January 2018 - yogawithpragya

Carrots – Eat Clean and Green

January 31, 2018

Most days between classes you’ll find me writing. Always on the lookout for calm, quiet and interesting places, nothing works better for me than a cafe where I can have some delicious tea, and some lunch. Last week a friend of mine and I decided to go to Carrots in Koramangala to get ahead on a bit of work. Note to writers: Change your location. I find it kills writer’s block instantly.

Eating at a vegan restaurant ensures that most of the stuff available is also ‘clean’. We ordered a Greek salad and a pizza, and as I write this I’m hungry again! The salad and pizza are to die for. The vegetables are fresh and smell of healthy goodness. Those who know a bit about veganism will know that vegans don’t eat cheese. I’ve met many a pizza lover who won’t believe that it’s possible to have extremely yummy pizza sans the cheese. Go to Carrots and taste just how delicious a vegan pizza can be.

Luckily Susmitha, one of the owners and a vegan for the last 15 years, dropped by our table for an informal (and informative!) chat.

We spoke about how Operation Flood (White Revolution) completely changed the way we consume dairy. We concurred that cases of childhood obesity, various gut diseases, skin problems etc can be directly linked to the consumption of milk and other dairy products. As an aside I have to mention that I love the fact that I can eat/drink anything at Carrots and not worry that it contains dairy.

Interestingly, there are several products manufactured by Amul which are vegan by accident. Such as their dark chocolate. Amul, the biggest participant in Operation Flood, ‘accidentally’ manufactures several vegan chocolates too! This called out another assumption I had – vegan and healthy aren’t necessarily the same thing. As a vegan I might eat the Amul Dark Chocolate, but as me (yogini trying to eat clean), I wont touch that stuff. (#nosugar)

Honey is also not vegan nor whole. Susmitha had the explanation. From a technical standpoint honey is basically bee vomit. Bees collect pollen and then regurgitate what we know as honey. She also told us that it takes forty thousand bee flying miles to make 1 tsp of honey! Which is why commercially available honey is so suspect (for those of you who use honey as replacement for sugar). Also, many farms clip the wings of the Queen Bee so that she doesn’t fly away. That way, the worker bees are tricked into staying (and therefore making honey) in the same place. The natural behavior of bees is to fly from place to place building their hives and doing their work. By clipping the Queen Bee’s wings you ensure that the worker bees stay in the farm and work only for you.

As it often happens, those of us who are seriously into wellness have compelling personal narratives. Susmitha and I share the same reason – both had gained unhealthy weight! I asked Susmitha if she had experienced any internal changes; such as on the emotional and mental front; after she started living the vegan life. And she said yes! Her fear of stray dogs has evaporated and her Reiki and meditation practices have improved. And all of us who practice wellness will agree that your physical and your mental health are connected. If compassion drives your actions, it’s not long before compassion infuses your entire being.

Carrots has actually become a hub for holistic health. All kinds of events related to health, lifestyle and wellness happen here and its actually become a meeting place for like minded individuals. We can certainly vouch for that. We met like minded individuals and had the most delicious and healthy food. Looking forward to returning for some more healthy food and nourishing conversation.

Do check them out on their Facebook page and drop in for some vegan latte :).

P.S. I’m honored to say that I will be holding a talk on Valentine’s Day at Carrots. On the day when we celebrate relationships I thought it would be great to talk about the relationship we have with ourselves. Promises to be an awesome session and it is absolutely free, so do drop in! You can book your spot here: http://bit.ly/2Fb5dy8

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Enquiries Into Yogic Philosophy

It Starts With You

January 22, 2018

A few days ago a friend of mine showed me a video clip that she found inspiring. It was about being interested in your goals vs. being committed to your goals. The video was a montage of footage of a man talking about the pursuit of his goals and a people busy in physical pursuits. As this man speaks about commitment we see a boxer practicing. As he speaks of doing whatever it takes to achieve your goals, we see someone surveying the terrain, presumably to run through it. As he talks about upgrading your knowledge, we see a someone running through the snow.

When the video finished I said that it’s quite interesting that they’ve used fitness to illustrate the main idea of the video. There are many ways to depict smashing and achieving goals. We can show people in a boardroom bagging a successful deal. We can show an actor executing a scene perfectly. We can also show a student getting an acceptance to a prestigious university. So why is fitness the preferred approach to depict motivation and dedication?

Associating fitness with achievements in other aspects of life is not a coincidence. Think about it, when you think of that friend of yours who works out regularly, is on track with the diet and exudes a sense of wellness, don’t you get a sense of awe? If you’re not on the path yourself don’t you feel a tinge of jealousy or pride (depending on your relationship with said friend and the kind of person you are)?

A healthier lifestyle, a fitter body, a cleaner diet, more strength, more stamina, more flexibility, glowing skin, luscious hair, clear eyes – all these are more than skin deep. These don’t translate only to a physically well-proportioned human being. These translate to a human with a confident gait and an easy smile. A person who wears their clothes and skin well. A person who is involved daily in self improvement more than in passing judgment on others.

A person who works out daily depicts the wholesome personality that we all aspire to. A person who is dedicated to making things happen. A person who creates life, rather than one who responds to it. A person who doesn’t sit in a corner crying about a missed opportunity, but someone who moves confidently towards the next challenge. After all, you win some and you lose some. Someone who lives rather than exists.

And taking care of your physical and mental health is the first step to demonstrating that you care. That you can commit to changing yourself before you change an empire. That you can first bring a revolution within yourself, before you revolutionize the world. If you can commit to yourself, then you can commit to anything. If you can change yourself, then you can change anything.

It starts with you.

And below is the video that got me thinking.

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Enquiries Into Yogic Philosophy

Fat Phobia is Ending – It’s Not the Fat That’s Making You Fat

January 13, 2018

Gympik is running a fitness contest and as I scanned the list of topics I casually dismissed them as too obvious to write about or not interesting enough. But blog contest topics are finite and I had to choose one from what was available. As someone who has fat phobia from time to time I thought it’s a good idea to revise why it’s not the fat that’s making us fat. And that’s reason enough for us to stop obsessing over the fat.

The thing is, there are many reasons why you may have a few extra kilos, but fat is not one of them. Here’s what I think.

It’s easy for a lot of people to just blame it on the food. On the unavailability or inaccessibility of healthier options when it comes to food. Maybe you are a frequent traveler, but that means it’s more important for you to devise ways that you can cook for yourself or ALWAYS go for the healthier option. Maybe you don’t have time to cook a healthy meal for yourself in the morning before work. Well then invest in your health and get a cook who can do it for you. Can’t afford a cook and don’t know how to cook? LEARN!
Your lifestyle is making you fat. The most used excuse is, I don’t have time to work out. Do you watch TV? Cut that out and go work out. Using the snooze button to stay in bed for half an hour longer? Cut that out and go workout. Plonk yourself in your chair post lunch and stare mindlessly at mails you don’t feel like responding to? Cut that out and go for a walk. If you have to sit all day because of your job then take frequent water breaks. And that will ensure frequent pee breaks. And that amounts to more movement. If your idea of a good weekend is to sleep until noon to recover from the rigors of a seated job, or to get piss drunk to recover from the rigors of said job, then…there are a lot of variables that need changing. Basically, it’s not the fat that’s making you fat, it’s your complacency about your lifestyle.
You have a medical condition that makes it difficult to lose weight. Certain conditions are beyond our control. But what is in our control is managing them. If you have a medical condition then don’t compound the problem by eating crap and vegetating the entire day. Above all, don’t use a medical condition as reasons to have a pity party for yourself when it comes to your weight. Don’t allow yourself to feel that it’s OK to feel sorry for yourself. It is an uphill climb, but do it so that you can feel better. And eventually you will feel better. No two ways about it.

And at the end of the day, fat is essential. That is, good fat. So blaming your weight issues on fat is just wrong. Good fats are important to keep your bones and joints strong. Your skin supple and glowing and your hair vibrant. Good fats result in a good, optimistic mood which is essential if you want to be happy, healthy and energetic.

[*Note: This article is written as a part of Gympik Fit-A-Thon contest and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. Gympik is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused.]

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Enquiries Into Yogic Philosophy

5 Random Facts About Me

January 9, 2018

Enjoying the cold weather at @ Hauz Khas Village.

Happy New Year!!!!

I hope 2018 is amazing for all of us and brings us only the best in health, wealth and happiness. Actually, since wealth and happiness come from good health, I should ideally only wish that for you. In any case, this blog will help you with all aspects of your health.

I thought the first blog of the year should be one through which you can get to know me a bit better. A lot of new people subscribed in the last couple of months, and they might not know me too well. So below are a some random facts about me that will help you get to know me better.

1. I’ve lived in 6 different countries and visited three times that number so far in my life.

2. I’m actually a software engineer and even worked as one for 8 years.

3. As a kid I wanted to be Nancy Drew when I grew up.

4. I’ve been journaling extensively since second grade.

5. I never thought of myself as a cook. But as and when I started looking for healthy recipes I realized that my friends actually like the taste of my experiments and that I’m actually a very good cook.

And now for a bonus random fact about me:

6. Kolhapuri chappals and Birkenstocks are my favorite shoes. This completely irrelevant fact is probably very typical of a yogi.

A collage of pictures that hangs in my house in Delhi. Can you spot me?

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