Daily Practice

Finding a regular time every day for your yoga practice at home can extend the benefits you are experiencing in class. You can make it as simple as doing Shavasana/Relaxation Pose or one of the Daily Four. Spending regular time with one asana, you may find a natural inclination to grow your practice.

***

Facebook

We’re on Facebook where you’ll find more news there. Please Like our page–thanks!

***

Local Sages

We have a variety of wild sages growing locally, and they are all in resplendent fresh leaf and flower right now. Most people are familiar with White Sage/Salvia apiana as it is often used for incense, but there are others that are just as lovely for that purpose as well as other uses. A little bit of black sage is a delicious addition to casseroles and stuffings. A couple other plants are like the salvias/sages, but they really aren’t, Basin/Big Sage/Artemisia tridentata and Coastal Sage/Artemisia californica. Coastal Sage is an effective female hormonal balancer for all ages. Not only as incense, sages are effective detoxifiers internally. Be sure to use them in very small doses because they are very powerful and have a drying effect.

We have a plant zone called Coastal Sage Scrub that is at risk, nearly endangered, because so much has been removed by land developments. Particular developments that are a great sorrow are the new freeways that take out large corridors of Coastal Sage Scrub and wildlife and then are replanted with non-natives.

These plants are available from Coastal Sage Gardening.

Wild Sages appear in my salves, oils, lip balm, essences, and spray. Please see the store page.

***

Special Additional Dhara Yoga Classes for June

These classes are free and additional to our regularly scheduled classes. Please join us! Please see the April Living Yoga newsletter for the special free May classes.

Pt. Loma United Methodist Church
1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Please call or email to register
619-788-4838   info@dharayoga.com

Intro to Chair Yoga
Wednesday June 6
12:00-12:45  Free
Experience how Chair Yoga can offer you flexibility and inner harmony for your special condition.

Yoga for Your Back
Wednesday June  20
12:00-12:45   Free
Yoga can  help heal back pain and facilitate post-injury and post-surgery recovery.

Gentle Yoga Mini Retreat
Friday June 22
9:00-11:00   $10.00
Enjoy a morning of Gentle Yoga.
Call or email to RSVP by June 4.

On-Going Dhara Yoga Services

Please see the Classes and Therapy page

Gentle Yoga
Chair Yoga
Yoga Therapy
Healthy Food Consultation
Herbal Consultation

Copyright © 2012 by Julia Doughty

Pause

In class, some of the pauses you do are:
–When you roll to your side
–In between one asana and another
–Within an asana

You can continue this practice throughout your day, taking a few moments to breathe and just notice what’s going on with your whole being.

This helps you to be focused and aware, and it is a way to release deeply held tensions.

***

Elder Flowers

Elder trees are blooming now. Our native Elder is Sambuca Mexicana. The flowers are helpful for colds, flu, fevers, viruses, respiratory infections, and for general strengthening of immunity.

Add some flowers to pennyroyal herb for a tea.

Or, put some in hot water and place a towel over your head for a toning facial steam. Also, a bath with the flowers will help pull out toxins.

Later in the year, we’ll talk about Elder berries.

***

Yucca Flowers

The beautiful Yucca is also in bloom. Gather fresh, young flowers from Our Lord’s Candle/Chaparral Yucca (Yucca whipplei) or Mojave Yucca/Spanish Bayonet (Yucca schidigera).

Remove the bitter center of the flower. Cook the petals in boiling water until soft. Add them to a stir-fry.

Coastal Sage Gardening has these plants.

You can get dried pennyroyal and elder flowers from In Harmony Herbs and Spices.

***

Special Free Dhara Yoga Classes for May

These classes are free and additional to our regularly scheduled classes. Please join us! Please see the March Living Yoga newsletter for the special free April classes.

Pt. Loma United Methodist Church
1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
Call or email to register
619-788-4838   info@dharayoga.com

Yoga for Autoimmune Conditions
Tuesday May 8
12:30-1:30   Free
Yoga can help the physical, emotional, and lifestyle issues that go along with having an autoimmune condition. You can do yoga even if you are not flexible or are unable to be on the floor. We will also talk about the benefits of Yoga Therapy. No previous experience is necessary.
Please call or email to register.

Meditation for Stress, Illness, and Pain
Wednesday May 23
12:00-12:45   Free
Find your natural ability to relax and breathe easily. And with that discover your vast inner resources for being flexible and generous with life’s challenging circumstances. We will explore calming practices that you can do sitting, standing, or in any situation.

On-going Dhara Yoga Classes and Services
Please see the Classes and Therapy page

Gentle Yoga
Chair Yoga
Yoga Therapy
Healthy Food Consultation
Herbal Consultation

Copyright © 2012 by Julia Doughty

3-Part Yoga Breath

We’ve been doing 3-Part Full Yoga Breath, Ujjayi Pranayama, at the beginning of class. Some of the benefits of this breath are:
Improves circulation and heart
Strengthens immunity
Increases stamina and lung capacity
Purifies your system
Helps soothe respiratory problems

This breath can be done throughout your day, and it is ok to do it while standing or sitting.

***

Miner’s Lettuce and Ladyfinger Dudleya

Miner’s Lettuce is both easy to grow and to harvest in the wild. It will be a delicious addition to your spring salads.

Also, Ladyfinger Dudleya is looking beautifully plump from our recent rains and is sending up new flower stalks. It can be eaten raw or lightly cooked. You can grow it in a container or in a dry shady or semi-shady area.

Both of these are available from Coastal Sage Gardening. (And they are offering free packets of seeds throughout the month of March.)

***

Special Classes for April

These classes are free and additional to our regularly scheduled classes. Please join us! (Please see the February Living Yoga newsletter for the free special March classes.)
Call or email to register: info@dharayoga.com or (619) 788-4838
Pt. Loma United Methodist Church
1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Gluten-Free and Whole Grains
Wednesday April 11
12:00-12:45   Free
Find out how to easily prepare and replace the gluten in your diet with scrumptious whole grains that provide a wealth of nutrients and fiber.

Intro to Chair Yoga
Monday April 16
11:15-12:15   Free
Experience how Chair Yoga can offer you flexibility and inner harmony for your special condition.

Intro to Gentle Yoga
Thursday April 19
12:30-1:30   Free
Join us for this introduction to Gentle Yoga that anyone can do regardless of their level of physical ability, including seniors and those with special conditions.

Yoga for Depression, Anxiety, and Grief
Wednesday April 25
12:00-12:45   Free
Yoga can soothe your depression, anxiety, and grief. You can do yoga even if you are not flexible or are unable to be on the floor. We will also talk about the benefits of Yoga Therapy. No previous experience is necessary.

On-Going Dhara Yoga Services
Please see the Classes and Therapy page

Gentle Yoga
Chair Yoga
Yoga Relaxation/Shavasana Clinic
Yoga Therapy
Healthy Food Consultation
Herbal Consultation

Copyright © 2012 by Julia Doughty

Nettles are cropping up around town and up into the foothills. They are a nutrient rich green and can be used in recipes that call for greens, such as spinach, or you can make a tea. They are good added to a soup broth. And at this time of year, nettles are helpful in keeping you well and warding off sinus congestion from allergies. They are high in calcium and protein, so it’s an herb to have on hand and use often. Well, I could go on and on about the benefits. You can harvest them from places that don’t get urban runoff or purchase them dried. It’s not so great for your garden because it tends to crop up everywhere. In Harmony has the dried herb.

Also, native hummingbird sage is in bloom—it has a lovely red stalk with many flowers, kind of like a snapdragon. You can get a plant from Coastal Sage Gardening. Just a little in your tea can help with decongestion and relieving sore throat. Also, the dried leaves can be burned for incense.

 Nettles Tea

4 c. water
1/3 c. dried peppermint leaf
1/3 c. dried red clover leaf or ¼ c. red clover flowers
1/3 c. nettles leaf
1-2 hummingbird sage leaves

Boil the water. Turn off the heat. Add the herbs. Let sit 6-8 hours. Strain. Drink within 2 days.

***

Why relax when there is so much to do?

Relieves tension: body, mind, feelings
Rejuvenates energy
Revitalizes nervous system
Calms the mind
Improves ability to focus and be effective in activities
Provides access to deeper awareness

In every class we do Shavasana, a guided relaxation, a yoga practice that is easy and effective for helping us experience the benefits of relaxation and deeper awareness.

We have a Relaxation/Shavasana Clinic. A great way to take a pause during the day. Call or email to make an appointment.
Tuesday 12:30-1:00
Wednesday 11:15-11:45

We will practice some other yoga relaxation techniques in the free intro class
Relax, Breathe, Share, Give
Please join us Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012
12:00-12:45
Pt. Loma United Methodist Church

Also offered Monday March 19, 9:00-10:00 AM.

RSVP 619-788-4838 or info@dharayoga.com

A Shavasana/Relaxation CD is available of guided relaxation and soothing flute music. Please see the Dhara Yoga store.

***

Special Classes for March

These classes are free and additional to our regularly scheduled classes. Please join us!

Intro to Chair Yoga
Monday March 5
11:15-12:15   Free
Experience how Chair Yoga can offer you flexibility and inner harmony for your special condition.

How to Be a Vegetarian or Vegan
Wednesday March 14
12:00-12:45   Free
We’ll talk about the tricks of making delicious and healthy vegetarian dishes from fresh, unprocessed ingredients.

Relax, Breathe, Share, Give
Monday March 19
9:00-10:00   Free
Find your natural ability to relax and breathe easily. And with that discover your vast inner resources for being flexible and generous with life’s circumstances. We will explore calming practices that you can do sitting, standing, or in any situation.

Intro to Gentle Yoga
Thursday March 22
12:30-1:30   Free
Join us for this introduction to Gentle Yoga that anyone can do regardless of their level of physical ability, including seniors and those with special conditions.

Yoga for Pain
Wednesday March 28
12:00-12:45   Free
Find out how Gentle Yoga and Chair Yoga can relieve pain. You can do yoga even if you are not flexible or are unable to be on the floor. We will also talk about the benefits of yoga therapy. No previous experience is necessary.

Copyright © 2012 by Julia Doughty

News

I’m excited that we’ve started our yoga classes at the Pt. Loma United Methodist Church! Yoga is a wonderful practice that meets you where you are at right now and that will grow with you.

Whoever responds first to this newsletter will receive a Suryamukhi Lip Balm.

Coastal Sage Gardening is having a Native Plant Sale January 8^th.

My poetry chapbook, little by little, is just out, along with beautiful art and well-crafted writing by other women, in the new paperback Ensemble Anthology: Art & Hybrid Writing by International Women, no. 1. It can be purchased here.

And an excerpt of little by little, as well as my audio reading, is appearing in the online Ensemble Jourine: Art & Hybrid Writing by International Women

Special Free Classes for February

Please contact us to register. (619) 788-4838 or info@dharayoga.com

Intro to Chair Yoga
Monday Feb. 6
11:15-12:15   Free
Experience how Chair Yoga can offer you flexibility and inner harmony for your special condition.

Healthy Eating & Healthy Desserts
Wednesday Feb. 15
12:00-12:45   Free
We’ll talk about and sample delicious possibilities.

Intro to Gentle Yoga
Thursday Feb. 23
12:30-1   Free
Join us for this introduction to Gentle Yoga that anyone can do regardless of their level of physical ability, including seniors and those with special conditions.

Relax, Breathe, Share, Give
Wednesday Feb. 29
12:00-12:45   Free
Find your natural ability to relax and breathe easily. And with that discover your vast inner resources for being flexible and generous with life’s circumstances. We will explore calming practices that you can do sitting, standing, or in any situation.

***

Recipes

Of course black-eyed peas are a standard for this time of year to fortify your best intentions for the year ahead. They enjoy being grown in an arid place such as San Diego, and you can begin planting them along with your other spring seeds. A variety of traditional seeds cultivated by Mexican and Southwestern Native people are available from Native Seeds/SEARCH.

Black-Eyed Peas

1 ½ c. black-eyed peas
6 c. water
1 bay leaf
½ celery stalk
1 bunch green onions, the green part, chopped

Soak black-eyed peas in water 6-8 hours. Drain and rinse.

Cook in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes or in pot until desired softness. Before cooking, add to the pot the bay leaf and celery stalk. When peas are done, strain out the water, and discard bay leaf and celery.

Optional: In 1 T. olive oil, sauté green onion. Add after peas are cooked and strained.

Add sea salt to taste.

Serve with cornbread or baked sweet potato/yam and greens.

Lamb’s Quarters

You may be seeing wild Lamb’s Quarters (also known as pigweed or goosefoot) growing out and about. If they are growing in a clean place, free of toxic run-offs, they can be harvested. Keep in mind that they are of the chenopodium family and are high in oxalic acid. Like spinach, chard, and beet greens, it’s best to eat them only once a week or less since they block calcium absorption. Seeds to grow this spring are available from Horizon Herbs.

After washing and chopping the greens, try either option:

1) Boil or steam in water.

2) Saute some green onion and add the greens, stir to further sauté, add water, cover and cook on low 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Copyright © 2012 by Julia Doughty

The recipes I’ll be sending you in the blog (and newsletter) will include elements of Ayurveda, the science of Yoga, along with the application of using local native, drought-tolerant plants.

To your vibrant health and to the great gift of this beautiful San Diego County! Namaste!

Coyote Mint Tea

Boil one quart water, then turn off the heat.

Add:
¼ oz. Coyote Mint leaves—and a few flowers when available
¼ c. spearmint leaf
¼ c. lemon balm leaf

Cover the pot. Let infuse at least 15 minutes.

Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa) is a lovely perennial, likes part shade, gives purple flowers in summer. You could grow this in a container or your garden.

You could get Coyote Mint at City Farmers Nursery, Mission Hills Nursery, or Walter Andersen Nursery.

Blue Corn

Now that the summer harvest is in, it’s a great time to still enjoy the corn harvest!

Blue Corn Hot Cereal

½ c. blue cornmeal
2 c. water
¼ t. cardamom
½ t. vanilla extract or glycerite
1 T. sunflower oil
1 T. soaked flax seeds

Stir well the water and corn together before turning on the heat. Add cardamom and vanilla. Stir frequently while cooking to desired thickness, about 10 minutes. Stir in sunflower oil and flax seeds. Serves 2.

Horizon Herbs, www.horizonherbs.com, has Organic Hopi Blue Corn seeds. Grow in the hot months; can grow in containers. Blue corn is higher in protein and more easily digested than yellow corn.

You can also get a two-pound bag of Arrowhead Mills Organic Blue Corn Meal.

Copyright © 2011 by Julia Doughty