Category Archives: Health

Health

3-Seed Granola

Leave a comment

So simple, so quick and so yummy.

1 Cup Oats

3/4 Cup Sesame Seeds

1/3 Cup Flax Seeds

1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Cup  Honey (warmed with 1/4 cup of birch sugar if you like a sinless, yet sweeter granola.)

1 Cup Raisins

1 tsp. Sea Salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Spread on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 in 3-10 minute intervals stirring in between. The granola should be light golden. Scrape the granola immediately onto wax paper or foil or you will leave much of it on the pan. Don’t eat too much! It is only meant as a garnish. These are primarily seeds and while more nutritious than regular granola it is also richer, stickier and yummier. Enjoy.

 

Health, Physical, Spiritual

Live Life Happily Die Majestically

Leave a comment

 

Iyengar 2On August 20, 2014 BKS Iyendar died a robust 95 year old. In 1952 he introduced yoga to the west and brought yoga from obscurity to the mass popularity we witness today. I always considered Iyengar my teacher. I only saw him once, in SanFrancisco, in the 1990s where he demonstrated how yoga can heal certain ailments. He was mesmerizing and I was inspired by his powerful presence and his vast knowledge.

I first studied yoga at the Iyengar Institute in San Francisco with Iyengar’s  Master Student, Manouso, an enigmatic teacher who taught with a precision and intensity that appealed to me. I was an triathlete at the time and the detailed exploration of the poses’ alignment became a meditation for me. I also noticed a new grace in my walk and a greater sense of balance physically and emotionally.

Although having practiced since 1985,  there have been long periods when I have forgotten my practice.  Work, motherhood and even hiking became distractions but l always turned back to yoga during emotional turmoil or in response to health concerns. I consider yoga my spiritual home base.

Yoga is also my physical home base and precludes all my other activities. Hiking and dancing, my two passions, are supported by yoga. A straight spine and a strong flexible body are essential for good health. I am able to avoid injuries and explore the tightness, or the blockages and through breath and stretching heal myself. I am very grateful for the excellent teachers I have had over the years and I know that my yoga practice will enable me to grow old gracefully.

Namaste

Excellent Yoga Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylIh2IBEWKU&list=PLFCB0B21D4E7EB4C2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j4SuAvcmps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBaQlOq1KoU

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health, Spiritual

What is Spa Lifestyle

1 Comment

meditatingI think that sometimes there is a misconception about spas. Granted we live in a workaholic society that thinks taking time for a massage or facial is an indulgence, but I can assure you that the majority of us in the business see the primary benefit is to offer a healing experience. Touch and relaxation are powerful tools for getting back to one’s authentic self.

Spa Lifestyle integrates this sense of healing and well being into all aspects of our life. For example, by changing my perception that I was the boss to realizing that I was in service to my co-workers, I not only created more harmony, but revitalized my passion for the business. We all have the potential to change our circumstances by changing our perceptions.

How can we take a sense of well being into all aspects of our life? There are a variety of ways. For some it may take the form of transparent communication. Speaking the truth can free one from resentment, which can be healing, and ultimately create greater intimacy. Bringing greater harmony to all aspects of our life is what I mean by Spa Lifestyle. The spa is great, but bring the sense of healing and well being to your home,  workplace, relationships and most importantly to yourself.

Beauty, Health

Growing Young-A Natural Facelift

2 Comments

Aging gracefully has always been my mantra. How you feel is how you look but at fifty five my outside self no longer  reflected my inner self. Who is that fifty five year old woman in the mirror?  Why, I don’t feel a day over twenty four!

I have  always been afraid of getting a facelift.  In the spa we see many botched results and even the so called successful ones can leave a  strange,  frozen expression with shiny, over polished skin.  I wanted better results without undergoing the knife and finally decided on a procedure called Ultherapy. 

Ultherapy is a noninvasive facelift that promises to deliver a firmer neck and jawline over a period of six months. There is no down time, and the procedure lasts about two hours. The laser  impacts the subcutaneous layers of the skin and it feels like small electrical shocks.  The procedure is not for wimps! After twenty minutes I was weeping quietly.  The assistant mentioned that it was better than a facelift. Yes, true, but still it hurt!

The good news is that once the procedure is over so is the pain. The next day I noticed a bit of puffiness around my jawline but it healed within 24 hours and I was back to myself. One week later I can feel the healing and contraction.  Already friends are commenting.

The real therapy is that every  morning for six months I get to look into the mirror for the signs of growing younger. Six months of looking in the mirror,  anticipating a more youthful me, is plenty reason to invest in Ultherapy. Of course if I chose to wake up every morning looking for the beauty in my face instead its flaws, I wouldn’t even need Ultherapy. Now that is an ah hah moment.

Health

Healthy Treats

3 Comments

As I’ve aged my metabolism has slowed down and I realize the only way to maintain my ideal weight is to avoid all empty calories. By empty I mean processed grains and sugars. Over the years I have slowly and so almost effortlessly eliminated some of my worst food addictions.  I see now that many of our food choices are cultural and surprisingly some of the healthier alternatives are more delicious than these traditional comfort foods. That bowl of ice cream I used to eat after dinner every night has evolved into a homemade coconut ice cream free of sin. Interested?

Read on….

Rich, creamy & delicious.
Rich, creamy & delicious.

Coconut Ice Cream

1 can coconut cream

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbs raw cocoa

1/4 c  Xylitol

1 tsp vanilla

2 bananas

2 tsp chopped walnut

Blend all the ingredients together except the walnuts. I use a Cusinart but a blender would work too. Freeze for 2-3 hours and serve with sprinkled walnuts.

If you are unfamiliar with Xylitol it is a natural sweetener made from the Birch tree. It has the lowest glycemic index of any natural sweetener and is one third of the calories of white sugar.

Chia Seed Pudding

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 cups vanilla unsweetened almond milk

1/3 cup Xylitol or honey

Mix all the ingredients and leave in the refrigerator 1 hour before serving. It is very similar to Tapioca pudding but oh so healthy and easy!