Antonieth's Dance & Fitness Studio

Just came across this website while I was searching for that news about Paul's workshop in Cebu.

The studio also offers yoga in their program. The owner, Antonieth, originally from Gensan, migrated to Australia and has come home to establish the First Belly Dancing School in Cebu.

Check out her website at http://www.antonieth.com/index.html

Tempeh & Spinach with Sweet Ginger Sesame Sauce

Food has been basically the same the past 2 weeks. Stir fried tofu or tempeh with vegetables, just using different stir fry sauces.

Woke up a little tired this morning. Probably because I woke up in the middle of the night feeling the head aching a bit. I needed to turn the AC on as that usually solves the headache problem. The weather was colder as I expected this morning.

Tempeh & Spinach with Sweet Ginger-Sesame Sauce

INGEDIENTS

250 g tempeh, sliced into thick strips and fried with 2-3 tbsp oil
1 bunch spinach, cleaned and stalks removed
1 tsp ginger, sliced into thin sticks
2-3 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Using the remaining oil from frying the tempeh, add ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds, add the sesame seeds, mix well, add sweet soy sauce. Be careful not to burn the sauce. Add the spinach, mix well. Remove the spinach, keeping the sauce in the pan. Add the tempeh slices and coat it with the sauce. Arrange the spinach in a plate, arrange the tempeh on top, pour on the remaining sauce... eat with steamed rice.

On Ashtanga Practice

"When it rains heavily, the water does not necessarily penetrate the earth. If the surface is dry and hard, the rain water floods the surface and run off. But if it rains gradually for many days continuously, and the ground is moist, then the water seeps deep into the earth, which is good for cultivation and for life" - BKS Iyengar

The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system follows a strict series of asanas that should be followed and practiced regularly. Each pose opens and prepares the body for the next one. The primary series is called yoga chikitsa, or yoga therapy, which has a detoxifying and healing in the body.

The use of deep breathing called ujjayi breath, bandhas or energy valves, and vinyasa or the synchronization of movement and breath, in this method cultivates internal heat and sweating that leads to the cleansing of the body and calming of the mind. In this system of hatha yoga, the body must be cleansed and purified before the more subtle practices of pranayama and meditation are introduced. However, done properly, the practice itself integrates these subtle practices as ujjayi breathing is always emphasized and the rhythmic flow of each movement makes the whole practice a meditative one.

The same sequence of asanas must be practiced daily so that like the rain that pours gradually each day, the cleansing and detoxifying effects of the practice can penetrate deep into the body.

Maria's Favorite Soup

Maria emailed me the recipe of her favorite roasted vegetable soup. Was thinking of buying peppers a while ago when I was at Othaim. Maybe tomorrow... or I can call Macky now and ask him to buy me some red peppers...

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SOUP!!!!!

What you need

5 large carrots
2 Red peppers
1 large onions
1-2 Tbs Olive Oil
1-1.5 pints Vegetable stock
half teasp of cinnamon
1 Lime
fresh or dried coriander
pinch chilli /cayenne powder
What you do

Roughly chop the carrots and peppers into chunks, toss them in some
olive oil and roast in a hot oven (200-220 celcius) until the peppers
start to char, it takes about 15-20 mins, but you have to watch them

Finely chop the onions and sautee slowly in olive oil

When the veg are ready, remove from the oven add them to the pan with
the onions and mix all the ingredients together

Add the pinch of cinnamon here, coriander (if using fresh coriander,
only a sprig or two, as you dont want it to overpower the soup. If its
dried coriander, a sprinkle is enough), the chilli/cayene powder, salt
and pepper, and juice of half lime

Then add the stock and bring up to the boil

Reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the vegetables are softened
( i like them to still have a just a bit of bite, so again, the timing
on this depends on your taste, but be carefull not to over cook)

Then, blend/puree the soup in a blender or liquidizer

Serve with a squeeze of lime and a dollop of youghurt/creme fraiche
(or on its own!!)

The soup will freeze no problem, just omit the cream/yoghurt at the end

Enjoy!!!!

Maria :-)

Kapotasana

Photo from Ashtangayoga.info

Dreamed about doing kapotasana A last night with Paul adjusting me into it. It felt a little weird though. Maybe because it was a bit blurred in the dream. Don't know what that meant but in this morning's practice, I practiced up to kapotasana. Took me 2 and a half hours to finish my practice today.

Finished late, 11:30am, so breakfast was lunch and lunch was breakfast. Muesli, laban, mint chocolate drink, bananas, 2 pcs toasted wheat bread with butter and orange marmalade. Now, I'm ready to take my afternoon nap. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.