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
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.
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
Every time we step on our mats it is with a purpose. The purpose or reason may differ from one person to the other but practicing safely is a must. In Yoga, alignment serves the purpose of keeping us safe, now and in the years to come. Alignment is not just about the body, it trains the mind to set goals, eliminate distractions and achieve results through thoughtful work. Put your mind and body to work; starting now, starting here. We are excited to bring alignment into focus this week with our four classes.
5-minutes to the perfect dog
Whether you are a beginner or a practicing yogi, more often than not you will find yourself in Downward-Facing Dog. For many, this pose tends to be a nemesis, especially when the heels don’t make the much-anticipated touchdown. Do you roll your eyes when the instructor asks you to “rest” in a down dog? Your aversions are understandable and curable. Our Alignment guru Kristin Boyle, in a quick 5-minute session addresses the alignment cues related to one of the most recognizable poses – Downward-Facing Dog.
Sacrum, scapula, upper trapezius muscles are words that float around during a Vinyasa, making you wonder whether you signed up for an anatomy class instead of yoga? Understanding anatomy helps turn instructions into action but getting lost in technical translation does not. Jack Cuneo’s session, inspired by Ashtanga, uses digestible alignment cues to prepare the body for Turtle pose. He creates awareness through standing poses, twists, arm balances, hip openers, hamstring stretches and more to create a perfectly aligned flow.
Refine Your Plank
Plank pose, aka the core buster, is another pose where alignment instructions such as engage your core or align your wrists are often heard. Yogis tend to experience wrist pain at some point in their practice. The mat isn’t a battleground and we do not have to fight through pain. That is exactly what Shy Sayar promotes in his Therapeutic Alignment Plank Pose session. The most important lesson to be learnt is to get through your practice safely.
Improve and don’t forget to OM
What are you doing incorrectly? What areas you can improve on? Is there a voice within you that nudges you to build a deeper understanding with your asanas? The beauty of Yoga is to learn and understand the practice in new and deeper ways. And exercising the mind through learning is the ultimate gift. What are you doing incorrectly? What areas you can improve on? Is there a voice within you that nudges you to build a deeper understanding with your asanas? Take a moment to pause and reflect on the authenticity of every pose. It all begins with alignment and alignment begins with awareness. Awareness can be developed when you sign up to perpetually stay a student of Yoga. Celest Pereira in her ‘Going out of Alignment’ session demonstrates how to relate to each pose and shift alignments to progress faster.
Yoga is not about being able to touch your toes or bending over backwards it is about what you learn in the process of doing so. As B. K. S. Iyengar, one of the foremost yoga gurus in the world, rightly expressed, “It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self and intelligence.” With that in mind OM on and remember to breathe. ALWAYS!
The subtle body is a blueprint containing seven major chakras which exist from the base of the spine through the crown of your head. These energy centers are vital to your total well-being. When you progress deeper into your asana, pranayama, and meditation practice, you begin to recognize the incredible power of these modalities to your overall well-being.
This week, we'll share how focusing on Svadhistana Chakra, or your sacral chakra, can liberate you from emotional restriction. The sacral chakra is located in the lower abdomen and is the center of our feelings and sensations. It translates to the dwelling place of self. A balanced sacral chakra imparts feelings of well-being, pleasure, joy, and abundance. Svadhistana is the color orange, the element of water, and is considered the seat of emotions and creativity. Because it is located in the pelvic region, it is often associated with sensual and sexual experiences. When properly balanced, intuition is heightened, soaring creativity, and you feel free to enjoy honest and authentic desires.
If blocked in the second chakra, a person can feel both emotional and physical distress. An overactive second chakra leads to an excess of attachment, a lack of boundaries, and possible self-destructive behavior. A lack of strength in this chakra can lead to diminished libido, lack of creativity, and depression. So, how can you establish balance?
We've got one of our favorite hip-opening, second chakra awakening poses for you to practice, as well as four new classes dedicated to finding healthy hips, inside and out. We recommend Baddha Konasana or Cobbler's Pose. Sit on your mat, bring the soles of the feet to touch and allow the knees to open out and sink toward the earth. Fold forward, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Be patient and surrender into the pose. Take this pose anytime your hips feel tight or you feel creatively blocked.
We highly recommend any and all of these innovative new practices to remind yourself of how pleasurable life can be.
Strong and Flexible Hips - Celest Perreira Therapeutic Alignment : Triangle Pose - Shy Sayar Sacral Chakra Flow - Cicily Carter Leg Day: A Strength Flow - Jack Cuneo
Your body is designed to move in different ways and injury can result from too much repetition. By varying your routine, you’ll equip your body with the power to avoid repetitive-stress injuries and also stimulate your mind by learning something new. In order to continue to grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually, it’s a great idea to pause and assess. Change is good!
This week, we’ve got a solution for all that uniformity—four new classes designed to shake you out of stagnancy that may be settling into your bones.
Even if your body is happy with your usual yoga practice, your brain could be shifting into auto-pilot. Stimulating your mind with fresh challenges and different perspectives is vital. A wealth of scientific and anecdotal evidence exists showing that actively continuing to learn throughout life is beneficial for attention, memory, solving problems, and making decisions. We promise you won’t be bored with Jack Cuneo’s latest: An Intro to Animal Movement.
Next, we’ve got a Pilates-Yoga hybrid class designed to strengthen your core, stabilize your spine, and maintain full-body flexibility. Claire Petretti Marti - Pilates Yoga Fusion: Core Focus. This class will help you concentrate on your center, which helps you not just in your yoga practice, but also in your daily life.
If you stick with active practices, you may miss out on benefits from more calm styles of yoga like Yin. In a Yin class, your nervous system quiets and connective tissue relaxes and that’s important to staying healthy. Elise Fabricant’s new - Yin: Release Resistance class will balance out your energy and leave you feeling refreshed inside and out.
If you usually like a moderate practice, shake it up with a class that takes you outside of your comfort zone, like Becca Riopelle’s - Rock Hard Body Blaster. You’ll sweat, smile, and shake out any hint of a rut.
Challenge yourself to trying something new this week. Get wild: maybe add a slice of avocado to your usual eggs and toast, drink sparkling water instead of flat, or walk a different route to work. Try one or all of these new classes and banish boredom.
Sauerkraut is a food I've recently taken the plunge into consuming more often. Previously, I correlated sauerkraut with hot dogs, as it's one of their well-known toppings. As a hot dog hater - EW - why would I use sauerkraut in any other regard? Again, my eyes have been opened to what a wonder it is! Though I've never had a true sweet tooth, my palate has craved more savory and sour foods in my advancing years. Sauerkraut truly satisfies that craving! When I'm making one of my quintessential clean - out - the - fridge type of lunches or dinners, a large spoonful of the 'kraut goes well with vegetables, rice, avocado, chicken, you name it!
Lacto-fermentation, the process that turns water, salt, and cabbage into sauerkraut, converts Lactobacillus, a bacteria commonly found on the surfaces of vegetables, into lactic acid as these three ingredients sit and marry, fermenting them into a beneficial food. Lactic acid acts as a natural preservative and prevents harmful bacteria from forming, leaving good bacteria to thrive and, eventually, makes their way to your gut! For the science nerds, here's a helpful in-depth explanation of the process.
Second, let's talk beans. The more you eat, well...we all know how the song goes.
Though it is easy to grab a can of beans from the shelf in a rush - guilty as charged - don't discount the benefits of soaking beans if you have the time to do it! (Plus, the cost savings from buying a bag of dried beans will leave your wallet fuller!) I did some research on the benefits of bean soaking and learned some new - to - me facts! Phytic acid, found in many types of legumes, is known as a binder due to its chemical structure; when ingested, it binds to anything it comes in contact with. This includes other nutrients, metals, and minerals within your body. Namely, when bound to iron and zinc, this acid can form an insoluble barrier around those minerals which makes it harder for your intestines to absorb. Take a glance at this study! You might be depleting yourself if ingesting phytic acid on a consistent basis. Frankly, I'd rather keep the vital nutrients I'm taking the time to consume, thankyouveryMUCH. In addition, a good soak and rinsing can help increase digestibility by helping discard oligosaccharides, a sugar found in the outer membranes of many varieties of beans. These sugars, if present, will bypass the stomach and go straight to your large intestines. There, bacteria will break them down, and you may soon know why beans are called "The Musical Fruit". Needless to say, it can be taxing on our digestive systems.
Soaking chickpeas!
Third, let's talk about this recipe, because after this Alton Brown-esque food science lecture, you're probably getting hungry. Ha!
This salad can be crafted or adjusted however you choose. I prefer the creaminess of chickpeas and kidney beans as they meld well with the crunch of the vegetables I choose. Plus, a little crunchy red cabbage complements the sauerkraut nicely; you can never have enough cabbage!
There are so many resources on how and why to soak and cook beans. If I posted them all, you'd never get to this recipe - HA! - so here's a simple yet comprehensive guide from The Healthy Home Economist.
Bean & Sauerkraut Salad (Makes approximately 8 cups)
Salad: - 2 cups cooked kidney beans - 2 cups cooked chickpeas - 3/4 cup sauerkraut - 1 cup red cabbage, shredded - 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced - 1/2 cup red onion, minced - 1 bell pepper, diced - 1 cup carrot, cleaned and shredded (I keep the peel on unless it's still visibly dirty after cleaning)
Vinaigrette: - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons sauerkraut juice (...get it straight from your sauerkraut container) - 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder - 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Notes: - Though the benefits of bean soaking are touted here, if you are in a rush, please feel free to use canned beans for this recipe. Be sure to give them a thorough rinse, still!
- To reap the benefits of the beneficial bacteria in the sauerkraut, look for it in your refrigerator section. It should be raw and not loaded with preservatives. In fact, the only ingredients, save for occasional spices, should be cabbage, water, and salt. Be sure to give that ingredients list a thorough read-through!
Directions: 1.) Combine all beans and vegetables in a large bowl and toss to combine.
2.) In a smaller bowl, whisk together all ingredients to the vinaigrette until emulsified. Pour over salad and toss to combine. Place and fridge and chill for at least one hour before serving.
Candace Cabrera Moore is an entrepreneur who believes nothing is impossible. She is an international yoga instructor who runs luxury yoga retreats, healthy living blogger, and author of Namaslay. She is passionate about modern yoga, delicious food, and living your absolute best life. After a very long battle with Lyme disease, she is so grateful to have her health back, and that was the inspiration behind founding YogaByCandace, a modern yoga lifestyle company that creates weekly yoga and hiit workouts, and curates Mantra Box, a seasonal discovery box program that supports small business.
When Yoga Journal magazine decides to put out an article entitled: “Why You Should Ditch Standard Cues,” it’s clear that the questioning and re-evaluating going on at the grassroots level have become prevalent enough that even the industrial yoga complex is feeling compelled to try and respond. In the search for new and better information, people are looking for answers. Earnest practitioners want to know if their practice is sound. Teachers want to feel that they can stand by what they teach. Consequently, there seems to be a rash of new offerings geared towards elevating the level of scientific knowledge from which yoga is being taught.
Is this pose hurting me?
One prevalent trope is that there is an increase in people getting hurt in yoga classes. To hear some people speak, it sounds like a rising epidemic. But I see no real evidence of this. In fact, I wish to proffer that folks were getting hurt in yoga classes in the past just as much as they are now. The difference is that nowadays more people are practicing than ever before and, because we are less deferential to the guidance of a guru, teachers, and students are being more honest about what is actually happening in their bodies.
What has changed significantly is the number of people who are questioning what they are doing, in ways that have not been entertained previously. Teachers are exploring new language and communication about poses and practice that are more rooted in ‘function’ rather than just making a form happen. In my view, this is a good thing. That YJ is picking up on this trend is also good. A more personalized inquiry into experiencing our anatomy is generally helpful in sorting out the practices that serve us, and those that don’t.
But my body cannot be reduced to parts.
Now that yoga teachers are no longer just taking cues from on high and are looking for other sources of expertise and legitimacy, it makes sense to want to understand the mechanics of how a body works and evaluate the practices through that lens. Western science and medicine purport to offer all kinds of definitive information on the degree to which one body part can function in a healthy way in relation to another. New imaging technologies allow us to have a look at our structures and reveal areas that appear to be the sources of our pain. Conventional protocols look to address issues at the specific point of measurable “abnormality.”
The problem is that many established ideas about the structure and function of our bodies are presented to us with a certainty that does not hold up to the reality of what actually happens in a person. For instance, MRI’s reveal that something like ninety percent of all people who undergo MRI’s show signs of herniations or bulging in their spines. Yet, a much lower percentage of those people are experiencing acute back pain. Fusing the discs, or implanting rods, has not proven to be any sort of definitive answer and, in many cases, has exacerbated the situation. Certainly, there are circumstances where intervention is warranted and effective, but the notion that back pain can be corrected with surgery, or a particular yoga exercise, does not usually bear itself out. In fact, an over-reliance on allopathic sensibilities reinforces a false and limiting premise that we are somehow broken beyond our ability to heal.
I do not need to be fixed.
Attempting to identify and name the physical workings that might govern yoga poses is perhaps interesting and potentially useful. But I don’t think that means biomechanics can tell me how to do a yoga pose right or hold the answers to addressing my pain and safety. As far as I can tell, biomechanics is based on an idea that, essentially, turns my body into a machine. And whatever healing and transformation that I have observed in myself and others through yoga has almost always had a direct correlation with a sense of ourselves and our bodies that is expressly not machine-like, but rather is predicated on the fact that we are entirely organic and whole.
As practitioners and teachers continue to parse out new approaches to utilizing yoga, deference to science must be weighed against a healthy amount of discernment. Frankly, doctors and researchers don't have definitive answers to the questions that arise out of our own experience any more than the gurus did. There is a reason why so many inconclusive test results end up becoming blind referrals to try yoga. The unspoken truth is that on some level what is happening in our bodies is magic. We are mystical beings existing on a planet surrounded by infinite space. When our understanding is capable of holding scientific knowledge with the humility of recognizing all that we do not know at the same time, then perhaps we will begin to better address our dysfunctions and more fully embody the wonder that defines us.
By J. Brown
J. Brown is a yoga teacher, writer and founder of Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn, NY. His writing has been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, and across the yoga blogosphere. Visit his website at jbrownyoga.com.
Click here to try J. Brown's "Slower is Stronger"
This is true for all of us, because we are all human. As humans, part of our story is that as young people, an event creates a deep impact within our unconscious. Whether we attribute it to the perils of childhood, past karma, a big trauma, something subtle, or psychological struggles, all of us has some trigger lurking in the shadow. It is part of our growth and evolution as spiritual beings to come face to face with this inner dragon, and slay it to reveal the gold hiding behind it.
Virgo, as the goddess of the sky, represents our untainted soul, the purity from which we all arise. It strives to hold onto that goodness at every turn — through tending to cleanliness, clarifying its speech, indulging in self-care — and suffers greatly when those elements are neglected. For Virgo, who is ruled by both the planet of communication (Mercury) and the great mentor of the sky, Chiron, the downside of not holding to one’s sense of truth and purity results in a pattern of self-destruction as Virgo is its own worst critic…and enemy.
With Chiron directly opposite our sensitive Virgo new moon, he stands in the way of our forward progress, unless we are willing to take a good, hard look at whatever is “impure” within. Whatever keeps us small, or diminishes our light, represents for us our core wound. Likely, this is something we have run into time and time again as the source of our shame, frustration, or hurt. Underneath the wound, as Chiron is here to show us this month, is the source of our greatest purity and joy…but until we shine light upon it, it remains obscured in darkness.
For us to reclaim our light, rekindle our sense of interconnected innocence and see the universe as working in our favor, we must make powerful Chiron an ally this month and walk with him toward what is uncomfortable, scary, and potentially shameful. If we do this in a safe space, within the context of our spiritual practice, we transform our wound into our strength and move from the wounded victim to the empowered mentor. It is from this place we recover our greatest gift and become the most powerful teacher possible…as we usher others toward the light with our newfound strength. Alchemical Ritual for the Virgo New Moon:
Locate a powerful talisman that represents the symbol of a past wound. Gather crystals, sage and a candle and set up a space for your ritual. Light the candle and enter your ritual with the talisman.
Say out loud the following affirmation:
May this Virgo new moon energy heal my old wounds and reveal the source of my power.
Sit in quiet meditation for a few moments with the symbol and observe what arises as a result of its presence. There is no right or wrong, and it is also not necessary to relive or recapitulate past experiences with this practice. Allow it to be as it is, accept it fully, and witness it with the light of awareness. Write on a piece of paper some qualities of the past wound—it doesn’t need to be a complete recounting, just some free-association of the related emotions and energy.
Now, give yourself permission to allow the lessons of this past wound to evolve. What have you learned as a result? How has it made you stronger? What good has come of it? Immerse yourself in that knowledge, and sit in quiet meditation as you observe what comes up as a result of the shift in perception. Write these qualities down, and as you do, either hold or touch the symbol. This will transform the symbol and you from the inside out. Hold or touch the symbol while you continue to feel the good qualities within. Let those grow, flourish and take root. Cleanse yourself with the sage, and chant Om three times. Close the ritual by snuffing the candle and placing your symbol in plain sight as a reminder of your transformation.
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, in Autumn 2016.She lives in New York City with Roxy the Wonderdog.
You may have heard about Yamas in yoga class, but you may not have had the chance to delve into the ancient philosophy behind them. If you are new to The Yoga Sutras, it is one of the seminal texts on yoga philosophy, written thousands of years ago. It is a practical guidebook for living a fulfilled, positive life. The credited author, Patanjali, outlines the eight-limbed path of yoga, Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. The path is simple, yet not easy.
What are Yamas? They are considered the five moral restraints or your attitudes and behaviors. This ethical compass encourages us to examine our patterns, habits, and how we treat ourselves and others. Don’t look at the Yamas as concrete rules because none of us are perfect; consider them fluid guidelines to incorporate into your life.
1. Everyday Yamas: Ahimsa: Ahimsa translates to the absence of or freedom from harm, judgment or violence. Often, we are harsh and judgmental with ourselves and by extension, treat others in a detrimental manner. Cultivating a compassionate, loving, understanding, patient attitude toward yourself and others is the key to ahimsa. 2. Everyday Yamas: Satya: Satya is truthfulness in thought, word, and deed. Truthfulness needs to be balanced by kindness and mindful expression. When we are authentically living in our own truth, we are in harmony with the universe and everything surrounding us. Working toward loving communications, non-judgment, and honesty will create a life of ease and flow. 3. Everyday Yamas: Aparigraha: Aparigraha is the freedom from hoarding or collecting. When you operate from a place of scarcity, you can be greedy with your feelings, your actions, and your belongings. Remind yourself that abundance exists for everyone. Learn to trust the wealth of the universe and only utilize what you need in the moment. It takes practice to release attachment to possessions and even people. You can do it! 4. Everyday Yamas: Asteya: Asteya translates to freedom from stealing. Like all the other Yamas, this principle transcends simple appropriation of a tangible item. It’s the concept of becoming free from cravings for wealth, power, possessions, and attachment to outcomes. Also, Asteya reminds us to respect other people’s time and energy. Don’t be an energy vampire! Cultivate a sense of completion from within. 5. Everyday Yamas: Bramacharya: Bramacharya translates to moderation. It’s one of the most misunderstood tenets in yoga philosophy. Often, it is translated into a life of celibacy and religious study; however, most yogis are householders and live in modern society. Instead, strive toward moderation and balance in all matters. Your own restraint and moderation are key to your personal growth.
Use this new class package to examine yourself and learn how to find your best self!