Stacey Carol

  Have you noticed that I say "Nasmaste" at the close of most of my Yoga classes? If so, do you say it too?  Many students just parrot Namaste back as a matter of course, without knowing what it means.  I know I used to way back when I worked up the courage to actually mumble Namaste in response to a teacher.  That was, incidentally, a long time before I was confident enough to chant OM/AUM at any audible level. Whether you say Namaste at the close of your yoga class is up to you, but I thought I'd give a brief overview of what it means to me, and why I say it. As with a lot of things, you can find multiple meanings for the Sanskrit word Namaste.  At its simplest, it is a greeting, to say hello.  The word is made up of two Sanskrit words, with "Namaha" meaning "greetings" and "te" meaning "to you".   Hence why Namaste is used by Indians multiple times a day. In the ancient Vedic texts the word "Namaha" is said to mean ...

Have you updated your Fire Plan lately?  If not, now is the time to do so, with what is set to be a dry Summer approaching.  On 25th July I was glad to attend a bushfire ready workshop.  Johns River Hall hosted the event on behalf of our local Community Preparedness Network, which involves Johns River, Moorland and Hannam Vale communities. The importance of knowing what you plan to do if a Bushfire should come your way cannot be stressed enough.  Would you stay, would you go - and if so, when?  This is life and death stuff, so there's no messing around. In 2019 those of us touched by the local fires still have clear memories of how dangerous they are.  One of our friends, Daintry, from Johns River, is quick to point out that although she took steps to prepare, and planned to leave early, sometimes things happen all too quickly; and she is sure that "without the RFS ……. we would not have our home today'.             ...

  Cucumber Raita  This is the best side dish to go with a spicy winter meal, like curry, or anything savoury really.  I’ve even been known to just eat it on its own.   I first came across this delicious side dish in England, many moons ago, while gobbling up a spicy Indian curry.  As a yoghurt fan I love it, especially now that I’m making my own organic yoghurt.   This Raita recipe is just the basic option, with only three ingredients.  You can get a bit fancy and add garlic and fresh coriander too if you like.    Ingredients 2 cups Plain organic yoghurt  1 medium Diced cucumber (long whites work best, due to thin skins) Salt (Pink Himalayan) to taste   Method 1. Scoop the yoghurt into a small glass dish, add the cucumber and salt and stir well.  2. If you’re using a fresh batch of yoghurt it should keep in the fridge, with an airtight lid, for a week. ...

My number one rule in class, and the easiest to follow, is that breathing is not optional. I don’t mean that you have to follow any specific breathing techniques offered, I just mean that you need to breathe to avoid keeling over.  ​ In moments of anxiety this vital function often gets interrupted and we shallow breathe or hold our breath, which can exacerbate the situation.  A good friend recently had an eye operation.  When he mentioned he would be fully awake during the procedure he had a nervous look, and seemed to catch his breath.  So I spoke about this simple breathing technique I used to help get over my fear of needles.  Using your fingers and thumb as a focus helps to redirect attention from other things, like having blood taken, a CT scan, dental work, or needles and scalpels coming towards your eye.   Basic Rules for Five-Count Finger Breathing: Breathe in for five counts, with a focus on your thumb, then fingers in t...