Recipes by Sarah Gardner: Granola

Granola

 This nutrient and good-stuff-packed granola is great to have for breakfast or as a snack any time of day. I like to eat mine for breakfast with some plain Greek yogurt and honey, or as with almond milk in place of cereal.This recipe is extremely versatile as almost anything can be swapped out. The nuts, seeds, and dried fruits are what I just happened to pick up when creating my granola but you can change out any of them for something else, leave it out completely or change quantities. Other than the oats and bonding agents (oil, honey, and egg) this recipe is completely open to your own interpretation. Even the oil you use can be changed. Sometimes I use olive oil, sometimes I use coconut; any oil works! The possibilities are endless! Make sure that any unused wheat germ is stored in the refrigerator as it will quickly go rancid if left at room temperature.

Ingredients:

3 Cups Rolled Oats (not quick cook) 1 Cup Shredded Coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) ¼ Cup Chopped Cashews ¼ Cup Chopped Pistachios 2 tbsp Sunflower Seeds 1 tbsp Chia Seeds ½ tbsp Wheat Germ ½ tbsp Ground Flax Seed ¼ Cup Greek Yogurt Baking Chips ¼ Cup Dried Strawberries (finely chopped) ¼ Cup Dried Gogi Berries ¼ Cup Dried Kiwi (chopped) 1 Egg (slightly beaten with a fork) ½ Cup of Your Favourite Oil ½ Cup Honey 2 tsp Cinnamon

Directions

1. Mix oats, coconut, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, wheat germ, and flax seed in a large boil.
2. Combine egg, oil, cinnamon, and honey and pour over oat mixture.
3. Stir so that the oil mixture coats everything evenly and then spread out in an even layer on a baking pan.
4. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until granola is golden brown and appears dry. Make sure you stir the granola every 7 – 10 minutes so that it cooks evenly and nothing burns.
5. Once the granola is done, remove it from the oven and let cool. Once it is cooled you can add your dried fruit and baking chips (don’t put the dried fruit in the oven, it will burn!!).

Store in an airtight container.

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A Few Nutritional Notes:

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Chia Seeds:

• Packed with fibre and therefore good for your digestive health.
• Full of omega-3s, calcium, manganese (good for your bones), phosphorus (for your bones and teeth), lots of protein, and antioxidants.
• Keeps blood sugar balanced and therefore you energy levels strong and steady.

Wheat Germ:

• Meant to nourish new plants as they are growing (it’s actually the embryo of the plant) so it’s full of nutrients.
• Full of b-vitamins which are important for brain chemistry and cardiovascular health.
• Lots of fibre and phystosterols which are good for your blood sugar levels and digestive health.
• Vitamin E which is good for your body’s cells, your brain, and preventing plaque build up in arteries.
• Lots of omega-3s and minerals your body needs to run properly.

Flax Seed:

• Ground flax seed is much easier for your body to digest than the whole seed which can pass through your digestive system in tact which means you won’t reap any of the benefits from the seed.
• Lots of omega-3s – the “good” fats that are good for your heart.
• Tons of antioxidants.
• Lots of fibre.
• The omega-3s and antioxidants have been linked to protecting against breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

Brandon Jacobs: Yogalife’s First Teacher Training

As you all know from our announcement last week our first ever Teacher Training led by Yogalife's very own instructors will be commencing next summer, on June 30, 2014. We are extremely excited, and humbled to be guiding some of our studentship along a pathway that we know will be nothing short of epic.

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"Ultimately [becoming a teacher]  is about reaching your pure potential so you can guide others." - Brandon Jacobs

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Brandon Jacobs shares with us his experience searching for a yoga training, and gives advice to individuals considering doing a teacher training for the first time. Brandon's experience as a physical trainer and his background as a physical education instructor, as well as a massage therapist provides him a vast amount of knowledge in the areas of anatomy and alignment, which is why we felt he'd be perfect to lead that portion of our training.

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"Teacher training is all about you connecting with yourself so that you can connect with people." - Brandon Jacobs

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Check out our video below, where Brandon discusses his role, as well as his journey through yoga teacher training. Though we'd love for you to be a part of Yogalife's first training, as Brandon mentions, we want for you to find the teacher training that is best suited to you, which can provide you the opportunity to truly be yourself.

Brandon Jacobs Talks about Yogalife's Teacher Training for 2014 from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.

To register for our teacher training or to find out more information, please visit our website here.

Lindsey Introduces Yogalife's First Teacher Training

Yogalife has been around now, for a little more than 3 years. In that time our studentship has grown and evolved, creating a community of committed practitioners of all levels. From the very beginning, one of our goals was to host a teacher training led by our own instructors, and now it has finally happened. On June 30, 2014, our first ever Yogalife Teacher Training will begin, facilitated by the amazing instructors, Lindsey Park (see bio here) as well as Brandon Jacobs leading the anatomy portion (see bio here) and Brittany Rudyck leading the philosophy portion (see bio here).

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Watching our studentship grow and become amazing yogis, it almost seemed like a really natural evolution to have our own teacher training

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With the growing number of students, all wishing to deepen their practice, or share their knowledge, a teacher training was the natural progression to follow. Our program is a full month long, 200 hours, completing on July 30, 2014 and is fully recognized by the Yoga Alliance.

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The school is called Uttara Vidya, which means "higher learning". 

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Check out our video, with our primary facilitator, Lindsey Park, chatting about the upcoming program, and her team of accomplished instructors:

Lindsey Park Talks about Yogalife's Teacher Training for 2014 from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.

To register for our teacher training or to find out more information, please visit our website here.

Learn to Fly: Sara Cueva's Love of Inversions

If you know Sara Cueva, you know that she loves being upside down, or balancing on her hands. This love of inversions has been there ever since the beginning of her yoga journey and has developed with her dedication, continuous practice, and attendance at workshops with master instructors. Sara's love and experience has culminated into a workshop that she'd like to share with you (yes you!) on Saturday, September 7 and Yogalife Studios North!

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"I think that I love arm balances so much because, not only are they challenging physically, but they also challenge our fears" -Sara Cueva

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For Sara, teaching arm balances is more than just making students stronger physically. It's about generating the willpower to conquer our fears. Being upside down isn't a comfortable state of being for most people, as we live our lives upright. Being able to go upside down (even if you fall out) is a testament to a person's will to overcome their fears and to venture outside their comfort zone.

Check out our latest video of Sara demoing some of her favourite arm balances, while also talking about why she loves them so much!

To register for Sara's upcoming workshop please click here.  Where: Yogalife North When: Saturday September 7, from 1PM-4PM

Cost: $35 Open to all levels! 

Melissa Talks About Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga is a lineage of Vinyasa Yoga developed by Pattabhi Jois and is a methodology to cleanse our body of impurities. Through the use of Tristana, we hope to cleanse 3 areas of our body.

1. Asana - the physical postures to clean our body.

2. Pranayama - breathwork to clean the energy channels in the body.

3. Drishtana - the idea of focus, used to cleanse the brain and nervous system.

Ashtanga yoga follows the lunar cycle; as our bodies are composed of 70% water, and the moon governs the tide, by practicing according to the lunar cycle, Ashtanga hopes to reset the body to a more natural state before we implemented artificial lighting in our society.

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"The point behind Ashtanga, is that if you practice every day, your practice will eventually change." - Melissa Perret

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Ashtanga yoga is accessible to everyone, but be aware it is challenging! It's a humbling experience, as the postures initially seem impossible, but with time, patience, and the ability to let go of the exterior, the postures will find themselves into your practice, and your ego will begin to dissipate. For Melissa's registered yoga class, beginners are welcome, but we ask that all participants come already comfortable with the basic postures of a vinyasa - upward facing dog, downward facing dog, chaturanga etc. We do not recommend attending this registered class if you have no yoga background at all.

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 "You will immediately see that you have to let go of your ego, as you initially face some very challenging postures, and take a more inward focus to your practice - a moving meditation." -Melissa Perret 

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Ashtanga Melissa from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.

The Yoga Code - With Jackie Dumaine

What is The Yoga Code™?  An incredible and thorough description is below.

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Yoga is so much more than looking good in a pair of black stretchy pants!

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The 10 Sacred Principles of The Yoga Code™ are based on the ancient wisdom found in The Yoga Sutras an ancient yogic text written approximately 2000 years ago by the Indian sage Patanjali. They have absolutely nothing to do with the physical postures.

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REPEAT:  They have absolutely nothing to do with the physical postures.

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In our body-obsessed Western world, we seem to simply focus on the postures, neglecting the true transformative powers of the yoga tradition. The 10 Sacred Principles are known as The Yamas & Niyamas in yoga philosophy and serve as the absolute foundation for the practice of living a yogic lifestyle.

Pantajali believed that before you even step foot on a yoga mat, these principles should by studied, practiced and applied into your daily life. Each principle is not independent of one another but rather weave together to form a beautiful tapestry.

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“Even as education in the primary school level is important, since it paves the way for one’s further mental build, the Yamas and Niyamas are the rock-bottom of Yoga.

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The tonic of Yamas & Niyamas will provide the power and courage needed to face all obstacles. The Yama-Niyama process constitutes the instructions in yoga psychology, which should give us sufficient warning on the path and make us vigilant pilgrims on the spiritual journey. ~ Sri Swami Krishnananda. What are the 10 Sacred Principles?  Here is a brief overview for you in both traditional Sanskrit language and translated into the Western meaning.

1. Ahimsa

Kindness and Compassion

Non-Harming towards all living things. In thoughts, in actions, in words.  This must first begin with ourselves in the form of self-love. Practice loving kindess towards yourself first and the energy of those around you becomes more gentle and kind.

2. Satya

Truthfulness

Living in integrity. Speaking your truth and living an authentic life without trying to be something or someone that isn't in alignment with your values.  Not lying to yourself or others.  Acknowledging that truth is not rigid, it flows and changes just as you do.

3. Asteya

Non-Stealing

Taking only what is yours. In a world addicted to consuming, we often take more than what we require which takes away from others who lack basic needs.  It also can lead to a negative effect on our environment.  Not stealing opportunities from yourself or others by not living up to your full potential.

4. Brahmacharya

Non-Excess or Moderation

Embracing life’s pleasures without reckless abandon.  Seeing the Divine in everything.  It allows you to indulge in the pleasures of life but having the awareness to know when you've had "enough".  By seeing the Divine in everything we can appreciate what we have and will experience unlimited abundance.

5. Aparigraha

Non-attachment, Non-Greed

Letting go of the need to control thoughts, people, situations and outcomes.  When you let go of things/people/circumstances that hold you down, you create space for lightness and unlimited opportunity.   In this non-attachment, you are also asked to not define  yourself by your possessions. If you attach your identity to your "stuff" who will you be if your "stuff" goes away?

6. Saucha

Purity and Simplicity

In all things: Body, Mind, Spirit & Surroundings.  Simplify the way you nourish your body, the way you consume information, the roles and responsibilities you take on,  the way you live your life.  Declutter your home and create a sacred space.   Become friends with silence and stillness to purify the mind and spirit.

7. Santosha

Contentment

Find true joy and happiness with where you are regardless of the external circumstance or challenge. Become fully accountable (and thus empowered) for where you are in your life.   Practice gratitude for what you have and embrace each moment exactly the way it is.  Stop wishing things were different than what they are.

8. Tapas

Burning Commitment, Self-Discipline

The determination to go on when faced with obstacles and challenges and welcoming the struggles that lead to growth and expansion.  Understand that the mind likes to give up before our spirit does.  Follow through with responsibilities and keep the commitments  and agreements you've made to yourself and to others.

9. Svadhyaya

Self-Study

Observe  your actions, your ego and continuously seek out opportunities to learn about your Self.  Live in a state of awareness to notice and question all of your decisions and behaviours (both positive and negative).  Read spiritual texts to continuously learn and grow while you develop the skill of self-inquiry and self-reflection.

10. Ishvara Pranidhana

Surrender

Acknowledge that there is a Divine force at work and have faith that it will lead you on the right path. Learn to live in the “Flow” of life rather than fight against the current. Surrender isn't about giving up or quitting, it's about the powerful freedom that comes with knowing we are all part of a bigger plan.

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To learn more about The Yoga Code™ you can visit Jackie's page here

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