Dear Yogis,
Life moves on and today is the first day when we will have a small, very small class. Everyone has to bring their own equipment and props, and yesterday I spent some time cleaning and disinfecting… I don’t have to do that when zooming of course nd i liked that aspect, but this brought it all back… HERE IS THE MENU for the week.
MONDAY: STUDIO CLASS (full)
TUESDAY: ZOOM Sutra Lecture. 7.30pm
WEDNESDAY: 12.30 ZOOM Yoga, 5.30 STUDIO CLASS (full)
FRIDAY: 5.30 STUDIO CLASS – vacancies available – don’t forget you need your own equipment.
SATURDAY: 12.30 ZOOM Class, 2pm TAROT/TAROT MAKING, ART CLASS
SUNDAY: 10am BHAGAVADGITA CLASS
MY PENDULUM BOARDS.
When the students in our Saturday TAROT ART class send me some photos of their work (and it is fabulous), I will include them in the blog and this 
newsletter – in the meanwhile, here is what I have been up to. This is a section of a pendulum board I am working on. Lots and lots of dots. I have not finished, and I am certainly learning about dots.
This too deviates from my usual work because of the background colour. It isn’t just one shade of yellow. Underneath there is white, red oxide, Turners yellow, and cadmium yellow. Layers and layers until I got the right colour. I love layers and wiping back. A technique I like in the work of Rothko. I am not doing exactly the same, but layers do make a difference to the final colour.
TONIC HERBS:
Here at The Australasian Yoga Institute, we are all about Health and Longevity. We want to have happy, long, healthy lives with immune systems in tip-top condition and organs functioning at their best. We work towards nourishing the energy and vitality that we are designed to have. We design the additions to our herbal supplements so that we can thrive, not just limp through life.
Optimum health is what has always motivated us, and I am inviting you to join us in this walk towards optimum health..especially at this time. Last nite as i was painting, the telly was tuned in to the Kardashians – I was interested to see (as they are social influencers) how they coped with covid. Kanye and Khloe (at least) have tested positive and have been VERY sick, but nowhere is there mention of supplementation, or diet… why am I not surprised? They are in isolation in the HUGE bedrooms of their own homes. Kim did say life was hard because “this was the first time she had ever had to look after her children all day!”
Herbs and medicinals collected and expressed the old fashioned way are in my DNA. I have always been maintained by these herbs, tonic herbs, these adaptogens. When I started looking for myself, asking my family, I found there were/are ancient cultures all over the world which used the herbs of their locality to increase their health and life span. I still collect herbs and fungi.
As a part of my yoga and herbal studies, I have for years been learning about Taoist tonic herbalism that originated in China, Indian Ayurvedic yogic philosophy, and South American shaman herbal use, as well as our Aboriginal cultures and their comprehensive knowledge of health and the use of native plants.
When you start studying you will discover that there are particular herbs that they’d weave into their lifestyle and these herbs weren’t just taken in times of sickness, they were a daily part of their diet.
When I go to my acupuncturist/herbalist it is with the understanding that he will keep me well. I keep my appointments even when I am feeling fabulous, because that “fabulous” happens when the glands and organs are functioning as best as they can, and this is up to him prescribing the correct adaptogen at the correct time – and it is up to me to do what i can to work alongside this regime. Yoga, yoga, yoga….
My acupuncturist/herbalist has totally reset my internal health with herbs. Because of my learning with my own health, over the years I have become increasingly interested in “The Chinese Way” particularly The Tao, and the herbs that allow us to further attune to our own natural rhythm, nothing forced, and nothing added that is not necessary. We have a focus at this time (with my health) on ADAPTOGENS – Herbs that taken daily help our body adapt, harmonise to the rythym of life.
The photograph shows a stand of Trametes Versicolour or Turkey Tail. This photo was taken locally by a student who recognised it after we had been speaking about it, so there is the possibility that we may be able to process and use a locally produced medicinal. Since ancient times this wonderful fungi has been known and used (in China) to build the immune system and the Chi.. We are also discovering that it keeps the body in good order even when under siege from chemotherapy – it seems to ameliorate the downside of these chemicals, and assist their efficiency. Go to Youtube “Ted Talks” and the lectures on Fungi by Professor Paul Stamets. He talks about how his mum (and others) has recovered and is in remission by using this mushroom alongside Western medicine. It is not a substitute for western therapies. It is an adaptogen – it works alongside them to build (or rebuild) the organ Chi.
If you would like to try Turkey Tail please contact me. At present it is not easy to get organic Turkey Tail and I do have just a few packets left. Email me at yogafirst2@bigpond.com
KEEP WELL, KEEP LEARNING… STAY FABULOUS!
NAMASTE JAHNE
Everything is changing now that we can get back to actually face-to-face yoga.
This is going to be a very short post –
PENDULUM BOARDS,