Meditation on Personal Power

Reflect on your inner strength with this guided meditation, by much-loved IYTA Yoga teacher, Margaret North

One aspect of personal power would be our ability to choose a personal positive feeling when a negative one might be emerging. For instance, personal (spiritual) power enables us to move from frustration to patience, from boredom to vitality, from hurt to understanding, from grief to gratitude…

Let us now go into our inner place of peace …

Let us take plenty of time to do that, ensuring that every limb is supported and completely relaxed and our thoughts are slowing, slowing, s-l-o-w-i-n-g…

PAUSE

Let us focus on our spiritual heart, wherever we perceive that to be …

That is the infinitesimal atma wherein resides all our spiritual strength, all our fortitude, compassion, sweetness, love … every one of our abundant and inherent personal positivity and strengths.

It may be at this time that we have the need of one particular strength or positivity, then let us see the seed of that residing in our atma…

It may be that we can identify no particular need, then let us see unbounded wisdom and positivity residing as a seed in our atma…

When we have a firm awareness of the source of our strength …. let’s take our time, let’s feel it … identify it … become truly aware of it …

When we are truly aware of that spiritual strength let us watch … slowly … slowly … as that tiny seed grows and spreads throughout our body. We keep focused … we keep it slow …

Then, filled with that positive force, let us see that positive force spreading out into our aura … take time … let’s take plenty of time …

We can now feel ourselves imbued with our positivity and our strength. It is within us, suffusing us, surrounding us, spreading out into our world …

We know it is the only way to be. We feel so strong, we lift ourselves taller, feel the lightness in our being … and inwardly we have changed. We have brought what is always within us to the surface, to be used for positive change.

We are strong.

(atma: Sanskrit word that means inner self, spirit or soul.) 

  • Margaret has been practising yoga for 50 years and, since her IYTA graduation in 1979, teaching hatha yoga as her major occupation for 40 years. She established the Kuring-gai Yoga School in 1979 which, since 2005, has been owned and led by Liz Kraefft and where she continues to teach. A deep study of yoga philosophies and meditation for some decades has brought her much inner peace. She conducts meditation groups in Mosman.

Homemade vegie sausage rolls

I’ve never enjoyed shop-bought sausage rolls, but I love these “healthier” versions of the popular snack. It’s the perfect food for cool Autumnal evenings…

  Ingredients

  •   400g – 500g of TVP (textured vegetable protein) (if using 500g you will definitely need 3 sheets of puff pastry!) you can also use turkey mince
  • 2 -3 tbs tomato paste
  • Splash of Worcester sauce
  • 1 egg
  • I large carrot
  • 1 bunch of coriander
  • 2 x tablespoon chia seeds
  • 2 sheets of puff pastry
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Turn on the oven to preheat at 200 C
  2. Take two sheets of puff pastry out of the freezer (if you are adding a lot of veggies you may need three sheets).
  3. Wash and then roughly chop a carrot and then either finely chop or put into a Thermomix or high speed blender at speed 7 for 10 seconds
  4. Wash then then finely chop a bunch of coriander
  5. Add the TVP to a large mixing bowl, then add carrot, coriander, tomato paste, chia seeds and egg until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Cut the pastry sheets in half and then spoon the sausage mix into the pastry
  7. Brush the finished sausage rolls with milk
  8. Cook for 20 minutes or until golden
  9. Allow to cool, then cut up and serve with a big dollop of tomato sauce!
  10. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Don’t forget to try Natalie’s savoury treat Zucchini Polenta Cheese Muffins

 

 

Restorative Yoga – a massage for the soul

  Restorative Yoga – it’s like chicken soup, watching a favourite movie or stroking your pet dog. It’s calming, soothing and comforting. For me it’s like coming back to myself. Giving myself time to simply be, time to observe my mind and body unravelling from the many strands of life.

In everyday life we are moving through a constant barrage of situations and experiences. Some good, some not so good, some challenging and others rewarding. The continual maze of life. And if we don’t stop every so often and press pause, then we don’t see the full picture with a clear perspective.

More and more people are experiencing the benefits of Restorative Yoga – out of all the different sessions I teach it’s the one more people are gravitating towards. And that includes the classes I teach at my local gym.

It gives us permission to hold ourselves in a collective space – and when teaching in a room full of people that energy is palpable – it’s as if the entire room is having a long, slow and luxurious yawn.

Which is why the IYTA Restorative Yoga training is such a joy to teach.

Can you imagine – two full days of exploring these shapes, using props and delving into the benefits of this slow-moving and mindful practice. Not only are you experiencing it first hand but you are learning how to share this with others.

I first came across Restorative Yoga while teaching Pre-natal Yoga. I used to set up the students in Reclining Goddess pose – a little like a five star version of Supta Baddha Konasana – it was totally dreamy and you knew it was good for you just by witnessing worry lines melting away like thawing snow.

Post-natally it was even more indulgent – a way to realign the body from hours of breastfeeding and rocking a fractious baby. And it made me wonder why we all couldn’t experience the joy of these poses – to coax our weary, tense bodies out of their malaise and help empty our over-full minds.

And so I began my practice. I loved exploring these poses, either in pure, unadulterated silence or with a Guided Relaxation to focus upon.

Judith Hanson Lasater has written some wonderful books which detail the most gorgeously supported poses. I’ve tried them all! I also developed my own book with around 25 poses – divided into foundation poses (with minimal props) to advanced (with additional props). This forms the basis for our two-day training.

I now tend to sprinkle a restorative yoga pose into my yoga classes – other times I will do a pure Restorative Yoga experience. It’s like a massage for the soul – and also helps us to tune into the soft flow of the breath and tranquilising pranayama techniques.

These days I have a stack of props on hand for when I need to step off the treadmill of life and come into a quiet, nurturing space. I’ll stay for a while – however long I can and then step back into the rhythm of the day renewed and refreshed.

If you would like to experience Restorative Yoga with Katie Brown (author of Guided Relaxation), then come along to our face-to-face training in Melbourne on May 14 and May 15. Details and bookings HERE. 

 

 

Zucchini polenta & cheese muffins

As we move into the cooler weather you’ll love baking these savoury treats – thanks to our Tassie rep, Natalie Purden for the recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain flour ( I use gluten free self raising & add 1 table tapioca flour)
  • 1 cup instant polenta (Marco Polo brand is a good texture)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried basil (or fresh if you have it!)
  • 2 medium zucchinis, 320 to 350 grams thermied speed 5.5 or grated.
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, ricotta or mozzarella grated
  • 1 cup rice milk
  • 2 eggs

Method

  • Preheat oven to 175-180°C.
  • Chop zucchini in Thermomix speed 5 (or high speed blender) until grated texture (or grated). Put aside.
  • Add flour, polenta, baking powder, basil and salt & combine reversed speed 3. (or mix with wooden spoon in a bowl)
  • Add cheese, egg & rice milk until just combined – avoid over mixing.
  • Add zucchini & mix reverse speed 3 until just mixed (or mix with wooden spoon)
  • Spoon 1/4 cup sizes evenly into greased 24-hole muffin tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through.

These can be frozen or eaten straight away!