Conscious Crete Newsletter

Practicing Yoga is very common in our society. Many people have already experienced the  benefits of Breathwork, Asana and yogic Philosophy for their wellbeing and have made it a part  of their everyday life. But what about our kids?  Does it make sense to do Yoga with kids? Many kids have to deal with sensory overload or pressure in different ways. Performance pressure  can become an issue very early, even in Kindergarten. During the pandemic other issues became  more serious. Some kids still suffer from the effects of social distancing. And some kids have to  re-learn social skills. All that can effect the body and mind of young children. But what does that have to do with Yoga? The physical benefits of Yoga for kids are the same as for adults: - body and breath awareness are  trained,  -the practice helps to improve the posture, -the muscular system is strengthened.  -motor  skills and coordination are refined.  -the urge to move...

  Fegato alla Milanese (Liver Milan style) One of my earliest childhood memories was of my Armenian grandmother making this incredible dish. As you will have noticed, the dish originated in Milan, along with all other rich Italian foods as a result of that city's prosperity. Over the years, I've been fortunate to visit Milan countless times for business and pleasure and I always order this tasty dish because of the happy memories it invokes. Ingredients: (for 2 people) 4 slices of beef liver 2 medium onions 1 glass of wine (250 mls) Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil Instructions: 1. Thinly slice the onions and place in a pan on high heat with the olive oil 2. Sautée the onions until they are a golden colour (not brown!) 3. Start to add a little wine, and watch for the pan to dry before adding some more wine. Keep doing this until the onions start breaking down in the pan.(You might need not need all the wine, so let the onions guide you here) 4. Now add your salt and pepper 5....

No matter to which religious tradition you swear allegiance, if you live in Crete, you might have noticed a profound truth: for Orthodox Christians Easter is the thing . No other celebration around the year gets so much attention, so much energy and involves so much food as Easter. Coming after 6 weeks of strict fasting…you would say the food and the partying are to be expected…However, there is more to it than meets the eye. Easter is not only Easter Sunday but it includes the week before…the Holy Week or…the Week of Passions as we call it in Romania. During this week, each step of Jesus is being carefully accounted for in rituals that add to each other to recreate the energy of an event that happened more than 2000 years ago…2023 to be more precise! Looking back at my own upbringing, in an essentially orthodox society, Easter was as much a religious celebration as a social happening. It was the time when us kids were allowed to linger on the streets until late at night as...

  Here are a few reasons why you might want to start or restart dancing tango...from a tango addict!   Why Tango? -Think of one dance that does not require memorized steps....nothing comes to mind? I give you a hint: TANGO - Tango gives you an universal language to connect  with anyone in the world who shares the same “tango culture”. No language/origin/education/social barriers. -Every dance can be different depending on your mood. It can be anything .Sensual or silly or both! -It is a mild aerobic exercise, with minimum stress in joints.   -It brings out your inner artist, musician, and dancer. All at the same time, as you struggle to   visualize music with your body and feet. -It redefines roles by learning mutual respect   DISCLAIMER: Attention!: this is a strictly improvised, highly addicting activity. Once you experience that you are actually enjoying a “body jamming session”   with   your partner , you will start to ...

  The talk of this month is   You Do Not Have a Life by Eckhard Tolle. He is an enlightened master, spiritual teacher, and author. His most popular book is “The Power of NOW“.   He is speaking all over the world and in my opinion, he has a very beautiful sense of humour and a verry keen power of observation.   I find this talk very impressive because it shows how easily we get trapped in the mind game. This game only works by separation and duality.   In this talk the main issue is the perceived separation between you   and you having a life, but it can be every other thought, it does not matter, because our mind likes to run the show and keep us busy.   This game always starts with some kind of separation and then the door is open for judgment and fighting.   If there is no separation, there is also no space for fighting and then there is only oneness. The problem is we cannot reach and discover this oneness with our mind be...

  What is community connectedness? Community connectedness is the measure of our sense of community – that is, how connected we feel to those around us. Whether it's with a group of friends, a hobby group, a sporting team, our neighbours or an online community, a sense of belonging is what humans require. Broadly defined, “social connectedness” (also referred to as “social connection”) is a state of feeling close (or “connected”) to another person or other people. This includes feeling cared about by others (and caring about others), as well as a feeling of belonging to a group or community. Human beings are ‘social animals’. Our relationships with others contribute to feeling good, so it’s important to socially connect with others where we can. Developing healthy social relationships can increase our feelings of happiness, security, belonging and self-worth. Creating bonds with family and friends allows us to feel secure. Sharing positive experiences give us a chance to he...

 Pranayama, or breath control, is an ancient yogic science that is an essential component of yoga. The term pranayama is derived from two Sanskrit words: "prana," which means vital energy or life force, and "yama," which means control.  Rather than controlling the breath, ancient scriptures define pranayama as a yogic practice that aims to expand the breath. Through regular practice, one can feel and guide the pran to improve one's physical, mental, and emotional health.   Pranayama, or yogic breathing, is an essential component of hatha yoga. It’s a centuries-old technique that has been practised in India and other parts of the world for thousands of years. It is a simple yet effective method for improving health and quality of life.   The benefits of Pranayama   Pranayama has numerous health and mental benefits. Here are a few examples: ·        Stress and anxiety are reduced : Regular pranayama practice can help to ...

  Hi everyone! My name is Helen and I love exploring Crete, the mountains and the trails.  I am excited to share with you some of my favourite routes 🙂 Located just 10km from Chania, the Monastery of Agia Kiriaki in Varipetro is a hidden gem nestled in a beautiful gorge, surrounded by a protected grove with a river and several cavernous churches accessible through stone-paved trails.  The ecosystem here is very rich and unique, with thoughtful labels identifying the flora and fauna along the way.  The best way to discover the monastery and its surrounding area is to start from the Agia Kiriaki church.  Here you can park your car (or bicycle!) and take a walk across the valley, following the little paths that lead to the tiny churches in caves, and eventually ascending straight to the monastery. To properly explore the area, make sure to devote at least 1-2 hours and I would highly recommend bringing a picnic or at least some snacks. The trail involves a lot of ...