Summer Parfaits!

We’ve just finished a personalised 3 days fruit program for detoxers transitioning from a 7 days juice fast moving into solid foods. Kick starting the digestive system with hydrating electric fruit, the colours and the sweetness were intoxicating with so much delight and satiation at every meal.

Marie, Clare & Michael 🙂

This was by far the most creative (and delicious) part of the overall 10 day detox experience as we got to practice the art of eating fruit abundantly. Breaking all past ideas that fruit is bad for you, that its too much sugar, it corrodes your teeth, or any other nonsense that put people off eating fruit.

The energy noticeably increased with each day as well as hitting our other target : which was to get a few natural bowel movements a day!

We also did fun workshops and learnt more information about gut microbiome, disease prevention, and the powers of fruit. Some of the highlights were:

  • How to make coconut yogurt workshop
  • Nice-cream workshop
  • Natural Beauty Workshop
  • All the meals & drinks are hands on demo’s in the kitchen

Last words from us : FRUIT UP!! 🙂


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Holding on to anger, resentments, hurt and pain rather than forgiving is something that is very detrimental to our health.

 

When we can resolve major issues like power, control,
abandonment, jealousy, and anger issues the sooner we can move out of the drama and into a really creative, productive and exciting life in which we are truly growing!

 

When we overeat eat cooked foods, processed foods, junk foods, packaged foods loaded with chemicals, over-salty & over-flavoured foods, or we overeat then our colon is stressed. And when our colon is stressed, we are stressed. And then it’s much harder to be kind, positive, loving or forgiving.

 

We are so addicted to foods that harm us. And so it is easy to get addicted to addictive negative
emotions that harm us too.

 

And just as much it’s easy to get addicted to anger, hate, confusion, sadness, despair. Powerful emotions generating powerful addictive chemicals in our body.

 

But when we eat a raw diet, it’s possible to break the cycle. Diet and emotions work together in so many ways. And interesting that eating a diet which is not addictive in any way, we become free of addictions. We think more clearly. We aren’t so easily stressed.

 

This is what we focus on our retreats. We do a week of raw food, eating our way into health one bite at a time. We workout and bring play back into our life. And we do our inner work. And together these planes support each-other to generate a huge forward momentum that we are truly shift into a whole new way of life and a whole new level of vibrancy!

 

We offer personalised retreats to support you in any transition; a holiday just for you. Please see our personalised page for all the details.


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date-square Who isn’t a huge “date square” fan?

You can practically use this fruit to sweeten any of your recipe. The Date Square are one of the best sweet treat. However, the traditional one were not the healthiest form. We’ll share with you the recipe that adheres our raw & vegan momentum.

 

This is a very close variation of the Old-fashioned Date Square recipe that gets raves from almost everybody who tasted it.

 

For the Crust

 

You will need:

  • 5 cups whole raw almonds
  • 5 cups oats
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 10 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup coconut oil

 

How to make: 

  1. Line an 8×8 loaf pan with a parchment paper. (You can also use and grease a Pyrex baking dish.)
  2. In a food processor, pulse the almond, salt, and oats until they are finely ground.
  3. Add in the dates and process until crumbly again.
  4. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture and process until sticky. (
  5. Remove from processor, set aside ¾ cup of the mixture for later.
  6. Press the rest of the mixture very firmly and evenly into the pan.

 

For the Date Filling

You will need:

  • 25 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (~2.5 cups)
  • ½ cup of water

 

How to make:

  1. Combine all ingredients until a paste forms. (Add more water if need.)
  2. Scoop out the date mixture onto the crust and gently spread with the back of a wet spatula until even.
  3. Add the ¾ the crust mixture that you set aside on top and gently spread down with fingers.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
  5. Cut into squares and serve chilled for best texture.
  6. Store leftovers in a ziplock or anything that is sealed in the fridge or freezer for up to a week.

 

We hope you enjoy this super tasty and easy-to-make Date Square recipe. We can guarantee that it won’t leave you feeling guilty at all!


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EATING your way CLEAN with FRUITS vs JUICING  – High Carb

 

New year is always a great time to kick start new projects, new programs, set goals, make healthier choices, start a dance or singing class, and to generally bring focus on new intentions for the year.

 

Raw Food, Juicing,

If you’re still recovering from the Christmas festivities, or have just had no time and are already back at work perhaps these tips can help you start today.

 

All of us have heard that the greatest thing we can do for our body and for that extra kick in motivation is to Alkalise!

 

If you are suffering from lethargy, have weight problems or water retention your body is probably overly acidic. When you alkalize your body through proper eating and healthy living, you can overcome all sorts of discomforts, reach your ideal body weight and literally have more energy for all the things you want to do.

 

Raw FoodOne of the most obvious signs of acidity is excess body fat. When your body is acidic, it tries to neutralise the acid. One of the ways it does this is to store excess acid in fat, which can lead to that puffy feeling. When you alkalize your diet, your body sweeps through and removes this buildup.

 

To alkalize you need to eat more alkalizing foods and fewer acidic foods. In this way, you can create a healthy diet that will help you reach your ideal weight without “starving” yourself.

 

Juicing and fasting / abstaining from food is one way. But time and time again its proving that for most people it disrupts their metabolism and only works as a quick fix rather than having long term success. Most people break a fast in desperation to satiate hunger and the unhealthy relationship to food is re-instilled.

 

Raw Food, Alkalization, Juicing

So the new option to try is to eat your way clean!

 

All fruit is alkalizing, and so are all leafy green. Vegetables are next. But nuts, seeds and oils are on the border of being neutral acidy/alkalinity. If you focus on making sure you eat all alkalizing foods for each meal, guess what you will be on your way to an alkaline body very quickly.

 

On the opposite end of the alkalizing spectrum is the acidic side: sugary and manufactured foods, meats, fish, dairy products, bread and other cooked grains, drugs, alcohol and caffeine. Pork and Parmesan cheese are a few of the extremes. To neutralize the acidity of just one cup of coffee you need to drink 12 glasses of water!

 

Juicing, Green for LifeMost people get their daily calories from concentrated foods – too much protein, too much fat, and too much sugar sprinkled on top. These meals are generally smaller because they are caloric-ally dense and acidic.

When we make the switch to high carb foods we need to eat more quantity. The trick is not to under-eat in calories otherwise the body goes into starvation mode and can wreak havoc to the metabolism. Under-eating is the biggest reasons why most people can’t sustain ‘diets’. Most, if not all basic bodily/brain functions require glucose, not eating enough ‘good carbohydrates’ will have the body screaming for the ‘dense/acidic’ foods to get its fix.

 

When you start making changes to alkalize the body, toxins will be released. You may feel ill temporarily, but push through it, once they are eliminated they are gone and a surge of energy will take its place. Make sure you drink at least two litres of purified water or fresh juices per day (you can include enemas or colonics – they aren’t necessary but they do speed things up in the early stages.) so your body can flush things out quickly.

 

 


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Everyone loves Ferror Rocher chocolates.  The nutty, crunchy and the yummy sweetness sure please. Here we have a raw version. Have them standing by in the fridge to keep the crunch factor

 

INGREDIENTS:

ferrero picture
150 grams or 1/2 cup of roasted hazelnuts
2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
chopped hazelnuts (to garnish)

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the hazelnuts into a food processor (keep aside 18 hazelnuts for the center) and blend until chopped into fine pieces.

2. Add cacao, vanilla powder and salt and blend again.

3. Add maple syrup and blend until the ingredients start to stick together, this can take a minute depending on the power of your food processor.

4. Roll into small bite-sized balls, insert at the center one hazelnut, and roll over chopped hazelnuts to cover the balls.

5.Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.

Enjoy and have a healthy snack!


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Raw Greenylicous Herb Soup

 

Raw Greenylicious Herb Soup
Raw Greenylicious Herb Soup

This raw herb soup will (apart from blow your mind) serve 10 peeps as an appetizer or 4 hungry ones as a dinner.

 

You will need:

 

  • 1.5 medium sized Avocado
  • 2 stalks of Celery, finely chopped
  • 1 large handful of roughly chopped Cilantro
  • 1 small handful of roughly chopped Mint
  • 1.5 cup Coconut water
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 small tsp of Himalayan salt/Celtic sea salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground Black pepper
  • Some fresh garden cress for decoration and final flavor touch

 

How to make:

 

  1. Cut and scoop out the avocados in a large bowl or a high speed blender.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a hand blender or in the high speed blender.
  3. Keep refrigerated.

Try and enjoy our recipe for a satisfying superfood soup that is packed with living food energy!

 


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2 cups of firmly packed Greens: spinach, kale, collard, purslane,mango mint ginger

 

1/2 cup of mint

 

1/2 lemon with rind for bioflavonoids

 

1/2 avocado

 

1 mango (fresh or frozen)

 

2 cups of water

 

1 Tbs. of Spirulina, hemp powder, maca, optional

 

Enjoy your smoothie and have a wonderful day!


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ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH MARINARA SUGO & BRAZIL NUT RAWMESAN 1This has got to be my favorite savoury living dish.

It’s so simple and quick to make.

For this recipe you will need a spiralizer or a peeler, and a food processor.

 

Yield: 2 people

2 medium zucchinis peeled

 

BRAZIL NUT RAWMESAN

ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH MARINARA SUGO & BRAZIL NUT RAWMESANI like to start using the food processor for the rawmesan before I do the sugo (‘sauce’ in Italian) so you won’t need to wash the machine afterwards

1cup brazil nuts

2 tbs nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4tsp paprika

1/2tsp garlic powder

1/4-1/2tsp salt

Food process all ingredients until it resembles fine grated parmesan do not over do it or else the oils will release from the nuts and make the whole mixture wet.

Pour into a small dish and set aside for later.

 

 

 

 

 

SUGO

4x tomatoes seeded

1cup sundried tomatoes

1tsp dried oregano

1tsp dried basil

2 medjool dates pitted

½ cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

small handful fresh basil

2 tbs capers whole optional

2 tbs olives pitted roughly chopped optional

Food process the first 7 ingredients until well incorporated and not too smooth, adjust salt and pepper to taste

Add fresh basil and pulse a few time

Pour into a bowl and add capers and chopped olives -fold through

 

 

 

TO MAKE THE ZUCCHINI PASTA:

Peel (optional) the Zucchini and cut in 1/2- see the image below and spiral away.

ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH MARINARA SUGO & BRAZIL NUT RAWMESAN

 

 

 

Place a generous handful of Zucchini pasta on a plate, pour the Sugo over it, and sprinkle the rawmesan. Bon appetite!


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Picture

In this blogpost I introduce one of the most important people in my life—Har.  He is one of the farmers who grows my food.
But it wasn’t always like that.

 

When I first began to get serious about my health and what I ate I started to look for the most accessible way to get the freshest produce. Living in the city the local health food shops didn’t quite stock the freshest choices. There just wasn’t the demand for it. And it was  over priced for the amounts that I needed to sustain myself.

 

So I found the main organic distributors. The middle man. The companies that bought bulk from the farmers and then supplied the organic shops and businesses in town. The alarm would be set for 4am and with a 40 minute drive to the fringes of the city, this would be our weekly dedicated ‘shopping trip’.

 

Armed with a trolley the size of a mini platform we would shop alongside the health store owners in the huge market sheds. Most things had to be bought in bulk. So whatever was in season was eaten. We were coming home with boxes of cos lettuce, a variety of greens, an abundance of vegetable and fruits, perhaps it was oranges and cherries that week, and peaches and passion fruits the following week. Life was pretty simple, we might not have been eating a huge variety however what we were eating was all organic and it tasted fantastic.

 

And It made me happy knowing that I was one step closer to eating from the land.

 

Things have changed since then. I ended up moving closer to the farmer. But the farmers also have better access to us now. Today due to the demand, Farmers’ Markets have exploded in most places. It’s so good to see! We really have many more choices today, real opportunities to vote with our dollar to make a stand for what is most important to us.

 

In this video I share my joy and love for organic farming and knowing where my food comes from.

 

From being a shopper in stores who bought food off the shelves and in boxes, it’s now all about my relationship with the very person that grows it.
Picking lettuce, rocket, all the herbs that I’ll be eating that week whilst catching up with Har is so enriching.

 

Its really living from mother earth to the table. And this gives me a sense of community and interaction that I never felt before, enriching my life even more.

 

See you in Bali on our next 100% organic retreat! www.artofliferetreats.com
Oksana


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Picture Many people ask us before we run retreats whether there will be coffee.

It’s like they think they might be doing something naughty or wrong by wanting a cup of coffee in the morning.

 

A part of our retreat process is to help you question these types of assumptions that can lead to feelings of guilt or shame.  We are about happiness after all!

 

It does not mean we are hedonists promoting everything that feels good.  We just try to help you towards a healthier line of thinking so you can make more informed decisions for yourself, that’s all.

 

And managing people’s coffee expectations at our yoga and raw food retreat is not hard! We drink coffee!  And, we also want to be flexible enough to try different things too.

 

Below are our quick thoughts on coffee.  You will see that some of us have much more knowledge than others and, perhaps most importantly, that we try not to just drink coffee simply out of habit and have had a little think about what we are doing to get to the places we are now—different places as they are!

 

 

I had a big break from coffee a couple years back when I started being 100 percent raw. My body just couldn’t tolerate it so I stopped.

 

When on raw food I was getting naturally  stimulated therefore coffee’s stimulating properties were almost too much to handle.

 

Now, since being on an 80 percent raw food intake, I have discovered the coffee bean again.  But I always question where  it comes from and how has it been processed etc.

 

I prefer quality to quantity.

 

I love it black but sometimes crave the odd nut milk latte.

 

Oksana
I love the smell of the coffee. And I certainly have a taste for good coffee. I like trying different brews and filtration systems, at the moment I am into Flores and Toraja coffee (different regions in Indonesia). It’s a darker bean, almost black and had a more rounded earthy chocolate taste to it.

 

I drink my coffee black. And I generally don’t drink it first thing in the morning.

 

I am very aware of what its effects are on my body.

 

Coffee has a bad name for it because it’s addictive, can make you jittery, acidic and ‘over stimulated’. Many people ‘use’ coffee to move their bowels in the morning.

 

There are 2 types of coffee bean – the Robusta and Arabica bean.

 

The Robusta coffee is a lower grade bean produced heavily by 3rd world countries for big corporation to produce a cheap high caffeinated bean to flood the market. Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, Nestle etc. If it is Big it is using the robusta bean.

 

The Arabica bean is the higher grade bean, grows usually at higher altitude, and needs more refined conditions.

 

The caffeine content is what most people get addicted to. Caffeine effects your nervous system and your adrenals. But the most unfavouable quality of coffee is actually its acidity levels. It takes 12 cups of water to reduce the effect of one cup of coffee in your system! That’s 12 cups of water!!!

 

The smell and the colour of acidic urine is strong! So watch your pee and make sure you drink lots of water to dilute the effects from your body.

 
I forced myself to start drinking coffee when I started work to be social! I didn’t like it at first but I soon began to. I only had one cup a day.

 

Then one day I was not able to have my coffee at the regular time due to some routine change.

 

I got this massive headache that lasted all day and I did not know what it was.

 

I later figured out that it was this one cup of coffee that my body became addicted to. I didn’t like the idea of being addicted to something.  This was all before my days as a practicing yogi.

 

So I stopped for a while.  However, the ritual of a hot drink at certain times was very calming so I was just having something else like a tea or herbal tea or something.

 

Over time I somehow felt it was time to have some coffee again and I gradually started drinking it.  It actually gave me some sort of physiological lift.  I think it is the caffeine and it has an effect on my blood pressure.  I have naturally quite low blood pressure, which, if it gets too low can make you feel very weak and unable to do anything.  I have not had this scientifically verified or anything!  But, what I found was that without changing anything else—exercise, diet (vegetarian, a lot of it raw), that cup of coffee seemed to make a difference.

 

So now I drink coffee again.  I will have to look at the type of coffee now Im more informed.  You will see I am the most unrefined of the foodies here but that is where I am at.  I use an aeropress.

 

I remember reading Iyengar’s book, Light on Yoga, and in the beginning section it talks about having a cup of tea or coffee in the morning before your practice.  I thought, well, if Iyengar says then there you go!

 

However, I am always acutely aware that coffee is large source of income for millions of people in developing countries.  I know that labour conditions are not always the best for them and I hope that can be improved.

 

Apparently:
65 years after their last meeting  BKS Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois met again, and their topic of conversation was their mutual love for coffee!


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PictureIn general jams have been made from the need to preserve fruit so you can enjoy them and their flavours in periods in which it’s hard to source them.

 

At the time of ancient Rome there were very similar products to jam, made from whole fruit dipped in sweet wine, mulled wine, juice and even honey.

 

The Italian Geography of fruit and their flavours are:

 

South Italy, thanks to high temperatures is famous for citrus marmalade.
Lemon marmalade in Sicily, oranges in Calabria and quince and figs in Puglia. In these lands citrus are vast and can enjoy a hot and tireless sun.

 

Central Italy offers a wide range of grape jam.

 

In Northern Italy, thanks to the humid climate, the forest fruits are used for jams. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.

 

Jam can be made from: cherries, plums, oranges, strawberries, peaches, apricots.  One of the greatest benefits of not boiling the fruit unlike  the traditional way of making jam is that all the enzymes are intact and so much less sugar is needed. They can enjoyed with raw crackers and breads.

 

It’s ideal for the whole family.

 

An abundance of colors and flavours to be tasted at any time of the day: breakfast, snack time and can also be used for the preparation of so many other raw sweets.

 

I used lemon and dates as the preservative. Dates with its natural sugar enables ‘marmelada’ a 4-5 day life in the fridge.

 

Ingredients:

  • 500g of ripe apricots, or any fruit of your choice
  • 7-8 large fresh dates
  • Juice-half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon peel
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

 

Put all the ingredients in food processor and process until a thick mass – the marmelada is formed. It will need 2-3 min, depends of the power of food processor.

 

Put the jam into a jar, eat and store the rest in the fridge.

 

 

Hugs from Italy! :))
Neli Todorov writes an active blog http://nelisraw.blogspot.it/ and shares news of workshops and events on her facebook page


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Hello! I’m a raw food chef from Italy.

 

I studied architecture in Venice and worked for 3-4 years in a company of light as a designer. I never liked the idea to spend my life in front of the computer and always had a passion for a healthy lifestyle. When I started to eliminate meat and fish, step by step I started to eat more raw food and my passion came alive.

 

I studied this philosophy with books and practices. And as I witnessed amazing benefits in my own life, I decided to start teaching others about raw food. Art and creativity has always been part of me and I try to put my inspiration on the plate, using lots of colors to encourage the appetite with different tastes.

 

Italy has always been known for good food. Italians love to eat. Italian tables are full of fresh flavored food. With every main meal there is always a large fresh salad. Italy is rich in diverse vegetables and fruits, Italians are known to eat a lot of vegetables. In recent years there is a growing interest in raw food, fruitarians, 80/10/10 diet – it’s alive everywhere.

 

There are many social gatherings and dinners based on raw foods. Raw food is now amongst nutritionists, natropaths, doctors, personal trainers who inform others about the many benefits of this lifestyle; people who tell their stories of sustainable consumption and healthy living.

 

This is a general Raw menu in Italy:

 

Breakfast: Juice of carrots, beetroot, apple and ginger with carrot cake.
Snack: Dried fruit
Lunch: Radicchio with dried tomatoes and sunflower seeds
Snack: Raw tart with blueberries
Dinner: Pappardelle pasta of carrots with ricotta seeds
Dessert: Peach sorbet

 

How Italy loves pasta! We are always in demand for recipe’s which will show how to make raw bread or a typical Italian dish (pasta, ravioli, rice). I want to present this recipe to you from the south of Italy “Taralli”.

Taralli
is a special Apulian recipe, a genuine snack for adults and children. Taralli can be sweet or savory. Savory Taralli may be flavored with onion, garlic, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, fennel, pepper, chili or just salt. Taralli are oval shaped about 1 to 1.5 inches in circumference. This recipe is great when traveling, when you are not able to buy fruit.

 

This is a savory Pictureversion:

 

Ingredients:
1 cup millet flour (millet flour makes “Taralli” crispy)
1/2 cup pulp sesame
½ cup soaked buckwheat
1 cup of green olives
½ cup water or less
salt is not needed because of the salty olives

 

Put all the ingredients in a food processor until the dough forms into a rough mass. Pinch walnut-sized pieces of dough, roll first between your hands, and then against the wooden cutting board, so that the dough forms a thin rope, about ½ inch (1 cm) in diameter and 4” long (10 cm). Shape each rope into a ring, and seal the edges together by pressing lightly, then set aside the Taralli rings on a teflex sheets. Season with cumin and put in a dehydrator at 42 degrees for 12 hours or until perfectly crispy.

 

Enjoy the flavors of Italy!

 

Neli Todorov writes an active blog http://nelisraw.blogspot.it/ and shares news of workshops and events on her facebook page


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I wasn’t sure about writing a detox blog this year because it seemed predictable, but something clicked inside of me and I wanted to write about how we can learn to listen more about our body and know when it is time to reboot or reset the button.

 

There are many reasons why people have the need to clean out the cobwebs. Here the main reasons:
overindulgence
chronic-stress
Picture   fatigue
sluggishness
digestive problems (bloating,skin problems)

 

Results:
Gain more energy
increase vitality
refined senses
clear mind and focus
positivity
inspired and motivate

 

Realigning with our internal guidance system is the reason why I detox.  I love the way my food-mind -body comes into balance. We need to learn how to listen to our body’s and know when it is time.

 

Here is a really simple plan.

 

1 big glass of warm water with Lemon or Apple cider vinegar upon rising.
1/2 an hour later 1 smoothie

 

    Ginger/Mint/Mango Smoothie

 

2 cups firmly packed Greens: spinach, kale, collard, purslane,
1/2 cup mint
1/2 lemon with rind for bioflavanoids
1/2 avocado
1 mango fresh or frozen
2 cups water
1 Tbs. spirulina, hemp powder, maca, optional

 

Blend in a high speed blender until smooth

 

Drink lots of water during the day

   Coriander, Spinach Sweet Potato Soup

 

2 cups Spinach or Kale
1/2 cup coriander
1/2 avocado
1-2 Tbs. Coconut oil
1/2 sweet potato cubed
1 small nob tumeric fresh
2 cups water

 

Blend in a high speed blender and consume around 4 pm

 

Daily skin brushing – The skin is our biggest organ, by invigorating the whole body we allow the toxins to come out.  It’s a  really simple process to get the skin smooth and glowing, and also great for those stubborn cellulite areas too!

 

Sauna – infra-red saunas are the best, but any sauna will steam-clean you from the inside out. Make this a weekly habit for a month and just feel the difference.

 

Exercise – this means walking, yoga, swimming – get out and about as much as you can.

 

Meditation – Find a nice tranquil place and make this your special meditation spot. Just 15 minutes a day with the intention of being still and quiet will do wonders for you.

 

By making small changes to your routine you can experience great benefits. It doesn’t mean you have to go-hard or go-home, it doesn’t mean you need to restrict yourself and push yourself to the edge every time. Just a few simple additions to your daily life will bring a spring back to your step, and you never know perhaps they will become a regular part of your  life.

 

Be happy, love life and shine!

 


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PictureAs a yogi, looking down at my toes is a daily event in my life. From Uttanasana (forward bend) to Salamba Sarvangasana (headstand), there are many poses in between that bring my awareness in close proximity to the other ‘district’ of me.

 

I’m not sure how long it had been til my mind registered that there was a small bump on my right toe. The registry had been made some time ago, but it was only two weeks ago that I stopped and really looked at it, what was that?

 

Surprisingly, under closer inspection I discovered  it was a dreaded wart! I’d never experienced any growths, and this one took me aback. Having practiced self-care over the years through high vibe nutrition, keeping the body alkaline,  periodic cleansing and with a deep interest in health, I instantly made a self inquiry into my routine and practices. Where could I have gone wrong?

 

It was only after doing some research that I found out that warts stem from a virus. Although this  doesn’t rebuke that my immune system might not have been in top shape for the virus to have set in in the first place.

 

Warts are viral and usually located on the hands or feet. They can enter through broken skin. This is where I put 2 and 2 together – below the toe nail had been a cuticle cut that hadn’t healed properly.

 

Conventional methods suggest burning, freezing and using invasive (in my view) procedures. So instead I went for the Reference Guide to Essential Oils book. Essential therapeutic oils are said to be mankind’s first medicine. They’re potent liquids that are distilled from plants – including seeds, bark, leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruit. Because of their potency they are very powerful.

 

There were a couple of suggestions for warts so I took the principle recipe:

 

2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 5 drops of cypress and 10 drops of lemon oil. Apply twice daily, and bandage. Keep a bandage on until the wart is gone. From this I made my own concoction using apple cider vinegar, cypress, clove, oregano and cinnamon bark. And followed the instructions.

 

Two days later I felt a slight tingling sensation every time I applied the potion. A scab had formed right at the top of the wart and I could literally feel the oils working their magic. Within a week  I could safely say that the growth  was gone.

 

Raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother culture so that it’s living) is also a very powerful natural tonic. My mother swears by it for getting rid of her varicose veins, and together with the oils it made the best natural remedy possible. All from the comfort of my own home.

 

Self care is an important part of the way I want to live my life.  I want to take responsibility for everything that happens to me – which is what brought me to yoga in the first place. To bring myself closer to being responsible for me. Thank you dear wart for reminding me of this.

 

Keeping my mat clean (also using natural oils), keeping my feet clean and going to salons for pedicures that are hygienic, are all part of my new Happy Feet Routine.

 

Toes – with or without warts, I still love my toes…. but so much better without.


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