Monday Night Yoga: Restorative Flow & Carrot Cake.
Every Monday at The Sustainable Salon, we flow together for an hour and then share a cup of herbal tea & a small snack before we make our way into the night and the week ahead.
When my routine is on track, I bake on a Sunday night to be prepared for the next day. I had a flash of inspiration and thought I hadn't had a slice of carrot cake for years; so I trawled the internet for a good Gluten Free & Vegan Carrot Cake recipe!
I managed to find a great recipe from The Pretty Bee; and with a slight adjustment; I ended up with a really great carrot cake:
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend ( I used 1.5 cups plain GF & .5 Self Raising GF Flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ teaspoon ginger
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup organic canola oil
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water (You may need to adjust the amount of water based on what flour you use. Some gluten free blends require more water. The dough should not be dry or too thick.)
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a round cake tin with baking paper.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add the shredded carrots and toss to coat. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
Add the sugars, canola oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and water. Stir well until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the cake cook for about 15 minutes in the pan, then invert over a wire rack. Let the cake cool fully on the wire rack.
Make the icing once the cake is fully cooled and ice the cooled cake, and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
The original recipe provides a recipe for Vegan Cream Cheese frosting; however I chose to make a Lemon buttercream style icing by combining the following ingredients:
- Icing Sugar
- Nuttelex 'Buttery' (can sub any vegan margarine)
- Vanilla Essence
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest optional for garnishing.
This restorative sequence is designed to be a one hour practice. As many or as little props and supports can be used; though two blocks is the minimum suggested.
Supta Baddha Konasana; with blocks or bolsters underneath knees and thighs. Can also use a strap around the ankles to support the heels. Hold for 3 -5 minutes.
Forward Virasana. Walk hands to right and left sides to open side body.
Slowly rise to knees and come to all fours.
Flow through Cat / Cow on the inhalation and exhalation.
Thread the Needle flow: Inhale to sweep right hand to the sky and open body to the right side, exhale to bring right arm underneath left and flow; inhale to sweep up and continue, 3 in total. After completing the third, exhale to bring right arm underneath and come to rest on the shoulder. Hold for 5 breaths. Go deeper by bringing left hand to the top of your mat, or reaching around to bind and take a hold of the top of the thigh.
Balasana; can place a block underneath the forehead.
Make your way onto your front and and extend your right arm out to the side, level with your shoulder, palm facing up or down depending on your body. Move into a shoulder roll-over, using the left hand to gently roll towards the extended arm; go as far as you need to feel the stretch - don't push it here! Hold for at least 10 breaths. Gently ease back onto your belly, bring arms long and turn head to the side for a rest. Repeat on Left side.
Press up to kneeling and rock back to heels in a squat position to make your way into Ragdoll - keeping knees bent, belly to thighs, grabbing a hold of opposite elbows.
You can stay still here, or sway from side to side.
Unravel to Tadasana; keeping the knees bent.
Inhale to sweep the arms above your head; exhale fold to bring hands to the mat in Uttanasana. Inhale to Ardha Uttanasana, exhale Uttanasana. Inhale to Ardha Uttanasana and exhale to Uttanasana twice more. Inhale to rise to Tadasana. Repeat; 3 cycles in total.
Repeat to Uttanasana, step back to Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana).
Spend a few breaths here, pedalling the legs and then hold still for 5 breaths.
On your next inhalation, gaze forward and flow into a high plank. Exhale to forward virasana. Inhale to all fours. Exhale to Down Dog. Repeat this flow a further 5 times.
Down Dog 3 -5 breaths.
Forward Virasana to rest.
Set up for Legs up wall; can use a bolster or folded blankets for support. Opportunity to incorporate the following variations: Legs wide (Upavista Konasana), Baddha Konasana & Sleeping Pigeon Variation (drawing ankle to rest on opposite knee, bending up bottom leg slightly). Hold for 10 minutes total. You can stay in Legs up the wall for your final pose, or
Supine Twist; holding for 3-5 breaths right & left side.
Happy Baby; hold for 3 - 5 breaths.
Savasana - minimum 5 minutes. Option to rest head on a folded blanket, and have a bolster underneath the knees.
See you on the mat!
P.S. Those crochet squares are part of The Creative Crochet Workshop's 2017 Crochet Along. I started late but I am seriously hooked - pardon the pun!
This blog offers non-specific, general advice and should not be considered a substitute for proper instruction and consultation. The author cannot accept responsibility for illness or injury arising out of the failure to seek specific and personal advice. It is general information that may not apply to you as an individual, and is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical care or advice.