Yoga While Traveling from Honolulu To San Francisco

Namaste Everyone,

I mentioned in my blog that I did approximately 2 hours of yoga and meditation en route from Honolulu to San Francisco.  Here is a list of what I did:

Began with long inhalation and exhalation as the plane started to taxing for take-off

Camel in my seat (it is easier and less distracting than cat-cow)

At this time 3 little infants began screaming, a great time to do Sound Meditation

Sufi Grind as we are airborne

Hud Kriya - I had to keep my arm actions restrained as there was a passenger on my left and J.J. on my right, also no loud mantra

Tap my heels - 100 times in seated position, just lifting my heels up and down

Eye exercises - 10 times quick blinking, looking up, down, sides then with your eyes closed move your eyes clock wise from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock

Shoulder roll, shoulder shrug

Hands and finger exercises, I actually had my elbows slightly bent and opened and closed my hands quickly and forcefully - about 20 times

Sheetali Pranayama and Seekali Pranayama - I counted 10 times each

Stand up and walk to the galley

If there is a space, do Tadasana and gentle forward bend and backward bend

I was also able to do balancing pose by hugging my knees

Back to sitting

Twists in my chair

Bell ringing Kundalini Yoga exercise

Lifting one leg up as high as you can and alternate - I did about 20 times each

So Hum Mantra Meditation

Light Meditation - I imagine 4 different individuals and did each one separately

To end, I did silent chant of Ganesh Mantra.  Even if you are not traveling on a plane, hope the above list would help you with your daily practice.

Sat Nam - Cathi

Kind Bars

Aloha Everyone,

Thank you so much Sharon for introducing me to the Kind Bars.  If you have not tried this, I highly recommend it. They come in different mix of protein fruits and nuts.  Some are with peanuts butter, dark chocolate and even sea salts. Most of these bars claim to be all natural, gluten and wheat free. Each bar contains 2 to 7 grams of fiber and some bar may contain as high as 10 grams of protein.

The only down side I see is that it gets sticky.  When you try to unwrap the bar, the plastic wrapper sticks on your fingers. A small price to pay for such a a healthy, delicious, handy snack.  I purchased a box at Walmart-Kapahulu. It is found in their pharmacy section.  $4.99 for a box of 4.  Safeway sometime have sales and their sale price is also $4.99 for a box of 4.  http://www.kindsnacks.com/

Namaste -- Cathi

Being in the Present Moment - Quotes

Namaste Everyone,

Yoga and meditation teach us to being able to stay present with ourselves.  We learn to become mindful, being aware of whatever is happening right now.  We learn acceptance of “just being” in the moment.  Here are some profound quotes of being in the present moment.  Hope you enjoy them and benefit from them. 

Sat Nam – Cathi

"Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

-- Buddha

"We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment."

-- Chanakya

"As we look deeply within, we understand our perfect balance.  There is no fear of the cycle of birth, life and death.  For when you stand in the present moment, you are timeless".

-- Rodney Yee

"Always say 'yes' to the present moment... Surrender to what is. Say 'yes' to life - and see how life starts suddenly to start working for you rather than against you."

-- Eckhart Tolle

"Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going."

-- Tennessee Williams

"It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up."

-- Eckhart Tolle

"Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment."

-- Deepak Chopra

"Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome. Since the present moment is life itself, it is an insane way to live."

-- Eckhart Tolle

"The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness."

-- Abraham Maslow

"The mind is never satisfied with the objects immediately before it, but is always breaking away from the present moment and losing itself in schemes of future felicity... The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope."

-- Samuel Johnson

"Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life."

-- Eckhart Tolle

Dark Chocolates for Your Health

Aloha Everyone,

If you love chocolates like I do, here is good news.  Studies show that dark chocolates have a number of healthy benefits including:

Good for your brain
• phenyl ethylamine (PEA)chemical compounds have a positive effect on your mood 
• improves cognitive function
• may reduce your risk of stroke
• makes you happier by release of endorphins 

Good for your heart 
• improves blood flow 
• may help prevent the formation of blood clots
• may prevent arteriosclerosis
• may help lower your blood pressure

Good for your immune systems
• antioxidants in dark chocolate may protect you from many types of cancer
• may slow down the aging process

Good for your blood vessels
• may helps prevent type 2 diabetes

Good for your teeth
• theobromine in dark chocolate help harden tooth enamel.

Good for your overall health
• high in potassium, magnesium, iron and copper
• increases production of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters.
• helps reduce stress hormones, which means less collagen breakdown in the skin, and fewer wrinkles.

TYPE OF DARK CHOCOLATE
- at least 70 percent cocoa content

AMOUNT RECOMMENDED 
      - based on a study published in Germany in 2010 of nearly 20,000 people followed over 8 years, an average of 6 gm per day had 39 percent lower risk of heart attack or stroke.

With so many web sites offering advice, be mindful who the source is.  As with any new diet plans, be sure to consult your physician to see if eating dark chocolate would not have unexpected side effects on your health.  Do read the label as you are also eating fat, sugar and calories.

Enjoy!  Cathi

Here is one of the many sources available on-line:
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080925/dark-chocolate-prevents-heart-disease

Inner Peace & Tranquility Quotes

Aloha Everyone,

Here are some of my favorite inner peace and tranquility quotations.

Aloha -- Cathi


"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset."
- Saint Francis de Sales

"Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions."
- Gerald Jampolsky

"The life of inner peace, being harmonious and without stress, is the easiest type of existence."
- Norman Vincent Peale

"Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined."
- Johnny Carson

"I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery and death... I think... peace and tranquility will return again."
- Anne Frank

"The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquility is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there."
- Chanakya

"Peace is liberty in tranquility."
- Marcus Tullius Cicero

"That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquility."
- Rumi

"That perfect tranquility of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend and a good library."
- Aphra Behn

"Like ships that have gone down at sea, when heaven was all tranquility."
- Thomas Moore

"I relax by catching up with my friends and family. When I am at home in Ibiza, I find the contrast of living on a divided island relaxing - with beauty and tranquility in the north and a sense of fun, shallowness and celebration in the south."
- James Blunt