Author Archives: Lorien

Song of the Soul – Yogi Musings

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For years the practice of Yoga has captured the imagination of both my body, mind and spirit.

There is something special that happens when the breath harmonises in movement with the body. When the mind is freed through the practice of letting go of being right, doing something right, looking right or having to prove something to anyone else.

Finding yourself in the moment. In the here and now. Being humble.

One breath at a time. One movement at a time. One thought at a time… 

I call this P R E S E N C E .

There is a rich beauty about realising – (through showing up on the mat, in life, in your relationships, in your work) that even once you ‘know’ how to do something, a downward-faceing dog, achieve an outcome or a result in your work or know that making sure you are present with your family or partner is important… There is a beauty in realising that even though you may KNOW these things…. that knowing things doesn’t make a difference.

It is our PRESENCE. Our attention to the moment. To our yoga practice each day. To our bodies each day. To our work each day. To our loved ones each day. To ourselves each day. It is this that I call the real practice of YOGA, (union). 

Each time you step onto your mat, arrive at work or come home to be with your family, that is where the real YOGA, the real joy in being alive, the real magic, the real practice is in action. 

I love the subtle resistance that can arise sometimes when I step onto my yoga mat. The intelligence of my body humbling me to see and feel what would have otherwise remained un-touched and un-noticed. I love the intimacy with self that my Yoga practice brings. The inner dance of my cells as I move across my mat. As I am guided by my teacher to explore new oceans and lands within my body.

Being present and aware of the imperfections within my practice is what makes my Yoga practice feel complete. This is the beauty. This is the life juice. This is where the joy and adventure of being alive lives!

Resistance in life can be a stifling feeling. It can stop us – often at times when we need to break-through the most.

Resistance is a sign that what you truly love and desire is close. Very close. Infact, most likely just behind the corner of the barrier you are putting up.

Resistance is a gift. It is a blessings and when you can walk through those thoughts, those blockages in your body, those aches and pains in your being that wish for you to stay safe and not feel the very juicy goodness that your spirit wishes you to feel, then there is a sweet prize for you at the end. A prize that cannot be valued through money, fame or riches. It is the ultimate gift…

I N N E R – F R E E D O M .

You can experience this in your lifetime. We can all travel through the doorways of our resistance, whether it be around our health and body image, breaking through our physical pain, our emotional blockages and aches or a breakthrough in showing up to be present in our own lives, to receive that which is waiting for us, to be our true authentic selves, allowing all story, past beliefs and thoughts that do not serve us to drop away. 

Life really is a practice. A yoga practice is a mini microcosm of the bigger macrocosm of our journey. Our work is a microcosm of our practice. Our relationships are a microcosm of our practice.

The practice is within. It lies with us. We are the ones, that we have been waiting for in our lives. It is you. It is me. It is all of us, showing up, with humility, with openness to grow and learn. With self-compassion and love. Knowing that we are on a journey. And as cliche` as this sounds, life really is about the journey, NOT the destination…

At the end of our sweet lifetime on this earth. It is not how ‘perfect’ we were at our head-stand in yoga or how ‘perfect’ we were in our lives that we will reflect upon and value. It is how loving we were – firstly to ourselves, and then with others – it is this that we shall look back on and smile about. The journey – the practice – the memories of how we broke through our resistance in that area or that area… with this person or that person… with ourselves. Being the best person we can be in this life. THIS is what we shall be proud of. THIS is THE PRACTICE. 

This entire post was inspired by reading a gorgeous poem out of BKS Iyengers’ famous book, ‘Light on Yoga’.

Here is an exert that I wish to share… This poem is divine in every way imaginable. It encapsulates such beauty and the true essence of YOGA from my point of view. For those who don’t call themselves ‘Yogi’s’… Yoga means life. As in each moment we are uniting with the forces of nature, of the energies within our own being… You don’t need to show up at 6am to your local yoga studio to call yourself a Yogi. Living in harmony daily with self and others – being open to grow and courageous to meet yourself in each moment with self compassion and self love. This is my definition of a true Yogi. The Yoga is within.

…Song of the Soul…

I am neither ego nor reason, I am neither mind nor thought,
I cannot be hard nor cast into words, nor by smell nor sight ever caught:
In light and wind I am not found, nor yet in earth and sky –
Consciousness and joy incarnate, Bliss of the Blissful am I.

I have no name, I have no life, I breathe no vital air,
No elements have moulded me, no bodily sheath is my lair:
I have no speech, no hands and feet, nor means of evolution –
Consciousness and joy am I, and Bliss in dissolution.

I cast aside hatred and passion, I conquered delusion and greed;
No touch of pride caressed me, so envy never did breed:
Beyond all faiths, past reach of wealth, past freedom, past desire,
Consciousness and joy am I, and Bliss is my attire.

Virtue and vice, or pleasure and pain are not my heritage,
Nor sacred texts, nor offerings, nor prayer, nor pilgrimage:
I am neither food, nor eating, nor yet the eater am I –
Consciousness and joy incarnate, Bliss of the Blissful am I.

I have no misgiving of death, no chasms of race divide me,
No parent ever called me child, no bond of birth ever tied me:
I am neither disciple nor master, I have no kin, no friend –
Consciousness and joy am I, and merging in Bliss is my end.

Neither knowable, knowledge, nor knower am I, formless is my form,
I dwell within the senses but they are not my home:
Ever serenely balanced, I am neither free nor bound –
Consciousness and joy am I, and Bliss is where I am found.

Here’s to a life of divine practice in harmony with your entire being. Thriving, growing, dancing, moving, being – true to yourself in each and every breath.

x Om Shanti

Our 2nd Birthday – Thank You! :)

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Two years of wholesome loving goodness creations and we are celebrating from across the seas in Canada! Yippee!

Two years ago on this date WLG was born, out of a love and inspiration for sharing the beauty and magic of real – wholefood – organics – Ayurvedic medicine and wholesome nourishment with kitchens and families around the world!

…The amount of beauty, inspiration, joy, amazing new friends, connections, inspiration, wholesomeness, love, goodness, fun and creativity that has come about over the last 2 years has been INCREDIBLE and so nourishing on every level! Whoa!!

Filled with gratitude today and everyday for this community and for all the friends near and far who have supported this creation and it’s organic growth since the beginning!

Thankyou, thankyou, namaste and thankyou!

It is each and everyone of you being part of this community and being amazing in your own lives that makes these dreams possible and a reality.

Gratitude and love from the shores of Cananda (…where the health food shops, organic produce and green trees are amazing!)

x Om Shanti!  x

Lots of wholesome loving goodness love!

x Lorien

Sunrise & Canada!

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Seeing the sunrise is something special. That is even an understatement.

It is D I V I N E!

Every day the sun appears. If your in the southern hemisphere it rises over the ocean.

If you are in the northern hemisphere then it sets over the Ocean.

Both spectacular sights to witness and allow to flood the cells of your body!

For the next six weeks these eyes will be viewing the sun from North America as we set off on an adventure to the land of wild chip-munks, squirrels, skunks and blossoming summertime flowers! Relaxing time with family, nature time during the Canadian summer and Wholesome Loving Goodness’s first ever North American tour – holding 4 Ayurvedic Wholefood Cooking Classes in the first week of August 2014 in Toronto and London, Ontario. For more info on these classes get in touch via my ‘contact’ page! :) The more whole food lovers, the merrier!

Exciting! :)

Here are some words of wisdom and beauty to bathe your soul in…

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your own heart. Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens.”

~ Carl Jung 

With love! :)

x Lorien

Warm, nourish, soften, mmm – Let’s talk ‘Ayurvedic Daily Routine’

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Let’s cut straight to the chase, to the juicy business of our day to day living.

Your body is a temple. It is sacred.

For your body, mind and spirit to function optimally, it must be cared for, loved, nourished nurtured and respected with consistency and regularity. Your body is relying on you to look after it. It will even talk to you when it is out of balance, to get your attention and make you stop, slow down, rest, have a cry of release and realise where you are really at.

In essence, you are a miracle and your body is the magical vessel that you have to express, shine, dance, sing, play, connect and experience the world and inter-react with.

In honour of your divine body, of all bodies, your incredible organs and wondrous nervous system that communicates and allows all actions, thoughts, movement, digestion, creativity, love and magic to take place within you ~ Ayurveda has some tips for us!

The ‘Daily Routine’ is a key ingredient in creating harmony, balance and wellness internally and externally.

I love these simple practices that slow the mind down, soothe the soul, nourish the body, mind and spirit on the deepest levels and provide an opportunity to connect within on a daily basis.

If you can only start with adding 1 of these 5 practices into you day to begin with, that will make a big difference in itself!

Without further ado… Let’s get to it:

  1. Wake up, spit in the sink any gunk in your mouth, gently brush your teeth, scrape your tongue with a copper tongue scraper (copper conducts the toxins the best, or silver or gold). See here for Tongue Scraping Tutorial 
  2. Drink warm water with fresh ginger, lemon and honey (do not add honey if water is boiling, only when temp is warm). Or simply drink warm water to flush toxins, warm your digestive fire and hydrate your brain to start the day.
  3. Self massage with organic black sesame oil. Warm the oil and apply to your body before you shower in the morning. Focus on the joints, massage in a circular motion and move from your feet to your head. A great practice for improving circulation, boosting the immune system, cleansing the lymphatic system, soothing and grounding the nervous system, nourishing the bones and muscle tissue and loving your body first thing in the morning or before bed at night. Have a warm shower afterwards, the heat will open your pores and allow the oil to penetrate deeper into the tissues offering greater nourishment and goodness to your cells! Yum! So good in autumn and winter particularly! 
  4. Eat something warm for brekky! Warm, smooth, light and soupy… A rule in Ayurveda is to eat your biggest meal in the middle of the day when the sun is the highest- and to eat light and easy to digest foods for breakfast and dinner to assist your body and allow for optimum digestion.
  5. Massage your feet before bed with warm sesame oil to ground the nervous system and promote a very very deep and delicious sleep! …Also putting your legs up the wall, a yoga pose called the fountatin of youth or virparita karani that will nourish your adrenals and kidneys, restoring natural energy and allowing your body to balance and melt into a deep yummy sleep! 
Incase your wondering about the ‘tongue scraping’… Here’s a little ‘tongue scraping’ video tutorial.

Have fun incorporating these beauties into your awareness and self-care, self-love regime! Your body will love you for it!

x Love, Lorien

Thankyou Autumn & …a treat!

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Well…. it is now the last day of Autumn.

What a beautiful season it has been!

Clear blue skies, sunny warm days, moody sunrises and expansive bursting sunsets… It has been, m a g i c a l !

Autumn is a season that assists with the transition between one extreme season to another. In Australia, the weather is pretty temperate all year round. Nonetheless, there is a big difference between the humid, balmy days of summer and the crisp, cool, fresh nights of winter.

Thank goodness for Autumn!

Without Autumn, we would be going from one very hot season to a very cold season (depending on where you are in the world), and this would come as a big shock to the body!

Mother nature is so intelligent and thoughtful… instead of giving us this extreme difference to adjust too, she gives us Autumn!

A season of transition.

As we transition through different seasons in the year, the body goes through subtle changes and shifts.

At the change of one season to another it’s a perfect time to give your digestive system a gentle cleanse.

A simple approach could be to simplify your meals for a week. Eat soup at night for 1 week instead of other heavier foods, to give your body a rest. Or if you are really keen, make a big batch of yummy Vegie soup and fast on that for 3-5 days depending on your body type to allow your organs to rest and rejuvenate in preparation for the coming season.

So, in thanking Autumn for her gentle beauty and gradual seasonal change from summer to winter… I have something special for you all!

A recipe that we made today at one of my Simple Nourishment Ayurvedic Wholefood cooking classes! :)

Ayurvedic, nut-free Besan Bindi Balls!

Go to the recipe here!

Happy transitioning. Happy nourishing. Happy self-loving and living!

You are a beautiful being! :)

x Love,

Lorien

Nut-free Ayurvedic ‘Spice Bliss Balls!’

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Ingredients:

  • Ghee
  • Besan (chickpea) flour
  • Rice flour
  • Desiccated coconut
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Dates
  • Coconut sugar
  • Ajwan seeds
  • Fennel seeds
  • LOVE!

Method:

  1. Add 1/2 cup of Ghee to a pan.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of Besan flour and stir… we want to toast the besan flour.
  3. Add 4 tablespoons of rice flour and stir.
  4. Toast the flour in the Ghee on medium heat for approx 10 minutes or until it smells and looks toasted/darker.
  5. In a separate pan dry toast 3 tbsp sesame seeds, 3 tbs sunflower seeds then pour into separate bowl.
  6. In the same pan, toast your spices. Add 3 tbsp of Ajwain seeds & 3 tbsp of Fennel seeds. Toast until ‘toasted’, they will smell toasted and look toasted. Add the spices to a mortar and pestle and grind into a powder.
  7. Chop 1 cup of dates into small pieces.
  8. Now add the dates, ground spice and seeds to the pan with Ghee and Besan flour and stir.
  9. Pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl, be careful, it will be hot still!
  10. In mixing bowl add 4tbsp of coconut sugar and mix in with the flour, dates, seeds etc.

Wait for the mixture to cool, then using your hands roll into small balls and they are ready!

If they are not sticking together properly, add a little extra Ghee to assist with binding.

Enjoy warm or place in the fridge to allow the Ghee to cool and the balls to go hard.

A traditional Ayurvedic treat, warm, toasty and spicy with just the right amount of sweet to cradle you from Autumn into Winter…!

x Enjoy!

Love, Lorien

A bowl FULL of LOVE. Guest Interview with Ayurvedic Chef Stephen Galpin

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There are many ways to be of service in this world…

Some choose to serve in third world countries, contributing to the quality of life and love in communities that have limited resources.

Some serve their country, some feed the poor, some sacrifice their own wellbeing in protest for the environment, mother nature and the wellbeing of others.

There are so many ways to be of service, through our thoughts, words and actions every single day.

Drum-roll please… Make a warm cup of Tumeric Chai, grab your blankey and get cosy as we take some time with a true teacher of the spirit of service.

Chef Stephen Galpin, our Wholesome Loving Goodness featured guest this month, is of service through LOVE-FILLED food and wisdom.

Stephen’s cooking of delightful ~ spice, ghee, LOVE infused offerings have a way of transforming the ‘eater’ the ‘receiver’ of this truly divine cuisine.

This morning as I enjoyed a bowl of his amazing porridge for breakfast at the Mudita Ayurveda and Mindfulness retreat in Byron Bay that I work on each year, I was reminded of the power of porridge, the power of infusing LOVE into your cooking. I was so inspired that as soon as I finished the bowl of creamy, vanilla, saffron polenta I swiftly walked to my car, got my laptop, turned it on and began writing these words in honour and praise of this amazing Chef, teacher and master of devotional cooking.

About six months ago I did an interview with Stephen. I asked him some questions about the life of being an Ayurvedic chef, his inspiration, his perspective on this gorgeous food and offering of love that he shares. He graciously agreed to share this information with me, with you – the Wholesome Loving Goodness tribe!

In nature there is a divine timing for when a fruit is ripe, when a flower opens, when the rain falls and when the sun rises. This divine timing cannot be forced or controlled.

This interview has had it’s own divine timing.

The time has come, it is the spring of introducing you to this great master and teacher of  Ayurvedic cooking, spirituality, philosophy, culinary expertise & love.

I am delighted to introduce you to a teacher of devotion, spirit and service…

Stephen’s porridge is bowl-licking good!

How did you first come to discover Ayurvedic cooking and what was your inspiration to make this a big part of your journey?

I was introduced to Ayurveda through studies of yoga, there was no real inspiration it sort of just evolved. As I changed so did my approach to cooking and health.

What does it mean to prepare ‘Ayurvedic’ food to you and what sets this type of cooking apart from regular cooking practices?

To prepare Ayurvedic food is to approach your preparation and cooking with mindful awareness, giving full consideration to every step of the process and how the ingredients will interact enhance and balance each other,  how the finished dish will then affect those that are eating it. Consideration is given to stimulating the digestive fire or “Agni” through the subtle use of warming spices to prepare food that will not exaggerate any actions.

What is your favourite Ayurvedic spice, if you had to choose one and why?

Cardamon, I love the qualities, aroma and scent. I cant imagine a cup of tea without a pinch or two. :-)

Life is full of so much magic and beauty, what is it for you that bring’s the most joy each day?

Simplicity, I love just being.

If you could share one piece of kitchen advice with families around the world to inspire some wholesome loving cooking, what would it be?

Keep cooking for yourself and others, cooking is an act of loving kindness.

What are the key elements that make a difference in your daily life?

I like to be still and have time to contemplate, mainly I try to get through each day without upsetting anyone including myself. I always think at the end of each day whether I have achieved that and mostly I have so thats pretty cool.

Finally, if you had one wish for humanity and the world at this current time, what would it be?

Mutual love and respect. I think if we can all respect each others uniqueness and extend loving kindness towards each other. We all grow up differently reaching stepping stones in our own time, so if we can allow that growth to happen naturally and not try to control, govern or force to much.

Stephen has a beautiful Ayurvedic Cook Book with 88 Love-filled Recipes called ‘The Ayurvedic Kitchen’ that you can purchase from his website.

Connect with Stephen for inspiration and wisdom on the path of Ayurveda, cooking and love on his website & facebook page.

“Ecstasy is experienced through expansion. The ecstasy of food is waiting for you to dance & play with it, to get excited.
Allow that feeling to flow from within. When your cup is full, it will overflow! Let the pot catch it. This is the gift that nature’s abundance has to share when you take the time to get to know it.”  
~ Chef Stephen Galpin
Namaste

Thankyou Stephen, such an honour to spend some time with you!

x Lorien

 

 

Life changing daily practice – Tongue Scraping

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Have you ever wondered what Tongue Scraping is all about?

Have you ever woken up with a coating on your tongue first thing in the morning?

Have you ever experienced bad breath and toxic build up in your body or noticed someone else’s?

…The ancient and simple Ayurvedic practice of Tongue Scraping is here to save the day! :)

This is such a wonderful simple daily routine.

I have been a tongue scraper for the past 10 years… and I don’t know where I’d be without it! :)

Enjoy this little piece of tongue scraping video inspiration I put together to inspire those of you who are still on the fence and clarify some points for those who are totally new to it.

For the wonderful folk who are already switched onto this wonderful simple practice, feel free to leave some of your own words of tongue scraping wisdom in the comments under the video, share your story, spread the tongue scraping love so that our fellow brothers and sisters can get in on this wonderful preventative, cleansing, satisfying practice! :)

 

x Love Lorien

Saffron Warm Milk!

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Warm Ayurvedic Milk with Saffron, Cinnamon & Fennel!

A super-charged, Ojas boosting , yummy, rejuvenating, warming, reproductive tissue-nourishing Ayurvedic drink!

Milk: Dairy milk can be very nourishing for the deeper tissues in the body, particularly the reproductive system. When using milk, consider it as being ‘medicine’.  This means that we want to honour the milk and take it with awareness and moderation.

A few tips to make your milk easier to digest:

  1. Always boil your milk. Milk is heavy and cool in nature and through the process of heating milk and consuming it while warm, we make the milk warmer, lighter and easier to digest. The process of heating milk also purified the milk, making it more potent and digestion friendly!
  2. Always use organic, un-homogenised Jersey milk where possible. The milk from Jersey cows is called ‘A2’ milk and this milk has been shown to be easier to digest than the milk that comes from ‘fresian’ cows, a different breed. In India, the cows that provide milk are Jersey cows. It is important to use un-homogenised milk as the process of homogenisation spins the fat particles so fast that they get dispersed and separated. When the body takes in this milk that has been altered, it doesn’t know what to do with it, as the particles don’t match up the way they ought too. This creates an inability for the body to digest the milk and can cause a range of upsets and intolerances to dairy.
  3. Add spices to make the milk easier to digest, improve your digestion and allow for proper nourishment to occur. Spices such as Cardamon, Cinnamon, Ginger, Fennel and Saffron go wonderfully with milk and they taste and smell delicious!
  4. Drink as medicine and use in moderation. A warm milk before bed is wonderful simple remedy to calm and sooth the nervous system, nourish the tissues, rejuvenate the reproductive system and build up ‘Ojas’, which is like our ‘life-force’, essence, juice, glow, joy in life!

Art by: Devendra Sharma

Happy Spicing and boiling friends! :)

Feel free to write a message for any further questions on Milk!

(A comments section on the website shall be installed soon!) :)

x Love Lorien

Gratitude notes…

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Gratitude for…

  • Clean, fresh air
  • My breathe
  • The earth I walk on
  • My body that moves me & allows me to dance!
  • The sunshine
  • The moonshine & stars
  • The beauty of sunrise & sunset
  • The Ocean
  • Beautiful Family & Friends
  • Nourishing Relationships (Self & special one in your life)
  • Work I love
  • Health, Energy and Vitality
  • My Parents & Grandparents
  • Clean water & Organic fresh wholesome food
  • The practice & wisdom of Yoga & Ayurveda
  • My teachers & my teachers, teachers!
  • All of the experiences in life that have led me to be where I am today.
  • Grateful for the gift of gratitude!

The practice of Gratitude daily, morning and evening before bed will inspire and uplift what is possible in life 100 fold!

Grateful for community.

Love,

x Lorien