Surround yourself you people who top you up with joy instead of depleting you in any way. Fill your friendship bag with the people who are there in an instant when you need them. The people who you laugh the loudest with and those that you laugh along with even when they are laughing at you! These are the friends who make you realize and feel just how special you are.
And then simply cut ties with the ones who don’t. Erase the “drainers” from your life.
After an encounter or conversation with someone, simply ask yourself do I feel “topped up” or do I feel “drained” and there is your answer. Scoop them up with two hands if they are a topper upper. Vere off, if they are a “drainer”.
The ones you want, are the ones who lift you up and leave you with a sense of lightness.
Effortlessly they put a bounce back in your stride, easing the things that weigh you down.
You feel like doing cartwheels around them, completely comfortable to get your silly on; not afraid of judgment or ridicule.
It can feel like you can switch your brain off and connect on a deeper level. The ones who you feel like you have known much longer than you have been alive.
If you feel conflicted, burdened, raw, sharp, insecure, scared, or exhausted from an encounter with someone, clear this space and energy from your life. You don't owe anything to anyone. You never know what might appear in its place.
The hardest ones to make a call on are those that make you feel nothing, neither topped up or drained. Flat, bland, bored. You are worthy of so much more.
Is bland and bored all that you are after in life? Is that as high as you want to reach? So respect yourself and them and part ways.
Life was not gifted to us to merely exist. It is to be enjoyed and savored and for your senses to be stimulated. Surround yourself with those that top you up and bring you real joy and it’s like having your own personal cheerleading squad walking every step of life with you.
Life will blossom. Enjoy the bliss.
By Amy Booth
Amy is a yoga and pilates teacher and personal trainer in Brisbane, Australia, where she runs a cute riverside studio and a personal training business. In addition each year she runs yoga and hiking retreats.
To find out more: Website: www.ambertreeyoga.com.au Instagram: @ambertreeyogaandretreats Facebook: Amber Tree Yoga and Retreats
Want to connect online with others who love yoga from around the world? Sign up for YogaDownload's 2-Week Yoga Challenge: A Fresh Start!
Peace can become a lens through which you see the world. Be it. Live it. Radiate it out. Peace is an inside job. —Wayne Dyer
September 21st is International Day of Peace and an excellent reminder that to find peace, it is imperative to create it from the inside out. One of the greatest lessons yoga teaches us is how tuning into our minds, hearts, and bodies helps us polish the lens through which we view the world. Our perspective is key and even if we aren’t in control of external events, we can gain control of our thoughts and emotions.
This week, we have four powerful, tranquil Yin yoga classes to assist you in restoring your emotional and physical balance. Yin yoga is especially powerful because it soothes the “fight or flight” response many of us are experiencing every time we check on the state of the world. Yin focuses on quieting your nervous system and relaxing connective tissue––ligaments, tendons, and fascia. By targeting the deeper layers in the body, this style of yoga brings more blood flow to the joints and also better circulations to the internal organs.
In Yin, most postures are seated or supine on your mat. Although the longer holds are passive, they are challenging. There are three tattvas of Yin Yoga.
First is to enter the pose to an appropriate depth or edge for you. Second, find a sense of stillness and work to remain as static as possible. Third, hold the posture for time, usually one to five minutes. For many of us who are accustomed to more active flowing styles of yoga, holding an asana for five minutes can seem insurmountable. Trust in the process––with practice, you’ll find your thoughts start to settle more easily.
You’ve probably heard how we hold our emotions in different areas of our bodies and how yoga is an excellent tool to release past trauma and stress. Many Yin postures focus on opening the hips to release where emotional blockage can settle––they call them saddlebags for a reason! Several minutes holding Sleeping Swan or Pigeon pose will definitely cause sensations to arise, but breathing through the discomfort will help you release negative emotions that could be stressing you out. Accessing a sense of surrender in each pose is one of the main intentions of Yin yoga.
Yin yoga can provide the respite you need to reset, recover, and cultivate your inner peace. Self-care is vital, so slow down, allow your nervous system to quiet, and strengthen yourself from the inside out. Try one or all of these wonderful classes this week.
1. Kylie Larson - You are Resilient AF (FREE class)
2. Caitlin Rose Kenney - Yin Yoga for Longevity
3. Ali Duncan - Wall Yin
4. Eric Paskel - Yin on the Rocks Live!
A nutritious diet and plenty of exercise can undoubtedly promote good health, but what about the daily habits you practice at home?
From your everyday routine to getting the proper sleep, there are several things you can do to promote and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. It's said that good habits begin at home, and this is absolutely true whether it relates to your career, your relationships, or your physical health. Read on to discover some things you can do to start practicing smarter, healthier habits while at home.
Why Healthy Habits are Important
Whether it's stress from the workplace, current events, or family life, can be made worse if you don't establish a healthy routine. Practicing good habits will make it easier to stay on track, even when things feel overwhelming.
A clean, organized home can do wonders for your state of mind, and it can also help you feel good about coming home after a long day. Healthy eating, practicing self-love, and spending quality family time can help you stay grounded and remind you about what's important in life. Once you develop new, positive habits, they'll quickly become part of your daily rituals. Over time, these healthy habits will improve your mental and physical well-being and give you the tools you need to cope with stress in a more effective, thoughtful way.
Starting Your Day Right
To start your day on the right foot, you should try to stick to a morning schedule. Once you establish this morning routine, it will become second nature. Stay organized by creating a morning schedule you can follow every day. Draft a morning routine that best fits your specific needs, and consider these tips to help you get started:
• Wake up early. When you get up early, you'll get a jump start on your day. Waking up early also allows you to have a little extra "me time" before the rest of the family arises.
• Make your bed. The simple act of making your bed can help you feel a sense of accomplishment. Making your bed sets the tone for the day and will give you the motivation to continue with other daily tasks.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. A healthy life starts with a healthy breakfast. Skip the sugary cereals and eat a breakfast packed with proteins or fiber to help you feel full, give you energy, and keep your cholesterol levels low.
• Get natural light. Natural light plays a significant role in regulating the body's circadian rhythm. If your bedroom doesn't have windows, use a device that slowly increases the amount of light it emits to mimic the rising sun.
• Morning exercise. Get active and get moving, and you'll notice higher energy levels and a healthy body. Whether it's yoga, a brisk walk, or jogging, just be sure you get your body moving before you start your day.
• Take a shower. Don't put off taking a shower, even if you work from home. A lovely shower will help you feel better, so make sure you take one, get dressed, and avoid staying in your PJ's all day.
• Start your daily activities. Procrastinating can only make things worse, so get started on your daily tasks as soon as possible. The sooner you finish, the sooner you'll be able to relax.
• Don't work where you sleep. If you work from home, it's never a good idea to work in the same place you sleep. You need to separate your workspace from the rest of your home to achieve a healthy work-life balance.
Planning Your Next Day and a Bedtime Routine
Gearing up for the day ahead is just as important as your new morning habits. Here are some tips to establish a healthy, positive bedtime routine:
• Plan your day in advance. Write a list of the things you need to do the following day to help you stay on track. This can help you avoid forgetting important tasks, and you'll go to bed with a clear head.
• Write down a to-do list. Make a simple to-do list of the things you need to get done before bedtime. It's an easy way to ensure that you're accomplishing everything that's most important.
• Enjoy some evening showering or pampering time. Relax before you head to bed with a nice bubble bath or a warm shower. Take some time to pamper yourself so you can decompress and feel a sense of calm and relaxation before bed.
• No electronics 30 minutes before bed. Turn off your cell phone, laptop, or TV at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Too much stimulation can cause anxiety, or it may make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.
• Go to bed early. Try to get to bed as early as possible, so you get ample sleep. Practice nightly meditation to help you fall asleep and aim for at least 6-8 hours of sleep per night whenever you can.
Practice Healthy Nutrition Habits
Eating a healthy diet can do wonders for your body and mind. Follow these easy tips to help you stay on track and adopt healthy eating habits at home:
• Start by cleaning and decluttering your fridge and pantry. Get rid of junk food and anything that's expired. Your kitchen will be more organized, and you'll have a clean slate to start from. Finish by filling your fridge, pantry, and cabinets with healthy foods that you enjoy.
• Learn some new, healthy recipes and try making them at home. Cook your meals for the entire week on one day (Saturday or Sunday tends to be a good choice), and freeze everything so it's easier to prepare lunch and dinner during the rest of the week.
• Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day. It's important to stay hydrated to help you stay on task, avoid dehydration headaches, and to help you feel fuller, longer.
• Practice conscious eating. This means creating meal plans in advance and focusing your diet on mostly veggies and fruits rather than processed meals and snacks.
Enjoy Some "Me" Time
One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to dedicate some time each day that's just for you. If you have a spare room, add some comfy furniture, and make it your special place to read some of your favorite books, enjoy a cup of hot tea, or just listen to your favorite music. These simple habits may seem small, but they can actually go a long way toward keeping you happy and healthy. Use this time to relax, unwind, and focus on yourself for at least a few minutes every day.
Learn Something New
Another great way to practice self-care is to try something different and new. Take up a new hobby like painting, arts and crafts, or enroll in a cooking or baking class. If you're feeling up to it, plan a DIY project, or do some house remodeling. When you step out of your comfort zone, you'll discover new things, meet new people, and maybe even find out some new skills you didn't know you had.
If you enjoy arts or doing crafts, remodel one of the rooms in your home and make it a private studio. Take up activities like painting or embroidery so you can express your creative side. Ultimately, the goal is to discover something new and enjoyable that will make you happy and give you a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. It's essential to try and avoid social media and negative news to restore your sense of well-being, too. Once you find a new hobby, it will become your favorite thing to do, and staying away from negativity will be much easier.
Involve the Whole Family
Developing and adopting new healthy habits at home should include the entire family. Encourage your kids to eat healthier and to get exercise every day instead of just sitting in front of their smartphone or computer. Plan some family time at least once a week where you can play games together or watch a movie. This will help you establish a strong relationship with your family and keep the lines of communication open. Over time, the whole family will develop new habits that will promote the physical and mental well-being of everyone. It's also a great way to help boost your children's self-esteem.
Practicing a few simple healthy habits at home will improve your life by leaps and bounds. Start by organizing your home and create a daily morning and evening routine. Don't forget to make time for yourself whether it's through meditation or learning a new hobby. Encourage the whole family to learn some new healthy habits of your own, and you'll discover just how much better life can be.
By Lorena Romo
Originally posted on Porch.com
Ready to start implementing some of these healthy habits at home? Sign up for a 14-Day Rise & Shine Morning Yoga Program, now!
This simple pasta dish takes a maximum of 20 minutes from start to finish – basically, just the time you need to boil the whole wheat pasta once you need to bring the water to boil. I usually always prepare pasta from scratch. Yes, it does take a little time, but for me, rolling out pasta is therapeutic, and I don't mind taking the extra time.
However, I also always have a packet of dried whole-wheat pasta in the cupboard. We are enjoying beautiful weather right now in Estonia, where I live. It makes sense to spend all these beautiful days outside, so what better time to save time on cooking!
I took an easier route with pasta today, but the zucchini took a few months of preparation as I grew it myself from the little seed to a beauty that it was today. I have been eating tons of zucchini lately as I have a few plants that all decided to give me fruits at the same time. I especially love young and crunchy zucchini babies, but I do have to admit that some of my zucchinis are overgrown too. Oh well – this only means that I will make some zucchini soup and pies and cake and bread…
I picked the chanterelles myself over the weekend, and the onions are grown in my grandmother's garden. I wish Estonian summer would last longer than it does – nothing beats the fresh produce that is picked only minutes before cooking and eating it.
Quick Chanterelle & Zucchini Pasta
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Ingredients:
7 oz whole-wheat pasta
1 onion
1 medium zucchini
7 oz fresh chanterelles
3 ½ oz (vegan) cream cheese
Loads of fresh herbs (I used dill, coriander, basil, and oregano this time because they were fresh in my garden)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil, for frying
Instructions:
Bring the water to boil, salt it heavily and cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Just in case, I always like to check on my pasta 2 minutes before the time given on the packet to make sure it stays al dente.
Chop the onion and throw it on the pan with a tiny bit of oil and salt – leave to cook on medium heat.
Chop the zucchini and add it to the pan.
Make sure the mushrooms are clean (sand in the mouth is not a nice addition), tear the larger ones to halves or quarters, add to the same pan, increase the heat and fry until everything is cooked through. The whole process takes about 10 minutes from the moment that onion touches the pan.
Now steal about ½ cup of pasta water and add it to the pan with the cream cheese. Mix everything and season with salt and lots of pepper. Add the fresh herbs.
If you are happy with your pasta, drain it and add it to the pan. Mix once more and enjoy.
By Kadri Raig
Kadri is a food blogger and yoga teacher from Estonia. She does love to spend time in the kitchen, but most of her recipes are simple and don’t take more than 20 minutes of active cooking time. She thinks that everybody can find time to cook healthy food at home, it is just a question of planning. "I work in an office full time, teach yoga 7-8 hours a week and write a blog. So if I manage to cook most of my meals, then so do you!" Connect with Kadri and enjoy many more of her delicious healthy recipes on her website here: www.kahvliga.ee.
Want to add yoga to your routine but feel pressed for time? Try the 14-Day Yoga Challenge for Busy people, from the comfort of home!
The Inspiration Download interview series features different people who are bringing ideas to life and sharing something with the world that they are passionate about, whether it's through teaching yoga, creating a business, doing work in their community, creating art, hosting events, bringing to life new wellness products, or more.
These interviews highlight real people who have brought ideas to life and give real-life insight and inspiration on their processes and journey.
This session is with the founders of Moon Bath, Sierra Brashear & Dakota Hills.
How did Moon Bath come to be?
We weren’t always such believers in the power of ritual bathing. We were first inspired by a friend whose ornate baths seemed to transport her to other realms, from which she came back glowing.
We needed to know everything—we wondered, "Can bathing actually connect us to the cosmos?" Then we tried it. And who knew?!
Turns out that tuning in to the guiding force of the moon, setting an aligned intention, and immersing ourselves in warm, herbaceous waters was the medicine we never knew we needed. Dakota was on her yoga mat during the height of a Scorpio Full Moon when it struck her—for her next mission, she would inspire others to create space for these epic bathing rituals, and the name Moon Bath was beamed in from the stars. Meanwhile, Sierra was on a weekend getaway at her childhood home in the Rocky Mountains, having a bath, and blissing out. She recalled an Ayurvedic teaching that hailed the benefits of immersing yourself in water, salt, and intention, and she thought, The modern world needs to know about this ancient magic!
Our company, Moon Bath, was created out of a desire to connect more deeply with ourselves and the planet, and we set out on a shared mission to help ignite the modern bathing renaissance. With our desire to absorb the vast healing benefits of plants in through our skin, we loved the idea of turning our bathtub into a warm tea, adding a little milk and honey, and then steeping ourselves to drink in the earthly goodness. Combining the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda with modern intuitive alchemy, we created earth-integrated bathing rituals that inspire us to tune inward and reconnect.
Dakota Hills
Title: Coyote
Dakota Hills is an artist and renegade entrepreneur with a flair for bringing ideas to life and storytelling through visual art and messaging. Eternal seeker of wisdom and self-care enthusiast, Dakota enjoys discovering socially and environmentally sustainable solutions for supporting the growth of conscious brands. As Moon Bath co-creator, with a deeply ingrained commitment to the triple bottom line approach to business (people, planet, profit), Dakota seeks to partner with and empower others who share in these values. Dakota is lit up by moving her body, adventuring in vintage vehicles, and spending time with her fur babies.
What is the key to feeling balanced for you?
I feel most balanced when I have not overloaded my schedule. Creating space in my day and week offers opportunities to be more present with what I’m doing and to embrace the spaciousness where the subtle energies and breakthroughs can occur. I can relate to the temptation to fill my schedule and run around from one thing to the next, but I’ve realized that value in slowing down, be open to the void, and maintaining curiosity around what will come through.
How do you think where you are from has shaped you?
I grew up on our family farm in seacoast New Hampshire with my four siblings. Growing up on a farm, with barns and back woods and fields of berries and a dock on the river planted a seed for adventure in me from a small age. Walking out our front door was a playground of activities and ways to get into trouble and problem solve. We would create forts in the lower barn out of hay, walk across the high rafters, explore the backwoods and get lost long into the night.
My parents were both entrepreneurs, restoring our eleventh generation family farm into a working farm and stand and hustling berries, pumpkins and Christmas trees year-round. Being a part of this family biz and watching my parents make it all happen, sparked a flame of confidence inside me to pursue my own ideas and make them my reality.
How has starting a business taught you to grow?
Being a business owner, and thus my own boss has taught me so many things about myself and how to run a business. I have realized the most important component to success is your determination to problem solve. Not having anyone else to give you the answers, or tell you what to do, naturally creates a sense of responsibility that motivates you to figure things out for yourself instead of relying on anyone else.
One of the most eye-opening things I’ve learned about running a business is that everyone is just faking it until they make it. You see a business facade from the outside, maybe you cruise their website and social media, and you make certain assumptions about their level of professionalism or competence. Once you start really working behind the scenes you realize we’re all just bullshiting our way through things, doing the best we can with the information we have. When I had a previous business that was a new trend, I realized how much you can just make up the industry standard and others will follow! Having these experiences and realizations built confidence in me that propelled me to take the leap with other business ventures. The first step is just making the commitment and taking the plunge, the rest is just problem-solving day by day to get to the next level.
Sierra Brashear
Title: Lioness
Sierra Brashear, MA, is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner who believes that our reconnection to the rhythms and elements of nature is a wild reclamation of our ability to heal ourselves and transform the world around us. As a graduate of the Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula, Sierra infuses her knowledge into Moon Bath’s rituals, as well as provides personal consultations and online wellness courses that support people to show up as their best through her joint Ayurveda practice, Cultivate Balance. She is also founder of Vibrant Souls, through which she provides women’s wellness resources, and is a doula, gardener and lover of bass music.
What are you passionate about sharing with the world? Why does this motivate you?
I am passionate about inspiring people to better understand their unique bodies and minds, so that they can in turn take better care of themselves. The lens I work with for this is the Ayurvedic concept of prakruti, or the unique mind-body constitution. When we know our prakruti, we can more easily discern what is beneficial for us versus what is harmful, we can show up as our best in relationships, and we can better call upon our strengths in the workplace. Understanding our prakruti also invites us to know which rituals and self care practices will call us closer into balance — using the rhythms and elements of nature as tools and as guides. The bathing rituals we share through Moon Bath align with the lunar cycle because the moon’s phases are such a powerful representation of these natural forces, and a very tangible opportunity for us to tune in.
For me, the key to feeling balanced is having a daily and weekly routine. As an Ayurvedic practitioner, this is something that I am consistently recommending to my clients and students, because I have truly seen the difference it makes in my life. I find that all of my systems operate better when I do things at regular times of the day — ideally when the aligned energies are at play. For example, I love to rise early and get my body moving right away, eat a hearty lunch when the sun is highest in the sky, have meetings in the afternoons when my independent focus begins to wane, and focus on self care rituals like oil massage and bathing as the sun begins to set. When I am in this regular flow, I experience the best, most balanced version of myself.
What advice do you have for people starting a new project?
My advice for people starting a new project is to never let “I don’t know how” get in your way. I imagine that most entrepreneurs or creators would agree that not knowing how has never stopped us from doing something. You can always Google it, ask someone, or put your nose to the grind to figure something out — and when you do, it’s actually super satisfying. Starting a new business or project may seem like a daunting series of things you don’t know how to do... but if you just take it one challenge at a time, and enjoy the process of figuring things out, after a while you will probably look back and be surprised by everything you have successfully built!
Inspired? Take a bath ritual with one of Moon Bath's products, before or after this FREE yoga class!
Head Up, Heart Strong with Christen Bakken
The start of a new season is the perfect opportunity to try something new and challenge yourself. Why not get out of your comfort zone and try a yoga challenge? It might sound intimidating, but challenging yourself to practice yoga every day, and even trying a few new things can be the best way to get out of a rut, and start a fresh season.
Still need convincing? Here are just a few reasons to join a yoga challenge today.
Learn New Things
If you’re a beginner with your yoga practice, you might not know that many poses or techniques. A yoga challenge is a great way to learn new poses quickly and get up to speed with the fundamentals of a yoga practice. They’re also great for those who are used to the practice, but who might want to try something a little different to their usual style of yoga. By doing a class every day, you’re opening your mind up to try new things, and finding out what styles of yoga you like.
If you’re not a beginner, a yoga challenge is a great way to learn all the different variations of poses that you might not have the time to try out in your day to day practice. You can also take some time to try out your own variations and changes to the poses. This can be a chance to really hone in on your preferred yoga style.
Connect With Other Yogis
One of the great things about trying something new is that you get to meet like-minded people. By signing up for a yoga challenge, you’ll meet other people who also have a passion for yoga, and you can make some new friends along the way!
The yoga community can be full of kind and supportive people, and a yoga challenge is a perfect way to connect with someone new!
Once you’ve signed up for a challenge, it can also help by having a like-minded community around you that can help keep you accountable. It could be so easy to give up, or make excuses, but the support from other yogis could be the thing that keeps you going! Everyone's strengths and weaknesses are different, and it can be easy to give up. But making new friends along the way can help motivate you to keep on your challenge!
Get Stronger
We all know that yoga is a great form of exercise to keep your body strong. Doing a yoga challenge can challenge your body and make you stronger than if you just practice every now and again. Moving your body through a class a day will help in weight loss, toning, flexibility, and detoxification. A yoga challenge can push your body and make you overall more fitter, and you’ll reap the benefits in your daily life too.
Stress Less
Yoga can help to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as make our bodies fitter. By signing up to a yoga challenge, and challenging yourself to get on the mat every day, you’ll notice significant improvements in your stress and anxiety levels. You can learn how to use your breath to clear stressful thoughts, and by doing this everyday, you’ll eventually start to take these techniques off the mat - reducing anxiety in your everyday life.
Establish a Regular Yoga Practice
At the end of your challenge, you would have practiced yoga every day - probably much more than you were before. If you think you don't have time for a regular practice, or find reasons not to get on the mat, a challenge will change your perspective, and help you to find the time every day to practice.
Convinced? Start your Fall or Spring season off on a good note, with our 2-week yoga challenge starting on the equinox. This challenge is suitable for all levels of yoga practitioners. It is here to support you in overall well-being, physically and mentally. Participants will receive their class choices every day in their inbox and connect with other participants from all over the world throughout the challenge.
By Amy Cavill
Ready to join? Sign up for the 2-Week Yoga Challenge: A Fresh Start!
As we approach the equinox on September 22, 2020, it’s time to align with nature. On this day where the night and the day are equal length, it’s the perfect opportunity to focus on establishing your equilibrium. It’s always an ideal time to set intentions when seasons change, and we’re here to encourage you with a Fresh Start Challenge beginning on September 21st.
No matter where you live, 2020 has been a year of dramatic and shocking events. We’ve all been required to adapt in our professional and personal lives, often without much choice in the matter. If you’ve been consistent with your yoga practice this year, hopefully, you’ve had an outlet to help you ride the tidal wave of change. The world is transforming and all we can do is work on keeping our minds, hearts, and bodies in balance from the inside out. Join your global yoga community for a two-week effort to make a shift toward balance together.
By honoring the changes occurring on Mother Earth, with the equinox being the time of evenness, balance, and equal light and dark, we utilize the guidance of nature’s forces to become more balanced. We connect with ourselves and connect with nature and connect with the cycles of life. Harnessing the energy of the earth and planets movement aids us in becoming stronger with less struggle.
If you are approaching Autumn in the Northern hemisphere, accept the shift toward shedding layers. When the leaves fall from the trees, there’s a waiting period through winter until they bloom again. When we accept that we can slow down and rest, we’re being like the trees and flowers: preparing for new growth.
If you are in the first beautiful bloom of Spring in the Southern hemisphere, savor the promise of new life. If it’s Spring where you live, it’s an excellent time to plant seeds for growth and change in any areas of your life you would love to see come to fruition. Take the time to consider how you can best align yourself with the upcoming equinox.
If you’d like to join with thousands of yogis all over the globe and seek equilibrium together, sign up for our Fresh Start Challenge. It’s a well-balanced mix of classes from mellow to vigorous. Participants will receive their class choices every day in their inbox and share in the experience with all the challengers. We all need connection and this is a great way to connect with like-minded people. Enjoy!
I love cooking, I really do, I love doing pastry too, but honestly, it makes sense to buy some things ready-made. One of these things is puff pastry, and I proudly use it in this recipe.
Summer is the best time to use the fresh ingredients – tomatoes in this recipe are from my grandmother's garden, and I have been indulging in them for the past few weeks. Summer tomatoes are something else and love them in every shape and form.
Of course, you can use other fillings for these squares too – I like to use sliced mushrooms, zucchini, and even beetroot, but if using beets they need to be parboiled first as they take longer to cook.
Just a warning ahead of time that tomatoes from the oven are one of the hottest things on earth, so be careful not to burn yourself!
The squares are a nice treat for breakfast and work beautifully as a snack with a glass of wine.
Simple Tomato Bites
Yields: 12
Cooking time: 30 min
1 pound store-bought puff pastry
5 oz grated (vegan) cheddar
3 huge ripe tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Basil
Take the pastry out of the freezer in advance so it would thaw slightly and become soft enough to roll out.
Preheat the oven to 480 F.
Roll out the pastry to about 1/3 inch and cut to 12 equal squares
With a sharp knife, cut the incision in about ½ inch from the edge of the squares – this helps the edges rise better.
Sprinkle the cheese in the middle of the squares.
Cut the tomatoes to thick slices, and arrange them inside the squares on top of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 15 minutes until the pastry is crispy and golden.
Serve with loads of fresh basil.
Get into top mental and physical shape from the comfort of your own home, with the Yoga for All: 2-Week Challenge.
We, humans, live in an age where many experience regular physical and mental stress. Body inactivity, past ailment, and genetic traits make our bodies lose flexibility and strength. Mild to chronic health problems are a possible consequence.
Yoga is one of the best ways to de-stress and rejuvenate the body to wellness and immunity. This physical practice is world-famous and has developed for centuries.
Some with many yoga offerings are slowly starting to get back to the new normal, and the fitness rainbow is brightening up for health and strength seekers. Let us look at the world's most popular places to take your yoga practice to new heights.
1. Rishikesh, India
India has clinched the top spot in the list of 2020 for yoga destinations in the world. Rishikesh, the yoga capital in Uttarakhand state, is the birthplace of yoga. The spiritual atmosphere here is the best learning ground for yoga. The holiest river Ganga flows through Rishikesh. It is a pilgrimage destination for the Hindus.
The city plays host to Hindu ashrams and International Yoga Festival every March. Renowned yoga instructors and gurus teach Pranayama, Meditation, and other yoga forms for physical and spiritual healing. Vegetarian sattvic food, spiritual songs fill the tourists' soul with divine blessings.
2. Sedona, Arizona
In the United States, Arizona is famous for the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona desert, pine-tree forests, and four energy vortexes. It is an excellent destination for camping, hiking, and biking trails.
But the yoga retreats in Sedona have an edge as they inspire the spiritual seeker with serene vibes and red rock formations. The retreats empower yoga lovers to continue their journey of seeking inner growth. The 3-day Sedona Yoga Festival held in March promotes yoga and consciousness, helps fight anxiety, PTSD, and much more.
3. Kalindi Lanzarote, Spain
Spain was among the first European countries to welcome yoga in the 20th century. Yoga, detox, and wellness get full regard in Spain. Kalindi guest house in the Spanish country attracts the yogis for its stress-release and yoga retreat program. Ayurvedic massage techniques, Kundalini, Hatha Yoga, and Iyengar yoga, are fantastic Lanzarote islands' fantastic attractions. Visit the location for mood uplifting.
4. Hariharalaya, Cambodia
Named after a Hindu deity, Hariharalaya Yoga & Meditation Retreat in Cambodia offers an experiential learning program to lead a holistic life. Highlights include yoga asana, breathing, meditation, and vegan meals.
Every year, Hariharalaya hosts 40 retreats that focus on the goodness of conscious living. New habits are shared with yoga learners; digital detox is one of them.
A visit to Angkor Wat, the world's largest archaeological temple site and the modern Buddhist Bakong temple, helps one appreciate Cambodian culture.
5. Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Massachusetts
Deepen your knowledge of yoga and Ayurveda by visiting Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. This 150-acre sanctuary in Massachusetts hosts popular retreats and workshops celebrating the wisdom of yoga. The online video subscription helps the yoga freaks get access to programs and workshops led by Kripalu faculty.
6. Sacred Valley, Peru
Peru is a yoga destination popular for its ruins, Amazon rainforests, canyon, and architectural marvel Machu Picchu. Spend a few nights here to recharge in the solitude of the Sacred Valley. Many of the yoga centers in the Valley are family-owned. Participate in a communal sweat lodge or explore ancient San Pedro medicine that connects the yogis to Pachamama (Mother Earth). Drinking tea brewed with coca leaves is a traditional healing therapy. The Andes Mountains can be your eternal morning dream.
7. Koh Phangan, Thailand
Setting foot in beautiful Thailand gives an indescribable feeling. It is a Buddhist country with a young and vibrant culture, unending festivals, white-sand beaches, exotic food. This Jewel in Southeast Asia can also be your yoga stopover. The Sanctuary Thailand in the idyllic island of Koh Phangan offers an inspiring mix of yoga retreat and detox holiday. One of the first-ever resorts established in the county, The Sanctuary, encourages its guests to learn, appreciate and practice yoga through yoga holiday packages, daily yoga classes, and yoga teacher training.
8. Bali, Indonesia
In Southeast Asia, Bali is a staunch follower of yoga and yoga teacher training. The island promotes different yoga styles that are more affordable than like-minded programs in the U.S. and Europe. Bali has a plethora of holistic spas, Ayurvedic centers, and healing alternatives to follow a conscious lifestyle. The diverse scenery is another plus point. Book a yoga slot in breath-taking Bali and enjoy the mountains, beaches, and rice paddies.
9. Amalfi Coast, Italy
The cliffs of the Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat in Southern Italy are a perfect background for your Downward Dog pose or Vinyasa. The retreat lawns and sea view terraces add a private touch to your learning. The locals act as your guides, helping you enjoy the Amalfi Coast culture. Guided boat tour of Capri, farm to fork dinner, make your yoga vacation an unforgettable experience.
10. Silver Island, Greece
The privately-owned Silver Island yoga retreat teaches the benefit of tranquillity and rejuvenation to de-stress modern life. It is a place to unwind and merge with nature and self. The exclusive retreat accommodates up to 10 guests in inviting rooms. Sunset yoga classes and solar power complete the eco-retreat experience.
Conclusion
Moments of stillness or the union of body and mind, yoga has something for everybody. Immerse yourself in yoga at any of these ten best places to achieve fitness and flexibility.
Rebecca Siggers is a passionate writer & guest blogger. Writing helps her to improve her knowledge, skills & understanding about the specific industry. She loves writing & sharing her knowledge mostly in the Travelling Industry. She believes traveling is the key to a peaceful life & wants to spread her belief across the world. Apart from writing, She loves traveling and reading.
Want to travel and do yoga? Check out some photos of epic YogaDownload Eat, Wine, & Yoga Retreats from around the world here #ydltravels.
Can't get away? Create your own yoga retreat from the comfort of your own home!
While a lot of people could definitely improve their posture, you might think that it’s going to be a hard and arduous journey to a straighter spine. However, it can be the small things that you might not notice that are actually causing your bad posture. Luckily, once you notice these behaviors, it becomes very easy to change and adapt, and improve your posture.
Here are some of the ways you could be hurting your posture, without even realizing it.
Slouching
The first is an obvious one - if you slouch often, you will hurt your posture. You may think you don’t slouch often, but try to keep your posture straight whenever you’re sat down. You may have this cracked during the workday, when you’re alert and on the ball - but have you noticed if you slouch sat on the couch at home, or when you’re driving in the car, or commuting on a bus or a train? When you’re feeling relaxed, this can have a sedation effect on your muscles, leading to increased slouching - and bad posture!
Phone Calls
No, not just speaking on the phone, but the way you hold your phone could be the cause of posture problems. If you’re prone to holding your phone between your shoulder and your ear, especially if you’re going ‘hands-free’, this can actually have an adverse effect on your posture. This is because you’re twisting your head and neck down towards your shoulders for a long time. If you can, use headphones or a loudspeaker so you don’t hurt your posture while you talk on the phone.
Shouldering the Burden
We all have a preferred side to carry bags and other items on. Unfortunately, that shoulder preference can pave the way for bad posture, as well as back pain and headaches - especially if you carry a heavy bag. You might carry everything on one shoulder as a habit, and you don’t even realize it. To fix the issues this might be causing on your posture, try to switch sides, and spread the load.
Wearing High Heels
Many people love wearing high heels, for the added height, or even for an extra confidence boost! However, wearing high heels can affect the way that you stand, as well as the way that you walk. This is because wearing high heels can cause your spine to sway in a way that isn’t natural for our bodies. If you can’t put away the high heels just yet, try to stretch your calves to counteract the damage done by wearing them.
Crossing Your Legs
It might be second nature to cross your legs when you sit down, at work, at home, on the train - but actually, the placement of your legs when you sit can have a really big impact on your posture. It’s super common to cross your legs when you sit down, but this should be avoided to keep good posture. By crossing your legs when you sit down, you can actually tilt your pelvis, which can cause bad posture, as well as causing a sore lower back.
Sleeping on Your Front
While sleeping on your front may be comfy - it is actually hurting your posture. Sleeping on your stomach can put undue stress on your spine, which makes your posture worse. This is because when you sleep on your front, and not your back or side, your spine can’t be in a neutral position. This puts all your weight at your center and hurts your spine.
Looking at Your Phone
This is a common reason in the 21st century for bad posture. Everyone stares at their phone from time to time, our mobiles have become the way we stay connected to the outside world. But they also might be a cause of bad posture. There’s even a word for it ‘text neck’. When you bend your neck forwards to look at your phone, the excessive bending of your neck, especially when you do it for a long time, can put a huge strain on the ligaments in your neck. And if your neck is out of alignment, it adds extra weight to your spine - making your posture even worse!
Tightness in Your Muscles
This one is for all the gym bunnies out there. All that moving, bending and exercising can cause tightness in your muscles, and if you aren’t taking the time to properly stretch out, they can become even tighter. Tight muscles can even be caused by normal day to day activities, like sitting down! If you don’t stretch properly, you can cause back pain and bad posture as your other muscles work overtime to compensate for the tight areas.
Poor Alignment
You may pay close attention to your alignment in yoga class, or while you work out, but do you notice what your body is doing in your day to day activities? While you’re walking around your house, or picking something up, are you in proper alignment? If you’re not aware of your alignment, you may be slipping into poor alignment, which can cause stress on the spine and cause bad posture. Luckily, this one is an easy fix. Try to notice what your body is doing, and remember the correct alignments as you do your day to day tasks.
Getting Comfy
You may just be comfortable when you have bad posture, and not want to move. You’re actually comfy because your body has already adapted to this bad posture. Try to correct your posture, even when it’s uncomfortable, and your body will soon get used to the correct posture!
Improve your posture with yoga, right now!
Tech Neck with Shannon Paige
Standing Tall: Improve Your Posture with Iyengar Yoga
Excellent posture not only keeps your physical body healthy, but also provides the foundation and support you need to maintain emotional and mental balance. Yoga will help you find proper spinal alignment to stand tall and feel your best inside and out.
Over the last thirty years, we’ve grown more sedentary as a culture. Many of us spend hours each day sitting, which is the number one contributor to back pain, poor posture, sluggish digestion, and mental fog. To counteract hunched shoulders, tight neck muscles, and lower back pain, take the time to step onto your yoga mat and perfect your posture.
Because we are all anatomically different, everybody’s posture looks different. The intention isn’t to make everyone have the same posture, but to honor the natural curvature of the spine. Ideally, the bones of your skeleton should align vertically. A simple starting point is to stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). If someone held a string from your ears to your ankles, ideally your shoulders, pelvis, and knees would all fall into that straight line.
Many of us have excess flattening or curvature, depending on how we spend our days. When your habitual alignment is out of sync, spinal problems like bulging disks, muscular pain, and headaches result. To avoid ending up on a physical therapist’s table, practicing yoga and reminding yourself to straighten up can keep you healthy for years to come.
Postural benefits aren’t just visible to the naked eye! We all have a subtle or astral body, that is a blueprint or sheath for the physical body. Lifeforce energy or prana moves through the Nadis or passageways. The central Nadi or Sushumna Nadi runs from the base of the spine through the crown of the head, mirroring your spinal column.
Seven primary chakras or energy vortexes are located along the Sushumna Nadi. Proper posture ensures your internal energy flows freely, which in turn keeps your emotions and thoughts aligned.
Use a combination of forward bending poses, like Prasarita (wide-legged forward fold) and Paschimotanasana (seated forward fold) with heart openers like Ustrasana (camel pose) and Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), and twists like Ardha Matsyendrasana (half lord-of-the-fishes) to keep your spine healthy. Add in a few minutes of Phalakasana (plank pose) to build core strength for strong abdominals and to protect your lower back.
Your posture is how you carry yourself in the world. Practicing yoga helps you stand tall and proud.
Enjoy this week's classes!
1. Dana Hanizeski - Standing Tall: Improve Your Posture with Iyengar Yoga
2. Shannon Paige - Tech Neck
3. Elise Fabricant - Strong Back, Soft Front
4. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Yoga for Hips and Back
Mindfulness is a stress-buster that’s becoming more popular, and for good reason. Practicing mindfulness in your day to day life can help you be more relaxed, happy, and kind.
For many, their work-life can be a source of stress. It doesn't need to be and for those fortunate enough, work is something that brings joy.
Whether it's work or other things in your life that cause you stress, it's important you do your best to reduce the effects of stress. Stress can kill. That’s no overstatement — it’s true. Mounting stress increases your blood pressure and releases cortisol into your bloodstream. You can become more prone to heart attacks and strokes. But you don’t have to let chronic stress defeat you.
Here are tips for being mindful during your workday, whether you're currently working from home or in the office, and have some decorative authority over your workspace.
Be in the Moment
Easier said than done. Mindfulness is defined as "maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens." It sounds simple, but it’s more than just pushing all distractions away and focusing on the project or task in front of you. You might consider getting expert advice on the therapeutic technique and how to do it right.
A regular meditation practice can increase your ability to practice mindfulness during your work life. If you practice mindfulness correctly, it reduces work-life conflict, increases focus and concentration, and increases job satisfaction.
Go Green
Plants and greenery in your workspace if you're able to add them, are more than decoration. Research shows green space is good for mental health. In fact, just being in a green space can put you in a more mindful place. Of course, some plants fare better indoors than others.
Looking after wilting, brown indoor plants might become another frustrating distraction. Others are more resilient even if you haven't had a green thumb in the past, and flourish most spaces. Some of the more popular plants for indoor spaces include money trees, philodendrons, peace lilies, and succulents. Potted plants freshen the air and lower stress and anxiety in the workplace — and that’s good for your blood pressure and your peace of mind.
Exercise Body and Soul
Any kind of exercise that gets your heart rate up, even walking, helps you stay focused. But some forms of exercise incorporate mindfulness and connection with breath.
Yoga is a perfect example, and has endless benefits for the body and mind. A good yoga teacher reminds you to be aware of your breath and how you feel in any given moment. It's easier to get centered during yoga class, and you can take the mental benefits into the office with you.
Also, take a closer look at the group exercise offerings. Meditation and mindfulness are also becoming more popular, and so are classes that bring HIIT or barre together with mindfulness techniques.
Healing Energy
Objects with healing energies can help you stay calm and in the moment. That includes green living things, but also items such as healing crystals, Himalayan salt lamps, or feng shui elements like a fish tank. Throughout time, and across cultures, humans have used items like worry beads or totems to stay focused and decrease stress.
If you're feeling chronic stress at the office or during your workday, or emotional exhaustion, display cynicism or even reduced efficiency, add some meaningful and beneficial decoration. Anything that reminds you to lowers stress and gets you back on track.
Research shows that mindfulness could actually help prevent burnout. Your mental and physical health are too important to ignore. It’s well worth the time and energy to find things that help you reduce stress in your workspace. Your body will thank you!
By Jayce Lambert
Jayce Lambert, a former professional dancer, is now a physical therapist and yoga instructor who advocates for wellness for people of all abilities.
There are two types of people - those who like peppers and those who hate them. I am definitely a pepper lover and enjoy them in every shape, color and form - raw as a snack, stuffed and baked (my favorite filling is lentils with seasonal veggies), and in salads and wok dishes. In today's recipe, red peppers are used as one of the sauce components, and the result is simply fascinating.
The sauce is reminiscent of romesco, but since my version is whipped up to taste, using the ingredients I had at home (which means that half of the ingredients used for authentic romesco sauce are replaced) I don't dare call it fancy names. I believe calling it roasted pepper and almond sauce paints a good picture of this sauce.
There is nothing complicated about making the sauce to start with. Still, if you want to simplify the process further, you can use store-bought roasted peppers - in this case, choose a jar with as few additives as possible and preferably in an oil-based marinade. However, if you are planning to grill anyway, or have a gas stove, then freshly roasted peppers are the best option. I don't have a grill or a gas stove, so I baked the peppers in the oven and still got a lovely result. So in other words, the lack of inventory should not be an obstacle
Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Sauce
Cooking time: 15 min
5 large roasted and cleaned red peppers
2 ripe tomatoes
4 oz toasted almonds
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
The juice of ½ lemon
A tiny bit of maple syrup
Chop up the capsicum, tomatoes, and almonds roughly, throw them in a blender or food processor.
Whizz up to a sauce. It doesn’t need to be ultra-smooth, some chunky bits are okay.
Mix in half of the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, mix well, and have a taste. Add more lemon or vinegar, if needed, season with salt and pepper, and if you feel that the sauce needs a little extra sweetness, add a tiny bit of maple syrup too.
Keep in a sealed jar in the fridge. It will be good for up to a week.
For roasting the peppers, you can use one of these options or just use store-bought ones:
Place the whole peppers on the grill or over an open flame on the gas stove. Roast on all sides until the skin is slightly charred and the flesh slightly softened. Place the peppers in a bowl, cover and let them sit for 10 minutes. Then remove the skin and seeds from the peppers, but be careful – they are still hot.
If you don’t have a grill or gas stove, roast the peppers in the oven using the grill mode if you have it. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes on 480F. Proceed the same way as in the previous method.
Try this free meditation class before your delicious sauce!
Meditation: Release Reactivity with Geenie Celento
If you're feeling like you're stuck in a rut do not worry. We all have our moments, you're never stuck, and there are things you can do, on any given day, to turn the momentum around.
This is not a post to disregard or invalidate whatever you may be feeling, but rather to encourage you not to get stuck there and keep doing your best to stay bright and optimistic.
Ready to turn things around?
Try any one of the 10 things below to feel a little lighter and brighter and get yourself out of a funk:
1. Walk it Out
Sometimes you just need to move your body, to get stagnant energy that can be clouding your body and mind to move. Walking is a simple yet profound way to bring some vitality back to your being. Go walk somewhere new for an added bonus and to avoid falling into autopilot. Even 10 - 30 minutes can be enough.
2. Talk to Someone You Love Honestly
It's often easier to hide away and pretend like everything is jolly when you're feeling low. While there is no use in wallowing away in pity, there is power and bravery in vulnerability and telling someone that you've been having a harder than usual time without feeling ashamed about it. Open, honest sharing can be a really useful reminder that we're all human and have challenges, and that you're not alone. It's common to feel more connected and supported after opening up.
3. Music is Medicine
Indulge in sound. If you're feeling low, play your music loud. Give yourself whichever kind of genre you need. Sad music has a time and place. Rap can give you a confidence boost. Meditation and ambient music can help everything settle. And dance music can get your blood pumping and make you want to dance around. Enjoy!
4. Go for a Drive
Drive for the sake of driving. You can of course combine this with tip #3 for a feel-good experience to clear your head. Sometimes when we feel stuck, it can be a matter of feeling stuck geographically also. Drive somewhere, open the windows, put on music or a podcast you love, and enjoy the scenery.
5. Go into Nature
Sometimes the answers lie in nature. Go somewhere you can immerse yourself in the beauty of the natural world to slow and quiet down for a moment.
Take a moment to pause, and ask for the solutions and breakthroughs that you're wanting, while you're somewhere beautiful. Nature and moments of reflection can bring solace and a sense of connection and support.
6. Meditate
Often it's easier to look outwards to solve problems that are causing us trouble. Go within through meditation, and you might find some useful answers. The idea behind meditation is that if we get our thoughts into a better place, the benefits will ripple outwards into our lives.
7. Journal
Writing things down can bring needed clarity. Journaling doesn't have to be structured but it can be if preferred. Write about what you've been feeling, how you want to feel, or anything that feels unresolved. You can also write letters to people you love also.
8. Run
Similar to #1, movement is healing and sometimes cardio is especially powerful. It's hard to be caught up in negative thoughts or emotions when your heart is beating and your body is charging full steam ahead. Making yourself exercise until you sweat, in various forms, is one of the easiest ways to boost endorphins and boost your mood in the process.
9. Get Artistic & Make Something
Paint, collage, take photos, do something you love to do or want to learn how to do. Using your hands and getting creative is one of the easiest ways to get out of your head and can be uplifting to your entire well-being. Children are happy to play and create endlessly, with no bigger goal in mind than to enjoy the process. As adults, it can be easy not to go there as frequently, but the creative flow is one of the best places to be. Let yourself there more often, simply for the sake of creating, without taking yourself too seriously or putting pressure on yourself to create masterpieces. Explore until you find artistic mediums that make you feel good and you can always browse the internet for endless instructional videos and ideas.
10. Yoga
"You're only one yoga class away from a good mood."-unknown. This is usually true. Almost all yoga classes have you feeling better at the end than you did at the beginning. If you've been feeling low it can sometimes be harder to show up on your mat but the rewards are worth it.
Showing up is sometimes the hardest thing you'll do in the class, but being able to practice gentle styles of yoga online from your home to make it easier than ever.
Poses in particular that are uplifting, are all inversions (including partial inversions like Forward Fold or Downward Facing Dog). and backbends, which are are beneficial if you're feeling low on energy or sad. They're uplifting and energizing.
11. Clean or Re-Decorate Your Space
Beautify your space, and clear your clutter. Feng Shui is about how your external living space is a reflection of your inner state of well-being and vice versa. It's all connected. If you're feeling scattered, your space will look and feel scattered (and walking into a scattered place can make you feel that way also).
Simplify and beautify your space, to feel better internally. Throw out things you don't need, or never use, and you might feel lighter. Feng Shui Your Life and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up are two books on this subject that I highly recommend.
12. Buy Yourself a Present
Don't retail therapy your way out of uncomfortable feelings, but once in a while, getting yourself something you don't need, but that brings joy, is worth it and can give you a boost. Treat yourself! You're worth it.
13. Stop Complaining
If you've felt stuck in a rut, it can be easy for some to hide, but for others, it can be easier to dwell on it and speak constantly about why you're dissatisfied with everyone you encounter. Challenge yourself, to not complain for one week, and see how your life changes, even subtly.
14. Read a Good Book
Endless social media browsing is actually being proven to increase anxiety while reading has been shown to calm humans down. Go find a good book to read and give your mind a breather that comes from getting lost in a good book.
If you're been out of reading regularly for a while, look around for a book that you're excited to dive into. Sometimes, getting into one book you cannot put down, is all that it takes to get back into reading regularly.
15. Eat Cleaner
If you're eating nothing but garbage, you're going to feel like garbage. It's pretty simple when we think about it, but depending on where you live, eating processed food all of the time is sadly the norm and easier to do than eat healthy, in many places. You don't have to transform your diet altogether or overnight, but adding some simple foods that grow from the earth into your diet, like fruits and vegetables, can go a long way, into giving your body the nutrients you need to feel good.
Make one simple smoothie a day. There are many excellent, and easy smoothie recipes here from the brilliant ladies from the Conscious Cleanse.
Remember, you're never stuck. There are actions you can take each and every day to give yourself a boost. Look forwards, not back, and experiment with this list until you find the things that work best for you.
By Keith Allen
Practice meditation for free right now, to turn things around and stay bright!
Are you ready to mix up your week with some new workouts that will enrich your yoga practice? We’re excited to share a 6-part bootcamp from Erin Wimert, YogaDownload.com’s top barre teacher, that will have you shaking, sweating, and smiling. If you’re not familiar with this total-body fitness class, barre is a challenging workout that combines elements of classical ballet barre, Pilates, and body-weight exercises. But don’t worry: no dance experience needed.
5 reasons to integrate barre into your routine:
Strength: Barre focuses on the entire body, with a heavy emphasis on core and lower body. Instead of classic calisthenics, barre class emphasizes isometric contractions, focusing on the smaller accessory muscles that act as a girdle to the larger muscles of the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Working the lower body in this way aids in creating a stable pelvis and helps support the joints and spine.
Posture: Depending upon the style of yoga you customarily practice, you may or may not be used to a precise focus on alignment. Barre, with its origins from dance and work standing at a ballet barre, emphasizes elongating the spine, strengthening and opening the chest and shoulders, and will leave you standing taller after just one class. Each movement is controlled and precise and helps you improve your posture, which in turn aids you in proper alignment in your yoga practice.
Mind-body connection: Barre and yoga both share an emphasis on the mind-body connection. You cannot coast through a barre class, just like you can’t coast through a yoga class. Breath is really important in barre work to manage the high repetitions. Working the smaller accessory muscles to failure requires determination and mental focus. When your muscles are shaking like jello, you need to dig deep and use your steady breath to finish strong.
Core Strength: A major portion of barre class emphasizes using your abdominals and back to maintain proper alignment. In addition to a dedicated floor abs section, the standing barre work requires stabilization through your center to maintain balance and posture. A strong core is essential in yoga to protect the back and aid in balancing on your hands or on one leg.
Flexibility: Barre class focuses on working the muscles to failure, followed by stretching to prevent injury and give the muscles an elongated look, like those of a dancer. By working your body in a different way than you do in yoga, you create a cross-training effect, which improves your practice.
It’s always important to mix-up the way you move to prevent injury and improve physical performance. Give one or all of these excellent short classes a try this week––you’ll be glad you did.
Ready to give it a try?
This warm salad is a nice nutritious main meal that, in my opinion, does not need anything else, but for meat lovers, it can also be served as a side next to meat or fish. I occasionally do eat fish and meat, but I never add it to this salad myself. The carrots, avocado, and seeds are filling as they are. The dish is approved by omnivores, and even my boyfriend who never likes vegetables (and weirdly enough is a vegetarian) is always happy to eat two portions of this one.
The creaminess of the avocado, crunchiness of toasted seeds, and earthiness of carrots combined is a perfect plateful for a little chillier summer night. Like many of my recipes, this salad uses a ton of coriander. If you are one of those who don’t like it, feel free to substitute for arugula. But if you have only tasted coriander for a few times, I recommend to give it another go as it is one of those flavors that needs a little getting used to. I remember when it wasn’t my favorite, and today I add it to almost every recipe!
If you can find them, this recipe benefits from using multicolored carrots – purple, white, orange… Unfortunately, I only have regular orange carrots in my garden this year, so my salad does not look as exciting as it could look, but it still tastes fantastic!
I have used a little feta cheese because the tanginess is beautiful here, but if you prefer the vegan option, just omit it.
Warm Avocado and Carrot Salad
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
2 pounds carrots (in different colors, if possible)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 + 2 tbsp olive oil
Dried chili flakes, to taste
1 tsp coconut sugar
½ orange
½ lemon
Mixed seeds (I used poppy seeds and sunflower seeds this time)
2 ripe avocados
A handful of coriander (or substitute for arugula)
Some feta to sprinkle on top
Preheat the oven to 390 F and bring a large pot with water to boil.
Scrub the carrots and peel, if you feel like it (I usually do not peel fresh carrots). Cut the larger ones lengthways to halves or quarters, leave the smaller ones whole.
Cook the carrots in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and let them steam dry.
At the same time, crush the spices with mortar and pestle, then add the vinegar and 2 tbsp of olive oil and mix to a homogenous paste.
Mix hot carrots with the paste and cook them for 25 minutes in the oven until they are softened and crisped up a little. Add the halved citrus fruit to the pan too.
As long as your carrots and citrus are baking, toast the seeds on a dry pan. Peel and cut the avocado.
Once the carrots are done, carefully squeeze the juice out of the orange and lemon to a big bowl, add the rest of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
Place the carrots to the same big bowl, add avocado, seeds, and a handful of coriander – carefully mix again.
Serve warm, and if you want to, crumble some feta cheese on top.
In more ways than one, the COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed our sense of normal. These days, more people find themselves working remotely as the virus continues sweeping across the globe, forcing many establishments to shut down their offices.
Most children are staying at home as well and logging on for their classes rather than catching the school bus. There are also fewer opportunities to get out and socialize with friends and family. This means that many of us are stuck at home all day long. Unfortunately, all this time spent inside can lead to increased issues with your health.
Our work environments changed so drastically and quickly it’s no wonder that people are beginning to feel both the mental and physical effects of long-term isolation. Luckily, yoga is here to help. Yoga, paired with other health-positive changes, can help soften the strain that COVID-19 has put on all of us.
If you require a reset, here are some useful tips to help get you started as you adjust to working remotely.
Yoga to the Rescue
In a time where COVID-19 has made it unsafe to live as we once did, yoga is a perfect outlet. Beyond work-related stress, there is also tension stemming from the fear that you or a loved one might get sick. This, on top of all the other stressors such as closed schools and financial uncertainty, is mentally and physically draining.
To get through this unique time, it’s worth making an effort to utilize yoga, mindful meditation, and deep-breathing exercises more often. Practicing yoga has also been shown to reduce cortisol, the hormone that causes stress, and increases GABA, which is a brain chemical that can produce a calming effect. Meditation can also help take your mind off of the never-ending stream of bad news and focus more inwardly. Whether you’re a beginner or yoga veteran, there’s a pose out there that can help you get through these new stressors of life.
Invest in Your Workspace
At the beginning of this pandemic, you could argue that your hastily put together home office was perfectly fine and functional. You may have not felt the need to invest in your home office because this was only supposed to be a short, temporary situation. As we have all witnessed, the COVID-19 situation only grew more acute. This means that for the last four months you’ve likely been working in an office completely inadequate for your work and health needs.
This can negatively impact your health in several ways. If your chair is old and unsupportive, your back and posture are likely to suffer. If your desk is too small or seriously lacking storage, you often end up unorganized and stressed out trying to track down important documents. To start making the most out of your home office, and cut down on those negative side effects, you’ve got to create a better workstation and routine.
Creating a more ergonomic workstation doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Start by addressing your top-priority needs and work your way down. A few great ideas to begin with are:
Computer Chair: Switch to a chair that is easy to adjust and provides support in the right places. A proper backrest can better support the lumbar curve on your lower back which helps relieve pressure on your vertebrae.
Monitors: Our eyes can take a beating when staring at computer screens all day long, which can lead to headaches and blurry vision. Adjust the lighting on your computer’s monitor or switch to night mode. And make sure it’s around 20 inches away from your face so your eyes aren’t working as hard to focus. Avoid strains in your neck by keeping your monitor at or below eye level as well.
Distractions: To keep your productivity up, set up a routine, and stick with it. This is where yoga can play a key role in your workday. Each day or whenever you’re feeling anxious and distracted, take ten minutes to do some low-impact yoga stretches that improve focus and productivity. Not only will this help with concentration but excessive sitting is harmful to your health so it’s a great excuse to get up and moving.
Get Some Fresh Air
By now, you might be feeling as though going outside, meeting up with loved ones, and heading out on some wild adventure is a thing of the past. Despite most cities removing their shelter in place orders, many of us still stay inside most of the day. However, there are many scientifically-proven benefits of spending time outside such as decreased stress, higher-quality sleep, lowered blood pressure, and enhanced creativity.
The next time you’re finished with work for the day, try grabbing your yoga mat and heading outside. Find a spot that you can safely distance from other people on and enjoy the sounds and sights of the outdoors while you stretch. Start with some stress-relieving poses such as Standing Forward Bend or Rabbit Pose. Then try targeting specific areas such as your back, which even in the best of office chairs can still ache after a long day at work. Downward-Facing Dog and Extended Triangle are classic poses that feel amazing and help with back pain.
If you want a break from yoga, going for a simple walk around the neighborhood is also a great way to get you moving and enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer. Bring a journal with you and take a small break to jog down some of the thoughts you had while walking around. It can be very therapeutic to write down your fears, worries, hopes, and dreams, especially while the sun is setting and the sky is full of those magnificent colors. Whatever you like to do, just get outside and enjoy the healing properties of the great outdoors.
Working remotely more is just one side effect that COVID-19 has had on our way of life. The year 2020 has certainly been a rollercoaster and we’ve still got a few months to go. This year, perhaps more than ever before, it’s important that you find more ways to keep your body, mind, and soul healthy. Yoga is one solution but there are others you can also utilize that can help make this trying time a bit easier to manage.
By Frankie Wallace
Frankie Wallace is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest of the United States. She writes about a variety of topics, but manages to spend her free time tending to her garden and cuddling with her cat, Casper.
External sources: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/06/coronavirus-is-taking-a-toll-on-workers-mental-health-across-america.html https://eberlestock.com/a/blog/10-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-being-outside-for-your-mental-physical-health https://valleyoaks.org/health-hub/the-relationship-between-covid-19-anxiety-and-yoga/ https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-creating-an-ergonomic-workstation-for-studying/ https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-cortisol#1
Iyengar yoga is a type of yoga that was developed by B.K.S Iyengar - and also named after him. He was one of the people who was partly responsible for bringing the modern practice of yoga to the Western world.
B.K.S. Iyengar was born in 1918 in Bellur, India. B.K.S. Iyengar practiced yoga for over 85 years, but began his study under his guru, T. Krishnamacharya - also sometimes known as the Father of modern yoga. B.K.S Iyengar brought the practice of yoga to the western world in the 197’0’s and wrote the book Light on Yoga, which has been a book many yoga students across the world have studied for generations.
Iyengar yoga is identified by being similar to the classic Hatha yoga traditions, but with lots of attention on the technical alignment and proper posing. This helps keep the mind drawn inward, but also connected to reality.
Iyengar yoga focuses on three different aspects - timing, alignment, and sequencing. In particular; timing, the poses are held for long periods of time. You are encouraged in Iyengar yoga to find stability in a pose, and only then, intensify the depth of your posture. This will help your strength and flexibility. Alignment typically means to stay in the yoga pose while still maintaining your body's boundaries, and not pushing it past that.
In Iyengar yoga, you may often use props to assist with your asanas while reducing the risk of injury. Alignment can help to bring balance to your body and mind. Finally, sequencing means the order of poses are practiced. This allows a structured progression and helps your body to open up to some of the deeper poses.
You’ll be in good hands in your first Iyengar class - teachers have to undergo a very in-depth three-year training before they are allowed to lead a class. This is due to the very strong emphasis Iyengar has on the body's proper alignment.
Iyengar was developed after B.K.S Iyengar started practicing yoga as a child due to poor health. He found that with a daily practice, the health benefits in his body were evident. This started his knowledge of anatomy and gave him a therapeutic approach to yoga practice.
Iyengar advocates the use of props such as blocks and straps to help you gain the correct alignment for your individual body. Some of the unique benefits to Iyengar include better physical health, better posture, tension release, and boosted energy, which is why it is suitable for everybody.
Iyengar yoga typically gives an in-depth demonstration of poses, and helps to teach users both the doing and how to do the asanas. Teachers will demonstrate poses, to help show pupils the correct alignment and shapes. This helps you to be safe in your practice and gives a better understanding of the pose from the start. Be prepared to learn and listen to instructions!
As mentioned before, Iyengar is an alignment-based practice. You may be asked to align your body in new or different ways. This is so you can examine how your body's alignment is, and gives a holistic edge to your practice. Your teacher may provide verbal or hands-on adjustments to guide you into the correct alignment for each pose.
Progression is important in Iyengar yoga, and when you start out there can be a lot to learn. To excel at Iyengar, it expects a knowledge of sequencing, physiology, asana and pranayama techniques as well as an understanding of the philosophical aspects of yoga. If you have never tried Iyengar before, make sure you practice a beginners class, and only move up a class if you are ready.
Iyengar classes typically include inversions, such as shoulder stands and headstands. It’s important to listen to your instructor and attempt these poses safely, keeping your body aligned. You’ll work up to these poses by strengthening your arms and shoulders in easier classes first.
If you’re struggling to get into the poses, use props! Iyengar yoga advocates the use of props - in fact, B.K.S Iyengar was the originator of many of the props we still use in yoga classes today. Straps, bolsters, and bricks are just a few of the props you might find in an Iyengar yoga class. You can use props to deepen your poses, and help your understanding of the pose and alignment, or to help you get into a certain pose. Props help you to explore poses in new and different ways.
Iyengar yoga is one of the most popular types of yoga out there. The popularity has spread through the teachings of B.K.S Iyengar and his family. There are teachers across the world who specialize in Iyengar.
Enjoy these Iyengar yoga classes, right now, at home, or on the go with the YogaDownload app!
Introduction to Iyengar Yoga with Dana Hanizeski
Iyengar Yoga: Deep Release for the Hips & Legs with Dana Hanizeski
“If the foundation is firm, the building can withstand calamities. The practice of Yoga is the foundation, so that the Self is not shaken under any circumstances.” – B.K.S. Iyengar
With the world in a tumultuous state these days, it’s more important than ever to fortify our inner strength and foundation. Iyengar Yoga is an excellent path to create more stability. Along with Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar was one of the two most famous students of the Father of Modern Yoga, T. Krishnamacharya. Both teachers are credited with bringing their interpretation of the Eight-Limbed Yoga Path to the West. If you love Vinyasa Yoga, thank Ashtanga Yoga founder Pattabhi Jois because Vinyasa flow is a derivative of his style. Iyengar went in another direction.
The author of Light on Yoga, one of the most revered yoga books, developed his style due to necessity from his own experience as a sickly child. As a result, he experimented with props like blocks and straps and integrated them into a slower alignment-based practice. Iyengar believed yoga was for everybody regardless of physical or mental challenges. He created a yoga practice where significant time is spent in each asana (physical posture) with props to support those with limited flexibility. Imagine spending a sixty-minute class focusing solely on Trikonasana (Triangle Pose).
Through extended holds with detailed alignment from the feet to the crown of the head, students learn to quiet their mind and gain more clarity and calm. Instead of flowing with the breath in faster-paced classes, Iyengar aims to slow you down to truly develop awareness of physical sensations and penetrate deeper into the mind’s capacity. Iyengar was unique in that he wanted his students to master the physical postures before teaching pranayama (breath control) because pranayama is more advanced. His books Light on Pranayama and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali delve deeper his shared wisdom.
The therapeutic aspect of Iyengar’s teaching helps students rehabilitate from injury and rebuild their physical fitness. Just as Iyengar used props in order to build his own strength and flexibility, he recommends props for students to find an accessible and safe practice. He believed that props allow you to progress further because you aren’t risking injury by trying to achieve a particular alignment.
This week, you can deepen your understanding of this style of yoga with two classes from Dana Hanizeski, and a new class in Spanish from Noemi using the Iyengar chair. Desiree Rumbaugh, an Iyengar certified teacher, also shares an Iyengar inspired class where you will learn healthy mechanics in postures.
Enjoy these Iyengar yoga classes in both English and Spanish!
Iyengar Yoga for the Hips& Legs with Dana Hanizeski
Strengthen, Protect, & Heal the Lower Back with Desiree Rumbaugh
Guerreros Usando Silla with Noemi Nuñez
It’s peach season here in Colorado, and it wouldn’t be summertime in Colorado without some fresh peaches from our local farmer’s market. In honor of one of our favorite stone fruits, we thought we’d share a recipe today that is just ‘peachy!’
Nothing says summer more than biting into a fresh, juicy peach, and this green smoothie recipe is the perfect way to use all those perfectly ripe peaches that start popping up in local farmer’s markets this time of year.
Peaches are a relatively low-sugar fruit, so they won’t spike your blood sugar and leave you crashing in a few hours. Peaches are also high in dietary fiber to help keep you regular, and a great source of immune-boosting Vitamin C.
This smoothie recipe is a great intro to green smoothies – it’s perfect for green smoothie newbies and kiddos. It really does taste like peach pie in a jar!
We hope you enjoy this yummy green smoothie! Make sure to share it with your non-smoothie loving friends – who knows, you might have some green smoothie converts.
With love and summer peaches,
Peach Pie Smoothie
Yield: 1 quart
2 cups water 1 banana 1 cup peaches 2 cups spinach 1 tsp vanilla
In a high-speed blender, add water, banana, peaches, spinach and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!
If you liked this recipe, we invite you to join our online community! As a welcome-gift, we’ll send you our Green Smoothie eCookbook, a collection of more of our favorite easy smoothie recipes!
We also share new recipes, free live calls with us, and more healthy lifestyle tips, plus let you know when our next group cleanse is coming. Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here.
Jo Schaalman and Jules Peláez are co-authors of the book The Conscious Cleanse: Lose Weight, Heal Your Body and Transform Your Life in 14 Days, a best-selling, step-by-step guide to help you live your most vibrant life. Together they’ve led thousands of people through their online supported cleanse through their accessible and light-hearted approach. They’ve been dubbed “the real deal” by founder and chief creative director Bobbi Brown, of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, beauty editor of the TODAY show.
Life begins and ends with you. It is all too easy to use time to rattle off numerous reasons why life is harder, tougher, sadder or more challenging for you. Why waste the time though!
We each have the same 24 hours in our days to make use of. You and you alone get to choose how you will spend them.
If you dedicate 8 to sleep and 8 to work, you still have 8 to fill and fulfill. That’s 56 untapped hours each week. A whopping 2952 hours a year waiting for you to tap into and utilize their potential. How do you choose to spend them?
A reminder though, you can not bank or store them, so spend them wisely.
Sure, sitting in a corner, hiding from life, and passing blame is one option. Bending to conformity, shying from self expression and breathing beige is another. I encourage you to explore the third option though. Let’s have a look at what is behind door number 3 shall we?
What if you owned your life? You were 100% connected and committed to you. You live large. You embrace change. You are you - whole heartedly, unwaveringly and unapologetically.
Life is your creation and your responsibility. Everyone else is busy “doing” their life, they don’t have time to “do” your life for you.
Take charge, have ownership, and accept responsibility. Stop naming and blaming and start living and loving.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but make sure they are good ones. If you cant even make unique mistakes how are you going to get unique results?
Make errors that are unique and are the outcome of trying something new and untested. The bigger the risk the bigger the reward.
Surround yourself with loving people, who will dust you off, confirm how much you failed, but then send you straight back into your life to try again.
Be different for the right reasons. Get noticed for being boldly different rather than not blending in enough. Be seen for being you, gloriously you.
Let your heart guide and drive you. Dream in color. Live in highlighters.
To get more in life, you have to give more, be more.
Read, write, play, create, explore, taste, wander. Avoid straight lines and step sideways, on diagonals, introduce curves and weaves. See a backwards step more like a cha cha, rather than a set back.
Live to the corners of your life. Breathe to the shadows of your lungs. Express freely and fully.
The only guarantee in life is that it will end for you on this planet. Each hour you live, you are one hour closer to that happening. You are the youngest you will ever be right now. Life only exists in the present.
So go out and live it. Get dirty, make a mess. Taste the sunshine and drink the rain. Talk loudly and laugh a lot. Sing, dance and be merry. Cry, feel and be real. Use your good crockery and wear your finest threads. Be honest and be raw. Be vulnerable but be courageous. Love. No boundaries or barriers. Just love.
Live a beautiful life.
Want to shift your perspective to start living a beautiful life? Meditation and yoga can help. Practice either for free, right now!
Release Reactivity with Geenie Celento
If you’re familiar with practicing any visualization or law of attraction techniques, dedicate some time and energy into manifesting how you want to feel, who you want to be, and how you aspire to carry yourself. Do this as much, if not more than, solely focusing on what kinds of external things you wish to bring into your life.
If you’re not familiar with manifestation, it's essentially using your imagination and visualization techniques to focus on and see experiences you'd like to have in your life, in your mind, and you'll be more likely to attract such experiences into your life. This article and this Meditate to Manifest program will give you a greater understanding of these concepts more in-depth, and explain how what you think about, makes you magnetic for the things you draw to you.
And while it's wonderful to use the power of your mind to attract external things that can enhance your life, like a beautiful home, a loving partner, nice clothes, or a car you love, a deeper lasting happiness always comes from something within.
You can fall into the same traps using law of attraction techniques, that some people fall into in everyday life. It’s the trap, of believing true happiness comes solely from material things outside of ourselves. It can be easy to get more caught up on acquiring things and external notions of success, more than you focus on cultivating inner harmony, well-being, and self-care, but fulfillment is an inside job.
This is not an article to dissuade anyone from using their imagination to attract real, touchable, and feel-good things into their world. Keep doing it. It’s real, fun, and helps build your confidence in your manifestation abilities. Plus, you deserve to enjoy and appreciate things you love in life! Objects, experiences, and people can enhance one’s life experience and overall well-being.
This is more of an invitation to use your imagination to also attract how you want to feel, how you treat yourself, and the qualities you want to exude.
Don’t just see yourself in a house with nice stuff. See yourself in that house with nice things you love, as the most confident, healthy, relaxed and grateful version of yourself that you can possibly imagine.
What are some inner traits that you want to develop into your character?
Here are some qualities you may want to embody:
Want to put it into practice? Here’s a few minute exercise, to visualize your ideal future self.
Visualization Exercise
For an easier time focusing, close your eyes, and then, with your imagination, see an ideal version of yourself, about 3-5 years from now yourself, however you’d like to see yourself. Notice yourself from the outside. See yourself, as your most confident, healthy, vibrant, centered, and peaceful version of yourself.
See what you look like, how you carry yourself, and observe your energy. Spend a few moments, enjoying looking at yourself kindly as your ideal self, living your best life.
You can even make eye contact with your future self you are observing. Feel yourself both observing, and embodying this energy of your ideal self. When you feel ready, open your eyes.
Journal
If you like to journal, write about this visualization exercise. Write about what you saw or which inner qualities you want to see more of in yourself. Putting a pen to paper to write down things you wish to attract, can be a powerful catalyst in helping them come to fruition. List the character traits or ways of being you wish to embody. For example, "I feel healthy and happy", is a simple yet profound thing to spend time focusing on, and attracting into your reality. For better results, write these statement down in the present tense.
What you can see in your mind, you can live in your reality, especially if you believe it. Enjoy!
Want to try? Immerse yourself into law of attraction, with this 5-day meditation and visualization program from anywhere!
Are you living the life you’ve always dreamed of or do your intentions and goals seem out of reach?
In order to manifest our dreams, first we must be clear about what we want. What we focus on expands, so discover what you truly desire and direct your attention toward it, with energy and intention.
If you are new to meditation or haven’t meditated in a while, one of the first things meditation teaches you is how distracted your mind is. Usually, we have the same series of thoughts circling on repeat in our brains. If we can learn to quiet the distractions and focus our attention toward what which we wish to manifest in our lives, we can take the first steps to our ideal future.
Meditation encourages you to quiet the distractions and doubts in order to make space for clarity. When we practice the discipline of consciously shutting out the negative thoughts and external interruptions, our mind quiets and stills. In that stillness, clarity or discernment has the chance to take root.
When life feels challenging, it can be tough to feel grateful or believe your dreams will come true. Applying manifestation principles before or during your meditation helps. In order to progress, it’s vital to focus on the positive. Cultivate gratitude for what you do have in your life. Recognize that your thoughts work like a magnet so, the more you focus on things you want in your life, the closer they become. Learning to release a focus on the negative things you don’t want frees up energy to apply toward your desires. Your mindset is everything.
We don’t always have control over external occurrences. We only have control over our attitude, our actions, our small bubble in the world. It’s more important than ever right now to focus inwards and build our inner strength and resolve. By meditating specifically to create a positive morning or day or life, we are taking steps toward creating our personal experience. We also learn to release that which we cannot control and focus on what we can.
This week, we’ve got five meditations from different teachers, each with a unique take on manifesting the life you want. Try them all and see how you feel!
This recipe is absolutely beautiful and even my partner, who is vegetarian, and at the same time, definitely doesn’t like cauliflower, is a big fan. I am confident that once the food is served nicely, it tastes better too, so today I put on my artist-glows and set a beautiful plate – something that I usually don’t do at home if it is only two of us eating. So maybe this is what made the difference, but for me, this recipe is delicious in any shape or form!
I especially like that if the cauliflower is roasted like that in the oven, it keeps the structure and integrity of cauliflower. Of course, it is nothing similar to a real steak, but in my humble opinion, it is better! Paired with the silky smooth mash and topped with dukkah, pomegranate, and coriander, it is a very nice dish that I would happily even enjoy dining out (but since it only takes a little over 30 minutes to cook I still rather prepare it myself).
I did not share the preparation for coriander oil in the recipe part, because this is just too simple to call it a recipe – just take a bunch of coriander and blend it with a little bit of salt and oil until you have the texture you like. I also didn't share the dukkah recipe with you, but this is only because I have shared it with you already, and you can find it here.
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Cauliflower Mash
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2
1 large cauliflower (I used green Romanesco, but any kind will work)
½ cup coconut milk
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
To serve:
Dukkah spice mix (Use store-bought or prepare your own. Recipe here.)
Cilantro oil
Pomegranate seeds
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F and cover a baking tray with parchment.
Cut the cauliflower in half, and then cut out thick (about 1-inch) slices so the core will hold them together. If the heart is very tough, feel free to peel it, otherwise, save as much of the cauliflower as possible – it is all delicious!
Heat a drop of oil on a frying pan and sear the cauliflower on both sides until nice and golden – it takes around 2 minutes on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a baking sheet, and roast with a fan on for about 20 minutes until they are done. Halfway through the cooking time, turn them carefully.
Meanwhile, chop up the rest of the cauliflower and add it to the same pan you used to sear your steaks. Sear them lightly for a few minutes, season with salt, add ½ cup of water, cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Once it is tender, transfer to a heat resistant bowl and blend with coconut milk and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, divide the mash between plate, add the cauliflower steak straight from the oven and top with dukkah, cilantro oil, and pomegranate seeds.
Practice yoga for free, from the comfort of your own home, before your delicious meal!
25-Minute Full Body Yoga with Keith Allen
Spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle likes to remind whoever is listening that we are not our thoughts, nor are we our emotions. We are the awareness behind these two. However, amid the chaos of life, we can often forget this simple yet powerful statement and allow our thoughts and emotions to run wild.
A wild mind can only lead to an imbalance in mental wellness. Anxiety, depression, and panic attacks are some of the negative mental states we can experience when mental wellness is inexistent.
Rather than going into full panic mode, you can choose to find positive tools that can help you achieve a more balanced sense of self. CBD and yoga happen to be two of these tools.
While yoga has been around for thousands of years, CBD is new to the scene. Yet it has already made a name for itself with influencers on Instagram and other social mediums. Short for Cannabidiol, CBD is found in the Cannabis plant, similar to marijuana.
The difference between CBD and marijuana is that you won’t get high on it. You will not experience mind-altering moments either.
So why are many people raving about CBD?
Well, despite its more subtle function, CBD is known to ease stress — the instigator of anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. Studies have shown that CBD can be helpful when it comes to PTSD treatment, muscle pain, nausea relief, insomnia, inflammation, acne, and psoriasis.
Yoga comes with a significant list of benefits too. This ancient practice is known to lower blood pressure and relieve chronic pain. It can help with flexibility and muscle strength and encourage better breathing and posture. Most importantly, it helps with stress, anxiety, and depression. Together, CBD and yoga can help you attain stillness — the most crucial state you can be in when faced with our modern, chaotic world. The following are five ways you can achieve mental wellness when combining CBD with yoga:
Create a strong body-mind connection.
Distractions are prominent every second of the day. Even when we are alone in a room, we can indulge in distractions by picking up our phone out of habit. CBD and yoga can help you sharpen your focus so that you can feel more centered and present. You can do this by taking a drop of CBDMEDIC CBD oil before heading to yoga class. The oil will make you feel more at ease, so you can find it easier to experience deeper focus while practicing different yoga positions.
Alleviate physical pain.
While yoga has been proven to be an exceptional workout that helps heal the body, you may still experience joint or muscle pain during your workout. CBD can help you enjoy your yoga workout by reducing your pain. CBD encourages your body to produce natural cannabinoids, whose function includes providing an efficient anti-inflammatory response to help you with your sore muscles.
Enhance your state of bliss.
Yoga is known to increase our sense of happiness, but this feeling can leave us as quickly as it came. With CBD as part of your yoga session, you will be able to prolong this positive feeling. Bliss is generated by Anandamide, a neurotransmitter, which, much like all neurotransmitters, is quickly broken down by the body. However, CBD has been found to slow down the enzyme that breaks down Anandamide, thus prolonging that state of bliss.
Tune in to your body.
While exercising is important for our mental wellness, some workouts can cause damage or pain, especially if we are not in tune with our bodies. Combining CBD and yoga can help prevent this. CBD is known to activate the vanilloid receptors in the body. These receptors help us regulate our body temperature and sense of pain. CBD can also help you tune in to your body and assess in a more mindful way how far you can push your body.
Create a deeper experience.
When your mind wonders, you are missing out on what the present moment is offering you. Combining CBD and yoga is a way to eliminate this “monkey mind,” so you can endure a more enhanced experience. Take one deep breath, in and out. Even in this short moment, you must have felt your presence and the aliveness of your body. Now, imagine how much more deeply you can experience yourself in the present moment when CBD and yoga help you focus on your breath flowing in and out of your body, as you pay attention to your muscles and bones.
Deeper experiences are what you should aim for, not only during yoga but even in the everyday moments. You can only experience these deep and rich experiences when you are truly present. CBD and yoga can help you become better in this practice, and you will find yourself remembering to be more present, even in the chaotic moments.
While both have positive traits, yoga and CBD should not be used as substitutes for whatever you feel is missing in your life, which is causing you an imbalance in your mental wellness. Prioritize being present by accepting the present moment, even if it is not what you want. Only by accepting the present moment can you make the right choices and create a healthy mental state for your whole being.
By Crystal Wilson
Crystal Willson is a full-time content marketing specialist. She has been closely monitoring the cannabis industry trends for quite some time. She has worked in various domains before the cannabis industry. On her off days, she likes to spend her time with her family, lift weights, and reading novels.
Practice yoga now for free from the comfort of your own home!
Yoga for Weight Loss: Your Body is a Temple