Blog Student News Trainees/Teacher News

Dear Yogis,

Sorry you were not at our SUNDAY ART CLASS (next week is our last of four, and then we may have to swap to Saturdays as my Sundays are pretty full until Christmas) – great fun… everyone has to be peeled away from their artwork sometime after the end of class, and I am told they go home and complete what they started with me, or start new work.  Proof that they are inspired by the work they did in class.

 

AND, Sorry you were not with us on Saturday for our “5Mile Forage”.

Now is the time to contemplate (and make) root coffees and herbals.  The ground is wet and it is easier to pull the roots out of the ground, which is important when harvesting dandelion and salsify..  grab onto the herb with both hands and gently pull, rocking the root from side to side gently to allow the air to penetrate around the root.  Speak to the herb spirit and just relax and the root will pull up perfectly.

 

DANDELION ROOT BITTERS

  • Dried Dandelion Pieces – 1/2 cup
  • Orange Zest (no pith or flesh please) 4-5 ribbons
  • Ginger – 1 inch piece sliced
  • Vodka – 750 ml
  • Put the dried herbs into a Litre jar sized jar, then pour in the entire bottle of vodka – perhaps buy your vodka from Dan Murphy – its the cheapest that I have found.
  • Cover the jar and let sit for 4-6 weeks in a dark cupboard.  It will turn a lovely orange color from the zest, and the dandelion root will have expanded, and be very juicy with the vodka.
  • Strain out the herbs with a fine mesh sieve or hang for a little while in a jelly bag, and your dandelion root bitters are finished!

USE

  • Now is the time to try it in your favourite cocktail, or use it as a digestive – just a tiny couple of tablespoons before dinner
  • Dandelion Root Bitters is best when served chilled, and will keep for a long time in the fridge
  • Drink a small amount before a meal to stimulate digestion, or add a bit to a fancy cocktail for a different flavor.

NB. you can substitute DRIED REISHI STRIPS for the Dandelion root, and red wine instead of vodka,  and then what you will have is a traditional Chinese tonic. Take a tablespoon every morning.

 

DANDELION ROOT COFFEE + collect the root, wash then process it BEFORE you dry it.  When dried  make into even smaller pieces in a mortar and pestle.

  • Roasted grated and pulverised Dandelion Root – 2 Tbsp
  • Roasted Chicory Root  –  1 tsp –  can roast it yourself in the same method as dandelion root.
  • Cinnamon Chips – 1 tsp
  • 2 cups water
  • Place all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil.
  • Boil for 5-10 minutes, then strain out the root pieces with a fine mesh sieve.
  • Serve the dandelion and chicory root “coffee” in a mug. Add cream and/or sweetener to taste if desired. Enjoy!

 

SALSIFY

When we went out foraging we did manage to find a few salsify plants.
Nutritional Value:  Salsify contains potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, some B vitamins, iron, and copper.

Salsify is best cooked (I have never eaten raw!).  The roots of the ones around here are not long, and it can be fiddly work, but worth it.   You can try boiling, roasting, sautéing, steaming, frying, and baking. Before cooking, the skin should be peeled and to preserve the color of the white flesh, the root can be submerged in water with lemon juice or vinegar.

Salsify are most often steamed, pureed, and added to soups or stews as a thickener or served as a puree with chicken or other meat dishes. They are also commonly sautéed with butter to create a rich and creamy side dish.

Salsify is extremely versatile and can be sliced and made into a gluten-free pasta, grated and roasted into cakes, coated in egg-flour batter and fried, or sliced into coins for gratins. Young Salsify can also be eaten raw, sliced thinly in salads or chopped fiely to add texture to a dish. Salsify greens are also edible and are sautéed and consumed like a vegetable, although I have never found them to be particularly palatable..

Salsify pairs well with meat such as deer, beef, poultry, and fish, garlic, onion, celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, white wine, lemon, and butter. Salsify will keep up to one week when stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

 

STUDIO YOGA CLASS TIMES (yogabeautiful.com.au)
Fees FROM 3rd October (new term) $220 per term. (The Term – 3rd October until the week starting the 12th December).

Monday –  1pm class,  2.15 class as usual. ZOOM FREE Teacher Training 6.30pm 
Don’t forget the free lunch at the Uniting Church in Forest St next to the Police Station. 12.30 Mondays.
Tuesday 9.30 and 1.30 Teaching at Windarring
Wednesday 1pm Hatha and 2.15 teacher training as usual
THURSDAY – Goodbye free day!! 1.30 Windarring.
Friday  2.15 Hatha yoga as usual.

SUNDAY BOTANICAL ART CLASS.  2.30 TO 4.30 you missed three, one to go.  You are welcome as always. This weekend we explored materials and brushes – What to use where and when.

 

I look forward to seeing you – or your dolls – on the mat.

NAMASTE. JAHNE

 

 

Good morning Yogis,

A strange day.  Although I had lots to do, the electrics on my car have decided to be difficult.  The door decided when to open or not.  I was a bit worried about getting locked in the car – I remember a friend this happened to, he had to craw out through the back window… I don’t have one of those that I can open.  My Garage said bring it in right away – they are busy bees, so if they were worried, I decided to obey right away.  So I am grounded.   Being sensible I could do without the car for a little time really, I just like being able to hop in it and zoom off to wherever I want, especially as it is going to rain!

ABLE2 YOGA

I have been teaching at Windarring and loving it of course. Teaching people with special needs is so OUT THERE.  Everything has to be visual, over the top, fun.   Every time I go there I learn something new, and learn how better to teach and respond to these gorgeous clients.  It is tiring and wonderful. Every week more work is suggested for me… I try to be disciplined..  Little steps.  I could spend my whole life just working with special clients – I dream about teaching them.

STUDIO YOGA CLASS TIMES (yogabeautiful.com.au)
Fees FROM 3rd October (new term) $220 per term. (The Term – 3rd October until the week starting the 12th December).

Monday –  1pm class,  2.15 class as usual. ZOOM FREE Teacher Training 6.30pm 
Don’t forget the free lunch at the Uniting Church in Forest St next to the Police Station. 12.30 Mondays.
Tuesday 9.30 and 1.30 Teaching at Windarring
Wednesday 1pm Hatha and 2.15 teacher training as usual
THURSDAY – Goodbye free day!! 1.30 Windarring.
Friday 11am ADVANCED ART class, followed by 2.15 Hatha yoga as usual.

SATURDAY 4.30 FORAGING ALONG 5 MILE CREEK. ALL WELCOME. 

SUNDAY BOTANICAL ART CLASS.  2.30 TO 4.30 you missed two, two to go.  You are welcome as always. This weekend in spite of the lack of half the class, we did Japanese ink painting… just to get a hang of the brush work.

 

I look forward to seeing you – or your dolls – on the mat.

NAMASTE. JAHNE

 

 

 

 

Dear Yogis,

Another gorgeous day, with more rain promised, but the “dump” predicted by the BOM getting less by the hour.  Looks like 20ml which on sodden ground will show, but a whole lot better than 100 to 200ml.

We are managing way better than our yoga graduates, yogis and family in Shepparton, Echuca and Moama, where the water is rising as you read this.    You are in our hearts.  The water is rising all along the rivers and tributaries of the Murray,  and life is particularly difficult (an understatement).  In many ways a fire is better because when the front has passed there is nothing left and you can start again.  In a flood, when the river subsides there is wet and mud left behind.  An impossible situation and this doesn’t go away for years….

 

BARBARA’S BEAR.

Watching the ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW, just saw Barbara Cartland’s Teddy Bear complete with pink ribbon and diamanté’s, and found

it via Google.   I would just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to have that one, even for a little while.  I have bears to love, bears to fix, and bears to give away, and, I have a person coming up from the Geelong Branch of the Funeral Celebrants Association of Australia to collect a batch… how exciting.

*Mandatory Credit: Shutterstock Photo by Bruce Adams

 

ABLE2 YOGA

I was teaching at Windarring yesterday.  I love it, but I have observed one thing that is often forgotten by the carers, and that is that inside the twisted body or twisted mind and therefore twisted responses is a real person. A thinking, living, emotional (and in the case of Windarring) mature person.  I get upset when I see them being judged by their actions, and treated like children.  The actions that happen in response to your directions,  may not be relative to what the person is thinking.

Be patient, try and imagine what they are trying to do and don’t do it for them, which from their point of view could be experienced as being forced.  Wait, repeat slowly, gently.  My advice – look at the eyes, and not at the hands or the body.  Stand in front of your client, and teach to the eyes, and reward gently when the appropriate response has been achieved by the client – it may not be exactly what you anticipated, but it is a response, and the best that can be done at that moment.  The next week, the next class we will start again AT THE BEGINNING. NB: Bears really do help in this exercise in communication.  

 

HERBS+Cannabis COURSE (again)

I am going to try again with this.  Although in Australia Cannabis/CBD cannot be legally prescribed except by Licensed Doctors (who rarely know anything about this magnificent herb), the position in time will change, and we will come into line with the rest of the world.

As usual with my courses, this is online, and self-paced.  Imagining and preparing for the future… we will explore the many ways you can safely and responsibly invite this storied botanical into your herbal practice with intention and respect.

Learn the multi-layered history of cannabis and its legalization status before diving into botany and key terms, like the difference between cannabis and hemp. With that information under your belt, you’re well-prepared to explore the phytochemistry and therapeutic properties of cannabis, including both THC and CBD, and how they interact with our body’s fascinating endocannabinoid system. You’ll learn how to make cannabis preparations from the garden up, including oils and tinctures, that you can then use (when the time is right) in the herbal recipes we share.

Whether you’re completely new to cannabis and hope to cut through the clutter and discover the truth about this special plant —  this much-anticipated course has something for everyone!

Enroll before the first week in November 2022 to get the early bird price.
If you are interested, please Email yogafirst2@bigpond.com.

STUDIO YOGA CLASS TIMES (yogabeautiful.com.au)
Fees FROM 3rd October (new term) $220 per term. (The Term – 3rd October until the week starting the 12th December).

Monday –  1pm class,  2.15 class as usual. ZOOM FREE Teacher Training 6.30pm 
Don’t forget the free lunch at the Uniting Church in Forest St next to the Police Station. 12.30 Mondays.
Tuesday 9.30 and 1.30 Teaching at Windarring
Wednesday 1pm Hatha and 2.15 teacher training as usual
THURSDAY – Goodbye free day!! 1.30 Windarring.
Friday 11am ADVANCED ART class, followed by 2.15 Hatha yoga as usual.

SUNDAY BOTANICAL ART CLASS.  2.30 TO 4.30 you missed two, two to go.  You are welcome as always. This weekend in spite of the lack of half the class, we did Japanese ink painting… just to get a hang of the brush work.

 

I look forward to seeing you – or your dolls – on the mat.

NAMASTE. JAHNE