Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

One of the primary intentions in yoga is to center your mind and become grounded in the present moment. In our daily lives off of the mat, it’s easy to become mired in the past and controlled by memories, patterns, and fears. Also, in our Western culture, the focus on the future, on doing, on achieving, on getting somewhere or buying something, pulls us out of the now. Yoga teaches us to focus on the present moment.

On a hot, summer day sometimes all you want is a heaping scoop of cold ice cream. You know what I’m talking about. It’s that sweet, creamy goodness that takes you back in time to when you were a carefree kiddo, covered in sunscreen, running around with your best buds looking for trouble. Ice cream is like summertime in a cone. Insert, nice cream. Nice cream has the same dreamy ice cream flavor, but with zero refined sugar, dairy, preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup and gluten. It’s just whole fruit blended with a little plant milk and topped with more goodies.

Mindfulness refers to a state of consciousness characterized by acute awareness of the present moment. The state of mindfulness can help individuals become more aware of their emotions, thoughts and health. Mindfulness originated in Buddhist tradition, but the principles of mindfulness and meditation have been incorporated into modern psychiatric treatment since the 1970s. The state of mindfulness is primarily learned through time spent in meditation. By focusing on breathing and posture, individuals can learn the ability to enter a state of calm observation. This process allows them to gain improved awareness of external stimuli, as well deeper insights into their own feelings. Furthermore, research shows that mindful meditation can help heal damage to the brain caused by substance abuse. Learning more about the benefits of mindful meditation therapy is a huge advantage for those considering addiction treatment.

We all get stuck in a rut from time to time—even yoga teachers. In fact, the question that comes up most frequently in the group of teachers that I mentor is, “How do I keep my practice and teaching fresh?” After all, it’s hard to inspire and connect with your students when you’re feeling stale. The first thing to remember is this: All relationships, vocations, and passions go through different phases. If things feel a little lackluster from time to time it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or your relationship to yoga. Try not to go crazy if your practice and teaching feel stagnant. Acknowledge and allow the feelings. And when you feel ready try these simple tips for getting back to what matters most.

I absolutely love hummus. The best hummus I ever had was in Istanbul. It was the perfect smooth consistency with just the right combination of lemon and garlic. I'll never be able to top that, so I decided to try a checkpea-less hummus. I used zucchini - mostly because I had a bunch on my countertop, but also because I knew it would blend up well in the food processor. Combined with the lemon, nutritional yeast and tahini, it was a hit at my house as we chowed down while catching up on Suits.

A number of long-time yoga teachers are deciding to stop referring to what they teach as yoga. In the past, the term yoga represented a freedom to explore and discover truths outside western cultural norms. Now that yoga has largely become a western cultural norm, fueled by the advertising prowess of a multi-billion dollar industry and challenged by scholars questioning appropriation, public perception has been shaped in ways that have made the word yoga seem limiting. However, the teachers are the only ones who hold the power to define what they do, not scholars or the industry.

When summer rolls around, yoga practice can fall by the wayside — the longer days mean we spend more time outdoors, we travel, those of us who have kids deal with changing schedules. So, to keep you inspired, Jason and I are doing a six-episode summer podcast series!

The Capricorn full moon on July 9th, presents us with an opportunity for clarity on our career path. It asks us if we merely want a job…or a calling. Passionate Pluto sits directly next to this full moon, inciting the inner questions regarding whether we are truly fulfilled by our work, whether is serves our highest good, and whether it is allowing us to transform or is keeping us small.

“Summer time and the living’s easy” …Sublime’s song Summertime

This morning I really wasn’t planning on making anything overly fancy. If I’m going to be honest I really just imagined myself making a nice bowl of oats and leaving it at that. However, as soon as I turned on last nights recording of Vice (a documentary series that is probably the best thing on TV at the moment) I figured I would be in the kitchen for a while so I may as well mix things up a bit and step away from my usual oats. So instead, I began chopping up some nuts, and fruit and quickly realized that what I was going to end up with was something exciting and created possibly the most delicious breakfast I have ever made!

You might be thinking, you already go to the gym, so why should you include yoga into your exercise routine, isn’t that just for relaxing? Although it is a fantastic way of finding some headspace and letting go of any stress in your body, yoga can dramatically improve your gym workouts. The perfect partner to any type of exercise, whether it’s cardio or weight training, it can boost your performance in the gym and enhance your overall fitness. The word itself actually means ‘union’, so think of yoga as the perfect union between health and fitness.

What does freedom mean to you? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Does freedom need to be granted to you by a higher power? Or, can we cultivate a sense of freedom from the inside out by shifting our perception, by working to release fear that weighs us down and prevents us from living our life to the fullest?

Students who love Ustrasana praise the pose for the way it opens the shoulders, chest and upper-back. And, they’re right. Ustrasana is hard to beat when it comes to extending the thoracic spine. Students who loathe Ustrasana invariably complain about discomfort in the neck and lower back. They’re also right. It can be tough to do Ustrasana without creating excessive compression in your lower back and neck.

Today’s recipe is cleanse-friendly and can be easily modified to stay within the guidelines of Purification. Simply omit the olives if you want to be a purist–or keep them in and consider them part of what’s easing you off of your Purification.

"Extremes are easy, strive for balance." ~ Colin Wright

“It's about what you believe. And I believe in love. Only love will truly save the world.” Wonder Woman from the awesome new movie. Love is a superhero power!

The New Moon in Cancer on June 23, 2017 is an opportunity for us to tap into our inner self and discover more about who we are and what serves our highest good. Hidden in the watery depths of the unconscious is the precious source of our greatest wisdom. As the mother of the sky, and ruler of our divine feminine nature (regardless of gender), Cancer represents our potential to utilize our emotions as nurturing guides signaling which direction to move next. When we pay attention, the unconscious speaks. We just need to understand the language. The most basic communication comes through emotion, and most easily understood as “good” feelings or “bad” feelings. 

These days there are so many articles and courses and books out there trying to teach us how to be happy, how to love ourselves, and what we have to do in order to feel free and successful. And don’t get me wrong, I love this- I love the way we as a collective are beginning to focus on self-growth, self-knowledge, and self-love. What I don’t love though, is that there is often a step that is missing from these books and articles and courses. A step that is absolutely crucial to take on the path of self-love and learning to love ALL parts of you.

There's many people who used to keep diaries and journals when they were teenagers. It was a way of expressing your anxiety and issues with the world at large. Why, then, do most of them drop the habit when they grow up?

These chickpea burgers are similar to a Middle Eastern falafel. This isn’t like the Americanized version of falafel that resembles carnival food deep-fried in some unhealthy oil. That’s a culinary crime, because falafel done right is so delicious and nutritious. It’s all in the blend. Here the secret ingredient is basmati rice, which holds the chickpea mixture together and creates a complete protein. I love the mini-burger concept; the whole wheat bun is like putting falafel in a top hat and tails, perfect for folks who like the taste of beans when they’re broken down and combined with heady herbs and spices. Gently pan-seared or baked, these burgers are bountiful bites of health.

Did you know that the right body posture can make you look taller, slimmer, and more confident? Thanks to our hectic schedules, our mind and body are always tired. Most of us slouch over our desks, straining our backs in the process. The constant stress and pressure make it really hard for you to maintain a good posture. When your body is in the ideal position, everything else is comfortable. However, accommodating time for a workout or exercise is stressful when your timetable is blocked by work. What if I told you that without wasting much of your day, you could do a few yoga asanas that can make a difference? Read on to know more.

Our core is our center—physically, emotionally and mentally. It’s vital to keep our spine healthy, our abs strong, and cultivate our prana from our navel center. Learn to utilize the wisdom of yoga to become your most confident, decisive, and happy self. Diving into subtle body anatomy, specifically balancing your Manipura or navel Chakra can empower your life. This week, we’ve got four new classes and a previously released class to get you started.

Today’s recipe was created by culinary master Leslie White from Zeal Food here in Boulder. This decadent sweet treat was the closing morsel of yumminess that completed our cleanse-friendly meal last week, and people have been talking about it since.

The novelty of yoga has been worn down to almost nothing by a multi-billion dollar industry that cares little for its tenets, like the crumbling shreds of a shoddily made pvc mat from China. But from out of the ashes of craven images and advertising schemes, a new discipline is emerging.

A full moon in Sagittarius on June 9, 2017 encourages us to explore the realm of the religious function of our psyche. Often overlooked, or pushed aside in favor of science and certainty, this mystical heart of our being is bereft of attention. Because of a lack of connection to a personal mythology, we suffer from constant overwhelm of life’s circumstances, and an unknowing of how to make sense of them.