Happy New Year!!!

Om. Om. Om.

Merry Christmas!!!

Chi mangia bene italiano

"Those who eat well, eat Italian." I got that from Italianni's in Trinoma and saved it on my phone a couple of months back.  I finally found the right opportunity to share it with you.

Two night's ago, we had a pre-Christmas dinner with UP and Pep friends.  I prepared pasta arrabiata and meatless "meatballs".

Again, photo is not mine.  You can click on the image to view its source.

Singdaan faailohk

Merry Christmas!.. in three days.

Today, the routine goes on.  Sleep over in the morning and wake up just in time for coffee and a quick breakfast.  Then the movie.  Dave (1993) starring Kevin Klein and Sigourney Weaver.

It's my 3rd day in Hong Kong and how can I stay here and not cook Chinese food?  For lunch, we had Chinese fried rice.

Hul toredo/toredeena falafel?

In English, do you want a falafel sandwich?

Photo by US Masala

I've been wanting to make falafel and if I remembered it correctly, I wasn't very successful the first time I tried.  Just an hour ago, I made my first successful version of this wonderful protein-rich dish from the Middle East.  According to Denise Hazime, founder of DedeMed Mediterranean Cooking, falafel is traditionally made with fava beans.   As the recipe moved North along the Mediterranean, people began to combine it with chickpeas.  Some also use mung beans, I believe.

A bottle of tahini is very expensive here so I didn't bother getting one.  I thought I'd made my own version so what I did was research on the basics and see if I can let go of the other ingredients like the fresh parsley and cilantro.  Although it would taste much better with those fresh herbs.

From what I gathered, I could make a simple falafel with the following ingredients: chickpeas, onions, garlic, parsley, coriander powder, cumin powder, flour, and salt and pepper.  Since I'm just here for one week, I looked at what RJ and his flatmates have in their kitchen.  I saw a bottle of curry powder and thought I'd simply use that instead of coriander and cumin powder.  Instead of using flour also, I used egg as binder.

Here's exactly what I did.  I emptied one 15 oz can of chickpeas in a colander and let it drain for a few hours.  Once the drained, I mashed the chickpeas with a fork, added a handful of chopped white onions, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of curry powder, and 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper.  I then mixed everything together before I added one egg.  Again, I mixed the "dough" well until everything is incorporated.  I let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before I formed it into 1 tablespoon balls.  Then I fried the falafel balls in a medium hot vegetable oil for about 2 minutes per side.  They didn't have paper towels so I simply placed the cooked falafel balls on a plate after frying.

I made a simple garlic sauce by combining 2 cloves of minced garlic in one cup of plain yoghurt... sliced some tomatoes, cucumber, and white onions... arranged the fresh vegetables on a pita bread and placed 2 falafel balls on top.  Spread some garlic-yoghurt sauce on top and folded the bread.  Took my first bite and alhumdoolillah, it was yummy.

For a more professional way of preparing a falafel, here's DedeMed's video on how to make a falafel.  Enjoy.



Lazeez!

French connection

That's my friend Moppet.  I was behind the camera.  And that's the Louvre Museum in Paris.

It was the year 2000.  My first trip abroad.  First time to perform Philippine folk dance.  First time to dance in front of an international audience.  First glimpse of the Middle East (we took Gulf Air to Doha, then to Abu Dhabi, then Paris).  First taste of authentic French food... Belgian beer... and Swiss chocolate.  I was just starting to become vegetarian.

The dance festival wasn't in Paris though.  It was in the south of France. It was in Montoire.  Here's the poster of the festival in 2000 reposted here from the official festival website.  Four weeks in France, one week in Belgium, then one week in Switzerland.  It was surreal.

Ahhh... memories.  The thoughts of European countryside is enough to make me want to go back.  I can either do that through yoga or grad studies.  Let's see what happens next year.

What triggered all these reminiscing?  Oh, it's the breakfast.  I made French toast.  But is French toast really French?  Let me refer you to Koerner (2003) and Shilcutt (2010).

Anyway, for this morning's breakfast.  I used 1 egg, 4 tablespoons of full cream evaporated milk, 2 tablespoons of water, and half a teaspoon of sugar.  Mix well.  Use half of the mixture to coat one slice (about 6x6 inches) of whole wheat bread.  Cook in a hot nonstick pan.  Turn over after a minute or two.  Spread some butter on the cooked top side.  Turn over and then again some butter.  Plate and sprinkle with cinnamon powder.  Serve it with your favorite jam.  Nice with hot chocolate or coffee latte.

The photo is not mine.  It's from Shilcutt's article.

A la prochaine. Bonne journee!

Creamy Vegetarian Macaroni Soup

I arrived here an hour past midnight.  Naturally, one would simply sleep and rest the entire morning and that's exactly what I did.  At about 10am, I decided to do a short asana and simple pranayama practice.  This weather is very good for sitting practices... it helps calm and clear the mind.

At 1pm, I decided to go to Tung Chung to buy the ingredients for this evening's dinner and tomorrow's lunch.  So even though rJ and his flatmates won't be home until about 9pm, dinner is ready.  I'll be going back to Tung Chung in a while though to meet a UP CHK colleague.

I believe I've made this soup in the past and posted the recipe here.  Earlier today, I googled "Filipino sopas recipe" and checked the ingredients just to make sure I had the basics in mind.  What's new with this evening's soup is the chopped cabbage.  I don't think I used that in the previous recipe.  I have to check.

Anyway, here it goes...

Saute minced garlic (about 5 cloves) in oil, then add 1-2 handfuls of chopped white onion.  Stir for 1 minute until onion becomes translucent and aromatic.  Add 350g chopped vegetarian/fake chicken (or tofu).  Stir.  Add 1 L water and bring to boil.  Once boiling, add 350g elbow macaroni and cook for 5-8 minutes.  Add 2-3 cups of vegetable cubes (carrots, peas, corn kernels... I used the frozen mixed vegetables because it's cheaper).  Stir in 2-3 vegetable stock cubes.  Mix well.  Add water if necessary.  Add 2 handfuls of chopped cabbage. Stir and simmer for one minute.  Stir in evaporated milk until desired consistency and milkiness is achieved.  Add 2-3 tablespoons butter.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add a little bit of sugar to bring out the flavor and it's ready.

Perfect for this cold weather.

Tomorrow... felafel sandwich with garlicky yoghurt dressing.

Photos next time.

Your blog is dying...

... said a really good friend.

Maybe it is.

The reason I put up this blog 3 years ago was to have an online journal of my journey into the realm of yoga and vegetarianism.  I had doubts in my writing ability so I just started out by entering my food intake, recipes, and outline of my daily activities.  With Saraswati's guidance, I sometimes write something worth reading.  Most of time though, it's just ordinary writing.  Nothing special.

My plan for the next two weeks though is to spend more time in the kitchen so I can keep this blog alive.  I think even in a small way, this blog has helped provide bits of information about yoga, vegetarian recipes, and the Philippines.

The goal is to come up with 5 recipes this holiday break.

Om.

Yoga and the Anatomy of Breathing with Paul Dallaghan

Photo is from http://www.yogaretreats.ie/

Grateful to have studied with both Paul and Tiwariji.  Tomorrow, I shall reconnect with my teacher.

Click here for the workshop details.

Savory Squash Soup |

Savory Squash Soup |

Squash soup is a personal favorite. Unfortunately, no cooking has been happening since I can't remember when, thus the silence. I found this in my inbox a while ago and decided to break the silence because this dish, for me, is special. Easy to make, healthy, and comforting.

I have some nice photos of Gumasa and I'll upload them soon. I was in Koronadal, South Cotabato two weekends ago for a family reunion - my maternal grandmom's 90th birthday and my brother's 14th.

Yes, Johann is 14 years old already. Mashallah, he's growing to be a fine young kid.

Dinner was good this evening. Not homecooked but it was good, tasty, and something I missed. Felafel sandwich and lentil soup. Made me think of Saudi which I somehow miss.

Paul will be here in less than two weeks and it will be good to reconnect.

Until next time.

Om.

Kimchi Fried Rice

Just like when I first tasted durian, I hated the taste of kimchi.  But now, the taste buds are more cultured.

Here's a kimchi fried rice recipe from Tasty Meals at Home.

Top it with nori and its even more delicious.

jal-meok-kket-sseum-ni-da

I love kesong puti (white cheese)

According to this article, kesong puti (Philippine white cheese) is high in protein, low in fat and carbohydrate.  It's not vegan-friendly as rennet is used to form the curd.  I'm not in that level of awareness yet so maybe if I'm reborn human again in my next lifetime, I'll be a vegan.  For now, I'm happy to be ovo-lacto-vegetarian.

Three days ago, I rediscovered kesong puti when I prepared the grilled vegetable salad for a friend's birthday dinner.  It was not very salty as I expected it to be.  I remembered my first taste of Laguna's kesong puti and I didn't like it because it was very salty.  Growing up on Eden processed cheese, I was looking for that creamy processed cheese taste.  For most of us here in the Philippines, cheese means processed cheddar cheese either in the form of Eden or Kraft cheezwhiz.  Ten, twenty years ago... you will not find cream cheese, mozarella, parmesan, feta, blue cheese, and the rest of what Westerners consider proper cheese on an ordinary Filipino family's table.  Sweet spaghetti with grated processed cheese... macaroni salad with cream and processed cheese cubes... cheese-whiz sandwich... that's typical Filipino party food.

So back on my story, the kesong puti wasn't very salty and the taste was very mild.  I'm not sure now if this is the traditional kesong puti but I'm liking it.  Last night, I decided to eat at home and fixed myself a kesong puti sandwich with slices of tomatoes and cucumber and honey spice mustard on foccacia.  It was yummy.  I had mixed green salad on the side with balsamic vinaigrette.  This evening, I had the same except that I used the leftover samosa tamarind sauce as salad dressing.  Becky gave me some samosa to take home last week and while the samosa was long gone, I kept the extra tamarind sauce and found it good as salad dressing as well.

Hopefully this will help bring back the glow in me. ;-)

***

A lot of things happened today... took the bus to Makati because the mrt was too crowded at 6am... went to practice with YM co-teachers in Makati... had an awesome practice and a lot of really great adjustments from Maritoni... ran home to change and get things for work... first thing that greeted me, posted on our office door was the letter from the OVCRD telling me that my research proposal was endorsed for funding next year... then went to the office of the University registrar to have my student account fixed... done... had kimchi rice, fried egg, and tofu furai for lunch at SC... claimed 2 checks for thesis advisees 2 sems ago at less than 20usd each, whahahaha... oh well hello UP... went to the University Health Service for my long overdue medical exam... requirement for permanency... went back to CHK to print my form 5A... went to Educ for advising and enlistment... had snacks with Adj in CSAA... dropped by Psych department to see if research groupmates were there... bumped into another colleague instead and updated me on our article... went to Ortigas to teach the 6:30pm mysore class.

WHEW!!! It was a loooong but fruitful day.

Major adult decisions have to be made soon.

John and Lucy Scott in Boracay

I was supposed to join this retreat but most of my exams were scheduled on the same week.  I decided to cancel on the last minute. I was able to catch John and Lucy though at the led class in Makati just before they flew back to NZ.  It was great to reconnect with them even just for a few hours.

Here is Liana Romulo's article about the retreat: Renowned Ashtanga yoga teacher leads Boracay retreat - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos.

Cheers.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Kesong Puti

I'm thinking of preparing this salad later for a friend's birthday dinner using kesong puti instead of feta.  Hope they'll like it.  Some of the grilled vegetables can also be tossed in pasta and we'll have another dish.  Might taste the same but I guess the difference will be that the salad will be tangy because of the vinegar and the pasta will be savory.  I wonder if I can get caramelized walnuts later at the groceries to add to the salad.  Maybe instead of caramelized walnuts, I can use honeyed cashews or pili nuts.  

Wish me luck.

No glow...

"Your face is clear but there's no glow...", a friend said.

Maybe because I haven't been eating well (by that I mean homecooked meals) for the longest time.

I need to take charge of the situation... but not now... in 5 months inshallah.  For now... I'm just surfing along.

Dr. Weil Discusses Eating Mindfully

Dr. Weil Discusses Eating Mindfully

When I went to the Sivananda ashram in Neyyar Dam two years ago, silence is observed during meal times. It was to practice mindfulness while eating and be really aware of the different tastes that the food offers... experiencing the present... and "concentrating on the enjoyment of the moment".

Om.

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah - Part 2 of 2

continued...

Yoga is control of the energies of the mind

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah...

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah...

Yoga citta vritti nirodhah...

Done.  One hundred and eight repetitions.

“So, what is yoga?”  While traditional practitioners understand that itself is not limited only to the physical practice that most people do nowadays, a study done in Australia reported that at present, yoga is understood as a form of physical activity which people engage in to increase health and fitness, improve flexibility and muscle tone, and reduce stress.  Before yoga hit mainstream, yoga was practiced as a spiritual disclipine.  However, at present, practicing yoga for spiritual reasons only come in the picture after the practitioner has been doing for a long time.  But still, that reason only comes in 5th of all the reasons mentioned in the study.

“You still haven’t answered the question.  Again, what is yoga?”

Yogascittavritti nirodhah.  Yoga is the control of the energies of the mind.  That's how Patanjali defined yoga in the Yoga Sutras.  However, as I mentioned in the previous article, yoga has now become a popular form of physical activity all throughout the world and people have come to equate yoga only with asana practice.  Studies have been conducted and have showed promising results in yoga's ability to improve health, fitness, and well-being, that even physicians are recommending it to their patients.  I leave the discussion on yoga as a spiritual discipline next time.

There are many styles of yoga and most of the popular styles which are practiced in the West are now here in the Philippines.  I did some data-mining a few months ago and here’s a list of the styles that now being taught in the country.  They are listed according to the total number of available classes per week.

• Bikram Yoga - the original hot yoga.  
• Hatha Yoga - the generic term for all asana-based classes which cannot be classified elsewhere (of course, all of these are really just forms of hatha yoga but for some reasons, when you go to yoga facilities, hatha yoga is used to classify generic classes.)
• Ashtanga Yoga - the traditional method taught by Sri Pattabhi Jois
• Vinyasa/Flow - all other methods which uses breath-movement synchronization technique.  
• Hot Yoga - generic term used for any class done in a heated room.
• Gentle Yoga - a more restorative and relaxing style of class.
• Power Yoga - almost similar to vinyasa/flow but inspired more by the ashtanga yoga tradition.
• Iyengar Yoga - created by BKS Iyengar, a contemporary of Sri Pattabhi Jois.  Uses props like blocks, belts, blankets, ropes, and chairs to help the practitioner sustain the pose longer.

Which style is the best?  My suggestion is to try each style for at least 10 sessions before deciding on which style to focus on.  I have tried most of these styles and I will share with you my experience next time, inshallah.

Om.

***

The author is a faculty in UP Diliman where he teaches yoga as part of the general service physical education program and as a mind-body training for the UP Pep Squad. 

He has long retired his cheer uniform but still cheers for the UP Fighting Maroons every UAAP basketball season... (but really, that's only because I want to see the Pep Squad perform live). He is contemplating on teaching them the yogic technique of levitation thinking maybe that will help them win the next championship title.

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah - Part 1 of 2

Yoga is control of the energies of the mind

It was in November 2001.  We won the UAAP cheerleading championship for the third straight year a couple of months back and were still high with cheer spirit when my teammates  and I found this poster announcing free yoga classes every Sunday at the COD Shopping Center in Cubao.

“That’s cool, maybe we can learn some new moves and use that for next year’s routine,” we thought.

A year back, I was already reading this Sivananda Yoga book that I found at the library and sporadically tried to practice the asanas in the living room of a 2-storey-2-bedroom apartment in Katipunan that I shared with six other friends.  Three of us shared one tiny room and I could only have my privacy in the toilet.  For a state university instructor who earned less than USD300 per month, the privacy of my own room was beyond reach.

Fritz and Jill went one Sunday to the free yoga class.  Both said the class was awesome so I joined them the next week to experience my very first yoga class.  The class was taught by this hippy-looking-red-haired mestiza.  Her name was Sandy Carmona, one of the frontrunners of mainstream yoga in the country, who later became an influential person in my own journey.  She instructed us to lie down in a pose called, savasana which means corpse pose.  You were not suppose to move any muscle in the body until the end of that segment because it was in itself is an asana, or yogic posture.  The idea is to remain motionless and as still and steady as possible observing each sensation that one feels in the body.  You’re not suppose to scratch your nose or your butt, nor slap that mosquito that’s enjoying your Type AB blood.  Sandy then led us through a 90-minute long of moving meditation that made me sweat like I never had even in my years of movement and sports training.

“Whoa!!! So this is yoga.” (If there was already Facebook, I would be “like-ing” this status many times over.)

I would later learn from Sandy that yoga is much more than what we were doing on the mat.  Yoga is a way of life, a discipline, and a holistic approach to health and wellness.  Oh, and did I tell you that you couldn’t buy sticky yoga mats from Toby’s back then?  You have to order it from the US.  I’m not even sure if Lululemon had already reached the Philippine shore.

“What’s a Lululemon?”

You don’t know “Lulu?”  Hmnn... let me put it this way.  If you think Nike is expensive, then you’ll think that Lulu is beyond expensive.  One Lululemon top is already worth 1/3 of my salary in UP when I was still an instructor.  Of course now that I’ve been promoted to assistant instructor level, that’s equivalent to ¼ of my current salary.  We’ll discuss this whole Lululemon-thing in another post.

For now, let’s go back to yoga and I will let you ponder upon the meaning of yoga according to Patanjali.

“Who the hell is Patanjali?”

Dude, do  your research.  You can check him out on wikipedia later.  Just sit, close your eyes, and repeat this 108 times.

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah...

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah...

Yoga citta vritti nirodhah...

To be continued...

Atha Yoganusashanam - Part 2 of 2

Part II...

6. Pulse Yoga (www.pulse-yoga.com) - 2007

• This studio is probably the ultimate destination for the urban yogins as it offers a wide range of classes that   suits one’s schedule and preference.  It became the first Yoga Alliance-registered school in the Philippines in 2007 and commissioned AYRI (now KPJAYI)-certified ashtanga teacher Alex Medin to conduct its teacher training for two years.  Pulse Yoga now has three studios – Makati, Greenhills, and New Manila.

7. Fitness First Philippines (www.fitnessfirst.com.ph) - 2006

• • If you’re only interested in yoga as a form of physical activity and want value for money, then Fitness First is probably your best choice.  Aside from its regular fitness programs, FF also offers flow-based yoga classes in most of its branches.  Their instructors have 200-hour credentials and are trained in creating mind-body workouts that can range from gentle to challenging.  If possible, choose a branch that has a separate mind-body studio.  You wouldn’t want to come into a group exercise studio that still has that sweaty atmosphere from the previous Body Combat class.  Fitness First has started its operations in the country in the early 2000 but it was only in 2006 that it started to offer yoga as part of its regular program.

8. Prana Yoga (www.pranayoga.com.ph) - 2008

• Prana Yoga offers three types of vinyasa- or flow-based classes: dynamic flow, gentle flow, and hot flow.  At present, classes are being offered at the Metropolitan Club in Mandaluyong.

9. Bliss Yoga Manila (www.blissyogamanila.com) - 2009

• This eco-friendly studio uses only recycled, non-toxic, and biodegradable materials in constructing the practice place.  Located in the heart of Makati, Bliss Yoga offers mostly power and vinyasa flow classes, but has recently added ashtanga vinyasa into their program.

10. Echo Yoga (http://echoyoga.echostore.ph/) - 2010

• • EchoYoga is Echostore Sustainable Lifestyle’s yoga wellness program aimed mostly for beginners.  The program offers a variety of classes and creative workshops that focus on building home practice.  Classes are offered at two venues in Makati: Salcedo Village and Legaspi Village.

These studios are the more popular places to go to for yoga classes.  I will write about other less fancy and not-so-popular yoga studios in my next post .  These places may not offer you herbal tea or hot towel upon your arrival but for sure, the teachers offer the same genuine teachings based on many years of personal practice and/or professional training.

Om. Om. Om.

***

The author is a faculty member in one of the state universities in Quezon City where he teaches yoga as part of the general service physical education program and as a mind-body training for the university cheerleading squad. 

On weekdays, the author teaches yoga in a small makeshift yoga shala with floor covered with not-so-smelly old judo mats, but on weekends, he gets upgraded and teaches in the yoga studio of a high end spa in Mandaluyong complete with aromatherapy and tranquil spa music where one can request for lemon water before and after practice. 

Atha Yoganusashanam - Part 1 of 2

Now, the journey to yoga begins...

The burning incense masked the smelly aikido mat in the 4th floor of a dilapidated building in the heart of Cubao.  New age spiritual music was playing softly in the background.  I lay down on the mat with my eyes closed as I followed the voice of the red-haired lady who would later become my teacher and guide in this path.  One and a half hours later, I was drenched in sweat.  Lying back down in the relaxation pose called savasana,  peacefulness filled my being.  That was my first yoga class experience.  No marble floors, no fancy lounge areas, and no trained staff to welcome you with tea, lemon water, or hot towel.  That was yoga almost 10 years ago.

Yoga has now become a popular form of physical activity that most fitness and wellness centers offer it as part of their group exercise programs.  Fitness First, for example, has flow-based classes that focus more on increasing strength, flexibility, and balance. 

Specialized yoga studios have also sprouted throughout Metro Manila in the last 5 years making yoga accessible to most Filipinos, or at least to those who live in the area.  Some of these studios are dedicated only to one particular style of yoga while some are multi-styles offering most of the popular forms being practiced in the West.  Most of the popular studios are located in Makati and Ortigas but there are also several small and less popular places where one can start to learn this mind-body discipline.

Here is a list of places where you can study yoga.  I listed them according to the year of operation.

1. Ananda Marga Yoga Center (www.yogainmanila.org) - 1967
• Ananda Marga is probably the oldest organization in the Philippines to offer hatha yoga classes which are open to public.  I believe that in the beginning, only those who are spiritually-inclined joined their classes because of the philosophical and wholistic focus of the organization.  Yoga was not a mainstream activity until the early 2000. 
2. Iyengar Yoga Center Manila (www.iyengaryogamanila.com) – 2004
• This is the only authorized center to teach the Iyengar method in the Philippines.  Iyengar yoga, named after its developer, BKS Iyengar, focuses on precise anatomical alignment and uses props such as belts, ropes, blankets, blocks, and chairs, to assist the practitioner in performing the yoga asanas safely and for a longer period of time in order to increase body awareness.  All IYCM teachers received their certification to teach the method from the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute in Pune, India.
3. Bikram Yoga Manila (www.bikramyogamanila.com) – 2006
• Owned by businessman-turned yogi Tristan Choa, Bikram Yoga Manila, was the first officially sanctioned Bikram Yoga studio in the Philippines.  Bikram Yoga, developed and popularized by Mr. Bikram Choudhury, is a method consisting of 26 postures performed in a 105 degrees Farenheit (40 degrees Celsius) room.  It is currently the most popular form of yoga being practiced in the country based on the number of classes being offered per week.  Bikram Yoga Manila has branches in Makati and Quezon City.  Two other studios received authorization to teach the method: Sundar Bikram Greenhills (http://bikramyogagreenhills.com/) and Bikram Yoga Eastwood (http://www.bikramyogaeastwood.com/).
4. Yoga Manila (www.yogamanila.com) – 2006
• Yoga Manila was formed by 15 dedicated men and women who wanted a space where they can deepen and continue their practice together.  Most of them studied with Bela Lipat and Hoze Arando in the early 2000.   While Hoze, together with my first teacher Sandy Carmona, introduced ashtanga yoga to the Philippines in 2000, it was Bela who brought Paul Dallaghan to the Philippines in 2003 and stoke the ashtanga fire in most dedicated ashtangis during first half of last decade.  YM offers mainly led and mysore-style ashtanga classes.  Slow flow, pre-natal, kids yoga, and meditation classes are also offered in different YM locations.
5. Vinyasa Yoga Center (http://vinyasayogacenter.com/vinyasawebsite/) - 2006
• Vinyasa Yoga Center opened its door in the heart of the Ortigas business district in 2006.  It offered mainly hatha vinyasa classes with long-time practitioner and ISKON monk, Pio Baquiran as its primary teacher.  Hatha vinyasa yoga basically derived inspiration from Krishnamacharya’s teaching of linking 2-3 postures in one fluid sequence.  The intensity of each class varies from gentle to vigorous which makes hatha vinyasa yoga an interesting style for anyone regardless of age and fitness level.  The focus of each class also varies depending on what the students need.

To be continued...

PE3 Yoga (intermediate level) in UP Diliman

Starts next semester.  

Click here for other PE2 Yoga schedule.

Paul Dallaghan on asanas and koshas

Guru Brahma

Guru Vishnu

Guru Devo Mahesvaraha

Guru Sakshat Parabrahma

Taismai Shri Gurave Namaha

World Vegetarian Awareness Month

 

For activities that you can do this month, 

visit the world vegetarian day website here.

***
Thanks to Chona for sharing the info.

It's been more than a month since my last post.  I wasn't planning of posting anything until I read Chona's entry on the world vegetarian awareness month.

This week is the last week of classes at the university.  My tue-thu pe2 yoga class will be having a vegetarian feast tomorrow so it will be our way of celebrating this campaign.

Om.

On mixing fruits and other types of food

When I was at Yoga Thailand last summer, I often hear my colleagues and some guests saying that fruits shouldn't be mixed with other fruits or food.  Or you shouldn't mix it with milk or yoghurt. 

"But I like my muesli + yoghurt + mixed fruits breakfast!"

Living in a busy city can be very detrimental to one's healthy eating habits, especially when you don't have a yaya to prepare your meals for you.  I usually eat 3 full meals a day and as much as possible, I'd like to make sure that I get most of the nutrients from my food.  Thus, breakfast is standard and heavy.  One full bowl of muesli-fruit-yoghurt combo.

"Eat fruit alone, or leave it alone."  But if you only have three 30 minutes in a day to eat, how can you eat the recommended 5 fruits a day?  Plus, you're not supposed to mix it with other food.

Yeah, yeah, yeah... you can have one for morning snack, and another one for afternoon snack.  There are other behavioral recommendations on how to address this but I'm not about to discuss it here.

What I want to share I guess is that we should listen to our bodies.  Certain types of fruits are not good for some people according to ayurveda.  And using some common sense, some are not really good together.  Durian and mango?  Hmmnnn... no thank you.

If you feel bloated after eating fruits and yoghurt, then stop mixing them.  Listen to your body and listen carefully.

The digestive fire is strong and I'm grateful for that.  Maybe I was doing a lot of kapalabhati in my previous lives.

***

The other day, a friend was in some forum and she texted me saying that one of the speakers said that the reason why a lot of Filipinos don't eat fruits and vegetables is because it's expensive.  A lot of Filipinos are living below the poverty line and they simply cannot afford to buy fruits and vegetables.

Maybe if we teach them how to grow their own vegetables and stop patronizing processed foods, they'd be eating healthier.  A study conducted in the UK reported that access and affordability of fruits and vegetables isn't really the main issue and suggested that interventions should focus on people's motivation to eat fruits and vegetables.

Why won't Filipinos eat fruits and vegetables?  Maybe because there was so much focus on eating protein, in the form of meat, poultry, or fish, to address the problems on underweight and malnutrition.  Then it is already ingrained in the consciousness of most Filipinos that a meal should consist of kanin at ulam (rice and viand).  And that viand means meat.  Gulay (vegetables) is optional and maybe used simply as garnish.  Fruits can be eaten as a snack but never as a meal.

I don't really know.  I'm just writing my thoughts.

Anyway, have a blessed sunday everyone. 

May there be peace and healing here and everywhere.

Om.

Continuing the Palawan food adventure at...

Heavenly Desserts by Dorothy

Known for its calamansi (Philippine lemon) muffin.  I wonder if it's as good as the calamansi muffin of Real Coffee in Boracay.  Maybe even better.  I wouldn't know though because they were sold out that evening.

Eric had spaghetti with pesto...

While Bea and I shared a margherita pizza.  The crust was made of whole wheat flour and it was surprisingly good and healthy.  I had to put tomato catsup on it though as I was craving for something tangy.  I think it's Pinoy to add catsup in almost anything savory.

We all ordered yoghurt drinks.  Strawberry for Bea, blueberry for Eric, and plain yoghurt drink for me.  I hope that doesn't say something about my personality. :-p

And of course, the evening won't be complete without desserts.  The name of the place is Heavenly Desserts by Dorothy, remember?  So we had flour-less chocolate cake...

Tiramisu (doesn't look enticing but it was espresso-ey good!  I think they need to teach their staff how to plate their dessert)...

White chocolate cheesecake...

Heavenly indeed...

And tea... to cap it off.

Check out their website at

http://heavenlydesserts.multiply.com/

Honda Bay

Last day in Puerto Princesa.  Mia had been telling me to visit the Underground River National Park but it's a whole day event and I only had Saturday to visit interesting places around the city aside from restaurants and dessert places.  After the lunch at Saigon, Hudson, another colleague from the psych dept, informed us of their plans of going to Honda Bay and asked if we'd like to tag along.  And so we did.

First stop, snorkeling.

Passed by Starfish Island.  Got its name because of the abundance of sea stars.

 Second stop, the Snake Island.  

"If the Starfish Island is full of sea stars, does it mean the Snake Island is full of snakes?"

"Then why are we stopping here and staying for more than one hour?"

Apparently, it got its name not because slithering snakes rule the island but because of its shape.

Took a walk and explored the island.

On our way back, we passed by another island.  Wasn't paying attention to the names as I was exhausted from the sun, sand, and swimming... I happily dozed off.

For yoga, healing, detox retreat in Palawan, visit Bahay Kalipay.

OM

Kamarikutan Kafe and Galeri

Photos I took of the Kamarikutan Kafe and Galeri in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.  

As I mentioned in the previous post, I just saw the sign when we were on our way back to the hotel after lunch at Saigon.  

 I think we were meant to be there because it rained the whole afternoon and we did nothing but enjoy a cup of coffee and had the whole place to ourselves.  We just finished lunch so we didn't get to try their vegetarian meals. They had a vegetarian section in their menu and it looked interesting.  I didn't take note of what dishes they had though.

 They had free wifi so Bea was able to go online and did some work while Eric listened to his mp3 player, and I stared at the ceiling.

 They also had a pond with several humongous koi.

It was a nice afternoon except for the mosquitoes that feasted on us.  And only when I came back to Manila did I learn that it used to be that people who visit Palawan were required to take malaria pills or shots.  Good luck to me.

Read more about the cafe on Palawanboard.

Om

Saigon Restaurant Palawan

I didn't really had a plan other than attend the conference so I was simply happy tagging along my colleagues from Psych dept wherever they want to go.  We went to this place for lunch last Friday.

When I looked at the menu, there are 3 things that I could order - french bread with scrambled eggs, spicy tofu, and mixed vegetables.  I wanted to try the Vietnamese stir fry noodles but when I asked the waitress if she could ask the cook to make it vegetarian, she simply replied, "wala pong lasa yun (it will be tasteless.)"  Many Filipinos, I believe, think that in order for the food to be come tasty, it has to have some meat or seafood in it.  I think we lost the art of using fresh herbs and spices to flavor the food. 

So I ordered their spicy tofu, rice, and mixed vegetables.  I had to ask if they cook the mixed veggies with meat and the waitress said, yes, but it can be substituted with tofu.  Couldn't it be the same for the noodles?  I didn't argue anymore as I was already starving.

Interestingly, the spicy tofu and the mixed veggies were very tasty.  Maybe they used pork fat or beef oil in it, hahaha.  Nah. My taste buds is highly discriminating so I know if there's meat in my food.  It tasted clean and sattvic. 

On our way back, I saw the sign "Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri."  I thought it was an interesting place so I asked Eric and Bea if they wanted to check it out.  Will post photos of that place tomorrow.

Om.

A tribute...

Last week, I sent an sms to my father asking, "Given a choice, would you rather be idealistic or practical?"

He texted back, "Rizal died for his ideals and became a hero, would you become one?"

I'm not as brilliant as Rizal so I don't think I'll die by firing squad.

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OM

KaLui Restaurant in Palawan

Another lovely evening with friends from the Psych department.  

Went to KaLui Restaurant and ordered their vegetarian plate, and wheat grass in coco juice.

I didn't bring my camera with me but I borrowed Jay's to take a photo of my meal.  I'll post it next time.

The presentation was lovely and the taste was interestingly good.  There was crispy fried eggplant with teriyaki sauce, mashed kamote (sweet potato) topped with spicy guacamole, okra+squash+string beans with coconut cream sauce, and shredded raddish with tomato salsa.  I was happy and really enjoyed my dinner.

Check out their menu at 

http://www.kaluirestaurant.com/menus

***

Successfully presented our paper, “Pampapayat, Para Lumakas, To Be Healthy”: Exploring Filipino Motives For Exercise, at the 47th National Convention of the Psychological Association of the Philippines.  Next step is to prep the paper for possible publication in the Philippine Journal of Psychology.

OM