Insiya’s Ayurvedic Chai

chai: photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/uteart

Contrary to popular belief, an oh-too-sweet chai latte at Starbucks is really not the same as a cup of home-brewed “masala” chai, which is what I grew up drinking in India.  At tea-time, my mother’s kitchen in Bombay simmered with a brew of warming spices like cardamom, cinnamon and pepper that made milk taste like nectar.

Today, I find chai to be a tasty, balancing brew that’s perfect for a cold winter day – and best of all, it is really not that hard to make.  But just like all things in life that are worthwhile, it requires focus, presence and a little bit of time – oh yeah, and the anticipation of deliciousness!

Here’s my favourite Ayurvedic Chai Recipe (as seen on Urban Rush on December 6, 2010)

Whole Cardamom Pods – 6 to 7
Whole Black Peppercorns – 4 to 5
Cinnamon – ½ “ stick
Cloves – 2 or 3
Fennel – few seeds
Star Anise – optional 1 pod
Fresh Ginger – ¼ “ grated or thinly slicked
2 – 3 cups water
Organic milk – 2 cups or Organic Almond Milk if you’re vegan or milk intolerant
Tea – Robust English Breakfast or Assam Tea –  4 tsp
Roiboos tea is a nice option if you prefer to drink a de-caf version of chai, and Green Tea works well too for a milder taste.

To make:

Crush the spices in a mortar and pestle.  Add spices to ginger and water and bring to a boil.  Upon boiling, let simmer for 10 minutes at least ten minutes.  Add milk, let simmer for five minutes more.  Finally add tea-leaves, bring to a rolling boil.  Strain and serve.  You can add pure maple syrup, raw, organic sugar or a bit of agave nectar to sweeten.  The sweetness helps bring out the flavor of the spices.

Serve in small tea cups with a garnish of a pinch of freshly ground cardamom or cinnamon powder.

Notes:

For spices, I prefer using organic, non-irradiated spices: Whole Foods / Capers or any organic grocery store should have them.  I also love shopping at the South China Seas Trading Company on Granville Island.

For tea, try the perfect blends at The Urban Tea Merchant, now with a new downtown location.

And if you’re just itching for some home-made chai that you didn’t slave over yourself, my favourite chai in the city is still at East is East with locations in Kitsilano and on South Main.  However, here, I recommend tasting a sample first, as the chai varies each day.

Do you have a favourite chai recipe?  Please feel free to post it here!

namaste.

The Vinyasa of Goal Setting

Perhaps it is the long dark days here in Northwest BC that have been getting to me, or perhaps it is simply that that this time of the year is one of darkness, contemplation and introspection.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the passing of time and our rituals to mark the passing of time and even though this calendar we follow is purely arbitrary, and really a new year could be any day of these 365 days that mark our circumnavigation of the sun, there is something powerful about a collective people celebrating this start of something new.

To me, the year’s end and new beginnings are an embodiment of the vinyasa we speak of in yoga, the shedding of the past and renewal of what is to come.  It is an exciting, creative time, once you can really come to peace with the letting go of the literal and metaphorical old.  Out of the dust of the ashes come new possibility, but you have to go through your process.

It is also a time to think of think of our cyclical cellular regeneration.  Think about the incredible regenerative capacity of our human body.  Did you know that we breakdown and replace over 24 billion cells a day? Or that every component of every cell in our body is replaced totally within a nine-month cycle?  We’re literally bodies in a state of flux – of dynamic evolution.

It’s not easy, yet if you open yourself to it, and begin to believe how vast our capacity is to remake ourselves, create new habit patterns, embrace new ideas and more positive thought / behavioral patterns, you’re almost halfway there.  It sounds new-agey I know, but seriously, if our cells regenerate themselves continuously, don’t you think we’re capable of mentally and emotionally creating shifts?  We’re all capable of evolution, we’ve been doing it for centuries.

Writing our goals down is the first step.  A simple way to tackle them is to divide them into three categories. Personal, Health and Professional.

• Find a clean sheet of paper and list at least two goals under each category.
• Know that when you write them down, you are creating tangible connections to these ideas, in fact they metamorphose from ideas into reality.
• Keep your goals flexible, yet you must have a date to be accountable to them.
• Keep them S.M.A.R.T.:  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant (or realistic), Time-Bound.  Yes, it’s good to reach for the stars, but be realistic.
• And use them, fold that piece of paper and tuck it into your purse, wallet, wherever you are able to read them and refer to your goals often.

One of mine is to get even a mini- yoga practice in each day, so here I go.

Namaste.    Light + lightness for the new year.

5 Super Natural Ways to Strengthen Your Immunity and get a jump start on the New Year.

Yes I hear you, the holiday season does come only once a year and with it delicious and rich food, friends, family and wine.   If you’re feeling a little post-indulgent today, don’t worry, know that you’re not alone, help is on its way.  And it does not require switching from indulgence to asceticism overnight, something our society so loves doing.

Here’s an alternative.  Boost your nutrition plan over the next few weeks by introducing key, nutritional powerhouses a.k.a. super-natural whole foods, so that you can effectively balance your body and mind especially in light of the excess of this season.  It is all about balance.  In fact, isn’t everything?

I looked to a good friend, a highly qualified and positive, Whole Foods Nutritionist Judy Chambers for her key tips to strengthen our immunity using super-natural foods, so we can ease into the new year feeling rested, rejuvenated and excited to meet January in our optimal power.  No starvation necessary.

Here’s what Judy recommends:

1. Consume Probiotic-rich Fermented Foods

plain probiotic rich yoghurt

The best way to boost immunity is to introduce naturally fermented foods into your diet. The probiotics (beneficial bacteria) found in these foods are far more effective than any supplement.

Examples of Probiotic Power Foods:

• Unpasteurized sauerkraut
• Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
• Naturally preserved fruits or chutney
• Live culture plain whole yogurt (Jerseyland or Saugeen brand)
• Cultured beverages such as coconut kefir or kombucha

2. Pay Attention to Your Vitamin D

Vitamin D influences immunity and is best taken in a supplement form in conjunction with food sources such as organic butter, eggs & wild fish.  Adequate intake of vitamin D has been strongly associated with proper immune function and better outcomes in studies.

Prevention Strategy: - 1 tsp. of filtered/wild fish oil such as Antarctic Krill Oil - 2,000-5,000 IU Vitamin D3 per day during the winter season

3. Eat a Healthy Whole Foods Diet and Avoid Sugar

A bounty of fresh local greens even during the west-coast winter

Super natural immunity begins with the bounty of nature (whole or unprocessed). First choice should always be what’s fresh, local and seasonal. Word to the wise… remember to limit the white stuff as well, 1 tsp. of refined white sugar has been shown to suppress your immune system for up to 5 hours!

Foundational Foods Checklist:

• Fresh Leafy Greens & Colorful Veggies
• Local Fruits & Berries
• Whole Grains (non-gluten)
• Naturally-raised Protein-rich Foods (plant/animal)
• Unrefined Fats & Oils
• Natural Seasonings

4. Get Plenty of Sleep and Reduce Stress

or go surfing with a posse of friends

A good night’s sleep strengthens your adrenals. Strong adrenals are essential for creating the energy to run your body on each day, managing stress and support balanced immune function.

Keys to Balance:

• Eat like your ancestors
• Get outside & move it
• Connect to community & have fun!

5. Support Your Body’s Natural Detoxification Systems

lemon and water

There are many benefits to cleansing toxins or pathogens naturally. If you feel like your system is rundown or blocked perhaps its time to refresh.

Flu Fighting Foods:

• Boiled water with lemon slices
• Green foods (leafy greens & seaweeds)
• Wild berries (elderberry)
• Fresh ginger, turmeric & rosemary

Another few suggestions, keep your choices as local and organic as possible and eat seasonally, as a wise farmer once told me, eating from the land is the best way to boost your immunity.

To learn more about Judy and to sign up for her Super Natural Immunity Class on Feb. 3, 2010, visit www.dynamicbynature.com

More resources on Whole Foods Nutrition:

www.integrativenutrition.com

www.belandorganicfoods.com

www.wildfermentation.com

www.csnn.ca

Namaste!

Yogue.

seasonal bliss to you

I am back in the Pacific Northwest, where the ocean wears a dusky blue-grey cast and today the sun though low to the horizon is shining that ethereal golden light, the light that cinematographers cherish.  I feel so blessed and grateful to have some quiet time these holidays and I hope to spend much of the next week writing, journaling and reading.  This morning, while reading the Upanishads I was reminded again of that source of everything, the Brahman, the persona-less, personality-ness, animating force in the universe that gives rise to what eventually gives rise to the animating spirit…  In this Northern Ocean-abutting world, that force is present.  Here in the pair of eagles I see circling up high, the sparrow that seeks food on our deck, the plants that survive this arctic wind and frost and still bear buds, everywhere life is fresh and persistent and keenly alive.

Whether you are celebrating this holiday season with family or friends or in solitude, I hope you have some time to breathe deep and feel the peace that makes this time so special, even in times of chaos, war and strife.

On that note, here is a video sent by a friend that I found sweet and powerful.

Enjoy this time of slowing down and savoring time with loved ones.

namaste.

Keep the holidaze at bay with some healthful eats

As we know, the holi”daze” are coming up and food and the sharing of food takes on a central role in so many of our lives.

From Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson

I was looking for inspiration and yesterday, while browsing through the cookbooks at Finlandia pharmacy in Vancouver yesterday, I found a lusciously photographed cookbook by a writer / chef/ blogger and photographer Heidi Swanson called Super Natural Cooking, which in turn, led me to her fantastic website 101 Cookbooks.

Part journal, part whole-foods nutrition bible, and all delicious, the recipes she posts are seasonal, natural and healthy, perfect for the holidays.

Ginger Chip Cookies from 101 Cookbooks

Check out at www.101cookbooks.com

These ginger chip cookies are looking pretty yummy.

Do post your comments if you try some of the recipes.

Thanks for reading!

Yogue.

Yogue Design Profiles: Deux fm

Can we change the world through our clothing?  Yogue chats with Anna Gilkerson of deux fm.

Lhasa, by Deux FM

Originally from small town Nova Scotia, Anna Gilkerson left the rural landscape of her youth to study fashion at FIT in New York City and at Polimoda in Italy.  This lovely lady is on a mission to create beautiful, wearable clothing and contribute to her local Nova Scotian economy.  She brings with her not only passion for the sustainable lifestyle but also experience – she was previously a designer at eco-favourite, Matt + Nat and founded Deux FM in 2006.

The line, which is pronounced deux femmes – implies two women or the dual woman.  In Gikerson’s words, “Deux fm is for the woman who broadcasts both fashion and ethics.”  For Fall 2009, Gilkerson continues to hones her trademark clean-lined, yet feminine styles at affordable prices.

Adding another notch in her eco-fashion belt, Gilkerson will be participating in Eco Chic Geneva in in January 2010, a conference in conjunction with the United Nations Trade Development to promote and educate the world about the sustainable clothing industry, as well as the GreenShows in NYC on Feb.17th, 2010.

Here are some excerpts from our chat.  Scroll below to see some of our favourites from Deux FM’s 2009 fall/winter collection.

————————————————————————————————-

Y. Have you always wanted to design?  And was it always clothing?
A.G. I was always into art and design. I studied art in New York before I went to F.I.T. I took painting, sketching and sculpting- all before I decided to get serious about fashion design.  As a kid I loved to make costumes and fashion drawings but I was never overly serious about it. It was one of my joys, simple as that.

Now I can’t believe I am so lucky I get to do what have loved since I was a child and I get to be involved in an important industrial movement that is doing good for the world.

Y. How has growing up in Nova Scotia influenced you and your philosophy with respect to design?
A.G. Nova Scotia is a very eco minded place. Our provincial recycling system is stellar and we are also very community oriented and locally focused here.  It is a very natural place and it’s quiet, the air smells good here.

Y.  What was your experience in NYC like and Florence?
A.G. The experiences were amazing! Coming from a small town and taking up digs in NYC was an intense adventure. I learned a great deal about hard work and dedication in New York and a lot about living life from the Italians. The Italians have such natural style and I love their attitude to life. I rode a bicycle there and took the subway in NYC. Both very green methods of transport whereas in NS we drive a lot because it is the country and there is nothing here. That is what I do miss about the city, the energy and the passion and the eco transportation! Montreal was huge for me as well, I worked in the fashion industry there and I learned so much about collection development and production. Having my own business has taught me how to run a business, so there has been lots of trial and errors. I am content with the path I have taken thus far.

Y. Do you think we can change the world through our clothing?
A.G. I think that the green fashion industry is one facet of a global scale movement. It is equally important as all the others but I think it takes more than just clothing.
Fashion can help because it speaks to a young generation. There are so many brands now that provide green fashion equal to or better than the non-green.
It is hard to tell the difference these days and this is what helps change.

Y. What inspires you?
A.G. True style, not following trends, honesty, humor, luxurious comfort, beautiful colors and imperfect textures, whole fashion eras and tiny details.

Y. What else are you passionate about?
A.G. My family, music, travel, food, books, movies, the ocean.

Y. Where can we find deux fm (on the west coast)?
A.G. Nowhere as of yet! Alberta and online are the closest you will find. I am hoping to secure some west coast retailers but the competition is crazy over there. BC is a mecca for organic clothing + lifestyle.

Y. Can you speak about any initiatives you are involved in to promote eco fashion in Canada?
A.G. For Fall 2010 we will be launching our new organic-intimates collection that is produced locally by an established century old underwear manufacturer. Recently we provided work to local sewers by making bikinis out of reclaimed fabric ends and we have also worked with a women’s knitting co-op in Peru. We also have begun to provide internships to students and graduates that want to learn more about local and eco fashion business opportunities. We continually donate to charities such as the David Suzuki Foundation and Clean Nova Scotia.

Y. What can we look forward to for your new collection.
A.G. Our Spring 2010 capsule collection is inspired by the old world of wooden sailboats. In coastal Nova Scotia, despite job loss due to factory displacement and over-fishing, there remains a thriving boatbuilding community. The deep blues of the North Atlantic play against the washed out sky and the soft antique whites and taupe of deck, rope and sail. Loosely tailored menswear combine with feminine silhouettes to create a look that is both function and fashion. Fabrics include hemp, soy, lyocell and organic cotton jersey blends, bamboo denim, OEKO-TEK certified organic cotton shirting, linen jersey manufactured in Canada and GOTS certified organic cotton denim from India.

*We also have a capsule summer collection also coming out at a later delivery. New swimwear styles, gorgeous dresses and soft summery sweaters in bold jungle hues.

To learn more about the line and to find a list of retailers who carry deux fm, please visit www.deuxfm.com.
Online, you can find deux fm at www.beklina.com and www.greenisblack.com

Freya Dress

An eco-ensemble

Eliza Dress

Lois Coat

Bienvenue Decembre

Lhasa, by Deux FM

Dear reader(s),

Can you believe it is December already?

Thank you for all the comments and insights, please keep them coming as it is so nice to know that someone is out there reading this blog.

Just want to let you know that I’ve been moving around way too much since the past two weeks, without consistent connection to the internet, except via my iphone and have been remiss at updating this blog…

But I’m happy to note, that I am back home, after a whirlwind tour of teaching yoga with my partner Eoin Finn, in Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal and able to sip some tea by the Pacific, and write!

Also… super excited to announce that we are getting back to Yogue’s roots in seeking out the best within the marriage of style, sustainability and substance.  This week brings the first of our Design Profiles, where we chat with original, inspired designers who are forging new paths in the ethical style realm.

Hint, she’s from the other (east) coast of Canada.

Stay tuned.

Namaste,

Insiya @ YOGUE

Some navel gazing @ Yogue

Yogue: winter inspirations…

I have been thinking a lot recently about why I first started this blog.  My mission was to talk about things that inspire me that are related to sustainable design and the yoga lifestyle.  Much has been written about the fact that Yoga is trend that is now beyond a trend.  Apparently more than 30 million people practice yoga in the US alone and there are over 70,000 yoga teachers in North America and counting.

I suppose that would also explain why yoga is now used to sell everything from hair products to cars, and that yoga instructors throughout the world are being treated as lifestyle gurus… or maybe that’s the Madonna factor. 

In any case… with all this Yogue navel gazing, I realized that really the issue that is at the heart of this blog is one that I consider vital to the effect of Yoga on my life, that delicate dance between the practice of Yoga, which ultimately is a practice of becoming aware of the materialism of life (and eventually renouncing it) and my love of beautiful and lovingly crafted things. 

What that has yielded for me via Yogue is a search for products, services and more that are long-lasting, sustainably made and can potentially positively impact the world somehow through our connection to them.  They give us pleasure yes, but with the awareness that ultimately it is all just stuff, allowing us the awareness of moderating the desire realm.

How do you grapple with these questions?  I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

What’s in a Yoga Mat?

I recently wrote a guide to the best eco-yoga mats for Granville Magazine’s The Goods Blog...  Thought you might find it interesting.

Namaste.

eco yoga mat by halfmoon yoga props

If finding your style of yoga class and/or teacher from the hundreds displaying their offerings in Vancouver wasn’t overwhelming enough, try finding the ideal yoga mat.

What? You thought yoga was supposed to be this peaceful, bliss-inducing activity? Well, take a breath, a slow, deep one, maybe even a couple.

With this guide, I’ll try to demystify what exactly to look for in something that has become an essential part of a yoga practice: the sticky yoga mat.

Read more: http://www.granvilleonline.ca/gr/blogs/goods/2009/10/29/what039s-yoga-mat#ixzz0WRCL4ZbZ

tropical dreaming

watched the o’neill cold water classic in tofino today, and wow is it beautiful here. still, definitely dreaming to be surfing in warm water soon. here are some photos from a bali trip last year that i love. (last photo is by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/irfanr/)

namaste,

yogue.