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

A picture I took of The Granite Dells.

Recently I took a trip back to my home town of Prescott, Arizona.  For a few special days I had the opportunity to see old friends, laugh a LOT, and remember some things that I love about the quaint town Prescott.  The stars (for starters), the Granite Dells…one of the largest outcroppings of granite in the world, streams running with water, lots of birds and other wildlife.  While Austin continued to bake away, and then sadly burn up, I was hiking in 80 degrees and wondering why I ever left Arizona!

As I departed and headed south for the inferno of Phoenix I knew that I was fortunate.  Friends and fond memories live on.

Great to share good food with friends.

My sister, Lisa,  had a total hip replacement last week and I went there to help her in her recuperation.  Her father in law was admitted into the hospital on the day she came home, so it was a good thing I was there! In four days I watched her go from absolute pain and needing assistance for her every move, to walking and doing her PT exercises quite well.  With each passing hour I could see the hope of living a pain free life return to her face…it was amazing!

In those days of caring for her it was chop wood, carry water.  Do what needs to be done.  I bought, prepared and fed her healthy, organic whole foods, gave lots of moral support and pep talks, and forgot about the outside world for awhile.

It was a loving exchange that will forever deepen our bond.

I headed home to by Beloved and to his open arms.  I knew that I would have yet another opportunity to live in the moment.  That is the gift of this trip–remembering what is important, telling the people that you love, that you love them, and recognizing just how lucky I am really am!

Recently a few girlfriends and I ventured to Costa Rica for a week. This was my third trip and each has been different from the previous. This was a “girls” trip where we read lots of books, had long leisurely meals filled with conversation and lots of laughter! Talk about relaxing! We stayed in a lovely home perched on the hillside above the ocean.
We didn’t raft any rivers, go to any yoga retreats, or take any trips up to volcanos (all of which I have done before.) We did however, explore the ocean with a day of snorkeling, and made a trip to the zipline another day. Both were fun and exhilarating!….but my favorite part of this trip was the harem of Howler Monkey’s that visited us the last day. On male and the rest were females of varying sizes and ages with lots of babies in tow!

Whatever the reason for visiting Costa Rica…GO! The people are so friendly, the scenery unbeatable, and the sound of the waves mesmerizing.

This trip was an important part of my Big Picture as I made time to spend with close friends and rejuvenate. Enjoying a long and healthy life is more eating well, it’s about nourishing ourselves on all levels. That’s what Big Picture Long Life is all about.