As 2019 begins, we are gifted with a blank slate, a fresh calendar, and a new opportunity to start fresh and create the lives we desire. Although the holidays are exciting, there’s a tendency to fall out of our routines and practices. There is also the tendency to not sleep enough, to eat foods we don’t usually consume, and generally wear ourselves down. The New Year is a powerful time to implement healthy new habits to help you thrive in your daily life.
To assist you in feeling your best, we’ve got four new practices to use as an evening wind down ritual––a life hack many of us need. Without consistent sleep and relaxation, we can’t operate at our highest level during the day. In order for our Prana to flow freely, we need balance. Each class will help you implement a ritual for relaxation and a restful night’s sleep.
In general, the goal of an evening practice is to help you tap into your parasympathetic nervous system, which governs relaxation, to quiet and restore the overactive mind. If you’re one of those people whose mind begins to race the minute your head hits the pillow, a ritual to restore calm at the end of the day is the perfect solution. Forward folds like Paschimottasana (Seated Forward Fold) and passive inversions like Vipariti Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall) are both excellent postures to make the shift from work to home. To make it easy, save one of these mindful classes to your favorites today.
Three of the featured classes are gentle and intended to help you relax and serve as a ritual to close out your day. If you need a more vigorous practice to burn off extra energy from your day, try Kristin Gibowicz’s Sculpt & Rest.
Join us in 2019 as we embark on our goal of starting the day strong, reveling in each moment of our day, and closing out each day in a mindful, intentional way.
Here are this week's four new yoga classes, perfect for the end of your day!
1. Elise Fabricant: Chillax Before Bed
2. Robert Sidoti: Yoga to Close Your Day
3. Erin Wimert: Unwind Your Spine, Unwind Your Mind
4. Kristin Gibowicz: Sculpt & Rest
Keeping to healthy sleep habits can be one of the best goals to give yourself for the new year. A good night’s sleep can improve your physical and mental health, reduce stress, improve weight loss and much more! It’s one of the basic human needs that a lot of us don’t get enough of. If you’re finding yourself perma-tired, here’s a few habits to help you sleep to pick up in 2019, so that you can start to get a good night’s sleep.
Here are 10 effective habits to help you sleep better!
1. Keep a consistent sleep schedule
Your body’s circadian rhythm is it’s 24hr cycle, and it functions on a set loop based on when the sun rises and sets. If you keep a consistent schedule with your sleeping and waking times, your sleep quality will improve. An irregular sleeping pattern can cause long-term sleep problems, and can also affect your body’s natural circadian rhythm. This helps signal your brain to sleep too. If you’re struggling to drop off at night, or waking up throughout your sleep, an easy habit to help you sleep better is to start waking and sleeping at the same times.
2. Get sunshine during the day
Getting in some sunlight during the day will help keep your circadian rhythm healthy. It will also increase your energy levels during the day, which in turn improves sleep quality. Getting in bright light during the day will also reduce the time it takes for you to fall asleep. Try and make it a habit to get daily sunlight exposure.
3. Don’t drink caffeine late
While a cup of coffee can help increase energy and fitness performance, drinking one late on in the day can stop your body from relaxing when you need to fall asleep. This is because it stimulates your nervous system. Caffeine can stay in your blood for up to six to eight hours, so try not to drink any past 3pm - stick to decaf if you can’t beat the cravings. An easy yet often ignored habit to help you sleep!
4. Get your bedroom in the right environment
The environment that you sleep in can have a huge impact on your sleep quality. Things like noise, lighting and even how you arrange your furniture can impact your sleep.
External noise in particular can cause long term sleep issues. Take some time to transform your bedroom into a relaxing place. Minimize noise where you can, and reduce the number of artificial lights such as screens and alarm clocks.
5. Get in the right temperature
Anyone who’s tried to sleep during a heatwave will know that temperature has an effect on how well we fall asleep. Room temperature can affect your sleep quality more than light and sound combined. If you’re too hot, your sleep quality decreases and you’re likely to wake more. Try to make your room an optimum sleep temperature, around 20 degrees seems to be the norm.
6. Stop napping for so long
A short power nap can do wonders to increase your energy levels, but a longer nap can affect your night time sleep. If you sleep for too long during the day you can confuse your internal body clock, and make yourself even sleepier during the day. Try to limit naps to 30 mins or under, to fully reap the benefit to your brain function without disturbing your sleep at night.
7. Reduce gadgets in the evening
As much as exposure to sunlight during the day can help us sleep, exposure to light during the night can hinder it - and this goes for our screens too. Light in the night can impact our circadian rhythms, tricking our brains into thinking it's still daytime out there. This can stop your body from producing relaxing hormones that help us get deep sleep. Blue light from phones and laptops are the worst culprits for this. A quick habit to help you sleep is to try to reduce screen time during the night, or use ‘night mode’ on your smartphone to reduce the blue light emissions from your gadget.
8. Don't eat late
Eating heavy foods late at night can impact the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep. Try to stick to light meals late, and eat your dinner a little earlier if you’re struggling with your sleep quality.
9. Clear your mind
A pre-bedtime routine helps you relax and clears your mind ready to sleep. When we’re children, we have a strict pre-bed schedule, bathtime, storytime, sleeptime. If you’ve ever envied how kids can drop off to sleep with ease, try and set yourself a routine that will clear your mind and get you ready for bed. Relaxing music, a bath, meditation, deep breathing - any of these help you relax, and in time will start to signal to your body that it’s time to go to sleep. Try out different types of relaxation routines till you find one that works.
10. Exercise
Perhaps the best way to improve your sleep is to work out. It can help all aspects of sleep health, from dropping off to staying asleep. Regular exercise, like yoga, can decrease the time it takes you to fall asleep by half, and allow you to sleep for longer. It also works to reduce stress and anxiety which might be keeping you up. Try to avoid heavy exercise right before you head to bed though - as this will stimulate your body and have adverse effects. Something gentle and relaxing is good though. This week’s yoga program is all about ending your day for a good night’s sleep, so why not give it a try to kickstart your 2019 healthy sleep habits?
By Amy Cavill
Practice Yoga for Better Sleep now!
Dairy-free milk – a cleanser’s go-to ingredient to make their green smoothies creamy and delicious. But many store-bought versions have sneaky additives that can sabotage your health.
Added thickening agents like gums and carrageenan, common ingredients in many store-bought nut milks, can cause damage to your gut health. Plus, many contain added flavors and added sugars.
The best way to avoid these additives is to make your own dairy-free milk at home!
And with our recipes, it’s way easier than you might think. All you really need is a high speed blender – that’s it! If you don’t have time to soak your almonds or cashews, try our recipe for hemp milk! It’s the simplest dairy-free milk to make. Plus, it’s a great option for those with nut allergies or sensitivities. All these milks are amazing in green smoothies, chia seed pudding, or just in a glass!
Each of these recipes is easily customizable. If you don’t love vanilla, try a different flavor, like ground cinnamon or nutmeg or fresh fruit. On the low-sugar track? Leave out the dates and add a few drops of liquid stevia.
Do you have a favorite non-dairy milk? Let us know in the comments below!
With love and dairy-free milk mustaches,
Homemade Cashew Milk
Yield: 4 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight, then drained 4 cups filtered water Pinch of sea salt 2 or 3 dates, pitted (optional) 2 tsp. of vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions: In a high speed blender, blend soaked cashews, filtered water, sea salt, dates, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Homemade Coconut Milk
2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened 4 cups filtered water Pinch of sea salt 2 or 3 dates, pitted (optional) 1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions: In a high speed blender, blend shredded coconut and filtered water on high for about 2 minutes. Strain coconut milk through a nut milk bag. Rinse the blender pitcher, and pour in coconut milk. Add sea salt, dates, vanilla extract, and blend to combine. Store in a large glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Homemade Hemp Milk
Yield: 3 cups
1 cup hemp seeds 3 cups filtered water Pinch of sea salt 1 or 2 dates, pitted (optional) 1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions: In a high speed blender, blend hemp seeds, filtered water, salt, dates, and vanilla (if using) until smooth and creamy. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Homemade Brazil Nut Milk
2 cups brazil nuts, soaked overnight, then drained 4 cups filtered water Pinch of sea salt 2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions: In a high speed blender, blend soaked brazil nuts and filtered water on high for about 2 minutes. Strain brazil nut milk through a nut milk bag. Rinse the blender pitcher, and pour in brazil nut milk. Add sea salt, vanilla extract, and blend to combine. Store in a large glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Homemade Almond Milk
1 cup raw almonds, soaked in water overnight 4 cups filtered water Pinch of sea salt 2 or 3 dates, pitted (optional) 2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions: In a high speed blender, blend almonds and filtered water on high for about 2 minutes. Strain almond milk through a nut milk bag. Rinse the blender pitcher, and pour in strained almond milk. Add sea salt, dates, and vanilla extract (if using), and blend to combine. Store in a large glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Variations (can be added to any of the above recipes):
Add 2 cups for fresh strawberries and blend to combine (80:20 only). Add 1 tsp. cinnamon for cinnamon milk Add 1 TB. of cacao for chocolate milk (80:20 only, add additional tablespoon for a richer flavor) Add 1 TB. of carob for cleanse-friendly chocolate milk
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.
Practice yoga with Jo from the Conscious Cleanse now!
Conscious Cleanse Detox Flow with Jo Schaalman
It isn’t hard to see that a healthy diet and exercise can help a person look and feel better, but did you know that being healthy is also a great way to save money? If you have been thinking about hitting the gym, practicing yoga, walking more often or making a lifestyle change so you can feel better, no time is better to do so than right now. Think about all the ways that a healthy life can improve your financial status by saving money.
Here are 8 ways that being healthy saves money.
1. Family Outings
Being healthy saves money when it comes to family outings. There is nothing wrong at all with taking your family out to see a movie or to sit and watch a ball game. When you’re working on leading a healthier life however, you may want to ditch the expensive movie tickets and opt for a walk in the park, a hike to a waterfall or taking a swim in a nearby lake. The average cost of a movie ticket for one person is nearly $10 and that adds up when you take your whole family. Once you figure in the cost of popcorn and drinks along with the tickets, a family movie night can cost upwards of $100. Heading to the great outdoors is FREE to do and guaranteed to be fun.
2. Medical Expenses
Exercising for 30 minutes every day can boost your heart health, improve circulation, increase muscle density, boost your energy and just make you feel 100% happier with life. According to Taylor Benefits Insurance Company, regular exercise can decrease the overall risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and other illness. Even when you have great health insurance, the cost of medical care can be high when you need to see a doctor for a serious health problem. When you work to live a healthier life, you are working to prevent those diseases and other illnesses that can cost so much when you must visit a doctor. Your best bet to combat medical expenses is to lead a healthy lifestyle.
3. Unhealthy Expenses
Kicking a cigarette habit or deciding to steer clear of the bars at night is a great way to improve your health but it is also a way to save money. You can save nearly $4000 annually just from not buying a pack of cigarettes every day. You can also save on medical expenses when you no longer smoke or choose other bad habits. Quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do and if you can’t quit ‘cold turkey’ then at least work on cutting down a little at a time until you no longer smoke.
4. Healthier Transportation Methods are Cheaper
Healthier transportation choices save money. Do you frequently take a taxi or ride a bus to get to or from work? Do you have to pay for parking meters or to park in a garage when you’re shopping? If so, you can cut down on these expenses or can even cut them out entirely by choosing to walk, ride a bicycle or even roller skate/blade to the places you need to go. The best thing about saving money on transportation is your body getting healthy and in shape. You are also cutting down on car maintenance fees that can be very costly.
5. Fast Food & Excess Food Expenses
If you are on the path to better choices with eating and getting in good shape, you’re not going to want to swing by the fast food places to grab a greasy burger or fries. Well, perhaps you’ll still have those cravings, but it is best to avoid caving to them and breaking your healthy eating streak. Fast food is expensive and those drive thru stops to grab something while traveling or when you feel bored can really add up quickly! This does not mean you can never indulge, but when you do be sure to stick with healthier menu items.
6. Losing Money on Your Paycheck
Getting sick and missing work can drain a paycheck. Healthier people get sick far less often than those who lead unhealthy lifestyles. Eating a healthy diet and getting at least 30 minutes of exercise daily can help prevent heart disease, cancers and other disease that can cause you to miss work.
7. Save Money on Lunch
Packing your lunch for school or work is a great way to make healthier eating choices and it can also save you a lot of money. Running out to buy lunch or ordering food delivery can be expensive when you do it daily. You also may not have many healthy choices for meals when you must dash into a fast food place or even a convenience store for a quick bite to eat. Planning your meals at home and packing them each day allows you to choose wisely so you can have a great variety of fruits and vegetables and healthy proteins to eat for lunch. Not only will lunch taste better, but it will save money.
8. Stop Buying Drinks
Consuming sugary drinks such as soda, tea or Kool-Aid can add many pounds to your body and the sugar content is not healthy at all. When you are working on a healthier life, switching to water is advised. Drinking six to eight glasses of water each day is a great way to improve your skin, have more energy and lose weight. You can fill up a water bottle from your sink to take with you to work or school, and you will avoid having to buy water bottles, or sodas.
Leading a healthy life is a great way to maintain a youthful appearance, have healthier skin and hair, increase muscle tone and lose unwanted fat. Being healthy also helps us sleep better at night, have more energy when we’re awake and as you now know, it can also help our financial well-being as well.
By Jennifer Bennet
Jennifer Bennet has been practicing yoga for 6 years. Her favorite is hot yoga and she enjoys doing yoga at home with her boyfriend as well. She is currently writing for Taylor Benefits Insurance.
Being healthy saves money and also makes you feel amazing. Start right now with this yoga program for detox to get you on track!
Are you ready to leave 2018 behind? For many of us, it’s easy to let our usual routines fall to the wayside when the holidays are upon us. If you are one of the virtuous yogis who maintained your practice, congratulations! If you’re like a few of us here at YogaDownload.com, you may have let your best intentions slide and now it’s time to turn it all around. So, if you’re ready to reset and rejuvenate and enter 2019 feeling incredible, we’ve got the perfect solution.
We’ve created a slightly different challenge for you, so no excuses! Each class is 30 minutes or less, so all you have to do is wake up early and get it done or squeeze it in somewhere in your day. Consistency is key when creating a new habit and we’ve made it easier for you by shortening the time needed.
Although the classes are shorter, they aren’t short on benefits.
We want to empower you to complete the entire challenge so, we’ve assembled a variety of classes from some of your favorite YogaDownload.com instructors. Mastery has been described as doing something you've committed to, even on days you don't feel like it.
If you still aren’t convinced to jump onboard, here are 4 reasons to tip you over the edge and join us.
1. Increased Self-Confidence: When you choose to do something positive for your physical, emotional, and mental well-being, it bolsters your ego. Committing to healthy habits builds self-assurance. Who doesn’t need a boost?
2. Highlight of the Day: We’re not saying every single time you step on the mat will be the best part of your day, but no matter what else happens, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you got your workout in.
3. A Clear, Calm Mind: Experts say we have more than 60,000 thoughts a day and many of them are repetitive. Some compare our mind to a pack of wild monkeys bouncing off the walls. Step onto the mat and quiet at least a couple of your screaming thoughts.
4. Accountability and Support: Enjoy practicing with your global yoga community. Even if you are practicing alone at home or on the road, you’ll feel the energy of thousands of other yogis doing the same thing. There’s power in numbers.
Convinced yet? Join now and check out 30 of our top classes that are under 30 minutes, so you can commit to their daily practice without feeling overwhelmed by the challenge ahead. Happy 2019!
It’s the time of year when many of us will be thinking about the year ahead, and setting some goals and resolutions to achieve in the next twelve months. It can be easy to just think “I want to achieve…”, but if you want to actually succeed in your resolutions, you need to set achievable goals. If you don’t have a goal to work towards, you can lose focus and direction, and be further from achieving the challenges you set yourself. Goals also help you set a benchmark for determining your success!
There are steps you can take to help you set and achieve your goals. It takes some careful thought into what it is you want to do, and how you’re going to go about achieving it.
Here’s our top tips for setting and achieving your goals!
1. Set yourself a motivational goal
It’s very important that your goals are motivational to you. They have to be important to you, and give you value when you achieve them. A goal that you’re not overly interested in won’t make you want to put the work in to make it into a reality. Similarly, if achieving your goal adds no value to you and your life, or you won’t benefit from it in some way, you are likely to be less interested in making it happen. Think about the high priorities in your life and set goals in line with these. This will give you a motivational attitude towards your goals, and will help to maximise your success. Try to think about why your goal is important to you and the value you’ll gain from achieving it, to motivate you to make it happen.
2. Make SMART Goals
Your goals need to be SMART. SMART goals are goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. Sticking to this rule will help you achieve your goals.
A goal must be specific and clear. A broad goal won’t give you enough direction to ensure success. Defining what exactly you want to achieve will make it easier for you to get there. Rather than ‘I want to save money’, how about ‘I want to save 10% of my paycheck each month’.
A measurable goal is important as it’s how you’ll define your success. Be specific as possible, for example ‘I want to be able to run 10k’. This has a specific distance that you’re able to measure, rather than ‘I want to run more’. If you don’t have a way to measure results, you won’t be able to know when you have achieved your goal.
Attainability is also important, as you’ll experience disappointment if you set yourself unachievable goals. Think about what’s realistic and try to stick to that - without making it too easy for yourself! Remember you want to feel like you’ve really worked for your achievements, this will make you feel more motivated and proud of yourself.
Relevant goals are important as they should guide you in the direction you want your life to take. This will help you keep focus and move ahead with your life and career.
Finally, a time-bound goal is important as it gives you a sense of urgency, and will help you with a time to review how far you’ve come in your journey.
3. Write down or tell others your goals
Physically writing down your goals, or sharing them out loud will make them more real. This makes you less likely to forget, and gives you more accountability to try and achieve them. Make your goals definitive, and use words like ‘I will’ instead of ‘I’d like to’. Frame them in a positive light, and put them in a visible place to remind yourself each day, or talk to a friend about your goals who is likely to enquire about your progress regularly.
4. Make a plan
Don’t just focus on the end game of your goal. It’s important to think about the steps needed to take to get there and make an action plan. Writing down all the individual steps you need to take to achieve your goal will help you in recognising your process, and turning large goals into smaller chunks. Think about the smaller goals that will get you on your way to achieving your bigger goal. This is helpful if your goal is a little vague, like ‘I want to get fit’. A smaller goal could be to ‘exercise three times a week’, or to ‘cut down on unhealthy food’. Make sure these smaller goals are still SMART, and when you meet them you’ll feel on your way to your bigger goal.
5. Plan the first step
The first step you take to achieving your goal will be the hardest. Every journey starts with one step. Thinking about this first step on your way to your goals will help you get started. It could be something as simple as researching into your goals, planning how you’re going to achieve it, or even asking your friends and family advice.
6. Stick with your goals
It can be hard to stick with your goals, especially if they are long term, but keep reminding yourself that it’s an ongoing activity. Schedule in regular times to review your goals and see where you are in your journey. Keep motivated and give yourself incentives to stick with your goal to the end!
Now you have some ideas on how to set and achieve your goals, why not think about what you’d like to achieve in 2019 and set some resolutions? If your goals are yoga based, we have some great classes this week to help challenge you to try something new.
Bring your goals to life now, with this guided visualization to help you in achieving your goals.
Manifestation & Visualization Meditation with Keith Allen
Do you know what’s better than pumpkin pie? Pumpkin fudge! Our version is vegan, rich and decadent, and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.
You’ll notice that this recipe calls for both coconut oil and coconut butter. You might be thinking, “What’s the difference?” Coconut oil is the result of cold-pressing oil from the flesh of the coconut. Coconut butter (like other nut butters) is the pureed flesh of the coconut, including the oil. Both are used together in this recipe to give this fudge its signature creaminess.
Even though we L-O-V-E everything pumpkin, it is a food we keep off our plates during the cleanse. So that’s what makes this sweet fudge the perfect 80:20 treat! This is how we maintain our vibrant results from cleansing while still enjoying our indulgences. Learn more about our 80:20 program here.
With love and pumpkin fudge,
Pumpkin Fudge
Yield: 20 pieces (one inch size)
1/2 cup pumpkin (pumpkin from a can is fine!) ⅓ cup almond butter 3 TB. lucuma powder 3 TB. maple syrup ½ teaspoon cinnamon ⅓ cup melted coconut butter 3 TB. melted coconut oil Sea salt to taste Cacao Nibs (optional) Finely chopped pecans (optional)
Directions: Mix pumpkin, almond butter, lucuma powder, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Melt coconut butter and coconut oil together over low heat or using a double boiler. Pour coconut mixture into the pumpkin mixture, combine well. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and press the mixture into the plastic lined container. Top with cacao nibs for an extra chocolatey crunch or chopped pecans for a nutty flavor. Chill for 3-4 hours. Cut into small pieces and enjoy! Store in freezer.
Practice yoga with Jo of the Conscious Cleanse right now!
Forgive and forget. One of those catch phrases we throw around attaching no thought or action to it. So easy to say these words, but do you; have you, actually done it? Or are you like most of us, and have something that you are harbouring or dwelling on deep inside?
While life would be one bright and colourful place if it was only full of rainbows, butterflies, unicorns and sunshine, we all know, reality isn’t. There are dark moments, painful experiences, words that hurt, disappointments, set backs and things that make us see red and breathe fire.
Saying “I am sorry” and meaning it, is harder than truthfully expressing “I love you”. What’s more; is it’s a challenge to say it to someone else, but near impossible to say to ourselves. Can you relate to that?
Sometimes, the disappointments and harsh words in our life, come from ourselves and in my experience, they are the ones that cause the most damage. I spent many years suffering from depression, so I am very familiar with the impact that thoughts and self talk can have. These are the ones we here often from that annoying chatter and back chat in the mind. Even if we know its not true, when you here the likes of “I am not good enough” or “I can't” on repeat for days, weeks and often lifetimes, its hard not to buy into that thought pattern.
I am not saying that you shouldn’t let negative times, actions and words affect you, because we are human and it does hurt. But you don’t want things that happened in one moment, fester and impact a string of moments that follow in the future.
Your time, energy and effort are of greatest value, so spend them wisely.
Is harping on something that happened that no matter how hard you try you can not change, worthy of your ongoing attention? Or are there more beneficial people, projects or passions for you to be focusing on?
Forgive whether it is deserved or not. The only person you continue to hurt by holding a grudge is yourself. Every minute you spend re-living the encounter, you cause yourself more pain. The more time you spend thinking about it, the stronger the neuro pathways become and therefore your emotional memory, affecting your future reaction to similar events.
The more time you wallow in it, the more time you steal from yourself to move on to greener pastures.
The person that you offer forgiveness to, isn’t wasting their time on it. They aren’t being hurt by you indulging in the trauma. It's purely you, that you are choosing to harm.
And yes, it is a choice. While you absolutely can not control the words other people say, or the events that happen, any more then you can control the barrage of random thoughts in your subconscious mind, you have absolute control in how you respond and behave in response to them. So choose wisely.
How much do you value your time and energy? And it seems appropriate to remind us all here, that our time is not an infinite source. That whether we like it or not, our clock is ticking, so every second lost to a grudge is one second we are never going to get back.
For me, forgiveness to self or to others or to life events, is really about self value.
It’s valuing yourself enough to want to let go. To want to improve your quality of life. It’s about giving yourself a clean slate for future present moments, rather than ones tainted by the past. Surely you deserve that basic right?
Start simply by saying the words “I’m sorry”. Write them down, use them in a mantra in your meditation or yoga practice. Practice makes perfect and over time you will believe those words and free yourself from the emotional weight.
Forgive and forget and create an effortless existence.
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 a yoga retreat (Bali, August 2018) and hiking retreat (Australia, 2018).
Connect with Amy: Website: www.ambertreeyoga.com.au Instagram: @ambertreeyogaandretreats Facebook: Amber Tree Yoga and Retreats
Practice forgiveness now with this meditation class designed to help you learn how to forgive and forget easier.
Meditation: Heart Focused with Keith Allen
Around the world, people are celebrating various traditions. Whether you are commemorating the Solstice or observing faith based holidays, December represents a time to connect with family and friends. It’s a great time to focus on joy, peace, and establishing rituals.
Whether you’re one of the lucky ones who get to spend more time with loved ones, take a trip back home, or go on a vacation somewhere far away or you find this time of year challenging, your yoga practice is always a safe haven. This time of year is a great reminder to focus on what is most important in life: love and connection. We’re here to remind you that taking the time to connect with your own heart will help you navigate this time of year.
The heart chakra is considered the seat of compassion and selfless love. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Sutra 1.33, the mind becomes peaceful and free when the qualities of the heart are cultivated. Patanjali suggests:
“Befriend the happy; have compassion for the unhappy; delight in the virtuous; be indifferent to the non-virtuous.”
In his commentary on Patanjali’s Sutras, Swami Satchidananda advises: These four keys should always be with you in your pocket. If you use the right key with the right person you will retain your peace. Nothing in the world can upset you then.”
Utilizing this sage recommendation, we can all enjoy the holidays, regardless of how we spend them. Use these four keys to handle those you are thrilled to connect with, as well as your difficult relatives across the dinner table. Focus on how we are all similar, as opposed to how we are divided.
Choose to enjoy each day of the holiday season, and this precious gift called life.
To support you in making the most out of this time of year, this week's four new classes have a more lighthearted, joyful, and celebratory tone to the practices. See your yoga this week as one celebration in your life, of what your healthy body is capable of enjoying.
1.Dana Smith - Hip Hip Hooray!
2. Claire Petretti Marti - Yummy Yoga Flow 4
3. Robert Sidoti - Yoga Flow Class
4. Christen Bakken - The Conditions for Joy
Life is here to be celebrated. It’s full of both small and big joyful moments, which should be appreciated and acknowledged. Celebrating life, in however small a way, can help us have a more positive outlook, feel happier and feel healthier. It’s really important to take time each day to celebrate life in all its intricacies, especially when life is busy with work and responsibilities.
Here’s 20 little ways to celebrate life every day.
1. Start the day by giving thanks
When you wake up each morning, try to take a couple of minutes to celebrate your life. Perhaps when you have your morning coffee or tea, just take a moment to thank the universe for the day ahead of you. Starting your day with a sense of gratitude can open your mind up in a positive way.
2. Acknowledge the small achievements
It’s easy to take yourself for granted. A great way to counteract this is to celebrate and acknowledge the small day to day achievements. Did you get a yoga class in before work? Or perhaps you crossed something off your to-do list. Celebrating small achievements can make you feel more positive and improve your mood and self-esteem.
3. Celebrate other people’s achievements
An easy way to celebrate life, and make other people feel great, is to celebrate other’s achievements. Celebrating the little achievements of someone else makes people feel valued, and also makes them feel more confident to in their day to day life, and you’ll feel great for having complimented someone else.
4. Do something different
Taking the time every once in a while to do something that you don’t normally do. Trying new experiences, even ones that may scare you, is a great way to celebrate life, and everything the world has to offer!
5. End the day with gratefulness
Just like starting the day giving thanks, try to end each day reflecting and giving thanks for all the positive things that have happened throughout your day. This will leave you going to sleep on a positive note, making it easier to sleep and adding a positive spin to even the most ordinary of days.
6. Fill your home with things that make you happy
Buy fresh flowers to display in your home to make your space a little brighter, or play your favourite songs on the radio. If you fill your home with the things that put a smile on your face, you’ll feel more reason to celebrate and feel positive in your space.
7. Treat yourself
Treating yourself to something small yet special, can be a great way to celebrate life every day. It doesn’t have to be something expensive, but allowing yourself a little treat is something you can do each day. It could even be something as simple as a few minutes of ‘me’ time.
8. Give thanks
Be thankful for the other people in your life, not only on their birthdays, but every day. Make sure the people in your life know that they are appreciated and needed in your life. This will also make you feel lucky to have them in your life.
9. Get moving
Exercise, do some yoga, even dance just because! Getting your body moving is a great way to celebrate the fact you can move! Do whatever feel good, and relish in how nice it feels to get your body moving.
10. Cross small things off your to-do list
Recreate that feeling of accomplishment when you finish a hard task for everything on your to-do list, however small! Celebrating the small things, you accomplish will motivate you and improve your self-esteem, and it’s such an easy way to celebrate something as simple as making your bed in the morning!
11. Take a break
Taking a holiday, or even a stay-cation and fill it with things you love to do. Go out for dinner, curl up with your favourite book, or go swimming in the sea. Taking a couple of days out to do your favourite things is a great way to celebrate, and reaffirm what you love about life!
12. Be thankful to yourself
It’s great to be thankful to others, but try to take some time to give some gratitude to yourself too. Take some time to think about what you’re grateful for in yourself. This is great way to celebrate life - and you! Maybe you tackled a big problem at work, or you’ve been working out regularly. Take the time to thank yourself for it.
13. Give yourself some time
Give yourself some extra time in the day to do something just for yourself. This could be setting your alarm a little later, and having a lie in, or going to bed a bit later to have some time for yourself at night. Watch your favourite show, read a book or just relax with a glass of wine.
14. Start your own ritual
Set aside some time once a day, week or month to have your own happy ritual. Maybe you want to have a bubble bath every Tuesday night, or make the third Monday of every month an ‘ice cream for dinner’ day. Little rituals can bring an element of surprise and fun to the everyday, and it gives yourself something to look forward to.
15. Brighten up your workspace
Just like you should fill your home with things you love, bring an element of personalisation to your workspace. Add a plant or flower to your desk to put a smile on your face when you get to work, or perhaps put a poster up of your next vacation destination to spur you on.
16. Document the everyday
Take photographs as often as you can. It’s great to look back on the memories and remember the everyday. You’ll be glad for the photo evidence later in life, and its so much fun to look back on old photographs and remember what was going on in your life at the time.
Celebrate your life more right now, with some joyful and celebratory yoga!
The Conditons for Joy with Christen Bakken
If you’re like us, nothing beats a big green smoothie in the morning! But sometimes, especially when the weather gets colder, a freezing cold green smoothie is the last thing you want to have for breakfast. And there are those who prefer higher protein content for their first meal of the day. So we’ve come up with a yummy alternative breakfast option that is still cleanse-friendly and packs a super protein punch!
Since eggs are one of the top 8 allergens and are off-limits during the cleanse, we knew we had to give the usual American breakfast a makeover.
This dish is a cleanse-approved spin on the traditional egg-based breakfast skillet that uses ground turkey instead. If a plant-based diet is more your speed, you can substitute cooked chickpeas for the turkey. Plus, it’s a family-friendly breakfast that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes, perfect for weekend AND weekday mornings!
So what are you waiting for? Get out your skillet and get cookin’!
Do you have a favorite egg-based recipe you’d like us to give a Conscious Cleanse makeover? Let us know in the comments!
With love and breakfast skillets,
Turkey Breakfast Skillet
Yield: 4 servings
2 TB. olive oil or coconut oil 1 onion finely, chopped 1 lb. ground turkey 1 garlic cloves, minced 2 parsnips large, diced 2 TB. fresh rosemary, chopped, divided 1 tsp. paprika ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups fresh greens (Swiss chard, kale, spinach, collard greens) Sliced avocado (optional)
Instructions: In a sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Next, add the onion and stir for 5 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Add the ground turkey and garlic, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Next add the parsnips, 1 tablespoon of the rosemary, paprika, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until the parsnips become tender. Add greens and cook until wilted. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of rosemary, mix well and serve hot with sliced avocado as garnish (if using).
Meditation has often been touted as the road to true health physically, emotionally, and mentally. While it has become quite popular in the West in the last few decades of the 20th century and has remained so as we head well into the 21st century, it is really an age-old practice that has been observed by the wisest and healthiest of men throughout time.
At the heart of it, meditation (whether seated meditation, or writing meditation) is all about being in touch with yourself.
Many of us simply rush through life, letting events pass us by without taking a moment to pause and reflect about the reality and magnificence of our existence. Meditation seeks to remedy that. It enables you to get in touch with your inner self through the art of introspection. A lot of forms of meditation focus on being able to regulate your breathing, slowing it down to the point where your mind is at peace and quiet enough to really look inward. That is when you process your thoughts and feelings in a way that you can truly connect to them.
It makes sense if you think about it; we let our thoughts and feelings blitz past us at the speed of light without even making the effort to catch them one by one and really inspect them to figure out what they’re all about. How can we expect to make any sense of the world around us when we struggle to make sense of ourselves?
There are many forms of meditation out there. Most of them have to do with sitting and controlling our breathing or performing a sequence of exercises that allow us to control our breathing. It’s unlikely, though, that you have ever heard of writing as a form of meditation, and yet it is one of the most powerful.
Writing Meditation
One of the most respected authorities on writing as a form of meditation, Buster Benson, says that it works in a very unique way to the way we normally do writing. For most writing tasks, the focus is on setting a word limit on the work. However, when we write as a form of meditation, we instead set a time limit to it. There also aren’t any rules about sentence structure or format or the use of words to evoke emotion in the reader. You’re not doing it for anyone but yourself.
You should, therefore, write whatever comes to your mind.
Basically, you take the time to catch each of your thoughts as they cross your mind and turn it over and observe it from any angle. You then write what you see without any consideration for whether it makes sense or not.
According to Mr. Benson, Writing works as a kind of handrail for our thoughts. It is borne out of the part of our brain that is always looking for something to do and therefore gets restless. When we write, we fill up that restless part and so our mind is freed up to do some creative thinking or just general introspection. Think about why you probably enjoy rote tasks like walking, gardening, taking a shower, or even doing the dishes. All of these tasks fill up that region of the mind that gets restless and lets our mind think about whatever it really enjoys thinking about in the process. In the same way that any of these tasks can be a form of mediation, so can writing.
How Writing as Meditation Works
Start by closing your eyes and slowing down your breathing. This is important as it will prime you for the process and let everything flow in a natural way. You can try to slow down your breathing as you do this to help.
Once you’re in a relaxed setting, take your timer and set it for 20 minutes. It will go off when your time is up and get you out of the meditative trance. If you really get into it without an alarm, you just might end up going all night.
Start writing. Write whatever comes into your mind. What you’re doing is writing out your stream of consciousness, which means there isn’t any clear direction for your thoughts. You’re just releasing whatever’s inside of you. You can find meaning in it later on. For now, just write. After every few sentences, take a few moments to take a long breath in and let a long breath out. This is to consciously regulate your breathing along the way so it doesn’t get out of the way. You can even breathe after every sentence. Keep at it until the timer goes off and then you can stop.
Find a way that works for you. These are merely guidelines and not hard rules that you absolutely have to follow. The idea is simple: write for a set amount of time about whatever comes into your mind and keep your breathing slow. You can even type with your eyes closed if you’re a good touch typist. It’s really all about what works for you. And you should also seek to have fun. At the end of the writing session, your body will feel a lot more relaxed and you will have a sense of calm and peace. You will also have entered into a truly immersive meditative state that will help you clear your head of all the thoughts that burden you. When you’re done, you can look at what you have written and study it. It just might give you insights about the workings of your brain.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of meditation is that there is no single way to do it. There are many equal paths to a state of meditation and writing is one of them. If you’re already a prolific writer, then it may just be the perfect form of meditation for you.
By Jacob Dillon
Jacob Dillon is an editor and journalist at EssaysOnTime. He is fond of attending concerts, travelling and surfing. The best way for Jacob to express himself is to write.
Complement your writing meditation, with a seated meditation practice also, right now!
Morning Manifestation Meditation with Jackie Casal Mahrou
This time of year, it can be hard to find a dinner that doesn’t take too long and is healthy and filling. As busy moms with hectic work schedules, we totally get it! It can be all too tempting to grab your favorite take-out and call it a night.
That’s why we’ve come up with this recipe! And trust us, it’ll beat your take-out any day :)
This is a warming, nourishing curry that you can enjoy over steamed kale or cauliflower rice.
It’s filling and hearty while still being cleanse-friendly AND vegan-friendly (meatless Monday, anyone?). Plus, it doesn’t take long to make, and is a one-pot meal so you’ll save time on dishes, too!
Looking for other easy weeknight recipes? Check out our Weeknight Turkey Broccoli Stir Fry.
With love and yummy vegan curries,
Vegan Chickpea Curry
1 tsp. coconut oil 1 onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 TB. fresh ginger minced 2 carrots, diced 1 TB. curry powder 2 cups of cooked or canned chickpeas 1 can full-fat coconut milk Juice of ½ of fresh lime Cilantro or green onion, for garnish (optional) Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions: In a dutch oven or large skillet over medium high heat, melt coconut oil and sauté onion for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, carrots, and curry powder and cook stirring frequently until the carrots start to soften. Stir in the chickpeas and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium low. Simmer curry for about 10 minutes or until slightly reduced. Stir in fresh lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh cilantro and/or green onion. Serve hot over steamed kale or cauliflower rice.
Practice yoga with Jo right now!
Can you really manifest your dreams? Make your deepest desires come true? An ideal starting point is taking the time to clarify what exactly will fulfill you, what will make you content, and define what type of life you want to lead. If you don’t know what you want, how can you find it?
Visualizing your ideal world is the first step and action is the second.
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Eight Limbs of yoga outline a practical path to finding your highest self and learning to become happy in the present moment. In the second limb, the Niyamas or five personal observances, Svadhyaya is defined as self-study.
“Sva” means self and “Adhyaya” means study or education. In this context, svadhyaya is a constantly evolving, life long learning process. In the quest to understand our truth, svadhyaya encourages us to reflect, meditate, and study sacred texts. By reading enlightened authors, we can learn from the wisdom of the great people before and around us. By stepping onto our yoga mats, we learn about ourselves. Through dedication and practice, the answers will appear and enable us to define our dreams and clear the path to manifest them into reality.
Once you’ve visualized your dreams, follow up your intentions with action.
Yoga is a practical discipline, so the action toward your dreams is key to success. Each day is a new opportunity to live from a place of gratitude and savor growth and transformation. While staying grounded in the present moment and appreciating it, we can continue to evolve and live the life of our dreams.
This week, we are happy to offer four classes to assist you on your journey to positively manifesting your desires.
We are all on our own unique path, so choose the class or classes that resonate with you most today. Whether it be understanding where you get in your own way, envisioning an ideal daydream in your future, using your physical body to get your thoughts in a beneficial place, or getting yourself motivated to take action, practice with us and step closer to manifesting your dreams.
Manifest your dreams with these four classes, right now!
1. Manifestation and Visualization Meditation - Keith Allen
2. The 5 Kleshas (Self-defeating Attitudes) - Bhavani Maki
3. Jackie Casal Mahrou - Morning Manifestation Meditation
4. Kylie Larson - Stop Dreaming, Start Doing
Manifestation works on the principle that the thoughts we have can attract desires we have. The idea is each thought we have then creates an energy flow around our bodies. The energy flowing around us attracts similar energies. So, for example, if you’re thinking negative thoughts, your energy will be negative and you’ll attract negative experience.
However, we can harness this principle to bring positive vibes into our lives. When we realise we’re in control of the experiences we manifest, we can in turn, think positive thoughts and attract positive experiences. Each thought we have influences the energy we exude, and this energy manifests into our life experiences.
Here’s some easy ways to get started with manifestation.
1. Stay General
An easy way to get started with manifestation is to start to think generally about how you would like to feel. Once you have this clear in your head you can be more specific with your desires. Think about your tasks at hand and how you would like to feel about them. Question what you would like or enjoy about each task. For example, would you prefer to wake up early, or late? Do you like to wake up to an alarm or naturally? Think about how you would like to feel when you go about your day to day like, and evaluate your day. When you have a sense of what you’d like to feel, you can start making the little changes to feel that way, changing the energy flowing around your body, and attracting more of those feelings. It’s important to take this first step to understand how you want to feel, to begin to access those feelings. These feelings are what will make your manifestation appear.
2. Make a list
If you feel like you have a blank space when you think about what you want, just make a list. Write down how you want to feel and your desires. Maybe you want to feel happy, or healthy or loved. The specific things we think we need, like those new shoes, are just the delivery mechanism of those feelings we desire. Making a list of the feelings you want to feel will give you some clarity on what it is you actually want.
Clarity is very important when it comes to manifestation. You need to be very clear about what your desires are, lest you manifest things you don’t actually want! Think about what you truly desires, and add to your list the things that come along with it. If you’re thinking you want a new job, write down everything from the office environment to the work you want to do, the pay, your dream colleagues. Writing down the little things that go along with how you want to feel can help you gain more clarity. Remember it’s important to be completely unapologetic about what it is you want. These are your desires!
3. Practice feeling
Now it’s time to put this into practice. Take your clear desire or intention, and spend time each and every day feeling the feelings you desire. This could be done through meditation, yoga, or through vision exercises. While you’re in this state, let your thoughts guide the feeling, and let it take over the energy flowing through your body. The more you feel these feelings you desire, the more you’ll be positive that they’re on their way to you. Experiencing the happiness, gratitude or love we believe our desires will bring us is key to manifestation.
You can use a physical vision board to meditate in front of, if this help you stay focused in the feelings you want to manifest. A board can be a useful tool to remain hopeful of the things you want in your life. It’s a good way to redirect thoughts of sadness and depression into optimism and happiness.
4. Relax and wait
To truly manifest your desires, you need to chill out, relax, and wait for them to appear. This may mean waiting for longer than you expected, but if you remain certain of a positive outcome, you can wait without feeling anxious. Allow yourself to believe your desire is on the way, and trust that the universe has a plan for you. All you can do is be clear in your desires, and accept that you cannot control the timing of when it comes, or the form it will come in. So relax and trust that your desires are on their way!
5. Allow your desires in
Now you’re clear about what you want, and have started to consciously feel the feelings associated with your desires, you have to be open to allowing those desires in. This is important. You have to be open in the belief that your desires are on the way to you, without negative emotions. If you’re questioning if something is on its way, or asking over and over without belief, this can hinder you manifesting your desires.
It’s key to remove any negative feelings or frustrations that you don’t have your desires yet, as this will allow them into your life. Stay strong by practicing the positive feelings, and focusing on how good you will feel when your desires manifest. Use your list or vision board to experience positive emotions, and practice meditation or yoga when you feel those negative emotions creeping in.
This will help your feelings of ‘want’ turn into a knowing feeling that your desires are on their way to you. This is a healing process that helps you accept that you are exactly where you need to be, and the universe will soon catch up with you.
Begin the process of manifestation right now with these classes!
Jo here! Happy Hanukkah!
What’re dreidel games without chocolate gelt?
Unfortunately, the gelt you buy in the store is usually highly processed and packed with sugar and dairy. So why not make your own at home? It’s easier than you might think!
Besides the added sugar and dairy, the main nutritional difference between store-bought gelt coins and my recipe is that my recipe uses raw cacao instead of roasted cacao. Cacao is naturally high in essential minerals like magnesium, chromium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese, plus it is the one of the highest natural sources of antioxidants. The roasting process destroys these key nutrients by changing the chemical structure, so raw cacao is the better health option.
I hope you enjoy this healthy take on a holiday classic! For more holiday favorites we’ve given the Conscious Cleanse makeover, download our FREE Healthy Holidays eCookbook!
With love and raw cacao kisses,
Raw Cacao Gelt Coins
Yield: 9 coins
½ cup of raw cacao butter 2 TB. olive oil 2 TB. raw honey ¼ cup + 1 TB. raw cacao powder Edible Gold Dust Gelt Candy Mold
Instructions: Place a medium sized bowl in a double boiler. Add the cacao butter, olive oil, and raw honey to the bowl and whisk to melt. Ideally you want to keep this mixture at below 110 degrees F so as not to overheat it and destroy some of the nutrients. Once these ingredients are melted, whisk in the raw cacao powder. Whisk until no lumps remain and mixture is smooth.
Set the bowl with the cacao mixture over a separate bowl of cold water, being careful to not get any water inside the bowl, and continue to whisk this constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. The raw honey and the oil tend to separate so keep mixing them until the mixture has cooled off a little bit.
When the mixture has slightly cooled but is still liquid pour it into the candy mold.
If the cacao mixture starts to harden too much put the bowl over hot water again and melt to the correct consistency.
When finished place the raw cacao coins in the freezer for about 20 minutes, pop them out of the molds, and dust with the edible gold dust. The easiest way to do this is with a clean, small paint brush. The coins can be stored in the freezer or refrigerator for 1 week.
In the Northern Hemisphere, winter is upon us. Outdoor enthusiasts are flocking to the mountains to ski and snowboard. We here at YogaDownload.com want to support winter athletes and help you have the healthiest, most exciting season ever. Yoga can enhance your performance and help keep you injury-free so you enjoy your best days this season and for years to come. If where you live it is springtime, you’ll still benefit from our targeted classes this week. Water-skiing anyone?
When you’re careening down a snow-covered mountain at the speed of light or even at the speed of a sloth, it’s important for your mind to be in the game. Honing your mental focus to a razor sharp edge will enable you to not only enhance your downhill skills, but will also help prevent avoidable injuries.
Athletes agree that a clear attentive mind is the key to success on the slopes. Learning to stay focused and centered through uncomfortable poses by concentrating on even inhalations and exhalations helps you concentrate during a challenging workout. The mind-body connection in yoga is essential to helping develop mental acuity and concentration. Dedicated breath work or Pranayama eases anxious and overstressed minds, which comes in handy on those Double Black Diamonds and even on the bunny slopes.
Of course, you need to strengthen and stretch your muscles to reach your peak form and prevent injuries on the slopes.
Your legs and core need to be in top form. Skiing and snowboarding consist of repetitive movements, mostly in one plane of motion, which can cause imbalances in the joints and muscles over time. A well-rounded yoga practice includes dynamic flexibility training, core stabilization and strengthening and balance work to create mobility, a strong center, and a healthy spine. Yoga goes beyond simple stretching by working the muscles and joints through all ranges of motion—activating the little-used muscles that support the primary movers.
By focusing on these vital elements, yoga can help you recover faster after sessions, open up the tight areas that hinder performance, and improve range of motion. This week we have four classes by two of our most popular teachers, designed specifically to enhance your time on the slopes. These classes are short, specific, and spot on whether you’re new to winter sports or a pro.
Try them all this season!
1. Sharpen your Edge: Skier Flow Claire Petretti Marti
2. Avant Ski Yoga Denelle Numis
3. Après Ski Yoga Denelle Numis
4. Power up for Powder Days: Snowboarder Flow Claire Petretti Marti
Yoga has lots of benefits for those who love to hit the snow. It can increase strength, flexibility and even balance - as well as helping prevent injury. Our classes this week focus on yoga poses for skiers and snowboarders, and here’s some ways practicing yoga can make you better on the slopes.
1. Yoga will give you a strong core
You’ll need a strong core for a good skiing or snowboarding posture. Keeping your core engaged, especially while skiing is important, as otherwise you will fold your upper body and put pressure on your back, making it harder to move and turn. The stronger your core, the easier you will find this. Yoga poses all require core strength, and you can practice poses such as plank and chair to give your core some extra strength before your skiing trip.
2. Yoga will help your focus
You need a strong focus if you’re skiing or snowboarding, but the same can also be said for when you hit the yoga mat. Practicing your focus for long stretches while you’re in your yoga flow can help you concentrate during snow sports too. Yoga helps to calm your mind, and when you’re focusing on your movements, everything else seems to melt away and you enter a meditative state - perfect for skiing or snowboarding.
3. Yoga can help you balance
A strong sense of balance is essential for snowboarders and skiers. If you have balance, you’ll have to use your muscles less, and you’ll ache less and reduce risk of injury. To improve your balance, try standing yoga poses such as Tree Pose, or practice your handstands - this will all help you stay on your skis on the snow.
4. Yoga helps your coordination
Keeping your body and muscles coordinated is essential in both skiing and yoga. You have to move your body in sync, which can be quite hard if you’re not used to it. Taking some time on the yoga mat to think about where your body goes in each pose can help improve your natural coordination, and help you keep your skiing posture.
5. Yoga improves your flexibility
Flexible muscles are key to helping your body move in cold temperatures. Cold weather can make you stiff and slow- not what you need when you’re boarding down the slopes! Twisting and stretching your body in yoga will stretch your muscles and increase your range of motion and flexibility. This makes it much safer to ski and snowboard, and greatly reduces the risk of injury.
6. Yoga can prevent injury
The best way yoga can make you a better skier and snowboarder is that it reduces the risk of injuries. If you’re not hitting the mountains that often, the physical intensity can shock your body, making it more susceptible to aches and injury. Yoga can make you fitter in general, which will help you with any physical sport. Yoga also helps to keep muscles such as your hamstrings strong and loose - these are the key muscles you use in skiing or snowboarding.
Enjoy these yoga classes to make you better at skiing, now!
Après Ski Yoga with Denelle Numis
Avant Ski Yoga with Denelle Numis
Embrace and love your body. it's the most amazing thing you'll ever own. -Anonymous
It has been some time since I've taken the time to muse online. Even though things are expanding beautifully at the studio, and my 3 little angels are keeping my husband and I on our toes, I still find time to write in my journal each and every day. Inspiration to write hit during a quiet moment at the studio and I decided to take full advantage!
While sitting at the front desk I noticed that someone put a copy my book Yes! Yoga Has Curves to the side in order to purchase it after class. Immediately I was taken back to the great times I spent with all the beautiful women in both volumes. Even though many didn't know me they trusted me to share their story and beauty with the masses. The book not only serves as inspiration for yogis of ALL beautiful sizes to practice yoga but also as a personal reminder for me to stay the course.
Seeing the book was no coincidence. A few weeks ago I found myself feeling disconnected from my asana practice. As I tried to go deeper into some of my favorite asanas I was reminded quite a few times that I had a (BIG) baby via C-section 9 months ago and my body was still in recovery. I decided to take an asana break (well, more like a strike) and wondered if I would ever be able to enjoy some of the poses I once did.
My third trip into motherhood changed my body in many ways. Though I was proud of this life bearing vehicle I was worried if I would ever be able to practice without the self-critical dialogue. Yoga is all about uniting and my thoughts were creating a huge divide. I took it to my meditation cushion for answers. I closed my eyes and began to breathe deeply and said to myself over and over - "I am ready and open to my healing right now and in a way that supports me."
The answer came to me softly. I had to leam how to work with my body and I had to tune back into unconditional love. Soon atter I got back on my mat and instead of giving my body a list of demands I allowed my body to guide my practice.
I believe that all bodies are beautiful and that health and wholeness comes in all shapes and sizes.
The most important relationship we have is with our body. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, or even our previous selves, we should set the intention to honor and take care of our bodies from the inside out
And just in case you haven't heard it today or you need a reminder - you are beautiful!
By Dana Smith
Dana is a certified yoga teacher and trainer, Master Life Coach and Holistic Health Practitioner. Considered a “Jane of all Holistic Trades” she specializes in Thai Yoga Massage, Reiki and is a gifted Intuitive Counselor. She has practiced yoga for several years and is registered with the National Yoga Alliance. To keep classes creative and fun, she continues to seek inspiration through workshops and advanced studies. Dana believes that yoga is a powerful tool on the path of total wellness. Her style of teaching draws from Ashtanga, Iyengar and Vinyasa roots.
Practice loving your body through yoga, with Dana right now!
News alert: If a yoga instructor reprimands you because you don’t look a certain way in an asana or physical pose, that teacher may be in the wrong profession.
A good teacher will emphasize that how you feel in a pose is what’s important, not what shape you are creating on the mat. If you are finding sensation and breathing fully, then you are in the right place. Despite the barrage of Instagram filtered images crafted by tall thin yogis in advanced yoga poses, you do NOT need to be a skinny pretzel to be a “real yogi.”
We’re here to tell you there is no such thing as a yoga body. With the explosion of yoga’s popularity in the Western world over the last few decades, a huge focus on appearance has overshadowed what yoga is truly about. Yoga is for every body and there’s a style and type of practice that works for each individual. It’s adaptable. Accessible. Don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t.
No matter who you are, whether you are thin or heavy, tall or short, in a wheelchair or an Olympic athlete, yoga is for you.
Let’s start with straightforward anatomy. A vital principle to understand in asana practice is that everyone is different. We are born with differently shaped skeletons—long bones, short bones, heavy bones, light bones, mobile joints, stiff joints, and that’s just your frame.
For example, a student with loose hamstrings has short arms and long legs and reaching their toes in paschimottasana (seated forward fold) is almost impossible. Another student may have less muscular flexibility, but has long arms and shorter legs and can grasp their feet with minimal effort. Same pose. Different result. We all have our inherent limitations, which impact what our personal yoga practice looks like.
You wouldn’t judge a person or stereotype them because of their anatomy, right? Well, the same principle applies to everyone who doesn’t fall within the narrow window of social media yoga star. Sometimes people feel intimidated and avoid showing up on the yoga mat because they aren’t naturally flexible or model thin. We want to help make yoga available to anyone who wants to practice.
This week, we are thrilled to introduce a 5-class program for Body Positivity Yoga. Designed and taught by Dana Smith, author of Yes Yoga has Curves, these classes are accessible to everyone. Dana is passionate about breaking down stereotypes preventing people from stepping onto their mats because of fear or insecurity. So join us today and celebrate the body you are in!
Enjoy the program now!
The program classes include:
1. Dana Smith - Find Your Strength 2. Dana Smith - Blissful Balance 3. Dana Smith - Flow with the Go 4. Dana Smith - Open Your Heart 5. Dana Smith - Shifting Paradigms
We all have our own body hang ups, that can be hard to get past. The great thing about yoga is how it relaxes you, and lets you focus on your breath, and how your body is moving. This makes it a great practice to boost your body positivity. Yoga is a practice that all body shapes and sizes can take part in, however it can be hard sometimes to focus when we’re thinking about our body hang ups. Here’s our top tips for practicing body positivity when you’re on the yoga mat.
1. Channel Your Strength
Feeling strong is a great way to instantly reap the benefits of body positivity. It’s hard to feel negative about yourself when you’re channelling all your strength, and staying strong and powerful in your poses. Channelling your inner strength to push your body that little bit further will help you gain confidence and feel good about yourself! Look at your body, and notice the strength you have gained and how powerful it makes you feel. Warrior pose is a great pose to help your body feel strong and capable, and ready to take on anything!
2. Focus on Your Breath
Breathing deeply has a wealth of benefits for our bodies, but it mostly calms our nervous systems an allows us to take stock of what’s happening within us. Deep breathing allows us to identify any areas of pain or tightness during our practice, and allows us to release all that tension. This release can also release all those negative emotions, allowing us to connect to ourselves in a happier and balanced way.
3. Practice Self-Love
It’s easy to get caught up with that negative voice in our heads, telling us we can’t do something or we shouldn’t feel body positive. But that voice that points out perceived flaws is actually your own. It’s easy to forget we can control our own thoughts and change that negative voice into a positive one. When we realise we can change this we can start to practice self-love. Try to catch yourself if you’re ever thinking negative thoughts, especially if you’re struggling to master a new pose. By changing the narrative to focus on the positive aspects, you can start to practice self-love, and only think positive thoughts about yourself. Set yourself a body positive mantra if it helps, to think over in your head while you’re going through your yoga flow.
4. Appreciate Your Body
If you’ve managed to master a pose you’ve been working on for a while - take the time to congratulate yourself and your body for reaching your goal! Perhaps you’re finally able to get into crow pose, or you’re progressing into more advanced binds and moves, but it’s important to take a moment to recognise how far you’ve come. We’re so wired to move onto the next challenge or task, and taking some time to appreciate your body and the journey it’s taken is a great way to change your mind set to be more body positive.
5. Be Present
Negative thoughts stop us from being present and appreciating our lives and bodies in the moment. It’s easy to go down a negative thought spiral when we’re focusing on the past or future, and feel shame. This loses our connection with our bodies and makes it even harder to feel body positive. Yoga can help us to practice staying present. Next time you’re on the mat, try to sit and breathe, without thinking about anything else. Just focus on your breath, and your body, and how breathing affects how you move. This helps you to use your body to help calm your mind - an amazing tool to help you feel more body positive and appreciative of your body.
If you’re curious about body positivity in yoga, our program this week comes from Dana Smith, author of Yes, Yoga has Curves. This is a program to help break down barriers and stereotypes and helps you get on the mat, regardless of your body type - to help you reap the benefits and feel body positive!
Happy Thanksgiving from our families to yours!
This is a wonderful time of year filled with gatherings of loved ones around the dinner table. Why not pick the healthiest options for your holiday spread?
Jo, prefers to stay on a low-sugar eating track. So her family has developed a lower-sugar spin on the Thanksgiving classic — cranberry sauce! This tart and delicious recipe will win over even your pickiest family members.
Looking for more healthy and delicious Thanksgiving options? Check out our Conscious Thanksgiving spread.
What’s YOUR go-to Thanksgiving dish and does it need a Conscious Cleanse makeover? Let us know in the comments below!
With love and holiday gratitude,
Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce
Yield: about 3 cups
12 oz. fresh cranberries ½ cup Lakanto monkfruit sweetener ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the Lakanto sweetener in the orange juice until dissolved. Stir in the cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries start to pop. Pour sauce into a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. Garnish with orange or lemon zest.
Want to have some yoga ready for the day after Thanksgiving to get back on a healthy track? The Yoga for Detox from Overindulgence package is perfect, if you've eaten too much in your holiday festivities.
Everything in life can be considered a practice, whether it’s working out, practicing yoga, honing your hobby of choice, and even learning to operate from a place of gratitude each day. Just as you need to work your biceps and quadriceps to keep them strong, toned, and supple, you need to train your brain and your heart to move from a place of appreciation.
Sometimes, it’s tough to be positive and grateful. As the Buddhists teach, life is hard. We don’t have much control over external events, but we do have control over our own reaction to them. One of the greatest benefits of a consistent yoga practice is that it allows you to create more space in your reaction time.
It isn’t always easy, but being content is worth it.
The Yoga Sutras provide practical advice on how to be your best self by learning to shift your thought patterns. Yoga Sutra 2:33, Pratipaksha Bhavanam, encourages us to replace negative thought patterns with positive ones. So if you catch yourself being judgmental, critical, or negative, pause and reframe with compassion, kindness, and positivity. What we focus on expands and what we remove our attention from diminishes. Focus on the positive in each day and begin to cultivate your patterns of appreciating everything in your life
Like yoga, gratitude is a practice. Choose to find something to be thankful for, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem in the moment. It could be the beauty in a child’s smile, the pleasure of a delicious meal, or cruising through every green light on the way to work. Once you settle into a daily pattern of focusing on thankfulness, eventually, your perspective will shift and gratitude becomes your default.
This week, we’re excited to offer you four new classes aligned with increasing your gratitude in different areas of your life. Each practice is designed to help you feel thankful for life, love, your body, your purpose, life's pleasures and what holds meaning in your world. Enjoy!
Here are this week's four new yoga classes to have you feeling grateful!
1. Keith Allen - Feel Amazing Flow
2. Elise Fabricant - Joyful Joint Release
3. Claire Petretti Marti - Yoga for Better Sex
4. Kylie Larson - Anytime Gentle Flow
Practicing gratitude is not just saying ‘thank you’ when someone opens a door for you. Feeling gratitude for all positive aspects in your life is a great way to shift your perspective from any problems and imperfections, and help you appreciate the little things.
Taking some time to be thankful for your health, friends, family, or job can all help you change your perspective, especially in challenging times. Practicing gratitude can bring a wealth of benefits to your day to day life.
Here are 6 of the best benefits practicing gratitude can have on your life:
1. Practicing gratitude relieves stress
Anything that relieves stress is going to be beneficial not only to your mental health, but also your physical health too. Did you know that increased stress levels can affect things like your cardiovascular and nervous systems? By taking some time to feel grateful just once a week, you can reduce stress and studies have actually shown that this can reduce blood pressure. Take this one step further and write down everything you have to be grateful for, and you can reduce blood pressure by 10%. Another study in 1998 proved that the stress hormone cortisol can be reduced by practicing gratitude, and can also make you more resilient to trauma.
2. Practicing gratitude improves brain power
Research on gratitude in 2009 showed that the part of the brain that regulates our bodily functions, the hypothalamus, is activated when we feel gratitude. This means processes like sleep, metabolism, temperature regulation and appetites are literally powered by thoughts of gratitude and acts of kindness! Gratitude also affects our brain by releasing the feel good hormone dopamine. This natural high can make acts of kindness feel addictive and motivates us to practice gratitude further, be thankful, and be kind to others.
3. Practicing gratitude helps us sleep better
We’re all always looking for hacks for a better night’s sleep, and practicing gratitude could be the answer. There are loads of studies that have shown how being grateful can help increase our sleep quality, as well as sleep duration and helps us fall asleep faster. As gratitude activates our hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain that controls our sleep. When we are thankful, we can fall asleep quicker and for longer, meaning we wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated! Better sleep can increase our general health and relieve stress, pain and anxiety as well as boost our immune system.
4. Practicing gratitude reduces anxiety
As mentioned, being thankful can help us get a better night’s sleep, which in turn can help to relieve anxiety. But did you know that keeping a journal of gratitude, or even saying ‘thank you’ more often can increase long-term happiness by over 10%, and reduce depression by over 30%? This is because we’re better able to manage emotions such as sadness and guilt when we feel helpful and kind.
5. Practicing gratitude decreases pain levels
This one can be hard to believe, but being thankful can actually reduce physical pain levels. A study in 2003 showed that patients with physical symptoms who kept a gratitude journal actually showed reduced symptoms as well as a decrease in pain. This could be due to the increase in dopamine when we’re thankful.
6. Practicing gratitude increases our energy
There’s a lot of health benefits to being a little thankful, so it’s no surprise that you’ll notice an increase in energy alongside the other benefits. Longer and better sleep, reduced stress and generally feeling optimistic can make us feel more sprightly and energetic - and more likely to get up and moving.
Practice the Yoga for Gratitude package, to experience these benefits now!
Happy Thanksgiving from our families to yours! This is a wonderful time of year filled with gatherings of loved ones around the dinner table. Why not pick the healthiest options for your holiday spread? We wanted to take this opportunity to share some of our family favorite recipes that we love to make for Thanksgiving. These dishes are healthy, delicious, and are sure to delight the whole family.
Jules, as a vegetarian, finds holiday meals frustrating since they are so frequently centered around a meat dish. So she’s come up with a hearty salad featuring roasted beets. It works well as both a main dish or side dish, perfect for the veggie lovers in your life!
Roasted Beets and Arugula
8 golden beets (you can also use red beets if preferred) 5 TB. olive oil (reserve 1 TB. for drizzling) ½ cup red wine vinegar 1 shallot, thinly sliced ¼ cup parsley, chopped 2 cups fresh arugula Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place golden beets in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for about 25 minutes or until soft. In a small bowl, combine remaining olive oil and the red wine vinegar. Remove beets from the oven and toss with sea salt and black pepper. Place cooked golden beets, shallot, and parsley in a large salad bowl, and toss with oil and vinegar mix. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Serve beets over arugula and garnish with additional fresh parsley.
If you're worried about eating too much on Thanksgiving, have the Yoga for Detox from Overindulgence package ready, for the day after, to get back on track!