Welcome!

Prana is a sanskrit word meaning "vital life" and is represented by the breath. Prana (or Chi or Qi) is a critical component to health and balance. Prana is energy and the force of life. By exercising Purpose to increase Prana we can experience new levels of wellbeing in our lives.







Sunday, February 20, 2011

Real Food

Prana is abundant in “real” foods, especially foods that are cooked fresh and consumed right away.  Not only does that tomato you just picked in the garden have more taste than the ones you buy at the grocery store that have been picked prior to being ripe to endure a long-distance journey to your local supermarket, they also have more Prana.  More Prana means that your body will be able to process the food more proficiently and benefit even more from the nutrients the tomato possesses. Although we have all been told “you are what you eat”, in Ayurveda it is actually “you are what you digest”.  Bottom line, we digest food with more Prana much more efficiently.
So you live in the middle of New York City and can’t grow your own tomatoes?  OK – I’ve been there.  But with a little creativity, I was able to manage to get my hands on really fresh vegetables all year long.   Here are some options….
Use indoor growing mediums such as hydroponics to grow small vegetables and herbs at home
I loved walking into my living room to pick fresh lettuces for my salad!  And the full-spectrum lighting that is used to grow plants indoors is a great mood enhancer if, like me, you suffer Seasonal Affective Disorder from the long, dark winters.
Take advantage of community gardens to grow your own food
In my neighborhood there were multiple gardens to choose from. These are great urban oases that are doing a tremendous job in bringing agriculture into the inner city.  Google “community gardens” in your city for a local listing of options.
Work with a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group or co-op and get in-season fresh vegetables each week
Buy shares in a working farm which entitle you to a certain amount of produce each week.  Some co-ops and CSA’s have a work requirement as part of their membership, such as so many hours working in the co-op.  In New York, another option is to try Urban Organics for fresh organic produce delivered fresh from the farm to your door each week.
Shop at the local farmer’s market
Of course New York’s Union Square is a fantastic market, but local communities have many of their own markets to choose from.
For a list of local farmer’s markets and CSA’s, check out:  http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
Real food is one of the easiest ways to increase Prana. We all eat.  So if you start making food choices that increase your Prana you can make a profound impact on your wellbeing.
 Start incorporating real food into your meals and see what affect it has on you.
With Purpose and Prana,

Julie

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Prana

Prana – or “vital life” – is found in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the vibrations of the music we listen to, the aromas that surround us and the circulation of our blood through our body as we move.  It is energy and the force of life.
Increasing Prana is a major component to a healthy lifestyle.  Many of us have been told to increase whole foods in our diets, reduce processed foods, increase activity levels, and reduce stress.  This “increase-this-and-reduce-that” mentality can really be summed up very easily by saying – Increase Prana.
So today, think about this…
Observe your actions during the day.  Take a moment to determine if the actions you have taken or are about to take will increase Prana or not.
Some examples:
As you wait for the elevator, would it increase Prana more to take the stairs?  And is it realistic to do so?
As you put a frozen entrĂ©e into the microwave for lunch, ask if it is increasing Prana or not.  Would adding a salad of mixed greens increase it more?
At the grocery store, do you bypass the carrots with the stems for the neatly processed and packaged “baby carrots”?  Which do you think have the most nutrients intact and would increase Prana more?  The ones straight from the ground with minimal processing or the ones that have been through a gauntlet of equipment to shave and cut them into unnatural “baby” sizes and package them?
On Saturday morning, would it increase Prana to take the family to an open-air farmer’s market?
These are but a few examples of how when you take a moment to think about your actions, you can make more purposeful choices to increase Prana.  It does not have to be a radical re-design of your life.  It is simply making an effort to be more conscious of what you are doing and recognizing where you are increasing Prana and where you are not.
With Purpose and Prana,
Julie

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Launch!

I am very excited to launch the Purpose and Prana blog!  Welcome!

Why Purpose and Prana? 

Well I have found that being a "Type A" personality with "new age" tendencies often appears to be oxymoronic.  How does one meditate or enter a state of deep relaxation but yet be motivated by purpose?  Doesn't that put too much pressure on the meditation session?  Wouldn't you just sit there "thinking" the whole time?  And can't that stress you out even more????  Well sure.....but.....

Purpose also allows us to set our intentions more firmly and stay grounded in the present moment which is a key component of maintaining the "gap" of meditation and the ability to stay calm and relaxed during the day.  By applying purpose consistently I have experienced more joy and success than if I leave purpose out of the equation of my life.  Purpose is not at odds with adopting a more holistic approach to living.  It can and does compliment and reinforce this approach.

This blog is dedicated to helping us all achieve a more holistic lifestyle, increase prana in our lives and purposefully make decisions that bring us balance and wellbeing.

So now....let's take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.  That is the most basic of all ways to increase your Prana.  Breathe in and out with purpose for a few breaths and see how great it feels to have the energy and oxygen circulate through your body.

Welcome to my blog!  I hope you enjoy it and we can all learn from each other.

Namaste.