Introduction
Welcome to the second instalment of the Yoga Manchester JanAsana newsletter!
JanAsana has been designed to get your New Year’s resolutions off to the best possible start and forms part of Yoga Manchester’s New Year New Body New Mind (NYNBNM for short!) initiative. With weekly instalments throughout January, Yoga Manchester will be offering tips and tools to help you pay attention to both the mind and the body to allow you to keep up your intentions!
Your 10 minute Yoga Express sequence
This is the second section of the Yoga Express sequence devised by Matt Ryan. The full sequence is designed to provide the physical and mental benefits of a 90 minute Yoga class, but in just 45 minutes. Classes start on 13th January at Studio 25 – visit www.yogaexpressmanchester.co.uk more details.
Resolution of the week
This is a simple act or intention that should start this week and if it makes you feel good, stays with you for as long as possible.
I’m going to take a three-minute pause in my day to mindfully breathe and pay attention to my thoughts.
Observing your thoughts and mindfully breathing for three minutes seems easy peasy, but is actually near on possible for many. Multi-tasking, technology, television, and day-to-day stresses ensure the mind has enough material to distract us with, placing our attention everywhere except the present moment. Listen to this brilliant three-minute podcast from Mark Williams to bring you into the here and now, and if you enjoy, perhaps buy his book, Mindfulness – A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world.
Smoothie of the week
Yes, you’ve read correctly, Vanilla Milkshake is our smoothie of the week. Rather than being packed with nasties and tons of trans fats, this milkshake is made from only five ingredients: avocados, milk, vanilla essence, maple syrup, and a bit of salt.
Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat which reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol and helps to promote a healthy weight as the body uses these to slowly release energy rather than being stored as body fat – who says you can’t have your milkshake and drink it?
Recipe of the week
Quinoa, chickpea, mango salad
This is quite possibly the most delicious salad ever! We know it’s winter but this salad is substantial, fresh, and a perfect replacement to the stodge-overload that was Christmas. Enjoy.
100g quinoa
275ml hot vegetable stock
1 medium onion
2 tsp medium curry powder
150g chickpeas, rinsed
1 tbsp lime pickle
2 tbsp Greek or natural yoghurt
Small bunches coriander and mint, chopped
1 mango, peeled and diced
100g cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 Little Gem lettuces
1 Cook quinoa in stock for about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Heat drizzle of olive oil in small pan and sweat onion with curry powder for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes, stirring well. Leave to cool.
2 Mix pickle and yoghurt. Toss together quinoa, onion and chickpea mixture. Stir through yoghurt dressing, herbs, mango and tomatoes. Spoon on top of lettuce leaves. Serve.
Until next week, TTFN!