Birch Trees & Your Skin

December 18, 2014

SKIN CARE for the WINTER!!!

I'm fresh off the trail from my now - since a foot of snow has fallen this week - daily x-country ski workout. On the trail today, as I was cutting new tracks in the soft, dry fresh snow, I thought about my skin….and yours!! So please enjoy my midday musings and some seasonal health tips for caring for your skin in the cold of Winter.

What do birch trees and your skin have in common?

At first thought probably nothing…
Today I skied past a beautiful old silver birch tree. It was tall and graceful and majestic….and healthy.
I marveled in awe as my path crossed beneath its arching boughs. The outer, older layers of bark curled back onto themselves revealing newer, thinner, more tender bark below. It reminded me of skin.

And I thought, THIS would make a great blog topic!!!

So here goes:
Your skin has seven layers - each connects energetically to one of the seven types of tissues in your body (blood, plasma, muscle, fat, bone, nerve, reproductive). As new skin is formed in the deeper layers, the older, superficial skin - aged by exposure to sun, wind, cold, lotions, creams and even the fabric of your clothes - sloughs, peels, cracks and finally falls off.

We want this natural process of natural regeneration to progress in an unimpeded manner.

BUT this does not always happen. In fact, the way many of us conduct our modern lives, we block the regeneration process rather than enhance it. Eat the wrong foods for your body type, or eat for reasons other than hunger, or eat at the wrong times will age your skin. Applying copious amounts of chemicals in lotions & creams to your skin or chapstick to your lips several times a day, will clog your skin, from the deepest most formative layer (new bark) to the superficial layer (old peeling bark).

What does this imply?
When the foods we consume are processed and the lotions we rub on are commercial ("natural" skin products with any type of preservative falls into this category), the quality of the new skin will be diminished…less supple, less porous, less healthy….because the essential elements were not of the highest possible quality.

We know that skin is a barrier from the harsh elements…and it is! But skin is also a major player in your respiratory system. It is the largest organ in your body. Skin directly conveys the external environment to the internal organs. Ever see someone who made your skin crawl or your hair stand up or made you shiver? You get my drift.

But more importantly,  skin is a huge conductor for universal consciousness. When skin is clogged you'll pick up less of earth's electromagnetic frequencies and you'll feel even more disconnected from nature, from your surroundings, from your beloved peeps and from life in general.
Just like when you have a cold (and I can teach you how to avoid colds & flu in my Cold Buster online course) and are all clogged up, when you use skin care products that are not of the highest organic quality, there will definitely be a down side.


All this wisdom from a birch tree!!
Yes, indeed. When I go outside into nature, I know that I will receive a piece of valuable information or hear some intrinsic wisdom…because I am clear and open. Not just open-minded and open-hearted, but because my skin is clear and clean! Every pour of your skin takes in information and gives off energy.

To optimize protection for your skin, toss out ALL of store bought lotions, creams, salves and buy organic unrefined, unpasteurized oils. Sesame avocado oil or ghee is good for thin, cool body types, coconut or sunflower oil is great for hot-blooded active body types and olive or almond oil is great for heavy-set, lethargic body types.

Every morning this Winter - before you go outside - rub copious amounts of oil on to your skin - into every nook & crevice, behind and in your ears and nostrils, on your feet. Allow the oils soak in for 10 minutes (while you meditate - which is supremely excellent for your skin. By reducing stress - your skin will look younger) and then shower and dress. If you have very dry or flakey skin, repeat again at night, before you bathe or shower. There are wonderful Ayurvedic body oils for each body type.
Call me and I will help you find the right one.

When you take deeper care of your skin, you, too, might hear what the birch tress have to say. Perhaps you'l think more about the relationship between your daily habits, the toxicity levels in the environment, and make the connections that I am suggesting here. l hope you'll be inspired to make positive changes.
Imagine a world without toxic chemicals. Imagine your skin glowing, supple and young looking because you stopped using commercial lotions, creams and balms.

Now that's valuable information and great wisdom.
Thank you birch tree.

Want more valuable information on how to feel fantastic, energized, connected and loved?
~ Contact me for a free 15 minutes consult.
 I'll give you one tip to begin your journey today. click here.
~ Check out 2014 iLEAP Wellness Program: click here.
This course will give you all the basics to make the changes you dream of making.

LIES, LIES, LIES…

December 6, 2013

Here's my latest rant!!

I was driving east on route 9  earlier this week and noticed a new billboard for Panera Bread Co.
Pictured front and center is a big meat sandwich (ham or turkey or other). The caption reads (and this is not an exact quote, but when I drive by it again, I will edit this to the exact quote):

"PROTEIN & WHOLE GRAINS 
TO BOOST YOUR ENERGY."

And to this I say: Lies, lies, lies….

Why?




According to Ayurveda, the oldest continuous medical system in the world, dating back over 6,000 years ago, each food has a particular type of energy based on one of the five elements (or combination).
The energy of meat and grains is primarily "earth" energy. This means that when you eat meat and grains these foods provide your body, mind and soul with a condense, grounding energy.

The exact OPPOSITE kind of energy that Panera suggests in this advertisement!!!

Meats and grains take a lot longer to digest than fruits and vegetables, approximately up to six hours if you have slow digestive fire (agni) and up to four hours if you have strong digestive fire. Whether your digestive fire is slow or fast depends on both your constitution (genetics, karma, ancestry) and your condition (lifestyle, diet and exercise) among other things.

In order to feel the boost that Panera brags about, you'll need to drink a big mug of coffee!!

Meats come laden with fat, which is good, because we NEED FATS to live. It is SUGAR that makes you FAT, not fats. Your liver stores excess carbohydrates (grains) as fat, and reconverts them later when you need energy. Many grains contain gluten. Most sandwich bread is made from wheat. When you grind wheat berries into flour and add water - you get dough or batter or paste…depending on the amounts you mix. Flour and water essentially create "glue" in the bowl…and later glue in your gut!!  There is a reason that goo, glue and gluten sound so similar: that which sticks together, sticks together.

If you want to feel LIGHT& ENERGIZED, you''ll want to minimize gluey foods…or avoid them in certain seasons depending on your body type (dosha). There are three classic body types in Ayurveda and they are made from different combinations of the five elements.

Kapha body type is categorized as grounded, rooted and centered when in balance. Heavy, lethargic, dull, static when in excess. Think of the days when you are so tired that you feel "glued to the couch or bed". No energy to get up and do anything. Think of the post thanksgiving period - turkey and stuffing haze, when everyone either lays down for a nap or guzzles more coffee or sugar to feel that buzz.

Think you'll get energy from eating a turkey, ham, beef sandwich…think again!!
The sugars from wheat bread will put you into a mental stupor, and may cause "wheat belly" - inflammation of the small intestine. The lengthy digestive time pulls blood away from your extremities and into the stomach, spleen and intestines. You may want to curl up and have a nap.

So what do I eat when I want to feel energized without caffeine, or sugar or wheat or meat…
fruits, vegetables, fermented foods like miso or sauerkraut….or a great big green drink or smoothie…full of vitamins and minerals…and easy to digest.

So there you have it Panera!!
Take down your billboard and give folks the straight talk!!

If YOU want to THRIVE : Contact Me

If you're READY to make a few small changes in your life, so that you can feel amazing, click here:
iLEAP: Into Life Empowered & Present  Read all about my 2014 iLEAP wellness program.

In just four months, you'll feel younger,
look better and have more energy than ever.
I'll give you the straight talk.
I promise!

Hugs, Lynne

INVEST IN YOURSELF

Sunday, November 17, 2013

INVEST  in YOURSELF:
Everywhere we look, our modern systems are breaking down.
Our health is breaking down. Our communities are breaking down.

The US government shut down because politicians were (and are) unwilling to cooperate and compromise. Obama Care is off to a rocky start. The entire global economy has been in a recessional tailspin ever since the Wall Street housing debacle. Big Bank investors hedged bets on our homes and created a worldwide problem. The Pacific Ocean is filled with radioactive wastes from the Fukoshima nuclear power plant meltdown. Radioactive clouds spread across N America and around the pacific rim. Seafood is unsafe to eat, and the media is not reporting this. Sea levels are rising and displacing people who reside in these low lying nations. A handful of multi-national corporations own most of the major food producers and have no problem selling you unlabeled GMO foods.

Do these global issues make you feel powerless? Like your wants and needs and desires don't really count in the bigger scheme of things?

On the outside our current global issues seem to be insurmountable. War, hunger, poverty are shadowed by environmental pollution, global warming, unemployment, corporate greed...all based on old school styles of thinking, acting and doing business where the rich get richer at the expense of everyone else.

It's time to make a SHIFT!
My intention is to provide a call to action! Not to bum you out. And provide you with that vehicle to take action. That vehicle is iLEAP: Into Life Empowered & Present.

From my study of yoga philosophy, I know that our external reality is a true reflection of our internal reality. Our inner state of mind, our beliefs, our personal experiences and our values gives rise to what we create in this material world. In reality, we all create our reality each and every day. But somehow we do not fully recognize the vast power that we access in doing so!!

In order to plug into the vast and universal unlimited reservoir of power and creativity, we must step back from cultural habits and supplant them with habits that allow us to take back our lives.
We must take time to be quiet and turn into the vast, unlimited wisdom that already resides within us.

I know first hand how worldly life in this three dimensional world is challenging and complex. I also know how our modern cultural habits make living in this world, even more complex and challenging.

My commitment to you is to provide a cutting edge wellness program that will empower you and give you useful tools and practical strategies to take back control of your health and your life.

So I say that it is time to reframe our point of view: invest in yourself!!
When we invest in ourself, we begin to create from a place of inner wisdom, rather than from a corporate, cultural dictated habit.

To help those of you who are ready to take control back, please join iLEAP: Into Life Empowered and Present wellness program. We start on Saturday, January 25, 2014.

Do you want wake up feeling alive, enthusiastic and ready for a new day?
What would you do (that you cannot do now) if you had more energy each day?

Do you want loving conscious relationships with your spouse and kids?
How would your life be different if there was harmony in your household?

What if your body was free of aches and pains?
And your allergies went away?
Your skin cleared up?
And your menstrual cycles passed without PMS?
Do you want to boost your immunity and avoid the cold and flu?
What would your life be like if you really loved your body and knew how to nourish it?
How would you spend your free time, because you are not sick?

What if I could show you how to live life on your own terms?
How to connect your daily rhythms to nature's cycles and create and maintain great health!
Would you be interested in investing in yourself if I could teach you to be happy?
To feel great each day? To keep yourself on track?

Lastly, there is a very useful concept in yoga. In Sanskrit it is called "uttsaha".  This special word means "to give that extra little push back" from the contractive, entropic energy that will bog you down and keep you from growing and evolving your life in the way you most imagine.


Investing in yourself begins with "uttsaha". 

Take 3 simple steps:
1. Call for a free consultation to discuss your health issues and establish your health goals.
    Contact Me or call 413.268.7151 or email prakasayoga@gmail.com.
2. Listen to my introduction to iLEAP video: You Tube
3. Register online: click here

SEASONAL HEALTH TIP: SUMMER

It's officially Summer!!
We hope you took time last week to gaze up into the night sky and enjoy the super moon.
The days here in NE have fluctuated between hot sunny 80-90* weather with sudden thunder bursts and heavy rain. I actually saw a curtain of rain yesterday (6/27/13).

So what to do to keep the body open and balanced in this fluctuating weather?

Here's my Summer Health Tip:

EAT MORE GREENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am NOT talking cucumbers, green beans and zucchini!
I mean DARK LEAFY GREENS!
kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, beet greens, broccoli greens, pea greens, dandelions, spinach, parsley, cilantro

Why? 
Not because people are starving in Africa 
(that's what my mom used to say to get US to eat all the foods 
we disliked and avoided). 

Not because they taste great - and they do!
Greens run the taste gamut of sweet, sour, salty, bitter pungent and astringent. So with this much variety, what's not to love!

Not because they are filled with anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins - because they are.

But because you are what you eat!
DARK LEAFY GREENS, as plant foods, are supple. They'll bend in the wind and during a thunderstorm. They provide both incredible stability (the minerals) and amazing flexibility 
(their internal plant structure). 

DARK LEAFY GREENS are solar powered. They are the superman of real food!!
They will give you tons of useable energy - just when you need some - because they are 
absorbed faster than a speeding bullet. 

DLG are chock full of minerals and trace elements that enrich your blood and will make you strong and more powerful than a locomotive.


Will you be able to leap tall building in a single bound?
Perhaps not...but YOU WILL be able to sustain your energy all day long - 
without depleting your adrenal glands with modern stimulants like sugar, coffee and chocolate.

You will have increased clarity of mind, and thus will be able to complete your tasks efficiently. You will enjoy heightened sensitivity because eating MORE PLANT FOODS makes you more attuned to the natural world and mother nature.

You will have fewer health complaints because you are eating a food that's filled with nutrition and fiber, that will lower your blood pressure, clean out your colon, nourish your gut and feed your cells, organs and tissues.

PLUS: greens will make you cool in the hot weather because they are fat free! And fat makes heat in your body. And sugar-free - 'cause sugar makes you fat! Cool because you'll eat green, be green and help the planet by going green...now that's cool.

My GO GREEN - EAT GREENS CHALLENGE - is available online. The course consists of four conference call recordings and a bonus call about the Synergy of Nutrition.
Click here for more information & to register: http:/www.prakasayoga.com/workshops.cfm


THIS SUMMER - CHALLENGE YOURSELF - TO EAT DARK LEAFY GREENS AT EVERY MEAL.
YOU WILL FEEL REFRESHED AND ALIVE. GUARANTEED. I PROMISE.

~ Lynne

Enlightenment IN the Body

Enlightenment in the Body: June 27, 2013There is a "buzz" word in yoga: 

Enlightenment.  

That supreme place of Oneness or sublime elevated experience that spiritual seekers are trying to locate and establish within themselves. Some people travel all around the globe in search of enlightenment. But the reality is this:    

The Highest Truth is that which you seek is already present inside of you.                            To find it you must slow down, sit down and TUNE-IN, not tune-out. 

As we refine our practice of yoga and delve deeper into the body, eventually we will experiencemore aspects of our self. These various aspects are called the Five Koshas - sheaths or bodies orlayers of awareness and experience.

Think of yourself like a lamp. First there is the source of electricity - the voltage that lays hidden behind the walls coming from some distant power plant that you'll never see, but you know exists; This electricity flows as a current from powerplant  to light bulb. In yoga, its called "Shakti" (creative orgenerative power of the universe).  Let's think of the powerplant as the OneSouce and Shakti as the emissary of that OneSource. The lamp, with it's switch, plug/cord, base, shade and bulb are the five koshas - layers of awareness that comprise a human being. When every part of the lamp is in good condition, your flip the switch and Shakti flows through every part and the bulb lights up!

The human being is the entire lamp.                                                                         One beautiful Sanskrit chant translates "Light my lamp with Your Light."

The lamp base/socket is the physical body (or layer) and houses the light/spirit/shakti.

The cord is like your emotions. When you are upset, angry, sad, etc., the flow of Shakti/electricity is impeded because there is a crimp in the wire and the light does not pass through fully.

The shade is your mind - it can be clear/transparent or cloudy/opaque. And thus the qualtiy of your thoughts will either allow more light to pass (positive thoughts) or block that light (negative thoughts).  Are you open-minded or close-minded?

Your yoga practice is the action of  flipping the switch and working all the crimps out .  To ensure the maximum flow of elecrticity from Source to bulb, you've got to practice daily (asana, meditation, seva, pranayama). Regular practice keeps the cord kink-free, and the lamp in good repair... so Shakti can flow freely to illuminate the bulb. (Ever have a brown-out? That's a crimp in the wire.)

The bulb is the layer closest to the true self, and represents the wisdom or intuitive body. The glass can be frosted or clear; either way it is fragile and will break if you drop it (negelct your yoga practice). 

The iinner most layer is the Light itself. Yogis call this layer the body of bliss.  The light shining in the bulb is a tiny amount of the same OneSource light. We call that light the Light of Consciousness. When we live a yogic lifestyle that clears away all the blockages, then God's light will shine fully through each of the five bodies/layers and into every cell.  Thus, we have embodied and humans and will experience "en-lightenment"....filled with light.

So now you know - you are made of five bodies - not one. 

If you want to learn how to switch on this inner light, we can show you.       
Check out my new 2014 iLEAPTM: "Into Life Empowered and Present" Course.                            Click on this link - http://prakasayoga.com//group_programs.cfm for more information.       

This course will get you started on the path back to vibrant health. I will teach you how to live in harmony with your self and nature. In doing so, you will clear your particular blocks, bit by bit,  in every layer (kosha). You'll learn to create and sustain new healthy habits and learn to eat the foods that are best for your human physiology. When we live well, breathe well, think well, move well, and eat well our entire system - all five bodies - will light up!  We will have an experience of  "En-Lighten-ment" that is grounded within in the body.

Now that's a picture of true radiant health and vitality!!

Namaste!
Lynne

Seasonal Health Tip #1: Winter to Spring Transition

"Lighten up your life!"

As the sun grows stronger and melts the snow back to reveal the moist earth below, little green shoots begin to poke up from underneath the once frozen soil. Just like mother earth, our bodies need to "thaw" out and "rejuvenate" after the long cold Winter. Throughout Winter, we tend to eat more rich, heavy, cooked foods which keep the body warm and well-fed, but also adds weight and density. The energy of freshly sprouted sprouts will break up this cellular heaviness and help your body acclimate to the warmer seasons ahead.

One great way to "lighten up" your life is to "lighten up" your diet. Blend fresh sprouts into your green smoothie, use them to garnish your soup, add hearty bean spouts (mung, chickpea, lentil) to a stir-fry, or top off a salad with a big handful of  sprouts (alfalfa, clover, radish, baby greens).

Another important way to "lighten up" is to detox every Spring!                                        
Join us for the 2013 Spring Cleanse & Detox Program.  To find out more information and to register, please visit our web site.

The Green Yogini

Welcome to my new, uh, well, very first blog!!

I have been dreaming about writing Green Yogini for a while now. I needed to find the right person to redo my website and set me up. Now that the infrastructure is in place, I can rant and rave...so here we go.

I invite you to add your commentary: agree, disagree, debate, discuss. Please be civil, so that we can create, participate and forward a meaningful conversation with respect and love for one another that is truly worthy of our time.

Why The Green Yogini?

Many of you may not know that I went to culinary art school for my college years, and that I ran a whole food catering business here in the valley (Valley Natural Foodservice) for over 10 years. In that phase, I taught whole foods cooking classes, catered parties & weddings, and prepared macrobiotic meals for people with cancer and other illnesses, as a part of their healing protocol.

It would be fair to state "Lynne loves to cook" especially for my friends and family, as much as I love to eat!

Whatever act of God or Grace became my good karma, I had the sense to stop eating the SAD (standard american diet) when I was fourteen. Since then, I have spent my entire life keeping as far away from doctors, drugs and the western medical system as I possibly can. I've committed to a path of natural health and healing for close to 30 years. I stay pretty darn healthy without any MEDS. Not even one aspirin has passed my lips in over 30 years. A HUGE part of my journey has been to take personal responsibility for my own health and wellbeing, instead of turning that over to someone else, anyone else. So whatever I do, I have mostly myself to blame or praise. Ha!

I will share much more on just how I manage my health in future blogs.

This new blog is a bit of a 'coming out' party. Not is a GBLT manner. I'm Parvati all the way and I like my Shiva. GYB- green yogini blog- is a way to share my many years of practical knowledge about a life built around yoga, healing whole foods, cooking and nature. With Double Aries Rising in my chart, I won't be able to be anything but direct, matter of fact, inquisitive, abrasive at times, with a give-me-what-works-and ditch-the-rest kind of attitude. My earth boar will bring out a lighter, gentler side: humorous, sincere, honest, desiring to serve humanity, as best as I can, in my own corner of the world.

My biggest intention is to inform you, challenge you, help you, connect you, direct you, prod you, commend you. To offer whatever I can to help you wake up to the immense beauty, that is your life.

I hope our conversations will help to create a local community of awakened people who raise Planetary Conscious for all beings by growing and living more, not less, consciously each day.

Can this be accomplished?

Of course! In tantric yogic terms, the notion that something is impossible is simply another possibility - one that has not occurred...YET.

From of my practice of hatha yoga, I have an understanding of the subtle energies of the human body. I have seen the chakras in meditation, so I know they are real. I have accessed out-of-body experiences and seen the golden cord that connects my soul to its body.

I make an effort to connect each and every to: Spirit/God/Goddess/Nature/Source/Buddha/Allah/Jehovah/MohamedOneness/Deity/Bliss/Love/Light, as a way to access the highest intuitive wisdom and allow it to guide me.

DO YOU?
If so, I'd love to hear what methods you find instrumental in staying happy, healthy, sane in this crazy assed modern world.

If not, then this is your big chance to help change the world.

Namaste.