Video of Yoga Retreat for Women of Color!

One of the presenters at the retreat, Robin Downes of Yoga Flava, made a short video about it! Her video includes an interview with Maya, our founder, clips from me and Gail's workshop, and other moments from the weekend. It's almost five minutes long, so enjoy!






http://yogaflava.blogspot.com/2013/06/yoga-retreat-for-women-of-color-2013.html

Love,
Althea ◦

Video of Yoga Retreat for Women of Color!

No Coincidences

Two weeks ago, before my yoga class began, one of my regular students brought in 12 copies of Yoga Journal. She was giving them away to anyone who wanted them. I kept two of them. One was the May 2011 issue. That night, as I was reading the magazine, I stopped on the"Beneath the Surface" article. I'm into re-building my core strength, so the article was right on time.

I didn't notice who wrote it until the very end: Doug Keller. "Oh my goodness! It's Doug!" Doug Keller and Betsey Downing led my first teacher training in 1999. Betsey was the founder and director of Health Advantage Yoga in Herndon, VA. Doug is an amazing yogi dedicated to the bio mechanics of the body and yoga therapy.

I got down on the floor, that night, and did all of the moves in his article. The lovely by-product was that my recurring right groin pain disappeared. The more I did the moves, the better I felt. I emailed Doug a few days later and told him.

I know there are no coincidences. I'd been intending for the perfect way to strengthen my core muscles (I learned so much from that article. I tracked it down on the Internet. Here it is in .pdf format: Beneath the Surface.) Jenny brings in a stack of magazines. My subscription to Yoga Journal lapsed in April. That's why I took the May issue. And there is Doug, who wrote the one article I wanted to read.

There are NO coincidences.

*******

So if you are wondering where the raw food is, it's still here. I've been eating sushi (cauliflower, carrots, avocados), seaweed soup, salads, and a LOT of vanilla milkshakes (looks like we had triple-digit degree weather this time last year...you really want to make this milkshake. Thank me later!).

My mom has been asking me for years, "Are you exercising?" No, was always my answer. I am now.

So Gratitude Friday will be Gratitude Saturday tomorrow. I'm excited about this weekend. Raymond and I are going on an "Herb Walk" on Saturday to learn about edible and medicinal plants. And on Sunday, Master Raw Chef Aris Latham is in DC. Myself and Amaadi are attending his "Royale Feast." If you're interested in attending, click here: Aris Latham.
I'll take lots of pictures. :-)

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message:
Spirit can never leave you, nor can you ever leave Spirit. But it's easy not to be aware that you are never, ever alone. No matter how bad it gets, say, "Angels, come to me now!" Invoke the loving angels to help you and create opportunities and miracles in your life! ◦

No Coincidences

Yoga Challenge

Happy New Year!

Your Raw Mocha Angel is a 11-year veteran yoga teacher, but my practice has fallen off to only pranayama. In the January 2011 issue of Yoga Journal, they are offering to help get yogis back on track. Their 21-day program starts January 10th.

From the website:


Have you ever tried to start a home practice but couldn't stick with it? Well, we have the solution! In our 21-Day Yoga Challenge, which starts on Jan. 10, you'll receive all the help you need to create a home yoga practice that works for your life. No matter how much time you have or how you feel on any given day, it's still possible to practice yoga and reap the benefits.

How does it work? Each day, we'll present original videos of yoga sequences. There are 15-minute videos for morning and night; 30-minute videos to help refine your poses, work your core, and develop strength; and a super fun 45-minute flow sequence that'll have you moving all around your mat and getting a great workout in the process. By the end of the challenge, you'll have an arsenal of practices at your disposal to use whenever and however you want.


http://21daychallenge.yogajournal.com/

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: No matter the weather, it’s all God, so go enjoy it! ◦

Yoga Challenge

Taking Flight

Now that Raymond and I are finally feeling better, we are taking flight!

Raymond, ever the chef, is helping me an apple-banana smoothie. He is adding the coconut oil.

And we're doing YOGA! (Excuse the pile in the back! That's Rom's stuff!) That's Jona in Warrior Three, better know as Airplane pose to children :-).

Raymond is doing Right Nostil Breathing before any schoolwork.

From www.yogapoint.com:

Right nostril is Pingala Nadi, which represents physical energy and body. The breath through right nostril is important for many important metabolic processes.

The purpose of the Right nostril breathing is to increase the Pranic energy , the physical energy, to revitalize the body. It increases the efficiency of digestive system, also boosts the nervous system, especially the sympathetic nervous system.

Following are the benefits of Right Nostril Breathing -

It increases the body temperature, which removes the Kafa (mucus) imbalance. This is very effective in obesity. Regular practice of Right nostril breath is used for weight loss.

Prana increases in the body, increasing the vitality.

Very effective for depression, low energy.

Helps reducing the anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses.

It gives all the benefits of deep breathing as well.
 
Love,
Althea ◦

Taking Flight

Sight Words

Raymond and I are working on learning Dolch Sight Words. I had him write two of them, "ate" and "are." He also wrote them in a sentence.

The compound words are highlighted (mommy, daddy, and parents) with different colors. I saw a YouTube video about teaching children who have trouble reading. The woman said to highlight the different sounds.

A good Dolch Sight Word website is: http://www.mrsperkins.com/
I'm printing a free 35-page booklet as I type. I'll let you all know how it's going.

And Raymond and I have been doing the Kundalini Yoga Spinal Energy Series. I am a certified KRI (Kundalini Research Institute) Yoga teacher. The Spinal Energy Series is said to increase the cerebral spinal fluid to the brain. He likes it because it's very active yoga.

That's it for today! Thanks for reading :-).

Love,.
Althea ◦

Sight Words

Raw Food: Oh, The (Emotional) Places You'll Go!

What an emotional roller coaster! I am sick AGAIN with an upper respiratory infection. Since I'm coughing up yellow-green stuff, it's certainly a viral or bacterial infection. It wasn't killed back in August, so it's been dormant for the past month and a half. Repetitive illness is a clear sign that I have some emotional issues to deal with.

The lungs are part of the Heart Chakra. When working, the Heart Chakra is the seat of love and compassion. You can give and receive love freely. When not working, the Heart Chakra has trouble giving and receiving love, for a variety of reasons, usually trauma. The lungs, specifically, are the seat of grief.

(Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Body and You Can Heal Your Life are two good references. We are body, mind, and spirit beings. No illness can be looked at as only a physical issue. You miss a lot if you do not go deeper.)

Between 2006-2009, I had more upper respiratory infections than I can count. That was the height of my caretaking days. This year, I've had four. I'm clear on a few issues: I miss my extended family; I feel a sense of isolation as a stay-at-home mom; I am overextended in my obligations. I'm working on all three of these.

I have turned to food as comfort. If you're wondering what happened to my Raw Food Cleanse back in September, here's the deal: I was doing well. Both myself and my oldest son were consuming a quart of green smoothies a day. Then I got the STRONGEST cravings for my childhood foods. Ham, mac and cheese, mac salad, pizza...I wanted it all. The intensity and longevity of the cravings surprised me. I wrote Victoria Boutenko. My question was, "Can green smoothies, and/or raw food, release cellular memory?" I haven't heard back from her, but I think so.

So I started making cooked vegan versions of those foods. The first couple days, I felt okay. The emotional need of wanting to see my family was being met by the food. I had even told my friend Amaadi that I was thinking of changing my blog's name to The Vegan Mocha Angel.

Then I got sick as hell. Not upper respiratory sick. Whole body sick. My back hurt like sin, and still does (how I need my chiropractor). I didn't injure myself. It's like my back is inflamed. I couldn't think straight. I lacked mental focus. I just wanted to sleep all of the time, but couldn't. Premenstrual cramps flared up. Everything internal went haywire.

I thought, is this cause of our Western illnesses: the food? Could it really be that simple? In my case, yes, it's that simple. I do not carry the mantle of Raw Food Dogma. But what is clear is that cooked food absolutely lowers my immunity, energy, clarity, and connection. A poison if you will. Strong language, I know. But I must call it like I see it.

Me and Raw Food have had a love-hate relationship. This relationship is musically exemplified by Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy's Rumba on Season 5 of Dancing With the Stars.

In seriousness, I've been thinking about this a lot. I realized I have to feel I deserve perfect health. Eating things that make me sick is crazy. Also, as a mom, I put others needs first. But if I'm in a cooked food haze, then how is that helping my children? My health must come first so I can be emotionally present for my family.

I also have come back to my yoga roots. I've been seeking a spiritual foundation. I've had one in yoga all the while. Yoga is not about the poses (asana). Asana is the third rung on an eight limbed path. The eight limbs of yoga are:

Yama : Universal morality

Niyama : Personal observances

Asanas : Body postures

Pranayama : Breathing exercises, and control of prana

Pratyahara : Control of the senses

Dharana : Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness

Dhyana : Devotion, Meditation on the Divine

Samadhi : Union with the Divine

A good, short explanation: http://www.expressionsofspirit.com/yoga/eight-limbs.htm

My focus is on Ahimsa, the first Yama principle. Ahimsa is defined as non-violence. No harming of another living creature. In other words, honoring the life in all things. But as I read on Atma Jyoti, there is no talk anywhere of Ahimsa toward the SELF:

Though the subject is oddly missing from every commentary on the Yoga Sutras I have read, the practice of non-injury in relation to the yogi himself is vital. That is, the yogi must do nothing in thought, word, or deed that harms his body, mind, or spirit. This necessitates a great many abstensions, particularly abstaining from meat (which includes fish and eggs), alcohol, nicotine, and any mind- or mood-altering substances, including caffeine. On the other side, it necessitates the taking up of whatever benefits the body, mind, and spirit, for their omission is also a form of self-injury, as is the non-observance of any of the yama or niyamas. It is no simple thing to be a yogi.

Source - http://www.atmajyoti.org/med_foundations_of_yoga.asp

It is no simple thing to be a yogi (or yogini, for women). No, it's not. But there is more to life than satisfying the five senses. The sixth sense, the intuitive self, longs to feel the connection to the inner self, others, and the Source we call God. I am looking into Ashtanga Yoga as my path. Why? Because the asanas are incredibly difficult, and will take me a lifetime of serious study to master. The Eight Limbs are core to the practice. That is what I want.

So the Raw Mocha Angel will remain The Raw Mocha Angel. I've been all over the place emotionally, but feel that I have found a home in Raw Food and Yoga. To live the 12-Steps to Raw Food, and to be honestly featured on my own blog as a Healthy Vegan are my goals. Thank you for remaining with me on this healing journey.

Love,

Althea

◦

Raw Food: Oh, The (Emotional) Places You'll Go!