Farewells, Booze & Burns

L-R: Mary, M, Linda, Rosie, Sarah, Tamara, Phil, Stella

I've had a crazy couple of days but will just focus on the fantastic Sydney Blogger's dinner on Friday night, to farewell the gorgeous Phil. She headed off to San Francisco early Saturday and it was exciting to be a part of her final hours in Sydney. I've never seen so many sides to Phil! She was so cute and clearly going through every possible emotion and thought before heading through the final departure gates. I can't wait to hear about her flight and first day.

We also had the absolute pleasure of meeting Linda from Melbourne. This woman is even more beautiful in real life and I'm so happy to have finally met her. I love the friendships this blog community has enabled us to pursue. Meeting bloggers in the flesh is so worth it, provided they're not psychos of course LOL.

More photos - click here.

Now, I don't want another drink for quite some time or be surrounded by people who don't know when enough is enough. Too much drama (at other events) for this very hungover chook. The most horrific, seeing a friend fall into a backyard fire, flames engulfing her and being rushed to hospital in an ambulance. She will be okay though. Not fun.

Detox is calling!

Back next week....

I've been feeling a little guilty today because there are so many emails to get back to and posts to read but I have to put my hands up and give in. I don't have time. I'm waiting for Phil to arrive and there's no way I'm getting on my laptop while she's here (only to check Health Nuts for dodgy activity). I have a birthday dinner tonight, Phil's going away tomorrow night and a 30th on Saturday night. My drinking starts...now! I've taken the rest of the week off work. Catch everyone next week and enjoy your weekends!!

Ganesha, God of Obstacles

Ga·nesh (gə-nāsh') also Ga·ne·sha (-nā'shə) n. Hinduism.

The god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, son of Shiva and Parvati, depicted as a short fat man with an elephant's head.

I decided that Ganesha deserved a whole post to itself after starting our practise yesterday with the Ganesh Gayatri Mantra. It's a mantra for new beginnings so the journey starts with positive energy and removes obstacles. Timely for my decision to go vegetarian.

Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha
Om Guhm Guh-nuh-puh-tuh-yea Nah-mah-hah

The left diagram is the best explanation of this Hindu god that I've seen around. The street art on the right is around the corner from my place. I love seeing it every morning as a reminder.

Surprises & Revelations

We chanted a new mantra in class today - Aum Gum Ganapateye Namaha. This is the Ganesh Gayatri Mantra. It's a tool for removing obstacles to progress and achieve. It sounds so beautiful when everyone joins in. It took me a while to feel comfortable with chanting but the vibrations while chanting are so worth it.

When I was walking home from class, I picked up my mail. To my surprise there were lots of parcels. One was something I bought for a friend (and will give her next week) and another was a parcel from another friend, just for me. The timing was uncanny because I've got something to give this friend also. You know those moments when you feel like you're being hugged by the world and you're hugging it right back? I know that sounds like vomit material but hey, that's how I felt.

I also realised that I really can do the whole vegetarian thing, no worries. I've been reading so many different sources and my main concern would actually be getting too much protein. I kept a food diary for nearly two years and a lot of my protein was plant based already plus eggs play a huge part in my diet. I eat really well 80% of the time (since losing weight) and try to have as many whole foods as possible. I love my legumes too. Going vegetarian is not as hard as I thought physically, it's the mental stuff I have to work through and the societal pressures and expectations. If I really want to do this, I can and I will.

There's also some great excuses I can come up with for not going vego though and they make me laugh because as soon as I tell someone I'm going vego, I hear all the cliched reasons why I shouldn't and why they can't. Oh well. I'm doing it for me and I don't expect anyone else to do it as well. We all have our own paths to follow.

My favourite resource I am referring to a lot right now is - The New Becoming Vegetarian. It's a well presented and well researched book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested!

So enough vego talk already...

Dan and I went ring shopping again today. I think we are definite now with the design. I'm just waiting to confirm the symbols that will be stamped into mine. 5 years. It's a good number and I reckon it's been a good year so far. I am so in love with Love & Hatred. Their designs are amazing. I just wish their website did them more justice. We'll probably meet with the designer next week to finalise the design/symbols. We won't get the rings for our anniversary in early May but it's still means just as much to get them made around this time. Now we just have to decide what we're going to do on the day.

It's going to be a busy week. Phil's will be in town, the crazy cat, and two of my dearest friends are both having birthdays (including a 30th). Linda will also be in Sydney that weekend! Lots of parties, lots of drinking and lots of loving. Really looking forward to it. Hence being on the computer on a Saturday night! We are taking it easy this weekend to brace ourselves for the next.

Geez, I've got the waffle bug tonight...I better get off this thing. Enjoy the rest of your weekend guys!

Vegetarian Trial & Good Coffee

Alrighty...after having the millionth conversation about going vegetarian (hanging out with fellow yogis will do this and the likes of Miss Crankybee herself, thanks hon!), I am going to eliminate meat from my diet for the next two weeks. I know I can do this because I've studied health/fitness/nutrition for the past two years and know how to eat as a vegetarian. I normally have meat (usually chicken) only 1-2 times a week but can I ditch it for real!? We'll see and I'll certainly try to make it last for more than the two weeks.

I realise I keep flirting with this idea but it's time to get real. I've been reading a lot about animal liberation etc. lately and while I don't EVER want to preach about what anyone else should do (my parents are farmers and I respect that), I think it might be time for me to do my part in the greater scheme of things.

Now that it's colder as well (can you tell I'm focused again!?) I've re-jigged my exercise plans and will be cooking more hearty meals. I also prefer to walk early in the morning during the colder season and do yoga at night. It's a great way to start and end the day.

NEWTOWN UPDATE

There's a new cafe in town! It reminds me of Newtown 10 years ago before the yuppies moved in and the people who run and work there are so sweet. It was actually a bit of a shock to the system and they do a damn fine coffee frappe, my weekend treat! The south end of King Street is always a struggle for new business but I hope these guys stick around...

South End
644 King Street
Newtown NSW Australia

PS. Dear gods, Dan just announced that he is QUITTING caffeine!

Where's my drishti?

My day started with the internal dialogue of should I or shouldn't I go to class. It's amazing what kind of lame excuses I come up with but I knew I was just a little scared again and yep, lazy. So before class, I went for a 1/2 hour walk and listened to the magical compilation Yoga Chill to get me in the mood.

When I finally went to class, my gorgeous teacher greeted me with an enormous hug. I can't really describe how that made me feel other than I felt really welcome. My teacher also spoke to me a little about how I've been unsettled lately and how it's coming out in my practice. This was invaluable. I'm still not focused so she suggested I spend time on a couple of balancing poses this week - vrksasana (tree pose) and virabhadrasana III (warrior III). Tree pose is my favourite pose and I've noticed that I haven't been able to hold it. No focus, no drishti, of course.

This yoga thing is really pulling all sorts of stuff out of the trunk to work through and to tell you the truth, some of it I rather just forget about. I'm realising though that the core of me is solid. My meditation today was about acknowledging that all this is coming out, allowing it to happen and then just letting go. Not always easy but very liberating.

A bit of background: my family is a little messed up and when certain times of the year come up (like Easter), I've been known to get a little mental. Family is so important to me, as well as trust and honesty. Shame our egos get in the way but I do believe time heals.

"Yoga is not just another self-improvement craze…. It is a practice of self-acceptance, which is a very different thing. You don't need to be fixed; you simply need to … remember who you truly are," says Gurmukh.

YAMA - ethical principles, a guide (not rules)

This is more for me. When I'm studying, I find the best way to remember and understand new ideas is to re-write them and the act of physically doing this, helps me. I've been keeping a handwritten journal for a few weeks now but I'll keep that more for my thoughts on classes and to write down sequences and the experience straight after a class. The more personal thoughts that I have to work through.

Patanjali's Eight Limb Path has really got me thinking lately a lot about my practice. I know and feel that yoga is not all about the asana practice only. It's all encompassing and even gets into my deepest thoughts, down into my bones and keeps a fire in my belly.

Today I'm not going to class though because I feel a little down and know I'll end up crying through the class. Sometimes it is good to work through this but today, I just need to not go there. I've decided to re-write the first limb instead and meditate on this for the morning.

The books I reference for my studies are listed in my Yoga Books and Yoga Resources links.

YAMA - ethical principles, a guide (not rules)

1. AHIMSA: non violence/non harming
   - extending kindness to all
   - treating others as we would like to be treated
   - choosing a vegetarian diet
   - avoiding suffering for ourselves and others
   
   
2. SATYA: truth (reality is subjective and truth is subjective, based on our conditioning)
   - sincerity
   - integrity
   - communicating from the heart
   - adopting the buddhist idea of "right speech" and speaking with honesty and clarity
   - take responsibility for your own actions and reactions
   
   
3. ASTEYA: non-stealing
   - in buddhism "abstaining from taking the not given"
   - jealousy, need to let go of attachment
   - not taking without asking, even small things
   - we can practise asteya with our relationships, with food, time, environment and other peoples emotional well being
   
   
4. BRAHMACHARYA: ethical sexual behaviour
   - moving beyond the primal instinct, acting from a "head and heart" balance
   
   
5. APARIGRAHA: greedlessness
   - letting go of always wanting a bit more
   - not wasting resources, food, money
   - respecting material possessions, thinking about what you need rather than want

These are fairly simple and straight forward principles to follow and I believe it to be what most religions, philosophies like to follow (in their own way) but it's always good to be reminded. We live in a material world with lots of wants but what do we actually need? A little less stimulation and a bit more reflection maybe. I know I've got a number of habits I can change in my own life.

Cooler Change

Autumn has well and truly hit Sydney now with cooler days and cooler nights. It's time for change so I've changed my blog name and URL to reflect more of what I'm interested in writing about these days.

It's been an amazing journey with Health Bites for the past two years and I've met the most amazing people but, it's time to move on and shift my focus. I'm a bit sad to leave Health Bites behind (of which I unintentionally lost the URL so I couldn't let everyone know what I was doing!) but it'll be cool to see where this shift leads me now.

The March Yoga Challenge was a success in that I kept going. There were days that I didn't practice asanas but I still managed to practice some kind of yoga, especially in the way that I went about my day. Studying the Patanjali's Eight Limb Path helped me understand how I can aim to have a more well rounded practice also.

I'll continue to document my asana practice for a health/fitness perspective but I won't practice asanas every day. I want to mix up my week with yoga (asanas), walking and cycling. I felt too much pressure to practice everyday so there were days that I went to the mat filthy and even though I got through it, I'd rather go for a walk or cycle.

My life is fairly dynamic so I find that I'm not always able to have the same routine. I need change and love exploring new things, new routes, new paths. I need to allow myself to do whatever it is that I feel like doing, on any particular day. As long as I keep moving and connecting with this crazy thing called life!

I've been a little disorganised and unhinged the past two weeks but cheers to change bringing back my focus.

A little nutty...

I've been so disorganised lately and doing the most random things ever, on a whim. I have now stuffed up my blog. I changed the name thinking that I could change it back but I can't! I'm a little upset. I've sent an email to the blogger peeps so we'll see what happens.

Post to come with March Yoga Challenge round up and meditations on Ganesha...