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[raqidoodle]

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food – Hippocrates

I have been on the Dharma Ahimsa diet for ten days now- and I’ve never felt better.

I just got back from the first part of a 500-hour training that I’m doing with Sri Dharma Mittra; originally from Brazil, he is a NYC based yoga teacher who has been teaching since 1967. Alongside daily practices of mantra, pranayama, asana, and meditation, a very important part of the training is the food component- all the trainees are expected to be on a sattvic (whole food) diet for the two months between the two modules. A sattvic diet is of the purest- it nourishes the body and maintains it in a peaceful state; it calms and purifies the mind. Sometimes it’s simply called the “yogi diet”.

First, let’s talk about Ahimsa. Its means “non-harming” and it is the first of five yamas, the right of living or ethical rules that are the base of the yoga practice. The Yamas actually come before the asanas (physical postures) in the 8-limbed yoga path. As my teacher Sri Dharma Mittra says, “no yamas- no yoga”. Non-harming literally means not to hurt anyone else. This is the first ethical rule, the basis, of this whole yoga practice. Love. Love everyone and everything. Have compassion. Basically, don’t eat animals.

Diet is a word that is often associated with weight loss.  However, the primary definition of diet is “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eat”. Right now I am on a vegan diet. But it is even stricter than simply no animal products- all foods need to be consumed in their whole form, unaltered. That means no coffee, tea, dried herbs, or spices. Salt is not allowed, and neither is refined sugar or alcohol. No fermented foods like vinegar. Onions and garlic are also prohibited- these are foods that encourage rajastic behavior.  Foods that are rajastic are very spicy, bitter, sour, salty, or dry. Rajastic foods can destroy the mind equilibrium and over-stimulate the body, making the mind restless and uncontrollable. Overeating is also considered rajastic.

“When the student is ready- the teacher will appear” – Buddha

The title of the training is “Life of a Yogi”- which really embodies the yogic lifestyle. And that’s what it should eventually become, if you are a devoted student or teacher. Not just a physical practice- But a certain way of living. I started exploring and contemplating, asking myself questions like- Why am I doing this? Is it just for relaxation? To stay fit? Peace of mind?  There’s got to be more.

I was craving more than asanas and brief savasanas (the relaxation at the end of class). See, I’ve been practicing “yoga” (really just asana and a bit of meditation) for 7 years now. I was struggling to maintain a personal practice. I needed something I could do at home everyday, something that required discipline; something that would rock my world. I had no idea that it would be the diet that would really ground me.  I was a little surprised at first when I saw the list of foods that were allowed (it was such a small list!).  Part of me wondered if I could hack it- it all seemed so extreme.

It’s not that I didn’t care about what I ate, I love to cook and I spend lots of time in my kitchen. But I’m not always so disciplined- often when I’m lazy or tired, even if there is food in the house, I will order in. I love breads, pastas, cheeses… I would rarely eat fruit and definitely not enough vegetables. I would basically eat whatever I wanted anytime I wanted, like a little kid loose in a candy store. I had made myself aware of what is going on in the food industry with Monsanto and GMO vegetables, the meat industry with their cruelty towards animals and utter disregard for the environment. But I never really applied what I learnt from the books and documentaries. The shock factor never affected me to the point of turning me into a vegetarian or vegan. I always just told myself that if I’m buying from a local, sustainable source, it’s fine. But truthfully, I didn’t even always do that. I had the awareness, but was actively practicing ignorance. 

The first three days on the yogi diet were grueling. Everything tasted so bland. I missed my coffee in the morning and my little fried egg on toast, which I’ve probably eaten every morning for the last 4 years. Aside from missing my morning java, I felt tired all the time and I also felt like I couldn’t get full. Like nothing I ate was satisfying.  “Food is a very emotional experience,” Adam Frei told us at the training. You have to put all your conditions aside if you want the full experience of the training.

And then the magic started happening. Slowly I started noticing small changes here and there. Like when I wake up, I still miss coffee (I’m not here to lie to y’all)- but more for my senses, for the taste and the smell. When I rise, I feel alert. I also noticed that I never have a bad taste in my mouth- you know when you drink too much coffee or eat something really garlicky? Now my breath always feels very neutral. My sweat feels cleaner and less smelly as well. I never feel bloated after eating, and I hardly ever fart now (it was a problem… haha!). I started tasting the vegetables- like my pallet had been refined. I was masking the taste of everything with onions and garlic. I have more energy than before- and I know it’s the prana (lifeforce) that I’m getting from eating plenty of fruits and veggies. My head feels clear, it’s easier to concentrate and stay focused. Not to mention it is rocking my asana practice! I feel lighter all the time, like nothing is weighing me down. I’m becoming stronger and more flexible quick- the progress is pretty darn mind blowing.

I feel healthy. Like, really healthy! It feels like all the systems are working in harmony. I wasn’t treating my body kindly, and I needed a bit of a kick in the ass to realize I wasn’t nourishing myself properly. And it’s only been ten days. So there comes to motivation to continue- just the fact that I’m feeling so great, not only healthy but also more confident. I feel like I’m radiating these days, bursting with excitement over this new lifestyle. I am finally embodying the first yama, and I feel like a proper yogini. Not like a faker or an imposter, which I felt like at times. This has been a very empowering experience so far- I feel like I’ve taken control of my life.

I’m not saying you need to change your whole diet; it took me 7 years to get here. But keep an open mind- don’t knock it until you try it. I had convinced myself that I was open-minded, because I was informed. But actually in defending my ways without actually trying something different, I was being narrow minded. Give yourself time, be gentle, be forgiving. I encourage you to make even just a small change, for a week or two. Cut out refined sugar, or coffee, or vow to eat a salad everyday. Keep a journal. You will really surprise yourself!

http://www.dharmayogacenter.com/about/about-dharma-mittra/

[raqidoodle]

Update on Self Healing EYES

This is a report on 8 months of not wearing glasses. When my glasses broke in November 2013, I did not replace them. Instead, I experienced my natural vision during all my waking hours. I discovered that I could do every activity without glasses except one: driving. In my case, it is objects far away that appear blurry. My licence states that I wear corrective lenses as a condition for driving. This meant that when my situation changed in July and I had access to a car again, it was time to get an eye test and some glasses.

Here are the results:

In terms of myopia, The new prescription for my left eye is -1 and for the right eye is -1.25. The glasses I broke in November were -2.5. People with 20/20 vision would have a score of zero.

My eyes are also now slightly astigmatic. The astigmatism on the right eye is less than the left eye, but it is very light on both eyes. The optometrist told me that my astigmatism on the right eye is at the lowest possible prescription. Lenses are tilted to correct astigmatism. The optometrist described the degree to which my lenses would be tilted as very slight, “a hair.” My new glasses correct for astigmatism now: left eye -0.5 and right eye -0.25.

I was happy to hear the myopia had been reduced and that the change was so significant. My prescription was less than half what it once was: this was cause to celebrate! Although the results of the test were mostly supportive of my hope that I could improve my eyes, there was a part of me that wondered why I had developed a new condition. All those years that I wore glasses, I never had astigmatism.

You can see astigmatism depicted above (it is the top picture). Astigmatic eyes have an elliptical shape, similar to a football, where as eyes with 20/20 vision are sphere shaped. I now think about the astigmatism as a stepping stone toward stronger vision in the future. One thing is for sure: my prescription changed. My new glasses are very different from my old glasses.

You can also see myopia depicted in the drawing at the bottom. Myopic eyes are longer than normal eyes. The light is brought into focus too far forward in the eye and does not reach the retina.

Here is one theory I have as to why the astigmatism would have developed: I used various techniques during the eight months without glasses, including visualization. Visualization has had powerful effects over my body and spirit in the past. I have experience using visualization to overcome the physical sensation of pain or discomfort when I feel under the weather. I have also used visualization in my yoga practice, meditations, and preparation for sleep. I think many people use visualization in their lives but they may call it by different names: prayer, daydreaming, or wishing.

For my eyes, I decided to visualize the back of my eyeballs (retina) advancing forward. I thought, this way the light would be able to focus on the retina and my eyesight would sharpen. Maybe the astigmatism is part of the process my eyes are undergoing as they change shape.

Here is what else I tried: * Wearing minimalist shoes that are flat and wide so that my toes can wiggle around * Avoiding refined sugar * Eating foods that help eyesight (blueberries, grapes, carrots) * Practicing eye exercises (I got mine from Swami Saraswati, more on this to come) * Walking barefoot outdoors in nature—> here’s why: quote from Swami Saraswati: "The habit of walking with bare feet on the grass, sand, or bare earth, either early in the morning or around sunset, is claimed to have a relaxing and beneficial effect on the eyes. This is due to the reflex connections between the soles of the feet and the visual areas of the brain. It is especially recommended where the feet are often in restrictive footwear."

I will continue to experiment with self healing of the eyes in the years to come. Here are some links to more about eyes from my blog:

Broken glasses

Eye exercises

Qi Gong eye exercises

Myopia

Yoga for eyes

Myopia diagram

[raqidoodle]

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when yogis have "after hours" parties. gangsters and handstand junkies only 😎💪💦 #flowtunes by Clean Bandit @secondyogajeans #yogini #yogajeans #yogaeverydamnday #spiritualgangster #dodifferent

[raqidoodle]

play on a rainy day- living room love

i haven't made a full length time lapse in the while! so fun to see the progress in my physical practice. i'm certainly able to do things now that i had only ever imagined in my wildest dreams.  its amazing how when you start to open your body more, your mind becomes a lot more flexible with it.

this is an asana practice. the tip of iceberg. there's so much more to yoga then the poses. internal reflection, time spent alone, and sitting in meditation is the real deal. the asana practice is what lead me to the good shit. 

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Off of - Black Gold - Goldbloc is a collaboration of producer GoldenHaus and female vocalist & artist Solei.

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"Evening Medication" is a lead single from S.F.T.'s forthcoming EP, Ascension. Get to know @sftbeats

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Tree planting: the only profession besides porn where your boss will say "that's a good cream shot" and you spend your day bent over; were you work as hard as an athlete but drink your body weight regularly; where you swear more than a trucker; where you have wet boots and heat exhaustion at the same time; where you will laugh and cry hysterically in one day; where on days off you loiter more than a homeless man; where you know someone's life story before their name; where you meet and spend 2 months with the same 5 amazing people that will challenge you, lift you up, cry and laugh with you, and show you what's important in life.

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just playing around at home. sunday fun day with my one and only <3 

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#tbt haha not. I certainly have a love affair with treeplanting. but that's enough for this year.

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I went on a week long power yoga retreat with my teachers, Sara and Dina. I had a few big breakthroughs in my practice, this little demo of crow to handstand being the most exciting!! I never ever thought this would be possible for me. Once again, I was telling myself "I can't do that" before even trying. So truly, ANYTHING is possible!

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J Dilla's remix of Poe's Fingertips. I'm obsessed.

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Rest in the spaces in between the major events, these spaces are your life.

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27. oh hai

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Bobby Thurston - Check out the groove, 1980.

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"most played" in itunes. no shame at all 😘

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yoga teacher shorthand. where magic happens.

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13th day. nuff said <3