Happy New Year!

It has been a wonderful journey and I thank you for being a part of it.  

Each soul that we meet along the way brings different colors into our lives which makes this whole journey bright and meaningful.

From each soul we learn something... so we continue our journey until we find what we are looking for.

The journey never ends...

 But hopefully, we still know how to find our way hOMe.

Namaste.

Merry Christmas from North Pole

Photo taken by Jessica Ho.

Asking for peace and healing this Christmas season...

This is in response to "Help Heal Our Land".

***

Don't you notice anything
In your environment?
The air is has gone polluted
Even so our children..

Progress isn't a bad thing,
and we've come a long way for it
But look at the waters of the seas
before were blue but have already turned to black
Don't let all the dirt we have made and scattered into the air to reach the heavens
So when we are gone, we will only have fresh air to breathe in heaven

There is only one thing I'm asking for,
that when I die I hope it will be during the rainy season
With me, I'll bring my guitar, so together, all of us will sing upon the clouds

Those children that are born today,
Will they still have the air to breathe?
Will they still have the trees to climb up on?
Will they still have rivers for them to swim onto?

Why don't we think about what's happening to our environment?
Progress isn't a bad thing if it does not harm our nature
There will come a time, even those birds will have nowhere to perch on
Look at that tree that has stood there robust for a very long time, now dying because of our foolish actions

All of the things that exist on this earth are all blessings from God even when you're still not here
Let us take care of it, and protect it because if He will take it back from us, we will all be gone.

***

Credits:

Video originally posted by youtube user joennika214.

English translation from lyricstranslate.com

http://lyricstranslate.com

The Perfect Chana Dhal

The term is almost over but I still have to finish two essays on psychology of coaching.  It's been a wonderful 3 months in Finland and while most of my new European friends are going back to their home countries, most of the Asians are staying either to travel within Finland or around Europe.  The snow showers have been frequent the past few days so we will definitely see a lot of snow soon.

This evening, I made perfect chana dhal... at least for my standards.  I was reluctant to use the chana dhal spice mix that I bought from the Pakistani shop the first month that I was here because it was too spicy and I didn't really liked the taste when I added it to the regular dhal.  But today, the "feeling" was good and I was in the mood to cook.  Here's what I did.

I sauteed 3/4 cups chopped onions in oil until translucent.  Then I added about 1 cup of chopped tomatoes and mixed it to the onions.  Turned the heat down and let it cook until it became pulpy for 1-2 minutes.  I turned off the heat so as not to overcook the tomato-onion paste, then I stirred in 1 tsp of the chana dhal spice mix.  Added 280g of cooked chickpeas, 5 pods of cardamom, about 1.5 cups water, stirred everything well, and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve over steamed white rice and top with crispy fried onions. YUM!!!

I think the onion-tomato paste made the difference plus I didn't put a lot of spice mix.  It was deliciously spicy.  It was also good for three servings but I ate two.  What remains will be breakfast tomorrow. 

Oh, and I passed Suomi Yksi!!! Yey! Can't take Suomi Kaksi next term though as I will be in Germany from April to June.  The Suomi Kaksi will start in January and will continue until May so I don't think I can really miss a lot of classes and still pass it.

Ok, time to finish those two remaining essays.  Heippa!

Suomen itsenäisyyspäivä

Happy Independence Day Finland!

Pinaattiohukaiset

Spinach pancakes! 

You easily get it from the supermarket and in the first month that I was here, I eat it like vegetable patties.  As you can see in the photo, I ate it with fried rice and topped it with chilli garlic sauce.  It's not the Finnish way of eating it but it went well.  I think the "proper" way is to eat it with lingonberries.

It's actually easy to make.  Here's a recipe that I found online.

Will kangkong work as well?

***

I practiced at the shala this morning and I think I was a bit distracted because I was conscious about the time.  Nevertheless, it was a good one and I enjoy being a student.  The whole afternoon was then spent looking for winter boots.  I found a pair that I like but it's 100 euros.  When I went to another shop, I found one that I liked also but there was no more size 42.  Will continue boots hunting tomorrow.

Time to do one assignment then I'm off to sauna.

Moi.

Piirakka

Breakfast this morning.

That's piirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry made with rye crust and filled with rice, potato, or barley.  It is usually eaten with cheese or boiled egg.  But you can always be creative and top it with anything you like.  I have tried it with tomattia ja kurkkua (tomatoes and cucumber) and it was delicious.

***


The term is almost over and time does fly really quickly.  I still have assignments to complete, Finnish written exam, and thesis topic presentation next week, but it feels a little more relaxed now that I'm done with the puhu tentti suomeksi.  This is how it sounds when a Filipino speaks Finnish.


***

This weekend I plan to attend Jura's class and maybe look for a winter boots.  The weather forecast says that it will snow in the next two days.  I better get ready and gear up for more snowball fights.

Hyvää viikonloppua!  

Heippa!

The First of December

Three months have passed and still everyday I am grateful to be here.  Somehow, I know that I had to be here and experience life from the other side of the spectrum.  I sometimes wish that my dreams are simpler and smaller... that at my age, I should really just be focusing on earning as much money as I can so I can have a comfortable retirement later on.  But no, my mind has never thought of that.  My mind is always looking for ways to make this life more meaningful... more useful.

I already had 3 cans of beer and I decided not to write anything more than what's necessary.  I thought I'd chill out the rest of the night because I had been a good student the whole week and maybe a little reward won't hurt.  I believe I did well in my Finnish speaking exam today and did my weekly karma yoga.  As a gesture of gratitude for the opportunity to be here, I have been teaching yoga for free at the University.  Next week will be the last for this year but hopefully the venue is available again next year so that the program can continue.

The Christmas season is here.  I believe that this will be the first time that I will be celebrating this season away from loved ones.  Even when I was in Saudi, I was able to go home to the Philippines and celebrate the season with my family.  

This year, however, it won't be very practical to go home so I'll just stay in Finland.  I will be celebrating Christmas in Lapland though and just might be able to see Santa himself.  I thought it was time to grow up and celebrate Christmas like an adult but hey, it's my first time to see snow and probably see Santa so who cares about being an adult?

And as a genuine university student in Finland, what can be more appropriate than ending one's day with sauna, beer, and pizza.

Not very yogic but allow me to celebrate my 3rd month in Finland like "normal" graduate student.  

Tomorrow I will do vaman. 

Hyvä yöta!

Winter is definitely here

Two days.  That's how long the snow stayed last week.  After 48 hours, it melted and it just rained days after.

Winter is late this year in Finland.  The Levi World Cup in Lapland was canceled because there was no snow.

As I ride my bike every day, I can't help but be grateful for this experience.  I am in an environment where my both academic and yogic growth are supported.  In the midst of this impending darkness (I have been told that at the peak of Finnish winter, the sun comes out for only 4 hours a day), the mind is clear and the future looks bright.

***

This weekend, Astanga Jyväskylä had Magnus Appelberg as visiting teacher.  He had a similar aura with Paul.  The energy was light and he was always smiling.  I also stayed after practice to listen to him explain some practice points.  Although he spoke mostly in Finnish, Susanna was very helpful that she explained everything to me in English.

***

Yesterday, two more animals were released, the crocodile and the horse.  Today, the gate was opened and Nandi appeared.  And then the sleeping thunderbolt was awakened to welcome the 7 kings.


***


Went to our sunday meditation group and on my way back, the snow was 6 inches deep! I was ecstatic and began throwing snow balls at friends.  It was amazing.


Thank you Finland.


***


Today must be a very special day.  I completed the intermediate series, the UP Pep Squad represented the country in the 6th Cheerleading World Championships in Hong Kong and they won the bronze in the cheer mixed category, a first for the Philippines in this competition, and, I experienced my first true winter.


 

This heart has nothing but gratitude.

OM

The Correct Method

The Ashtanga Police
by: janbaggerudlarsen

We sometimes get too attached to the method that we become like the ashtanga police.

Traditionally, students from the East are taught to obey the teacher and follow whatever is being taught. 

Students from the West are taught to think independently and always ask why.

But time has changed.

In terms of achieving well-being, balance has always been advocated.

Yoga itself teaches balance, samatva (Bhagavad Gita II:48).

But how do we achieve balance?

Experience both extremes, I would say.

Learn and take the best from both worlds.

Somewhere along the way, the correct method will find you.

***

Gratitude to Bela Lipat for sharing this video on youtube.

Enjoy the journey

This photo was taken by Ben in 2008.

 

Ithaka 

Constantine Cavafy (1911)

As you set out for Ithaka

hope the voyage is a long one,

full of adventure, full of discovery.

Laistrygonians and Cyclops,

angry Poseidon- don't be afraid of them:

you'll never find things like that on your way

as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,

as long as a rare excitement

stirs your spirit and your body.

Laistrygonians and Cyclops,

wild Poseidon- you won't encounter them

unless you bring them along inside your soul,

unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope the voyage is a long one.

May there be many a summer morning when,

with what pleasure, what joy,

you come into harbors seen for the first time;

may you stop at Phoenician trading stations

to buy fine things,

mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,

sensual perfume of every kind-

as many sensual perfumes as you can;

and may you visit many Egyptian cities

to gather stores of knowledge from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.

Arriving there is what you are destined for.

But do not hurry the journey at all.

Better if it lasts for years,

so you are old by the time you reach the island,

wealthy with all you have gained on the way,

not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.

Without her you would not have set out.

She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you.

Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,

you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

***

Translated by Edmund Keeley/ Phillip Sherrard

Source: http://www.greeka.com/ionian/ithaca/ithaca/ithaca-poem.htm

***

Many of us felt anxious about what was expected from us in our master's thesis.  Many have difficulty finding topics that interest them.  Some has already identified topics but realized that the possibility of pursuing it might be difficult because the faculty are not experts in those fields.  

One of our thesis supervisors shared parts of this poem during her presentation earlier this afternoon.  I thought it applies not only in finding a research topic but in life and our yogic journey as well.

 Keep Ithaka always in your mind.

Arriving there is what you are destined for.

But do not hurry the journey at all.

Achieving a certain pose is what most of us aim for in our asana practice.  But as the poem says, do not hurry.  One of these, we will get there.

Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,

you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Winter is coming

Indian Congee

After doing cartwheels, bridges, and handstands for one hour at the local high school gymnasium, I rode my bike in leisure on my way back to the flat.

No, I did not join the local cheerleading squad.  I did enroll in an acrobatic class though with an intention to learn the basics of arm balances from a non-yogic pedagogical perspective.  It's a bit difficult because I am asked to do handstands with the chin on the chest and gaze to the direction where the nose is pointing.  It's hard because I'm used to looking down at a point in between my hands and use the gaze as a counterbalance.  It's something new and I'm like a kid learning a new trick.


***

When the cup is empty, there is space for learning.

***

I had a huge lunch and wasn't really very hungry so I thought, "Hmnnn... I should make dhal."

Being Pinoy, I had to have some rice but I didn't want to cook it separately so the dhal came out as lugaw (rice porridge) and it's very tasty.

Here are the ingredients.

One clove garlic, minced.  1/2-1 white onion, chopped. 1 tbsp olive oil.  A teaspoon of Madras curry powder.  1 vegetable cube.  3/4 cup yellow dhal. 1/4 cup rice.  5-8 cups water.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Saute onion in olive oil for 1-2 minutes until translucent and fragrant over very low heat.  Add the garlic and saute for maybe 1 minute.  Add the curry powder and mix well.  Add the dhal and rice.  Mix well.  Add water.  Turn heat to high and wait until it boils.  (Don't leave the on high heat like I did otherwise it will come to a rigorous boil and the water will spill over the pan).  Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to the lowest and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  You may need to add more water in the process so have a pot of hot water ready.  Stir occasionally to make sure the rice or dhal doesn't still at the bottom of the pan.  When almost done, add the vegetable cube.  Once it's dissolved, mix well into the porridge.  Have a taste.  I added a few more dashes of salt.  And then it's ready.  Serve on a bowl and top with crispy fried onions.  I'm not sure if you can easily find a packed crispy fried onions in the Philippines.  I was first introduced to this crispy fried onions in Riyadh and I really like it.  Not very sattvic though.

I'm just finishing the last of the porridge as I type this entry.  This recipe can easily feed 2 hungry yoginis but in my case...

I think I just discovered my winter food.

Let me know if you're trying this and if you like it.

Terve!

Lazy as a lazy cake

Two months in Finland and I haven't cooked anything worth blogging except for that failed attempt at dhal and that never ending fried rice.

It's deep autumn and it's getting colder. I like it though. Four sets of thermal top and long pants from friends in the Philippines should keep me warm during my first Finnish winter.

And like a child waiting for the first snow to fall, I eagerly await for my first experience of snow and of white Christmas.

When all my coursework for this term is done, I will have time to plan my travels. I want to see more of Europe. Another goal is to have set foot in all major continents before I hit 40.

Asia - check
Europe - check
Australia - check
America - hopefully next year
Africa - possible now that I know someone from Uganda.
Antartica - ok, maybe except this one.

And because I'm lazy to cook anything to celebrate my 2nd month in Finland, let me share with you this Lazy Cake recipe. It was introduced to me by my Lithuanian classmate. She made this twice already and I like it. Last Sunday, she brought some for our Sunday meditation group which was organized by a Finnish classmate. We're doing Diamond Way meditation and I believe it's japa meditation, or mantra repetition-type of meditation. We had tea and lazy cake after the sitting practice. It was great. I will prepare Swedish chocolate balls for the group in 2 weeks. It's the Russian classmate's turn next week and she will bring her famous brownies.

Sunday sangha: meditation + tea + chocolates = Nirvana.

This is not the exact recipe. Lithuanian friend said hers is easier. She'll teach me how next time so you can be as lazy as this version for now.

Chocolate Lazy cake (easiest ever) Recipe : Huda Abu Hamdia Recipes | LifeStyle FOOD

Turn back the clock...

Daylight saving time started this morning at 4am.

Let's learn some Finnish phrases

Moi! Hyvää iltaa.(Hello! Good evening!)

Mitä kuuluu? (How are you?)

Mun nimi on Jonni. Hauska tutustua!  Mä oon Filippiiniläinen. Minkämaalainen sä olet? (My name is Jon. Glad to meet you. I'm a Filipino. What's your nationality?)

Mä oon kolmekymmentäneljä vuotta vanha. Mä asuin Manilla, mutta mä olen kotoisin Davaosta.  Missä sä asut?  (I'm 34 years old. I lived in Manila, but originally I come from Davao. Where do you live?)

Mä puhun englantia, filippiiniä, ja vähän kiinaa.  Mitä kieliä sä puhut? (I speak English, Filipino, and a little Chinese.  What languages do you speak?)

Mä opiskelen yliopistossa liikunta psykologiaa.  Mitä sä opiskelet yliopistossa? (I study sport psychology at the university.  What do you study at the university?)

Mun puhelinnumero on nolla-neljä-yksi-seitsemän-nolla-yksi-seitsemän-kolme-neljä-yksi. (My telephone number is...)

In pursuit of excellence

In our asana practice, do we see it as a pursuit of pleasure or a pursuit of excellence?

I posted this on twitter two weeks ago and it made some of my friends reflect back on their own practice.  I was reading an article on leadership in sport and one section talked about the purpose of sport participation.

Pursuit of pleasure refers to participating in a physical activity for the sake of fun and pleasure.  “It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game” would be the favorite cliché of someone engaging in sport for pleasure.  To put it simply, pursuit of pleasure is focused on the process of participation in one’s chosen activity.

On the other hand, pursuit of excellence means striving to perform at the highest level in comparison to one’s peers.  While it requires a very high level of dedication, sustained efforts, and great amounts of sacrifice typical of an ashtanga practice, it would also mean establishing superiority, attaining a certain status, and thus, competing with others.  Yoga stresses non-competition.  When we think of our asana practice as a pursuit of excellence, does it mean we want to show our mastery in the asanas thus establish our superiority?

A hot soup to end a long and cold day...

Mitä kuuluu? Kiitos hyää.  Entä sulle? Ei mitään erikoista.

(How are you? I'm well thank you. And you? Nothing special)

But it was really cold this morning and it's not even winter yet.

This day was really long and to think it's only the start of the week.

So when I got 'home', I opened a can of ice cold beer while preparing dinner... creamy vegetable macaroni soup.

And I have a new discovery! Single bulb or elephant garlic.  I've never seen it before. It is apparently not a true garlic but a cousin of leek.
 
Anyway, I sauteed the garlic, 1/4 of a big white onion chopped, until translucent and fragrant.  I then added 1 cup of dried macaroni, stirred it into the garlic-onion mixture, added 3 cups of water and allowed to boil.

When the water started boiling, I turned the heat low and added chopped potatoes about 1 medium size or the size of an Asian fist :-p.  Adjusted the heat to high until it has returned to boiling and then turned it low again.

When the pasta and potatoes are half-cooked, I added 1 cup of mixed veggies (carrots, peas, red peppers, corn), about a cup of diced tofu (I used the marinated one that tasted like sausage.  I bought it from the organic shop in the city center, and I'm still trying all the available varieties), and a veg stock cube.  I added more water from time to time to prevent the mixture from drying out.

When the vegetables and pasta are cooked, I seasoned it with salt, black pepper, and some dried herbs.  To finish, I added one cup of fresh milk, and a tablespoon of butter.  I think it could serve 2-3 persons but I just had the last of it. 

Se oli herkullista (It was delicious!!!)

One month in Finland

Grabe, time flies fast when you're enjoying it.  I've been in Finland for one month and it seems like I've been here for so long.  University life has been amazing and I'm learning a lot from the best professors in the field of sport and exercise psychology (SEP).  My mind was already thinking about sharing all these new knowledge to my dear UP.  For sure, I will first share it with my beloved UP Pep Squad and then I was thinking maybe it will help the UP Fighting Maroons to have a better mental attitude.  I'm not a basketball fan but my colleagues back home used to say that they have the talent.  It's just not working.  This topic should be discussed in the other blog but couldn't decide yet if I should make that blog a little more formal or should I keep it similar to this but just focus on SEP.

To open each day with heart full of gratitude and thanksgiving.

That is one of the many things that I learned from Paul.  I am grateful to be here in Finland.  It's a beautiful country and for a student of ashtanga and sports, it is the best place to be. 

First Indian dish in Finland... a flop

Two weeks ago, I was happy to find an Arabic shop in the city centre which sells South Asian spices.  So I bought dhal spice mix and cooked my first dhal in Finland.  Our kitchen had ventilator and I had turned it on.  However, the aroma of Indian spices still filled the small kitchen that my Dutch flatmate immediately opened the balcony door to allow the smell to dissipate.

It has been a long time since I used Indian spices so I forgot that I only needed to use half a teaspoon, or even less, of the spice mix.  So the dish ended up too spicy.  It was a flop.  I still ate some for dinner and discarded the rest.

As I was at another video on youtube, I found this.  Hope this will help in reviving my Indian cooking skills.  An inspiration from the "mother" of ashtanga herself.

Proud to be my father's son

Vegetable au gratin... and the UP Pep Squad

Vegetable au gratin is French style baked casserole.  This was served at Lozzi the previous week.  As I mentioned in the previous post, student meal is cheap at the University I have always eaten lunch on campus on weekdays.  They had a beautiful vegetable-filled pancakes and veggie patties last week but I didn't have the courage to take out my camera to take a photo of my food.  The cafeteria was full of people and I didn't want to look like an geek taking photos of his food.  Talk about self-presentation issues.

For 2.50 euros, I had two scoops of the vegetable au gratin and took as much salad as I wanted.  I also mentioned that bread is unlimited but I saw a sign in Lozzi that you can take only 3 slices of bread.  It didn't say how big a slice should be so it's rather relative.  Two slices are usually enough for me.

Life in the City of Lights

Jyväskylä is a city in Central Finland surrounded by lakes, hills, and forests.  It is known as the Athens of Finland because it is home to many schools, universities, and research institutes.  Out of the 130,000 people living in Jyväskylä, almost 40% of which are students.  Jyväskylä, Finland's City of Light, is where my journey continues.


I am here as a masters degree student at the University of  Jyväskylä's Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences.  The Faculty is composed of three departments, the Department of Health Sciences, the Department of Biology of Physical Activity, and my home unit, the Department of Sport Sciences.  I am here to study sport and exercise psychology, a relatively new but exciting field which aims to understand the effects of sport and exercise participation on psychological processes and well-being, and how psychological factors such as stress and concentration affects sport and exercise performance.  I am planning to blog more about this area here.

The Journey to Finland

Twelve hours.  That's how long I slept  last night.  I think my body hasn't fully adjusted to the time difference that I found myself  feeling sleepy at 5pm for two days.  The time difference between Finland and the Philippines is +5 hours.  I feel better now so I guess my internal clock has adjusted.

The Erasmus Student Network organized the "Ultimate Sauna Experience" yesterday but I decided to skip it because I got tired from walking the whole day.  It would have been a wonderful way to end the day but unfortunately, I would have to walk back home as I haven't bought a bike yet.  I walked a total of 16428 steps according to my pedometer.  My flat is about 3km from the university and it took me about 30 minutes to cover the distance.

Tervetuloa Jyväskylään

Welcome to Jyväskylä, my "home" for the next two years.

Jyväskylä (JYV) is the capital city of Central Finland and is located 270 kilometers north of Helsinki.  I embedded the map below to show you how I got here.  Google couldn't calculate the distance so the map just showed the travel points.  From Davao, I flew to Manila, then to Hong Kong, Helsinki, and finally Jyväskylä.  Total flight minus layovers would have been 15+ hours.  2 hours to Manila, 2 hours to Hong Kong, 10.5 hours to Helsinki, then 45 minutes to JYV.


View Larger Map

I have taken photos using my itouch since yesterday but because I don't have wifi connection, I am not able to upload the photos through itouch.  Hopefully soon I will be able to share with you the beauty of this place.

I've been here for three days already but haven't done any major cooking yet.  I do have a small and nice kitchen so for sure, more food posts will come soon.

For now...

näkemiin

Practice with awareness

My teacher Paul has a new practice guide to the primary series.

Check it out from Ashtanga.com

Namaste.

The Heart Sutra

Homage to the perfection of wisdom, the Lovely! the Holy! Avalokita, the Holy Lord and Bodhisattva, was moving in the deep course of the wisdom which has gone beyond.


He looked down from on high, he beheld but five heaps, and he saw that in their own-being they were empty.


Here, O Sariputra, form is emptiness and the very emptiness is form.


Emptiness does not differ from form.  Form does not differ from emptiness.  Whatever is emptiness, that is form, the same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness.


Here, O Sariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness.  They are not produced or stopped, not defiled or immaculate, not deficient or complete.


Therefore, O Sariputra, in emptiness there is no form nor feeling, nor perception, nor impulse, nor consciousness. 


All those who appear as Buddhas in the three periods of time fully awake to the utmost, right and perfect enlightenment because they have relied on the perfection of wisdom.


Therefore one should know the prajnaparamita as the great spell, the spell of great knowledge, the utmost spell, the unequalled spell, allayer of all suffering, in truth-for what could go wrong?


By the prajnaparamita has this spell been delivered, it runs like this:


Gone! Gone! Gone beyond! Gone altogether beyond! O what an awakening, all-hail!

Kimchi Bokumbop

아주 맛있었어요. (a-ju ma-si-sseo-sseo-yo).

It was delicious!

(The image is not mine.) 

Kimchi fried rice is my standard order when I eat at the Japanese-Korean stall in the UP Shopping Center.  It's one of the places in the campus which is vegetarian-friendly.

To be vegetarian in the Philippines can simplify one's life because usually you only have very few choices if you eat out.  If you cook your own food, you have to be creative otherwise you'll end up getting sick of what you eat.

I had dinner with two UP Filipiniana alumni friends and one commented that being vegetarian is boring.  I begged to disagree of course.  We were in the produce section of the supermarket when he said that.

"Look at all these vegetables," I said while pointing to all the fresh produce.  I get excited whenever I'm in Hong Kong because of the abundance of fresh vegetables and the wide variety of seasonings available in the market.  Unfortunately, one week is the longest time that I've stayed here so buying big bottles of vegetarian stir fry and chilli-garlic sauces is unwise.

Tofu and Bok Choy Fried Rice

Cooking for one can be a challenge but it is a skill that I have learned when I was living in Riyadh.  Most of the time, the resulting dish is good for two servings so half of it will be for the next meal.

I had half a bag of baby bok choy and 5 pieces of tofu puffs left in the fridge.  So to transform the bok choy tofu stir fry into something a little different, I thought I'd make fried rice. 

5 tofu puffs cut into small cubes
baby bok choy chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups cooked rice
2 eggs
salt and soy sauce to taste
vegetable oil for stir frying
dash of sesame oil for additional flavor.

I think adding vegetable powder or freshly grated ginger would add more flavor to it.  But last night's dinner was already delicious as it is. 

A simple stir-fried dinner

Stir-fried baby bokchoy with fried tofu puffs.  That was dinner this evening.  (The photo is not mine but the one I made looked like that except that it had more greens.)

Saute garlic (2 cloves, minced) in 1 tbsp vegetable oil, add the fried tofu puffs (basically fried tokwa prepared in advanced), stir fry for one minute.  Increase heat and add two handfuls of baby bokchoy, agan stir for 1-2 minutes until the leaves are slightly wilted.  Add 1-2 tbsp of light soy sauce and a dash or two of sesame oil.  Mix well and serve over a bowl of fresh steamed rice.  (I've eaten so much rice when I was in Davao so I decided to skip the Asian staple this time.)

***

Death by Durian

Kablon Farm's food products are just some of the more popular pasalubong items from Mindanao.  I usually buy some from the Davao international airport for last minute pasalubong shopping for friends in Manila.  Last week, I bought a bottle of the durian jam.  A teaspoon of that jam and you have a dessert.

"Life is unsure... (so) eat your dessert first!" That's the slogan of Margie's Kitchen.  I first had their oatmeal thins in Manila and I think I had the whole canister in one sitting.  Their brownie thins is also good.  It's not a good idea to stock up on these items as you'll end up eating everything in one go.

So I tried their durian buttercake last week and thought it was great.  My mother, a durian lover herself, wanted to try the buttercake so after teaching a pilates class at a local gym last thursday, I passed by Margie's kitchen in Torres and bought a loaf of the durian buttercake.

It's DURIAN SEASON!!!

I can't believe it's already August.  We just got back from a quick but wonderful trip to Manila.  On our way home from the Davao International Airport, I saw a big billboard announcing the start of Kadayawan Festival.     This month-long celebration also signals the start of durian season.

Come!

For more details about the festival, please visit http://www.davaotourism.com

An afternoon tea at the mall...

A slice of maja blanca and a cup of freshly brewed coffee for less than 1 US dollar.

Sweet.

Durian Madness

The madness began with a cheesecake... I was in Bo's Coffee in Torres to meet a college friend and I had this with cappuccino.  Once the plate was served on my table, I immediately took the fork, sliced a piece of the cheesecake, and was ready to have a taste of this heavenly treat when I thought, "Wait, I have to share this to everyone."  I returned the piece back to the rest of the cake, brought the ipod out of my pocket, and took this photo.  This was last friday.

Oh My Ginataang Gulay

This is probably one of my favorite dishes from home.  One of my father's relatives, Uncle Remy, lives with us and cooks our meals.  He makes this dish beautifully and I had this twice already since I moved back to Davao 11 days ago.  I'm here temporarily while I wait for the decision on my resident visa application in one of the coldest countries in the world.  The decision should be positive but I just don't want to talk about it until I have the permit in my hands.

Farewell lunches and dinners had been made but I'm still here so I'll talk about it when it's time to board the plane.

Authorized and Certified Ashtanga Teachers Visit the Philippines

One of the more popular posts of this blog got to be the "Philippines: An Ashtanga Country."  With five ashtanga teachers (three authorized and two certified) coming to conduct classes, workshops and retreats in the country this 2011, ashtanga in the Philippines is definitely growing.  To know about the difference between an authorized from a certified ashtanga teacher, read here.

Govinda Kai, my lovely friend Tesa's teacher, will hold mysore classes on July 26-27 and August 1-4 at Bliss Yoga Manila.  The weekend in between (July 27-31) will be a yoga retreat in Nasugbu.  Details are posted in Tesa's blog.

Also on the first week of August, Jessica Blanchard will be teaching mysore and led classes at Yoga Manila Ortigas (August 1-7).  She will also conduct a weekend workshop on ayurveda and will be available for private consultation for the duration of her stay.  The details are posted here.

Back in the Durian City

It's been two weeks since my last post.  I was planning to be more active now that I'm back in Davao but so far I haven't done anything except eat, sleep, and do asanas.

Tuesday, July 12.  I was supposed to fly home that day but I wasn't able to finish packing and clearing my rented room monday morning that I decided to rebook my flight so that I didn't need to rush and stress myself.  There were so much stuffs.  I couldn't believe the amount of things that I've accumulated in the last 2.5 years in Manila! I was able to fill in 12 big garbage bags with papers, shoe boxes, old-not-worn-again clothes, etc.  My landlord even wondered how I was able to manage to put those things inside my small rented space.  I also wondered.

The extra free days really helped though because I was able to organize my thoughts and decided to ship some stuffs home.  I thought I'd be able to carry it all in the plane since I bought extra luggage allowance.  In the end, it was just too much so I had to send two boxes through a local shipping company.

Letting go... it's not really that easy.

Mysore classes and Ayurveda workshop with Jessica Blanchard

Visit Yoga Manila website here for reservation.

Power Breakfast and International Handstand Day 2011

Nutty Oaty

That's the name of the power breakfast shake that I usually order from one of the fruit juice/shake stalls in the malls.  It has peanut butter, oats, yoghurt, whey protein, and bananas.  I like it.  It's filling and simple to make.  Here's my version.

Ingredients:

1 medium banana

250ml nonfat milk

1 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp oats

1 scoop (26g) whey protein

Put everything in the blender. Blend and serve.

How bitter can you get?

You are bitter.  That's why I used to hate you.  But since adopting a plant-based diet almost a decade ago, I've learned to love you ampalaya (bitter gourd).

I had a traditional Filipino favorite breakfast dish, ampalaya with egg, for dinner.  After the practice with the university swim team (they will have their pep rally in 2 weeks and I was asked to choreograph their number... it's pro bono), I decided to run for 30 minutes around the academic oval.

Running can be very liberating.  It never really became a habit to run regularly.  The last time I ran was last April 13.  I know because that's was the last record in my HR monitor, and I don't run without it.  And why am I running now? That's another story.

Let's fast forward to the dinner.  So after the run I passed by the alumni center cafeteria to buy a bottle of water when I saw the ampalaya with egg on the food counter.

Long Hair... Father's Day

A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your bible a little and get your hair cut and we'll talk about it."

After about a month, the boy came back and again asked his father, if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father’s study where his father said, "Son, I've been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied your bible diligently, but you didn't get your hair cut."

The young man waited for a moment and replied, "You know Dad, I've been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair!” to which his father replied, "Yes, you're right, and they also WALKED every where they went! (reposted from Loveyoufather).

***
I've brought my grades up (never studied so hard in my entire academic life until my first year in phd). Read the entire bible back in high school and have downloaded the bible app in my ipod touch, have read the Bhagavad Gita and the some parts of the Koran as well.  And have cut my hair short.

Bbq Tofu Salad with Chinese Sesame-Soy Dressing

Dinner the other night... Bought ready-to-eat mixed greens from the supermarket, bbq tofu, and McCormick Chinese dressing.

Everything nice...

Thought of having a couple of ice cold beer after a long day of talking but opted for something more sinful instead... A slice od super moist chocolate fudge and a cup of capuccino...

Remembering Guruji

To be vegetarian shouldn't be expensive

The last time I went to Hong Kong, we had dinner in this restaurant.  The menu made me very excited and I wanted to try everything.  How I wish the price was in Philippine peso though.  Sigh.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not complaining about the price as the food was really good and the effort put to prepare each dish was tremendous.  I've spent a good amount of time in the kitchen preparing food for friends and family, and let me just say that it takes a lot of time, energy, and focus.

Tesa Celdran for Yoga for Life

http://www.tesaceldran.blogspot.com/

No wonder yogis look young and live long...

~Next week, another year will be added to this mortal's body.

Slow metabolism seems to be related to longevity according to this study.  How do we reduce our metabolic rates?  The article suggests that we can do that through low calorie diets.  For the yogis, it is called mitahara.

According to exercise scientists, regular moderate intensity exercise is enough for good health.  Now the physiologists are suggesting us to slow down our metabolism by eating moderately.  Isn't that what the ancient yogis have been advocating?

Read the article, "Increased metabolic rate may lead to accelerated aging."

The photo on the left was taken by a famous blogger/ashtangi/UP Prof.  Gratitude.

Ma Durga

Surround me with your loving arms...hold me in your heart.
Let me know that I am loved
and that I can love.
Show me that no matter where I go
That I come and go in You.
I am never out of your loving presence.
That you are the smile behind the smile,
the touch behind the touch
The kiss behind the kiss...
You are the constant presence that I forget until I remember
and when I remember my Self, I remember You.
I sing your Name. What else can I think of? You ARE Love.
And I AM You.

- Ma Durga by Krishna Das

Happy Mother's Day!

Heart Rate Response to Basic Ashtanga Practice (Part 2)

As I mentioned in the previous post, I wanted to observe how my heart rate responds to a basic ashtanga practice.  One of the many definitions of yoga is integration.  Thus, allow me to integrate what I've learned from grad school in answering my question.

Methodology

The subject was a 34 year old Asian male who had been practicing ashtanga yoga regularly for more than 5 years.  The subject has normal BMI (22.0), resting heart rate of 60 bpm, and an estimated VO2max of 37mL/kg/min.  The subject reported no other moderate-to-vigorous physical activities except for ashtanga which he performs 60-120 minutes of ashtanga yoga 3-4 times a week.  Recommended age-predicted training heart rate for the subject is 112bpm-167bpm.  Based on heart rate reserve, his recommended training heart rate is 123bpm-167bpm. 

Heart Rate Response to Basic Ashtanga Practice (Part 1)

A few years ago, I wore my Polar F4 heart rate monitor while I did my ashtanga practice just to see how my heart rate responded and how much calories I'd burn.  There was this idea that ashtanga will help you lose weight and has some cardiovascular benefits (In what I've read lately, asana practice should not be like exercise otherwise it defeats its purpose).

My knowledge about the body and how it works is based on my training in sports science.  Conventional knowledge tells us that in order for us to improve our cardiovascular endurance, we have to train the heart to beat up to a certain rate and maintain that for at least 10 minutes at a time.  Below that, the benefits are minimal.

To the Sky

Shipwreck in the sea of faces, There's a dreamy world up there,

Dear friends in higher places, Carry me away from here,

Travel light let the sun eclipse you, 'Cause your flight is about to leave,

And there's more to this brave adventure, Than you'd ever believe,

Yoga practice then and now...

Then...


Yoga practice = asanas (exercise) + pranayama (breathing) + kriyas (cleansing techniques) + bandhas & mudras (energy direction manipulation)  + dhyana (meditation) + yama/niyama (attitude training)

Asanajaya

Asanajaya is a Sanskrit word which means "to conquer or master the pose" or "victory over the pose".  It has been said that when one has mastered the practice of asana, then he is ready for the higher practices of yoga such as pranayama and meditation (Krishnananda, 1981).

Asana is one of the six categories of practices under the discipline of yoga (Gharote, n.d.).  Asanas (postures), pranayama (energy control through breathing exercises), bandhas (energetic locks) and mudras (gestures), kriyas (cleansing practices), pratyahara-dharana-dhyana (withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation), and yamas and niyamas (attitude training) comprise these six categories.

The purpose of asana practice is to prepare both body in mind for the higher practices of yoga.  The purpose of yoga is to make the mind still and peaceful so that the one who practices yoga becomes selfless and useful member of society.  Some of the goals of physical education is to develop an individual's personal and social behavior, and his understanding and respect for differences among people (National Alliance for Sports and Physical Education, 1992).  These goals are somehow similar to the goals of yoga.

Conquering the pose

Asanajaya comes from two Sanskrit words (i.e., asana, jaya) which means victory over a pose.

The yoga sashtras say that in order for us to conquer to mind, we have to first conquer to body.  We do that by practicing asanas.  It has been said that once we are able to practice daily for three hours with stillness and steadiness, then we have achieved asanajaya.

Practice and Non-Attachment

Abhyasa Vairagyabhyam Tannirodhah (By practice and non-attachment, they [mental fluctuations] are restrained) - Yoga Sutra I:12.

The Yoga Sutras I:12-16 talks about practice and non-attachment.  These sutras say that the mental modifications or fluctuations of the mind can be controlled through practice and non-attachment.  Practice means to keep the mind steady or calm.  The steadiness or calmness of the mind happens only when practice is done regularly and with deep sincerity over a long period of time.