Each birthday is a new beginning, full of promise and opportunity; today is the first day of the last year celebrating my 30′s, I keep calling it the big one before the BIG ONE! I always look at my birthday as my “New Year” and this year will be about letting go and a re-birth. I will celebrate my joyous release at Miraval Resort & Spa, situated in the Santa Catalina Mountains of Tucson. My 4th visit to Miraval (I can recall my first) I went looking for a vacation and instead found myself. This year I will be taking full advantage of their “Clue- In Activities.” With names like Quantum Leap and Why High - the letting go theme fits perfectly! These challenging activities speak metaphorically expanding your comfort zone, encouraging moving forward and leaving the past behind. Leaping into changes you want to happen now!

I love every aspect of Miraval -dedicated to mindfulness, they encourage living in the present moment conscious of the intersection of mind body spirit. I also gain so much from the growth and development activities. The amenities/luxuries are incredible-they are all about choices and world class service. The food and snacks are low calorie, delicious and healthy!  I will be indulging my senses in their luxury spa and reporting back shortly about my treatments; in the meantime chilling out, floating like a mermaid, climbing high, leaping into transitions and letting go, flying free, drumming to the beat of my own drum – resting, reflecting and re-energizing and escaping the challenging times and beginning the next chapter in my life.

Happy New Year to me!

~Claudia

“And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Tea Plucker in Munnar~ Photo by yours truly

In India Tea is much more than a drink: it is an experience steeped in history, rich with tradition and filled with health benefits. “Tea Time” is serious business right from starting the day by making our own Masala Chai tea (infused with spices, fresh ginger, cardamom, milk and sugar) to “afternoon tea” which allows us that “much needed” break to take it slow – similar to a siesta in many other countries. The first part of my Indian journey, Mumbai, involved a lot of eating and shopping – see EAT PRAY SHOP! After having my senses assaulted it was lovely to go back to a cozy bed to nap and awaken to sweet aromas and flavors. Then, on to sharing the stories of the day while enjoying a nice cup of tea with others was an incredibly pleasant experience.

The pace of life in the 21st Century is one of fast food, fast travel, fast work, fast style – all impacted by advanced technology. The slowed down lifestyle has been damaged by our fast paced culture and this fast paced culture does not seem to make us more productive or happy. Did you know there is a whole movement on being slow? A slow life philosophy promoted by slowmovement.com stands for sustainable, local, organic ,wholesome and is inspired by fun and life experiences.

Finally, the end of my journey took me through Kerala, a Southwest Indian State known as “God’s Own Country.” Kerala is a gorgeous tropical area renowned for its backwaters, white sandy beaches, lush vegetation, abundant coconut palms, and the availability of Ayurvedic healing therapies. The sweet people of Kerala, known as Keralites, have a lifestyle that is uncomplicated and they seem happy and content with the simple pleasures of life and a slow pace. I enjoyed a day trip to Munnar, which was quite a unique experience. One of the most popular hill stations in India, Munnar, is breathtakingly beautiful – a haven of peace and tranquility. Visiting Munnar, I now understand why they call Kerala “God’s own country”. There are sprawling tea plantations, picture-book towns, winding lanes, and rolling hills of lush greenery. Munnar is essentially a tea town. The tea plantations have now been taken over by the Tata Tea Company. As a visitor you are greeted with miles and miles of unending tea plantations upon entry into Munnar and the aroma is heavenly.

Spending time in India, enjoying the simple pleasures such as sipping tea, hiking and seeing beautiful landscapes was an amazing life experience that I will always cherish. Living life, rather than rushing through it, and being in the moment are my lessons to remember.

I would love for you to share a comment on a simple pleasure that has inspired you recently!

Here’s a yummy recipe for your drinking pleasure taken from my friend Laura Silverman’s Blog Glutton For Life

Love, Light & Happy Tea Time

Claudia~

Masala Chai @ the Tea Pot, Ft Cochin, Kerala~Photo by yours truly

I love a good cup of chai and this recipe taken from my friend Laura Silverman’s Blog Glutton for Life is yummy. In my recent travels to India, I had the pleasure of enjoying a masala chai daily -actually several times a day. See Post “Tea Time.” Indians drink chai like Americans drink coffee.  I thought it strange  to have such a warm drink in that horrid heat but somehow it was very soothing. I now store my own blend in a jar and  steep it when I need it throughout the day. I learned quickly from my host and long lost sister Ooshin-as she keeps in her kitchen in India.

MASALA CHAI

makes 8 servings

8 whole cloves

6 green cardamom pods, crushed

2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 tablespoons black tea, like Assam

Combine equal parts water and milk in a small saucepan (about ¾ cup of each for one large mug), adding 1-2 tablespoons of the masala chai per serving, and sweetener to taste, and slowly bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Then strain into cup and serve.

Laura Silverman also makes a version with just green tea and cardamom that is delicious. You can customize your spice blend however you like, adding more or less of whatever appeals to you. It’s also nice to use fresh ginger.

Fresh catch of the day! Photo taken near the Chinese Fishing Nets-Ft. Cochin, Kerala

The recipe I’m about to give you is from Kerala- and I love the food from this region. It is such a refined cuisine, in the best sense: the spices are used delicately to produce food that is aromatic rather than cough-inducingly hot; the scents of coconut and lime pervade. I stuffed myself silly with meals  similar to the one below during my stay in Cochin recently.  I’m positive you will enjoy this recipe taken from Laura Silverman’s Blog Glutton for Life.

This recipe as most Indian dishes also uses turmeric. Turmeric, also called curcumin, a miracle spice that  has been used in Asian cookery for thousands of years. Powder ground from the dried root is an ingredient in curry. Turmeric is one of the cheaper spices and makes a vivid splash of color. Turmeric has anticancer effects; the spice acts in two ways: has its own antioxidant and free radical-scavenging effects, and enhances the body’s natural antioxidant, its anti-inflammatory properties has no toxicity. Turmeric on the cardiovascular system reduces cholesterol levels. Turmeric exhibits liver protection properties because of its potent antioxidant properties. Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory activity reduces arthritic swelling, progressive brain damage and reduces Alzheimer’s-related inflammation in neurological tissue. Turmeric does not have any adverse side effects. Turmeric promotes youthfulness, regular in our diet or as a supplement may help slow the process of aging. Extracts of turmeric have powerful antioxidant qualities, rivaling those of vitamins C & E and have a positive effect on cholesterol. Turmeric holds a high place in Ayurvedic medicine as a “cleanser of the body.”

KERALAN FISH MOILEE

serves 4

1 pound firm white fish fillets (like halibut or pink snapper)

1 teaspoon fenugreek

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, sliced thin

1″ knob ginger, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 fresh green chile (jalapeño or serrano)

handful of fresh or dried curry leaves*

1/2 fresh tomato, sliced thin

1 cup water

2 cups coconut milk

1 teaspoon lime juice

Salt

Heat oil over moderate heat in deep skillet and sautee fenugreek and garlic until lightly browned. Add onion, ginger, chile and curry leaves sautee 2 minutes more. Then add water and one cup coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add lime juice and salt with fish and simmer briskly.

Add remaining coconut milk and tomato and simmer briskly for a few minutes, until cooked through. Serve hot with jasmine rice alongside.

*Curry leaves can often be found in the refrigerated section of Indian specialty markets. Other specialty stores sometimes carry the dried version.

I had always dreamed that visiting India at some point in my life would be a pilgrimage and it turned out to be exactly that – my own version of “Eat, Pray, Love” and a pilgrimage of fun!

When my friend Sabrina asked me to travel with her and her husband to India to attend their friends wedding in Bangalore, I thought when opportunity knocks, open the door! An unplanned adventure while navigating matters of the heart sounded perfect! I was reeling with excitement and in less than 3 weeks I would be off to India. I didn’t anticipate that two days before we were to leave she would tell me she couldn’t make it. Therefore, I would be flying to a foreign land without Sabrina but with her husband, Yoav, a sweet and charming Israeli, and staying with her relatives in Mumbai without her.

The first part of this adventure started in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, but everyone living there goes back and forth with what the city should be called. It’s very confusing! Quite honestly I did not know what to expect from this city or the whole trip in general for that matter. I knew it would be bustling and hot. Just imagine the worst heat wave New York recently had, add the traffic and congestion of Time Square at rush hour during the holidays, then add pimped out taxi’s, cows, goats, stray dogs and cats- rickshaws everywhere and now multiply that by 20. Millions of people all living cheek-by-jowl in soaring skyscrapers and sprawling slums. Ladies and gentleman – welcome to Mumbai!! The people come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and speak in over a dozen tongues, all adding color, flavor and texture to this melting pot. The energy is high and the pace is fast but they do slow down for Tea Time. I loved every minute of it – quirks and all!

Mumbai is a one-stop shopping center for practically every kind of product and handicraft that India has to offer, from hand-woven cloth and leather, to antiques, silver and casual designer wear. With the exception of the government shops and some of the stuffier boutiques, no one will raise an icy eyebrow when you haggle. Together with Sabrina’s cousin Ooshin who became my guide, host and long lost sister, we hit it off shopping until we dropped! Dodging the insane traffic and beating the heat with our personal driver, (I can get use to that kind of service and attention). I was happy to have Oosh for all the bargaining and haggling while shopping. She is Parsi, both sharp and feisty, and one does need this kind of attitude while shopping in India or they will take advantage of you. I got used to saying nay nay (no no) following her lead (with a hand gesture of course) when we weren’t happy about the offer. I thought I got all the shopping out of my system until I arrived in Kerala, where I just couldn’t resist the textiles and jewelry.

EAT: Indians have more than a hundred ways of cooking meat – and nearly twice as many ways of preparing a single vegetable. In fact, the cuisine varies from state to state -a culinary cornucopia. In Mumbai, you can certainly explore the broad culinary categories. Although most five star hotels boast several types of Indian cuisine on the menu, smaller restaurants are well worth a visit and offer a more local ambiance. You can have rich north Indian fare accompanied by chappatis (the flat unleavened bread of India), spicy southern curries with rice or steaming idlis, gujarati thalis (MY FAVORITE) with their limitless range of vegetarian dishes, or even delicately flavored fresh water fish. When I thought it couldn’t get any better it was time to eat again. It was non stop eating during this trip too. See below for some of the restaurants I visited and highly recommend if you are ever in Mumbai.

PRAY: Isn’t dancing liking praying? Well, I had 5 days of non-stop fun in Bangalore at the Hindu Wedding. Praying is getting in touch with your inner self…I just feel my soul, my instinct, my past…or maybe it’s more of a meditation? Well I must say I especially feel in touch with my true self when I dance…it is such a powerful feeling!

LOVE: My love affair with yoga has been going strong for about 16 years and during my trip to India I practiced a bit in Mumbai & Bangalore – stretching and easing my jet lag. In Kerala, the 3rd part of my Indian adventure, I resumed my practice daily. I was pleasantly surprised that the type of yoga practiced in Kerala was Sivananda style – which I had recently been introduced to while on my retreat to the Sivananda Ashram in April. Yoga is a daily practice for most Keralites, however it seemed to be more men than women practicing. Not only asanas (postures) are practiced but  meditation-saluting the sun from wherever they were. The women walk (fast-paced for exercise) and ride bicycles. Oh and by the way, no one in India says “Namaste” this is completely a western thing.  Om, ॐ (Aum) on the other hand is visible everywhere in India, it is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism. The syllable is sometimes referred to as the  “pranava mantra” (primordial mantra); not only because it is considered to be the primal sound, but also because most mantras begin with it.  And every household, taxi, entrance has a tiny statue Lord Ganesha- the elephant headed god. In general terms, Ganesha is a much beloved and frequently invoked divinity, since he is the Lord of Good Fortune who provides prosperity and fortune and also the Destroyer of Obstacles of a material or spiritual order. It is for this reason that his grace is invoked before the undertaking of any task (e.g. traveling, taking an examination, conducting a business affair, a job interview, performing a ceremony,) Throughout India and the Hindu culture, Lord Ganesha is the first idol placed into any new home or abode.

Regardless of where you are in life, it is never too late to figure out what you love to do and to create a life around living your dreams. If you want to find your bliss, you are going to have to discover it yourself. The answer to who you are and what you love is not contained in any book, movie or sold in any store. Instead, the answer to what fires your imagination and makes your heart beat faster are found inside of you. In order to find it, you will have to go on a journey of self discovery. And you will have to keep at it until you find what you are looking for. Maybe it is in a foreign land or maybe it is right at home.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” ~ Helen Keller

Love & Light,

~Claudia

Restaurants in Mumbai:

Trishna

7, Rope Walk Lane, Kalaghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 4000023, India 022 22703214

Mahesh

Fort Branch: Mahesh Lunch Home, 8-B, Cawasji Patel Street, Mumbai – 400001.

Telephone No : (022) 22870938, 22023965. Fax No : (022) 22043365

Email : maheshlunchhome@gmail.com

Indian Summer

80 Veer Nariman Road, Marine Lines, Mumbai

Phone: (22) 22835650

Barbeque Nation

Rajdhani- Vegetarian Thali ~my personal favorite but all where amazing eats!!

This was my experience every day for one week at The Sivananda Ashram YogaRetreat. It was a true sanctuary of peace and natural beauty located on a paradise-like island with crystal clear water and pure white sand just across the bay from Nassau.

My adventure began on a Saturday morning as I arrived on the island of Nassau earlier than expected. I gathered my luggage and took a 20 minute taxi ride to a dock. As I waited patiently for the boat to whisk me away to paradise, I encountered two lovely ladies and we made our introductions. Both women had traveled quite a distance to get to the Ashram. Anna came from Germany, Katie from Nova Scotia, and both were now part of the Teacher Training Course (TTC). They would be living and working on the ashram for one month. The TTC is based on “Karma Yoga”, also known as Buddha Yoga or the “discipline of action” and is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. Of the four paths to realization, Karma Yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action. Karma Yoga is an intrinsic part of many derivative types of yoga.

Shortly after our introductions, the boat arrived and we were on our way – well not quite! First we had to lug bags and boxes of HEAVY produce onto the boat. I thought to myself, “You have to be kidding me. I’m on vacation! My poor back!” However, I actually didn’t mind at all. We all pitched in, and I reminded myself, “This is “Karma Yoga!”, although I noticed the two men on the boat were not practicing “Karma Yoga” – they were barely helping at all! Plus, the tiny walkway between the dock and the boat was making me plenty nervous that one of us was going to end up in the water! Needless to say, we all made it to the island in one piece and received some fruit for our effort. Thankfully, I caught on pretty quickly and adapted fast because the Ashram was not very organized and almost too laid back when it came to answering my pretty straight forward questions, such as, where is my room, and other basic questions one might ask upon arrival. Being resourceful, I went traipsing around the place and gave myself the unguided tour and finally found my room: “Hallelujah!” I thought to myself. “I’d best get to the beach fast and do some meditating before I lose it.” However, by the evening I figured out how it all worked and whatever I still didn’t know I would just learn as I went with the flow.

The Ashram is built around a semi-closed, outdoor meditation temple. There are spacious exercise platforms facing the warm blue-green waters of the Caribbean Sea, the bay and the gardens. I opted to stay in one of the private wooden cabins. The room had basic sleeping quarters, both rustic and unembellished, which worked fine for me. The other option was to pitch a tent in one of the quiet garden areas or coconut groves.

Daily Schedule:

The energizing program of the ashram is based on Swami Vishnudevananda’s (who is a disciple of Swami Sivananda the founder of the Ashram) five points for holistic evolution of body, mind, and soul:

• Proper Exercise

• Proper Breathing

• Proper Relaxation

• Proper Diet

• Positive Thinking and Meditation

My days would begin at 5:30 am when I would awaken to the sounds of the ocean, the palm trees rustling in the wind, the birds chirping and a light bell ringing every 10 minutes until 6am when the serenity of early morning meditation would commence. At the ashram they believe the clear sea air helps restore the rested mind to focus and the body to be still. Half an hour of silent meditation is followed by joyful chanting, a spiritual talk or reading, and closing prayers. Next, at 8am, came a 2 hour session of asanas (yogic postures) and pranayama (yogic breathing techniques to invigorate the body and mind). After these rituals, we would have a wonderful vegetarian breakfast/ brunch at 10am, where we all lined up just outside the kitchen with our trays to get our nourishment. I would quickly gather my food and head for the best seat in the house, right on the sand in front of the beautiful clear waters. There is time which you are free to study, to attend a special workshop, to swim, relax on the beach, or go snorkeling. At 4pm is the second asana/pranayama class of the day. Your body achieves maximum stretch at this time and great progress can be made. Dinner is at 6pm, and satsang (meditation, chanting and talk) is at 8pm which completes the day. During the evening satsang there would usually be a talk by one of the special speakers, a concert, or a performance. Lights-out was always around 10pm. All guests were required to attend both satsangs and asana classes but I have never been one to follow the rules. By the 4th day my body felt a bit achy from 4 hours of yoga per day and the long walks on the beach. I chose to sleep in a few days and practiced either the morning or afternoon yoga class instead of both. Most of the day I spent on the beach reading and writing and indulging in some wonderful and intellectual conversations with my new found friends. I found plenty of time for body work; I treated myself to a daily massage and an Aruyvedic body treatment all of which were amazing! I was lucky enough to be there for the Easter holiday and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise ceremony full of joyful praise to the Lord. I am not a religious person but this ceremony was lovely and uplifting and made me realize just how special it is to connect with Faith.

The food was delicious however, but by the last day of my stay I was tired of the same food and the temptation of going across to Nassau or to Atlantis (which was on the other side of the beach) was sounding great for a farewell dinner. My new friend Kathy and I decided to have our final dinner at NOBU. I had no desire to see Atlantis but some of the guests at the Ashram kept talking about it and I didn’t realize until after a few days that it was it was literally in plain sight. I walked through one day on my own to go see the Aquarium everyone was raving about. It was interesting to see the dynamic of the guests at The Atlantis resort compared to the Ashram. It was certainly like walking through Disneyland. After leaving the aquarium I couldn’t wait to get back to the tranquility of the ashram. How ironic that these two different worlds can be physically so close yet spiritually so distant!

Lastly, my yoga adventure confirmed the importance of simplicity, balance, and community. The journey helped restore my faith, strengthened my yoga practice, enhanced my mind and purified my soul. It was a dynamic voyage that I look forward to taking again and again. I enjoyed the warm companionship and the connection with like-minded people from all around the world, which included sharing food, life stories, beliefs, and dreams. It was a truly holistic, revitalizing experience that left me recharged physically, mentally and spiritually!

Until next time

Claudia~