Turns out, you can’t get rid of fear. Every single time you make a new choice, release an old habit, break an energetic pattern, decide to expand what’s possible for you- fear is going to be around.
What you can do is have a relationship with fear that *maybe* is actually beneficial for you.
Over the years I feel like I’ve built a pretty decent relationship with fear. I love in Big Magic when Elizabeth Gilbert talks about how every time we start out on a new endeavor, whether that be a creative project, a new relationship, an adventure, healing your body, or something else, inevitably fear is going to show up.
She uses the metaphor of a road trip- no matter how carefully you pack and plan or try to sneak out the side door, fear is always going to be along for the ride, ready and waiting in the car. You can’t control that.
What you can control though, is- Does fear get to drive? Does fear get to navigate and co-pilot? Or Can fear hang out in the backseat, occasionally offering comments and suggestions but not actually running the show?
Fear has a purpose. Its goal is to keep us safe and alive.
There are primal fears: Fear for your safety. Fear of being alone or abandoned by your tribe. Fear of pain.
These primal fears are at the core of all fear- designed to keep us from being cast out, unable to take care of ourselves, put in dangerous situations.
Then there are the ways those fears manifest in our modern lives. The patterns of fear that appear over and over again, especially for women, and are often in the driver’s seat or holding the GPS and telling you where to go, sometimes without you even realizing it.
Those fear patterns look like: Fear of being judged. Fear of missing out. Fear of being not enough. Fear of being too much. Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of everything falling apart.
Finally, there are the actions we take based on fear running the show and controlling the journey.
Actions like: Staying quiet, not speaking up for your needs or when you are uncomfortable. Numbing out with food or tv or a novel or sex. Pretending everything is okay. Policing our bodies and our points of view. Overworking and over-giving to appear useful. Stopping asking questions. Making endless lists and plans to ‘figure it out’. etc. etc.
Sound familiar?
This can feel super obvious when you have a specific thing happening in your life that is requiring you to step into a new version of yourself- going through a break up, dealing with sexual harassment at work, getting in a car accident, the death of someone close to you, not knowing how you’re going to pay your bills, meeting a deadline on a creative project… etc.
And sometimes fear is soooo sneaky.
There’s a kind of fear that isn’t talked about too much. It’s a fear that’s been really present for me lately. A sneaky kind of fear that shows up in the background and slowly, insidiously begins to take over thoughts and actions.
I was giving a talk a couple of years ago about how our bodies how the keys to having it all- love, health, freedom, joy, ease, wealth, and fulfillment.
Afterward, a woman came up to me and said, “you know, when you asked us if we would like to have it all, a big part of me immediately recoiled and said ‘hell no’. I think I’m most scared of having it all.”
The fear of having it all.
There’s a reason that Marianne Williamson quote is so popular- the one that says, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
That fear will sneak in and shut down any choices that would allow you to “have it all” — whatever YOUR version of that looks like.
It all comes back to what we have learned as true, and what we have learned we need to do / how we need to behave in order to fit in with our current society and culture. Which comes back to the primal fears and not being ostracized or alone.
A woman who “has it all” is a dangerous woman in our society. Simply by being she is inviting in judgments, criticisms, scrutiny, and unpopularity from all sides, because she is choosing not to buy into the lie of how women are supposed to behave.
I also want to note that “having it all” is going to look different for everybody.
A woman who dares to be happy with the body she has, openly energized and excited by her life, with clear boundaries in place, making choices for herself, speaking up for her needs and visions of the world, sovereign in all areas of her life- this is the woman our culture fears, and subsequently is the woman many of us both long to be and fear becoming.
This paradox can hold you in a grip so tight that it feels like no matter how much “progress” you make, you are never where you want to be. It’s a safety mechanism. You can also accomplish a LOT from this place.
When you step out on the path toward “having it all”, whether you call in that our not, it usually looks like seeking to have a certain body type, enter into a romantic relationship, start a family, find a job you love, create a home you love, have a possibility oriented mindset, build thriving friendships, or something similar.
It may show up as one of these things in particular, over and over again. Or it may be a combination of things. And as you move down this path, an interesting thing starts to happen.
Maybe you make peace with your body over the years. Maybe you fall in love or enjoy more intimacy in your relationship than ever before. Maybe you learn how to release negative emotions and create peace and positivity every day. Maybe you find work that you are passionate about.
Over time, the things that used to have you in the grips of fear no longer hold the same weight.
You realize you no longer have wild emotional swings based on the number on the scale or the food you put in your mouth. You are no longer convinced that you are doomed to die alone. You realize you are paying your bills with ease and have the money to do things you want to do. A phone call from your mother no longer sends you into a tailspin. A missed connecting flight is met with a shrug and laughter rather than a meltdown.
And your sights start to turn toward expansion. Toward, “What else might be possible in my life?”
We humans, we love a challenge. We love to grow, change, and experience novelty. We love to push ourselves to see what’s possible, to play with our potential.
When expanding into new possibilities, we often forget about fear. The primal fears seem far away. You have tools to work with that will keep you moving in spite of fear. (By the way, if you’re not in this place- let’s have a conversation. This is a core part of the work I do with my clients, and is essential for liberating your body and really claiming your self-worth and power.)
Right when we aren’t thinking about fear- this is when fear sidles in the back door and sets up camp.
Welcome to my life the past few weeks- ignoring fear because I thought it wasn’t there. Avoiding the fear that is the hardest for me to identify.
This is the fear that shows up when everything is going well.
When my relationship is filled with love and electricity. When my business is thriving and I’m lit up with passion for my work. When my body feels vibrant and healthy and alive. When I have the capacity to expand and receive more than ever before.
We all have a set capacity we feel comfortable with having and receiving what we want. The place that says, “this is what I deserve and as long as I stay here, I won’t upset the status quo.” This capacity comes from a combination of upbringing, society, social conditioning, etc.
We also all absolutely have the ability to expand this capacity as much as we want to. We have the ability to “have it all”.
And every single time you reach your capacity, especially when you are looking to expand beyond it and up that set capacity, guess who’s gonna be there?
Did you guess Fear? Because you were right!
Every time you step into a new way of being, upping your capacity for receiving and becoming more true to who you are, Fear is going to be there.
Remember- the goal of fear is to keep you safe and alive.
And as magical as receiving more and being more of you and enjoying your life more are, they are also unknown realities.
For Fear, unknown = unsafe.
When you don’t pay attention to fear, invite it into the conversation, that’s when it sneaks up on you and whacks you on the head. Or, to go back to the road trip metaphor, it makes you feel all brain foggy and sleepy and unclear, so you decide to take a nap and when you wake up suddenly Fear is behind the wheel and you are no longer in control of the destination!
This is what has been happening with me this summer.
At the end of May, I celebrated 2 years with my amazing man. Mid-June, I launched Camp Fireheart. (Are you coming? It’s going to be incredible.) End of June, really cool opportunities began for me to bring my work and creativity to new outlets. Beginning of July, my MCL sprain finally felt fully healed and I began strength training again. Mid-July, more opportunities to speak, teach, and grow.
I hit my capacity to receive and have it so good in full force.
I began to notice a hesitancy to sit down and do the work to keep things moving forward, even when I had a really inspiring list of things to create and put into the world.
I would wake up feeling a foggy and low energy, even after sleeping 9 hours and eating what my body wanted.
I was spending more time on social media than usual, without creating my own content.
I would feel the desire to paint or go for a hike, and face massive resistance to things I’m normally excited to do.
I started to look for things that were going wrong- in my body, in my relationship, in my business. I started to feel frustrated and anxious and drained. I started to think “maybe it’s not for me”.
Until I remembered.
Remembered that Fear is a sneaky lil' $&%*#.
And that I had made a mistake.
I didn’t invite fear into the conversation. I didn’t ask fear what it needed me to know or address as I was expanding. I completely ignored fear, so it got louder and louder until I had to face it.
If you ignore Fear, it takes over.
We can’t get rid of fear. So what do you do instead?
Give it a job. Preferably a job that isn’t “driver” or “navigator”.
Even better, give it an ear. Let fear have its moment to shine.
This might seem crazy- don’t all the self-help and law of attraction teachings say don’t give fear any attention? “What you focus on grows” so why would you focus on fear?
Because fear is going to be there regardless of how you choose to interact with it. Wouldn’t the conscious, enlightened thing to do (say tongue-in-cheek) be to acknowledge and face your fear rather than simply pretend it doesn’t exist?
Thought so. But then again, I’m biased. You’ll have to try for yourself.
When you find yourself facing a situation of newness, regardless of whether you perceive that newness as welcome or not, consciously bring fear forward and have a conversation.
A conversation with fear
One of my favorite ways to start that conversation is to imagine I’m sitting down to coffee (or whiskey, depending on the day) with fear.
Say, either in your head or out loud, “Hi fear! How are you? What’s new?”
Keep in mind that fear has one goal: keep you safe and alive.
Some questions you can ask fear: “What do you have to say about this new thing?” “What would you like to bring to my attention?” “Am I missing anything in this equation?”
Tim Ferriss has a TED Talk with a great exercise to help you make peace with fear. Check it out here: Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals
My coach sent this to me after a particularly gnarly conversation with fear and it helped me SO much.
Once I recognized the symptoms I was experiencing as Fear rather than as ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE WRONG WITH ME, I was able to pause, turn, and face what was really going on. (and actually, keep moving in the direction I wanted to go!)
Giving fear the space it needs allows you to remain in the driver’s seat.
Truly hear Fear out. Write down things to consider when you confront fear. Ask your fear to fill in any blind spots you may have.
And? Remember that fear does NOT run the show. Fear is only one aspect of your life to bring to the table and have these conversations. Ask it to show you both the extreme ways you may somehow be unsafe or die in this process as well as some of the subtle things you may not have considered.
Give it a new job. Ask it to make it super clear to you when you are overlooking something important. Ask it to tap you on the shoulder when there is room to grow and expand.
You can also ask it to release its death grip on your hand because you are not going to try and leave it behind.
Finally, thank your fear. Acknowledge how well it is performing its purpose. Let it know that you will listen, but ultimately how you proceed is YOUR decision.
Sending you SO much love, Kate
Equal parts earth mama, mermaid, and magic glitter, Kate Marolt is an embodiment coach, speaker, yoga teacher, and founder of Unbound Living. Kate is a fierce advocate for women’s empowerment and wisdom, and with over 1000 hours of training in yoga, fitness, energy, philosophy, spiritual practices, and emotional processing tools, she is uniquely placed to guide you back into alignment, integration, and wholeness. Kate is dedicated to helping you understand your body’s messages and inner wisdom so you can feel ALIVE, joyful, and free to be exactly who you are, inside and out.
Back in the day when Jules was eating a predominantly raw food diet this Raw Blueberry Pie was a true life-saver.
Perfect for your next BBQ or summer gathering, share our Raw Blueberry Pie with your loved ones! Technically this recipe could be a part of the Conscious Cleanse, but because of food combining we recommend it more as part of your 80:20.
Either way, enjoy it, share it, and leave us a comment below. Will this delicious dessert make a regular appearance at your upcoming gathering?
With blueberry love,
Raw Blueberry Pie
Yield: 1 pie
Ingredients:
Instructions: In a food processor fitted with an S blade, combine raw walnuts, dates, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sea salt until smooth. Press mixture evenly into a pie dish, and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until crust is hard.
Meanwhile, in the food processor fitted with an S blade, combine blueberries and honey. Pour into chilled crust, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
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.
Conscious Cleanse Detox Flow - Jo Schaalman
Heart Opening Forrest Yoga Flow - Jo Schaalman
Traditional Hot Yoga - Julie Peláez
How is your reaction time these days? Life is moving at a breakneck pace and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. If you find yourself reacting immediately and allowing yourself to be buffeted about by external events, we want to remind you to slow down and build serene strength from the inside out. By choosing to slow down and taking time to rest and recharge, you can create a wellspring of stillness within and react to anything or anyone coming your way with more equanimity.
We’ve got four excellent new classes this week designed to help you lower your blood pressure, quiet your mind, and feel good, regardless of what else is happening in your life.
We are thrilled to introduce our very own Keith Allen with the launch of two new classes: Deep, Slow, Mindful, Flow and Meditate & Cultivate Calm. We know you’ll love his clear, soothing guidance. Before you practice with him, we’ll give you some background and why we know he’ll soon become one of your go-to teachers.
Every teacher is unique and Keith taps into his wanderlust, his broad exposure to various yoga lineages, and his passion for meditation in his classes. More than a decade ago, Keith traveled to Africa to teach English. He practiced yoga for the first time in Moshi, Tanzania with Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background. Not your average yogi, right? Yoga moved Keith so deeply during his first class, he knew instantly it was to become a positive part of his life for a long time. He continues to study with different teachers, lineages, and yoga styles and incorporates his learning into his own practice and teaching.
Keith’s classes balance a meditative focus with safe alignment principles. Meditation is the key focus for Keith and he believes learning to create more calm within is the key to leading a more peaceful life. He uses these principles to lead workshops and yoga teacher trainings. He is launching his first book, www.theyogafixbook.com as a resource of healthy movement patterns. Check it out.
In addition to introducing you to Keith, we’ve got the always amazing Jackie Casal Mahrou’s: Gentle Hatha 7: Free Yourself for a well-rounded practice. Finally, make sure you sleep like a baby with Denelle Numis’ Nighttime Nidra.
Remember, taking time for yourself and maintaining your calm within the storm helps not just you, but those around you. We can make the world a more beautiful place through our individual dedicated practices.
According to Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutras, yoga is all about the mind.
The real yoga happens when we are able to sit with what is and develop a level of discernment (viveka) that best serves our dharma (purpose).
Of course, that requires knowing what our purpose is and a lot of practice.
Aligning the mind and thoughts
One of my favorite ways to live a purposeful life is to live in alignment with my values.
Core values give us a guiding post to test our life decisions against. If you value family, personal growth, integrity, freedom, health, creativity, leadership, community, and nature like I do then it’s important that the next time a big decision is looming you think about how that decision will affect (or not) all of these areas of your life.
It seems easy enough, and yet, it’s far from it.
I have a hunch.
When we are aligned in thought, we get a special feeling. But it’s hard to look in the mirror every morning and see how we feel so it’s also super easy to forget that aligning our thoughts, decisions, and actions are good things to repeat often.
That’s why it’s important to create our own rituals to consistently re-align with our core values.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves!
I want to go back to issue #1 above.
What Core Values have to do with Yoga
Do you know your core values? Like, can you send me an email right now and list all of them, in order of priority? Each core value distilled into one word or less? (Really, send me an email and let me know what yours are if you know them!)
I teach this stuff and even I have trouble remembering my values sometimes! The pull and temptation of subscribing to society’s values when they are not our own is a cause of suffering. The fear of being judged left behind, or scorned is enough to make us double-guess ourselves when we feel pulled to move in one direction even though the rest of the world thinks the opposite. It is this very fear that holds us back from living our most inspired lives and leads to unhappiness.
Core values are something that I’ve been learning about since 2008. I really, really love aligning with core values and I think this work is the number one most important first action we can take on our yoga journey toward alignment.
The core values of Classical Yoga
Finding our core values within the context of yoga means we don’t have to start with a blank slate. Classical Yoga Philosophy offers up suggestions for what core values we might consider living by in the Yamas and Niyamas.
As a quick refresher, the yamas and the niyamas can be distilled into the following values:
Compassion (Ahimsa, or non-violence) Honesty (Satya, or truth) Abundance (Asteya, or non-stealing) Moderation (Brahmacharya) Giving (Aparigraha, or non-hoarding) Purity (Saucha, or cleanliness) Contentment (Santosha) Discipline (Tapas) Learning (Svadhyaya, or self-study) Surrender (Ishvara Pranidhana)
There are many other values you may hold as well. For me, family and freedom are my top two non-negotiables.
So, are you living in alignment? Are you consciously creating a life based on a set of core values?
The beauty of yoga is that I’m not here to tell you what your values need to be. We can all live together peacefully and have different values. That’s what makes us individual and unique. Besides, we all have our own karma to work through.
But I can guide you through a process to help you find your core values. I can encourage you to make space and time to be with your values. I can help you develop discernment. I can support you when it seems everyone else is on the other side.
I’m on your side! Let’s live in alignment — body, breath, mind, and spirit — together!
By Ashley Josephine
I started practicing yoga to stay in shape and release stress. What I learned was how to love my life. How to have faith. How to find your community of people who support you and love you unconditionally. How to get back control. Today, it is my mission to help busy Type-A overachiever women like me gain back control of their lives, live pain-free, and love the life they want to live through yoga lifestyle practices. Visit www.ashleyjosephine.com to get free yoga lifestyle tips to help live healthier, happier, and pain-free.
Nut Base:
Chocolate Topping:
Directions:
Corinne Marabel, creator of A Vegan Kitchen, never intended to follow a vegan diet, much less did she intend on creating what she has today. In July of 2013, feeling constantly run down and tired and after spending far too many months treating my body like a garbage bin, Corinne decided to turn from vegetarianism to veganism for a short detox. However, days turned in to weeks, and she began to find herself feeling not only better internally, but completely inspired to create beautiful and clean vegan dishes.
Check out @avegankitchen instagram page, and ebooks!
Yoga is for California hippies.
Sure, and it’s also for Iowa farmers, West Virginia coal miners, professional football players, decorated military heroes and Wall Street wizards. Yoga doesn’t know or care what type of person you are, whether you’re spiritual or how much organic vegetables make you gag. Yoga knows that when you practice focus, balance and breathing you can change your body, your physical and mental health, your relationships and overall happiness.
Still, I don’t want to be one of those people.
“Those people” aren’t even those people. You’ll always be you, no matter how much yoga you practice.
I’m not flexible.
That’s why you go to yoga. Flexibility isn’t a prerequisite, it’s a result. The physical poses of yoga help lengthen your muscles and increase your range of motion, and flexibility is like any skill - it improves with regular practice.
I’m not skinny.
Most of us aren’t. But we all have bodies that carry us through the world and deserve the very best treatment. Big bellies, wobbly thighs and rolls are part of yoga because they’re part of us. Every pose is made to work around your body and what it can do - and a regular practice will transform that body before your eyes.
I’m too busy.
There’s an old Zen adage, “you should sit in meditation for 20 minutes every day — unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour.” If the problem is that your life is too busy for yoga, yoga could be the solution for your life.
Yoga is so much $$$$.
That’s where we come in. With streaming classes, you get the studio vibe without the studio price. Establishing a practice that’s easy to come home to every day is a coupon for wellness. In case you don’t read to the end, our Yoga 101 program includes a bonus 3 month free subscription when you sign up.
I dont have the stuff you need for yoga.
If you have a pulse then you have everything you need for yoga. Yoga takes body, breath and presence - anywhere, anytime. We do recommend wearing comfortable clothes you can move around in, and a non-slip surface (which is why people use yoga mats).
I want a real workout.
Be careful what you wish for. YogaDownload alone has thousands of on-demand classes at a variety of intensity levels, including heart-rate-pumping, sweat-inducing, calorie-burning classes where the struggle is so real, you’ll need a new hashtag to describe it.
There are like a million styles of yoga, where would I even start.
As you may have suspected from the name, Yoga 101 is the perfect place to start. It’s a five-class series that progressively teaches the basics of Hatha yoga, a combination of physical postures, deep breathing and meditation. The series is perfectly paced, no matter your age, body type, flexibility or strength. At the end, you’ll have a personal understanding of yoga, feel comfortable on the mat, better in your body and have a new set of tools to release mental and physical tension.
Ready to start? Yes you are! Yoga 101’s 5 full-length beginner’s classes and a 3-month YogaDownload membership (a $40 value) is available at the special National Yoga Month price of $27. GET THE DEAL NOW!!
It’s easy to forget how to be authentic when we play many different roles throughout the day. We’re parents, children, friends, employees, teachers, lovers, members of society…
But how do we stay true to ourselves when life gets messy, overwhelming or stressful?
By taking small steps and doing little things that make us feel good. No, scratch that. That makes us feel great. Excellent. Ecstatic. Alive. Grateful for who we are and what we have. But also calm, meditative, reflective.
I made a short (but hopefully sweet) list of 9 simple things that have helped me live more authentically and be closer to my genuine self.
1. Enjoy the Little Things (Also Known as ‘Live in the Now’)
I know – this is a cliché, but I just can’t deny this simple truth. In all honesty, it can take some practice to train your mind to stop blabbering and start noticing the little things. But once it does, you will…
Rejoice in the first rays of the sunshine in a hazy morning. Feel their warmth on your skin. Smell that first cup of coffee and exhale with a sigh of blissful pleasure as you take that first sip.
Hug your pet. Kiss your loved one. Have fresh flowers on your table. Listen to the ocean. Watch the sunset. Let the wind blow through your hair in the spring. Walk on crispy leaves in the fall. Make snow angels in the winter.
You know, the little things.
Every day, I make conscious efforts to appreciate and remember the special moments and people in my life.
2. Don’t Water Yourself Down for Other People’s Approval.
We all want to be accepted, loved and appreciated. So we often try to tone down who we really are to be likable out of fear of being judged.
Heck, I’m even petrified to be writing this post.
You see, throughout my childhood and teenage years, I got the message that who I was isn’t acceptable. I didn’t belong anywhere. I didn’t fit into a mold. This stuck with me for years to come, rocked my self-esteem and made me question my authenticity.
But as I matured, I did some serious inner work and made a strong decision to be unapologetically myself. To speak up and share my opinions and emotions right off the bat. And to say NO to people, things, and situations that weren’t good for me.
I’m a highly sensitive introvert, crazy cat lady, passionate business owner, raw, honest and intense writer, and extremely curious. I’m also overly excited about things (just ask anyone who knows me how I feel about calla lilies, kittens, vintage tea sets and Italy). I’m also a good listener and a loyal friend, but I won’t take s**t from anyone anymore.
And I’m loving it. Every single bit of it.
And you should love YOU, too. With all your quirkiness, talents, words, desires, dreams, body types, good days, bad days, mistakes, failures and life experiences. These things make life authentic.
You won’t fit in a box, but why would you need one?
There’s nothing more beautiful and liberating than to be purely you.
3. Balance Your Emotions and Your Reasoning
One of the first (and best) lessons I learned in my early 20s is that children respond to situations with their emotions. Adults use their reasoning. But the key to a happy, balanced, authentic life lies in the balance between the two.
So whenever you’re in an intense, emotional or stressful situation and want to react with your feelings, stop and ask yourself: am I reacting as a child or as an adult? Your answer will show you how to handle things further.
This simple exercise helps me manage my emotions and face every situation in a calm, composed manner. And it’s effective because it switches your mind from overly-excited to being in control.
4. Don’t Judge or Punish Yourself for Your Mistakes
Very often we think it’s totally ok to judge ourselves for a mistake we’ve made either now or in the past. But what’s the use?
Instead of beating yourself up, see if you can learn something from your failures.
So what helps is writing down what each of your mistakes is trying to teach you and the ways you can avoid repeating it in the future.
But please, don’t judge yourself. You did the best you could do.
5. Pay Good Attention to What Your Body and Mind are Telling You
Signs of physical discomfort are more tangible than psychological. When a certain food makes you ill, you stop eating it. But when a thought keeps nagging you and making you feel horrible, you accept it as truth and give it energy.
Pay attention to your thought process. Some of the greatest breakthroughs I’ve had have come from observing my own thoughts, how they relate, how far they go and their end result.
Incessant mind chatter is often a sign of bubbling emotions. Release them, set them free and clear your mind.
Yoga and meditation are two wonderful ways to do that.
6. Go for Your Dreams With All the Strength You Have
One of the main reasons I’ve been a long-time follower of Candace is her authenticity. She was my inspiration for this article because I’ve always admired how she handled difficult life situations with grace, courage, and strength.
To me, authenticity is pushing through, no matter what.
Going after your dreams, no matter how silly or big or unattainable they seem.
Having your own business or a job where you have a genuine connection with the people who you work with. Offering so much value that you get threefold in return.
And loving what you do with all your heart.
Living authentically is what prompted me to quit my 9-5 job as a staff writer and pursue my freelancing dream.
And I couldn’t be happier.
7. Celebrate your Victories, No Matter How Big or Small
If you’re like me, celebrating ANYTHING less than what you hoped for can sometimes be impossible. (Because being a raging, incurable perfectionist is oh, so much fun!)
So, I’d rather not even start in the first place. I know it’ll be good enough, but not quite there yet. And my mind will go crazy looking for the very instance I could’ve done better, not realizing the moment has passed.
And I’m left with a choice – I can either sit there and cry over what’s done “imperfectly” or celebrate it just the way it is.
Good enough is perfect.
8. Take the Time to Get to Know Yourself
Getting to know yourself is a wonderful, rewarding and challenging journey.
But it’s also overwhelming and takes patience.
So where do you start?
I’d suggest grabbing a good old pen and paper.
On separate pages, write down the following:
· Your virtues, habits, things that are unique to you
· What makes you truly happy (people, situations, your career, animals…)
· What is important to you
· What you will and won’t tolerate (a.k.a. boundaries)
· Whether you seek validation from the outside world (and if so, why)
· What things you’d like to improve in yourself
· What you can and can’t give up
· How your perfect day looks like
Don’t be scared to dig deep. One of the best ways to get to the bottom of any question is to keep asking yourself why until you’ve gotten your answer.
For example, if your question is: “Why can’t I speak my mind?” You may answer with: “Because I’m scared of being judged.” Then, you continue: “Why am I scared of being judged?” “-Because I feel like I don’t have anything important to say.” “-Why do I feel like that?” And so on.
Keep going until the answer feels just right. That’s when you reach authenticity.
9. Open Your Mind to New Things
Confession time: I do not handle big life changes well. Like, at all.
I become agitated, anxious, super-stressed and just on edge the entire time. And until everything settles in nicely, I’m a complete and utter mess.
I’m aware that this stems from my need to control the outcome of every life situation. In reality, I know I can’t. But I really, really want to.
Any fellow recovering control freaks out there? Hi! (*waves frantically*)
But I’ve learned that now, with every new wave of changes, I just breathe deeply, meditate, let my mind wander and let go of my fears.
But most importantly, I open my mind to whatever comes my way and try to make peace with it.
Bottom Line
Sometimes, you’ll find your true self with life experience and maturity. Other times, it may be hidden under anxiety and depression, feelings of inadequacy, negative self-talk, self-doubt and fear. And finding it may take some therapy.
But the authentic self has no high expectations of themselves or others and takes life lightly.
Instead of constantly doing, running, working, thinking – it just is.
Innocent and vulnerable, but also strong and independent.
For me, authenticity equals freedom.
Frosina is a freelance blogger for hire specializing in lifestyle, health and wellness topics. When she’s not busy writing about yoga, healthy living and mindfulness, you can find her learning all about digital marketing and dreaming of Italy. You can learn more about Frosina here, on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Poor alignment, weak muscles, muscle tension, and stress are the four main causes of back pain. Intelligent yoga practice addresses all four causes of back pain because it is not just a physical practice that works with your muscles, ligaments, joints, and bones but it is also a mind-body practice that reduces stress. Most people with mild to moderate pain find relief a proper yoga practice once they begin to move and align their body properly. If your spine is healthy and pain-free, yoga can also help you keep it that way! The key is having the right knowledge and expert instruction. I want to share some powerful information and yoga tips with you now to keep your spine feeling fantastic. I will give you: #1 Knowledge and awareness are KING You cannot heal what you are not aware of or what you do not acknowledge. Noticing that your low back is at risk of further injury is #1. In the early stages of misalignment, the pain is often mild and intermittent, and therefore relatively easy to manage. They key word here is: manage, that does not mean heal. Common ways of managing these flare-ups are anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen, or by doing less of the pain triggering activity. For example, you may not go hiking or cycling as often as you used to. To manage the lower back pain you may buy a new ergonomic chair, get shoe inserts or place a lumbar pillow to support your spine. Sound familiar? Spending hundreds of dollars on external objects designed to align your body from the outside-in may help, but they will likely not help heal the root of the problem. Crossing off the things you love from your activity list is not a great option for most of you either. You need to understand how your spine became misaligned, what is keeping it that way, and how you can make positive changes to shift your spine toward optimal alignment. #2 Listen to your body on a daily basis Your body is constantly sending you messages about how aligned or misaligned you are during daily activities such as sitting, standing, lifting and resting. Awareness is key and here is the knowledge. The early warning signs that your spine is in need of attention and care are below. Early Warning Signs your Spine is at Risk:
#3 Notice what is contributing to pain in your low back pain The biggest cause of slowly progressing, intermittent type of back pain that gets worse over 5 to 10 years is poor posture in both seated and standing positions. Poor posture can result from immobility, tension, and lack of awareness. A common trigger while seated is slouching. This reverses the spinal curves by rounding the shoulders forward, tipping the pelvis back, and reversing the lumbar curve. Rounding the spine places extra stress on the vertebrae and spinal discs. Compare that to the upright posture shown on the right where the lower pine can maintain its healthy natural inward curve. In general, sitting is one of the most challenging positions for the spine because by positioning alone it puts three times as much pressure on your vertebra and discs than standing. Have you ever noticed that your low back aches after a long and uninterrupted period of sitting? When you combine sitting with slouching that is double the stress on your spine, not to mention the hips. Eventually, the lumbar discs protrude posteriorly from the pressure on the vertebrae. Your discs act as natural shock absorbers and protect your spine from compression they can remain healthy when we maintain a natural curve in our spine while we sit and stand. Small tasks we do every day like lifting and carrying objects also trigger low back pain, especially when performed out of alignment. It is not just heavy objects that pose a risk, it is the repetitive lifting and carrying of purses, backpacks, grocery bags, children, and laundry to name a few that can make minor tweaks to the spine through the day. The normal curves of the spine become misaligned while holding a large bag. To compensate for the load of the bag the right shoulder drops, the lumbar curve pushes out to the left and the sacrum compresses on the right. This poor alignment held for repetitively over a long period of time will eventually cause pain. Make the positive change by carrying a smaller bag, distribute the weight evenly on both sides, alternating sides you carry objects, change bags to a cross the chest strap or backpack, or set your bag down while you stand. Then on the movement side of things, do alignment based yoga to strengthen, stretch and gain good alignment. #4 Learn good body mechanics and proper body alignment Healthy spinal curves are designed to have a sleek S-shape from front to back that allows for proper articulation of the vertebra while preserving the shock absorbing qualities of the spinal discs. In the C-shape configuration, the shoulders round forward, the chest collapses, the pelvis tilts back, and the low back rounds. When the bones are out of alignment for a long period of time your muscles compensate in an attempt to correct the alignment. Unknowingly, we continue to do the triggering action in the same habitual way (like the infamous slouching when we sit). Eventually, this causes an imbalance in the muscles that fixates the bones in poor alignment. This creates rigidity and immobility (think hunched over an old person walking with a cane and you get the picture). Over time, certain muscle groups become overused and therefore chronically tight, while other muscle groups become weak from lack of use. The end result of improper use of your body for a long period of time is compression or torsion in the vertebrae of the spine, pinched nerves, bulging discs, and an overall decrease in function and stability of your spine. Why does it feel uncomfortable to stand or sit up straight? Even with knowledge of proper posture and the best of intentions, the habit of slumping and collapsing the spine can sneak back in quickly. In fact, it may even feel good to slump and completely unnatural to stand or sit up straight. You know the term “use it or lose it”, it applies here. If you have not been exercising the muscles that hold you up and support good alignment it will feel awkward and even tiring to stand or sit straight for more than a few minutes. The muscles that have been overworking are chronically tight and need to stretch. The tense muscles will not fully let go until the weak muscles get stronger and take some of the work load off the over-working muscles. This is why yoga is such a powerful tool in healing and preventing back pain. What is good standing alignment? The ideal posture has correct alignment while standing versus five common misalignment postures. Do any of these look familiar? Good alignment is when you can draw an imaginary line along the side of your body from the ear opening down to the outer edge of your shoulder, outer hip, side of your knee, and ankle bone. A common misalignment in the low back is too much curve (sway back) or too little curve (flat back). You can see how all of the misalignments change the natural S-shaped spine into a different shape and it effects the vertebrae and supporting tissue all the way up to your head. Luckily, yoga can teach you the principles of good alignment and provide you with powerful yoga poses that you can do daily to help gain and maintain the mobility and health of your spine. #5 Do alignment-based yoga It is never too late to improve mobility and health in your spine with yoga, and the sooner the better. Yoga aligns your bones and encourages proper use of muscles that support upright posture and alignment. Yoga poses to build strength in weak muscles and flexibility in over taxed muscles. Through the balanced action of muscles over time the spine will become more supported and at ease in an upright position effortlessly maintain the natural spinal curves. You may notice an energy boost to standing and sitting tall as it just feels and looks better than slouching. It is important to adapt postures that feel too strong for you. Go slow, take your time and do a more mild version of the pose if necessary.
Low Back Sequence
Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine. Your body is your best teacher, modify or skip postures that do not feel beneficial to you. Seek out a qualified yoga therapist for expert guidance. YOUR DAILY YOGA ROUTINE
Perform the top 10 yoga postures daily. I recommend doing 10 repetitions of the cat-cow pose. The following nine postures I recommend holding each pose for 30-45 seconds and adding repetitions as needed. This sequence should take you 30 minutes or less. If performed daily with good instruction and alignment this can help to heal back pain over time. If pain persists seek the advice of a doctor.
Listen and trust your body. Therapeutic yoga pose applied correctly and engaged properly should relieve or at minimum decrease pain right away. If pain increases, come out of the pose and rest. If this continues to occur then find a different type of yoga or select a different yoga teacher. If you are in acute pain and have inflammation, I recommend that you wait a few days until the swelling subsides before doing any exercise or yoga. If you have concerns check with your doctor.
Caution: Not all yoga is therapeutic. I have worked with hundreds and over the years some clients have told me that they have were injured in yoga. It is true that yoga is done improperly or without good quality instruction can put your spine at risk and cause damage to vertebrae, discs, muscles, and ligaments. Experienced yoga teachers that are trained in alignment-based yoga will know how to support you in keeping the integrity of the spines natural curves while you practice. If you are prone to injury or want to learn how yoga can keep your spine aligned both on and off the mat then alignment-based yoga is the safest and effective practice for you. There are many other postures in my yoga tool bag, but this is an excellent start! I offer private sessions, public classes, and workshops that use alignment techniques to keep your spine healthy, mobile and strong. Enjoy the journey toward optimal alignment and a fantastic spine!
Sienna Smith is owner of Yoga Mountain Studio, a Certified Yoga Therapist with IYTA, and senior Yoga Alliance teacher (E-RYT500). Teaching in the bay area for 16 years, she has studied extensively with Gary Kraftsow, John Friend, Manuso Manos, Georg Feuerstein, Maritza, Lama Palden and Chinnamasta Stiles. Her classes, workshops and trainings are opportunities for learning and practice of an intellegent healing system of alignment-based yoga rooted in the Krishnamacharya tradition. As a Yoga Journal contributor she created an Office Yoga video and published Desk Yoga in 2011. She appears in the publication regularly and is featured in Gary Krafstow’s top-selling Yoga for the Low Back DVD. She has two children, two cats, loves green tea and has a passion for the harmonium.
It is time to take advantage of all the soul work we have undertaken during this wild astrological year, and finally release any obstacles that prevent us from experiencing (and sharing) connection, bliss, and ecstasy on a daily basis. The power of Pisces is its ability to call forth our cosmic resources and deepen our spiritual capacities. However, if we resist the flow of Pisces energy at this important time, we will likely be mired in darkness, disconnection, and self-criticism that could culminate outwardly in behaviors like numbing out, drug or alcohol use, or martyrdom…things that render you powerless.
Do not give your power away. Step fully into your power, and stand in the waters of the unconscious by owning the fruits of the spiritual work that you have done over the last six months on every level: conscious, unconscious, shadow work, emotional healing, and transcendence.
With the shedding of the final layers of the resistance, and by owning your spiritual power, you honor this moon’s energy and are lit from within by the wisdom of your unconscious and the unfoldment of your own evolution as a spiritual being. When we stop resisting and release our own shadows in this way, we shine the light for others to see their spiritual potential. This is the greatest gift of this work. As one who walks with the power of this moon, you have the opportunity to share this light with others! Alchemical Ritual for Pisces Full Moon:
For Pisces, nothing is more important than transcendence. The two fish that represent Pisces enjoy swimming in the waters of spiritual connection more than anything else. When Pisces can’t achieve this connection (or, when it denies it to itself), it often comes by numbing out—either through martyrdom, drug and alcohol use, or other avoidance and non-committal behavior. To get Pisces to tap into the high side of its energy signature, it is wise to remain connected to a spiritual practice that saturates you with the divine connection you need. This ritual helps to bridge the gap between our inner and outer realities so that you can swim in the spiritual waters while keeping your feet on the ground.
This ritual requires water. If possible, take a bath before the ritual to immerse yourself in the natural element of Pisces. You may fill a sacred cup or vessel with water and place it in your ritual space. Gather your favorite crystals (Aquamarine, Amethyst or Lapis Lazuli are good choices if you have them) and a candle or two in front of you. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Find a symbol that activates you spiritually and makes you feel connected to the source. This can be anything—a religious icon or relic, a picture or an object. Light your candles, sit comfortably in your space and hold the symbol as you close the eyes and say the following invocation:
May the highest qualities of Pisces and this Full Moon allow me to connect to my highest spiritual connection and my deepest soul purpose.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation as you absorb the connection to source inspired by the invocation and ritual. Feel what comes up from inside you as you clear your mind and allow your soul to communicate your highest needs. Be delighted at what arises. As you receive insights, place the ring finger (or first finger) of your right hand into the water you’ve place in the ritual space and anoint yourself with it by lightly touching your forehead, your sternal notch at the base of the throat, and your heart. Do this as many times as necessary.
When your ritual feels complete, bring your hands to prayer at your heart, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Anoint your symbol with the sacred water and place it somewhere that you see it every day in order to be reminded of the connection you have cultivated in this ritual. Let it be a reminder of how to connect to your source, and also, of how connected you are at all times.
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.
It was glorious. They were glorious. But we were young and stupid, and one of us grew up to be a delicate food flower. In that case, perhaps they were more akin to that bad boy who you thought was SUPER cute, but in fact turned out to be a huge letdown, and you’ve now thus shifted up to a wildly intelligent and artistic entrepreneur who treats you like a champ and metaphorically tastes so much better. That, I think, is the narrative behind these pancakes.
Disclaimer: these are not going to taste like "gluten-y", fluffy pancakes from the diner next door. Have they ever tasted a banana or ice cream? Freezing the former does not make it taste like the latter. Blend the former up with cacao, almond milk & almond butter and you have yourself and delicious, frozen chocolate bowl of goodness. But eat that sucker straight up and frozen – I’m not convinced…
So, these do not taste EXACTLY like pancakes. They are charmingly in pancake form. They are slightly fluffy. They do act as killer vehicles for a hint of maple syrup or egg yolk. They do have this magically caramelized sugar thing going on thanks to the plantains (suck it real pancakes). And they do fill me up with that unique joy of sitting down to a stack of something a little sweet at breakfast. But, here’s that other super awesome piece for the win: yes, they are high in carbohydrate, they aren’t going to drop me and my blood sugar like it’s hot. Pair these suckers with some fried eggs and a sprinkle of nuts (which I would highly recommend for both meal happiness and overall satiety factor) and you are golden.
Wildly attractive entrepreneurial Plantain Pancakes for the win!
Paleo Plantain Pancakes
Ingredients
1 large, super ripe plantain (~1 cup) 1 egg 1T coconut flour 1/8 t baking soda dash of salt & cinnamon
Instructions
Chop and peel your plantain. (You can choose any order on those verbs, but I find plantains are easiest to maneuver when you’ve cut off both ends; cut at least in half; sliced through 1-2 sides of the skin with a small paring knife; then peel them.)
Place peeled plantain and the remaining ingredients in your food processor and pulse till totally smooth. If your batter looks super thin, add a little more coconut flour. You may need to try some of the batter at this point too - just throwing that idea out there.
Heat a medium - large frying over medium heat (you may need to turn in back down to medium low if it’s browning the bottom of your pancakes, especially if you have an electric stove.)
Place a generous dollop of coconut oil, butter or ghee not the hot pan. Scoop batter into the pan (I made pancakes about 3 inch across) and let cook till the batter on the sides starts to become firm.
With great authority, slide your spatula under each pancake and flip. No matter what happens, don’t apologize.
I tend to eat my pancakes more medium rare, so I almost immediately pull those suckers off after flipping. If you like them more around the well-done realm, keep them on till when you press gently on the top it feels firm-ish.
Top with fruit, nuts, a fried egg, some good ole' maple syrup, and or whatever’s in your heart.
Great little snacks for later. Especially with some nut butter spread on top. Just sayin’…
By: Maddie Berky
Maddie is a writer, blogger, storyteller & holistic nutritionist. She is not a purveyor of answers, but an asker of questions. And she seeks not to construct the perfect plate, but rather uncover the human sitting down to that plate who is worthy and nourished and alive. Our relationship with food creates this beautiful opportunity to explore who we are and train who we want to become. It asks us to engage with these multifaceted drives of hunger and nourishment and pleasure. Can we receive? Can we trust ourselves? Can we connect - to our plate, to our body, to our partner? It is the answer to those questions that not only affects what is on our plate but more importantly, the space we take up in this world.
In the modern world where everything has gotten faster and faster—including most styles of contemporary yoga—how do we pace a class so that it’s physically satisfying and mentally engaging without sacrificing important details that keep yoga safe and mindful? How do we make sure that there’s still some yoga in our yoga class? As teachers, how do we trust that we don’t have to make our mark by being teaching the fastest flows in town?
These are all important questions and they’re admittedly hard to answer conclusively in a 1,000 words. To be fair, we also have to acknowledge that pacing is somewhat subjective. One student’s “fast” is going to be too slow for another student. One student’s “slow” is going to be too fast for another student. So, like other aspects of teaching, teachers have to let go of the idea that they’re going to strike a perfect pacing balance for everyone.
It’s best to think about pacing as a tool to communicate what you are teaching. If you are teaching a mellow hip-opening class, you want the pace to be slow and soothing. On the other hand, if you’re teaching an invigorating sequence of standing poses, you may opt for a strong, steady pace. In both of these scenarios, you have to consider the experience you are aiming to give your students and tailor the flow accordingly.
The following three considerations will help you pace your classes skillfully:
Pace and momentum should facilitate—not detract—from awareness
Imagine that you have just arrived in a foreign city and you’ve decided to do a walking tour. But, well, you just want to get so much done on the walking tour that you run as fast as you can from scenic point to scenic point. Kudos to you, you completed the walking tour in record time! (Wow, what an accomplishment!) But, what did you notice about the scenic points? What did you notice about the sights, scents, and sounds? Did you notice any subtlety and detail or did you just get so much done?
The whole idea of sprinting through your vacation is, well, ridiculous. So, why would you sprint through your yoga practice? Is your practice just another thing to get done in order to have a sense of accomplishment? If so, what exactly do you feel you’re accomplishing?
In general, the pace of a vinyasa practice should be in direct proportion to a student’s ability to focus on the details that are present in their body, breath, and mind. This means that sprinting through a vinyasa practice to do 400 postures is unnecessary and ineffective because very little is understood in the process. That said, doing six poses in a 90-minute class isn’t the best solution either—at least not in a vinyasa practice. Other practices work this way to great effect, but this isn’t in keeping with the heart of vinyasa yoga.
Practice observing your students as they glide from pose to pose and notice if they are moving with awareness and skill. Notice if the pace is helping them focus on their practice. If not, notice if are you lulling them to sleep or accidentally teaching a spinning class (not that there’s anything wrong with spinning). Find the middle ground that captivates your students’ attention and provides them with a strong, satisfactory experience without making them run on fumes.
Pace your class like a bell-curve
It is helpful to imagine the pace of class as a bell-curve. You start class slowly and gently pick-up the tempo until it has a strong, yet sustainable tempo. Once you have hit the apex of your class, you can begin to slow the pace and settle in. This doesn’t mean that the peak-pose or crescendo of the class has to be paced intensely. In fact, you may decide to slow things considerably as you work the most difficult postures in your sequence.
The important thing to take away is that pacing transitions should not be abrupt. Instead, students should be taken from a quiet beginning, through a substantial adventure, and brought to a relaxing finish. The pacing along the way should accelerate and decelerate incrementally and in proportion to the intensity that you want to deliver in any given class.
Keep with the theme of class
As previously stated, the pace is one of the several tools that you have at your disposal to communicate the essence of your teaching. It’s in the same toolkit as sequencing, adjusting, demonstrating, verbalizing, and so on. This means that the pace of your class should not be taken for granted or assumed. Instead, it should be a mindfully implemented instrument of your teaching. As such, your pace should be in-tune with your sequence and the teaching points of your class. Of course, your pacing—like the other elements in your teaching toolkit—is subjective and open to exploration.
By Jason Crandell
Jason Crandell and Andrea Ferretti are a husband and wife team who have been teaching, writing about, and living their yoga for nearly two decades. Andrea is the former executive editor of Yoga Journal and is now creative director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method. Jason is an internationally recognized teacher known for his precise, empowering, down-to-earth approach to vinyasa yoga. They live together in San Francisco with their full-time boss, Sofia-Rose Crandell, age 3. To read their blog or to learn more about Jason's upcoming teacher trainings, please visit their web site www.jasonyoga.com
Things to consider:
Frequency
How often are you going to give it a go throughout your vacation? Plan them out so you can create some variation as well as coordinate a schedule with the class that you find. Consider doing it even for just 20 minutes a day, at least once a day.
Platform
How are you going to take a class? You can find yoga studios and join a class from your hotel, or a studio nearby. This is helpful for people who want to meet new people. But if you’re a first- timer, or prefer to learn new things on your own, check out online classes and do it from the comforts of your hotel room, or their lovely garden, or beach front, instead.
There are many hotels and places in tourist destinations that offer yoga classes and many online classes just like Yoga Download that will help you do just that. It’s great for long- time yogis and beginners alike. So give yoga a try and boost your health as you rejuvenate your mind and body with a soothing getaway.
It’s relaxing
Even if you’re new or know close to nothing about yoga, the one thing you can’t deny is the fact that it looks absolutely relaxing. All yogis attest to that. And isn’t that the reason you went on vacation in the first place? To relax? Join a class and take that relaxation to a whole new level.
You will find a great community
Joining any type of class opens you up to meeting new people and forming new friendships. Just think how those people are when they’re practicing something that relaxes them. Now, not only did you try something new and get to relax, you’ve also gained some great friends who will give you some tips about the place you’re vacationing at, or their hometown which you will be visiting in the near future.
Beats jet lag
Sometimes, a long nap just doesn’t shake away your weariness from the travel. But a good yoga pose (asana) like Sivasana greatly helps alleviate the jet lag. Savasana means you lie on the floor with stretched out arms and legs at a 45-degree angle to your body. It’s usually used at the end of a class to encourage a feeling of deep relaxation.
Boosts your stamina
Have you ever gone on a vacation where you wanted to keep going around the city and see more sights but your body just simply refused to cooperate? Try yoga. It boosts your stamina and helps keep you going from morning excursions to evening pub crawls.
It’s motivating
If you’re like my best friend, who’s always been curious about yoga but is too lazy to actually try it, a yoga class on vacation is a great way to motivate you to keep doing it even when you go home. Being on a vacation high while trying out something new, makes you want to keep doing it.
All you need is yourself
Granted, yogis have a yoga mat. But if you wanted to, you can do it with just a towel, or on natural ground. This makes it easier for you to try it out. You just have to show up and be enthusiastic about wanting to try this new thing out. Besides, if you really need a mat, most studios have some extra mats lying around to borrow or rent anyway.
Yoga is a great way to improve your health in many different ways, as well as help you eliminate stress faster and easier. There are many variations to doing it, teaches you how to meditate better; it’s also a great alternative when you’re too broke or busy to take a couple of days away for a vacation.
If you’ve recently booked a trip and thinking about giving yoga a go, do some research on the place you’re visiting. Check the hotel for classes, the city for nearby studios, and the area for yoga meetup groups. Find the one you want and add classes into your itinerary. Allow yourself to learn, relax, and be healthier all at the same time!
Michael Grant is an author and enthusiastic traveler. He believes that everybody, no matter what they’ve gone through, can better themselves. For more information about him, check out his blog here.
Joy exists in the present moment, always there for us, waiting for us to choose to acknowledge it. Even in the most tumultuous times, when life flies by like a rollercoaster or we feel stuck in stagnant patterns, joy is there. We must tune in to the well of happiness inside and notice it. Of course, it’s a lot easier to do when life is flowing along without major strife, but we can’t predict or control a lot of external events, so we must go inside and excavate joy from within.
What is joy? It’s easier to define what joy isn’t. Joy isn’t that artificial high characterized by reaching the mountain peak or the excitement of a new purchase, a new goal checked off of your to-do list. Joy isn’t simply adrenaline or a buzz, although joy exists there as well. Joy resides in the present, not in anticipation of the future.
Which moments of your life fill you with quiet contentment?
Do you find it when you practice yoga? Meditate? Spend time in the mountains inhaling the crisp air and scents of the trees or strolling along the ocean, dipping your toes into the refreshing water and savoring the breeze along your skin? How about snuggling on the couch with your dog or cat or partner? Sharing a delicious meal with friends? Savoring solitude with an engrossing book? Whatever it is for you, stop and notice it.
A fulfilling life consists of an accumulation of small moments, as opposed to the huge ones. For example, do you cherish your partner if you are married because of how amazing your wedding day was or because of how he makes you coffee just the way you like it and you remember to pick up her favorite chocolate croissant on the way home from work? It’s the small, daily, sustainable moments we tend to ignore that create the fabric of our lives.
Challenge yourself to slow down and recognize joy in the quieter moments. A mindful yoga and meditation practice can help you become more aware of the light and happiness within you. Tune in and become more adept at appreciating the feelings of abundance and beauty. Practice gratitude for what you have in your life today.
This week's classes will fill you with joy whether you're already feeling it, or struggling to find it. No matter where you are in this moment, one of these practices will help you access your own wellspring of joy.
1. Les Leventhal: Guidelines for a Balanced Life. Accessing Joy 2. Maria Garre: Yoga for Depression. Flow Into Happiness 3. Pradeep Teotia: Meditate with Gratitude - FREE CLASS 4. Tyrone Beverly: Energy Flow
For many, summer is a time of celebration, increased energy from the sun, and a more social time with others. It is the season of outwardness, from more time out of the house, increased engagement with the external world and time away from our homes on vacation. While this is the beauty of summer, it’s always beneficial to return inwards to reflect and recharge, during this season to remain in a state of balance.
Cooling yoga practices in the summer, create balance (while more heat building practices in the winter can create equilibrium). With gentler and cooler practices, you’ll be soothed into restoration, so you can focus on nourishing yourself. Inner work is fruitful regardless of the season, but readjusting the approach of how we practice based on the seasons can be particularly rewarding.
In the modern age, where it can seem we’re expected to keep the same routine 365 days per year, it can be easy to forget that as humans, we are seasonal creatures, like all animals, and are meant to fluctuate in how we do things from one season to the next. This week’s classes are particularly potent for this time of year, whether you’re feeling drained from summer, overwhelmed of what’s ahead for Autumn, or simply want to cool off and relax!
It’s also important to soak up the extra sunshine, warmth, and leisure of this magical time of year. It can feel like society is quick to look ahead to Autumn, which can include more routine on the horizon for many. While that may be real, why rush out of these precious long days? It’s ok to wind down your summer self, but let’s do it consciously and intentionally. Autumnal Equinox is on its way, but why hurry? There are more of nature’s gifts still arriving, and these juicy new classes are perfect for savoring THIS moment. As always, yoga helps us savor the present moment, rather than starting your holiday shopping list four months early. There will be plenty of time for that, so slow down, cool off, and savor this last stretch of summer. This week’s four classes will help!
We are thrilled to release our first class from the talented Erin Wimert, “Melt and Let Go”. This yin practice is sure to help you unwind and relax. Shannon Paige’s “Saraswati Hangs in the Stars” is a chance to reconnect with your body, mystic yoga mythology, and to learn in the process. Christen Bakken’s “Soft Heart: Chaturanga Free Practice” is a powerful way to practice yoga with an emphasis on being gentle. Lastly, Jackie Casal Mahrou’s FREE class “Cool Down Yoga” ties this week’s focus together, by utilizing yoga to cool off, relax, and replenish yourself!
We’ve talked about matcha before, in our Matcha Green Tea Latte post, but after attending The World Tea Expo this past month, we’re even more in love.
Matcha is taking the culinary world by storm – matcha vinaigrette, matcha salt, matcha popcorn, matcha ice cream. Maybe the question is what doesn’t matcha go with?!
In all seriousness though, there are a plethora of good reasons why you should add matcha to your daily routine. To name a few:
Matcha is high in l-theanine, the amino acid known for calm alertness Matcha is higher in antioxidants than blueberries, spinach or acai Matcha contains free radical fighting flavonoids helping to ward off chronic illnesses Matcha helps promote a healthy heart Matcha is good for boosting metabolism and weight loss Matcha is good for your brain function
Matcha is made from Japanese green tea. Its leaves are shade grown and then finely milled into matcha powder. The World Tea Expo experts are calling it “the must-have for the modern pantry.”
One thing to note is that not all matchas are created equal. Even well-marketed matchas can contain fillers making them less potent, less pure options. Always looks for the highest grade matcha you can find. We love the organic matcha by The Tea Spot. You can buy it online here.
Read on to get our Almond Matcha Green Smoothie recipe. It’s the perfect morning pick-me-up chockful of protein, antioxidants, and fiber to keep you going strong.
Drink up and then leave us a comment below. Have we convinced you to give matcha a try?
With mojo matcha,
Yields: 1 quart
2 cups almond milk (preferably homemade, recipe in our book) 1 frozen banana 2 handfuls of spinach or kale 1 TB almond butter 1 tsp matcha
Instructions: In a high-speed blender combine almond milk, banana, spinach, almond butter, and matcha until creamy. Serve immediately.
Complaints about the proliferation of yoga teacher training and oversaturation of the yoga market have been commonplace for years. Only recently, the economics really started to catch up and bear the prognostications true. For humble yoga teachers hoping to make a livelihood out of their passion, the current landscape often feels hued with a frightening sense of scarcity that is in sharp contrast to the abundance of the boom times enjoyed by earlier generations. Add to that the emergence of new scholarship suggesting a tenuous basis on which charismatic gurus originally garnered their authority, the harsh reality that a lot of what was taken on faith has proven unsound, and it easily starts to feel like things are falling apart.
Separating the chaff from the wheat.
Now that yoga no longer seems ruled by a few masters, and well-funded data-driven entrepreneurship and technology have entirely changed the game; transparency and authenticity are the new ground on which to take a stand. Earnest aspirants who have seen the shit hit the fan and now unwittingly view the world through newly colored lenses are not just questioning the cues that come from the mouths of teachers and the shapes they encourage us to assume, but the images and myths that have come to characterize a storied lifestyle that only really exists as a dangling carrot, convincing us to consume the swill being served. I have certainly been examining what I do as a teacher more than ever before. And I feel like my sometimes too principled stance, which I’ve enjoyed in the past, no longer holds up to scrutiny. Who am I to tell anybody else anything about their yoga? Regardless of the approach or purpose that someone adopts, if the wants of those being served are truly being met without harm, and there is some perceived or actual benefit being had then, I say, more power to whatever floats someone’s boat. Of course, most people will agree that there is a distinctly different feeling when a teacher’s driving purpose runs deeper than the immediate gratification or financial reward of meeting expectations.
Who are you going to trust, you or your lying eyes?
Few of us think of ourselves as being whole and perfect beings, already imbued with everything we need at birth. Even those who would embrace such a notion often find it hard to hold onto when so much of the external world communicates otherwise. Consequently, most of us are naturally susceptible to outside influences that easily cloud our perceptions and can taint our sense of self as a source of wisdom or insight. More confusing is when our experience of healing through practice is a mix of both deeply positive experiences and misgivings that fall somewhere on a spectrum from innocent to nefarious. Yet, most people who develop a dedicated practice over an extended time have found a genuine benefit from doing so. Even when practice goes awry and results in injury or abuse, we still often cannot deny a sense that all was not for naught. That despite our dysfunction, there remains a magic to this thing that we sometimes call yoga.
Self-empowerment goes both ways.
As avenues for individual teachers to make yoga their primary financial means are becoming fewer, sincere students emerging with 200-hour certificates and a calling to share will face some stark choices. It's difficult to make sense of the disconnect between the transformative power that some people experience through yoga and the demoralizing presentations and conventions that still characterize the industry and media sphere. If you don't really love teaching yoga to the degree that the question is not if but how then it's probably not worth asking. For me, there is a distinction between yoga and the commercial yoga industry. In practice, I feel an unexplainable something that shapes my perceptions in profoundly helpful directions. Offering my understanding of this process as a service in exchange for money, while greatly informed by my practice, is an entirely different pursuit. I sometimes wonder if it might be better to satisfy my worldly demands through other means and keep the money away from yoga. But if the benefits of yoga beyond fitness are going to be passed along in our capitalist societies then they will need to find a way to compete in the marketplace or be relegated to obscurity. If we feel compelled to take this on, it behooves us to recognize the disheartening trends not as an indication of yoga’s failure but as the ongoing work of humanity reckoning with the challenges of our times. p.s. Thanks to Zack Kurland for the title.
p.p.s. For a more nuanced consideration, listen to this week's podcast with Sadia Bruce.
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
At the end of the first chapter you get this final promise on what it means to achieve samadhi:
“The mind reaches a state when it has no impressions of any sort. It is open, clear, simply transparent.”
-TKV Desikachar
Reading the Sutras and trying to figure out this thing we call yoga is like reading the last page of a book and then going back to the beginning to start. It’s complicated.
The layers of yoga philosophy
If the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is all about samadhi (or the equivalent of the last page of a book), then it’s important to spend some time backtracking to the practical aspects of how we’re going to get there. Let the deconstruction begin.
As per usual in yoga philosophy, there are layers to this thing we call samadhi. Since the practice of yoga is a gradual practice over long periods of time (yes, this is an actual sutra – 1.14), your first experience of samadhi probably won’t be the ultimate samadhi.
According to Georg Feuerstein, in his book The Yoga Tradition:
“What is seldom understood is that, first, samadhi comprises a great variety of states and, second, those who have actually experienced this unified condition in its various forms unanimously confirm that mental lucidity is one of its hallmarks.”
This is good news! It means that it’s okay if you’ve experienced some openness, clarity, or transparency at one point or another on your path. It’s okay if it takes your whole life (or a few) to reach this point.
As long as you are aiming in the right direction, taking consistent action, committed to learning and growth, and doing the best you can based on what you know, you’re doing alright. Allow the layers to gradually unfold.
How do you know if you’re aiming in the right direction?
Why do you practice yoga?
If the first chapter is all about defining yoga as a path toward enlightenment, this begs the question, which surprisingly we don’t ask ourselves enough, why do you practice yoga?
Are you in fact practicing yoga to attain enlightenment? In my experience, very few people are.
So are you practicing yoga to be fit and healthy?
Are you practicing yoga to relax and reduce stress?
Are you practicing yoga to meet like-minded people?
What’s your end-goal? Have you ever really sat down and asked yourself this question?
Remember, yoga is about the mind
According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, yoga is all about focusing the mind. Our posture practice is a tool to help us get there, as are breath practices and meditation.
Let’s go back to the questions I posed above.
Some people may practice yoga because it makes them feel good. When we feel good, we often feel more clear and open (just like Patanjali said!). When we feel clear and open, we are more confident when it comes time to make big decisions in our lives and we don’t have as much stress, anxiety, and worry. All good!
Practicing yoga to clear your mind turns out to be a great reason to practice.
In fact, the sutras have something to say about this clarity and insight we can gain from clearing the mind.
Meditation clears the mind
Since yoga is all about the mind and we’ve decided that practicing yoga to clear the mind is a great reason to practice yoga, then meditation becomes a central component to practice. Turns out meditation is a great tool for clearing the mind!
Of course, there are stages of meditation just like there are stages of samadhi and stages of asana and so on.
I’d like to offer up a visualization for you to help you better understand meditation as a tool for mind-clearing.
Imagine you’re out for a long walk in the woods and you come upon an old abandoned house. The house looks ancient but the front door is open and you can’t help yourself (I mean, I wouldn’t go in, but you know, just go with it). You walk in and right in the grand entrance is a massive, beautiful, ornate mirror leaning up against the wall. At least, you think it’s a mirror because of the big frame around it and the shape and its position in the house, but you can’t be sure because there is so much dirt caked over the glass that you are unable to see your reflection. This mirror and house must be OLD.
As you go to wipe away the dirt, you realize there are many, many layers of dirt that will require more heavy-duty cleaning then what you can do with the swipe of your hand.
These layers of dirt are like the layers of conditioning we experience from birth. The knowledge, ideas, memories, imaginations, and dreams that pile upon our True Self and hide it away from us. In Patanjali’s yoga, the only way to get rid of all the dirt and dust and grime is to meditate.
The stages of meditation
The first stage of meditation is the stage most of us spend the most time trying to master. In this stage, we work to control the vrittis or thought patterns of the mind. The thought patterns are comprised of all our knowledge, imagination, dreams, and memories. These are most of the layers of dirt on the glass. And there’s a TON of them.
As we begin to wipe away some of these dirt layers on the mirror our image becomes more clear. (By the way, that dirt you’re wiping off doesn’t disappear, it’s just on the ground now instead of on the glass and if we don’t keep up with our practices it will surely make it’s way back onto the glass again.) As some of the layers of dirt are wiped away, we may be able to see some more detail in the intricacies of the mirror. We may be able to understand more about ourselves.
But to get a truly transparent, clean piece of glass, we must keep wiping away ALL the dirt layers. We must scrub even those hardest, most caked-on pieces. The second stage of meditation asks us to go beyond the insights and new knowledge we are gaining as we wipe away the dirt. We must not get distracted by the new insights, lest we get lazy and allow the dirt to pile back on. At this point, as we move beyond our insights, we enter into one of the first layers of enlightenment.
Finally, when the pure, clean glass reveals itself in all its splendor and glory we enter the third stage of meditation and move beyond our pre-destiny. It is this stage that catapults us into and through the various stages of enlightenment. It is in this stage that we overcome samskara, or the inherent grooves and patterns that came with us when we entered into this world. In yogic thought, these samskaras are attached to our soul based on deeds in past lives. They are unconscious and deeply rooted within us. They explain our personalities and how we are the way we are. In combination with the actions we’ve taken and the decisions we’ve made in our current life, the samskaras determine how we live.
No need to get all bent out of shape about this, though. In Patanjali’s yoga, we have LOTS of free will. We are not simply destined to be who we are without any hope of things getting any better. It might be hard to overcome our struggles and challenges, but every moment is an opportunity to transcend.
Start at the beginning
Okay, so if those are the three stages of meditation…where do we start?
Let’s start simple.
Let’s start with finding some clarity in the midst of the confusion and overwhelm we might experience viscerally on a daily basis.
Are you ready to get clear on why you practice yoga? Are you ready to meditate?
The best way to begin is to start.
Your inner warrior lives in your heart, the space where love and fear reside. When you turn your gaze inward, when you become still and quiet, you can access this wellspring of bravery and power and stand up for what you believe in. Arjuna, the hero of the Bhagavad Gita, explored the many facets involved in the battle to do what he deemed right. The entire story demonstrates how taking a stand isn’t simple or easy, but necessary to be true to yourself.
Practicing yoga allows us to dig into our hearts and minds and truly see who we are and what we are willing to battle. This week, we here at YogaDownload.com encourage you to tap into your inner warrior. Are you already shining for everyone to see or do you need liberation? We all believe in something worth fighting for, sometimes we just need a reminder.
Step onto your yoga mat or sit on your meditation pillow with the intent to cultivate your strength, compassion and unique power. Attention and awareness are the tools to begin your journey inward. Attune to your individual truth in order to express it without fear of the outcome. Often, our attachment to the results of our actions paralyzes us and we fail to act. Release the connection to outcome and instead listen to your heart.
Yoga Sutra 2:46: Sthira sukham asanam translates to the posture should be a balance of steadiness and ease. Work toward experiencing each posture with this combination of strength tempered by softness. Practice the principle and experience how it feels on your yoga mat and take the feeling with you off your mat.
Each one of is an individual, unique soul. Choose one of our new classes this week to tap into your own version of being your strongest self. Go ahead: be a peaceful warrior!
Guidelines for a Balanced Life: Building Blocks for Courage & Trust - Les Leventhal Warriors Take Flight - Ellen Kaye HardCORE Yoga with Weights: Boot Camp Part II - Becca Riopelle A Warrior In Self Care - Valerie D'Ambrosio
Engaging consciously with the eclipse energy is the best thing you can do to harness the powerful forces present during this month. Most potently, eclipses act to conceal and reveal the depths of our psyche and the power of our spirit. Anything hidden in the shadows of our unconscious must be brought to light, and the light of our consciousness needs to reflect what is most important to us. Events like this inevitably stir up old wounds, challenge our perceptions of ourselves and others, and reflect our inadequacies back to us in ways that they must be addressed.
If we do not address what comes up with this eclipse, then what is left undealt with will continue to dominate our lives, actions, and decisions for a long time to come. The only way to deal with and process what is revealed through the solar eclipse is with patience, acceptance, and gratitude. Patience helps us to take things one step at a time, acceptance allows us to be kind to ourselves through the process, and gratitude reveals the gift of whatever is showing up for us.
There is always a gift. In fact, it is within the darkest reaches of our psyche that our greatest gifts lie. This opportunity to bring them into the light is precious. Rather let them continue to hide in the shadows, use the revelatory power of this month to bring them to the fore and transmute what may at first feels like heaviness or darkness into light.
This is an old alchemical process that each of us is empowered to do this month. It started with the full moon and partial lunar eclipse in Aquarius on August 7th that challenged us to defy expectations, grow beyond our limiting beliefs, and follow our flashes of inspiration to align with what is best for us. As the light of the moon is eclipsed, and darkened, we are more easily triggered, quicker to anger, or cast judgment….these are opportunities to notice what is hiding in our shadow! Our triggers show us what we are passionate about, our anger reveals the depth of our love, and judgment shows where we ourselves are not yet free.
All of this invaluable information -- this darkness -- is brought back into the light with the solar eclipse during the new moon in Leo on August 21st. This is our chance for the alchemical shift of our darkness into light, or the proverbial transformation of “lead into gold.” This is a metaphorical movement of our spirit as we take what has been revealed to us this month to no longer serve us and start leaning toward the light. We do this by maintaining elevated focus and intention during this time, and concentrating all of our energy on elevating our hearts and minds. Luckily, the influence of Leo (which is ruled by the sun) on this eclipse encourages us to shine brightly, during this process of self-revelation. A close relationship with Mercury begs us to carefully measure our words, and make sure they carry the truth and light of our being. Uranus is on hand during the eclipse to deliver flashes of insight that help to lead us toward our most inspired lives, and Pluto sits by and waits for us to make the hard…but right…choices for ourselves.
If we do, if we speak carefully, move forward into our own shadow to reveal our brightest light, we will be rewarded with the courage to move from our own heart center and choose the life we’ve been waiting for. Do the work. Exit this eclipse shining like the sun and expand your elevated energy out into the world!
Alchemical Ritual for the Leo New Moon and Solar Eclipse
As a fire sign, Leo is passionately driven toward an exuberant expression of self and reveling in the company and attention of others. On the low side, Leo becomes aggressive or arrogant, or the opposite: shy with a lack of self-confidence. This new moon ritual for Leo emphasizes the high side of Leo so that we step out of the shadow, into our own light and present it to the world with joy and love.
Leo's ruler is the sun, which represents the light of full consciousness. However, if the sun burns too brightly, it singles all those who touch it. And, without the sun, it leaves others cold and unfeeling. Leo’s inherent warmth must be generous, and humble; the perfect combination to allow Leo’s energy to shine appropriately. To keep Leo’s energy elevated in this ritual, gather yellow stones such as citrine, topaz or jasper, and place them in the center of your ritual space. You may also place your sacred items in a gold (or gold-colored) bowl or chalice, as gold compliments the sun.
Bring in the fire element in some way, by surrounding your ritual space with candles. Fire, being the inherent energy of the sun. Frankincense oil may be used to anoint your third eye and solar plexus chakra before and after the ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yours and the space by casting smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light your candles and dim the lights. Sit in the center of your space and bring the hands together at the heart center. Close the eyes, and turn the inner gaze to the third eye and say the following invocation aloud:
Sun, light my way so that I may shine brightly for the benefit of all.
Do one round of a yogic breath called skull-shining (kapalabhati) to ignite the inner flame and fan it toward the third eye, allowing you to clearly see how to bring the fullest expression of yourself into the world. Place one hand on the abdomen as you sharply exhale through the nose. Repeat this rapidly for 10 - 20 repetitions. The sensation is the same as blowing the nose, or coughing as you use the abdominal muscles to push the air to the top of the nasal passages, and then out the nose. Allow the inhale to be passive, as the shoulders stay relaxed and the mouth stays closed.
After the skull-shining breath, resume normal breathing and notice the energy shift in the body. Ask yourself silently: “How may I best be of service to others?” Allow time for a subtle answer. It may be one you expect, or not! Whatever answer comes is the right one for you at this time. Hold your hand over your upper belly as you breathe into the answer you receive and feel it take hold of you, inside and out.
When complete, turn the internal gaze to the third eye and chant Om three times. Snuff the candles and write down the answer that you received (either on paper or as a reminder on your phone), so that you place your attention on it daily until sharing your gift becomes a natural extension of your daily life. This ritual allows you to know your purpose, understanding that the fullest expression of yourself is the greatest gift you give to the world.
Click Here to learn more about Alanna's 200hr Online Teacher Training with YogaDownload.com
ZOODLES FIESTA STYLE
Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free
Yields 4-6 servings
ZOODLE INGREDIENTS
6 zucchini squash (sub with yellow summer squash if desired), spiralized 1 cup sugar plum or cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters 1 large bell pepper, diced 1 ½ cups (1 15oz. can) black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) corn 1 cup cooked quinoa 2 scallions, thinly sliced Juice from 1 large lemon or lime Juice from ½ orange 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar ¼ cup tahini or olive oil Pink Himalayan salt, to taste Red pepper flakes, to taste Cayenne pepper, to taste Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce, recipe below
CILANTRO AVOCADO CREAM SAUCE INGREDIENTS
2 avocados, pits, and skin removed 2 Tbsp. water, or more as needed to thin out Juice from 2 limes 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 2 cups packed fresh cilantro 1 tsp. pink Himalayan salt, to taste 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed Cayenne pepper, to taste
CILANTRO AVOCADO CREAM SAUCE METHOD
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
ZOODLE METHOD
Spiralize zucchini and place into a large bowl. The Paderno World Cuisine Spiral Slicer is our spiralizer of choice. Add remaining ingredients, toss and adjust seasonings to taste, and drizzle with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce. Serve at room temp or chilled.
Enjoy as a main dish or a delightfully filling side!
Thrive on,
Coach Jentry
Jentry Lee Hull is the culinary wizard behind the plant-powered delights on @hullyeahwerevegan. As a yoga instructor, boot camp coach, Dietetics student, amateur chef, and longtime vegan, Jentry strives to marry fitness, wellness, mindfulness, health, and compassion in every aspect of her work. Jentry loves creating and sharing tasty vegan food with clients, friends, neighbors, and family.
“Just as yoga is the intention of linking our movement to our breath, how we nourish our bodies is a matter of uniting our values with our actions. It is not about achieving perfection, but rather doing the best we can for ourselves and others.”
Try implementing your meditation session in your daily morning routine. Why should you meditate in the morning? It’s simple, if you meditate during the first hours of the day, the benefits of meditation will last the entire day. Therefore, it will enhance your motivation and you will experience a fresh and powerful start every single morning.
Understand how meditation works and how meditation may help you boost the performance of your day: 1. Mediation Helps You Lower Your Stress
Mediation is a mind-body experience practiced for thousands of years. By practicing it, you will emerge into a state of peacefulness and relaxation. In order to begin your meditation, you should quiet your thoughts and relax. After a few minutes, you will feel like everything around you has a deeper meaning and you will start appreciating every bit of it. The aim of meditation is to help you become aware of the present moment and improve your connection to your higher self. Achieving this state of mind every morning will lower your stress and increase your overall productivity during the day. 2. Clarity of Mind In the present day, clarity of mind is something that all of us lack. Yet, not all of us are aware of our mental states. Each of us suffers from the 21-century sicknesses such as confusion, stress, overwhelm and so on. Therefore, the only reasonable cure may be meditation. By meditating every morning, you will disconnect yourself from the distractions that stop you from achieving total silence. When total silence is achieved, you will feel that long-awaited clarity of mind. It’s like everything falls into place. Each of us has a different way of experiencing this state of being. Therefore, give it a try! 3. Healing Yourself Through Positive Energy Waves Meditation has a lot of other roles besides relaxation. One of them is healing yourself by getting rid of your emotional garbage. Once your inner problems and frustrations have been dispersed, you will start feeling self ‘confident and more secure. George Mitchells, CEO at CareersBooster, practices meditation as a daily routine. In the following words, he cares to share his humble opinion about healing through meditation:
“When meditating becomes a habit, you will instantly begin spreading positive energy towards people around you. People may even feel better after engaging in a conversation with you or even shake your hand. Keep in mind that through meditation, we may begin to develop healing powers.” 4. It Improves Your Emotional Stability Stress is the root of most diseases. Negative emotions are generated by stress; therefore, emotional instability is established. This instability is characterized by anger and anxiety. These feelings may be extremely harmful to your physical well-being. The only way to save yourself from such an unpleasant situation is to practice mindfulness. Think about it this way: every negative feeling you get will be extinguished by a positive feeling generated by meditation. 5. More Energy is Generated Through Meditation An amazing benefit that comes with entering a meditative state is the unlimited energy flow that you’re experiencing. You can use meditation as a recharging method. Whenever you feel down or exhausted, take 5 minutes and meditate. Your cognitive abilities and focus will be increased as well; therefore, your productivity at work will rise. Meditation is a method which can aid you in controlling your moods. It helps you take control over your thoughts and feelings, so you can become your own master. Another interesting thing is that by cultivating this energy, you can share it with other people. Even your presence in a room may affect people’s state of mind. So much energy can be gathered from meditation that some people may even replace sleep with it. But, you must be well versed in these techniques in order to be able to do this.
Meditation is our connection to the universe. Is the only way in which we may experience our higher- self. Therefore, don’t underestimate its power. In order to make use of this excellent method, you should start meditating every morning, at least 10 minutes. It will change your life completely. The state of mind which you are achieving through meditation can’t be explained by words, so you must experience it yourself.
Eva Wislow is a career coach at CareersBooster. She loves helping people achieve life satisfaction and success at work. Eva finds her inspiration in writing and peace of mind through yoga.
New to meditation, or experienced and want to make it a consistent part of your life? Dive in, with the 14-Day Meditation program, now!
1 1/2 pounds roasted organic chicken 1 Granny Smith apple, diced into 1/4-inch pieces 1/4 cup raisins or currants 1/4 cup minced scallions, green part only 2 stalks celery, diced small 1/2 cup organic plain Greek-style yogurt 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tablespoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 6 butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried 1/4 cup slivered toasted almonds (see page 93), for garnish 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Chop the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a bowl. Stir in the apple, raisins, scallions, and celery. Separately, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, curry powder, ginger, and salt. Add the yogurt mixture to the chicken and stir gently until thoroughly combined. Serve atop the lettuce leaves, garnished with the almonds and cilantro.
Variation: Making pita pocket sandwiches is a fantastic way to get much-needed nutrients into your body and fill your belly while you’re running errands, waiting for a doctor’s appointment, or otherwise on the go. Place a pita on a flat work surface and cut a 2-inch section off the top using a knife. With the pita lying flat, insert 1⁄4 cup of salad greens, then carefully spread 1⁄2 cup of the chicken salad on top of the greens, making certain to spread it around the entire cavity of the pita.
Reprinted with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery. Copyright © 2009, 2017 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.
Rebecca Katz invented the term “Culinary Translator” to describe what I do, which is essentially translating nutritional science to the plate, seasoned by wisdom and the alchemy of flavor. Ater a stressed-out career in the business world, Rebecca was led to seek out a more nourishing life. She found the answer in a signora’s kitchen in Florence, and went on to formal culinary training at the Natural Gourmet Institute. Since then, she has become Executive Chef for the Food As Medicine professional nutrition training program, obtaining a Masters of Science degree in Health and Nutrition Education from Hawthorn University, and publishing her first science-based cookbook, Healing Kitchens.
You already know and love Michelle’s classes on YogaDownload, but you may not know she is an award-winning journalist, the author of three books on yoga, and a teacher in Denver, Colorado. Check out why she’s called the Yogi Muse on her site. We’re thrilled to introduce Desiree Rumbaugh, a world-renowned master instructor who shares her wisdom derived from more than thirty years experience. Learn more on her website, desireerumbaugh.com.
Age is just a number. We all know the sixty year old we thought was twenty years younger because of brimming vitality and energy. On the flip side, even if you are in your twenties or thirties, you can feel decades older if you aren’t regularly exercising and taking care of your body, mind and spirit. Regardless of your biological age, there are jewels of wisdom to be mined in these videos and this brilliant book.
As we age, muscle mass begins to decline and bone strength does too. The significance of building core strength and focusing on spinal alignment becomes more important every year. Another aspect of having life experience is gaining perspective through navigating challenges, including joy and grief, and love and loss. Nurturing your heart and your mind is just as important as creating resilience in your physical body. Yoga celebrates this connection.
The Fearless at Fifty classes and program offer practices featuring yoga for strength and perseverance, to create long, resilient muscles and flexibility in the body. Each chapter in Desiree and Michelle’s new book has a corresponding video to complement the material.
The videos can be enjoyed as stand alones or you can use them as a supplement to the book. The classes are instructional and run around thirty minutes each, except for “Let’s Practice,” where Desiree and Michelle put it all together for you.
This method is beneficial for everyone, especially if you’ve been on the planet for more than a few decades.
No matter who you are, choose to empower yourself with the wisdom, grace, and instruction of Desiree and Michelle today!
The first eclipse of this season occurs alongside the Aquarius New Moon on August 7th. The Lunar Eclipse on this date takes us into the unconscious to retrieve old, embedded wounds that beg to be examined. How do we know what they are? Anything that triggers us, causes unexplained (or out-of-proportion) emotions to arise, or pushes us into a fear-state are actually complexes hidden in the shadows of our psyche. Just like little children have a tantrum, or cry out to be held and nurtured, these complexes behave the same way. If we have the patience to sit with them, be present with their energy, and remain an observer of our thoughts and feelings, they will actually reveal to us some hidden gemjust below their hardened surface. This requires patience, but is the work necessary during this lunar eclipse to then reap the potential rewards of the solar eclipse later in the month on August 21st.
The Aquarius flavor of the full moon and lunar eclipse on August 7th suggest that your flashes of inspiration are a guide for your inner work. When inspiration comes, or, when you are pulled in a certain direction…go there, even if it is uncomfortable. Aquarius is not rattled by the radical, rather it is inspired to revolutionize its way through a unique existence driven by its own nature. This lunar eclipse is the perfect chance for you to reveal what is truly alive inside you, awaken it, and bring it forth. It will serve you well in the time to come, and especially throughout the course of August as we transition from the depths of the lunar eclipse and full moon on August 7th, to the new moon and solar eclipse event on August 21st.
These two eclipses set in motion events that will certainly last a year…and perhaps, a lifetime. Affirm what you want to keep, deny what is not yours, and claim your birthright of freedom and bliss. Alchemical Ritual for the Aquarius Full Moon
As an air sign, Aquarius is an individualist, truth sayer and humanitarian. Aquarius is often setting the trend for all kinds of social change, while the rest of us are simply trying to catch up. This capacity for forward thinking often leaves Aquarius lonely in a state of exile. Few understand Aquarius’ capacity for revolutionary thinking, which makes it critical for Aquarius to communicate clearly, remembering the audience to whom it speaks. To speak in a way that others can receive the message benefits not only Aquarius, but all who listen.
Aquarius’ ancient ruler is Saturn, and so it always feels pressure to get things done. It’s modern ruler is Uranus, which is constantly feeing Aquarius the flashes of inspiration and insight it needs to think so far outside the box. We want these messages to come through loud and clear, so that they can be communicated loudly and clearly, too. When the transmission moves clearly through—from above to below— Aquarius is a successful conduit for higher messages to be used (and acted upon) here on earth.
To activate Aquarius’ conducive and inspirational energy, gather stones such as amethyst, aventurine, garnet or onyx. If you have some patchouli incense, that works well for this ritual. Light it before you begin, and 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 anoint your third eye with cypress, patchouli or frankincense essential oil, if available. Enter your ceremonial space with the intention to open yourself to the messages that are intended for you, so you may bring them to the world.
With openness and receptivity, say the following invocation out loud:
Aquarius, Uranus and Saturn, open my receptivity so I may be a conduit for the messages that need to come through me and be broadcasted to the world.
Cup your hands over your ears and chant OM out loud three times. This increases the resonance within your mind and heart, and attunes your ears to a higher kind of listening. Sit quietly and rest the hands palms up on the knees, which is a simple gesture of receptivity.
Allow yourself to receive whatever messages come. They may come in the form of words, thoughts, feelings or sensations. Do not anticipate or second guess them. Simply receive. What you receive may surprise you, but the more you open yourself up to be a channel for positive change, the easier and more clearly the messages start to come through you.
When complete, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Bring your palms into prayer and the thumbs up to the third eye. By increasing our intuitive power, and listening to messages from a higher source, we allow ourselves to get out of our own way in our mission to be a force for change.
Sounds simple, right? Well, just like Patanjali wrote in the Yoga Sutras, the path is simple, but it isn’t easy. It takes effort and dedication to release fear and open up to the wellspring of light and beauty within you. The practice of yoga is one of shedding layers and negative patterns, especially the self-talk surrounding being undeserving of love, prosperity, abundance, health, and a life without limits.
Where to start? Begin by turning your eye inward and examine where you are right now. Are you living your fullest life? Fulfilling your potential? Are you content in your personal life, but your professional life feels like a rut? Or, vice-versa? Check in with every aspect of your current situation and be willing to release what isn’t working and be open to risk, to something new.
If you discover you aren’t living the life of your dreams ask yourself what doubts inhabit your heart and restrict you from moving forward? What stories do you tell yourself? Are any of those stories keeping you in a limbo or a negative place? What’s the first stage of creating the life you desire and deserve?
We suggest you step onto the mat or onto your meditation cushion. Let your mind quiet in order to release limiting beliefs about who you are and what you’re capable of being. Work through movement, breath, and intention to release fear. Yoga’s about finding clarity of focus and recognizing your own inner light and allowing it to shine bright.
When you can connect to your center and operate from your highest self, shifts began to happen in the way you view the world and your place in it. Don’t let yourself or anybody else impose restrictions on your potential: the sky is the limit. If you can visualize it, you can create it—whatever that means to you.
Check out our beautiful assortment of new classes from beloved instructors. This week is centered around assisting you on your journey to your limitless self.
1. Yoga Alchemy: The Axis - Mark Morford 2. The Practice of Fullness - Christen Bakken 3. Live Limitless: Vasisthasana - Kylie Larson 4. Get Hooked - Eric Paskel