Quote



“As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world
To keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our mind strong and clear. Water surrounds the lotus flower, but does not wet its petals.”
The Buddha -- Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C


Thursday, February 23, 2012

Date Almond Coconut Truffle




This is a vegan treat that has no dairy and sugar.

1 jar organic coconut oil (15 or 16 oz)
30 organic dates, chopped
3/4 cup crushed organic raw almond
5 tablespoons organic unsweetened raw cocoa powder
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Organic Coconut flakes
Organic Agave nectar to taste
1/4 teaspoon seasalt

The above measurements are approximate. Depending on what you like you could vary the amount.

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature so it needs to be melted before adding the rest of the ingredients. Pour the mixture onto a baking pan so that it's about half an inch thick and cool in the refrigerator until solidified.



Take out, cut into half inch cubes and roll in coconut flakes.



This step takes forever so if you don't have time like me you could do it in more than one sessions, just keep the unfinished part in the fridge.

Bon appetit! :-)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Ayurveda

Sri Dhanvantari the primordial God (Avatar) of health care, founder of Ayurveda


I first heard about this word almost 10 years ago, maybe more, from a documentary shown on public television PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). The film was about a doctor from New York who was wondering why there were diseases that western medicine has pretty much given up and yet were cured in India like muscular skeletal diseases, migraine headache, even paralysis. So she decided to make a trip back to her native India to find out. While there she travelled the country meeting many different so-called medicine men. These doctors all practiced a health science called Ayurveda. I found the film fascinating because unlike western medicine where the doctor might describe the same medicine for a particular symptom, in India the Ayurvedic doctor would prescribe different medicine or treatment method for different people depending on the life-style and the constitution of that person. From the film Ayurveda was not just about eliminating the symptom but help the individual to heal from inside, addressing the cause of the dis-ease. This made sense to me and sparked my interest in Ayurveda.

After watching the film i started to look for Ayurveda online from time to time. I was so surprised that there were a lot of information, articles regarding this subject. Yet my understanding of Ayurveda was very hazy and in the mean time i was side-tracked to other things so i did not actively try to undertand more about this subject. Time passed until 2010 when i started seeing a chiropractor for spinal adjustment and i found out that my chiropractor was also into Ayurveda. When he offered a class on this subject i signed up right away and it was quite an eye-opening experience, and through this class i also learned what Yoga really means, but that's another post (here it is, finally)

What does Ayurveda mean?

The word Ayurveda is composed of two Sanskrit words 'Ayus' for life and 'Veda' for knowledge or science. So Ayurveda could literally means the knowledge or science of life. Ayurveda has been practiced in India for more than 3000 years and very well documented.

According to Ayurveda each person is physically, physiologically, and psychologically made of certain percentages of 3 doshas: vata, pitta, kapha. Each of these doshas is a combination of some of the 5 elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether, vata is air and ether, pitta is fire and water, kapha is earth and water. When one or more of these doshas are out of balance the person gets sick. According to this site "In Sanskrit, dosha is defined as 'doosyati iti doshah.' The literal meaning of this is 'that which contaminates is called dosha.' So doshas may be considered the pathogenic factors, or disease-causing agents in the body".  Restoring the balance of the dosha leads to restored good health. If you want to find out what is your constitution you can take a dosha test available on various sites on the Internet but i recommend you try a few because none is perfect, imho :-)

The more i learn about Ayurveda i realize that it is a key to understanding one's own nature and from that one can achieve wisdom to live mindfully in good health physically and mentally.

In India there are many Ayurvedic centers where the patient would come in to have his or her dosha imbalance diagnosed by a doctor via pulse reading. Treatments include various types of herbal massages, compresses, steam bath, herbal medicine, and nutrition. Each center is self-contained in the sense that all treatments, including the making of herbal medicine are done in-house.

There is a growing interest in Ayurveda in the United States and one could find many centers but research is recommended to find the trust-worthy one. I also learn that Ayurveda is being looked at by medical schools and health organization like UCLA and the NIH. I love to see what they find out.

Here are some of my recommendations if you want to know more about this fascinating life science:

California College of Ayurveda
Ayurvedic Institute
American Institute of Vedic Studies
Ayurveda (Audio)
Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution (book)
India: A Second Opinion (Front-line documentary). Click here for full-length version of the film. Good interview.
AYURVEDA: art of being (Documentary)
The Knowledge of Healing (Documentary)

Friday, February 17, 2012

3 Treasures


"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."
John Muir -- Our National Parks , 1901



When i saw Ken Burn's "The National Parks" i realize that the national parks are truly this country's greatest treasures. I told myself that every year i will try to go to a new national park and in the summer of 2009 i had a chance to visit not one but three in a 10 day trip :-). I went with 3 friends to Mt Rainier, Olympic in Washington, and Crater Lake in Oregon.

Mt Rainer National Park

The majesty of this moutain can not be understated. The mountain was always covered with snow and clouds kept rolling in and out covering the top throughout the day.


Mount Rainier



The weather was perfect, wild flowers were blooming everywhere and deers roaming in the meadows feasting themselves on avalanche lilies, the famous wild flower of the Northwest.





Avalanche Lily


We met with some friends from Seattle and Portland at the Sunrise area for a fantastic hike and a wonderful picnic lunch.



Some of the highlights included a visit to the beautiful Narada Fall

Narada Fall

and a chase after a marmot :-). This marmot seemed to know i was chasing it from above the hill and after running for a while it must felt tired because it came to a very charming resting pause :-)

i need a rest ...




Olympic National Park

After a few days in Mt Rainier National Park we drove to Olympic National Park at the northeast corner of Washington state where we hiked in the famous "Hall of Mosses" trail in the Hoh rain forest where the giant moss-covered bigleaf maples and Sitka spruces live. Walking among the old giant trees with the mosses dangling down i felt like these trees were ready to move around at any time. In the middle of the day there was hardly any sunlight shining through. The spectacular park was not as popular as Mt Rainier but i think it should not be missed during the visit to Washington state.



A visit to Olympic National Park should include a stop by the lovely Sol Duc falls. I actually walked to these falls twice, once in the afternoon and once in the next morning which i was able to capture the sun shining on to the water.

Sol Duc Falls


Crate Lake National Park

The third national park we stopped at was Crater Lake in Oregon during the drive back to California. I was mesmerized by the intensely bright blue of the shimmering water. Crater Lake is 1,949 feet deep making it the deepest lake in the United States,
the second deepest in North America and the ninth deepest in the world. This lake is probably the best place to visit for those with walking problem because it is located right off the road. I would love to come back to this place so i could take a boat ride.

Nature


There is not a "fragment" in all nature, for every relative fragment of one thing is a full harmonious unit in itself.
John Muir - A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf (1916), page 164


I love nature in all shapes and forms (most actually because there are still quite a few creatures out there that make me shuddered just by looking at) so i like to share what i have discovered and i hope you have a good time :-)