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