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Summer is a period of luxurious growth. To unify with the yang summer season, tradition suggests we express the yang principles of expansion, lightness, brightness and creativity. We awaken early in the morning and reach to the sun for nourishment to flourish like the gardens. We work, play, travel, are joyful and grow into selfless service as the outside world's bounty enters and enlivens us.
Practice and eat seasonally to enable you to harmonize with the summer heat. The choice of foods and yoga practice should reflect this outward movement or yang energy, keeping our bodily fluids moving.
The choice of foods along with proper yoga practice should reflect the outward movement or yang energy and are best suited for summer. Keeping our bodily fluids moving is important so the use of water/salty foods are contradicative here because they can cause retention of water.
In summer we are very active and yang flow outward from our body core to the surface. This depletes our internal warmth through perspiration, drying up our bodily fluids.
I recommend you add a variety of bight colored summer fruits and vegetables to create a beautiful meal as well as adding yang dispersing spices and pungent foods to regulate our internal temperature and move our bodily heat out and cool off our bodies. Basically, to stay in harmony, eat lightly, use summer foods and cook with the appropriate method: stir fry, saute, blanche, raw or grilled to bring balance to your daily foods.
Add clear soups, chilled soups, salads and some raw food, along with aromatic and calming herbs as well as less meat, eggs and milk will continue to nurture your core. This will strengthen your yogic practice, reduce nervousness, treat insomnia and improve mental focus by quieting your spirit and gathering one's energy to stay centered in the heart.
Sweet and Savory Chickpeas with Carrot, Celery and Potato
Chickpeas are a great dish for the summer months, and when combined with vegetables they make a very delicious and pleasing protein dish. The sweet and savory taste helps to balance the beans, making them more digestible, providing a deep sense of calm and subtle nourishment to the very core of our bodies.
1 cup chickpeas
3 cups spring water
1 6-8 inch strip of kombu
1 cup roll cut carrots
1 cup red potatoes sliced in half
1 cup diced celery
� tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
� tsp oregano
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
� cup organic, unrefined cane sugar, Rappadura brand
Begin by presoaking the beans for 6-8 hours. Drain, then discard water. Lay the kombu on the bottom of the pressure cooker. Place the beans on top and add water. Cover, bring to pressure and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes. Let pressure come down and drain broth from the pot. Saut� the carrots, potatoes, celery and sea salt in a well oiled pan. Cook until the vegetables become soft. Add salt, herbs, cane sugar and lemon juice. Continue cooking on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue saut�ing for another 10 minutes or until the color of vegetables has changed. Add beans, garnish with at bit of oregano, and serve at room temperature.
Lemon Tofu Mousse
This incredibly light and satisfying dessert is easy to make and goes great after any meal. The umeboshi paste helps to balance out the cooking aspect of the tofu, making for a more grounded sweet taste.
4 packages organic Mori-Nu silken tofu (found on grocer's shelf, not in the refrigerator)
1 cup maple syrup
3 tsp pure lemon oil
2 tbsp umeboshi paste
� cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender until extra smooth and creamy. Transfer to bowl, cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with roasted and chopped nuts; lemon, lime or orange zest; cookie crumbs or fresh berries.
Blessings,
Surya
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