Diwali- a reflection on Light

Maybe it is about time to post something again after 6 months of complete silence... : ) Well, I needed to take a time out to reflect on my life and to stay quiet. Sometimes there are changes in life that are so sudden and so strong that our whole life and especially our perception of life changes within a minute and you just know that there is no way to go back. Other times, the changes come gradually, as from behind and slowly push you into a new direction. 

In whatever way, package or form the change comes in, one thing is for sure and that is actually that life is constantly changing, no? Is there anything that ever stays the same in the external world? Internally, we can find something maybe, of a more constant nature, but as our awareness and receptivity expands even that perception will change, no? So what is it, that we really can hold on to? 

If we peel of the layers of our body, the layers of our mind, feelings, thoughts, memories, experiences,  what is actually left? What is that source behind the body, mind, feelings, ego, thoughts etc? Why do we cover that source so intensely with making ourselves busy and preoccupied thinking of other things, almost as if running away from that question? 

Yesterday, was the last day of Diwali. The celebration of Light and the Goddess Lakshmi in India. It is celebrating the Light that shines even in the darkest times. The light reflected within our hearts. What is that light within our hearts, that shines so strongly underneath all our layers and can make us so radiant when we come in contact with it? What is the light in your life? What makes your heart shine? 

Take a look at this wonderful reflection of sunlight. The sun is at the bottom and it is reflecting itself in so many ways. Imagine our own beautiful and positive potential when we come in contact with the depth of our heart and the light that we do reflect! The sun in this photo is almost like a radiant Heartchakra reflecting up to the Crownchakra , spreading all over the sky. Or the other way round, the universal light goes from the top through a channel down to the core, the Heart!

No matter if we believe in or maybe feel uncomfortable with chakra-talk and divine light  etc, I think we can all agree on that light is reflected when it hits an other object. I am convinced that if we take this opportunity in life to polish and make our own hearts shine like the most beautiful, radiant star it will surely be reflected in others and if will bring about so much healing to the people around us and to this planet. As all the big philosophers say; to change the world you have to begin with yourself.

Happy Diwali,

Celebrating the Feminine principle

I'm sorry for not posting anything for ages. It has been a time full of changes and happenings so I chose to stay quiet for some time  : )

However, last saturday I got the chance to share a night full of Bhakti with many other devoted people. The music went on the whole night and we sang Bhajans, Mantram and Kirtan one after the other.

It was the last day of the Navaratri, an Indian festivity that goes on for nine days to celebrate and honor the Divine Mother, the Shakti or Feminine principle in the Universe. Hence, most of the bhajans and mantras were dedicated to Radha, Lakshmi, Durga etc.

Wish you all a wonderful beginning of the spring, at least if you are on the northern part of this globe... : )

With Love

Winter's delight

Clear blue sky. An other day with people traveling to known and unknown destinations.

 The sun sets behind the horizon, gives rest to the northern hemisphere. Giving light and inspiration to all beings in the south.

 A beautiful deer, exploring the forest. Maybe looking for a place to sleep.

A winter's night with Kundalini yoga

I know that I promised to write about Pratyahara, but last week I attended a wonderful evening at a  Kundalini yoga centre here in Stockholm.  I just had to write something about that first!

The centre is situated on a small island. We could actually see ships passing by outside the window. Yes, even though it is winter in Sweden... : )

Surya Kriya

The class was working on invoking Surya, the Sun. Bringing light and creating heat in our practice- because it is winter, and we all could need a litte Light in our body and mind.

Heating and Cooling

All the asanas (physical yoga postures) we perform either have a heating or cooling function. We can also change the quality of an asana that normally would be heating by combining it with a cooling breath. That way it would become cooling. It is the same if we have a toning and cooling practice we can increase the heat by using a warming breath.

The pattern of an Asana practice

The usual pattern is that we first bring up the heat, to cleanse our body and mind, to reduce waste, change water and energize ourselves. Then we can finnish the practice with a more cooling and toning approach- to internalize the increased Prana and to build up and nourish the tissues and to create a stable and relaxed mind. Getting ready for meditation!

Of course there are certain practices that are more heating or cooling in their nature.
Therefor we should try to understand the effects of our Yoga practice and know what we can do to balance it, if needed!

Living in a place that is really cold in the winters combined with studying Ayurveda, makes me more aware of the heating and cooling aspects of food, yoga practice, life-style etc. It is more important than you might think!

Live music in Shavasana

We ended the heating Kundalini practice with some soothing music and Shavasana. We were blessed with a teacher who could truly sing.  The teacher played the guitar and sang the most beautiful mantras.

We were all were laying down and could just drift away, along with the sounds of the guitar and the teacher's voice. Once again I was reminded of the incredible power of music!

Sometimes it is easy to forget that it is all just about vibrations. We send them out, they are out there, and we receive vibrations. Harmonius music is a great gateway to open up the heart and mind.

Wish you all a happy weekend with lots of music and sunshine!

Grounding with Yin Yoga

Silence

Many times, simply sharing a space in quietness has a tremendous healing power. I am sure that silence and quietness is needed more than ever in this time that we are living in, especially if you stay in the city far away from natural sounds like the sound of water, wind and fire. 

When the mind is up in the sky : )

Recently I've been busy and I've been feeling ungrounded. Too much Vata-energy and I can feel that it is strongly connected to the life-style of being in a city. So to deal with this inner turbulence of mine I knew that Yin yoga would be the best antidote.

Yin Yoga

I found a Yoga studio in Stockholm that offered 1hr 45 minutes of precious, heartful and graceful Yin yoga. Thank you! Can you imagine something more nourishing than Yin yoga when you feel this way?

The practice totally saved me! Instead of doing it at home, I am so happy to have taken the time to go there and squeeze in my mat between the 30 other Yoginis and Yogis. Together we could breathe, rest, open our deep tissues and stay quiet. Observing the currents of Prana and the movements within. Yin yoga is a great way to start practicing Pratyahara.

Pratyahara

Pratyahara, the 5th limb of Ashtanga(8 limbs) yoga, needs more explanation so next time I will talk about that!  I will talk about what we choose to stimulate our senses with and what exactly does the ordinary definition of Pratyahara mean? Withdrawal of the senses... ?

To be continued...

Hari Om to you all!

Love and Light

Join our Sugarfree month!

No sugar, please

Two days ago, I started on an other sugarfree month together with my brother and his girlfriend. I have done it before and I know that it is better for my body this way. 

So why don't you join us and try to cut out all the white sugar and sweets, candy, chocolates, sodas, jams and see what happens?

Practicing Tapas

Say no to sugar is a perfect way to practice Tapas. Tapas as in yoga and not as the spanish food : )

Tapas is a great way to develop inner strength, radiance and willpower! When we perform some kind of tapas, we are giving up something in order to reclaim the power of ourselves and not be slaves under impulses from the senses.

Let's give this as a sacrifice to the deep fire within our heart. This way we begin to burn old Samskaras, habitual negative patterns that bind us to the law of Karma.

Experimenting...

I like these kind of personal experiments. They always teach me something about myself and it makes me look upon my actions, thoughts and emotions- sometimes with a totally new angle but sometimes it just gives me more confidence of something I already knew.

What do you have to loose?

Come on, just give it a try! Cut out the sugar for some time and let your bloodsugar-level take a rest.  Nobody will punish you if you can't make it, so really, you don't have anything to loose! And remember, completing one day is always better that no day!

Good luck!

Lots of Love and Namaste to you all.

Morning yoga

Last night I decided that it's about time to get some routine again after Christmas and New Year!

Just doing my own yoga practice combined with catching a slow winter's cold made me not take a class in something that feels like for ages.  So with all the outward directed energy around Christmas and New Year, it is now time to breathe, feel, observe, smile and move again!

Therefor I will start this monday morning, this week and this day-after-fullmoon with taking a Hatha yoga class in Stockholm.

How will you start your day?

Hari Om and Namaste!

Happy New Year to all sacred beings

It is the 1st of January and the first day of 2012. The past year has been a year full of unexpected and sometimes turbulent happenings for me on a personal level but also very much on a worldly level. Hopefully I and the rest of us have absorbed the lessons from our past experiences and that we now can enter an era with more harmony and peace.  Let's do our best to create harmony and diminish suffering in this world, this year as well!

Yesterday I went to a hill in the forest behind my house. It was the first day that it was actually pretty cold and we had frost on the ground. From the hill I could witness the most beautiful sunset!

It was great to spend that last day of 2011 in the nature with the sun setting behind the forest. It made me remember and feel with my heart that no matter what is happening during a year, the sun always rises and always sets. There is something so calming and grounding in truly feeling that.

Whatever happens, the Nature has its rhythms, giving us earth and support to our, at many times, spaced out societies and ways of living!

Blessings and a very Happy new year to all sacred beings living on this earth together!

Catching the wave

Some days are just magical and Life is playing vividly within you. It feels like catching a big wave, finding the exact balance and then just ride along, trusting the ocean to be supportive and to bring you to your perfect place. Those days are like tuning in to a certain frequency and feeling the equilibrium within that current. 

Those are the days when the heart and mind is open and anything is possible. Interesting meetings occur and at the end of the day you'll go to bed with a big smile knowing and feeling with every cell in your body and every space in your heart, the (in)visable connection between all meetings and happenings in Life. 

The year when it all changed

Last year, by this time, I was still in Japan. It was autumn, just like now here in Sweden. It was the harvest season and naturally there was a strong focus on food! Well, in Japan food is always important! I remember I enjoyed making natural sweets out of steamed Sweet potatoes adding some coconutmilk and chopped walnuts.  They look pretty yummy no?

The photos below used to make me happy but now when I look at them I get very mixed feelings. The pictures are taken a year ago from a local farmer's market in Nasu, situated in north Tochigi prefecture just beneath Fukushima prefecture. 

Recently I saw news that a couple of months ago, beef from Tochigi was banned due to high contamination levels. That means, beef from four prefectures now have been banned. So how about the rice, vegetables, fruit and water? Are they safe? How about all the innocent children eating this every day?

Looking back at last year's bountyful autumn makes me happy for the past. That we could live a life taking so many things, especially food for granted.  It makes me feel how rich yet innocent we were. Not knowing what was going to come. Not knowing how fragile life actually is and how one happening can change everything. 

Even if it sometimes feels like we can't do much to change the situation from the other side of the world, we can take a look at how we live. What kind of energy-sources are we supporting and what do we want to support? Are we ready to give up some comfort to create a more sustainable future? What kind of world do we want to create? What kind of world and lifestyle can we with confidence show and teach our children? 

While contemplating that, sending our love and healing to the people, to the nature and to this world that are suffering is a strong support more  than doing nothing at all. This is a great way to develop compassion. 

I pray for healing. I also pray for the correct information to be revealed in order for people to be able to make active choices. 

I pray for the children to have a bright future with a healthy nature to play in.

In the mood for autumn

The past few weeks have been filled with small projects. I have been doing everything and nothing at the same time! You could say that there has been a focus on being in the nature, reflecting upon nature, picking edible mushrooms in the forest, cooking and making crispy bread, making a sourdoughbase  and then sourdough breads, making wild yeast, spending time with friends, family and meeting new people. On top of that the usual stuff like practicing yoga, studying Ayurveda and working. You could say it has been a typical autumn so far. The only thing I miss, is sitting by the fire, waiting for the なべ (japanese stew/soup) to get ready. In my heart I share those moments with my japanese family and  friends. I miss you all and send you lots of love.

Nature's camouflage!

Saturday night

How will you spend this Saturday night in the beginning of October? I am being fortunate to celebrate this evening by joining a pranayama, bija-mantra and kirtan workshop! I am really happy about this and I am looking forward to meet these teachers (new to me) and to reconnect with my yogi-friends out there. Lately when I am joining a workshop I am always meeting someone I already know. We are all drawn to the same energy-boosting events. And yes not to forget, Stockholm is a very small place after all!

The teachers of today's happening are Todd Tesen and Michael Stewart.よろしくおねがいします！(yoroshiku onegaishimasu- there are too many translations for this expression, but I am sure some of you will understand! ) Have a lovely evening! Namaste.

Autumn is here

The leaves have turned slightly yellow. Some of them are even orange or red! The other day it was rainy and the temperature was about 10°C. This means it is already autumn, no? It feels so early though.

In Japan, the autumn comes gradually, step by step, in a gentle way to prepare us. In Sweden it comes more abruptly. All of a sudden it is dark and cold and we find ourselves using a jacket, wrapped in a scarf and wearing boots saying  "Hey, what happened to the summer?".

Momiji-tree near my village in Japan, last year.

There is something calming about this season though. It makes me relaxed and gives me inspiration to learn something new and at the same time it gives me power to deepen my interests.

If you have a tendency to run out of energy during this time of the year, it can be truly life-saving to have small projects to focus on. In my case that would be my yogapractice, which is actually not just a small project but a Life-long focus : ), and my ayurvedic studies. Well, that is a practice to keep up for a life-time as well, but anyway you know what I mean!

The autumn gives time and space to naturally withdraw a little. Withdraw from all that outgoing summerish energy, being so externally focused, blooming and fiery. This time coming now is more slow and introspective. I believe we need some of that as well.

Feeling so much love and appreciation for the nature and for the earth also gives me a slightly different experience of the weather and it's seasons. That makes it easier to accept the dark and the cold (at least now I can say that when it is just in the very beginning of that looooong period without any Light!). We'll see in a couple of months! In the meanwhile, I will do my best to welcome this time that gives space for more quietness, creativity and stability.

Dinner at Lao Wai

The other day I finally got the chance to pay a visit at the Lao Wai restaurant in central Stockholm. Since I have heard that it is always crowded I made sure to make a reservation. Entering this small restaurant with a typical east-asian setting, minimalistic and clean, made me travel to Japan in a second. How about being in the present? : )

Anyway, the friendly staff welcomed us and brought us the menu. Wow! So much wonderful food to choose from! Finally!

Being a vegetarian in Stockholm is usually extremely boring when it comes to going out for food. The usual choices that you have are curries or soups, some roasted vegetables, sallad or vegetarian lasagna or pasta. I mean in the long run, how stimulating is that? I definitely prefer cooking the food myself rather than going out.

But that was until the other day.

Lao wai definitely won my heart!

http://laowai.se

It was just like the place I am dreaming of in here. Only using fresh vegetables, fresh spicies, lots of Soy-meat and tofu. All vegan. All gluten free. And the best of all NO MSG!!!!! 

The taste was real authentic chinese and taiwanese taste and I just couldn't stop eating! This is the place where a non-vegetarian person wouldn't even notice that the food is all vegan! That is an excellent grade for a Vegetarian Restaurant. After spending more than five years in Asia, eating asian food is what I call "real" food. It is tasty, healthy, makes you full, looks beautiful and has an idea behind.  Lao wai showed a perfect example of that.

We stayed for more than two hours and absorbed the asian atmosphere.  After a delicious dinner, we stepped out in the rain, full, satisfied and smiling. Suddenly we were back in Stockholm again...

The restaurant Lao wai has existed for 18 years now. Same place. Same owner. I hope to see that place continue to bloom for a loooooong time in future! Big thanks to the friendly staff for such great food!

Xie xie.

September moon with the yogateacher Ganesh Mohan

I just realized that more than two weeks have passed since I last posted something! Five days ago was another Fullmoon. Oh, time really flies! In Japan they say that the most beautiful moon in a year is the september moon. It is is called "chu-shu no meigetsu". It is said to be in the middle of the autumn and it is the harvest time of the year so it is an important moon.

Some part of me really wanted to celebrate this special moon from my sacred place in the japanese mountains but instead I was in Sweden joining a wonderful Yogaworkshop for the great teacher Ganesh Mohan. Of course, I don't regret that at all.

Most of the lectures were based on discussions and philosophy covering some parts of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It made me  feel certain of that we need to have a core in the practice- something to hold on to. We need be clear about why we are practicing yoga. Sometimes yogaclasses in the west can be really "fluffy and flowery" without any  real direction or just far away from the source.  There is nothing wrong with that, it might still benefit many people,  but for me I need to stay in touch with the basic concept of Yoga and stay to the teachings that are firmly rooted and have been supported and paved out by the people that have walked the path before me.

Three days filled with yogaphilosophy and therapeutic yoga leaves me with more confidence to what is true to me. I am so happy for having received this chance. Namaste.

New Moon-welcome once again

Today is the day of a new beginning. It is the dark moon or new moon of august 2011. Even though the time of the new moon can make me feel physically heavy, as oppose to Full moon when my energy is all over the place and I experience this extreme sense of Lightness,  I like the new moon in the way that it is a new beginning. 

Every month we are naturally given this chance to set out a new beginning within ourselves. Of course we can change our mind, life-intention and begin something anytime, but having this regular rhythm makes it feel more supported. More grounded. It is a reminder to clear and reset the mind. Just by sitting down and taking a couple of minutes to focus on the coming month we can with very small actions honor the rhythms of  Nature and with awareness create a difference in our life. Lets welcome the new moon and this coming month!

Silence by the beach

Yesterday I had some time off. It was a wonderful day with plenty of sunshine and it felt like a day in the middle of the summer! I took my bicycle and went on a small excursion. 

This is where I ended up! I must say it was truly magical. After spending more than five years high up in the mountains it was so refreshing being by the sea, listening to sound of the waves and feeling the breeze. From rock solid Earth-element to fluid   changeable Water-element.

After all, yoga and ayurveda is about finding ways to harmonize and balance the five elements within oneself. Once we have done that we can  begin to experience  the reality beyond the elements. Something which is not dependent on that constantly changing nature of our material world. 

To be able to do so we also have to harmonize with our external environment and with the surrounding elements. We have to realize that we are all co-dependent. What happens on our inside can be a reflection of what happens outside of our body. What happens outside of our physical appearance can be a reflection of what happens on our inside. This way the border between our in- and -outside becomes very vague and begins to fade... 

Being all alone on this wonderful beach made me feel like I lost my "I" for a moment and became one with the nature. It was so peaceful that I lost sense of time and space! Spending time in nature is definitely the greatest healer of all.

Namaste, to you all beautiful Beings!

Roses

When it is rainy and you just can't get yourself out of the house, it can be really nice to cheer up oneself by taking a look at old photos.

I found these wonderful flowers in a park a week or two ago. Aren't they lovely? Just looking at them makes me smile and feel energized! You can almost sense the sweet scent...

Yoga by the Sea

I found this wonderful jetty by the sea. Suddenly it was as if it was calling me; Please come and do Yoga here! I can provide the best space for you! 

What could I do? Yoga of course!

Walking out on the wind- and -weathered jetty with the water clear as crystal, I must say it was very tempting to take a swim! Instead I followed the previous call and dived into my Yoga practice. 

I didn't feel like following any particular system but instead just listen to my inner voice. It all ended up in a blend of Surya Namaskar, Yin-poses, standing asanas- in general it was just a long meditation... 

I love Yoga-improvisation!

Take your practice to a Natural place!

Bring your Heart into your practice...

Do your practice from the Heart!

Bunge Museum- turning back the clock 400 years

Yesterday I decided that I wanted to do something cultural.

The sudden urge to reconnect with the past gave me one easy option- pay a visit at Bunge Museum outside of Fårösund where I am currently residing. I took my bicycle and like all the other days I could never tell if it was going to be sunny and summery-kind-of feeling or if it would begin to rain heavily. Prepared for both I left the fortress where I stay and left for the museum.

The museum is situated along the country-road and consists of collected buildings from 17th and 18th century. They show how people used to live 400 years back and I must say it was impressive. There were so many small houses, all for different purposes. 

This stone house is an old wood-fire Sauna where they used to dry Linen. It was also used as a place for the women to give birth. Maybe this is where the idea of giving birth in a warm bath originates from?

I managed to come just on time for the guided tour. It was only one more couple and me. The guide was very well informed and made the tour fun, interesting and personal. 

We were shown some clocks that they used 400 years ago. Those clocks had only one indicator. Of course that one indicator showed only every hour. The guide made a joke about our time were minutes and seconds are so important. We all laughed and said it would be kind of nice to have only one indicator and that it would feel more relaxed in that way. 

Have you ever heard of Instant karma? That is the Karma that comes back to you immediately after you have thought, said or done something.

Well, I was totally struck by instant karma that same evening!

After finishing a massage-treatment I walked back to my room with my hands filled with things. Suddenly my alarmclock dropped to  the floor . The battery went out and the sound of the crash was pretty bad. Total suicide I thought as I picked up the clock and took a look at it. I was wrong. You can see for yourself:

My clock had lost its minutes-and- seconds indicators. Now it only indicates every hour, just like the clocks used to 400 years ago (the yellow indicator is just for the time to set the alarm).

I have decided to continue using this clock and I must say it works very well in private but still not so well while giving a massage  treatment where the minutes actually do count... 

But honestly, isn't this little happening or coincidence quite weird?