The people are truly the happiest people we’ve ever seen. Everyone smiles. People are friendly – they love to wave and say hello. Kids walk to school in groups talking, laughing, playing and looking happy. Almost everyone (except for the elderly) speaks English. Parents spend time with their kids. The elderly are respected and included. The Bhutanese people are beautiful – smooth, clear skin, shiny black hair and big smiles. They are happy to smile and pose for the camera.

Almost everyone wears the national costume, a gho for men, which is like a robe, and a ghet for women, which is a long wrap around skirt with a contrasting jacket. The fabrics are colorful and rich – plaids, stripes and patterns.

The country is Buddhist – and it’s much more than a religion – it’s a way of life that permeates the culture. People are gentle, respectful, hard working, friendly and playful!

We visited about a dozen monasteries and temples and each one was more beautiful than the next. The Buddhas and paintings and the actual structures were wildly colorful and decorative. Our guide told us so many fantastic stories. The monks are quiet and respectful, but also funny and very welcoming.

Bhutanese don’t kill to eat. They use cows and yaks for milk and chicken for eggs. Everything grown – every vegetable you can think of – is organic. The government makes sure that everyone has three meals a day. (The government also provides health care and education for all. In fact, we have never seen so many schools)! Meals typically consist of red or white rice, 3 or 4 fresh vegetables – spinach, broccoli, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, eggplant, mushrooms – you name it! And every meal has either chicken, fish or beef which comes from India. The national dish is chilis (which grow everywhere) and cheese. Very hot and very delicious – their cheese is very, very low fat, not heavy or thick.

Bhutan has only 27,000 tourists a year (compared to Bangkok which has 20,000 tourists a day)! and when you visit,you pay a fee per person to the government. For that fee, you get a guide, a driver, hotel, transportation and three meals a day. 37% of the fee goes to education and health care.

We were lucky enough to happen upon a local town festival. There are many festivals, some big and famous, and others smaller. But all festivals include colorful costumes, dancing, music, festivities. They are like outdoor, live operas. Everyone attends and watching the people is as much fun as watching the festival.

We fell in love with our guide, Kinga, who was so flexible and accommodating. He knew, after a day, the we were not “normal” tourists. On our second day there, he made sure to introduce me to the 2 men who started the Bhutan Climbing Club and off we went to the Thimpu “Nose” with 16 newly bolted routes! We did some extreme hiking – one day he hired a local guide because even he hadn’t done this particular hike. We found ourselves at about 12,000 ft, staring at the awesome Jumolari peak! We walked and trekked for hours in valleys and up mountains to monasteries and beyond. When we climbed up to Tiger’s Nest, the most famous of all monasteries, our driver ( a 19 yr. old, by then very comfortable with us) suggested that we continue up past the famous monastery to the next highest one and down a much less traveled route. Six hours later we were bushwacking our way back to the car, delighted with ourselves for finding our way down. And on our last day, when we couldn’t decide whether to drive up to the CheliLa pass for the view or to go biking, Kinga suggested we rent bikes, drive them up so we could bike down, which we did! 5.000 ft. down! And then we continued to ride all over the valley for the rest of the day! At 5:30 when it was already dark, and Kinga looked at me and said, “OK, Beryl, what’s next?” I knew he had figured me out!

But even with all the activity, many of our hikes and drives were quiet. The scenery was so gorgeous, so pristine, so serene that often silence was best. Just having so much time to think, reflect, meditate was a rare luxury.

I cried as we said goodbye on our last morning in Bhutan, but the flight out was one of the highlights of the trip. First of all, the flight in to Bhutan was pretty amazing because looking out the window on the left was Mt. Everest – just about close enough to touch! But on the departure, on the right side of the plane, for about a half hour, we had the most amazing views of “the top of the world” starring right at the highest snow covered mountains I’ve ever seen! Magnificent, majestic, magical! Awesome!

This was truly the trip of our dreams!
Here is the link to the Bhutan photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/Jack.Donenfeld/BhutanOct22Nov22009?authkey=Gv1sRgCNjuh82vv9mHIw&feat=directlink

1. Take a moment to take a deep breath of the fresh spring air.  Notice how good a really full breath makes you feel!

2.  Since we just gained an hour of daylight every single day, why not use it for an extra hour of exercise at least once a week! It doesn’t even have to be an hour all at one time.  How about a walk after dinner while it’s still light, an extra set of bicep curls, a bike ride or an exercise class?

3. Spring and summer bring an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits. Try to eat only fresh – no boxes, no  cans. You’ll be reducing sodium, additives and chemicals and adding vitamins nutrients and taste.  Enjoy a gorgeous array of colors on your plate and delight in the delicious taste of  healthy, low calorie seasonal foods. For example:

* Artichokes: one medium contains 64 calories, 10 grams of fiber and cynarin, a substance which reduces cholesterol.

* Asparagus: one spear contains 4 calories, is water- rich which can help you maintain hydration, which can improve metabolism.  It’s high in Vitamins A & C and contains cancer fighting phytochemicals.

* Cilantro : how about adding a whole bunch to a salad!  Just 2 calories per whole, big, tasty bunch!

* Nectarines: 60 calories for a medium one, lots of fiber, plus lycopene and lutein, 2 powerful natural compounds that reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

*Pineapple: One cup is 82 calories and is an excellent source of bromelain an enzyme that reduces inflammation and aids in digestion.

One more important suggestion … be MINDFUL when you eat.  Take a moment to appreciate the bounty on your plate, eat slowly so you notice the taste.  Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.  If you’re mindful, you’ll know when that is.

Be present.  Enjoy the moment!

The 4-7-8 (or Relaxing Breath) Exercise
This exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

* Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
* Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
* Hold your breath for a count of seven.
* Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
* This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.

This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Unlike tranquilizing drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently. Do not do more than four breaths at one time for the first month of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to eight breaths. If you feel a little lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be concerned; it will pass.

Once you develop this technique by practicing it every day, it will be a very useful tool that you will always have with you. Use it whenever anything upsetting happens – before you react. Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension. Use it to help you fall asleep. This exercise cannot be recommended too highly. Everyone can benefit from it.

Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit.

Combining a Harvard education and a lifetime of practicing natural and preventive medicine, Dr. Weil is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (AzCIM) at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, in Tucson, where he is also a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health and the Lovell-Jones Professor of Integrative Rheumatology. Dr. Weil received both his medical degree and his undergraduate AB degree in biology (botany) from Harvard University.

After reading my recent blogs, my 80 something year-old mother e mailed me saying that she had tried yoga but, “it was a bit too slow for me. You know how hyper I am.  But at this stage of my life, I need some mental relaxation.”
WOW!  What a perfect reason to try Yoga!
What a blessing it is to have so much energy.  And if that energy can be focused, productive and enjoyable – instead of just hyper, then it’s really a blessing.  Sometimes, we use activity as a way to ignore the chatter in our heads.  Having an Asana (physical) Yoga practice can provide the doorway to quiet the chatter and begin to achieve clarity in our thoughts.
Good Luck, Mom.

In yoga class today, as we were in downward dog about to jump through to a seated position, the teacher said, “look forward, between your hands so you can land there.”  In other words, look where you are going.

Riding on a mountain bike, if you set your sight on the obstacle in front of you – a rock, a mud hole, a branch – you will surely crash.  But if you look to where you want to go, beyond the obstacle – to your goal – you will probably get there.  That’s why in Spinning classes, we visualize the top of the mountain or the finish line or the last road. We visualize success!

By setting our intentions,  having goals,  looking where we are going … towards an exercise program,  healthier eating habits, reading more, being kinder, more compassionate, more patient… wherever it is we are going,  if we look there, we can get there!

After a session of her healing,  magical touch,  Brenda said something ridiculous to me!  She firmly told me,  in no uncertain terms, that I had to “love my shoulder.”  I was in no mood to love any part of the body that had betrayed me.  Especially my shoulder.  But she insisted.

When I left, I thought about what she said.  I really thought about it.  And something in me shifted.  My attitude.

And I decided to love the very thing that was hurting me the most.

I balanced grueling physical therapy with gentle massage.  I alternated aggressive stretching with warm heat packs.  And my shoulder began to heal.  In fact, it was a miraculously quick and full recovery.

Thank you, Brenda Villa, for shifting my attitude.

3/4 cup quick cooking oats

1 1/2 cups plus 2 TB well shaken buttermilk,divided

3/4 cup oat flour (or whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 t baking powder

3/4 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t nutmeg

1/2 t salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 T  melted butter (optional)

1 t brown sugar or maple syrup

Soak oats in 3/4 cup buttermilk for 10 minutes, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in bowl. Stir egg, butter, remaining 3/4 plus 2 T buttermilk and oat mixture into dry ingredients until just combined.

Heat a griddle, lightly brush with oil, cook and serve.  YUM!

I have skied every day. And every day that I have skied, I have been thankful that I’m back on the slopes after my devastating fall last year which resulted in a broken shoulder, surgery and lots of rehab. It also resulted in a new way of skiing for me. I am now a yogi on skis, which to me means that I am present, focused and always “in the moment.”

Present, focused and in the moment – isn’t that how we should live our lives?

The rehab for my shoulder was hard work, but as my father often told me, “hard work pays off.” Physical Therapy started the healing process, but consistent yoga, stretching and Pilates has given me back almost full range of motion in my shoulder with absolutely no pain. (And I’m not giving up on those few last degrees of range of motions – I’m still working at it).

I have learned from every injury I’ve had.  I’m constantly seeking knowledge and learning. Anatomy is my passion and I love yoga therapeutics and helping you; my friends, my clients.

I love being in the mountains, close to the royal blue sky, breathing the fresh air, skiing down the gorgeous snow! But when I come back, my focus will be on you! In the meantime, take care of your minds and your bodies. Stay present. Breathe. Exercise. Take care!

(This e mail will be my first new blog entry on my website in a long, long time. I am making a commitment to keeping a consistent blog that will be informational and fun to read)!

Be Present. Enjoy the moment,
Beryl