Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Aligning yourself with nature to create a deep sense of flow is a common theme in yoga. The power inherent in the change of seasons makes the recent Equinox an auspicious time to challenge yourself to grow and transform. Whether you’re celebrating the blossoming of Spring or marking the releasing associated with Autumn, the world is shifting and so can you. We are constantly and growing as individuals, but sometimes we can slip into patterns of stagnation. As a global community, we’ve all been required to stay closer to home and for many of us jobs disappeared or dramatically changed, our social life quieted, and our physical, emotional, and mental health was tested. It has been a tough year! If you feel like you’re in a rut, you’re not alone.

This matzo is grain-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly! Year after year, Jo has reluctantly bought gluten free matzo (unfortunately also filled with additives and sugar) because matzo plays such an important role in the Passover Seder. But recently she found, Jennifer Robbins’ Paleo Grain-Free Matzo and was converted. For more amazing Jewish recipes, check out Jennifer Robbins’ The New Yiddish Kitchen. We hope you enjoy Jennifer’s recipe as much as we do. Don’t forget to grab your copy of The New Yiddish Kitchen cookbook here. Happy Passover, Jo & Jules

Our homes and our minds both have the ability to be our sanctuary and personal prison depending on what we may be experiencing in a given moment. As we enter into our 1 year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic I personally have experienced the highs and lows on a daily, weekly, or moment to moment basis. A lot has come up in as I am sure it has for you, and the feeling I notice bubbling up lately is grief. We have been facing uncertainty at an extreme level for about a year now, on top of the organic uncertainty we face by simply having the human experience. Some of us are grieving connection, how we thought work would look or feel, life prior to the pandemic, loved ones, births where limited people were able to be there and you were masked (because there was a deadly pandemic in the same building you were birthing a child), first years of college, high school, or elementary school, canceled or delayed weddings and funerals, jobs, a big move, putting yourself on the market to start dating, your first year as a teacher and you’re doing it virtually, you name it, and the list goes on and on. Your grief is extremely valid.

We all know that working out can improve our sex lives, as exercise can boost both your energy levels and your self-esteem, but did you know that yoga not only gives those benefits, but lots more? If you’re looking to yoga as your new form of working out, read on to discover how it can also give a boost to your sex life. Yoga Improves Pelvic Floor Muscles When you practice yoga, you can use up all of your muscles in one pose or another, including your pelvic floor. When doing standing poses and supporting your own body weight, you’re also working out your pelvic floor muscles. In an average yoga class, this can add up to half an hour of pelvic floor exercises. If you didn’t know, strengthening these muscles can help to improve your orgasms - a great incentive to get on the yoga mat!

The Force is within you! Each and every one of us has a well of inner strength and courage, our source of personal power. Through our yoga and meditation practices, we can cultivate our inner light and empower ourselves to meet life’s challenges with courage and confidence. There are many paths to build personal power, strength, and compassion. A few of our favorite classes have empowering themes and/or solid Power Vinyasa flows, which are excellent ways to tap into your inner strength. If you need a reminder of just how courageous you are, these classes will give you a major boost. Yoga teaches us that all we need is inside of us and practice is to reveal and honor our inner light. Learning to dig deep and operate from our courageous hearts can be uncomfortable.

One of our favorite simple healthy meals is a vibrancy bowl! Vibrancy bowls are easy, quick, and make great leftovers. They combine a grain base, roasted and/or fresh veggies, and a dressing of choice. You can also add a protein of your choice for an even heartier meal! We’ve got a great how-to guide to make your own vibrancy bowl in our new cookbook, The Conscious Cleanse Cookbook. This recipe makes a hearty vegan meal that we think you’re going to love. Our Rainbow Vibrancy Bowl is a simple, (almost) one-tray meal full of good-for-you ingredients that’s perfect for dinner or lunch. It also contains beets, which means it’s a great way to check up on how efficiently your digestion is working (for more info about this, check out our blog about the Beetroot Test).

“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life.” -B.K.S. Iyengar. We here at YogaDownload.com believe music enhances the yoga experience. Both music and yoga touch on the physical, mental, and emotional levels of our beings. Sound is integral in many schools of yoga, like Ashtanga, where classes begin and end with chanting and mantras woven into the practice. The power of sound is vital in yoga, whether you are focusing on mantra, chanting, instruments like the harmonium, or a well-curated playlist.

This New Moon emerges to unite you with your sacred other - the soul. The last Full Moon on February 27th began to stir comforts, especially resting in ego-creations. There was a push to connect deeper to spiritual love and unfold the soul. It marked the point of a new plane of manifestation. Thus, from the Full Moon on the 27th until this new moon, the individual self, has gone through many shifts. This may have created changes in relationships, relationship status’, possible endings, and has stirred another level of personal responsibility and awakening. The energetic stirring is intended to train the self in forging their power from the light of the soul. Therefore, this lunation will heavily mark the new beginning of this attunement. The moon will come into pedigree between Aquarius and Pisces but make no mistake Piscean energy will be very impactful in this lunar unfolding. As the moon rises into the space ‘in-between’ marked zodiac signs of Aquarius and Pisces it will create more space for healing, new creations, and embracing the soul self. This space will expand one’s sense of self and their material world very quickly. Everything that is being moved out is for your highest good. During these challenging conjunctions (Mars + Rahu in Taurus, and Venus combust the Sun in Pisces), you are being up-leveled exponentially and up-leveled internally. In order for the material world to shift the inner world must shift, so it is reflected externally. I know this can be trying, but in these challenges, you will rise into great strength, personal empowerment, and fast track to your next level. Many of you will begin to realize many of your dreams.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best. This recipe only calls for 3 main ingredients, and it is almost guaranteed to receive compliments whenever you serve them. Almost guaranteed, because some people do not love onions and I can not guarantee that you win them over, but everybody else for sure! I rarely cook anything savory without onions. They are such a nice base for most recipes and love all of them – white, yellow, red or green, just bring them to me and amazing things will happen!

We all need to take a moment of the day to make a pause and release all the stress that we accumulate in our daily lives. A great way to do this is by introducing a meditation practice into our schedules; for that purpose, it would be ideal to have a designated space at home that you use only for meditation. There are a few things that you should consider in terms of creating the ideal space to support relaxation, focus, and concentration during meditation. If you want to know more about this, continue reading because we gathered some great tips and advice from the experts to achieve this vibe at home and succeed in your meditation practice. What do you suggest for setting up a meditation space at home? Determine the purpose of your space.

Yoga practice may not necessarily make you think of the word ‘strong’ - but it’s a common misconception that the practice is all about getting bendy and flexible. Yoga can actually be a great addition to strength training, and can make you more powerful and strong both in the gym and your day-to-day life. Combining yoga with strength training can not only make you stronger - it can actually help reduce your risk of pain and injury. Read on to find out how. Yoga is a form of bodyweight training If you’re working on a specific set of muscles, perhaps to increase strength in these areas, or for aesthetic reasons, it can be easy to neglect the other muscles in your body - which can hinder your progress. Yoga as bodyweight training can help to even things out in your body.

Are you ready to kick off March with a 7 day fitness and yoga bootcamp designed to have you feeling at the top of your game? If you struggle to fit in workouts and yoga, but don’t want to miss any of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits from both, this week’s program is for you. And if you’re simply feeling bored with your current routine, try this package as an adrenaline boost to spark your motivation. Here are 3 reasons not to miss this bootcamp:

I love spice, and if I had to choose only one type of food to eat until the rest of my life, tacos would be very high on the list! They are incredibly versatile, and I always love to pile them with a ton of fresh ingredients. There always needs to be a spice element and always something crunchy. I am pretty sure that Mexicans would disapprove of this recipe because eggplant in tacos is far from traditional, but for me, it works! Preparing soft tacos is pretty straightforward. Besides water and salt, you only need masa harina flour. I am sure that tortilla press makes preparing them even easier, but rolling them out between two pieces of parchment paper works well enough for me. The tortillas do not need to be 100% round and uniform in size. They are, after all, homemade tortillas, and nobody expects them to be perfect. Saying that – if you don’t feel like baking the tortillas from scratch, feel free to use store-bought small tortillas, and the dinner will be served in even less time. One thing to keep in mind preparing this recipe is that the eggplant needs to be eaten quickly, or it will get soggy. One way to keep it crispy longer would be to fry the eggplant sticks instead of baking them, but I prefer keeping them on the healthier side. I recommend preparing everything else in advance and letting the eggplant sticks be the last ingredient added to the tacos right before eating them.

This lunation marks the next phase in divine evolutionary development. The Full Moon moves the collective forward into the next level of divine will and alignment of plan after the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 20th. The physical realm is being broken down and reshaped. This moon will work to move the soul forward, to aid in materializing forces by concretizing previous experiences and aiding to provide more gusto in creative impulses. There will be a surge of cosmic lifeforce uniting with individual lifeforce (prana) to aid in divine plan to materialize along this next evolution. At the Full Moon the Sun, Moon, and Mars will enter specific archetypal points which will highlight the planetary energies working through this Full Moon. Venus and Sun will combust in Aquarius. This energy is working for creative processes of divine will, and not for interrelational love, but will require more self-love, and love within presence. It is union with divine will for soul manifestation.

Yoga is one of the most helpful and healthy ways to directly benefit your riding. From stretching, to strength, to balance, yoga has you covered to be a better snowboarder. Here is why! Stretching: Staying limber is one of the most important things you can do to keep your body healthy for snowboarding. Basic yoga done before and after will help prevent injury due to falls, and keep your body less sore after a day of shredding. It’s like performing preventative maintenance on your car. Flexibility will help you when learning, and help your body perform at its best when you are engaging in such a physically demanding sport. It will also help your body move without restriction. There are so many directions and movements your body must go through while riding, that keeping yourself as flexible as possible is of utmost importance.

Whether you’re working to improve that backswing on the fairway or perfect an inverted hand plant with a snowboard, incorporating a yoga practice into your routine can really help step up your sports game. In fact, doing yoga can make you better at just about every other sport you’re passionate about. And all you need is your body to make the magic happen! Just ask professional athletes like Lebron James, golfer Lexi Thompson, snowboarder Emilien Badoux and the entire New York Yankees lineup. They — and their trainers and coaches — know that yoga offers both physical and mental benefits that translate both on and off the field. But here’s the good news: you don’t need to be a pro to reap the rewards of a regular practice. While incorporating yoga on a rest day can be beneficial, timing your session so that you’re engaging in stretches right before or after your activity can multiply those benefits.

These little brownie bites are simple, sweet, salty, and totally delicious – perfect for a Valentine’s Day dessert. Plus, they contain a secret superfood ingredient: CBD oil! CBD is one of the hottest health supplements right now. If you're interested in learning more about CBD and its benefits, check out our interview with Plant People Founder Gabe Kennedy, on our website, here!

I have struggled with perfectionism my whole life. If you’re anything like me, your ego carries a dialogue within you that charges up your desire to be the best or do it best. I have noticed in my own shadow work that words my ego creates around this energy that is essentially draining, impossible to achieve, filled with loads of effort, and yet like the dangling carrot in front of my face meant to be endlessly chased. One of the key insights that came about as I looked within myself to work with this energy was a simple yet profound exchange of energy I could create within my body, most especially my fourth chakra, the Anahata or Heart Chakra, which I see as a space that holds shape for the energy that codes my self-esteem. This is the energy center where many of us hold the keys to our self-esteem.

Handstands are one of the more impressive poses that you can have in your arsenal, however they can be difficult to pull off. This is a pose that you need to work up to, building the muscles needed and mastering variations of the pose before tackling an unaided handstand. There are lots of ways you can prepare to master the handstand, but they mostly come down to strengthening your core and arm muscles, as well as improving your general strength and flexibility with regular yoga practice. We’ve listed some of the key poses and exercises you can do to help you ace your handstands.

Which handstand camp do you belong to? When it comes to handstands, there is no middle ground, it’s either: I love handstands and press up every chance I can or no way can I balance on my hands. Whether you love them or hate them, this week’s special Quest for the Press Program can benefit you. Now, if you’ve never been able to do a handstand or you’ve tried but been unable to achieve one, this program provides a methodical, intelligent, progressive method. Each class builds upon the prior sequence. You’ll work toward overcoming fear and press up with confidence. And if you are already a handstand aficionado, it never hurts to review technique and maybe even learn some new tips and tricks!

If you have been following my posts for a while, you probably know that I really do not like food waste. And yet people do waste a lot of food. I can’t say I’m completely free from this sin. Still, whenever possible, I always try to use up everything I have and plan my weekly menu around the things I already have in the fridge before ordering anything new. One thing that people usually don’t consider food waste is everything we remove from produce before eating - vegetable peels, the outer leaves of cauliflower, carrot tops, banana peels etc. It all makes up a lot of food that we feel is completely normal just throw away. However, this is food waste too! For all kinds of veggie scraps (as long as they are not dirty), a good recommendation is to keep a separate box of them in the freezer and if the container is full, make vegetable broth. It saves you the money you would otherwise spend on buying the broth, and you will get all the goodness out of the veggies. Out of carrot tops, you can make pesto (I will share the recipe with you soon), and you can even use banana peels in some recipes! Don’t get me wrong – I usually also throw away the banana peels. As I typically eat at least one banana every day, it would not be possible to use up all of the banana peels, but even using a few of them now and then helps to reduce waste. And, nobody would guess that you also used up the peels in addition to the bananas. Besides reducing food waste, the banana peels are also rich in many nutrients as potassium and fiber. If you decide to give using banana peels in a recipe a try, choose organic bananas.

Some of the consequences of unhealthy habits and lifestyles are low energy, weak digestion, and depression. To prevent these challenges from developing in your body, it is better to take care of yourself and do things every day to restore your body in simple, yet effective ways. In yoga, there are specific poses that help your digestive system work optimally. Certain of asanas are aimed at improving the functioning of the digestive organs: the liver, pancreas, stomach, and intestines, to eliminate excess tension that interferes with proper blood circulation. Regular practice of these exercises will improve digestion and eliminate intestinal dysfunctions and have your digestive system operating in harmony.

This New Moon will bring the lessons of the last Full Moon into action. We have a rare and incredibly impactful 6 planet conjunction in Capricorn, with 5 planets (Venus, Moon, Mercury, Saturn, and Jupiter) in one Nakshatra (lunar house). It’s time to unveil the wisdom that lies within your heart and raise the power of your gifts to build an unlimited future. The theme of this moon will carry you to higher objectives. It will call for a calm mind and tempered emotions to serve the higher ideals. There is a lot of energy stirring my loves, all of these planets in a tight conjunction are playing by Saturn’s rules and will require humbleness in order to unfold their wealth stream. Humbleness continues forward. Remember this is the year of Saturnian energy and since January 20th, humility will be paramount to individual evolution and collective unity.

Raise your hand if you’ve sat more in the last year than ever before? With stay-at-home orders around the world, many of us have adapted to a new way of life: working from home, Zoom calls instead of going out with friends, and a whole lot of Netflix on the sofa. Even if you’re staying true to your yoga practice, the additional hours on your bum instead of your feet can take its toll. Never fear––we’ve got the antidote to all that couch dwelling. This week’s classes are designed to help you squeeze in more standing and more quick yoga sessions throughout your day. But first, let’s delve a little deeper into why all that sitting can leave you feeling not just physically stiff, but also mentally cloudy and emotionally stagnant. We store unprocessed emotion in our hips, so it is vital for our hips to be open and healthy, not just for the physical body, but also for emotional well-being.

Solyanka is an old Russian soup that, in its original form, always contains a lot of meat. The most classical version includes 7 different types of meat, including kidneys. So the recipe I am sharing with you is definitely not an authentic one, but it sure is delicious. I promise you that the taste is still very similar to the original one and is so much better for the body. If you have a meat addict in the house, feel free to let them add some meat products (leftover roast, frankfurters, salami, whatever they like) to the soup after it is ready. I do eat meat sometimes, but I don’t feel it is necessary to use it in this recipe, and I definitely would never add 7 different types of meat in my soup. Who would even have so many various meat products just lying around in the fridge? Anyway, meat or not – the essential things in this recipe are onions, pickles, black pepper, tomato paste, and olives.