• Gluten free/Sugar free Banana Bread
• Caponata Recipe

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 two of the many delicious dishes that we enjoyed that day. I would like to express my gratitude to Joanne Healey and Pat McElroy for sharing these recipes.

Gluten free/Sugar free Banana Bread

(Contributed by Joanne Healey)

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas
• 1 c. apple juice
• 4 c. oat flower (can grind oatmeal in blender)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg or allspice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350
• Blend bananas and juice in blender or food processor
• Mix dry ingredients together
• ADD dry mix to bananas mix
• Optional: can add: raisins, prunes, nuts, blueberries or dates
• Pour into glass load pan, bake 45 minutes, covered with aluminum foil

Icing:

Whipped cream cheese with stevia and vanilla to taste.

Caponata Recipe    

(Contributed by Pat McElroy)

Ingredients

• 1 pickled lemon coarsely chopped
• 2 lb small Italian eggplants (about 4)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 4 medium celery ribs, cut crosswise into very thin
• 1/3 cup large green Sicilian olives (1 3/4 oz), pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 3/4 oz Italian capers packed in salt (1/3 cup), rinsed well
• 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
• 1/3 cup white-wine vinegar
• 1 (14- to 15-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained and chopped (1 cup)

Instructions

• Peel eggplants, leaving some strips of peel, then cut into 1-inch cubes and spread on half of a kitchen towel. Sprinkle eggplant with salt, then cover with other half of towel and weight with a baking sheet topped with 2 or 3 large cans for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring, until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add celery and cook, stirring, until onion and celery are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add olives, capers, and 2 tablespoons sugar and cook, stirring, 2 minutes, then stir in vinegar and tomatoes.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. If sauce is very acidic, add 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (to taste). Transfer to a bowl and keep warm, covered.
• Rinse eggplant in a colander under running water, then squeeze dry in small handfuls.
• Heat remaining cup oil in cleaned skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant in 2 batches, turning occasionally with tongs, until tender and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch.
• Transfer as cooked to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a large shallow serving dish in an even layer.
• Spoon sauce on top, spreading evenly, and let stand, covered with a kitchen towel, at room temperature, at least 8 hours (for flavors to develop).
• Stir before serving.

ENJOY IT!!

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Brahmacharya is perhaps one of the more difficult of the yamas to understand as well as to discuss and explain. In a very traditional sense, brahmacharya means strict sexual control or total celibacy. In India, when a person takes a vow to never get married, he is referred to as a "brahmachari".

The well-known rishi Yajnavalkya says, "Brahmacharya is abstaining from all kinds of Maithuna or sexual enjoyment for ever, in all places and in all conditions, physically, mentally and verbally. "

The word is composed of two words, "brahma" and "charya". Brahma literally means the supreme consciousness and "charya" means to "live in" or "get established in". In this sense Brahmacharya would mean "to get fully established in the divine consciousness". That seems like an immensely difficult goal to achieve since that is the ultimate goal of all yoga practices. So, it is generally believed that Patanjali meant to use this term in its more practical understanding of "total abstinence" or celibacy.

Vyasa, in his commentary states that brahmacharya is controlling the "guptendriya" (the secret sense organ). Subsequent commentators have taken this to mean that one needs to control all the five senses as they can lead to sexual desires and finally controlling the sexual desire.

Ancient sages have defined these eight forms of sexual indulgence: Darshan or looking at women with passionate resolve, Sparshan or touching them, Keli or play, Kirtan or praising the qualities of the other sex, Guhya-Bhashan or talking in private, Sankalpa or determination, Adhyavasaya or nearing the other sex with the desire for gratification and Kriyanivritti or the actual sexual act.  Brahmacharya means to abstain from these eight sexual indulgences.

The above interpretation of brahmacharya is applicable for those yogis who have taken the vow of sanyasa (renunciation) and have given up attachment to worldly objects. Even they find it extremely hard to follow strictly the guidelines for brahmacharya. Since such strict definition is not applicable for a householder, most commentators have suggested a more practical meaning of brahmacharya – that of moderation in all sensual enjoyments through the five senses.

As with all the other yamas and niyamas, Patanjali does not provide a definition of Brahmacharya. However, in sutra 2.38 he tells us the benefits of brhmacharya:

ब्रह्मचर्यप्रतिष्ठायां वीर्यलाभः॥३८॥
brahmacharyapratiShThaayaaM vIryalaabhaH

"By one established in continence, vigor is gained." (Sutra 2.38)

There are several well-known stories in our history and mythology which talk about supernormal powers that a practitioner of brahmacharya could attain. One such story relates to Bhishma in Mahabharata (from Wikepedia):

Bhishma means He of the terrible oath, referring to his vow of life-long celibacy. Originally named Devavratha, he became known as Bhishma after he took thebhishana pratigya (‘terrible oath’) — the vow of life-long celibacy and of service to whoever sat on the throne of his father (the throne of Hastinapur). He took this oath so that his father, Shantanu could marry a fisherwoman Satyavati — Satyvati’s father had refused to give his daughter’s hand to Shantanu on the grounds that his daughter’s children would never be rulers as Shantanu already had a son(Devratha). This made Shantanu despondent and upon discovering the reason for his father’s despondency, Devavratha sought out the girl’s father and promised him that he would never stake a claim to the throne, implying that the child born to Shantanu and Satyavati would become the ruler after Shantanu. At this, Satyavati’s father retorted that even if Devavratha gave up his claim to the throne, his (Devavratha’s) children would still claim the throne. Devavratha then took the terrible vow of life-long celibacy, thus sacrificing his ‘crown-prince’ title and denying himself the pleasures of conjugal love. This gave him immediate recognition among the gods and his father granted him the boon of Sweccha Mrityu(control over his own death — he could choose the time of his death, but he was not immortal, which would have been an even severe curse and suffering).

A more recent story relates to the vow of celibacy taken by Mahatma Gandhi. In his autobiography "My experiments with Truth", Gandhi talks about brahmacharya at length. Here are a few quotes from Gandhi on brahmacharya:

"Brahmacharya, like all other observances, must be observed in thought, word and deed. … the foolish man, who appears to control his body, but is nursing evil thoughts in his mind, makes a vain effort….Mere control of animal passion has been equated with observing brahmacharya. I feel, that this conception is incomplete and wrong. Brahmacharya means control of all the organs of sense. He who attempts to control only one organ, and allows all the others free play, is bound to find his effort futile…Brahmacharya will come easy to anyone who controls his palate. "

[from Wikepedia] "In the 1940s, in his mid-seventies, he brought his grandniece Manubehn to sleep naked in his bed as part of a spiritual experiment in which Gandhi could test himself as a "brahmachari." Two other women also sometimes shared his bed. Gandhi discussed his experiment with friends and relations, and the experiment ceased in 1947."

Vyasa further adds that one who, having been established in brahmacharya, becomes a siddha (an adept), can effectively transfer his supreme knowledge to his disciples. That means he can become a most effective teacher for the disciples.

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Parshvottanasana (पार्श्वोत्तानासन) (standing side stretch) is a beginning to intermediate level pose which is great for the health of the legs as well as the spine. It provides an excellent stretch for the entire back side of the legs, hamstrings in particular.

Step-by-step

1. Come to a standing position close to the top of the mat with the feet hip distance apart. Stretch your left leg back so the feet are about 3.5′ to 4′ apart. Keep the right foot facing the front with the side of the foot parallel to the side edge of the mat. Keep the left foot turned about 60 degrees toward to the front foot. Try to keep both the legs straight.
2. Place the hands on the waist and turn the hips and shoulders so they are parallel to the top edge of the mat. Keep the back heel firmly pressed into the mat.
3. Place the hands on the right thigh and start sliding them down the leg. Make the effort to keep the right leg as straight as possible. Try to bend the torso at the waist area. Press the thighs backward so the torso stays elongated and pushed forward.
4. Maintain the intention to keep the right leg straight. However, if the hamstrings begin to complain, you may like to bend the right knee slightly so as to avoid overstretching the back side of the leg.
5. As you slide the hands down, if they don’t reach the floor on either side of the right foot, you may keep the hands on the shins or ankles or just as far down as they reach. Alternately, if you have them handy, you may like to place a pair of blocks on either side of the foot and place the hands on the blocks for support.
6. If you feel comfortable in the final posture, you may attempt to drop the chest further in an effort to bring it closer to the right thigh.
7. Try to stay in the final pose for about 25 seconds
8. To come out of the pose, slowly begin to lift the spine up from the waist, sliding the hands up the leg. When you are fully vertical, relax for a few breaths.
9. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits:

• Strengthens and stretches back side of the legs, especially the hamstrings
•  Great stretch for the entire back
• Strengthens and tones abdomen; improves digestion
• Massages internal organs like the liver and stomach
• Has very calming effect on the brain
• Improves posture and a sense of balance

Contraindications/Modifications:

• If you suffer from high blood pressure, abdominal illness or have any back injury, avoid going down all the way. Instead, go half way and keep the torso parallel to the floor
• If you have problem with balance, you may like to face the wall, adjust your distance from the wall and place your hands on the wall at shoulder height
• Variation: clasp hands behind the back and extend the arms away from you as you bend forward

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As we come to the end of calendar year 2011, I would like to extend my good wishes to you and your family for a healthy and joyous 2012 ahead. As I look back, the year 2011 has been a good one for me, my family and most importantly for the yoga classes that I teach. Indeed,  I have much to be grateful for. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my students who have continued to support and encourage me through their participation in the various yoga programs that I offer. In particular, the early morning programs – the 21-day yoga challenge and the Pranayama/Meditation Intensive – have been very well received by all those who attended these programs.

On a personal note, my wife and I had a very enjoyable visit to India during October. During this trip, I was able to renew personal and family ties with many of my cousins, uncles and aunts that I hadn’t seen in a long time. I was also able to meet many of my friends from the days that I used to work in India, back in the sixties and seventies.

During December, we had two family get-togethers. In early December, several of my cousins, along with their spouses, totaling about twelve people, got together at our house for about one week. During Christmas, my kids  (with grandkids) and many of their cousins had a wonderful time getting together at our house. This time, we had about sixteen people together at a time. It is so nice to see all these cousins get along so well and enjoy each others’ company.

Looking ahead, I hope to continue offering most of the yoga programs that are being received very well by all the students. I would love to receive your feedback, comments and suggestions for any specific programs or events that you would like me to organize.

Wishing you all the best in the year 2012 and beyond!

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In today’s discussion, I will be talking about the third of the five yamas – asteya (non-stealing).

Defining Asteya

The word Asteya (अस्तेय) is derived from the Sanskrit root word "steyn" which means ‘to steal’ to ‘to rob’. The word for a thief is "steynaH". "Steyam" is the word for theft. By adding the prefix "a" it becomes ‘asteya’ which means "to not steal or rob".

Understanding Asteya

Vyasa defines "steya" or "theft" as "taking things from others while not following the guidelines provided in the scriptures. There are scriptures called "Dharma Shastras" which define codes of conduct that contain guidelines for behavior in all situations in life. Viewing someone else’s possession such as property or wealth as "mine" and taking possession of it forcefully, deceitfully, unjustly or illegally is stealing. They also preclude acceptance of gifts. "Asteya" or non-stealing is the opposite value which negates these behaviors and actions.

Tendency to steal comes when we desire to acquire things belonging to others. The more we desire things the more the mind will be compelled to act on the desire to steal.

Practicing Asteya

Practice of asteya is very closely linked with some of the other yamas and niyamas – for example ‘aparigraha’ (non-hoarding) or ‘santosha’ (contentment). Greed and attachment to the objects of the senses ("raaga") cause the temptation to steal.

On the surface, asteya seems to be a fairly straightforward concept to understand and follow. However, when we look a little more deeply, we will find that many times we "steal" in ways that we are not even aware of.

Some common examples of stealing are:

• Taking bribe
• Charging more money than set/just price
• Using work property for personal use (for example using work telephone for personal phone calls).
• Spending time on the internet at work for non-work related activities
• Stealing someone else’s job by making false claims on your resume or during the interview
• Being late for an appointment – you are stealing someone else’s time and happiness
• Trying to dominate a conversation and not allowing others to express their opinion in a meeting or conversation
• Cheating at exams

I am sure you can add many more examples from your own experiences.

The esoteric principle behind asteya has to do with a kind of pride or arrogance. The ancient teachings on this say that to think of yourself as really important is to steal your soul from God. That means that we’re not surrendering ourselves to the larger view that we’re this one consciousness (purusha). Once we identify ourselves with the elements of prakriti (mind-body complex) , then we are becoming self-absorbed and are going to steal, either symbolically or literally.

According to Patanjali, all the negative emotions arise due to our "avidya" (ignorance – sutra 2.2). Avidya implies confusion between what is real and what is unreal or going after short-term gains which could ultimately lead to suffering etc. It is due to this avidya that we crave for things which are beyond our means and thus develop a tendency to steal. Once we realize that we are truly "complete" and don’t really lack anything in life, we will have overcome the tendency to steal.

In Sutra 2. 37, Patanjali states that "when we are firmly established in the principle of asteya (non-stealing), we are presented with all jewels and treasures".

When I read this sutra the first question that comes to my mind is "if the yogi is firmly established in asteya, he is already completely desireless". That means the yogi doesn’t crave for material objects. Why does Patanjali then state that he will be offered all jewels which the yogi has no need or use for. So, my feeling is that Patanjali is not referring to physical gems or material treasures but treasures of a spiritual kind. These may include company of good people, blessings of saints and sages and spiritual upliftment.

I would like to hear your thoughts on what Patanjali might have implied in sutra 2.37 as stated above.

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Let us continue our discussion of the five yamas. In the last article I talked about Ahimsa (non-violence). In this post, I would like to discuss the yama of Satya (truthfulness).

Defining Satya

Sage Vyasa defines Satya as "speech and mind conforming to reality as seen, inferred or heard". In this statement, "seen, inferred or heard" correspond to the three modes of right knowledge (pramana) as given in sutra 1.7. "Seen" corresponds to "pratyaksha" and thus includes information received through all the five senses – touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. "Inferred" corresponds to "anumana" which is a combination of current perception through any of the five senses with previously stored information.  "heard" corresponds to the "agamas" or "scriptural testimony" or testimony from a highly trustworthy source.

Understanding Satya

As defined above, truthful speech must conform to the knowledge as received from the three sources of "pramana" without any negative influence from the ego or the lower mind. That means no personal judgment should be superimposed on the information being conveyed.

A quick example may help illustrate this point. Let us say I am sitting in a room facing a window talking to a friend whose back is to the window. We hear footsteps outside and my friend asks "who was that?". Through the window I had seen John walk by. Instead of simply saying that it was John, I superimpose my own judgment by adding "Oh! It was that wonderful John who is always ready to help others". This, according to the above definition of satya, would be considered untruth as the information presented was not a true replication of what was perceived through the senses.

Truth must convey reality as is or exactly as perceived through the senses. Even if the information presented is pulled from memory, it must reflect exactly what was in the memory, not superimposing any personal judgment.

Speech should not be deceptive, confused, equivocal, barren of a meaning, or hurtful. We all know how politicians make false promises in order to gain vote. Sometimes people use difficult words or words from a foreign language in order to impress the listener. Such statements are also deceptive and fall in the category of untruth. I picked up the following example from the internet – instead of saying, "People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at others’ homes”, consider this, “Individuals who perforce are constrained to be domiciled in vitreous structures of patent frangibility should on no account employ petrous formations as projectiles"!

Here is an urban legend that conveys how pain is caused by telling untruth:

The basic story is that a family dog came trotting in into the yard carrying the neighbors’ dead rabbit in its mouth. The owners panic because they don’t want to have a bad relationship with the neighbors. They wash it, blow dry it and sneak over to the neighbor’s yard to put it back in the cage.

The neighbors are horrified when they discover the dead rabbit, not because it is dead, but because it died the day before and they had buried it.

The words that we speak can have a profound impact on the listener. It is therefore important that we choose our words carefully and express our thoughts truthfully. A person who always speaks the truth gains tremendous respect and is considered trustworthy. On the other hand, people shun a habitual liar. Not only that, hurtful words can leave mental and emotional scars that last a lifetime.  The famous story of the "boy who cried wolf" is a grim reminder of how telling lies can have detrimental impact both on the speaker as well as the listener.  Our scriptures also mention that we should avoid unpleasant truth or pleasant untruth.

A speaker of truth has a pure and clean consciousness with no feelings of remorse or guilt. A person who habitually lies always carries a heavy burden of guilt in his mind.

Practicing  Satya

As I mentioned in a previous post, Patanjali does not provide a definition of any of the yamas or niyamas. He, however, tells us what one can expect to achieve when fully established in a particular yama. For Satya, he provides the following statement (chapter 2, sutra 36):

सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वम्॥३६॥

satyapratiShThaayaaM kriyaaphalaashrayatvam (sutra 2.36)

"When Truthfulness Is Achieved The Words (Of The Yogin) Acquire The Power Of Making Them Fruitful."

I can’t say that I fully understand the meaning or the significance of this statement by Patanjali. One interpretation is that when a person is fully immersed in the value of Satya, both through speech and mind, his actions and fruits of action are both under his control. For example the person can shower blessings on someone that will bring about positive results for the other person.

Our scriptures are full of the virtues of Satya. A famous Buddhist statement is "satyam vada, dharmam chara" which means "always speak the truth and follow the path of dharma or righteousness". By violating the yama of Satya, we create stress for ourselves. As stated above, we can develop feelings of guilt or shame by telling a lie which ultimately leads to stress in the mind.

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In a previous post I introduced the concept of the eight limbs of yoga (ashtanga yoga) as given in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. With this post today, I will start discussion of the individual components of the eight limbs. We’ll start by talking about the first of the five Yamas – ahimsa (non-violence).

Defining Ahimsa

The word Ahimsa is a composite of "himsa" with the prefix "a". In Sanskrit, the prefix "a" usually signifies the absence or negation of the term that follows the prefix. The word "himsa" means violence or causing injury or harm. So, "ahimsa" means non-violence or non-injury. It is interesting to note that Patanjali does not provide a definition for any of the terms that are used for the yamas and the niyamas. I believe he must have felt that the students, due to their long training with the teacher, must already be familiar with the basic definition of these terms. What he has provided in the sutras is what one can expect to achieve when fully committed to a yama or a niyama. The sutra (chapter 2, sutra 35) related to ahimsa is:

अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः॥३५॥

ahiMsaapratiShThaayaaM tatsannidhou vairatyaagaH (sutra 2.35)

"In the presence of one firmly established in non-violence, all hostilities cease".

What this sutra is telling us that if we can develop a deep sense of non-violence, then even those with a violent nature will  desist from harming us.

Here is a story from the Indian lore that is commonly retold to illustrate this point . In the late 18th century, Lord Swaminarayana, then known with his original name of Neelakantha, was roaming from place to place in search of spiritual fulfillment. He was not only fully established in the value of non-violence but was also fearless. One evening, as an 11-year old boy, when he reached a village, the villagers asked him to go inside a house for the night as a man-eating lion was known to visit the village each evening in search of human flesh. The boy refused to go inside as he always stayed outside under a tree to spend the night. He then sat under a tree in meditation for the night. At night the lion visited the place as usual but instead of harming Neelakantha, he sat next to his feet until the boy opened his eyes in the morning. The villagers were totally taken aback when they found out that the lion had behaved like a domesticated dog at the feet of the young saint. Realizing that they were in the company of a true saint, they prostrated at his feet in reverence. Neelakantha later became known as Swaminarayana, the founder of the trust by the same name which now has a huge following in India and  in many other countries.

Understanding Ahimsa

Vyasa, in his commentary on this sutra writes that "Ahimsa is the absence of any tendency to hurt or injure any living being, in any manner, at all times". Vyasa adds that all the other yamas and niyamas are rooted in this single yama of ahimsa. We continue to refine all the other yamas and niyamas in order to finally get totally established in the value of ahimsa.

We can injure others through our physical actions, speech or even thought. All violent actions have their origin in the lower mind which is dominated by the ego. Violence caused through speech is the most damaging and long-lasting. Most people can summon feelings of hurt caused to them in their past as they continue to carry the scars of verbal injury for a very long time. It is the ego which gives rise to negative tendencies like anger, hatred, jealousy, selfishness etc. A person who has these negative emotions is most likely to cause injury to others. In personal relationships, one can cause injury through emotional violence – harsh or abusive language, angry outbursts, emotional judgment, sarcasm, skillful manipulations – to name a few of the hurtful actions.

In sutra 2.34, Patanjali states that injury can be caused not just through direct action, but also can be done through another agent (hiring someone to kill for you!) or by simply giving your approval for a violent action.

The value of ahimsa needs to be applied not only to others but also to oneself. We know that we can cause injury to ourselves in many different ways. For example we hurt ourselves all the time through over-eating or eating the wrong kind of food. Another example related to the practice of yoga is when we allow our ego to dictate the performance of an asana and injuring ourselves in the process. We also can hurt ourselves through self destructive behavior caused by feelings of guilt or fear etc.

Another common form of violence that is mentioned in yogic texts is the killing of animals to obtain human food. Because ahimsa is a strong value mentioned in many texts, including the yoga sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, most people believe "vegetarianism" to be an automatic corollary of the yama of ahimsa.  Of course, if you live in a climate where it is not possible to grow any vegetation (North Pole, for example) you may be left with no alternative except to eat the meat of an animal. Similarly if you live in a coastal area, then catching and selling fish may be the only means of earning a livelihood. I have also come across people whose health rapidly deteriorates if they go fully vegetarian and they need to eat meat for medical reasons. The injunction of ahimsa is not strictly applicable in these situations.

Ahimsa is not only a common theme in many of the yoga related texts but is a strong component of the Buddhist, Jain and many other faiths and philosophies. Despite its being such an influential value in various cultures, most spiritual authors believe that there may be situations in life when violence in some form or another becomes inevitable. The war of Mahabharata which was fought between Pandavas and Kauravas and in which scores of people were killed, is cited as an example of such a situation. Bhagavad Gita, which is one of the chapters in Mahabharata, is a dialog between Lord Krishna and Arjuna of the Pandavas wherein Krishna provides a convincing argument to Arjuna as to why he should fight the Kauravas in order to uproot evil from the society. In order to determine whether a situation demands such a drastic action one needs a pure and crystal-clear intellect which can make decisions without any influence from the ego.

In our day-to-day life, sometimes it becomes a challenge to determine whether or not a certain action of ours will hurt the other person or not. According to the yoga sutras, a regular practice of yoga can help sharpen the intellect to a point where it becomes easier to identify situations where some form of violence may become necessary and also to determine whether we are inadvertently hurting someone through our action or speech etc. Practicing ahimsa also leads one to develop universal compassion for all living creatures.

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We concluded the last 12-day pranamaya/meditation intensive on Sept 18. We had 20 participants for this session, the maximum number that the studio can accommodate. It is truly heartening to see that there is growing awareness among yoga practitioners that pranayama and meditation are very integral to the practice of yoga. Most people practice yoga purely for physical benefits. However, since yoga has the potential to impact us at various levels including physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and beyond, when we limit the practice to physical only, we miss out on all the other benefits that yoga has to offer. I have been offering these pranayama/meditation intensives to emphasize the value and benefits of these components of yoga.

The feedback from all the participants in the program has been very positive and encouraging. Even though waking up early enough to start the class at 6 AM was a challenge for most of them, they all seem to have adjusted to it within  a couple of days. Here is a sampling of some of the comments from the participants:

"Wonderful!! I learned so much about the history and philosophy of Hatha yoga in 12 days …"

"I felt the energy level was high after doing Yoga and Pranayama… "

"… Subhash…you are a kind and passionate teacher and I hope to know you for many years…"

You can read all the comments on my website here.

As many of you are aware, I offer two kinds of morning programs – the 21-day yoga challenge and the pranayama/meditation intensive. Please let me know if you would like to participate in a future similar program.

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• Organic Tofu Scramble
• Enfrijoladas

At the end of the last 12-day pranayama/meditation intensive, 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 two of the many delicious dishes that we enjoyed that day.I would like to express my gratitude to Maddy and Claudia for sharing these recipes.

Organic Tofu Scramble

(Contributed by: Maddy Strauss)

Ingredients

• 1 container of organic Firm or extra firm tofu
• 1/2 organic diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped organic green onions
• 1 cup sliced organic sliced white button or baby bella mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp fresh or dried dill
• 1/2 tsp no salt seasoning
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• olive oil

Instructions

Saute veggies in olive oil, pat dry tofu, crumble and saute with cooked veggies, stir in seasoning.  Can be served in tortilla wraps with salsa.  Makes 4 servings.

Enfrijoladas

(Original recipe from chef Rick Bayless – adapted to a vegetarian diet)

(Contributed by: Claudia Behm)

Traditional dish from Oaxaca

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a casual main course

Ingredients

• 1 cup (about 6 ounces) dry black beans, rinsed
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) SOY chorizo sausage (replace this with SOY Chorizo sausage from Trader Joe’s), casing removed
• 1 medium white onion, sliced
• Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
• 12 corn tortillas (plus a few extra, in case some break)
• 1 cup of sour cream reduced with ¼ cup of milk or water
• 3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) crumbled Mexican queso fresco, dry goat cheese or salted farmer’s cheese
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

The filling

For the filling you can use Mexican queso fresco and/or veggies (cut them in little squares, cook and season them) you can use carrots, peas, potatoes, corn, etc.

Instructions

Making black bean sauce

Place the beans in a medium-size (2- to 3-quart) saucepan, cover with 3 cups water, remove any beans that float and heat slowly to a simmer.

Add the fennel, 1/4 cup of the SOY chorizo and 1/2 of the onion to the beans, partially cover and simmer over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are fully tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you see the beans peeking up through the liquid, add water to cover them by 1/2 inch.

Coarsely puree the beans in batches in a food processor or loosely covered blender. Return to the pot and add enough water to thin to the consistency of a medium cream soup. Taste and season with salt.

The tortillas and chorizo

Wrap the tortillas in a damp towel and a plastic bag (if you use a Ziploc bag don’t close it) and pop them in the microwave for 2 mins (depending on your microwave you may need to do it for longer time)

Meanwhile, in a small (7- to 8-inch) skillet, cook the remaining 1 cup of SOY chorizo over medium-low heat until done, about 10 minutes, breaking up any clumps as it cooks. Drain off the rendered fat, cover the skillet and keep warm over very low heat.

Finishing the enfrijoladas

Turn the oven on to the lowest setting and warm a serving platter in it. Pour out 1 1/2 cups of the warm bean sauce onto a deep plate. One by one, dip both sides of the warm tortillas into the sauce, add the filing, roll them and transfer to the warm serving platter, laying the tortillas in 2 rows if possible, slightly overlapping.  Keep warm in the oven.

I certainly hope that you will "take these recipes for a ride"! Please try them out and let us know how you like them and provide your feedback in the comments section.

ENJOY IT!!

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As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be writing about the various aspects of Ashtanga Yoga ( अष्टाङ्ग योग – eight limbs of yoga) in my upcoming posts. The word Ashtanga is composed of two words – ashta, meaning eight and anga, meaning limbs. Ashtanga Yoga refers to the eight limbs of yoga that Patanjali has advocated in the Yoga Sutras as a means to eradicate ignorance and gain an understanding of our true identity. The eight limbs are: yamas (guidelines for social interaction), niyams (guidelines for self-discipline), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (total absorption). For a brief introduction to the eight limbs of yoga, please visit here.

In sutra 2.28, Patanjali, by way of introducing the eight limbs of yoga, gives an insight into what we can expect to achieve by practicing these eight limbs.

योगाङ्गाऽनुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः॥२८॥ (Sutra 2.28)

yogāṅgā’nuṣṭhānādaśuddhikṣaye jñānadīptirāvivekakhyāteḥ||28||

"From the practice of the component limbs of Yoga, on the destruction of impurities, arises spiritual illumination which develops into discriminative wisdom and thus realization of our true nature"

As you can see, Patanjali is promising self-realization if we practice all the eight limbs of yoga. Let us look at some of the terms mentioned in this sutra.

Destruction of impurities (ashuddhi-kshaye)

The impurities here refer to the five afflictions (kleshas) which are the main cause of our suffering. These kleshas are: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion) and abhinivesha (desire to cling to life, or fear of death). You can read a little more about these in my blog post here. These impurities are like dirt on a mirror. Only when the dirt is completely removed can we see clearly in the mirror. Similarly these impurities are covering our awareness about our true nature. What Patanjali is telling us that by practicing these eight limbs of yoga, one can cleanse the mind of these impurities.

Spiritual illumination (jnana-dipti)

The word "jnana-dipti" in the sutra can be translated as "light of knowledge". Here "light" refers to the spiritual wisdom that shines through after the impurities have been removed. When the mind is under stress, the true wisdom of the intellect is not available. At that time, the mind is impelled by the ego and  the suffering continues. So, Patanjali here states that through the practice of Ashtanga Yoga, one can dispel the darkness of ignorance and have direct access to the light of true wisdom.

Discriminative Wisdom (viveka-khyati)

When the mind is purified and the light of spiritual illumination shines through, then one can attain a state where there is a very clear understanding of right and wrong, good and bad etc. This is discriminative wisdom which allows us always to make the right choice from among various available options. At every step in our life we are faced with two or more choices. The intellect can make the right choice only when it is driven by pure discriminative wisdom and not by the misguided ego.

This sutra is a very strong statement urging us to practice the eight limbs of yoga if we want to attain the sharpest possible intellect which can make the right choice at the right time. When that happens we can attain a sense of inner joy which is independent of external situations in life.

In future posts I will try to cover the eight limbs, one at a time. I would love to get your feedback.

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