Bonjour et Bienvenue, Hello & Welcome to our March News
Congratulations Julia Matthews, an avid user of essential oils and our winner of the two amazing essential oils in the OM series from the Sacred Yoga Scents range.
A heartfelt thank you to the overwhelming number of you that shared & participated in the competition.
Pose for this Month – Standing Forward Fold – Uttanasana
As we continue to progress through the asanas in a Sun Salutation Flow this month we will work on Uttanasana, exploring the benefits as well as how to get the most from this pose. Practiced as part of your yoga flow or as a stand-alone pose, Uttanasana offers you the opportunity to calm the mind, relieving stress and anxiety, helping you to feel more grounded, activating our base or root chakra Muladhara, our energy centre that relates to promoting feelings of security, being more grounded and in touch with our sense of survival.
Uttanasana also helps to stimulate your liver and kidneys improving digestion, while physically lengthening hamstrings, calves and hip flexes, strengthening your thighs and knees.
To begin stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) placing your hands on your hips, take a breath in and as you exhale begin to fold forward from the hips, gently pressing your buttocks back relaxing the knees as you lengthen into the spine. Let your hands begin to slide down your legs, arriving wherever is most comfortable for you. Allow your head to be heavy and relax through the neck, you may like to cross your forearms holding onto opposite elbows or allow your hands to rest further towards the ankles or the floor, gently sway from side to side to release more deeply into the pose and hold for a few deep breaths.
If you are experiencing too strong a sensation in your lower back, simply bend the knees more deeply and rest your forearms on your thighs while still allowing the head to be heavy and the neck relaxed.
If you are folding forward, release the hands towards the floor, take a breath in lift the chest while looking forward, lifting up through the knee caps, while your shoulders are released down your down the back, exhale fold forward drawing the belly gentle back, allow the crown of the head to relax towards the floor and gaze towards your shins. Try doing this a few times, finding length on the inhale and relaxing down as you exhale.
To come out of the pose, press the feet firmly into the ground, keeping the legs strong, bring the hands to the hips inhale to come up to halfway with your spine parallel to the floor, exhale come all the way to standing in Tadasana.
Essential Oils with Sharen Turner – Secret Scent Aromatherapy
Standing Forward Bend is a grounding pose that helps to open the base or root chakra, Muladhara in Sanskrit, relating to security, grounding and survival instinct.
This month we are featuring the Urban Goddess Blend as part of our Sacred Yoga Scents to amplify your yoga practice. Essential oils enhance the vibration of intention, creating Sankalpa.
Urban Goddess, strengthens Uttanasana as it also calms the mind, relieves stress, improves digestion and reduces anxiety. A blend of Rose Geranium, Lemon Myrtle and Pink Grapefruit. Urban Goddess also re awakens your divine feminine essence, boosts manifesting power, restores balance and promotes confidence.
Rose Geranium – this is a type of Geranium not related to the Rose family. It helps balance hormones, enhances mood and promotes feelings of optimism and stability. Ancient Egyptians used it for healthy glowing skin.
Lemon Myrtle – is an Australian native tree indigenous to the sub tropical rainforests of Queensland. It is the world’s richest known natural source of citral. A delicious lemonade smelling scented essential oil that helps boost the immune system. Described as a blend of Lemongrass, Lime and Lemon. A powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiseptic and anti fungal, more so than Tea Tree. A great tool to have to support your health. Herbal tea made from a lemon myrtle leaf in hot water is a tasty anti microbial drop.
Pink Grapefruit – invigorates and awakens. Made from the rind of the fruit, it aids digestion, curbs hunger pains and reduces cellulite. Pink Grapefruit energises the metabolism and mood.
To use the Urban Goddess roll on balm simply apply to pulse points or place a few drops into an diffuser to enhance and gain the full benefit of your yoga practice.
Namaste, Sharen http://www.secretscent.com.au
Yogi Travel Journal
A little bit of France in Brisbane Australia
I recently read an article a friend sent me some of the best French bakeries in Brisbane. It was short & sweet but I needed to know more about the people behind these businesses and why they are making French delights in Brisbane. I am constantly asked why I have a Yoga Retreat in France and what took me to that part of the world, so I was also looking for their story of what brought them to produce French treats in Brisbane.
Hugs is not just another coffee shop, it’s a dream come true. Read on for an insight into Emily Carnell’s French inspired creation.
Hugs has found a special place in the Brisbane Café scene since it opened its doors in 2017. Its French inspired pastries are made with the love, care and attention of owner and operator Emily Carnell who says she channels her imagination into her work every day. The café and micro bakery specialises in a variety of sweet and savoury French treats that have quickly gained the attention of local pastry enthusiasts.
Having moved to Windorah Street Stafford in mid-2018, Hugs has found its true spiritual home in a much bigger industrial space. The bakery is now expanding production, delivering a larger and more diverse range of genuine French products.
Hugs is more than just a great pastry and delicious coffee. Emily wanted to create a welcoming environment, built around a truly hospitable and warm casual dining experience in her home city. The focus on both warm hospitality and quality endures in the new surrounds which are always bubbling with fantastic music and laughter. The details clearly come from the heart and her passion is what makes the café special. @hugs_at_windorah Windorah Street Stafford Queesland
Live your life passionately & with gratitude
Love with an open heart and mind
Let go and embrace the life you were born to live
Beautiful Parts of the World
Paris…of course! Oh I love you & my other love…The Beach
Recipe this Month – Rhubarb, Strawberry, Apple & Quinoa Crumble
I have shared from Green Kitchen Stories before because I love the simplicity of their recipes and the combination of great fresh clean produce. Crumble is an easy one to prepare that would be a perfect finish to lunch with the family this Easter.
Fruit filling
8 thin red rhubarbs (around 500 g / 1 lb)
2 handfuls (225 g / 8 oz) fresh or frozen strawberries
1 apple
1 tsp ground vanilla
juice from 1/2 orange or lemon
2 tbsp unheated honey or maple syrup
Crumble topping
1 cup (110 g) rolled quinoa flakes (can be subbed for rolled oats or rolled millet)
1 cup (110 g) rolled buckwheat flakes (can be subbed for rolled oats or rolled millet)
1 pinch sea salt
6 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil (room temperature) + more for greasing the dish
15 fresh soft dates, stoned
Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease a 22 cm / 9 inch baking dish or pie tin with coconut oil. Rinse all fruit. Slice the rhubarbs, halve the strawberries if necessary and dice the apples (discard the seeds). Place in a baking dish and toss with vanilla, orange juice and honey. Prepare the crumble in a separate bowl. Start by thoroughly mixing quinoa flakes, buckwheat flakes and salt. Chop the dates and add to the mixed flakes together with the coconut oil. Use your hands to mix until large crumbs are formed. Pour the crumble filling evenly over the fruit. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges and the crumble is firm and browned.
Keeps for about a 5 days in the fridge. Freezes and reheats well. Serves 4
This recipe is from green kitchen stories online http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/our-books/
