Navasana - Boat Pose

Boat Pose also known as Navasana is a core (abdominal) strengthening powerhouse pose in yoga. The first class back of 2010 at Bamboomoves we slowly progressed to boat pose, and the room echoed with the sound of a fart. So while the class is breathing and focusing on the core, there was a little exhale from the "other end" of the human body from one of my students. I knew the girl who let nature fly with the wind was mortified, so I had to laugh it off, make a little joke and say "it happens to all of us". Many people are intimidated by the thought of this happening in a Yoga class, and the reality is many of the poses release the toxins in our body, speed up our metabolism and inevitably awaken our intestines. I actually thanked her at the end of the class because now that intimidation has been broken, as the moment provided me with the opportunity to explain to the class how this was very normal. Since the moment was during Boat Pose, I can't help but say that every good boat needs a little gas.

To do pose pose:

1. Begin in a seated position with the legs straight in front
2. Slowly lift the legs to 45 degrees
3. Keep the spine nice and long, allowing the body to take a natural "V" shape
4. Balance on the sits bones and breathe the chest towards the thighs
5. Extend the hands out to either side of the legs

Beginners can bend the knees so the calves are parallel to the floor.

Holiday Yogi

I am so thankful for 2009! Last year provided amazing growth in my Yoga practice, amazing yoga experiences both in private and group settings, wonderful music gig /studio/writing opportunities, met some really great people, and I learned a lot. Last year, after tireless work with a film, completing a feature length score and sound editing, I was faced with an unfortunate predicament. Despite the challenges that can face budding artists, the silver lining was an amazing learning experience, which inspired a chance to dive deep into my yoga practice, and the approaching Christmas Holiday. To lift my spirits I decided to dress up like Santa and do some Yoga. My friend thought it would be funny to share. While this video could have been posted at Christmas time 2009, who says it can't be Christmas all year round? Regardless of what we celebrate, lets embrace a positive shift to healthy living in this New Year. A healthy mind, body and spirit can help us through all the challenges that we face. Hope everyone had a lovely Holiday Season (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and any other festivities of the Season), and embraces a healthy fitness routine and healthy eating habits for this amazing new year. It was so great to be home in Canada with the family, eat a lot of yummy food, and hear other Canadians end phrases with eh! Enjoy 2010!
~Peace & hugs Ambria

Raw Soul Yummies!

As I have been educating myself more and more in the area of nutrition, food etc, I have come across many books about Raw Food. After meeting with a client, I was drawn to a lovely restaurant in Washington Heights called Raw Soul. This restaurant offers an amazing array of Vegan Raw Foods that will amaze your palate. I met a lovely young lady in their named Dawn, and she shared how she is a Raw Food Vegan for years as well as a Bikram Yogi. Meeting a strong woman with a vibrant spirit like Dawn, who is truly dedicated to her health was so inspirational. She was kind enough to snap a photo, while I was eating the most delicious Squash Cabbage soup, capturing my pleasantly surprised expression. The mouth watering soup was followed by a spouted crust personal pizza which was also crazy delicious. Every cell in your body feels good after eating this food. After realizing that the food tastes so wonderful, I decided to take the Strawberry Shortcake to go...WOW WOW WOW!!! The desert was practically sinful, it was so delicious that it was hard to believe it was healthy! Raw Soul has a wonderful menu, an array of juices, offers catering, and on-going classes which I hope to take in the new year to further learn about this yummy approach to healthy eating. Thanks Dawn for the lovely conversation, it was a pleasure to have met you! ~ Peace & hugs, Ambria

P.S if you are someone you know want to go to a delicious healthy restaurant, check out Raw Soul, you will wind up going back for more...it's that Yummy! It's at 348 West 145th Street.

OM for the Holidays

As the year is wrapping up, we are enjoying the festive Holiday season. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and whatever may be the celebration of choice, we all are enjoying the lovely lights, wreaths on doors, snowmen, etc. Early before my Yoga classes at Bamboomoves, I decided to draw a picture for the kids to color during meditation. The picture is a wreath (the letter "O") and two people in downward dog (the letter "m"), with a caption "for the Holidays" underneath.....so basically it is OM for the Holidays. The kids enjoyed my illustration, and did an amazing job of coloring it. Happy Holidays!!! May the holiday season bring you joy ~ peace & hugs, Ambria

Yoga for Kids with Aspergers

Aspergers Syndrome is an autistic spectrum disorder. Often times kids have difficulty with social interaction, and can be a little clumsy with body mechanics. Emotional empathy is hardly displayed. As I love to work with Kids with Special Needs of any kind, I jumped on board when asked to sub a special needs Yogi Beans class. There were four vibrant young girls in the class. All were on various levels of the spectrum, and enthusiastic to do Yoga. We did sun salutations, balance, action songs, and a dog tunnel where one girl had her moving toy hamster crawl through our tunnel. Throughout the practice all the girls support each by cheering each other on. They each made up a Yoga pose and taught it to their friends. The most touching point of class was when we came to a close, and all 4 girls dedicated their yoga practice to something they hold dear to their hearts (family, friends, school etc). One of the young ladies dedicated her practice to all the teachers, specialists, and especially Yoga teachers who have helped her come far and join into mainstream activities. At the end she told me she loved the class, and that my class helped her to relax and find the calmness that she needed for a good night. Her eloquence and sincerity were so touching. Yoga helps kids with confidence, motor skills, social skills and so much more. I am so thankful that I had the experience to work with this lovely group of brilliant young girls.

Yogini Kitchen: Compassionate Apple Crumble

With all this talk of having more compassion for animals and better awareness of the food industry, I am willing to acknowledge that healthy eating can seem more costly at times, but the long term health gains are worth it! Along with that, many people have asked about taste. Once you ween yourself, and your tastes buds off the chemical laced food that we in America have become used to, you will enjoy the benefits, tastes and energy packed goodness of healthier options. As for tastes, I have tried this recipe, it's yummy, easy and great for your health. To satisfy a sweet tooth try an Apple Crisp:

APPLE CRISP

Serves 4 to 6

• 5 or 6 apples
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• cinnamon to taste
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Chop the apples and place them in a lightly oiled 8- × 8-inch baking pan. Cover the chopped apples with the maple syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon.

In a bowl, mix the flour and oatmeal. Then add the applesauce and brown sugar. Mix until the flour is just moistened.

Spread the oatmeal mixture onto the apples. (Don’t worry if all of the chopped apples aren’t covered.) Bake for 30 to 35 minutes and serve warm.

Recipe from: www.cok.net

Feel free to substitute agave nectar or stevia for the brown sugar

Quote of the Day - Mahatama Gandhi

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated"

~Mahatma Gandhi