Homemade Basil-Coriander Pesto

Photo: ombites

First off, we call cilantro coriander in Australia.

One of the things I am realising about going down the vegan path is that I need to be organised and pretty much need to be able to cook my own food. Vegan pre-made packaged food sucks in my opinion and the cafes/restaurants in Sydney that cater to vegans aren't much better either. I really do miss New York for the abundance of good vegan food when out and about.

But last Friday, I had brekky with my beautiful yoga teacher (ST) at the vegan cafe within the studio - Earth Vegan Cafe. This cafe is actually pretty good in terms of vegan fare so if you're in the area, check them out! We had rye toast with avocado and pesto and I was in heaven. So this morning, I was on a mission to make my own pesto and try this at home. Success and it was so delish! I won't post the recipe but you can grab it from Veganomicon, one of my favourite vegan recipe books definitely worth the investment.

Celebrating Wildness

YOGA SUTRA I.1 ATHA YOGA NUSASANAM
Now this is yoga as I have observed it in the natural world.

Photo: Prayer Flags by ombites

Recently, several more of the fantastic teachers from Samadhi Yoga in Sydney took on the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training in New York. Coming back qualified, the growing Jivamukti community in Sydney was ready to welcome them home and celebrate by going on retreat!

The theme of the retreat was celebrating wildness and going bush was the perfect setting. Exploring how we are all connected in this world and how what we do in our own lives can affect this connection was thought provoking. Did you ever notice that a lot of the asanas are named after animals, birds and even nature? We were encouraged to tap into the animalistic nature of each of the asana poses.

Wildness was a recurring conscious theme amongst the group, especially in the awesome Wild Love practice led by Justine Goss and Keith Kempis. Justine and Keith invited two local musicians to accompany the practice with live drums and a didgeridoo which inspired us even more. The beat of the drums and the sound of the didgeridoo were rich and earthy, so tribal. We couldn’t help but feel a deeper connection to the earth and to all the beings around us. We could not only hear the beats, we could feel them. I am really excited about the possibility of attending more classes incorporating "live" music now with both the beautiful Justine and "ethically handsome" Keith.

We experienced many more activities on the retreat to explore the idea of wildness; through asana, bush walking, chanting, discussions, meditation and kirtan. We are truly blessed to have so many Jivamukti qualified teachers in Sydney sharing their passions and helping the community grow.

Now this is yoga, here and now. We don’t have to go to India to experience this. We don’t have to find a guru to start making positive changes in our immediate lives. We can already contribute and participate for a better world filled with more peace, love, understanding and respect for all beings and Mother Earth right here in our own backyards. All this while realising our wild potential.

Click here for more images from the retreat. The cameras hardly ever come out when we go on these retreats but is it really any wonder? We're all in the moment being present, fully embracing the experience and having fun!

Having a Ganesha moment...

I don't believe in gods themselves but I really do appreciate what they can mean to us ~ to represent a philosophy, a way to live your life.

Photo: Ganesha, MAC style by ombites