Yogalife - May - June 2016 (Gnv64)

YOGA & INSPIRED LIVING
MAY-JUNE 2016
Kino
MacGregor
on Spirituality
DE-CLUTTER
YOUR
FRIENDS
SURFERS
PARADISE
in Mentawi
Island
THE
REVENGE
OF
Gaia
RESTORATIVE
RESTORA
RESTORAT
IVE
ASANAS
WARRIOR
POSES
&
SUSTAINABLE
FASHION
ADD SOME ECO LOVE

TO YOUR LIFE
insights of light
THE COUNCIL STATEMENT ON FUKUSHIMA
September 2013 South Dakota
This statement reflects the wisdom of the Spiritual People of The Earth, of North and South America,
working in unity to restore people, harmony and balance for our collective future and for all living beings
e are part of Creation, thus, if we break the
That day is here.
laws of Creation we destroy ourselves.
Not heeding warnings from both Nature
We, the Original Caretakers of Mother
and the People of the Earth keeps us on the
Earth, have no choice but to follow and
path of self destruction. This self destructive
uphold the Original Instructions, which
path has led to the Fukushima nuclear crisis,
sustains the continuity of Life.
Gulf oil spill, tar sands devastation, pipeline
We recognise our umbilical connection to
failures, impacts of carbon dioxide emissions
Mother Earth and understand that she is the
and the destruction of ground water through
source of life, not a resource to be exploited.
hydraulic fracking, just to name a few.
We speak on behalf of all Creation today, to
In addition, these activities and development
communicate an urgent message that man has
continue to cause the deterioration
gone too far, placing us in the state of survival.
and destruction of sacred places and
We warned that one day you would not be
sacred waters that are vital for Life.
able to control what you have created.
Chief Arvol Looking Horse

FEBRUARY
MAY-JUNE 2016
yogalife
UPFRONT
2
3
7
8
10
Namaste
Insights of Light
Editors Note
Contributors
Yoga Bites
FEATURES
14
The magic of being alone
16
My unimaginable gifts
It is in deep solitude that the soul shines

The joyous life of a cancer survivor and
mother to two adopted kids from Ethiopia
20
contents
36
20 De-clutter your friends
Clearing out people from our life is good

for us and them
26 Paving the way forward
Hailing from Saudi Arabia, fitness trainer

Fatima Batook creates the first ever Saudi
brand for sports apparel
POSE
30 Pose sequence: Restorative asanas

35 Animal Spirit: Scorpion Pose
36 The right vehicle for your journey
The spiritual path presents the possibilities

of every road imaginable, says Kino MacGregor
38 How yoga shaped the pregnancy of

a Doha-based instructor
41
Post pregnancy exercise
Some common myths and mistakes related to

postnatal fitness
42 Spirit of the Warrior

46 Guest Column: Gaby Pezo
47 7 minutes... with Edita Kelly
NOURISH
50 Recipes: Goodness of Earth
All natural, all healthy, all delicious foods
55 Vitamins & Minerals: Where to find

them
42
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M AY-J UN E 2016
HEAL
60 Focus on Eye Movement
Desensitisation and Reprocessing

(EMDR)
64 The many benefits of Clinical

67
Pilates
Why gut health is crucial
How to build a healthy gut for overall

fitness and well-being
GLOW
72
Questions to ask if you have

acne
Ways to heal yourself from within
75 The wonders of clay
RETREAT
78 Yoga on the shores of the

surfers playgrounds
82 Upcoming retreats
GO GREEN
84 Add some eco-love to your life

88 Pulses take centre stage in the
International Year of Pulses
50
84
92 Lets get real about climate

change
95 Green Bites
96 Sustainable fashion
BACK
100
102
104
108
Horoscope
Book Review
Diary Dates
Live By
72
78
MAY-JUNE 2016
yogalife
Editorial Director
Kish Pagarani
kish@aum-media.com
Finance Director
Dinesh Pagarani
Director (Non-Executive)
Darren Hodgkin
darren.hodgkin@pinpointmediagroup.com
CEO
Sarosh Sohail
sarosh@aum-media.com
General Manager
Waqar Haider
waqar@yogalifeme.com
Creative Director
Prachi Bhumika
Art Director
Shaharbano
Writers
Michelle Robertson
Rebecca Pritchard
Yoga Consultants
Aparajita Ghose
Maryam Ovissi
Admin
Ayra Botiquin
Advertising Manager
Hayat Faysal
hayat@yogalifeme.com
Photography
Photos: Shutterstock
and supplied
Thanks to all our Contributors,
Models, Photographers and
the Yogalife Family.
The publisher does not accept any liability for errors
or inaccuracies contained in this publication however
they may have been caused. The views and opinions
expressed in YogaLife are not necessarily those of
the publisher. Information contained in YogaLife is
intended for general use and readers are advised to
seek specialist information before acting upon any
information enclosed herein. No part of this publication
or any part of its contents may be reproduced, copied
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Licence number 738378
Printed by Atlas Printing Press LLC
YogaLife cares about the environment.

When youre finished, please recycle.
YogaLife magazine is
printed on wood-free paper
A note from the editor
lobal surface temperature is a

fundamental yardstick to track
climate change. Temperatures across
the world have been surpassing their
seasonal averages. The year 2015 was
0.9C above the 20th century average.
Meanwhile, 2016 seems on course to smashing that record with
January and February both registering record warmth. Every
analysis of this phenomenon has conclusively proven that the
global climate system is strongly effected by human activity, in
particular the actions that cause emissions of greenhouse gases.
World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 and is a
day that promotes awareness of the environment while stimulating
political attention and public action. The theme for this year is Join
The Race To Make The World A Better Place, motivating everyone to
get involved and make the world a better place to live in. To mark the
day, this edition of YogaLife is dedicated to the environment and our
beloved planet, Mother Earth.
In our extended Go Green section, we have covered several
environment-related topics. To make it easy for you to go green,
theres a list of various things you can do on a day-to-day basis. Turn
to Page 84 and learn how to add eco love to your life. Meanwhile, the
article Lets get real about climate change on Page 92 is a hardhitting comment on the freak global weather patterns, urging people
to get more compassionate and caring about nature.
The United Nations, led by its Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO), is celebrating 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. On
Page 88 you can read all about the significance of pulses, both for
human health and that of the environment. The culinary goodness
of earth is also highlighted in this editions recipes (Page 50), a
collection of easy-to-make, all-natural foods.
Recently Sheeba Hassan and Ally Khan have moved on to explore
new opportunities in the media world. We wish them good fortune
and success.
Make your life more eco friendly

Go Green in peace and love
start
contributors
Kino MacGregor is an
international yoga teacher,
author of three books,
producer of six Ashtanga
Yoga DVDs, writer, vlogger,
world traveller, co-founder
of Miami Life Center
(www.miamilifecenter.
com) and founder of Miami
Yoga Magazine (www.
miamiyogamagazine.com). You
can find her teaching all over
the world and on Kino Yoga
Instagram (@kinoyoga) with
over 400,000 followers and
on Kino Yoga YouTube channel
with over 30 million views
(www.youtube.com/kinoyoga).
Danica Al Kharfan is a RYT500

hours Yoga Alliance certified
teacher. She has been practicing
yoga since 2004 while living
in the USA. Since then, she
continuously studied with a
number of senior teachers
at Yoga Arts school in Ubud
and other teachers. She offers
creative Vinyasa and Hatha
Flow classes at Zen Yoga, while
always seeking to deepen her
knowledge of asana, mediation,
pranayama, ayurveda and
yoga philosophy. Email: danica.
alkharfan@gmail.com, or follow
her on Facebook or Instagram @
Danica.AlKharfan
Charlie Pulsipher is a health

and fitness enthusiast and
author. He shifted from
biochemistry to writing in an
attempt to avoid math that
failed, but he never stopped
loving the natural world and
how molecules and cells come
together. He publishes fantasy
and science fiction novels
while also writing articles
about achieving wellness
through natural foods. He
currently works for www.
sunwarrior.com. He cant
help but write. Hes probably
happily tapping away on some
keyboard even now.
Hannah Bennett is a UK
Chartered physiotherapist,
with a Master of Science in
Sport and Exercise Medicine.
She has worked in the NHS and
the British Army for over 10
years providing physiotherapy
around the world. Hannah
also has training in pre and
postnatal rehabilitation,
acupuncture, clinical pilates
and spinal manual therapy.
She has a special interest
in womens health, mainly
working with ladies who want
to return to exercise and
participate in competitive sport
post pregnancy.
Shereen Abraham is a life

coach, artist and Pranic Healer
based in Dubai. Born and
raised in India, she moved to
the UAE in the late 90s. A
post-graduate in Marketing
Management she was part
of the corporate world for
several years. A certified LifeCoach from IFCNLP-UK and
a certified NLP Practitioner
from ANLP-India, Shereen
thrives on inter-personal
relationships and truly enjoys
the fulfillment of watching
her clients blossom. Email:
shereen.abraham@gmail.com
Lynsey Riach is a qualified

RYT200 instructor teaching
Vinyasa in Doha. She is a
well-known voice in Qatar
on the breakfast show RISE
on local radio station Qatar
Foundation as their Health &
Wellness Contributor. She also
writes travel pieces for the
magazines Qatar Happening
and Abode. When not
teaching in her private studio,
she enjoys long beach walks
with her dogs and husband.
Sharee James is a naturopath

and a yoga and meditation
instructor who has been
leading group retreats in
Nepal for over five years.
Passionate about wellness,
spirituality and travel, it truly is
a dream come true for her to
assist people like you on your
journey towards wholeness
and to see the look in your
eyes as you take in your first
Himalayan panorama! For
more information go to www.
ashimaliving.com or sign up to
Sharees free online meditation
course on her website.
Arvind Devalia is a Coach,

Speaker and best-selling
author of Get the Life you
Love. Based in central
London, he works with highachieving clients around the
world to become even more
outstanding in all areas of
their life. To become a high
achiever yourself, sign up to
Arvinds FREE webinar at
www.ThinkBigCoaching.com/
webinar
yogalife
M AY-J U N E 2016
YOGA BITES
Off the mat, we connect with all that is organic, natural and new in the community
YogaLifes
Honnold
Foundation
Read More,
India
India is currently at a 75%
literacy rate amongst the youth,
however, only 25% claim to be
regular readers. But 34-yearold Akshay Kumar Rautray and
32-year-old Satabdi Mishra
have set out on an adventure to
remedy this. They loaded up a
truck with over 4,000 books and
travelled to 20 states in 90 days
to spread the word about their
campaign, Read More, India.
Their travels took them from
Odisha to Indore a 10,000
km journey in a van that
doubles up as a library. Part of
their campaign included book
fairs in schools, colleges and
universities, where they parked
their van in different places
across the cities for people
to browse, read and even buy
books at a discounted rate. Their
titles range from fairy tales to
bestsellers, and three publishing
houses HarperCollins India,
Pan Macmillan India and
Paragon Publishers are
sponsoring the campaign.
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M AY-J U N E 2016
charity of the month
Founded in 2012, the Honnold

Foundation seeks simple,
sustainable ways to improve lives
worldwide. Simplicity is the key;
low-impact, better living is the goal.
Started by Alex Honnold, a free
solo mountain climber, the Honnold
Foundation seeks to improve lives
worldwide by offering grants to organisations, and engaging projects
that make a positive difference. For
example, they support projects that
provide LED bulbs to help school
children read even after the sun
goes down, or those who provide
solar electric panels and biosand
filters to generate clean electric-
ity and water, and even a local tool

library that not only connects a
neighbourhood, but also lowers
their material overhead costs.
All this is done to work towards
a clean, healthy, efficient, and globally bright future.
Honnold Foundation is a division
of the Tides Foundation, a public
charity that provides a platform for
numerous charitable organisations.
Since 1976, Tides has worked with
innovative partners to accelerate
towards a world of shared prosperity and social justice.
To know more, go to www.
honnoldfoundation.org
The good man is the friend of

all living things.
Gandhi
Yoga mat of the

White House
Could there be a better stamp of
approval than the White House?
We didnt think so! So when
we heard about the
YogaForce A-Line mat
being used there, we
needed to do a little
digging. The mat boasts a few features
superior grip, a grid for alignment,
thick enough to provide a cushion for
your knees and wrists, and fashionforward enough to make heads turn.
Its what the cool kids seem to be

using these days! And on that list are
celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Jessica
Simpson, Kelly Ripa, Tobey Maguire and
Jessica Biel, who each signed YogaForce A-Line mats to raise money for
Skin Cancer Awareness.
If you think thats all, you will be mistaken the mats have found their way
into the offices of Google, Oracle and
Facebook, and are even used at some
of the best spas in the world, as well as
The Chopra Center, select Ritz-Carlton
hotels, and of course, the White House.
This mat isnt just about the stardom and genuinely has some credit to
its name. Unlike traditional yoga mats,
this one is wider at the top to match
the width of your shoulders, and
features tapered edges and a slightly
narrow base. Orange alignment guides
ensure proper positioning to help both
beginner and advanced yogis reach
the perfect posture in every pose. The
mat weighs four pounds and comes
with an adjustable shoulder strap and
a removable wallet. *Add to cart*
Cancer Causing
warning on labels
snt it about time? With GMOs

creeping into our lives at an
uncomfortably fast pace,
were glad to hear that someone
is attempting to make a change.
Monsanto, the monster company
behind Roundup (a weed killer), now
have to label their best seller as
Cancer Causing. This comes after
Californias Environmental Protection
Agency added glyphosate to the
states list of approximately 800 toxic
chemicals. Under the Safe Drinking
Water and Toxic Enforcement
Act of 1986, usually referred to
as Proposition 65, chemicals that
cause cancer, birth defects, or other

reproductive harm are required to
be listed and published by the state.
Chemicals are also put on the list if
they are found to be carcinogenic by
the International Agency for Research
on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the
World Health Organisation.
Boxing
meets yoga
Proving once again that yoga is for
absolutely everyone, boxing has jumped
in the ring to merge with yoga and create
BoxingYoga. A practice founded in a London boxing club in 2011, it aims at helping
fighters cross-condition by improving
their strength, flexibility and concentration, apart from being yet another way to
incorporate yoga into your life.
With its roots in Ashtanga, BoxingYoga
uses avant-garde postures that mimic a
fighters defensive stance, and incorporates exercises similar to a boxers training programme while developing some
serious stamina. The arc of the class
spans 12 rounds much like in the ring
and is modified to suit the practitioners
needs much like in a yoga class.
M AY-J U N E 2 016
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11
MORE COCONUT OIL BENEFITS

Keeping things simple might
be the best advice we ever
give, or receive. Take coconut
oil for example this humble
ingredient, when taken by the
tablespoon just once a day,
can promote weight loss and
even improve cardiovascular
health. Saturated fats, or
saturated fatty acids previously
thought of as harmful turn
out to be beneficial to our
health, increasing HDL (good
cholesterol) and decreasing the
circumference of the waist.
A new study evaluated the
health effects of a nutritional
treatment with extra
virgin coconut oil,
focussing primarily
on how it affects
HDL cholesterol
and a range
ofanthropometric
measurements (e.g.
body weight, size,
circumference). The results of

the three-month test showed
that relative to the standard
diet, the coconut group saw a
decrease in all six of the bodily
parameters measured, including:
Weight: -.6 kilograms
Body Mass Index: -.2 kg/m2
Waist circumference: -2.1 cm
Neck perimeter: -4 cm
Systolic blood pressure:
-3.3 points
Yoga for Olympians

The Archery Association of India is taking
the Rio Olympics very seriously. To make
sure their participating archers are in the
best form possible, they have now included
yoga sessions in their training to build mental strength. Aware that the smallest lapse
in concentration can cost one a medal in
any target sport, the AAI treasurer Virender
Sachdeva said that the federation is leaving
no stone unturned to give the archers the
best possible training ahead of Rio 2016.
Find real food
n a world of
smart phones,
help with
health food is never far away
and this time it comes as the
RealFood app. Its highly intuitive
interface allows you to discover
local businesses that provide
healthy and conscious alternatives. Your searches are filtered
based on a couple of markers:
The diet of your choosing,
whether that is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, raw, organic, etc.
The type of place youre
looking for. This could be a caf,
restaurant, grocery store etc.
The type of cuisine you fancy.
We really think this is genius,
however, the most unfortunate
part of this amazing idea is that
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M AY-J U N E 2016
it is currently only available in

Canada. But we have hope
very, very high hope, since the
app already features over 3,500
businesses and is expanding to
the United States this year!
While we wait, theres always
the blog RealFood has launched
an online educational resource
for everything relating to health,
food, mindful living and sustainability, with things like homemade
recipes, product reviews and
health programmes available for
anyone who wants them.
yoga bites
Meditation candles
Indias plastic roads
Attempts to reduce and control plastic waste
have become a matter of urgency around the
world. Professor Rajagopalan Vasudevan,
Professor of Chemistry at Thiagarajar
College of Engineering in Madurai, has come
to be known as the Plastic Man of India, for
his brilliant invention of using this waste to
construct roads.
On testing, his laboratory results of mixing
waste plastic with heated bitumen and
coating the mixture over stone proved
positive. He implemented the use of plastic
waste on a road constructed inside the
premises of his college in 2002. In 2006, the
Thiagarajar College of Engineering received
the patent for this technology.
This road construction process is extremely
eco-friendly, with no toxic gases being
released. Since a large amount of plastic
waste is required for a small stretch of road,
the amount of waste will definitely reduce.
In addition to this, it has also generated
additional jobs for Indias rag pickers. A
government order in November 2015 has
made it mandatory for all road developers in
the country to use waste plastic, along with
bituminous mixes, for road construction.
Chakra means Wheel in

Sanskrit. There are seven major
chakras or spinning vortex of
energy in the astral body, each
corresponding to a nerve plexus
in the physical body. Each chakra
influences the organs and other
body parts within its energy
field.Chakras also influence
the endocrine system affecting
and controlling our mood,
personality, health as well as the
spiritual evolution.
Palm Lights, a UAE-based
company, has launched a special
Ice cream without calories

The regions first premium whey
protein ice cream is being made and
distributed in the UAE. Whey2Go,
based in Dubai, has launched with
two flavours chocolate and vanilla
with plans to expand the range in
early 2016. Made from 100% natural
ingredients, the Whey2Go team
has sourced high quality, healthy
ingredients from around the world so
that the finished product Whey2Go
protein ice cream tastes exactly the
same as regular ice cream, but without
the sugar and extra calories.
Whey2Go is suitable for everyone,
but has already proved to be
particularly popular in the sports
industry. This is mainly due to the

whey protein isolate ingredient, which
is faster absorbing after exercise and
contains less fats and lactose sugars
than whey concentrate. Whey2Go is
available now at Lifestyle Nutrition
in branches across Dubai and Abu
Dhabi, Prison Break Gym, Al Barsha,
and Fitness Zone, JLT. For more
information, go to www.whey2go.ae
range of chakra candles to

complement your meditation.
Made with certified sustainable
vegetable palm wax, the chakra
candles serve a dual purpose:
Concentrating on the flamehelps
your meditation practice and the
naturally fragrant essentialoils
aid in the healing of the chakras.
To order chakra candles for
home delivery email Namaste@
palmlights.ae. The candles are
also available at Yapparel in
Jumeirah Centre and The Urban
Yogi in Times Square, Dubai.
SUITABLE
FOR
EVERYONE
M AY-J U N E 2 01 6
yogalife
13
Atma-Vichara
(self-inquiry)
removes the darkness of the mind

to reveal the light of our Self
The magic of
being alone
It is in deep solitude that the soul shines It was the stormy times when
I was alone that carried me from darkness to light, writes Mira Prabhu
or me 1992 was a time of great personal

Why are you so scared to leave him then? she asked
darkness sparkly on the outside, rotten on
in her direct fashion. Sounds like you have good reason.
the inside. Stuck in a difficult marriage, I asked a
So I told her about the conservative family Id fought
friend at work if I could unload my troubles on her. in order to marry this guy, andabout the in-laws who
Karen was an opera singer at the start of her
stood against all my highervalues. Neither would support
career; like me, she supported herself by freelancing
me in seeking my freedom, I said.How on earth would I
in Manhattan law firms and on Wall Street.I admired
ever make it alone in this expensive and chaotic city?
her creativity, courage and higher values.Often
I vibe with the bit about losing financial support,
afterwork wed walk across Manhattan to my
Karen said, but why are you soscared to be alone?
apartment and chat while I cooked us dinner.
BecauseI heard toomany ghost stories growing
Lets go to Central Park tomorrow, she suggested. We up, I explained haltingly. Because, ever since
can talk freely there. So next day we strolled through that
childhood, Ive seen some pretty weird things.Truth
gorgeous park and I told her, tears streaming down my
is, Karen, Im afraid to be alone at night.
face,that the husband I once believed Id love and respect
Scared of spirits? she interrupted.
to my dying day had turned into a materialistic stranger.
And what are you, pray tell?
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M AY-J U N E 2016
features
Her answer took me aback. Already Id
begun diving into eastern philosophy for
an answer to my angst. I knew the theory
well that in essence we living beings are
immortal spirit encased in mortal flesh but
this truth had not percolated down into the
fibre of my being. Now my friend had brought
up a big question why was I so scared of
the spirit realm when I too was spirit?
Nothing changed on the outside after
that talk in the park, but on the inside things
began to simmer. And when I finally picked
up the courage to quit my painful domestic
situation, things got even worse when I lost
every cent Id earned to my angry spouse
who had always controlled our finances.
It was a sharp woman lawyer who convinced
me that I should cut and run no matter what.
Youre young, smart and talented, she said.
You can make it on your own. Fight him and all
I can promise you is a nervous breakdown.
I took her advice; but every single day for
the first few months of being alone, I fought
the phantoms of fear. What helped was talking
to my therapist on a weekly basis, meditating
morning and night, dumping toxins on willing
friends, Hatha yoga and walks in the park.
THE HARDEST
PART WAS
SLEEPING ALONE.
TODAY, I LOVE
THE DARK. IT IS
FRIENDLY, RICH
AND WARM
As for the phobia I had about sleeping

alone at night, another friend, also in the
process of dissolving his marriage, gave me
two of his cats. Sweetie and Liza flanked me
in bed, and another friend installed nightlights all the way from my bedroom to my
bathroom just in case I had to go in the night!
Time passed, and my internal sun began
to shine again. Seven years later, I quit the
relative safety of Manhattan for the mysterious
Himalayas, and continued to make major
errors of judgement. I also came close to
death several times. The worst experience was
when I was literally trapped in a guest room
in Rishikesh, dying excruciatingly due to an
untreated infection caused by a spider bite.
Looking back on those crazy times, one
thing stands out: that the most intense
maturing and surrender I did was during times
when I was alone and had no trustworthy
human to turn to times when I honestly
would have preferred to be dead.
Today I am utterly grateful that I did go
through that darkness for those who never
dare leave a comfort zone also never have the
chance to crumble and change on the interior.
Im not recommending my form of savage
rebellion to others, but now that Im doing what
Id always craved to do which is to deepen
my spiritual quest as I write novels designed
to inspire others on the path less travelled I
see that it was those stormy times when I was
alone that carried me from darkness to light.
The other day a friend dropped in for a visit.
She told me about her new boyfriend and
admitted she doubted he could be a life-long
partner. He cant stand being alone for
any length of time and that really bothers
me, she said. Why? I asked. Because Ive
come to believe that it is in deep solitude
that the soul shines. Unless he can be happy
on his own, I dont want to commit. Ive
been burned too many times. I nodded in
agreement: Better to walk the path alone than
with a mate who cannot fully support you.
Today I love the dark. It is friendly, rich and
warm. It smiles, whispers and caresses. I owe
this ongoing transformation in consciousness
to an ancient tool I received via the grace
of Ramana Maharshi, the greatest sage of
modern India: for Atma-Vichara removes
the darkness of a mind gone berserk
with worry, fear and false imaginings
as it reveals the light of our Self.
MIRA
PRABHUS
fascination with
eastern philosophy
inspires her epical
novels: Whip of the
Wild God began
in Manhattan and
was completed 20
years later in the
shadow of the sacred
hill Arunachala;
Krishnas Counsel
and Copper Moon
Over Pataliputra are
to follow. After having
lived in America,
Europe and the
Himalayas, Mira has
settled in South India.
You can connect with
her through her blog
the metaphysical and
mundane musings of a
maverick female scribe
at http://miraprabhu.
wordpress.com
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15
features
My Unimaginable gifts
Photo by Alessandro Sigismondi
My life is nothing I have ever

imagined it to be,
it is so much better, says
Danica Al Kharfan,
a cancer survivor and mother to
two adopted kids from Ethiopia.
Looking back, I see clearly what
a grand plan the Universe had
for me. It gave me some bitter
lemons to swallow but
at the end it offered me the
sweetest lemonade
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M AY-J U N E 2016
thought I was doing all the right things. Vegetarian

at heart, super and raw food junkie, long time
yoga practitioner, former runner, and a personal
and professional life fulfilled, happy and balanced.
One would think a formula for a bulletproof healthy
life, right? At least thats what the health books may
suggest. And I believed in it, because I felt great all the
time. Until one day I was diagnosed with cancer.
I remember leaving the doctors office looking like I
was given a death warrant. Tears running down my face
uncontrollably, hands shaking as I sat in my car wondering
what now? It all felt like a really, really bad dream.
The next few months were spent in coming to terms
with reality and getting rid of the illness under the care
of top notch US doctors. When it was all done and
dusted, I was ready for my normal life to resume. I was
given a clean bill of health with a small print that I will
be fully in the safe zone after the five-year mark.
I am
grateful
I am nearly there. My yoga practice was

soon back to its daily routine and now I could
again do some advanced postures that were
for a while out of reach. My Sadhana practice
found its way back to my life and I welcomed
silence like never before.
While the physical body
has healed rather quickly,
my mind and soul were
still a raw, open wound.
Yoga and meditation
practice were my lifeline
and my medicine. As
were the love and
support of my husband.
During this period,
it was time to apply in
the real life scenario all
that I have experienced
through years of yoga
practice, all that I have learnt from my yoga
teachers and all that I have shared with my
students. This is what kept me alive on every
level mental, emotional and physical. It
also allowed me to accept the next phase of
my life motherhood through adoption.
As avid travellers, my husband and I have seen
a fair bit. During our journeys we also witnessed
parts of the world where orphaned children
roamed the streets, or were affected by wars.
And like many, we too wished to adopt one of
them, one day. But that one day came a bit
sooner for us, and not exactly as we imagined it.

In March of 2013 we filled our oversized
luggage with hundreds of diapers, cans of milk
formula, bags of chocolates and toys, and set our
sail towards Ethiopia. We had never been there
before but read about
millions of orphaned
children surviving not just
on the streets of Addis
Ababa but throughout the
country. We didnt know
what to expect there, so
we just went with an open
heart to let whatever was
meant to happen, happen.
Little did we know
how much this beautiful
country would change
our lives forever. We
spent four days visiting
the run down orphanages of Addis Ababa
and its suburbs. From the big government
orphanages to the smaller ones supported by
families such as ours. We met hundreds of kids
of all ages, many of whom had difficult medical
conditions and were fighting for their lives.
I will never forget their hopeful big
eyes and the hugs they had given us,
and how much, despite all the toys we
brought, they preferred playing with us and
smudging chocolate all over their face.
We fell in love with all of them and wanted to
f my life so far
and my
family
I will never forget their

hopeful big eyes and
the hugs they had given
us, and how much,
despite all the toys we
brought, they preferred
playing with us and
smudging chocolate all
over their face.
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We are
lucky to have
Meki and
Obbi
take them all home. It was hard to say goodbye

but we knew we would be back. Soon. Their
country became our country too. Since then
we have travelled to Ethiopia over 20 times.
In February 2014 we packed our luggage
yet again. Diapers, milk formula, chocolates
and toys, and this time something else too
loads of hope. We were about to meet our
daughter Meklit who was only six weeks old
then. No parents, no history of any kind. A
tiny little ball of cuteness, weighing only 2 kg
who was about to change our lives forever.
The adoption process was long, overcomplicated, full of red tape, with countless
visits to embassies and ministries for stamps
and legalisation of every document one can
think of, background checks from every country
and city we lived in, and waiting for answers
from government bodies of several countries
that were involved in the adoption process.
We were mentally and emotionally exhausted.
There was no morning sickness, but paper cuts
were awful. With every road bump came tears and
doubt. With every trip to Ethiopia to see Meklit
came smiles and determination. So we kept going.
At the end, it was beyond worth it. So worth it
that a year after becoming parents to Meklit we
decided that our hearts have space for more love
to share and receive, and soon Meklit was on the
plane with us to meet her future brother Obbi. And
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it was love at first sight. We huddled in a group hug,

with Obbi and Meki squeezed in between our arms,
and our happiness is impossible to put in words.
Some people say Obbi and Meki are lucky,
until they meet them and realise we, the
parents, are the lucky ones. Our daughters
infectious energy and big smile will just melt
your heart away. Obbi, still a baby, is a patient
brother to big sister Meki who steals the show
most of the time, but hes catching up fast.
Today, the two-year-old Meki successfully
navigates her way through the three languages
spoken in the house and follows in mamas yoga
footsteps. Her favourite pose is the Three-Legged
Down Dog and she knows how to put her tiny
hands together and let the shy om come out.
Shes dancing to kirtan music around the house,
her toy collection has a few yoga blocks in them
and her favourite elephant is Ganesh. Our son
Obbi will most likely follow in papas footsteps and
be a triathlete, but that still remains to be seen.
Looking back, I see clearly what a grand plan
the Universe had for me. It gave me some bitter
lemons to swallow but at the end it offered me the
sweetest lemonade too. My loving and supportive
husband was also part of that divine plan. So were
my closest friends and family. So was yoga. They
were always there, behind me, ready to wrap me
in their warm, often unexpected, hug and whisper
that things would be okay. And indeed they were.
Today I can say my life is nothing I have
ever imagined it to be. It is so much better.
Here is my favourite poem/prayer that was
first shared with me by my philosophy and
mediation teacher, Rose Baudin. I feel that my
children, my husband, my life so far, are all my
unimaginable gifts. And I am grateful for it all.
Willing to experience aloneness

I discover connection everywhere,
Turning to face my fear,
I meet the warrior who lives within;
Opening to my loss,
I am given unimaginable gifts;
Surrendering to emptiness,
I find fullness without end.
Each condition I flee from pursues me,
Each condition I welcome transforms me
And becomes itself transformed
Into its radiant jewel-like essence.
I bow to the one who has made it so,
Who has crafted this Master Game;
To play it is pure delight,
To honour is true devotion.
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DE-CLUTTER
friends!
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The less you open your heart to others,

the more your heart suffers.
Clearing out people

from our life is good
for us and them, writes
Arvind Devalia, while
telling you why and how
to make your treasured
friendships even better
_ Deepak Chopra
re you surrounded with people who accept you

just the way you are? Do you have a lot of good
supporting friends who energise and uplift you?
Or do you feel drained by them? If they drain you,
are you tempted to throw them out of your life?
It may not sound loving to clear out people from our life
but really one should be able and willing to let go of certain
people. The point about de-cluttering people from your
life is simply this you are the most important person in
your life and you can choose who you want to be in it.
The people in your life can either uplift you or bring you
down and it is up to you whether you still allow them to do so.
That doesnt mean you behave in a nasty or unloving
manner in any way. On the contrary, you have to be
more loving than ever when any friendship comes to
an end or when people naturally leave your life.
People are people and everyone in your life adds a lot of
value and colour to it. At the same time, there are people
in your life who detract from your joy and zest for life. You
can probably recall that one person who seems to drain you
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Life is either a
great adventure
or nothing.
_HELEN KELLER
Accept your
real friends
just the way

they are
every time you meet him or her. If you have a

few such people in your life, then its time for you
to focus on creating energising friendships.
People come and go from our lives it is what
happens during your time together that will
decide whether you become long term friends,
just acquaintances or even business partners.
Does love really make the world go round?
Maybe love makes the world go round, but it is
definitely people that make the ride worthwhile.
At the end of the day, your time on this planet
is limited so why would you not want to spend
it with people who really understand you,
appreciate you and love you for what you are?
Over the years, my greatest joy and fulfilment
has come from my friendships. Many a time, I
have been helped out by good friends who have
seen me through thick and thin. However, there
have also been some friends who were far from
being friends. And we all seem to somehow create
friendships which arent necessarily good for us.
With the advent of social media such
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as Facebook, one can have thousands

of friends if one chooses to do so.
The Best Type of Friends
Ideally you want real, solid friends in your life
who are genuine, authentic and have your best
interests at heart. Sometimes it really hurts
when you feel let down or taken for granted.
A few weeks ago I had made a special Indian
dessert for a friend who was in the vicinity of my
home and had promised to visit me albeit for a
short time. After a number of text messages
saying she was running late and would be there
soon, she finally sent a message via a mutual friend
that she would not be coming after all. Initially, I
felt rather let down but then realised that it was
all about me, rather than my friend. I asked myself
what was I doing, or not doing to attract people
who would value my company and my time?
The great learning point for me was to start
valuing myself and my time even more this
learning helped me to clear up any negativity or
feelings of being let down. Also, a double helping of
the special Indian dessert I had made helped too!
It all comes back to being kind and loving towards
yourself. There is a phrase cruel to be kind which
I believe means that sometimes one is being kind
in the long term by being mean now. However, I
prefer to change the phrase to be kind to be kind.
Ultimately you are being kind to yourself and to
the other person, when you are letting them go.
Sometimes you just have to let go and move
on such as when for me a friendship with a
particularly draining friend ended. It is not even
about saving face or satisfying your ego it is really
about respecting yourself enough to move on.
Look through your list of friends and review
if there are any friendships that are now past
their sell by date. For instance, have a good long
hard look at the names in your contact list and
chances are that there are several that you no
longer feel like calling. Are there any friendships
you wish to resurrect? If not, then see how you
can let them go in the coming days and weeks.
It all comes down to increasing your
own self-esteem so you do not ever let
others treat you badly. So be prepared to
let go and move on cut your losses.
At the same time, by letting your friends
go from your life, you are doing them a favour
too. They can then connect with other people
who are more appropriate for them for the
next phase of their own life journey.
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Focus on your own life journey, enjoy the ride

and learn for next time. And always remember
that you are unique and special so special that
everyone in your life should also recognise that.
The friendships you have can define your life
and such relationships can either enrich your life
or make it a pain. Is it time you became ruthless
and cleared from your life some clutter in the
form of friends? So have a look at what makes
your friendships energising and worth having.
Right up front, I should clarify that I am not
talking about the sort of friends we can get on
social media platforms such as Facebook with
the click of a button. I do have almost 5,000
Facebook friends but of course in reality only a
few of those are offline friends. Some of these
friends have connected with me through the social
media connect button on my blog whilst quite a
few are people who I have actually met in person
over the years at school, college and workplaces.
True friends are the ones who like you, make
you feel good, and accept you as you are. They
are the people you laugh with and who stick
by you through thick and thin. However, we
all spend so much of our precious time with
people who no longer do anything for us.
Begin to let go of so called friendships from
today. Ask yourself would you prefer to spend
more time with the people you love your partner,
children, close family and a few really good friends

or would you rather lose hours with people who
just happened to have drifted into your life.
You cant be loyal and be there for all your real
friends if you try to keep absolutely everyone happy!
Also, know that you are not being unkind either by
letting go of friends you are doing them a favour too.
Ask yourself:
Does this person share my values?
What am I getting out of this friendship?
Do they lift my energy?
Do I love being in their company?
Letting go of unwanted friendships can be a gentle
process and usually both parties know when its
time to move on. Of course, you shouldnt resort to
playground tactics and tell a friend that you no longer
want to be friends! But then again, maybe you should.
At the same time, maintain and nurture the
true and treasured friendships in your life so
that they uplift, support and energise you.
Here are some simple tips to do just that:
1.
Accept Your Real Friends Just The

Way They Are Recognise their special
qualities and also appreciate their little
idiosyncrasies, since it is these which make them
unique. Accept them for what they are, without
judgement and wanting to make them change.
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2.
7.
3.
8.
Be Honest With Them

Communicate your feelings, ideas, wants and
what makes you happy or unhappy with each
other. Create a space between you whereby you can have
a flow of honest feelings and questions, knowing that it
is safe to do so. Be confident in each others capacity to
be told the truth and willingness to forgive as and when
necessary. If you do want to make any helpful suggestions,
check first if your suggestions are valid and relevant.
How will speaking your truth impact your friendship?
Listen To Them
You will then know what makes them happy,
sad and mad, or simply what is happening
in their lives. Conversely, open up and let them
listen to you. How else will they get to know you
and what makes you happy, sad, or mad?
4.
Be Assertive And Make

Clear Your Preferences
Get clear about what types of activities you like
and dont like doing. There is no point in you tagging along
and feeling resentful all evening. If you need to, do things
on your own and of course without becoming a recluse!
5.
Be Reliable
Dont let your friends down at the last minute.
Do keep to arrangements that have been made.
After all, they might have refused activities with others
because of your prior arrangement. Begin to manage
your time well and use a diary to avoid clashes. Otherwise,
once you get to be seen as unreliable, friends will start to
go elsewhere as they have other friends to see as well.
6.
Remember Their Special Occasions

Send a card on your friends birthday and
remember their special occasions. Perhaps
even initiate a celebratory outing. Conversely,
also acknowledge other events such as illness by
visiting or sending flowers and get well cards.
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Remain In Regular Contact

Dont drop your friends just because
the latest boy or girl friend has come
onto the scene. Well-cultivated friendships
will usually last far longer than that boy or girl
friend. Make time for your friends and when
you are ready, introduce your partner to them
so that you can all do activities together.
Give Them Space

Dont email them or be on the phone
everyday pestering to see them!
Respect their space and right to see others.
They will respect you more if you are seen to
have a life of your own, away from them. Of
course, the regularity of your contact and
meetings with friends will depend on the
closeness of your friendship. Judge the pace
and decide how often you should be in contact.
9.
Give As Well As You Take

Dont just contact your friends only
when you want something. People
will soon catch on and discard you as a friend.
Always remember the favours done for you, and
return them. Be there for your friends in the same
way as they were there for you during your hard
times. After all, a friend in need is a friend indeed.
So to end, here are a couple of simple
and practical exercises for you to make
your true friendships even better.
1. Do something today for a close friend
to let them know how much they mean
to you. If nothing else, call them and
have a heartfelt conversation.
2. Review any interactions with friends
over the last seven days, which were
not energising. Reflect on what you
can do differently next time?
the way
FORWARD
Hailing from Saudi Arabia, strength,
willpower, inspiration and joy are
a few qualities that distinguish
Fatima Batook from other fitness
trainers. She has also founded
TIMA, the first ever Saudi brand
for sports apparel. Here, she tells
YogaLifes Ally about her journey
and how it all unfolded
atima Batook is a star-level 3 Spinning

instructor, CanFitPro group tness instructor,
CanFitPro personal trainer, ACE certied
personal trainer, YogaFit instructor, TRX trainer,
PeakPilates trainer, Kickboxing trainer and the
rst Piloxing instructor in the Middle East.
Moving away from her career in marketing,
Fatima left the corporate world in order to focus
on her passion tness. She is now committed
to taking that passion forward and inspiring
Saudi and Arab women to nd their tness ways.
Through healthier living and regular exercise,
Fatima aims to re-energise and liberate them for
the rest of the roles they play in their daily lives.
She has created TIMA, the rst Saudi/Arab brand
for tness and sport apparel in the Middle East, her
vehicle to reach out to more women in Saudi and
beyond, to share a bigger message that anything is
possible and tness can be a tool for successful living.
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After years of struggling with myself to find the balance between

what I do daily and how I looked physically, I came to the realisation
that I was actually trying to find myself and see what kind of lifestyle
reflects who I really am the positive, fun, optimistic, energetic me.
This led me to my lifes mission of helping people to change their
liveswhich eventually led to TIMA being born.
Fatima Batook
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.

I was born in Singapore and moved to Saudi when I
was five years old. I come from a multicultural background my father is from Saudi and my mother is
from Tibet so diversity was always a part of my
identity. Growing up different to my fellow peers in
school and in society was somewhat difficult for me.
At that time, the Saudi community was not used to
cultures and nationalities other than their own so it
took me a few years to fit in and it took even longer
for me to accept myself as different. Overall, my
childhood was a bit difficult for me, but it helped
to give me drive and direction in my older years.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE
FITNESS INDUSTRY? WHAT WAS THE FIRST
THING THAT ATTRACTED YOU TOWARDS IT?
I was 18 when I faced health and weight issues. I
was morbidly obese for my height and age, and
doctors told me that I was prone to diabetes
and heart problems. Their advice was to start
going to the gym regularly. I took their advice and
went to a gym where I saw a big poster saying
Spinning burns 800 calories per hour and I
thought, This is the solution to my problem!
I went into an intimidating room of bikes, sat on
a bike for 10 minutes and then decided to never
ever come back! The next day I pushed myself and
stayed on the bike for 15 more minutes, and kept
going back until one day I finished a whole class.
That was my turning point, thats when everything
made sense to me. Health and weight management
required hard work that depended on progressive
and consistent efforts, as is the case with Spinning.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST CERTIFICATION YOU
GOT? HOW DID THE OTHERS FOLLOW?
In 2007, I became a certified instructor in
order to share my new passion with everyone,
and then I got a certification by ACE, and
CanFitPro, which opened up a whole world
to me TRX, BOSU, all kinds of Cross Functional training with tabata drills and circuits.
TIMA IS THE FIRST SAUDI SPORTS

APPAREL BRAND. HOW DID THE
CONCEPT COME ABOUT?
The idea came from a dream my
friend had. We were once joking
around about the idea of me putting together
my own workout DVD, and the next day she
called me saying that she dreamt that I had my
own sportswear line called TIMA. Tima is a nickname my mom and close friends always call me.
on
My motivati
from
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people Ive
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a
they
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WE
LOVE
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I thought it would be a cool

idea to have a Saudi sport
brand made by a Saudi female
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT?
When I first started the brand in 2012, it was more of
a mission to encourage fitness among Saudi women.
I thought it would be a cool idea to have a Saudi sport
brand made by a Saudi female. I wanted people to
be intrigued, and to hear my story and be inspired.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON THE DESIGNS?
I travelled around China, Vietnam and the US
looking for production factories and fabric, but I
didnt find anything unique until I went to Brazil. I
felt that the body shape of Brazilian women was
similar to that of females in the Middle East who
are generally curvier. When I tried on the fabric,
it was like second skin and I knew right away
that I wanted to bring this to Saudi for TIMA.
When I started working with the designers, I told
them what I wanted from a practical standpoint and
when they sent samples to Saudi, I asked the ladies
that I train (of different shapes and sizes) to try them
on and provide their feedback until we got it right.
My motivation came mainly from people Ive trained;
they are my biggest inspiration. The designs also
come from my personal preferences Im very into
black, so my first collection was almost all black. But
later on, I started examining people around me, and
studying what colours, prints and different designs
they preferred. People have different tastes, which
triggered me to start thinking from different points of
view. If I think a certain item is something that one of
the people around me would wear, I name it after them.
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DID YOU FACE ANY CHALLENGES WITH

REGARDS TO BEING A FITNESS INSTRUCTOR,
OR WHEN STARTING YOUR CLOTHING BRAND?
IF YES, HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
The idea seemed simple in theory, but not everyone
accepted a Saudi brand for active wear. Initially, they only
wanted international brands, but today I can proudly
say we have cracked the stereotype, and even won best
sport brand of the year from Sport 360 in March 2015.
IS YOGA AN EVERYDAY PRACTICE? WHICH
STYLE OF YOGA DO YOU PREFER?
I dont practice yoga everyday but I do involve it in my life.
My favourite style of yoga is Power yoga, which I teach,
and I also like Vinyasa yoga. I like to start my day with a
Vinyasa Flow and Sun Salutation, as it helps me clear my
mind in meditation and gives me the focus and concentration I need to start my day. I recommend it to my clients as
it has both mental and physical benefits.
MUST
TRY
pose
YOGA POSTURES
& YOGA THERAPY
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pose
Restorative asanas
Inspired by the teachings of Guruji BKS Inyengar
Our fast-paced and frantic lifestyles often have

the mind racing and our nervous system over
stimulated. It can be a challenge to disconnect and
let go. Restorative yoga can provide the physical
and mental balance to slow down as well as prevent
stress- and anxiety-related symptoms.
At first glance restorative yoga may not appear
to have much going on (especially if you compare
it to the popular dynamic styles) but the benefits
of this nourishing practice are vast. The use of
props allows you to hold poses longer, anywhere
Konasana
a
h
d
d
a
B
d
1. Supporte
(RECL
MINIMAL PROPS
INTENSITY LEVEL: HIGHER
Start in Dandasana (Staff Pose)
with legs stretched in front.
Bring a bolster to touch the sacrum
(length wise) and place a folded blanket
at the top end to support your head.
Bring the soles of your feet together into
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) and
let your knees drop on either side.
Keeping your feet close to the pelvis, start
to lie down using your arms to support
you as you lie back over the bolster.
Release your arms alongside your body with
palms facing up and relax your shoulders.
Hold pose and breathe deeply for 3-5 minutes.
between 3-15 minutes. While feeling supported, the

body can soften and relax, bringing a deep passive
stretch that releases muscular and inner tension to
feel more spacious in the body and the mind, and
promote growth and repair.
Some of the healing benefits of a restorative
practice include soothing the nervous system,
enhancement of immune function and digestion,
decrease in the stress hormone Cortisol and stressrelated symptoms, deep relaxation for the body and
improved sleep.
U N D AN
INING BO
G LE P OS
E)
MORE PROPS
INTENSITY LEVEL: LOWER
Take a block under each knee to support the
stretch and reduce the intensity in the groin.
Forearms can rest on folded blankets.
Second bolster with folded blanket can be
placed as a step to open the chest more and
reduce the backbend and support the head.
BENEFITS:
Increases blood circulation in the lower abdomen
Can improve digestion.
Stretches the inner thighs.
Increases range of external rotation in the hips.
Calms the nervous system.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID NASCIMENTO | ASSISTANT: VANESSA ARNOLD

ART DIRECTION: KISH | YOGA STUDIO: 16.1 - MARINA | MODELS: SUSIE TOLGYESI AND KARTHIK THOGULUVA
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upta Vira
S
d
e
t
r
o
p
2. Sup
LINING
sana (REC
MINIMAL PROPS
Start in Virasana (Hero Pose) sitting
on a folded blanket, with feet outside
of the hips and knees together.
Bring a bolster to rest at the sacrum.
Start to lie back by first leaning on your
hands, then forearms and elbows.
Once on your elbows release your
lower back and lie over the bolster.
Release your arms alongside
your body with palms facing up
and relax your shoulders.
Hold pose and breathe
deeply for 3-5 minutes.
HERO P
OSE)
MORE PROPS
For more support place a blanket under
your legs in Virasana (Hero Pose).
If you are not comfortable fully reclining onto one
bolster use a second bolster or extra blanket to
increase the height until you are comfortable.
Make sure the second bolster is supported at the
back with a block so the head stays upright.
Arms can reach behind the head.
BENEFITS
Stretches the abdomen, thighs and deep hip
flexors (psoas), knees and ankles.
Strengthens the arches.
Relieves tired legs.
Improves digestion.
Helps relieve the symptoms of menstrual pain.
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2. Paschimottanasana (SEATED FORWARD BEND)

MINIMAL PROPS
From Dandasana (Staff Pose) place a bolster across your shins.
Extend the spine and slowly bend forward, hinging from the hips,
keep the chest lifted and legs straight.
Place the forehead to rest on the bolster and relax the arms in front.
BENEFITS:
Calms and soothes the nervous system.
Improves digestion.
Stimulates circulation.
Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings.
Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus.
MORE PROPS
From Dandasana (Staff Pose) place two
bolster and folded blankets across your
legs, to raise the height and reduce the fold.
Extend the spine and slowly bend
forward, hinging from the hips, keep the
chest lifted.
Place the forehead to rest on the blankets
and relax the arms in front.
Hold pose and breathe deeply for
3-5 minutes.
3. Janusirsasana (HEAD TO KNEE POSE)

MINIMAL PROPS
From Dandasana (Staff Pose)
bend your left knee in to bring
the sole of the left foot to the
inside of the right thigh.
Place a bolster across your right leg.
Extend the spine and slowly bend
forward, hinging from the hips, keep
the chest lifted and reach for your toes.
Place the forehead to rest on the
bolster and relax the arms in front.
Hold pose and breathe
deeply for 3-5 minutes.
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MORE PROPS
For a less intense version place two bolsters and a folded blanket
across your straight leg to reduce the height of the fold.
You may also place folded blankets under your bent knee.
Rest the forehead and let the arms relax over the bolster.
BENEFITS
Calms and soothes the nervous system.
Improves digestion.
Stretches the spine, legs and hamstring, and opens the groin.
Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus.
pose
4. Supported Setu Bandhasana (BRIDGE POSE)

MINIMAL PROPS
Start by lying down on your back with
your legs bent and feet hip distance apart.
Lift your hips coming into Bridge Pose
and then slide a block under the sacrum.
Choose the height of the block
to best suit your flexibility.
Once you are comfortable with the
block you can lengthern out the legs.
You may need to adjust the height of the
block if you decide to extend the legs.
For more length, extend your arms
back towards the top of the mat,
keeping a bend in the elbows.
Hold pose and breathe deeply
for 3-5 minutes.
MORE PROPS
From Dandasana (Staff Pose)
place two bolsters and folded
blankets across your legs, to raise
the height and reduce the fold.
Extend the spine and slowly
bend forward, hinging from the
hips, keeping the chest lifted.
Place the forehead to rest on the
blankets and relax the arms in front.
for 3-5 minutes.
BENEFITS:
Calms and soothes the
nervous system.
Opens the spine and chest,
opens the top fronts of
thighs, and stretches hip
flexors and abdominals.
Stimulates the lungs, thyroid
gland and abdominal organs.
Reduces backache
and headache.
Stimulates circulation, and
reduces fatigue and anxiety.
5. Uttanasana with chair (STANDING FORWARD BEND)

Place a flat seated chair in front
of you facing away. Place a folded
blanket over the backrest.
Step your feet hip width apart.
Place your hands on the chair rest
and start to walk back until your
chest becomes parallel with the floor,
with hips aligned over your heels.
Either stay with the hands resting
on the blanket and top of the chair,
or for a deeper shoulder stretch you
can rest your forehead and forearms

taking hold of opposite elbows.
for 3-5 minuntes.
With the chair turned towards you
place a folded blanket on the seat.
Hold on to the edges of the chair to
bring the forehead down to rest on the
blanket. Then release your arms to rest.
Keep the hips over the heels.
BENEFITS
Calms and soothes the
nervous system.
Improves digestion, and
stimulates liver and kidneys.
Reduces fatigue and
anxiety.
Stretches hamstrings,
calves and hips.
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pose
6. Viparit Karani (LEGS-UP-THE-WALL POSE)

Place a bolster up along a wall.
Come to sit parallel to the wall with knees bent and one hip against the bolster.
Lower onto your side then roll onto your back and lift your hips onto the
bolster and move your tailbone closer to the wall.
Stretch the legs up the wall letting the heels rest.
Release your arms alongside your body with palms facing up.
Breathe deeply and hold the pose for 5-10 minutes.
To come out bend your knees and roll to one side.
7. Savasana
BENEFITS:
Calming effect on the
nervous system.
Improves circulation
after sitting for long
periods of time.
Reinvigorates tired
legs and feet.
(CORPSE POSE)
Lie down on your back. Bringing your feet at least hip-width apart, place a bolster under your knees. You may
also place a folded blanket under the upper back and shoulders and one under the head for support.
Arms should be away from the body with palms turned up.
Close your eyes, relax any conscious effort, and allow yourself to disengage from any thoughts, sensations
or actions that may come up as you rest. Hold the pose and breathe deeply for 5-10 minutes.
pose
Animal Spirit Asana

Scorpion Pose Vrschikasana Despite appearances, Vrschikasana is neither painful nor lethal;
it is a slow and calculated balance, conjuring the strength of eight supporting legs.*
An advanced posture named because the body resembles the scorpion with the tai and sting arched above its head like
the legs and feet do. An inversion, shoulder opener and backbend, this posture develops strength, patience and tenacity.
As B.K.S. Iyengar says in his book Light on Yoga, The yogi, by stamping on his head with his
feet, attempts to eradicate these self-destroying emotions and passions [pride, anger, hatred,
jealousy and intolerance]. The subjugation of ego leads to harmony and happiness.
How to do Vrschikasana:
This is as advanced pose, which you should only attempt if you are
comfortable in Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance).
From Pincha Mayurasana, shift your gaze slightly forward.
Start to bend the knees, with toes pointed, let your feet extend over the front of the head.
Push down firmly through your arm, with your core strong lift and reach
your heart forward as your feet drop closer to your head.
Benefits of Vrschikasana: Strengthens the shoulders, back and legs.
* Scorpio Illustration by Emanuele Scanziani reprinted with gratitude

from the book Metamorphosis An Artist Envisions the Asanas of Yoga.
Stretches the chest, hip flexors and shoulders. Elevates heart rate.
Challenges balance, coordination strength and perseverance.
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35
the right
vehicle for
your journey
According to senior international

yoga teacher Kino MacGregor,
the spiritual path presents
the possibilities of every road
imaginable. One of the most
important things is to figure
out which type of vehicle
you need for which path
he road that lies ahead can be travelled with many vehicles. Your choice
will determine how effectively you
glide along the path. All roads are
different. If the path is narrow it
might be best to walk, consciously placing one
foot in front of the other. If the road is wide and
big like a highway you might want a large vehicle.
The spiritual path presents the possibilities
of every road imaginable. Sometimes you walk
a narrow path, hovering death-defying heights
from the ground that can only be travelled one
steady foot at a time. Other times you plough
forward with high speed on a highway in a massive truck with many passengers. Sometimes
you get lost and take the wrong exit. All the while
you make steady progress, even when you feel
like youre going backwards. One of the most
important things is to figure out which type of
vehicle you need for which parts of the journey.
If you are looking to make a major lifestyle
change I would recommend jumping on as big
a bus as possible. In Richard Freemans book
The Mirror of Yoga, he says that it is easier to
go forward along the road when you have a
steady vehicle. If you only have one axel like a
unicycle it can be very hard to move steadily
forward. But if you have two axels in a bicycle
or maybe even a motorcycle, then its easier to
stay on the road and travel. If you have even
more axels and wheels, like four or even
sixteen, you can generate so much forward
momentum that it will be hard to stop.
Collective energy created by your fellow
travellers can sometime accelerate your progress. When you are using the spiritual path to
change long-standing behaviours and addictions
sometime the bigger the vehicle the better. Every
axel is like one way of approaching the inner
work. For example you could think that one axel
is the practice, another is diet, another is lifestyle
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pose
and another is livelihood. Or you could think that each of

the eight limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga method is an axel.
With each new axel you will gain stability and forward
inertia to carry straight through the areas of difficulty. Some
highways in Asia are called flyovers. If you get on the flyover
version of the spiritual path with a big vehicle you can literally fly right over some areas that used to trap you because
you will be carried forward with such strong momentum
that you wouldnt even dream of getting off and stopping.
Not all paths are flyovers. Some are dangerous mountain
paths that must be walked in a single-file line. These require a
totally different vehicle, your own body. This is most arduous
and courageous part of the journey because there is no one
who can do this for you. You cannot be swept away with the
group energy. Instead you have to face the fears that arrive
when you gaze outward and see the world spinning. You
have to deal with your own inner demons. If you are lucky
you have a personal guide. If you are unlucky you are alone
on that mountain path with the only the sun and stars.
Not every traveller is prepared to make such a hike. On
the inner journey of yoga the subtle blockages and energy
pathways that open and close in the subtle body are the
mountaineering of the spiritual path. Along this path you will
meet demons, devils, angels and fellow travellers. Sometimes you will see miraculous valleys, moonlit mountainsides
and pure magic. But everything that you encounter will be
because you have walked the path with courage and strength.
The metaphor of the road is one used often in literature.
Robert Frost writes, Two roads diverged in a wood, and II
took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference. The contemporary novel The Road is a perilous endof-the-world tale through the darkest path. There are the
legendary pilgrimages documented by the great heroic epics.
The metaphor of the spiritual path as a road is easy to
understand. The spiritual path is a way forward through
many lands that takes you on a long, hard journey.The

spiritual path is never the same road twice. Once you
think you know it, then it changes. The treacherous
mountain path opens up and leads you to a tour bus
that takes you towards home. But in order to finally get
home you fly above the Earth at a rapid pace only to get
stuck in a traffic jam on the way back from the airport.
When the time is right and the long journey is coming to an
end maybe you just need to walk one more small path to
reach the end of the journey. This little path will be more
familiar than any other because you have chosen it many
times before. You have planted every flower along this path
and have perhaps laid the stones in the path yourself. You
know the smells and sights and there is no fear, just a sense of
relief for it to finally all be over. No matter how far you travel,
you always recognise the way back home.
THE
SPIRITUAL PATH
IS A WAY FORWARD
THROUGH MANY
LANDS THAT TAKES
YOU ON A LONG,
HARD JOURNEY. IT IS
NEVER THE SAME
ROAD TWICE
pose
HOW YOGA SHAPED
my pregnancy
Yoga instructor Lynsey Riach had a dream pregnancy no nausea,

aches, puffy ankles, or stretch marks. Listen to your body daily and
reward it with movement, and it will reward you back, is her advice
LIKE EACH
SOUL ON EARTH
AND EACH BABY IN
THE WOMB, EVERY
PREGNANCY IS
UNIQUE
At 36 weeks gestational,
I was overjoyed that
I could shoot the
very same black and
white shots that I had
previously used for my
Yoga Strong piece, but
now with a beautiful
bump on board
t the beginning of last year I wrote

an article that discussed developing
strength in our bodies and minds
through regular yoga, which was
accompanied by matching black and white
photos. The piece was titled Yoga Strong
and I genuinely had never felt physically
stronger than at that time in my life.
Six weeks later, I ran around our house in
my nightie screaming to my husband that I
was pregnant. After this joyous news in which
we indulged secretly, I found myself back on the
same mat I had always stood on, suddenly frozen,
unsure of how to move my body. There was a
tiny seed growing inside me that was fragile and
would require my energy and love, but what about
what I required? I wouldnt stop my yoga, would
I? How could I when it had given me so much?
I knew that many others before me had
continued with their practice; I had even seen
photos of women close to delivery doing
Sirsasana (Headstand). I thought a quick Google
search would let me know the basics because
surprisingly in my teacher training we only
really glossed over yoga in pregnancy, and I had
never actually taught a pregnant student.
The whole thing consumed me. I was flooded
with news, apps and websites that told me to
definitely hit the mat as apparently when youre
pregnant thats the sponsored exercise.
Back to Google, and as I should have known, I
was delivered with a tsunami of contradictions.
Dont twist, yes twist, dont backbend, sure you
can backbend. It was a MESS! The information
was overwhelming so I decided to slow it down
and go through some Sun Salutations.
Soon I was bored, frustrated and gave up. It just
wasnt my regular style and I couldnt fully get into
the place I would normally be in. So, I attended
some local prenatal classes. One was awesome
and taught by an inspiring teacher (Hi, Jenny!)
who had two children. I just naturally connected
with her and trusted her knowledge she knew
how to move through all stages of pregnancy and
I loved her challenging classes, which gave me
confidence to know what I could and couldnt do.
Unfortunately she moved overseas so I ended up
with a new teacher who offered, quite frankly, what
I imagine most prenatal classes to be a whole lot
of breathing and not a whole lot of back bending. It
was dull and nothing like my regular energetic flow.
Yoga will certainly offer beginners a gentle
Yoga is more than

just an exercise
or movement
exercise practice during this special time in their life but it

doesnt have to be slow for everyone. If like me, you have
been practicing for sometime you can keep to your normal
level of practice with a few variations, and make sure you
go to a class that is in line with your level so you can still be
challenged if you want to. And as for thoughts of your centre
of gravity changing as your bump grows I remain the same
pillar of strength in standing balances. I may wobble a little
in Dancers Pose but its nothing to be scared of or shy away
from, its like normal practice but Im pregnant, thats all.
So as I retreated back to my own space and felt a burst of
acceptance for my growing body, week-by-week my practice
continued at the same level. Some days I was more energetic
than others but every single day I did one thing I listened to my
body. If it felt achy, I targeted that part, if I had energy or wanted
to get stronger, I worked on that. I didnt give up; I met my mat
and offered thanks after Pranayama. Beautifully at 20 weeks,
while I was lying in Savasasana our baby kicked for the very
first time was this karma? It sure felt sweet enough to be
As Ive continued through my journey, I kept up to a level
I could never have imagined on that day when I first stood in
Tadasana, unsure of which pose to do next. The weeks rocketed
by and with daily practice the benefits came flooding in. I never
experienced any nausea (thank you) or stretch marks (no really,
thank you!). Just what exactly are puffy ankles meant to look like?
I had endless energy, I walked at the same speed,
and tiredness or sleeplessness werent really big issues.
Just towards the end of my pregnancy my lower back
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pose
Proper breathwork and

meditation kept me at ease
and calm at a time when many

pregnant women become anxious
Simply by moving every day

I felt more connected to my
baby and to myself. I was
stronger in my mind and body
started to ache but it was nothing a divine
recline into Ustrasana (Camel) couldnt fix.
It wasnt all easy though I dedicated time (an
hour a day) to my yoga, moved regularly throughout
the day walking our dogs and went swimming when
it wasnt 50C outside (most of the summer it was).
But I always offered gratitude to my mind for giving
me discipline to practice each day and thanks to
my body for co-operating and growing our healthy
baby boy inside of me with no complications.
At 36 weeks gestational, I was overjoyed that I
could shoot the very same black and white shots
that I had previously used for my Yoga Strong
piece, but now with a beautiful bump on board.
Like each soul on earth and each baby in the
womb, every pregnancy is unique so it would
be sanctimonious to suggest that yoga is what
has given me a healthy and happy pregnancy
because I dont actually know, but a big part of
me believes that without my practice I would
surely have felt far more side-effects.
I genuinely spent most days feeling not just
grateful but, quite frankly, astounded that I could
possibly feel this good, pregnant. Or is it just
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that we are conditioned to believe side-effects

must come hand in hand with being pregnant,
and of course an ordeal of a birth too?
Simply by moving every day I felt more connected
to my baby and to myself. I was stronger in my
mind and body, and I became overly fascinated
with what we can truly achieve if we believe in
something and show commitment to it. I really
believe my body (and yours) is a wonderful gift
that is made to grow and birth a human being
naturally whilst developing a path we travel on
to find a new part of ourselves in the process.
Yoga is more than just an exercise or movement.
Those stretches everyday sure do help make tying
your shoes easier but proper breathwork (Pranayama)
and meditation kept me at ease and calm at a time
when many pregnant women become anxious about
the changes that will soon ensue. This can also help
us with birth. Yoga has always taught me to tune into
my inner self and tune out the noise of this world, you
too can utilise these tools whenever the time is right.
If youve just found out youre pregnant, hooray!
Whether you have practiced yoga before or not, I
suggest by all means giving it a go. Do your research
and only go to a class you feel would suit you and
your personality, or exercise style. Listen to your
body daily and reward it with movement, and it will
reward you back. And when the time comes to give
birth to your baby, use everything you have learnt
through your yoga journey to believe in yourself and
that no feeling is greater than you, for it is you.
Namaste
advertorial
SAFE RETURN TO EXERCISE
AFTER PREGNANCY
Womens health is one of the specialties at KUUR Physiotherapy Centre

in Dubai. Its physiotherapist Hannah Bennet highlights some common
myths and mistakes related to postnatal fitness
here are numerous physical

and mental benefits in doing
yoga after giving birth. Yoga
helps to improve posture and
endurance, tones and strengthens the
core and pelvic floor muscles, relieves
stress and reduces the risk of injury. Its
the ideal exercise to cultivate patience
and connection, qualities necessary
for calm parenting. The class
environment gives women
the opportunity to discuss
the challenges of motherhood with

other mothers and create new
relationships. Furthermore, research
shows that routine exercise helps
prevent postnatal depression.
COMMON MYTHS ABOUT
EXERCISING AFTER PREGNANCY:
My abdominal muscles have been cut
during my C-section.
Contrary to popular belief, the
abdominal muscles are NOT cut during
a caesarean section. There is a natural
gap in the connective tissue between

the abdominal muscles where a
relatively small incision is made in order
to deliver the baby.
I only need to do abdominal work to
lose my postnatal tummy.
This is false and may actually cause
significant problems and pain.
If I have a caesarean I
wont need to retrain my
pelvic floor.
False. As a result of the
growing baby and the effect
pregnancy hormones have
on the soft tissues, the
pelvic floor muscle becomes
lengthened and weak over the
course of the pregnancy. With
this in mind, all women,
regardless of the method
of delivery, need to
pay special
attention to pelvic floor retraining

after childbirth.
Pelvic floor exercises only need to be
done during my pregnancy.
As previously explained, the pelvic floor
muscles are lengthened and weakened
over the course of the pregnancy and
will remain this way after delivery
unless exercised.
Pelvic floor exercises only need to be
done if I have a problem with leakage.
False again. The pelvic floor

muscle is not only important for
maintaining bladder and bowel control,
it also plays an important role in
stabilising the pelvis, hips and spine
in day-to-day activities as well as
during exercise.
Before my six-week check-up theres
nothing I can do for my body.
This is untrue. Pelvic floor exercises,
gentle walking and swimming can
be started as soon as you feel
comfortable and all symptoms
associated with the delivery have
resolved. In fact, retraining the pelvic
floor is most effective during the first
six weeks.
After my six-week checkup I can start
doing any sport.
This can be dangerous. Pregnancy
hormones are still circulating around
the body, particularly if you are
breastfeeding. These cause the
ligaments around joints to be
lax and, therefore, contact
sports (rugby, martial arts)
and high impact sports
(aerobics, running, jumping)
are not advised as the risk
of injury will be increased.
Milk supply will reduce
with exercise.
This has been disproven. Breastfeeding
and exercise can be successfully
combined without any disruption of
milk production and flow as long as
special attention is given to adequate
fluid and energy intake.
WHEN TO BEGIN:
In general the gradual return to
exercise can begin after your
six-week checkup. If you had a
cesarean you should wait for at least
12 weeks before returning to heavy
weight training.
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SPIRIT OF THE
WARRIOR
Based on the archetypes of masculinity
by Carl Jung we explore the Warrior
archetype protector, disciplinarian
and decision maker...
ince time immemorial, cultures

have created Warrior archetypes in
society to fulfil several important
roles. They are the protectors and
strategists, and give a positive relationship to
discipline. With modern warfare and overprotective parenting, we have lost some of the
warrior fighting spirit and it is important that
men call this part of their being into action to
maintain a sense of loyalty to things that are
really worth fighting for.
When the warrior is neglected or abused, it

is possible to become and feel detached from
emotions and human relationships. Losing compassion and the great art of being a warrior,
men can become cruel and heartless.
There is a difference between being a warrior
on purpose and losing sight of what we have
this energy for. The ancient Samurai of Japan
give us a great example of the positive qualities
of the warrior guiding us towards a respectful
way of engaging in fighting and battle.
* Words by David Lurey / www.FindBalance.net with thanks to EkhartYoga.com
pose
WARRIOR I/ VIRABHADRASANA I
Regular practice of Warrior I / Virabhadrasana I increases flexibility in the hips and strengthens and tones the legs, ankles and feet.
Working on Warrior I will improve all standing poses as well as hip
openers. In this pose we get a twist for the spine, while the opening of the shoulders and side body prepares us for backbends.
However, because of all these different elements Warrior I is a complex
pose with a lot of different alignment cues to learn. Keeping all these in
mind while staying with the breath can feel a bit like a juggling act. But this
is Warrior Pose after all named after the fierce warrior Virabhadra, who
is said to symbolise our inner ability to overcome ego and ignorance.
The warriors challenge and test us but in doing so bring
us strength, focus, confidence and courage.
Length in the lower back
There can be a tendency for the pelvis to tilt forward in this pose
making a stronger arch, or crunch, in the lower back. To counter this, rather than tucking the tailbone under, look to keep length
in the lower back by lifting the pit of the abdomen instead.
WARRIOR II/ VIRABHADRASANA II

Warrior II requires lots of strength and stability, but also flexibility in the hips and upper
body. This teaches us about one of the key
principles of yoga asana practice: the balance
of Sthira and Sukha or steadiness and ease. It
also teaches us to involve the whole body in
asana, and to remember that which is out of
sight. In this case, keeping the back arm lifted
and the outer edge of the back foot grounded.
Protecting your knees in yoga

Warrior II is a good pose to learn about your
own body in terms of the alignment of your
knee and ankle. For most people the safest
position for the knee joint is for it to be
stacked over the ankle. Sometimes, however,
the knee can fall in towards the big toe side
of the foot. To protect the knee and ankle
joint you can check to see if the knee is
pointing in the same direction as
the second and third toe.
pose
WARRIOR III/VIRABHADRASANA III

Warrior III Pose trains our focus and works the
small muscles in the feet and ankles. Keeping a
slight bend in the knee can help with balance and
prevent the knee from locking. Think about shooting energy out through your back foot to help lift
the leg. This pose can be practiced with the arms
in different positions: parallel with each other in
front, out to the sides, slightly pointing back, or
with the palms together.
Preparation for Handstands

In Warrior III the hips should be level with
each other, the core engaged and the spine
neutral. Practicing these actions in Warrior
III will help with other balancing poses like
Standing Splits, Handstands and Uttitha
Hasta Pandangustansana.
HUMBLE WARRIOR/ BADDHA VIRABHADRASANA

Humble Warrior is said to teach us surrender as we bow into the pose. Unlike
the other Warrior poses that open us up to the world, this forward bend
variation allows us to draw our focus inwards. On a physical level it is a deep
hip and shoulder opener and is good preparation for Lizard Pose and Hanumanasana/Splits Pose.
Squaring the hips
You begin this pose in Warrior I, as you
bring your upper body forward and inside
your bent knee, the hips can tend to swing
out to the side. Try to keep them parallel
with the edges of your mat by rolling the hip
of your bent leg under.
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RETREATING WARRIOR
You might not recognise this
deep side lunge as a traditional
Warrior Pose. It is also sometimes
known as Skandasana. This
pose strengthens the core and
increases flexibility in the hips
and hamstrings.
OTHER VARIATIONS TO STRETCH THE SIDE

BODY AND SHOULDER IN WARRIOR POSES:
REVERSED WARRIOR/VIPARITA VIRABHADRASANA
Reversed Warrior Pose opens us up to the world. It is often used as a transition
between poses in a Vinyasa Flow class and as such can be overlooked as a pose
in its own right. Take care of your neck in this pose. You can look to the floor
behind you or to the side instead, especially if youre holding the pose for longer.
Eagle arms and Cow Face arms can also be added to

all Warrior poses to stretch the shoulders.
Breathe easy
When held for a few breaths Reversed Warrior can
give an amazing opening of the side body, releasing tension in the intercostal muscles around the
ribs and allowing for a freer deeper breath.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID NASCIMENTO
YOGA MODEL: MATT GIORDANO
WORDS: JENNY SAVAGE OF EKHARTYOGA.COM
PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSISTANT: VANESSA ARNOLD
LOCATION: ZOGA YOGA STUDIO
M AY-J U N E 2 01 6
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{ Guest Column }
Crying is
acceptable
Grieving the loss of a loved one through tears
was the most kind, loving and therapeutic
thing I could do for myself, writes this
months guest columnist Gabi Pezo
remember when I made the decision of not allowing

myself to feel sad and cry about my mothers death.
I didnt want to mourn her passing. I was already four
months pregnant and a month had just passed since
we had buried her. People around me told me, you
have to be strong because you are pregnant. I digested
these words and ended up believing that crying would
hurt my unborn son, that he will feel my pain and that
will harm him, and so I repressed all my sadness and
concentrated on moving forward and being happy. After
all, I had just being certified as a Laughter Yoga Teacher.
I figured that the loss of my mother was my biggest
test to see if Laughter Yoga actually worked. And so
I denied myself the opportunity to grieve her death.
In my mind, I equated being a Laughter Yoga
teacher with being a kind of a superhero, and made
crying my kryptonite. I ran away from sadness and the
unbelievable pain I was experiencing. I numbed it down.
I felt anxious and stressed about everything around
me: my son, what people thought of me, even what to
cook for dinner. It was awful. And this took a toll on my
body: my health crumbled, I was plagued with aches
and pains, and no one could diagnose what I had.
I wouldnt cry for anything. I had bursts of anger
and my loved ones were suffering but not as much
as I was because I couldnt recognise myself.
I hit rock bottom and realised I had Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD), and decided to seek help with a
Transpersonal Therapist. I also decided to look into other
ways of expressing what I was feeling because covering
my pain with laughter was not cutting it anymore.
I discovered Gibberish, which is unintelligible or
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meaningless speech. This practice allowed me to express

what I wanted without judgement from me or from others.
Nonsense words would come out flowing and the emotion
behind these were powerful. I allowed myself to feel the
anger, the sadness, the loneliness with making one or the
other good or bad. I was just moving through it knowing
that at the end I would be released from all of that.
Grieving the loss of the ones we love is hard but
sooner or later we either make the conscious decision
to do so or were forced to look inside and see the
pain thats there. I thought that by laughing my pain
away I was being strong but I was simply denying
myself what I needed to do, which was to cry.
But society has us trained to think that crying is never
acceptable, mainly because it makes us feel unconformable
and we tend to think it is a sign of weakness. I certainly
believed that, until I realised that crying was the most
kind, loving and therapeutic thing I could do for myself.
Gabi Pezo is a Laughter Yoga and

Gibberish teacher who loves to
sing off key and is the mother of
a three-year-old soccer-obsessed
toddler. She recently co-authored
the book One crazy Broccoli in
which she tells the healing effect
of mundan or head shaving on her journey to selfacceptance. Shes currently studying Transpersonal
Therapy at Escuela Espaola Transpersonal in Madrid.
Find out more about her on www.gabpezo.strikingly.com
pose
minutes
with
Name: Edita Kelly
Studio: Urban Yoga, Business Bay
Style of yoga: Strengthening
and Yin Yoga
Where do you come from?

Czech Republic
cally everything other than the

foods Im allergic or intolerant to.
How long have you been in Dubai

and what brought you here? I moved
here 4 years ago, following my husband who got a job offer in Dubai.
The book that holds an everlasting

impression, or had a profound effect
on your life? Love Always, Petra by
Petra Nemcova. With a soft, and perhaps
broken, heart she describes her battle
with the tsunami of 2004 and the loss
of the love of her life. Its a story that
forcefully illustrates the power of nature
to not only change our lives but teach
us to treasure the gifts of love and life.
How long have you been practicing

yoga and what do you love about it?
Honestly, I started with a more serious and consistent practice once I
moved to Dubai and got totally hooked
to it. Its amazing how through yoga we
can evolve and flourish. Thats why this
practice can be truly transformational.
And why do I love this practice so much?
Because it leaves me feeling great on
the physical, mental and energetic level.
Do you have a favourite healing or
therapy? On a regular basis I like to relax
and de-stress with Traditional Chinese
massage, sauna or Yoga Tune Up massage balls. The most profound healing
therapies Ive ever experienced have
been a BodyWork session in Thailand
and Craniosacral sessions in Dubai.
Is there any temptation you wish
you could resist? Not to be such
a foodie. I love to eat basi-
artistes out there. Im pretty commercial

in this sense Pitbulls Time of Our Lives
and David Guettas Without You.
I love how he expresses the significance
of oneness in this video clip through
music and movement he raises the vibrations and brings the continents together.
He demonstrates we all need each other
and we cant do without each other.
Philosophy that you live by? Never
say never because you simply dont
know what life brings you next.
The next item on your bucket

list and why? Go to a place I have
never been before. Im very lucky
that I get to travel a lot, on my own
or with my husband. There is no
better education than travelling.
New people, new places, new traditions
and most importantly new experiences on those journeys we truly learn
about ourselves, life and the world.
Which is you favourite quote and

why? Quote of my teacher: Happiness
is a choice do I need to say more?
Which is the favourite song to get you

up and dancing? I LOVE dancing! There
is something liberating about it and its
amazing how much we can express
through music and movement, so actually its one of the best healing therapies
for me. There are so many danceable
Which person has inuenced you the

most and how? I dont believe I can
name only one person. It is the whole life
experience that shapes us into who we
are. Im constantly influenced by my
students, amazing friends from all
around the world and family.
Do you have any daily rituals? I got back

to oil pulling recently. I also like to have
a bit of quiet me-time in the morning,
so I can plan my day, read some articles
and perhaps have a cup of fresh coffee
with almond milk, or a smoothie.
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100%
Natural
Healthy Crunchy
Snacks
no artificial colors or flavors

no preservatives
Gluten Free
Just Simply Delicious
nourish
WELLNESS CUISINE
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EARTHFOODS
whole grain
Supplying organic, gluten-free,
processed using
s
mixe
and
cereals, ours, meals
e avour
imis
max
to
es
niqu
tech
ted
time-tes
ires good
insp
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hfoo
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and nutritional value,
ributor of
dist
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The
g.
-bein
well
and
health
the UAE ,
in
s
Food
Raw
s
Bob s Red Mill and Brad
the products
upon
ing
build
ys
alwa
is
ds
hfoo
Eart
thfoods.ae.
it brings to the region. www.ear
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M AY-J U N E 2016
nourish
goodness
of earth
All natural, all healthy, all delicious recipes by Earthfoods

ROASTED RADISH
AND FARRO SALAD
Servings: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

FARRO
2
cups Organic Farro, rinsed
6
cups water radishes
1 bunch radishes with
green tops, rinsed
2
tbsp olive oil, divided
1 salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
2
to 3 tbsp lemon juice
Ingredients
Method
FARRO
C
ombine the Farro with six cups
of water and a pinch of salt. Bring
to a boil, then cover and reduce to
a simmer for about 30 minutes or
until the grain is plump and chewy.
Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
RADISHES
Preheat the oven to 400. Line a
baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the greens off the radishes, chop
and set aside. Quarter the radish
roots and toss with one tablespoon
of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread
evenly onto the prepared baking
sheet and roast in the oven for 20-30
minutes, or until browned and tender.
In a skillet over medium heat, add the
remaining tablespoon of olive oil and
clove of garlic. Once the garlic begins

to turn golden, add the radish greens
and cook, stirring until wilted, about
three minutes. Discard the garlic and
pour greens into the cooked Farro.
Once the radishes have roasted,
toss them with the Farro and radish
greens. Stir in the lemon juice, and
more salt and pepper to taste. Serve
warm or at room temperature.
BUCKWHEAT PESTO SALAD

Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 cup organic buckwheat groats

2-1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
ROBUST &
WARMING
1/2 cup Walnut Bakers Pieces
1 cup fresh parsley, finely
chopped
2 tsp dried basil
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
Method
Boil water with salt. Add groats,

cover and simmer for 20
minutes. Remove from heat and
leave pan covered for about five
minutes, then fluff with fork.
Mix butter, olive oil, garlic and
walnuts together. Separately
combine parsley, basil, cheese
and olives. Add butter mixture
to groats, and then add the
parsley mixture. Salt to taste.
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APPLE CINNAMON
WALNUT OATMEAL
Servings: 4
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups water
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup Red Mill Steel Cut Oats
1/3 cup Walnut Bakers Pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh apples, chopped
or 1/2 cup diced apples, dried
Method
GAIN THE
STRENGTH
AND ENERGY
TO GO
THROUGH
A HECTIC
DAY
Method
BLUEBERRY OAT
CRUMB BARS
Servings: 24 bars
Ingredients
CRUST AND TOPPING

2
cups organic whole
wheat pastry flour or whole
wheat pastry flour
1 cup organic regular rolled oats
1 cup organic coconut sugar
tsp salt
tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup butter, cold and cubed
cup sliced almonds

FILLING
4
cups blueberries fresh
or frozen (about 28 oz)
2
tbsp organic coconut sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon zest
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M AY-J U N E 2016
Preheat oven to 375F.

Line a 13x9-inch cake pan
with parchment paper.
In a bowl, mix together whole
wheat pastry flour, rolled oats
and coconut sugar, salt and
cinnamon. Add butter and mix
with an electric mixer or pastry
cutter until small clumps of
dough form. Remove and reserve
two cups of this mixture.
Press the remaining oat
mixture into the bottom of the
prepared cake pan. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the blueberries,
coconut sugar, cornstarch and
lemon peel. Pour blueberry
mixture over the top of the crust.
Add sliced almonds to the
reserved oat mixture and mix
well. Sprinkle evenly over the
top of the blueberries.
Bake until the topping is goldenbrown and the blueberries
have begun to bubble, about 40
minutes. Let cool completely
then cut into bars.
Combine water, brown sugar,

cinnamon and salt in a deep pot.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Stir in the oats and reduce heat
to low. Cook until creamy and
most of the water has been
absorbed, 20-30 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in
walnut pieces, vanilla extract
and apples.
WE LOVE
CHIA SEEDS
The nutrient dense
chia seeds have
become one of
the most popular
superfoods. Orig inally
grown in Mexico, the
Aztec warriors ate
chia seeds to give
them high energy
and endurance. The
reason the seeds are
so beneficial is due
to them being rich in
fibre, omega-3 fats ,
protein, vitamins
and minerals.
LEMON CHIA FRESCA

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 120 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 cup water
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
32 fl. oz. club soda
1 lemon, cut into
wedges to garnish
Method
Stir together chia seeds and

water, and chill overnight.
Combine lemon juice and sugar
and heat just until granules
have dissolved. Let cool
completely before serving.
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CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8
oz cream cheese soft
cup sour cream
tsp vanilla extract
cup powdered sugar, sifted
Method
TRI COLOUR PEARL
COUSCOUS WITH PESTO
AND VEGETABLES
Servings: 6

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup Tri-colour Pearl Couscous
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup pesto (recipe below,
or store bought)
1/2 cup zucchini, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
PESTO
2 cups fresh basil leaves,
rinsed and dried
1 pinch salt
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp walnut halves (or
pine nuts or almonds)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese,
grated (optional)
Method
To make pesto, place all ingredients

in a food processor and process
until smooth. Scrape down sides
of the bowl as necessary to
combine all ingredients. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart
saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add Pearl Couscous and stir until
lightly browned, about five minutes.
Slowly pour in the water. Lower
heat and simmer gently with the
lid on until liquid is absorbed, about
10 minutes. Remove from heat
and stir in pesto. Stir in vegetables.
Serve at room temperature.
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7 GRAIN CARROT
CAKE PANCAKES
Servings: 4

Ingredients
PANCAKES
1 cup milk
1 tbsp oil
1-1/2 cups Bobs Red Mill Organic
7 Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix
1 tsp ground cinnamon
tsp ground nutmeg
cup carrots, finely
shredded (about 1 large)
cup golden raisins
cup walnuts, chopped
F
or frosting, mix together
softened cream cheese, sour
cream and vanilla until smooth.
Add sifted powdered sugar and
mix thoroughly. Set aside.
F
or pancakes, whisk together
milk and oil then mix in the 7
Grain Pancake Mix, cinnamon
and nutmeg. Fold in shredded
carrots, raisins and walnuts.
P
reheat a non-stick skillet to
medium-high heat (about 350F).
Using a cup scoop, portion the
batter onto the preheated skillet
and bake until the edges are set and
bubbles begin to appear on the top
surface, about five minutes. Flip and
continue to cook for another
four-five minutes on the second
side. Keep warm in a 200F oven.
Serve with cream cheese frosting.
THE
ORGANIC
WHOLE GRAIN
GOODNESS
WILL NEGATE
ANY GUILT
nourish
VITAMINS & MINERALS

where to find them
T
As you select
vegetables
and fruits to
cook and eat,
consider the
nutrients and
minerals in them
here are many vitamins and minerals we require to

remain healthy, active and even happy as they affect
thousands of functions within our bodies including
hormones and mood. These nutrients come to us
through the foods we eat, but our modern advancements have
created a problem. Our prepackaged and processed foods no
longer contain the vitamins and minerals we traditionally got
from the food we gathered or grew. We try to counterbalance
this by pumping vitamins and minerals into ourselves through
fortified foods and tablets, but most of these are synthetic
and only somewhat resemble what we find in nature.
Since these synthetics are close but not quite the same,
our bodies dont recognise them and treat them like toxins,
and react differently to them. This leaves us still riddled with
deficiencies and disease. It is time we turn back to the original
food sources for what we are missing. By Charlie Pulsipher
VITAMINS
VITAMIN A: Vitamin A is important to

eye health, the immune system, skin,
bones and teeth. It plays a large role
in proper growth and development.
Vitamin A is plentiful in dark green
and orange vegetables, and orange
fruits. Try broccoli, spinach, carrots,
pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet
potatoes, mango and cantaloupe.
VITAMIN B1: Thiamin, or B1, is used
in metabolism, energy production,
heart muscle and the nervous system.
Find it in beans, seeds, legumes,
whole grains, oranges and peanuts.
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Put down the

overly processed
foods and pick up
some fruits and
vegetables today
VITAMIN B2: Riboflavin, or B2, is vital
in metabolism, energy production, red
blood cells, hormone regulation, and
proper growth and development. Get
it from legumes, nuts, leafy greens,
broccoli, mushrooms and asparagus.
VITAMIN B: Niacin, or B3, comes into
play in metabolism, energy production,
skin, nerves, digestion and even with
some hormone production. Niacin is
found in peanuts, spinach and potatoes.
VITAMIN B: Pantothenic acid, or B5,
is necessary for healthy metabolism,
energy production and the formation
of important compounds like fats,
cholesterol, bile, vitamin D, hormones,
neurotransmitters and even red
blood cells. It can be obtained
from whole grains and legumes.
VITAMIN B: Vitamin B6 is essential to
brain and nerve functions, red blood
cells and some metabolic function. This
vitamin comes from bananas, seeds,
beans, potatoes, peanuts and walnuts.
VITAMIN B: Biotin, or B7, is a part of
metabolic reactions. It is widespread
in food, but can be found in good
amounts in nuts, oats and yeast.
VITAMIN B: Folate, or B9, is used by
the body to create red blood cells and
the all-important DNA we are designed
around. Folate is attained from beans,
legumes, leafy greens, asparagus,
oranges, strawberries and melons.
VITAMIN B12: B12 is very important
in small amounts for red blood cells,
bone marrow, metabolism, and
the nervous system. It is produced
by bacteria in the intestines and
is widespread in many foods.
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FOOD
AFFECTS
THE WAY
YOU LOOK
AND FEEL
CHOLINE: Choline is often

lumped in with the B vitamins
and is used in metabolism, liver
and the nervous system. Choline
is found in whole grains.
VITAMIN C: Vitamin C is an antioxidant
that protects cells against free
radical damage. It is also crucial
in the production of collagen and
important to bones, teeth, gums,
cartilage, blood vessels and skin.
It aids in the absorption of the
minerals iron and calcium, helps
healing processes and is a part of
brain function. Find vitamin C in red
berries, citrus, kiwis, bell peppers,
tomatoes, broccoli and spinach.
Brussels
sprouts
are a rich
source of
Vitamin K
DID YOU KNOW: Cabbage,

Brussels sprouts, cauliower,
and broccoli have a high content
of indoles and isothiocyanates.
These components have protective
properties against colon cancer,
breast cancer, skin cancer and
other types of cancers.
VITAMIN D: This vitamin helps the

body absorb calcium and phosphorus
for healthy bones, teeth, muscles,
and nerves. It is produced by the
body when exposed to sunlight and
can also be found in mushrooms.
VITAMIN E: Vitamin E is another
antioxidant that helps protect fats
against damage, including the lipids
that make up cellular membranes.
It also plays a role in healthy red
blood cells. Vitamin E can be
obtained from nuts, seeds, leafy
greens, avocados, whole grains,
vegetable oils and sweet potatoes.
VITAMIN K: This vitamin is primarily
a part of healthy blood clotting. It
comes from Brussels sprouts, leafy
greens, broccoli and cabbage.
nourish
MINERALS
SODIUM: Salt is an important mineral

that serves as an electrolyte, helps
maintain fluid balance, is part of
muscle contractions and aids in
nerve transmissions. It is widespread
in our modern diet. Most of us get
too much and it contributes to
hypertension. More healthy sources
include sea salt and sea vegetables.
CHOLINE: Choline is also an

electrolyte that is part of fluid
balance and digestion. Get choline
from sea salt, sea vegetables,
tomatoes, celery and olives.
POTASSIUM: Potassium is probably
one of the most well known of
electrolytes and is crucial to muscle
contractions, nerve impulses and
fluid balance. Potassium is abundant
in potatoes, leafy greens, broccoli,
carrots, avocado, watermelon,
bananas and strawberries.
CALCIUM: Calcium is important
in the formation, repair and
maintenance of strong bones and
teeth. It is also a part of blood
clotting and muscle contractions. Get
calcium from leafy greens, broccoli,
nuts, seeds and green beans.
PHOSPHORUS: This mineral is part of

healthy bones, teeth and pH balance. It is
plentiful in seeds, nuts and whole grains.
MAGNESIUM: Magnesium is used
in literally hundreds of metabolic
functions and it is vital to bone
mineralisation, protein synthesis, nerve
impulses, muscle contractions, the
immune system and even in controlling
allergies. Magnesium comes from
leafy greens, broccoli, artichokes,
beans, legumes, seeds and cashews.
IRON: Iron is an essential part
of red blood cells, helping in the
transportation of oxygen to
cells, tissues and organs, where
it is needed. It even plays a role
in neurotransmitters. Iron is
richly available in leafy greens,
artichokes, parsley and spinach.
ZINC: Zinc is used in the production
of hundreds of enzymes that serve
a multitude of uses within the body.
Zinc is important in DNA synthesis,
protein formation, vitamin A
transportation, taste, healing, sperm
production and early development.
Zinc is found in leafy greens, broccoli,
peas, legumes and lentils.
SELENIUM: Selenium is a mineral that

acts as an antioxidant, working with
vitamin E. Selenium comes from whole
grains, Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds.
IODINE: The thyroid hormones
that regulate metabolism, growth
and development rely on iodine.
Iodine can be found in sea salt, sea
vegetables, cranberries, navy beans,
strawberries and potatoes.
COPPER: Copper aids in the absorption
of iron, is important to red blood cells,
helps create enzymes, controls allergies
and is a part of some neurotransmitters.
Copper is found in tahini, sesame
seeds, nuts, dark chocolate, seeds,
herbs and sundried tomatoes.
MANGANESE: Manganese is used in
many cellular processes, aids in the
use of B vitamins and vitamin C, is part
of amino acid synthesis and stabilises
blood sugar. It is widespread in food,
but can be found in good concentration
in dark leafy greens, spices, herbs,
strawberries, pineapple and garlic.
CHROMIUM: Chromium is tied to insulin
and energy production from glucose.
Chromium comes from vegetable
oils, yeast, whole grains and nuts.
MOLYBDENUM: This mineral is used
in many cellular processes, acts to
detoxify the body, is an antioxidant
and aids in the use of iron. It is found in
dark leafy greens, legumes and beans.
Vegetables
take care of your digestive,
excretory and skeletal system
Our food is an integral part of

who we are, how our body functions,
and how we feel. If you feel burnt out,
run down, overwhelmed, tired or foggy,
it is time to look at your food and see if
you are really getting all the vitamins
and minerals you need in a form your
body will recognise and want. Plants are
absorbing minerals and creating
vitamins each day. Put down the overly
processed foods and pick up some fruits
and vegetables today. It will make all the
difference in the way you feel.
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heal
ALTERNATIVE &
HOLISTIC THERAPY
MAY-JUNE 2016
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erasing trauma
WITH YOUR EYES
Eye Movement
Desensitisation and
Reprocessing (EMDR) is
a non-traditional type of
psychotherapy that can
help treat people with posttraumatic stress disorder
and anxiety. Michelle
Robertson talks to Dr.
Layla Asamarai, a clinical
psychologist at Dubai
Health Community Centre,
to find out how EMDR can
help ease ones mind
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heal
here is a simple way to ease the pain associated

with trauma and grief, it doesnt involve talking, just
thinking, feeling and moving your eyes from left to
right and right to left. It might sound too good to be true
but the process, which is called EMDR, is continuing to make
headlines due to its ability to short-cut traditional therapy.
The origin of EMDR dates back to 1987 when a
psychology graduate student called Francine Shapiro made
an accidental discovery. Shapiro, who had previously been
diagnosed with cancer, was taking a walk one day in the
woods when she noticed that as her eyes darted back and
forth from left to right her thoughts that were previously
troubling her seemed less troubling. She also noticed
that when she intentionally tried to recall the troubling
thoughts later, they appeared to have lost some of their
emotional charge.
Intrigued by her discovery, Shapiro began to experiment
with herself and others, and eventually founded what we
know today as EMDR. To date more than 20,000 people
have been trained in EMDR and are using the technique
to help people with post-traumatic stress syndrome and
anxiety-related issues. This non-invasive treatment has
helped people all over the world, from soldiers to survivors
of catastrophic events such as bomb blasts and war.
HOW DOES EMDR WORK?
When a person goes through a disturbing incident or has a
traumatic experience, the trauma is stored in the brain with
all the sights, sounds, thoughts and feelings that occurred
during that moment. Under normal circumstances the brain
processes our events and experiences, however, when an
event or situation is very upsetting to a person this experience
is not properly processed by the brain. When this happens, the
EMDR enables people to

reprocess distressing
events by unlocking the
negative memories and
emotions stored in the
nervous system
negative thoughts and feelings from the event become
trapped in their nervous system and in the subcortical
region of the brain, where they remain. Until a person
reprocesses these feelings from the traumatic event, the
distress remains.
EMDR enables people to reprocess distressing events
by first unlocking the negative memories and emotions
stored in the nervous system and secondly by helping
the brain to process the experience. In a typical session, a
therapist will bilaterally stimulate the clients brain either
using an EMDR machine whereby the patient follows a
dot on a device from right to left and also hears a tone
and vibration in their hands, or they may simply follow
their therapists finger as it darts from side to side. As a
person focusses on the incident that is most troubling
to them and darts their eyes back and forth the memory
starts to lose its negative emotional charge.
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EMDR has been widely used to treat a range of

issues including insomnia, childhood physical,
emotional or sexual abuse, panic attacks, eating
disorders, addictions and low self-esteem
EMDR has eight phases, the first of which includes
the therapist working with the client to get an
understanding of the traumatising events in a persons
life, particularly looking at first or worst. The second
stage includes preparing the client for EMDR including
establishing a safe or calm place and from this point
on the next stages include assessment, reprocessing,
desensitisation, installation, body scan, closure and
reevaluation, says Dr. Layla Asamarai, a clinical
psychologist at Dubai Health Community Centre.
Whilst some patients will just require a few sessions
of EMDR, others may take longer. Whats incredible
about EMDR is that it takes the patient on a journey of
self discovery. A client can begin by focussing on one
issue, which they believe is the most troubling event,
only to discover that beneath that was something else,
which the brain had not yet processed.
EMDR can really help people who are in shock or
who are still in fight or flight mode from a lifetime of
small traumatic events known as Complex trauma,
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says Dr. Layla. When someone has been through

a trauma their fight or flight response often goes
haywire and sticks around long after the incident.
Instead of switching off, the fight or flight response
stays on causing havoc in the body. A person who is
still in a fight or flight mode for prolonged periods of
time can experience anything from high blood pressure
to digestive issues. EMDR helps process the past
traumas so that one is desensitised to them and as a
result all of their negative effects also go away, adds
Dr. Layla.
As a person watches the dot on the machine dart
back and forth, listens to the noise through a headset
and feels vibrations in their palms in a back and
forth synchrony at the same time as thinking about
a particular traumatic incident or experience, the
intensity of their emotions will initially increase and
then it will start to go down. By the end of several
repetitions most people feel neutral when thinking
about the original incident that caused them distress.
heal
WHO CAN BENEFIT?
EMDR is known for helping people with
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and
particularly those who are so distressed
that they cannot even talk about what
happened to them. This is often the case
with survivors of war or people who have
lived through horrific experiences. However,
EMDR has been widely used to treat a range
of other issues including insomnia, childhood
physical, emotional or sexual abuse, panic
attacks, eating disorders, addictions and
low self-esteem. In addition, people who are
depressed or have been through a loss, rape
or an accident can also benefit from EMDR.
As EMDR helps relieve emotional blocks
and fears it is also beneficial for people
looking to improve their performance.
Athletes, actors, musicians, students, public
speakers and even executives can benefit
from EMDR when it is used to address any
issues or fears that may be holding them back
from maximising their potential.
THE ADVANTAGES OF EMDR
The two main advantages of EMDR are that
it is a non-invasive therapy and is quick.
Research has showed that EMDR is very
effective in helping people process painful
and traumatic experiences. Processing
distressing memories with EMDR can be
achieved in a fraction of the time when
compared to traditional therapy. This is
The two main

advantages of EMDR
are that it is a noninvasive therapy
and is quick
simply because EMDR can cut short the
process and take the client right to the
reprocessing stage.
By eliminating the painful emotions and
beliefs attached to the memory, the client
is able to recall the memory but without the
emotional sting and pain.
In a recent study of individuals who had
gone through rape, military combat, loss of
loved ones, disasters or serious accidents,
84-90% experienced relief from their
emotional distress after three sessions of
EMDR. Another study showed that EMDR
was twice as effective in half the amount of
time of standard psychotherapeutic care.
WHAT TO EXPECT WITH EMDR
EMDR is not hypnosis so the client is awake
during the entire session. In some instances
the client will close their eyes as this helps
them to relax and recall memories quicker.
By wearing a set of headphones and two
hand buzzers that provide auditory and
sensory bilateral stimulation with or without
the visual bilateral stimulation, the process of
going into the trauma begins, says Dr. Layla.
Following a session, which can last up to
90 minutes, a client may have more dreams,
often vivid ones, and memories of things
that happened years ago. This is normal and
simply means that the brain is continuing the
processing even after the session.
ABOUT DR. LAYLA

Dr. Layla Asamarai is
a bilingual American
Clinical Psychologist
of Iraqi descent. She
possesses a masters
and doctoral degree in
Clinical Psychology from
the Minnesota School of
Professional Psychology
(Argosy University) in
Minnesota, USA. Her
clinical experience includes
work with children, adults,
couples and families in
the United States and
since 2008 she has been
practicing in the UAE.
Dr. Layla has a dynamic
work history that includes
experience in schools,
community health centres,
specialised treatment
centres and hospital
psychology. She has
been utilising EMDR as a
treatment modality since
2005 and believes that
every person possesses
the power to heal and
transcend their suffering.
TRIED AND TESTED

wearing headphones and grasping on to two
whilst
screen
EMDR
the
Staring at
sceptical at first. However, what happened
was
I
,
buzzing devices in my hands
nothing short of a miracle. My anxiety levels
was
EMDR
of
ns
sessio
three
just
after
more importantly for me, the incidents
and,
vivid,
more
were
dropped, my dreams
I could think about them but I didnt
me.
that once haunted me no longer bothered
less irritation. I went to see Dr.
and
peace
more
felt
ally
gener
I
fact,
In
get upset.
surprisingly compared to other
and
son
my
of
loss
Layla to help me cope with the
far the most effective.
treatments and therapies I have had, this was by
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I WISH YOU A
flexible spine!
Renata Von Kouh explains the wide-ranging benefits of Clinical Pilates
What is Clinical Pilates?

Before talking about Pilates as a form of exercise I
think its important to know how it started.
Joseph Hubertus Pilates, the creator of the method,
was a German national born in 1883. In his youth,
suffering from asthma and other ailments, he utilised
exercise and athletics to combat these ailments.
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He also studied various exercise methodologies to

enhance his knowledge. Through this personal development, he created a unique exercise concept, underpinned by the classical Greek ideal of a man balanced in
body, mind and spirit. As he matured, he was no longer
a child with ailments but was proactive and excelled in
many sports such as skiing, diving and boxing.
In 1912, working as a self-defence instructor at

Scotland Yard, the outbreak of WW1 labelled him
as an enemy alien, resulting in his imprisonment
with other innocent German nationals. During this
time, he refined his methods and imparted training
on these to other internees. By rigging springs
to hospital beds, he was able to create resistance
training for those who were bedridden, forming
the basis of his modern day equipment. He believed
that these early ideals were the reason behind his
patients remaining unaffected by the flu epidemic,
which had otherwise killed thousands.
The general foundation laid by Joseph in the
creation of Pilates was to find a better way to live
with his own condition, which for me, personally, is
why Pilates is so effective.
Pilates is based on functional movements and
the vision is that the body is one unit. It is almost
impossible for us to isolate one or two muscles
and work on them. Every single exercise works
from head to toe, in a chain of muscle energy and
connection, helping us find our power house.
What is the difference between Clinical Pilates
and Pilates?
Clinical Pilates is used by medical professionals
such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors and fascia specialists in spatial medicine. We
incorporate our intense training and deep knowledge and understanding of anatomy, neuroanatomy,
physiology and most importantly pathophysiology
with the concepts of Pilates exercise to establish an
exercise programme that addresses injury or rehabilitation concerns. This helps us treat a wide range
of injuries and conditions, ranging from low back pain
and chronic pain to hypermobility, neurological conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome and much more.
How did you venture into this field?
My journey started very early. After many sports
injuries and being an assiduous patient, I decided
to study physiotherapy, enthusiastically starting
university at the age of 16 in order to increase my
understanding of my own body and help others who
were suffering from the same problems that I had.
I discovered Clinical Pilates when I was 18 and
in my third year of university. After serious back
pain that no conventional physio treatment was
able to help, I started using Clinical Pilates and was
pain free, and much more mobile than ever before,
within three months.I have been lucky enough to
study and learn from the best schools and masters
of Pilates and rehab Pilates.
CLINICAL PILATES HELPS

US TREAT A WIDE
RANGE OF INJURIES AND
CONDITIONS
What happens in a typical Clinical Pilates session?

The first session is always an assessment where I
collect the clinical history of the patient, followed
by a functional examination to find possible clinical
pictures and/or pattern of movements that could
be the root cause of the problem. I then talk to
patients about breathing technique which is one
of the key aspects in this process and one of the
biggest issues nowadays, as life is deemed too
busy and could be stressful to a point that most
people breathe using accessory muscles. This is not
ideal and one of the possible causes of neck issues
and much more. From the second session onwards,
I start introducing patients to reformer and/or
Cadillac, depending on each case, targeting the root
cause of the problem, progressing to wound chair,
core alignment and other equipment available
at our Clinical Pilates Studio in the Osteopathic
Health Centre.
Part of my treatment is to get the patient
involved in the self-discovering journey, embracing
and understanding what his/her body is trying to
say and or show/act accordingly, resulting in the
patient being more conscious on a daily basis of
the changes.
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Anyone can
benet from
Clinical Pilates,
from the young
kid to the elderly,
from the elite
athlete to a nonactive person,
and patients
with neurological
conditions.
How can a person tell if they will benefit from
Clinical Pilates?
Anyone can benefit from Clinical Pilates, from the
young kid to the elderly, from the elite athlete to a nonactive person, and patients with neurological conditions. The sessions are for individuals and a protocol
programme is built up according to ones need.
For which patients is this a popular treatment
option?
This treatment is most popular with patients who
have neck and lower back problems; those suffering
from shoulder and knee injuries; post-surgical rehab
patients; pregnant women and new mothers who
require pre- and postnatal care; and kids with feet
and scoliosis issues.
Why is Clinical Pilates a powerful tool for injury
rehabilitation?
Clinical Pilates combines the best of Pilates where
the machines and accessories are a great facilitator
that can provide patients with an ability to manipulate gravity, and supply assistance movement that
might normally cause fatigue in execution. At the
same time the machines can help challenge the
movement, adjusting with balance and with the
springs strength. All this is combined with a deep
medical knowledge and understanding. A goal for
my treatment is that the patient be pain free and be
able to attend Pilates group classes.
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Are there any risks related to this treatment?

Sessions are done following the result of a thorough clinical investigation of possible risks for each
individual and respecting their needs. As a physiotherapist, it is my duty and obligation to the patient
to keep it safe. Risk is managed to the greatest
extent possible.
The message I would like to leave here is that to
me Pilates is much more than a simple exercise. It
is a life journey where you learn to hear your own
body. Getting involved in the treatment is the best
remedy, creating ownership and accountability of
the process by the patient.
RENATA VON KOUH
is a physiotherapist from
Brazil, who graduated from
Pontificia Universidade
Catolica College in Sao Paulo.
She has a specialis ation
degree in hydrotherapy and
Clinical Pilates, which are her main form of
rehabilitation. Renata works with post-surgical
rehabilitation, neurolog ical conditions, spinal
injuries, prenata l/postnatal exercise and
sports injuries. Before joining the Osteopathic
Health Centre in Dubai, she worked in a range
of environments such as hospitals, clinics and
fitness settings . She addresses a range of
questions on Clinical Pilates and its benefits .
heal
Getting your gut

bacteria healthy
is one of the
most important
things you can
do to get and
stay healthy
WHY GUT HEALTH IS CRUCIAL

The gut has been called your bodys second brain and a malfunctioning digestive
tract is the silent factor behind a number of chronic health conditions. Sharee James
describes how to build a healthy gut for overall fitness and well-being
housands of years ago Hippocrates, the

father of medicine, famously warned his
patients that death sits in the bowel
and that bad digestion is the root of
all evil. Naturopaths and alternative medicine
practitioners have long been focussing their efforts
on improving digestive function in order to maximise
patient health and well-being, and thankfully,
science is now proving just how crucial the gut is
to overall well-being, and how a malfunctioning
digestive tract is actually the silently lurking factor
behind a number of chronic health conditions.
From everyday complaints like fatigue, bad breath,
allergies and constipation to more serious diseases
such as heart disease, cancer, fibromyalgia and
multiple sclerosis, just to name a few, research is now
showing that the common denominator behind these
problems is chronic systemic inflammation. Up until

now, many orthodox medical practitioners have been
treating the symptoms of this inflammation with a
range of drugs from antihistamines to steroids to
painkillers without fully grasping that gut dysfunction
is the real cause behind this inflammation.
YOUR GUT: MORE THAN JUST A DIGESTIVE TRACT
To understand just how the gut can play such a major
role in causing systemic inflammation, we need to see
the gut for the complex interconnection of organs,
systems and micro-organisms that it is. As well as
the organs of the alimentary canal, the gut contains
billions of microorganisms or bacteria that make
their home in the intestines and carry out a range
of functions from helping to metabolise vitamins,
neutralising toxins and crowding out more harmful
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Our digestive health is

affected by a diet high in sugar,
refined carbohydrates and
processed foods laden with
chemicals, and washed down
by chlorinated water
bacteria, viruses, yeast and fungi. In fact, a

healthy gut will have many times more beneficial
bacteria than all of the cells in the body!
The gut is also intimately involved with the
immunity, so much so that more than 70% of
your immune system lives in the gut and is known
as GALT gut associated lymphatic tissue.
As well as being involved in immunity, the
gut also has a nervous system that can work
independently of the brain, and has been
nicknamed the second brain by scientists.
Nerves running between the gut and the brain
also mean that the brain and gut affect one
another profoundly Im sure you have felt
nervous butterflies or abdominal cramps before
speaking in public for example. And conversely,
research is now showing that gut imbalances
can seriously affect our mood, in fact over 80%
of the happy hormone serotonin and other
neurotransmitters are manufactured in the
bowel. This may be one reason why common side
effects of prescribed antidepressant and antianxiety medications are digestive disturbances.
DYSBIOSIS, LEAKY GUT AND INFLAMMATION
So what is going so wrong these days with our
digestive systems? Unfortunately it comes
down to a number of factors synonymous with
modern-day life. One of the first problems
is dysbiois. Over time, due to a diet high in
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sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed

foods laden with chemicals, as well as drinking
chlorinated water and being exposed to
antibiotics, our beneficial bacteria start to
die off in large numbers. As one of their main
functions is to crowd out pathogenic organisms
by occupying the prime real estate of your
digestive tract, their absence means that harmful
bacteria, yeasts such as candida albicans,
parasites and viruses that we ingest every day
in our foods can move right on in and start to
take over. In fact, these crafty little critters
are able to construct and live within protected
colonies known as microbiomes with a tough
outer casing that can carry food in and wastes
out and that are very difficult to dislodge. These
bothersome freeloaders then start releasing
a plethora of toxic wastes and gases, some of
which are neurotoxic and can actually cause
a kind of paralysis in the bowel leading to
constipation and other health complications.
Dysbiosis starts to interfere with normal
digestive processes, but often we add insult
to injury by consuming foods that damage our
intestinal lining as well, and then the cascade of
chronic inflammation really begins. One of the
biggest culprits is gluten, a sticky protein found in
grains such as wheat, barley and rye. Well known
for being the major cause of celiac disease, gluten
is lesser known as also wreaking havoc in the
majority of peoples intestines who dont present
as celiacs. In particular, gluten damages the
villi, the tiny finger-like protrusions in the small
intestine that are covered with specialised cells
that help us to absorb the nutrients in our food.
But as well as being involved in absorption,
they also play an equally important role in keeping undigested food, wastes, and pathogens out
of the bloodstream and away from the immune
system. When their tight junctions become
damaged, the gut wall becomes permeable and
these unwanted particles flood into the blood
supply unimpeded. Our gut-mediated immunity
then swings into action, attacking what is seen
as foreign invaders and setting off inflammatory markers as it would in any perceived attack
and infection. Imagine however, that rather than
just having to fight off the occasional cold or flu,
your immune system is in fight mode after every
single meal for years on end. This disordered
immune response and chronic inflammation is
the reason why so many seemingly unrelated
health issues can be traced back to the gut.
heal
It is vital that the weed,

seed and feed gut-clearing
programme be performed
at least once a year
GUT REPAIR: WEED, SEED AND FEED
As you can see, gut dysfunction is a complex
phenomenon and it needs a multi-factorial healing
approach. Many functional medicine doctors
and naturopaths prescribe a variation of a weed,
seed and feed gut-clearing programme.
The weed stage involves dealing first of all with
the dysbiosis by breaking down the microbiomes and
killing the nasty critters with strong herbals as well
as starving them by cutting off their favourite foods.
For a minimum of three weeks and sometimes up
to six weeks, patients need to take a herbal formula
of botanicals such as barberry, Chinese wormwood,
black walnut, pau darco, cloves and oregano oil. There
are different formulas available so I would advise
consulting with your natural health practitioner.
The diet involves cutting out simple sugars such as
fruits (except berries), refined sugar and honey, gluten,
dairy, potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes and grains, except
a little quinoa. The diet must consist of 80% vegetables,
especially greens and 20% proteins and fats. Good
protein and fat sources are lentils, quinoa, wild fish, grass
fed meat, avocado, coconut oil, fresh nuts and seeds
(except peanuts and cashews) and extra virgin olive oil.
After the first stage, the seed stage involves reinoculating the gut with good bacteria and helping
them to multiply and colonise. For two weeks, it is
recommended to take a good multi-strain probiotic
containing strains of beneficial bacteria such as
lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus rhamnosus,
lactobacillus casei and bifidobacterium. An additional
supplement of a yeast known as saccaromyces boulardi
is very helpful also, as it is able to crowd out pathogenic
organisms so that the good ones can recolonise.
The third stage (feed) involves helping the beneficial
microflora to thrive and healing the gut wall to reduce
gut permeability. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut,
miso and kimchi should be added to the diet as well as
prebiotic foods that feed the friendly bacteria, such as
asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks,
onions, beans, chickpeas, lentils and
supplementary fibres such as psyllium,
THE GUT
pectin, guar gum and slippery elm.
CLEANSING
The most important nutrient to take
DIET MUST
in this stage is glutamine, one of the
CONSIST OF 80%
VEGETABLES, AND
best gut wall repairers known. As leaky
20% PROTEINS
gut is so damaging and because there
AND FATS
is so much tissue to be healed in the
small intestine, I actually recommend
that people take a teaspoon of this
every day for several months.
During this stage other foods can be
added back into the diet, but to prevent
the damaging cycle from starting
again, gluten, sugars, refined
carbohydrates and processed foods
need to be kept to just the occasional
indulgence and not be a regular part of
the diet. However, even with a healthy
diet, it is vital that the weed, seed and
feed gut-clearing programme be
performed at least once a year to
maintain your health and well-being.
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CELEBRATING
NATURAL BEAUTY
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Questions
TO ASK IF
acne
YOU HAVE
A
Holistic lifestyle
coach Nicholas
Kowalski suggests
ways to heal yourself
from within to get
rid of pimples forever
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cne can be both physically and

emotionally painful. Most of us
do not like the appearance of
blemishes on the skin, whereas
some of us are even emotionally disturbed by
them. Although acne may seem purely vain, I
believe our natural inclination to feel upset by
its appearance comes from an inner wisdom.
Acne is much more than a physical issue
to be vain over; it is a distress signal
that may be related to diet, hormone
fluctuation and accumulation of toxic
materials somewhere in the body.
Most of us have been taught to deal with
acne with treatments that are nothing more
than quick-fix solutions to kill the offending
bacteria as fast as possible. Sometimes we
even resort to highly toxic pharmaceutical
medications that only leave our bodies more
acidic and more toxic. Typically, in cases
of these approaches the acne returns.
GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSE

The root cause of your acne is
often related to inflammation,
which is triggered by many things.
When we inflame our digestive
systems with diets laden with
sugar, rancid fats, GMO grains
and proteins, and other stressrelated issues, the inflammation
expresses itself on the skin. The
skin reddens and swells, and
oftentimes the location fills with
fluid or waxy sebum. This is what
we commonly identify as a pimple.
Other signs of
inammation include:
Joint pain
Sinus or nasal congestion
Bloating, gas, or heartburn
Headaches
Anxiety or moodiness
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Types of Acne Pimples
QUESTIONS YOU
MUST ASK YOURSELF
1. What am I eating?
Sugars
Removing sugar from the diet will

make the most amazing difference in
the texture of the skin. Sometimes,
people find that even fruit sugar
will generate acne because it feeds
inflammation. If you have already
cut out all refined sugar, continue
to monitor your body when you
eat even a minimal amount of
natural sugar. The Body Ecology
Principles tell us that for some
people, fruit sugar may be too
much sugar for the body to handle.
This is due to common imbalances
of bacteria and yeast, stressed
livers, weak kidneys and an overall
compromised immune system.
Oils
Industrial seed oils create

inflammation in the body. They
contain high levels of omega-6 fatty
acid. Too much omega-6 induces
inflammation and is associated
with almost all chronic disease
conditions. Its best to have a ratio
of at least 1:1 (omega 3: omega 6).
However, most of us get way too
many omega 6s in our diet. In the
Western diets the ratio is 15/1-16.7/1!
Try your best to eliminate
the following oils:
Corn oil
Canola oil
Vegetable oil
Safflower oil
Sunflower oil
Peanut oil
Soy oil
A vegan diet excludes butter
and ghee and many times, those
practicing a vegan diet will buy
tubs of butter substitutes. The
media teaches us that processed
vegetable oils are safer than animal
fats. These substitutes are toxic!
And they contribute to acne.
Its important to understand that

healthy fats are required for optimal
hormone function. Many Caucasian
people do not digest plant fat well.
That means the omega fatty acids
in wild greens, chia seed, hemp and
flax are not absorbed well enough for
optimal health. The most absorbable
vegan, omega fatty acid sources are
avocados and fermented spirulina.
If you are vegan, be sure to
exclude these oils and at the very
least substitute virgin, unfiltered
coconut oil the safest plant-based
oil available. You may also try red
palm oil and stone-crushed olive oil
[olive only best consumed unheated].
Gluten and Other Proteins
There are certain foods that

frequently contribute to
inflammation; refined grains such
as gluten, pasteurised dairy, GMOs,
eggs and most forms of sugar. These
The root cause of your
acne is often related to
inflammation
foods are difficult to digest, and

are seen as invaders, causing the
alarms in the immune system
to go off. Mostly, the proteins in
these foods trigger inflammation
by remaining undigested in
the intestinal tract, where
they become perfect food for
pathogens. These pathogens
populate and damage the gut
causing undigested food to
penetrate the gut wall where
they burden the kidneys and
liver. They become toxins to the
immune system and are difficult
to filter, so as your body attempts
to remove them they eventually
make their way out through
your skin, seen as breakouts.
2. How is my digestion?
Gas, bloating, acid reflux,

heartburn, constipation and loose
stools are all very obvious signs
of digestive distress. If you have
sluggish bowel movements or
if you suffer from leaky gut, you
will find that you are especially
sensitive to certain foods. These
foods such as gluten, dairy, most
sugar, chocolate, eggs, legumes,
soy, corn and even nuts and
seeds will cause acne flare-ups
by promoting inflammation
throughout the body. This creates
a vicious cycle between an
overactive immune response
and increased permeability
in the digestive tract.
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Is also not entirely the same

as vitamin K2 MK-7, which is
commonly found in a traditional
Japanese food called natto,
or fermented soybean.
Plays a significant role in bone
integrity and cardiovascular health.
Is concentrated in the brain.
May affect glucose levels in the
blood and insulin release.
EAT
CULTURED
VEGGIES AT
LEAST ONCE A
DAY, OR BETTER
YET, WITH
EVERY MEAL
Fixing your digestion can be an

overwhelming process; however,
I created a home-study course to
help you get symptom-free and
digesting amazingly quick and simply.
Some ways to detect leaky gut:
If you notice that acne develops
after eating certain foods or
concurrently with other notable
signs of inflammation in the
body, consider keeping a food
diary in order to detect which
foods you are sensitive to.
3. Do I eat a probiotic rich diet?

What good bacteria do:
Help to break down food.

Aid digestion and
assimilation of nutrients.
Reduce inflammation.
Heal and repair the lining
of the intestinal wall.
Help to transform and shuttle
out toxins from the body.
Keep yeast overgrowth and
pathogenic microbes in check.
Protect the immune system.
Balance nutritional
deficiencies.
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Beautiful skin begins with a

healthy population of good bacteria,
which give us a strong and healthy
digestive system. When we have an
intestinal tract filled with healthy
bacteria our skin glows, scars soften
and disappear, and breakouts
happen less frequently, if at all.
The mistake made by taking
antibiotics and other toxic
medications is they kill all bacteria
when we should rather balance
pathogenic bacteria and yeast
and restore the natural balance
of microbes in your gut and on
your skin with probiotic foods.
Eat cultured veggies at
least once a day, or better
yet, with every meal.
Drink 2-4 ounces of a fermented
beverage several times a day.
4. Am I getting enough
vitamin K2 [MK-4]?
Over the last several years, there

has been a great deal of research
surrounding this missing vitamin.
Vitamin K2 MK-4 (menatetrenon):
Is not the same as vitamin K1.
What else does

vitamin K2 MK-4 do?
It promotes the healing of scars,
shrinks pores, and creates
beautiful and lustrous skin!
MK-4 decreases pore size
by actually reducing levels of
inflammation in the skin.
One of the best food sources
for MK-4 is found in 100% grassfed unpasteurised butter. If you
tolerate dairy, eat grass-fed butter.
The darker and more yellow the
butter, the more K2 it contains.
This is because vitamin K2
associates with beta-carotene.
Body Ecology frequently
recommends grass fed
food products.
Not only does MK-4 benefit the
brain, but it also benefits the gut.
This is because the fatty acids
in grass-fed butter nourish
healthy intestinal flora.
You can also find MK-4 in
supplement form.
Liquid drops of MK-4 are synthetic
and do not have the added nutrient
value of butter or other natural
food sources of MK-4. Liquid drops
are easier to control. A small dose
goes a long way, and a few drops
a week is all you need. You would
want to mimic what you would
find in food, so a few milligrams
are more than enough.
Butter oil is rich in vitamins
and short chain fatty acids.
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Mud masks
have been
around for
centuries
The wonders of clay

From being a natural magnet for toxins in your skin, to restoring shine and volume
in your hair, there is so much this gift from Mother Nature can do
ud masks have been around for
centuries, for good reason. Different
types of clay have been used as the
star ingredient in many face, body
and hair masks since they contain
properties that absorb impurities, heal
your skin and strengthen your hair. Here, we tell
you about three types of clay and how you can use
them for best results!
BENTONITE CLAY
Bentonite clay has super

absorbent properties, best
used for oily skin as it can
suck up all the excess sebum
gently. It also has electric properties, which, when mixed with water, charges the
molecules and attracts them out of your skin. This
characteristic is great when treating skin ailments
like psoriasis and eczema. Bentonite clay is a highly
porous substance. It is able to absorb more than its
initial mass and works wonders for swelling from
excess sodium in your face. With its tightening,
acne-clearing and impurity-absorbing abilities, you
can see why this clay is a go-to ingredient for most
skin concerns.
FRENCH GREEN CLAY
Also known as Sea Clay, this ingredient

gets its green hue from the amount of
decomposed plant material and iron oxide,
which is also the determining factor in the quality of the clay. If
it is grey or white, it is no good and will not give you the desired
results. Having superior absorbent properties means that this
clay doesnt only suck up the excess oils in your face but actually
pulls blood towards the surface. This gives you a slight tingling
sensation while the mask is on and aids in boosting circulation.
It is the go-to clay if youre looking to heal a wound, an allergic
reaction, or sunburn.
RHASSOUL CLAY
This clay is great for your skin, but it is even

better for your hair. It is an ancient clay
mined from Morocco and is jam-packed
with all sorts of minerals that are great for
you. When one speaks about clay behaving
like a magnet for toxins in your skin it because
clay is a negatively charged mineral, while the toxins in our skin
have a positive charge. The reaction of positive to negative is what
allows the clay to draw-out impurities naturally excess sebum
and blackheads from the skin, and for the hair, oil around the
follicle. When used as a mask on hair it absorbs excess build-up,
restoring volume and shine.
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retreat
WELLNESS & YOGA TRAVEL
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retreat
SURFERS
SALUTATION
For Laura Brown, its yoga on the shores of the
surfers Playgrounds in Mentawai Islands, Indonesia
s I love exploring new asanas, I am also

one to wander around and opt for new
things I havent yet tried. Yoga brings
Zen and calm in my hectic everyday
life. And so, my travel destination
needs to have just that: a bit of action as I have
to be able to unwind from my daily tasks slowly,
tons of serenity, and if I could ask for one more
holiday request a beach would be the ultimate.
What makes it even better is when the beach is
part of a luxury resort on a remote island, just off the
coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. This is where Kandui
Villas is located, in one of the worlds prime surfing
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meccas, also known as the Playgrounds area of the

Mentawai Islands. It attracts a loyal fan base of yogis
too, who come here to find the ultimate relaxation.
After a 30-minute boat ride from Pandang, Kandui
pops up in the middle of other littler islets. Waving
palm trees along with the Umas, beautifully handcrafted houses with thatched roofs and walls, spread
a warm welcome along the coast. The island is
isolated in the middle of the deep blue ocean, with a
small inner lake for snorkelling and a stretch of beach
as far as the eye can see. It is a surfers haven, but I
cannot stop to think everybody would do well with
the secluded island feeling I inherit as soon as I arrive.
THE CALM OF THE DAY

This island feel is what makes me think back to my
introduction to yoga. A family friend embarked on a
trip to India, only to return eight years later, a good
few kilos lighter and as flexible and content as you
could possibly imagine. His trousers, which he started
his trip off with and would just fit, were held up by a
piece of string and his shirt was a few sizes too big.
However, he looked radiant and was full of energy.
It was not long after this, I tried my first class and I remember leaving the yoga room in a different state of mind.
I have to admit I am not a yoga die-hard or a fanatic
in any sort of way but I do love the complete awareness of the inner core and soul. Therefore, I could not
IMAGES: SUPPLIED
Over 20 high class waves

are nearby Kandui Villas
being right in the middle
that are boundless for
those seeking an energetic
total body workout
wait to find my inner deity on this island I had chosen.

Yoga classes at Kandui Villas are on offer every morning and afternoon, and private classes can also be booked.
However, the yoga room is always unlocked for those
who seek their practice during the day. I tend to find
myself in there early dawn to wake up with the surfers
who are in search of the best possible wave that day.
The yoga Uma is completely made of local hardwood
from nearby islands and makes the room ooze comfort
and calm, with which I need to start the day. With a view
over the infinity pool, the beach with lush palm trees
and the breakers in the distance, the yoga room creates a harmony which I am sure was envisioned but still
comes as a surprise every time I set foot in the space.
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WE LOVE
The resort is eco-friendly mainly functioning with local resources
and opting to keep the beauty of the island as is. And whilst the yoga
room is air-conditioned, it is the island breeze I enjoy the most
Jessica, my teacher during my stay, is just as
relaxed as the island feels and has practiced yoga for
over a decade. She provides me with tips and poses I
have not yet been able to possess. And with the sun
rising from behind the smaller waves near the island, I
can only imagine, this is what was intended when the
Surya Namaskar (the Sun Salutation) was invented.
The resort is eco-friendly mainly functioning
with local resources and opting to keep the beauty
of the island as is. And whilst the yoga room is airconditioned, it is the island breeze I enjoy the most.
TIME TO RELAX
Breakfast is served, like every meal, in the restaurant or on the wooden deck surrounding the
pool. Groups of surfers crash down to enjoy their
meals, which are prepared three times a day by
the kitchen staff. Over the ten days that I am on
the island I have eaten vegetable spring rolls,
vegan tofu lasagna, chicken satay, freshly caught
seafood and even the most delicious barbequed
crab accompanied by a selection of salads.
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Due to the islands location, a farm-to-table

idea has been altered to an organic greenhouse-to-table concept with over three types
of kale, plenty of lettuce, tomatoes and lots
more fresh vegetables and fruits on offer.
Besides making great protein-laden meals
for the avid surfers, the restaurant caters
to vegetarians, vegans and raw foodies.
During the day, I focus on exploring the island. The white sandy beach draws the attention for a nice afternoon walk and the inner
mangrove lagoon makes me curious about the
underwater world in the midst of this island.
The Kandui Spa offers Indonesian massages with
handmade raw coconut oil from the local palm trees
and the eco resort has partnered with Waves4Water, implementing multiple clean water projects
in the surrounding northern Mentawai Islands.
The surf lessons, I am somewhat relieved,
start on the smaller waves near the island such
as the Baby Kandui. Zach Keenan, the GM, is
also a pro-surfer and has taken it upon himself
retreat
For the advent

ur
Islands archip ers, the Mentawai
elago is known
as
Playgrounds an
d is considered the
ultimate dest
ination for su the
rng
to show me these baby waves the beginner ones, which are challenging enough.
For the adventurers, the Mentawai Islands
archipelago is known as the Playgrounds and is
considered the ultimate destination for surfing.
Over 20 high class waves are nearby Kandui Villas
being right in the middle that are boundless for
those seeking an energetic total body workout.
CULTURAL VISIT
Evenings are relaxing and friendly as families,
groups of surfers and the Kandui crew sit around
the fire on the beach or on the wooden decks, telling stories about their day, or the experiences of
their travels. On one of the evenings, the nearby
indigenous people stop by to pay a visit to explain
their culture and traditions. With colourful ikats
wrapped around their waists, and the beaded
bracelets and headbands adding colour to their
smiling faces I am completely in awe of their appearance. My stay is made even more magical.
After 10 days, my surf journey ends. I intend to come back, mainly to catch up on
more surf lessons and yoga in this natural creation of swells, waves and reefs. Namaste.
* For more information on the resort,
go to kanduivillas.com
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retreat
Upcoming retreats
AWA KEN
YOUR
MIND, BODY
& SENSES
Wales A Nature &

Family Yoga Retreat
Yoga Holiday in Bali
July 3-10, 2016

This retreat is being hosted by
Radiance of Yoga at Soulshine
Bali, an amazing space nestled
between a serene river on one
side and ancient rice terraces on
the other. This boutique hotel is
located five minutes outside of
the village of Ubud and promises
a space of happiness where you
can relax, experience adventure,
deepen our yoga practice, eat
delicious food and bask in the
glory of the sun.
Retreat highlights include:
Accommodation in a mix
of modern and traditional
Balinese villas.
Three fresh and organic daily
meals.
Two yoga classes daily.
A one-hour onsite Balinese
massage.
Group airport transfers in Bali
(to & from the resort).
This retreat is led by Diana
Azavedo. Her styles of teaching
include Hatha, Vinyasa Flow,
Sivananda sequencing, Yin yoga,
prenatal & post-natal, pranayama
series and meditation. For more
information, cost and booking
email diana@radianceofyoga.com
or call 055 4549378.
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yogalife
July 21-28, 2016
Clarity and Reconnection Retreat ~

a Clear Path to Self.
May 27 - 3 June, 2016

Join us for a transformational
retreat combining Yin Yoga,
CraniosacralTherapy and
Clarity Life Coaching woven
into the wild jungle coastline of
Sri Lanka.This is a week-long
personal and group exploration
integrating movement,
meditation,creative activities
and healing. Terri and Jade
bring 25 years of combined
experience in teaching yoga
and life coaching to offer you
full support in a deeply personal
process of transformation and
celebration of self.
Retreat highlights include:
Two enriching one-to-one
sessions per guest:
1 Clarity life coaching session
with Terri
1 Biodynamic Craniosacral
therapy treatment with Jade
M AY-JUN E 2016
D
aily embodiment practice
with Yin yoga and meditation
C
reative activities, nature
walks, mandala making and
precious time to rest
A
retreat experience of a lifetime surrounded by nature
7
nights accommodation in
artisan beachside cabanas
D
elicious Ayurvedic meals
throughout the retreat
What to expect: Prices include
shared twin accommodation in
beautiful beach-side cabanas
(private room option also available.), food and all retreat activities. It does not include flights.
Cost: Exclusive price for
Yogalife readers of 6000dhs,
usual price 6,600dhs. For more
information or booking email
jadewoodyoga@icloud.com
A yoga retreats set in the

beautiful surroundings of the
Dare Valley Country Park,
nearBrecon Beacon, Wales,
three hours drive from London.
Combining daily yoga sessions
in themost relaxing setting
and nature-based activities all
tailored to awaken yourmind,
senses and body.
The aim of this retreat is to
provide you and your family
with a range of opportunities
toexplore simple nature
and adventure, which you
can take part in together or
choose to joinin as and when
it suits you. Nature Pedagogy
provides a unique way of
creating a child-centered and
learning-richenvironment.
Nature Club is suitable for 3-13
year old. Babies and toddlers
are welcome to attend with
parents. Cost: AED 5,200 per
adult and one child (inclusive
of nature guided activities
accommodation, three daily
meals, visits, London and
local transfers). For more
information, cost and booking
go to www.yogaretreats.ae
go green
ALWAYS. EVERYWHERE. EVERYTHING
MAY-JUNE 2016
yogalife
83
What simple and effortless changes can we make in

our everyday routine to protect and preserve the earth
and its limited resources? Michelle Robertson suggests
50 plus ways you can go greener, starting today
Add some eco-love

to your life
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go green
A nation that destroys its

soils destroys itself. Forests
are the lungs of our land,
purifying the air and giving
fresh strength to our people.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
oosevelt was not alone

in his comments about
the importance of taking
care of our planet. From
actress Jessica Alba to superstar
Leonardo di Caprio, doing
nothing is no longer an option in
our consumer driven society.
From making eco-friendly
purchases to offsetting our carbon
emissions, there are numerous
things we can do on a day-to-day
basis, without jeopardizing our way
and quality of life. Are you eco-savvy
or could you be doing more to help
protect the environment? Find out
just how green you are, how green
you could be and just how easy it
is to do your part for our planet.
IN THE BATHROOM
o SKINCARE: Opt for natural,
organic products or make your
own cleansers, exfoliators and
creams from natural ingredients.
o RECYCLE: Dont forget to recycle
disposable plastic contact lens
containers and the containers
for bathroom products such as
shampoos and conditioners.
o SWITCH TO SHAMPOO
BARS: Reduce the amount of
packaging you are bringing into
your bathroom by replacing
bottles of shampoo with
shampoo bars. These look like
soap but are designed for the
hair and claim to do wonders.
o INSTALL A SHOWERTIME UNIT:

This will show you the amount of
water you use each time you take
a shower, so you can monitor
how much water you are using.
o WASH WITH A BIDET: The
amount of water used by a
typical bidet is about 1/8th
of a gallon, whereas making
a single roll of toilet paper
requires 37 gallons of water,
1.3 kilowatt/hours (KWh) of
electricity and some 1.5 pounds
of wood. Alternatively opt
for recycled toilet paper.
o INSTALL A GLASS SHOWER
PARTITIAN: Shower curtains
are hard to clean and often get
discarded on a regular basis.
Since they are made of PVC and
hard to recycle, its best to stick
with a glass partition or shop for
a biodegradable shower curtain.
o ORGANIC TOWELS:
Towel manufacturing puts
harmful chemicals in our soil
and waterways, whereas
organic towels dont require
the heavy chemicals.
o TURN OFF THE TAP WHEN
BRUSHING: Weve all heard
this, but its so simple that
sometimes we forget how
much water we waste every
day by not turning taps off.
o LOW FLUSH TOILET OPTIONS:

As toilets use approximately 27%
of the water consumed in your
home check if your toilet has a
low flush option. If it doesnt, a
temporary quick fix is to drop
a little sand or pebbles into a
two-litre soda bottle and put
that in your tank to displace
some of the water that would
have otherwise filled the tank
or replace the toilet with one
that has the two-flush options.
o ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANING
PRODUCTS: Cleaning the
bathroom neednt be damaging
to the environment if you use
non-toxic products. By using
conventional cleaning products
such as a toilet cleaner you send
toxic chemicals back into the
water system where it could
have a negative impact on
marine life and the environment.
o THE FIVE-MINUTE SHOWER:
Showers are better for the
environment than bathtubs but
if you can get in and out in less
than five minutes, its even better.
o MOTION SENSOR FAUCETS:
Installing motion sensor faucets
on your sink is a great way
to reduce your household
water consumption, especially
if you have a large family.
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Recycling a single
aluminium can
will save enough
electricity to power a
TV for three hours.
Recycling a glass bottle
will power a light bulb
for four hours
GARDEN
WATER WISE
Due to the hot temperatures
in the region its always
best to water plants early
in the morning so you can
avoid evaporation and save
on water.
KITCHEN
o RECYCLE: We know we need
to do this but if you dont
have recycling bins at home,
consider getting some to
make it easier to remember.
o COMPOSTABLE GARBAGE
BAGS: Replace conventional
black garbage bags with
compostable ones. They
are just as strong to hold all
your day-to-day garbage.
o BE APPLIANCE SAVVY: Only
use your dishwasher when
its full, or use a half cycle, and
where possible try to stick
to one cup during the day.
o COMPOST: Rather than
throwing vegetable peelings,
teabags, etc. into the bin,
get a compost bin. Its good
for your garden and will
reduce the amount of food
rotting in landfill sites.
o RECYCLED KITCHEN
ROLL: Use a cloth to wipe
kitchen surfaces where
possible but if you must use
kitchen roll, consider the
recycled eco versions.
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o WATER FILTER: Who needs to buy

plastic bottles for water when it is
quick, easy and more efficient to
simply buy a water filter to attach
to the pipes under your sink?
o STAINLESS STEEL WATER
BOTTLES: Instead of giving your
kids juice in a carton, which is
almost impossible to recycle, opt
for a water bottle, which you can
fill with homemade fresh juice.
o ICE-LOLLY MOULDS: Prevent
event more plastic wastage by
replacing store-bought ice-lollies
with homemade ones using a
BPA free ice-lolly mould.
o MAKE YOUR OWN YOGHURT:
If your family eats a lot of yoghurt,
which is often packed in single-use
plastic pots, consider making yoghurt
at home and storing it in glass or
steel containers in the fridge.
o SANDWICH BAGS: If you must
use plastic wrap or Ziploc bags for
sandwiches, opt for compostable
ones or simply use a lunchbox and
cut down on all the packaging.
o BUY ORGANIC FOOD: Its
healthier for us and so much
better for the environment due
to the fact that pesticides are
not sprayed on the crops.
o BUY OR GROW LOCAL

PRODUCE: If you are lucky enough
to have a garden or even a balcony,
consider growing your own herbs
and a tomato plant. The less we
can import from the overseas the
better it is for our planet. If you
cant grow your own then try to
buy local produce where possible.
o WATER PLANTS IN THE
MORNING: Due to the hot
temperatures in the region its
always best to water plants early
in the morning so you can avoid
evaporation and save on water.
o ASTROTURF: Grass needs a lot
of water in this region so why not
consider Astroturf? Its a great eco
alternative to grass and can often
look just as good as the real thing.
LAUNDRY ROOM
o DETERGENT: Use ecofriendly laundry detergent.
o DO A FULL-LOAD: Only use
the washing machine when
its full or do a half load.
o WASH IN COLD WATER: About 90
per cent of the energy associated
with doing laundry involves
just heating up the water. The
solution: Turn that dial to cold.
o LIMIT YOUR WASHING: If its
not dirty dont wash it, or if it just
has one tiny stain on it consider
spot cleaning the stain with an
eco-friendly stain-remover.
o ECO-DRY CLEANERS: Send
your dry-cleaning to an
eco-friendly dry cleaner.
go green
DAY-TO-DAY LIFE
IN THE OFFICE
SHOPPING
o ORGANIC FASHION: Buying

organic socks and underwear
is a great way to reduce the
amount of pesticides that
end up in our soils when
conventional cotton is grown.
o RE-USABLE BOTTLES: Take
a glass re-usable water bottle
and fill it up instead of buying
plastic bottles everyday.
o TAKE YOUR OWN COFFEE
CUP: If you are at a coffee
shop opt for a mug if you are
staying, if its for takeaway, take
along your own coffee cup.
o DONATE UNWANTED ITEMS:
Dont throw away your junk in
the garbage; donate it to charity
so that it can be re-used.
o ECO-CAR WASH: When
the car is dirty, look for ecofriendly car cleaning services.
o AVOID POLYSTYRENE
CUPS: Instead of using the
polystyrene cups at your
offices water dispenser and
discarding them after a few
sips, take your own glass or
stainless steel bottle and refill.
o LUNCHBOXES AND CONTAINERS:
Pack lunches into glass or steel
containers instead of plastic wrap.
o RECYCLED PAPER: Use recycled
notebooks and also recycle
paper when you are printing.
o PRINT ON BOTH SIDES: Use
the printer only when absolutely
necessary and consider printing
on both sides of the paper.
o ECO-FRIENDLY STATIONERY:
Look for eco-friendly items.
o UNPLUG YOUR LAPTOP:
If you use a laptop, unplug
it when its fully charged.
o TAKE YOUR OWN BAGS:

Keep some jute bags in
your car so you can put your
groceries in them instead
of using plastic bags.
o CLOTH BAGS FOR PRODUCE:
Keep a handful of small cloth
bags in your car so that you
can use them for fruit and
vegetables and loose items
instead of the throwaway
plastic bags that are often
used for packing these items.
o BUY LOOSE PRODUCE:
Opt for fruit and vegetables
that are loose rather than
wrapped in plastic.
o GO FOR BIGGER BOTTLES:
Consider buying items in
bulk rather than several
small ones e.g. a large bottle
of soda instead of six small
cans, or one large tub of
yoghurt instead of eight small,
throwaway yoghurt pots.
OPT FOR
FRUIT AND
VEGETABLES
THAT ARE LOOSE
RATHER THAN
WRAPPED IN
PLASTIC
TRAVEL AND COMMUTE

o CAR-SHARE: If there are kids
in your neighbourhood who
all go to the same school,
consider doing a car-share.
o WALK WHEN YOU CAN: If you
just have to pop down to the
local shop, and if its less than
a 15-minute walk, consider
leaving the car behind.
o TAKE THE METRO OR BUS: If
you work near a metro station,
consider taking the metro
instead of driving. Its not just
better for the environment, its
a lot more relaxing as well.
o OFFSET YOUR CAR
EMISSIONS: Offset your
emissions for your daily drive.
A drive to Abu Dhabi from
Dubai five days a week would
cost approximately AED 45 a
week. This can be done through
various organisations such
as carbonfund.org or
climatecare.org.
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PULSES
take centre stage
Pulses are an affordable alternative to more expensive animal-based protein, which makes
them ideal for enhancing diets in poorer parts of the world. The United Nations, led by its Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), is celebrating 2016 as the International Year of Pulses
(IYP) with the aim to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of
sustainable food production targetted towards food security and nutrition
ulses are important for a number of reasons.

Eating pulses regularly can help improve
human health and nutrition because of
their high protein and mineral content.
Including pulses in intercropping farming systems
and/or cultivating them as cover crops enhance soil
fertility and reduce dependency on chemical fertilisers
by fixing nitrogen and freeing phosphorous, thus
contributing to a more sustainable production system.
Additionally to their nitrogen-fixing and phosphorousfreeing properties, like other leguminous crops, pulses
help increase organic matter and microbial biomass
and activity (e.g. bacteria, fungi) in the soil. They can
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also improve soil structure and water retention capacity

while helping to reduce wind and water erosion.
The 68th UN General Assembly declared 2016 the
International Year of Pulses (IYP). The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been nominated
to facilitate the implementation of the year in collaboration
with Governments, relevant organisations, non-governmental
organisations and all other relevant stakeholders.
The year will create a unique opportunity to encourage
connections throughout the food chain that would
better utilise pulse-based proteins, further global
production of pulses, better utilise crop rotations
and address the challenges in the trade of pulses.
go green
The International
Year of Pulses
will raise awareness
about important crops
that are essential for
sustainable agriculture
and nutrition.
Jos Graziano da Silva,
FAO Director-General
WHAT ARE PULSES?
Pulses, also known as grain legumes, are a group

of 12 crops that includes dry beans, dry peas,
chickpeas and lentils. Pulses are a subgroup of
legumes and are plant species members of the
Leguminosae family (commonly known as the
pea family) that produce edible seeds, which
are used for human and animal consumption.
Only legumes harvested for dry grain are
classified as pulses. Legume species when
used as vegetables (e.g. green peas, green
beans), for oil extraction (e.g. soybean,
groundnut) and for sowing purposes (e.g.
clover, alfalfa) are not considered pulses.
WHY ARE PULSES IMPORTANT?
region and country to country, with a general trend of higher

consumption in lower income nations. The share of food use in
total utilisation of pulses in the developing countries is over 75
per cent, compared to 25 per cent in the developed countries.
Pulses, especially dry peas, are also used as feedstuff.
Some 25 per cent of pulse total use goes for feeding
animals, namely pigs and poultry. Complementing animal
feed with improved varieties of pulses has shown to
significantly improve animal nutrition too, yielding better
livestock, which in turn supports food security.
Pulses are locally adapted and can be grown by local
farmers for their own nutrition as well as for sale, which
is important to improve food security. They are highly
accepted crops, which can keep well in storage.
Pulses because of their role in improving sustainability,
notably through soil management, also impact food security.
Soil degradation is a major threat to food security in many
areas. Africa is particularly impacted by soil degradation,
yet pulses are part of traditional diets and often grown by
small farmers. By improving the crop patterns using pulses,
farmers can improve their yields and limit the long-term
threat to food security that soil degradation represents.
PULSES AND NUTRITION
Pulses are part of a healthy, balanced diet and have been

shown to have an important role in preventing illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Pulses are a low fat source of protein, with a
high fibre content and low glycemic index:

Pulses are very high in fibre, containing
both soluble and insoluble fibres. Soluble
fibre helps to decrease blood cholesterol
PULSES AND FOOD SECURITY
In most developing countries, pulses play a

fundamental role as a low-fat, high fibre source
of protein, an essential component of traditional
food baskets. Pulses, by contributing about
10 per cent in the daily protein intake and 5
per cent in energy intake, are of particular
importance for food security in low income
countries where the major sources of proteins
are non-animal products. In addition, pulses
also contain significant amounts of other
essential nutrients like calcium, iron and lysine.
Pulses are included in all food baskets
and dietary guidelines. The World Food
Programme (WFP) for instance includes 60
grams of pulses in its typical food basket,
alongside cereals, oils, sugar and salt.
Over 60 per cent of total utilisation of pulses
is for human consumption. But the importance
of pulses in human diets varies from region to
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The year will create a unique

opportunity to encourage
connections throughout the
food chain that would further
global production of pulses
levels and control blood sugar levels, and insoluble
fibre helps with digestion and regularity.

Pulses provide important amounts of vitamins
and mineral. Some of the key minerals in pulses
include iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc.
Pulses are also particularly abundant in B
vitamins including folate, thiamin and niacin.

Pulses typically contain about twice the
amount of protein found in whole grain
cereals like wheat, oats, barley and rice.

Finally, pulses are an important source of proteins
and in most developing countries constitute the
main source of protein for most populations.
In addition to contributing to a healthy, balanced diet, the
nutritional qualities of pulses makes them particularly helpful
in the fight against some non-communicable diseases.
The World Health Organisation estimates that up to
80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, and
over a third of cancers could be prevented by eliminating
risk factors, such as unhealthy diets and promoting better
eating habits, of which pulses are an essential component.
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Pulses can help lower blood cholesterol and

attenuate blood glucose, which is a key factor
against diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Eating pulses as a replacement to some animal
protein also helps limit the intake of saturated
fats and increases the intake of fibres.
Pulses have also been shown to be helpful
in the prevention of certain cancers because
of their fibre content and also their mineral
and amino-acid content, in particular folate.
Encouraging awareness of the nutritional value
of pulses can help consumers adopt healthier
diets. In developing countries, where the trend
in dietary choices tends to go towards more
animal-based protein and cereals, retaining
pulses is an important way to ensure diets
remain balanced and to avoid the increase in
non-communicable diseases often associated
with diet transitions and rising incomes.
Several studies have shown that legumes
are associated with long-lived food cultures
such as the Japanese (soy, tofu, natto, miso),
the Swedes (brown beans, peas) and the
Mediterranean people (lentils, chickpeas, white
beans), and that they could be an important
dietary factor in improving longevity.
PULSES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Pulses are economically important crops for

farmers, in both developing and developed
countries. Pulses are traditionally mostly grown
in developing countries, which contribute
70% of pulse production globally (except
for dry peas). For instance, India produces
about a quarter of the worlds pulses, which
in 2011 amounted to 17 millions tons.
In developing countries, smallholder farmers
play an important role in growing pulses, often
mostly for their own consumption but also to
sell locally. Low productivity can represent
an important impediment in making pulses a
valuable source of additional income, but with
the introduction of improved varieties and
better management techniques, important
increases in yields can be achieved, making
pulses a valuable source of income.
Recognising the role that pulses can
play in providing incomes for farmers is
important. Investment is needed to ensure
productivity and quality are improved,
so that pulses can be marketed at local,
regional and international level, creating a
valuable addition to farmers livelihoods.
go green
PULSES AND
SUSTAINABILITY
BC303e/1/12.15
Eat more pulses! Include

pulses more often in your
daily diet and in your weekly
meal planner, but also choose
pulses at restaurants and
at the take-away counter.
nutritious seeds for
Bring pulses into gatherings with
nutritious seeds for
family, friends and colleagues.
a sustainable future
a sustainable future
Have you created a recipe?
Donate it to the global
collection. You can send your
left after harvesting pulse crops have
recipes to IYP@emergingag.com.
a different bio-chemical composition
Be social and talk about
than other crop residues.
pulses! Post your pulse dishes,
Pulses are also a protein source
use the hashtags #IYP2016,
with a low footprint, in both carbon
#Healthyeating, #Recipe or
and water. For instance, the water
#Pulses and follow IYP2016 on
footprints to produce a kilogram of
Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
beef, pork, chicken and soybeans
Do you have a blog? Include a
are 18, 11 and 5 times higher than
link to iyp2016.org and Pulses.
the water footprint of pulses.
org in your social media posts!
Pulses have a lower carbon
Contact your favourite local
footprint in production than most
restaurant, your childrens
animal sources of protein. In fact,
canteen, and office or campus
one study showed that one kilogram
cafeterias and tell them
about the International Year
of legume only emits 0.5kg in CO2
of Pulses. They may want
equivalent, whereas 1kg of beef
to offer new pulse dishes or
produces 9.5 kg in CO2 equivalent.
propose promotions on pulse
Nitrogen is the nutrient most
dishes in their menus.
needed in crop production and
Tell your local grocery

nitrogen fertiliser is manufactured
store about IYP!
using natural gas. But pulses are
Donate pulses to your local
quite unique among other crops,
food bank, if there is any.
as they draw their own nitrogen
Contact local youth groups and
from the air, so do not require
ask them to promote pulses by
the same application of nitrogen
including them in their activities!
fertiliser as other crops.
Get creative with pulses by
By fixing nitrogen in the soil,
working them into dishes you
pulses also help reduce the footprint
already know or invent new
of other crops so the benefits extend
recipes. Have you tried pulses
much further into the food
for dessert? Chocolate and
production cycle.
beans are a great combination.
Have you thought about using
TEXT COURTESY: Food and
pulse ours? Add some extra
Agriculture Organisation of the
protein to your cakes, breads
United Nations and http://iyp2016.
and cookies, or add pulse
puree for extra moisture.
org (Global Pulse Confederation)
BC303e/1/12.15
FAO, 2015
Pulses are economically

important crops for the
farmers in both developing
and developed countries
We know you love pulses, which is

why we want to give you 10 ideas
for ways you can help promote the
2016 International Year of Pulses.
FAO, 2015
Pulses play an important role for

sustainability in many ways. They
are an important component of
crop rotations, they require less
fertilisers than other crops and are
a low carbon source of protein.
Legumes are part of the
rotational crops farmers can use to
maintain soil fertility. In Canada for
instance, where pulses are often
integrated in good soil management
practices, a good crop rotation
includes a variety of crops grown in
sequence, including cereals (wheat,
barley, oats), oilseeds (canola, flax,
sunflowers) and legumes (pulses).
Pulses have a positive impact
on soil quality because they
help fix nitrogen in the soil. This
contributes to higher yields in
subsequent crop rotations.
But its not the only reason. Pulses
have a direct positive impact on
soil quality because they help feed
soil microbes, which benefits soil
health. Pulses have also been shown
to produce greater amounts and
different types of amino acids than
non-legumes and the plant residues
THINGS YOU CAN DO

TO PROMOTE IYP2016
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Revenge of Gaia
Lets get
REAL about
CLIMATE
CHANGE
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Enjoy life while you can: in 20 years global

warming will hit the fan, James Lovelock,
climate science maverick and author of The
Revenge of Gaia, has said. But looking at the
constant freak weather patterns it seems
global warming has already passed the tipping
point, and catastrophe is unstoppable
Text by Chris Bourne aka Openhand
When all the trees have

been cut down, when
all the animals have
been hunted, when all
the waters are polluted,
when all the air is
unsafe to breathe, only
then will you discover
you cannot eat money.
What kind of Earth will our children inherit?
ames Lovelock has been in the news again

the guy who wrote The Revenge of Gaia. In
The Guardian recently, hes quoted as saying
catastrophe is inevitable, carbon offsetting is
a joke, and ethical living a scam. Hes never been one to
mince his words! Just how much is the current climate
change effort a scam, simply designed to make people
feel good and keep on buying? How much of the information is simply designed to placate, to maintain public
order, to keep the gravy train rolling? Surely people
would be better off with an authentic confrontation of
the truth? It empowers us to do something real about it...
MAKE THE MOST OF LIFE WHILE YOU CAN
James Lovelock, the maverick climate science loner, is
sought by many for his opinions after his Gaia theory took
off in 1970s, where he was the first scientist to suggest
Gaia is a self regulating and maintaining eco-system.
Recently hes been quoted as saying in the UKs Guardian:
Enjoy life while you can: in 20 years global
warming will hit the fan.
Personally I dont think its going
to take 20 years. I think when you
take an honest look at the constant
freak weather patterns happening,
its clear the climate change sh**
is hitting the fan right now!
Anything odd with the weather lately?
This from The Guardian:
In 1965 executives at Shell wanted to
know what the world would look like in
the year 2000. They consulted a range
of experts, who speculated about fusionpowered hovercrafts and all sorts of
fanciful technological stuff. When the
oil company asked the scientist James
Cree Prophecy
Lovelock, he predicted that the main problem in 2000

would be the environment. It will be worsening then to
such an extent that it will seriously affect their business,
he said. And of course, Lovelock says, with a smile 43
years later, thats almost exactly whats happened.
His latest book, The Revenge of Gaia, predicts that
by 2020 extreme weather will be the norm, causing
global devastation; that by 2040 much of Europe will
be Saharan; and parts of London will be underwater.
On the day we meet, the Daily Mail has launched a
campaign to rid Britain of plastic shopping bags. The
initiative sits comfortably within the current canon of
eco ideas, next to ethical consumption, carbon
offsetting, recycling and so on all of which are premised
on the calculation that individual lifestyle adjustments can
still save the planet. This is, Lovelock says, a deluded
fantasy. Most of the things we have been told to do might
make us feel better, but they wont make any difference.
Global warming has passed the tipping point, and
catastrophe is unstoppable.
Mankind only
acts decisively
when it reaches
a precipice.
We can be
hopeful for the
future but not
optimistic.
Kish
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James Lovelock
EMPOWERING OURSELVES WITH TRUTH

Im inclined to agree. During the Christmas period
with many focussed on feel-good festivities, the
North Pole was hit by a freak storm, which elevated
its temperatures up to melting point, some 50
degrees higher than the seasonal average...
This from The Washington Post:
Of course theres plenty of conspiracy theorists who
would blame it all on geo-engineering. As if the fact
that basic human, consumeristic activity, thats cut
down half the trees and obliterated half the wild
life since the industrial revolution, is just another
statistic contemplate the incredible implications of that for a moment if you can. Yes, I agree,
geo-engineering is certainly having an effect I
frequently witness chemtrails over my own garden.
But to blame it all on them, is simply disempowering it blames them over there and discourages
people from really getting into their own stuff.
Lets get real about it. Lets get real about our
own behaviour and consumption activities. You
have to work to feel the impact of your choices with
respect to Gaia and the environment. It must be
much more than some kind of collective idea banded
around (like carbon offsetting). It has to be something youve explored in the depths of your soul,
with a profound connection to Gaia. Only then, can
you truly forgive yourself, and unlock the fragments
of soul buried in that karmic unconsciousness.
It feels to me like we most definitely have kicked
off various irreversible, climate change tipping
points. But unlike Lovelock, I do believe humanity
can still make a difference I believe the window
of opportunity for Spiritual Evolution into the
Higher Paradigm can be widened. If we take care
of what we have left, and gather in self-sustaining,
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The Earth is a complex interacting

system of soil, sea, atmosphere and
living things that keeps itself stable in
a way that supports life. In particular
this complex web has acted to hold
temperature within a narrow range
over hundreds of millions of years.
Lovelock calls this system Gaia after
the ancient Greek goddess of the
Earth and refers to Gaia as a person
who acts with intelligence.
environmentally respectful communities, then it
will give more people the chance to discover who
they really are, and expand into their higher selves.
BREAKING THE BUSINESS AS USUAL CYCLE
Lovelock says: People just want to go on doing
what theyre doing. They want business as usual.
They say, Oh yes, theres going to be a problem up
ahead, but they dont want to change anything.
Therein lies the problem the masses dont
want to change their lifestyles, and the elites
keep plundering resources and peddling their
wares as if theres no tomorrow perhaps
its because they already know, and have their
designs on some nearby planet like Mars?
But I do believe change will happen. It cant
be too long before some natural catastrophe
breaks down the global consumer machine. For
me, that will be a good thing Ive seen communities gathering together along more local, self
sustaining lines, where people are caused to be
more compassionate and caring. Bring it on!
ABOUT OPENHAND
Openhand is a non-profit
organisation with a unique
approach to spiritual evolution:
integrating enlightened wisdom
of spiritual masters through the
ages, it is a way of tapping into
the Benevolent Guiding
Consciousness of the Universe and aligning with it in
your life. It helps you unveil your True Self, remove
karmic blockages and unfold your Divine Destiny. It
leads to authentic, resilient and truly successful
living. For more, go to www.openhandweb.org or
Facebook: OpenhandFoundation
go green
GREEN BITES
We highlight all that is environmental, green and eco-friendly
ALGAE AS FUEL
Algae has already been touted as
a natural healing wonder. Not only
has its high chlorophyll content
and special plant compounds
been shown to defeat cancer and
heart disease, it has also become
a replacement for butter and
eggs in gluten-free and vegan
baked treats!
However, the latest and most
exciting news about algae is that
it could replace petroleum and
palm oil as a fuel source. Algae
can produce seven to 31 times the
fuel than the next best crop that
has been planted to power the
planet palm oil.
The U.S. Department of Energy
has pledged to invest up to $24
million in three research groups
looking at ways to commercialise
algae-based biofuels, of which
$16.5 million have already been
invested in programmes in
Hawaii, New Mexico & California.
GREEN
TIP!
Instead of increasing your energy

consumption via home and gym
exercise machines, take your
workout outdoors whenever you
can walk, run, bike!
CELEBRATING
MOTHER EARTH
World Environment
Day was established
by the United Nations
General Assembly
in 1972 to mark the
opening of the Stockholm
Conference on the Human
Environment. It is one
of the principal vehicles
through which the United
Nations (UN) stimulates
worldwide awareness
of the environment
and enhances political
attention and action.
The theme this year is:
Join The Race To Make
The World A Better Place.
This slogan carries a
clear message and asks
everyone to get involved
in making the world a
better place to live in.
World
Environment
Day
June 5
Many activities take

place around the world in
celebration of this day. These
include rallies and parades,
concerts, tree planting and
cleanup campaigns. In some
countries, this annual event
is used to enhance political
attention and action towards
improving the environment.
Powerful Little Sun

It started with the Little Sun a solar LED light brought to the world by
artist and designer Olafur Eliasson and his cofounder, engineer Frederik
Ottesen. Since its inception, off-grid households have
been saved an estimated $4.7 million in energy costs.
The companys newest addition is called the
Charge a combination of LED light and a solar
charger. The Charge will have a big impact
in areas that do not have regular access to
electricity and whose approximately 1.1 billon
people rely on dirty and unhealthy kerosene
lamps that are used after dark. According to Little
Sun, the Charge has a rugged outer casing, which is
weather proof, water resistant, heat resistant and UV protected.
The device is small enough to be carried around whether youre in a
developing country in need of light, or even if your mobile phone needs to
be charged in the middle of a bustling city.
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SUSTAINABLE
YogaLifes Ally profiles

the emerging, environmentally
conscious Indian designers who
are keeping people well dressed
while being kind to Mother Earth
at the same time
ndian fashion is slowly but surely getting

the recognition it deserves. Age-old
traditions of weaving, hand embroidery and hand block printing are all
making a comeback to create some of the
most beautiful, intricate and environmentally friendly designs. Veteran designer Ritu
Kumar continues her patronage of traditional
Indian weavers, while Deepika Govind loves
to experiment using organic denim. All this
is leading towards a generation of Indian
designers who are going against the grain
to keep their fashion labels as sustainable as
possible. Weve compiled a list of the up-andcoming designers who are determined to dress
people pretty while making sure they arent
harming the environment in the process.
IMAGES: SUKRITI AND AKRITI GROVER
ANUPAMA DAYAL
Her fashion label Anupamaa is synonymous

with its philosophy of being wholly organic.
With her vibrant prints, Dayal has made a
marvellous attempt at reviving traditional
hand-printing, dyeing and needlecraft
techniques. Keeping her carbon footprint
to a minimum, Anupama uses vegetable
dyes, and wooden blocks that have been
hand-carved by master craftsmen during
her processes of colouring and dyeing.
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SIDDHARTHA UPADHYAYA
Siddhartha Upadhyayas fashion label August is

all about focussing on zero waste. Keeping this
in mind, he developed DPOL, which produces
ready-to-stich, shaped, woven garment components. This reduces fabric waste by approximately
15-20%. With DPOL, Siddhartha is able to increase
fabric efficiency, and create less fabric waste, while
guaranteeing designs that are one of a kind.
ANAKA NARAYANAN
Anaka Narayananan started a Chennai-based

venture called Brass Tacks. Bringing old-school
traditions to the forefront, the fashion line
uses home grown textiles, natural, hand-woven
fabrics, and prints like Ikat and Ajrakh. On the
fashion-front, her silhouettes are characteristic
of Western couture, blended with modern Indian
sensibilities. On the eco-friendly front, Brass
Tacks uses processes like hand weaving and
hand block printed fabric to conserve energy.
Cotton is becoming a
fabric of the rich... It has
reached the runways
SWATI ARGADE
Swati started her fashion line Bhoomki in an attempt to sell

ethically produced clothes while preserving the environment and also bringing back certain disappearing textile
traditions. She strongly advocates and practices recycling, re-purposing and upcycling. She launched a collection of coats that were made from bottles and organic
cotton, having the lowest ever carbon footprint.
KARISHMA SHAHANI
In her quest to rethink modern design, and integrate it

with age-old techniques, Karishma Shahani founded her
label, Ka-Sha. She uses plastic, fabric waste and even
discarded clothing in her designs, and has even been
known to reuse fabric scraps by weaving them back
into her creations. Her products are guided by a zerowaste policy that are global in their market appeal.
SHEENA MATHEIKEN
Sheena shot to fame with her innovative Uniform Project,

where she took a Little Black Dress and styled it different
for an entire year. This pretty much put every girl to rest
who has ever said, I have nothing to wear! It gained
her a huge fan following, which helped her raise funds
for the Akanksha Foundation. The project now focusses
on giving women a challenge to simplify their wardrobes and turn thrift store buys into something chic.
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PAROMITA BANERJEE
There is a Japanese folk practice of fashioning

clothing from rags and cloth scraps, called
boro this is what Paromita Banerjee named
her fashion brand after. Easily identified from
its use of hand spun and natural dyed fabrics
like khadi, sourced ethically from weavers
across the country, Boro reduces fabric waste
by using cloth trims and scraps to make bags,
tags, notebooks and even embellishments.
RUCHIKA SACHDEVA
Ethically sourced fabric and minimum

waste is what Ruchika Sachdevas brand
Bodice is all about. She works with local
weavers and artisan clusters in Benaras
and Rajasthan to improve their income
and give them better access to market
opportunities. From a fashion perspective, Ruchika designs thoughtful clothes
like reversible jackets, garments whose size
can be adjusted, and the use of fabrics that
need minimal washing and no ironing.
SUKRITI AND AAKRITI GROVER
SAMANT CHAUHAN
Sukriti and Akriti

Grover have
launched a bridal
collection using
organic cotton
Samant Chauhans eco fashion line

comprises handcrafted raw silk
from his native town of Bhagalpur
in Bihar, helping to rejuvenate
a slowly disappearing art. His
designs come in a range of earthy
tones, giving his garments a raw,
natural yet flowy feel. Along with
the Ministry of Textiles, Samant
has also developed a line of handloom denim, making
him one of the most creative entrepreneurs in India.
SHALABH AND ANITA AHUJA
Fashion with a cause is what Shalabh and Anita Ahujas initiative Conserve is all about. The socially and environmentally responsible enterprise is turning waste into lifestyle
products, helping rag pickers find work, and also keeping
waste off the streets. Conserve has patented an energyefficient, dye-free upcycling process that turns plastic
waste into Handmade Recycled Plastic (HRP). This is then
crafted into bags, belts and jewellery for the global market.
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Taking sustainable fashion to the next level

with their new collection The Bohemian
Bride, Sukriti and Akriti Grover have launched
a bridal collection using organic cotton. We
think its how one treats the fabric. The kind
of intricate work we do on cotton makes it
look delicate and pretty. Since its organic
cotton its got a beautiful texture and has a
gauzy and flowy quality, making it perfect
for intricate embroidery and voluminous
silhouettes. We use organic cotton made of
latte and soyabean. The hot weather conditions in India make cotton a very comfortable
fabric for use. Sukriti & Aakriti focusses on
using this fabric to make contemporary Indian
wear to get through the heat and festivities in India. Be it
the traditional bride or the guests at weddings, wearing
easy breezy Indian designs with a contemporary twist.
When asked if sustainable fashion is the way forward,
heres what they had to say: We think the mind frame of
people is changing. Cotton is becoming a fabric of the rich
part of the trickle up theory. Theres a sense of excitement in
this sector [sustainable fashion]. It has reached the runways.
Many designers are coming up with conscious collections
and its also reaching high street designs. The trick is to make
sustainable design cool! Hopefully its not a fad at the
moment and will go a long way.
Hcope
ARIES
March 21 April 20
Think before you speak.
Choose your words
carefully and say only
what you truly mean. Avoid gossip.
Your word is your honor, so say things
that represent only the honorable side
of you. Now is the time to stick up for
what you believe in. Now is the time to
set boundaries and not allow anyone
to have control over you or your
financial situation.
When it comes to your love life, you
will be able to see so much clearer
who are the people that love you and
who is using you. A positive change
regarding your residential situation is
on the horizon.
Watch your temper. Try not to fly
off the handle when you feel that
things arent going exactly the way
that you had planned. Teamwork will
bring you respect and possibly a very
good promotion.
CANCER
June 22 July 22
A new addition to your
family will come a bit
early than you had expected. This could
be a new pet, a new baby, a family
member coming over to stay with you,
or just a new plant that you now need
to take care of. Whatever the situation
may be, dont worry you can handle it
and you will actually be very happy to
be nurturing someone, or something,
that really needs you. Let your natural
nurturing instincts shine!
Just when you are sick and tired of
being patient, you are being asked to
be even more patient for just a bit
longer. OK. This would be a great time
to clean out your closets and your mind
of any things and situations that you
no longer want to carry around with
you. Forgiveness is the key to healing all
emotional wounds. Realize that anyone
who neglected you in the past was just
being human after all.
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TAURUS
April 21 May 21
Searching for the true
meaning of your life
should be your first
priority. Forgive yourself and forgive
others. A new and special responsibility
will soon be added to your life. This is
something that you can totally look
forward to. With this new responsibility
comes an abundance of joy. Dont
worry, you can handle it with ease.
Your top priority should be focused upon
your finances and seeing what you can
do to make some additional income. A
career change, advancement, or pay
raise can easily be in your near future.
Think BIG for some BIG results. Also,
plan to do something special with the
one you love most. A hot and steamy
relationship will get your blood boiling
just enough to add some extra spice to
your life. You have been waiting for just
such a time to let your animal instincts
out go for it!
LEO
July 23 Aug 22
Someone from the
past still wants to be
in your life. The choice is up to you,
but you must make sure that this
person communicates completely and
honestly with you. You will know if this
person is telling the truth, so you dont
need to be defensive or on guard,
just listen to your heart. You must
be true to yourself before you can be
true to another. This is a good time to
concentrate more fully on YOU and
what makes YOU happy.
Your big ideas are about to pay off!
Your energy is creative and intense.
You mean business and prosperity
is what you will have! You will finally
be able to breathe a sigh of relief as
your income possibilities begin to rise.
By the end of this month you will be
ready to kick back and rest. The end
of June will be the perfect time for an
exotic vacation.
GEMINI
May 22 June 21
Dont fret over the
little things that really
dont matter. Keep your
mind focused on the bigger picture.
This is a great time to seek more
independence and do some things
that you really want to do.
The extra quality time that you
spend helping out your relatives will
be well worth it. There should be
lots of family get-togethers such as
weddings, baby showers, birthday
parties, and so much more. Get out
your favorite party hat. It is very
possible that someone special may
throw you a surprise party! Your
gut instinct will tell you what is
going on but act surprised anyway!
This is going to be a very good period
for you!
VIRGO
Aug 23 Sept 23
You always are at your
best when you are
concentrating on what is right in
front of you. Keep your hands busy.
Work on projects that you enjoy.
You dont mind picking up the mess
that others create, but this month
may be a little different. You will
want the people around you to take
more responsibility for their own
selves. The time in your life is very
precious. There is only so much of it.
You will be able to save more time
for yourself by setting boundaries
and delegating chores.
The old saying, You can lead a
horse to water, but you cant make
him drink it had to be thought
of by a Virgo. Usually it would be
the Virgo personality that would
be leading the horse, but this time
Virgos will be taking on the role of
the horse himself.
May - June
Monthly predictions by astrologer
LIBRA
Sept 23 Oct 23
You truly do not have to
compete with anyone
around you. Try to
realize that you are a special and
unique person. Hold your head up high
and give yourself credit for all of the
good things that you do. Love yourself
just as you are because when you do
then other people will naturally love
you too.
Surprises are going to come to you in
all shapes and sizes. Open your heart
and learn to receive. The people that
love you most want to see you happy
and they are going to do all that they
can to make sure you are comfortable.
There are some big changes taking
place in your life at this time. A new
you seems to be birthing through.
Like a caterpillar turning into a
butterfly, you are just about ready to
emerge from your cocoon.
CAPRICORN
Dec 22 Jan 20
This is a time where you
can be very confused, and
it is impossible to follow your intuition
as it is sending you mixed messages.
Keep things and plans simple as the
more elaborate things are, the more
likely they are to go wrong.
Look after your chest as ear, nose,
throat and chest infections can
strike now. You may have less energy
so do not plan anything that is
highly taxing or physically strenuous,
conserve energy where you can and
just say NO to extra hours. This is
a time when no matter how much
effort you put in, results in the short
run cannot be guaranteed, and so
know when to quit and leave it for
another day.
Take your foot off the gas and take
the pressure off yourself. Make
time to relax and participate in an
activity that gives back to you.
SCORPIO
Oct 24 Nov 22
Would you be surprised
to know that you dont
have to give anything
to anyone unless you truly want to?
Would you be surprised to know that
the peace you seek is already within
you, but that you will only know this
when you look inside yourself and
allow this peace to come forth?
You are beginning to realize that when
you judge people, and misjudge people,
that you are truly persecuting them. In
the past this may not have mattered
to you one bit, but as you are getting
older you are realizing that this type
of attitude is bringing more negative
energy into your life. You now have a
wonderful chance to make amends.
Try to see the Divine Light within
everyone you know. Only by seeing
their inner-beauty will you be able to
realize yours.
AQUARIUS
Jan 21 Feb 19
You will tend to be
secretive and not to
speak your mind choosing to only
convey what you have to.
You should not be scared to stand
apart from the crowd, one way or
another you will be center staged,
make sure that you are picked out
for something that you are proud of.
All your plans for fun, recreation and
entertainment come together. The
creative juices are flowing, which will
also assist you in completing any
creative or arty projects.
It is vital to retain focus in June
2016 and to follow through on the
projects and chores that are most
essential and have the most chance
of success. Do not neglect to pursue
something you have set your heart
on, but it may have to wait on the
backburner for the time being.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov 23 Dec 21
This is the time to
make an impression on
others. Your health and
vitality are good, and this is a great
month to start new diet. Be observant
and take note of new people you
meet as opportunities for romance,
business ventures, and new friends are
everywhere. You are very imaginative
and creative right now, and music will
play a very important part in your life.
Dreams, dj vu and sudden insights can
leave you confused, and you will have to
gather all your esoteric brainwaves to
decipher the information. The universe
often gives us clues and hints to help
us make decisions; however, they are
often very subtle and even vague, and
one must either meditate or allow your
intuition to speak to you to help you
decipher. The clues and the answers to
your questions are there; be alert to the
signs and use your heart to interpret.
PISCES
Feb 20 March 20
You may surprise yourself
in terms your emotional
response to people, especially in
the family. Pisces are very porous
emotionally, and you can be highly
sensitive to the prevailing mood that
is you need to be with people who ooze
positive emotions.
There is a certain chaotic element to
your home life in May, and you will have
to be flexible and make some sacrifices
in terms of your personal space
June 2016 is an ideal time to do
a little audit of where you are in
terms of your goals for the year,
and you should make new plans and
strategies based on how things are
going to ensure you stay on track.
Family matters are very important
right now, and family events may
bring you into contact with a family
member you have not seen for years.
MAY-JUNE 2016
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YOGIS DIARY
Books
FRAGRANCE
AND WELLBEING:
PLANT AROMATICS
AND THEIR INFLUENCE
ON THE PSYCHE
SELF REMEMBERING: THE PATH

TO NON-JUDGMENTAL LOVE
(AN OWNERS MANUAL)
By Jennifer Peace Rhind
This book offers detailed practical guidelines

that allow one to know with certainty not
from imagination, theory, thought, or lying
when one is Present and Awake; it details
the objective feedback mechanisms available
to everyone for attaining this certainty: Am I
awake now? How do I know? Sincere readers
will find that help in answering these two
questions is invaluable and life-changing.
Written from the perspective of a practitioner of more than 30 years one who has
studied the significant work of his predecessors, received instruction from two spiritual
masters (Osho Rajneesh and Mister Lee
Lozowick), and trained rigorously within daily
life. The book is the first detailed examination of the Practice-of-Presence (called self
remembering in the Gurdjieff tradition).
This book explores the impact of fragrance on the psyche from biological, anthropological, perfumery and
aromatherapy viewpoints. Beginning
with an exploration of our olfactory
system and a discussion of the language of odour, the author examines
the ways in which fragrance can
influence our perceptions and experiences. She introduces us to a broad
range of fragrance types woody,
resinous, spicy, herbaceous, agrestic,
floral and citrus, as well as the attars that form part of Unani Tibb
medicine. Traditional and contemporary uses and the mood-enhancing
properties of fragrance types are
presented. The book then provides
an overview of the theoretical and
philosophical frameworks that have
been used to analyse how and why
we choose fragrance.
By Red Hawk
ine
The book helps determn
is
e
on
en
wh
nty
tai
with cer
e
Present and Awak
HOLY SHIFT!: 365 DAILY MEDITATIONS

FROM A COURSE IN MIRACLES
By Robert Holden
A Course in Miracles is a modern psycho-spiritual
text that has inspired many teachers including Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, Wayne
Dyer, Jerry Jampolsky, Sondra Ray and Gabrielle
Bernstein. Robert Holden has studied the daily
lessons offered in A Course in Miracles for 20
years. He teaches workshops and gives talks on
the Course across the world and is a patron of the
Miracle Network in the UK. In Holy Shift, Robert
has selected 365 of his favourite passages from A
Course in Miracles to serve as daily meditations throughout the year. Students
who are already familiar with the Course will enjoy this portable edition of
miracles, and those new to the Course will appreciate the friendly and accessible introduction. Holy Shift will help everyone to practice the universal
tenets of this profound teaching and to experience a year of miracles.
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CHANGE YOUR POSTURE,

CHANGE YOUR LIFE:
HOW THE POWER OF THE
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
CAN COMBAT BACK PAIN,
TENSION AND STRESS
By Richard Brennan
THE SPIRITUAL CHILD:

THE NEW SCIENCE ON
PARENTING FOR HEALTH
AND LIFELONG THRIVING
By Lisa J. Miller
In this book, psychologist Lisa Miller
presents the next big idea in psychology:
the science and the power of spirituality. She explains the clear, scientific link
between spirituality and health, and
shows that children who have a positive, active relationship to spirituality:
are 40% less likely to use
and abuse substances
are 60% less likely to be depressed as teenagers
are 80% less likely to have dangerous or unprotected sex
have significantly more positive markers for thriving, and high
levels of academic success.
Miller translates these findings into
practical advice for parents, giving them
ways to develop and encourage their
childrens as well as their own well-being.
The Alexander Technique is a proven

method for breaking down bodily
tension to restore natural ease of
movement. Change Your Posture,
Change Your Life examines every
aspect of the technique, from how to
release muscle tension to the secret
key to good posture. This must-have
guide will benefit all age groups and
lifestyles: sufferers of muscular-skeletal problems like arthritis, backache
and headaches; parents concerned
about their childrens posture; anyone
involved in sports and exercise;
as well as musicians, actors and
healthcare professionals.
UNIVERSAL LESSONS:
A JOURNEY THROUGH
THE AFTERLIFE
By Caroline McCutcheon
Caroline McCutcheon is a healer and
counsellor who lives in rural Portugal. Through her healing work she
developed the gift of mediumship,
and she has written this book with
the help of healing guides in spirit.
Universal Lessons explains what
existence is like for a soul in the
afterlife, but it also shows you how
spiritual beings have a positive
impact on human life. Caroline describes a souls journey through the
spheres of light, relating the different lessons and challenges along the
way. You can read this book on different levels as a book containing
valuable information, or as a good
story that is interesting in itself. You
do not have to believe in an afterlife
to enjoy this book, but it helps if you
have an open mind.
EAGER TO LOVE: THE ALTERNATIVE

WAY OF FRANCIS OF ASSISI
By Richard Rohr
Globally recognised as an ecumenical teacher, Richard Rohr started out and
remains a Franciscan friar. The loving, inclusive life and preaching of Francis of
Assisi make him a recognisable and beloved saint across many faith traditions. He
was, as Rohr notes, a master of making room for it and letting go of that which
was tired or empty. Rohr draws on Scripture, insights from psychology, and literary and artistic references, to weave together an understanding of the tradition as
first practiced by St. Francis. Rohr shows how his own innovative theology is firmly
grounded in the life and teaching of this great saint and provides a perspective on
how his alternative path to the divine can deepen and enrich our spiritual lives.
M AY-J U N E 2 0 1 6
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Diary Dates
Guide to classes and workshops for the mind, body, spirit
WEEKEND IMMERSION WITH LARUGA GLASER

be focused on moving with conscious
awareness, in union with conscious
breath, otherwise known as Vinysa.
Trouble shooting areas of instability
that may be present, you will delve
more thoroughly into how to build
strength, with care and attention,
building upon internal alignment.
Learn to activate and open the energy
channels of the body without strain.
THURSDAY MAY 5: 19.00-21.00

LED PRIMARY SERIES
Full Led Primary series is traditionally
counted (in Sanskrit) in a rhythmic
fashion to invoke a sense of flow and
concentration as we breathe and
move in a unified manner.
FRIDAY MAY 6: 11.00-13.30
DYNAMIC TRANSITIONS
Learn the dynamics of flight. In this
class experience helpful techniques
accessing the sometimes daunting
part of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system,
the jump-back and jump-through.
Time will be taken to break down the
parts and give useful tools to build
inner strength and allow vinyasas
to naturally become fluid and
graceful. Open to all who enjoy a little
challenge and fun experimentation!
FRIDAY MAY 6: 14.30- 17.00
VINYASA INTEGRATION
In this workshop special attention will
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SATURDAY MAY 7: 11.00-13.30

ARM BALANCE WITH POWER AND
GRACE
Experience the exhilaration of arm
balances in a playful and explorative
way, while learning the basic elements
and foundational techniques to
successfully construct an arm balance
practice. Proper alignment, strength
building as well as energizing the
subtle body will be addressed.
SATURDAY MAY 7: 14.30-17.00
BACKBENDING WITH EASE:
LIBERATE THE SPINE
The paradox of backbending is that
we must be firm and soft at the same
time, uniting the energy of strength
and surrender. Learn the basic
components of backbending with
integrity to the natural flow of the
body. In addition, learn to understand
the concept of active release. When
actively releasing, we experience
the use of grounding mechanisms
to establish the downward flow of
energy while fully utilizing the breath
to then be able to expand and deepen.
For all levels.
COST: AED 175 for Thursdays
Master Class, AED 350 per weekend
session, AED 1350 for all 5 workshops.
Location: Zoga Yoga Contact: Bookings
can be made by email info@zoga.ae
MAY 6: LOVE YOUR BELLY WITH

ANDREA BALAZS
This is a Pilates based abdominal
muscle recovery and strengthening
program that will give you all you
need to know about the abdominal
structure, function and how to
improve the muscles. The most
effective abdominal strengthening
exercises, which then you can
practice at home day by day. How to
work your ab muscles all the time.
How you can optimize your lifestyle
and eating habits without actually
dieting: basic nutritional tips that
you can implement right away for a
healthier more energetic you
(Youll also receive a 72-page pdf
for home practice) Time: 2.00pm5.00pm Location: Zen Yoga,
Emirates Hills Studio Cost: AED
350. Contact: call 044224643 or email
zenyogadubai@gmail.com or go to www.
yoga.ae to register.
MAY 7: BABY 101
This is a popular parent-craft
class that will help prepare you
emotionally and physically for
the arrival of your newborn baby.
Taught by a Doula and Childbirth
educator you will learn everything
you need to know about post
birth procedures and learn about
your options for post birth care.
Time: 9.00am-12.00pm Location:
Bodytree Studio, Abu Dhabi Cost:
AED 350 per couple. Contact: call 02
443448 or email info@bodytreestudio.
com or go to www.bodytreestudio.com
MAY 8-10: ADVANCED COURSE IN
PRANAYAMA & MEDITATION
Everyone hopes to enjoy a long,
active and useful life, free from
disease and immune to the
damaging effects of nervous stress
and tensions. In this light yoga has

something unique to offer and
therefore it is most important that
everyone knows and practices
certain pranayamas and asanas
on a daily basis. Time: 7.00pm
-9.00pm Location: 136.1 Yoga
Studio Cost: Full workshop AED
300 (3 days) / Drop-in AED 150
Contact: call 044416287 or email
dubaimarina@136point1.com
MAY 9: FREE HOLOTROPIC
BREATHWORK PRESENTATION
Join us to learn more about
an incredibly powerful way of
accessing expanded states of
consciousness and resolving
trauma. Time: 7.00pm-8.30pm
Location: Umm Suqeim Cost: Free
Contact: vanessajarnold@hotmail.com
MAY 10-14: QIGONG WITH ANIA
Qigong, (also spelled Chi Kung),
is a powerful multiple level
system of healing and energy
work. It is the art and science
of using energy, breathing
techniques, gentle movements,
and meditations with visualization
to cultivate, activate, and work
with your life energy Qi (Chi).
Qigong practice leads to better
health and vitality and a more
tranquil state of mind. At the very

root, it promotes self-healing,
restoring the body to its balanced
original healthy form, shedding
stress, pollution, and diseases. It
is a spiritual practice free from
any religious beliefs or ideology,
thats why it is suitable for anyone,
no matter which religion or
cultural background you are. Time:
10.00am -12.00pm Location: 136.1
Yoga Studio Cost: Full workshop
AED 800(5 days) / Drop-in AED
200. Contact: call 044416287 or email
MAY 13: HOLOTROPIC
BREATHWORK WORKSHOP
Access expanded states of
consciousness and resolve
unfinished business using your
breath. Time: 9.00am-7.30pm
Location: Umm Suqeim Cost: AED
1400 (early bird AED 1200) Contact:
vanessajarnold@hotmail.com
MAY 13-14: THE SIMPSON
PROTOCOL - ADVANCED
HYPNOSIS TRAINING WITH INES
SIMPSON
The new paradigm in hypnosis,
communicating Interactively with
the Superconscious Mind whilst in
the Esdaile State. Time: 9am-5pm
Location: Holiday Inn, Knowledge

Village Cost: AED 4,400 early bird
fee AED 4,000 if payment before
May 7. Contact: call 043902217 or email
info@changeassociates.ae
MAY 13: TOA BASED
FUNDEMENTAL HATHA POSES
WITH JACQUI SADEK
Join Jacquie Sadek for this
workshop during which she will
teach fundamental Hatha poses
that are Tao based.We will be
exploring Hatha poses the Tao
way. We will be doing familiar
poses differently to release
restore explore energetic blocks.
Umm Suqeim Cost: AED 250.
Contact: call 02 443448 or email info@
bodytreestudio.com or go to www.
bodytreestudio.com
MAY 14: BABY SIGNING
WORKSHOP
Baby signing is using simple signs and
gestures with pre-verbal children,
helping them to understand and to
communicate before they can talk.
Time: 9.00AM-11.00AM Location:
AED 120 per couple. Contact: call 02
443448 or email info@bodytreestudio.com
or go to www.bodytreestudio.com
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diary dates
MAY 14: TACKLE YOUR

TENSION, YOGA TUNE UP
THERAPY BALL WORKSHOP
WITH EMILIE MIKULLA
Whether you are stuck at a desk,
behind the wheel, or running
around all day with a toddler on
your hip, life can really take a
toll on our bodies and tissues!
In this 2-hour workshop you will
learn easy techniques to roll out
tension from the sole of your foot
to the crown of your head using
Yoga Tune Up therapy balls.
Time: 2.00pm-4.00pm Location:
Zen Yoga, Emirates Hills Studio
Cost: AED 200. Contact: call
044224643 or email zenyogadubai@
gmail.com or go to www.yoga.ae to
register.
MAY 20: BABY LED WEANING

WORKSHOP
Introducing solid food to your
baby for the first time can be both
exciting and a time of anxiety, its
one of babies first big steps. Join
us and find out how to create a
happy and healthy eater. Discover
the right time to start your baby on
solid food, what food to introduce
and when, how to balance meal
times and breast or bottle feeding.
Meal schedules and recipes will
be covered and much more.
Time: 9.30am-10.30am Location:
AED 75 per person or AED 120 per
couple. Contact: call 02 443448 or
email info@bodytreestudio.com or go to
www.bodytreestudio.com
MAY 14: PRE-NATAL

WORKSHOP (WITH
HYPNOBIRTHING TECHNIQUES)
FOR EXPECTING MUMS & DADS
WITH CLAIRE BUTLER AND NIC
BAMBURY
This pre-natal Yoga workshop
will be a fun and interactive
opportunity for expecting Mums
and their partners to practice
postures and breath work
together: Dads you dont need
to wait until your baby has been
born to bond and connect with
your child - at this workshop,
you can learn how to gently
support your partner whilst she
enjoys giving her body a stretch
... Dads will also be carrying out
some of the asana .... and no
doubt discovering their own tight
hamstrings and tense quads!
Mums to be this could be the
opportunity youve been waiting
for to encourage your partners to
try Yoga. Time: 2.00pm-4.00pm
Location: Zen Yoga, Dubai Media
City Studio Cost: AED 250 per
couple. Contact: call 04 3670435 or
email zenyogadubai@gmail.com or go
to www.yoga.ae.
MAY 27 AND 28: HYPNOBIRTHING

WORKSHOP
Soundly based on anatomy,
physiology and psychology;
hypnobirthing teaches you and
your birthing partner all the vital
skills required to ensure that you
have the best birthing experience
possible. You will learn to release
the fear and tension surrounding
birth. Visualisation techniques to
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keep you positive and deeply relaxed

throughout birth. Time: 9.00am5.00pm Location: Bodytree Studio,
Abu Dhabi Cost: AED 1,750 per
couple. Contact: call 02 443448 or email
info@bodytreestudio.com or go to www.
bodytreestudio.com
MAY 27: BODYTREE BODY (BTB)
MIXED BOOTCAMP
Keep up the good work form your
New Years resolutions, and join
us for our monthly couples high
intensity workout to see who is the
strongest of them all! he Bodytree
Body Bootcamp combines low and
high intensity intervals with deep
toning and sculpting segments. We
will use props such as arm and ankle
weights and bands to challenge
you and increase your fitness
levels. Challenge yourself and your
husband or friend in this fun and
dynamic class.
AED 210 including Nectar juice
for two people, AED 125 including
Nectar juice for one person.
Contact: call 02 443448 or email info@
bodytreestudio.com or go to www.
bodytreestudio.com
MAX STROM IN DUBAI

MAY 26: HOW TO TEACH YOGA TO
BEGINNERS
Seminar for Yoga teachers and
teachers in training (beginners
welcome too) Time: 2.00pm-5.00pm
Location: Zen Yoga, Emirates Hills.
Cost: 400 AED
RELEASING STRESS THROUGH
POSTURES AND BREATHING
Gentle movement-based seminar
all levels In this workshop we
will begin with a talk by Max, then
move into a gentle breath-initiated
movement sequence. In the second
half of the workshop will focus on
floor postures and breath-work
to release the mind and body
from long-held stress that impede
our happiness and our ability to
sleep well. Time: 6.00pm-8.00pm
Location: Zen Yoga, Emirates Hills
Cost: AED 250 per session or AED
950 for all 5.
MAY 27: FROM CHAOS TO
HARMONY MAX STROMS
RENEWAL WORKSHOP
The intent of breath-work and
postures is not only to increase
our flexibility and strength but also
to promote health, vitality, and
emotional clarity. Time: 12.00pm2.00pm Location: Zen Yoga, Media
session or AED 950 for all 5.
CRISIS IS THE AXIS OF
TRANSFORMATION
This workshop deals directly with
the modern epidemic of stress in
industrial societies across the world.
Time: 3.00pm-5.00pm Location: Zen
Yoga, Media City Cost: AED 250 per
MAY 28: THE ALCHEMY OF
TRANSFORMATION
This vinyasa-flow class for teachers
includes a special sequence of
postures known to create a profound

sense of stillness. Time: 12.00pm2.00pm Location: Zen Yoga, Media
THE INTERNAL TECHNOLOGY OF
HAPPINESS, 3PM-5PM LECTURE
AND WRITING
This seminar offers an inspiring and
insightful talk by Max based on the
ideas of his new book, There is No
App for Happiness, followed by a
concise course in essential internal
technologies for transformation.
Time: 3.00pm-5.00pm Location:
Zen Yoga, Media City Cost: AED 250
per session or AED 950 for all 5.
Advanced Booking Required
Contact: zenyogadubai@gmail.com,
043670435, www.yoga.ae
MAY 27 :UNDERSTANDING
PATHANJALI YOGA SUTRAS
As interpreted by Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar( founder of Art of Living
Foundation). An interactive
session enunciating Pathanjali
Yoga Sutras and its practical
applications in day-to-day life.
Time: 11am to 1pm (ongoing 4th
Friday of every month ) Location:
Yoga Ashram Cost: AED 150 each
session Contact: call 04 5520048
or 04 3609028 or email info@
yogaashram.com
MAY 29-31: BEGINNERS
PRANAYAMA & MEDITATION
COURSE
Come join us in the 3 days journey
of self exploration through some
unique Pranayama & meditation
practices.Together we will dive
deep and discover some rare
pearls within. Time: 7.00pm to
9.00pm Location: 136.1 Yoga
StudioCost: Full workshop AED
300(3 days) / Drop-in: AED 150
Contact: call 044416287 oer email
TEACHER TRAINING: JUNE 8
AUGUST 1: 200HR VINYASA
YOGA TEACHER TRAINING WITH
ERICA BLITZ
For those who want to teach,
this complete 200hour, level 1
yoga teacher training in Dubai
accredited by Yoga Alliance
International, will mark the
beginning of a successful career
path as a Vinyasa yoga teacher.
For those who wish to advance
in their own practice and deepen
their understanding of Yoga,
this training will equip you with
an opportunity for a deeper and
fascinating exploration blending
both Eastern and Western
philosophies. Time: 8.00am5.00pm Location: 121 Fitness Club,
Barsha, Dubai Cost: AED 14,500.
Contact: email yogalatesdxb@gmail.com
or go to www.yogalatesblissindubai.com
MAY-JUNE 2016
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YOGA & INSPIRED LIVING

ADD SOME ECO LOVE

THE COUNCIL STATEMENT ON FUKUSHIMA

September 2013 South Dakota

e are part of Creation, thus, if we break the

That day is here.

laws of Creation we destroy ourselves.

Not heeding warnings from both Nature

We, the Original Caretakers of Mother

and the People of the Earth keeps us on the

Earth, have no choice but to follow and

path of self destruction. This self destructive

uphold the Original Instructions, which

path has led to the Fukushima nuclear crisis,

sustains the continuity of Life.

Gulf oil spill, tar sands devastation, pipeline

We recognise our umbilical connection to

failures, impacts of carbon dioxide emissions

Mother Earth and understand that she is the

and the destruction of ground water through

source of life, not a resource to be exploited.

hydraulic fracking, just to name a few.

We speak on behalf of all Creation today, to

In addition, these activities and development

communicate an urgent message that man has

continue to cause the deterioration

gone too far, placing us in the state of survival.

and destruction of sacred places and

We warned that one day you would not be

sacred waters that are vital for Life.

able to control what you have created.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse

The magic of being alone

It is in deep solitude that the soul shines

20 De-clutter your friends

Clearing out people from our life is good

26 Paving the way forward

Hailing from Saudi Arabia, fitness trainer

30 Pose sequence: Restorative asanas

The spiritual path presents the possibilities

38 How yoga shaped the pregnancy of

Post pregnancy exercise

Some common myths and mistakes related to

42 Spirit of the Warrior

50 Recipes: Goodness of Earth

All natural, all healthy, all delicious foods

55 Vitamins & Minerals: Where to find

60 Focus on Eye Movement

Desensitisation and Reprocessing

64 The many benefits of Clinical

How to build a healthy gut for overall

Questions to ask if you have

Ways to heal yourself from within

75 The wonders of clay

78 Yoga on the shores of the

84 Add some eco-love to your life

92 Lets get real about climate

Aum Media Publishers LLC

YogaLife cares about the environment.

A note from the editor

lobal surface temperature is a

Make your life more eco friendly

Danica Al Kharfan is a RYT500