Yes, I am loving the lemony potion, but as I write that hubby is eating spinach and tomato next to me and the tomato smells LU-VER-LY. Ah well, this time tomorrow he’ll be cleansing his gut too.

Had a lovely sleep and woke up with lots of energy. I haven’t felt this good in the mornings for a long time. Usually, I’m not wanting to shift from the pit but today the sun was shining, and I was raring to glug down the salt water. I had been advised from my yoga friend to try and drink more salt water than recommended and wait till I felt full. This morning I struggled finishing the regular four cups. After filling my belly I started doing some yogic twists to help shift all through the colon. I did Uddiyana Bandha and massaged by stomach and……..yes there was movement. Several, short, but today I can actually say I actually went to the loo within the hour. Round of applause for me.

Eliminations were watery with brown bits. 

Hubby and I were out for the day – movie theater. The last 45 minutes I was crossing my legs as I was desperately needing to pee. I’d taken my potion out with me and was drinking water. I was eliminating throughout the day. Nothing traumatic. Nothing embarrassing in the public toilets. Phew!!

My legs started to feel a little heavy throughout the day, and now I am ready for bed. Not exhausted, but ready to lie down and await day 5 to dawn. 

love, love

Have  found a space to host regular raw food classes.

Later this year will be hosting yoga and raw food days.

The raw food restaurant in Tokyo is closing (for a second time in a few months). Am on a quest to get more raw food, in more restaurants.

Am gonna make RAW BIG in Japan. Let’s put them greens to good use, and spice up the daikon dishes…

Please leave comments about what you would like to see in this blog and on my upcoming website…yes, yes…I know more recipes are in the pipeline.

Love and gratitude

EM

x

Feels strange. Doesn’t really feel like Christmas, which is kind of nice. If we were in Japan, hubby and I would be working. Yet, there is a little sadness that I’m not with family in the UK. 

We headed out to the mountains to see some waterfalls. There were elephants treks there. Obviously, we didn’t take one as it is cruel. I did see one of the handlers hit one of the elephants with a stick for wandering off track slightly and I nearly burst into tears. The elephants look very sad. I hoped my face spoke to them as they sauntered passed me. I just wanted to set them free amongst the trees. 

Animals are not here for our entertainment. 

Animals are not here to be eaten.

Daily Munchings

The usual – spiralina and coconut, banana

After our climb to the waterfall, we happily drank coconut water and then munched on the meat

Green salad for dinner.

Really not that hungry today. 

My Practice

Was raining this morning, so the heat was different in the shala. More humid and my practice was great. Absolutely loved being on the mat. The pranayama session, just before the asana practice felt more connected. My breath was reaching places it didn’t normally reach. My concentration was deeper -and it continued right into the asana flow. 

Always reaching a new level in a pose, and enjoying the opening of the body. How slow can I take the breath? How far can the body open? How much can I lift my heart?

Learning as always.

Am lucky to have such great teachers.

Will download photos tomorrow. Share some of the magic I am surrounded by.

Am reading The Secret - perfect way to lead into 2009.

Colonic tomorrow.

Enjoy your Christmas everyone.

Hugs to Suvine (you sexy raw girl).

xxxxx

Everyday I choose an angel card. Have been doing so for over a year now. When I travel I take them with me. They speak to me. I learn from them. I like to flick through the pack sometimes and just look at the messages and focus on the pictures. I have a particular way of choosing my daily angel – the way I wish to keep secret, but there is one card that seems to come to me more often than the others and this really has helped me decide on my next venture. A venture essential to yoga, without it there is no yoga. More will be told in my New Year post.

Daily Munchings (wheatgrass and spirulina had run out this morning)

Before practice – 6.00am – MSM in water

Breakfast (10-ish) – Coconut (straight after my practice), 1 banana, Pineapple, ginger and coriander juice (amazing)

Lunch – (2.30-ih) – Apple, celery, carrot and parsley juice – perfect 

Dinner (6.00- ish) green salad and avocado

Am finishing eating before 7, making sure my body has time to digest prior to sleep.

My practice

I felt strong, connected. really flowed with the breath today. Hadn’t felt this strong for a long time. Yes, I have asanas to keep working deeper in, but the natural heat here really helps the body organically melt into a pose, while the muscles stay alive. 

I try and spend more than five breaths in poses where my body needs to open. Sometimes if I’m loving a pose I will spend longer in it. The mysore practice is a self practice. Work with where your body is at. I have never understood why people zoom their way through. Surely they are missing the beauty of the practice. As a teacher, I also listen to my body so I know how to explain deeper details of sensations arising to my students.

Every time I come to my mat I fall in love with yoga a little bit more.

Other things

The food at Yoga Thailand is vegetarian and 98% vegan. Low sugar, low fat. Healthy, organic produce. The first year I came here I was toying with becoming vegan (having been vegetarian for 20 years). The next time I was here I was more or less raw, so the staff would allow me to use the kitchen and use the fruit and veggies to make whatever I wanted. Now with the new place, (and because I am frequently here I think), the chef is playing with some raw recipes, which I have been asked to sample – of course I am happy to oblige. I have already sampled a soup, which was lovely just recommended adding a little bit of tumeric to add a bit of ZING. 

So if anyone fancies a yoga retreat, but are worried about food, please know that Yoga Thailand will accommodate your needs.

I need to sleep now. Up early to meditate and listen to my angel before practice.

xxx 

Is impossible for me to blog at daily. There is so much going on, so much to write but my schedule really doesn’t allow the time. Maybe I should just blog what I have consumed on a daily basis and write more when I can? Maybe that is what I will do.

So, yes day 7. Body brushing. Cold(ish) showers. Daily salt water purging. MSM taken every morning. Arm healed, so back on the mat. Lots of greens, Vita-mix and juicer always on the go. Tomorrow is my water cleanse again.

Any detox symptoms? A few headaches, but I’m not sure if this is due to the cleanse or because of the humidity and the fabulous storms we have been having here. I have natural tiger balm, so I use that when I feel a headache coming on. I’m tired, more so then usual – but again it is HOT and I’m teaching nearly double the amount of classes. Urine is clear. My period lasted just three days (usually four).

Of late there have been a couple of people in my life making me unhappy. making me doubt myself. Not saying it is bad to question yourself from time to time – where you are going, your actions – but these people were just full of negativity. I found it draining. I would let these people get to me. Then all of of a sudden something happened. The one person, sent me an email last week- rather rude, no not rather – VERY RUDE. So, I thought no more, this is too tiring, I don’t need this and all of a sudden I had dettached myself from negativity that pours from this person. I just let it go. The second person, well lets just say they made a decision to step away and leave my hubby and I to live our lives the way we wish (after years of criticism). I feel amazing, fabulous. So appropriate that this all happened while I am cleansing too…..

I started to read David Wolfe’s The Sunfood Diet Success System (again – how times is that now?) and appreciated the first three lessons of the books so much more. That tends to happen anyway when you re-read something, something shifts, you find another level.

Hosted my first yoga workshop on Saturday. A huge success – can’t believe how well it went. Have received some lovely feedback and there may be a chance for me to present it again.

I am simply shining.

Am on a high.

Raw Munchings

• water with a spoonful of MSM
• cucumber and nashi juice (yeah nashi season is nearly here)
• water melon juice
• later – spinach, parsley and banana (maybe with spirulina)

Have a great day.

smile

Mx

Back on track. Started with a 24 hour water cleanse. Considering the hectic day I was full of energy at 10pm last night.

During the first week I’m starting each day with Vaman Dhauti a yoga cleansing technique for the stomach. Not the most pleasant of things, but over time you get used to it and it becomes easier. It is basically vomiting salt water. A LOT of water. You should feel great after. Removes any nastiness in the stomach. If would read up on it before trying and speak to someone who practices this technique before trying it yourself.

So following the ‘purge’ I allowed my stomach to rest for a while.

The rest of the day follows like this.

• Water with MSM
• water
• water
• water
• water
• water

I kind of lost count of how much water I drank as I was subbing two extra classes yesterday and was sipping here and there through class.

I didn’t get to do my own practice as my shoulder hurts and I was doing a lot when teaching and adjusting. My body is wanting to heal, so I will let it do just that.

xx

What with all the peaches, melons, kiwis in season at the moment I had difficulty getting on this smoothie/juice path.

Another thing, I felt I didn’t have enough ideas, creativity (I’m a dancer/choreographer/yoga teacher??) – something wasn’t fitting. I needed to do more reading and I had to figure out how I was going to work round it all with my August schedule. I think I may have it sorted. FINALLY! So I intend to start tomorrow.

My dear friend is currently in the air on her way to California. She is off to a farmers market later this week. Will be stopping by Cafe Gratitude. She was talking about all the fabulous organic produce and wanted to know what she could bring back for me. As most of you know I try and remain positive about living raw here in Japan. It can be done – but I wish it were easier, or maybe not easier just more FUN. I dream of huge farmers markets. I remember watching Gordon Ramsey, and him visiting farmers markets in France and in the Uk- the ones here just aren’t  like the ones back home. There isn’t the sparkle, the interest the passion for fresh, healthy organic food. I question myself at times, or more I question moving elsewhere. Then I think the raw movement needs a push here and I need to stay here to aid that push. I dream one day i can walk in to a regular cafe and order a juice – one made in front of me. Maybe it will be MY raw food and juice bar.

My Munchings

It is HOT, HOT, HOT – HUMID, HUMID, HUMID so I am drinking WATER, WATER, WATER

• Watermelon juice
• Sugar lettuce, parsley, spirulina and banana smoothie
• banana
• peach

The heat is great for a natural cleanse during yoga.

So, following on from my last entry, me mentioning my recent visits to the hospital and the findings I have decided on how I am going to deal with this.

Initially I was going to embark on a 30 day green juice feast. I was excited about this and read articles on the internet along with reading various blogs discussing the juice feast. Great website, lots of interesting, cool info. Then I got to thinking. I’m up at 4am most mornings, I do my pranayama and then my ashtanga practice. I can’t get up at 3am and prepare juice. I usually get home at 8.30pm – I don’t want to be preparing juices then. Sometimes I’m home during the day for an hour or two – but the juice thing just seemed too much at this present time. So I have decided to embark on green smoothies- a lot easier. My plan is drink drink about two quarts a day, plus a fruit smoothie. I’ll be doing this for one month – see how I get on, I may take it longer as it’s summer and seems the perfect time to venture on this green path.

So tomorrow will be the first day.

Looking forward to it. Will try and blog all daily and let you know how it is all going.

My Practice

Went and attended two workshops with the wonderful Tias Little . The first three hours was spent on standing poses – engaging heal, inner knee, outer knee, outer thigh. Tough going, but this guy makes it all very light-hearted. The second three hours (yes six hours today) – focussed on the lotus pose and opening the hips. Lotus does not come easy to me. Now this is another reason why I want to change my diet for a while and see if it makes a difference to my hips and pelvis. Anyway, back to the workshops – don’t think I’ll be able to work tomorrow.!!

Check back tomorrow with Green Day 1

Bye

xxx

….to eat watermelon..tra lalalala lalalala – or put it in the vitamix with ice and whizz it up. Perfect as the heat and humidity in the Metropolis rises. When it gets like this I simply do not want to eat, preferring a nice juice or smoothie.

Having said that a dear friend of mine returned from a vacation in the states with a number of goodies for me: maca, cocao, flaxseeds and some Larabars. Larabars are here in Tokyo, but not all flavors. So was delighted to see in my goodie bag an apple pie larabar….what a disappointment. Tasted very similar to the cinnamon roll larabar. My hubby agreed. Anyone else experience this?

Currently in the process of ordering a dehydrator. Something I have steered away from for two years, but as interest grows in Japan and some raw work is coming my way, I need to be open minded and cater to all. Hubby is delighted that I can experiment with pizza and cookies….although i don’t want either of us to get dependent on such foods, choosing to keep as much of our diet in it’s natural state as possible.

Raw Munchings

Two large glasses of watermelon juice.

half an apple pie larabar

Will have banana, ice and spirulina later.

I have to up my greens. Following my recent hospital visits I was found to be very low in iron and Vit B12. My own fault – I don’t each much, and I have come to realize that I simply can not be 100% fruitarian. I need more substance. So am on iron tablets for a couple of month and B12 tabs – not happy about this, but am wanting to increase my levels and bring balance to my diet naturally.

I’ve also started adding MsM to my diet – adding some to a morning glass of water. Helps with the yoga and them ole’ joints.

My practice

Still with my ashtanga, but play with vinyasa. Have been teaching a lovely flow this week of varying levels, but incorporating handstands. It’s summer, time to play. The look of joy when someone goes upside down – a position most haven’t been in since a youngster. The joy of yoga is reconnecting with your youth.

Have a wonderful day

xxx

In early February I attended an abundance working at Sun and Moon yoga where I teach. Leza (studio owner) has been hosting this all day event for a couple of years now and hubby and I went along together. There were around twenty of us in the group, fully supporting everyone’s dreams and focusing our energy to each individual as they took their spot at the end of the session and spoke of their dream. Was moving. I was charged. Ready to move forward into the next phase of my life. I knew I could reach my goal – didn’t really know how, and when but that is not the point. You can set the aim, but the journey will never be a straight road there, it will twist, turn and you may get knocked off – yet you find that inner strength to get back on and hike.

A week later I was in pain, wearing a corset due to my accident.

As soon as the start whistle had gone for my trek, I had been knocked off. I knew what the universe was telling me, and what did I do? I listened.

The rib eventually slotted back into place and I was off again…going at a nice pace I was. Then whoosh – knocked off the path again….pain, hospital, tests….frustration with myself more than anything. I panicked what if I never get back on track? What if I lose all I have worked for? and the biggie….What if I have cancer???? Yes, the ‘C’ word struck me. That curly ‘c’ can be damn scary.

I don’t have cancer. Thank you, thank you, thank you….but what was happening to me again made me stop, listen and re-assess.

And now, life is beautiful. My classes at Sun and Moon are blossoming. July sees me teaching another class there (Thursdays at 5.30pm if you are interested). I am teaching early morning yoga at a summer camp for a few days next month. Have a meeting about teaching Raw ‘uncooking’ once a month. Been asked to do workshops about raw. Have my first yoga workshop (scroll down a wee bit) in August. Just booked to attend a raw food course back in the UK when I visit the folks. I was asked to teach dance as part of a yoga retreat in Crete.

I am lucky. I am back on track. And if again a lose my footing I am sure I will get back on it and again be able to put left foot forward.

All just falls into place if you don’t fight it.

Raw Munchings

All things good of course – what else?

Bananas, cherries, banana and cinnamon shake, sunflower seeds, goji berries.

Today has been a day ‘on the go’ like most, so I’ve been nibbling.

In the next couple of days I will post the earth day market photos from Sunday, more food pics and hopefully will be munching on the durian that is about to open.

Much love

xxx