Peel, slice, and blanch fresh raw carrots .

Peel and cut fresh raw ginger.

Mix carrots, ginger, and green onions with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

Enjoy after refrigerating. Carrot Ginger Salad.

The attacking bear was not practicing yoga

Yes, seriously.

The Ashville Citizen-Times’ awesomely titled “Woman credits yoga with saving her from bear mauling” reports that Ruth McNair, a longtime runner, survived a bear mauling by climbing a tree and wrapping her arms and legs around the trunk, similar to an eagle pose. The frustrated bear eventually abandoned the attack, slinking into the woods with her cubs.

“I’m doing more yoga and less running,” says Ruth. “There aren’t bears in the (yoga) room.”

Though the pose itself  was definitely a factor in surviving the attack, we think Ruth’s decidedly yogic perspective also had something to do with it: “I got away from a bear,” she says. “If I can do that, I can do anything. Like everything in life, you have what you need when you need it. For me, it was that little tree.” Indeed.

*No heads actually collapsed in the making of this or other headstand-based videos

Still figuring out how to lift into a traditional headstand?  Here’s our take on this classic pose:

The benefits of headstand (sirshasana) are numerous. Here are just a few:

• Strengthens the arms and shoulders
• Brings circulation to the face, neck and brain
• Reverses the effects of gravity on the lungs and diaphragm, allowing you to exhale more fully
• Allows the body to be in a state of rest and activity contemporaneously

If you’re a new headstander, don’t worry- the video on wall supported headstand will be up tomorrow!

People often ask me why I decided to open Sorrento Valley Yoga.

Simply put, it’s because yoga is my “soul purpose” in life. It is apparent to me that there are two things I am here to do:

1. To connect with people through yoga.
2. To help people cultivate a personal yoga practice.

With that in place, my dharma/path is unfolding.  I have been practicing consistently for over a decade now, and I love that all I need to practice yoga is my breath.  Yes, I also love my Manduka Black Mat and Yogitoes towel, but you do not have to be in a yoga studio or on a yoga mat to practice yoga.  This realization came to me about 8 years into my practice: After taking and instructing Bikram yoga classes for nearly 10 years, I started to branch out by learning Surya Namaskara A/Sun Salutations.  I realized it was possible to start an asana practice outside of a normal class setting, and started to play around with inversions. Before I knew it, I was doing asanas/postures in my living room, on the grass, at the beach, everywhere. I would instinctively choose to sit on the floor rather than the couch, or rest in  child’s pose/ balasana when I was tired.

When I opened Sorrento Valley Yoga, I knew I wanted to connect with people through yoga.  My second “soul purpose” did not reveal itself until a few months after I had opened the studio space. We have loads of asana/posture classes at SVY, but I wanted to give the students more, so I started a program called Practitioner Development. The idea was that we would do a normal asana/posture class and then have a discussion after, or we would host a guest yogi or yogini to come and share their perspective on one of the limbs of yoga.  I decided to host a Practitioner Development and emphasize that the students could find yoga outside of the studio space. This idea was met with criticism by a few who felt that if I emphasized yoga outside of the studio I would be out of business! I knew better, and with that my second soul purpose in life was born.

You should attend a yoga class to learn proper alignment, focus points, breathing techniques, and to enjoy the energy of practicing with others and trying new things.  But ultimately, you are your own guru/ teacher. If you find yourself overwhelmed or tired, practice child’s pose/balasana with your head lower than your heart to bring blood to your brain and calm the central nervous system.  Learn a basic Sun Salutation.  If you are unable to come to class, practice child’s pose for five breaths and then move through 3-5 Sun Salutations and finish with a one minute Savasana/stillness posture.  This will allow you the opportunity to find yoga daily.  I’ve  even found  that practicing yoga 10-15 minutes a day is better than an hour once a week!

Merrin Muxlow and I will be leading our Personal Asana/ Posture Practitioner Development at Sorrento Valley Yoga December 12, 2010 8:30 am – 10:30 am, and I welcome you to participate.  Though I hope to see you on the mat from time to time, know that practicing in your living room, on the beach, or any other place outside the yoga room is wholeheartedly encouraged by all of the teachers at SVY!

More shots to come soon!

YOGI(NI)* OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

“Wet” Ingredients
8 tablespoons vegan butter or non-hydrogenated shortening (EarthBalance, etc.)
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tsp vanilla
4-5 tbsp maple syrup

“Dry” Ingredients
1 1/2 c. oats
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
spices: cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, whatever you like

Other Ingredients
chopped walnuts
raisins

Pre-heat your electric oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix “wet” ingredients together in an electric mixer until they are the consistency of cake batter.  While wet ingredients are being mixed, combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient mixture slowly, about 1/4 cup at a time, until combined.  Add walnuts and raisins according to taste (just pour ‘em in straight from the bag until it looks “raisiny” enough- usually about 1 c. each of nuts and raisins).

Drop batter in 1 1/2 inch rounds onto the baking sheet, flatten each round with the back of a spoon as you place it down- the cookies will stay about the same size and shape both raw and cooked.

Bake for about 6-7 minutes (about 5-8 sun salutations length), then turn the pan around and bake for another 6-7 minutes (1-2 poses of your choice) so cookies bake evenly- the cook time should not exceed 15 minutes total and will depend on how evenly your oven heats.

Remove cookies from oven and let sit for about 5 (hold a headstand or shoulderstand) minutes before placing on a cookie rack to cool- they will be crumbly when hot.  Enjoy!

*Actually, any baking recipe can be made “yogi style” by doing some yoga when it’s in the oven.