Peppermint, Sacred Geometry, Meditation, and YOU

by guest blogger Marah Marlette

Peppermint...French? or US??
Such a delicious quandary. Lately, I have been driven to use the French Peppermint for some reason, and, have reaped the rewards for listening to her sweet beckoning voice: I have gone out farther in my meditations than ever before. And, BONUS, have had much more recall of lucid dreamtime and participation. OOOH LA LA!!! Vive La France!
Anyone who knows me knows that my loving France is not new news. BUT, disclaimers aside, there is something rather potently different with my new exuberance for the French Peppermint we offer.
I am no dedicated “floor sitter” regarding meditation . No. I do it whenever and whenever I am called to. Iʼve done the concentrated, floor-sitting-lotus stuff too, and still do when I need to, no joke. BUT, when I allow myself to come in and out of meditation throughout my day, every day, well...I think some seriously great magic happens!
Cue Peppermint, French or US. They are both extraordinary at helping us “connect the dots” if you will, regarding meditation time. Not only do they connect us with the sacred geometry inherent in every last little thing, let alone us, they bring clarity like few others can. Imagine this added oomph in your yoga practice, healing practice, education, contemplation, creative endeavors....I think you get the idea.
And then there is the uplifting, cooling relief they offer as well--much needed during these summer months, which in AZ is well, um, downright oppressive at times, even up here towards Sedona. The French Peppermint is far colder than the US, and with that crispness I think comes the extra-cool clarity and awareness.
Donʼt know for sure! But, thatʼs sure how it feels. Thereʼs so much more! But...Iʼll have to save it for another time.
I am so looking forward to our next class in Fort Wayne! The energy around it is building extraordinarily well for me now, and itʼs going to be an amazing adventure and experience.
If you are interested, itʼs not too late to sign up! Go for it! 

About Marah: Marah is a certified Advanced Medicinal Aromatherapist with Wisdom of the Earth. Marah has been studying with the founders of Wisdom of the Earth since early 2008, which has included journeying to France to meet with farmers and learn about the distilling process. She has dedicated her learning of these plant essences to reaching out to others, and offering a bridge between modalities. Through her own journey of healing, the experiential knowledge she brings to teaching will help open your mind and heart to truths long forgotten. Marah will  be visiting PranaYoga on August 25 and 26 to invoke our journey of Medicinal Aromatherapy!!

Along Came Ms. Spikenard By Marah Marlette

I was not particularly eager to use Spikenard, as her fragrance is a bit, um, pungent, if you will.  But, all I kept hearing was "Use me in the bath" for days and days on end, and so I finally agreed.  I decide to also use some Lavender, just to take the edge off not only my day, but of Ms. Spike's earthy, woody, (but sorta stinky) aroma. WELL!  Imagine my surprise when the aroma opens up into this amazing space of clearing on every level of my being!  I didn't realize what a hard day it had been until I got into the essence and sea-salt infused bath, and submerged myself.  I'd been reluctantly using Spikenard only when I "really needed it" for falling asleep, or clearing some negative energy from my field.  What happened was that I was suddenly transported into a meditational state of not only being able to clearly "see" the negative energy being removed from my field and escorted away, but, I suddenly had the image of my oldest daughter (15) staring at me, with her brother and sister right behind her. I thought to myself for just a split second, "Oh this is going to be good...!"  And then my daughter practically yells at me, "MOM!  DID YOU CHANGE YOUR HAIR AGAIN?!" Out of anything I could have imagined she would say to me, I had to laugh. I imagined myself smiling at all three of them, and then just said, "Well, yes honey I did.  Change is the only constant my dear--embrace it now and you will suffer much less in this life." And with that, she paused. "HM." She says, still thinking.  "Well, I still don't know why YOU have to change so much..." I do with that what I do with most of those kinds of comments:  just nod in understanding, smile lovingly, and then go about my business.  I finished my bath, the negative stuff of the day was gone, and I felt liberated from my own self-judgment (coming through an impromptu spiritual conversation with my kid) and began to write. The essences helped me once again gain more perspective and more peace in my life, by amplifying my connection to Source (Spirit, God, et. al...) in my BATH of all things! I just love this stuff...  ;) Next on the list:  Peppermint, meditation, sacred geometry, and YOU!    About Marah: Marah is a certified Advanced Medicinal Aromatherapist with Wisdom of the Earth. Marah has been studying with the founders of Wisdom of the Earth since early 2008, which has included journeying to France to meet with farmers and learn about the distilling process. She has dedicated her learning of these plant essences to reaching out to others, and offering a bridge between modalities. Through her own journey of healing, the experiential knowledge she brings to teaching will help open your mind and heart to truths long forgotten. Marah will  be visiting PranaYoga on August 25 and 26 to invoke our journey of Medicinal Aromatherapy!!

AAAHHHHH.....Aromatherapy!
Not just ANY kind of aromatherapy, but therapeutic, medicinal grade essential essences that commune with us and help us recall our lost knowings of how magnificent and truly integrative we all are!
Imagine my surprise when, maybe just like you, I find myself signing up for a class that teaches an introductory course to medicinal aromatherapy, and have no idea why, other than because I feel led to. No, I couldn’t really “afford” it at the time, but I knew I needed to do it. I wasn’t a “practitioner,” or a massage therapist...I just wanted something more for myself and my journey.
I had no idea what was about to take place, or the transformation that was about to start.
One of my most favorite memories of learning about these essences was having a dream during one of the nights I attended the class. It was Ylang Ylang, in all her Deva-ness, and she had quite a bit to say! Granted, we had plenty of essences poured on ourselves that day, and I’m certain that had a lot to do with my heightened dream-state participation. My life on this earth changed forever after that weekend--and the communication and healing that has happened since then, and the magnification of my awareness and spirituality that has unfolded, is simply awesome.
Practicing with these essences, whether a therapist or not, can only magnify your intent and awareness, and draw to you (and your client, should that be the case) amplified healing and love energy.
The time is now to add to your tool box. :) That’s what I call it: building your tool kit, so you can better serve not only yourself along your journey, but anyone else who happens along your path, if they so choose to be a part of it. These essences are truly “Spirit in a bottle.” I do hope you will join me in celebrating their gifts of healing they have to offer us, through learning and listening to their sweet messages and taking in their amazing aromas.
~Marah
*Next post: Along came Ms. Spikenard...


About the Author 
  Marah Marlette, certified Advanced Medicinal Aromatherapist with Wisdom of
the Earth. Marah has been studying with the founders of Wisdom of the Earth since early 2008,
which has included journeying to France to meet with farmers and learn about the distilling
process. She has dedicated her learning of these plant essences to reaching out to others, and
offering a bridge between modalities. Through her own journey of healing, the experiential
knowledge she brings to teaching will help open your mind and heart to truths long forgotten. Marah will be holding a Level One Aromatherapy Class at PranaYoga this August! Sign up by August 3rd to reserve your space!

A Paleo Experiment: Is it everything they say?!

By Christy Smith

** If you’re just now joining me, here is a brief primer of the diet research study I’m doing for fun. (Yeah, I don’t get out much): I am a blood type A+, my friend Addie is a blood type O+.  In order to test the blood type diet theory, as well as to experiment with two of the most popular diets currently being touted today, Paleo and Vegan, we embarked on a two month diet trial.  Both of us will follow the Paleo diet for 30 days, and then we will both follow a Raw vegan diet for 30 days. During this time we will track our progress in weight, energy, and health changes as well as monitor our pH levels to see how each diet affects us individually.  According to the Blood Type Diet (Dr. D’adamo), I should do great on the Raw vegan diet, and Addie should do best on the Paleo diet.  Stay tuned.

So, here I am at day 15 of the Paleo portion of my crazytown experiment.  I honestly don’t know how I got here.  Three hours after I started this portion of the study, I was over it. I wondered what I had gotten myself into, and how to get myself out of it. But, I stuck it out. I mean, it was just DAY ONE. Surely, I was strong enough to get through one day.  But then, day two came and I felt the same. I started to daydream about running away to a foreign country. Maybe no one would notice!  Or, maybe I could fake an allergy to cavemen. No, these weren’t rational thoughts, but I was desperate.

As I scrambled my pastured eggs and fried up my grass fed bacon, I plotted more ways to get out of this unbelievably horrible….wait.  Did I just say that I’m *allowed*, no ENCOURAGED, to eat eggs and bacon?  BACON?!  And, I’m complaining because..??? Well, let’s not look at those details just yet. Let’s focus on what I couldn’t have, because that’s ultimately what was irritating me the most.  Here is a list of the NO’s on the Paleo diet:

NO sweeteners of any kind (except stevia)(which is gross)

NO dairy

NO grains

NO beans or other legumes (this includes peanuts/peanut butter, people!  PEANUT BUTTER!)

NO white potatoes

NO corn or corn products

NO corn oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil

NO alcohol

Maybe at first glance you think, “Eh, what’s the big deal? It’s a short list.”  And that’s true.  The NO list for Paleo is much shorter than the YES list. However, we as a society have come to rely on the NO list.  Think about your last meal.  Was it Mexican Food? Grains, corn, dairy.  Was it Indian?  Grains, dairy. Was it Italian? Grains, dairy.  Was it Chinese? Japanese?  Grains, grains, grains.  Was it good?  Probably had grains, corn, dairy AND sugar in it!

I love to cook. I am a master at opening up my cabinet/refrigerator/freezer and “winging” a perfectly healthy and tasty meal any night of the week.  But, all of my staples were taken away from me and I had to sort of learn how to cook all over again.  In the fantastic documentary FRESH, there is a quote that pretty much sums this up: “Americans fear only one thing: Inconvenience.” And I was pretty inconvenienced. I had to second guess every. single. ingredient. I would grab cayenne pepper and stop and ask myself, “Wait, did the cavemen eat cayenne pepper?”  Thank GOD for Google!  So, on and on it went for about a week until I finally got into my groove back.

The cost of a Paleo diet is also high if you follow the protocol that I am following, which is protein at every meal, about the size of your palm, all from grass fed/grass finished or pastured animals. Eating a high quality meat is a key factor in Paleo, and one that I am 100% behind. Don’t eat cheap meat. You get what you pay for. I am also finding out that most people who say that they are Paleo are really just a modified version of Paleo.  So, if you’re contemplating following a Paleo diet and are worried about the cost, don’t be.  You can simply eat less meat, or skip meat once in a while; it’s up to you and your wallet to decide that one. 

After researching “paleo” recipes on the internet in an effort to get a pizza fix, I quickly realized that most of these recipes call for some kind of sweetener and dairy.  Many so called Paleo recipes were not really Paleo at all!  They were just grain free, which apparently is the primary concern for cavemen wannabes. So, again, if you’re considering this way of eating, you may not have to suffer as I am, since it seems you can have dairy and maple syrup/honey from time to time without being considered rogue. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world. But, if you have it in you, I highly recommended doing a strict Paleo diet for a few weeks, if not 30 days, just to check in with your body and see how it does without the dairy and sugars. 

Well, so back to my main point…after I realized that I was grumpy about a diet that allowed me to eat eggs and bacon, it kind of helped me get through day 2.  I started to focus on what I COULD have (always a good idea), and I started to get the hang of the ins and outs of the diet. Of course I was having major withdrawal symptoms from my daily consumption of caffeine, organic cane sugar in my tea, dairy, and grains.  These symptoms were clouding my thoughts and draining my energy, so I pretty much just slept through days 3 and 4.  I had zero energy!  None.  I also was hungry constantly. My pH levels were in the toilet. Literally.  Did I mention that I was grumpy?

But thankfully day 5 brought a much brighter, and lighter, me.  I had dropped 5 pounds by then, and was starting to get my energy back. It was still not enough energy to exercise though, which was bumming me out, but at least I wasn’t sleepy anymore. However, over the last few days I’ve had a lot more energy and even managed to catch a class at my favorite yoga place, Pranayoga. I can’t even say how much I needed that, both mentally and physically.  I knew I wanted to incorporate yoga during this diet study as a way to help cleanse my body but also to gain some mental focus. My muscles were sore the next day, and were a gentle reminder that I need to use them more! 

I can’t say that the Paleo diet is the one for me, or not, just yet. But, I have become much more conscious of what I eat, and it is helping me as a nutritionist to understand what my clients might go through, as well as what aspects I want to continue to focus on after the diet is over. I think anyone who struggles with food or their weight needs to get themselves into a 30 day diet challenge just to put a perspective on how food works with their body.  

I came into nutrition school feeling as though there was only one way for people to eat and I was determined to be that person who finally discovered the secret. But, now, after tons of reading, research, and personal experience, I realize that each person has a diet that is right for them. Almost like a fingerprint, we are each unique in our nutritional needs as well.  I hope to be able to educate people to learn to listen to their inner nutritionist so that they can intuitively understand the right foods to eat.  Eating healthy shouldn’t be such a challenge.  I mean, if a caveman could do it…

If you’d like to follow my daily meals and other fun informative nutrition tips, please like my page on Facebook!

About the Author:

Bio: Christy Smith, a Fort Wayne native, is a Certified Nutrition Therapist in pursuit of her Master Nutrition Degree through the Nutrition Therapy Institute out of Denver. Her passion for cooking, food, and health have combined into a new venture, Whole to Healthy Nutrition Services. She is excited to share her no-nonsense approach to healing with whole foods.

A New Beginning - Finding Prana

posted by guest blogger Rachel Davison

 

Prana (n.) Sanskrit

"vital life" (from the root prā "to fill", cognate to Latin: plenus "full"); One of the five organs of vitality or sensation; "breath"

 

I have always felt a little bit like I follow the wind, that I move where and when life takes me with little resistance. I moved to Fort Wayne last August without knowing a soul.  A teaching job found me and brought me to the Midwest, to Indiana, to a small city, for the first time in my life.  It seemed like a time for new beginnings and I decided, before I moved, to start a yoga practice once I arrived. In my search for a studio I found Pranayoga.

 

I had taken yoga classes a few times before, but mostly in college and never regularly.  After my first (free!) class I was impressed and decided to make a commitment to myself, my body, my future health and well-being. September 1, 2011, I bought the unlimited pass. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I committed to coming 6 days a week for the first month. After that, I would see where things stood.

 

While l am relatively young (29), I was far from fit. Those first weeks I spent more time in Balasana (Child’s Pose, Wisdom Pose) than I did in any other pose.  Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) was a kind of inverted torture, my stomach distended and pressing into my chest, wrists shaking. They said it was a resting pose. I didn’t believe them and my labored breathing was anything but peaceful.  I remember, after week three asking Dani, the owner, if I would ever stop being sore. The dull ache of my newly formed muscles became a constant reminder of my commitment. Did I mention I was mostly taking only basic classes?

 

But slowly I began to notice the changes: by week three I was finishing sequences, staying in Downward Dog for those five long breaths, by week four I could turn my head up to face the ceiling in Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) while still being able to breathe. I could feel the strength forming, flowing.

 

It wasn’t only the physical changes that I noticed. Life changes that are associated with high stress: new job, new city, maintaining a long-distance romantic relationship, working with young adolescents…it was a surprisingly peaceful time and while I like to think that it is just part of the inherent stability of my character, I wouldn’t be giving credit where it is due. This peaceful transition into a new life was largely influenced by the peaceful hours I spent in that little studio on Pearl Street. Every teacher, every practitioner, is uplifting and genuine and called to their practice and teaching by a deep love for yoga and for their students’ well being.

 

Obviously, I kept going.

 

I remember my first headstand (Month 2). Discovering my love of Wild-thing (Camatkarasana) with its long cat-like stretch and challenge. After about 4 months, I was able to finally do Chaturanga without having my knees on the ground. My breathe steadied as my ankles steadied in Tree (Vrksasana). And I kept going.

 

I came to love Prana and yoga: The difficult heated practices where the sweat soaked the small of my back and dripped from my eyelashes. The peace of the decadent, candle-soaked Restorative, where adults go to relive the peace of preschool naptime. The feeling of my body changing, my strength growing as my chants, my prana, deepened. Seeing the smiling faces of my friends, my yoga family.

 

After about six months I decided that I had to learn more. I began to look into the opportunities to take my teacher training. To grow my own practice and to help others discover the joy in yoga that I have.  I have decided to take the Fall 200hr Yoga Teacher Training.

 

As a kind of spiritual preparation I will also be traveling to India this summer. Among other adventures and experiences I will spend a week in yoga practice at an ashram in Rishikesh, on the banks of the flowing Ganges, where yoga was born.

 

The year has been transformative, inspirational and flowing and I thank Dani and her staff and all the practitioners for their loving support.  Namaste.

Spring Cleaning

Here we are caught in the essence of spring.  New life, new patterns, new colors surround us. Emerging from the cold, still, grey of winter. Spring gives us a reminder of hope and change. We clear out our clutter, embark on new project and begin to migrate outside.  Several of us in the community have also committed to cleaning out our bodies.  We have made the commitment to give up processed foods, sugar, caffeine, sugar,  meat, dairy, and did i mention sugar(yes that means chocolate too). we will be eating a mono-diet of kitchari for 5 days and mainly rice and veggies for the rest of the 2 weeks.  What many of us have already began to experience or will, very soon, is our emotional connection to food.  from the first moments of life we find food as a connection of love and nurturing from out mother's breast.  In yoga we call the physical body(or food body) Annamaya. Anna meaning mother; nurture.  As yogis we should seek foods that have "prana" life force, rather than packaged, processed, foods of convenience that we ALL tend to grab much of the time.  As we detox our bodies more is happening than the physical cleanse.  We witness emotions and habitual patterns of the past floating to the surface of our consciousness.  As children we have a healthy expression of anger, sadness, and joy.  As adults we learn to put these emotions aside(for it isn't always convenient to throw a temper tantrum in the supermarket..without getting weird looks.) Our emotional connection to food is something we can't escape.  Spring, the season that is associated with the organ, the liver. And the liver is associated with anger.  As a recovering people pleaser i have always had a hard time expressing anger, it wasn't ladylike.  I now realize that by not expressing anger(in a healthy way) i was closing off a part of myself, and on the flip side felt weak and disempowered. Anger is the pressure needed for change, the way the earth gently presses on a seed to inspire growth and birth or re-birth.  By closing doors to one emotion, we close doors to receiving the benefits of another emotion.  As we make transformation in our bodies, in our homes, and in our relationships we may have to clean out a few skeletons that we forgot were in the basement, from a Halloween past, hidden behind the items we don't mind people seeing.  Awareness is the first part of the practice.  Become aware of what you are holding onto, what you are giving attention too, and what you have been avoiding, and let the new colors of springtime blossom into your life. Springtime is the perfect time to stretch your limits, to test your comfort zone, and to start something new(like trying yoga, taking a trip, starting a creative project). Take it slow and steady and remember it may not always be easy, but it will be worth it!!