April 2006

Greetings to you all!

Are you and your colleagues in need of a retreat from your work environment, space to let go, breathe and re-connect with your infinite creative potential?

Perhaps you don't even have the time to arrange taking time out? Let us do everything for you.

We invite you to enjoy an Ayurveda Wellness Day

Here's what another client had to say on behalf of her group:
" The day yesterday was more successful than we had originally hoped for largely due to your contribution.  I will certainly use your services again when appropriate. Listening to the rest of the crew in the Kombi on the way home was a pleasure – a new lightness and ease with each other. Long may it last!"
Margie Pankhurst

Corporate Wellness

By the end of your Corporate Wellness Day, you can expect to feel more alive in your body, have a quieter and clearer mind, and an increased sense of emotional balance. Being more connected to your Self, you will also feel more harmony and acceptance towards the other people in your group. As you learn self-care habits and cooking tips to take home, you can enhance your quality of life even after the retreat.

Your program will include some or all of the following: 

¨ 90 min of massage in total per person:
-invigorating shoulder massage seated, no oil
-deeply relaxing foot massage with the bowl
-back massage
¨ Vegetarian lunch prepared with ayurvedic principles
¨ Herbal and spiced teas
¨ Cooking demonstration
¨ Morning and afternoon snack
¨ Group Yoga/stretching/breathing/ relaxation 60 min
¨ Discussion on self-care from an ayurvedic perspective
¨ Art/craft play making a collage
¨ Relaxation time, time in nature

Please feel free to contact us for a program and price which meets your group's needs.

Contents

Space therapy
Recipe: Mama's Millet cream
Marvelous Millet
April Specials
Ayurveda workshops

Space therapy

- what is Space element?

The element ether, called akasha in Sanskrit, is the most subtle and difficult to perceive of the five elements. Being emptiness, it is the space the other elements fill, the space in which everything happens. It is the field that is simultaneously the source of all matter and the space in which it exists. Ether is the distance which separates matter.

Ether is cold, light, immobile. The mind is composed of ether as it is formless and nearly impossible to contain. In the body, ether is expressed within the empty spaces. The hollow of the empty intestines, blood vessels, bladder and the lungs are filled with ether.

- how do we know when Space is out of balance?

In balance, ether is responsible for a peaceful, calm centred mind. There is creativity and expansiveness, open-mindedness.

When there is an excess of ether element, we feel ungrounded, ‘spaced out', empty, light-headed. We are indecisive, lack faith and are unreliable. An increase of space and a decrease in structure results in the destruction of tissue. Parkinson's disease is an example of a condition where space is created in the body where once there was cellular structure. The loss of dopamine producing cells in the brain stem creates an increase in emptiness.

Winter is the season of ether when Nature intends everything and everyone to become lighter. There is a danger of becoming too light at this time if the proper precautions are not taken. Thus, human beings have historically prepared for this season by storing up food and other supplies to see them through this period of emptiness.  

In the cycle of life, death is the time of ether. The body disintegrates and the elements flee their boundaries. All that remains is the subtly of our spirit.

When there is too little Space element, a person feels trapped, constricted, closed minded, overly driven by routine. Physically, there is heaviness as the open channels are clogged. The person is lacking in creativity.

- how can we balance Space element?

Ether can be kept in balance by filling the emptiness in our lives. Our lives become full, not by being busy, but by being nourished physically, emotionally and spiritually. Emotionally, love is the highest form of nourishment.

Proper nourishment such as moist, heavy, satisfying foods pacify ether as the empty space of the digestive system becomes full. Foods which are predominantly bitter will increase ether. By taking in a variety of the other elements the effects of ether are balanced.

On a very practical level, we can clear clutter from every part of our work and living space. This gets rid of the old and makes room for the new.

Meditation is one of the most ancient and effective ways to expand your mind and connect with the Infinite. Contact us for guidance on how and where to learn more about meditation.

Recipe: Mama's Millet Cream

Delicious and nourishing breakfast or dessert, especially good for children before going off to for the day to school. Add in as many of the optional ingredients as you like. If you are concerned about gaining weight, omit the dairy, you could replace it with soya milk.

Marvelous Millet

As millet is heating and drying in its effect, it increases the Space element. It is an ideal food for conditions of water retention, excess weight, heaviness, toxicity or excess mucous. However, in the absence of these conditions, you can balance the light, dry qualities of millet by adding heavy foods such as dairy, dates and nuts to it as in the above recipe, or cooking it in plenty of water. It is an immune booster and easy to digest. Previously it was widely used as a feed for cattle and birds, now it is becoming more and more popular in the West for humans as a gluten-free grain alternative to wheat.

Millet is thought to have originated in North Africa, specifically in Ethiopia , where it has been consumed since prehistoric times. There is even mention of millet in the Bible as an ingredient for unleavened bread. Millet is still an extremely important food staple in Africa where finely ground millet is used to make a traditional flatbread known as injera .

Like all grains, before cooking millet, rinse it thoroughly under running water and then remove any dirt or debris that you may find. After rinsing, add one part millet to two and a half parts boiling water or broth. After the liquid has returned to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. The texture of millet cooked this way will be fluffy like rice. If you want the millet to have a more creamy consistency, stir it frequently adding a little water every now and then.

To impart a nuttier flavor to the cooked millet, you could roast the grains first before boiling. To do this, place the grains in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir them frequently. When they have achieved a golden color, add them to the boiling cooking liquid.

April Specials

1.Spoil yourself with a one week Ayurveda Wellness Retreat at the luxurious and stylish Kronendal Heritage Guesthouse in Hout Bay

Allow yourself to just be, without having to plan or think.
Enjoy exquisite views in every direction while relaxing at the pool or on your private terrace.
Go for morning and evening walks at the nearby beaches of Hout Bay or Llandundno
Remember your true nature as you let go of accumulated stresses through massage, yoga and conscious breathing.
Our retreats are highly personalised, as we take only a small number of people at a time. 
Sometimes holidays leave us feeling drained of energy and depleted. By the end of this retreat you can expect to feel more alive in your body, have a quieter and clearer mind, and an increased sense of emotional balance. You will also acquire healthy habits and daily routine to take home, enhancing your quality of life even after the retreat.

What is included in this retreat? 

· Five nights accommodation in stylish and individually furnished apartments, offering a high measure of comfort, peacefulness and private space. Both apartments have their own terrace with a unique view over the verdant valley of Hout Bay, as well as a kitchen or kitchenette for self-catering 
· Various Ayurvedic Massages: your imbalances and preferences will be taken into consideration for your retreat program : total treatment time of 12 hrs
· Advice/instruction on cooking with ayurvedic principles
· Hamper of food for self-catering
· Counseling & listening
· Ayurvedic Diet & Lifestyle Counselling
· Guidance in, and materials for self-care treatments
· Personalised daily Yoga  & relaxation
· Accompanied silent walks in Nature
· Use of the 15m UV filtered swimming pool bathed in sunlight throughout the day
· Beautiful, well maintained and tranquil garden  
· Written guidelines for continuing to feel balanced after the retreat

Only R7200 for single or R13 500 for two people sharing. This offer is available from Monday to Saturday until 30 April 2006

2.Relax, breathe and unwind........give yourself time to just be. Enjoy six hours of Ayurvedic Massage, Diet & Lifestyle Counselling, a simple wholesome meal, snacks, herbal teas and relaxation

What is included in this one day retreat? 

¨ luxurious four handed full body oil massage
¨ deeply relaxing foot massage
¨ nurturing hand massage, relaxing your whole body
¨ healthy and wholesome one dish vegetarian meal
¨ ayurvedic diet & lifestyle consultation
¨ breathing and relaxation
¨ herbal teas and fruit or nut snacks

Only R720. This offer is available from Monday to Friday until 30 April 2006. Surcharge applies on weekend

Ayurveda workshop :

Vedic society presents: An Introduction to Vaastu - How to turn your home into a space of vibrant healing
Contact us for more information on this and future talks arranged by the Vedic society.

"If when you leave our world, you leave it even slightly better
than it was when you entered it, you will have made life more
livable for those who will follow you, and yours will have been
a life well lived."

from Ayurveda Life, Health and Longevity by Robert  E. Svoboda

With love and gratitude,

The Nalanda team

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