Yoga Retreats have become very popular in the last few years. This past weekend I was honored and delighted to be a presenter at the Texas Yoga Retreat. The three day retreat was held at the Radha Madhav Dham, rahdhamadhav.org a beautiful ashram and retreat facility located in the Austin Hill Country. It was a lovely fall day and I was thrilled to be getting out of town and driving out to the hill country.
The title of my presentation “The Yoga of Nutrition” is a topic that I live and breathe. Each presentation has it’s own natural rhythm, depending on the room energy, and the energy at the ashram was amazing. I always love seeing the people stream into the room at these events. There were a few fellow yoga teachers but most people were practitioners, all were eager to learn. I love the engagement when giving talks like this because I have the opportunity to learn as well.
At first I was anxious because my newly purchased adapter didn’t seem to work like it had at home. But with the help of several people, one gal said “it takes a village”…and she was right…we were up and running!
We discussed some of the ancient texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s. These books are respected and used for guidance in one’s yoga practice.
One of the basic principles that relates to diet are the three gunas, which are attributes that are present in each person. The gunas vary in relative amounts. They can not be removed but can be changed.
They are known as Sattva, Raja, and Tamas
1.Sattva is the state of essence or purity
2.Raja is the state of activity
3.Tamas is the state of inertia
Using this yogic foundation, we discussed current knowledge of nutrition, such as proper food combining, understanding acid/alkaline balance, and how yoga and nutrition are connected.
To me, yoga and nutrition are totally intertwined. When we practice yoga, our awareness grows about the body and our overall health, and we naturally want to take better care of ourselves.
We’ve all heard the saying “we are what we eat”, right? In yogic philosophy we take that literally! All things are infused and moved by Prana. Prana is the sanskrit word for vital life. Prana suffuses all living forms. Live foods such as raw vegetables are full of prana.
As we learn to eat healthier, live foods, full of phytonutrients and life giving qualities, we begin to shift. We make better choices, we feel better, have more clarity, and create more balance in our lives. Our compassion and empathy may grow. We can become more fully human.
Here is a link to the Texas Yoga Retreat 2011. There were many inspiring presenters at the retreat, check them out! If you live in Austin and have never been to the Radha Madhav Dham, I suggest you take a drive out FM 1826 sometime and stroll the beautiful grounds, commune with the peacocks, and consider attending next year! texasyoga.com
