• Mexican Horchata
• Veggie Enchiladas de Mole
• Tomato Pie

At the end of the last 21-day yoga challenge program, as per our tradition, all the participants got together over a potluck breakfast. These breakfast get-togethers provide a great opportunity for everyone to socialize and meet each other in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Moreover, we all get to sample some of the most delicious veggie dishes that everyone shares. Here are the recipes for three of the many delicious dishes that we enjoyed that day.I would like to express my gratitude to Tim, Claudia and Kristen for sharing these recipes.

Mexican Horchata

(Contributed by: Tim Ehlich)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups of† milk or carnation evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vainilla

Instructions

• Place rice in a bowl with enough hot water to cover Let sit overnight on counter Next day, remove the water Place rice, 1/2 cup fresh water and 2 cups milk in a blender until rice is all ground up.
• Add sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, Blend.
• Add the remaining two cups milk, and 1/2 cup water.
• Blend
• Strain through thickly layered cheesecloth (more than once maybe necessary; do not squeeze the cloth.)

FAST RECIPE FOR VEGGIE ENCHILADAS DE MOLE

(Contributed by: Claudia Behm)

Ingredients

• A warmed serving dish (13 1/2 x 9 x 2)
• 12 corn tortillas

The filling

• 1 1/3 cups of mixed vegies cooked and shopped in juliane style (you can include potatoes, carrots, green beans etc).
• ½ white onion shopped
• Garlic and onion salt to taste (not to salty because the queso fresco has a salty flavor)
• 2 tbsp of canola oil
• 2 pkgs of Sazón Natural Goya (veggies no salt added) – http://www.goya.com/english/product_subcategory/Condiments/Sazon-Bouillon

The Sauce

• 1 Jar of Mole Doña María (you can find it in any Mexican store) – http://www.herdeztraditions.com/donamaria/mole_original.aspx
• Water to dilute the jar of Mole (the jar says 4 parts water or stock to 1 part paste)

Garnish

• 3/4 cup shredded Queso Fresco (3 ounces) – http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Dictionary/Q/Queso-fresco-6535.aspx
• 1 large white onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings

Instructions

1. In a medium to large frying pan pour the jar of mole and add the 4 parts of water. Follow the instructions from the jar (really easy).
2. Stir the sauce and continue cooking until it blends very well and it gets a little bit thicker. Careful because the mole gets to thick and could get burned if you cooked for longer time than necessary.

The Filling

Heat the 2 tablespoons of canola oil and caramelize the chopped onions, when they start getting transparent add the veggies and season them with Goya, onion and garlic salt.

The Enchiladas

1. Heat 6 tablespoons of canola oil in a frying pan. Dip the tortillas one by one face down in the the oil for a few seconds then remove it and cover the face with a thin layer of the sauce.  Put some of the cooked veggies across the tortilla, roll it up; place the tortillas side by side on the serving dish.
2. Thin down the remainder of the sauce a little with more water and pour it over the enchiladas. 
3. Garnish with the grated cheese and onion rings and serve immediately.

Note:   Once the enchiladas are assembled they should be used right away.  The sauce can be made ahead of time and it freezes very well too.

You can get an idea on how to make these enchiladas by watching this video, I just change a couple of things to fit our needs. So, I didn’t add the chocolate to the mole and substitute the meat for veggies and the broth for water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQJS5iPY2-k

Tomato Pie

(Contributed by: Kristen Daniels)

Ingredients

• 6-8 Tomatoes (I like to use a variety of heirlooms) Pie crust
• 1 bunch green onions – sliced
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonaise
• 10-15 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup Parmagiano Reggiano grated

Instructions

Thinly slice tomatoes.  Let tomatoes "sweat" by spreading them out on paper towels.  Cover the tomatoes with more paper towel.  Let them sweat for at least 2 hours.  Bake empty pie crust for 12 minutes in oven at 350 degrees.  Mix cheese, mayo, basil, pepper together in a bowl.  Place layer upon layer of tomatoes in pie crust until half full.  Top with half of the cheese mixture and fill with the remainder of the tomatoes.  Sprinkle the reggiano cheese on the tomatoes and top with the remaining cheese mixture.  Filling should be approximately the same height as the crust.  Deep dish pans work the best.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes

Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.  As a meal, I usually serve the pie with a light cucumber, avocado, red pepper salad with a dijon vinaigrette dressing.

ENJOY IT!!

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In early 2006, while I was attending the 2-month yoga philosophy course at the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh, India, one of the teachers gave us a talk on fasting – its techniques, benefits etc. Even though fasting is a common practice in the Indian culture, I had never considered fasting prior to this talk. Skipping even one meal used to feel like a torture for me. This teacher, however, gave quite a convincing argument in favor of fasting. At the Sivananda Ashram, the residents are encouraged to observe a day’s fat on Ekadashi day (11th day of the moon cycle). On that day the ashram kitchen offers a very light breakfast followed by a light lunch. No dinner is served that day. On my first Ekadashi day there,  I felt so hungry in the afternoon that I had to go out and eat dinner at a restaurant. But, after listening to the talk I decided to give it a try once I got back to the US.

After returning from the course, I decided to try a mini-fast once a week. Based on the recommendation of the teacher, I decided to make gradual progress toward my fasting routine. In the first couple of weeks, I skipped just breakfast while still eating my regular lunch and dinner. For the next two weeks, I skipped breakfast, had only  a fruit for lunch but had full dinner. Subsequently, I adopted my mini-fast routine that I am following currently on  every Friday. I skip breakfast and lunch. At about 9 AM and again in the early afternoon, I have a cup of ‘herbal’ hot tea made with lime, ginger powder and a tea spoon of honey. At about 2 PM, I eat some fruit, usually a banana or an apple. At about 4:30 PM, I have a cup of tea. For dinner, I have a glass of fruit smoothie (several fruits blended together with some yogurt and nuts). Later, about an hour before going to bed, I drink a glass of hot milk. Essentially, I eat no grains, vegetables, salt or cooked food in any form on the fasting day.

In the early stages, this routine seemed very challenging at times but now I am quite comfortable with it. I still have a desire to go for a complete "water fast" for 24 hours but haven’t developed the courage to attempt it.

Benefits of Fasting

When the body is deprived of food, it must find its own reserve of resources in order to generate energy. The liver uses the stored fat in the body to convert it into energy needed by the body.

The practice of fasting is credited with a large number of benefits – detoxifying the system being the primary reason why most people observe a fast. When you fast, the digestive system gets a rest and the energy which is normally used for digestion is now available for cleansing and rejuvenation by stimulating metabolism and improving the immune system. The body now finds the time and energy to cleanse itself of all the toxins that stay deposited in the body. In many cultures, fasting is practiced as a religious or spiritual practice for the purpose of cleansing and purifying the mind in addition to cleansing the body.

Many people who fast on a regular basis recommend a "water fast" for at least 3 to 7 days. If you have never fasted before, it is advisable to take it easy for the first few times. You may like to start with a day’s juice fast (watermelon is considered excellent for a juice fast) and after some practice, increase to a 3-day juice fast. Once you feel comfortable, you may want to try a full water fast for three or more days. Of course, if you have any dietary restrictions or your health condition requires you to eat frequently, then you should consult with your doctor before attempting a fast.

Breaking the fast gradually is just as important as getting into a fast. There is a tendency to indulge in heavy eating after a fast which completely defeats the purpose of a fast. In fact, it is likely to cause more harm to the body than the benefits of fasting. A general guideline is to take the same amount of time as the duration of the fast before getting back to normal diet. For example, if you do a 3-day fast, take 3 days of gradual increase in the diet before reverting to normal diet.

If you have never tried fasting, I would suggest strongly that you should attempt it a couple of times to see how you feel. I am sure that when you start seeing its benefits, you will automatically be motivated to practice fasting on a more frequent basis.

I would love to hear from you about your own experience with fasting. Please provide your feedback below in the comments section.

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Following our tradition, we had a potluck breakfast last Sunday to "celebrate" the conclusion of the last 12-day pranayama and meditation intensive. That day also coincided with the second leg of the previous 21-day yoga challenge program. So, several of the participants from that course also joined in. As always, everyone brought some of the most delicious, mouth-watering dishes to the table. If for nothing else, one could attend these intensive sessions just for the taste and variety of the items that are served at these breakfasts!

One of items that we had this time was this exquisitely tasting granola bars. These were made with healthy and nutritious organic ingredients. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2  cups organic quick cooking oats
• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 cup slivered almonds, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips – or other combination
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbs. sesame seeds

Method

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients separately, then stir into dry ingredients until well mixed. Spread into an oiled 8×10 pan, should be about ~1/2" thick. Bake at 275F for 60-75 minutes until dry and golden brown around the edges.

Give this recipe a try and let us know what you think. Please post your comments below.

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1. Recipe – Lemon-rosemary Crumb Cake Here is the recipe from Carol Fine for a delicious...

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Yes, we are all set for the next 21-day yoga challenge. Are you ready for this exciting and one of the most memorable yoga experiences of your life? Take the challenge and be transformed! Here are the particulars:

• When: Monday, February 28- Sunday, March 20, 2011.
• Time: 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM
• Where: Kalasrishti – 3000 Bearcat Way, Suite 112, Morrisville, NC 27513 (off Aviation Parkway – the studio is located on the back side of the last building in the complex)
• Commitment:
  • A firm commitment to complete the program without missing a day (except in an emergency).
  • At the end of the program, continue the same practice at home for another 21 days to make it a life-long habit
• Cost: $125

You may like to visit the testimonials page on my website to see what some of the previous participants have to say about this program.

Please contact me if you would like to participate.

Get all the details here…

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Here is the recipe from Carol Fine for a delicious Lemon-rosemary Crumb Cake. Carol brought this cake during the last 21-day yoga breakfast and everyone loved it. Give it a try and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2/3  cup  sugar
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4  teaspoon  minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/3  cup  low-fat buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1  large egg
• Cooking spray
• 2  teaspoons  grated lemon rind
• 3/4  teaspoon  water
• Rosemary sprigs (optional)
• Lemon slices (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Reserve 1/2 cup flour mixture for topping; set aside.
3. Combine remaining flour mixture, rosemary, baking powder, and baking soda; add buttermilk, lemon juice, and egg. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended. Spoon batter into an 8-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Combine reserved 1/2 cup flour mixture, lemon rind, and water; stir with a fork. Sprinkle crumb mixture over batter. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and lemon slices, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 203 (30% from fat)

Fat: 6.8g (sat 1.4g,mono 2.8g,poly 2g)

Protein: 3.3g

Carbohydrate: 32.7g

Fiber: 0.5g

Cholesterol: 28mg

Iron: 1.1mg

Sodium: 157mg

Calcium: 39mg

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[Recipe provided by Anna Troupe (thanks Anna!)]

(adapted from a recipe from Raw Family Signature Dishes)

Ingredients

WET PART: (blender)

•  2 cups zucchini (skin-on)
• 2 cups apples
• 1 c. dates
• 4 tbsp. raw agave nectar (I use vanilla creme stevia)
• ¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Blend all the wet ingredients thoroughly to a creamy consistency.

DRY PART: (food processor)

• 2 cups raw walnuts or do a mix of nuts if you prefer (I usually do 1 c. almonds, 1 c. walnuts because walnuts are $$)
• 1 cup dates
• 3/4 cup flaxseed (grind this up in coffee grinder or buy it already ground)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1- 1 1/2 T. coconut butter (this is pricey so leave it out if you want – it’s not in the original recipe)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Process the walnuts by themselves a bit first to break them up, then add the ground flax, then add everything else and mix til it’s like cookie dough. Make sure there’s enough salt – I didn’t measure, just did it by taste.

Mix the dry dough and the wet part by hand and fold in 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh blueberries

Spoon the mixture onto dehydrator sheets in little triangular scone shapes and dehydrate for about 24 hours.

1 tbsp. sesame seeds: these are sprinkled on top at the end (i’m not sure if I like the taste of these on there yet…).

The sauce you tasted at breakfast was coconut butter blended with almond milk, a little banana, and few drops of the vanilla creme stevia. (you can get this at whole foods…I know Kroger’s carries the regular stevia so I imagine that Harris Teeter does too, but I don’t think they have the flavored kind yet. )

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About ten years ago, after a routine annual checkup, my doctor called me to discuss my blood-work report. What he told me came as a big shock to me.  He told me that both my total cholesterol and the LDL numbers this time  were alarmingly high and that he would like to put me on cholesterol-lowering medication. In previous tests, my numbers were always on the higher side but never too high to cause concern. Here are the numbers from that report (10/30/2000):

• LDL: 168
• HDL: 45
• Triglyceride: 168
• total cholesterol: 247

At that time I just told my doctor that I would make an appointment to see him in a couple of weeks. In my mind, though, I could not accept the fact that I would have to go on medication for cholesterol for the rest of my life. It, however, gave me a reason to reflect back on my life thus far and try to figure out why the cholesterol levels have always been on the higher side and now they had really jumped up. I didn’t have to dig too deep to realize that the reasons should have been pretty obvious had I been paying attention. It all came down to my poor eating habits.

Up until that time, I had no knowledge or awareness of diet and nutrition. In my own naiveté, I was convinced that since I was practicing yoga I should be able to get away with any type of food since "yogis" can digest everything that they eat. I was very fond of Indian sweets – rasmalai, gulab-jamun, barfi and the rest. Most of the snacks that I ate would almost always be too salty and deep fried – samosa, pakora, chips, etc. It is true that there are a large number of people who eat all this kind of food and still have no heart problem and their cholesterol levels are OK. However, I soon realized that these indicators are not universal and that different people react differently to their eating habits and food intakes. In my case, I am perhaps heavily predisposed genetically  to heart condition because everyone on my father’s side of the family died of heart disease. So there was definitely a connection between my genes and my cholesterol numbers.

So the big question that I faced was – given my genetic predisposition, was it still possible to lower my cholesterol level without resorting to medication. I was already practicing yoga regularly so the element of exercise was taken care of. The only other factor was diet and I decided to do some research, learn about diet and nutrition and see if I could do something about it. I got myself a couple of books on nutrition and also on heart health.

During the yoga teacher training program at Yogaville, one name that came up prominently was that of Dr. Dean Ornish, a  Cardiologist. Dr Ornish,  while he was still a medical student, went to learn yoga from Swami Satchidananda at Yogaville so he could overcome his state of depression and stress (according to his own account, Dr. Ornish became suicidal for a while during college). He was so impressed by what he learnt at Yogaville, he decided to continue research on how a lifestyle change that includes yoga can impact the condition of human heart. His research findings have been quite remarkable and lead to his writing several books, one of the more famous one being, "Reversing heart disease". Recently, his program got an approval from Medicare.

I got a hold of the book "Reversing heart disease" and read it cover-to-cover and really found some valuable guidelines on how to control my diet. I also consulted with my sister who works as a nutritionist at a hospital in Chicago . Based on my research and consultation with my sister, I came up with a diet plan that I was willing to try for at least 8-10 months before deciding on cholesterol medication.

Based on my new awareness and understanding I made several changes to my diet. Here is a summary of those changes:

• Eliminate entirely all deep-fried food from my diet. This meant no samosa, pakora, puri, chips, french fries etc.
• Eliminate all desserts, especially all the Indian sweets that I was fond of – ras-malai, rasgulla, barfi etc. In the last four years or so I have started making my own dessert – apple crisp – in which I add very little sugar and almost no butter – tastes great!
• Avoid caffeine – no tea or coffee – I stayed off caffeine for about five years. Now I drink tea, one or two cups a day
• Add more fruit in the diet. In order to consume a lot of different fruits, I have been making a fruit smoothie with yogurt base. I drink it at breakfast. You can see my recipe here.
• Add raw veggie salad to the diet. I usually combine cucumber, tomatoes, carrots and radish in a bowl and add a little lime juice and some salt and pepper (chat-masala will do equally well)
• Add flax seed or flax flour to the diet. My wife adds some flax meal to the flour that we use for making roti. I have been adding flax to the breads that I bake, hot cereal that I make for breakfast, apple crisp etc.
• Cut down the intake of carbohydrates. I used to eat 2, sometime 3, rotis with my lunch and dinner. I decided to cut down the number of rotis  to one with each meal and correspondingly increase the consumption of cooked vegetables with the meal
• Use only fat-free milk, both for drinking and for making yogurt
• About five years ago, I started observing a partial fast once a week. On the day of the fast I skip both breakfast and lunch. At about 2:30 PM I eat some fruit – usually a banana and/or an apple. For dinner I have the fruit smoothie and at night a cup of milk, about an hour before going to bed

After making the above changes in my diet, I went back for another blood test about a year later to check my cholesterol. The doctor was actually very surprised to see that the levels came down significantly, enough that I did not need any medication. Here are numbers (9/11/2001):

• LDL: 117
• HDL: 43
• Triglycerides: 139
• Total cholesterol: 188

For me this was a great revelation because my doctor had warned me that because of my genetic predisposition, I may not be able to lower the levels significantly.  This experiment convinced me that diet can and often does play a major role in one’s overall health condition and well-being. I have been going back for regular blood work over the years. What I observed was that the numbers did not stay at the same low levels as shown above but were always slightly higher. However, the numbers stayed within acceptable limits.Just a year after this test, the numbers came as follows (10/4/2002):

• LDL: 135
• HDL: 43
• Triglycerides: 128
• Total cholesterol: 204

Over the years, the numbers have stayed pretty consistently close to the above level. For example, here are the numbers from last year’s test (6/13/09):

• LDL: 133
• HDL: 47
• Triglycerides: 104
• Total cholesterol: 201

Even though these numbers do not represent an ideal situation, my doctor does not think that they warrant any medication. This is also linked to the fact that due to my lifestyle and other factors (I am not overweight, don’t smoke or drink, no meat, relatively stress-free lifestyle etc.), there are not too many other contributing risk factors for a heart disease.

I must emphasize that in addition to proper diet, there are other factors which are equally important in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. In my case, I have been able to maintain a regular daily yoga routine which includes asana (physical stretching), pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation. Another important factor is the overall state of the mind  – whether you are stress-free or you allow small things to bother you. Of course, a regular practice of yoga helps in keeping stress levels low and keeping the mind in a more relaxed state.

I am hoping that by staying with my current diet, I can maintain my cholesterol numbers at the above levels. Obviously, if in future, the diet is unable to control cholesterol, I will have no choice but to go for medication. The main reasons why I would like to avoid medication is that all medicines are known to have side effects. I know some of the medicines used to lower cholesterol can actually cause muscle and joint pain or problems with digestion.

I hope you will find my cholesterol story of some value to you. If will be great if you could share your own story. I would also appreciate any feedback and comments on this post.

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A few years ago, while having breakfast at a friend’s house, he served us freshly baked home-made bread.  I really enjoyed the bread and asked my friend how he made it. He pointed me to his bread-making machine. That was motivation enough for me to buy a bread-making machine for myself. So, it was almost four years ago that I bought my first bread machine (Sunbeam brand). I was really excited about the possibility of baking my own bread using ingredients that I could experiment with.

For the first few breads, I used the exact recipes that were in the recipe book that came with the machine. Despite using exact measurements given in the recipe, it still took some experimentation to get the quantity right. I always had to add either more flour or more liquid to get the consistency right. Over a period of time, I learnt how to test the consistency of the dough with my finger.

After baking a few breads, I decided to experiment with different ingredients. Over time, I have experimented with several different kinds of grain as well as different fluids and other items. I am giving here a generic sample recipe that I use for most of the breads. I will also let you know all the different variations that I have tried.

The Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup Orange Juice

2 TBSP Butter (I use ghee)

1 cup Whole Wheat flour (I use the regular flour that we get from the Indian store for our chapati)

2/3 cup Oats (Old-fashioned oats)

1/3 cup Chickpea flour (besan)

1 TBSP Gluten

3 TBSP Bread flour

2 TBSP Soy flour

2 TBSP Flax seeds

2 TBSP Cracked wheat

1 TBSP Powder milk

1 TSP Ginger powder

1 TSP Cinnamon powder

1 TBSP Sunflower seeds

2 TBSP Brown sugar

1 TSP Salt

2 TBSP Chopped almonds

2 TBSP Chopped walnuts

2 1/2 TSP Dry yeast

Method

In a measuring bowl, add all the dry ingredients (except yeast). Make sure that the total adds up to 3 cups. If needed, make adjustments so the total amount is 3 cups. In the inner pan, add the orange juice and butter. Add the dry ingredients into the pan from the measuring bowl. Now add the yeast on top.

Option 1: Baking in the bread machine

Put the bread pan in the machine, set the menu to "whole wheat" setting and start the cycle. After about four minutes, open the cover and put your finger into the dough. You should be able to dip your finger into the dough slightly with light pressure. As I mentioned above, it will take some experimentation over a few breads to determine what consistency is right for the bread. If needed, add some fluid or flour to the mix, as required. When the cycle is complete, take the bread out and let it cool on a cooling rack before slicing it up.

Option 2: Baking in the oven

When I first started making bread, I used the bread machine to bake the bread (option 1 above). However, I found two issues with this method:

• The bread slices were too big (width of the baking pan in the machine)
• The kneading pin in the pan left a big whole in the bread  that made a large number of slices uneven and unattractive

So, I decided to use the bread machine to make the dough only . Now, I keep the setting to "dough" which includes time for the bread to rise. The dough cycle lasts 1 1/2 hours in my machine. After the dough is done, I use the regular oven for baking the bread. Lightly oil (use a spray or a brush) the bottom and sides of the bread pan. Transfer the dough to the bread pan and bake the bread in the regular oven. I keep the baking temperature at 325 degrees and preheat for about four minutes. Then I bake the bread for 50 minutes. After the bread is done, I let it cool while still in the bread pan. When it is sufficiently cooled down, I take the bread out and let it cool further before making slices.

For making slices, I have purchased an electric slicer which makes very evenly sliced bread slices. It also allows me to adjust the thickness of the slices.

Optional Ingredients

Over the years, I have experimented with many different ingredients and combinations thereof.

Flours: The whole wheat flour is always one of the ingredients in the breads that I bake. Some of the others I have tried are: barley, millet, corn flour and rye flour.

Liquids: This is one area where I have tried some really "crazy" ingredients. The items that I have used are: various types of fruit (pulp/juice) – orange, banana, mango, grapes, strawberries, pear, pineapple etc; milk, yogurt, whey; steamed or cooked vegetables like spinach, carrots (finely grated), dal, chick peas, sprouts and a few others. Once you know the required measures for the dry and liquid ingredients, you can experiment with different items as long as you maintain the required final measure for the dry and liquid ingredients.

The bread made with the above method is usually a little richer and denser compared to the ones you get from the stores. I have enjoyed these home-made breads so much that now I don’t even like the breads from the store any more.

Give the above a try and let me know how you like the recipe. Please share your comments/feedback as well as your own experience with baking breads and other baked items.

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In the 10-day yoga intensive class, we went over some of the  sitting postures (asanas) that are most commonly used for meditation and pranayama practice. In order to provide a ready reference for the participants of the program, as well as for the benefit of all the readers of this blog, I am giving a brief overview of these sitting postures here.

Before diving into a discussion of the different postures, let us just reflect on the word "asana" for a moment. The Sanskrit word "asanam – आसनम्" is derived from the root word "aas – आस्" which means to sit or rest in one place. In the classical yoga texts (Hatha Yoga Pradeepika, for example), there several asanas described. Some of the more commonly practiced asanas are – sukhasana, padmasana, swastikasana, siddhasana, vajrasana, virasana, bhadrasana etc. The word asana is not just the sitting posture, but is also applied to the seat on which one sits. So, if you are sitting on a yoga mat for meditation, then the mat is also called an asana. Likewise, a stool, chair, bench etc where one sits becomes an asana.

In the classical yoga text "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", the word asana is applied to sitting postures that are used for meditation. Patanajali describes it as "sthira-sukham-asanam (स्थिरसुखमासनम्)" which means "a sitting posture is one which is firm/steady and comfortable". In the science of Hatha Yoga which was developed much later, the meaning of the word asana was extended to include all the physical postures (e.g., sarvangasana (shoulder stand), halasana (plough pose etc) used in a Hatha Yoga practice.

Sukhasana (Easy Posture)

Sukhasana (सुखासन) is the most common sitting posture that people use for sitting on the floor. In this posture, you sit cross-legged with one ankle crossing over the other ankle and the heels hidden under the opposite thighs. The spine should remain erect and the body maintained still during meditation/pranayama practice. If it is uncomfortable for you to sit on the floor, you may like to sit on a cushion. A cushion provides support both for the knees and the spine. You may also like to rest your back against the wall, keeping the spine straight.

Siddhasana (सिद्धासन) – Adept Pose

• Sit on your mat with the legs stretched out in front.
• Bend the left knee and place the heel of the left foot under the perineum. The sole of the left foot is against the right thigh.
• Bend the right knee and place the right ankle on top of the left ankle. Slide the toes (except the big toe) under the fold of the left knee (between the left thigh and the calf muscles).
• Keep the spine upright, eyes closed and body relaxed during pranayama/meditation

Swastikasana (स्वस्तिकासन) – Auspicious Pose

Swastikasana is a very minor variation on the Siddhasana mentioned above. While in the Siddhasana pose, reach for the right big toe and pull it up. In the final pose, both the big toes are showing above the fold under the opposite knees.

Ardha-Padmasana (अर्ध पद्मासन) – Half Lotus

• Place the left foot under the opposite thigh
• Place the right foot on top of the left thigh. Try to bring the heel of the right foot as close to the abdomen as possible.
• Keep the spine upright, eyes closed and body relaxed during pranayama/meditation
• Reverse the position of the two feet and practice on the other side

Padmasana (पद्मासन) – Lotus Pose

Padmasana is a popular pose and is the one most frequently seen in traditional yoga texts. In his meditations, Lord Shiva  is normally shown sitting in this pose.

• In this pose you place both the feet on top of the opposite thighs, with the heels as close to the abdomen as possible
• There should be no strain in the knees, ankles or thighs while maintaining the pose. If needed, relax the position of the feet.
• Keep the spine upright, eyes closed and body relaxed during pranayama/meditation

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I would like to share with you a recipe for making a highly nutritious and healthy fruit smoothie. This recipe is really easy to make yet the results are just delicious. This has been my most favorite drink for breakfast over the years.

I am very fond of tropical fruits like mangoes, pineapple, banana, pomegranate, papaya etc. In general, I am what you can call a "fruitaholic" – I just like all types of fruit, including apple, pear, grapes, strawberries and all the rest. For my typical fruit smoothie, I just gather all the fruits that I have in my refrigerator. I wash the fruits thoroughly, core the needed ones like apple and pears and put them in the blender. My most common mix of fruits consists of mangoes, pineapple, grapes, oranges, banana and strawberries. To this mix I add a cup of home-made non-fat yogurt and let the blender do its job. I personally don’t enjoy getting grape skin in my mouth so I end up running the whole thing through a filter and put it all back in the blender. Now I add some nuts to the mix – almonds, cashew, walnut/pecan nuts etc. I blend the whole mix one more time and voila! the most delicious and nutritious drink is ready to be devoured.

As I mentioned, I like most fruits in my smoothie. However, there are two that I found do not render great taste in the smoothie – papaya and melon (even though I love eating them otherwise). I tried these a couple of times but now I have decided not to use them.

Instead of yogurt, you may also like to try fat-free/low-fat milk or soy milk.

To really enjoy the drink, I drink it really slowly, one sip at a time, enjoying the taste of the crunchy nuts and of course all the fruits that are in there. Please try this recipe and let me know how you like it. Along with this drink, I also have a piece of toast made of home-made multi-grain bread. I will share the recipe for the home-made bread in another post.

Do you have a favorite breakfast drink or another favorite recipe? Please share your recipe with us.

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