Farmers Markets and their importance during "la crisis".

One of the great pleasures of living in Spain is the fruit and veg.  Year-round, all sorts of stuff is coaxed from root, shoot and tree then sold on to our friends in the north of Europe.  Yes, sadly 90% of all the commercial organic produce is for export, leaving us with the sprayed remains.  But this needn’t mean that you are condemned to choose between bitter, second-rate, unsprayed veg or the more luxuriant treated kind.  In between, there is the locally produced seasonal fruit and veg.  You just need to know how to ask and where to find it.
First of all, the markets normally host two kinds of vendors:  producers and resellers.  Resellers buy and sell veg.  They might buy really fresh stuff from neighbours but mostly they will buy from the distribution warehouses.
The producers will have their own fields and produce much of what is on offer.  Just feel free to ask ¿Es suyo? or ¿Tiene campo?  Most are very proud to show you what they themselves have produced.  They can tell you if it has been sprayed (often it hasn’t) and when it was harvested.  The other big difference with local produce is the way it is handled between field and market.  To keep a cold supply-chain, wholesale fruit and veg is placed in a powerful refrigeration chamber.  Some insist that this changes the taste irrevocably.  I think that just avoiding the carbon footprint of those big units is a good move.
So, visitors and expats in Spain, buy at the market and be brave – talk to the vendors!  The Spanish take their food very seriously and it is a travesty that firms like Mercadona are selling simulations of Spanish food, with all the denutrification and industiralisation that that entails.  Buying locally, from the producer, puts money in the pockets of hard-hit Spanish, helping stave off the worst effects of “la crisis económica”.  Yoga teaches that we are all united, all really from and going to the same source.  Practice the yoga of spending, buy locally produced food.
Now, I am off to feast on pomegranates, mangos, bananas and avocadoes, all of which are in season.  Nyam nyam.

The Art of Massage

The Art of Massage
The art of a healing massage is finding the precise point between pleasure and pain, then working there as continuously as possible throughout the session. Too light pressure can be comforting, but for most it feels like a waste of time (and money). Too much pressure will only cause the musculature to tense. It can also harm – you might succeed in releasing knots, but at the expense of two days of suffering to follow?
Each individual experiences pleasure and pain differently. Most people experience some degree of “pleasurable pain” when a massage therapist hits the spot. This is a bit like rubbing a bruise to rid oneself of pain. The difference is that the therapist has to intuit the correct pressure to remain below the threshold of the client. Some clients will give verbal feedback. Most won’t. I make a point of mentioning at the beginning of the first session that their job is to inform me of anything that is undesirable or painful. Still, most would rather put up than speak up. So, what to do? The first sign that you are applying too much pressure is when the muscles in the area being treated tense and strain beneath your fingers. If the breathing becomes irregular, you are also provoking discomfort. They may even slightly move the body away, or shift positions. When massaging the feet, watch the face for signs of discomfort. Remember, none of these signals will be overt. You must watch for them.
Women generally have a significantly higher pain threshold than men. They are also less likely to indicate to the therapist when the touch is too forceful. There is a deep psychological work to be done in which some women connect with their suffering for the first time. It’s as if they had carried around this physical pain for so long, lying to themselves about its origin or meaning, and they suddenly become aware of it. This is common around the hip flexors and the gluteals. The chest and abdomen are unending reservoirs of long-held suffering that on some bodies cannot even be stroked let alone palpated or pressed. Respect your clients’ bodies and work gradually into these areas over time. If you feel that in the first massage the hips and abdomen absolutely need to be touched, do it through the towel, rocking and stretching rather than pushing.
But I digress…
And what of pleasure? The longer I work in this field, the more I come to value the simple act of relaxation. Simple, I say. Not so, actually. It took me over twelve years of regular yoga practice to learn to relax. Remember: muscles don’t stretch, they contract and relax. Tendons are stretchy. So, one can be flexible due to lax tendons while having a highly tonic (tense) musculature. The solution is finding a way to help clients relax. I find that if I myself am grounded and well, I can induce a moment of stillness and relaxation at about the 30-40 minute mark of the massage. Cease chatting, focus your mind and rub rhythmically and comfortably deep over an area. The shoulders and neck are wonderful. The sacrum loves to be stroked. Feet are made for holding, as are skulls and napes. Choose your zone, then stay there, gently allowing the client to sink into deep calm. Even if this state lasts only 10 minutes, its a glimpse of something more, a deeper and more conscious kind of relaxation. It is a gift that a therapist can give to their client.
(PS: It goes without saying that proper training and attention to contraindications is essential…AUM)

Cellulite – a few tips

OK dear friends, I have been refining my lifestyle tips for the combat of the dreaded peau d’orange.  Here is what is working for me:
1.  The ZenChi machine, now known as the ReViber  Bodywave.  This little baby is a gem for microcirculation, joint mobilisation and general détante.  I use mine everyday.
2.  Maté.  Yerba maté is a hot drink typically taken in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.  The bitter brew comes from a plant related to the holly bush.  I sweeten mine with stevia.  So, the maté helps fat metabolism and the stevia balances blood glucose levels.  What more can you ask for?  Maintaining ideal weight is an absolute prerequisite for shapely legs.  I could post you some leg photos of my argentinian friends who drink maté.  Stunning.
3.  Magnesium.  I know, I do go on about magnesium.  But really, it is the best thing you can do for yourself.  I use a brand widely available in Spanish health shops, “Ana Maria LaJusticia”.  It is magnesium chloride salts, to be dissolved in water.  Use sparingly at first  magnesium is strongly detoxing and can provoke healing crises.  Use transdermally (put it on your skin), orally (rinse the mouth after brushing with ToothSoap or coconut oil) and finally, swallow.  You will be full of vim and vigour, your skin will shine and your liver and kidneys will love you dearly.
4.  And of course, practice yoga.  Deep breathing pumps lymph.  And a properly designed yoga practice will turn your apâna ’round, making those heavy legs a thing of the past.
 
AUM

Faith

In Yoga sutra 1.20, Patanjali describes the characteristics of the yogi. The main requirement is faith. Faith in the path, faith in Ishvara. Sometimes, oftentimes, we walk the path without knowing whence it leads. Faith is what keeps us on the path regardless.

Inversions

In hatha yoga, inverted postures are recommended during the hot months of the year. In the subtle anatomy of yoga, when we raise the pelvis above the forehead, the moon is above the sun. Moon’s cooling nectar drips down to cool the sun’s heat. Shitali pranayama is a cooling addition to a summertime practice. AUM