As you’ve probably realized by now, true and lasting happiness doesn’t come from external pleasures or achievements. Of course, feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction come from reaching a long-aimed for goal or experiencing a string of “good luck.”
Nothing’s wrong with ambition or indulging in a delicious meal or buying a new pair of sneakers. These transient experiences don’t translate to lasting happiness, however. Happiness Flow by Jackie Casal Mahrou could get you closer!
Happiness isn’t based upon what’s happening in the external world. Instead, contentment comes from within. In the eight-limb path of yoga, the second limb is the Niyamas or our moral behaviors. One of the Niyamas is Santosha, defined as contentment or satisfaction.
Learning to accept the present moment without constantly focusing on the future takes practice. We are equipped to live with a sense of Santosha, regardless of prevailing circumstances. This state of being isn’t automatic--it takes effort. Try Christen Bakken’s Super Okay: A Practice of Contentment.
In yoga, we learn to cultivate our inner light and stoke our inner fire, regardless of life’s challenges. Going through difficulties like loss—whether it’s loss of a loved one, loss of a job or home or whatever matters to you—is tough. By building inner stamina and strength, we weather those storms and still maintain our inner contentment. Lighten Your Flow: Kapha Reducing Yoga by one of our newest teachers, Maria Garre is designed to help.
You’ve probably heard the famous quote, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, attributed to Roman philosopher Seneca. Look at preparation as your inner work and opportunity as what arises when you’ve done that work. In other words, there’s no such thing as “good luck,” instead you’ve created your positive experiences from the inside out.
Try one of our new classes designed to assist you in uncovering your own luck and happiness.
The best way to keep your body in shape is yoga. Pregnant yoga can keep you in shape during pregnancy, keep you light, strengthen your muscles, and improve your balance and circulation. There is even a slight slowing of the joint pressure of pregnant women.
Help reduce swelling and inflammation of the joints of the problem: swelling and inflammation due to in vivo edema and blood circulation weakened. Yoga contributes to promoting blood flow, it can tactfully prevent and reduce the swelling of the hands or ankles during pregnancy regardless of the typical situation.
Prevention and slow down the back of the pain problem: low back pain during pregnancy is a common symptom. Regular practice of pregnant women yoga can stretch the muscles of the lower back and forging strengthen the lower back muscles and spine. Work on reducing muscle tension and improve posture to relieve back pain.
Reduce stress: Yoga can cause pregnant women to release physical and psychological pressure. To adapt to pregnancy, mothers need a lot of physical strength. To balance out hormones, it is important to maintain regular breathing and relaxation, as well as stabilize the body and mind.
Naturopathy: Pregnant women yoga can make the general sense of discomfort caused by pregnancy and become more naturally relaxed, without the use of external drug treatment.
Particular attention while practicing yoga during pregnancy
For pregnant women yoga, expectant mothers must pay special attention to avoid certain postures. Some challenging and laborious movements may affect the position of the abdomen. It is recommended that pregnant women should exercise or practice yoga within their capacity and not be overly reluctant. If you experience difficulty in postures, you can also use a variety of props such as pillows, elastic bands, yoga bricks, and chairs. Try doing similar movements slowed down, in order to avoid the rapid action or any injuries. Do not try inversions, shoulder stands, jumps, etc. as it may pull the abdominal muscles. Former back bends or twists should be avoided. Remember to bring bottles of water. Hot yoga classes should be avoided as they may cause overheating in pregnant women.
Effect of practicing yoga on the baby during pregnancy
Mothers who practice yoga can also help with breathing techniques. These techniques are essential for mothers who are expecting. Pregnancy can cause intense mental and physical stress, especially when their hormonal patterns may be erratic and result in mood swings. Expectant mothers can use yoga movements and breathing methods to help the mother to remain relaxed. Since the mother and baby are closely linked to each other, it helps your child relax as well. Breathing methods ensure that the fetus will get enough oxygen flow. Through different yoga movements and the process of physical stretching exercises, yoga helps the healthy growth of the fetus and prepare the body for the delivery process.
Can yoga help one lose weight after childbirth?
Most pregnant women face postpartum problems with weight gain and relaxation. Yoga can solve these two problems together, and achieve positive results. A variety of body stretching, movement, and controlled breathing, helps maintain healthy endurance and control. These exercises strengthen the body's metabolism more efficiently, burn more calories, and aid in weight loss. Unlike weight training in general, yoga focuses on the individual muscle blocks, and practicing yoga can make the body muscles continue moving energy in the right direction. Regular yoga practice with proper eating habits and training helps postpartum muscles and body shape stay in balance.
Elsa T. Anderson has been working in the field of Health for over three years. She is an expert in the developing strategies for women health, providing thought leadership and pursuing strategies in health innovation. At present, she is working on remedies for morning sickness as a Pregnant Women Health Consultant. To learn more about Elsa, go to WhenMorningSicknessStarts.
My parents came home with a bunch of his cook books last year, and I remember being completely taken aback by his utterly simple approach to food. For those of you who havent, I seriously suggest going out and picking up a copy of his 15 and 30 minute meals!!
I'm a sucker for mushrooms - and I feel that a lot of vegans and vegetarians are. Some believe that it is because they are the closest thing we have to meat - and while I don't entirely believe that, I'm very happy that mushrooms get the attention they so rightfully deserve.
While watching and episde of Jamie's 30 Minute Meal the other day, he prepared what looked like the most utterly delicious roast mushrooms I have ever seen (granted they were covered in cheese, and I will always gravitate to things that feature cheese, as pre-vegan I was a complete cheese addict).
Moral of the story is, I decided that I needed those mushrooms in my life - and I needed them right away. After a quick trip to the fridge, and realising I had all the necessary ingredients (winning) I decided to whip up my version of King Jamies Roasted Mushrooms.
Roasted Mushrooms Recipe
8-10 cremini mushrooms 3 large cloves of garlic, crushed 1 large red chilli, chopped Zest of 1 lemon 1/4 olive oil 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons corriander, chopped
Begin by slicing off the stem of each of the mushrooms and tossing the stalk.
Next add the minced garlic, chilli, lemon zest and oil to a bowl and stir, let it sit for around 5 minutes to infuse the oil with a really amazing chilli flavour. Add the chopped parsley.
Place the mushrooms stalk side up on a baking tray, and proceed to rub each very generously with the oil mix. You want to pay attention to ensure every part of the mushroom is coated.
Bake in oven for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the mushrooms look beautifully roasted and soft.
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!
1. Yoga is more effective than relaxation in reducing high blood pressure- Yoga is more effective than relaxation in reducing high blood pressure according to Lancet study in 1975. This is the first-ever randomized trial on yoga.
2. It can help in bronchial asthma- It can be helpful in asthma according to British Medical Journal in 1985. This is the first randomized trial on yoga for asthma that shows the effects of yoga on inner organs.
3. Meditation decreases the depression- A study conducted by the University of California concluded that mindfulness meditation decreases ruminative thinking and dysfunctional beliefs. Study shows that depression, anxiety and stress can be reduce through meditation.
4. Reduce depression in mothers to be- A University of Michigan Health System pilot feasibility study shows that it can reduce the depressive symptoms in high-risk pregnant women.
5. Meditation regulate mood and anxiety disorders- More than 20 randomized controlled studies by PubMed, Cochrane Databases and PsycInfo concludes that meditation can treat anxiety disorder. These studies also include the techniques of meditation, yoga, meditative prayer and relaxation response.
6. Yoga benefits for carpal tunnel syndrome- A study organized by JAMA in 1998 shows that yoga is very beneficial for carpal tunnel syndrome compared with wrist splinting and no intervention. This is a well-regarded randomized trial on yoga.
7. Yoga for chronic lower back pain- A study by Annals of Internal Medicine is the first really high-quality trial on yoga for lower back pain in 2005. It concludes that yoga is a very effective treatment for chronic lower back pain.
8. Meditation helps to reduces stress and anxiety in general- According to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison, the practice of meditation reduces the grey-matter density thoughts in areas of the brain related with anxiety and stress.
9. Meditation reduces the symptoms of panic disorder- American Journal of Psychiatry published a research that shows that for the 20 out of 22 patients the effects of panic and anxiety had reduced substantially.
10. Meditation improve the concentration in the brain- An experiment of a group of Harvard neuroscientists on 16 people shows that meditation increase the grey matter concentration in areas of the brain involved in regulating emotions, learning and memory and sense of self.
11. Yoga helps in life-threatening diseases- A study of Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2013 shows the positive effect of yoga on arrhythmia burden and life-threatening diseases such as atrial fibrillation.
12. Meditation improve your performance and ability to work in stress- A study concludes that 20 minutes a day practice of meditation improve the performance on tests of cognitive skill and information-processing tasks that were designed to induce deadline stress. Sometimes this performance was 10 times better than others.
13. Meditation improves decision-making- UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging's assistant professor Eileen Luders found that people with long-term meditation have larger amounts of gyrification that is responsible for making the brain better at attention, decision-making and forming memories.
14. It gives you resilience and emotional intelligence- Meditation increases the resilience and emotional intelligence according to the book Wise Mind, Open Mind by PhD psychotherapist Dr. Ron Alexander.
15. Yoga can increase flexibility- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2013 shows that practice of bikram yoga can improve flexibility and strength but not aerobic capacity.
16. Meditation can make you stronger against pain- University of Montreal did a research on 13 Zen masters and 13 comparable non-practitioners. The research group of University of Montreal gives them equal painful heat and measuring their brain activity. They found that Zen masters reported less pain.
17. Yoga can help women with breast cancer- A study by Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2014 demonstrated that yoga can have benefits for women being treated for breast cancer. This was a high quality and controlled trial of yoga in women with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy.
18. Meditation improves psychomotor vigilance and decrease sleep need- A research by the University of Kentucky on four conditions: Nap (N), Control (C), Meditation (M) and Sleep Deprivation plus Meditation. This experiment shows that meditation can improve psychomotor vigilance and decrease sleep need.
19. Meditation enhance the ability to generate gamma waves in the brain- A study by the neuroscientist Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin and Tibetan Buddhist monks showed that long-term meditators have a slight increase in gamma activity in the brain.
20. Yoga can reduce inflammation- A review of the evidence on yoga in 2015 showed that yoga and other mind-body activities can reduce inflammation.
21. Meditation reduces alcohol and substance abuse- Three studies showed that it can help reduce alcohol and substance abuse.
22. It helps manage psoriasis- It can increase the resolution of psoriatic lesions in psoriasis patients through stress reduction intervention delivered by audiotape during ultraviolet light therapy with meditation. This showed NCBI.
23. You can live longer with meditation- A inconclusive research's data suggest that some forms of meditation may have salutary effects on telomere length through stress reduction and improvement in positive thoughts. Telomere is a part cells that affect how our cells age.
24. It can manage the heart rate and respiratory rate- A study by Korean Association of Genuine Traditional Medicine showed that 8 months period of meditation training can decrease the heart rate and respiratory rate. The Korean Association of Genuine Traditional Medicine is the practitioners of “Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique".
25. It helps the Fibromyalgia patient- A PubMed study showed the significant improvement in the overall health status of the Fibromyalgia patients. 11 Fibromyalgia patients have participated in this research. They underwent an 8-week mindfulness training and reported improvement in “felt good” and “missed work” because of Fibromyalgia.
26. It reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and premature death- A study published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity states that it can reduces the sense of loneliness, depression and Alzheimer’s and premature death.
27. It can treat premenstrual syndrome and menopausal symptoms- 20 randomized control studies in PubMed, the Cochrane Databases and PsycInfo concludes that it can treat premenstrual syndrome and menopausal symptoms.
28. It can prevent rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease- There are two groups in a study by neuroscientists of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. First group received mindfulness training and second group received nutritional education, exercise and music therapy. The study concluded that the first group was more effective in relieving inflammatory symptoms than second.
29. It decreases inflammatory disorders- A study at UW-Madison Waisman Centre concluded that meditation produces a range of genetic and molecular effects on the participants and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes. This helps in faster recovery from a stressful situation.
30. It affects genes- Harvard Medical School's study shows that yoga and meditation affects genes that control stress and immunity of the body.
31. It reduces risk of heart diseases and stroke- A research performed in late 2012 over 200 high-risk individuals. They asked to either take a better diet, health education class and exercise or take a class on meditation. During next 5 years the research concluded that people with meditation had a 48% reduction in their overall risk of stroke, heart attack and death.
32. Meditation for loving-kindness improves empathy and positive relationships- In a loving-kindness meditation you focus on developing a sense of benevolence and care towards all living beings around us. A study by Emory University says that it can effectively boost your ability to empathize with others by way of reading their facial expressions and the positive thoughts help you to develop several personal resources like loving attitude towards others.
33. It reduces emotional eating- Some scientists thinks that it help you to manage emotional eating, which prevents obesity.
34. Meditation for loving-kindness reduces social isolation- A American Psychological Association's study concludes that loving-kindness meditation improves your feelings of social connection and positivity toward novel individuals on both levels, implicit and explicit.
35. It keeps focus in spite of distractions- A Emory University's study states that people with more meditation feels the more connectivity within the brain networks controlling attention results in developed cognitive skills such as maintaining disengaging and attention from distraction.
36. A mindfulness meditation decreases the feelings of loneliness- A Carnegie Mellon University's study showed that it is useful in decreasing feelings of loneliness that helps in decreasing the risk for morbidity and mortality.
37. It improves your psychological well-being- A Nottingham Trent University's found that it helps people to improve psychological well-being who having the issues of stress and low mood.
38. It improves your working memory- A research showed that a mindfulness meditation can improve the working memory and executive functioning.
39. A mindfulness meditation fosters creativity- A Leiden University's study showed that a mindfulness meditation has positive effects in creativity and divergent thinking.
40. It increases the feelings of compassion and decreases worry- A compassion cultivation training (CCT) training for 9-week showed the improvement in all three levels of compassion - self-compassion, compassion from others and compassion for others. It also decreases the level of emotional suppression and worry.
41. It also helps manage ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) - A MBCT (Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) applied to a group of 50 people concludes reduced hyperactivity and impulsivity. It also increases the awareness skill and improvement in inattention symptoms.
42. A mindfulness meditation improves your rapid memory recall- Many research like Catherine Kerr of the Martinos's research showed that mindfulness meditation improves rapid memory recall and numerous mental abilities.
43. It relieves pain better than morphine- A Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre's experiment on 15 people states the less brain activity during pain through heat. In the experiment a equal heat applied to these people before and after the meditation and examine their brain activity using ASL MRI and notice less pain intensity and pain unpleasantness.
44. It improves learning and self-awareness- An article published in NCBI showed that a long term meditation improves the brain area associated with self-awareness, compassion and learning.
45. It increases awareness of unconscious mind- University of Sussex's researchers concludes that people with mindfulness meditation experience a greater pause between unconscious impulses and action.
46. It helps us allocate limited resources of brain - In an experiment of University of California concludes that people with three months of meditation training have a better control over the distribution of their attention, less allocation of brain-resource and perception resources.
47. It helps you to deal with stressful events better- A study of All India Institute of Medical Sciences showed that the adverse effects of stress were lessened if meditation is practiced before a stressful event.
48. It also prevents you from falling in the trap of multitasking- A study of University of Washington and University of Arizona reported that people after 8 weeks of meditation training have lower levels of stress and they also showed better memory for the tasks they had performed. They also remained focused on tasks longer.
49. It makes you able to affect the reality around us, in a quantum level- An article published in Collective Evolution showed that people with meditation collapsing quantum system at a distance.
50. Health benefits of Meditation- There are several health benefits of transcendental meditation according to an abundance of studies. Some of health benefits are: * It reduce myocardial ischemia (American Journal of Cardiology- May 1996) * It reduce atherosclerosis (American Journal of Cardiology- April 2002) * It low blood pressure in at-risk teens (American Journal of Hypertension- April 2004 and DoctorsOnTM) * It extended longevity (American Journal of Cardiology- May 2005) etc.
Yoga and meditation can keep you healthy, improve your immune system to prevent many diseases, make you happier and improve your physical and mental performance.
Jiten is yoga professional at a yoga school in India, Sattva Yoga Academy. He loves to yoga, meditation and writing for spirituality, wellness, yoga and meditation. Find him on Facebook or Twitter.
Chiron’s message of “heal thyself” is clear, especially in relationship to Virgo’s near-obsession with health, wellness and movement. The fact that Chiron sits perfectly opposite the Virgo moon (and right next to the sun), means that it is time to shine light within our unconscious for the deep triggers and core wounds that hold us back. Many of these wounds live in our body as aches, pains, chronic illness, tightness or uptightness. Try doing movement such as yoga or pilates to stretch open these areas of stuck energy and start to get to the bottom of the emotional and mental patterns that need to be released.
Shadow work requires us to travel between worlds; past and present, conscious and unconscious. No one is better at this type of travel than Mercury, and luckily, we have this planet by our side on this inner journey. The pressure to speak our truth, reframe our thoughts, and move through past patterns is fueled by Saturn, who urges us to take advantage of this time, lest we fall prey to the low qualities of these energies which include self-criticism, martyrdom, numbing out, and ignoring self-care. When we heed the call of this Virgo full moon and accompanying energies, we have the potential to shed old skin and emerge anew as a truth speaker, healer, and modern mystic. Alchemical Ritual for the Virgo Full Moon Virgo, and its relationship to Chiron, especially during this full moon time, call upon us to heal our core wounds and mine them for a source of true strength. We do this through an alchemical ritual that transforms our energy, and trades the darkness for pure gold.
Locate a powerful totem that represents the pain of a past wound. Gather crystals, sage, a piece of paper and pen, and a candle and set up a space for your ritual. Light the candle and enter your ritual with the totem in your hand. First sit quietly in order to gather your thoughts and energy into the ritual. Hold the totem in your hand, knowing it carries you through this transformative process.
Say out loud the following affirmation:
May the energy of this Virgo Full Moon and Chiron heal my old wounds and enlighten my consciousness.
Sit in quiet meditation for a few moments with the totem and observe what arises as a result of its presence. There is no right or wrong, and it is also not necessary to over-indulge in any of what comes up. Allow it to be as it is, accept it fully, and witness it with the light of awareness. Write on a piece of paper some qualities of the past wound—it doesn’t need to be an overly complex recounting, just some free-association of the related emotions and energy.
Now, give yourself permission to feel differently about the past wound. What have you learned as a result? How has it made you stronger? What good has come of it. Immerse yourself in that knowledge, and sit in quiet meditation as you observe what comes up as a result of the good feelings and association. Write these qualities down and as you do, either hold or touch the symbol. This transforms the symbol and you from the inside out.
Hold or touch the symbol while you continue to feel the good qualities within. Let those grow, flourish and take root. If you would like, you may burn your sheet of paper as a further symbol of transformation. Cleanse yourself with the sage, and chant Om three times. Close the ritual by snuffing the candle and placing your symbol in plain sight as a reminder of your transformation.
By Alanna Kaivalya
Alanna believes Yoga is for everyone and each student can develop the self-empowerment needed to embark on a personal journey to meaningful transformation. On this principle she founded The Kaivalya Yoga Method, a fresh take on yoga emphasizing the individual path while honoring tradition. Teaching students since 2001, teachers since 2003, Alanna has written and developed teacher trainings worldwide for top studios and independently. In January she debuted a comprehensive 200hr-online teacher training with YogaDownload. She holds a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, has authored numerous articles and two books: Myths of the Asanas, an accessible practitioner’s guide to stories behind beloved poses; Sacred Sound, a yoga “hymnal,” illustrating the role of chant and mantra in modern practice. Look for her third book, Yoga Beyond the Mat, in Autumn 2016.She lives in New York City with Roxy the Wonderdog.
Click Here to learn more about Alanna's 200hr Online Teacher Training with YogaDownload.com
Yoga’s seminal text, the Yoga Sutras, provides a path to learn to prevent future pain. Yoga Sutra 2.16: Heyam Dukham Anagatam translates to the Pain Which Is Yet To Come Is To Be Avoided. What does that really mean?
By cultivating healthy practices today, we can avert future problems from appearing. It’s a broad lesson applicable to many facets of our lives, but let’s apply it to learning how to keep our spine healthy and avoid future preventable injuries.
Where does back pain originate? It can stem from physical issues, but do you know how much your emotional and mental state can contribute? First, let’s look at physical habits and considerations. Do any of these factors apply to you?
- Old traumas, like car accidents and athletic injuries - Poor posture - Sedentary jobs and/or pastimes - No regular exercise regime - Overweight/obesity - Aging - Sudden changes in physical routines
Of course, physical risk factors from heredity, prior accidents, or injuries are tougher to counteract, but we believe most people can achieve improvement and protect their spines through a smart yoga practice. Focus on building core strength to protect your back and strengthening and stretching the muscles around your spine to develop excellent posture.
Often the trigger runs deeper than merely physical because your emotional and mental states influence or even cause backache. Although the pain feels physical, the root of the problem is predominantly emotional. If your back is killing you and you can’t figure out why, it’s time to pause and reflect. What could be causing it? Are you angry, scared, or insecure?
Assess the location of your spinal pain and see if any of the below correlations apply:
Upper back/Neck: Upper back relates to feeling a lack of emotional support; feeling significant people in your life don’t understand you or support you. Do you feel unloved or are you holding back your love from someone?
Middle Back: Emotionally speaking, pain in the middle back comes from feeling guilty about ‘stuff’ from the past. Perhaps you are afraid to explore your past? Maybe you are hiding what is back there? Do you feel stabbed in the back?
Lower Back: It’s all about the money, money, money. Lack of money, fear of not having enough, or fear of material loss may be triggering lower back pain.
Regardless of why you’re in pain, yoga can help. By creating openings in your physical body, your mind and heart will benefit as well. In addition, dealing with emotional and mental problems could free up your spine.
This week, we’ve got four great new classes targeted to addressing a healthy back. Try one or all of them and remember, a healthy spine makes for a happy back.
1. Power Yoga for a Healthy Back - Kristin Gibowicz 2. Bye Bye Back Pain - Kristin Gibowicz 3. Fitness 'n' Yoga: Flow for the Spine - Ben Davis 4. Core Strength – Pradeep Teotia
It went like this:
Me: “Hey man!” Him: “What’s up Dave, long time no see.” Me: “I know, seriously. So how was the rest of your summer?” Him: “Good! Busy. Really busy. How about you? Busy too?”
My response was a stutter and stammer of comfortable crutch phrases:
Things are good. I’m well. Been teaching, writing, you know. Enjoying summer. The usual…
The moment of excitement that I felt on the edge of a personal exchange with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while — when anything and everything is possible and just waiting to be spoken — vanished in an instant.
After I sat back down to sip my cappuccino, I was left wondering why the flat-lined exchange wasn’t just disappointing, but frustrating, too.
So, Mr. Writer, I silently said, Is that what you call storytelling nowadays? You’re “well”? Things are “good”? Is that what you call an interesting exchange? Seriously?
When a few hours passed, I recognized why the conversation left me wanting for more — and why my frustration with myself was triggered.
It was because I didn’t have a story to tell.
I don’t mean that I was wishing to have an exciting tale of international intrigue to share. It’s not that I regretted not having some new, passionate romance to brag about, or a major work accomplishment to share.
When I say I didn’t have a story to tell, I mean that I wasn’t sure what the narrative of my life had been over recent months.
That felt terrible. Because not having a “story” is just another way that I couldn’t “make sense of it all.”
While the word “story” may make you think of Tolkien-style adventure books with epic quests and built-up climaxes of action, a story is really just choosing to place a narrative of understanding around events and details of our lives.
Even in our ordinary, everyday conversational exchanges with friends, we tell stories.
We tell stories about the long and tiring work week. You’re job searching? That’s a story. How’s that guy you’ve been dating? Your response is a story. You say you’ve been loving the cooler autumn weather and relishing the outdoors after the particularly hot, humid summer? That’s a story too.
The definition of a story is broad but, ultimately, all of our stories are chosen.
We choose our stories.
And, most importantly, the stories we tell become the stories that we live.
The stories we think and those we share become the fabric of our everyday lives.
Stories shape feelings of purpose, or lack of fulfillment. Stories give us hope and strength, or worry and fear. Our stories are how we define the otherwise random assortment of facts, events, faces, moments and details that make up our lives. Our stories are how we choose to make sense of them all.
Good, bad or indifferent, how we interpret the unfolding of our lives is always our choice.
The result is what we call a story.
When I saw my friend that day, I had fallen out of touch with “the story I was living.”
I wasn’t sure what story I had been living – but I didn’t realize it until that coffee shop exchange.
Unable to offer a narrative around the last few months of my life, I was left stuttering and stammering through colloquialisms and socially-expected responses. I was boring. What I offered was empty. It felt like white noise.
If you think I’m being hard on myself, you’re right:
Because everyday conversations are precious opportunities to live the stories that we want to be telling.
I believe that the ordinary, routine chats that we have with people everyday are really special chances for us to witness our own Selves — through the words and rhythms that we express, when prompted — and, as a result, to witness if the stories we tell on instinct are in alignment to the what stories we want to be living.
You know how so many people act uncomfortable, awkward, even imposed-upon by everyday conversations? It’s like our most human, natural moments have become riddled with doubt, fear and anger. It feels like a miracle to have the opportunity for a short, simple, honest interchange with someone new.
Is it that we’ve become less intrapersonal because of our comfort using impersonal technology to communicate?
Or is it that we don’t know how to respond in any other way than closed-off, awkward, boring, safe, story-less?
Is it both?
Maybe that’s why so many routine conversations in the day-to-day feel lacking. Maybe that’s why so many exchanges — even between acquaintances and friends — feel absolutely empty of connection. Maybe that’s why dialogue seems to leave more of a bitter taste of sorrow, shame or sadness in its wake, than joy.
What would happen if we each took a bit more time to sculpt our own understanding of the arc of our recent lives, even the mundane weeks or fast-moving months?
What if we dared ourselves to have more of a story to share?
Conversations are Chances to Cultivate Our Stories
When I lived in Hawaii for 5 weeks in 2012, my travel buddy Jacob Sokol, life coach for life coaches, wanted us to make a pact: no boring conversations with people, he implored. The introvert in me reluctantly agreed.
As travelers in a new place, we found ourselves forced into either “making friends the old fashioned way,” by talking to strangers, or falling apart in our own boredom of being stuck together.
So we did.
At our hostel. At dive bars. In line at the noodle shop. On the sidewalk. And in this magical little vortex of a place where we seemed to make fast acquaintances with single young women who actually gave us the time of day. Miraculous!
It turns out that, when you communicate bravely — pledging to volunteer vulnerability, or pressing yourself to ask a semi-interesting question — connecting with people is easy. Really easy.
The reluctant introvert in me found it was far less awkward to swear away crutch phrases like “busy” among other passive, boring, expected ones.
Instead, the writer in me fell in love with the wordy-little-challenge of prompting a unique exchange with a stranger.
It felt more comfortable than doing the socially-expected-yet-infinitely-weirder dance of modern conversations with others:
“How are you? Nice weather isn’t it? What’s that over there, a pigeon? Pigeons are something, aren’t they? Okay, bye!”
Thinking back to my coffee shop exchange with my friend, it seemed as though I was due to recommit to the pledge I had made to Jacob years ago.
To not be boring. To be braver. To embrace the story in the moment. And to share it more willingly — if only because what we choose to share becomes the story of our lives.
Maybe this time, you and I can make the pledge to one another.
Let’s Be Braver in the Stories We Share
From those weeks in Hawaii and throughout solo travels where my words were the only way to feel less alone in the world, I’ve learned that conversations are unique opportunities. They’re the ways we actually bond on an emotional, resonant, real level with other human beings.
And when we share stories — even in conversations at coffee shops — our lives become better. They become more meaningful. Not only do our conversations benefit from becoming less awkward, humdrum and mundane — the stories we bravely share reinforce the meaning, responsibility and choice we have over our lives.
We worry less. We experience more. We tell stories bravely, and start to live more bravely, too.
So let’s pledge to stop being boring with our conversations.
Let’s escape the doldrums of socially polite interchanges, and expected dialogue, and wasted opportunities to connect with one another on a meaningful level.
Let’s share our stories with reckless abandon.
How do you do it?
First, examine the stories you’re living. Make the time to reflect. A simple way is to journal it through.
Second, challenge yourself to love conversations again. Consider them opportunities, not just “something to endure.”
Next, bear the responsibility for non-boring and well-storied exchanges by asking better questions — questions that elicit a natural, effortless story in response.
Try:
Even if you do default into polite habits and expected cues of conversation like “What’s new?” and “How have you been?” keep going. Try asking again, but from a slightly different angle.
After you prompt someone into a story, it’s your turn to practice what you preach. That’s the final step.
Be braver in the stories that you share.
Because we all need you to be living your story, bravely. We need you to live your life boldly and with great, ambitious love. Dare to live for more than “busy.” Challenge yourself to find more meaning than “the usual, same ol’.” Expand your intentional life beyond the story that your best friend expects to hear. Open the door to an entirely new story, instead.
So, what is the story that you’ve been living lately?
Here are a few practice exercises that you can write, or recite, when you find yourself in your next cafe catch-up conversation:
Play with your words. Be brave. Be bold. Experiment. Risk being seen. Elicit a moment of intrigue — a follow-up question. Don’t dodge connection. Don’t default into your conversational crutches.
Your story is yours to tell.
Dave Ursillo crafts stories. He is a wordsmith, yoga teacher and communications specialist. Dave teaches people how to choose words that change their world. His life and his work revolve around writing, self-expression and cultivating wholeness of body, mind and spirit. Learn more about Dave.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 4 minutes
DRESSING
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro ¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice ½ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground coriander 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed ¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 large ripe avocados Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice Sea salt 1 pound cooked shrimp, cut into bite-size pieces 1 Granny Smith apple, cut into bite-size pieces 2 scallions, sliced 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, toasted (optional)
To make the dressing, combine the cilantro, parsley, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, coriander, jalapeño, garlic, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Spritz the cut flesh with lemon or lime juice and sprinkle with salt. Make a well in the avocado halves by scooping out some, of the flesh, leaving a ½-inch border. Place the flesh in a bowl and mash it lightly with a fork. Add the shrimp, apple, and scallion and 4 tablespoons of the dressing; stir until evenly coated. (Reserve the rest of the dressing for another use; it will keep for 5 days in the fridge.)
Spoon the shrimp mixture into the well of the avocado halves, making a nice mounded scoop in each. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.
A note to Rebecca: Thank you for sharing this recipe with us! You can find more of Rebecca’s delicious recipes on her web site, in the recipe box. (To learn more about healthy fats, check out this interview I did with Rebecca.)
Reprinted with permission from The Healthy Mind Cookbook Copyright © 2015 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.
Haunumanasana derives from the Sanskrit Hanuman, the name of the Hindu monkey god, and asana, meaning “pose” or "posture." Hanuman was the son of the wind, Vayu, and a vanara (monkey) woman, Anjana. He personifies the qualities of physical strength, bravery, and spiritual devotion. The asana symbolizes the leap Hanuman made from the southern tip of India, as described in the epic poem, "Ramayama."
The myth describes Rama, a king of ancient India, whose wife Sita was kidnapped by the demon king Ravana who ruled in Sri Lanka. During the epic battle to rescue Sita, Rama’s brother, Laksmana, was severely wounded. Because the sole remedy was an herb that only existed in the Himalayas, his death seemed inevitable
Hanuman, Rama’s fervent disciple, vowed to make the formidable leap all the way from the south of India to the Himalayas. After he took his leap of devotion, he carried the entire mountain back with him. The healers discerned the correct herb and were able to save Laksmana’s life.
That mighty leap is memorialized in the pose Hanumanasana. You strive to reach much further than seems humanly possible. Relying solely on physical flexibility doesn’t work; you must dig deeper. Hanumanasana expresses the expansiveness possible when devotion is in the heart—the sense that you can overcome any obstacle with intensity from within.
This story of courage and dedication can inspire us to stay committed, to pause and connect to the power and devotion each of us embody. It’s a reminder that nothing is impossible if we believe deeply enough, on and off the mat. You don’t have to be a superhero monkey god; you just have to tap into your inner strength.
Inspired yet? If not, check out one of our new releases and explore it with a fabulous instructor guiding you through. Each class shines the light on creating a new type of opening. Go ahead, take a leap!
Try one, try them all:
1. Hamstrings, Hips & Hanuman - Kylie Larson 2. Ancient Newness - Eric Paskel 3. Heart of Hanuman: Making the Leap Into Compassion - Alanna Kaivalya 4. Guidelines For A Balanced Life: Isvara Pranidhana (Devotion) - Les Leventhal
So we have decided to give you 5 easy to do tips based on the simple fact that digestion has two main purposes: to provide you with fuel and nutrients. These have personally helped my digestion and I believe they have the potential to work for anyone.
Tip #1 Experiment Like in yoga you’re given a lot of different advice from different teachers. Sometimes they compliment and sometimes they contradict each other. What is the reason for this you may ask? Well, quite simply, everybody’s body is different. That goes for digestion as well. I suggest listening to the advice and trying different things. Try eating meat, try going vegetarian, try some grains, cut out milk for a while. Try, and then pay attention to how you feel afterwards. Maybe eating meat works for you. Maybe a cup of coffee in the morning is the way to go. It’s your body so take the time. By following this advice you will eventually find what works and you will gain control over your digestion. Tip #2 – Hold the ice This little tidbit was first introduced to me while studying Chinese dietetics. From an Eastern perspective iced foods and beverages cool the digestive fire. From an occidental view ice does two things. First it slows digestion: inhibiting peristalsis (the contraction of the gastro intestinal muscles propelling food down the intestinal track) and the contractions of the stomach. Second it causes the body to have to use more energy in order to heat the water up. Why is slowing digestion a bad thing? Well generally slower digestion results in less energy since your body is exuding more effort than necessary, less absorption of nutrients, and that heavy lethargic feeling we often get after big meals. Tip #3 – Eat simply By eat simply I mean have less complicated meals. Different foods need different enzymes in order to be broken down. When we eat very complicated meals, with many different proteins, grains and veggies at one sitting, our bodies end up using the energy needed for nutrient absorption on producing various chemicals. This extra energy results in slower digestion, a feeling of being bloated, heavy and tired and even affects your sleep. Remember the purpose of digestion is to give your body fuel for energy and nutrients; it should not be a strain on the system. Simplify your meal and save the energy for other activities. Eating simply doesn’t have to mean less variety it just means thinking about which foods you serve together. Check out this website to find some simple groupings to help you eat more simply. Tip #4 – Slow it down and chew I know, I know, you’ve heard this before, but honestly it changes things. Digestion is basically a process of mixing food with digestive juices and breaking it down into incrementally smaller pieces as it moves from one step to the next. By chewing our food well we allow the digestive process to start in our mouths, mixing it with saliva and breaking the food down before it even enters the tract. Chewing a little more slowly gives your body a chance to feel full and helps prevent over-eating. P.S Try not watching T.V. while you eat. I’ll explain this point with a question: have you ever eaten a meal while watching T.V. then looked down surprised by your empty plate? Watching T.V. simply encourages faster eating. Give it a try. Tip #5 – Smaller portions I know, I’m preaching to the choir, but it really works. Eat a little less, have more energy, and absorb more nutrients. I’d like to invoke the image of a blender here. Let’s say you’re making a delicious smoothie. You throw in some banana, a little papaya, maybe pineapple, ok and some orange juice and whatever other delicious thing you can find. You look at the precariously full blender and wonder if you can even close the top. With a little effort and some elbow grease you force the lid on and press blend. To your dismay the blades seem to be having trouble getting everything mixed up. Same deal when we over eat. Your stomach can only hold so much and so filling it to the top allows no room for it to do it’s job and churn everything up. Again you get tired, you absorb less nutrients, and well, you just don’t feel that great. Happy Eating!
This Pisces new moon and lunar eclipse cycle is filled with Pisces energy. Not only are the sun and moon both in Pisces, so are Mercury, Chiron, and Pisces’ ruler, Neptune. This packs a powerful Pisces punch for all of us, essentially calling us all to spiritual work on every level: conscious, unconscious, communication, in mentorship, healing and transcendence. Your energetic body will be lit up by this lunation, in particular your throat and third eye chakras. Practices to focus on right now include: mantra, chanting, meditation, visualization and invocation. These practices target those energy centers, and super-charge your ability to connect with spirit.
Keep in mind, that the other biggest planetary activity in the sky right now — the Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter T-square — is active through May and definitely charging up this Pisces eclipse. What you can expect from this cosmic collision is a giant wave of radical transformation…which is a great time to stay close to the spiritual and transcendent practices of Pisces to integrate, process, and build resilience for all that is going on right now in our world.
Keep swimming in your spiritual waters, and those waters will shelter you from any storm.
Alchemical Ritual for Pisces New Moon:
Pisces is a water sign portrayed by two swimming fish. This displays the fluidity of emotions and incredible, empathic sensitivity that is second nature to Pisces. All these feelings can be overwhelming without the right outlet to deal with them. This ritual aids in allowing you to make your way through the emotional turmoil that occurs in deep spiritual exploration in order to feel fully what is alive within you and bring it to a balanced, integrated state.
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 the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Find a symbol that activate you spiritually and makes you feel connected to 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 New Moon allow me to transcend all that holds me back from 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 everyday 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.
Without connection, we often feel adrift and alone. Apart. One of yoga’s most powerful lessons is learning to connect. Connect with yourself. Connect with others around you. Connect to nature and the world surrounding you. Learning to tune out all the external noise and tune into your inner strength and core is vital. You’ve got to connect with yourself before you can effectively connect with others.
Don’t feel guilty for sneaking away to practice yoga or meditation or whatever you really want to do—consider it an essential for you to be at your best. It’s just like the safety announcement on an airplane. They remind you to place your oxygen mask on before you put on your child’s. You can’t help others without taking care of yourself first, at least not effectively.
Yes, we know you’re busy. Yes, we know time is tight. We’re here to help you carve out some time in your day for YOU. Everyone has the same twenty-four hours. Choose to prioritize and take at least fifteen minutes, thirty minutes; gasp even a whole hour for you.
Okay, now you’re determined to carve out your personal sliver of heaven. When? Plan ahead. Get up earlier in the morning, take your lunch hour for yourself, switch off the television and flip on one of our new classes, sneak away from everyone in your house and get it done. You deserve it! We’ve got plenty of classes to fit your schedule. You can even search for classes based on exactly how much or little time you have!
This week, we’re excited to introduce another new class from Mark Morford: Morning Badass Flow, to start your day out with a bang.
When you desperately need to tune out the noise of your life and tune in to yourself, try Reset Refuge: Come Home to Yourself, by Elise Fabricant or Unplug from Tech, Plug into You by Dia Draper.
Finally, if all the technology of your day is hampering your ability to get a good night’s sleep, try this Pranayama for Better Sleep class from one of our newest YogaDownload stars, Maria Garre.
Remember, practicing yoga helps us be our kindest, happiest selves. Take the time to go inside and recharge. You’ll feel better and your loved ones will too.
Back to the point of this particular post, the dish itself. It was essentially a big plate of goodness (so good that I just had a very similar thing for lunch). It isn't particularly difficult to make, and you can really make your own version of it by changing a few things up.
What you need:
1 carrot, sliced. 1 carrot, grated Florets of 1 small broccoli 1/2 onion quartered 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon turmeric Tamari Chilli flakes Handful spinach Lemon Half an avocado Walnuts Pumpkin seeds 1 tablespoon nut butter of your choice
What To Do:
Begin by preheating oven to 200C. Coat the sliced carrots, onion and broccoli in coconut oil, paprika, turmeric, 2 teaspoons of tamari and a sprinkle of chilli flakes. Place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes or until softened.
Tear up the spinach roughly, and cover with hot water to wilt slightly. Massage with juice of half a lemon and 1 teaspoon of tamari. Assembly is pretty easy, simply place the roast veggies, spinach, avocado and grated carrot in piles around a plate. Add your nut butter to the centre, sprinkle with walnuts, pumpkin seeds. and tamari.
Choose the poses you love and need most – we do yoga so we can feel better physically, emotionally or mentally, depending on how we are feeling at the moment. If you are too busy to do a whole sequence, choose only a few poses that will serve the issue of the moment. You can focus on poses to ease your anxiety for instance, or simply choose to do poses that alleviate your back pain.
Yoga should never be a chore, no exercise should. We have too many things that we do because we have no other option but yoga should not be one of these things. If you do decide to do yoga, do it because you know it makes you feel better, only then will you make more time for this workout.
by Cassie Brewer
Cassie Brewer is a make up professional in Southern California. In her free time, she enjoys writing about her passion (make up of course!) and everything beauty related. Nothing makes her happier than helping other be the best version of themselves they can be. You can read more at cassiebrewer.weebly.comand follow her on twitter @Cassiembrewer
To gain optimum results, we need to adopt a detox regime that conforms to the challenges that our bodies will face during each particular season. For instance, in frosty weathers, your body will crave food more often to maintain a healthy body temperature. However, constant eating will put your body into a continual digesting mode which depletes the amount of energy available for core functions which can lead to making you more vulnerable to diseases.
It is for this reason that our detox plan keeps us healthy, energetic and warm. It works by harnessing energy and optimizing food intake. By detoxifying, we stop resisting and simply allow our bodies to flow with seasonal changes.
Here are a few crucial considerations that will help you get the most out of your winter detox:
1. Try to retain as much body heat as much as possible by wearing warm clothes and socks both inside and outside your home. Try to opt for woollen garments as they keep you snugly warm while allowing your skin to sweat and breathe freely.
2. Take frequent warm baths or showers.
3. Drink lots of hot herbal teas packed with antioxidants, nutrients and a healthy proportion of caffeine.
4. Your skin excretes major toxins and contaminants by sweating, and since you don't sweat much in winters, you face the risk of these toxins building up in your skin. To do so, spend an hour in an infrared sauna now and then to help your skin filter out these toxins.
5. Opt for healthy soups instead of juices and smoothies.
6. Sit in front of a fireplace to relax.
7. Eat liver as it will nourish your overall immune system and cleanse your body from toxins.
8. Use activated bamboo charcoal to pull out impurities and toxins from your body. Several skincare products contain activated charcoal or you can consume it orally via capsules.
During winters we need large amounts of energy, and hence it is better to consume nutrient dense meals as opposed to raw vegetables and juices to keep you energetic all day long. Here are some warm foods that can provide you with sufficient amounts of energy to feel active.
Breakfast:
As you wake up, go for these filling options that will jump start your metabolism and will provide you with enough energy to take on a hectic work day.
1. Vegan smoothie with banana, flax/ chia seeds, frozen blueberries, coconut water, protein powder and probiotics.
2. Chia Gingerbread shake
3. Peppermint hot chocolate
Lunch:
Following are delicious nutrient-packed options that are perfect for mid-day replenishment:
1. Savory Shake
2. Chickpea soup
3. Balsamic Miso root salad
4. Clean and roasted carrot soup.
5. You can choose between half a cup of cooked quinoa, brown rice or millet and a choice of 4 oz. Boiled or steamed fish, tofu or chicken or 1/4 cup of toasted walnuts and sunflower seeds or 2 tbsp. of Tahini.
*Add 1-2 cups of steamed veggies like broccoli, kale, onion and carrots seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil, grated ginger and fresh basil.
Dinner:
These dinner recipes are light on the stomach and will ensure that you have plenty of energy until morning. However, it is recommended that you have your dinner at 7 pm and refrain from eating anything afterwards so that you don't pack on pounds as you sleep.
1. Quinoa stuffed kabocha
2. Coconut poached salmon
3. Pan-steamed Chicken and Broccoli.
4. Choose between 1/2 a cup of boiled or steamed chicken, tofu or fish or 1/4 cup of toasted sunflower seeds or 2 tbsp. Tahini along with lightly sautéed or steamed vegetables like bok choy, kale, broccoli, onion, napa cabbage and carrots. You can also add half of a sweet potato or 1/2 cup steamed winter squash to this platter.
Snack:
1. 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries that served at room temperature.
2. Winter veggie juice with carrots, spinach, celery, apple, lemon and ginger root.
3. Potassium broth
4. 1 cup miso broth with dulse.
5. A handful of nuts including walnuts and raw almonds.
6. Warm walnut lentil pate.
Daily Supplements:
Amidst a demanding lifestyle filled with toxins, your bodies can use a little help now and then to sustain its vitality. Therefore, you can use these daily supplements to keep you up and running in frosty weathers.
1. 500-1000 mg of vitamin C (buffered ascorbic acid) and 400 mg magnesium citrate in the morning and afternoon for a healthy digestive system.
2. Probiotic in the morning.
3. B complex that will restore your nervous system allowing you to stay calm.
The key here is an intelligent use of food energetics to identify food options that provide you with nutrition without adding unhealthy carbohydrates, fats and calories. You should mix and match the options above to fit your mood so that you stay motivated to follow this re-inventive detox plan throughout the winter season.
By Audrey Throne
Audrey Throne is a mother and a professional blogger. She has completed her masters in English literature from university of Birmingham. As a blogger, she writes on health, technology as well as management. Find her on Twitter: @audrey_throne.
Bieler’s Broth, was created by Dr. Henry Bieler, a clinical nutritionist and author of the book Food Is Your Best Medicine. This soup is a Purification staple. It’s bright green and very bland by nature, and as you may have guessed, therein lies its healing properties. The soup is rich in minerals and is very alkalizing. You may be tempted to spice it up with sea salt or other spices, but keeping it bland actually helps you to recalibrate your taste buds. It’s nourishing, restorative, comforting, and fulfilling.
Enjoy it frequently throughout your Purification, if you’re under the weather, or whenever you need a reset. And then leave us a comment below. What do you think of this lawn mower pulp supersoup?
Happy Purifying,
Bieler’s Broth
Yield: 2 large bowls
Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 large handful frozen or fresh green beans 1 large handful spinach (optional) 2 cups water 1 handful fresh parsley
Instructions: In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, steam zucchini, celery, and green beans in water for about 10 minutes or until they’re very soft. Add spinach (if using) at the end and steam for only about 2 minutes.
Place veggies, remaining steaming water from the stockpot, and uncooked parsley into a blender and blend for 1 or 2 minutes until smooth. Eat this broth fresh from the blender for the best taste.
Variation: You can substitute with more spinach if green beans are unavailable. When you’re not fasting, Bieler’s Broth makes a rich, wholesome base you can add other ingredients and flavors to. You also can flavor it to your liking by adding oil, sautéed onions, garlic, and other vegetables such as broccoli, additional chopped zucchini and celery, and snow peas. Or flavor with sea salt and black pepper or cayenne.
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
What I've noticed over the years is that students don't usually know what to look for in a teacher training. I have re-qualified many students who had already attended a 200 hour training with different teachers around the world, but had left feeling that they weren't remotely ready to teach. Even those who had beautiful personal experiences in their previous trainings, often still did not have the confidence to teach. Moreover, even those who did teach, often knew very little about technique, pedagogical tools, or - that dreaded subject that so many trainings brush under the table or outsource to non-yogis: human anatomy.
As I have been circling the globe on my personal journey, I have had the pleasure of attending classes with many graduates of my past trainings, and I have been consistently moved to tears. Each and every one of them was more than proficient - they were outright inspiring, and their knowledge and understanding never failed to challenge and enlighten me. Far be it from me to claim credit for that, though; ultimately it is the result of their own inner knowledge, diligence and inspiration. Yet, it has given me the lasting desire for quite some time now to share what I've learned about training the best yoga teachers - that is, how to prepare students to harvest their inner knowing and access their inspiration. While I humbly hope that these lessons will help other trainers, my deepest wish is that those of you looking for a teacher training will have a clearer idea of what to ask when you question your teachers - which you always, ALWAYS should!
1. Never Stop Practicing Asana AND Meditation This may seem obvious, but you might be surprised how many high-profile teachers consider their teaching to be their yoga practice. This is a dis-service to both self and others, as it is only through committed daily practice at our own edge that we can maintain a high level of teaching. It allows us to stay connected with beginner's mind, and hence with our students. If you are a teacher, ask yourself if you sincerely and always walk your talk. If you are interviewing a potential training director (which, again, you always should, even if you know them very well as a classroom or private teacher), respectfully and casually ask them what they do for their personal practice. Get as much specific details as you can, and then ask yourself honestly - do they genuinely have what you want?
Now, many yoga students are not sincerely interested in or committed to meditation. This is of course a historical and practical aberration, but to each her own. Nonetheless, it is my experience that when I became uncompromisingly devoted to daily meditation practice (even during teacher training retreats, waking up hours before sunrise to get my practice in before teaching), my trainings simply produced much better teachers. My heart just felt bigger and more open, making me so much more effective as a teacher. So I feel obliged to add here: if you are training teachers, meditate extensively and daily, and see how everyone benefits from your generous investment. And if you are interviewing a potential training director, ask them what part meditation studies play in their trainings, and what will be expected of you in term of meditation before as well as during training. It is a surprisingly good gauge of training quality. That said, however...
2. Study Anatomy - as well as Pedagogy Many trainings are wonderful personal retreats with sincere asana and meditation practitioners, yet still do not properly prepare their graduates to teach. One of the most common complaints I hear from graduates of such trainings is that they weren't really taught how to teach, or given enough time to actively practice what they were learning DURING the training. This is due to a misunderstanding of a simple educational principle: most of us, especially if we are attracted to yoga, are kinesthetic learners, meaning that we learn best by doing things with our bodies. I have had the good fortune of studying and teaching education and pedagogy to graduate student instructors at the University of California at Berkeley, and I credit that experience with much of my success as a yoga teacher training director. I strongly believe that yoga trainings should take into account different learning styles - teach everything orally, visually and physically, encourage students to articulate verbally, put in writing, read about every lesson, and so on. Moreover, we should teach our trainees about learning styles, for the sake of their own future students. Ask your potential training directors how lessons are conducted during their trainings, and what kinds of in- and out-of-classroom activities are used to facilitate learning.
Now to an unnecessarily dreaded subject: human anatomy. With most trainers avoiding anatomy or outsourcing those required hours to non-yogis, no wonder most of us think of anatomy as a boring or scary topic. This needn't be the case. With a good understanding of pedagogy and learning styles, it is easy to see how many of us need anatomy lessons to be fun, dynamic, physically active experiences for them to make sense. The vast majority of us need to feel and see the muscles, connective tissues and bones in question in our own bodies and on each other BEFORE we read about them in a book or hear a lecture about them. Ask your potential training directors how anatomy is taught in their trainings and by whom.
3. Require Preparatory Reading: Especially in Philosophy & Communication In almost every training I have offered, students have asked how in the world did we manage to put together a group of exclusively amazingly kind and loving people. By reason and statistics, we should really have at least one or two really difficult characters around. For one, calling every applicant that you don't already know (which is another super important tip for training directors!) is crucial for both sides to know if it is the best possible fit. Even more, requiring the right preparatory reading sets the tone for the best ways to relate to ourselves and each other during a training. This is doubly true for the personally and emotionally challenging format of an immersion retreat. I usually require that students read Non Violent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg and The Places that Scare You by Pema Chodron, as these are amazing guidelines for every challenge in life, but whatever moves you to become a better human being can do the same for your trainees. This will have tremendously positive results to the way they treat themselves and each other during training, and thus enhance the amount and the depth of knowledge that you can pass on. What are the required readings for the trainings that you are considering attending? What do they tell you about what you can expect?
4. Teach Principles, Not Poses In the first 200 hour teacher training that I offered, I must have actively addressed over a hundred poses. In the last one? Hardly two dozen. This is partly because I have learned to teach less content more slowly, so that students retain more of the knowledge they are given. Even more so, it is due to the fact that it is simply unnecessary to address every kind of pose. With a little good understanding of anatomy, it becomes clear that there are a few universal principles of posture and movement, dictated by the simple facts of human anatomy, that are hence helpful for everyone, all the time. This is not to discount individual differences; in fact, these principles are often checks and balances to one another - such as drawing the top of the thigh bones back and lifting the lower belly: they are both important in every asana, but different bodies require more emphasis on one or the other in order to come to balance. Still, once teachers in the making understand these fundamental, anatomy-based principles, they can figure out for themselves how to teach any pose to any student. Are we putting words in our students' mouths, or wisdom in their hearts? Are we giving them fish-poses or teaching them how to fish knowledge from the depths of their understanding? Ask your potential training directors about their particular methods of teaching asana - will these give you mere information, or actual wisdom?
5. Go with Your Heart and Gut Ultimately, all that I've written so far amounts to mere guidelines: listen to your heart and go with your gut. You might be surprised how many students let conveniences sway them from their heart's desire. While dates, location and price are important practical considerations, having to take another 200 hour training because the more convenient first one did not serve you is even less convenient. I have always been committed to keeping training prices low and offering payment plans and scholarships to those who could not otherwise attend - lest we end up sharing yoga only with the financially privileged. Yet, if your chosen training does not - borrow, start a fundraiser or get a second job. It is probably the most important decision of your yoga life.
Shy Sayar is a teacher and therapist with over 5000 hours of experience bringing yoga to students of all levels, treating patients, and training yoga teachers around the globe. Shy believes in Teaching People – Not Poses, since the practices of yoga are infinitely adaptable to fit the practitioner’s stages of development, and there is no need to push the body into arbitrary shapes. Instead, his Tantravaya yoga method integrates the classical Eight Limbs of Yoga, equally cultivating the body, breath and mind to bring each practitioner to optimal, holistic health.
CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF SHY'S YOGADOWNLOAD CLASSES!
Ayurveda teaches that everyone is born with a certain constitution or dominant dosha. The three Doshas are: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. They represent the primary life force or Prana flowing through your body. This internal energy syncs with the external world and is reflected in nature’s four seasons.
Everybody has a combination of the three doshas and if we’re unaware of our own nature, it’s easy to fall out of balance. Our diet, our physical activity, our careers, where we live, and how we sleep impacts the balance. When they are aggravated, we are in a state of dis-ease. Utilize this ancient knowledge to achieve your optimum health.
True diagnoses requires an Ayurvedic practitioner, but for a general Dosha quiz, visit Banyan Botanicals.
First, Vata means wind and is associated with the air element, dryness, cold, and the nervous system. Positive elements of Vata are: quick thinking, mobility, and creativity. Vata is considered the “boss” Dosha—it drives Pitta and Kapha. Located primarily in the large intestine and colon, Vata also settles into the thighs, hips, and lower back.
If you’re unable to sleep, anxious, depressed, or constipated, you may be suffering from Vata imbalance. Living in a cold, dry climate can exacerbate Vata. When out of balance, focus on resting, staying warm, meditating, eating soothing warm foods, and avoiding raw, cold, or stringent foods. Slow down your yoga practice.
Next, Pitta manifests as our digestive fire and often corresponds to tapas or heat in the belly. A Pitta disposition is often passionate, fiery, courageous, and perceptive.
On the flip side, excessive Pitta shows up as anger, impatience, and judgment. All types of inflammation are associated with Pitta. To balance Pitta energy or time of year, limit hot or spicy foods, excessive heat and humidity, oils, and salt. Eat cooling foods. Try a more passive asana or meditation practice.
Finally, Kapha, or the water element, means phlegm or that which binds. Positive qualities of Kapha are patience, compassion, and stability. This energy helps ground Vata and Pitta. It is primarily located in the stomach and chest and throat.
Too much Kapha manifests as heaviness: literally gaining weight, feeling drowsy or lacking energy, and also issues with the lungs and sinuses. To balance too much Kapha, implement a vigorous heat-building asana practice, avoid heavy, cold foods like ice cream.
YogaDownload.com wants to help you feel more balanced, so we’ve got several new classes for you with an Ayurvedic twist.
If you’re feeling weighed down, try Claire Petretti Marti’s Lighten Up: Kapha Balancing Flow and two new classes from one of our latest teacher’s Maria Garre: FREE - Beat the Winter Blues Pranayama and Beat the Winter Blues Namaskar
Learn more about Ayurveda’s ties to the gunas or elements of nature with Alanna Kaivalya - Discovering the Dynamic Qualities of the Universe: Practicing with the Gunas.
Balance it all out with Les Leventhal’s Guidelines for a Balanced Life: Caring for Others, Caring for Self and Shy Sayar’s Transcending Emotionality.
Using regular detoxification techniques for overall health and wellness is a great way to cleanse the body for optimum function, no matter the time of year. However, there are certain techniques specifically for the body during winter to gently detoxify without losing any vital energy.
Golden Milk Tea
Golden milk tea is an ancient recipe that has been passed down generations for its cleansing properties. The main ingredients of this Ayurvedic drink are warm coconut milk in combination with turmeric. Turmeric has long been hailed as anti-inflammatory and boosts immunity against colds and flu. The active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, is also beneficial for the digestive system as it increases the production of bile, which the liver uses to push toxins out of the body.
Hot Yoga
When the body is craving warmth… give it what it wants! However there is more than meets the eye when practicing hot yoga… the benefits go beyond it just feeling good when it’s below freezing outside. The cleansing experienced during hot yoga is more than just the sweat pouring out of your skin- sweating itself actually stimulates movement of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for the transportation of white blood cells in the body to fight infections. If the lymphatic system is not getting rid of toxins quick enough, it can slow your ability to get well again after sickness and make you feel sluggish.
If hot yoga sounds like a little too much for you, try sitting in a sauna or taking a hot Epsom bath instead.
Leafy Greens
Eating green is essential during the winter months. Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, and collards are chock full of phytonutrients such as vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as B-vitamins and iron in some cases. These essential nutrients stimulate the immune system and promote detoxification. They provide support for your liver to eliminate toxins while also supporting the body to keep it strong and healthy. Next time you feel down, whip up a detox salad to lift your spirits!
Trataka Meditation
Keep your mind sharp and focused with this traditional yoga meditation. Winter itself does a good job of forcing us to turn inward, but if you find yourself hibernating too much, you may feel unmotivated and mentally sluggish. Trataka meditation can help you get back on track and cleanse the mind of negative thoughts.
It is performed by lighting a candle and staring at the flame as a meditation. It promotes mental focus and cleanses the third eye, which is the seat of intuitive knowledge. It also helps to still the mind of mental chatter and will strengthen your eyes.
Kapala Bhati
If you’re looking to internally heat the body through breathwork, the yogic pranayama technique kapala bhati is an excellent choice. Sometimes also called bellows breath, this breathing technique uses forceful, percussive breath while pumping the abdomen. It is cleansing for the digestive system and the third eye as well. Not only does it work to gently stimulate the movement of breath through the body, it also keeps mental chatter at bay. If you feel lightheaded at all performing this technique, stop immediately.
Lindsay Nova often calls herself “a one woman spiritual circus”. She is a firm believer in the wisdom of the body, the strength of the heart, and the power of the breath. After studying dance, yoga, and movement throughout the United States, she has dedicated her life to being an international creative fitness educator and multidimensional performance artist, inspiring and empowering others to take charge of their lives and live their own dreams. Currently she has been traveling through Central and South America with hula hoops and a yoga mat, teaching yoga, hiking volcanoes and ancient ruins, and trying shamanic medicines among other various adventures!
Yoga is not about escaping.
Yoga is
Yoga is about feeling all of your anger and allowing yourself to express it and get rid of it in a safe space.
Yoga is about taking action, not repressing emotion, not conveniently forgetting, not consciously ignoring.
Yoga is about being present. If you are not present to the current state of the world you can’t even begin to become part of the change you so desperately wish to see.
First, you have to admit there’s a problem.
Yoga is not about sweeping the bad under the rug. Yoga is about having a conversation about all of it and letting yourself be uncomfortable with all of the parts of it that you’re uncomfortable with.
Yoga is about not knowing what to think, what you’re feeling, what’s going on, what’s right. We’re allowed to not know. We come to yoga to look inside ourselves for those answers. To hear those answers we have to purify the body, the mind, and the soul.
Purify
The practice of yoga offers us the tools to purify. From a purified place we can start to listen for those answers we’ve been seeking.
Ignoring what is going on is only going to add more layers to purify in the future.
Seek
If you’re in a yoga class, you’re a seeker.
If you just wanted a great workout, there are plenty of places you can go for those workouts that will give you better workouts and faster results. You show up in the yoga classroom because you’re curious about that mind-body connection. You’re curious about the magic and the mystery even though you don’t know what it all means, how it works, and you’re not even sure you want to know.
Home
I was raised in a place where you don’t talk about politics. I went home this weekend and got to see my fair share of Trump and “Hillary for Prison” signs.
I had shouting matches with my parents, which were productive because even though we were yelling due to our own respective passion and anger, we knew that we could have a safe conversation because we’re family and we love each other no matter who we all vote for and no matter who wins.
Fear
At the end of the day everyone is just afraid. It all boils down to fear, even if we don’t consciously recognize it. People are afraid that more money will be taken away from them that they’ve worked hard to earn. People are afraid that a crazy person or a corrupt person will be ruling the United States. The world is afraid that the United States will no longer offer aid or support.
We’re afraid that we will lose our status, our money, our power. That fear turns into irritation and anger and anxiety and depression.
It’s all around us. My neighbors scream at each other every night so loud I know all the intimate details of their life even though I’ve never met them. The woman feels disrespected. The man claims he’s done nothing wrong. My other neighbor just got a visit from police officers about an alleged assault. I got screamed at by a police officer for getting into the wrong lane of traffic. All of that anger is rooted in fear.
Take care of yourself
The best thing you can do on any day of the year is to take care of yourself.
When we take care of ourselves we’ll better be able to purify our body, mind, and soul so that we can find within us the root of our fears and the answers to our problems.
Once we take care of ourselves, we’ll get a clearer picture on how to move forward. Hopefully, that picture will involve helping and being of service to others, even in the smallest way possible. I grew up in a relatively small town and was touched by a local newspaper article about a man who donated coats for the homeless. He was able to raise a couple hundred dollars and donate three or four coats. It’s not a huge number but he was so proud and he keeps working to donate as much as he can. It’s about helping one person at a time.
This is how we solve our own problems, our country’s problems, and our world’s problems.
We start with ourselves. We take care of ourselves. Then we take care of others. We smile when we pass a stranger on the street. We say hello to our neighbors, no matter where we live, no matter how much they scream at each other every night. We hold the door. We be kind like we were taught to be when we were young.
When we take care of ourselves and we help one another, the world will start to change one person at a time.
Love, compassion, connection, and clarity are the only things that will save humanity.
It doesn’t matter who wins or who you vote for or what your politics are.
What matters is that you’re a human being and you care.
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.
Click here to download or stream one of our Office YogaDownload classes!
I did not even have to ask what he meant or where he got that information, because I knew I have always been in some kind of cell or another.
According to Vedantic philosophy, freedom is defined by one’s happiness not being connected to any external agencies, i.e., people, places, and things (the world). Bondage (prison) is defined by one’s happiness being dependent on people, places, and things.
Consider Your Own Prison I have never once, not even for a split second, felt happiness that was not connected to something in some way. Check it out: ask yourself if you are happy. If you said yes, there is most likely a reason linked to it. Hence, your happiness is because of something, someone, somehow. Believe it or not, that is not happiness. Why, you ask? Because whatever is making you happy has a shelf life! It may go away, or the pleasure you get from it will fade. But one way or another, everything in this world has a shelf life, even you! Ask your friends and family the same question, and if they respond, “I’m great,” ask them why they are happy. They will have a reason which will not be, “I Am.”
I do not care how big your prison is or what amenities you have. I do not care if you have a television and a nice kitchen in your cell. I care about getting out of jail! Sure, it may be easier gaining the grace I am looking for in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I live, than it is in San Quentin State Prison. But every day, Beverly Hills folks imprison themselves and in San Quentin, inmates are finding freedom.
Finding Freedom in San Quentin I visited San Quentin in March after having lunch in Marin County, California, with my yoga agent and friend, Elana Maggal, and photographer, Robert Sturman, who made this visit/yoga class happen. The irony of pulling into San Quentin five minutes after dining in one of the most expensive suburbs in the country was astounding. Yet knowing what I know about freedom, I smiled and said to myself, “You are just leaving one prison for another.” I prepared nothing and had zero information about what was expected of me, not even how long the class was going to be. I quickly discussed with James Fox, the head of the Prison Yoga Project, what I could expect from the inmates. Before I could take it in, we were standing in the yard of the infamous prison, without an armed guard. Our only armor was two yoga mats!
The students entered class on time, participated in setting up the room (there were tables and chairs everywhere), introduced themselves, and then sat peacefully on their mats. The mats had to be set up in a semicircle, because the students are on high alert when someone is behind them. I was not allowed to walk around the class or adjust anyone. “Doing that could trigger a PTSD or fight-or-flight response, ending in harm,” I was told. I was, as were the students, completely at ease. The students were fully engaged throughout the entire class. The level of commitment on their mat was second to none. They listened to every word I said, and I could see them processing the philosophy in every breath. Yoga was being practiced! It was not in the poses. They understood all too well that yoga is not about posing. It’s about getting out of jail! We created a prison break without ever leaving the prison. I could feel their deep hunger for personal freedom, and that was their gift to me. Teaching yoga to anyone, anywhere, is a joy for me, but it’s not always easy. Teaching at San Quentin was effortless.
Finding Freedom Everywhere Else In suburbia, there is a different kind of prison. It’s one where there are no bars, yet many are stuck in a box. The difference is awareness. The student in jail knows he is there. If he wants out, there is an attitude and energy that drives him. As for the rest of us, we do not see ourselves in prison, so there is no sense of urgency. There is a lackadaisical approach to life, to our yoga practice. Even those reading this are reading it for the most part for their entertainment, not their enlightenment. Therefore, teaching yoga to those who are unaware that they are not free is like prying gum off the bottom of a shoe. It’s a tough job and being a yoga teacher does not in any way place you above the people you are teaching. I see it the way the yoga scriptures lay it out: We are all in the same boat, until we are completely out of the boat.
I know one person who is free. But because I am not, I cannot really be sure of it. I just know he is different, and everyone else I have ever come across is the same. A conditioned person cannot know what being unconditioned is like until they are unconditioned. It’s like sobriety. An alcoholic cannot possibly understand sobriety, until he is sober. I am not sober, so to speak, and that brings me back to the beginning of this story … our only job in life is to break out of jail, to know our infinite self, to reach our ultimate state of pure peace, bliss, and wholeness.
I want to be free and by God, it’s difficult. I feel the bars even though I cannot see them. They come up when I lose what I love, or get something I do not want. The walls cave in when I feel threatened that something of “mine” will be taken away. I throw myself into solitary when I covet the careers of others or cast stones at those I do not approve of.
There is much to do in order for me to gain my freedom. The good news is I have the key: it’s me!
Eric Paskel is known for his rock ’n roll personality in the normally quiet world of yoga. He is an international yoga teacher, marriage-family and child counselor, and motivational speaker. He has been a teacher of teachers for over 16 years, presenting at Yoga Journal Conferences, Kripalu Center, Bhakti Yoga Fest, Wanderlust, Telluride Yoga Festival and the Southeast Yoga Festival. Eric has also taken his brand of yoga around the globe, conducting workshops in Russia, Mexico, Costa Rica, India and Belize.
Already known as a trendsetter in the yoga world, Eric has added record breaker to his list of accomplishments. Using Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions as his backdrop, he hosted the event, Yoga Rocks Ford Field, breaking the record for the largest indoor yoga class. He also led the longest yoga chain in Estes Park, CO at a Yoga Journal conference in 2012.
Eric Paskel founded, owned and operated a family of nine yoga studios in Michigan and California. His latest and greatest masterpiece is Electric Soul Yoga. Yoga Rocks, Yoga Rocks Bootcamp, and Vindalini were just some of his signature classes.
But my favorite foods of hers were the ones that she just created on her own - no recipe book at all. She'd take a bunch of ingredients, whip them together and voila - something delicious was sure to be served.
The other day, she blew me away again with another one of her creations. I'd given her Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides and she said: "Oh! Let's see what I can do with this!" She's kind of a health nut like me, so she took out the following ingredients and set out to make peppermint chia bites:
ingredients
1 cup oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3T coconut oil
2T honey
2T chia seeds
1t vital proteins collagen peptides
2 drops peppermint essential oil
Directions:
First, you heat the coconut oil and honey over low heat and stir.
Then, when everything is melted together, removed from heat and add the collagen peptides and allow to cool.
Then, add everything else, form into meatball sized bites with wet hands, and put in the fridge for two hours.
My mom would like you to know she isn't crazy about them. They're not sweet enough for her, but I think they're perfect. If you like sweeter things, add some more honey.
Candace Cabrera Moore is an entrepreneur who believes nothing is impossible. She is an international yoga instructor who runs luxury yoga retreats, healthy living blogger, and author of Namaslay. She is passionate about modern yoga, delicious food, and living your absolute best life. After a very long battle with Lyme disease, she is so grateful to have her health back, and that was the inspiration behind founding YogaByCandace, a modern yoga lifestyle company that creates weekly yoga and hiit workouts, and curates Mantra Box, a seasonal discovery box program that supports small business.
When we tend to our own self-care, our confidence and independence increases, while the drama that we create in our relationships (romantic or otherwise) decreases dramatically. Instead of expecting somebody else to give us happiness, peace, or fulfillment, we are liberated knowing we can obtain it ourselves. Then, through the practice of self-love, gratitude, and physically breaking through the emotions weighing us down, we become ready for the relationships that will lift us up. Take care of your self, explore your passions– you are fully resourced and have everything you need.
Let today’s practice unblock your heart and make way for love.
Elise Fabricant - Reset Refuge: Thrive & Shine! Refresh and renew with this 30-minute, all-levels practice, to awaken your spine and core, open your hips, unlock your neck, and finally chill your nervous system.
Pradeep Teotia - Core Passion Use your yoga to get in touch with your passion, on and off that mat. This core class will fuel your fire.
Eric Paskel - The Sweetest Thing It's all in the name... This gentle yoga class that will ease you out of stress and into relaxation through encouraging dialogue and juicy asana, taught by this month's featured teacher.
Jeanie Manchester - Lakshmi Love This deep hip opening hatha class begins with the story of Lakshmi, the radiant Goddess who finds her beauty by churning in the shadow and light. By accepting our shadow, our pain, we can choose to make more beauty, more light, opening our ability to create more of ourselves and our gifts becomes possible.
I use these lessons on an almost daily basis to manage small flair ups or issues that make me feel like I’m spiraling. Here are ways to help you manage and understand your anxiety or any moment you feel out of sorts.
Not Everything is Black and White
A significant cause of my anxiety was the idea that not everything is black and white. For example, even if I ate healthy all day, one slice of pie would tip the scales, or so I feared, causing a frenzy of unbearable anxiety.
This often occurs for people who have a perfectionist mindset: “Perfectionism creates a steady state of discontent fueled by a stream of negative emotions like fear, frustration, and disappointment, “ says Christine Carter, PhD, Berkeley.edu.
This mindset forced me to deal with a heavy load of pressure. Whenever I found myself in one of these situations, it suddenly felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. A small bite of pie will not tip the scales on my entire healthy lifestyle. One piece of criticism doesn’t mean that I’m terrible at what I do. Not everything is one way or the other; in most cases, I learned that there’s a lot of wiggle room to work with.
The Problem Is Rarely What You Think It Is
Therapy teaches you to dig deeper into a problem. We have a habit of shielding ourselves from what’s really bothering us. While on the surface it may seem like “work stress,” underneath it all could really be a lack of self-confidence, or a fear that we’re not doing well enough at our job.
If we accept what’s at the surface, we’ll never be able to dig into the real problem, fix them, and move on. In digging deeper I discovered long-buried issues that were causing severe anxiety now. What’s more, it was manifesting it in completely different ways. I would have never guessed that family problems from my teen years were driving my body image struggles now. As it turns out, that was a huge part of it.
Without knowing what these problems were, I could never have taken the right steps toward healing. While it may be scary to dig down into what’s really going on— who knows what you’ll find down there, I certainly didn’t— if you live on the surface your anxiety will continue to be a problem.
My anxiety taught me that digging deeper to find the real problem allows me to affect change, within my environment and myself. In most cases, we don’t even realize what the real problem is until we actively ask ourselves: “What’s really going on here?”
Fear is Good
A lot of people are scared— about work, their health, their love life and more. I actually just read that in a poll of 2,000 people, the biggest fear was of failure, including financial loss, being alone and unemployment. Anxiety is almost always intertwined with some sort of fear; of rejection, social situations, etc.
I wrote about my personal experience while being scared because I recently realized something— fear can either propel us forward or hold us back. If you acknowledge and embrace it, it will propel you forward.
Many people, especially those of us with anxiety, let it tear us apart. We overanalyze every decision, we’re critical of the choices we make, and we let it drag us down. Yet knowing these fears allows you to control them, so you don’t miss out on your dream job or aren’t afraid to ask your future soul mate to dinner.
I found this to be valuable in many areas of life. Fear is good, but it will only lift you up if you let it.
Everything Will Pass—Sooner Than You Think
When I’m having an anxious moment it feels like it will never pass. As I slowly spiral into the start of a panic attack, I can’t think of anything else and it seems like that one “problem” will be the end of me.
Sooner than later, however, I start to breathe and think again. Before I know it, the problem has passed and I’m onto the next thing. In so many ways, this is applicable to life, and the stress that comes with it. Sometimes, when we’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to see the way out. In these moments, remind yourself of struggles you’ve endured before. If you made it through those, you’ll do the same again and the problem will pass—likely much sooner than you think.
By Jessica Thiefels
Jessica has been writing for more than 10 years and is currently a lifestyle blogger, small business owner and personal trainer. She’s been featured on Forbes and has written for Reader’s Digest, AARP, Lifehack and more. Follow her on Twitter @Jlsander07 for lifestyle tips, fitness advice and more.
Sankalpa, the yogic practice of setting intentions, is something you do whether you mean to or not. Unconsciously we always set goals for ourselves, but these desires were probably a lot closer to the surface when you first began practicing. After a few weeks or months on the mat, it can be easy to settle into routine. You may not take time now to consciously acknowledge what it is you came here looking for. The guide below will help you adapt that practice to draw out your intentions and honor your highest self.
Want What You Want
A lot of the research on fitness these days is focused on motivation: internal versus external rewards. One reason it can be so difficult to acknowledge what you really want from your practice is that it’s often driven by outward expectations, which, while important, and not particularly great at getting you on the mat every day.
It can be hard to admit to yourself that what you really want is time for quiet reflection, especially when you think you should want to lose weight or get fit. Yoga can satisfy many different needs at once, though, so there’s room to integrate different aspects into your practice.
If you’ve been focused on fast practices, try including some slower, meditative poses into your routine, like bends and twists. I also like to end each practice with a 10 to 15 minute session of yoga nidra, known as “the meditative heart of yoga.” It doesn’t involve any muscle work at all—instead you slowly relax each body part, and then focus on evoking various emotions, sadness, warmth, boredom, excitement, fear, joy. It’s kind of like stretching for your soul.
Live Your Intentions as Though They Were Accomplished Fact
Maybe you’ve heard the old saying “if wishes and buts were candy and nuts, oh what a party we’d have?” Constantly focusing on what we wish we had is one of the seeds of dissatisfaction. It ensures that you’d constantly in a state of almost arriving, instead of being exactly where you are, in your body and your current emotional framework.
When you find an intention, practice living it as an already-accomplished fact. Say to yourself, “I am strong,” or “I am at peace.” This is a small change linguistically, but it has a huge psychological impact. It opens up room to explore how it really feels to be at peace, to be strong, or whatever it is your heart most desires.
Don’t Be Afraid to Change
The beauty of life is that we grow and change. In yoga, we watch our bodies get stronger and more flexible. Meanwhile, our personalities are changing. It doesn’t make sense to repeat the same mantra to yourself every day. Over time, what you need from your practice may change. In fact, if you’re experiencing a lot of transitions in your daily life, your wants and needs could shift as frequently as every few hours.
When you integrate mindfulness into your practice, you begin to recognize and accept your needs just as they are. Maybe today’s intention is to shake off stress and do some self care, rather than performing the perfect wheelbarrow. It’s okay to change your intention throughout the days or even in the course of a single practice. For this reason, it’s good to check in with yourself both when you start and end a practice. In fact, it’s pretty exciting to see how a good stint on the mat can change your perceptions. It’s truly one of the greatest gifts of yoga.
Jesse Silkoff is an avid runner and tennis player. He currently resides in Austin, TX where he works as the President and Co-Founder of FitnessTrainer, the leading online marketplace to find a local personal trainer that can help you achieve your health and wellness goals.