This hatha yoga posture is the consummate back bend.  it has it all!  The opening of the heart center (anahata chakra); the stimulating and toning of the spinal nerves especially of the lumbar and sacral regions; the expansion of the principal respiratory muscles – the diaphragm; improves the functioning of the digestive organs, and also helps to energize the entire system.

Weekend Yoga Retreat with Hali Schwartz

September 20-22, 2013

True meditation is like coming home, home sweet home, where you can finally relax, be yourself and feel nurtured by consciousness itself. I wish you all to also fall in love with meditation and to find your way back to the source of who you truly are.

Apple Cinnamon Millet Muffins

2 cups spelt flour

2/3 cup millet

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1⁄2 tsp sea salt

1 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups fruit*

*We love the flavors of baked apples,  but you can also use berries, or peaches, fresh or frozen , but not thawed

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Line 12 muffin cups with a light coating of oil.

WHISK together flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt in a large bowl.

IN A SEPARATE BOWL, add milk, applesauce, sweetener, oil and vanilla.

COMBINE the wet ingredients with the dry just until flour has been absorbed. Gently fold in the baked apples.

DIVIDE batter among prepared muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes.

TRANSFER muffins to a wire cooling rack.

Makes 12 muffins

Baked Apples

PREHEAT oven to 350° F .

DICE and core apples into 1 inch cubes

PLACE apples in a baking dish with coconut oil, cinnamon, and a dash of brown sugar or maple syrup.

BAKE for 30 minutes.

Supta Bada Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)

Supta Bada Konasana is a jewel from Restorative Yoga that I like to include in Restorative classes, as well as in longer Hatha classes for an opening guided relaxation.

Supta Bada Konasana has many benefits — don’t be fooled by its soft appearance! There is so much going on. Because I’m an anatomy geek, let me share with you some of the effects I find anatomically magical, among a few others:

• Possibly my favourite effect is what happens due to the unique supported leg position: with hips and knees in flexion, and hips in supported abduction (i.e., out to the sides on blocks, no stretch in the groin), and with the pelvis slightly tipped forward by the bolster behind the back, all the muscles that usually pull on the pelvis are slackened. This allows the pelvis to relax into a slackened sling, and be guided into alignment by the structure of the props. It’s awesome: the psoas, QL’s, erector spinae, quads, hams, gluts, adductors—even piriformis!—are all slackened.

Coupled with the feet together and bound, the legs stay aligned, thus allowing the pelvis to find alignment between the femurs.

• The chest is pressed open to the sky by the bolster behind the back, the weight of the free arms pulling the shoulders to the ground. Because this can often be held for minutes by beginners, and 15 or 20 minutes by more experienced practitioners, connective tissue across the chest and anterior shoulders can be gently but effectively lengthened. It’s also a great position to explore all the movements of the ribcage when breathing, and on deep breathing, a great way to stretch open the muscles and sinews between and around the ribs. This open-hearted position is also used in yoga therapy to treat depression and heart conditions.

• The position of the neck on a high support (here a chunky folded blanket), with the chin coming toward the throat, gently lengthens the back of the neck. When held for minutes at a time, it can have a significant effect on the often shortened connective tissue there (major cause of tension headaches). This position also bows the forehead to the chest, a symbolic way to surrender the ego and honour the greater wisdom of the heart, and is also a meditation technique used to calm the mind.

This pose, like so many others in Restorative Yoga, also helps us to challenge our need to constantly do.

So often we need to spend time undoing before doing. As a teacher, I love it for its many benefits and because it’s so beginner-friendly. As a practitioner, I love it because it feels like coming home.

Tiina Veer

Yoga for Round Bodies Retreat

Aug 16-18, 2013

Navasana (Boat Pose)

Benefits

Contraindications

Bio

Aware Yoga on Facebook

So many recipes are always being posted on all forms of social media. I am always tempted to try the recipes based on whole, nutrient dense foods. When I saw this brownie recipe, I knew it was a must! We then of course adapted it to suit our pantry needs and personal preferences. The result…the best brownies ever. This may have been one of our most popular desserts at Shanti Retreat. The guests were dying for the recipe….and for more brownies! Be careful though, they are so good you may possibly eat 6…at one sitting…Enjoy.

Dry:

Wet:

½ cup chocolate chips (gluten free) or good quality dark chocolate chopped into little pieces

How to make:

In a large bowl mix together flour, cacao powder,  arrowroot powder (if using), sugar, sea salt and baking powder.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs (or flax egg), ½ cup squash puree, coconut oil and vanilla extract.

Chop walnuts into little pieces.

Combine the wet ingredients into dry and add chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix well.

Grease a baking dish and pour in batter. Spread with a spatula or your hands until uniform on top.

Serves 12

Shanti Kitchen is always experimenting with new ways to use whole foods! Although it is not the fall, nor is thanksgiving around the corner, we decided to try a hotcake recipe using pumpkin! The result was delicious and to our surprise adding some goat cheese turned this brunch item into a potential pumpkin cheesecake! That is how we like to start our day after some morning fitness and yoga!

Shanti Mid-Week Brunch

Pumpkin Spice Hotcakes

1.5 cups organic spelt flour

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp fround all spice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger\1/2 tsp salt

1.5 cups organic soy milk + 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or buttermilk)

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 large organic free range eggs

2 tbsp coconut oil

Garnish:

Maple Syrup

goat cheese

shredded coconut

Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a large bowl. Mix well.

Whisk together the milk, pumpkin, eggs and oil in a medium bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.

Use griddle or frying pan to cook hotcakes. Pour 1/4 cup portions of batter onto the griddle. Flip once you notice bubbles and the underside is brown. Flip and cook hotcake another 30 seconds. Serve with maple syrup, goat cheese and shredded coconut.

Urdhva Kukkutasana

(from Ashtanga’s Advanced A sequence)

I love this pose for it’s compact balance. This pose develops the core and shoulders, fans the metabolic fire, and cultivates mental acuity. When the Lotus is placed just right on the arms, I feel a wonderful sense of poise.

David Robson

5 day Ashtanga Retreat

July 11-14th

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http://www.ashtangatoronto.com/
http://learntofloat.com/

March 14-17 Yoga and Meditation Retreat with Marla Ericksen

March 29- 31 Easter Weekend Shanti Yoga Retreat with Wendy & Darin

April 5-7 Spring Retreat With Mona Warner

April 11-14 Enlivening Detox Retreat with Andrea Robertson

April 19-21 Shanti Yoga Retreat & Conscious Eating with R.H.N Lacey Budge

April 22 Earth Day Celebration at Shanti

April 26-27 Kripalu Yoga Retreat with Ken Nelson and Leslie Lang

May 3-5 Port Perry YogaFlow Retreat with Maria Carr

May 10-12 Yin & Flow Yoga  Retreat with Ichih Wang

May 17-20 May Long Weekend Shanti Yoga Retreat with Special Guest David Hickey

May 24-25 Ashtanga  & Hatha Yoga Retreat with Mark & Sandy

May 31- June 2 Sun Moon Fire Yoga Retreat with Loren Crawford & Roxanne Joly

June 7-8 Power Yoga Canada Teacher’s Summit

June 14-16 Weekend Revolution with Pino from Power Yoga Canada

21-23 Yogini Yoga: Heal and Transform with Megan Campbell

June 28- July 1st Shanti Yoga Retreat & Conscious Cooking with R.H.N Lacey Budge

July 5-7 Yoga Retreat with Dallas Delahunt

July 11-14th Ashtanga Yoga Retreat with David Robson

July 19-21st Vida Yoga Retreat with Paula

July 26-28th Stretch, Heal, Grow Retreat with Jasmin Fiore

July 30-August 1 Rejuvenating Mid-Week Retreat with Andrea Robertson

August 2-5th Shanti Retreat Weekend and special performances with Brenda Mcmorrow, Kirtan artist

August 9-11th Yoga Retreat with Kellie Dearman

August 16-18th Yoga for Round Bodies with Tiina Veer

August 22-26th Ashtanga Yoga Retreat with David Robson

August 30- September 1st Evolution of consciousness with Manu Mougenot

September 6-11th Hridaya Silent Meditaiton Retreat with Many Mougenot

September 13-15th Women’s Tantra Retreat with Monika Nataraj

September 20-22 Sun/Moon Yoga Retreat with Hali Schwartz