Soul food that elevates

Yoga pop quiz. What do essential oils, paddleboards, meditation, organic foods and yoga have in common?

a) These are words you’ll see if you glance at the magazine rack at an organic market.

b) You’ll find one of each business on every city block in Encinitas.

c) All of the above.

d) Other.

Hint: Like most multiple choice questions and yoga quandaries, there are no wrong answers-just one that is a bit more correct than the others.

And in this case, you’ll find the more correct answer on the menu board of a local sanctuary of holistic wellness and yoga in Bird Rock, where Human Nature Wellness Center Founder and Director Deborah Ball serves as master chef bringing together these elements and spices to nourish all levels of your physical and subtle body.

“Human Nature is all about reconnecting humanity to themselves-with who we are, with what we are, and with nature and this earth as living, breathing miracles,” Ball said in a recent interview. “We follow the traditional Chinese approach, which includes herbs and nutrition, along with body and mind therapies and classes to feed our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual bodies. And it’s individual and personalized.”

Like the eight limbs of yoga that address the pursuit of balance through combined practices of discipline, ethics, postures, breath and sense control, concentration, and meditation, the menu board at Human Nature Wellness Center offers fusion food for your body, mind and soul. And your culinary adventure is hand-crafted to order.

You can select offerings as practitioner, teacher or therapist. From massage and body work, aromatherapy, reflexology, Reiki and spiritual guidance to dance therapy, meditation and yoga, you can order from an array of wellness therapies-or select a series of courses to study the art and science of holistic therapy, become a Reiki practitioner, or earn continuing education units in massage. Nutrition and raw food selections range from prepared organic foods and supplements to classes in organic gardening, raw foods, and nutrition. Yoga, meditation, art and music are infused with playtime. Side dishes include tag, dodge ball, hide and seek.

“At Human Nature, yoga is basically our place to retreat and honor ourselves,” said instructor Adal Garcia. “So we teach a foundational series of breath and asana using the breath as a segue to move intention through the body. People tend to think they will get more benefit from more advanced versions of postures. Being advanced truly means going beyond believing you have to give yourself permission to modify-to recognizing any modification as its own unique asana and developing sensitivity to the experience within.”

“When you walk through the door, you have a list of things and you can pick and choose,” said Ball, “and if we can fulfill what is lacking or discover something together, we can raise the vibration. From receiving nurturing and nourishment, we come to love and recognize the sacred in ourselves.”

And that is what yoga is about. When we recognize the sacred in ourselves- union of body, mind and spirit-we recognize the sacred in-and union with-all others, and return to our true human nature.

So, whether your palate is looking to sip a sangria-inspired, goji berry elixir at Wholesome Friday Happy Hour, take a Bird Rock Surf Shop board out for Floating Lotus Meditation, or flow through a series of Vasisthasana variations, discover your favorite flavors of wellness here.

More information

Human Nature Wellness Center

Address: 5560A La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla

Phone: 978-223-0111

Online: humannaturewellnesscenter.com

Email: humannaturebirdrock@gmail.com

Anna Mueco has been a student of hatha, kriya and raja yoga since 2003. Mueco currently lives and teaches yoga in Pacific Beach. Send your thoughts about the yoga world to her at anna@HyperNinjaYoga.com.

Source: DiscoverSD