What dosha are you?

To understand the seed of truth that may lie at the heart of these and other food myths which are so prevalent in yoga communities, begin by tracing their roots. Many theories stem from yogic scriptures, and others are aberrations of theories found in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of preventative health and healing. To understand the relevancy of these yogic food myths to your diet, it's essential to examine them in their original context.

Yoga from its earliest inception has been integrally tied with Ayurveda. Central to Ayurveda is the concept of varying body types, each of which thrives on different kinds of foods.

Vata types, for example, need grounding foods like oils and grains. Pitta types are supported by cooling foods, such as salads and sweet fruits.

Kapha types benefit from heating and invigorating foods, such as cayenne and other hot peppers. A classic premise of Ayurveda is that few people are strictly one type, and most in fact are a blend of at least two types. Each individual must therefore find a personal balance of foods to fit his or her own unique constitution.

To find your dosha go to http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/

Be More Present

Visual Observation. Take an object, like your phone or a pen. For 60 seconds, look at it, feel it, observe it without judging it. (Don't think about whether you like it, just observe.) Watch a leaf falling outside and imagine what it would feel like if you were the leaf, are you being tossed around or are you softly falling onto the ground? Watch a bird fly and imagine you are the bird...

Mental Observation. Without looking at an orange, just think of an orange, think about everything an orange has to offer, the bumpy bright orange skin, then when you squeeze the orange skin in between your fingers imagine the puffs of water and the smell of orange that is released, think about how it feels to pull apart an orange segment, think about the weight of an orange segment in your mouth, is your mouth watering now? 

Breathe. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and slowly count to 10. Repeat this a couple times throughout the day. You will have thoughts. Don't worry about that and don't try to stop them. Just let them be, without attaching any meaning to them. Your thoughts are like a pebble thrown into water -- just observe the ripples as they eventually smooth to calm water.

You may want to do just one of these exercises or try them all. Just like anything, the key to building your awareness and present moment consciousness is consistency. The more you do these exercises, the more you will be able to harness the unlimited potential that this moment is offering.

Understanding Another's Anger...

Has anyone ever shared a story with you and for some reason the story sticks with you forever? Well it happened to me during one of my yoga training classes. A fellow instructor shared a story how an old, close friend of hers betrayed her, and then lied to others about her. When she confronted her old friend, the friend became angry and said some really hurtful things. Our fellow instructor was in tears when sharing this story with us, but she told us, that even though she was friends for many years with this person she reminded herself of a story of Buddha, which gave her peace. Prior to this I had never heard this story of Buddha before, but I think of it often and it does give you peace at the times you may be feeling bad. So I found the story and wanted to share it with all of you hoping that it may help you in a time of need.
  

One day, Akkosaka heard that someone from his religion had converted to be a Buddhist monk. Enraged, he stomped off to curse the Enlightened One with harsh words in person. After letting off his steam, the Buddha had a calm conversation with him (as abridged) - 'Do friends come to you as guests?' 'Yes.' 'Do you serve them delicacies?' 'Yes, sometimes I do.' 'If they don't accept them, to whom do they belong?' 'They would be mine.' 'Likewise, that with which you have insulted me, I do not accept - it is all yours. Whoever returns insult to one who insults is said to be sharing company with that person, which I do not.'
Hearing this, Akkosaka assumed he was displeased, to which the Buddha replied, 'Where is anger from one free of anger, who has his mind tamed and equanimous, who is liberated with right understanding, who is tranquil? One worsens matters by flaring up at another who flared up. Whoever doesn't flare up at another doubly wins a battle difficult to win, benefiting oneself and the another. Understanding another's anger, one mindfully maintains one's peace. When one does so to heal the illness of anger for both, those who think one is a fool do not know the Dharma.' Hearing this, Akkosaka remarked at the magnificence of the Buddha's teaching, and ordained as a monk to learn from him, thereafter attaining Nirvana (as an Arahant)!