Quick exercise: Name three things you’re grateful for right now.
Can you do it? Were you able to list three? Ten? Or, did you have a tough time feeling thankful because you’re in a challenging phase of life and your focus is simply on surviving whatever is difficult right now? We’re here to remind you that if you shift your attention, you’ll change your perspective. Two of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras provide direction and wisdom.
One of the major tenets of yoga is Yoga Sutra 1.2, citta vritti nirodhah or learning to direct the attention of your mind where you want it to go. Yoga Sutra 2:33 encourages us to replace negative thought patterns with positive ones or Pratipaksha bhavanam. Life is like a rollercoaster. When we accept the ups and downs in our lives as simply part of the process, we can work toward living in an attitude of gratitude.
Here are a few ways to choose the positive and be thankful, no matter what is happening around you. Try a gratitude journal. At the beginning or the end of each day, write down three things you are grateful for, no matter how small they might be. A bright blue sky, a good night’s sleep, a smile from a stranger—anything at all. Find something to enjoy about what is happening in your life instead of giving attention to what is lacking.
Appreciate what you do have today and release attachment to exactly how everything will work out in your life tomorrow.
What we focus on expands and what we remove our attention from diminishes. So, focus on the positive in each day and begin to grow your patterns of appreciating everything in your life. Like yoga, gratitude is a practice. Once you settle into a daily pattern of focusing on what you’re grateful for, it’s easy to start automatically seeing the positive instead of the negative.
We’ve brought you a wonderful program Yoga for Gratitude this week, with new meditations and yoga classes designed to help you not only focus your attention, but direct it toward gratitude first.
Meditate with Gratitude - Pradeep Teotia
Gratitude Training - Kylie Larson
Core Gratitude - Pradeep Teotia
Open Your Heart to Gratitude - Elise Fabricant
Gratitude Meditation Practice - Alanna Kaivalya
Turkey, stuffing, pie, oh my!
Thanksgiving is a holiday about abundance, or for many us, overabundance! So to make sure you don’t feel like slithering out of your chair only to fall asleep under the table, we’ve pulled together six of our favorite healthy recipes that will leave you feeling energized and not stuffed to the gills. Using fresh herbs, seasonal farm fresh produce, and nutrient dense ingredients, we’ve put a healthy spin on some of our traditional favorites. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do and feel our love as you make them!
As you plan your Thanksgiving menu, remember that this time of year is not just about the food you put on your table, it’s also about the connection and time spent with your loved ones. Enjoy every moment!
To a healthy and happy turkey day, P.S. – What’s your favorite traditional Thanksgiving dish? Tell us in the comments section below.
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
By the Conscious Cleanse
Jo Schaalman and Julie 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 lead 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.
To learn more about “Jo and Jules” and to download a free e-cookbook for a sampling of the delicious food served up on the Conscious Cleanse, please visit their website.
Check out more delicious and healthy recipes from Jo & Jules here!
I can almost still taste last weekend. Tacos, tequila, BBQ, sausages, mimosas, ceviché, beer, benedicts, ice cream…Two of my best girlfriends and I spent the weekend eating around Austin, TX. Sure, we caught a little bit of live music, did some window shopping, and took a walk around Lady Bird Lake — but mostly we just ate and drank, and ate some more. This week I decided it was time for a cleanse. Yep, time to clean out the ol’ intestines with a reset elimination diet. For the past 7 days I’ve ousted wheat, meat, booze, dairy, sugar, caffeine, most grains, legumes and nightshades. Side-effects of this elimination experiment have been a heightened sensitivity to flavor – good morning, tastebuds! – and an awareness of my tendency to comfort eat. It’s now clear to me that most of the time I put food in my mouth it’s for a reason other than true hunger. Maybe I’m bored, lonely, or feel that I need a reward or entertainment. And stopping at 80% full as recommended? Rarely. Thankfully, my bloodline passed on to me a raging metabolism so overeating is not as detrimental to me as it is to some. What’s actually more harmful is my tendency to over-schedule. I’m one of those (you may be, too?) that fill any gap of free time, more comfortable being hyper-busy than having chill time.
This 100+% full, whether it is from overeating or over-scheduling is:
The reframe for “overeating” or “over-scheduling” is “underloving.” We underlove ourselves and those around us when we fill up so fully that we have room for nothing else. We ultimately suffer when the God-shaped hole, yearning for connection with the primordial nature of humanity and the universal synapses with spirit, is instead stockpiled with distraction, quick comfort and busyness. As the season for overeating and over-scheduling nears, let’s all play the game of 80% full.
Let’s eat only when hungry and tend our the emotional emptiness in other, more honest ways. Let’s make the time for the most important things in our lives no matter how much we have going on around us. Let’s trust that there will always be enough food and time and that by simplifying and cleansing our palates – and our schedules – we will be better able to taste the fullest flavors of life.
By Elise Fabricant
Elise Fabricant is passionate about helping and healing the body, mind and spirit through yoga and massage. She is also a top teacher on YogaDownload.com. Her offerings can be found more on elisefabricant.com. Interested in the elimination reset cleanse? Elise will be leading a group through it in February 2018. Contact her at elisefabricant.com to reserve your space now.
Reset with this top YogaDownload.com class from Elise:
Reset Refuge with Elise Fabricant
New Moon in Scorpio — Consciously Choosing the Light This Scorpio new moon on November 18, 2017 calls us to initiate ourselves into the watery depths of our unconscious. Whether it be through occult practices, transformational rituals, psychotherapy, shadow work or anything that ushers us “beyond the veil,” now is the time to walk into the underworld. Most of us strive to stay in the light, ignoring the dark and repressing that which needs to be addressed for us to be truly free. We can no longer resist the change that is upon us, and ignore the power of the shadow within.
The lesson of Scorpio is that what we try to hide away and leave in the dark rarely remains there for long. Either we bring it forth ourselves with our own depth work, or it comes forward on its own as our struggles, triggers, and negative patterns.
What we leave in the darkness destroys us, but what we bring into the light ultimately saves us. The darkness of the new moon in Scorpio means that we cannot hide anymore, we must make friends with the darkness—our darkness—if we yearn for personal freedom.
A tight relationship to Uranus at this times suggests that we must listen carefully to any flashes of intuition or insight that come our way. Especially in terms of our spiritual progress, messages from our higher self hold the key to what steps must be taken. This may be counter to the steps you want to take, because the steps that are necessary are often the most challenging. Walking through our shadow requires tapas, the burning desire to know thyself. Your higher wisdom holds the key. Listen to its messages, and make sure that what you move toward at this time is in alignment with your soul’s purpose, as this is a new beginning for you that signals a great step toward it.
Chiron (the wounded healer) is also in the mix with this new moon, further encouraging us to do our shadow work as it may result not only in personal transformation, but also in change that inspires others to walk the shadow path. If you are destined to be a mentor, you can only lead people as far as you have gone yourself…make sure you do the work required to dig through your own darkness in order to bring to light the gold that is so valuable to you, and those around you. Alchemical Ritual for the Scorpio New Moon As a water sign, Scorpio often soaks in the watery depth of emotion. On the high side, Scorpio revels in deep transformation and shadow work and loves blending energy—whether through intimate partnerships, sacred sexuality or joint finances or business ventures. On the low side, Scorpio’s energy turns to moodiness, brooding, and a tendency to play the victim and lash out with others. This new moon ritual for Scorpio helps to accentuate the high side of Scorpio which transfigures our shadow into powerful healing energy.
Scorpio’s modern ruler is Pluto, the king of the underworld, who also respects those who can escape the darkness. Our work here is to get to know our own underworld so we can undergo a resurrection and once again see the light. Scorpio is not afraid of the challenge, so our challenge is to move toward what is uncomfortable in the ritual, in the hope of shedding some light on it.
Gather a black stone (onyx, lava, kyanite) or a red stone (malachite, red hematite, rhodochrosite) and place it in the center of your ritual space. If you have some ginger, you can place it in a bowl nearby, or sprinkle it around your space. Ginger essential oil also works, and you might anoint your solar plexus with it before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights. Place a pen and paper nearby and come to sit quietly inside the circle. Close the eyes and contemplate a current challenge in your life.
What is the belief system that this triggers? What negative thought patterns swirl around? Finally, what do you feel?
Do not immerse yourself in the emotion, simply observe and witness it like a silent bystander. Locate it in your body. Place your hands on the part of the body that you feel activated and simply watch. Breathe into that space, the emotion, and the body. Stay here, silently witnessing, until the emotion transforms, dissipates, changes shape, or shifts quality. Once it does, say the following invocation out loud:
Scorpio and Pluto, please allow me to feel what is necessary in order to invoke the source of empowerment and healing.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. Clear the mind of thoughts completely. Feel the sensation of healing in the body. Allow a new thought or belief to arise that replaced the old one that you started the ceremony with. When it arises, write it down on your piece of paper. When complete, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Place the piece of paper in prominent view and whenever you see it, feel the sense of empowerment in the body you discovered in this ritual.
This ritual catalyzes the unconscious into deep shift and transformation. In doing so, a part of you is resurrected and brought into the light where you shine for all to see.
By Alanna Kaivalya
Alanna believes Yoga is for everyone and each student can develop the self-empowerment needed to embark on a personal journey to meaningful transformation. On this principle she founded The Kaivalya Yoga Method, a fresh take on yoga emphasizing the individual path while honoring tradition. Teaching students since 2001, teachers since 2003, Alanna has written and developed teacher trainings worldwide for top studios and independently. In January she debuted a comprehensive 200hr-online teacher training with YogaDownload. She holds a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, has authored numerous articles and two books: Myths of the Asanas, an accessible practitioner’s guide to stories behind beloved poses; Sacred Sound, a yoga “hymnal,” illustrating the role of chant and mantra in modern practice. Look for her third book, Yoga Beyond the Mat. She lives in New York City with Roxy the Wonderdog.
Alanna is also the head teacher of Yoga Download's 200-hour Online Teacher Training Program. Learn more and enroll here!
If you're like me, your yoga practice and it's consistency move in waves. I practice yoga multiple times every week usually. That said, some weeks I make it to class and my mat five times, and on other weeks, it's closer to two. It is important to remember, on days when we don't create the time for a full hour-long practice, there are great benefits for fitting in even a single pose into your day, even for 1-minute or less.
So which poses will give you your best bang for your buck in terms of time investment and a return of benefits?
Here are the best five that will reset your being, body, and mood in a matter of moments if you're pressed for time:
1. Paschimotanasana 2. Seated Twist 3. Salabasana 4. Shoulderstand 5. Headstand (or handstand)
Poses in more detail & their benefits: 1. Paschimotanasana : The best of the best. This is the most grounding posture in all of yoga. It opens everything on the backside of your body, stimulates mulhdara charka, our energy center of groundedness, stability, and foundation. This energy center is similar to the foundation of your house. If it's not in balance, the rest of the house will not feel stable. 1-3 minutes holding and breathing in this powerful shape can also heal your spine, neck, hips, and legs. It's also an antidote to feelings of overhwhelm and anxiety, making it ideal for those who only have time for one particular pose in a given day. And it makes you look inwards.
2. Ardha Matsyendrana : Twisting is medicine for the inner organs and entire spine. This is especially great if you have time for one yoga pose because you've overindulged. The stimulation of fresh blood to the liver and organs make it particularly detoxifying. This posture is also grounding, rebalancing for the hips, and opening for the heart.
3. Salabasana : If you drive a car, text on a phone, or work at a computer, this is the best pose to find balance from the consistency of hunching forward that all three of the mentioned actions have. This shape brings a more confident posture to your shoulders, and the overall way we carry ourselves, opening our hearts in a proud, everyday shape, instead of a more closed and timid expression.
4. Shoulderstand : Putting your legs above your head, hips, and heart hold tremendous benefits physcially, mentally, and emotionally. Shoulderstand boosts cognitive functions such as memory. It is also an effective a mood booster and remedy for anxiety or depression, a stimulation of the circulatory system, and a flush to the thyroid, and immune system strengthener. It also promotes youthfulness, balances the body's hormone system, and is strengthening to the shoulder region. And I could keep going. If you're going to do one pose, inversions are golden in terms of maximizing benefits for a short time investment.
Shoulderstand in particular is unique in that it's cooling to the nervous system, which makes it even better in the evening before bed. It's also connected to visshudha chakra, the throat evenrgy center in the body. A balanced throat chakra makes us more confident to be honest, powerful in our words, and creative.
5. Headstand (or handstand) : The inversion benefits listed in Shoulderstand apply to these postures as well. These two poses are largely interchangeable in their benefits, although more shoulder and upper body strength come from handstand over time. Since I didn't get to all of them in detail for Shoulderstand, I'll add more benefits of inverting. Perhaps the most vain and important benefit, they reduce wrinkles in the face. These shapes are the yogic fountain of youth. These shapes are also a blessing on our organs. The kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs all receive considerable amounts of love from having the flow of gravity reversed on them and giving them a flush or sorts. On an energetic level, headstand and handstand open sahasrara chakra, at the crown of the head. This is our most spiritual energy center in the body. The place where we connect to the magic that connects us all.
Of course, our bodies love change. I recommend making it to your mat as often as feels ideal for you. That said, do not underestimate the power of taking a moment to find time for one of these postures with some wonderful, healthy, breaths to accompany them on days you cannot fit a full practice in. These five have the power to from a stressful day to a happy one. Give them a try, mix them up, and make them work for your body, mind, and heart.
By Keith Allen
Keith Allen is a teacher on YogaDownload.com For Keith, yoga is about connecting deeper to who we truly are and using the practice to enjoy our lives more. His classes balance a meditative focus with safe alignment. Breath, presence, and leaving space to let the practice feel good in our bodies, is a priority for Keith. He has studied extensively from different teachers, lineages, and styles around the world, and remains a passionate and dedicated student of yoga and meditation. He regularly leads workshops and teacher trainings and is a co-author of The Yoga Fix book, which is a resource of healthy movement patterns. In addition to yoga, Keith is passionate about traveling the world, producing videos, skiing, making art, and enjoying music. Enjoy his classes on YogaDownload.com
Practice this efficient, short class to experience the benefits of some of these five poses!
Turn Your Day Around with Keith Allen
Today's recipe comes to us in collaboration with Elana Amsterdam. Elana is the author of the New York Times Best Selling cookbook Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry. She gave up grains over a decade ago and has been tempting foodies everywhere with her incredibly simple, yet flavorful recipes for dynamic, vibrantly healthy food.
We got to sit down with Elana and know you will love her (if you don’t already!), but for now, read on and enjoy Elana’s Matzo Ball Soup recipe, which falls into our 80:20 category (because of the eggs). Enjoy!
This gluten-free Matzo Ball Soup is a healthy twist on a Passover classic. My secret to making this dish gluten-free is to use almond flour in place of matzo meal. Yes, it’s a grain-free Paleo Matzo Ball Soup, as a good as any your Bubby ever made. Matzo Ball Soup is perfect for the change of seasons, which are also perfect times for a cleanse.
Matzo Ball Soup Yields: 6 servings
By Elana Amsterdam
Ingredients: 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons celtic sea salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal), sifted 6 cups chicken stock or Kettle & Fire Bone Broth
Instructions: In a medium bowl, beat eggs, (1 teaspoon) salt and pepper for 2 minutes Stir in the almond flour Refrigerate the mixture 2-4 hours Remove from refrigerator Heat a large pot of water (with 1 teaspoon salt) and bring to a boil Roll the batter into 1-inch balls then drop into the pot of boiling water Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes Heat 6 cups chicken stock in a separate pot When the matzo balls are finished, remove from simmering water with a slotted spoon and add to chicken stock Ladle stock, plus 2-3 matzo balls into individual bowls and serve Looking for more delicious soup recipes? Try our: Chicken Bone Broth Curried Carrot Soup Green Goddess Soup
Check out this collection Yoga Download classes that support detoxing whether you're on a cleanse, or feeling inspired to support your health.
Do you need a change of pace? Are you ready to tap into your inner child and become more playful in your yoga practice, yet desire to shift your physical, mental, and emotional viewpoint too? This week, we’re thrilled to offer four new classes focused on how inversions and going upside down benefits you.
Technically, an inversion in yoga is anything that brings your hips above your heart and your heart above your head. Downward-facing dog and standing forward bends can be considered inversions. Some inversions build heat and energy, like handstands and forearm stands. Others like headstands and shoulder stand act to calm the nervous system. Assuming you are physically healthy and aren’t dealing with injuries to your neck or shoulders, low blood pressure, or glaucoma, there’s an inversion to benefit you.
If you already love turning your world upside down and are a master at handstand or Scorpion pose, you’ll enjoy some fresh flows from some of your favorite teachers. If, however, you avoid inversions because you believe they aren’t accessible, give us a moment to share why we think you should give them a try.
Physical
Inversions build upper body strength, core strength, and provide a powerful boost to your circulatory system. Yogis believe by going upside down, you can stimulate digestion and lymphatic flow, encouraging a healthier immune system. Having your head below your heart reverses the flow of gravity and it floods your skin with oxygen and blood flow, so you appear younger. Who doesn’t enjoy glowing skin?
Mental
Shifting gravity can help increase memory, concentration, and awareness by providing more oxygen and blood flow to the brain. This increased blood flow can stimulate endorphins and release “feel good” chemicals to help combat depression and mood swings as well as boosting the health of your brain.
Emotional
Inversions also stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which produces feelings of relaxation and calmness and can aid you in achieving more restful sleep. Spending some time in an inverted position can encourage a more positive outlook each day. A regular yoga practice helps us shed old habits, which may no longer be serving us and jumpstart change and new beginnings. Trying something new like balancing on your hands can generate fear, but mastering a new skill can create confidence.
Proponents of going upside down believe you truly see the world from a new perspective and the benefits can be taken off the mat with you for the rest of your day and life. Inversions are fun and remind us to continue to feed our inner child and never stop playing.
Take your time to learn proper alignment for postures new to you and also work up to the final pose. Practice at the wall, use props, and modify if necessary. Remember the benefits of Legs up the Wall are the same as a full shoulder stand. Find the version that makes you happy and is appropriate for where you are today.
Press play and have fun with one or all of these new practices:
1. Keith Allen - Turn Your Day Around
2. Shy Sayar - The Safe Path to Headstand
3. Jill Pedroza - Flow and Flight
4. Jack Cuneo - Once More Into Handstand, Dear Friends
We all think it’s going to be easier than it is. We imagine that maternity leave will be like a long holiday in which we can get to enjoy life, see friends, and read books. Because of course we’ll know our baby and of course we’ll be better at it than everybody else! It turns out it’s a bit different than that. Babies don’t keep to our schedules. That’s probably because they don’t know what schedules are. For that reason, if you don’t plan ahead you will find those weeks turn into a constant struggle to catch up to the baby situation. Like desperately trying to figure out where there is a changing room when the little one is wailing like a fire alarm.
Here are some things that you’ll definitely want to take care of before the little one arrives to enjoy your maternity leave instead of struggle through it.
Get Help You might think you don’t need it. But you will. So ask for it before you’re near the verge of tears. Find out who is willing to help and then play to their strengths. Mom might be a good babysitter for a few hours. Perhaps your brother or friend could help you with the shopping. And so on. By getting people you're close to to chip in for a few hours here and there, you’ll free up time to learn the skills that a new baby requires. In fact, it will be these moments where you get the help that will turn into those little vacations you were hoping for. And we need those.
Adjust Expectations When I’m talking about expectations, of course, I’m talking about your own. But not just those. You also have to adjust the expectations of the people around you. A lot of people will assume that things will continue as they used to be. That’s just not possible. Nor is it smart. Instead, set things to your schedule and what you can cope with. A friend might want to meet at that little café you always go to, but if it isn’t baby friendly you should put a fork in that. Others might want your undivided attention to help them with something, like you'd normally be happy to before the baby. But sometimes, that’s just not possible.
Do what you want to do. Be selfish. At least for those first few weeks. Because that baby is already going to be claiming much of your attention.
Get New Friends Being a new mother can be lonely. That’s because the friends you used to hang out with are going to be on entirely different wavelengths. They’ll be cool with hearing about what your kid got up to and how cute he burps for a little while, but after that, they’ll want to get onto the stuff you used to care about that. But right now you don’t care about that. It’s because you don’t have the attention or the energy to do so. For that reason, find people that will understand what you’re talking about and share the same interest. Join a new mommy group in your area. Talk to people with babies. Share experiences.
Whatever you do, don’t be down on yourself. Be happy with the little things you do and keep doing more. Celebrate your achievements and don’t get too upset with yourself when you fall short. That’s life. And things will change again soon enough when you get into the swing of things.
The goal here is to focus on doing the things that will give you a bit of joy. For having a new baby is a huge system shock. They need a lot of attention and they don’t time when they will need it. That means you’ll have some adjusting to do. So adjust your social life to that. Find new friends and use the resources at your disposal.
When you do that, you’ll find there is actually time for more than simply sitting at home and you can enjoy your maternity leave!
By Angela Baker
Angela Baker is a freelance writer who is discovering new ways for personal and professional growth. Currently she`s working in the top essay service, Best Essay Education and improving herself in the blogging career. Angela is an experienced and self-driven specialist who cannot imagine her life without writing.
Yoga Download's Yoga for New Mom's Package is 10-class journey for those wanting to stay active and vibrant during their maternity leave!
Temperatures have started to dip in the northern hemisphere the past few weeks, causing us to crave warm soups and other fall favorites. Today we have a recipe that is the epitome of comfort food. It’s the perfect meal that the entire family will enjoy. But it’s also a labor of love and tends to be one those childhood favorites that just don’t work in our Conscious Cleanse lifestyle. That is until today! Our Vegetable Lasagna with non-dairy ricotta “cheese” is a simple, gluten free, vegan lasagna. And it tastes delicious.
Now your Italian granny might turn over in her grave but believe us our vegan cashew “cheese” is so tasty you will never miss the real stuff. As for the noodles? Gluten be gone. These “noodles” are made from veggies sliced thinly and roasted until caramelized and sweet. A real excellent substitution in the flavor department. Layer it all up with a high quality can of organic crushed tomatoes and you have a healthy and warming dinner. Bubbly, delicious, heartwarming, and heart healthy – just the way granny intended! Did we mention the leftovers are great for breakfast?! Not a bad way to usher in the cooler months and level up your 80:20. With lasagna love, Vegetable Lasagna with Ricotta “Cheese” Yield: 6 servings Ingredients: Ricotta “Cheese” 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for an hour ¼ cup water 2 TB. extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp. sea salt Lasagna 1 small eggplant, very thinly sliced lengthwise 3 zucchini, very thinly sliced lengthwise 2 fennel bulbs, very thinly sliced ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. dried oregano pinch of freshly ground black pepper 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes Instructions: Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor, along with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and water. Process the ingredients until a smooth paste forms; you may need to add a bit more water. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, and fennel with the oil and salt and toss well. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on two baking sheets and roast until they start to brown and caramelize around the edges about 20-25 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. While the vegetables are cooling, whisk together the “cheese,” oregano and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spread one-fourth of the mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch square glass baking dish, then spoon 1⁄2 cup of the crushed tomatoes on top. Cover the tomatoes with a layer of the eggplant. Continue to layer the remaining “cheese,” tomatoes and vegetables until everything is used up, topping off with the tomatoes. Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Jo Schaalman and Jules Peláez are co-founders and authors of the program 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. To learn more about “Jo and Jules”, the Conscious Cleanse and their new 80:20 Lifestyle Plan please visit consciouscleanse.com.
Check out more delicious, healthy, and easy recipes from Jo & Jules here!
Kids love yoga! It’s true. They don’t perceive it as the challenging practice that makes you bend your body in all directions or need to focus on staying calm while doing it. That’s you. For kids, yoga is a fun experience. They get to explore new movements and imitate nature, animals, and warriors.
Of course, yoga is not just a game. It’s a practice that sets the foundation for a resilient, strong character. Researchers found that yoga helps children cope with symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and impulsiveness. Yoga helps them focus and boost their performance in physical and intellectual activities.
Yoga is great for moms, too! It makes them happier, stronger, more focused, and more immune to stress. Mary Lawrence, editor-in-chief at Proessaywriting, agrees: “I’ve been practicing yoga for over ten years. When I gave birth to my daughter, I was worried I wouldn’t have time for yoga. As it turns out, you can always find time for the things you love. Moreover, you can do them together with your kids. Yoga helps me stay balanced and focused on my job. It also helps me develop a bond with my daughter. We always have good times when we practice together.”
So yoga is good for you, and it’s good for your kids, too. Why don’t you practice it together? We’ll suggest great poses that you and your little ones can try together.
Tree Pose
This pose is all about achieving stillness of the body and calmness of the mind. It looks pretty simple. You stand with a straight and tall spine. You raise one leg, and bring the foot above the knee of the other foot. You bring your hands together and you find the balance. Stay calm. Slowly come out of the pose and do it with the other leg.
If you let your mind wander for a second, you’ll lose balance. That’s the lesson this pose teaches us. It’s great for making us calmer, and it’s awesome for practicing control ofthe mind. Kids love acting like trees, and you’ll love the peace and quiet you’ll find in tree pose.
One-Legged Pigeon Pose
You might find One-Legged Pigeon pose challenging if your back is stiff. Try simpler variations until you reach your back foot with your hand. Your kid,on the other side,will find it easier. They will puff out the chest, trying to resemble a pigeon as much as possible.
This pose is great because it opens the chest and improves your breathing capacity. It also stimulates the abdominal organs and improves the flexibility of your back.
Dancer’s Pose
Elegance, grace, strength! Those are the thoughts that come to mind when you see someone doing a beautiful Dancer’s pose. You don’t have to worry about being really flexible and catching the foot in an overhead grip. Take it slowly. Teach your kid to take it slowly too. This pose is great for seeing progress, so you can take pictures every month to see how far you’re getting. Both you and your kids will love seeing the before and after pictures.
The pose improves your balance, stretches the thighs and the shoulders, and it makes you feel graceful.
Cat Pose
Cats are funny creatures. Your kid probably thinks so too! They also have impressive flexibility, so we might as well learn something from them.
In cat pose, you’re activating the spine and neck. This movement improves the coordination and makes you feel calm. Plus, you move like a cat, and cats are some of the most interesting creatures on Earth.
Cobra Pose
Cobra activates your shoulders, chest, abdominals, and spine. It alleviates the stiffness of the lower back, so it’s great for a mom who’s spends theentire day in a seated position at work. It’s also great for the kids, since it improves and maintains the natural flexibility of the spine.
It also elevates the mood and stimulates the function of the organs in the abdomen. It improves digestion and helps to ease symptoms of asthma. All those benefits with a single pose! The best part is that kids are naturally good at doing cobra and can have fun pretending they’re a snake.
Practice Carefully and Keep It Fun!
Yoga will make both you and your kid happier. It’s a great practice that teaches us how to stay calm and cope with stressful situations. The important thing is to keep it safe! If your kid has sciatica, asthma, or any other health concern, you should get their doctor’s advice. It’s also best for you to search for a certified yoga teacher, who will know how to approach those issues. Yoga has unlimited benefits only when practiced properly.
Most of all, keep this fun! The above-listed poses are great for storytelling. When you’re teaching them how to get into Cobra pose, tell a story about the friendly and curious snake, who was making this movement to see what’s going on behind the neighbor’s fence. Be creative! Both you and your kid will enjoy the practice more that way.
By Lucy Benton
Lucy Benton is an editor, an assignment writer who finds her passion in expressing own thoughts as a blogger. She is constantly looking for the ways to improve her skills and expertise. Also Lucy has her own blog ProWritingPartner where you can check her last publications.
Want more yoga classes for your children to try? Click the photo below to chek out our diverse collection of 15 classes specifically for kid's on YogaDownload.com.
You just had a baby - congratulations! But now...does your body feel like a total stranger? Your amazing body spent nine months growing a new human, and will spend even longer nourishing and nurturing this new life. For some new moms, sometimes your body doesn’t feel like yours anymore. We're here to help!
Whether you’re looking to reconnect with your sense of self, rebuild your core or just start moving and toning your muscles again (with your doctor’s blessing of course), we put together a special 10-class Yoga For New Moms package with precisely YOU in mind.
We also have 3 key tips to practice any time:
Be Kind to Yourself:
Who needs your love as much as your baby? You do. While you are learning to care for the new arrival, you also need to recognize your vulnerable self. As you take your first steps towards the mat, promise to be kind to yourself. Do not set unrealistic expectations for your practice. In the beginning, a half-hour or even 15 minutes of Yoga is beneficial to get rid of the aches and pains associated with childbirth and caregiving. Try out our instructor Liza Janda’s 30-minute Postnatal Recharge class; the perfect remedy for new moms.
Heal Inside Out:
Your bundle of joy has transformed your life in more ways than you expected. You will soon realize what you want to do is not always what you end up doing. Hence it is important to take stock of the moment. Maybe your first concern is to get your body back in shape. But let’s get your head and heart to process the change and then progress with your body. Yoga can help you get the desired results but it happens over time. In the initial few months, it’s best to start slow and concentrate on a restorative practice that allows you to journey inside while working on the outside. Understand the needs of a new mom. Trust your Yoga practice to move you into stillness and calm the sleep deprived mind. Liza Janda’s Time Out for New Moms class focuses on just that and heats you up and tones you without wearing you out.
Remind Yourself it’s Yoga O’Clock:
Carving out time for Yoga could be challenging when faced with the joys and pressures of motherhood. We understand how tough it could be to bring yourself to look beyond your new role as a mother. But we encourage you to do so and do so without guilt. In the larger scheme of things you will be better at caring for your child if you care for yourself first.
Want to take it further? In addition to the two above, our Yoga for New Moms package offers eight additional classes, which will help you breathe, stretch deeper, find your core and find your balance.
Liza Janda’s Postnatal Flow Kristen Boyle’s IndieFlow Postnatal Yoga Kristen Boyle’s IndieFlow Talk: Restoring your Core After Baby Casey Feicht’s Yoga for New Moms Elise Fabricant’s Yoga for a Good Night's Sleep (AUDIO class) Elise Fabricant’s Quick and Easy Yoga for a Busy You Maria Garre’s Pranayama for Better Sleep Dave Farmar’s Baptiste Power Yoga After Pregnancy
Look at Yoga as a quick retreat, where you can drop everything else and concentrate on the present moment. Follow your practice and get a boost of energy that will last you days and weeks to come. Answer the call of the mat, set an intention, listen to your body and practice the asanas to give your mind and body the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate.
Wild rice is technically not a grain! Who knew? It’s actually the seed of a marsh grass grown in the Great Lakes region (my hometown’s neck of the woods). Wild rice has a rich nutty flavor that pairs well with leafy greens and autumn veggies. As we approach Thanksgiving time, we’ve been on the lookout for recipes that could fit into the holiday season, but wouldn’t leave us feeling the usual “Thanksgiving hangover.” The reason we might feel so good eating this robust “grain” is because it’s chock full of B vitamins and contains essential minerals like zinc, folate and phosphorus. It also has more protein than the almighty brown rice. And, because of it’s high fiber content it will keep your digestive system running smooth as silk. Not too shabby! This Autumn Wild Rice Salad can be a healthy side on turkey day or hold it’s own as an entrée on a brisk fall night. Are you starting to plan your Thanksgiving meal and want some ideas of how to make your old favorites into a healthy AND delicious treat? Make sure to stay tuned this month for more recipes we’ve given the Conscious Cleanse makeover plus a peek at our Conscious Thanksgiving feast! With wild warmhearted smooches,
P.S. – This recipe contains fennel, which can be a bit confusing when it comes to slicing and dicing, so check out this video to help you chop your fennel like a pro. Autumn Wild Rice Salad Yield: 8-10 servings Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked organic wild rice 1 bunch kale, chopped ½ bunch chard, chopped 1 bunch green onions, chopped ½ cup parsley, chopped ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced ½ cup fresh lemon juice ½ cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp black pepper Directions: In a medium pot over high heat bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add wild rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 to 65 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt and pepper. Pour dressing over rice and toss until fully coated. Remove stems and ribs from kale and chard and cut into ribbons or tear into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine kale, chard, fennel, green onions and parsley. Before serving, toss veggies with dressed rice. Enjoy!
Check out these Yoga Download classes with Jo & Jules!
Conscious Cleanse Detox Flow with Jo Schaalman
Traditional Hot Yoga with Julie Pelaez
Full Moon in Taurus: Stepping Into Abundant Flow
The full moon in Taurus on November 4, 2017 encourages us to do the work necessary to step into the flow of abundance. For Taurus, abundance comes not just with monetary gain, but with sensual pleasures, and physical sensation, as well. Whether we revel in the gifts of family, the earth, life itself, or the ability to purchase fine goods, Taurus energy excels when we are enjoying all that life has to offer. This lunation is no exception, and powerful influences by Pluto, Neptune, and Jupiter, give us a magical, expansive energy to work with at this time.
For those of us who do yoga or other spiritual practices, the best use of this moon’s influence (with spiritual Neptune in the mix) is to do the spiritual and psychological work necessary to overcome our money blocks and old beliefs around our value. If you’ve had a difficult time asking for what you are worth, placing value on your time or services, or if you suffer from unworthiness, use this time to dig more deeply into the shadow and transmute the source of these core complexes. Thoughts around deficiency and lack putrefy every element of our life, and believing we are not worthy of grace prevents us from stepping into the flow of abundance in any regard.
We are all worthy of grace.
Grace is the moment we know that source is working through us. Getting out of our own way, and dropping our old stories around unworthiness, lack, and poverty are key to letting abundance prevail. We all seek abundance. We all desire grace. We are all capable of it when we open ourselves up to it. It really is that simple, but the old patterns die hard.
Luckily, Pluto is here to help. As the planet of death and resurrection, Pluto either mires us deeper in the suffering, or if we work with it, will allow the old patterns to die to give us new life. Pluto’s complimentary influence on our collective finances also supports the abundance surrounding this full moon….but, remember, full moon energy is about dropping what we no longer need so that we can start afresh. Let Pluto assist with this, and Jupiter’s expansive energy will catapult you into the flow of abundance and grace you deserve. Alchemical Ritual for the Taurus Full Moon As an earth sign, Taurus loves to feel the sensual beauty all around and manifest earthly abundance and pleasures whenever possible. On the low side, however, this grounded energy makes us stuck and stagnant, disallowing growth and flow states. This full moon ritual for Taurus helps to accentuate the high side of this energy which uses the power of the earth to create beauty and abundance inside and out.
Taurus’ ruler is Venus, the great goddess of love and beauty. In her we see the energy of attraction, sensuality and connectedness. To enhance this energy in your ritual, gather green stones such as jade, tourmaline or peridot and place them in the center of your ritual space. Bring in the earth element in some way, either with a small bowl of dirt, a plant, or do the ritual outside. Rose and Sandalwood essential oil can be used to anoint your heart chakra before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights. Sit in the center of your space and place the hands on the ground. Connect deeply to earth energy and call forth the sensual wisdom it offers. Feel the energy moving into your seat, your legs, your hands and up through your body into your heart. Coordinate the breath with the flow of energy. When you establish a consistent current, meditate on the question: What does abundance mean to me? Your answer is not trivial, and it will likely come quietly and simply. Any running dialogue is not from the heart, but from the ego, so listen closely to the answer from the heart. Once you receive your answer, choose one stone, hold it firmly in your right hand and say the following invocation out loud:
Venus, please show me the path to grace and abundance.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. Clear the mind of thoughts completely. Feel the sensation within the heart, and allow for the invocation to sink in and begin to show you your path to grace. Allow any symbols, sensations, emotions or energy to arise and continue to quietly witness all that happens without judgement or thought.
When complete, place your hand on your heart and chant Om three times. Place your hands in prayer at the heart with the stone inside and recognize this talisman that you have now charged with the energy of abundance. Snuff the candles and place the talisman somewhere prominently enough that you are reminded daily of the path to your heart’s fullest expression. This ritual creates a connection between you and your heart, and allows you to walk forward on a clear path of manifesting abundance for yourself and all around you.
21-Day Pre-Holiday Feel Good Challenge. Week 3: Finish Strong!
You’re almost to the finish line! We hope you’re feeling stronger, lighter, and more radiant. We know it isn’t easy to create a new habit, especially when it means committing to practice every single day. Whether you are fired up and roaring to the finish line or if you’re stumbling a bit in your resolve, we’re here to help you finish strong.
YogaDownload offers these four tips to accomplish your Pre-Holiday Challenge (and life) goals.
1. Day by Day: One of the biggest lessons in yoga is to live in the present moment- the here and now. Focus on today’s practice today. Don’t worry about tomorrow’s class or the next day’s. Look at the challenge as 21 separate achievements that add up to one beautiful new habit. Before you know it, you’ll cross the finish line.
2. Keep your eye on the finish line and revisit your initial intention for starting this challenge. Remind yourself WHY you initially embarked upon this challenge. What were you seeking? Acknowledge some days are tougher than others, know you might encounter obstacles that could sideline you…and remember why you are doing it in the first place. Choose a special reward for yourself to celebrate the accomplishment on Day 21.
3. Stay flexible. Adapt. If for example you did several intense classes with a huge focus on strength and you feel depleted, try a relaxing yin or Nidra or restorative class to balance it all out. Variety is good! Know you might need to be creative and reaching the finish line might not look like what you initially envisioned, but you’ll get there if you are willing to adjust to adversity and keep going!
4. It’s called a challenge because it isn’t easy. Like everything in yoga and in life, even if it sounds simple, it doesn’t mean it won’t require you to dig deep and renew your resilience. It’s in the tougher times when you have to tap into your inner strength and fight for what you want. Often, our biggest periods of growth develop out of adversity.
Part of committing to anything is seeing it through to conclusion. Mastery has been described as doing something you've committed to, even on days you don't feel like it. Finish strong with this challenge and let this be the beginning of a new dedicated personal practice. Then, take this experience off of your yoga mat and into your daily life. The sky’s the limit!
Finish off strong with four new classes we know you’ll love, from some of your favorite YogaDownload.com instructors.
1. Claire Petretti Marti - Yummy Yoga Flow 3
2. Jackie Casal Mahrou - Ready, Set, Flow!
3. Erin Wimert - Meet me at the Barre
4. Christen Bakken - Work the Magic on the Inside
But first, why pumpkin? Well aside from the fact that pumpkins are fun to carve and make scary faces out of, pumpkins signal the start of the holiday season! Fall sweaters, warm soups, new boots, pumpkin spice – these things just go together. But perhaps more importantly, pumpkin is a health foodies dream. Filled with fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins, the flesh of the pumpkin is a delicious sweet treat that has transformed many of our favorite food groups. Be sure to try our Pumpkin Spiced Waffles and leave us a comment below. Are you pumped for pumpkin season like we are? Any pumpkin recipe requests? And for more great pumpkin recipes, check out our: Pumpkin Fudge Pumpkin Turkey Crockpot Chili Creamy Pumpkin Sage Soup Coco Nutty Pumpkin Pie With pumpkin spice and everything nice,
P.S. – While pumpkin is not cleanse friendly, it’s still a ridiculously healthy food and one of our 80:20 favorites – especially this time of year! Pumpkin Spice Waffles Yield: 8-10 waffles Ingredients: ¾ cup pumpkin puree 2 ripe bananas, mashed 5 large eggs ¼ cup coconut oil, melted, plus 2 TB for waffle iron 1 tsp. vanilla extract ¼ cup almond flour ½ cup coconut flour 1 ½ TB. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp. nutmeg Pinch of cloves 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. sea salt Instructions: Preheat your waffle iron. In a high speed blender or food processor fitted with the s-blade, combine pumpkin puree, bananas, eggs, ¼ cup coconut oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and blend until smooth. Mixture will be thick (use your blender’s damper if necessary). Brush the waffle iron with the remaining 2 TB. melted coconut oil and place approximately ¼ cup of the mixture onto the waffle iron. Let cook until browned. Keep the waffles warm in the oven while you finish cooking all of the batter. *Optional: You can make a great topping out of almond butter and maple syrup to pack in some more protein! Place ¼ cup almond butter and 2 TB. maple syrup in a small bowl and stir together. Add water to thin to your desired consistency. Drizzle over waffles when serving!
Register here for the cleanse starting November 1st!
Check out some Yoga Download classes from Jo & Jules!
With the advent of different forms of yoga, different Sun Salutations have also been born that resonate with the essence of each particular type of yoga. For example, Hatha Yoga, the oldest form of practice, has a simple Sun Salutation, while Ashtanga Yoga adds a few more advanced steps, keeping the tradition and making it slightly more challenging. These are just two examples. Emerging from a long history, Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskars (Sanskrit word) involve the whole body from head to toe and work on almost all parts of the body. Sun Salutations are about worshipping the sun and activating the solar energy in the body. Consisting of 12 yoga poses (Hatha Yoga) requiring the practitioner to move from one pose to another in a rhythmic fashion in order to reap the benefits. Although this series can be practiced at any time of the day, the benefits of Sun Salutations increase when practiced in the morning in front of the sun. Mentioned below are some strong benefits of Sun Salutations: Weight loss This sequence of poses is designed with great precision by the sages to allow the practitioner to reap maximum benefit. With the dynamic movement, one of the outright benefits of Sun Salutations is weight loss. This is one reason for it becoming popular among the masses. Irrespective of age or gender, people indulge in this practice because of the heating factor, which ultimately leads to melting fat. Strength and Stability Bending, lunging, and stretching poses, elongate the spine and alleviate the detriments from sitting long hours at work. This helps in strengthening the body, relieving in stress, improving flexibility and ultimately benefits the skeletal system by providing it with much needed robustness. Surya Namaskar benefits the body in more than one way as it corrects overall postures also. A Beautiful Exterior The heat generating tendency paves way for glowing skin and women have accepted this benefit of Sun Salutation with open arms. Toxins of body are refluxed out and the skin becomes clear by banishing pimples and boils. All the clogged pores open up with sweat and one can even achieve fairer complexion. Peaceful Sleep Many of us are taking drugs for sleeping to overcome the difficulties of everyday life. Yet another benefit of Sun Salutation is saying no to drugs. Teachers practice 20 to 108 Surya namaskars in a go, which tires the body and exhausts us to keep the unwanted thoughts and worries away. This results in restful sleep, which allows us to wake up fresh in the morning. Menstrual Cycle Ease Surya Namsakars benefits those battling with problems related to the uterus or ovaries. It simulates glands and leads to restoration, which ultimately works perfectly in the long run. Tones the Nervous system From stretching to elongation, the practice of Surya Namaskars benefits the nervous system as well. It helps to gently massage the nerves and increases the flow of blood in the body. This undoubtedly helps in proper functioning and movement of the body. With all these exercises possible, the Surya Namaskar benefits are innumerable. While some of them might be outrightly oblivious to our eyes, there are so many internal changes that are taking place without our awareness, which help the body to stay healthy and whole. Start practicing Sun Salutations immediately to reap the aforementioned positive outcomes and much more, which are unique to everybody.
By Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveler in India. He provides yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India. He loves writing and reading the books related to yoga, health, nature and the Himalayas. His strong connection with Yoga and the Himalayas has made him organize yoga, meditation and Ayurveda tours, and retreats in the Himalayas. To connect with him visit here.
Here is a YogaDownload.com class to practice Sun Salutations and enjoy their benefits right now!
Anytime Sun Salutations with Jackie Casal Mahrou
Long gone are the days when yoga was considered more as a hobby. Now, it is a wonder drug that helps millions to relieve the symptoms of daily stress. The advantages of yoga – low cost, great calming ability, and improvement of mental health – make it a natural anti-depressant that can help men and women, young and old, regardless of the fitness level. While for the past decade the science has explored many of both physical and mental benefits of doing yoga, today we focus our attention on one fresh study that has a lot of recommendations for yoga devotees and those struggling with depression.
The Study To identify the poses recommended by science, we are going to use a study titled Treating Major Depression With Yoga: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial published in PLOS ONE Journal earlier this year. It was completed by a group of scientists from the University of California, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University. The main purpose of the study was to examine how an 8-week hatha yoga intervention impacted people with mild to major depression. To achieve this purpose, the researchers recruited 38 adults who were diagnosed with depression.
According to the results, the group who practiced yoga during the study period exhibited a considerable decline in depression scores than the group who did not. The decline was statistically and clinically significant, so the study concluded that the yoga intervention can serve as a tool for reducing depression severity.
Recommendations on Yoga Poses: Below is the specific hatha yoga sequence used by the researchers in the study.
Breath Regulation
Mindful Poses & Movement
Final Deep Relaxation
Now that we know what poses were effective for battling depression, we can turn our attention to them and learn how they help. The following section reviews some of the poses used in the study.
Breath Regulation Poses “These poses improve your ability to focus, settle stress, rejuvenate the nervous system, restore the balance in the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and support respiratory functions,” says Matt Curry, an in-house yoga teacher from Assignmenthelper.com.au. “They are a perfect tool to calm a worrying or overactive mind.”
Ujjayi (Victorious Breath)
Bhastrika (Bellows Breath)
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Mindful poses teach to focus on present, dissolve tensions, build strength, and increase mobility.
Bhujungasana (Cobra Pose)
Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
Final Deep Relaxation Pose Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
Time for Yoga! If you are experiencing depression or just want some relaxation, hatha yoga is the easy and proven tool that offers a wide range of benefits.
By Lucy Benton Lucy Benton is a writing coach, an editor who finds her passion in expressing own thoughts as a blogger. She is constantly looking for the ways to improve her skills and expertise. Also Lucy has her own blog ProWritingPartner where you can check her last publications. If you’re interested in working with Lucy , you can find her on FaceBook and Twitter.
Try these YogaDownload.com classes to combat depression:
Yoga for Depression: Flow into Happiness with Maria Garre
Yoga for Depression & Anxiety with Ira Israel
“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself… Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” ― Nelson Mandela I’ll admit to you that the journey into producing online courses, and the resulting crazy learning curve of internet marketing, has not been easy for me. It’s taken much grit and tenacity, and the risk involved has caused me some anxiety and worry over the past few months. Until this past weekend, I had let the stress build up so much that I hardly remembered my fun-loving and joyful self. (And, yep, the irony of becoming stressed while building a course on stress-relief is not lost on me.) I managed the stress fairly well through my meditation practice and my morning and evening rituals. However, it was the workshop I took this past weekend that truly disappeared my suffering. If you had met me on Friday evening, you would have seen a woman trying manically to manage a hectic schedule – fretting, worrying and complaining. It’s Monday morning as I write this and I feel like a new person, or at least returned to my original self, no longer masked by stress, fear and worry. Because the teachings of this weekend were so invaluable for me, I’m inspired to share some of the core “ah-ha” moments with you here. This brief piece just barely scratches the surface of the vast topic, though, so I’ll include a reference list of supplementary materials, too. The concepts I’ll present below are very simple, and you’ve probably heard them before. They are not at all easy in practice, though, so please remember to reach out for help from an accountability buddy or coach when starting to play with them. (As a side note, I’ll be starting a coaching practice this Fall. Stay tuned!) So, I bet you have some person in your life who has a blessed, abundant life but still runs around like a worry-wort victim, right? You also have inspiring examples of people in the worst situations who maintain grace and love and gratitude despite their circumstances. What’s the difference between the two types of people? The second type of person – let’s use Nelson Mandela as an example – gets that our stress and suffering levels correspond to our attitudes around our external circumstances, rather than the circumstances themselves. They take responsibility for their peace of mind, knowing that it can never be controlled by other people or external situations. Stress and suffering come from the stories we create from our circumstances. We dwell on the past with regret and shame. We project into the future with anxiety and worry. We are disconnected from the present moment, which, in reality, most likely holds much to be grateful and joyful about. When we are triggered by something that brings up fear or disappointment or hurt – even something tiny – our minds make up a “truth” about it. This truth becomes the story we continue to run in our minds of what the world means; after all, we are meaning-making machines. For example: Your neighbor doesn’t say hello when passing in the hall – you make it mean that she is angry with you. Your car blows a tire on the freeway – you make it mean that you’re inept at everything. Your husband groans when looking at that balance of your joint checking account – you make it mean he disapproves you. It’s critical that we can identify the stories in our minds and then start to unlearn them. We remember that the stories are not the universal truth, that the past is finished and through and we cannot predict the future. When our awareness is no longer blocked by these stories we are more able to experience what truly is in the present moment, and open to gratitude and joy. In the practice of Buddhism, the word dukkha means suffering (anxiety, stress, frustration). Buddhist teachers say that dukkha happens because there is a gap between the reality what is (everything being impermanent) and the way we humans tend to operate in the world (with clinging and attachment). Dukkha could also be said to happen when we believe our stories as Truth. I am so clear that when I believe my thoughts and stories, I suffer. When I don’t believe, attach or cling to them, I don’t suffer. I’d like you to try on this concept for yourself. Play with it. Experiment. Discuss. The first step is getting some perspective into your own mind to that you can identify when you are fabricating a story. Meditation is key. Meditation helps us get enough perspective on ourselves so that we can recognize our stories. It can allows to label our stories as stories, and even recognize them with a sense of humor (“here I go again with that oldie but goodie”). In this way we can recognize the story without buying into it and allowing it to run our lives. Here are your practices to liberate yourself from stressful thinking when you find yourself stressed or triggered: Start to identify the story that you’re telling yourself. Dig deeper into the story. What is fueling the story? In what way has this story served you? Has it protected you from taking responsibility, or being vulnerable? What would happen if you dropped this story? What would you need to give up to cut the ties to this story? What possibilities could be open to you without this story? This inquiry creates freedom of mind. Suffering is now optional. I’ll leave you here with one more quote by Nelson Mandela, who, to me, exemplifies the ability for us as humans to find freedom of mind even when the body is imprisoned. “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
Here are supoprting materials to relieving your life of worry:
Loving What Is by Byron Katie Joy No Matter What by Carolyn Hobbs No Time Like The Present by Jack Kornfield
Elise Fabricant is passionate about helping and healing the body, mind and spirit through yoga and massage. She is also a top teacher on YogaDownload.com.
These practices with Elise will supoprt you in living stress free!
Stress Less, Shine More
Yin Yoga for Flexibility & Relaxation
Transitions are part of life and the change of seasons is a perfect time to focus on transitions and transform your life. When we tap into the essence of the season and align ourselves with nature, we can create lasting change. Now that you’re in week two of the YogaDownload.com Pre-Holiday Challenge, we hope you’re feeling stronger and determined to stay the course.
Accessing the wisdom of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and applying it to your own patterns is a powerful way to intensify your commitment. One way we tend to get stuck is through settling into negative thought patterns and daily habits. Recognizing your tendency to become mired in the “I can’t” or “if only I didn’t” type mentality is the first step to rewire your brain for the positive and create space to manifest the life you desire.
Yoga Sutra II: 33 states: vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam
If you don’t know Sanskrit, here is a popular translation: “When negative thoughts present themselves, cultivate and think the opposite thoughts with feeling.” Pratipaksha means “opposite” and bhavana means “cultivation.” Implementing this philosophy into your yoga practice and your daily life will alter your outlook and help turn a pessimistic viewpoint into a more optimistic one.
It sounds simple, right? Just replace those negative thoughts with positive ones and boom—transformation. Well…not exactly. Like all worthy pursuits, this practice takes time and effort. We discussed tapas or discipline last week and you’ll need to tap into your inner fire here too. The first step to change is recognizing when these unkind or negative thoughts arise. Pause, acknowledge where your mind went and then purposefully replace or reframe.
Here’s an example: You’re taking a yoga class and the teacher introduces the one yoga pose you despise. You know the one, where you sit back on your heels and take a drink of water and avoid trying? Thought number one: I’ll never be able to do this pose, my body just can’t because my hamstrings are too tight or my arms are too short. Can you reframe that negative concept into something more positive? Perhaps if I use a block or a strap, I can perform the modified pose and if I’m persistent, I’ll create the right amount of change for me. Or, maybe this pose isn’t inherently evil because I dislike it; maybe it’s exactly what I need today. I’m doing the best I can.
Pratipaksha bhavana also works especially well in a meditation practice to help you retrain your thought patterns. If you automatically assume you can’t meditate because you feel distracted, give yourself a break and try again. Just like the 21-day challenge, experts claim it takes three weeks to cement a new habit. Try replacing the negative with the positive, starting now. Use the power of the changing seasons to boost your efforts: change is good!
To help you in your road to transformation, we’ve got four inspiring new classes this week.
1. Christen Bakken - Slower & Deeper : A Gentle Vinyasa Flow
2. Maria Garre - Balancing the Winds : Grounding Vata Dosha
3. Denelle Numis - Lunar Flow : Easing into Evening
4. Pradeep Teotia - Practice with Grace
I'm intrigued by people who've been able to reduce their yearly waste to just a bag or two of trash. Even though our circumstances have had us without a garden for a couple of years, I've composted for more than two decades. But the idea of being so completely aware of every single thing I touch in a day and determining how much to reduce, reuse, recycle is astounding to me. The three Rs of environmentalism have become a mantra of sorts for me. I figure if I can keep it on repeat in my brain, the actions will become second nature. Where to start? Let's take them in reverse order... Recycle Easily This one is a no-brainer. Most communities with curbside trash pickup provide recycling bins. Those without usually have a place at their transfer stations to sort plastic, glass, paper, metals, and more for recycling. When I'm away from home I've taken to toting these items with me until I find a proper place to drop them. Even so, my issue with recycling is that it's become so easy for us to not realize all the items we go through in a day: plastic drink cups, beverage bottles or cans, unnecessary print outs, etc. We can feel a bit better knowing these items are finding a second use after processing, but I must admit feeling a little sad when our recycle bin fills up faster than our trash and with items that are just so disposable. With a little bit of forethought we can avoid using some of these things in the first place. Reuse Creatively Using the backs of one-sided printouts, saving unavoidable plastic containers for leftovers, that's just the beginning. My family has made fun of me for years for inheriting my mom's passion for saving wrapping paper for future use. But this is the one I have fun with! I somehow acquire the plastic food storage bags and wash and reuse them until I can't anymore. I save large envelopes and food packaging (like the bags cereal and other food items come in), for litter box cleanup. I also run beautiful glass containers through the dishwasher to prepare them for a second life as packaging for homemade gifts.
Reduce Thoughtfully If reuse is the quirky fun girl, reduce is her high-maintenance sister. You know the one, she's annoyingly intelligent and somehow always right. That's because this one often requires advance planning. I trained my brain long ago to remember to bring my own bags while shopping, whether it be for groceries or building supplies. There are some great ones out there that will squish right down to fit in your pocket, and having them on your person (or in your purse) is best. Similarly, could you keep a travel mug in your vehicle to hand to your morning coffee angel? Usually he or she will want you to hold onto the lid while he or she prepares your beverage. After that, the sky's the limit. You can fill your dance card with "no straw" organizations, and attractive, down-home food storage solutions are now widely available. I feel good about where I've been, but I know I have further to go. I need to be better about bringing my own containers to buy bulk groceries (I've already made the decision to purchase loose produce instead of packaged when I can), and I need to come up with a way to remember to tell our Chinese take-out order taker that we don't need the hot mustard or soy sauce, or fortune cookies. Next up? I'm looking at you, Amazon Prime! It's far too easy to buy new things these days. But we do the best we can, working to improve ourselves and our actions every day. What about you? Please share your little reduce, reuse, and recycle victories. I want to do more, and there's so much we can learn from one another.
Detox tea. It sounds so scary! Like the tea is going to taste terrible and leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. And do a number on your digestive system. But this one won't. It's a gentle detoxifier - great for counteracting a late night out and food splurges, detox cleanses, or upset tummies. Or even just drink it because it's tasty and good for you!
Hot warm water is a digestive stimulant, plus it hydrates you. Lemons and cayenne are both great for stimulating detox and digestion. Turmeric is used in most Ayurvedic healing remedies and teas. Honey is tasty, medicinal, and can help with allergies if you use it regularly. And if you don't do honey, agave works well or it tastes great plain!
Simple Detox Tea Recipe: 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/2 Lemon, squeezed 1/2 tsp Cayenne 1 tsp Honey (optional)
Boil water. Place ingredients in mug. Add hot/warm water. Stir. If it's not too hot, sip, smile, and enjoy!
Don't let the color scare you! Turmeric turns things a deep yellow color. This recipe is adapted from the Whole Living Magazine detox plan.
By Jessi Andricks
Jessi Andricks is a Charleston, SC area yoga teacher and health coach. She specializes in a mind-body approach to fitness, to help people regain their energy and learn to fuel their lives through exercise, whole foods, and holisitic habits. Read more about Jessi at thehouseofhealthy.com..
Do you love the holidays? The extra time to spend with family and friends? The opportunity to relax and spend a little extra time on the couch in your pajamas? Or, the time when you travel the world and explore? If you know you won’t be following your usual routine, we’ve got the perfect no-guilt solution.
Welcome to our Pre-Holiday 21-Day Feel Good Challenge.
Just before the holidays is the perfect time to implement changes, to align with nature and adjust to different schedules. Beginning a new program requires discipline, commitment and willpower, all key elements to a strong personal practice. Cultivate the principle of Tapas and jump in with us.
Tapas derives from the Sanskrit verb "tap" which means, "to burn." Traditionally, tapas is interpreted to mean "fiery discipline" or the fiercely focused, constant, intense commitment necessary to burn off the impediments that keep us from being in the true state of yoga. We’re here to help you ignite your inner radiance.
Here’s how it works: Twenty classes in Twenty-one days. According to researchers, it takes three weeks for a new habit to take root. This program will kick start your transition into autumn. Why not twenty-one days you ask? Because incorporating a rest day into the program enables you to recharge and not burn out. You’ll be challenged, but also be empowered to take a break if you need one—guilt-free.
Now you are free to create your 20/21 Challenge, dig deep and find your willpower. Each day we'll provide one or two practices to choose from. Different styles from our diverse collection of teachers will allow you to choose the class that suits your mood, keep you on track, and stay true to your personal goals.
Set an intention and commit to creating a personal practice you can stick with through the upcoming season and beyond. Let’s do this together.
Here is main challenge page with new class options added daily! It's okay to start a few days late.
To get you started right, here are four new classes to get you fired up.
1. Mark Morford - The Fluffy Bunny
2. Erin Wimert - Action & Rest
3. Erin Wimert - Bedtime Yin with Body Scan
4. Cicily Carter - Dance for Joy!
Whether it’s from concern for the environment, their health, or both, shoppers are choosing organic foods and foods made without using genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The upsurge in popularity of these two categories has helped organic foods become one of the quickest-growing sectors of food production in the United States. For anyone who has an interest in what goes into the food they eat, walking up and down the aisles of the grocery store today reveals a rising number of options. Not only do foods carry the familiar nutritional facts labels mandated by the FDA, but they also bear the symbols of organizations that certify organic food products as well as non-GMO food products. Even if these foods are distinctively labeled, there still may be some misconception about what those labels mean. Some people may be trying to eat an organic or all-natural diet, while others may be concerned only about supporting companies that don’t use GMOs. This, along with the fact that there is some overlap between organic and non-GMO foods, can lead to misunderstanding. Although there is some harmony between the two groups, organic and non-GMO labels have specific meanings. For example, foods with the USDA Organic label have been made without the use of GMOs, as well as other standards certifying that the food has been produced with at least 95% organic ingredients. Foods labeled as Non-GMO, however, only need to meet the criteria of containing less than 1% of GMO content. Foods certified as Non-GMO, for example, may have been exposed to chemical pesticides or fertilizers, animals may have been exposed to antibiotics or hormones, and livestock may not have been raised on 100% organic feed. Overall, all USDA Organic certified foods are non-GMO, but not all Non-GMO certified foods are organic. Making sense of the differences between USDA Organic certification and Non-GMO certification is very significant to anyone who pays close attention to what he or she is putting in the grocery cart. The accompanying infographic from PacMoore helps to classify these types of certification, and could come in handy next time you’re in the grocery store.
By Chris Bekermeier
Chris Bekermeier is the VP of Marketing at PacMoore, a food contract manufacturer that offers food processing and packaging services. Chris received his B.S. in business management from Eastern Illinois University and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Try these delicious recipes with organic ingredients to optimize their health benefits!
Raw Blueberry Pie
Tomato & Chili Chutney
The mechanics of the knee is imposing! Its hinge structure and the performance it delivers will forever be difficult replicating. The knee joint is a typical synovial joint with the accompanying fluid for improved lubrication and protection of the adjoining parts. The versatility of the synovial fluid is unmatched. It not only provides protection but also allows smooth movement. However, even though the knee joint might be strong, it is still susceptible to injury. An unplanned fall could be the undoing of even the healthiest of knees. Athletes can attest to that. A lot has been said about the benefits of yoga on your well-being, yet very little has been considered on how it could help our knees. We will get to that in this article, so stay tuned. Injured your knee? A medical expert will often have you confined to a sedentary position. And, although listening to your doctor isn’t a bad idea, the issue with this is that this type of approach could have you sedentary for months. Meaning that it could also take months before your knee is fully healed and you can go back to being active. But yoga attempts to take a different approach to the injury-healing process. Many see yoga as an activity for the mind. And, while this isn’t wrong, yoga is much broader than that. It allows you to not only practice mindfulness but also practice different poses, which will let you improve the mobility and the range of motion for your knees without injuring the joint again. However, taking up yoga might not be a great idea if you have just injured your knee or the injury is a serious one. Taking things easy with an injured knee is the best way going forward. And once your injury has healed some, you can start trying simple movements. Avoid any postures which amplify the pain. For instance, something as simple as just relaxing with your back well-supported, lifting the injured knee of the ground and moving your lower leg around could do wonders for your injury. Just remember to stop the movement if you feel any sort of pain. Think about it this way: your body is a well-organized unit with different sub-units, one of which is your knees. When it feels threatened, usually indicated by a painful sensation, it turns protective just like the mother hen and her chicks. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does halt the healing process, which you don’t want for your knee injury. Rather you should focus on keeping your body calm and serene, yet also keep it moving. And that’s why yoga is great. It tries to restore parity to your body and keeps you somewhat active so your body doesn’t become stiff. But yoga poses have proved quite effective also if you have healthy knees, and you would like to strengthen them.
Here are 4 postures to strengthen your knees, and keep them healthy.
1. Badha Konasana : The bound angle pose is a favorite among several yoga enthusiasts for knee strengthening. It is simple, effective, and accessible for all levels. 2. Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana: The Extended Hand To Big Toe Pose, has knee strengthening benefits for both the knee of the standing leg and the extended leg. This is a bigger posture, so be sure to use a strap and modify as needed.
3. Sukhasana : Easy Pose. Sitting in this position bring restorative benefits to the knee joint through light compression.
4. Mālāsana : Garland Pose. This provides strength and compression to the knees. Be sure your heels stay rooted on the ground and use a block under your seat for added support. Just don’t practice these poses if you have injured your knees since they exert a certain strain on your knees. Instead, consider getting into poses which are not painful, yet which will still stretch your knees and help them heal faster.
By Mathew Foster
Mathew Foster is a health and fitness enthusiast who advocates for knee health. Which is why he created his blog KneeSafe, to help people live knee pain-free and keep their knees healthy for as long as possible. Practice this Yoga Download class for strong, healthy knees! Community & Connection: Knees & Hips w/ Desiree Rumbaugh & Michelle Marchildon
When someone completely new to yoga looks at Instagram photos, they might get confused. Is yoga all about handstands and backbends? There should be something more to it. There are too many types of yoga, and all of them are quite different from one another. According to the Eastern approach to understanding human nature, each one of us has a unique personality and temperament. It’s no wonder why yoga has taken so many forms. It constantly evolves, and that’s a good thing. Since there are so many types of yoga, everyone can find a method that suits them. We’ll list few important types of yoga, so you’ll distinguish them and decide: which one suits you best? 1. Hatha Yoga Hatha yoga is a combination of asana and pranayama, two of the eight limbs of yoga, described by Patanjali. In the Yoga Sutras, he described the term asana as a steady and comfortable posture. That’s exactly what this type of yoga is all about – achieving a steady, comfortable posture.
There’s no dynamic movement between the postures. Before getting into an asana, you’ll visualize the technique. When you get into the final position, you’ll stay there, feeling how it affects you. You’ll slowly return, and you’ll take a moment to rest and prepare for the next asana. Each movement is combined with proper breathing. Hatha yoga is slow, gentle, and excellent for beginners. 2. Acro Yoga This is not the most traditional type of yoga. But, it’s certainly the most fun. Before you can start Acro yoga, you’ll probably need to work on your strength and flexibility through Hatha or another type of yoga. Convince your partner to do the same, since this is the type of yoga done in couples. One of you will be the base, and the other one will be the flyer (you can change roles, too). If you’re in for an adrenalin rush and you’re looking for a couple’s activity, this is the right type of yoga for you. 3. Bikram Yoga Bikram yoga is one of the more challenging types of yoga. Bikram Choudhury, the creator of this method, derived the techniques from the traditional Hatha yoga, but added an interesting element to it: heat. Bikram yoga is practiced in a room heated to 95-108 ℉. Heat relaxes your muscles. That’s why the practitioners are able to get a bit deeper in the poses. There’s a lot of sweating involved, and sweating means only one thing: detox. If you want to lose weight, this type of yoga may do wonders for you. 4. Kundalini Yoga This is a blend of spiritual and physical practices that have one goal: to awaken your energy. This kind of awakening is safe only if you choose a good teacher to guide you through it. Kundalini yoga is attractive to beginners, but it might not be the right choice for them. The nature of energy is neutral. It’s our thoughts, emotions and actions that make it positive or negative. We’re talking about spiritual awakening here. 5. Yin Yoga Yin yoga was founded by a Taoist yoga teacher and martial arts champion, Paulie Zink. It is even slower than Hatha Yoga. Beginners stay in the asanas for 25 seconds to 2 minutes, and advanced practitioners may stay longer than 5 minutes. If you’re looking for a style of yoga that will really turn your senses inwards, this is the right one for you. 6. Yoga Nidra Yoga Nidra means yogic sleep. You’ll be achieving a state of consciousness between sleeping and being awake. You’ll still listen to the instructions of the teacher, but your senses will be withdrawn to some extent. If you’re not attracted by challenging physical practice, but you want to enjoy the spiritual benefits of yoga, then this is the method you should try. It’s based on relaxation techniques and it can really help you reduce stress and anxiety.
These 6 types of yoga are not the only ones you can choose from. For the sake of brevity and clarity, however, we decided to limit our list. Each one of us has different expectations and preferences. Fortunately, there are enough methods of yoga to meet everyone’s needs. Did you decide which style of yoga you’ll try?
By Olivia Ryan
Olivia is a journalist who always tries to see the bright side of things. She likes to inspire people in her writings on AussieWritings.com and enjoy a mysterious beauty of twilight. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Find your style by exploring our different class styles available on YogaDownload, or with some of the suggested classes below!
Yin Yoga for Flexibility and Relaxation w/ Elise Fabricant
Kundalini Yoga Therapeutics w/ Shapadpreet
Hatha Yoga: Strength & Freedom w/ Jackie Casal Mahrou