Tag: wellness

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Yin Yoga Central American Style

yoga, yin, culture, wellness

Explore the benefits of Yin  and Inquiry based Yoga, learn to let go and flow into your body. This winter Rebecca will be sharing her love of Yin and Inquiry Yoga with her friends in Orosi, Costa Rica, The Yucatan and Belize. This is a   new project to break boundaries and language through yoga and play! Stay tuned and join in the fun.

Easy is Right

by Chuang Tzu  from the Tao; State and the Art by Osho

Easy is right. Begin right and you are easy.

Continue easy, and you are right.

The right way to go easy is to forget  the right way and forget that the going is easy.

So what is Yin and Inquiry Based Yoga?  Yin Yoga was brought to the forefront as a yoga practice by Paul Grilley and carried further by teachers like Biff Mithoefer, Cheri Clampett and Sarah Powers. Originating from a martial arts practice and Taoist philosophy, Yin Yoga embraces the cool or more feminine side of yoga; punctuating the importance of balance, acceptance, patience and observation. It activates the 6 large meridians that flow through the trunk of the body and down the extremities o the legs, activating  acupressure points and the flow of energy throughout. According to the Tao, balance can only truly exist between the boundaries of Yin and Yang,but it seems to be a perfect compliment to our busy western or modern attitude and life and  more so how many styles of modern, western yoga have embedded our, busy, pushy nature into the our interpretation and practice of  of yoga, creating a mostly forceful, competitive Yang (and dare I say, adolescent)  practice. Many have lost sight of how a  gentle approach may release physical and emotional traumas and dis ease through understanding,   acceptance and supporting our bodies innate ability to heal itself.  While there may be a function and a place for any and all yoga, Yin seems to be a more natural exploration, honoring the body where it i,s at any age, any ability or disability and seeks to encourage equanimity, healing and enhanced awareness within and out.

I was led to Yin through my search for a new approach to yoga and to heal some back injuries and work frustrations     My serious practice evolved in my early days from Iyengar and a more forceful practice. I then found or embraced Restorative through Judith Lasater, Un-Yoga Teacher Training’s with Victor and Angela (this not only changed my life but my relationship to my body). I still attend workshops with them when ever I am able or they are in country) and I have explored and appreciate workshops with  Doug Keller and Mukunda Stiles Structural and Therapeutic Practices. I eventually found  Don and Amba Stapleton, now of  Nosara Yoga and Biff Mithoefer and the practice of Inquiry and Yin Yoga.

I know my past yoga kept we walking after some serious and chronic injuries, but finding Don and Amba  and Yin through Biff, solidified the my practice and approach to life.  They complimented many of my prior teachers, especially Victor and Angela and with the techniques of Inquiry and Pranassage changed my body’s response to old issues.   It also changed my attitude and outlook.

Today I take these skills and techniques (coupled with new training in myofasical release) to my clients, students and in my self care practice in what I have developed as Integrated Body Alignment (IBA).  Flowing with your body, giving the tissues time to unwind, let go, heal is following the watercourse way.  There may be a periodic flood or tumoultous waterfall, but eventually the river finds its’ banks and continues it’s jouney. I love this metaphor, as I was a raft guide and fairly skilled OC-1 white water boater.  Really, you can’t fight the river, you have to flow with it to enjoy the ride.  I encorage you to find a practice, keep a practice, share a practice, but a kind and observant practice, one with joy, laughter and  challengees.  Make this paractice your watercourse way.   I wish you all the blessings of self exploration of an exciting, adventoursom and caring ride!   Really, Go With the Flow…Namaste’  Rebecca

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Breaking Boundaries through Nourishing Traditions in Food and Culture!

Hopewood Holistic Health & The Center for Food and Culture of Bowling Green Ohio brings your this Eco-Culinary and Garden Experience in Belize.  The Food and Culture Center’s main goal is to nourish connections people make to food, through food and the implications these connections have for our communities, environment, and quality of life.  What a better way to understand ourselves and others than tour their country and  experience their stories through their food, herbs and gardens.

During this journey, Doctor Lucy Long a professor in Eco-tourism and Foodways at Bowling Green University and Rebecca Wood of Hopewood Holistic Health will share their love of food, it’s nourishing tradition, ethnobotancial uses and foodways as we tour the country of Belize this winter. We invite you to join us as we discover the Maya secrets of copal resin in healing, the role of rue for medicine and magic and how red roses or hollyhocks might stop blood flow. Taste the spices of the Creole, Garifuna, East Indian and Maya in their traditional dishes with (garnochos, tamales, hudnut, serre, recado, fy jacks or dukuna) and share their history, stories, fears and dreams.

We’ll walk among the tropical gardens, milpas, monocultures and polycultures then discuss first hand, the pro’s, con’s and concerns of present and past farming techniques with the farmers and families that tend them. You’ll taste cocoa from the pod, sucking the sweet white pulp from your fingers before you bite into the bitter chocolate of the bean. We’ll pondering the trade routes and traditions of chocolate; the maya ‘drink of the gods’ and why the beans, once a currency for trade is now a major part of international trade and industry.

Each morning we’ll wake up to the many colorful birds of the tropics, the aroma of coffee and then discuss our days adventure as we sip our morning brew with a tipico breakfast of tropical fruits, gallo pinto and plantain. We will tour the shade grown coffee coppices, so important in trade and livelihood of Belizeans and indigenous throughout the world and see and hear about impacts and consequences of our love affair with coffee and chocolate and why is the concept of fair trade, worker owned, value added is so important to their lives of many. Or, we might find ourselves floating down a lazy jungle river, comparing the beauty the land use and the importance of water and water ways, both here and at home.

We will tantalize our taste buds with a plates of’ beans and rice’, ‘rice and beans’ or your choice ‘stew beans and rice’ with the obligatory dash of Marie Sharp’s many hot and exotic sauces and then try to count the multitude of ways to prepare and savor plantain (a banana relative), coconut and the many regional specialties.

We are bound to have more than one version of a Belizean Boil up; a dinner of corn, beans and pumpkin (squash) or cassava tubers and yams with hand made tortillas (made from you) on the comal. The variation will never bore you as the roots, spices and choice of fish or poultry (for the non vegetarians) vary with each culture and tradition.

Each day we will discover the importance and necessity of food , how it’s planted, harvested, prepared and the stories, prayers and cycles of the moon that dictates these long traditions. We will experience the diversity of the tropics, taste the sweet juice of fresh squeezed cane and see why some farmers grow the many flora just because they are muy bonita as my friend Don Saul says, “The flowers, they are so beautiful, they just make you feel better when you work so hard”.

A special part of our adventure, as always, is daily opportunities to slow down, with gentle yoga, qi-gong or nature meditation. The exploration of art, music, dance and craft unique to each culture in Belize will also give us pause. Rachel Clark another Holistic Journey guide will help you integrate all of these experiences through her Getting Closer to Nature sessions. These optional sessions are open to anyone and will entice you to tap into your inner artist and create your personal journal of your adventure.

I can guarantee you will enjoy the company and culture of those who will tell their tales and share their lives with us throughout this journey. We will nourish ourselves through food, art, music but also by expanding our insights into others as we learn what brings people of all cultures to the table and how breaking bread or folding tortillas helps bridge the culture gap through commonality, laughter and life’s stories. It’s time to take time. For a better world and a journey you won’t forget contact Rebecca Wood for more information on the Dec. 10-20 or Feb 18-28 trips. becaherbtravel@gmail.com or check us out at www.hopewoodholistichealht.org or hopewoodhealth@facebook.com.

 

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Bound For Belize

From Hollyhocks to Hibiscus; Belize Bound-Join in the Adventure!

You Betta Belize it! Holistic Journeys is offering two amazing Eco-Cultural experiences for those with a sense of adventure, love of plants, ethnic food, art, music, history and of course the beauty of tropical nature. Pick the time that’s best for you and your family, but pick the time, these 10 day inclusive adventures are filling fast. Either adventure (Dec. 10-20 The Flavors of Belize and Feb. 18-28, A Plant Lovers Journey through Time and Tradition) will immerse you in the diverse culture of Belize; the Maya, the Creole, the Garifuna and more. Prepare yourself for taste sensations, hearth fire aromas, jungle sights and sounds and healing sun, sand and time, yes time, when was the last time you took some time just for yourself and your family. You can choose to participate in the many activities Holistic Journeys has in store for you or just relax in a hammock, with palm fronds dancing in the breeze and toucans flying in the trees.

Rebecca Wood and guest hosts will ensure your expectations will be met with comfortable, culturally unique accommodations and a choice of diverse experiences to meet your level of interest. Tour healing gardens and art parks, walk with Rosita Arvigo along the Panti Jungle trail, enjoy open air family style meals of tropical fruits, coffee, curry, fresh caught sea food, hand-made tortillas and rice & beans served Belizean style. Picture yourself cave tubing, snorkeling, kayaking a jungle river, enjoying the view a top a Mayan Ruin or walking through coffee and chocolate farms while you nibble locally harvested and prepared chocolate (food of the Gods). One thing is for certain, you will see Belize from all angles, cultures, land and air and you will return with a new perspective on people, places and yourself.

As an Herbalist, Ethnobotanist and Natural Health Care Professional, Rebecca will share her joy and knowledge of pan-American and unique plants, how they are used traditionally and how you can use them in your everyday life. So find out how hollyhocks and hibiscus can be made into a tasty healing tea or how the magic of marigold or man vine might just be for you. You’ll be busy, but every Holistic Journeys trip includes daily wellness options of yoga, qi gong, nature meditation and reflection time, join in or sleep in but don’t miss this exploration of one of the natures best kept secrets; Belize! It’s time to take time, for more information contact Rebecca at becaherbtravel@gmail.org.