by Swami Adi Parashaktiananda | Apr 28, 2017 | Proper Diet
Tabbouleh is a wonderfully versatile dish that can be served as a fresh salad, side dish or appetizer served with hummus and pita bread or crackers.
1 cup bulgur wheat
½ cup boiling water
2 cups finely chopped parsley
2 cups finely chopped mint
Juice of 1 lemon
⅔ cup olive oil
Sea salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 peeled, finely chopped cucumber)
Lettuce leaves, to serve and lemon wedges, to garnish
Place the bulgur wheat in a large mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Cover tightly and let sit for 30-40 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are light and fluffy. Mix in the remaining ingredients, except for the lettuce leaves and lemon wedges. Serve Tabbouleh on lettuce leaves with lemon wedges for garnish.
by Swami Adi Parashaktiananda | Mar 28, 2017 | Proper Diet
A cool eggplant dish with a smoky exotic flavor, baba ganoush can be served as a appetizer with warm pita bread, or as a vegetable side with falafel, tabbouleh or your favorite grain dish.
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons of tahini
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika
2-3 sprigs of mint or parsley, coarsely chopped
Heat the oven to 375°F. Prick the eggplant, place in a baking dish, and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the flesh is very soft. Cool, then peel the eggplant. Mash the flesh, and let sit in a strainer for a few minutes to drain off excessive juice. Beat the tahini, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir in the eggplant puree, mixing thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with chopped herbs.
by Swami Adi Parashaktiananda | Mar 20, 2017 | Yoga Health Education
Yoga of Recovery (YoR) integrates the wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda with modern recovery tools, including the principles of 12-step programs. It is open to all who are looking to overcome self-destructive or addictive tendencies. This powerful combination is proving to be “the evolution of the solution”—offering individuals a truly empowering personal program of recovery.
So what does Ayurveda add to this program? YoR offers a unique perspective and presentation of Ayurveda. The topics selected from this vast system of knowledge are chosen to make Ayurveda instantly relatable, accessible, and current for people in recovery, to help shift their life trajectory. Ayurveda offers general advice for all of us; YoR presents this information in a way that allows the person to draw out what will help them most at their particular point of the recovery path—which is a lifetime journey.
Ayurveda is a humanistic and person-centered medicine. Addiction is a “significant social plague” that takes many forms in our modern-day society. It is bio-pscyhosocial-emotional-cultural-economic-political, etc. It is a disease of spirit, mind, and body and for that we need an understanding of ourselves at each of these levels and also an understanding of the disease at each aspect of our being so we can live the solution.
In my experience, in early recovery I often struggled with my emotional reactions and lack of energy. I also lacked a sufficient sense of self, so I constantly compared myself with others around me. The 12 Steps talk about our habit of comparing your insides to others’ outsides—I understood that and it helped a lot but I just did not understand my own system very well—it was in need of repair. I always felt I was “lacking in something,” that I could just not commit or sustain as well as others so I could not be as energetic or happy as they seemed to be. I resonated with the idea of constitution immediately, and could easily relate to the apparent differences I saw in both the physical structures and mindsets of the friends around me. It very quickly allowed me to release self-judgment and come to self-acceptance. It resolved many of my “shoulds”—I should be less angry, I should be more energetic, I should be more successful, etc. Also, it helped me release judgment around others—they should be more considerate, they should not start things and not finish them, they should be less dramatic, etc. I also saw how my compatibility with others was sometimes drawn from their constitutional proclivities balancing out my own, and how my difficulty with some personalities were a clash of those tendencies.
“Like increases like” is the basis of Ayurvedic medicine. I felt this at the level of relationships, especially in rooms filled with people suffering from the “character defects” that underlie all addictions—the one that is most ubiquitous being our tendency toward codependency—our ability to see in the other what is wrong but not be able to see or deal with it in ourselves.
We offer help to those who want to come off the pharmaceuticals they have been prescribed but find they are now dependent on them. The program is also open to anyone who wants to learn lifestyle and stress management skills. It has also been recognized as a key component from people recovering from cancer. The program is an integration of the philosophy of yoga and the physical yoga practices—hatha yoga, yoga nidra, restorative yoga, and pranayama. We also utilize the psychology of yoga and Ayurveda, using the model of the gunas: sattva, rajas, and tamas. We talk about the roots of the addictive behaviors: the main causative factor is the ego, the idea of having disconnection from spirit, disconnection from the life force, trouble in relationships and seeking sensual stimulation externally, constantly chasing the highs then feeling depleted by that process.
All of this helps people to manage their own wellness and long-term emotional sobriety. It is “Ayurveda applied”—taught using the language of recovery, making Ayurveda instantly accessible. 12 Steps and physical yoga practice are widely available. YoR teaches how to embody recovery—Between the mat and the meeting.
by Swami Adi Parashaktiananda | Feb 28, 2017 | Proper Diet
Baked Butternut Squash Recipe
Butternut squashes creamy rich flavor enlivens any meal on a crisp day. Rich in vitamin A, squash is also known to sooth acidic stomachs and help counteract the effects of impure foods. Serves 4-6.
1 butternut squash (or 2 acorn squash)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large apples, peeled and cut into small chunks
Heat oven to 350°F. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and stringy flesh. Mix the remaining ingredients, and spoon the mixture into the squash halves. Place in a roasting pan and cover. Bake for about 45 minutes, remove the cover and bake for 10 minutes longer to brown the top. Enjoy hot.
by Swami Adi Parashaktiananda | Feb 28, 2017 | Proper Diet
Nutty Parsnip Soup Recipe
As warm and comforting as it is delicious, this recipe was devised by a guest chef from Australia. The peanut butter adds body to the soothing, apple like sweetness of the parsnips. Serves 4-6.
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
1 tablespoons fresh thyme or cilantro leaves
1-1/2 quarts water
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter (sunbutter, almond butter,..)
salt or tamari to taste
squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
Nuts and herbs for garnish (optional)
Place the vegetables in a large pan with herbs and water. Bring to a boil, half cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Cool slightly then transferring to a food processor or blender. Add the peanut butter and blend until smooth. Return the puree to the pan. Season to taste with salt or tamari, and a little lemon juice, if desired. Reheat without boiling, garnish with nuts and herbs,and serve hot.
