• Wash and prepare the veggies by chopping them into bite size pieces. Wash the mung dal. 

• In a saucepan, put the dal, veggies and water. Cook, partially covered, until the dal and veggies are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from sticking. 

• Heat oil on medium in a good sized pot and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Stir until the seeds pop, then mix in the cilantro, garlic & hing. Cook until the garlic is slightly brown. 

• Add the mung dal mixture to the spices. Stir in the turmeric, salt and masala powder. 

• Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and serve. 

There was a time when ancient wisdom was kept in great secrecy and limited to masters. Devote followers would redeem tiny morsels of enlightening knowledge from their teachers, after completing arduous tasks and ascetic feats. Today everything has changed. The internet has made us all wise. Thousands of gurus post their wisdom in blog or video format on YouTube and voila, one can have their Self realized in a matter of minutes.

We also live in a time where the word Apocalypse has become forefront in our minds. We have arrived at 2012 and everyone is talking. Rather than fear a doomsday event, we can look deeper and find that the Greek root of the word means a full, divine revelation. These are days where the secrets are coming into the light for all to see; all knowledge becoming accessible; a time of great revealing after a long time of great forgetting!

So what does this have to do with SSHY and Ume’s Kitchen? A lot. The staff and teachers, here, are sharing what was once a very coveted and hidden knowledge: esoteric wisdom that reaches thousands of years into history. Yoga is old and hotter than ever. When you come out of the hot room, sweating and pondering the purpose of your birth, there sits a mysterious place called Ume’s Kitchen. Unfolding at a turtle’s pace, is Winnipeg’s most unique kitchen. While the rabbit nods off to sleep, Amanda Ing, the visionary owner of SSHY and Ume’s Kitchen, has been working hard behind the scenes, envisioning a place where the esoteric sciences can blossom in full view and the people of Winnipeg can now access what was once reserved for a very few.

We are coming up on 3 years of trial and error in creating something entirely new for the community. Coffee, juices, and the typical fanfare that appease the senses are not what this place is about. It goes much deeper and far reaching than that. Attempting to demystify and share the mysterious is not an easy undertaking. People like the comfort of their own knowing. What they do not know often scares them. We’ve had to rethink the vision many times but the dream is alive more than ever and is manifesting.

My first blog here, is more an invitation to patience and openness for what is unfolding: a blending of yoga, macrobiotics and ayurveda for all who want to experience the healing wonders of these ancient sciences with a modern twist.

We are going to kick off this apocalyptic year with open houses once a month AND one celebratory event per month such as Valentine’s Day (coming up on February 14^th!). Each open house will host talks, sharing and samples to introduce these esoteric philosophies with fun and friendly ease. Each celebratory day will include delicious ayurvedic and macrobiotic treats after class.

Amanda Ing (yoga, holistic nutrition), Kalee Mund (Ayurveda) and myself, Tannis Kohut (Macrobiotics and energy medicine) are looking forward to these events with much enthusiasm. We hope to see you Sunday,February 26^th and Sunday, March 18^th for our first open house days. Come and sweat, stretch, relax, listen, sample, chat, enjoy and experience the wonders of these ancient ways with us!  

Blessings along your path,

Tannis Kohut

Many of you have been hearing the word Ayurveda (ah-yer-vey-duh) being used in and around the studio over the last couple months and some of you may have been familiar with it before.  Many may not be aware of the connection and expansive history that Yoga and Ayurveda share.   

The two go hand in hand and are the ancient life disciplines that have been practiced in India for thousands of years. 

* Yoga is the science of union with the Divine, and Ayurveda is the science of life 

* Ayurveda is the healing side of Yoga, and Yoga is the spiritual tradition from which Ayurveda emerged 

* Through Yoga one prepares for a healthy mind and through Ayurveda one prepares for a healthy body 

* Yoga helps with enlightenment and Ayurveda helps with perfect health 

Yoga and Ayurveda originate from the Vedic traditions of India, and both are a means of gaining and maintaining better health.  

Yoga is a spiritual science of self-development and self-realization through a wide range of methods that span from physical postures, breathing exercises, mantra and meditation all based on the philosophy of living a natural life. 

Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India and like yoga covers a wide array of health practices including diet, herbs, exercise, bodywork, detoxification programs and life-style management regimens that relate to our unique individual constitution and laws of nature. 

Yoga and Ayurveda are two complementary systems of maintaining health and human development.  They were developed by the legendary rishis or holy men, who understood the laws of the universe and the inner workings of the cosmos that hold the key to transformation of the Self. 

Join Amanda, Tannis and myself for a little bit of extra love on Valentine’s Day. We will be delivering delicious food and beverages made with love onTuesday, February 14th following the 5pm & 7pm classes. 

The tasty Valentine's Day menu includes Wheat-free Chocolate Almond cookies, Macrobiotic Ume Papita Stuffed Rice Balls (What the heck are those you ask? Come on down & see for yourself!), and Tannis' Special Quenching Coconut Lassie Drink. There will also be a healthy Ayurvedic Mung Dahl meal for purchase if you would like to complete your day in a delicious & nutritious way. Cash only please.

I will also be here at SSHY for our upcoming monthly open house Sundays (First one - Sunday, Feb. 26th!) for questions on treatments (ayurvedic facials, body work, diet counselling etc.) or even to share a cup of delicious tea that I have prepared for you!  I will be involved in the April Yoga challenge which promises to be the first of it’s kind with a plethora of goodies built in to the challenge to help set you up for the best health you ‘ve felt in years!

Stay tuned for videos and monthly blogs from myself, Amanda and Tannis on recipes, treatments, and how to make ayurveda a part of your daily rountine and lifestyle. 

Sincerely,

Kalee Mund