Book Review 17th May to newsletter

"Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda

This is not only a must read for  anyone interested in or starting their journey in yoga but also for anyone embarked on a spiritual path.
It is regarded as probably the most significant spiritual biography of the 20thC, full of knowledge and rich in personal experiences.
While the whole book is compelling reading, the most inspiring and fascinating chapters are those on the yogi's personal relationship with his masters (gurus)  and  those  that deal with the mysteries of life after death. There are also the wonderful conversations he has with Gandhi whilst spending a few days with him and his famly and the miracle of the yogi's own death.  Buy on web shopping page or call in after phoning first.
Recipes
This week is about fast food.  Cous cous is really fast food - just soak it in hot water for 3 mins, add a few ingredients and you're away.  However most people find it difficult to add the right flavour.  The secret to making tasty couscous is to add the flavour to the water - before soaking the couscous so that the flavour soaks into the base.

I am using one of my favourite books again - Spiritual Pie.

This book takes me back to my earthy mother days when I ahd two young sons and used to make my own soya milk (occasionally), home made yoghurt and bread (by hand).  The books takes you through step by step the easy but messy process of making soya milk, tofu, yoghurt and more. 

But we're sticking to the easy couscous recipes today.

Basic couscous
225 g couscous
1/4 litre water
1 tsbs olive oil
soy sauce to taste or miso
or a stock cube
2 tsp butter

Bring water to boil in a saucepan, add olive oil and seasoning of your choice.

Remove from the heat and add the couscous  aloowing it to soak up the liquid over about 3 mins or so.

Return to a low heat and add the buttter stirring in with a fork to make light and fluffy.

That's all!

Now you can add a few ingredients. i.e. beans, salad, feta cheese your choice.

Fruit couscous
1 cup of basic couscous
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup mixed fruit (chopped dried apricots are good)
1 tbsp oil
1 stick celery finely chopped
1 green pepper finely chopped (or any colour)
1/2 tsp cumin
curry powder to taste

Saute all ingredients except the couscous in the oil until softened and tender.
Stir into the couscous
Serve as a salad

Easy peasy

This book is on sale at our centre for £4.99 with a wipe clean cover too.

You can buy on the shopping page and it will cost £2.50 for postage or pay on that page and we will put it aside for you.  We have 3 copies in stock.

Mab Cafe event
Alan Cox Spirit Guides - 26th April
Alan Cox was a fantastic speaker and had the small but perfectly formed audience enthralled.  As there were not many people there he was able to talk to each individual member of the audience and for those who wanted him to, he was able to tell them who their Spirit Guides were.  it was amazingly accurate and everyone was really impressed.

Book review w/c 8th May
Freakonomics
by Steven D Levitt & Stephen J Dubner

If you find  questions like:
Why do Drug dealers live with their Mums?
What makes a perfect parent?
Do estate agents really want to get the best deal for you?
Who are the cheats in our society?

New York was once one of the most dangerous cities in the world and is now one of the safest.  Was it really the introduction of zero tolerence that made the difference. Or was it that with the introduction of legalised abortion several years earlier there were less unwanted children born to poverty - the very children who, statistics show, are more likely to become criminals?

Not all questions in the book are quite so morally challenging as that, but all are thought provoking and take accepted explanations and shred them.

The motto of the book:
Assume nothing, question everything
Book review
Book of the week April 14th
Spiritual Pie by Judith Lindsay
Spiritual Pie is a book full of wholesome good ideas and earthy recipes that make you feel as though you are looking after yourself.  Altogether a brilliant idea and no more trouble to make than your conventional recipes.
Here is an example that I have tried and enjoyed:
Lentil and tomato Quiche (serves 4-6)

Wholemeal Shortcrust Pastry
2 tblsp Olive Oil
2 celery sticks finaely chopped
1 cup green lentils (or Puy)
400g tomatoes peeled and chopped (or a tin)
1 tblsp tomato puree
2 cups water
3 tblsp parsley fresh (or dried use half )
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 tblsp sesame seeds

Roll out the pastry and line a quiche or flan dish
Blind bake for 10 - 20 mins 400f 200c
REmove the blind and return to the oven for a further 5 mins.
Meanwhile heat the oil in a pan, add celery and cook until soft (I also added onions)
Add lentils, tomato + puree and water
Cover and simmer for about 1 hour stirring occasionally until the lentils are tender.  Cook with the lid off if there is too much moisture.  Youare aiming for a thick paste consistency for spreading into the flan.
Stir in the aprsley adn season to taste.
Turn the mixture into the flan dish and spread evenly.
Sprinkle with grated cheese and sesame seeds and return to the oven for a further 15 mins until the cheese is bublling.
The lentils, wholemeal flour, sesame seeds make this a complete protein dish without the cheese.  You just need some steamed vegetables or a salad to accompany.

The book has lots of recipes to choose from like this one. 

There is also a chpater telling you how to make sya milk and tofu from soya beans, sandwich spreads and lots more really earthy and healthy options.

if this is your kind of book then we have them on sale @ £5.99.  Buy on the shopping cart page or buy on 26th April on our MAB day.

Save the latest news about supplements with the links we have provided on the links page

The Psychic Day went well but the unexpected thing to come out of it was when Derek brought in a selection of crystals for some of us.  It was really interesting as he went through each one and explained what it meant, where it came from etc. spontaneously. Everyone agreed that he was really good at it, it felt like sitting with Grandad having a story almost (sorry Derek) We tried to persudae him that more people would like to hear about his crystals in this way and I am hoping that one day he will come and share with more of us.  - He's a bit shy!

But the highlight was when Derek introduced us to 'Mucky Marbles' .

What came up in the conversation was Moki Marbles (spelt in various ways but this is the simplest), also known as Shaman Stones.  They look like big lead shot but are in fact naturally formed balls of metal encasing tight packed sand.  They are found in the deserts of Utah and have traditionally been used by the Moki trible of Indians in meditation and journeying.  You get males and females and need one of each.

Well of course, they then became mucky marbles despite Derek trying to keep the proceedings sensible - and everyone had to have a pair.  They are a fantastic phenonemon of nature and I dutifully use mine on every guided journeying class.


We will be at Rossendale show grounds on Sunday 24th June under a small gazebo.  The address is Pitt Fields.  There are all sorts of other things going on if you fancy a change.  We are hoping that the weather has improved by then or we will wbe coming home I think.  Update -We were there for about one hour before the rain became so bad that everyone went home.

Circle Dancing
On Sunday 25th March a small group formed the first of a regular monthly circling dancing class.  Even though numbers were small all enjoyed it very much.  A number of people who wanted to attend could not make this one but will be aiming to come to the next one so if you're interested sign up now.  It will be the third Sunday in the month.

Candle Celebration

We had a good turn out the evening was well-received.  We first learned the simple steps to a circle dance and then after practise we danced with candles.  it was very atmospheric and great fun.  We then used the same candles for a meditation exercise which seemed to leave everyone feeling very relaxed and calm.

The meditation class will continue after the New year on Wednesday evenings 7.30 - 9pm

7 Step to Success Weekend workshop

Participants found this an intense weekend of self discovery and liberating realisations about themselves and their lives.

It was a small group but each person took away life changing revelations.

We looked at the 7 essential ingredients to a happy and successful life (after defining success) then we looked at the various areas of our lives and discovered which steps were misssing in each area.  As the end we put them all together and everyone had a new knowledge about their ways forward in life.

We explored these topics with practical exercises and self-discovery methods.

We will be running another workshop early next year

Yin Yoga workshop on Sunday was themed on deepening your Yin practise.

This was a fantastic weekend and by popular demand, Barry is considering running this workshop regularly throughout the year.

If you are interested please let us know.

Tarot Worshop

Picture of budding Tarot readers being put through their paces by Janey

Everyone enjoyed the Tarot workshop and some of the reading were astonishingly accurate.  Everyone had a wonderful time.  We are going to repeat this again later in the year and then all who want to from the two courses can go on to level 2.
Can you spot our Barry in the picture there and is that his handbag to the left?

You know where to come now if you want a tarot reading!

Janey will be repeating this course.

Book reviews

Our first review is of an old but wise book.  It was first published in 1952 and we have an original copy at the center, though I imagine it has been republished several times since.

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S.Lewis

You would be forgiven for thinking that this may be a childrens book but it isn't.  It is a Science Fiction book with profound messages and reflections on our society, possibly just as relevant now as when it was written.  C. S. Lewis gained a fellowship in Oxford where he was a lecturer and tutor of English Literature so as you would expect it is a well written easy read.  He was also awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the University of St. Andrews.

If you have read any of the Dan Millman books i.e. 'Journey of the Peaceful Warrior', you could almost look upon Out of the Silent Planet as a forerunner for this type of book.

Dr. Ransom, a linguist, is kidnapped by two ex fellow university students one of whom is a mad scientist.  He is taken as what the kidnappers believe is to be a sacrifice on Mars (Milandra).  The jounrey requires a great suspension of belief as when the story was written space travel was only being dreamed about, however it is brilliantly described.  Upon arrival on the planet Ransom escapes and finds a different story.  It is a world where different species somewhat like our animals live separately and are content to live without rivalry or enslavement and each respects the others perspective without accepting it.  He finds that creatures on this planet are more humane than humans back home.  He is taught the language of one species.  There is an all knowing ruler of the planet and invisible creatures that fly around passing words of wisdom and instructions from the all knowing one into the mind of our hero and the inhabitants of Milandra.

A novel before its time.

Our well used copy is £1