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728 Main Street, Vancouver
Highlights
RADHA VANCOUVER IS NOW OFFERING CLASSES FOR OUR WINTER SESSION! FRIDAY: There are three Hatha classes today one at 7:00, one at 9:30 and our noon stretch & relax class at 12:00 . Discover yourself in the calm atmosphere of RADHA.
Three mornings a week give yourself a head start for your day and come to our 7am Hatha classes on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Also, remember our 10 week Kundalini session at 7pm Monday and Tuesday evening (see more below or on our blog).
PAY-AS-YOU-CAN classes If in need, PAY-AS-YOU-CAN. Classes are available to all!
YOGA classes 16 drop-in classes/week, including a deeper exploration of Hatha with Hidden Language Hatha Yoga.
KUNDALINI classes Mondays at 7pm and Tuesdays at 7pm (Young Adults) Ten week session from JANUARY 16 & 17 until March 19 & 20. Please call for more info or to register.
SATSANG Sunday 7:30 - 8:30 pm. Ongoing every Sunday. FREE! Come and join our community Sunday, February 5th for a special Satsang to honour Swami Radha and her work..
WORKSHOPS Come to our 2 hour workshops Saturdays from 10:00 - 12:00 pm. Bring a journal.
February 11 ~ Mantra Yoga. Observe the effect of sound on your mind.
February 25 ~ Divine Light Invocation. Learn to fill yourself with Light and give back to others.
COOKING CLASSES Rooted Nutrition's classes are off to a good start. There are 7 classes in February starting next weekend with:
Saturday, Feb 4 Sprouting
Saturday, Feb 5 Intro to Sourdough baking
Kundalini: The Way We Work
Please enjoy this short video introduction to the kundalini system by Swami Radhananda.
Kundalini yoga is the path to freedom through self-investigation. Using reflection exercises, meditations and breathing techniques, you will go step by step, cakra by cakra, through an exploration of consciousness.
Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? In the practice of kundalini yoga, you will ask yourself many questions and you should be willing to investigate your own answers. As you become stronger at looking for possibilities, you may accept the challenge of discovering the mystery deep within yourself – the innate power that is called kundalini.
Radha will be offering a 4-week session of kundalini classes on Mondays & Tuesdays, from 7-9pm, beginning April 25 & 26. Please bring a journal for recording your insights.
Essential Nature – Gem Salsberg
Gem Salsberg, a previous Radha chef and our current photographer and yoga student, is a talented artist whom we are proud to know! We would like to take this opportunity to introduce her stunning work to our blog readers:
This body of work explores the essential role and relationship between dominant Canadian culture and nature, with a local focus on British Columbia’s Pacific coastline. These paintings arise from my questions about Canada’s historical and contemporary relations with the natural environment, First Nations peoples and the government of Canada. If a government makes decisions and functions as a business, how then would such a government relate to the natural environment? Is it possible that such a system could view the natural environment as a business competitor?
I explore these concepts and ideas through my art practice. It seems appropriate to focus on local issues when approaching such vast and often daunting questions. An issue of extreme controversy in B.C. is the large-scale open-net salmon farming being aggressively implemented along the B.C. coastline. As has been proven in Europe and abroad, open-net fish farms can damage and systemically destroy wild fish runs and local ecosystems (see David Suzuki’s article Fishing for Salmon Answers). Learning about these issues stirred me to wonder why our government would court, condone, protect and support the implementation of a business that has been proven in international waters to destroy ecosystems.
One afternoon while painting, it occurred to me that what is being done to our wild salmon travels directly parallel to what happened to the North American buffalo at the turn of the century. Colonizers well understood the cultural relevance of bison to many First Nations communities. Also relevant was the fact that people capable of sustaining themselves from the land could essentially continue to maintain cultural independence and be able to support system’s of self-governance. These significant facts informed the political decisions that motivated the systematic slaughter of bison to near extinction. Do such foundations continue to inform and shape contemporary political decision-making? There appears to be a vast similarity as we watch our wild salmon being replaced with farmed fish, just as the buffalo were replaced with cattle.
I do not have the answers. I simply paint, question, explore and reveal. I am not a political scientist or an ecologist. I am a citizen of this land as well as an artist, a part of this country’s story and as such it is my place to explore and to question. Being an artist is simply not simple. In fact, it’s one small part ecstasy and one huge part trouble. We are not merely the creators of entertainment or makers of decoration. Being an artist for me is to question and understand our world, to reveal the hidden as well as the inexplicable. As I paint, new insights arise. I experience moments of clarity and chromatic understanding. My purpose in this project is to integrate the potential in art and creative thinking to instigate and activate awareness and cultural change. Primary colours for primary and vital concerns.
To learn more about salmon and fish farming visit Salmon are Sacred, the website of Alexandra Morton, a Canadian ecological visionary and leader. And one more great article by David Suzuki, Salmon Farming: The Real Dispute.
And check out this video.
Final note – Please let us take a moment to send light, healing and resolution for the people, land, creatures and sea of Japan.
Vegan Bake Sale for SPCA
Radha recently hosted a vegan bake sale fundraiser for the SPCA! Various vegan bakers throughout Vancouver generously donated their scrumptious goodies to raise funds for this worthy organization. All baked goods were sold by donation and there was a huge line-up of folks eager to fill their bags with treats. Thanks to the all the organizers and bakers whose hard work made the event such a success!
Rice Kheer with Fresh Almond Milk
A recent Radha cooking class covered the delicious art of Indian cuisine, which has a fascinating history and is also one of the few international cooking traditions with a fully vegetarian repertoire. One of chef Robert’s featured recipes for the class was a lovely rice kheer with fresh almond milk – great for breakfast or dessert! (Photos by Gem Salsberg)
RICE KHEER
(yield: 4 – 6 portions)
1 cup rice (short grain brown rice, basmati, arborio, etc.)
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups almond milk (see recipe below)
1/2 cup jaggery (can be found at indian markets; or you can substitute brown sugar, turbinado, agave, maple syrup, etc.)
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
cashews and raisins to taste
1) Combine rice and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook on a low heat until rice is well done.
2) Add the cinnamon stick, almond milk and crumble-in the jaggery until it breaks-down and mixes-in. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, adjust thickness with almond milk.
3) Turn off heat and sprinkle with cardamom powder.
4) Pour into individual ramekins, and garnish with raisins and cashews.
ALMOND MILK
(yield 1 liter)
1 cup raw almonds
3 cup water
1 tsp agave
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1) Soak the almonds for 6+ hours, or overnight. RINSE THOROUGHLY.
2) Combine the soaked & rinsed almonds and water in a high-speed blender and process until smooth. Add agave and coconut oil at the end.
3) Strain through a fine-meshed strainer or several layers of moistened cheesecloth.
New Year’s Lion Visits Radha
Radha received a special visit recently from a lovely dancing lion who came to bring us good luck in the Year of the Rabbit. Happy Lunar New Year to all!
Chi & Chai 2011
Radha started off the new year by opening our doors for a full day of yoga classes, a cooking demo, a lunch and steaming mugs of chai – all free of charge! Thanks to everyone who came to participate.
Rave Review in VegNews mag
We are thrilled to be highlighted in the latest edition of VegNews in the article “Healthy Post-Workout Eats,” by Gabrielle Pope and Michael Parrish DuDell. We are one of two vegan restaurants (the other is in NYC) to be featured that combines excellent food with healthy living:
Ascend Radha’s staircase entrance off unassuming Main Street in Vancouver’s downtown eastside, and you’ll be drawn into the dazzling serenity and aroma of Radha Yoga & Eatery, a yoga studio by day and vegan restaurant by night. The room features an attractive bar, local art, a stage for the occasional event or concert, and tasteful décor—all constructed with the environment in mind. In 2009, Radha closed its doors for several months to undergo green renovations that include an air-source heat pump, solar light tubes, LED and fluorescent dimmable lights, and a green roof. Continuing the eco-conscious theme, Radha sources as many of its ingredients as possible from local organic farms that then become the inspiration for its rotating menus. Remove all the tables, and you have what is possibly one of the most stunning studios in yoga-crazy Vancouver. Read the whole article here!
The Grassroots Wedding Fair
The Grassroots Wedding Fair is an eco-friendly and sustainable wedding fair that aims to create a sense of community by connecting engaged couples with local artisans and green businesses. They recently came to visit Radha and here is what they had to say about us:
“Not only does Radha supply organic menu items, but they actively support local farmers. Their menu changes seasonally because of their focus on local and sustainable food supplies. Their space is warm and inviting and with a commitment, not just to the environment, but also to the local community, Radha is the place to hold your wedding reception.” Read the rest of their review here.
Our German Dohnert
Our lovely old piano had a tune-up last week and the piano tuner (AKA “piano technician”) was impressed with our seasoned instrument and with the Radha space as well. He even blogged about us here.
Any pianists out there? Our German Dohnert would love to make your acquaintance!
Radha on Shaw TV!
Last week Shaw TV did a piece on Radha and a few other area businesses as part of a focus on the Downtown Eastside for the Heart of the City Festival. Radha is proud to be a part of this vibrant community.