Blog Student News Trainees/Teacher News

Dear Yogis,

We had such a fantastic time in our ZOOM CAFE YOGA meet-up on Friday at 11, you should have been here.  Here is a partial shot of the group.  There were others present.  Thanks Caroline for the photograph – I never think to do this.  I gave a short intro on how to tie a scarf, and most were so comfortable wearing it that they kept it on throughout our meeting, not even lifting it to have a coffee.   One of the newcomers noted that I had ‘A GROUP OF QUIRKY WOMEN AT THE CAFE”… well yes, I guess we are, that is why it is so much fun.  Nothing much is “out of bounds”.  

I know that we had fun but I had not expected to notice the deep quietness in my house after we closed the meeting.  I remember when my children had left home and came to visit, that same quietness I had to get used to again when they left.  So thank you girls for enlivening my life and the atmosphere in the studio.  We all look forward to this girl time together.  I went into the kitchen afterwards and out of habit sanitised my hands… I must have felt at a deep level that we had been THAT CLOSE.  Please don’t miss it.  Next Friday our project is something that we have made with a Coles bag, the red and white ones.  Crochet, knit, weave…whatever.

ZOOM THIS WEEKEND:

1. RESTORATIVE YOGA Saturday 12.30,
2. TAROT TRAINING CLASS Saturday 2pm to 4pm,
3. BHAGAVADGITA is the topic of TEACHER TRAINING Sunday at 10am,

and 4. MAKE YOUR OWN TAROT CARDS… Sunday at 2pm.  Bring paper and pencil for notes, a number of SMALL paper or plastic bags, and some magazines that you like….  No glue,  cardboard, or paint needed at this stage.  

 

THE JOURNEY

Since I started out in yoga and massage all those years ago, I have “treated” hundreds of women suffering from fatigue, stress, grief, PMS, infertility, depression, menopaws(?), and various life threatening conditions…all too common today.  I am not a Western trained doctor, but a long time yogi trained in other modalities, massage being a stand-out.

NEED A BREAK? In this time of isolation I invite you to come along for a “THAI HAND REFLEXOLOGY MASSAGE”.  All the covid requirements can be met and I will be doing a temp check, signing in, etc etc.  No disrobing of any kind except the hands required, (a hazmat suit optional#!?).  You and I will be wearing masks, and sanitising ourselves until our skin falls off (I am moisturising my hands after each wash). The all important cost? $50 for half an hour…

My aim is not to fix or cure, but to rebalance the body,  to relax and restore my clients so that they can come to a new understanding of their body and emotions, and how through preventative self-care, they can improve their health, increase vitality and avoid illness.  If we build the Chi it will protect us from all ills.

ZEN SAYING:   “If you bring forth what is within you it will save you.
If you DO NOT bring forth what is within you – it will destroy you” 

 

SOUP – a soup for “what ails you” 
You might need to search for a couple of the ingredients..  This soup helps the liver energy to flow, activates the flow of Chi, nourishes and invigorates the blood and invigorates the spleen.

6 cups water, 1 cup black rice, half a cup of dried longan fruit (available at Asian stores or good health food stores),
10 dates, 2 tablespoons raw cane sugar (half an inch of raw ginger peeled and thinly sliced add to finished soup).

Place all ingredients into a large heavy saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat and gently simmer for 2 hours (or in a crockpot) stirring occasionally.  The finished congee will have the consistency of soup.  Ladle into a bowl and sprinkle with the ginger slices.  EAT.


Typically of Chinese medicine, we need to bring the YIN AND YANG back into balance.
 Many practices TCM recommends, in particular self-help like the soup above,  are common sense, and yes they are.  I have found that common sense is not all the “common”.  In these stressed times, interesting times, common sense practices are sometimes hard to carry out.  For example, the most important considerations are –  try not to get too stressed, too overworked, or overtired.  This is not so easy to achieve, but it is an investment in a healthy,  long life.

 

I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU JOINING ME.. I AM HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL – AND YOU?

NAMASTE – JAHNE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Yogis,

I have had an interesting day off.  I needed some top of the line printing done locally.  Not as easy as it once was.  Make an appointment then go to Gisborne, wait for the printing, limited paper stock, etc etc…..  All worth it.  I now have a small number of copies of our COMPLETE REVELATION TAROT BOOK, including The GATES AND GUARDIANS.  They are A4 size, bound by me (I did a beautiful job, and they look rather good).  The same sort of paper that Vogue is printed on.  Your book looks and feels good.  If you would like a copy let me know.  Pay for it the usual way – on the DONATE BUTTON on the home page of the web site.  $59 including postage).

At our YOGA CAFE we will be practising winding a Hijab style mask, great if you wear glasses, have a hearing aid, or just hate elastic around the ears.  Come to the cafe with your large square scarf, and we will play.  One of our graduates says she is going to dress in a vintage Rajasthani Wedding sari.  I can’t wait.  I like touching and feeling vintage fabrics, which of course will not possible at the moment.  You are welcome to join us at 11am. Let me know if you would like to come.  I will be sending our a ZOOM ID this evening.

ZOOM DATES
FRIDAY: 11am CAFE YOGA, 5.30 Restorative Yoga with Weights and Straps.
SATURDAY: 12.30 Restorative yoga (weights and straps optional). 2pm Tarot Training classes
SUNDAY: 10am Yoga Teacher Training 2pm, Topic, Bahgavadgita.  Free repeat class only accessible if you pay for this class. Sunday 2pm MAKING YOUR OWN TAROT/ORACLE CLASS.  Bring 10 small sandwich type bags, magazines, scissors, and a pad and pen to make notes. Cost: $50 for three sessions.  All welcome.  No artistic skills required.

IMPERMANENCE


We grow up and we grow old.  
Ask me about it!.  We human beings are in a constant process of change.  We change, recreate, grow, and die every second.  You are not the same person you were a second ago.  Your cells have died, reproduced, divided.  You have had new thoughts, experienced something differently, realised an insight, experienced a new and different feeling.  Each moment comes and goes.  Once one thought goes another takes its place, in moments many take its place.

Our lives are in a constant state of becoming.  It is this process of change that we are resistant to.  We wish for the past or what we can’t have.  Our lives pass us by and yet we are in this constant state of hoping and wishing.  The Buddha has taught us that accepting the impermanence of everything will give us peace. It will bring us release from suffering…

Impermanence when (we thing about it rationally) is totally apparent to us.  This being the case we put it to the back of our minds.  We forget about it, or we don’t want to think about it.  We can accept changes to things around us, but what about the impermanence of the human being, of us.  Now this is a bit harder to accept. Our egos are at stake here. We live in a society that denies death.  That spends thousands of dollars to pretend that age is immaterial, that we can defeat it.  The denial of ageing is the denial of death.

Holding on to the vision we have of a younger self, and our longing to return to that, if not in reality at least with the aid of a plastic surgeon causes many great distress.  Ageing with wisdom and peace is about accepting the changes that will happen whether or not we flow with them.

So often we try to ignore, deny or suppress the fullness of our humanity – wanting only happiness, success, health and certainly youth in our lives.  We are not perfect.  Nothing is perfect, existence is not perfect.  Life is rarely fair, nor satisfactory or even kind.  We know if we move towards wholeness, except the yin and yang in everything we will move towards wholeness.  Living this way will allow us to accept the transitory nature of our existence.

As we open to our spirituality, to forgiveness, to acceptance of our selves in every part of our being,  we are then open to new possibilities.  When we do this,  new growth is possible and begins, is nurtured, and we embrace it.

LOVE AND BLESSINGS,

NAMASTE – JAHNE

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Yogis,

I heard an interesting definition of psychiatry today – “The medical treatment of the soul”.  Does this seem correct/accurate/possible to you?

Thank you for your replies to my newsletters, and your responses with classes and workshops.  Here is the coming few days on ZOOM. Let me know which classes you want to join.

 

 

SCHEDULE FRIDAY TO SUNDAY>>>

FRIDAY:
11am YOGA CAFE (free).  We are going to try to wind a hijab (our version), and one student told us she is going to wear a Rajasthani Wedding Sari – hard to top I would say unless you have something really stunning as a Hijab – Embroidered, bejewelled?!
5.30pm RESTORATIVE YOGA ($75 for 4 or $185 for 10) with weights and straps.

SATURDAY:
12.30 RESTORATIVE YOGA  ($75 for 4 or $185 for 10)
2pm TAROT TRAINING ($50 for 3)

SUNDAY:
10am TEACHER TRAINING – Topic: The Bhagavadgita.($20)
NEW CLASS 2PM SUNDAY MAKING YOUR OWN TAROT DECK ($50 for 3 classes)

To pay for your chosen class,  please go to the landing page on www.yogabeautiful.com.au click on donate at the bottom right hand side.  Please leave your name and what the amount is for.  PayPal will send a receipt.  You don’t need a PayPal account, they take credit and debit card.

BEING SUCCESSFUL – PROSPERITY

The idea “I have a job that’s enough for me to live on, and that is enough for me”, plays no part in the philosophy of the Buddha.

Just in case you thought being spiritual mean being poor,  the Buddha never imposed limitations on his lay follower’s efforts to be successful; instead, he clearly encouraged them to strive for success. Whether in “trading, cattle farming, archery, government service, or any other profession or industry,” a layperson (this I think means you) should strive to advance in his or her respective field. Notably, the motivation to achieve success is an important requirement in any person’s life — an attitude of “I have a job that’s enough for me to live on” has no place in the Buddha’s teaching.

Next, the Buddha set no limits to a layperson’s wealth and never told his prosperous lay followers to stop or slow down. Instead, he unequivocally encouraged them to plan, organize, and even to be as successful as they could be…

The emphasis, here, is on the fact that the Buddha enforced no restrictions on the layperson’s personal wealth. Using the phrase “immense wealth” (ulare bhoge), he indicated the amount one could strive to amass — in other words, as much wealth as possible.

We always teach that the more wealth you have attracted the more wealth you can give away, and the happier you and the world will be.  Like most of us you have probably come to this planet at this time to learn (among other things), how to deal with material wealth, and the material physical world in general.  It is not about how much money you have, it is all about how you achieve it, how it changes you, and what you do with it.  

A RECIPE FOR THE DAY.

CORN BUTTER.   This is not butter with corn in it, this recipe is for butter made from corn.  A great recipe if you have access to lots of corn, especially if you grow your own.  As you can imagine, although corn is juicy, it is not as juicy as a cow.  You won’t get heaps of butter, but it is a good use for corn. ( I am going to try with canned corn and will let you know the result).

INGREDIENTS :  8 ears of fresh corn (butter or salt  to taste – optional)
METHOD:  
1. Cut the corn kernels from the core making sure that you scrape as much of the buttery juice as you can away from the core.
2. Put the juicy corn into a food processor and run it for a couple of minutes until it is as smooth as possible.
3. Push the juice through a fine sieve. Put the skin aside and use in biscuits or breakfast.  Don’t throw away.
4. This is where the magic happens.  Put the juice in a smallish saucepan and heat gently stirring/whisking all the time until the juice thickens to a buttery béchamel sauce consistency (this will take about 4 minutes of constant whisking). You can test it by putting a teaspoonful on a plate.  It becomes a spreadable thickness when ready.  About the same as thick custard.
4. You can add butter to increase the quantity…add salt if this is your taste, but really it needs nothing.  It has a lovely buttery, corn taste all by itself.

 

LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY.  Listen differently. Take a new look at your garden, a new look at your house. Stand on your head.

NAMASTE – JAHNE