What a yogi eats

I keep several journal-type notebooks in which I jot down inspirational quotes, notes from my current reading list, and reflections. Really, I have so many of these lying around my house that I sometimes lose track of them! I came across one of them the other day that I kept three or four years ago. In it was this really nice - and very simple - description from a book by Yogi Vithaldas of what a yogi eats (for the "why" get the book!):

• "light" foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole rice, fresh milk, fresh cheeses, and butter, should comprise the major part of the diet because of their capacity to stoke the jatharagni (digestive fire).
• Vegetarian diet is preferred (because meat foods are "heavy" and dwindle the digestive fire and/or generate ama, toxicity)
• unleavened bread is preferred
• depending on your body (and digestive) type, eat mostly raw or mostly cooked foods. The three major body/genetic types are vata, pitta, and kapha and vary according to their innate capacity for digestive power (among other things). In general, vata types should eat mostly warm, well-cooked foods, pitta types should eat a combination of warm, well-cooked foods and light, cool, raw foods, and kapha types should eat mostly raw, cool, light foods. Learn your type.

Recipe for a "Yogic Salad" - good for all types, especially pitta & kapha

leafy greens

shredded beets & carrots

tomato

nuts (fresh, raw, unsalted)

herbs such as parsley, watercress, chive, cilantro (to taste)

grated fresh coconut

simple dressing of good oil & freshly squeezed lemon with sea salt & cracked pepper

Recipe for a "Yogic Hot Meal" - good for all types, especially vata
beans (mung, lima, soy, navy, or black, depending on type) cooked well with a little onion, garlic, and a pinch of herbs such as marjoram, sweet basil, or thyme
whole, fresh rice

For more Ayurveda tips and balanced meals, visit this blog frequently! You can also use these online resources:
6 week mini-course on Ayurveda
optimal food combining
Suggested diet for your type

(Picture above is of Yogi Vithaldas)

Share your gifts

Ever feel that you've exhausted the limits of creativity and connection and that nothing you could do, create, or offer the world is original (or, even necessary)? Ok, maybe that's just me. In this hyper-connected world, we're overcome with good ideas, innovation to the n'th degree, and original thought seems an impossibility.

But you are the only you. And I am the only me. And the more we focus on what we can offer as a unique individual to this messy, chaotic, collective, the greater our potential for impact, inspiration, and innovation.

Often, I fall into the comparison trap (maybe you do, too) and tell myself that "if only I were _____ like ____" and "too bad I'm not ____ like _____" and "my life would be more meaningful if I had ________ like ________."

What a challenge it is to accept who you are right here, right now; rife with imperfections as we are, we each have the capacity to experience a meaningful life in which our service to others (by sharing our gifts) outshines any deficiencies we may (or think we may) have.

As a yoga teacher with a busy class schedule, I frequently feel that, at best, I'm just parroting myself from class to class and, at worst, that I don't have anything to offer the broader yoga community. Yet, my body continues to offer insights - original or not - when I step onto the mat; it's my interpretation of those insights that is my gift to the yoga community. 

What are your gifts and how do you share them?