must come into contact with the open
sores every time one eats.
Every few months Doug gently reminded me that an extended
fast was indicated. I resisted for four more years, coming
to the conclusion over and over again that the obstacles to
a fast could not be overcome. I do not believe I was
afraid of the fast itself, except that I did not want to
re-experience the psychological challenge of becoming
seriously under-weight. In 2007 I was brought to my knees
by esophageal pain attacks that were increasing in both
duration and intensity. The suffering became unbearable,
and I was frightened. For two weeks I tried the strong
drugs recommended by my M.D. They didn't help. I made the
decision to complete a fast under Dr. Graham's experienced
supervision.
I realized that, strangely, I had viewed signing up for the
fast as the ultimate admission of personal failure - an
admission that I could not create a sufficiently healthful
environment and lifestyle at home, and therefore had to
surrender helplessly. This stubborn self-denigration had
been fueling my resistance to the fast. With this new
awareness I was able to shift my perspective, and to view
signing up for the fast as the ultimate act of healthy
self-love, and as an act of courage, not helplessness.
Empowered by this insight, I began to confront my perceived
"obstacles". There were many: the money, my fledgling
business, a needy puppy, my homeschooled children, my now
ex-husband's misunderstanding and resistance, and my
frightened parents. But by now my resolve was firm: I saw
that fasting was my best shot at healing my body, and my
best chance for a healthy life free of this agonizing pain
I had endured for more than 20 years. I knew that healing
myself was the best thing that I could do for my children,
too.
With the obstacles not yet overcome, but an inner
conviction that I was on the right path, I bought a plane
ticket to Costa Rica and secured for myself one of the two
last available spots in the Grahams' next fasting retreat,
still several months away.
My decision was made, and I felt empowered! I remained
strong and clear through all the challenges of making
logistical arrangements and dealing with anxious family
members. I had plenty of time to build a web of support to
carry my children (and puppy) securely through my six week
absence. By the time I was packing up to go, I had
everything lined up beautifully to support my healing
journey. All the necessary logistics were accounted for,
and though my ex-husband and my parents were not
comfortable with the fast, they were, in the end,
supportive. My children courageously encouraged me from
beginning to end.
With just two weeks to go before my departure, I got cold
feet. I had conversations with three people who each cast
a negative light on Doug's fasting retreats, and I began to
question whether Doug would provide the compass I believed
I needed to navigate potentially turbulent and perhaps
unknown emotional territory during the fast. I confessed
my doubts to Doug in an email, and with his simple, direct
style that I have come to cherish and respect, he helped me
nestle right back into a comfortable place of safety and
trust. Now I was really ready to go.
In the wee hours of the morning my plane was due for
take-off, a huge snow storm hit. My phone rang at 4 a.m.,
jolting me out of bed. It was my taxi driver, saying we
needed to leave an hour earlier on account of the 10 inches
of snow! I looked out the window and my heart sank. I
could not imagine making the 25-mile drive to the airport
in this mess, and wondered if planes would even be taking
off. It seemed that yet another obstacle had reared up in
my path. I surrendered the outcome to the Universe, and
got myself ready to go.
It was a harrowing drive on unplowed expressways,
and many cars were off the road in ditches. But somehow
we made it to the airport with so much time to spare that
I was able to take an earlier flight, and I made it onto my
connecting flight to Costa Rica despite all the storm-caused
flight delays. The Universe provided.
It is thus that I finally arrived at Doug Graham's fasting
retreat on New Year's Day, 2008, six years after knowing
that my body, mind and spirit needed the long, complete
rest provided only by Nature's greatest healer, a fast.
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I slept and dreamt that life was Joy,
I awoke and saw that life was Service,
I acted and behold, Service was Joy.
- The great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore
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The Three Gunas
Yoga scriptures teach us that our lives are governed and
bound by three different qualities, or gunas. These three
attributes of nature determine our inherent characteristics.
The first quality is sattva, that of purity, light, harmony, and
the goodness of the heart. Sattva leads to a feeling of
happiness. The second guna, rajas, embodies activity,
passion, arelentless drive to work. The third quality is
tamas, which is colored by darkness, inertia, and ignorance.
All three of the gunas are present in a person's life, in different
balances atall times. Even in a single day, all three qualities
may show up. One moment you feel pure and light, even
joyousa: you aregoverned by sattva. At another moment
you are full of passionate desire for something, even conflicted
about it, or driven to ambitious activity: this is rajas. At
another point in the day you feel lazy and dull, mentally
foggy, perhaps negative or depressed: tamas has taken over.
What causes trouble is whenyou become attached to
any one of the gunus, and stuck in your behavior. Even an
attachment to sattva, or happiness, can limit awareness
and bring problems (for example, if you feel joy when
circumstances appear to be good, will you feel dark when
something happens that appears to be bad?). By studying
these three qualities of human natureyou can better
understand yourself and your actions (or inaction, as the
case may be!).
With this knowledge,youcan nowchoose to practice
detachment from each of the gunas.You can simply observe
which of the three gunasyou are governed or bound by in
a given moment, and consciously open yourself up to
possibilities beyond this characteristic. In this way you can
bring more balance, more equanimity, and greater emotional
poise to the way you engage with the process of living.
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Meditate on your own Self,
Worship your own Self,
God dwells within you as you.
-Baba Muktananda
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Namaste,
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