“The way you accept Asthanga yoga is the way you will accept other outside challenges in life.” ~Rory Trollen

Growing Organic Kale for Beginngers

Growing organic kale and spinach is easy once you know the basics.

Danners posing with our luscious kale and spinach plants

This post is about how to grow and care for your kale once it is in the growing stage (having already been planted). If you’re interested in the initial planting of kale, see our post on “Should I Start with Kale Seeds or Baby Kale Plants?”

We were successful growing organic kale and we’ve been reaping the plentiful rewards ever since! This post will explain why you’d consider growing kale (or any vegetable), how to care for & nourish growing kale, and how to harvest kale once it’s ready. Lastly, we will discuss how to prepare and eat harvested kale.

Reasons to Grow your own Vegetables

To plant, nurture, water, feed, harvest and then finally eat a vegetable, creates a feeling that everyone should experience once in their life. There is such a powerful connection you feel when eating vegetables you’ve grown yourself.

Why Grow Kale?

Growing organic kale is one of the best ways to start your home garden. Not only is kale one of the most healthy vegetables, it’s also one of the easiest to grow and has one of the longest growing seasons. Kale grows in the Spring through the Summer and deep into Autumn (in the Northeastern region of USA.) Thanks to Gerri (Danielle’s friend) from Schenectady, NY for the info on the long growing season!

Harvesting Organic Kale

When growing organic kale, keep in mind that the harvesting method is very important. Rule number one is that when picking kale from your plant, it’s best to take the whole stem from the stalk as opposed to just breaking off the leaf. This ensures that nutrients won’t be transported from the stalk to what has turned into a stem with no prospects of growing a new leaf. This practice helps distribute the nutrients from the soil to the stems and leaves that are still growing.

It’s wise to first harvest the outer leaves since they are the most mature and ready to eat. Whenever a leaf or a stem is connected to a stalk, it is drawing prana (energy, lifeforce) and nutrients from the stalk. The stalk receives prana from the soil, the stem receives prana from the stalk, and the leaf receives prana from the stem. There comes a point when the kale leaf is waiting to be harvested and by keeping the stem and leaf on the stalk, you are doing a disservice to the younger leaves by depriving them of much needed nutrients.

The stems and leaves feed off each other’s growth so don’t harvest too many kale stems/leaves at once or you might end up killing the plant.

What to Eat Kale with

Growing organic kale has been quite the adventure. So far, we’ve harvested 12 servings of kale from our garden. In the span of 3 months, we’ve gone from a group of clueless “city guys” (complete beginners) to being able to supply ourselves with more kale than we could have imagined. We’ve made kale chips, kale salad, kale smoothies, and we’ve added kale to just about any dish you can imagine.

Sautéed Organic Kale from our Garden with Wild Salmon & Grape Tomatoes

Differences Between Home Grown Organic Kale and kale from Whole Foods:

• Fresh kale is more rich and dense (probably because it hasn’t traveled across the country in the back of a truck for days)
• Fresh kale is…. well, fresher (an obvious observation but one can’t help but taste and observe the difference in moisture levels)
• Fresh kale tastes better (this might be because we have great soil and compost & practice crop rotation whereas the big agriculture companies might not)
• Being self+sustainable “feels right.” Imagine the days when this practice was the norm! (it’s amasing being able to pick fresh kale every few days instead of having to go to the store. The feeling of “we grew this” is special)

Have you had similar experiences growing organic kale? How do you like to eat kale?

What Are the Yamas and Niyamas?

When Brian and I first studied yoga extensively, we were fascinated by the origins and composition of the yamas and niyamas. There are books on the topic and one could study this for a lifetime. Here is a brief overview of what I learned from Rory Trollen combined with what I have learned in other lectures, seminars, and books.

The yamas and niyamas are the first two limbs of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The yamas and niyamas can be seen as 10 Guidelines to purifying life and becoming a better person. The distinction between the word guideline and commandment is important. The word commandment is generally used to strike fear whereas a guideline is your spiritual ally helping you along the path.

If you are a yogi, then you are a yogi 24 hours a day, on and off the mat.

There are yogis who say that they have been to a certain part of consciousness so they know for a fact that if you steal, kill, use drugs, or cause harm to others, you lose karma.

On the other hand good deeds give you positive energies that can be translated into will power, the ability to  heal injuries, and concentration for mediation. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Rory Trollen Practicing

Eventually, advanced yogis will develop paranormal powers such as the ability to read minds and refine senses to such a perfection that you can be in two places at once.

In summary, there is enormous potential to do things to yourself and to others. The yamas and niyama serve as guidelines on how to act and to insure that the yogi does not use these powers in a negative way but instead uses their light to help others.

The Yamas:

Ahimsa ~ Nonviolence

Satya ~ Truthfulness

Asteya ~ Nonstealing

Brahmacharya ~ Nonexcess

Aparigraha ~ Non attachment

The Niyamas (internal observances):

Saucha ~ Purity

Santosha ~ Contentment

Tapas ~ Goal Achieving

Svadhyaya ~ Self study

Ishvara Pranidhana ~ Why are you practicing yoga?

Brian and I will post a series of posts dedicated to each of the yamas and niyamas. Here’s a link to our first post in the series, dedicated to ahimsa.

Do you intend on living by the guidelines of the yamas and niyamas?

Best Ways to Hydrate

It’s no secret that hydration is essential to optimal health. Although drinking water is a great way to hydrate, did you know that on average, humans get 20% of their water from food?

Often times, eating fruit is the best way of hydrating — even better than drinking water.  The nutrients and vitamins that fruits contain help balance fluid levels within the body and deliver water in an efficient manner.

Healthy Foods for Hydration

For example, after a long workout, one might be better served to eat watermelon as opposed to drinking water. The watermelon has potassium and sodium that aid in replacing the valuable properties that you lost in your workout by sweating.

Many fruits and veggies are made up of primarily water but they bring the extra punch of added nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. For example, celery may seem like a “boring” food but if you look closely, it’s actually amasing (yes, with an “s”). Celery is 96% water and it has dozens of different antioxidants, a high concentration of vitamin K, beta+carotene, and Vitamin C. Consuming celery has significant benefits for the digestive tract, cancer prevention, and reducing inflammation within the body.

Other foods that stand out are papaya and watermelon. Each contains lutein and zeaxanthin which studies have shown can hydrate your body twice as effectively as water.

Conclusion

If you want to hydrate, eat up!

Here are five foods that are great for hydration:

• Cucumbers
• Watermelon
• Apples
• Celery
• Broccoli

What foods do you eat to stay hydrated?

Is Yoga Spiritual? Is Yoga Religious?

Is yoga spiritual? Is yoga religious? It depends on who’s practicing and who’s teaching.

Everyone’s practice is different. One person’s practice might be deeply spiritual or religious while another person’a practice is the opposite. In the West, we’re so quick to put titles and labels on things as if once we’ve labeled something we truly understand it.

What is Yoga?

In sanskrit, the word yoga means union. When we practice yoga, we are creating a union between the body, mind, and breath.

Yoga as a Science

Our teacher, Rory Trollen, described yoga as a science where you are the scientist and the lab. Rory explained there are simple, valid ways of finding out why one day you wake up feeling happy or sad.

Rory taught us that yoga does not require belief or faith, just practice.

In the last two or three decades, when yoga was introduced to the modern world, it was received with some skepticism. At first people thought that it was another religion. But in spite of this young people took up yoga and soon others began to notice its amazing effects. Then the psychologists, medical doctors, criminologists, and philosophers started making investigations and they were surprised to find that yoga is not a religion but a science. ~Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Yoga as a System

Patanjali said that, “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.” This does not make the practice inherently religious, instead it is a system to live a more present, intentional life.

The system of yoga helps you cultivate inner awareness. For example, as you advance your practice, you’ll be able to more easily change your mental state. You’re less likely to be a slave to the 80,000 thoughts that the average human has each day.

Yoga as a Spiritual Practice

Some see yoga as a union between their being and the universe. If this is your interpretation, then perhaps yoga is a spiritual practice for you. Dr. Larry Dossey, a leader in the field of spirituality, describes spirituality as “a sense of connectedness with something greater than oneself.”

“Yoga is an aid to the practice of the basic spiritual truths in all religions. Yoga is for all, and is universal.” ~Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Do I need to be Hindu or Buddhist to Practice?

Although historical roots dating back 4,000 years show that yoga comes from Hinduism, one does not need to be Hindu to practice. There are similarities in yogic principles and the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism although one need not prescribe to any particular religion in order to practice.

Yoga is not Hindu, it is not Mohammedan. Yoga is a pure science just like mathematics, physics or chemistry. Physics is not Christian, physics is not Buddhist. If Christians have discovered the laws of physics, then too physics is not Christian. It is just accidental that Christians have come to discover the laws of physics. But physics remains just a science. Yoga is a science—it is just an accident that Hindus discovered it. It is not Hindu. It is a pure mathematics of the inner being. So a Mohammedan can be a yogi, a Christian can be a yogi, a Jaina, a Buddhist can be a yogi.” ~Osho

Is yoga a sin?

If you’re so inclined, yoga can be interpreted as a merging between you and whatever God you believe in. So, in Judeo+Christian circles, how could becoming closer to God possibly be considered a sin?

If you want to become closer to your source or to God, yoga can help. Yoga helps remove external stimuli that serve as a detriment to truly connecting with ourselves, God, the Universe and other people.

Is yoga spiritual? Is yoga religious? My experience

Yoga enhances my religious practice and helps me to become a better person. As someone of Catholic faith, I’ve found that yoga has helped bring me closer to God, Jesus, the Universe, my family, my friends, and everything and everyone around me. If that makes my practice a religious practice in the eyes of others, then so be it.

Why the questions of “Is Yoga Spiritual? Is Yoga religious?” are relevant today

Mostly because of ignorance, fear and egos of people who do not understand yoga but feel threatened by it. Also, people who get tied up in their incessant need to label things.

Conclusion on yoga’s relationship to spirituality and religion

Yoga can be religious. Yoga can be secular. You don’t have to apply a title to your practice. Your practice is whatever you want it to be.

It is clear, however, that what separates yoga from gymnastics or stretching is the union. The union between mind, body, breath and something bigger whether it be God or the Universe.

With the rise of technological addictions, external stimuli overload, and advertisement bombardment in the West, it seems a connection to something bigger that ourselves is exactly what we need.

You do not need to be religious to practice yoga although you might find that yoga leads you down a spiritual path that you never considered possible.

In your practice, is yoga spiritual? Is yoga religious?

“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”

~Albert Einstein

In order to learn and become the best versions of ourselves, we can study extraordinary men and women that have come before us.

Sleep is a wellness topic that Brian and I have studied extensively. We’ll talk about the amazing benefits of napping in the future but for now, let’s examine the following men who were famous for their sleep habits:

Winston Churchill 

Churchill said: “Nature has not intended mankind to work from eight in the morning until midnight without that refreshment of blessed oblivion which, even if it only lasts twenty minutes, is sufficient to renew all the vital forces.”

He also said: “People think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That’s a foolish notion held by people who have no imagination. You will be able to accomplish more.”

Napoleon Bonaparte

It is said that Napoleon was so fond of napping that he would take naps while riding on his horse during battle.

Thomas Edison

Edison could sleep anywhere, anytime, on anything. He was famous for not sleeping much but napping a lot.

John F. Kennedy

Kennedy carved out the mid morning for daily napping of 2 hours. The head of his household staff said that while Kennedy was napping, “No telephone calls were allowed, no folders sent up, no interruptions from the staff. Nobody went upstairs, for any reason.”

Leonardo Da Vinci

Da Vinci took napping to the extreme. He adhered to a polyphasic sleep cycle, meaning that he slept for multiple short intervals throughout the day, allowing him to be awake, alert, and present for 22 hours per day.

Our friend Jordan Lejuwaan explains, “Most people only think that there is one way to sleep: Go to sleep at night for 6-8 hours, wake up in the morning, stay awake for 16-18 hours and then repeat.” There are sleep alternatives which Jordan discusses on his blog.

Have you experimented with alternative sleep cycles?

What benefits have you received from napping?

“The world is a book and those who do not travel only read a page.”

~St. Augustine

“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”

~Steve Jobs to Jon Scully in 1983 when he convinced Jon to leave Pepsi and join Apple

What is Ahimsa? How Can One Practice Ahimsa?

This post is all about answering the question, “What is Ahimsa?” In a previous post, we explained that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras specified 8 limbs of yoga with the first limb being the yamas. Within the yamas, there are 5 different principles. The principle we will focus on today is Ahimsa.

Literal Translation of Ahimsa

The literal translation of the Sanksrit word Ahimsa is nonviolence. In other words: do not harm anything.

What is Ahimsa? Practicing Ahimsa Outwardly

The principle applies to physical harm and verbal harm of all creatures (yes, even insects.) As a former college football player, when people see me practicing “catch and release” with the smallest bugs and insects, their reactions are priceless. When I explain Ahimsa as the basis of my rationale, some laugh, some become curious, some say, “you’ve got to be kidding me,” and some even get angry (which is quite ironic.)

What is Ahimsa? Practicing Ahimsa Internally

Ahimsa also teaches us to be nonviolent in thought. In fact, if you even think about punching someone in the face, it’s just as bad as doing it.

The practice of Ahimsa teaches us to be non+violent internally. Avoid beating yourself up on the inside. For example, if you’re meditating and find your mind wandering towards the past or the future, do you curse yourself and get angry for straying from your practice? Or do you practice Ahimsa and patiently guide your mind back to the present moment?

Examples of Ahimsa in Our Lives

How many times have you heard someone belittle someone else or themselves? “Oh, I’m such a idiot,” is a phrase that’s used too commonly. Ahimsa teaches us to not be so hard on ourselves.

A negative thought is a violent thought. People find it easy to speak negatively, it is the point of least resistance for them. In a previous post, we touched on how people belittle others behind their backs. The practice of Ahimsa tells us that it doesn’t have to be this way. There are attractive alternatives described in this post.

What is Ahimsa? Ahimsa During Asana

Ahimsa can also be seen as a guide in your Asana practice. Do you let your ego get in the way by getting frustrated when you can’t hold a certain arm balance? Or do you patiently accept where you’re at in your practice? Don’t push past your body’s limit, honor where your body is, avoid injury.

Perhaps you recently started practicing yoga and notice that you usually have a “good feeling” after Asana practice. If you want to carry that good feeling off of the mat, start by practicing Ahimsa.

Quotes about Ahimsa

“The yogi sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings and therefore opposes violence and loses all fear. The yogi is stern with himself when dealing with his own faults but gentle with the faults of others.” ~B.K.S Iyengar

“Practice of asanas without the backing of Yama and Niyama is mere acrobatics.” ~B.K.S Iyengar

How do you practice yoga off the mat? Do you stick to the principles of Ahimsa?