Yoga Art Padmasana or the Lotus Pose

The lotus position (padmasana ) is a cross-legged sitting posture, most prominently used during meditation (dhyana). in which the feet are placed on the opposing thighs. According to B.K.S. Iyengar, "meditation does not make the mid dull. Rather, in meditation the mind is still but razor sharp, silent but vibrant with energy. But this state cannot be achieved without a firm, stable sitting posture, where the spine ascends and the mind descends and dissolves in the consciousness of the heart, where the true Self reveals itself". Lotus position keeps the body stable when sitting for a long period of time as in meditation. The stability of the body releases the mind to concentrate on breathing and brings about calmness of mind. 

The art above shows Lochanadevi in lotus position. More of my yoga art can be found in my Etsy and Artfire shops. 

Sweet

There was an excellent article in the NY Times, a couple of days ago,  titled Sweet Potatoes Are Not Just for Thanksgiving Anymore chronicling the growing popularity of sweet potatoes. The basic message is, sweet potatoes are good for you because it is a vegetable that has protein, which is fairly unusual, but it also has complex carbohydrates that don’t spike insulin. Apparently, "sweet potatoes have become the darling of the diabetic and weight-loss set, a lifeline for parents whose children demand fries for nearly every meal and a boon for Southern farmers who are looking to replace tobacco". I must admit, I am very partial to the fries myself. Though, what I cook at home is more healthy since I do not know exactly how to fry them to get that mouth-watering crunchy texture. Sweet potatoes is a common vegetable in India ( I was pleased to find the wikipedia article on that vegetable including its Tamil and Hindi names). 


The popular variety of preparation in most parts of India is roasted slow over kitchen coals peeling, cubing and seasoning for a vegetable dish as part of the meal.