River Bakery - Naturally-leavened Artisan Sourdough
Craig Gardiner is a wonderful hatha yoga teacher and long standing practitioner at Williamstown Yoga Centre. For a few years now his other passion has been baking sourdough bread (probably because it offers a wonderful opportunity for yoga practice!) and he regularly spends some free time assisting at an established Melbourne sourdough bakery. We are delighted to announce that Craig has offered to begin baking bread for the teachers and students at our Centre. For more information, read on
Free from bakers yeast, added gluten, sour flavouring and the long list of ingredients found in many advertised “sourdoughs”
All loaves approximately 900g and all $5
Traditional a bubbly sourdough texture - perfect for bruschetta, sandwiches or as a “dipper,” unbleached white flour and wholemeal rye flour, filtered water, sea salt.
Wholemeal nice and wholesome - great for a salad sandwich or toasted with organic honey!
organic wholemeal and wholewheat flour, wholemeal rye flour, filtered water, sea salt.
Wholemeal Spelt for sustaining sandwiches or toasted with tahini, miso (or vegemite) and tomato!
organic wholemeal spelt flour, filtered water, sea salt
Five-Seed grounding and earthy - will see you holding tree pose for hours!
organic wholewheat and wholemeal flour, wholemeal rye flour, filtered water, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, linseeds, wattleseed, sea salt.
Fruit of the Earth bursting with colour and goodness - slice it thick, toast it slow and butter up!
unbleached white flour, organic wholewheat flour, wholemeal rye flour, raisins, currants, sultanas, apricots, spices (cinnamon, ginger, pimento), apple juice, filtered water, sea salt.
Place order by email with Craig (cgardiner2@bigpond.com) by 6pm Wednesday for pick-up at the yoga centre on Saturday morning (before or after yoga classes - please check timetable).
Christmas Reflection
Finally as Christmas approaches, this is a perfect time to reflect on our relationship to the concepts of 'giving' and 'receiving'. Do we enjoy making or buying gifts for others at Christmas? Or do we experience it as a burden? Do we ever ask the question: 'will I be loved because I give this gift? How do we feel about receiving gifts? Can we receive with grace? The Buddhist meditation teacher Stephen Levine writes:
The greatest gift is the act of giving itself. Traditionally, three kinds of giving are spoken of. There is beggarly giving, which is when we give with only one hand, still holding onto what we give. In this kind of giving we give the least of what we have and afterward wonder whether we should have given at all.
Another kind of giving is called 'friendly' giving, in which we give open-handedly. We take what we have and share it, because it seems appropriate. It's a clear giving.
Then there's the type of giving that's called 'kingly' giving. That's when we give the best of what we have, even if none remains for ourself. We give the best we have instinctively, with graciousness. We think of ourselves only as temporary caretakers of whatever has been provided, as owning nothing. There is no giving; there is just the spaciousness which allows objects to remain in the flow (in A Gradual Awakening, p. 66).
May we all learn to be 'kingly' givers! We wish you all a very safe and peaceful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you back on your mat in 2010 (if not before).
